A teacher stood in front of his history class of twenty students just before handing out(分发) the final exam. His students sat quietly and waited for him to speak. “It’s been a pleasure teaching you this term,” he said. “You’ve all worked very hard, so I have a pleasant surprise for you. Everyone who chooses not to take the final exam will get a “B” for the course.” Most of the students jumped out of their seats. They thanked the teacher happily, and walked out of the classroom. Only a few students stayed. The teacher looked at them. “This is your last chance,” he said. “Does anyone else want to leave?” All the students there stayed in their seats and took out their pencils. The teacher smiled. “Congratulations (祝贺),” he said. “I’m glad to see you believe in yourselves. You all get ‘A’s.” This story most probably took place .
| A．at the end of the term |
| B．in the middle of the term |
| C．at the beginning of the term |
| D．at the beginning of the school year |
Why did some students stay in their seats?
| A．Because they were afraid to leave. |
| B．Because they wanted to take the exam. |
| C．Because they didn’t have anything to do. |
| D．Because the teacher told them to stay in their class. |
The teacher gave the students who stayed in the classroom “A”s because .
| A．they studied hard |
| B．the teacher liked them |
| C．they believed in themselves |
| D．they were cleverer than the other students |
One Sunday, my family had gathered at my parents’ house to feast upon Mom’s wonderful cooking. During the normal dinner chatter (闲聊), I noticed that my father was slurring (说话含混) his words. No one mentioned this during dinner, but I felt compelled to discuss it with my mother afterward.
We decided that there was something seriously wrong and that Dad needed to see the doctor.
Mom phoned me two days later. “The doctor found a brain tumor (肿瘤). It’s too large at this point to operate. Maybe they can do something then, but the odds are long.”
Even with the treatment, my father’s condition worsened, and the doctor finally informed us that this condition was terminal (晚期的). During one of his stays in the hospital, we brought our baby daughter Chelsey with us when we visited him. By this time he had great difficulty speaking. I finally figured out that he wanted Chelsey to sit on his stomach so he could make faces at her.
Watching the two of them together, I realized I was living an experience that would stay with me forever. Though grateful for the times they could share, I couldn’t shake the feeling of a clock ticking in the background.
On the visit to my parents’ home during what we all know was my father’s last days, my mother took Chelsey from my arms and announced, “Your father would like to see you alone for a minute.”
I entered the bedroom where my father lay on a rented hospital bed. He appeared even weaker than the day before.
“How are you feeling, Dad?” I asked. “Can I do anything for you?”
He tried to speak, but he couldn’t make out a word.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t understand you,” I said.
With great difficulty he said, “I love you.”
We don’t learn courage from heroes on the evening news. We learn true courage from watching ordinary people rise above hopeless situations. In many ways my father was a strict, uncommunicative man. He found it difficult to show emotion. The bravest thing I ever saw him do was overcome that barrier to open his heart to his son and family at the end of his life.Which of the following statements is TRUE?
| A．The writer accompanied his father to a medical examination. |
| B．The writer’s father got worse after the removal of the brain tumor. |
| C．The writer was quick to notice the strange condition of his father. |
| D．The writer’s father had known about his illness before the writer discovered it. |
What does the underlined sentence “the odds are long” mean?
| A．There’s little possibility for Father to recover. |
| B．It takes a long time for Father to recover. |
| C．Father needs love and care from his family. |
| D．They need a proper time to operate on Father. |
The father had never said “I love you” to the writer before because ________.
| A．he believed in strictness and punishment |
| B．he was not so attached to the writer |
| C．he thought there was no need to tell the writer |
| D．he was not used to openly showing his emotions |
What does the writer attempt to tell us?
| A．We don’t often value health until we lose it. |
| B．Don’t wait to see a doctor till it is too late. |
| C．Life is short, so live your life to the fullest. |
| D．Bravely express your love for your family. |
Built in 1794 for the 5th Duke of Bedford, this hotel in the heart of Bedford overlooks the River Ouse, which winds through the beautiful Bedfordshire countryside.
We offer a flexible approach to conferencing. With purpose-built meeting rooms offering a flexible and functional space, our hotel is designed for comfort and convenience. Day Delegate（代表/代表团）, 24 Hour Delegate or room hire only can be arranged to meet your needs and we offer a range of food and drinks for all requirements.
The Bedford Swan Hotel provides an impressive range of conference, training and function rooms which are suitable for up to 250 delegates.
Our hotel is located 30 minutes drive from Luton Airport and a 20-minute walk from Bedford Train Station with regular trains to and from Central London.
What to expect:
• A professional service from the beginning
• Your own event consultant
• A great location with car parking
• Well equipped rooms perfect for your meeting or event
• Various Day Delegate packages
• Personalized dining and refreshment breaks
• Accurate billing
Discounted Day Delegate Rates from £35 per person
* Hold your meeting before 30th November 2013 and benefit from our special day delegate rates
* Day Delegate Rate from £35.00 per person
* Minimum numbers of 8 apply
Call us on 01234 346565 or e-mail us on info@bedfordswanhotel.co.ukBedford Swan Hotel is more suitable for _______.
| A．busy sightseers | B．conference travelers |
| C．fresh trainees | D．event consultants |
Which of the following is true according to the text?
| A．It takes you 20 minutes to walk here from Central London. |
| B．The Bedford Swan Hotel was built in the late 18th century. |
| C．The hotel is located sixty kilometres from Luton Airport. |
| D．Guests can get professional service by offering extra tips. |
From the advertisement above we can learn that Bedford Swan Hotel _______.
| A．can serve up to 250 delegates |
| B．winds through Bedfordshire |
| C．can provide personalized billing |
| D．offers no car parking service |
The special discount will be given if _______.
| A．a delegate of 8 apply for 24-hour-meeting rooms |
| B．guests pay £35.00 per person for the rooms they live in |
| C．you book a purpose-built meeting room on a special day |
| D．8 delegates hold a day meeting on November 2, 2013 |
John H. Johnson was born in a black family in Arkansas city in 1918. His father died in an accident when John was six. He was reaching the high school age, but his hometown offered no high school for blacks.
Fortunately he had a strong-willed (意志坚强的) caring mother. John remembered that his mother told him many times, “Son, you can be anything you want really to be if you just believe.” She told him not to depend on others, including his mother. “You have to earn success, ”she said. “All the people who work hard don’t succeed, but the only people who do succeed are those who work hard.”
These words came from a woman with less than a third grade education. She also knew that believing and hard work don’t mean everything. So she worked hard as a cook for two years to save enough to take her son, who was then 15, to Chicago.
Chicago in 1933 was not the promised land that black southerners were looking for. John’s mother and stepfather could not find work. But here John could go to school, and here he learned the power of words—as an editor of the newspaper and yearbook at Du Sable High School .His wish was to publish a magazine for blacks.
While others discouraged him, John’s mother offered him more words to live by. “Nothing beats a failure but a try. ”She also let him pawn(典当)her furniture to get the $ 500 he needed to start the Negro magazine.
It is natural that difficulties and failures followed John closely until he became very successful. He always keeps his mother’s words in mind.“Son, failure is not in your vocabulary!”
Now John H. Johnson is one of the 400 richest people in America—worth $ 150 million.John’s mother decided to move to Chicago because _____.
| A．his father died when John was very young |
| B．life was too hard for them to stay on in their hometown |
| C．John needed more education badly |
| D．there were no schools for Negroes in their hometown |
John’s mother______
| A．didn’t believe in or depend on others |
| B．thought one could be whatever one wanted to be |
| C．believed one would succeed without working hard |
| D．thought no one could succeed without working hard |
The underlined sentence “Nothing beats a failure but a try. ” means _____.
| A．if you try, you would succeed |
| B．a failure is difficult to beat, even if you try |
| C．a try is always followed by a failure |
| D．no failure can be beaten unless you try |
The story mainly tells us _____.
| A．how John H. Johnson became successful |
| B．about the mental (心理的) support John’s mother gave him |
| C．about the importance of a good education |
| D．about the key to success for blacks |
When I was growing up, 16 was always a magical age, a symbol of maturity, responsibility and of course more independence and freedom. I sat through the hours of Driver’s Ed classes eager to get out on the road. I couldn’t wait to get my driver’s license.
But it’s a different story for today’s teens. In January, the U.S. Department Transportation released 2012 data that showed only 30.7 percent of U.S. teens got their license at age 16, Twenty years before, that number was almost 45 percent.
There are numbers of reasons for the fall – off. The growing responsibilities like paying for insurance and high gas prices discourage teens from getting behind the wheel. Plus, many teens today are so busy with homework, endless hours of activities and part-time jobs, that finding the time for Driver’s Ed classes may be more difficult that ever.
In addition, many states have raised the driving age, or restricted when teens can drive and who they can have in the car. Parents may also be making their own personal restrictions until they feel their teens are responsible enough to drive safely.
Driving is part of the American culture, but it’s not the central focus like it was 25 years ago. They have so many other things to do now. One of the more interesting factors delaying teens driving might be the change of their social life. Today, teens need to look no further than Face book or other social networking sites to connect with their friends. There is simply less need, maybe less desire, to be able to grab the keys and go.
Michelle Wei got her license as a senior in high school because her digital social life made it easy not to drive. “If I couldn’t get a ride to see my friend who lives a town over,” the 19-year-old said, “I could talk on IM or Skype.”
Research has shown that these online relationships can lead to higher quality friendships, so it isn’t necessarily a bad thing. However, it’s important to find a balance. If old face-to-face friendships are good, why not drive to find them?We can infer from the first paragraph that _______ .
| A．Driver’s Ed classes allowed teens to know what maturity was |
| B．getting a driving license at 16 was a must for American teens |
| C．16 was considered an age when one could get his driver’s license |
| D．teens could drive on the road without taking Driver’s Ed classes |
What does the passage mainly talk about?
| A．Desire to drive on the road declines among American teens. |
| B．Getting a license costs much more than ever before. |
| C．Social networking sites are changing the life of American teens. |
| D．American teens are becoming more responsible than ever. |
Michelle’s Wei’s example is used to explain ________.
| A．why American teens are crazy about digital social life |
| B．what social networking websites are bringing to American teens |
| C．to what degree the Internet is affecting the American car culture |
| D．what the Internet does to help teens to get a driving license |
The last paragraph is reminding the readers that _______ .
| A．the Internet has a bad effect on the teen’s social life |
| B．teens should keep a balance in choosing their lifestyle |
| C．actual contacts can be replaced by talking on line |
| D．face-to-face friendship is always the best choice |
It was Molly’s job to hand her father his brown paper lunch bag each morning before he headed off to work.
One morning, in addition to his usual lunch bag, Molly handed him a second paper bag. This one was worn and held together with staples(书钉).
“Why two bags?”her father asked.“The other is something else,” Molly answered. “What’s in it?”“Just some stuff(东西). Take it with you.”
Not wanting to discuss the matter, he put both sacks into his briefcase, kissed Molly and rushed off. At midday he opened Molly’s bag and took out the contents: two hair ribbons(丝带), three small stones, a plastic dinosaur, a tiny sea shell, a small doll, and 13 pennies...The busy father smiled, finished eating, and swept the desk clean into the wastebasket, Molly’s stuff included.
That evening, Molly ran up behind him as he read the paper. “Where’s my bag?”“What bag?”“The one I gave you this morning.”“I left it at the office. Why?”“I forgot to put this note in it,”she said.“And, besides, Daddy, the things in the sack are the things I really like—I thought you might like to play with them. You didn’t lose the bag, did you, Daddy?”“Oh, no,”he said, lying. “I just forgot to bring it home. I’ll bring it tomorrow.”While Molly hugged her father’s neck, he unfolded the note that read:“I love you, Daddy.”Molly had given him her treasures—all that a 7 year old held.
Love in a paper bag, and he missed it—not only missed it, but had thrown it in the wastebasket. So back he went to the office. Just ahead of the night janitor(看门人), he picked up the wastebasket. He put the treasures inside and carried it home carefully. The bag didn’t look so good, but the stuff was all there and that’s what counted.
After dinner, he asked Molly to tell him about the stuff in the sack. It took a long time to tell. Everything had a story or a memory.
“Sometimes I think of all the great times in this sweet life,”he thought.
We should all remember that it’s not the destination that counts in life, but the journey. That journey with the people we love is all that really matters. It is such a simple truth but it is so easily forgotten. Why did Molly give her father a second bag?
| A．She didn't want to keep the things in the bag. |
| B．She hoped those things would bring happiness to her father. |
| C．She wanted to remind her father of the stories behind the things. |
| D．She enjoyed playing with her father. |
How did Father deal with the bag after he opened it?
| A．He kept it in the drawer. | B．He took it back home. |
| C．He threw it into the wastebasket. | D．He put it on his table. |
After father heard what his daughter said，he felt ________.
| A．regretful | B．surprised | C．sad | D．satisfied |
Which of the following is the most suitable title of the passage?
| A．An important journey | B．Two bags |
| C．Father and daughter | D．Love in a paper bag |