My parents have certainly had their troubles, and as their child I’ll never know how they made it to 38 years of marriage. They loved each other, but they didn’t seem to like each other very much. Dad was too fond of his beer, and he talked down to Mom a lot. When she tried to stand up to him, a fight would unavoidably follow.
It was my dad’s disease that began to change things. The year 1998 was the beginning of a remarkable transformation for my family. My father, Jim Dineen, the always healthy, weightlifting, never-missed-a-day-of-work kind of dad, discovered he had kidney (肾) disease.
The decision to go ahead with a transplant for my father was a long and tough one, mostly because he had liver damage too. One physician’s assistant told him, “According to your file, you’re supposed to be dead.” And for a while, doctors mistakenly thought that he would need not just a kidney transplant, but a liver transplant too. Dad’s future hung in midpoint.
When the donor testing process finally began in the spring of 2003, numerous people, including me, my uncle Tom, and my mom, came back as matches of varying degree. But Mom was the one who insisted on going further. She decided to donate a kidney to my father. She said she was not scared, and it was the right thing to do. We all stepped back in amazement.
At last a date was chosen – November 11, 2003. All of a sudden, the only thing that seemed to matter Dad was telling the world what a wonderful thing Mom was doing for him. A month before the surgery, he sent her birthday flowers with a note that read, “I love you and I love your kidney! Thank you!”
Financially, the disease was upsetting to them. So my sister and I were humbled and surprised when, shortly before his surgery day, Dad handed us a diamond jewelry that we were to give to Mom after the operation. He’d accumulated(积累) his spare dollars to buy it.
At the hospital on the day of the transplant, all our relatives and friends gathered in the waiting room and became involved in a mean euchre (尤克牌游戏) tournament. My family has always handled things with a lot of laughter, and even though we were all tense, everybody was taking bets on how long this “change of conduct” would last in my parents.
We would inform Dad that if he chose to act like a real pain on any particular day after the operation, he wasn’t allowed to blame it on PMS just because he’d now have a female kidney.
The surgeries went well, and not long afterward, my sister and I were allowed to go in to visit. Dad was in a great deal of pain but again, all he could talk about was Mom. Was she okay? How was she feeling? Then the nurses let us do something unconventional. As they were wheeling Mom out of recovery room, they rolled her into a separate position to visit Dad. It was strange to see both my parents hooked up to IVs and machines and trying to talk to each other through tears. The nurses allowed us to present the diamond jewelry to Mom so that Dad could watch her open it. Everyone was crying, even the nurses.
As I stood with digital camera in hand, I tried to keep the presence of mind to document the moment. My dad was having a hard time fighting back emotion, and suddenly my parents unexpectedly reached out to hold each other’s hands.
In my nearly 35 years of existence, I’d never seen my parents do that, and I was spellbound. I snapped a picture and later rushed home to make sure I’d captured that enormous, life-defining moment. After so many years of disagreement, it was apparent to me that they finally understood how much each loved the other.From the first paragraph we can learn that _________.
| A．Dad was fond of drinking |
| B．My parents got along well |
| C．Dad often beat Mom |
| D．Mom never obeyed Dad |
The underlined part “Dad’s future hung in midpoint” in Para.3 suggests that _________.
| A．Dad's life journey was on half way |
| B．Dad came to a critical moment in his life |
| C．Dad’s future was decided by doctors |
| D．Dad faced a tough decision in his life |
Before the surgery, which of the following words can best describe the feeling of the families?
| A．Worried and negative. |
| B．Anxious and helpless. |
| C．Nervous but optimistic. |
| D．Relaxed and positive. |
Which of the following is TRUE according the passage?
| A．Dad bought a diamond jewelry to Mom for their wedding anniversary. |
| B．Dad asked the nurse to visit Mom soon after the operation. |
| C．Despite a lot of pain, Dad was eager to know Mom’s condition soon after the operation. |
| D．On the day of the transplant, the families involved in a mean euchre tournament to relax themselves. |
What’s in the writer’s photo?
| A．Everyone was crying, even the nurses. |
| B．His parents were trying to talk to each other. |
| C．Dad watched Mom opening the gift. |
| D．His parents were holding each other’s hands. |
What’s the best title for the passage?
| A．Dad’s disease | B．Mom’s decision |
| C．The Gift of Life | D．The photo of hands |
Here is some must-know information from a handbook on how people behave in doing business in some countries.
In Brazil
Brazilians are warm and friendly. They often stand close when talking and it is common for them to touch the person on the shoulder. People often greet each other (particularly women) with light cheek kisses. Schedules tend to be flexible, with business meetings sometimes starting later than planned. But to be safe, be on time. Meals can last for hours—there’s no such thing as rushing a meal in Brazil.
In Singapore
Singaporeans shake hands when they meet and often also greet each other with a small, polite bow. Arriving late is considered disrespectful. So be on time. Efficiency (效率) is the goal, so meetings are fast-paced. Singaporeans are direct in their discussions, even when the subject is about money. Rank is important and authority is respected. People avoid disagreeing outright with someone with a higher rank.
In the United Arab Emirates
In the UAE, status is important, so the most senior or oldest should be greeted first with their titles. The handshake seems to be longer than elsewhere. So, do not pull away the handshake. People do not avoid entertaining in their homes, but they also hold business meals at restaurants. Touching or passing food or eating with your left hand is to be avoided.
In Switzerland
The Swiss tend to be formal and address each other by last name. They also are respectful of private lives. You should be careful not to ask about personal topics. Punctuality (守时) is important, so arrive at any meeting or event a few minutes early to be safe. The Swiss follow formal table manners. They also keep their hands visible at the table and their elbows(肘部) off the table. It is polite to finish the food on your plate.The passage mainly deals with ________.
| A．various types of communication |
| B．the atmosphere in workplace |
| C．living conditions and standards |
| D．customs and social manners |
Why do Singaporeans avoid arguing with their boss?
| A．They regard efficiency as the most important. |
| B．They dislike face-to-face communication. |
| C．They are supposed to obey the person of a higher rank. |
| D．They are used to having a fast-paced and direct talk. |
In which country do people care about where to put their hands at the dinner table?
| A．In Brazil. | B．In Singapore. |
| C．In the United Arab Emirate. | D．In Switzerland. |
Let's do some sleep math. You lost two hours of sleep every night last week because of a big project due on Friday. On Saturday and Sunday, you slept in, getting four extra hours. On Monday morning, you were feeling so bright-eyed, and you only had one cup of coffee, instead of your usual two. But don't be cheated by your energy: You’re still carrying around a heavy load of sleepiness, or what experts call “sleep debt”.
Sleep debt is the difference between the amount of sleep you should get and the amount you actually get. It’s a deficit that grows every time we remove some minutes off our nightly sleep. “People get more and more sleep debt without noticing it,” says William Dement, founder of the Stanford University Sleep Research Centre. Studies show that such short-term lack of sleep leads to a foggy brain, worsened eyesight, and trouble remembering. Long-term effects include obesity, and heart disease. A survey reports that we’re losing one hour of sleep each night—more than two full weeks of sleep each year.
The good news is that, like all debts, sleep debt can be paid off with some work. Adding an extra hour or two of sleep a night is the way to catch up. For the long-term lack of sleep, take it easy for a few months to get back into a natural sleep pattern(模式). Go to bed when you are tired, and allow your body to wake you in the morning naturally (no alarm clock allowed).
As you pay off sleep debt, your body will come to a rest at a sleep pattern that is particularly right for you. Sleep researchers believe that although the exact genes (基因) remain to be discovered, genes do determine our individual sleep patterns. That probably means you can’t train yourself to be a “short sleeper” and you’re fooling yourself if you think you’ve done it, so earn back that lost sleep and follow the orders of your inner sleep needs. When you put away sleep debt, you become a superman.The example of sleep math is used to show___________.
| A．how you build up your sleep debt |
| B．how you can pay off sleep debts at weekends |
| C．why you need enough sleep every night |
| D．why you should drink coffee to stay energetic |
What does the underlined word “deficit” in paragraph 2 refer to?
| A．full sleep | B．light sleep |
| C．deep sleep | D．lack of sleep |
Those in sleep debt for a long time are likely to suffer from____________.
| A．failing eyesight | B．poor memory |
| C．weak heart | D．weight loss |
It’s impossible to train oneself to be a “short sleeper” because _________.
| A．one can only get their energy during long sleep |
| B．how one sleeps is determined when they were born |
| C．one will feel tired if their sleep is less than needed |
| D．one sleeps more when developing a natural sleep pattern |
My name is Amy. I’m a 25-year-old graduate student who likes yoga, home-decorating shows and eating spoonfuls of peanut butter straight from the jar. Oh yeah, and I’m an iPhone addict.
I wasn’t always an addict. In fact, for many years I told myself I didn’t want a fancy cellphone. They seemed like too much work, always ringing and demanding attention. I was perfectly content with my simple cellphone, and I didn’t feel like changing my mind any time.
However, about a year ago, I found myself envious of all those proud iPhone owners, holding their shiny new phones and showing them off to all their friends. I started to eavesdrop on conversations about “iPhone apps”, feeling like a tourist listening to a language I couldn’t speak.
Eventually I couldn’t ignore my iPhone instinct (本能) any longer, and I welcomed my new iPhone into my life. I instantly fell in love with the little bundle of joy, and could no longer imagine a life without it.
To my surprise, I suddenly found myself with a whole new circle of friends—other iPhone owners I could go to for advice and support as I learned the various functions of my new device. They responded to my iPhone-related queries when my other friends couldn’t, and didn’t roll their eyes when I bragged（吹牛）about all the things little Eloise (yes, I named her) could do.
For a couple months I built my new life with Eloise. However, I realized I had a problem when one day I found myself Google-mapping my way to my mailbox, which happens to be right outside my front door.
When I reflected upon the past few months, I couldn’t believe I didn’t see this coming. All the warning signs were there. Eloise slept right beside me and was the first thing I reached for in the morning. I checked my e-mail about 20 times a day. I also experienced attachment anxiety when I left poor Eloise in the changing room at the gym. What if she rang and needed my response? Or, even worse, what if a careless gym-goer knocked her out of my bag and caused her screen to crack?
Once I admitted I had a problem, things started to change. What used to feel like friendly messages now felt like constant complaining to respond. I hated that I could no longer leave the house without Eloise in my hand. Eventually, I felt angry with Eloise so much that I wanted to throw her at the wall.
I decided something had to be done. But, as I quickly realized, iPhones are like cigarettes and not easy to quit.
Then, while taking the bus to work one day, I was unexpectedly forced to quit—at least temporarily. When I reached into my purse to grab Eloise, I found her overcome by fever. My head swam with panic as I attempted to solve the problem, but without result. I couldn’t call anyone for advice. I couldn’t Google whether this had happened to any fellow iPhone owners. The Apple Store was closed by the time I finished work, so I headed home with fear into an Eloise-less night. But, after a couple hours without any text alerts, push notifications, or even good old-fashioned phone calls, I felt ... calmer. Without my electronic bed partner, I drifted off into the deepest sleep I’d had in months. The next morning, I read the news from the simplicity of the newspaper, instead of from my iPhone. I even noticed the cherry blossoms blooming.
My goodness, what had I been missing? The passage is mainly about ___________.
| A．how I changed my attitude towards iPhone |
| B．why I was content with my iPhone |
| C．how my simple cellphone changed my lifestyle |
| D．why I preferred to use iPhone eventually |
The phrase “ eavesdrop on” ( Paragraph 3) is closer in meaning to __________.
| A．adapt suddenly to | B．join unwillingly in |
| C．listen secretly to | D．argue fiercely in |
IPhones’__________ can not be listed among the reasons why the writer was addicted to it.
| A．diverse application | B．excellent service |
| C．bundle of joy | D．good company |
When did the writer get to know that she had to tear herself away from her iPhone?
| A．She needed her iPhone to lead her to the mailbox. |
| B．She slept with her iPhone beside her every night. |
| C．She checked and read her e-mails too frequently. |
| D．She dared not leave her iPhone alone at the gym. |
What message does the writer pass on at the end of the passage?
| A．She considered throwing away her iPhone regretful. |
| B．She looked forward to starting her new life with Eloise. |
| C．She thought it of little benefit to have a simple cellphone. |
| D．She was aware that she had to kick the habit of being addicted to her iPhone. |
How often one hears children wishing they were grown up, and the old wishing they were young again! Each age has its pleasure and its pains, and the happiest person is the one who enjoys what each age gives him without wasting any time in useless regrets.
Children is a time when there are few duties to make life hard. If a child has good parents, he is fed, looked after, and loved whatever he may do. It’s impossible for him to be given so much again in his life without having to do anything in return. Besides, life is always giving new things to the child. A child finds pleasure in playing in the rain, or in the snow. His first visit to the seaside makes him wild. But a child has his pains; he is not so free to do as he wishes. He is continually being told not to do this, not to do that, or being punished for what he has done wrong. His life is therefore not perfectly happy.
When the young man starts to make his own living, he becomes free from the rules of school and parents; but at the time he is forced to accept duties. He can no longer expect others to pay for his food, his clothes and his room, but has to work if he wants to live comfortably. If he spends most of his time playing about in the way that he used to as a child, he will go hungry. And if he breaks the law of society as he used to break the laws of his parents, he may go to prison, lf, however, he works hard, keeps out of trouble, and has good health, he can have the great happiness of seeing himself make steady progress in his job and of building up his own position in society.
Old age has always been thought of as the worst age to be, but it is not necessary for the old to be unhappy. With old age should come wisdom and the ability to help others with advice wisely given. They can have the joy of seeing their Children making progress in life; they can watch their grandchildren growing up around them and, perhaps, best of all, they can, if their life has been a useful one, feel the happiness of having come through the battle of life safely and of having reached a time when they can lie back and rest, leaving others to continue the fight. The main reason children wish they were grown up, and the old wish they were young again is that ___________.
| A．both are satisfied with the strong points at their ages |
| B．both enjoy the strong points at the other age by looking back or looking forward |
| C．the human beings should be like this |
| D．regrets and happiness both exist whether they are young or old |
According to the second paragraph, the writer thinks that __________.
| A．life for a child is comparatively easy |
| B．a child should enjoy the equal freedom with seniors |
| C．if much is given to a child, he is expected to do something in return |
| D．a child’s greatest dissatisfaction lies in the trouble he makes |
Which of the following is NOT needed for a youth man to be happy?
| A．Hard work. | B．freedom from troubles. |
| C．Wealth. | D．Health. |
EACH of us fails from time to time. If we are wise, we accept these failures as a necessary part of the learning process. But all too often we convey to our children either by words or by actions that failure is something to be ashamed of, that nothing but top performance meets our approval.
Donnie was my youngest third-grader. His fear of failure kept him from classroom games that other children played excitedly. He seldom answered questions – he might be wrong. He seldom finished his work because he repeatedly checked with me to be sure he hadn’t made a mistake.
I tried my best to build his self-confidence. But nothing changed until midterm, when Mary Anne, a student teacher, was assigned to our classroom. She was young and pretty, and she loved children. My pupils, Donnie included, adored her. But even enthusiastic, loving Mary was baffled by this little boy who feared he might make a mistake.
Then one morning we were working math problems. Donnie had copied the problems with painstaking neatness and filled in answers for the first row. Pleased with his progress, I left the children with Mary. But when I returned, Donnie was in tears. He’d missed the third problem.
Mary looked at me in despair. Suddenly her face brightened. From the desk we shared, she got a canister (小筒) filled with pencils.
“Look, Donnie,” she said, “I’ve got something to show you.” She removed the pencils and placed them on his desk. “See these pencils, Donnie?” she continued. “They belong to Mrs. Lindstrom and me. See how the erasers are worn? That’s because we make mistakes too. Lots of them. But we erase the mistakes and try again. That’s what you must learn to do, too.”
She kissed him and continued: “I’ll leave one of these pencils on your desk so you’ll remember that everybody makes mistakes, even teachers.” Donnie looked up with love in his eyes and just a glimmer (少许) of a smile.
The pencil became Donnie’s prized possession. That, together with Mary Anne’s frequent encouragement and praise for even Donnie’s small successes, gradually persuaded him that it’s all right to make mistakes – as long as you erase them and try again. The word “baffled” in Paragraph 3 most probably means __________.
| A．eased | B．confused | C．defeated | D．impressed |
Which of the following words best describe Mary Anne as she is shown in the article?
| A．Patient and inspiring. | B．Creative and modest. |
| C．Determined and strict. | D．Considerate and proud. |
Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the article?
| A．Each of us should try our best to be a perfectionist. |
| B．Donnie rarely finished his work because he seldom answered questions and thus had difficulties. |
| C．The story was written mainly to sing high praise for Mary Anne. |
| D．The author seems to believe that failure is an opportunity to learn and make progress. |