Dear Dad,
Today I was at the shopping mall and I spent a lot of time reading the Father's Day cards. They all had a special message that in some way or another reflected how I feel about you. Yet as I selected and read, it occurred to me that not a single card said what I really want to say to you.
You'll soon be 84 years old, Dad, and you and I will have had 55 Father's Days together. I haven't always been with you on Father's Day but I've always been with you in my heart.
You know, Dad, there was a time when we were separated by the generation gap. You stood on one side of the Great Divide and I on the other.
The Father-Daughter Duel shifted into high gear ( 档位) when you taught me to drive the old Dodge and I decided I would drive the '54 Chevy whether you liked it or not. The police officer who sent me home, after you reported the Chevy stolen, didn't have much tolerance for a stubborn 16 year old, while you were so tolerant about it, Dad, and I think that was probably what made it the worst night of my life.
Our relationship greatly improved when I married a man you liked, and things really turned around when we began making babies right and left. Somewhere along the line, the generation gap disappeared. I suppose I saw us and our relationship as aging together, rather like a fine wine.
But the strangest thing happened last week. I was at a stop sign and I watched as you turned the corner in your car. It didn't immediately occur to me that it was you because the man driving looked so elderly and fragile behind the wheel of that huge car. It was rather like a slap in the face delivered from out of nowhere. Perhaps I saw your age for the first time that day.
I guess what I'm trying to say, Dad, is what every son and daughter wants to say to their Dad today. Honoring a father on Father's Day is about respect and sharing and acceptance and tolerance and giving and taking. It's about loving someone more than words can say, and it's wishing that never had to end.
I love you, Dad.
Love,
JennyHow did Jenny probably feel on the night she was sent home by the police?
A.Disappointed. | B.Nervous. |
C.Guilty. | D.Frightened. |
We can learn from the passage that Jenny and her father_________.
A.kept in touch by writing each other |
B.are separated due to the generation gap |
C.have been getting along very well |
D.had a hard time understanding each other |
Why did Jenny feel strange when she saw her father last week?.
A.She seldom saw him driving that huge car. |
B.She had never realized his being old and weak. |
C.She didn't expect to meet with him there. |
D.She had never seen him driving so slowly before. |
Jenny wrote his father this letter to _________
A.tell him about their conflicts |
B.say sorry for her being stubborn |
C.express her gratitude to him |
D.remind him of the early incident |
“Everything happens for the best,” my mother said whenever I faced disappointment. “If you carry on, one day something good will happen. And you’ll realize that it wouldn’t have happened if not for that previous disappointment.”
Mother was right, as I discovered after graduating from college in 1932, I had decided to try for a job in radio, then work my way up to a sports announcer. I hitchhiked to Chicago and knocked on the door of every station—and got turned down every time. In one studio, a kind lady told me that big stations couldn’t risk hiring an inexperienced person. “Go out in the sticks and find a small station that’ll give you a chance,” she said. I thumbed home to Dixon, Illinois.
While there were no radio-announcing jobs in Dixon, my father said Montgomery Ward had opened a store and wanted a local athlete to manage its sports department. Since Dixon was where I had played high school football, I applied. The job sounded just right for me. But I wasn’t hired. My disappointment must have shown. “Everything happens for the best.” Mom reminded me. Dad offered me the car to hunt a job. I tried WOC Radio in Davenport, Iowa. The program director, a wonderful Scotsman named Peter MacArthur told me they had already hired an announcer.
As I left his office, my frustration (挫折) boiled over. I asked aloud, “How can a fellow get to be a sports announcer if he can’t get a job in a radio station?” I was waiting for the elevator when I heard MacArthur calling, “What was you said about sports? Do you know anything about football?” Then he stood me before a microphone and asked me to broadcast an imaginary game. The preceding (在前的) autumn, my team had won a game in the last 20 seconds with a 65-yard run. I did a 15-minute build-up to that play, and Peter told me I would be broadcasting Saturday’s game! On my way home, as I have many times since, I thought of my mother’s words: “If you carry on, one day something good will happen. Something wouldn’t have happened if not for that previous disappointment.”
I often wonder what direction my life might have taken if I’d gotten the job at Montgomery Ward.The writer shows his _____ by saying “… if I’d not gotten the job at Montgomery Ward”.
A.regret | B.happiness | C.gratefulness | D.disappointment |
The underlined phrase “out in the sticks” probably means _____?
A.in radio stations | B.in the country |
C.in big cities | D.in Dixon, Illinois |
Why did the writer mention his mother’s words over and again? Because _____.
A.it was his mother’s words that encouraged him |
B.his mother was a person who talked a lot |
C.nothing good has happened to him up to now |
D.he got turned down every time he tried |
Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
A.There was a small radio station in Dixon, Illinois. |
B.Peter MacArthur was a program director in Scotland. |
C.WOC Radio in Davenport broadcast imaginary games. |
D.Montgomery Ward had a store with a sports department. |
When did the writer decide to take a radio-announcing job?
A.When he hitchhiked to Chicago. | B.After he graduated from college. |
C.Before he graduated from college. | D.As soon as he was turned down. |
An Australian man who has been donating his extremely rare kind of blood for 56 years has saved the lives of more than two million babies.
James Harrison has an antibody in his plasma that stops babies dying from Rhesus disease, a form of severe anaemia. He has enabled countless mothers to give birth to healthy babies, including his own daughter, Tracey, who had a healthy son thanks to her father's blood.
Mr. Harrison has been giving blood every few weeks since he was 18 years old and has now racked up a total of 984 donations. When he started donating, his blood was deemed so special that his life was insured for one million Australian dollars.
He was also nicknamed the “man with the golden arm” or the “man in two million”. He said: “I've never thought about stopping. Never.” He made a pledge to be a donor aged 14 after undergoing major chest surgery in which he needed 13 litres of blood. “I was in hospital for three months,” he said. “The blood I received saved my life so I made a pledge to give blood when I was 18.”
Just after he started donating he was found to have the rare and life-saving antibody in his blood. At the time, thousands of babies in Australia were dying each year of Rhesus disease. Other newborns suffered permanent brain damage because of the condition. The disease creates an incompatibility between the mother's blood and her unborn baby's blood. It stems from one having Rh-positive blood and the other Rh-negative.
His blood has since led to the development of a vaccine called Anti-D. After his blood type was discovered, Mr. Harrison volunteered to undergo a series of tests to help develop the Anti-D vaccine. “They insured me for a million dollars so I knew my wife Barbara would be taken care of,” he said. “I wasn't scared. I was glad to help. I had to sign every form going and basically sign my life away.”
Mr. Harrison is Rh-negative and was given injections of Rh-positive blood. It was found his plasma could treat the condition and since then it has been given to hundreds of thousands of women. It has also been given to babies after they are born to stop them developing the disease.
It is estimated he has helped save 2.2 million babies so far. Mr. Harrison is still donating every few weeks now.How old is James Harrison?
A.56 | B.70 | C.74 | D.78 |
What does the underlined phrase “two million” refer to?
A.babies | B.mothers | C.dollars | D.all of the above |
Why did James decide to donate his blood? Because _____.
A.his daughter asked him to help her son |
B.he has a golden arm worth a million dollars |
C.a vaccine called Anti-D is to be developed |
D.someone else’s blood saved his life |
The sentence “The disease creates an incompatibility between the mother's blood and her unborn baby's blood” (underlined in Paragraph 5) suggests that _____.
A.babies suffer permanent brain damage before born |
B.the mother and the baby have different types of blood |
C.Rhesus disease contributes to permanent brain damage |
D.all the patients have a rare antibody in their blood |
What can we infer from the sixth paragraph?
A.Some of the tests to develop the vaccine are dangerous. |
B.His wife Barbara needed to be taken care of badly then. |
C.Mr. Harrison was glad to help develop a new vaccine. |
D.His blood type was accidentally discovered after tests. |
Seven Health Facts about Coffee
When you’re considering your morning coffee, here are some health facts to keep in mind:
1. Coffee Reduces Your Risk of Diabetes (糖尿病)
In a 2005 review of nine studies, researchers found that for those that drank four to six cups of coffee per day, versus only two or fewer, their risk for Type 2 diabetes decreased by almost 30 percent. The number decreased by 35 percent when people drank more than six cups per day. And if you’re picturing yourself running around the office with your eyes bugging out of your head, no worries because caffeinated and decaffeinated coffees provided much the same results.
2. Coffee Fights Free Radicals (自由基)
We often forget that coffee is actually a plant and like all plant foods, the coffee bean contains more than 1,000 naturally occurring substances called phytochemicals, which may help prevent disease. Many of these phytochemicals are antioxidants which protect the cells from damage from free radicals.
3. Coffee Improves Memory and Cognition
Researchers reported that volunteers who drank caffeinated coffee in the morning performed better than nondrinkers on tests that involved learning new information. Coffee can also improve cognitive function as we age. One study found that combining coffee with a sweet treat had an even bigger impact.
4. Coffee Can Increase Osteoporosis (骨质疏松)
It’s true that coffee can cause the body to excrete calcium in urine. We don’t want the body to rid itself of calcium because this can lead to osteoporosis. According to The Diet Channel, about five milligrams of calcium is lost per every six ounces of coffee consumed. But these calcium losses can be counter balanced with two tablespoons of milk or yogurt per cup of coffee.
5. Coffee Causes Wrinkles
Even though coffee has antioxidants, if you drink too much of it, it can cause wrinkling of the skin. This is a result of dehydration (脱水) which is the worst thing for your skin. So when you’re drinking that morning cup or two, make sure that you’re pairing it with water. Even better, add one tablespoon of chia seeds to your water and let them sit for 30 minutes. The chia seeds keep you even more hydrated than regular water.
6. Coffee Can Actually Cause Weight Gain
The blood sugar changes that a caffeine high produces can contribute enormously to a strong desire for it, according to iVillage. Coffee is also socially connected to food. For example, we pair coffee with dessert or that morning powdered doughnut. Additionally, when we crash from our caffeine high that’s when we reach for all sorts of fatty snacks to keep us going.
7. Conventional Coffee Is Laden with Pesticides (杀虫剂)
The coffee plant is one of the most heavily sprayed crops. It’s coated with chemicals, pesticides, and herbicides, nothing you’d want to be swallowing. If you do drink coffee, make sure that it’s the organic variety, free from assorted chemicals that leech into our ground water and can make us sick down the road.
If you switch to decaffeinated coffee, make sure the caffeine (咖啡因) is removed in a natural way without the use of chemicals to do it. Often times, conventional decaffeinated coffee has more chemicals than regular. If you want to decrease the risk of diabetes by 35%, you need to take at least _____ cups of coffee every day.
A.seven | B.six | C.five | D.four |
If you are a heavy drinker of coffee, a far better way to avoid wrinkling of your skin is to drink water _____.
A.less than usual | B.regularly | C.with sugar | D.with chia seeds |
Which of the following statements is wrong?
A.Adding two spoons of milk to a cup of coffee can prevent calcium losses. |
B.Decaffeinated coffee has different effects from caffeinated coffee as to diabetes. |
C.Many phytochemicals protect the cells from damage from free radicals. |
D.The organic variety of coffee plant is free from assorted chemicals. |
The author has a/an _____ attitude towards drinking of coffee.
A.positive | B.negative | C.objective | D.imaginative |
There are some very good things about open education. This way of teaching allows the students to grow as people, and to develop their own interests in many subjects. Open education allows students to be responsible for their own education, as they are responsible for what they do in life. Some students do badly in a traditional classroom. The open classroom may allow them to enjoy learning. Some students will be happier in an open education school. They will not have to worry about grades or rules. For students who worry about these things a lot, it is a good idea to be in an open classroom.
But many students will not do well in an open classroom. For some students, there are too few rules. These students will do little in school. They will not make good use of open education. Because open education is so different from traditional education, these students may have a problem getting used to making so many choices. For many students it is important to have some rules in the classroom. They worry about the rules even when there are no rules. Even a few rules will help this kind of students. The last point about open education is that some traditional teachers do not like it. Many teachers do not believe in open education. Teachers who want to have an open classroom may have many problems at their schools.
You now know what open education is. Some of its good points and bad points have been explained. You may have your own opinion about open education. The writer thinks that open education is a good idea, but only in theory. In actual fact, it may not work very well in a real class or school. The writer believes that most students, but of course not all students, need some structure in their classes. They want and need to have rules. In some cases, they must be made to study some subjects. Many students are pleased to find subjects they have to study interesting. They would not study those subjects if they did not have to.Open education allows the students to.
A.grow as the ![]() |
B.be responsible for their future |
C.develop their own interests | D.discover subjects outside class |
Open education may be a good idea for the students who.
A.enjoy traditional learning | B.worry about grades |
C.do well in a traditional classroom | D.are responsible for what they do |
Some students will do little in an open classroom because.
A.there are too few rules | B.they hate activities |
C.open education is meaningless | D.they worry about the rules |
Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?
A.Some traditional teachers do not like it. |
B.Many teachers do not believe in open education. |
C.Teachers may have problems in open classrooms. |
D.Teachers’ feelings and attitudes are important to students. |
Which of the following best summarizes the passage?
A.Open education is a really complex idea. |
B.Open education is better than traditional education. |
C.Traditional teachers don’t believe in open education. |
D.The writer thinks open education is practical. |
With fifteen years Britain and other nations should be well on with the building of big industrial plants for the recycling of waste. The word rubbish could lose its meaning because everything which goes into the dustbin would be made into something useful. Even the most dangerous and unpleasant wastes would provide energy of nothing else.
The latest project is to take a city of around half a million citizens and discover exactly what raw (未经加工的) materials go into it and what go out. The aim is to find out how much of these raw materials could be provided if a plant for recycling waste were built just outside the city. This plant would recycle not only metal such as steel, lead and copper, but also paper and rubber as well.
Another new project is being set up to discover the best ways of sorting and separating the rubbish. When this project is complete, the rubbish will be treated like this: First, it will pass through sharp metal bars which will tear open the plastic bags in which rubbish is usually packed; then it will pass through a powerful fan to separate the lightest elements (元素) from the heavy solids; after that rollers will break up everything that can be broken. Finally, the rubbish will pass under magnets (磁铁), which will remove the bits of iron and steel; the rubber and plastic will then be sorted out in the final step.
The first full-scale (全方位的) big recycling plants are perhaps fifteen years away. Indeed, with the growing cost of transporting rubbish to more distant dustbins, some big cities will be forced to build their own recycling plants before long.The underlined phrase “be well on with…” most probably means __.
A.have completed what was started | B.get ready to start |
C.have achieved a great deal in | D.put an end to |
What is NOT mentioned as a part of the recycling process (过程) described in
Paragraph 3?
A.Breaking up whatever is breakable. |
B.Sharpening metal bars. |
C.Separating light elements from the heavy ones. |
D.Sorting out small pieces of metal. |
What’s the main reason for big cities to build their own recycling plants?
A.To deal with wastes more economically. |
B.To protect the environment from pollution. |
C.To get raw materials locally. |
D.To get advantage from those plants. |
The passage is mainly about .
A.a cheap way to get energy | B.the position of recycling plants |
C.new ways of recycling wastes | D.the probability of city environment |