One day my wife wanted me to take another woman out to dinner and a movie. The other woman my wife wanted me to visit was my mother, who has been living alone for 19 years, but the demands of my work and my three children had made it impossible to visit her often.
That Friday after work, when I arrived at her house, my mother waited in the door with her coat on. She had curled her hair and was wearing the dress that she had worn to celebrate her last wedding anniversary(周年).
We went to a restaurant that, although not classical, was very nice and comfortable. My mother took my arm as if she were the First Lady.After we sat down, I had to read the menu. Her eyes could only read large print. "It was I who used to have to read the menu when you were small," she said. "Then it's time that you relax and let me return the favor," I answered.
During the dinner, we had a pleasant conversation nothing special but catching up on recent events of each other’s life. We talked so much that we missed the movie.
As we arrived at her house later, she said, “I’ll go out with you again, but only if you let me invite you.” I agreed.
A few days later, my mother died of a heart attack. It happened so suddenly that I didn’t have a chance to do anything for her.
Some time later, I received an envelope with a copy of a restaurant receipt（收据） from the same place Mother and I had dined. A note said: “I paid this bill in advance. I wasn’t sure that I could be there; but I paid for two plates—one for you and the other for your wife. You will never know what that night meant for me. I love you, son.”
At that moment, I understood the importance of saying in time: ‘I LOVE YOU’ and to give our loved ones the time that they deserve.Nothing in life is more important than your family. Give them the time they deserve, because these things cannot be put off till some “other” time.From the passage we can learn that_________.
| A．the writer didn’t use to love her mother |
| B．the writer was sorry for not having shown much love to his mother |
| C．the writer often treated his mother at the restaurant |
| D．after dinner the writer went to a movie with his mother |
What can we know about the writer’s mother according to the passage?
| A．She lives with her son’s family. |
| B．She wanted to invite her son to have dinner again. |
| C．She died of a heart attack all of sudden. |
| D．She wrote a letter to tell her son about her illness. |
The writer read the menu because _________.
| A．his mother couldn’t see clearly |
| B．his mother couldn’t read at all |
| C．he wanted to order something her mother liked |
| D．he wanted her mother to relax |
What do you think is the best title of this passage?
| A．My Mother’s Life |
| B．An Unforgettable Meal |
| C．My Mother And I |
| D．Love is Something You should never Put off |
It is well-known that the “prom”, a formal dance held at the end of high school or college, is an important date in every student’s life. What is less well-known is that the word “prom” comes from the verb “to promenade”, which means to walk around, beautifully dressed, in order to attract attention. The idea is that you should see and be seen by others.
The prom is not just an American tradition, though most people believe that it started in America. In Canada the event is called a “formal”. In Britain and Australia the old fashioned word “dance” is more and more frequently being referred to as a “prom”. Most countries have some form of celebration when students finish high school: after all, it means the end of life as a child, and the beginning of life as an adult.
The prom is expensive to organize and the tickets can cost students a lot of money. The tradition is that students themselves have to raise the money to pay for it. Selling the students newspapers is one way to raise money; so is taking a part-time job at the weekend.
Although the prom should be the experience of a lifetime, it also worries many students. There is the problem of what to wear, who to take as your partner, who will be voted “prom queen”, etc. And it is not only students who feel worried. What many parents find difficult is the realization that their children’s school days are almost over. However, for most people at the prom, once the music starts playing, everyone relaxes and stops worrying.In which country is the prom called a “formal”?
| A．America. | B．Canada. | C．Britain. | D．Australia. |
Why is the prom important in the students’ lives?
| A．It’s the sign of becoming an adult. |
| B．It’s an old tradition in many countries. |
| C．There are many problems to work out. |
| D．The students can raise money by themselves. |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．The history of the prom. |
| B．The traditions of the prom. |
| C．The development of the prom. |
| D．The general information of the prom. |
Take a look at our library! Our library is open to everyone and the library card is free.
| Books |
☆books in 36 languages ☆ information about the world ☆all kinds of stories ☆ picture books for children ☆novels – You can enjoy newspapers and magazines in the reading room. – You can borrow two books at a time and keep them for three weeks. |
| Videos |
◆ all kinds of video films ◆ music videos ◆ TV plays – You can enjoy yourself and watch your favorite videos at home. – You can rent a video at two yuan for a week. |
| Audios |
music for everyone language cassettes; 42 world languages – Special rooms for you to enjoy listening. CDs and cassettes can be borrowed – FREE. – You can borrow one CD or one cassette at a time and keep it for one week. |
| E-books |
● many different kinds of e-books ● e-newspapers and e-magazines – You can browse all the e-books in the computer room – FREE. |
How many books can you borrow at a time?
| A．One. | B．Two. | C．Three. | D．Four. |
How much should you pay if you keep two videos for a week?
| A．Two yuan. | B．Three yuan. | C．Four yuan. | D．Free. |
What can you do in the computer room?
| A．Enjoy music videos. | B．Borrow some books. |
| C．Enjoy e-books. | D．Borrow some CDs. |
My father had a small business, employing（雇用）fifteen people at any given time. We sold all kinds of milk products. I had worked for my father since I was young, did all seven kids in my family.
One day, we had a new employee, Debbie, who wanted to work in the store for the summer. She had done this type of work before, but planned to give it her all.
On her first day, Debbie made just about every mistake in the . She charged the wrong prices for items, she gave the wrong bag of food to the wrong customer, and she and broke a half gallon of milk. The torture（折磨）of watching her fighting her way was too much for me. I went into my father’s office and said, “Please go out there and put her out of her misery（苦恼）.” I him to walk right into the store and let her go away from our store.
Since my father’s office was situated within view of the sales counter, he had surely what I was talking about. He sat, , for a moment. Then he got up from his desk and walked over to Debbie, who was standing behind the counter.
“Debbie,” he said, as he put his hand on her shoulder. “I have been watching you all day, and I saw how you Mrs. Forbush.”
Debbie’s face turned red and tears began to in her eyes as she tried hard to remember Mrs. Forbush from the many women she had given the wrong change to or drop off her milk onto the floor.
My father continued, “I’ve never seen Mrs. Forbush be so to any one of my employees before. You really knew how to deal with her. I am sure that she is going to want you to her every time she comes in. Keep up the good work.”
In return for being a wise and kind employer, my father got a trusty and hardworking employee for fifteen years … and a friend for life.
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It’s Tuesday afternoon, and I’m in Rheinburg, Germany, visiting the Extra Future Store. The “store of the future” is attracting a lot of attention these days– but not for it’s prices. Instead, people are coming from all over to experience a new way to shop.
The experience is less like shopping in a supermarket and more like playing some kind of high–tech game. It starts as I enter the store and choose a shopping cart(购物车). First, I swipe my store ID card through a computer on the cart. The computer’s screen comes on, a map of the store shows, and the journey begins.
As I shop, antennas(天线) around the store send information about different specials to the computer on my cart. Attracted by one of the ads, I choose a box of cheese. I hold up the box to the computer. It displays the price and also suggests that a certain type of bread would be good with it. The map on my chart shows me where to find the bread. It’s like the store is helping me to shop.
How does the store make this kind of shopping experience possible? The answer is radio frequency identification chip (or RFID射频识别). Each chip has a special number. Using an RFID reader on the computer, we can get information from a chip about the product(产品). RFID will help shoppers find the things in a store more quickly– products that are just right for them. In addition, people won’t have to wait in long lines to pay. The things in your cart will be read by the computer and the money will be paid by your store ID card automatically(自动地). So you can simply walk out of the store with your shopping bags.
Sounds good, right? Maybe you will experience the new shopping soon in your city.Why are so many people coming to the Extra Future Store?
| A．They hope to buy a new kind of computers. |
| B．They want to play some new high– tech games. |
| C．They expect to experience a new way of shopping. |
| D．They plan to learn how to use the FRID readers. |
What is the right order to shop in this store?
①Look for the things you want to buy and find them.
②Swipe your store ID card through the computer.
③Walk out of the store without waiting in lines.
④The computer shows you a map and some ads.
⑤Hold up the things to the computer to be charged.
| A．②①④③⑤ | B．①②⑤③④ | C．②①⑤③④ | D．②④①⑤③ |
What are Not so necessary for this kind of new stores?
| A．Carts with computers. | B．RFID readers. |
| C．Many shop assistants. | D．Good products. |
Which of the following is the advantage of this new store?
| A．The things in the shop are much cheaper. |
| B．It costs more time to find the things you need. |
| C．You will buy more things than you really need. |
| D．It’s more convenient to find the products and to pay. |
My brother and I often fight with each other over small things. One day our father said to us, “Tomorrow we will take part in the Ray Home Sports Day. Both of you must go with me. Perhaps you can learn something from those children.” My brother laughed, “Dad, Ray is a home for physically disabled children. What can we learn from them?”
“You will see,” our father said.
Our father works as a volunteer at Ray. The children there have problems with their hands, speech, walking or hearing. Every day, he spends hours helping them to move or exercise their legs or arms.
The following day, he took us to Ray Home. When we got there, we found a nice place to sit down. Finally, the sports began. There was a 50-meter race to see who could run fastest. All the runners were physically disabled. As the race started, all the children moved as fast as they could. Just then, one of the girls fell over and hurt her leg. She began to cry at the top of her voice.
All the children stopped to help the poor girl. Then they all held hands and finished the race together. My brother and I were surprised to see this: the children weren’t interested in winning the race－they were more interested in helping each other to finish the race.Why did the father take the writer and his brother to Ray Home?
| A．The father wanted them to do something at Ray. |
| B．The father asked them to help the children at Ray. |
| C．The father wanted them to take part in the Sports Day. |
| D．The father wanted them to learn something from the children. |
What does the father often do in Ray Home?
| A．He works as a teacher there. | B．He helps the children there. |
| C．He watches the games there. | D．He does sports with his sons. |
Why did all the children stop in the 50-meter race stop?
| A．All the children were disabled. | B．A little girl fell over and got hurt. |
| C．They stopped to laugh at the girl. | D．They didn’t want to finish the race. |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．The children there can help each other. |
| B．All the runners there can not run fast. |
| C．All the children don’t want to be winners. |
| D．The disabled children there were not smart enough. |