People in the United States honour their parents with two special days: Mother's Day, on the second Sunday in May, and Father's Day, on the third Sunday in June.
Mother's Day was proclaimed a day for national observance by President Woodrow Wilson in 1915. Ann Jarvis from Grafton, West Virginia, had started the idea to have a day to honour mothers. She was the one who chose the second Sunday in May and also began the custom of wearing a carnation.
In 1909, Mrs. Dodd from Spokane, Washington, thought of the idea of a day to honour fathers. She wanted to honour her own father, William Smart. After her mother died, he had the responsibility of raising a family of five sons and a daughter. In 1910, the first Father's Day was observed in Spokane. Senator Margaret Chase Smith helped to established Father's Day as a national commemorative day, in 1972.
These days are set to show love and respect for parents. They raise their children and educate them to be responsible citizens. They give love and care.
These two special days are celebrated in many different ways. On Mother's Day people wear carnations. A red one symbolizes a living mother. A white one shows that the mother is dead. Many people attend religious services to honour parents.It is also a day when people whose parents are dead visit the cemetery. On these days, families get together at home as well as in restaurants. They often have outdoor barbecues for Father's Day. These are days of fun and good feelings and memories.According to the passage, which of the following about the second Sunday in May isn't true?
| A．It is a day to show love to mothers. |
| B．it is a day to wear carnations. |
| C．it is a day for many people to attend religious services. |
| D．it is a day for people to visit the cemetery. |
Choose the right time order of the following events.
a. The first Father's Day was observed.
b. Mother's Day was proclaimed a day for national observance.
c. Father's Day became a day for national observance.
d. The idea of honoring fathers was bought up.
| A．d a b c | B．a b e d | C．b a c d | D．d a c b |
Who plays the most important role in Father's Day becoming a national commemorative day?
| A．Mrs. Dodd |
| B．Ann Jarvis |
| C．Margaret Chase Smith |
| D．Woodrow Wilson |
From the passage, we know in the U. S. __________.
| A．one should wear a red carnation if one's mother passed away |
| B．the purpose to have these two special days is to show love to parents |
| C．on Father's Day, people often stay at home to celebrate the special day |
| D．on Mother's Day, families often go out to have barbecues |
The author's purpose of writing this passage is to __________.
| A．call on people to love and respect their parents |
| B．show how important fathers and mothers are |
| C．tell the difference between Mother's Day and Father's Day |
| D．introduce Mother's Day and Father's Day |
The high cost of living in Sydney causes city parents to worry more about their children.
New research by the Financial Services Council (FSC)shows that 75% of metropolitan mums and dads say their ability to earn is important to the well-being of their kids, Tet a greater proportion(比例)of Sydney parents think children suffer emotionally by having two full-time working parents .AS a result 46%of Sydneysiders feel their Kids could be happier , against 38%of both Melbourne and regional New South Wales mums and dads.
The FSC research ,which interviewed 1200 parents across the country ,also shows 66% of Sydneysiders believe the happiness of their children would be greatly affected if they or their partner couldn’t work.
The FSC undertook the survey as part of its Lifewise campaign ,to encourage Australians to protect themselves against financial hardship.
Chairman of the Lifewise campaign John Crosswell said：“The research findings quite clearly highlight that Sydney parents prioritise (优先考虑)their ability to earn money and yet because they are so busy doing so, it seems that their ability to spend time with their family is affected .Sydney parents are dedicated to earning money but as a consequence, perhaps they don’t have the time to enjoy spending it with their family.”
In sydney ,the top factor for creating an ideal childhood is financial security ,at 92%.Fewer parents rate having a tigh-knit family(89%)or living near friends and family (85%)as important.
David and Ari Dearnley ,of North Manly ,said money pressure was hard to avoid in Sydney ,They both work and said family finances would be severely hard if one of them couldn’t
But only Mrs Dearnly has income-protection insurance, “I think that I don’t really need it yet”,Mr Dearnly ,37, said.
“I think he’s mad”,Mrs Dearnly ,also 27 ,said,“If David couldn’t work it would have a huge impact on our lifestyle.”
“Looks like I’ll be getting it tomorrow,”Mr Dearnly responded.What is the main idea of the passage?
| A．The findings of a study on how Sydney people go through financial hardship with their family |
| B．A survey on the factors that may have influences on Sydney children’s happy childhood |
| C．a survey on the relations between children’s happiness and their parents’ability to earn in Sydney |
| D．A comparison between Sydney people and those of other cities on their views about earning money |
From the passage we can infer that
| A．Three quarters of Sydney parents think children may have emotional problems |
| B．less than half of Sydney parents think their children now are not as happy as they expect |
| C．Most Sydney parents think family finances are the only factor that impact children’s childhood |
| D．A bout two thirds of Sydney parents think children would be happier if they could‘t work |
What does Lifewise campaign aim to?
| A．Encouraging Australian people avoid the harm of financial problems |
| B．Helping Sydney parents find a suitable job? |
| C．Making Australian people improve their ability to earn |
| D．A ttracting Sydney people to buy insurance |
According to John Crosswell, we can learn that
| A．Income-protection insurance has an impact on the lifestyle of a Sydney family |
| B．If moe of the parents couldn’t work their family finances will be clearly affected |
| C．Sydney parents are in a dilemma of devoting to work and enjoying family life |
| D．Sydney parents now can make a balance between their work and family life |
What does “it ”underlined in the last paragraph refer to?
| A．Work | B．Insurance | C．Income | D．Pressure |
Babies who are slow to gain weight in the first months of their lives generally catch up to their peers by age 13,a large UK study shows, Researchers said the results would make parents whose babies fail to put on weight quickly less worried.
The researchers looked at data from ,11,499 children who took part in a large study, It showed that 507 who were slow to gain weight in the first eight weeks of life recovered fairly quickly and had almost caught up by age 2. Another group of 480 who were slow to gain between eight weeks and nine months continued to put on weight slowly until they were seven years ,but then had a sudden increase and caught up by age 13, The different pattems of recovery between the two groups were likely due to different reasons for slow weight gain ,the researchers said, All the children were still lighter and shorter than their peers by the time they were teenagers ,but within the normal range.
The findings highlight the importance of monitoring a baby’s weight and height gain during the first few weeks and months ,but not creating anxiety with parents of slow-growing babies, said the study leader Prof Alan Emond from the University of Bristol.
“In the past, a lot of parents have been caused unnecessary anxiety by heaith professionals and this is a positive and reassuring message.”He said in many cases of slow growth where children do not follow the standard’curve’(曲线)it is just because they are following their genetic potential.
Dr Simon Newell, vice-president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said he broadly agreed with the concluslons of the researchers but stressed that poor weight gain was something that needed to be monitored closely, “I would encourage parents to use growth charts but if measurements show your baby is smaller than averager it may be completely normal, ”he said.What can we know from the findings of the research?
| A．All the cases of slow weight gain in the first months of the babies’ lives are caused by the same reason |
| B．Slow-growing babies will have the same height and weight with their peers by age13 |
| C．Many cases of children whose growth don’t meet the growing standard curve cannot be treated as abnormal |
| D．The findings won’t cause parents’ anxiety so monitoring a baby’s growth from his/her birth is unnecessary |
Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
| A．It’s important to monitor a baby’s weight and height gain for new parents |
| B．New parents should feel anxious about their baby’s weight and height gain |
| C．Researches still couldn’t find the reasons for slow weight gain |
| D．All the children’s weight and height became normal by age 13 |
What does the underlined word in the fourth paragraph mean?
| A．Making sure something is certain to be true |
| B．Making someone calmer and less anxious |
| C．Confirming something is to happen again |
| D．Being sure that someone can be attracted |
Which of the statements would Dr Simon Newell agree to?
| A．To some degree, growth charts can help parents monitor their babies’ weight gain |
| B．It’s abnormal for babies are smaller than average |
| C．He agreed with the researchers completely |
| D．Babies’ weight gain can only be monitored and measured by using growth charts. |
The writer wrote this passage in order to
| A．tell us how to help babies grow faster |
| B．explain why babies are gain weight slowly |
| C．report on the findings of a research |
| D．reduce the anxiety of some parents |
As rain begins to fall from the clouds, it is very pure. However, as it falls through the air it dissolves some of the gases in the air ,It also collects bits of dust and microbes(微生物)that are floating in the air, When the rain reaches the ground it begins to pick up more dust and dirt, Many kinds of mineral substances dissolve in the water ,Sand and nud cannot dissolve in water.
Since water is so important to us, it is very important that the water we use should be clean , Otherwise, we might get some of the diseases that are carried by water Many microbes are harmful ,They are so small that we cannot see them ,These microbes must be removed or killed before the water is not clean, people who drink this water may get these diseases, Thus , to provide people with clean water, the government purifies the water.
Purification is a long process and consists of three stages: storing ,purifying and distributing ,The first stage is storing , Man-made lakes called reservoirs are used for this purpose ,Water from the rains ,other lakes, streams and rivers is collected in the reservoirs ,This water is usually dirty and muddy.
In the second stage shich is purifying , water from the reservoirs is filtered in a special pond, Stones, sand and other unwanted tiny things are caught in it, After that, tiny microbes are still present in the water ,These microbes are removed by “airing ”the water and by adding a chemical substance called chloring(氯)to the water ,This kills all the microbes in the water ,A fter this the water can be safely used for drinking.
The third stage is the distribution of the purified water to homes ,hospitals, offices ,factories and other places, This is done through a network of pipes of various sizes, These pipes must be make of a suitable material.From Paragraph 1, we can learn that
| A．Rain has contained gases when it forms in the clouds |
| B．Dust and microbes are dissolved in rain when rain falls on the ground |
| C．The closer rain is to the ground, the more impure things it contains |
| D．Sand and mud are things rain collects when it falls through the air |
According to Paragraph 2 ,the following statements are wrong except that
| A．All the microbes in water are harmful so water must be purified |
| B．some diseases can spread through drinking water if it is not clean |
| C．Water is safe to drink if only harmful microbes are removed from it |
| D．it is the govrnment’s responsibility to make drinking water clean |
What can we know about man-made lakes?
| A．It is used through the whole process of purification |
| B．Only rain water can be collected and stored in it |
| C．Water collected can be stored and filtered in it |
| D．Water from them contains a lot of impure substances |
What is the function of the chemical substance chlorine?
| A．to air the water | B．to catch tiny things |
| C．to kill microbes | D．to remove harmful gases |
What is probably this passage?
| A．A news report | B．A book review | C．A magazine article | D．A school paper |
Two years ago ,Hannah Mighall ,then 13, survived a great white shark attack on Tasmania’s north-east coast, but despite the terrible scars ,the shy yet courageous teenager is determined to get back into the water.
It’s been a long journey back for the brave girl, whose life was changed forever as she was on her surfboard 60 metres offshore at Binalong, Bay ,Tasmania.
Her cousin ,32-yeaf-old syb Mundy ,was surfing nearby, “Suddenly, everything went quiet ,”Hannah ,now15,recalls of the day she almost lost her life, “I look down into the water and noticed a dark shadow under my board I knew instantly it was a shark.”
As Syb watched in horror, the five-metre shark put hundreds of sharp teeth onto Hannah’s right leg,throwing her from her board, “I was attached to my leg-rope as the shark stared to pull me under the water”,She shakes, “I was lying on my back with one leg under the shark’s body and the other still in its jaws.”
Syb desperately punched (猛击)the shark’s nose and reached out to grab Hannah as the monster bit a huge chunk（大块）from the surfboard, “I was still attached to my board and was dragged back under the water again,”she says ,When she came up for air, Hannah dog paddled(爬泳)to Syb’s board and he dragged her from the water to lie on his back ,”We looked down and saw the shark circling beneath us,”Hannah says.
Hannah was rushed to the hospital by helicopter ,She needed more than 400 stitches(针)on her leg and spent two weeks in hospital.
Modest about her remarkable courage, Hannah owes her survival to Syb’s bravery and the fact that great whites,despite their reputation as man-eaters, typically don’t target humans ,After the attack ,Hannah earned the Sea Shepherd award for courage for speaking in defence of the shark “I was in his territory, she wasn’t in mine,”she smiles.Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?
| A．Courage Can Beat Any Difficulty |
| B．How to Escape from a Shark Attack |
| C．A Survival from a Shark Attack |
| D．Sharks Can Target Humans Sometimes |
What is the correct order of the following events happening to Hannah?
a、She was bit and pulled by the shark d、She was dragged from the water
b、She swam to Syb’s board e、She was pulled under the water again
c、She came up to take a breath f、She noticed the change of the things around her
| A．f,a,b,e,c,d | B．f,a,e,c,b,d | C．a,e,c,b,d,f | D．a,c,b,e,d,f |
From the passage, which statement is mentioned about Hanah?
| A．was so brave that this experience didn’t have any influence on her life |
| B．didn’t hesitate to get hack into the water to surf immediately she recovered |
| C．thought it is a common thing to be attacked by a shark in the ocean |
| D．didn’t blame the fact that sharks are known as man-eaters for her being attacked |
How was Hannah sent to the hospital.?
| A．She was went to the hospital by Syb |
| B．She was went to the hospital by local people |
| C．She was went to the hospital by helicopter |
| D．She was went to the hospital by the Sea Shepherb |
The reason why Hannah was awarded is that .
| A．She was brave to speak for the shark although she was severely injured by it |
| B．She successfully escaped from a dangerous situation because of her courage |
| C．She was courageous enough to go deep into sharks’territory and survived |
| D．She has been determined to go hack into the sea where there are sharks |
I had the meanest mother in the whole world. While other kids ate candy for breakfast, I had to have cereal, eggs or toast. While others had Cokes and candy for lunch, I had to eat a sandwich. As you can guess, my supper was different from the other kids’ too. But at least, I wasn’t alone in my sufferings. My sister and two brothers had the same mean mother as I did.
My mother insisted upon knowing where we were at all times. She had to know who our friends were and where we were going. She insisted if we said we’d be gone an hour, then we should be gone one hour or less -- not one hour and one minute. And she always insisted upon us telling the truth. Now you can see how mean she was.
The worst is yet to come. We had to be in bed by nine each night and up at eight the next morning. We couldn’t sleep till noon like our friends. So while they slept - my mother actually had the courage to break the Child Labor Law. She made us work. We had to wash dishes, make beds, and learn to cook. We had to wear clean clothes and take a bath every day. The other kids always wore their clothes for days. We reached the height of disgrace because she made our clothes herself, just to save money. I believe she laid awake at night thinking up mean things to do to us.
Through the years, things didn’t improve a bit. We could not lie in bed “sick” like our friends did, and miss school. Our marks in school had to live up to expectations. Our friends’ report cards had beautiful colors on them, black for passing, red for failing. My mother, being as different as she was, would be satisfied with nothing less than ugly black marks.
As the years rolled by, first one and then the other of us was put to shame. We graduated from high school. With our mother behind us, talking, hitting and demanding respect, none of us was allowed the pleasure of being a drop-out.
My mother was a complete failure as a mother. Out of four children, a couple of us attained some higher education. None of us have ever been arrested or divorced. Each of my brothers served his time in the service of this country. She forced us to grow up into God-fearing, educated, honest adults. I am now trying to raise my three children. I am filled with pride when my children call me mean. Why? Because now I thank God every day for giving me the meanest mother in the whole world.The author’s mother wanted her children to _________.
| A．do their best at school and be educated and respected citizens |
| B．be top students in school and graduate with honors |
| C．stop seeing her friends who pretended to be sick to skip classes |
| D．bring home colored report cards like her friends did |
Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the text?
| A．The author has a deep hatred for her mother. |
| B．The author’s mother set timetables for her children whenever they went out. |
| C．Some of the children weren’t able to go to college because of their mean mother. |
| D．As a parent, the author is following her mother’s example. |
It can be inferred from the passage that________.
| A．All the other kids at school studied better than the author. |
| B．The author worked hard and usually got good grades in studies. |
| C．Mother was punished for breaking the Labor Law. |
| D．The author’s family lived a miserable life. |