It’s a tradition that dates back to the 1930s’ and it’s designed to give all children in Finland, no matter what background they’re from, an equal start in life.
The maternity(母性) package — a gift from the government — is available to all expectant mothers. It contains bodysuits, a sleeping bag, outdoor gear, bathing products for the baby as well as nappies, bedding and a small mattress.
With the mattress at the bottom, the box becomes a baby’s first bed. Many children, from all social backgrounds, have their first naps within the safety of the box’s four cardboard walls.
The tradition dates back to 1938. At first, the scheme was only available to families on low incomes, but that changed in 1949. In the 1930s Finland was a poor country and the infant death rate was high — 65 out of 1,000 babies died. But the figure decreased rapidly in the decades that followed. Over 75 years, the box has been an established part of the Finnish rite(仪式) of a passage to motherhood, uniting generations of women.
Reija Klemetti, a 49-year-old woman from Helsinki, remembers going to the post office to receive a box for one of her children. “My partner Milla and I were living in London when we had our first child, Jasper, so we weren’t eligible (有资格) for a free box. But Milla’s parents didn’t want us to miss out, so they bought one and put it in the post office. We couldn’t wait to open the box. There were all the clothes I had expected, with the addition of a snowsuit for Finland's cold winter.”
“We now live in Helsinki and have just had our second child, Annika. She did get a free box, from the Finnish government. This felt to me like evidence that someone cared — someone wanted our baby to have a good start in life,” Reija Klemetti said.In Finland the maternity package is probably seen as a symbol of_____.
| A．wealth |
| B．equality |
| C．pride |
| D．fame |
The fourth paragraph implies that_____.
| A．the rich refused to use the boxes |
| B．there were not enough boxes at first |
| C．the boxes were given to poor families only |
| D．the boxes helped cut down the death rate of babies |
Why couldn’t Reija Klemetti get a free box when her first child was born?
| A．They were not citizens of Finland. |
| B．They lived outside Finland. |
| C．They didn't apply for the box. |
| D．They had got one from their neighbors. |
How did Reija Klemetti feel when she received the box from the post office?
| A．Worried. | B．Disappointed. |
| C．Puzzled. | D．Excited. |
What did Reija Klemetti want to tell us in the last paragraph？
| A．A free box came at last. |
| B．She was longing for a free box for her child. |
| C．She returned to Finland to get a free box. |
| D．The free box gave her a feeling of warmth. |
This Mother’s Day will be the 8th year I have spent without my own mother. She passed away less than a month before Mother’s Day in the year 2000. She had been ill for almost two years, and I didn’t cry when she died, or at her funeral, but on that first Mother’s Day without her. On that day, I realized that this person I loved and depended on was gone forever.
She still lives in family memories, in the thoughts of her friends and co-workers, in the values she had instilled(灌输) in her children, and in the lovely flower gardens that she had so carefully tended.
She loved her gladioli and irises. Each fall she would dig the bulbs out of the soil and carefully wrap them in paper. The bulbs would be stored until the following spring when they would be replanted. It seemed like a lot of effort to me, but each year her flower garden was more glorious than the year before. She put the same hard work into caring for her family, instilling in her children a sense of justice and fair play, compassion, and strong moral values so that we blossomed.
Share anecdotes about your mother’s life at your Mother’s Day party. Too often, we avoid speaking of those loved ones who have passed away, fearful that we will unearth sad feelings. It doesn’t have to be that way. Sharing fond memories and stories of the life we shared with her can be a healing process that binds（捆绑）the family together.
My mother passed away when her oldest grandchild was only eight years old. Children will enjoy sharing pictures and stories of the grandmother they may have never known or have little memory of. Sharing anecdotes to pass on to the next generation will give children a feeling of family history and continuity, and may be one of the best ways to honor our mothers and grandmothers who have gone before us.What does the underlined words “passed away” ( in Paragraph 1)mean?
| A．died | B．continued | C．started | D．lasted |
On the first Mother’s Day after mum died the author realized_______ .
| A．mum had been dead for a long time | B．mum had suffered a lot from the illness |
| C．it was true that mum had been dead | D．it was impossible to depend on mum |
From the third paragraph we can infer that mum_______ .
| A．loved her gladioli and irises | B．showed kindness to all her children |
| C．taught the children to plant patiently | D．had a good influence on the author |
At the Mother’s Day party people don’t mention their lost mums only because_______ .
| A．they are simply afraid of causing sad feelings |
| B．they have forgotten their mums completely |
| C．they don’t love their mums any longer |
| D．they think their mums have passed away |
In order to show honor to our mothers and grandmothers we can _____ .
| A．spend the Mother’s Day with our children |
| B．share the stories of them with the children |
| C．hold the Mother’s Day party every year |
| D．plant beautiful flowers in the family garden |
Douglas Adams was born in Cambridge in March 1952, educated at Brentwood School, Essex and St John's College, Cambridge where, in 1974 he gained a BA (and later an MA) in English literature.
He was the creator of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy(《银河系漫游指南》), which started life as a BBC Radio 4 series in March 1978. Since then it has been transformed into a series of best-selling novels, a TV series, a record album, a computer game and several stage adaptations.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy's success sent the book straight to Number One in the UK Bestseller List and in 1984 Douglas Adams became the youngest author to be awarded a Golden Pan. He won a further two (a rare feat), and was nominated—though not selected - for the first Best of Young British Novelists awards.
He followed this success with The Restaurant at the End of the Universe (1980); Life, The Universe and Everything (1982); So Long and Thanks for all the Fish (1984); and Mostly Harmless (1992). The first two books in the Hitchhiker series were adapted into a 6-part television series, which was an immediate success when first showed in 1982. Other publications include Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency (1987) and Long Dark Tea-time of the Soul (1988). In 1984 Douglas teamed up with John Lloyd and wrote The Meaning of Life and their second huge success, The Deeper Meaning of Life followed in 1990. One of Douglas’s personal favorites was written in 1990 when he teamed up with zoologist Mark Carwardine and wrote Last Chance to See an account of a world-wide search for rare and endangered species of animals.
Douglas sold over 15 million books in the UK, the US and Australia. He was also a best seller in German, Swedish and many other languages.
Douglas Adams died on Friday, May 11, 2001, in Santa Barbara, CA. He will be greatly missed by fans worldwide. The main idea of this passage is .
| A．Douglas Adams, always loved by fans |
| B．Douglas Adams and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy |
| C．Douglas Adams and his works |
| D．Douglas Adams’s personal lives |
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy was first shown to the public as .
| A．a radio series | B．a movie | C．a TV series | D．a computer game |
Which two books were adapted into a six-part TV series?
| A．Life, The Universe and Everything and Mostly Harmless |
| B．The Restaurant at the End of the Universe and Life, The Universe and Everything |
| C．The Restaurant at the End of the Universe and So Long and Thanks for all the Fish |
| D．So Long and Thanks for all the Fish and Mostly Harmless |
Last Chance to See is a book about .
| A．Some stories happening in a Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency |
| B．the author’s personal favorites |
| C．a zoologist and his worldwide experiences |
| D．searching for rare and endangered species of animals |
Which of the following statement is not true?
| A．Douglas Adams died at the age of 49 and he was memorized by his fans. |
| B．Douglas Adams was the youngest author to be selected as one of the first Best of Young British Novelists. |
| C．John Lloyd was one of the authors of the two books, The Meaning of Lifeand The Deeper Meaning of Life. |
| D．Douglas graduated from Essex and St John's College and gained a Master’s Degree. |
Renee had been married for a long, long time. Her favorite part of being married was the weekend, when she was with her two horses. On the weekend, Renee was at the stables(养马场) from morning until dark. She fed, groomed, and rode her horses. She was an excellent rider. She would ride the horses bareback on Saturday, and then she would saddle（给马装鞍） them up on Sunday.
Renee loved parades. She used to say, “A parade isn’t a parade without a horse.” Renee loved parades almost as much as she loved her horses. She belonged to an email list of volunteers for parades. She regularly visited the state website list of parades to see if there were any new parades that she didn’t know about. All the state parades were organized in her computer. In the parades file, she listed the date, drive time and distance, parade time, contact people, and other details she felt were important.
She knew the parade director of every town within a four-hour drive. She never stayed overnight. She always left the parade in time to get her horses back to the stables before “bedtime”. She had to feed them before they turned in. Her horses seemed to like parades, too. They knew a few tricks that always impressed the children.
Renee was very generous with her time and her horses. But owning horses wasn’t cheap. You had to rent the stables, and there were always vet(兽医) and feed bills. Renee knew how to cope with expenses, though. Her vet always gave her a 10-percent discount for paying cash. She always bought the no-name, generic food for the horses. Her vet had told her it was just as healthful and tasty as the brand name material. She always bought economy gasoline. And on parade days, Renee always packed her own lunch and ate with her horses. What did Renee regularly do on the weekend?
| A．She visited the state website list of parades. |
| B．She took part in parades. |
| C．She fed, groomed, and rode her horses at the stables. |
| D．She spent with her family. |
Which one did Renee like better,horses or parades?
| A．She liked horses better than parades. |
| B．She liked parades better than horses. |
| C．She didn’t love her horses as much as she loved parades. |
| D．She loved her horses almost as much as she loved parades. |
Renee never stayed overnight when she took part in parades because__________.
| A．she didn’t like to sleep together with horses |
| B．she had to get her horses back to the stables before “bedtime” to be fed |
| C．her horses didn’t agree to stay overnight |
| D．she couldn’t sleep well outside |
How did Renee cope with expenses of owning horses? The following ways were used except that __________.
| A．she always bought the brand name food for the horses |
| B．she had a 10-percent discount for paying cash offered by her vet |
| C．she always packed her own lunch and ate with her horses on parade days |
| D．she always bought the no-name, generic food for the horses |
Which of the following words can’t be used to describe Renee?
| A．caring | B．money-saving | C．careful | D．mean |
According to the British “Daily Mail” reported on May 22nd, the United States of America “Forbes” magazine recently released the 2013 annual "most powerful women list".
German Chancellor(总理，首相) Angela Merkel for three consecutive（连续的） years reelected top. There are 9 Chinese including Chinese first lady—Peng Liyuan. Brazil President Dilma Rousseff ranked second. “Bill and Melinda Gates foundation” co-chairman, Gate’s wife Mi Linda (Melinda Gates) was third. The United States first lady Michel (wife of Obama) in 2010 in the first, from 2012 second drop to fourth. Former American Secretary of state Hillary Clinton as a fifth. The queen of England fell 12,drop to fortieth. another list of British women's female writer JK Rowling, ranked ninety-third.
The list of Chinese women, including Chinese President Xi Jinping's wife Peng Liyuan, intelligent mobile phone maker HTC founder Wang Xuehong, chief executive of Chongqing Longhu real estate development limited company chairman Wu Yajun, SOHO China Ltd and co-founder Zhang Xin, the World Health Organization Director-General Chen Fengfuzhen (Margaret Chan), Huawei chairman Sun Yafang, the Li Jiacheng Foundation Director Zhou triumph, Baidu Inc chief financial officer Li Xinzhe, Sun Media Klc Holdings Ltd chairman Yang Lan.
“Forbes” magazine said, this year the list of people are political, business, media, the humanitarian field, entertainment and technology industry elite（精英）, but also some women were selected because of the huge wealth, including funds, media exposure and influence. The entertainment industry representatives include Beyonce Knowles, actress Anngelina Jolie and Lady Gaga. The list of women from 26 countries, there are 153000000 of them in Twitter "fans", 16 of them own Create Company. There are 15 new this year, including South Korean President Park Geun-hye(朴槿惠).
If you want to know more, click chinadaily.com.cn.How many times has German Chancellor Angela Merkel won the first place according to the passage?
| A．Once | B．Twice | C．Three times | D．four times |
According to the passage, ______rank 93th on the list of 2013 annual "most powerful women list".
| A．Peng Liyuan | B．Lady Gaga | C．JK Rowling | D．Park Geun-hye |
Which is true according to the passage?
| A．The United States first lady Michel in 2012 ranked second. |
| B．Peng Liyuan ranks 9th on the 2013 annual "most powerful women list". |
| C．Hillary Clinton is the present Secretary of state of America. |
| D．The great women come from sixty-two countries. |
According to the passage, if we want to get more information ,we can _________.
| A．reading a sports newspaper | B．reading a book about United Nations |
| C．Watch CCTV news | D．Visit the website of China Daily. |
What is the main idea of the passage?
| A．Peng Liyuan was elected as one of the 2013 annual most powerful women |
| B．“Forbes” released the 2013 annual “most powerful women list”. |
| C．The United States first lady Michel is no longer ranks NO.1. |
| D．Chinese people are becoming stronger and more influential than before. |
Do you want to have a close friend? Do you know how to make a good friend? Now, let me tell you. Before you make friends, you have to decide who you want to be your friends. Most people like to have friends who like to do the same kind of things they do.
The quickest way to make a friend is to smile. When you smile, people think you are friendly and easy to talk to. It may not be easy at first to smile, but remember most people will stay away from a scared or angry looking face.
One easy way to start a conversation with someone is to say something nice about him. Think about how great you feel when someone says something nice to you. Doesn’t it make you want to keep talking to that person?
Ask your new friends questions about themselves. Who’s their favorite singer, where do they live, what do they do after school are all good questions to start a conversation. Make sure you have something to add to the conversation, too. When someone asks you a question, do have an answer for them. There’s nothing that will stop a conversation quicker than a shrug (耸肩) for an answer.
Kids who show an interest in other kids and who are kind and friendly make good friends. Remember, everyone wants to be around people who like to do similar things and people who are nice to them.What does the underlined word scared( in para.2) mean?
| A．holy | B．frightening | C．happy | D．sad |
The main idea is _________.
| A．how to start a conversation | B．how to praise a person |
| C．how to make friends | D．the importance of making friends |
What kind of people are easy to become friends?
| A．who are happy every day. | B．who often speak ill of others. |
| C．who are good at communicating . | D．who share the same interest. |
If a person shrug , what does he/she mean?
| A．being very proud | B．making no answer |
| C．being very happy | D．be humorous |
Most people enjoy talking to one _______.
| A．who speaks highly of them | B．who are very out-going. |
| C．who is always smiling | D．who points out their shortcomings |