My trip with my sister and my daughter to Manhattan wedding gown(长袍，长外衣) shop, cannot be understood without further focusing on Marina, my 14-year-old daughter Ive asked to try on dresses.
This was the girl I took to Kleinfeld, the fancy store featured on the television program Say Yes to the Dress. As the trip approached, I asked Marina if she was excited. Sure, Mom. shed say, shrugging. Marina was more excited about getting a tattoo(文身) on her ankle to represent my fight with ALS(肌萎缩性脊髓侧索硬化症) than trying on $ 10,000 wedding gowns.
My sister, Stephanie, had arranged for a car with a wheelchair lift to drive us from the hotel to Kleinfeld. The car driver wheeled me in.
At Kleinfeld with flower arrangements ten feet high, I felt like rolling into a dream. “Wow!” I said. I was wearing a new black outfit. Marina wore jean shorts, a sleeveless(无袖的) shirt, and sneakers. She stood with her hands crossed over her chest, like this was the last place on the planet she wanted to be. The kind Kleinfeld ladies pointed out rooms like tour guides, naming the designers one by one on display: Alita Grham, Pnina Tornai… With Marina walking beside me, Stephanie pushed my chair up and down rows and rows of dresses that made Princess Diana’s dress look modest.
Marina didn’t say a word. We turned a corner into the storage room, where hundreds of dresses hung in plastic protector sleeves. Marina and I were overwhelmed.
“Want to try one on ?” I said, touching Marina’s hand.
“OK,” Marina said in her sharp, unsure voice.
“Tell them the style you’d like.”
Marina stood silent. I felt bad for bringing her, for forcing such an adult experience on a child.
Marina picked an A-line dress. Or, more precisely, the ladies of Kleinfeld picked it for her. Marina was too shocked to do more than nod. As she took the gown into the dressing room, I tried not to think of my little girl on her wedding day or of her as a baby in my arms. I tried not to think of her with her own baby in her arms one day.
I tried not to think of Marina right now, embarrassed by her mother’s plans, by things she could not and should not yet understand.
I am leaving money in my will for Marina’s wedding dress. Stephanie has promised to bring her back to Kleinfeld to purchase it.
“No pure white!” I said to Stephanie. “Ivory. Not too much tulle(薄纱). Think lace.”
“Think royalty when picking a dress,” I advised Steph as we waited outside the dressing room. “Think Princes Kate. Elegant. Think long sleeves. They make dresses more formal.”
Marina came out, sleeveless, flared(下摆宽大的). She looked like a 14-year-old girl in the middle of a giant cupcake.
“I don’t like the loose gown.” she said.
That’s my girl!
“How about trying on one with long sleeves?” I asked her.
The ladies brought out a dress with long lace sleeves, an Empire collar, a ruched(有褶饰的) fitted waist, and a long, smooth silk skirt.
Marina disappeared into the dressing room. When the door opened, she looked a foot taller and a decade older. I could clearly see the beautiful woman she will be one day. I simply stared.
What do you do when you glimpse a moment you will not live to see?
I dipped my head. Breathe, I told myself. I looked up. I smiled. Marina smiled back.
I worked my tongue into position to speak. “I like it,” I said.
In that dress, Marina stood straight, shining brightly, and tall.
“You are beautiful,” I whispered, my tongue barely cooperating. I don’t know if she heard me. We took some photos. And moved on. A memory made.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．The mother made the payment for the wedding gown for her daughter on the spot. |
| B．The mother was disabled and unable to move around without a wheelchair. |
| C．The daughter well understood why she was asked to try on wedding gowns. |
| D．The mother thought pure white is more suitable for her daughter on the wedding. |
According to the story, we can conclude that Marina ________.
| A．finally picked out her favorite wedding gown herself after careful selection |
| B．amazingly grew taller and older after wearing her new wedding gown |
| C．was a different girl who liked marking pictures on skin to show her uniqueness |
| D．was more concerned about her mother than trying on new wedding gowns |
The underlined sentence in Para.4 means ________.
| A．she was more satisfied with her own clothes than wedding gowns |
| B．she was too excited to say anything seeing so many wedding gowns |
| C．she was quite nervous and uneasy in a place intended for adults |
| D．she was amazed to see so many wedding gowns on display |
By saying “I tried not to think of my little girl on her wedding day or …”, the author probably felt ________.
| A．heartbroken | B．disappointed |
| C．embarrassed | D．ashamed |
What is the main purpose for mother taking her 14-year-old daughter to the wedding dress shop?
| A．To take memorable photos of her daughter who wears the wedding gown. |
| B．To buy her daughter the most beautiful wedding gown for her wedding day. |
| C．To fulfill her desire to see what her daughter will be like in her wedding gown. |
| D．To choose the most suitable wedding gown as the last gift for her daughter. |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Mother’s Final Wish |
| B．A Particular Wedding Dress Shop |
| C．An Embarrassing Plan |
| D．Daughter’s Wedding |
A mouse looked through a crack(缝隙) in the wall to see the farmer and his wife opening a package; what food might it contain? He was astonished to discover that it was a mouse trap!
Running to the farmyard, the mouse shouted, warning everyone, “There is a mouse trap in the house, there is a mouse trap in the house.”
The chicken, with her head high, glared at the mouse and said, “Shut up. Little Ugly. This is a great concern to you, but it has nothing to do with me; I can’t be troubled by it.
The mouse turned to the pig and told him, “There is a mouse trap in the house.” “I am so sorry, Mr. Mouse,” said the pig sympathetically, “but there is nothing I can do about it but pray; you are always in my prayers.”
The mouse turned to the cow, who relied, “ A mouse trap, am I in great danger, huh?”
Now the mouse had to face the farmer’s mouse trap alone.
The very night a sound was heard through the house, like that of a mouse trap catching its prey. The farmer’s wife rushed to see what was caught. In the darkness, she did not see it was a big poisonous snake whose tail the trap had caught. The snake bit the farmer’s wife. The farmer rushed her to the hospital. She returned home with a fever. It is said that drinking fresh chicken soup will help treat fever, so the farmer took his sharp knife to the farmyard for the soup’s main ingredient. His wife’s sickness continued, so friends and neighbors came to sit with her around the clock. To feed them, the farmer killed the pig. The farmer’s wife did not get well, in fact, she died, and so many people came for her funeral. The farmer had the cow killed to provide for all of them to eat.
So next time when someone is facing a problem, don’t say that it has nothing to do with you. Remember: when the least of us is threatened, we all might be at risk.We could see from the passage that the mouse was _____.
| A．good at cheating others | B．honest |
| C．kind and warm-hearted | D．foolish |
Which of the following is False according to the passage?
| A．The others help the farmer kill the cow. |
| B．The mouse trap was very practical |
| C．The pig is more friendly than the other animals. |
| D．The farmer’s family was very poor and they had no friends |
What can we learn from the story?
| A．Better safe than sorry |
| B．Traps can always cause chain reactions |
| C．To keep the balance of nature is the duty of us all |
| D．What you think impossible to happen to you might come at you unexpectedly |
Frankenstein is one of the world’s most famous horror stories. It’s about a doctor who creates a new man from the body parts of dead people and brings it to life. But the experiment goes wrong and the monster(怪兽) kills the doctor and many others. The story has been read by millions since it was first published and in the last hundred years it has been made into dozens of movies. Many people are surprised to learn its writer was a 19-year-old woman, called Mary Shelley.
Mary was born into a rich London family in August 1797. She was educated by her parents and when she was 13 she decided to become a writer. In 1812, she met the famous writer Percy Shelley and they soon got married. Sadly for Mary, their first child died soon after birth in Italy. In her diary, Mary wrote about a dream：“I dreamt that my little baby came to life again---that it had only been cold and that we rubbed it before the fire and it lived.”
In 1816, Percy Shelley and 19-year-old Mary visited the poet Lord Byron at his home in Switzerland. Because of the bad weather they stayed indoors reading horror stories. On night, Byron asked everyone to write their own story. Mary thought of her dream and wrote the story of Frankenstein
Frankenstein was published when Mary was 21, and became a huge success. Many people didn’t think a 19-year-old woman could write so well and believed her husband was the real writer.
Although famous, Shelley’s life was full of sadness. Only one of her four children lived and in 1822 her husband died in a swimming accident. Mary was broken-hearted and decided not to marry again. She devoted herself to her child and continued to write until her death in 1851.Where was Mary Shelley when she wrote the story Frankenstein ?
| A．In England | B．In Italy | C．In Switzerland | D．In France |
In which order do the following take place?
a. Bad weather made everyone stay indoors reading horror stories.
b. The story Frankenstein was first published.
c. Mary wrote about a dream in her diary.
d. Mary met the famous writer Percy Shelley.
e. Movies based on the story of Frankenstein were made.
| A．a,c,b,e,d | B．d,c,a,b,e | C．c,a,b,d,e | D．b,a,d,c,e |
How old was Mary Shelley when she died?
| A．43 | B．48 | C．51 | D．54 |
You probably know you should say “please” and “thank you” at restaurants. You probably know the rules of a library. You know you should respect and be nice to your classmates. But do you have music manners?
Keep It Down! You have to notice the volume of your music. You should not play your music so loud that everyone around you can hear it. Some people might even get angry. Usually, when you play the music loud on an MP3 player, other people can’t hear the words of the song. They just hear a loud sound. Not one wants to listen to this. Very loud music can also be bad for your ears, so even if you are alone when listening to your MP3 player, you shouldn’t have it turned up too high.
Take Them Off! You need to know when to turn your MP3 player off and put it away. Libraries and schools don’t allow MP3 players. There are other places, like museums, that don’t have rules, but it would be rude to have your MP3 player on. Sometimes, it just doesn’t make sense to listen your MP3 player at event. Why would you listen to music at a play, a movie or a sporting event? You would miss what is going on and others would wonder why you even came.
Take One Out! Once in a while it’s okay just to take out one earphone and not other. Imagine you are listening on your MP3 player when someone asks you the way. It would not be rude to take out one earphone, tell him the way, and put back the earphone and continue listening. You can also do this when you order food at a fast-food restaurant or when you answer the telephone.
It’s Your Choice! There are times when you need to decide what is best. For example, some people can listen to music on their MP3 players when reading books, while others think it is disturbing. In cases like this, you need to do what seems right for you.The underlined word “volume” in Paragraph Two probably means “_____”.
| A．the type of music |
| B．the amount of a sound |
| C．the beat of a song |
| D．the colour of an MP3 player |
We should turn down the music when we are alone because loud music _____ .
| A．is not enjoyable | B．makes us tired |
| C．is bad for MP3 players | D．hurts our ears |
It’s all right to use our MP3 player in __________.
| A．schools | B．libraries | C．restaurants | D．museums |
What can be the best title of this passage?
| A．Music Lovers | B．Music Manners | C．MP3 Players | D．MP3 Earphones |
Zhoukoudian is a small village situated about 50 kilometers to the southwest of Beijing. In the 1920s, archaeologists discovered some prehistoric human bones there which changed people’s view of China’s history. They came from an unknown species of man and were the first evidence of human life in China thousands of years ago. The remains were three teeth!
In 1929, a complete skull was also discovered. Eventually, archaeologists found almost 200 items, including six skulls and more than 150 teeth. These discoveries proved the existence of a human species who lived in the area between 700,000 and 200,000 years ago. Four sites where Beijing Man and his relatives lived were discovered on the northern face of Longgushan. They lived in the caves in the area.
However, the life span of Beijing Man was short. About 70% of the people probably died before the age of 14. Fewer than 5% lived to the age of 50. Ashes were found alongside the fossils which showed they had used fire for cooking food and also for light, warmth, and protection against wild animals. This is the earliest evidence of the use of fire anywhere in the world. They also made tools of bones and stones. Unfortunately, when Japan invaded China in 1937, excavations (发掘) at the Beijing Man Site stopped and most of the fossils disappeared, including a Beijing Man skull. After the People’s Republic of China was established in 1949, the work started again.
Zhoukoudian was listed as a World Heritage Site in December 1987. It has not only given us important information about prehistoric Asian societies, but also provided amazing evidence about the process of evolution. Today, parts of the caves have been badly affected by rain. Some areas are almost completely covered in weeds, causing serious damage. Pollution from the nearby factories has also led to the problem. This is a very serious matter and the Chinese Academy of Sciences is trying to raise public awareness of protecting it. Archaeologists _________.
| A．thought that the findings in Zhoukoudian are the first evidence of human life in Asia |
| B．thought that the findings in Zhoukoudian wouldn’t change the history of China |
| C．discovered some prehistoric human bones in Zhoukoudian |
| D．thought that Zhoukoudian was a beautiful village |
Beijing Man used fire to do all of the following things EXCEPT _____.
| A．light in the dark | B．keep warm |
| C．scare wild animals away | D．make tools |
What’s the main idea of the last paragraph?
| A．Zhoukoudian is a World Heritage Site. |
| B．Zhoukoudian is in great need of protection. |
| C．The digging of Zhoukoudian is still under way. |
| D．Zhoukoudian plays an important part in the study of prehistoric societies. |
People often said Thomas Edison was the greatest genius of his age. There are only a few men in all of history, who have changed the lives of other men as much as the inventor of the first useful electric light. But Edison could never be pleased only because someone said he was a genius. "There is no such thing as genius," Edison said. He thought what people called genius was mostly hard work.
But Edison was a dreamer as well as a worker. From his earliest days as a child he wondered about the secrets of nature. He tried to understand them, and then he tried to learn what he could usefully do with them.
Edison enjoyed thinking. He knew that most people would do almost anything instead of the difficult work of thinking, especially if they do not think very often. But he knew, too, that thinking could give men enjoyment and pleasure.
Edison could not understand how anyone could not be interested in life. As he loved to think, he also loved to work. On the day he became 75 years old, someone asked him what idea he had about life. “Work,” he answered, “Discovering the secrets of nature and using them to make men happier.” He said he had enough inventions in his mind to give him another 100 years of work.According to Thomas Edison, what's genius?
| A．Hard thinking. | B．Useful inventions |
| C．Useful dreams. | D．Hard work. |
After exploring the secrets of nature, Edison always tried to______．
| A．make them useful in life |
| B．carry out a new experiment |
| C．write down what he had learnt |
| D．share them with others |
Edison could not understand______.
| A．how anybody enjoyed life |
| B．how anybody loved working |
| C．why anybody loved thinking |
| D．why anybody was tired of life |
The underlined sentence in the last paragraph means that______．
| A．Edison was able to live another 100 years |
| B．life was too short for Edison to work for human beings |
| C．Edison was born to be a great inventor |
| D．Edison was ready to make his l00th invention |