【2015·浙江】D
In 2004 ,when my daughter Becky was ten , she and my husband ,Joe, were united in their desire for a dog . As for me , I shared none of their canine lust.
But why , they pleaded. “Because I don’t have time to take care of a dog.” But we’ll do it.”Really? You’re going to walk the dog? Feed the dog? Bathe the dog?” Yes, yes , and yes .”I don’t believe you .” We will . We promise.
They didn’t . From day two (everyone wanted to walk the cute puppy that first day ) , neither thought to walk the dog . While I was slow to accept that I would be the one to keep track of her shots , to schedule her vet appointments , to feed and clean her , Misty knew this on day one . As she looked up at the three new humans in her life (small, medium, and large) , she calculated ,”The medium one is the sucker in the pack .”
Quickly, she and I developed something very similar to a Vulcan mind meld (心灵融合) . She’d look at me with those sad brown eyes of hers , beam her need , and then wait , trusting I would understand — which , strangely , I almost always did . In no time , she became my feet as I read , and splaying across my stomach as I watched television .
Even so , part of me continued to resent walking duty . Joe and Becky had promised. Not fair , I’d balk (不心甘情愿地做) silently as she and I walked . “Not fair , ” I’ d loudly remind anyone within earshot upon our return home .
Then one day — January 1, 2007 , to be exact — my husband ‘ s doctor uttered an unthinkable word : leukemia ( 白血病) .With that , I spent eight to ten hours a day with Joe in the hospital , doing anything and everything I could to ease his discomfort. During those six months of hospitalizations, Becky, 12 at the time, adjusted to other adults being in the house when she returned from school. My work colleagues adjusted to my taking off at a moment's notice for medical emergencies. Every part of my life changed; no part of my old routine remained.
Save one: Misty still needed walking. At the beginning, when friends offered to take her through her paces, I declined because I knew they had their own households to deal with. As the months went by,I began to realize that I actually wanted to walk Misty. The walk in the morning before I headed to the hospital was a quiet, peaceful time to gather my thoughts or to just be before the day's medical drama unfolded. The evening walk was a time to shake off the day's upsets and let the worry tracks in my head go to white noise.
When serious illness visits your household, it's , not just your daily routine and your assumptions about the future that are no longer familiar. Pretty much everyone you acts differently.
Not Misty. Take her for a walk, and she had no interest in Joe's blood counts or ’one marrow test results. On the street or in the park, she had only one thing on her mind: squirrels! She Was so joyous that even on the worst days, she could make me smile. On a daily basis she reminded me that life goes on. After Joe died in 2009,Misty slept on his pillow.
I'm grateful一to a point. The truth is, after years of balking, I've come to enjoy m’ walks with Misty. As I watch her chase after a squirrel, throwing her whole being into the here-and-now of an exercise that has never once ended in victory, she reminds me, too, that no matter how harsh the present or unpredictable the future , there's almost always some measure of joy to be extracted from the moment.why didn't the writer agree to raise a dog at the beginning of the story?
| A.She was afraid the dog would get the family, into trouble. |
| B.It would be her business to take care of the dog |
| C.Her husband and daughter were united as one. |
| D.She didn't want to spoil he’ daughter. |
Which of the following is the closest in meaning to "The medium one is “he sucker in the pack.” (Paragraph 3)?
| A."The middle-aged person loves me most.” |
| B.”The medium-sized woman is the hostess.” |
| C."The man in the middle is the one who has the final say.” |
| D."The woman is the kind and trustworthy one in the family.” |
It can be inferred from Paragraph 3 that_______.
| A.Misty was quite clever |
| B.Misty could solve math problems |
| C.the writer was a slow learner |
| D.no one walked Misty the first day |
The story came to its turning point when________.
| A.Joe died in 2009 |
| B.Joe fell ill in 2007 |
| C.the writer began to walk the dog |
| D.the dog tired to please the writer |
Why did the writer continue to walk Misty while Joe was in hospital?
| A.Misty couldn’t live without her |
| B.Her friends didn’t offer any help |
| C.The walk provided her with spiritual comfort. |
| D.She didn't want Misty to ’others companion. |
What is the message the writer wants to convey in the passage?
| A.One should learn to enjoy hard times. |
| B.A disaster can change everything in life. |
| C.Moments of joy suggest that there is still hope ahead. |
| D.People will change their attitude toward you when you are in difficulty. |
Every day we go to school and listen to the teacher, and the teacher will ask us some questions. Sometimes, the classmates will ask for your opinions of the work of the class. When you are telling others in the class what you have found out about these topics, remember that they must be able to hear what you are saying. You are not taking part in a family conversation or having a chat with friends—you are in a slightly unnatural situation where a large group of people will remain silent, waiting to hear what you have to say. You must speak so that they can hear you—loudly enough and clearly enough but without trying to shout or appearing to force yourself.
Remember, too, that it is the same if you are called to an interview whether it is with a professor of your school or a government official who might meet you. The person you are seeing will try to put you at your ease (not worried) but the situation is somewhat different from that of an ordinary conversation. You must take special care that you can be heard. When you speak to the class, you should speak ________.
| A.as slowly as possible | B.in a low voice |
| C.loudly | D.forcefully |
The situation in the class is _________that in your house.
| A.not very different from | B.sometimes the same as |
| C.sometimes not the same as | D.not the same as |
If you are having a conversation with an official, the most important thing for you is____.
| A.to show your ability | B.to be very gentle |
| C.to make sure that you can be heard | D.to put the official at ease |
The main idea of this passage is _______.
| A.that we should talk in different ways in different situations |
| B.that we must speak loudly |
| C.that we must keep silent at any time |
| D.that we must talk with the class |
Superman, Spider-Man, Batman and Iron Man ... .There is no shortage of superheroes. You find them in comic books, on the TV and the big screen.
In a survey of fans by the sci-fi and fantasy website, SFX.co.uk, Batman, 70 years old this year, was voted Britain's favorite superhero.
Unlike many crime-fighting superheroes Batman has no special powers. He can't fly like Superman or shoot a sticky web like Spider-Man.
Bruce Wayne is born to a wealthy Gotham City business family. However, when his parents are murdered his life changes completely.
Wayne feels anger at their deaths and guilty that he did not prevent them. He travels around the world learning how to fight. Upon returning to Gotham, he creates a disguise (伪装) to enable him to fight crime without being recognized.
A childhood fear of bats leads him to choose to dress as one. His idea is that through the bat person he can prove to himself that he has overcome his childhood fears.
Wayne is the CEO of the company he inherits (继承) from his father. He seems to live the lifestyle of a millionaire playboy. But this is a ruse (计策). He works hard at the image to allow himself the freedom he needs to do his work as a crime fighter. "Bruce Wayne, playboy" is the disguise Batman is the real person.
"Wayne is not a born superhero. Instead, he is a real, complex person," said Dace Golder, editor of the website. "He is the most realistic of all the superheroes. I am particularly interested in the emotional process by which a boy becomes a hero. His superhero qualities come from within."What is the article mainly about?
| A.How Bruce Wayne develops into a superhero. |
| B.How to overcome childhood fears. |
| C.What makes a superhero. |
| D.Why superheroes enjoy great popularity in Britain. |
Bruce Wayne decides to dress like a bat because of ______ .
| A.his curiosity about bats | B.his childhood fear of bats |
| C.his parents' sudden death | D.his unusual travel experiences |
Why does Wayne live like a playboy?
| A.He prefers the lifestyle of a playboy. |
| B.He doesn't know how to run a company. |
| C.He loves freedom more than anything else. |
| D.He needs to disguise his crime fighting activities. |
Which of the following statements is true about Batman?
| A.Batman is a born superhero |
| B.He has special powers |
| C.The turning point of his life is due to his parents' sudden death |
| D.He actually lives the lifestyle of a millionaire playboy |
When we were very small, we realized that having friends was important. The need for friends continued as we grew into our teens. Friends played a big part in the development of our personalities. As adults, it is still important for us to have friends.
True friends are people who like us though we make mistakes and who listen to us and tell us the truth. Friends support our decisions and tell us when we’re wrong. They laugh with us and share our sadness. They are our partners and share interests with us. They stimulate us when we are feeling down. They are people with whom we aren’t afraid of sharing our secret wishes or what is really on our minds.
Friends, you fell safe and warm. At times, they also help with our everyday life, cooking a meal, helping with chores, or giving us a lift when we need.
Friends also are there to offer advice, an ear to listen, or a shoulder to cry on..
Friends also help us reduce stress. They not only listen to us when we fell stressed, but also discuss with us how to friends help us forget about problems at work or at home. For a short time, we can lose ourselves in a pleasant activity and perhaps laugh and breathe more easily.What is the best title for the passage?
| A.How to Reduce Stress | B.How to Make New Friends |
| C.The Importance of Friends | D.The Qualities of Good Friends |
The underlined word “stimulate”in Paragraph 2 probably means _________.
| A.educate | B.encourage | C.remember | D.dislike |
We can learn from the third paragraph that friends always _________.
| A.laugh at us when we’re foolish | B.tell us other people’s secrets |
| C.share our sadness and interests | D.support us when we need help |
According to the passage, we can reduce stress by _____.
① making more new friends ② discussing our stress with friends
③ ignoring our problems for a while ④ sharing interests with friends
| A.①②③ | B.②③④ | C.①②④ | D.①③④ |
While income worry is a rather common problem of the aged, loneliness is another problem that aged parents may face. Of all the reasons that explain their loneliness, a large geographical distance between parents and their children is the major one. This phenomenon(现象)is commonly known as “Empty Nest Syndrome”(空巢综合症).
In order to seek(寻找) better chances outside their countries, many young people have gone abroad, leaving their parents behind with no clear idea of when they will return home. Their parents spend countless lonely days and nights, taking care of themselves, in the hope that someday their children will come back to stay with them. The fact that most of these young people have gone to Europeanized or Americanized societies makes it unlikely that they will hold as tightly to the value of duty as they would have if they had not left their countries. Whatever the case, it has been noted that the values they hold do not necessarily match what they actually do. This geographical and cultural distance also prevents the grown-up children from providing response in time for their aged parents living by themselves.
The situation in which grown-up children live far away from their aged parents has been described as “distant parent phenomenon”, which is common both in developed countries and in developing countries. Our society has not yet been well prepared for “Empty Nest Syndrome”.According to the passage, the loneliness of aged parents is mainly caused by _________.
| A.their earlier experience of feeling lonely |
| B.the unfavorable living conditions in their native countries |
| C.the common worry about their income |
| D.the geographical distance between parents and children |
Many young people have gone abroad, leaving their aged parents behind, to _________.
| A.live in the countries with more money |
| B.seek a better place for their aged parents |
| C.continue their studies abroad |
| D.realize their dreams in foreign countries |
If young people go abroad, _________.
| A.they do not hold to the value of duty at all |
| B.they can give some help to their parents back home |
| C.they cannot do what they should for their parents |
| D.they believe what they actually do is right |
From the last paragraph, we can infer that ________.
| A.the situations in the developed and developing countries are different |
| B.“Empty Nest Syndrome” has arrived unexpectedly in our society |
| C.children will become independent as soon as they go abroad |
| D.the aged parents are not fully prepared for “Empty Nest Syndrome” |
When a storm is coming, most people leave the area as quickly ad possible and head for safety. But there are a few people who will get into their cars and go straight for the center of the storm. These people are willing to risk being killed by floods or 100-kilometer-an-hour winds for the excitement of watching the storm close up.
“Storm chasing” is becoming an increasingly popular hobby, especially in the Midwest of the United States, where there are frequent storms between March and July. A storm chaser begins the day by checking the Internet for the latest weather reports, and then drives up to 1,000 kilometers to where the storm will be and waits for it to develop.
Although anyone can do it , storm chasing is extremely dangerous. The power of a big storm can throw a cow into the air or destroy a whole house in seconds. Storm chasers are also often hurt in accidents caused by driving in a heavy rain. If you are a beginner, it is much safer to join a group for storm-chasing vacations during the storm season.
Even then, storm chasing is not all adventure and excitement . “Storm chasing is 95% driving,” says Daniel Lynch, who spends most of his summer storm-chasing. “Sometimes you can sit around for hours waiting for something to happen, and all you get is blue sky and a few light showers.”
However, for storm chasers, it is all worth it. “When you get close to a storm, it is the most exciting sight you will ever see in your life,” says Jasper Morley. “Every storm is an example of the power of nature, It is the greatest show on Earth.”For storm chasing, the first thing storm chasers do is to .
| A.head straight for the center of the storm |
| B.get into the car for safety |
| C.wait patiently for the storm to develop |
| D.collect information about a coming storm |
Beginners of storm chasing are advised .
| A.not to drive in a heavy rain |
| B.to do it in an organized way |
| C.not to get too close to a storm |
| D.to spend more time on it in summer |
By saying “it is all worth it” in the last paragraph, the author means that .
| A.storm chasing costs a lot of money |
| B.storm chasing is worth hours of waiting |
| C.efforts in storm chasing are well paid |
| D.a storm presents the greatest show on Earth |
What can we learn from the text?
| A.Sometimes storm chasers get nothing but disappointment |
| B.Many storm chasers get killed in the storms. |
| C.Storm chasing is becoming popular around the world. |
| D.Storm chasing is only fit for young people. |