I was twenty years old, and my parents were looking forward to the day when I would be earning my own living. Unfortunately, I had absolutely no idea what I wanted my future occupation to be. The only thing I did know was that I did not want to spend the next 45 years teaching, being a nurse or sitting in an office.But that was before the postman delivered a catalogue (目录) of courses that were being offered at the local college. As I looked through it, I was attracted by a page that talked about the difficulties faced by deaf people in their everyday lives and how students could help by learning sign language. It went on to say that graduates of the course usually find work in different organizations, such as law companies, the Stock Exchange, insurance companies and banks. Then I saw something that really caught my eye: “Singer” are also needed for sporting events, concerts, theatrical performances and, believe it or not, circuses! By the time I got to the bottom of the page, I knew I had found the perfect occupation.
I enrolled (注册) on the course, which to my parents’ great delight was free of charge. The course was brilliant. My favourite part was the final lesson, when our teacher asked us to sign our favourite song. It was really difficult because not only did we have to sign the words, but we also had to find a way of showing whether the song was happy or sad and whether the beat was slow or fast. It was the hardest thing I have ever done—but also the most rewarding.
The only thing the writer knew that she .
| A．was too old to find a job as a teacher |
| B．wanted to work as a nurse in a hospital |
| C．had never liked being in a teacher’s office |
| D．would not get a job until she was at least 45 |
According to the catalogue the writer read, when students finish a sign language course, they .
| A．do not have to work with deaf people |
| B．can work in many types of different places |
| C．may not always find a job in their chosen field |
| D．almost always start their career in a law company |
The part of the course the writer enjoyed the most was when .
| A．she should sing a song with a fast beat |
| B．she should sign a song for the last lesson |
| C．her teacher sang a very sad song to the class |
| D．she realized that her parents didn’t have to pay |
Which of the following best describes the writer?
| A．A young woman who has found her ideal career. |
| B．A young deaf woman who wants to help the deaf. |
| C．A young woman who wants to be a businesswoman. |
| D．A young woman who wants to write songs for the deaf. |
Teens Enjoy Reading
According to a survey on reading conducted by the U.S. National Education Association (NEA), young Americans say reading is important—more important than computers and science. Over 50% of the twelve to eighteen years old children interviewed said they enjoy reading a lot. Seventy-nine percent find it stimulating and interesting, and 87% think it is relaxing. Most of those surveyed (68%) disagree with the opinion that reading is boring, or old-fashioned.
Teens Read Variety of Material
Over half the teenagers interviewed said they read more than ten books a year. The results also showed that middle school students read more books than high school students. Most teens (66%) like to read fiction, such as novels and stories. Only 26% were interested in non-fiction, such as biographies and history books. Sixty-four percent of students liked reading ‘stories about people of my own age’ as their favorite topic. Mysteries and detective stories came second on the list at 53%. Just under 50% said they were interested in reading about their own culture and heritage.
Other Interests
Of the teenagers who took part in the survey, 49% said that libraries are where they get most of their books. However, many complained that their school libraries do not have enough up-to-date, interesting books and magazines. Even though many teenagers in the U.S. enjoy reading, they still have other interests. When asked which activity would be the most difficult to give up for a week, 48% said listening to music. TV would be difficult to give up for 25% of those surveyed.
____
Another survey which is published by www. SmartGirl.com studied the differences between teenage boys’ and girls’ reading habits. According to the report, more girls than boys read for fun. Many more girls (77%) than boys (6%) read fashion and beauty magazines. More boys (47%) than girls (7%) read magazines about video games, but an equal number of each like to read adventure stories and newspapers. Girls also read more material about celebrities and social issues such as crime, drugs, or poverty. Boys, on the other hand, read more about sports.Most teens enjoy reading______.
| A．history books | B．novels and stories |
| C．about their own culture | D．about science |
The teens think that ________ is the most difficult to give up.
| A．reading books | B．watching TV |
| C．reading magazines | D．listening to music |
The proper headline(标题) for Paragraph 4 is ______.
| A．Teens’ Reading Habit | B．Another Survey about Teens |
| C．Boys’ and Girls’ Interests | D．Boys’ and Girls’ Habits Differ |
阅读与回答问题
Do you feel lonely when your best friend isn’t around? Of course, yes. Here’s our advice to you—and to all kids who feel lonely sometimes.
You may feel lonely at break or lunchtime when a best friend isn’t around—maybe because he or she moved to a different school or a different class. You want to have new friends, but how do you make them? Maybe it seems everybody else already has his or her friends. But remember, there’s always room for more friends.
Start by looking around your classroom—think about which kids you’d like to play with at break. Look for chances to say hi to them, smile, and be friendly. Offer to share something or express your appreciation (欣赏) to them. Invite someone to play with you or say, “Do you want to sit here?” in the lunchroom. When you’re at break, walk over to kids you want to play with, act friendly, and say “Hi, can I play, too?” or just join in.
If you have trouble doing this or if you’re feeling shy, ask your teacher to help you make new friends. Teachers are usually pretty good at matching up friends. The best way to make friends is to be a friend. Be kind, be friendly, share, say nice things, offer to help ---and pretty soon, you’ll have one, or two, or even more new friends.
You might still miss that special best friend. But when you see each other, you can share something you didn’t have before he or she left. You can introduce him or her to your new friends!How do you feel when your best friend isn’t around you according to the passage?
Why do some kids feel lonely at break according to the writer?
What is the best way to make friends according to the writer?
Why do some kids need help from teachers to make friends according to the writer?
Whatshouldyou doif you want to make more friends? (请自拟一句话作答)
Growing mushrooms（蘑菇）is probably the easiest thing you can do even if you are new to mushroom growing. It is becoming more common because restaurants are starting to create more dishes that include mushrooms. 
Mushroom growing is easy. To start, you need to have a space where you are going to grow these mushrooms. It does not have to be a huge space but just enough for you to grow as many mushrooms as you need. When you have found the space perfect for you, you can start researching what kind of mushrooms you want to grow. There are a lot of mushrooms to choose from and not all of them are suitable to eat.
When you decide what kind of mushrooms you want to grow, you can start getting ready to plant the mushrooms. Sometimes you may want to hire some workers to help if you have a large mushroom farm, or if you are trying to start a professional mushroom growing business. Trying to have a business by yourself can be stressful. If you don’t have enough time to spend taking care of everything yourself, some helpers may be the best choice.
After you have started the mushroom growing, you should regularly check that your mushrooms grow properly and that they are not being attacked by any pesticides（农药）or any other animals or something that could be dangerous to them. That is the worst part of mushroom developing. Protect your mushroom farm well with a fence（围栏）or a gate so that only you and your workers can get in and out.
Mushroom growing is not difficult and it is easy to get stared in the world of farming. You will soon possibly be able to provide some of the great cooks of the world with high quality mushrooms that will be enjoyed by thousands of people all over the world. According to the passage, many people begin to plant mushrooms probably _______.
| A．because they are in great need. |
| B．because they look very beautiful |
| C．because they are healthy food |
| D．because they are very expensive |
Which of the following is the right order of planting mushrooms?
a. Choose suitable mushrooms. b. Protect your mushrooms well.
c. Find some workers to help you. d. Start to grow the mushrooms.
e. Find a place to plant your mushrooms.
| A．c—a—d—b—e | B．e—a—c—d—b |
| C．c—a—e—b—d | D．e—a—d—b—c |
It can be inferred（推断）from the passage that __________.
| A．pesticides can be used in mushroom growing |
| B．anyone can produce high quality mushrooms. |
| C．after starting, you should always take care of the mushrooms |
| D．having a mushroom business is not so difficult |
According to the passage, which sentence is NOT true?
| A．Although you don’t know much about growing mushrooms, you can do it easily. |
| B．you can choose a suitable space, just big enough for you to grow mushrooms. |
| C．Some mushrooms aren’t suitable to eat. |
| D．The worst part of mushroom developing is to protect your mushrooms farm well with fence. |
The best title of the passage is __________.
| A．Healthy mushrooms |
| B．The value of mushrooms |
| C．How to choose mushrooms |
| D．Suggestions on growing mushrooms |
The father’s role in the family is important. One researcher says babies who are cared for by their fathers have greater cognitive (认知的) development at one year of age than babies not cared for by their fathers. Another researcher reports that by spending time with their pre-school children, fathers can help to develop children’s language ability. Researchers also point out that for school-age children, fathers are one bridge with the outside world.
Fathers who value (重视) education have children who do better in school than those children whose fathers don’t value education. What’s more, fathers who spend quality time with their children may give their children happy memories which may last a lifetime.
While each father is a unique person who educates children in his own style, good fathers have something in common.
Good fathers attend their children’s school activities. They also involve the children in their lives and the adult world by taking them to see the workplace, or by taking them when the car needs to be repaired, etc.
Good fathers expect a great deal from their children, but also accept and support the unique individuals (个体) that their children are becoming.
Good fathers prefer explanations and reasoning to force.
Good fathers know their time with children is really an investment (投资) in them.
Being an involved father is good for children and good for fathers. Both children and fathers have the chance for growth and development. Today’s lifestyles are changing. More and more fathers are keeping a balance between their personal life, work, and family time.According to the passage, we can find that .
| A．fathers have an important influence on their children from babyhood through adulthood |
| B．fathers’ involvement (介入) is the most important in children’s development |
| C．all fathers have the same way of educating their children |
| D．fathers are more important than mothers in the family |
A unique person in the third paragraph means “a person who ”.
| A．has the same ideas as others |
| B．is the only one of his type |
| C．does everything without considering others’ ideas |
| D．tries to do everything well |
Which of the following statements is CORRECT according to the passage?
| A．Good fathers attend their children’s school activities but never take them to their workplace. |
| B．Good fathers expect a great deal from their children and force them to work hard. |
| C．Good fathers try to make it clear to their children that staying with their fathers is an investment. |
| D．Good fathers improve themselves when they spend time with their children. |
The passage is mainly about __________ .
| A．how to be a qualified father |
| B．the growth and development of both fathers and children |
| C．the father’s role in the growth and development of children |
| D．the change of the father’s role in modern society |
This dictionary tells you about English words and how to use them in reading, writing and speaking English. It not only gives the meaning of words, it can also help you with spelling, word building, grammar and pronunciation.
To use your dictionary correctly, you need to understand how the dictionary works. At the front of the book, you will find some exercises to help you make the most use of your dictionary.
If you look up the word “colour”, you will find two spellings for this word. “Colour” is used in British English, while “color” is used in American English. When such a thing happens, the dictionary shows it with the word “BrE” for British English and “AmE” for American English.
The dictionary also helps you pronounce words correctly. It uses a special alphabet (特殊字母表) to show pronunciation. If you turn to the inside back face, you will see all the phonetic letters (音标) with some words to show you how they are pronounced. Just have a look at this page when you’re not sure how to say a word.
The most important reason for using a dictionary is to find out the meaning of a word—its DEFINITION.
In this dictionary, the definitions have been written using only 2000 words. This means that the definitions of even the most difficult words are simply explained and easy to understand.According to the passage, “neighbor” is used in ______ English.
| A．Australian | B．Canadian | C．American | D．British |
In Paragraph 5, what does the underlined word “definition” mean?
| A．词性 | B．词条 | C．词库 | D．词义 |
The dictionary explains ______.
| A．some of the difficult words | B．all the words in a simple way |
| C．all the easy words | D．the words of two meanings |