There was a man who worked all of his life and saved all of his money.He was a real miser (守财奴) when it came to his money.He loved money more than just about anything, and just before he died, he said to his wife, "Now listen, when I die, I want you to take all my money and place it in the casket（棺材）with me.I wanna take my money to the afterlife."
So he got his wife to promise him with all her heart that when he died, she would put all the money in the casket with him.
Well, one day he died.He was stretched out in the casket, the wife was sitting there in black next to her closest friend.When they finished the ceremony, just before the undertakers got ready to close the casket, the wife said "Wait just a minute!"
She had a shoe box with her, she came over with the box and placed it in the casket.Then the undertakers locked the casket down and rolled it away.Her friend said, "I hope you weren't crazy enough to put all that money in the casket."
"Yes," the wife said, "I promised.I'm a good Christian, I can't lie.I promised him that I was going to put that money in that casket with him."
"You mean to tell me you put every cent of his money in the casket with him?"
"I sure did.I got it all together, put it into my account and I wrote him a check."What was the woman’s reaction to her husband’s last words?
| A．She remained silent. | B．she said no. |
| C．She said yes. | D．She was annoyed. |
The woman’s friend believed that ______.
| A．she shouldn’t put all the money in the casket |
| B．she should put all the money in the casket. |
| C．she should give his husband a promise. |
| D．she should not break her promise. |
Which word can best describe the woman?
| A．attractive | B．clever | C．dishonest | D．lazy |
What might be the best title of the story ?
| A．Take All My Money With Me | B．A Promise Cleverly Kept |
| C．A Loving Wife | D．Miser and his Wife |
“BANG!” the door caused a reverberation(回声)．It was just standing there, with Father standing on one side, and I on the other side．
We were both in great anger．“Never set foot in this house again!” stormed Father．With tears welling up in my eyes, I rushed out of the flat and ran along the street．
The street lights were shining rather desolately(凄凉的)．I wandered aimlessly．
A young father who held a child in his arms walked past me．I felt as if I saw my childhood from another space: happy and harmonious．
But now… I don’t know whether it is because I have grown up or because dad is getting old．We differ in our ways of thinking．He always imposes his opinions and codes of behavior on me．Whenever I do something wrong, he never admits it．We are just like two people coming from two different worlds．It feels like there is an iron door between us that can never be opened．
I wandered the streets, without a destination in mind．My heart was frozen on this hot summer night．As I walked on there were fewer and fewer people on the streets, until I had only the street lights to keep me company．When I finally reached the high-rise apartment block in which I lived, I saw that the light was still on．
In fact, it was nothing．Perhaps, dad was throwing away some of his old stamps．Perhaps he thought they were useless．I never had the courage to tell him that I liked collecting stamps．I can’t stand his outrageous(蛮横的) words: “ I can throw you away, let alone these old papers．”
All the lights were off except father’s．
Dad was always like this．Maybe he didn’t know how to express himself．After shouting at me, he never showed any mercy or any moments of regret．After an argument he has the habit of creeping up in my sleep and then tucking me underneath the covers．
This was how he always was．He has been a leader for so long that telling everyone else what to do has become his second nature．
The light was still on．“Am I wrong?” I whispered, maybe… With the key in hand, I was as nervous as I had ever been．At last, I decided to open the door．As soon as I opened the door, tears ran down my cheeks．I suddenly realized that the iron door that I had imagined between us did not exist at all．Love is second to none．Decide which is the best order of the following according to what happened in the passage．
a．I opened the door and entered the house．
b．Sadly I ran out into the street．
c．I reached the place where I lived and saw my house still brightly lit．
d．I thought of my father’s kindness towards me．
e．I walked about in the street without any aim．
| A．b, e, d, c, a | B．b, e, c, d, a | C．b, e, a, c, d | D．b, e, c, a, d |
What made the writer think of his childhood?
| A．The sight of the desolate street lights． |
| B．The sight of the empty street． |
| C．The sight of a father with a child in his arms． |
| D．The sight of light in his own house． |
Why do you think the father often shouts at his son?
A．Perhaps the father is getting older and older．
B．Perhaps the son has already grown up．
C．Perhaps they never agree with each other．What conclusion can you draw after reading the passage?
| A．The father is actually kind to his son． |
| B．The father treats his son in an unfair way． |
| C．The father is neither kind nor cruel to his son． |
| D．The father is always finding fault with his son． |
Is early childhood education really necessary? Early childhood education primarily focuses on learning through playing to develop the child’s physical, sensory, communicational and social development． Early childhood education has become a concern of the government, who pushes poor children to be formally trained before they are old enough for Kindergarten．
There are good reasons for the government to push early childhood education．Studies have shown that orphaned children who did not receive good care and education become developmentally delayed causing failure in school, and even in life．Further studies show that poor children who take part in Head Start programs are more prepared for school, less likely to end up in Special Education classes, and are less likely to receive public help or go to jail．
There are also negative parts to putting a child in formal education programs too early．Time Magazine online explains that “the younger the child the less his chances of catching up with first-grade work．” I have personally witnessed many children of my generation who went to Head Start programs become frustrated and bored with school before they finished high school．Yet parents have been sure that the earlier the child starts school, the better off he or she is, so they push to start children earlier．
Actually while early formal education of poor children does show great gains in the early elementary years, studies also show that this head start is really a “false start”, as the gains are lost in middle and high school years．It seems that environment is a bigger factor on life’s success than early education．Head Start programs have not achieved its original goal in closing the achievement gap in poor and middle school children．Perhaps it is time to find other ways to close that gap．The purpose of the government valuing the early childhood education is ________．
A．to develop the children’s communication
A．to give orphaned children good care and education
C．to get the children prepared for the kindergarten
D．to train the children formally and regularlyAccording to the studies, which of the following is True?
| A．Children with good early education may have a rich life． |
| B．The orphaned children are usually unhappy in their life． |
| C．Children without early education can do well at school． |
| D．Head Start programs are helpful to the poor children． |
The author’s attitude toward the early childhood education is _________．
| A．puzzling | B．objective | C．indifferent | D．approving |
The main idea of the last passage is that __________．
| A．the early childhood education is very necessary |
| B．Head Start programs have helped the children a lot |
| C．environment is the most important to life’s success |
| D．better ways should be found to help the poor children |
American cities are similar to other cities around the world: American cities are changing, just as American society is changing. After World War Two, the population of most large American cities decreased; however, the population in many Sun Belt cities increase. Los Angeles and Houston are cities where population shifts (转移) to and from the city reflect the changing values of American society. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, city residents became wealthier. They moved out of their apartments in the city to buy their own homes. They bought houses in the suburbs.
Now things are changing. The children of the people who left the cities in the 1950s are now adults. Many, unlike their parents, want to live in the cities. They continue to move to Sun Belt cities and older ones of the Northeast and Midwest. Many young professionals are moving back into the city. They prefer the city to the suburbs because their jobs are there; or they just enjoy the excitement and possibilities that the city offers.
This population shift is bringing problems as well as benefits. Countless poor people must leave their apartments in the city because the owners want to sell the buildings or make apartments for sale instead of for rent. In the 1950s, many poor people did not have enough money to move to the suburbs; now many of these same people do not have enough money to stay in the cities.
Only a few years ago, people thought that the older American cities were dying. Some city residents now see a bright, new future. Others see only problems and conflicts. One thing is sure: many dying cities are alive again.What does the author think of cities all over the world?
| A．They are alive. | B．They are hopeless. |
| C．They are similar. | D．They are different. |
Why did American city residents want to live in the suburbs after World War Two?
| A．Because older American cities were dying. |
| B．Because they were richer and needed more space. |
| C．Because cities contained the worst parts of society. |
| D．Because they could hardly afford to live in the city. |
According to the 4th paragraph, a great many poor people in American cities .
| A．are faced with housing problems | B．are forced to move to the suburbs |
| C．want to sell their buildings | D．need more money for daily expenses |
We can conclude from the text that .
| A．American cities are changing for the worse |
| B．people have different views on American cities |
| C．many people are now moving from American cities |
| D．the population is decreasing in older American cities |
STAGE
| Keep it in the air: The Chaoyang Theater is one of the Beijing theaters to present acrobatics(杂技 ) all year round．Top acrobatic artists invited from all over the country perform for Chinese and foreign tourists．The program contains trick cycling, leaping through hoops and Chinese magic tricks．Some of the artists have won prizes in international competitions． Time: 7∶15 p．m．Daily Place: 36, Dongsanhuan Beilu, Chaoyang District Tel: 65072421, 65071818 |
| Use your head: Green Hat is a new drama given by a group of young Chinese actors．It’s a rewrite of American writer Nathaniel Hawthorne’s famous novel The Scarlet Letter． It describes the heroine’s great courage in finding the true love against the public disagreement． Time: 7∶15 p．m．until March 5, except Mondays Place: China Children’s Theater Tel: 66037255, 66037265 |
| Mix and match: Story of Puppets tells of a fairy, Zixia, who looks for true love in the human world．After watching a puppet play Peony Pavilion, she thinks there must be true love in reality, so she uses magic to turn the puppet characters into humans, wanting to fall in love with the puppet hero．But things don’t go as she planned．．．Li Liuyi, the director of the play has made several successful attempts to present different traditional operas in one play．This time he combines Peking Opera, Kunqu Opera, Pingju Opera along with a band, using the structure of modern drama． Time: 7∶ 30 p．m．until March 10, except Mondays Place: Small Playhouse of Beijing People’s Art Theater Tel: 65250123 |
| Peking Opera: The Beijing Peking Opera Troupe will give two performances at the Chang’an Grand Theater．Each performance includes two classical excerpts(选段)．One is Wenxi(a play focusing on singing and dancing); the other is Wuxi (a play full of acrobatic dancing)．The first night will be The Crossroad and Presenting a Pearl of the Rainbow Bridge．And the second night will see the performance of The Goddess of Heaven Scatters Flowers and Havoc in Heaven． Time: 7∶30 p．m．February 27, 28 Place:Chang’an Grand Theater Tel: 86531043 |
We can learn from the text that________．
| A．story of puppets is a play held in China Children’s Theater |
| B．the artists who have won prizes will perform magic tricks |
| C．on March 5 there will be two plays for us to choose |
| D．the artists in the Beijing Peking Opera Troupe are from all over the country |
If a tourist wants to see a performance on March 15, he can call_______to book a ticket．
| A．86531043 | B．65250123 | C．66037255 | D．65071818 |
According to the text, which of the following statements is true?
| A．The director of the Story of Puppets combines different operas in it． |
| B．Green Hat is based on a famous novel acted by some American artis |
| C．Top Acrobatic artists will present their performances around our country． |
| D．The Beijing Peking Opera Troupe will give two performances with the same excerpts． |
Britain’s oldest man made his first visit to London yesterday at the age of 110. Mr. John Evans had never found the time or the money-to make the trip from his home near Swansea. But, when British Rail offered him an all-expenses-paid birthday trip to the capital, he just could not refuse.
Until yesterday he had never been far from home, except for one trip to Aberdeen. Mr. Evans, who spent 60 years working as a miner in South Wales, almost made the journey to London once before, at the turn of the century. "There was a trip to the White City but it was ten shillings (1 shilling =" 1/20" pound) return from Swansea—too much I thought. All my money went to the family then." he said.
During the next two days Mr. Evans will be taken on a whistle-stop tour of London to see the sights. Top of his list is a visit to the Houses of Parliament(国会).
The only arrangement he does not care for is the wheelchair provided to move him about if he gets tired. "I don’t like the chair business--people will think I am getting old," he said.
His secret for a long and healthy life has been well publicized--no alcohol, no cigarette and no anger. Before setting off from Swansea with his 76-year-old son, Amwel, he quipped," I’m glad to see they’ve given me a return ticket. "It was reported that Mr. Evans’s healthy long life was to a certain extent due to his ______.
| A．wine drinking | B．proper smoking | C．mild temper | D．sense of humor |
Which of the following statements is true?
| A．A single trip from Mr. Evans’s home to the White City used to be ten shillings. |
| B．The first place for Mr. Evans to visit is the Houses of Parliament. |
| C．He appreciated people’s arrangement of a wheelchair during his visit. |
| D．Mr. Evans once made the journey to London at the turn of the century. |
The word "quip" in the last sentence most probably means _______.
| A．to make a witty remark | B．to express a happy message |
| C．to make a wish | D．to tell a joke |
What might be the best title for this passage?
| A．110-Year-Old Tourist | B．Secret for Long and Healthy Life |
| C．Free Return Ticket | D．Sightseeing in London |