About a year ago, a couple with three children moved into the apartment next door to me. I never heard any noise from the children, but the parents were always yelling at them.
We often met. I always spoke, but the only answer I ever got was a hello from a four-year-old girl. One day when I returned, they were just coming back to their apartment and the little girl was holding the door in the hall open for the others. I remained in the car doing unnecessary things. The parents were telling her to hurry. I looked up and saw the little girl was still holding the door open, waiting for me. I hurried as much as I could and thanked her. She was smiling from ear to ear.
That afternoon I was at the K-Mart and saw a white teddy bear. I thought of the little girl and said to myself, “I bet she would like it.” So I bought it for her.
The next day there was a knock on the door and it was the little girl and her father. She was so proud of her bear and thanked me. Then I noticed her mother and the other children were there in the hall, too.
Now when we meet in the hall, we all speak in a friendly manner. Last night we had about four inches of snow. The temperature was below zero. When I opened the outside door, there was my car with all the snow removed. The man next door was the only person I knew in the whole building, so when I saw him the next day, I asked him if he was the nice person that removed the snow. He said NO. He wanted to, but his wife said she wanted to do it.
Isn’t it amazing that the small kind act of a four-year-old girl can change so many things for the better?Why did the author do unnecessary things in his car?
| A．His neighbor yelled at him. |
| B．He did not know how to kill time. |
| C．The weather was cold outside. |
| D．He did not wanted to be embarrassed. |
The underline word “yelling” in the passage probably means _____________.
| A．knocking | B．shouting |
| C．beating | D．laughing |
What the four-year-old girl did made the author feel _____________.
| A．warm | B．sad |
| C．upset | D．angry |
The passage mainly tells us__________.?
| A．Children should be polite to their neighbors. |
| B．People should be kind and communicate with each other. |
| C．Your neighbors are not as bad as you think. |
| D．Things can be changed by removing snow. |
A professor I have worked pretty closely with has been diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer. It has been devastating(悲惨的) for his family and heartbreaking for his students.
What made him extraordinary was not only that he was a rising star. He had only recently collected the highest honors for young researchers at the White House. We truly admire him—as someone put it, ‘He always has a smile and a kind word for everyone.” It is very hard to find someone who is extremely intelligent should be so nice a human being.
I decided that we needed him to know our attitude and also how we are all praying for his recovery. I bought him a simple card which read, ‘Healing thoughts and wishes coming your way.” I met all the students he worked closely with and got them to sign on it. Each student in his laboratory signed and also added a message. ‘We love you so much”, ‘We miss you! We need you back here—recover soon”… These were some of the messages that were written. Most of the students were really glad we were doing this and said it was a very good idea to give it to him.
He is still undergoing intense treatment, and along with his family is trying his best to stay optimistic and hopeful. I didn’t see a trace of self-pity or sadness when I met him last week. Instead, he paid attention to every word of my presentation and asked me several questions related to my work. I was amazed at how much he gave his 100% on that day in spite of being in pain because of chemotherapy( 化疗)，he did not know if he even had another month to live. “I am trying to focus on staying positive, hoping to be back this summer,” he said.
Needless to say, I saw an expression of joy and hope on his face as he opened the card. He said he was truly touched to see the messages from the students he worked closely with.
There is one thing I learnt from last week: It is so important to tell people how much they mean to us and what an inspiration they are before it becomes too late. My professor, in spite of being too sick to teach classes, has managed to continue being a great teacher, introducing his last valuable message to us.The professor was admired because _______.
| A．he was very intelligent | B．he had won many honors |
| C．he had noble personalities | D．he was very determined |
What do the underlined words “our attitude” in paragraph 3 refer to?
| A．Our worry about his health. | B．Our pray for his health. |
| C．Our admiration for him. | D．Our pity for him. |
When the writer visited the professor at hospital, what surprised him was that the professor ________.
| A．was suffering form great pain | B．was still very confident |
| C．didn’t know he would die soon | D．still cared for others |
Of the following statements, the writer may agree that _________.
| A．the professor loves his job very much |
| B．few students supported the writer’s decision at first |
| C．the professor will go back to teach this summer |
| D．the professor often feels sorry for himself |
According to the last paragraph, what did the author learn?
| A．One should remain optimistic all the time. |
| B．It is important to let people know about their importance. |
| C．Teachers should have a positive influence on their students. |
| D．It is never too late to make a right decision. |
The city of Rome has passed a new law to prevent cruelty to animals. All goldfish bowls are no longer allowed and dog owners must walk their dogs.
This comes after a national law was passed to give prison sentences to people who desert cats or dogs.
“The civilization of a city can be measured by this,” said Monica Carina, the councilor behind the new law.
The newspaper reported that round bowls don’t give enough oxygen for fish and may make them go blind.
“Rome has tried to protect fish more than anywhere else in the world. It stands out for recognizing that fish are interesting animals that deserve over respect and pity every bit as much as dogs and cats and other animals,” said Karin Robertson, a director of the People for the Ethical treatment of Animals.
Lat year a law was passed in Italy that gives people who desert pets big fines and prison sentences. Since then local governments have added their own animal protection rules.
The northern city of Turin passed a law in April to give pet owners fines of up to $598 if they do not walk their dogs three times a day.
The new law in Rome also says that owners mustn’t leave their dogs in hot cars or cut their dogs’ tail to make them look lovelier. The law also gives legal recognition to the “cat ladies” who feed homeless cats. The cats live all over the city from ancient ruins to modern office car parks.The new law passed in Rome will _________.
| A．help improve fishing environment |
| B．guarantee better conditions for goldfish |
| C．stop people from catching goldfish |
| D．discourage keeping goldfish at home |
People in Rome believe that the civilization of a city can be judged by _________.
| A．exchanges with other cities |
| B．Protection of ancient ruins |
| C．awareness of animal protection |
| D．recognition of animal lovers |
People may break the law in Turin if they _____________.
| A．keep their dogs or cats in cars | B．feed homeless animals in car parks |
| C．raise their cats near ancient ruins | D．shut their dogs home all day long |
If a person forgets names , places or facts —and has trouble with everyday things like reading or shopping —it may not mean you are getting old . It could be Alzheimer’s disease . So it’s important to see a doctor as soon as you can .
There is no cure for Alzheimer’s . But a drug called ARICEPT has been used by millions of people to help their symptoms (症状).
In studies , ARICEPT has been proved to work for Alzheimer’s . It has helped people improve their memory over time . It has also helped them to keep doing everyday things on their own .
Ask your doctor if ARICEPT is right for you or your loved one . It is the Number One drug for Alzheimer’s in the world . The sooner you know it’s Alzheimer’s , the better ARICEPT can help .
ARICEPT is good for many but may not be good for everyone . Some people may experience not sleeping well , feeling very tired , or not wanting to eat . In studies , these side effects weren’t serious at all and went away over time . Some people taking ARICEPT may feel light-headed . In this case you should tell your doctors because your condition may get worse . If one suffers from Alzheimer’s , .
| A．he can’t do everyday things on his own |
| B．he has trouble with his memory |
| C．he often forgets things because he is old |
| D．he can’t move about |
What is ARICEPT ?
| A．A medicine to cure Alzheimer’s |
| B．A medicine to delay signs of aging . |
| C．A medicine to cure brain damage . |
| D．A medicine to reduce the symptoms of Alzheimer’s . |
One who is taking ARICEPT should go to see a doctor if he .
| A．feels like a drunken man | B．feels tired out |
| C．has no desire to eat | D．can’t fall asleep |
“Mum, what does it mean when someone tells you that they have a skeleton（骨骼）in the closet（衣橱）?” Jessica asked. “A skeleton in the closet?” her mother paused thoughtfully. “Well, it’s something that you would rather not have anyone else know about. For example, if in the past, someone in Dad’s family had been arrested for stealing a horse, it would be ‘a skeleton in his family’s closet’. He really wouldn’t want any neighbor to know about it.”
“Why pick on my family?” Jessica’s father said with anger. “Your family history isn’t so good, you know. Wasn’t your great-great-grandfather a prisoner who was transported to Australia for his crimes?” “Yes, but people these days say that you are not a real Australian unless your ancestors arrived as prisoners.” “Gosh, sorry I asked. I think I understand now,” Jessica cut in before things grew worse.
After dinner, the house was very quiet. Jessica’s parents were still quite angry with each other. Her mother was ironing clothes and every now and then she glared at her husband, who hid behind his newspaper pretending to read. When she finished, she gathered the freshly pressed clothes in her arms and walked to Jessica’s closet. Just as she opened the door and reached in to hang a skirt, a bony arm stuck out from the dark depths and a bundle of white bones fell to the floor. Jessica’s mother sank in a faint（晕倒）, waking only when Jessica put a cold, wet cloth on her forehead. She looked up to see the worried faces of her husband and daughter.
“What happened? Where am I?” she asked. “You just destroyed the school’s skeleton, Mum,” explained Jessica. “I brought it home to help me with my health project. I meant to tell you, but it seemed that as soon as I mentioned skeletons and closets, it caused a problem between you and Dad.” Jessica looked in amazement as her parents began to laugh madly. “They’re both crazy,” she thought.According to Jessica’s mother, “a skeleton in the closet” means ______.
| A．a family honor | B．a family secret |
| C．a family story | D．a family treasure |
What can we learn about some Australians’ ancestors form Paragraph 2?
| A．They were brought to Australia as prisoners. |
| B．They were the earliest people living in Australia. |
| C．They were involved in some crimes in Australia. |
| D．They were not regarded as criminals in their days. |
Why did Jessica bring a skeleton home?
| A．She was curious about it. | B．She planned to keep it for fun. |
| C．She needed it for her school task. | D．She intended to scare her parents. |
Jessica’s parents laughed madly at the end of the story probably because ______.
| A．they were crazy |
| B．they were over excited |
| C．they realized their misunderstanding |
| D．they both thought they had won the quarrel |
In bringing up children, every parent watches eagerly the child’s acquisition（学会）of each new skill — the first spoken words, the first independent steps, or the beginning of reading and writing. It is common that parents hurry the child beyond his natural learning rate, but this can set up dangerous feelings of failure and states of worry in the child. This might happen at any stage. A baby might be forced to use a toilet too early, and a young child might be encouraged to learn to read before he knows the meaning of the words he reads. On the other hand, though, if a child is left alone too much, or without any learning opportunities, he loses his natural enthusiasm（热情） for life and his desire to find out new things for himself.
Parents vary greatly in their degree of strictness towards their children. Some may be especially strict in money matters; others are severe over time of coming home at night or punctuality（准时）for meals. In general, the controls imposed（强加的）represent the needs of the parents and the values of the community（社区）as much as the child’s own happiness.
As regards the development of moral standards in the growing child, consistency is very important in parental teaching. To forbid a thing one day and excuse it the next is no foundation for morality. Also, parents should realize that “example is better than precept”. If they are not sincere and do not practice what they preach（说教）, their children may grow confused, and emotionally insecure when they grow old enough to think for themselves, and realize they have been to some extent fooled.
A sudden awareness of a marked difference between their parents’ principles and their morals can be a dangerous disappointment.Eagerly watching the child’s acquisition of new skills _____.
| A．should be avoided |
| B．is universal among parents |
| C．sets up dangerous states of worry in the child |
| D．will make him lose interest in learning new things |
When children are learning new skills, parents should _____.
| A．achieve a balance between pushing them too hard and leaving them on their own |
| B．not expect too much of them |
| C．encourage them to read before they know the meaning of the words they read |
| D．create as many learning opportunities as possible |
The second paragraph mainly tells us that _____.
| A．parental restrictions vary, and are not always enforced for the benefit of the children alone |
| B．parental controls satisfy only the needs of the parents and the values of the community |
| C．parents should be strict with their children |
| D．parents vary in their strictness towards their children according to the situation |
The underlined word “precept” （in Paragraph 3） probably means “_____”.
| A．idea | B．punishment | C．instruction | D．behaviour |
In moral matters, parents should _____.
| A．satisfy their children’s needs |
| B．be aware of the marked difference between adults and children |
| C．forbid things which have no foundation in morality |
| D．observe（遵守，奉行） the rules themselves |