The pounding（重击声） was driving Edward crazy. A new neighbor had just moved into the apartment below him. The newcomer was deaf, or seemed to be, because he played his stereo（立体声音响）loud enough for the whole building to hear.
On the first day he heard the stereo rocking over, Edward marched downstairs and politely told the newcomer that his stereo was too loud. He asked the new tenant to turn the volume down and keep it down as long as he lived in the building. The tenant appeared surprised and embarrassed, and said, “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize it was that loud.”
So, Edward returned upstairs, feeling good, because he had taken a stand and politely let the newcomer know that loud music was not going to be tolerated. The next day all was quiet, and Edward continued to be pleased with himself. The following day, Edward thought it must be Fourth of July, because a marching band was playing on his street. In fact, it was the new neighbor who was playing his music loud again.
Edward was not one to repeat himself, feeling that each time you repeated yourself, you diminished the value of your words. So, he did what he always did with rude neighbors－grin（露齿而笑）and bear it. Eventually, they would move away. What else are you going to do?
In Los Angeles a year ago, a woman had complained to her upstairs neighbor that he was playing his drums too loud and too often. The drummer repeatedly ignored her. One day the woman walked upstairs and shot the drummer in the head and his girlfriend in the chest. The woman was sentenced to prison for 20 years.
The dead drummer won’t bother anyone with his drums, but the woman might be wishing now that she had learned to grin and bear it. If she were still living in her apartment, she could always move. When you’re in prison, you don’t have that option.
The man living below where Edward lived was .
| A．a deaf man | B．the owner of the house |
| C．a tenant | D．an old neighbor |
What did Edward always do with rude neighbors?
| A．Grinning and bearing it. |
| B．Persuading them to stop repeatedly. |
| C．Shouting them to dead. |
| D．Moving away from the rude neighbors. |
The author writes the last paragraph to prove that .
| A．being in prison means the loss of freedom |
| B．grinning and bearing it is the best policy |
| C．Edward should follow the example of the woman |
| D．the woman was right to kill her neighbor |
The woman killed her neighbor because .
| A．he ignored her advice repeatedly |
| B．she could not stand his playing the music too loud |
| C．she could not put up with him any longer |
| D．he played the drums too often |
It was one of those terribly hot days in Baltimore. Needless to say, it was too hot to do anything outside. But it was also scorching in our apartment. This was 1962, and I would not live in a place with an air conditioner for another ten years. So my brother and I decided to leave the apartment to find someplace indoors. He suggested we could see a movie. It was a brilliant plan.
Movie theaters were one of the few places you could sit all day and—most important —sit in air conditioning. In those days, you could buy one ticket and sit through two movies. Then, the theater would show the same two movies again. If you wanted to, you could sit through them twice. Most people did not do that, but the manager at our theater. Mr. Bellow did not mind if you did.
That particular day, my brother and I sat through both movies twice, trying to escape the heat. We bought three bags of popcorn and three sodas each. Then, we sat and watched The Music Man followed by The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. We’d already seen the second movie once before. It had been at the theater since January, because Mr. Bellow loved anything with John Wayne in it.
We left the theater around 8, just before the evening shows began. But we returned the next day and saw the same two movies again, twice more. And we did it the next day too. Finally, on the fourth day, the heat wave broke.
Still, to this day I can sing half the songs in The Music Man and recite half of John Wayne and Jimmy Stewart’s dialogue from The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance! Those memories are some of the few I have of the heat wave of 1962. They’re really memories of the screen, not memories of my life.In which year did the author first live in a place with an air conditioner?
| A．1952 | B．1962 | C．1972 | D．1982 |
What does the underlined word“It” in Paragraph 3 refer to?
| A．The heat | B．The theater. |
| C．The Music Man | D．The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance |
What do we know about Mr. Bellow?
| A．He loved children very much. |
| B．He was a fan of John Wayne. |
| C．He sold air conditioners. |
| D．He was a movie star. |
Why did the author and his/her brother see the same movies several times?
| A．The two movies were really wonderful. |
| B．They wanted to avoid the heat outside. |
| C．The manager of the theater was friendly. |
| D．They liked the popcorn and the soda at the theater. |
What can we learn from the last paragraph?
| A．The author turned out to be a great singer. |
| B．The author enjoyed the heat wave of 1962. |
| C．The author’s life has been changed by the two movies. |
| D．The author considers the experience at the theater unforgettable. |
One morning, Ann’s neighbor Tracy found a lost dog wandering around the local elementary school. She asked Ann if she could keep an eye on the dog. Ann said that she could watch it only for the day.
Tracy took photos of the dog and printed off 400 FOUND fliers(传单), and put them in mailboxes. Meanwhile, Ann went to the dollar store and bought some pet supplies, warning her two sons not to fall in love with the dog. At the time, Ann’s son Thomas was 10 years old, and Jack, who was recovering from a heart operation, was 21 years old.
Four days later Ann was still looking after the dog, whom they had started to call Riley. When she arrived home from work, the dog threw itself against the screen door and barked madly at her. As soon as she opened the door, Riley dashed into the boys’ room where Ann found Jack suffering from a heart attack. Riley ran over to Jack, but as soon as Ann bent over to help him the dog went silent.
“If it hadn’t come to get me, the doctor said Jack would have died,” Ann reported to a local newspaper. At this point, no one had called to claim the dog, so Ann decided to keep it.
The next morning Tracy got a call. A man named Peter recognized his lost dog and called the number on the flier. Tracy started crying, and told him, “That dog saved my friend’s son.”
Peter drove to Ann’s house to pick up his dog, and saw Thomas and Jack crying in the window. After a few moments Peter said, “Maybe Odie was supposed to find you, maybe you should keep it.”What did Tracy do after finding the dog?
| A．She looked for its owner |
| B．She gave it to Ann as a gift. |
| C．She sold it to the dollar store. |
| D．She bought some food for it. |
How did the dog help save Jack?
| A．By breaking the door for Ann. |
| B．By leading Ann to Jack’s room. |
| C．By dragging Jack out of the room. |
| D．By attending Jack when Ann was out. |
What was Ann’s attitude to the dog according to Paragraph 4?
| A．Sympathetic | B．Doubtful |
| C．Tolerant | D．Grateful |
For what purpose did Peter call Tracy?
| A．To help her friend’s son. |
| B．To interview Tracy |
| C．To take back his dog. |
| D．To return the flier to her. |
What can we infer about the dog from the last paragraph?
| A．It would be given to Odie. |
| B．It would be kept by Ann’ family. |
| C．It would be returned to Peter. |
| D．It would be taken away by Tracy. |
Do you sleep well? Some people get off to sleep as soon as the head hits the pillow, but many others are not so lucky．In fact，the lack of quality sleep has become a public health issue around the world．According to the World Association of Sleep Medicine，45 percent of the world’s population suffer from sleep problems．One in eight people don’t sleep well and are easily woken．7．6 percent sleep less than 3 hours each night．Some even can not fall asleep for several days in a row．
As a basic bodily and mental need，sleep is essential for our survival．It helps us to fight diseases，strengthen our memory, perform better in work and school and improve our quality of life．Lack of sleep is known to have a significant negative influence on health，both in the short and long term．Poor sleep has been associated with obesity, weakened immune systems and even some cancers，as well as depression and anxiety．
The World Sleep Day, held on the third Friday of March，is an annual celebration of sleep to lighten the burden of sleep problems through better prevention and management of sleep disorders．
Unhealthy lifestyle may be the first to blame for sleeplessness．More and more people use cellphones and computers in bed，with many staying up until midnight．Modern technology does make our life convenient，but abuse of it ruins our health．Environmental conditions，such as temperature，noise，light，bed comfort also play an important role in one’s ability to get proper sleep．Besides，improper evening diet，like a full or an empty stomach，coffee and alcohol all contribute to sleep problems．Of course，when it comes to causing poor sleep stress from finances，family or work should never be ignored．
However, those who suffer from sleep disorders don’t necessarily have to continue to do so—most sleep problems can be solved．What can be inferred from Paragraph 1 ？
| A．Nobody can stay awake for several days． |
| B．All people are going through sleep problems． |
| C．Sleep problems have become a worldwide concern． |
| D．The majority of the world’s population can’t sleep well． |
What does Paragraph 4 mainly tell us?
| A．The influences of lack of sleep． |
| B．The possible causes of poor sleep． |
| C．Poor sleep is associated with illness． |
| D．Good sleep helps us to perform better． |
What will be discussed in the paragraph that follows?
| A．The harm of sleep problems． |
| B．Activities on the World Sleep Day． |
| C．Interviews of poor sleep sufferers． |
| D．Measures against sleep problems． |
American cities are similar to other cities around the world．In every country, cities reflect the values of the culture．American cities are changing，just as American society is changing．
After World War II，the population of most large American cities decreased；however, the population in many Sun Belt cities increased．In the late 1940s and early 1950s，city residents became wealthier．They had more children so they needed more space．They moved out of their apartments in the city to buy their own homes．They bought houses in the suburbs（郊区）．
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（迁移）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 in America are alive again．What does the author think of cities all over the world?
| A．They are dying． | 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 II?
| 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 back 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．older people prefer the city to the suburbs in America |
| D．the population is decreasing in older American cities |
Parents often believe that they have a good relationship with their teenagers．But last summer，Joanna and Henry noticed a change in their older son：suddenly he seemed to be talking more to his friends than to his parents．“The door to his room is always shut，”Joanna noted．
Tina and Mark noticed similar changes in their 14-year-old daughter．“She used to cuddle up（蜷伏）with me on the sofa and talk，”said Mark．“Now we joke that she does this only when she wants something．Sometimes she wants to be treated like a little girl and sometimes like a young lady．The problem is figuring out which time is which．”
Before age 11，children like to tell their parents what’s on their minds．“In fact，parents are first on the list，”said Michael Riera，author of Uncommon Sense for Parents with Teenagers．“This completely changes during the teen years，”Riera explained．“They talk to their friends first，then maybe their teachers，and their parents last．”
Parents who know what’s going on in their teenagers’ lives are in the best position to help them．To break down the wall of silence，parents should create chances to understand what their children want to say，and try to find ways to talk and write to them．And they must give their children a mental break，for children also need freedom，though young．Another thing parents should remember is that to be a friend，not a manager，with their children is a better way to know them．“The door to his room is always shut”suggests that the son________．
| A．is always busy with his studies |
| B．is angry with his parents |
| C．keeps himself away from his parents |
| D．begins to dislike his parents |
What troubles Tina and Mark most is that_______．
| A．their daughter isn’t as lovely as before |
| B．they can’t read their daughter’s mind exactly |
| C．they don’t know what to say to their daughter |
| D．their daughter has grown up so quickly |
Which of the following best explains“the wall of silence”in the last paragraph?
| A．Teenagers do not talk much with their parents． |
| B．Teenagers do not want to understand their parents． |
| C．Teenagers talk a lot with their friends． |
| D．Teenagers talk much about their own lives． |
What can be learned from the passage?
| A．Parents are unhappy with their growing children． |
| B．Parents have suitable ways to talk with their teenagers． |
| C．Parents should force their children to talk with them． |
| D．Parents should try to understand their teenagers． |