For years, I thought that my mother would become a centenarian（百岁老人）, but after 98 years and eight months, she recently died of old age. As it was with my father, her funeral took place in the most peaceful setting of the countryside of rural Washington County. Even after my father died, we continued to think of our parents as one. They were a team in the traditional sense. Church and family were their lifeline. They worked hard, never complaining. They expected to earn their daily bread by the sweat of their forehead.
Once during a conversation with Tom Brokaw, who wrote the bestselling book The Greatest Generation, I told him, “You left out my parents.” They didn’t go off to war, but they belonged to the Greatest Generation. They, too, were part of the foundation that made American truly great. They kept the home fires burning.
Our mother gloried in being a housewife and mother. Having been a teacher in her early adult years, when education was more than important than anything else, she gave up her job to raise a family. She was an excellent cook, but she had to cook on a wood stove（火炉）. There was no refrigerator, nothing electric. But nobody was ever better at making do（凑合着用）. In addition to all the housework, she went to the fields every day to help produce a crop to pay the rent to provide for the family. She and my dad worked hard to save every penny possible.
They saved every penny to buy a farm late in life. They also saved enough money to live out their respective lives with home care without taking up residency in a nursing home. They were very independent. If you had suggested they accept a government transfer payment, they would have spit in your eye.
Which of the following is the best title for the passage?
| A．Mother played a great part in the family. |
| B．Mother died at the age of 98 years old. |
| C．Mother was buried by the side of father. |
| D．Mother survived father by many years. |
The underlined word “one” in the passage means ________.
| A．parent | B．Centenarian | C．hero | D．entirety |
What do we know about Tom Brokaw?
| A．He is one of the author’s parents’ friends. |
| B．He likes talking with the author’s parents. |
| C．He takes up a position as a writer. |
| D．He is good at managing a home. |
How does the author find his parents?
| A．Brave and hardworking |
| B．Modest and warmhearted |
| C．Economical and independent |
| D．Respective and satisfied |
Heading off to college this year? Here are some fashion tips from our experts you should keep in mind:
Dress to impress: Stylist and business consultant Daniela Smith says, “Girls should keep in mind that your college professors will often be the bridge that connects you to your future career and your classmates will become your professional network. You don’t need to dress like you’re going to the office, but you should display an ability to properly present yourself with appropriate maturity and confidence, and look put-together.”
Logo mania(品牌狂热症): Wearing the logos of brands aimed at younger customers physically identifies you as part of that age group, so consider the targeted age group of the stores you shop at. It’s tempting to load up on logos, especially well-known logos that signify high-end brands. But consider this: college is a time of self-discovery, a chance to develop your own personal style. Instead of wearing logos head to toe, “walking advertisement”-style, why not express who you really are?
Wear real pants: The combination of leggings and baggy shirts is all too common on college campuses. Smith points out that leggings, yoga pants, and sweatpants are entirely unacceptable in public unless you’re exercising. Although leggings worn as pants are a common trend among high school and college girls, they are not an appropriate choice for daywear. As a young woman, your style choice should begin to reflect your maturity level. So, get rid of leggings and wear real pants!
Keep the cute factor to a minimum: Stay away from sweaters and T-shirts with smiling animals, cartoon characters, or Hello Kitty on them. Sure, kittens might be cute, but they’re not doing you any favors in the style department. Dressing too cutesy can take years off your look, and not necessarily in a good way!The author believes that college girls should .
| A．try to load up on well-known logos |
| B．find their identity by trying different logos |
| C．choose a logo that suits their age |
| D．use logos to show who they are |
The second paragraph indicates the importance of .
| A．getting on well with classmates |
| B．dressing appropriately |
| C．impressing professors |
| D．creating a professional image |
In which magazine would you most likely find this passage?
| A．Parents. | B．Travel & Leisure | C．Business Week. | D．Style. |
The author recommends wearing real pants because .
| A．real pants can present you with appropriate maturity |
| B．people like real pants better than the other pants |
| C．yoga pants and sweatpants are not so comfortable |
| D．leggings and baggy shirts are too common |
Visitors to Britain may find the best place to sample local culture is in a traditional pub. But these friendly pubs can be dangerous places of potential gaffes(失礼) for the newcomers.
A team of researchers have discovered some of the unknown customs of British pubs－starting with the difficulty of getting a drink. Most pubs have no waiters－you have to go to the bar to buy drinks. A group of Italian youths were waiting 45 minutes before they realized they would have to fetch their own. This may sound inconvenient, but there is a hidden purpose.
Pub culture is designed to promote sociability(社交)in a society known for its reserve. Standing at the bar for service allows you to chat with others waiting to be served. The bar counter is possibly the only site in the British Isles in which friendly conversation with strangers is considered entirely suitable and really quite normal behavior. “If you haven’t been to a pub, you haven’t been to Britain.” This tip can be found in a booklet, Passport to the Pub: The Tourists’ Guide to Pub Etiquette, a customers’ rule of conduct for those wanting to sample “a central part of British life and culture”.
The trouble is that if you do not follow the local rules, the experience may fall flat. For example, if you are in a big group, it is best if only one or two people go to buy the drinks. Nothing annoys the regular customers and bar staff more than a group of strangers blocking all access to the bar while they chat and hesitate about what to order.The culture of pub in Britain is developed to .
| A．encourage more people to consume drinks |
| B．encourage people to communicate with each other |
| C．form its own character of culture |
| D．attract more tourists to the pubs |
If you don’t follow the local rules in a pub, .
| A．you may fail to feel the local culture |
| B．you might get into a dangerous place |
| C．you won’t buy good local drinks |
| D．you may annoy the regular customers and bar staff |
What may be the best title for the passage?
| A．Manners in British Local Pubs |
| B．Self-service Pubs in Britain |
| C．British Local Pubs: Special Chat Places |
| D．Local Pub Culture in Britain |
The underlined word “sample” in the first paragraph probably means “”.
| A．record | B．test | C．experience | D．taste |
We are all interested in equality, but while some people try to protect the school and examination system in the name of equality, others, still in the name of equality, want only to destroy it．
Any society which is interested in equality of opportunity and standards of achievement must regularly test its pupils．The standards may be changed because no examination is perfect, but to have no tests or examinations would mean the end of equality and of standards．There are groups of people who oppose this view and who do not believe either in examinations or in any controls in schools or on teachers．This would mean that everything would depend on luck since every pupil would depend on efficiency, the values and the purpose of each teacher．Without examinations, employers will look for employees from the highly respected school? And from families known to them, a form of favouritism will replace equality．At the moment, the bright child from an ill-respected school can show certificates(毕业证） to prove he is suitable for a job, while the lack of certificate indicates the unsuitability（不合适）of a dull child attending a well-respected school．This defense of excellence and opportunity would disappear if examinations were taken away, and the bright child from a poor family would be a prisoner of his school's reputation, unable to compete for employment with the child form the favoured school．
The opponents（反对者）of the examination system suggest that examinations are an evil force because they show differences between pupils．According to these people, there must be no special, different, academic class．They have even suggested that there should be no form of difference in sport or any other area: all jobs or posts should be filled by unsystematic selection．The selection would be made by people who themselves are probably selected by some computer．The underlined word "favouritism" in paragraph 3 is used to describe the phenomenon that ___．
| A．bright children also need certificates to get satisfying jobs． |
| B．children from well-respected schools tend to have good jobs |
| C．poor children with certificates are favoured in job markets |
| D．children attending ordinary schools achieve great success |
What would happen if examinations were taken away according to the author?
| A．Schools for bright children would lose their reputation． |
| B．There would be more opportunities and excellence． |
| C．Children from poor families would be able to change their schools． |
| D．Children's job opportunity would be affected by their school reputation． |
The opponents of the examination system will agree that____．
| A．jobs should not be assigned by systematic selection |
| B．computers should be selected to take over many jobs |
| C．special classes are necessary to keep the school standards |
| D．schools with academic subjects should be done away with |
The passage mainly focuses on ____．
| A．schools and certificates | B．examinations and equality |
| C．opportunity and employment | D．standards and reputation |
Natural disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, and floods can often come at the least expected time．Others, such as hurricanes are increasing in severity and destruction．Typically, those poor countries are the worst hit for they have the least resources to deal with the destruction and rebuild their home．This part of the globalissues．org website looks at some of these issues．
Japan Earthquake, Tsunami and Nuclear Crisis
The earthquake off the coast of Japan on March 11, 2011 was one of the biggest recorded, measuring 9 on the Richter scale（里氏震级）．
It was the resulting tsunami, however, that caused the most destruction．It devastated the northeast of Japan, leaving many thousands dead or missing, and -hundreds of thousands homeless or leaving the area．In addition, various power generators（发电机组） failed．Some older nuclear power stations risked meltdown and suffered explosions and radioactive leaks．Workers battled for weeks to try and bring the situation under control．Radioactive material was detected in various places．
It is thought that the cost of the earthquake and tsunami could be over $ 300 billion-the world's most expensive natural disaster on record．
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina was a destroyed category 4（四级） hurricane, the highest category, that hit the Gulf of Mexico and various Southern regions of the United States at the end of August, 2005, causing the worst damage in that country's history, estimated at $ 100 billion．The famous New Orleans city and surrounding areas were worst hit as much of it sits some 6 feet below sea level．City defenses, such as banks, only designed for categary 3 type hurricanes, gave way, leading to enormous flooding and associated damage, death and displacement of around 100, 000 people who either chose to say the course, or could not afford to flee．Where would this passage most probably appear?
| A．In a textbook． | B．In a magazine． | C．In a paper． | D．In a website． |
Why are those poor countries the worst hit by natural disasters?
| A．Because they are lazy and poor． |
| B．Because they desire help from rich countries． |
| C．Because they lack resources to deal with the destruction and rebuild their home． |
| D．Because they never think of protecting their home． |
What is the meaning do the underlined word "devastated" in the paragraph 3?
| A．Built． | B．Completed． | C．Discovered． | D．Destroyed． |
In the disaster happening in 2011 in Japan, what caused the most destruction?
| A．Radioactive material． | B．Tsunami． |
| C．Earthquake． | D．Power generators' explosion． |
What can we infer from the last paragraph?
A．Hurricane Katrina also hit the northern part of the USA．
B．Hurricane Katrina caused the second the worst damage in the history of the USA．
C．All parts of New Orleans city were below sea level．
D．City defenses in New Orleans couldn't deal with Hurricane Katrina．
The month of May is not only a graduation month in the US, but also a month when some families hold reunions．Have you ever considered why it is important that families get together in one place for a particular time? I believe the reason is honor．
Family reunions are a time we can take out of our busy schedules and spend quality time with our extended families（大家庭）．It is a time when we can make our sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and others we love a priority （首要事情）in our life．
Some reunions take place over a picnic lunch and some last a whole weekend．They can be costly and are sometimes crazy．But the truth is, when people you love grow up and move away, getting together for a family reunion and holding that family bond together is so important．
Family reunions build a renewed closeness as we mix with our relatives．We sit and talk about old times and listen to the stories that our older and wiser relatives love to share．As the children run and play and get to know each other, we sit and revisit our childhood memories and enjoy the short time we have together．
The best part of a family reunion is the time spent simply being around the people you care about A reunion shows how important it is to take time for each other．When you receive a family reunion invitation, make it a priority in your life．It's a great chance to see your relatives once again, give them a big hug and enjoy the time you have with them．Life is too short not to!What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．How to attend a family reunion? | B．What is a family reunion? |
| C．Tips for a family reunion． | D．Make time to attend a family reunion． |
"Family reunions" in the passage means that you____．
| A．talk with your wife or husband | B．get together with your relatives |
| C．communicate with your children | D．have a dinner with your parents |
Family reunions can help you____．
| A．solve your problems | B．kill time when you are bored |
| C．improve the relation with your relatives | D．find more relatives who live far away |
What does the underlined sentence "Life is too short not to" in the last paragraph mean?
| A．Family reunions are very important． |
| B．Family reunions are common． |
| C．Our life is very short． |
| D．Attending family reunions is uneasy． |