Raised in a fatherless home，my father was extremely tightfisted towards us children. His attitude didn’t soften as I grew into adulthood and went to college. I had to ride the bus whenever I came home. Though the bus stopped about two miles from home，Dad never met me，even in severe weather. If I grumbled，he’d say in his loudest father-voice，“That’s what your legs are for!”
The walk didn’t bother me as much as the fear of walking alone along the highway and country roads. I also felt less than valued that my father didn’t seem concerned about my safety. But that feeling was canceled one spring evening.
It had been a particularly difficult week at college after long hours in labs. I longed for home. When the bus reached the stop，I stepped off and dragged my suitcase to begin the long journey home.
A row of hedge（树篱）edged the driveway that climbed the hill to our house. Once I had turned off the highway to start the last lap of my journey，I always had a sense of relief to see the hedge because it meant that I was almost home. On that particular evening，the hedge had just come into view when I saw something gray moving along the top of the hedge，moving toward the house. Upon closer observation，I realized it was the top of my father’s head. Then I knew，each time I’d come home，he had stood behind the hedge，watching，until he knew I had arrived safely. I swallowed hard against the tears. He did care，after all.
On later visits，that spot of gray became my watchtower. I could hardly wait until I was close enough to watch for its secret movement above the greenery. Upon reaching home，I would find my father sitting innocently in his chair. “So! My son，it’s you!” he’d say，his face lengthening into pretended surprise.
I replied，“Yes，Dad，it’s me. I’m home.”
What does the underlined word “grumbled” in Paragraph 1 probably mean .
| A．Accepted happily. |
| B．Explained clearly. |
| C．Agreed willingly. |
| D．Spoke unhappily. |
What made the author feel upset was ______.
| A．the tiredness after long hours in labs |
| B．the fear of seeing something moving |
| C．the feeling of being less than valued |
| D．the loneliness of riding the bus home |
The author’s father watched behind the hedge because ______.
| A．he was concerned about his son’s safety |
| B．he wanted to help his son build up courage |
| C．he didn’t want to meet his son at the doorway |
| D．he didn’t think his son was old enough to walk alone |
Which of the following can be the best title for the text
| A．My Father’s Secret. |
| B．The Life of My father. |
| C．Terrible Journey Home. |
| D．Riding Bus Alone. |
Have you ever run into a careless cell phone user on the street? Perhaps they were busy talking, testing or checking updates on WeChat without looking at what was going on around them. As the number of this new “species” of human has kept rising, they have been given a new name — phubbers (低头族).
Recently, a cartoon created by students from China Central Academy of Fine Arts put this group of people under the spotlight. In the short film, phubbers with various social identities bury themselves in their phones. A doctor plays with his cell phone while letting his patient die, a pretty woman takes selfie in front of a car accident siteand a father loses his child without knowing about it while using his mobile phone. A chain of similar events eventually leads to the destruction of the world.
Although the ending sounds overstated, the damage phubbing can bring is real. Your health is the first to bear the effect and result of it. “Constantly bending your head to check your cell phone could damage your neck,” Guangming Daily quoted doctors as saying. “The neck is like a rope that breaks after long-term stretching.” Also, staring at cell phones for long periods of time will damage your eyesight gradually, according to the report.
But that’s not all. Being a phubber could also damage your social skills and drive you away from your friends and family. At reunions with family or friends, many people tend to stick to their cell phones while others are chatting happily with each other and this creates a strange atmosphere, Qilu Evening News reported.
It can also cost you your life. There have been lots of reports on phubbers who fell to their death, suffered accidents, and were robbed of their cell phones in broad daylight.For what purpose does the author give the example of a cartoon in Para. 2?
| A．To inform people of the bad effects of phubbing. |
| B．To advertise the cartoon made by students. |
| C．To indicate the world will finally be destroyed by phubbers. |
| D．To warn doctors against using cell phones while treating patients. |
Which of the following is NOT a risk a phubber may have?
| A．His social skills could be affected. |
| B．His neck and eyesight will be gradually harmed. |
| C．He will cause the destruction of the world. |
| D．He might get separated from his friends and family. |
Which of the following may be the author’s attitude towards phubbing?
| A．Supportive. | B．Opposed. |
| C．Optimistic. | D．Objective. |
What may the passage talk about next?
| A．Advice on how to use a cell phone. |
| B．People addicted to phubbing. |
| C．Measures to reduce the risks of phubbing. |
| D．Consequences of phubbing. |
If you had a strange sound in your ear, what would you do? One man in Wales who thought he had a fly in his ear called 999, the emergency services number in Britain. And so did a woman who was worried about her green potatoes. Could she make chips with them? Were they poisonous? She didn’t hesitate about calling the local ambulance service to ask. According to a recent report, more than 31,000 non-urgent calls were made to the Welsh Ambulance Service in the last year.
Inappropriate calls are a headache for health professionals everywhere. In the US, prank calls to 911 happen on a daily basis. Many callers use apps which hide their identity. But those who try to be funny shouldn’t be surprised if the police have the last laugh. One man from Colorado was arrested for making more than 1,200 prank calls, according to a report on the US television station KOAA—TV.
People who take these calls are trained to stay calm and keep a straight face, no matter how strange the call sounds. “There’s no way for us to know whether the call is real, accidental or a prank call,” said a public safety worker interviewed by the American TV channel.
The Head of Clinical Services at the Welsh Ambulance Service, Richard Lee, has a warning for prank callers. He says:“ When people misuse the service it means our precious time is being taken away from someone who really does need our help.” Indeed, these hotlines are supposed to help the seriously ill or those with a life-threatening injury. You never know, one day, the person who needs assistance could be you or someone in your family.How does the author introduce the topic of the text?
| A．By giving examples. | B．By telling a story. |
| C．By listing figures. | D．By making a comparison. |
According to the text, prank calls are usually________.
| A．meant to be helpful | B．dealt with in time |
| C．thought highly of | D．made to play tricks |
What does the underlined phrase “have the last laugh” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?
| A．win at last. | B．never find them. |
| C．laugh at them. | D．know nothing. |
What does the author intend to suggest in the text?
| A．Prank calls are usually easy to identify. |
| B．Operators feel annoyed by strange callers. |
| C．Prank calls may cause serious results. |
| D．Prank callers should be punished by law. |
Britons may like to complain a lot, but they rarely do so right now, explains BBC writer Ruth Margolis. They would rather grumble (发牢骚) afterward. This is because Britons hate to put someone out and cause any embarrassment. Margolis writes, “For instance, I’m much more comfortable just leaving that piece of raw chicken on my plate instead of complaining to restaurant staff. But beware: if this kind of thing happens when you’re dining with an American, they will most likely speak up on your behalf and not understand why you find this ashamed.”
In a BBC blog post comparing cultural differences between the UK and the US, Margolis mentions a few other things that Americans like to do that are offensive to Britons.
● Not making introductions
Margolis says most Britons dislike this approach because “talking to strangers without being introduced gives them a stomachache”. Americans rarely introduce a new friend to their friends at parties. Strangers are supposed to introduce themselves.
● “Quite” good
Using “quite” to mean “very” happens a lot in the US. But if you are invited to a dinner party in Britain, don't describe the meal as “quite good” if you want to express high praise. To Britons’ ears, “quite” detracts from the “good”: the meal was OK but could have been better.
● Money Talk
Americans can talk about money subjects for hours without feeling uncomfortable. For Britons, says Margolis, “Talking about how much we make is unthinkable — even 1ess so than discussing our feelings.”
● Over-politeness
“It’s not that I want shop assistants to be actively rude. But neither do I want to expend energy responding to someone who's been paid to ask: ‘How are you today?’” says Margolis. In the US, it is not unusual to be greeted by a perfect stranger as “honey” or “sweetie”. But Margolis says Britons find put-on friendliness, especially in stores, deeply irritating.Margolis’ dining experience in Paragraph 1 shows that_______.
| A．Britons are particular about foods |
| B．Britons are not good at complaining |
| C．Americans usually complain directly |
| D．Americans complain more than Britons |
Which of the following might Margolis agree with?
| A．Britons enjoy talking about their feelings. |
| B．Americans introduce themselves at parties. |
| C．Americans dislike talking to strangers at parties. |
| D．Britons feel happy if treated like close friends. |
The underlined phrase “detracts from” in the text probably means ____.
| A．differs greatly from | B．increases the quality of |
| C．reduces the strength of | D．draws attention away from |
What does the text mainly talk about?
| A．How to get on well with westerners. |
| B．How to start conversations with Britons. |
| C．Ruth Margolis’ tips on public behavior. |
| D．Some American habits that annoy Britons. |
China is a land of bicycles．At least it was back in 1992 when I traveled the country．Back then everyone seemed to be riding a bicycle．Millions of them，all black．Cars were rare．Yet since my arrival in Beijing last year, I’ve found the opposite is true．There are millions of cars．However, people still use their bicycles to get around．For many, it's the easiest and cheapest way to travel today．Bicycles also come in different colors—silver, green, red, blue，yellow, whatever you want．
It’s fun people biking．They rush quickly through crossroads, move skillfully through traffic，and ride even on sidewalks．Bicycles allow people the freedom to move about that cars just can’t provide．
Eager to be part of this aspect of Chinese culture，I decided to buy a bicycle．Great weather accompanied my great buy．I immediately jumped up on my bicycle seat and started home．
My first ride home was orderly．To be safe, I stayed with a“pack”of bikers while cars on the streets came running swiftly out of nowhere at times．I didn't want to get hit．So I took the ride carefully．
Crossing the streets was the biggest problem. It was a lot like crossing a major highway back in the United States．The streets here were wide，so crossing took time，skill and a little bit of luck．
I finally made it home．The feeling on the bicycle was amazing. The air hitting my face and going through my hair was wonderful．I was sitting on top of the world as I passed by places and people．Biking made me feel alive．According to the author, why are bicycles still popular in China today?
| A．Because they are traditional and safe． |
| B．Because they are convenient and inexpensive． |
| C．Because they are colorful and available． |
| D．Because they are fast and environment friendly． |
How did the author feel about his street crossing?
| A．It was boring． | B．It was difficult． |
| C．It was lively． | D．It was wonderful． |
Which of the following best describes the author’s biking experience?
| A．The author enjoyed showing off his biking skills． |
| B．The author was annoyed by the air while riding． |
| C．The author was praised by the other bikers． |
| D．The author took great pleasure in biking． |
Boys’schools are the perfect place to teach young men to express their emotions and involve them in activities such as art, dance and music．
Far from the traditional image of a culture of aggressive masculinity(男子气概)，the absence of girls gives boys the chance to develop without pressure to be consistent to a stereotype(传统观念),a US study says．
Boys at single-sex schools were said to be more likely to get involved in cultural and artistic activities that helped develop their abilities to express their emotions,rather than feeling they had to obey the “boy code” of hiding their emotions to be a “real man”.
The findings of the study are against the received wisdom that boys do better when taught alongside girls．
Tony Little，headmaster of Eton，warned that boys were being ignored by the British education system because it had become too focused on girls．He criticized teachers for failing to recognize that boys are actually more emotional than girls．
The research argued that boys often perform badly in mixed schools because they become discouraged when their female peers do better earlier in speaking and reading skills．
But in single-sex schools teachers can adjust lessons to boys’ learning style，letting them move around the classroom and getting them to compete in teams to prevent boredom, wrote the study’s author, Abigail James of the University of Virginia．
Teachers could encourage boys to enjoy reading and writing with “boy-focused” approaches such as themes and characters that appeal to them．Because boys generally have sharper vision，learn best through touch, and are physically more active, they need to be given “hands-on” lessons where they are allowed to walk around.” Boys in mixed schools view classical music as feminine(女性的)and prefer the modern type in which violence and sexism are major themes.” James wrote.
Single-sex education also made it less likely that boys would feel they had to give in to a stereotype that men should be “masterful and in charge” in relationships.“In mixed schools boys feel pressed to act like men before they understand themselves well enough to know what that means.” the study reported.The author believes that a single-sex school would ．
| A．force boys to hide their emotions to be “real men” |
| B．help to form masculine aggressiveness in boys |
| C．encourage boys to express their emotions more freely |
| D．naturally place emphasis on the traditional image of a man to boys |
It is commonly believed that in a mixed school boys ．
| A．perform relatively better |
| B．grow up more healthily |
| C．behave more responsibly |
| D．receive a better education |
What does Tony Little say about the British education system?
| A．It fails more boys than girls academically． |
| B．It focuses more on mixed school education． |
| C．It fails to give boys the attention they need． |
| D．It places more pressure on boys than on girls． |
According to Abigail James，one of the advantages of single-sex schools is ．
| A．teaching can be designed to promote boys’ team spirit |
| B．boys can focus on their lessons without being absent-minded |
| C．boys can choose to learn whatever they are interested in |
| D．teaching can be adapted to suit the characteristics of boys |