I come to the United States ten year ago. I would always say that I was trying to study, but there were always things like work and my kids that would not allow me to start.
Now I realized that those were only excuses. What stopped me was that I was afraid to start studying again. I always believed I would learn by myself.
One day, however, my son told me that he was sad because his friends would come over and I didn’t understand them because I didn’t speak English. He was also sad because I could never help him with his homework. That same day, I told myself, “Rocio, you have to start believing in yourself and you will see you can make it.”
The next day, I went downtown to look for a big banner (横幅) in front of the school which said that they offered classes for adults. I came in to see if I could join, but the classes were closed already. That night I took the kids to the movies, and on the way back, I told them we would take a new route. I ended up getting lost. That’s the way I found Chaffey College. The following Monday, I went to ask for information. They told me that summer school was starting that week.
That’s how I started studying English last summer. It is difficult, but I have had great rewards. My daughter had to write a story for school. It was about the female they most admired and why . She wrote that I was the person she most admired because I had started going to College. I will never forget this.
According to the passage, the author probably is a .
| A．teacher | B．doctor | C．father | D．mother |
What made the author make up her mind to study English?
| A．What her son said. |
| B．What her daughter said. |
| C．Thinking about herself. |
| D．Thinking about her daughter. |
How did they find Chaffey College?
| A．On the way to the movies. |
| B．They took a new route and got lost. |
| C．Ask a stranger for information. |
| D．According to the banner. |
Which of the following is NOT true?
| A．The author came to the United States from another country. |
| B．The author had two children at least including one daughter. |
| C．What really changed the author’s life was she believed in herself. |
| D．The author wrote that she was the person her son most admired. |
Apple is known for offering the best customer service in the consumer technology market, such as Lenovo, Google and Nokia, in customer satisfaction surveys every year .
A particular story tells of how an Apple store manager broke a rule to earn a new, 10-year-old customer for life.
Matt tells us this touching story:
My daughter has been saving her birthday money and allowance for almost 9 months so that she could afford an iPod touch with a camera in it.
As of this morning, she had saved the amount needed and headed to an Apple store in Utah with my wife. They arrived at 10:30 am, not realizing that the store would be closed from 11 am to 2 am that day. As they approach the store, two friendly Apple employees greeted them and said they were sorry, but they were closed.
My wife pointed to my daughter who had a mason jar full of cash in her arms and explained why they were there and also pointed out that it was not quite 11 am yet. They again said they were sorry, but could not let them in. My wife and daughter were sad and regretful, but understood and made their way to another store in the mall.
About three stores down, an Apple employee raced after them and explained that the manager was going to make an exception and let them in. Every one of the employees stopped what they were doing as my daughter approached the register.
As she took all of the cash out of the mason jar, one employee stepped forward and said, “I don’t mean to bother you, but I have to tell you that this made my day wonderful.”
After the transaction(交易), my daughter and wife were on their way out, the store manager raised his voice and said to all of the employees, “Everyone, please give a round of applause for saving her money and buying an iPod today.”What can we learn from the first paragraph?
| A．Apple doesn’t do well in the customer service. |
| B．Consumers are more satisfied with Apple |
| C．Nokia did better than Apple in the past. |
| D．Customer satisfaction surveys are made every two years. |
According to the text, Matt’s daughter would like to have________.
| A．a computer | B．an iPhone |
| C．an iPod | D．an iPod touch |
According the passage, what is “a mason jar” ?
| A．a money box | B．a pot for cooking |
| C．a coffee cup | D．a candy box |
What is the text mainly about ?
| A．A good example on how to bargain with an Apple employee. |
| B．How a girl and her mother tried to buy what they wanted. |
| C．A touching story about how Apple earned a new customer for life. |
| D．The reason why a girl wanted to buy an Apple product. |
I created a writing group at my school this year, and it has become a hit with all students who enjoy writing. Now students of the group make rapid progress in their writing. Let me share a few tips that you can use to start your own writing group.
Set up separate groups for different ability levels
You probably don’t want to mix a gifted eighth grader with a second grader who writes very little. In a larger school, you could have a beginner group, a more advanced group, and a publishing group. Members can move to more appropriate groups if they are not comfortable in the current one.
Advertise the group in different ways
Send advertisements home with students, and put an advertisement on the school website or in the school newsletter.
The first meeting should be very open
At the first meeting, you should tell the students that this group is all about them. It is not a class, not a grade and not a requirement. Then tell them what some other writing groups do, and ask what they would like to do.
Set up a time to meet once or twice a month
It is important that students bring their writing with them. The group could go in any direction: criticize each other’s work, read your writing aloud, read silently, publish your work in a booklet (小册子), play creativity games or do an online chat with a published author.
It will take a little while to find out what works best for your group
Search for creativity exercises and role plays. You might even be able to set up a special section of your school’s website just for your writing group.
The purpose of this passage is to ________.
| A．introduce how to start up a writing group |
| B．offer some advice on how to teach writing |
| C．train highlevel students to start up a writing group |
| D．compare different tips on starting up a writing group |
What does the underlined word “hit” probably mean?
| A．problem | B．test | C．tool | D．success |
Which of the following is NOT the activity of a writing group?
| A．Practice role plays. |
| B．Meet a published author. |
| C．Criticize each other’s work. |
| D．Play creativity games. |
Many of us have heard stories about teachers who can “see” into a student’s future. Even if a student is not performing well, they can predict success. We are convinced that this ability, this gift, is evidence that they were “called to teach” . If the gift of sight is evidence, how greater must be the gift of touch. I have a story.
I grew up in the fifties in a poor African American neighborhood in Stockton, California, that had neither sidewalks nor an elementary school. Each day, always in groups at our parents’ insistence, my friends and I would leave home early enough to walk eight blocks to school and be in our seats when the bell rang. For four blocks, we walked on dusty roads. By the fifth block, we walked on sidewalks that led to lovely homes and to Fair Oaks Elementary School. It was at Fair Oaks, in a sixth grade English class, that I met Ms. Victoria Hunter, a teacher who had a huge influence on my life.
During reading periods, she would walk around the room, stop at our desks, stand over us for a second or two, and then touch us. Without saying anything to us (nothing could break the silence of reading periods), she would place two fingers lightly on our throats and hold them there for seconds. I learned many years later when I was a student at Stanford University that teachers touch the throat of students to check for sub-vocalization (默读), which slows down the reading speed. I did not know at the time why Ms. Hunter was touching our throats, but I was a serious and respectful student and so, during silent reading period, I did what Ms. Hunter told us to do. I kept my eyes on the material I was reading and waited for her to place her fingers lightly on my throat.
One day, out of curiosity, I raised my head from my book — though not high — so that I could see Ms. Hunter, a white woman from Canada, moving up and down the rows, stopping at the desks of my classmates. I wanted to see how they reacted when she touched their throats. She walked past them. I was confused. Did she pass them by because they were model students? What did we, the students who were touched, not do right? I sat up straighter in my chair, thinking that my way of sitting might be the problem. I was confused. Several days later, I watched again, this time raising my head a little higher. Nothing changed. Ms. Hunter touched the same students. Always, she touched me.
She touched me with her hands. She also touched me with her belief in my ability to achieve. She motivated me by demanding the best from me and by letting teachers I would meet in junior high school know that I should be challenged, that I would be serious about my work. I am convinced that she touched me because she could “see” me in the future. That was true of all of us at Fair Oaks who sat still and silent as Ms. Hunter placed her fingers lightly on our throats. We left Fair Oaks as “best students,” entered John Marshall Junior High School, finished at the top of our high school class, and went on to earn graduate degrees in various subjects. Ms. Hunter saw us achieving and she touched us to make certain that we would.
I was not surprised that she came to my graduation ceremony at Edison High School in Stockton or that she talked to me about finishing college and earning a Ph. D. She expected that of me. She gave me a beautifully wrapped box. Inside was a gift, the beauty of which multiplies even as it touches me: a necklace to which I can add charms for each stage of my life.According to the writer, what is a special ability many good teachers possess?
| A．The ability to make all students behave well. |
| B．The ability to treat different students in the same way. |
| C．The ability to discover a student’s potential to succeed. |
| D．The ability to predict the near future of a poor student. |
According to the passage, how did Ms. Hunter motivate the writer?
| A．By correcting the way she sat. |
| B．By having high expectations of her. |
| C．By sending her a valuable necklace. |
| D．By communicating with her parents often. |
What does the writer mean by “a necklace to which I can add charms for each stage of my life” (paragraph 6)?
| A．A gift which encourages me to do well on the journey of my life. |
| B．A gift which becomes more and more valuable as time goes by. |
| C．A necklace which I wear on all important occasions in my life. |
| D．A necklace which suits me and adds to my charm. |
Which of the following serves as the best title for the story?
| A．Ms. Hunter’s Surprise | B．Ms. Hunter’s Challenge |
| C．A Teacher’s Touch | D．A Teacher’s Memory |
We know the famous ones—the Thomas Edisons and the Alexander Graham Bells—but what about the less famous inventors? What about the people who invented the traffic light and the windshield wiper(雨刮器)? Shouldn’t we know who they are?
Joan Mclean thinks so．In fact，Mclean，a professor of physics at Mountain University in Range，feels so strongly about this matter that she’s developed a course on the topic．In addition to learning“who”invented“what”，however，Mclean also likes her students to learn the answers to the“why’’and‘‘how”questions．According to Mclean．“When students learn the answers to these questions，they are better prepared to recognize opportunities for inventing and more motivated to give inventing a try．’’
Her students agree．One young man with a patent for an unbreakable umbrella is walking proof of McLean’s statement．“If I had not heard the story of the windshield wiper’s invention，”said Tommy Lee, a senior physics major，“I never would have dreamed of turning my bad experience during a rainstorm into something so constructive．”Lee is currently negotiating to sell his patent to an umbrella producer．
So，just what is the story behind the windshield wiper Well，Mary Anderson came up with the idea in 1902 after a visit to New York City．The day was cold and stormy，but Anderson still wanted to see the sights，so she jumped aboard a streetcar．Noticing that the driver was struggling to see through the snow covering the windshield，she found herself wondering why there couldn’t be a built—in device for cleaning the window．Still wondering about this when she returned home to Birmingham，Alabama, Anderson started drafting out solutions．One of her ideas，a lever(操作杆)on the inside of a vehicle that would control an arm on the outside，became the first windshield wiper．
Today we benefit from countless inventions and innovations．It’s hard to imagine driving without Garrett A．Morgan’s traffic light．It’s equally impossible to picture a world without Katherine J．Blodgett’s innovation that makes glass invisible．Can you picture life without clear windows and eyeglasses?
By mentioning“traffic light”and“windshield wiper”．the author indicates that countless inventions are__________．
| A．beneficial，because their inventors are famous |
| B．beneficial，though their inventors are less famous |
| C．not useful，because their inventors are less famous |
| D．not useful，though their inventors are famous |
Professor Joan McLean’s course aims to__________.
| A．add color and variety to students’campus life |
| B．inform students of the windshield wiper’s invention |
| C．carry out the requirements by Mountain University |
| D．prepare students to try their own inventions |
Tommy Lee’s invention of the unbreakable umbrella was____．
| A．not eventually accepted by the umbrella producer |
| B．inspired by the story behind the windshield wiper |
| C．due to his dream of being caught in a rainstorm |
| D．not related to Professor Joan McLean’s lectures |
Which of the following can best serve as the title of this passage?
| A．How to Help Students to Sell Their Inventions to Producers |
| B．How to Design a Built-in Device for Cleaning the Window |
| C．Shouldn’t We Know Who Invented the Windshield Wiper |
| D．Shouldn’t We Develop Invention Courses in Universities |
It was a dark, wet November morning. It seemed like it would take a million years to get to summer again. I thought bears have got it right---- what a perfect idea to sleep through the worst part of the year and wake up when spring comes!
“Want some words of affirmation(肯定)?” a coworker, seeing my mood, kindly suggested. “You don’t think they would cheer you up?”
“Today? No.” I shook my head.
“I used to think so too,” he said, “until I realized the effect my words had on a certain person. Well, it was someone I knew pretty well. I have to say I treated him rather badly.”
“You? But you are always so positive! How did you treat him badly?”
“I told him I did not like anything about him, really. I told him I did not even like his name. In fact, it wasn’t only what I said. I also did pretty bad things to him. When he was hungry, I did not give him the chance to eat proper food. When he felt like doing something fun, I said to him that he was being childish and having fun was not productive (有成果的). And worst of all, when he was sick and needed care, I did not care. I told him to get up and get to work. And when he did, I never told him he did good work. You could say I was ashamed of him,” he said. “I wanted to get rid of him because he just wasn’t good enough for me---but couldn’t.”
“But that was heartless!”
He nodded. “Then one day it all changed. I stood there in front of the bathroom mirror one morning. I saw the dark circles under his eyes, I saw the excess (过量的) weight. I saw the hair that needed cutting. And I saw the eyes that once had looked at the world eagerly. Now they were so sad and tired. And there and then I realized he deserved better. So I told the man I had disliked for so many years that he was a good person after all.”
My jaw (下巴) dropped. I looked at him---full of positive energy, in good shape, always ready to encourage others.
“Wow…”
He winked (眨眼) at me. “So how about having a little positive conversation with the bathroom mirror? The person in there has the greatest effect on you!”
The first paragraph implies that .
| A．the author felt frustrated that morning |
| B．the weather in November was the worst in a year |
| C．the author didn’t enjoy his work environment |
| D．the author always felt bad in winter |
The author’s coworker used to be a person who .
| A．was very proud of himself |
| B．treated people differently |
| C．worked hard to keep fit |
| D．criticized himself a lot |
Which paragraph gives a clue about who the person that a author’s coworker treated badly was?
| A．Paragraph 4. | B．Paragraph 8. |
| C．Paragraph 6. | D．The last paragraph. |
What does the author’s coworker suggest the author do?
| A．Be helpful to those in need. |
| B．Be confident in the face of difficulty. |
| C．Be positive about himself. |
| D．Be kind to those who make mistakes. |
Living and dealing with kids can be a tough job these days, but living and dealing with parents can be even tougher.
If I have learned anything in my 16 years, it is that communication is very important, both when you disagree and when you get along. With any relationship, you need to let other person know how you are feeling. If you are not able to communicate, you drift apart. When you are mad at your parents, or anyone else, not talking to them doesn’t solve anything.
Communication begins with the concerns of another. It means that you can’t just come home from school, go up to your room and ignore everyone. Even if you just say “Hi”, and see how their day was for five minutes, it is better than nothing.
If you looked up the word “communication” in a dictionary, it would say “the exchange of ideas, the conveyance (表达) of information, means of communication such as a letter or a message”. To keep a good relationship, you must keep communication strong. Let people know how you feel, even if it’s just by writing a note.
When dealing with parents, you always have to make them feel good about how they are doing as a parent. If you are trying to make them see something as you see it, tell them that you’ll listen to what they have to say, but ask them politely to listen to you. Yelling or walking away only makes the situation worse.
This is an example: one night, Sophie went to a street party with her friends. She knew she had to be home by midnight after the fireworks, but she didn’t feel she could just ask to go home. That would be rude. After all, they had been nice enough to take her along with them. Needless to say, she was late getting home. Her parents were mad at first, but when Sophie explained why she was late, they weren’t as mad and let the incident go. Communication is the key factor here. If Sophie’s parents had not been willing to listen, Sophie would have been in a lot of trouble.
Communication isn’t a one-way deal: it goes both ways. Just remember: if you get into a situation like Sophie’s, tell the other person how you feel—listening is the key factor to communication.In the writer’s view, dealing with parents is __________than with children.
| A．more difficult | B．easier |
| C．more uninteresting | D．more interesting |
The main idea of the second paragraph is __________.
| A．the importance of friendship |
| B．to make your feeling known to others |
| C．the importance of communication |
| D．the disagreement between generations |
The example in this passage proves that __________.
| A．Sophie is very polite to her parents |
| B．Sophie’s parents are willing to listen to her |
| C．explanation is the best way to solve a problem |
| D．communication is the solution (解决办法) to misunderstanding |
All the following statements are correct except __________.
| A．If you don’t agree with others, you’d better let them know |
| B．It is better to say “Hi”to others than say nothing |
| C．If you are not able to communicate, walk away |
| D．Communication is a two-way deal |
When I was about 12, I had an enemy, a girl who liked to point out my shortcomings(缺点). Week by week her list grew: I was very thin, I wasn’t a good student, I talked too much, I was too proud, and so on. I tried to hear all this as long as I could. At last, I became very angry. I ran to my father with tears in my eyes.
He listened to me quietly, and then he asked, “Are the things she says true or not? Janet, didn’t you ever wonder what you’re really like? Well, you now have that girl’s opinion. Go and make a list of everything she said and mark the points that are true. Pay no attention to the other things she said.”
I did as he told me. To my great surprise, I discovered that about half the things were true. Some of them I couldn’t change (like being very thin), but a good number I could—and suddenly I wanted to change. For the first time I got a fairly clear picture of myself.
I brought the list back to Daddy. He refused to take it. “That’s just for you,” he said. “You know better than anyone else the truth about yourself. But you have to learn to listen, not just close your ears in anger and feel hurt. When something said about you is true, you’ll find it will be of help to you. Our world is full of people who think they know your duty. Don’t shut your ears. Listen to them all, but hear the truth and do what you know is the right thing to do.”
Daddy’s advice has returned to me at many important moments. In my life, I’ve never had a better piece of advice.What did the father do after he had heard his daughter’s complaint?
| A．He refused to take the list and have a look at it. |
| B．He told her not to pay any attention to what her “enemy” had said. |
| C．He was angry and told her to overcome her shortcomings. |
| D．He told her to write down all and pay attention only to the things that were true. |
What does “Week by week her list grew” mean?
| A．Week by week she discovered and pointed out more shortcomings of mine. |
| B．She kept on adding new ones to the list so it was growing longer and longer. |
| C．I was having more and more shortcomings as time went on. |
| D．Week by week, my shortcomings grew more serious. |
Which do you think would be the best title for this passage?
| A．My Father |
| B．My Childhood |
| C．The Best Advice I’ve Ever Had |
| D．Not an Enemy, but the Best Friend |
I was waiting for a phone call from my agent. He had left a message the night before, telling me that my show was to be cancelled. I called him several times, but each time his secretary told me that he was in a meeting and that he would call me later. So I waited, but there was still no call. Three hours passing by, I became more and more impatient. I was certain that my agent didn’t care about my work, and he didn’t care about me. I was overcome with that thought. I started to shout at the phone, “Let me wait, will you? Who do you think you are?”At that time I didn’t realize my wife was looking on. Without showing her surprise, she rushed in, seized the phone, tore off the wires, and shouted at the phone, “Yeah! Who do you think you are? Bad telephone! Bad telephone!” And she swept it into the wastebasket.
I stood watching her, speechless. What on earth…?
She stepped to the doorway and shouted at the rest of the house, “Now hear this! All objects in this room – if you do anything to upset my husband, out you go!” Then she turned to me, kissed me and said calmly, “Honey, you just have to learn how to take control.” With that, she left the room.
After watching a crazy woman rushing in and out, shouting at everything in sight, I noticed that something in my mood(情绪) had changed. I was laughing. How would I have trouble with that phone? Her antics helped me realize I had been driven crazy by small things. Twenty minutes later my agent did call. I was able to listen to him and talk to him calmly.Why did the author shout at the telephone?
| A．He was mad at the telephone. |
| B．He was angry with his agent. |
| C．He was anxious about his wife |
| D．He was impatient with the secretary. |
What did the author’s wife do after she heard his shouting?
| A．She said nothing | B．She shouted at him. |
| C．She called the agent | D．She threw the phone away |
What made the author laugh?
| A．His own behavior. | B．His wife’s suggestion |
| C．His changeable feelings | D．His wife’s sweet kiss. |
What does the underlined word “antics” refer to?
| A．Smart words | B．Unusual actions |
| C．Surprising Looks | D．Anxious feelings |
You feel happiest when you create a healthy balance between giving and receiving. If you give and give without making time to fill your own needs, then it’s likely you will burn out, or feel upset .When you take and take without giving anything back ,you never feel fulfilled, so you are always searching for ways to fill the void in your life.
The way to create a healthy balance between giving and receiving is to know and then live by your values .I break values up into two groups which I call being and having values. Your being values are the character traits of the ideal person you would like to be. I suggest to my clients that they choose three being values that they are willing to make a commitment to live by. An example of some being values are: kind, loving, generous, inspirational, peaceful, wise and even powerful. By acting on these values you give to others through your actions and you inspire others by being a positive role model. Mastering being these character traits becomes your life purpose.
Your having values are the feelings you need to create in order to be happy. These could be companionship, achievement, support, being valued or financial security. This is what you receive. You take responsibility for filling your own needs by taking steps to create these feelings and conditions in your life.
When you make a commitment to live by your being values, it becomes easier to make conscious choices rather than reactionary ones. If your usual pattern is to talk about your problems, you could choose to think and act like a calm person. A calm person might go for a walk, meditate, or set a time limit before responding. If your usual pattern is to worry, you could choose to act like a responsible or wise person. In other words, you would act like the person you choose to be—this is the key to personal power.
When you choose to act on your values, you not only feel good about yourself, you reinforce your chosen beliefs. Over time acting in this way changes how you see the world, and in turn the way other people think of you.
The main purpose of this passage is to ___________.
| A．persuade the readers to make a commitment |
| B．inform the readers how to be truly happy |
| C．explain to the readers what personal values are |
| D．instruct the readers how to make wise choices |
According to the text, living by your being values ,you would ___________.
| A．gain a lot of power |
| B．fill your own needs |
| C．seek all human virtues |
| D．form positive personality |
The underlined word “void” in Paragraph 1 means ___________.
| A．a feeling of emptiness |
| B．an absence of one’s mind |
| C．a break of continuity |
| D．a state of confusion |
Which of the following does not belong to “your having values”?
| A．your success in the competition |
| B．the help from your friends |
| C．your own peaceful mind |
| D．the friendship |
What can be inferred from the text?
| A．Having values are better than being values. |
| B．The way other people think of you decides who you are. |
| C．A calm person does not choose to complain. |
| D．A responsible person does not care about financial security. |
I really love my job because I enjoy working with small children and like the challenges and awards from the job．I also think my work is important．There was a time when I thought I would never have that sort of career（职业）．
I wasn’t an excellent student because I didn’t do much schoolwork．In my final term I started thinking what I might do and found I didn’t have much to offer．I just accepted that I wasn’t the type to have a career．
I then found myself a job．Looking after two little girls，It wasn’t too bad at first．But the problems began when I agreed to live in，so that I would be there if my boss had to go out for business in the evening．We agreed that if I had to work extra hours one week，she’d give me time off the next．But unfortunately，it didn’t often work out．I was getting extremely tired and fed up，because I had too many late nights and early mornings with the children．
One Sunday，I was in the park with the children，and met Megan who used to go to school with me，I told her about my situation．She suggested that I should do a course and get a qualification（资格证书）if I wanted to work with children．I didn’t think I would be accepted because I didn’t take many exams in school．She persuaded me to phone the local college and they were really helpful．My experience counted for a lot and I got on a part – time course．I had to leave my job with the family，and got work helping out at a kindergarten．
Now I’ve got a full – time job there．I shall always be thankful to Megan．I wish I had known earlier that you could have a career，even if you aren’t top of the class at school．What is the author’s present job？
| A．Working part – time in a college． |
| B．Taking care of children for a family． |
| C．Helping children with their schoolwork． |
| D．Looking after children at a kindergarten． |
When staying with the two girls’family，the author__________．
| A．was paid for extra work |
| B．often worked long hours |
| C．got much help from her boss |
| D．took a day off every other week |
Why did the author leave her first job？
| A．She found a full – time job． |
| B．She was fed up with children． |
| C．She decided to attend a part – time course． |
| D．She needed a rest after working extra hours． |
What has the author learned from her own experiences？
| A．Less successful students can still have a career． |
| B．Qualifications are necessary for a career． |
| C．Hard work makes an excellent student． |
| D．One must choose the job she likes． |
When I began planning to move to Auckland to study, my mother was a little worried about the uncertainty of living in a place that was so different from India, where we lived. She worried particularly about the lack of jobs and cultural differences and the chance that I would face racism.
Despite these concerns, I came to New Zealand in July 2009. I have found the place and the people very nice and supportive. Soon after I arrived, I realized the importance of getting a job to supply my living expenses.
Determined to do this on my own, I spent a whole day going from door to door for a job. However, I received little or no response(回应).
One afternoon, I walked into a building to ask if there were any job opportunities(机会). The people there were very surprised and advised me not to continue my job search in that manner .As I was about to leave, a clerk in the building, who had been listening to what others had said, approached me and asked me to wait outside. Fifteen minutes later, he returned ,He asked me what my plans were and encouraged me to stay confident. Then he offered to take me to Royal Oak to search for a job.
I was a little surprised, but had a good feeling about him,so I went along. Along the way ,I realized that I had run out of resumes(简历). Seeing this, the man stopped at his business partner’s office to make me fifteen extra copies. He also gave me tips on dressing and speaking and added that I should give him a call if I ever needed anything. I handed out my resume and went home feeling very satisfied. The following day, I received a call from a store in Royal Oak offering me a job.
It seems that the world always gives back to you when you need it .And this time, it was a complete stranger who turned out to be a real blessing.What wasn’t the author’s mother worried about?
| A．People might look down on the author. |
| B．The author couldn’t speak the local language. |
| C．The author wasn’t familiar with the local customs. |
| D．It might be difficult for the author to find a job. |
After staying in New Zealand for a short time, the author _______.
| A．decided to go back to his own country. |
| B．felt the local people were not very friendly |
| C．had to find a job to cover his living expenses |
| D．wanted to get a job that needed practical skills |
When the author went into a building to look for a job, ________.
| A．a clerk gave him encouragement and advice |
| B．he was confident that he would find a good one |
| C．he found many college students like him already there |
| D．a clerk recommended him to the company he worked for |
What is the story mainly about?
| A．How a stranger offered the author a job. |
| B．How a stranger turned out to be a real blessing. |
| C．How the author adapted himself to a new situation. |
| D．How the author was helped to get a job for a stranger. |
In April 2014, the world’s oldest known message in a bottle was discovered floating in the Baltic Sea. It had spent 101years lost in the ocean! The message was finally sent to the author’s granddaughter.
A German fisherman named Konrad Fischer found the brown bottle near Kiel, Germany. He said he nearly threw the bottle back into the water after pulling it out of a fishing net. Then he noticed something inside.
The bottle in good condition contained a Danish postcard with two German stamps, dated May 17, 1913. Although dampness had made most of the writing illegible(字迹模糊的), the readable part of the message asked whoever found it to return it to an address in Berlin. It even contained two stamps to pay for postage.
From the address, researchers found that the postcard was written by a man named Richard Platz, who was 20 years old when he wrote the message. While he was hiking on the Baltic coast with a nature appreciation group, he threw the bottle into the sea. Then the researcher began a research for any living relatives of his. Sure enough, they were able to find his 62-year-old grandfather, Angela Erdmann, who still lives in Berlin.
"It was almost unbelievable," Erdmann said upon being presented with her grandfather's bottle and message, as quoted in The Local. "That was a pretty moving moment. Tears rolled down my face."
Erdmann never knew her grandfather, who died in 1946, but says that the discovery of the bottle has made her want to learn more about him.
The bottle remained on display at the International Maritime Museum Hamburg until May 1. After that, the researchers examined the postcard and tried to figure out the meaning of the rest of the message.
Previously, the oldest message found in a bottle spent nearly 98 years at sea and was discovered in April 2012, according to Guinness World Records.When Konrad picked up the bottle from the sea, __________.
| A．he thought it would bring him good luck. |
| B．he noticed the postcard inside immediately. |
| C．he decided to uncover the secret of the bottle. |
| D．he wanted to throw it back into the sea at first. |
Why did Richard Platz throw the bottle with the message into the sea?
| A．He expected his grandfather could find the postcard. |
| B．He wished the finder would send the postcard to his home. |
| C．He believed his postcard would be kept secret at sea forever. |
| D．He thought he could make friends with the finder of the bottle. |
What can be the best title for this passage?
| A．The finding of a floating bottle at the sea. |
| B．A one-century-old letter to a grandfather. |
| C．The world’s oldest message in a floating bottle. |
| D．The oldest Danish postcard in a floating bottle. |
Four years ago my sweet mom went to be with her Lord. She did it her way.
I got the call at work, and I headed home quickly. Mom and Dad lived on a small farm that they had owned since I was seven. I hated going there every weekend. There was nothing for a young girl to do but watch the one station on the old TV set, if the weather allowed reception.
My mom, on the other hand, loved the peace and quiet of the land. The place was rustic, with no indoor plumbing or heat. We had a big wood stove in the kitchen that did its best to heat the little farmhouse, but it always seemed cold and too quiet to me.
In the evenings, my mom and I would sit for hours singing in the little kitchen. I sang the melody and Mom harmonized. Her favorite song was "Moon River" and we sang it over and over. Mom told me stories about how when I was a little girl, I could sing before I could talk.
As time passed, I had my own children and went to visit them every week or two. The kids loved the farm and the tractor rides with my dad. Me, well, I still hated the silence of the farm. While my mom loved to sit at her kitchen table and look out at her garden and flowers and retell all the old stories, I missed the hustle and bustle（喧闹）of my life at home. But I sat there listening quietly as she reminisced.
Now, I sat back in the silence and the silence was deafening so I finally leaned over to turn on an old radio. Music always comforted me.
My heart skipped a beat. "Moon River" was playing on the radio. I sat there stunned, with a tear running down my cheek, as I listened to every familiar note.
Then the radio announcer came on. “Here’s one we haven’t heard in a while,” and an unfamiliar song began. I began to cry harder as I heard the words sung over the airwaves. “Come down, come down from your Ivory Tower…” The writer didn’t like staying in the farm for the following reasons Except that ________.
| A．it was too cold and quiet |
| B．she could only sing one song in the small farm |
| C．there was nothing more that could make her excited |
| D．the place was rustic, with no indoor plumbing or heat |
From the first paragraph, we know that the writer’s mother ________.
| A．left the small farm with Lord |
| B．passed away four years ago |
| C．left for Lord to live her own way |
| D．preferred to be with Lord |
What does the underlined phrase refer to?
| A．shouted | B．comforted |
| C．recalled | D．sighed |
Which of the following would be the best title for this passage? _______
| A．Mom’s music | B．Cherish(珍惜) life |
| C．My happy childhood | D．Our small farmhouse |
My 17-year-old daughter went off to college and having her away from home brought back memories of watching Peter Pan when she was little. In the classic TV production, one scene in particular impressed me: when Mrs Darling puts her children into bed. As she turns off the last of the night lights, she takes one last look at the bedroom and says, “Dear night lights, protect my sleeping children.” As a mother, I know how much she loves her children.
It has been several weeks since we took our daughter to college and she seems to be adjusting (适应) well after a short period of homesickness. For us, though, it’s another story. Like most parents, I love checking in on my children at night. But now she’s gone, and I find nighttimes the hardest. I miss her most at night.
In my neighborhood, most of the parents whose kids are off to college are dealing with similar melancholy. My husband is filled with anxiety. One friend talked about getting this sick feeling in her stomach as she prepared for the college drop-off. We complained that many of us were too busy to truly enjoy being with our children while we had them.
For us moms, seeing Toy Story 3 only made the sadness worse as we watched the character Andy, who is the same age as our kids, say goodbye to his childhood as he prepares to leave for college. And it’s not just “first-time” parents like me. Two moms who have kids already well into college said the separation didn’t get any easier. “You feel like something has been taken away from inside you,” said one of them.
I imagine things will get easier with time, especially as I see my daughter adjust to college life. Meanwhile, as I keep my cell phone close to me in bed and text my daughter goodnight and sweet dreams every night, I like to think that messages serve as a night light that keeps her safe.The writer was deeply impressed by the scene in Peter Pan because ___________.
| A．she watched the scene with her daughter |
| B．the scene was very exciting and interesting |
| C．the scene taught her and her daughter a good lesson |
| D．the scene showed a mother’s deep love for her children |
After he daughter went to college, the writer ___________.
| A．didn’t get used to the change for a long time |
| B．often cried as she missed her daughter so much |
| C．realized she hadn’t done enough for the daughter |
| D．failed to have a good sleep every night |
What is the underlined word “melancholy” in Paragraph 3 similar in meaning to?
| A．Happiness. | B．Anger. |
| C．Sadness. | D．Excitement. |
According to the last paragraph, why did the writer keep her cell phone close to her in bed?
| A．To call her daughter any time |
| B．To wait for her daughter’s calls |
| C．To say good night to her daughter |
| D．To wait for her daughter’s messages |
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