Bicycles are a great way to get around. They’re fun to ride, especially down hills. And, as you speed along the road, you might also think of ways in which you could improve your bike— make it safer, more efficient, or more comfortable. In fact, the two-wheeled machines make for some cool science projects.
This year's Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), held last May in Cleveland, featured（had）three bicycle projects from three countries. Like many of the other experiments presented at ISEF, the bike projects showed that some of the most interesting scientific research often begins by taking a closer look at things you care about.
Renato Angulo Chu had even grander ambitions. The 12th-grader from Lima, Peru, wanted to address some of his country's economic troubles.
"I see a problem in my country," Renato said. "If you go to the forests in Peru, in some places you cannot find electricity. If you go with my bicycle, you can turn on the lights."
Renato, 16, spent 3 years designing his special Multibike. The device looks like a fixed exercise bike. It has wires fixed along the frame and a blender strapped (fastened) to the back. Turning the pedals operates the blender. The same principle can be used to sharpen knives or sweep city streets.
The Multibike can work either as a fixed bike or as a bicycle able to travel city streets and country roads. It's made from inexpensive materials, and the user gets exercise while pedaling to operate a machine.
"You pedal the bike, and you can mix any drink you want," Renato said. More importantly, he added, the same concept could be used to bring light to houses in remote regions of the rainforest. What can we learn from the first paragraph?
| A．Bikes should be made more comfortable to ride. |
| B．You can improve your bicycle for science research. |
| C．Many inventions are connected with the bicycle. |
| D．Bicycles are the best way to go about |
Which of the following is true according to the passage?
| A．ISEF is an exhibiton displaying bicycle experiments designed by students. |
| B．Looking closely at things you are concerned about can lead to scientific research. |
| C．Renato’s improvement of the bicycle has solved the country’s great problem. |
| D．Renato’s special bicycle will soon be put into use in remote areas.’ |
The underlined word “address” in the third paragraph probably has the same meaning as _______.
| A．make address written | B．give up | C．work at | D．speak at |
Renato’s special Multibike has all the following EXCEPT ________.
| A．making knives sharp | B．mixing any kind of drinks |
| C．producing electricity | D．operating a machine with its own electricity |
It can be inferred that Renato’s special bicycle is mainly designed for ________.
| A．distant areas in the rainforest without electricity. |
| B．the use of his own family to make life easier. |
| C．the competition of ISEF to win money to support remote rainforests |
| D．enough exercise by pedaling it |
Mr. Backer is a kind-hearted man. Once he gave some food to a poor woman . Mr White, the boss of the restaurant, found it and became angry. He often gave the leftovers(剩饭菜) to some poor workers. Mr. Backers lost his work for it. It was difficult for him to find work in the small country though he was an able cook. The war made all stop. Children couldn't go to school, most shops were closed, even some farmers were hungry. Some people were made to leave their houses and they had to find the safe places. It was an autumn night. Mr Backer hadn't any food to eat and went to bed, but he couldn't fall asleep, because he was very hungry . suddenly he heard a noise in his room. He saw a man looking for something useful there. He said nothing and watched it carefully. At last the man took a few old clothes out of a broken paper box and took them away. He got up from his bed quickly and followed him gently(文雅地), with his quilt on his back. The man didn't find him and went into a small and wet house. Mr. Backer also went in and saw there was nothing in the room. The thief(贼) saw him and was surprised. He asked, “What did you come here for?” “You have carried my things here,” said Mr. Backer. “I have to move here, too!” Mr White sent Mr. Backer away because .
| A．he couldn't cook | B．he didn't work hard |
| C．he didn't like him at all | D．he gave some leftovers to the poor woman |
, so the people in the small country got into trouble.
| A．The war broke out(爆发) | B．It didn't rain |
| C．Children couldn't go to school | D．Shops and factories were closed |
Mr. Backer couldn't go to sleep because .
| A．the weather was cold | B．the weather was hot |
| C．he was hungry | D．he was ill |
Mr. Backer said nothing when the thief went into his room because .
| A．he wanted to send him to the police station | B．there was nothing expensive there |
| C．he was afraid the man could hurt him | D．he hoped the man could help him |
The underlined word “quilt” in this story means .
| A．珠宝 | B．钱箱 | C．被子 | D．鞋带 |
The famous director of a big and expensive movie planned to film a beautiful sunset over the ocean, so that the audiences could see his hero and heroine in front of it at the end of the film as they said goodbye to each other for ever. He sent his camera crew(摄影组) out one evening to film the sunset for him.
The next morning he said to the men, “Have you provided me with that sunset?”
“No, sir,” the men answered.
The director was angry. “Why not?” he asked.
“Well, sir,” one of the men answered, “we’re on the east coast here, and the sun sets in the west. We can get you a sunrise over the sea, if necessary, but not a sunset.”
“But I want a sunset!” the director shouted. “Go to the airport, take the next flight to the west coast, and get one.”
But then a young secretary had an idea. “Why don’t you photograph a sunrise,” she suggested, “and then play it backwards? Then it’ll look like a sunset.”
“That’s a very good idea!” the director said. Then he turned to the camera crew and said, “Tomorrow morning I want you to get me a beautiful sunrise over the sea.”
The camera crew went out early the next morning and filmed a bright sunrise over the beach in the middle of a beautiful bay. Then at nine o’clock they took it to the director. “Here it is, sir,” they said, and gave it to him. He was very pleased.
They all went into the studio. “All right,” the director explained, “now our hero and heroine are going to say goodbye. Run the film backwards so that we can see the ‘sunset’ behind them.”
The “sunset” began, but after a quarter of a minute, the director suddenly put his face in his hands and shouted to the camera crew to stop.
The birds in the film were flying backwards, and the waves on the sea were going away from the beach. One evening, the director sent his camera crew out _________.
| A．to film a scene on the sea | B．to find an actor and an actress |
| C．to watch a beautiful sunset | D．to meet the audience |
Why did the director want to send his crew to the west coast?
| A．Because he changed his mind about getting a sunset. |
| B．Because he was angry with his crew. |
| C．Because he wanted to get a scene of sunset. |
| D．Because it was his secretary’s suggestion. |
The director wanted to film a sunset over the ocean because ______.
| A．it went well with the separation of the hero and heroine |
| B．when they arrived at the beach it was already in the evening |
| C．it was more moving than a sunrise |
| D．the ocean looked more beautiful at sunset |
After the “sunset” began, the director suddenly put his face in his hands ______.
| A．because he was moved to tears |
| B．as he saw everything in the film moving backwards |
| C．as the sunrise did not look as beautiful as he had imagined |
| D．because he was disappointed with the performance of the hero and heroine |
Which of the following is NOT true?
| A．The crew had to follow the secretary’s advice. |
| B．If you want to see a sunrise, the east coat is the place to go. |
| C．The camera crew wasn’t able to film the scene the first day. |
| D．The director ordered his crew to stop filming the “sunset”. |
Robert Frost was one of America’s best known and most honored serious writers. But his fame came late in his life.
He was born in San Francisco, California in 1874. He lived in California during his early childhood. He was named after the chief Southern general in America’s Civil War. The general’s name was Robert Edward Lee. The poet was named Robert Lee Frost, because his father wanted to honor the general.
Someone once asked another American writer, Ernest Hemingway, how to become a writer. The best thing, he said, was to have an unhappy childhood. If this is true, Robert Frost’s childhood was unhappy enough to make him a very good writer. Robert Frost’s father was a reporter who wanted to be a politician. He often drank too much wine and became angry. Robert was the victim (受害者) of his anger.
Robert Frost finished high school in 1891. After high school, Robert’s grandfather offered to pay his costs at Dartmouth College. But Robert left the school after a few months. He did not like it. He spent the next few years working at different jobs. At one time, he worked in a factory. Later, he repaired shoes. He was a teacher. He was a reporter. Always, he wrote poetry.
Robert Frost attended Harvard University for two years. After that, he returned to the many jobs he held before. For a while, Frost tried to take care of a farm in the state of New Hampshire. He was not a successful farmer. And he continued to write poetry. He said that until 1930, he earned only about ten dollars a year from writing.
In 1912, he decided to try to make a new start. He took his family to Britain. The cost of living was low. In Britain, Frost found a publisher for his first book of poems. The book was called A Boy’s Will. When it appeared in 1913. Frost received high praise from British readers. Praise was something he had not received in his own country.
Ezra Pound, another American poet living in Britain, read the poems and liked them very much. He wrote a magazine article about Frost. He also helped get Frost’s second book of poems published in America. That book was called North of Boston.The followings are writers EXCEPT ________.
| A．Robert Edward Lee | B．Robert Lee Frost |
| C．Ernest Hemingway | D．Ezra Pound |
The passage wrote about Hemingway in order to show that
| A．he had great influence on Frost’s poetry and life |
| B．Frost’ s poetry style was the same as Hemingway’s |
| C．Frost was unhappy because he was the victim of his father |
| D．Frost spent his childhood unhappily |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．Once Frost’s first book was published he gained great praise in his country. |
| B．After leaving Harvard University, he began to learn to write poetry. |
| C．Frost was found lo have a gift in poetry while he studied in high school. |
| D．Robert Frost’s father was angry and drank a lot because he didn’t realize his dream. |
What’s the passage mainly about?
| A．Robert Frost’s unhappy childhood. | B．Robert Frost’s first and second book. |
| C．Robert Frost’s family and jobs. | D．Robert Frost’s life and poetry. |
HOLLYWOOD(UPI)—Loni Anderson decided last year it was time to change her career around to play moms and comedy instead of pretty young girls.
So far, most people remember her as Jennifer Marlowe, the role she played in her first film in 1982.
This summer people will see Anderson in A Night as Roxbury, a film produced and directed by Amy Heckerlin.
“In the film I have two sons. One is 26, and the other is 30. Isn’t that interesting? I know I don’t look that old, but that’s what’s so fun about it.”
“My character dresses in clothes too short, too tight. Dan Hedaya plays my husband. We’re a couple with a lot of money and no taste. Our sons are complete idiots(白痴). Their purpose in life is to get into the Rich Young Man Club where everybody is proud of his wealth.”
“As you can tell, I’m doing things I’d never have done at the beginning of my career.”
“But I am who I am. I’ve worked as an actress a long time and now I can be anything I want. It’s a great time for me. I don’t have anything to prove.”
“I hadn’t done comedy in a long time. It’s what I do best and what I like best. At this point in my life I want to look a little bit foolish. I think that would be something new for me.”What had Loni Anderson probably played most in her past film career?
| A．Pretty young girls. | B．Old mothers. |
| C．Foolish persons. | D．Rich women. |
When did she begin to be an actress?
| A．Last year. | B．This year. | C．1972. | D．1982. |
What was she going to change?
| A．Her clothes. | B．Her husband. |
| C．Her role type. | D．Her living place. |
Where does this article most likely appear?
| A．Newspaper. | B．Science magazine. |
| C．Tourist guide book. | D．Historical record. |
One day a mime(哑剧演员) is visiting the zoo and wants to make some money as a street performer. As soon as he starts to draw a crowd, a zookeeper drags him into his office. The zookeeper explains that the zoo’s most popular attraction, a gorilla(大猩猩), has died suddenly and the keeper fears that attendance at the zoo will fall off. He offers the mime a job to dress up as the gorilla. The mime accepts.
The next morning the mime puts on the gorilla suit and enters the cage before the crowd comes. He soon discovers he can sleep all as he likes, play and make fun of the people and he draws bigger crowds than he ever did as a mime — the job he likes but loses.
However, with days going by, he begins to notice that the people are paying more attention to the lion in the cage next to his. Not wanting to lose the attention of his audience(观众), he climbs to the top of his cage, crawls across a partition(隔墙), and dangles(悬挂) from the top to the lion’s cage. The lion gets angry at this. The scene is afuel to the crowd.
At the end of the day he is given a pay raise for being such a good attraction. Well, this continues for some time. The crowds grow larger, and the mime’s pay keeps going up.
Then one day when he is dangling over the lion he slips and falls. The mime is terrified(吓坏). He starts screaming, “Help me!”, but the lion is quick. The mime soon finds himself flat on his back looking up at the angry lion and the lion says, “Shut up you fool! Do you want to get us both fired?”How does the mime find the job dressing up as the gorilla?
| A．Hard and tiring. | B．Dangerous. | C．Easy and fun. | D．Boring. |
The mime’s first contact with the lion is to __________.
| A．find pleasure for himself | B．get the lion’s attention |
| C．get his pay raised | D．win back his audience |
The underlined works “a fuel” in Paragraph 3 can be replaced by __________.
| A．frightening | B．common | C．exciting | D．familiar |
From the last paragraph we can know that ___________.
| A．the lion will eat the poor mime |
| B．the lion is also played by a person |
| C．the animals in the zoo are all played by people |
| D．animals played by people can attract more visitors |
When I wandered along a path through woods in the countryside, a small water pool came into my sight ahead. I changed my direction and took the part of the path that wasn’t covered by water or mud to go around it. When I reached the pool, I was suddenly attacked by something several times! It was from somewhere totally unexpected. I was surprised as well as unhurt. The attacker stopped attacking me when I backed up a foot. I couldn’t help laughing when I looked down and found I was being attacked by a butterfly!
Curiously, I took a step forward to see clearly. My attacker dashed towards me again. He rushed towards me at full speed, attempting to hurt me but failed. For a second time, I took a stop backwards when the attacker paused. I didn’t know what to do. After all, it’s just uncommon that one is attacked by a butterfly. I stepped back to look the situation over. My attacker moved back to land on the ground. That’s when I discovered why the attacker was kept charging me. He had a mate and she was dying.
Sitting tenderly close beside her, he opened and closed his wings as if to fan her. I could do nothing but admire the love and courage of that butterfly in his concern for his mate. He had attacked me for his mate’s sake, even though she was clearly dying and I was much larger than he. He did so just to give her those extra few precious moments of life. I shouldn’t have been careless enough to step on her. His courage in attacking something thousands of times larger and heavier than himself just for his mates’ safety seemed admirable. I was moved and rewarded him by walking on the more difficult side of the pool, leaving them undisturbed. He had truly earned those moments to be with his dear mate.
Since then, I’ve always tried to remember the courage of that butterfly whenever I see huge barriers facing me. Why did the writer change his direction while walking down a path?
| A．To get close to a butterfly. |
| B．To avoid getting his shoes dirty. |
| C．To escape a sudden attack. |
| D．To look over the bad situation. |
What made the man feel funny?
| A．Making the attacker pause. |
| B．Being stepped on by his mate. |
| C．Being attacked by a butterfly. |
| D．Discovering the energetic butterfly. |
From this experience the man learned _____.
| A．people should protect butterflies |
| B．how he should deal with attacks |
| C．people should show sympathy to the weak |
| D．what he should do when faced with trouble |
Which of the following word can best describe the butterfly?
| A．Brave | B．Amusing. | C．Careless. | D．Strong. |
Mini Book Excerpts（节选）
Biography
When Salinger learned that a car park was to be built on the land, the middle-aged writer was shocked and quickly bought the neighboring area to protect it… The townspeople never forgot the rescue and came to help their most famous neighbor.
J. D. Salinger：A Life by Kenneth Slawenski（Random House,$27）Mystery（疑案小说）
“You’re a smart boy. Benny’s death was no accident, and you’re the only who saw it happen. Do you think the murderer should get away with it?”The boy was starting stubbornly at his lap again.
A thought suddenly occurred to Annika,“Did you …You recognized the man in the car, didn’t you?”
The boy hesitated, twisting his fingers,“Maybe,”he said quietly.
Red Wolf by Liza Marklund（Atria Books, $25. 99）
Short Stories
She wants to say to him what she has learned, none of it in class. Some women are born stupid, and some women are too smart for their own good. Some women are born to give, and some women only know how to take. Some women learn who they want to be from their mothers, some who they don’t want to be. Some mothers suffer so their daughters won’t. Some mothers love so their daughters won’t.
You Are Free by Danzy Senna （Riverhead Books,$15）
Humor
Do your kids like to have fun? Come to Fun Times! Do you like to watch your kids having fun? Bring them to Fun Times! Fun Times! “amusement cycling”is the most fun you can have, legally, in the United States right now. Why spend thousands of dollars flying to Disney World when you can spend less than half to that within a day’s drive lf most cities?
Happy And Other Bad Thoughts by Larry Doyle（Ecco,$14. 99）If the readers want to know about the title of Salinger, they should buy the book published by
.
| A．Ecco | B．Atria Books |
| C．Riverhead Books | D．Random House |
The book Happy And Other Bad Thoughts is intended for .
| A．young children | B．Disney World workers |
| C．middle school teachers | D．parents with young children |
Which book describes women with characters of their own?
A. Happy And Other Bad Thoughts
B. J. D. Salinger: A Life
C. You Are Free
D. Red Wolf After finishing the book Red Wolf, the readers would learn that .
| A．the boy helped arrest the murderer |
| B．Benny died of an accident |
| C．the murderer got away with the crime |
| D．Annika carried out the crime |
After graduation I returned home to my small town in Indiana. I didn’t have a job yet. Mr. Hobbs, a friend of my father’s, owned a small shirt factory in town. Within the past five years it had grown from twenty to eighty workers. Mr. Hobbs was worried that his plant was getting too big and inefficient, so he asked me to come in on a short-term basis as a consultant.
I went to the plant and spent about a week looking around and making notes. I was really a mazed at what I saw.
Most curious of all, there was no quality control at all. No one inspected the final product of the factory. As a result some of the shirts that were put in boxes for shipment were missing one or two buttons, the collar, and even a sleeve sometimes!
The working conditions were poor. The tables where the workers sat were very high and uncomfortable. Except for a half hour at lunchtime, there were no breaks in the day to relieve the boring work. There was no music. The walls of the workrooms were a dull gray color. I was amazed that the workers hadn’t gone on strike.
Furthermore, the work flow was irregular. There was one especially absent-minded young man in the assembly（组装）line who sewed on buttons. After a while I recognized him as "Big Jim", who used to sit behind me in math class in high school. He was very slow and all the shifts were held up at his position. Workers beyond him in line on his shift had to wait with nothing to do; therefore, a great deal of time and efficiency were lost as Big Jim daydreamed while he worked. All week I wondered why he wasn’t fired.
After I made observations for a week, Mr. Hobbs asked me for an oral report of my findings.The shirts from Mr. Hobbs’ factory can be described as ____.
| A．of low quality | B．of high quality | C．fashionable | D．unfashionable |
Why did Mr. Hobbs ask the writer to the factory?
| A．The factory was too big. |
| B．The factory was not producing fast enough. |
| C．The factory was not big enough. |
| D．The writer was a college graduate. |
Which is not likely to happen in the factory?
| A．The workers will have more rest in the day. |
| B．Someone will examine the final product. |
| C．New machines will be bought. |
| D．The factory will be repainted. |
Big Jim may get fired mainly because ____.
| A．he was slow |
| B．he wasted much time |
| C．he was absent-minded |
| D．the work flow was irregular |
Everybody has had at least one experience from which he knows the meaning of life．This time, which took place several years ago, but seems as if it just happened．
On an afternoon several years ago, my brother-in-law opened the bottom drawer of my sister's dress and picked out a beautiful skirt．"Jan bought this the first time we went to New York, at least 8 or 9 years ago．She never wore it．She was saving it for a special occasion．" he said．I guess this was the occasion: it was the funeral (葬礼) of my sister, after her unexpected death．
He took the shirt and put it on bed, with the other clothes we were taking to the funeral．Then he closed the drawer and turned to me, "Don't ever save anything for a special occasion．Every day you're alive is a special occasion．"
I'm thinking about his words, and they've changed the way I live my life．I'm spending more time with my family and friends and less time in committee meetings．Whenever possible, life should be a kind of experience to enjoy, not to suffer．"Someday" and "one of these days" are losing their importance on my vocabulary．If it's worth seeing or hearing or doing,I want to see and hear and do it now．
Ever since that day, I have been trying very hard not to put off, hold hack or save anything that would add laughter and color to our lives．Every morning when I open my eyes．I tell myself that every day, every minute, every breath, truly is a gift．So cherish every day and find the true meaning of your life．Why did Jan buy the beautiful skirt but didn't wear it?
| A．She waited for a special occasion to wear it on． |
| B．She wanted to keep it for someone else． |
| C．She saved it till she grew up． |
| D．She would give it to herself as a gift some day． |
What does the underlined word "cherish" mean?
| A．Treasure． | B．Waste． | C．Own． | D．Save． |
From his experience, the author learns that _______．
| A．everybody can have a happy life through efforts |
| B．every day in our lives is worth cherishing |
| C．enjoying ourselves is the most important thing in our lives |
| D．everybody will have some things left to do after his death |
What does the author write this passage for?
| A．To show how to make good use of every day in life． |
| B．To explain the true meaning of his brother-in-law's words． |
| C．To tell people to cherish every day and find the meaning of life． |
| D．To encourage people to waste time and enjoy themselves in life． |
What's the best title for this passage?
| A．Every Day Is a Gift |
| B．My Sister Jan |
| C．What Is the Meaningful Life Like |
| D．The Most Important Time in Your Life |
It was a quiet village in which there was a military camp. It was far from the towns and cities and there were some high mountains around. Of course it was a good place for training the new soldiers. But it was difficult for the young men to go outside. Mr. White, an officer of forty, was strict with them and he hardly let them leave the camp.
Once Mr. White was ill in bed. He couldn't work and a young officer, Mr. Hunt, began to train the new soldiers instead of him. He knew the young men well and let nine soldiers go to the nearest town to have a holiday. But night fell and none came back to the camp. He was worried about it and stood at the gate. It was five to twelve when Mr. Hunt decided to go to the town and see what was happening with the young men. He started the car quickly and set off. At that moment the nine soldiers came back. It seemed they were all drunk. Of course they found the officer was angry.
"I'm sorry, sir," said the first soldier. "I left the town on time. But something was wrong with my bus on my way here. I had to buy a horse and made it run fast. Bad luck! It died and I had to run back."
And the other seven soldiers said they were late for the same reasons. It was the last soldier's turn. He said, "I'm sorry, sir. I got on a bus on time, but…"
Having heard this, the officer became even angrier and stopped him at once. He called out, "If you say something was wrong with your bus, I'll punish you at once!"
"No, no, sir," said the young man. "My bus was all right, but the dead horses were in its way!"The military camp was built in the village to _______.
| A．stop the soldiers going to towns |
| B．stop the soldiers meeting their friends |
| C．train the new soldiers |
| D．make the young men live quietly |
Mr. Hunt let the nine soldiers have a holiday because _______.
| A．he was kind to them |
| B．they felt lonely |
| C．they had something important to do |
| D．they were the best of all |
The young officer was worried because _______.
| A．a traffic accident had happened |
| B．he was afraid something happened to the nine soldiers |
| C．the nine soldiers didn't come back on time |
| D．the nine soldiers drank too much in the town |
Tom was a clever boy, but his parents were poor, so he had to work in his spare time and during his holidays to pay for his education. In spite of this, he managed to get to the university, but it was so expensive to study there that during the holiday he found it necessary to get two jobs at the same time so as to make enough money to pay for his studies.
One summer he managed to get a job in a butcher’s shop(肉店)during the day-time, and another in a hospital at night. In the shop, he learnt to cut meat quite nicely, so the butcher often left him to do all the serving （服务）while he went to the back room to do the accounts(账目). In the hospital , on the other hand, he was , of course , allowed （允许）to do the simplest jobs, like helping to lift people and to carry them from one part of the hospital to another. Both at the butcher’s shop and at the hospital, Tom had to wear white clothes.
One evening at the hospital, Tom had to carry a woman from her bed to the place where she was to have an operation. The woman was already feeling frightened at the thought of the operation before he came to get her, but when she saw Tom, that finished her.
“No! No!” she cried． “Not my butcher! I won’t be operated on by my butcher!” and fainted away(昏厥).Tom made enough money by ________.
| A．studying in the university |
| B．working in a butcher’s shop |
| C．doing two jobs |
| D．cutting meat well |
Tom was a student, but at the same time he was__________.
| A．a butcher and a doctor |
| B．a manager and a doctor |
| C．an assistant（助手） |
| D．a manager |
The woman patient recognized Tom because ____________.
| A．he was wearing white clothes |
| B．he had sold meat to her |
| C．he was now working in the hospital |
| D．he was going to operate on her |
When she saw Tom, that finished her, the sight of Tom _________.
| A．plunged her into deep sorrow |
| B．made her decide not to have an operation |
| C．broke her heart |
| D．took all her strength and courage away |
My husband can plan wonderful surprise celebrations for me.Recently，however，I told him I didn’t want him to plan one for my upcoming birthday.
“Why？” he asked.
“I am embarrassed being the center of attention，” I quickly explained.
Later，I began to think more deeply about this reason. Then I remembered the surprise celebration I had planned for my friend Nancy on her 60th birthday. We were roommates on a threeweek tour following the Silk Road on those famous steppes (大草原)—and through the mountains—of central Asia.
That afternoon we had arrived at our hotel in Samarkand，Uzbekistan. The young man at the hotel desk told me about a bakery about 10 minutes away. After giving me detailed directions，he added，“Your nose will let you know when you arrive there.”
The temperature was 40 ℃.Soon，my_olfaction proved to be an unfailing guide. Outside the bakery，a delicious smell greeted me.
There were several kinds of breads，cookies，and cakes on display. There were also beautiful iced cakes. I chose a cake topped with powdered sugar.
Later at the Karim Bek Restaurant，Nancy didn’t see the young waiter walk up the steps with the cake.When I began singing“Happy Birthday，”everyone at our table—except Nancy—joined in.
It took her a moment to realize what was happening. Then the grinning (咧嘴笑的) guest of honor thanked me，blew out the candles on the cake，and ate three pieces of it.
Today，after reliving this experience in my mind，I told my husband to ignore my request.I now understand what a surprise party is about：It is not about having a surprise party but rather the delight in giving it. That is what brings the satisfying joy.Why did the author go to the bakery?
| A．To get some bread for her journey. |
| B．To experience the local taste in Samarkand. |
| C．To buy a birthday cake for her friend. |
| D．To eat some iced cakes to cool herself down. |
The underlined words “my olfaction” in Paragraph 7 most probably refer to________.
| A．the waiter at the hotel |
| B．the author’s sense of smell |
| C．the author’s friend |
| D．the author’s map |
The party held at the Karim Bek Restaurant was________.
| A．very successful | B．a little simple |
| C．quite boring | D．too noisy |
From the last paragraph we learn that now the author________.
| A．becomes less interested in surprise parties |
| B．thinks surprise parties are embarrassing |
| C．enjoys giving others surprises |
| D．realizes the true meaning of surprise parties |
From the passage，we can NOT infer that________.
| A．the author’s birthday is coming |
| B．the author’s husband loves her very much |
| C．the author and Nancy have been roommates for three weeks |
| D．the author has already spent her 60th birthday |
My father had always been an alert observer of human character. Within seconds of meeting someone, he could sum up their strengths and weaknesses. It was always a challenge to see if any of my boyfriends could pass Dad’s test. None did. Dad was always right---they didn’t pass my test either. After Dad died, I wondered how I’d figure it out on my own.
That’s when Jack arrived on the scene. He was different from any other guy I’d dated. He could sit for hours on the piano bench with my mother, discussing some composers. My brother Rick loudly announced that Jack wasn’t a turkey like the other guys I’d brought home. Jack passed my family’s test. But what about Dad’s?
Then came my mother’s birthday. The day he was supposed to drive, I got a call. “Don’t worry,” he said, “but I’ve been in an accident. I’m fine, but I need you to pick me up.”
When I got there, we rushed to a flower shop for something for Mom. “How about gardenias?” Jack said, pointing at a beautiful white corsage(胸花). The florist put the corsage in a box.
The entire ride, Jack was unusually quiet. “Are you all right?” I asked. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking,” he said. “I might be moving.” Moving? Then he added, “Moving in with you.” I nearly put the car on the sidewalk. “What?” I asked. “I think we should get married,” he said. He told me he’d planned his proposal in a fancy restaurant, but after the accident, he decided to do it right away. “Yes,” I whispered. We both sat dumbfounded, tears running down our cheeks. I’d never known such a tender moment. If only Dad were here to give his final approval.
“Oh, let’s just go inside.” Jack laughed. My mother opened the door. “Happy Birthday!” we shouted. Jack handed the box to her. She opened it up. Suddenly, her eyes were filled with tears. “Mom, what’s wrong?” I asked. “I’m sorry,” she said, wiping her eyes. “This is only the second gardenia corsage I’ve ever received. I was given one years ago, long before you kids were born.” “From who?” I asked. “Your father,” Mom said. “He gave me one right before we were engaged.” My eyes locked on Jack’s as I blinked away(眨掉) tears. Dad’s test? I knew Jack had passed.According to the text, we know the writer’s father was __________.
| A．interested in observing things around |
| B．good at judging one’s character |
| C．strict with her boyfriend |
| D．fond of challenges |
What is the main idea of Paragraph 2?
| A．Jack got the family’s approval except Dad’s. |
| B．Jack was different from any other boy. |
| C．Jack was getting on well with Mother. |
| D．Jack knew a lot about piano. |
The underlined word “proposal” in Paragraph 5 means __________.
| A．piece of advice | B．wedding ceremony |
| C．celebration of birthday | D．offer of marriage |
On hearing “moving in with you”, the writer felt . .
| A．pleased | B．worried | C．surprised | D．disappointed |
Why did the writer’s mother cry?
| A．The gift was the same as the one her husband gave her. |
| B．She had never received such a beautiful gift. |
| C．Her daughter found her life partner at last. |
| D．The gardenia corsage was too expensive. |
Parents are a child’s first teachers. But some parents never learned from good examples. In New York City, a nonprofit agency called Covenant House tries to help homeless young mothers become good parents.
The twelve or so teenagers who live at the shelter attend parenting classes four days a week. The class is called Mommy and Me. Teacher Delores Clemens is a mother of five and a grandmother. She teaches basic skills, like how to give a baby a bath and how to dress a baby depending on the season.
She remembers one student who learned from her mother not to pick up a crying baby. The mother said that would only make the child needy and overly demanding. Delores Clemens says, “that's not true. You have to hold your baby! He is crying for a reason. If you never pick him up, he's going to keep crying. Pick your baby up. Cuddle your baby. Hug him! And she started to do that. They just want a little cuddling and a little love. And it works!”
Delores Clemens says her students also learn how to be good mothers by letting themselves be mothered. Around three hundred fifty teenage mothers graduate from Covenant House's Mommy and Me class every year.
In class, with her baby son is Natasha. She lived on the streets. She is glad not only for the warmth and shelter of Covenant House. As she told reporter Adam Phillips, she is also glad for the help they offer in seeking a more secure life.
The World Health Organization says the United States has forty-one births for every one thousand girls age fifteen to nineteen. That is higher than other developed countries, as well as some developing ones. By comparison, northern neighbor Canada has fourteen births and southern neighbor Mexico has eighty-two.What is the text mainly about?
| A．Parents who are a child’s first teachers. |
| B．A class where teens learn mothering and are mothered. |
| C．A nonprofit agency that offers a more secure life. |
| D．A kind teacher who help homeless young mothers. |
Covenant Houses’ Mommy and Me class is intended to _____.
| A．help homeless young mothers become good parents |
| B．provide homeless young mothers with a warm shelter |
| C．help mothers in New York be good parents |
| D．teach some parents how to love their children |
What can we know about Delores Clemens from the text?
| A．She has a mother of five and a grandmother. |
| B．She thinks a crying baby should be picked up and hugged. |
| C．She teaches advanced skills on how to be good mothers. |
| D．She is very glad for the warmth and shelter of Covenant House. |
According to the World Health Organization, which country has the highest births for girls age fifteen to nineteen?
| A．Canada |
| B．the United States of America |
| C．Mexico |
| D．Britain |
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