Recently, we were given the opportunity to review a book written by a young author. When we received it, I noted how beautifully done it was. While often the case---we see beautifully written and illustrated books all the time---but how often do they come from a 10-year-old? Sewing a Friendship, written by a creative and talented young girl named Natalie Tinti, is such a book.
Developing friendships is an area that Natalie Tinti has researched in her own life. In her book, Sewing a Friendship, she tells what great things can happen if kids take a step toward friendship.
Tinti’s characters in Sewing a Friendship have colorful and creative personalities. Jonsy Jipsy loves singing and belly dance. Sokron Blossom lives in a neat and tidy world and loves to read fashion magazines. Meeka likes brain games and Nina is happy with her life and the music it brings her.
All but one of the characters seems happy with their lives. One of the girls, Kiki Shaver, was sad to live in a small home with her aunt and uncle. She had no friend and didn’t know how to make them. When four girls invites her into the circle of their friendship, it’s no wonder that Kiki is hesitant and uneasy.
The story continues as the four girls invite and accept a “ not so likeable” girl into their circle to win a fashion show. The girls feel a strong bond of friendship after the show. Kiki then understands that taking a step towards friendship is better than being alone. All the girls learn that by having the courage to include others, you can “ sew a friendship”.
Today, it seems that almost every news headline begins with a child’s suicide---or murder---because of being bullied(欺侮)，not having friends or family to discuss issues with and feelings of low self –respect. What’s causing these senseless terrible events? If more kids would invite the outcasts（被驱逐者） into their circle of friends, lives would be saved as well as pointed in another direction.
Natalie Tinti finds her voice in Sewing a Friendship ---and shows a talent that’s rare for such a young girl. Recommended reading for all young adult fans. The first paragraph serves as a(n) ______.
| A．background | B．explanation |
| C．summary | D．introduction |
The author seems to agree that ______.
| A．bullying is the main cause of children’s suicides |
| B．we should not expect too much from friendship |
| C．friendship has the power to prevent sad events |
| D．one should not forget his old circle of friends |
Which of the following words can best describe the ending of the story?
| A．Disappointing. | B．Unexpected |
| C．Uncertain. | D．Satisfying |
The general tone(基调) of the passage is one of ______.
| A．praise | B．delight |
| C．complaint | D．concern |
His eyes nearly in tears from the crush of fellow travelers at Guangzhou's train station, Hong Tao said things were much better on Sunday, after days of waiting for a train to his home in Hubei province.
"I think it's fine today, and everything is going smoothly," the 28-year-old said. "I thought it would be really crowded but it has turned out to be OK."
Chinese authorities say they expect 1.3 million people to travel out of Guangzhou's train station over the next few days, as they rush to get home by Wednesday, the eve of Lunar New Year.
Hong's optimism may have been helped by the blue skies that emerged over Guangzhou on Sunday for the first time in a week.
Last week, a rare winter storm paralyzed China's transportation system as millions tried to get home to celebrate the holiday — the only chance for many migrant workers to see their families all year.
China's state-run Xinhua news agency said Friday that 95 percent of rail traffic had "returned to normal." But Guangzhou's train station remained packed with a backlog of hundreds of thousands of travelers hoping to get home for the holiday.
A young woman was stepped on in a stampede (人群蜂拥) at the train station Friday, and later died of her injuries, according to Xinhua. Video of the situation on Friday showed crowds of people screaming, elbowing each other, in some cases sobbing and collapsing in the rush to get a slot (狭缝，窄孔) on a train.
China Sunday announced it has organized over 300,000 People's Liberation Army forces to southern China in what it described as a "war on winter weather".
The government also announced a $700 million plan to help farmers whose crops have been destroyed.How many days is it from the day this article was made to the Lunar New Year?
| A．Two days. | B．Three days. |
| C．Four days. | D．Five days. |
What can we know about the weather condition of last week in Guangzhou?
| A．Sunny with blue sky. | B．Rainy for a whole week. |
| C．Heavily snowy. | D．Rainy first and snowy now. |
Why are there so many passengers in Guangzhou’s train station?
| A．Because the heavy snow stopped the passengers from leaving the station. |
| B．Because the passengers didn’t hope to leave the station right now. |
| C．Because the passengers hoped to leave for their hometown. |
| D．Because the holiday was coming near. |
Where is Hong Tao from?
| A．Shandong province. | B．Hubei province. |
| C．Guandong province. | D．Not mentioned. |
Why do parents have such a difficult time to communicate openly and honestly with their teens? For this, there are many reasons but most of them stem from not being able to properly understand their teens. It is a dangerous gap because parents will have to communicate with their teens about a wide variety of issues during the most important years of their lives. Thus, parents must know how to communicate openly and honestly with their teens.
Here are a few tips to make communication easier between parents and teenagers.
1. Try not to talk down to your teens. Make them feel as if their views really matter, which not only helps your discussions with your teen but bring you closer to him.
2. Imagine what it would be like to be a teen. Try to remember some of the negative feelings you experienced as a teenager and apply it to your teen's situation.
3. Never make negative remarks to your teen about what she has said or done.
4. Remember how much courage it would have taken for your teen to come and talk to you about his personal issues. So listen respectfully.
5. Don't ignore your teen's feelings because it is usually a cry for help. For instance, if your teen is unusually angry, it may be time to spend a bit of quality time with your teen to determine what is wrong and where he is coming from.
It is, therefore, necessary for parents to strive to keep lines of communication open at all times with their teens. Try to remember what it was like to be a teenager and how vulnerable（脆弱的）you felt. Then you will be well on your way to help your teen communicate more openly and honestly.Why don't teens want to talk about their personal issues with their parents?
| A．Because they can't respect their parents. |
| B．Because they can't understand their parents. |
| C．Because their parents won't understand them well. |
| D．Because their parents are not honest. |
When your son comes to you for help, you should NOT _____.
| A．listen respectively | B．treat him seriously |
| C．care about his feeling | D．make negative remarks |
Which of the following has the similar meaning to the underlined phrase “talk down to”?
| A．put down | B．look down upon | C．chat with | D．quarrel with |
The best title for this passage is _____.
| A．Causes of generation gap |
| B．Relations between teens and parents |
| C．Suggestions for parents-children effective communication |
| D．Problems with communication between teens and parents |
Verbier language school
Beginner? Fluent? Young? Young at heart? VLS can help you learn or improve your language skills in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere with fun, professional teachers.
What we offer:
·Individual (个人) and group French, English, German, Spanish, Italian, Russian and Swedish lessons for children and adults.
·Exam preparation for TEFL, TOEFL, IELTS, Common Entrance, GCSE.
·Summer course.
·Translation services.
·Summer immersion (浸泡式) camps—language and activities including cooking, performances, art and crafts, walking, biking, various sports etc. 9am—4pm (lunch included)
·Winter immersion camps—language and skiing. 9am—4pm (lunch included)
Course + prices (Prices shown are for 1 hour lessons, per student):
| Private lessons |
90 dollars |
| Semi-private (2 people) |
50 dollars |
| Group lessons (3-6 people) |
30 dollars |
Private—one-to-one tuition focusing on the individual needs of the student.
Group—learn in a relaxed and fun environment.
Maximum of 6 students per group so there are still plenty of chances to ask questions.
Children—learning with fun and games in private or group lessons.
Corporate—arrange private or group classes for your company aimed at your specific needs.
Conditions
·If registering by phone and email, classes are not confirmed(确认) until a deposit(定金) has been received via the bank or Paypal. Please contact us for bank details.
·Payment for the classes must be paid in full in advance or at each lesson.
·Students must complete a test at their first lesson to make sure of their level.
Contact us
By post: Verbier Language School, Centre de l’Etoile, Case Postal 475, Rue de M dran 6, 1936 Verbier, Switzerland
By phone: + 41 (0) 79 653 22 27
By email: info@verbierlanguageschool.comIn the first paragraph, “Young at heart” refers to ___________.
| A．happy people |
| B．people with a strong heart |
| C．old professional teachers |
| D．the elderly people |
It can be inferred that IELTS is _________.
| A．a language course | B．a language test |
| C．a sports competition | D．a summer camp |
John and his father both attend the Group lessons to learn German. They learn two hours each day. How much do they need to pay per day?
| A．200 dollars | B．180 dollars |
| C．120 dollars | D．60 dollars |
In their first lesson, students are required to _______.
| A．report their interest | B．take an exam |
| C．complete a form | D．pay by credit card |
Everyone gets sick of hearing. “Put on your seat belt!”But it’s good advice. People who wear seat belts are 45 percent less likely to be killed while riding in the front seat of a car.
The US government wants more seat belt laws. It says children aged 4 to 15 are often killed in car accidents. In 2005, there were 1,627 children aged 4 to 15 killed in car accidents. More than 1,000 of those children were not wearing seat belts. If they had been wearing seat belts, 500 of those children could be alive today.
These children are too old to be in car seats, but they often sit in the back seat. Seat belt laws in many states, including Wisconsin, only require people in the front seat to wear seat belts. Children who aren’t wearing seat belts can be thrown from the car. The risk of dying in an accident is three times greater if the person is thrown from the car.
New laws could require children aged 4 to 8 to be in booster seats in the car. Booster seats help seat belts fit children properly. Right now, only 5 percent of children aged 4 to 8 are seated in booster seats.
While parents have the choice of whether wearing seat belts or not, children are too young to make that choice. Even if you decide not to wear a seat belt, make sure you children are in seat belts and car seats. It’s the law and it will save their lives.The underlined sentence “Everyone gets sick of hearing”in the first paragraph means“________”.
| A．there is something wrong with everyone’s ears |
| B．all people fall ill when they hear something |
| C．many people don’t pay attention to wearing seat belts |
| D．none of the people knows it is a piece of good advice |
More than two-third of 1,627 children were killed because ___________.
| A．they weren’t using seat belts |
| B．they were too careful when they walked on the road |
| C．they were not old enough to sit in the car |
| D．they wore seat belts |
You must get your children to put on seat belts in order to ________.
| A．keep them comfortable in the car seat | B．keep them safe |
| C．keep them awake in the car all the time | D．prevent all kinds of traffic accidents |
What would be the best title of this passage?
| A．Children Should Put on Seat Belts. |
| B．Too Many Traffic Accidents Happened Recently. |
| C．Traffic Laws Are Very Important. |
| D．Parents Are Important to Children. |
Zoos divide opinion ： there are those who think it is cruel to keep animals locked up while others believe zoos are essential for the survival of endangered species.
To argue that zoos imprison animals is to misunderstand what zoos are about. Without zoos many of the creatures we love and admire would no longer exist. Every single day，over one hundred animal species vanish. Scientists predict that as early as 2050 one quarter of the Earth’s species will become extinct.
Some animals are in danger because they are hunted. Alarmingly, the population of tigers has already fallen by ninety-five percent. Other species are in danger because of a lack of food. For example, there are fewer than 1300 giant pandas left in the wild.
Zoos have special breeding programmes to help those animals at risk. These breeding programmes are proving extremely successful. As Irene Shapiro from Zoo and Wildlife Support says, “the Puerto Rican Parrot has grown in numbers from just thirteen to about eighty-five and the Golden Lion Tamarin Monkey, which has almost ceased to exist twenty years ago, has been reintroduced back into the wild. ”
Unfortunately, not everyone understands this important role zoos play. For example, Brian Featherstone from the Anti-Zoo Forum says, “I can’t believe we take animals from the wild and put them in cages for the entertainment of the public! We should view them on film or TV in their natural environment.，’
However, this misses the point. A zoo does more than display animals to the public. It ensures their survival. Without zoos you would not be able to see many of these animals on TV or anywhere else!What’s the writer’s attitude towards zoos?
| A．He shows no opinion either for or against them. |
| B．He thinks that they are unnecessary and cruel. |
| C．He believes they play an important environmental role. |
| D．He expresses a desire that more of them be built. |
The underlined word “vanish” in Paragraph 2 most probably means _____.
| A．remain | B．disappear | C．become rarer | D．get killed |
According to the passage the world’s tiger population _____.
| A．will rise by 5% next year | B．is relatively stable |
| C．is 95% smaller than in the past | D．has fallen to 95% |
According to the passage some people do not agree with zoos because they _____
| A．are too expensive to run | B．put animals in danger |
| C．do not provide enough food | D．keep animals locked up |
According to the writer ，the most important function of the zoo is to _____.
| A．make a lot of money | B．entertain visitors |
| C．ensure animals’ survival | D．educate the public |
We were standing at the top of a church tower. My father had brought me to this spot in a small town not far from our home in Rome. I wondered why.
“Look down, Elsa,” father said. I gathered all my courage and looked down. I saw the square in the center of the village. And I saw the crisscross (十字形) of twisting, turning streets leading to the square. “See, my dear,” father said gently. “There is more than one way to the square. Life is like that. If you can’t get to the place where you want to go by one road, try another.”
Now I understood why I was there. Earlier that day I had begged my mother to do something about the awful lunches that were served at school. But she refused because she could not believe the lunches were as bad as I said.
When I turned to father for help, he didn’t say anything. Instead, he brought me to this high tower to give me a lesson. By the time we reached home, I had a plan.
At school the next day, I secretly poured my lunch soup into a bottle and brought it home. Then I asked our cook to serve it to mother at dinner. The plan worked perfectly. She swallowed one spoonful and sputtered（喷溅出） “ The cook must have gone mad！” Quickly I told her what I had done, and Mother stated firmly that she would take up the matter of lunches at school the next day!
In the years that followed, I often remembered the lesson father taught me. I began to work as a fashion designer two years ago. I wouldn’t stop working until I tried every possible means to my goal. Father’s wise words always remind me that there is more than one way to the square.The author’s father took her to the top of a church tower to ____________.
| A．enjoy the beautiful scenery of the whole town |
| B．find out how many ways lead to the square |
| C．inspire her to find out another way to solve her problem |
| D．help her forget some unpleasant things earlier that day |
What did the author want her mother to do earlier that day?
| A．Do something delicious for lunch. |
| B．Taste her awful lunch. |
| C．Dismiss the mad cook. |
| D．Speak to the school about lunch. |
The underlined sentence in the fifth paragraph suggests that_____________.
| A．the cook agreed to serve the soup to the writer’s mother |
| B．the author’s mother was angry with the cook |
| C．her father persuaded her mother successfully |
| D．the method the author thought of was effective |
By sharing her own experiences, the author tries to tell us ____________.
| A．when one road is blocked, try another |
| B．how bad the lunch of her school is |
| C．how wise her father is |
| D．about the church tower near her home |
Who says constant texting is just a bad habit? The teenager with the fastest thumbs in the country was crowned on Wednesday at the LG US National Texting Championship in New York City, winning ＄50,000 after a series of fierce texting battles.
16-year-old Austin Wiershke comes from Rhinelander, Wisconsin of the United States. He took home the top prize at the fifth annual texting event, beating 11 other competitors in the final, including last year’s champion Brianna Hendrickson from Brooklyn, New York.
Wiershke, who was wearing a gray shirt and having Justin Bieber’s hairstyle, sailed through each level of the competition by typing passages of text on a QWERTY keyboard rapidly without any mistaken. One special round even included being blindfolded(蒙眼) on the state to make up phrases by memory.
“I’m extremely nervous,” Wiershke said while waiting for the results after the final round. “I’m getting ready to hear Brianna’s name. When I heard my name was announced, I really couldn’t believe my ears.” After the announcement was made, confetti(五彩纸屑) dropped from the ceiling and Wiershke was met on the stage by the singer who said that she liked texting very much. She was Ashley Tisdale, a famous and beautiful singer, who awarded him his check.
In August, a film on Music Television called “Thumbs” took a behind-the –scenes look at the teenager’s life. It shows how he practiced texting to be the fastest. The film followed a series of young texting competitors, including Brianna Hendrickson, in the weeks leading up to this year’s LG US National Texting Championship. Besides showing the always –connected lifestyle of these teenagers nationwide, the mover also shows the studies, sports , dreams and friendships among these competitors.What is the main idea of this passage?
| A．A teenager receiver $50,000. |
| B．Teenagers in the US make money by texting. |
| C．A teenager was named the fastest texter in the US. |
| D．The LG US National Texting Championship was held in New York City. |
During the special round, competitors were required to text_____________.
| A．among confetti |
| B．without using their eyes |
| C．using a special keyboard |
| D．extremely difficult words |
We can infer that Austin Wiershke_________.
| A．wasn’t used to using the QWERTY keyboard |
| B．didn’t think Brianna Hendrickson would win this time |
| C．didn’t expect he would beat Brianna Hendrickson |
| D．was very confident when he was waiting for the result of the contest |
Through the film called “Thumb”, people can know____________.
| A．the development of the LG US National Texting Championship |
| B．various parts of the competitors’ life |
| C．what happened to the competitors after the contest |
| D．the details of the texting contest |
It is not a secret that these are turbulent times that put everyone on edge all the time and it makes people angry with their families, co-workers, friends and relatives, frustrated (沮丧的)and highly annoyed just for the noise of the neighbors or the music coming from the opposite house. Anger and negative energy have a strong influence on everyone’s life, even when they don’t realize it.
Being in a calm state of mind is simply wonderful. Results of this can be seen when parents no longer shout at their children over any small thing and when one can keep him cool when bad things happen and doesn’t let the situation become worse by his negative influence.
Also results can be seen on a larger scale. In 1993 a very interesting scientific experiment called The US Transcendental Meditation experiment was conducted in Washington. A company called TM got 4,000 calm and relaxed people to simply sit and meditate (冥想) in a central Washington convention center. The results of this experiment showed that during those particular 8 weeks, violent crimes, such as murder, rape, assaults, clearly decreased by as much as 23%.
This is evident proof that meditation can change the state of mind, bring back peace of mind and collective meditation is contagious (蔓延的), just as anything done collectively is contagious. For example, a person has the urge to become aggressive (while in normal circumstances that person is very calm and normal), just because he is sitting at a stadium watching a football game and everyone around is shouting and is aggressive.
Isn’t increasing the quality of life worth spending 20 minutes of time on meditation? Yes, very few people follow through with a meditation method that should be a joy to do. Many start and leave it after only a few sessions.
So if collective meditation has proven that meditation works, that it calms people down and that it brings their levels of stress down, why not employ it in everyday life?The underlined word “turbulent” in Paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to “ ”.
| A．changeless | B．disorderly | C．perfect | D．expected |
According to Paragraph 3, the scientific experiment .
| A．was to test whether meditation is useful |
| B．was conducted throughout America |
| C．asked the participants to do a lot of sports |
| D．had no particular requirements on the participants |
Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．Violent crimes are closely related to aggressive characters. |
| B．People are sometimes easily annoyed by small things. |
| C．Many people fail to carry out a meditation method. |
| D．Meditation can cure people of many illnesses. |
Some people believe that international sport creates goodwill between the nations and that if countries play games together, they will learn to live together. Others say that the opposite is true: international competitions encourage false national pride and lead to misunderstanding and hatred．There is probably some truth in both arguments, but in recent years the Olympic Games have done little to support the view that sport encourages international brotherhood．Not only was there the tragic incident including the murder of athletes, but the Games were also ruined by incidents caused mainly by smaller national contests.
One country received its second-place medals with visible anger after the hockey final. There had been noisy scenes at the end of the hockey match, the losers objecting to the final decisions. They were sure that one of their goals should not have been disallowed and that their opponents’ victory was unfair. Their manager was in great anger when he said, “This wasn’t hockey. Hockey and the International Hockey Federation are finished.” The president of the Federation said later that such behavior could result in the suspension（停赛）of the team for at least three years.
Incidents of this kind will continue as long as sport is played competitively rather than for the love of the game. The suggestion that athletes should compete as individuals, or in non-national teams, might be too much to hope for. But in the present organization of the Olympics there is far too much that encourages aggressive patriotism（爱国主义）.According to the author, recently the Olympic Games have ______.
| A．created goodwill between the nations |
| B．brought about only false national pride |
| C．hardly showed any international friendship |
| D．put an end to misunderstanding and hatred |
The underlined word “disallowed” (in Paragraph 2) means “______”.
| A．permitted to pass |
| B．considered as reasonable |
| C．won by the other side |
| D．refused to accept |
What did the manager mean by saying, “Hockey and the International Hockey Federation are finished"?
| A．His team would no longer take part in international games. |
| B．Hockey and the Federation are both ruined by the unfair decisions. |
| C．There should be no more Hockey matches organized by the Federation. |
| D．The Federation should break up. |
The author gives the example in paragraph 2 to show ______.
| A．how false national pride led to undesirable incidents in international games |
| B．that sportsmen are often against the final decisions |
| C．that competitiveness in the games discourages international friendship |
| D．that unfair decisions are common in the Olympic Games |
What conclusion can be drawn from the passage?
| A．The organization of the Olympic Games must be improved. |
| B．Athletes should compete as individuals in the Olympic Games. |
| C．A game should be played competitively rather than for the love of the game. |
| D．More and more athletes will compete for their own honor. |
Researchers questioned nearly 9,800 people over the age of 50 about their lives and found women were happier than men and enjoy life more in old age.
Dr Elizabeth Breeze, one of the researchers, said that women could become happier as they get older as they no longer have to worry about looking after their families.
She said:“There is a difference between the way men and women view their quality of life and they are influenced by slightly different things. Women are affected negatively by caring for someone else or if they are not in employment but if they see their children and family more they are positively affected.”
“A strange thing happens to male actors, especially movie stars, in my experience,” said Helen Mirren, a 62-year-old Hollywood actress.“A young male actor feels that all the girls want him-he’s a star. As actors get older they bad-tempered for they have lost that sense of being in control of their destiny(命运).”
Wealth also helps you live longer with the poorest people more than twice as likely to die earlier than the richest, researchers at University College London discovered. In some age groups. the difference was even greater. The poorest women between 60 and 74 are six times more likely to have died than the richest women of the same age.
According to the study, you have more chances of living longer if you are married, educated to certain degree or a professional. single people are twice as likely to die early as those who are married or living with a partner.What may be the best title of the passage ?
| A．Why Women Are Happier Than Men in Old Age . |
| B．How to Live Longer. |
| C．Women Happier Than Men in Old Age. |
| D．The Difference between Women and Men in Old Age |
What can we know from the passage？
| A．Men should not worry about looking after their family any more in old age |
| B．Male actors, especially movie stars are easy to get bad—tempered when they get older and older. |
| C．The poorest women about the age of 50 can’t live longer than the richest women at the same age. |
| D．Education has nothing to do with happy life in people’s old age. |
What may be talked about if there is another paragraph as the ending ?
| A．Things that the old should do to be happier. |
| B．The disadvantage of being actors. |
| C．We should earn money as much as we can. |
| D．How to become a professional. |
My first job was at a local restaurant, where I worked for seven years . Being a waitress changed my 1 . I tried my best to do what I loved--- 2 People. I always made everyone , customers and coworkers, 3 good.
One of my 4 customers was Fred Hasbrook. He 5 came for Breakfast on Sunday mornings. 6 I saw the old man coming, I always smiled at him and 7 the best service.
One day, Fred saw me and asked , “What’s up ? You’re not 8 today.” I told him that I dreamed of having my own 9 . but when I called my parents to ask for a loan(贷款)，they said , “We just don’t have the 10 .”“Fred,” I said to the old man, “I know I can 11 more if somebody would just have faith in me.”
The next day , Fred came and 12 me a check totaling ＄50,000—along with a 13 that read, “The only collateral(抵押品）on this loan is my 14 in your honesty as a person. Good people with a dream should have the chance to 15 that dream.
I accepted the money and plans for the restaurant I would 16 . Things did not go well. My plans 17 and I lost the money.
Later I decided to 18 a job at Merrill Lynch. Even though I had no experience, I was 19 and became a pretty good agent. 20 I paid back Fred the ＄50,000.Five years later, I was able to open my own firm.
A．work B．life C．attitude D．opinion
A．pleasing B．serving C．supporting D．understanding
A．seem B．remain C．feel D．stay
A．daily B．ordinary C．normal D．regular
A．ever B．seldom C．even D．always
A．As soon as B．Every time C．Because D．Since
A．left B．made C．got D．offered
A．working B．joking C．smiling D．singing
A．house B．way C．restaurant D．company
A．time B．money C．courage D．luck
A．do B．give C．have D．share
A．handed B．showed C．bought D．lent
A．gift B．note C．picture D．book
A．wish B．trust C．guess D．demand
A．express B．prove C．realize D．explain
A．visit B．introduce C．sell D．open
A．finish B．change C．succeeded D．failed
A．keep on with B．put up with C．apply for D．give up
A．paid B．employed C．interviewed D．praised
A．Generally B．Actually C．Finally D．Fortunately
Dear David，
I’m glad you would like to share your feelings with me．It’s hardly surprising that your feelings of not being “grown up” have come on strongly at this point in your life，just before you’re about to become a father．You are asking：will I make a good father？How will I cope?
Should I have brought another little person into the world? Can l provide for it? Help! I think nearly every sensitive about-to-be-parent must have these occasional feelings of self-doubt and inadequacy(不适)before the birth and it would be most unusual if you didn't share them．It's difficult，honestly，to feel grown-up unless you have something less grown-up to relate to．
The boss with a hen-pecking wife may feel like a seven-year-old when he’s at home．But as he walks through the office door，and knows he’s going to be surrounded by staff looking to him for Advice，he grows into a fully mature man．And I think it’s a mistake to imagine that we all feel，as we age，a kind of progression of states，from the baby to the adult．Most people feel，on Tuesday，about three years old，and on a Wednesday，around 80．
There's a common remark that “all men are little boys”，but it's not true．It's more true that men often behave like little boys．But nearly all people，at some moments in their lives，are capable of groat maturity．
Once your baby arrives，you’ll soon feel less childlike，or rather，less often．When your child tries to put its fingers into the electric plug，the adult in you will rise up to prevent it．You’ll see
you have very little in common with a needy child，particularly if it's looking to you for comfort and support．
Comfort yourself，David，with two truths．One is that your friends laugh when they talk about this subject because they，like you，feel frightened．And remember that people who haven't grown up don’t go around talking about the fact that they don’t feel grown-up．
Hope my advice will be helpful and good luck to you and your little one．
Yours sincerely
Miss Advice
According to the passage，Miss Advice thinks David's self-doubt is________．
| A．valuable | B．natural | C．unusual | D．bearable |
From Paragraph 2，we can learn that people's sense of maturity________．
| A．will increase with age |
| B．is obviously seen at home |
| C．changes with different situations |
| D．becomes stronger with familiar people |
Miss Advice holds that________．
| A．all men behave like little boys |
| B．people tend to laugh at the subject |
| C．men with a baby feel more grown-up |
| D．people enjoy talking about their immaturity |
Miss Advice wrote the letter to________
| A．offer suggestions to a future father |
| B．teach people how to grow up |
| C．encourage people to be responsible |
| D．solve problems of the less grown-up |
Removing the sleeve (封套)，you will find a book that is entirely white，except for the names of its author and subject in elegant black type on the cover. It is the perfect design for the biography of a man who insisted that even the insides of his products be perfectly constructed，and that his factory walls flash in the whitest white.
The cover was the only part of the book Steve Jobs wanted to control，writes Isaacson in his introduction.Though Mr Jobs pushed the biographer of Albert Einstein and Benjamin Franklin to write in his own way，generously allowing the writer more than 40 interviews，this book offers quite a different view of Mr Jobs，who won much praise from his fans after his death on October 5th at the age of 56.
As a biographer of Albert Einstein and Benjamin Franklin，Mr Isaacson knows how to celebrate longdead genius，but he claimed that Steve Jobs would not be entirely praiseful words.The picture he paints，particularly in the first half of this book，is not nice. Mr Jobs emerges as a controlling and often coldblooded character.A child of the 1960s counterculture (反主流文化)，he hated materialism and lived in simply furnished houses (in part because he was too particular about furniture)．But when Apple went public in 1980，he refused to give any share to Daniel Kottke，a longtime supporter and soul mate from college.“He has to abandon the people he is close to”，observes Andy Hertzfeld，an early Apple engineer.
Mr Jobs was undoubtedly possessing an extraordinary ability to attract others and inspire a kind of faith that could not be questioned.But also he could be cold and cruel. If he disapproved of an employee’s work，he often shamed him.“This is who I am，” he once said after being challenged，“and you can’t expect me to be someone I’m not.” This disgusting personality wasn’t always helpful，but it served a purpose，writes Mr Isaacson，many would “end their chain of horror stories by saying that he got them to do things they never dreamed possible”．
Mr Isaacson treats Steve Jobs as the biography of record，which means that it is a strange book to read so soon after its subject’s death.
The biography for Jobs is believed to have the perfect design because________.
| A．it follows Jobs’ style |
| B．its cover is entirely white |
| C．black and white are his favorite |
| D．it is designed by a famous biographer |
The picture of Jobs that Isaacson paints in his book is________.
①cruel ②humorous ③particular ④generous
It can be safely concluded that________.
| A．Jobs is highly spoken of in the book |
| B．Isaacson doesn’t think Jobs a good man |
| C．Jobs didn’t care about the design of the book |
| D．all descriptions of Jobs are not nice in the book |
This passage can be classified as________.
| A．a personal diary | B．a book review |
| C．a news report | D．a TV interview |
A 17-year-old boy, caught sending text messages in class, was recently sent to the vice principal's office at Millwood High School in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
The vice principal, Steve Gallagher, told the boy he needed to focus on the teacher, not his cellphone. The boy listened politely and nodded, and that's when Mr. Gallagher noticed the student's fingers moving on his lap. He was texting while being scolded for texting!
"It was a subconscious(下意识的) act," said Mr. Gallagher, who took the phone away. "Young people today are connected socially from the moment they open their eyes in the morning until they close their eyes at night. It's addictive(上瘾的). They can’t simply stop doing that."
Because so many people in their teens and early 20s are in this constant whir of socializing – accessible(易接近的) to each other every minute of the day via cellphone, instant messaging and social-networking Web sites -- there are a host of new questions that need to be addressed in schools, in the workplace and at home. Chief among them: How much work can "hyper-socializing" students or employees really accomplish if they are holding multiple conversations with friends via text-messaging, or are obsessively checking Facebook? Almost a quarter of today's teens check Facebook more than 10 times a day, according to a 2009 survey by Common Sense Media, a non-profit group that monitors media's impact on families.
Will these young people get rid of this habit once they enter the work force, or will employers come to see texting and "social-network checking" as accepted parts of the workday?
"In past generations, students got in trouble for passing notes in class. Now students are adept at texting with their phones still in their pockets," said 40-year-old Mr. Gallagher, "and they're able to communicate with someone one floor down and three rows over. Students are just fundamentally different today. They will take suspensions(休学) rather than give up their phones."When the boy was scolded for texting, _________________.
| A．he was polite and regretful |
| B．he was trying sending another message |
| C．his fingers shouldn’t be put on his lap |
| D．he listened carefully and nodded |
From what the boy did we know___________.
| A．Using the cellphone is addictive for the boy |
| B．The boy will stop using the cellphone |
| C．The boy will leave school |
| D．The boy wasn’t willing to accept being scolded |
What can we learn about the students in their teens and early 20s?
| A．All of them are addicted to using cellphones. |
| B．They will get rid of the habit once they go to work. |
| C．They are greatly different from the past generations. |
| D．Most of them check Facebook more than 10 times a day. |
What can we infer from the passage?
| A．Facebook is a kind of book students need to read at school. |
| B．The employers will accept texting at workday. |
| C．The students will give up their phones one day. |
| D．It’s convenient for students to communicate with others with cellphones. |
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