“If you want to see a thing well, reach out and touch it!” That may seem a strange thing to say. But touching things can help you to see them better. Your eyes can tell you that a glass ball is round. But by holding it in your hands, you can feel how smooth and cool the ball is. You can feel how heavy the glass is. When you feel all these about the ball, you really see it. With your skin, you can feel better. For example, your fingers can tell the difference between two coins in your pocket. You can feel a little drop of water on the back of your hand, too.
All children soon learn what “Don’t touch!” means. They hear it often. Yet most of us keep on touching things as we grow up. In shops, we touch things as we might buy: food, clothes. To see something well, we have to touch it.
There are ways of learning to see well by feeling. One way is to close your eyes and try to feel everything that is touching your skin. Feel the shoes on your feet, the clothes on your body, the air on your skin. At first, it is not easy to feel these things. You are too used to them!
Most museums are just for looking. But today some museums have some things to touch. There you can feel everything on show. If we want to see better, reach out and touch. Then you will really see. By touching things,________.
| A．you will have a strange feeling |
| B．you will learn how to reach out your hand |
| C．you can tell the difference of the things |
| D．you can tell what colors they are |
When people buy things in shops, they often_________.
| A．try them on first | B．keep their right hands on them |
| C．ask about them | D．feel and touch them |
Why does it say “At first, it is not easy to feel these things?” Because__________.
| A．the things are used by people, too | B．people feel the things too often |
| C．people know how to use the things | D．the things are hard to feel |
Which of the following can be the best title of the story?
| A．Touching by Feeling | B．To See or to Feel? |
| C．To See Better---Feel | D．Ways of Feeling |
The two-week vacation at the end of summer school ended yesterday. Kevin had gone nowhere during his vacation. He had the money, but he hated to travel alone. He used to take vacations with Gary, his youngest brother, but they had a big argument at the end of their last vacation. Each of them had spent the last three years waiting for the other to apologize.
Kevin did not feel good about being on non-speaking terms with his favorite brother. But he was not going to ask for forgiveness when, in his mind, this whole misunderstanding was his brother’s fault.
So Kevin’s summer vacation was spent in his own “back yard.” As usual, he had planned to clean up his apartment. As usual, two weeks later his apartment looked just as it had two weeks before.
He did do one thing new and different during his vacation. There was a new coffee shop on Foothill Street. It served 25 varieties of delicious coffee at reasonable prices, and the staff was genuinely friendly. The shop was air-conditioned at a slightly chilly temperature. About eight small round tables were inside. Outside were four bigger tables. Each had four white metal chairs around it, and several big umbrellas provided shade. Even on hot afternoons, there was usually a pleasant breeze.
Kevin visited the coffee shop four times during his vacation. He always sat at a table outside by himself and read the free daily paper. Each day he was there, he read most of the newspaper articles while he enjoyed two cups of coffee.
Between articles, he took breaks by watching the nearby traffic and pedestrians. The coffee shop was next to a huge parking lot. The lot was for customers of a grocery store, movie rental store, pharmacy, bank, and restaurant. Kevin considered his outdoor seat the perfect place for one of his favorite activities—people watching.
The coffee shop, with its excellent location and coffee, had helped make his vacation a pleasant one. But he knew in his heart, had his brother been there to join him just one day, his vacation would have been a perfect one. Why didn’t Kevin go anywhere during his vacation？
| A．Because he was short of money. | B．Because he didn’t like traveling. |
| C．Because he had no company. | D．Because he had to clean up his apartment. |
What did Kevin do in his vacation?
| A．He cleaned up his apartment. | B．He had a big argument with Gary. |
| C．He worked in a parking lot. | D．He stayed at home most of the time. |
Which of the following is NOT mentioned about the coffee house?
| A．It served delicious coffee of different flavors. |
| B．It had an effective air-conditioning system. |
| C．It was often crowded with local customers. |
| D．It provided free newspapers for customers. |
Employment practices often reflect the needs of employers several decades ago．Times have changed．And so too has the Canadian workforce．Yet many employment practices have not kept pace with this change．For example, some work environments and washrooms designed for able-bodied workers seldom accommodate people who use a wheelchair．
Modernizing these practices is what employment equality is about．For example, making sure work benches and washrooms are adapted for disabled people entering the workplace paves the way for workers who become disabled on the job．By doing so, any given group of people? formerly discriminated against-now has access to better employment opportunities．
The objective, of course, is to make the workplace reflect Canadian society．However, this does not necessarily mean setting and enforcing quotas(实行配额）. Rather, it means identifying the barriers to employment and designing measures, with achievable goals and clear timetables, to remove them．
For example, according to the Canadian Union of Public Employees-Canada’s largest union, it would be unrealistic in the short term to insist that because half of the working age population is women, that half of the employees of an engineering firm should be women．At this moment, there would not be enough qualified female engineers．
A reasonable numerical goal would be based on the number of women who actually are engineers （8% ） and those who are studying to become engineers （25% ）．A short term goal of 13% would be appropriate without running the risk of hiring unqualified people．
Equally important is to ensure people who have been disadvantaged the chance to become qualified for new opportunities．If aboriginal people （土著居民） , for example, can’t qualify for certain jobs because they haven’t had access to appropriate educational opportunities, then an employment equality program would have to address that problem with training programs.
Employment laws in this country cannot be considered displeasing if they guarantee all Canadians fair and equal access to the workforce.The passage is mainly about how to ____.
| A．modernize equipment for the disabled at work |
| B．achieve equality of employment opportunities |
| C．protect women’s rights in employment |
| D．complete a job training program |
The underlined word "them" in Paragraph 3 refers to ____.
| A．barriers | B．measures | C．goals | D．timetables |
The example of women shows that ____.
| A．only a small percentage of women engineers will get promoted |
| B．13% of the working age women should be hired as engineers |
| C．policy makers should adopt a practical and flexible approach |
| D．the quota of women for employment should be raised |
The underlined word "address" in Paragraph 6 probably means _
| A．put forward | B．run into | C．find out | D．deal with |
It tastes just like chicken
Away from home, eating is more than just a way to keep your stomach full．It is a language all its own, and no words can say, "Glad to meet you ．．．glad to be doing business with you ．．．" quite like sharing a meal offered by your host．
Clearly, mealtime is not the time for you to say, "Thanks, but no thanks．" Acceptance of the food on your plate means acceptance of host, country, and company．So, no matter how difficult it may be to swallow, swallow．Or, as one experienced traveler says, "Travel with a cast-iron stomach and eat everything everywhere．"
Often, the food offered represents proudly your host country’s eating culture．What would Ataiericans think of a French person who refused to take a bite of homemade apple pie or sirloin? Our discomfort comes not so much from the thing itself; it comes from our umamiliarity with it．After all, an oyster has remarkably the same look as a sheep’s eye; and a first look at a lobster would remind almost anybody of a creature from a science fiction movie, not something you dip in butter and eat．By the way, in Saudi Arabia sheep’s eyes are a famous dish and in parts of China it’s bear’s paw soup．
Can you refuse such food without being rude? Most experienced business travelers say no, at least not before taking at least a few bites．It helps, though, to slice any item very thin．This way, you minimize the taste and the reminder of where it came from．Or, " Swallow it quickly, " as one traveler recommends．"I still can’t tell you what sheep’s eyeballs taste like．" As for dealing with taste, the old line that "it tastes just like chicken" is often thankfully true．Even when the "it" is really rat or snake．
Another useful piece of advice is not knowing what you are eating．What’s for dinner? Don’t ask． Avoid glancing into the kitchen or looking at English-language menus．Your host will be pleased that you are eating the food he offers, and who knows? Maybe it really is chicken in that soup．The purpose of the article is to ____．
| A．introduce unfamiliar food |
| B．share the writer’s personal experiences |
| C．suggest ways to overcome a cultural barrier |
| D．advise on how to politely refuse to eat foreign food |
According to the writer, people hesitate at strange food mainly due to ____．
| A．the way it looks | B．safety worries |
| C．lack of information about it | D．the unfamiliar atmosphere |
From the article we can infer that ____．
| A．an American may feel comfortable with sirloin |
| B．one should refuse strange food after a few bites |
| C．English-language menus are not always dependable |
| D．one needs a cast-iron stomach to travel in other cultures |
One may say "It tastes just like chicken．" when ____．
| A．showing respect for chicken-loving nations |
| B．greeting people with different dieting habits |
| C．evaluating chefs at an international food festival |
| D．getting someone to try a visually unpleasant meal |
Once Dr．Mellinkoff invited me to join him at the hospital to discuss interesting cases with his students．The case at hand was a Guatemalan man, aged 34, who had a fever and many other medical ^problems．His condition was not improving, and there was not much hope he would live．
Dr．: Mellinkoff asked to see the patient．He introduced himself in Spanish and, in a very gentle voice, asked how he felt．The patient smiled and said everything was all right．Then the doctor asked if he was able to eat．The patient said that he had no desire to eat．
"Are you getting food you like?"
The patient said nothing．
"Do you get the kind of food you have at home?"
The answer was no．
The doctor put his hand on the man’s shoulder and his voice was very soft．
"If; you had food that you liked, would you eat it?"
"Yes, yes," the patient said．
The change in the patient’s appearance couldn’t have been more obvious．Nothing was said, but it was easy to tell that a message had been sent and! had also been received．
Later, the doctor asked why the Guatemalan man wasn’t getting food he could eat．One of the students said, "We all know how difficult it is to get the kitchen to make special meals．"
"Suppose," the doctor replied, "you felt a certain medicine was absolutely necessary but that our hospital didn’t carry it, would you accept defeat or would you insist the hospital meet your request?"
"I would probably insist," the student said．
"Very well," the doctor said．"You might want to try the same method in the kitchen．It won’t be-easy, but I can help you．Meanwhile, let’s get some food inside this man as fast as possible, and stay with it．Or he’ll be killed by hunger．By the way, there must be someone among you who can speak Spanish．If we want to make real progress, we need to be able to talk with him．"
Three weeks later．Doctor Mellinkoff told me that the Guatemalan man had left the hospital under his own power．It takes more than medicine to help sick people; you also have to talk to them and make them comfortable．The patient had no desire to eat because
| A．he was not hungry | B．he was seriously ill |
| C．he was given special meals | D．he was not satisfied with the food |
According to the passage, we can conclude that .
| A．the patient’s native language was Spanish |
| B．the patient’s illness was caused by hunger |
| C．Dr. Mellinkoff performed an operation on the patient |
| D．the hospital failed to provide the right medicine for the patient |
Which of the following words can be used to describe Dr. Mellinkoff?
| A．Cold. | B．Considerate. | C．Curious. | D．Careless. |
What do you think Dr. Mellinkoff wanted to tell his students in this case?
| A．Doctors should be good at foreign languages. |
| B．Doctors should know their patients’ real problems. |
| C．Doctors should try to improve their medical skills. |
| D．Doctors should have a good relationship ith their patients. |
Some people will do just about anything to save money．And I am one of them．Take my family’s last vacation．It was my sixyearold son’s winter break from school, and we were heading home from Fort Lauderdale after a week long trip．The flight was overbooked, and Delta, the airline, offered us $400 per person in credits to give up our seats and leave the next day．I had meetings in New York, so I had to get back．But that didn’t mean my husband and my son couldn’t stay．I took my ninemonthold and took off for home．
The next day, my husband and son were offered more credits to take an even later flight．Yes, I encouraged — okay, ordered — them to wait it out at the airport, to “earn” more Delta Dollars．Our total take: $1,600．Not bad, huh?
Now some people may think I’m a bad mother and not such a great wife either．But as a bigtime bargain hunter, I know the value of a dollar．And these days, a good deal is something few of us can afford to pass up．
I’ve made a living looking for the best deals and exposing（揭露）the worst tricks．I have been the consumer reporter of NBC’s Today show for over a decade．I have written a couple of books including one titled Tricks of the Trade: A Consumer Survival Guide．And I really do what I believe in．
I tell you this because there is no shame in getting your money’s worth．I’m also tightfisted when it comes to shoes, clothes for my children, and expensive restaurants．But I wouldn’t hesitate to spend on a good haircut．It keeps its shape longer, and it’s the first thing people notice．And I will also spend on a classic piece of furniture．Quality lasts．Why did Delta give the author’s family credits?
| A．They took a later flight． |
| B．They had early bookings． |
| C．Their flight had been delayed． |
| D．Their flight had been cancelled． |
What can we learn about the author?
| A．She rarely misses a good deal． |
| B．She seldom makes a compromise． |
| C．She is very strict with her children． |
| D．She is interested in cheap products． |
What does the author do?
| A．She’s a teacher． |
| B．She’s a housewife． |
| C．She’s a media person． |
| D．She’s a businesswoman． |
What does the author want to tell us?
| A．How to expose bad tricks． |
| B．How to reserve airline seats． |
| C．How to spend money wisely． |
| D．How to make a business deal． |
It’s great fun to explore new places—it feels like an adventure，even when you know you’re not the first to have been there. But make sure not to get lost or waste time going round in circles.
● Do the map reading if you’re being driven somewhere. It’ll be easier if you keep turning the map so it follows the direction you’re traveling in. Keep looking ahead so that you can give the driver lots of warning before having to make a turn or you’ll have to move to the back seat.
● Get a group of friends together and go exploring. You'll need a good map, a compass , a raincoat, a cell phone to call for help in case you get lost, and a bit of spare cash for emergencies . Tell someone where you’re going before you set out and let them know what time you expect to be back. The test is in not getting lost, not in seeing how fast you can go, so always stick together, waiting for slower friends to catch up.
● See if your school or a club organizes orienteering activities, in which you need a map and a compass to find your way. This can be done as a sport, with teams trying to find the way from A to B (and B to C, etc.)in the fastest time, or simply as a spare-time activity. Either way, its not only good fun, but a great way to keep fit. Sitting beside the driver, you should___________.
| A．look ahead to see where there’s a turn |
| B．direct the driver when necessary |
| C．move to the back seat if feeling uncomfortable |
| D．keep looking at the map to find a place to go to |
Why do you need to tell someone your exploration plan before setting out?
| A．To be saved in case of an accident. |
| B．To get information when in danger. |
| C．To share the fun with him/her in exploration. |
| D．To tell him/her what’s going on with the group members. |
Orienteering activities can______________.
| A．make people work fast |
| B．help people organize other activities |
| C．help people stay healthy |
| D．make people get prepared for sports |
The text mainly talks about____________.
| A．the fun of exploration |
| B．what to bring for exploration |
| C．the way to use a map in exploration |
| D．how to prevent getting lost in exploration |
A prosperous moneylender bought a house located right next door to the house of a tanner(鞣皮匠)．From morning till evening the tanner change hide(兽皮) into leather by treating it with tannin(单宁)．From day one the moneylender was put off by the unpleasant smells of the tannery.
So，he visited the tanner's house and offered to buy his house.“I would love to sell the house if you buy it，” said the tanner.He didn't want to do any such thing but he liked to play tricks.“Give me a week or so to deal with some things，will you？”The moneylender agreed and went away.
A week later，the overpowering smell coming from the tannery brought the moneylender to the tanner's doorstep again.“I understand sir，” said the tanner with wideeyed sympathy.“But my mother is visiting me this week.I can't sell the house until she goes away.Please wait for a month.”
The moneylender agreed with great reluctance.He began to wait eagerly for the guest's departure.In the beginning he counted each day，impatiently waiting for one to finish and the other to begin.After a while，he found he was no longer so interested in the month coming to an end.He had simply forgotten about it.
He did not ask the tanner to leave when they met next，either.You see，by then the moneylender had become accustomed to the tanyard's smell.“What have you done to drive away that terrible smell？” he asked the tanner.“Have you reduced the solution？”
The tanner smiled and nodded.He had been waiting for the day the moneylender would get used to the smells from the tannery and stop bothering him.That was why he had asked the moneylender to wait in the first place.After a week's waiting，the moneylender's feeling became________.
| A．angry | B．calm |
| C．nervous | D．anxious |
How many times did the moneylender ask the the tanner to leave?
| A．1. | B．2. |
| C．3. | D．4. |
Why did the tanner asked the moneylender to wait? Because________.
| A．he wanted to make some repairs to his house |
| B．he wanted to do some cleaning to his house |
| C．his mother would live in his house for a month |
| D．he wouldn't sell his house from the bottom of his heart |
At last the moneylender________.
| A．moved to another place |
| B．was adapted the smell |
| C．went to quarrel with the tanner |
| D．managed to buy the house |
From the passage we can know the tanner was______.
| A．a funny man | B．a wise man |
| C．an honest man | D．a friendly man |
The worst days of any summer are the rainy ones. We spend all year looking forward to nice weather and long, hot days. In winter, with its cloudy days and bitter cold, we dream of those days at the beach, lying on the sand and enjoying the bright and burning sun. And then, summer comes, and it rains.
As a child, I would wake up to rainy summer days and come close to crying. It wasn’t fair. We suffered through months of school and experienced bad weather for those short ten weeks of freedom.
On those rainy summer days, I had nothing fun to do and could only sit inside, staring out at the rain like a bird in a cage. I was an only child, so there was no one else to play with. My father worked from home, so I was not truly alone, but he could not actively play with me since he was at work. It was those days that I would watch whatever was on television or read any books that I could find lying around. I’d pray each night that the rain would not be there the next day.
As an adult, though, my opinion of summer rain has changed. When you have to work every day, summer is not as exciting. Everything seems uninteresting. Such a mindset makes you cheer for anything new or different. I spend the winter dreaming of summer and the summer dreaming of winter. When summer comes, I hate how hot it is. And then I look forward to the rain, because the rain brings with it a cold front, which makes me comfortable. Rainy days are still the worst days of the summer, but summer rain today means positively beautiful — and quite cooler — weather tomorrow.When the author was a child, he ______.
| A．liked staying indoors | B．hated rainy days |
| C．dreamed on summer days | D．preferred cooler weather |
We can learn from the passage that the author ______.
| A．could enjoy the brilliant sun in winter |
| B．preferred reading to playing outside |
| C．had no brothers or sisters |
| D．was often left alone at home |
As an adult, the author views summer rain differently because ______.
| A．rain makes the weather cooler |
| B．his summer holiday is very short |
| C．he knows it won’t last long |
| D．he can better deal with his spare time |
James Cleveland Owens was the son of a farmer and the grandson of black slaves. His family moved to Cleveland when he was 9.There, a school teacher asked the youth his name.
"J.C., "he replied.
She thought he had said "Jesse", and he had a new name.
Owens ran his first race at age 13. After high school, he went to Ohio State University. He had to work part time so as to pay for his education. As a second year student, in the Big Ten games in 1935, he set even more records than he would in the Olympic Games a year later.
A week before the Big Ten meet, Owens accidentally fell down a flight of stairs. His back hurt so much that he could not exercise all week, and he had to be helped in and out of the car that drove him to the meet. He refused to listen to the suggestions that he give up and said he would try, event by event. He did try, and the results are in the record book.
The stage was set for Owens victory at the Olympic Games in Berlin the next year, and his success would come to be regarded as not only athletic but also political. Hitler did not congratulate any of the African American winners.
"It was all right with me, "he said years later. "I didn’t go to Berlin to shake hands with him, anyway."
Having returned from Berlin, he received no telephone calls from the president of his own country, either. In fact, he was not honored by the United States until 1976, four years before his death.
Owens Olympic victories made little difference to him. He earned his living by looking after a school playground, and accepted money to race against cars, trucks, motorcycles and dogs.
"Sure, it bothered me, "he said later. "But at least it was an honest living. I had to eat."
In time, however, his gold medals changed his life. "They have kept me alive over the years, "he once said. "Time has stood still for me. That golden moment dies hard."Owens got his other name "Jesse" when ________.
A. he went to Ohio State University
B. his teacher made fun of him
C. his teacher took "J. C." for "Jesse"
D. he won gold medals in the Big Ten meet In the Big Ten meet，Owens__________.
| A．hurt himself in the back |
| B．succeeded in setting many records |
| C．tried every sports event but failed |
| D．had to give up some events |
We can infer from the text that Owens was treated unfairly in the US at that time because________.
| A．he was not of the right race |
| B．he was the son of a poor farmer |
| C．he did not shake hands with Hitler |
| D．he did not talk to the US president on the phone |
When Owens says "They have kept me alive over the years ", he means that the medals __________.
| A．have been changed for money to help him live on |
| B．have made him famous in the US |
| C．have encouraged him to overcome difficulties in life |
| D．have kept him busy with all kinds of jobs |
What would be the best title for the text?
| A．Jesse Owens, A Great American Athlete |
| B．Golden Moment — A Life time Struggle |
| C．Making A Living As A Sportsman |
| D．How To Be A Successful Athlete |
Who doesn’t have a clingy friend? You know, that person who often calls, texts, and e-mails. He often needs your attention, your feedback, or your help. Worse yet, he often gets antsy when you don’t reply immediately.
Is there ever a moment when you just want to turn off your phone and be alone? But you won’t do that to a friend. Actually there are better ways to deal with a clingy friend.
Give Yourself Some Time
If you really need some time for yourself, or you’re just tired of being the listener, just explain to your friend honestly that you want or need some time of your own. Even the most determined friends will understand and give you some space. Of course, those extremely clingy friends will still call, text, and e-mail. If that happens, just reply gently that you need some time for yourself.
Suggest an Activity for Your Friend
If you are tired of different get-togethers and outings, then you should advise your friend to do something alone. If you both like sports, you could tell your friend to have a try at the new gym. If your friend likes your suggestion, but insists that you go along, just explain that you’ve already visited the gym. Mention that you enjoy the gym. If you’re lucky , he’ll try it, and like it.
Introduce Your Clingy Friend to Others.
Your clingy friend may just be lonely or have trouble meeting new people. If that’s the case , introduce him to others with similar interests. He may just make some new friends.
_________________________________________
There’s no reason for you to rudely tell your clingy friend that he’s a pain in the neck. Just follow the above advice to take your time back. After a while, your clingy friend should learn to value your time and your friendship.What does the underlined word “antsy” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?
| A．busy | B．silent | C．nervous | D．bored |
What does the author suggest you do in the first advice?
| A．Understand your friends. |
| B．Be honest with your friends. |
| C．Spend more time with your friends. |
| D．Keep your distance from your friends. |
Which of the following can best fill in the blank of the last paragraph?
| A．Give Your Friend Some Time | B．Take Your Time Back |
| C．Don’t Be Rude | D．Value Your Friendship |
We can learn from the passage that clingy people __________.
| A．are very confident | B．have little free time |
| C．don’t respect others | D．don’t want to be alone |
Today just as technology changed the face of industry, farms have undergone an “agricultural revolution”. On the farm of today, machines provide almost all the power.
One of the most important benefits will be the farm computer. A few forward-looking farmers are already using computers to help them run their farms more efficiently. The computers help them keep more accurate records so they can make better decisions on what crops to plant, how much livestock (家畜) to buy, when to sell their products, and how much profit they can expect. Many computer companies have been developing special computer programs just for farmers. Programs are being written for hog producers, grain farmers, potato farmers, and dairy farmers. In the future, farmers will be able to purchase computer programs made to their needs. Because of the growing importance of computers on the farm, students at agricultural colleges are required to take computer classes in addition to their normal agricultural courses. There can be no doubt that farmers will rely on computers even more in the future. While the old-time farm depended on horse power, and modern farms depend on machine power, farms of the future will depend on computer power.
Another technological advance which is still in the experimental stage is the robot, a real “mechanized hired hand” (机械化雇工) that will be able to move and, in some ways, think like a human being. Agricultural engineers believe that computer-aided robots will make startling changes in farming before the end of the century. Unlike farmers of the present, farmers of the future will find that many day-to-day tasks will be done for them. Scientists are now developing robots that will be able to shear sheep, drive tractors, and harvest fruit. Even complex jobs will be done by robots. For example, in order to milk their cows, farmers must first drive them into the barn, then connect them to the milking machines, watch the machines, and disconnect them when they are finished. In the future, this will all be done by robots. In addition, when the milking is completed, the robots will automatically check to make sure that the milk is pure. The complete mobilization of the farm is far in the future, but engineers expect that some robots will be used before long. According to the passage, computers can not help farmers decide _______.
| A．how much money they can earn from their products |
| B．whether to plant a certain kind of crop |
| C．how much livestock to raise |
| D．when to sell their products |
Which of the following statements is true?
| A．Farmers in the future will depend totally on computers. |
| B．Both computers and robots have been in use on today’s farms. |
| C．Farmers mainly use machines on their farms at present. |
| D．Students at agricultural colleges can do nothing without the help of computers on today’s farms. |
According to the engineers, _______will be done by robots in the near future.
| A．most of the farm work | B．milking cows |
| C．all farm work | D．some farm work |
What is the best title for the whole passage?
| A．Computer, Farmers’ Best Friend |
| B．Farmers in The Future |
| C．The Agricultural Revolution |
| D．Computers and Robots |
When we were very small, we realized that having friends was important.Some of us even had imaginary(想象中的)friends. The need for friends continued as we grew into our teens.Friends played a big part in forming our personalities(性格). As adults，it is still important for us to have friends.
True friends are people who like us though we made mistakes and who listen to us and tell us the truth. Friends support our decisions and tell us when we’re foolish. They laugh with us and share our sadness. They are our partners and share interests with us. They stimulate us when we are feeling down. They are people we aren’t afraid of telling our secret wishes to or what is really on our minds.
Friends are our supporters. When you can depend on friends, you feel safe and warm. Friends offer acceptance and emotional(情感的)support. At times, they also help with our everyday lives, cooking a meal, doing chores, or giving us a lift when we need one. Friends also are there to offer advice, an ear to listen, or a shoulder to cry on.
Friends also help us reduce stress. Not only do they listen to us when we feel stressed, but they also discuss what is stressing us. Sharing interests and doing activities with friends help us forget about problems at work or at home. For a short time, we can lose ourselves in a pleasant activity and perhaps laugh and breathe more easily.What is the best title for the passage?
| A．How to Reduce Stress |
| B．How to Make New Friends |
| C．The Importance of Friends |
| D．The Qualities of Good Friends |
The underlined word“stimulate” in Paragraph 2 probably means________.
| A．educate | B．encourage |
| C．surprise | D．dislike |
We can learn from the third paragraph that friends always________.
| A．laugh at us when we’re foolish |
| B．tell us other people’s secrets |
| C．share our sadness and interests |
| D．support us when we need help |
We can learn from the passage that________.
| A．people should make friends anytime |
| B．friends are people who allow you to cry |
| C．a friend helps you in many ways |
| D．good friends are always difficult to meet |
Canadian short story writer Alice Munro won the Nobel Prize for Literature. Eighty-two-year-old Munro is only the 13th woman to win the 112-year-old prize．
Munro didn’t publish her first collection of short stories until she was 37 years old, but her stories have always been well-received. Lots of her stories share similar themes and characters, but each story has its own twists and turns．
Even though she’s won Canada’s most famous literary award, the Giller Prize, twice, winning the Nobel Prize for Literature is the cherry on top of Munro’s career. “It brings this incredible recognition, both of her and her career, and of the dedication to the short story,” said one person．
Along with the well-respected title comes 1．3 million dollars．Munro said everything was “so surprising and wonderful” and that she was “dazed by all the attention and affection that has been coming my way．”
Munro knew she was in the running-she was named the second-most likely person to win this year’s prize, after Haruki Murakami（村上春树）of Japan-but she never thought that she would win．
Munro’s win also represents the long way Canadian writers have come．“When I began writing there was a very small community of Canadian writers and little attention was paid by the world．Now Canadian writers are read, admired and respected around the globe,” Munro said on Thursday．
She is technically not the first Canadian to win the Nobel Prize for Literature, but many like to think that she is．In 1976 Saul Bellow, who was born in Quebec but moved to Chicago when he was still a child, won the prize．Even though he was born in Canada, he is mostly considered to be an American writer．
“This is a win for us all．Canadians, by our very nature, are not very nationalistic,” said Geoffrey Taylor．“But things like this suddenly make you want to find a flag．”
She wasn’t sure if she would keep writing if she won the prize, saying that it would be “nice to go out with a bang．But this may change my mind．”What is the feature of Munro’s stories?
| A．They have their own complicated （复杂的）contents． |
| B．They have similar story backgrounds． |
| C．They have specific themes for children． |
| D．They have the same characters in each book． |
For Munro, the Nobel Prize is an award for______．
| A．her love for Canadian culture |
| B．her devotion to the short story |
| C．her special form of writing |
| D．her career of editing short stories |
What is implied in the sixth paragraph?
| A．Canadian writers paid little attention to the prize． |
| B．Canadian writers are just a small community． |
| C．Canadian writers have long been ignored． |
| D．Canadians have a long way to win the prize． |
What does the passage mainly tell us?
| A．How Alice Munro wins the Nobel Prize |
| B．An introduction to the Nobel Prize in Literature |
| C．Alice Munro wins the Nobel Prize in Literature |
| D．A world famous writer, Alice Munro |
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 |
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