Every culture has a recognized point when a child becomes an adult, when rules must be followed and tests passed.

In China, although teenagers can get their ID cards at 16, many only see themselves as an adult when they are 18. In the US, where everyone drives, the main step to the freedom of adult life is learning to drive. At 16, American teens take their driving test. When they have their license, they drive into the grown­up world.

“Nobody wants to ride the cheese bus to school,” said Eleanor Fulham, 17. She brought the pressure back to memory, especially for kids from wealthier families. “It's like you're not cool if you don't have a car,” she said.

According to recent research, 41% of 16 to 19­year­olds in the US own cars, up from 23% in 1985. Although, most of these cars are bought by parents, some teens get part-time jobs to help pay.

Not all families can afford cars for their children. In cities with subways and limited parking, some teenagers don't want them. But in rich suburban areas without subways, and where bicycles are more for fun than transportation, it is strange for a teenager not to have a car.

But police say 16­year­olds have almost three times more accidents than 18 to 19­year­olds. This has made many parents pause before letting their kids drive.

Julie Sussman, of Virginia, decided that her son Chad, 15, will wait until he is 17 to apply for his learner's permit.

Chad said he has accepted his parents' decision, although it has caused some teasing from his friends. “They say that I am unlucky,” he said, “But I'd rather be alive than driving, and I don't really trust my friends on the road, either.”

In China as more families get cars, more 18­year­olds learn to drive. Will this become a big step to becoming an adult?

41. Which may serve as the best title of the article?

A. Driving into the Grown-Up World       B. Cars Helping You to Grown-Up

C. Teenagers' Driving in America          D. Recognized Point of Becoming an Adult

42. 16­year­old drivers have more accidents possibly because________.

A. they want to show themselves off        B. they are never experienced drivers

C. older people always drive better         D. they never drive carefully on the road

43. Which may NOT be taken into consideration when deciding whether to buy a car?

A. How well off the family is              B. Whether the kid is old enough

C. Whether it's practically needed           D. What road condition there is around

44. When Chad said “I don't really trust my friends…”, he meant that________.

A. he might run into his friends if he drove

B. he didn't agree with his friends

C. he might not be safe if his friends drove

D. he was afraid that his friends might well lie to him

When I was a little girl, I used to walk with my grandmother up a quiet road. Grandma and I would chat about this and that, or we’d just walk in   21   , enjoying the outdoors and each other’s   22    . Yet, for me, these times were not just a (n)  23   to be with my grandmother. These walks were treasure hunts.

More often than not, money would be   24     with the gravel (沙粒)and dust at the road’s edge. Not lots of it —a penny here. Sometimes, on really    25     days, I’d find more than a quarter.

Some days, I wouldn’t find anything, Other days, I’d come back with more than twenty-five cents.   26    back now, it was not   27     the money that was such a big deal; it was the joy of    28    . It made me feel so    29    .

Yet, it wasn’t until years later that that simple   30   came to mean so much more to me than simply a child’s happiness, My mother told me a truth that I had never   31     .

“Remember when you used to walk with Grandma up Cummings Road?” she started the conversation. All those years, she    32     , my grandfather used to drive up and down the walking route (路线),     33    change for me to find, I was   34    . He never told me himself. I remembered how he’d smile when I dug my find out of my pocket to show him. I’d never imagined that he was the one   35     for it.

My grandfather wasn’t a man who   36    me often as a child, but I had  37   doubted his love for me. Now, I knew, he had given me joy in ways I hadn’t even   38    to him.

Now, every once in a while, when I take a walk down the street, I drop a penny or two, I  

39    some small child finding it, delighted at the discovery. They’ll never know someone put it there    40    for them to find. But that’s part of the joy. Thanks, Grandpa.

21．A．excitement              B．secret                      C．silence                  D．relief

22．A．care                       B．company                  C．life                       D．experience

23．A．honor                     B．adventure                 C．chance                 D．favor

24．A．mixed                     B．faced                       C．crowded               D．armed

25．A．sunny                    B．rainy                        C．lucky                    D．peaceful

26．A．Looking                  B．Holding                    C．Coming                D．Dating

27．A．ever                       B．rather                      C．almost                  D．even

28．A．nature                    B．discovery                 C．travel                    D．work

29．A．special                    B．casual                      C．creative                D．practical

30．A．story                      B．dream                      C．kindness               D．memory

31．A．believed                  B．missed                     C．suspected             D．supposed

32．A．whispered               B．admitted                   C．signed                  D．agreed

33．A．passing                   B．making                    C．sending                 D．dropping

34．A．amazed                   B．disappointed             C．annoyed                D．pleased

35．A．ready                      B．famous                    C．fit                        D．responsible

36．A．hugged                   B．respected                 C．beat                      D．scolded

37．A．always                    B．never                       C．sometimes            D．often

38．A．devoted                  B．replied                     C．turned                  D．connected

39．A．notice                     B．imagine                    C．keep                     D．have

40．A．by accident             B．by mistake               C．on purpose            D．on time

 — Excuse me, could you tell me where I could make a call?

— Sorry, I’m a stranger here.

—       .

A. Thanks a lot            B. That’s a pity        C. Thanks anyway   D. I’m sorry to hear that

 As it turned out to be a small house party, we         so formally.

A. needn’t dress up                     B. shouldn’t dress up

C. couldn’t have dressed up              D. needn’t have dressed up

 The police set about arresting the suspect         they found enough evidence to prove him guilty.

A. now that       B. as long as        C. the moment         D. in case

 The reason         being late for the meeting was         his little son fell ill this morning.

A. for, that        B. why, that               C. for, because                D. why, because

 Mr. Johnson, I should tell you this is the third time that you ____ me for my twin sister.

  A. had mistaken   B. have mistaken     C. are mistaking       D. are mistaken

         giving a general introduction to computers, the course also provides practical experience.

  A. In addition to   B. Except for        C. In exchange for      D. Due to

—Does he know how to work out the problem?

—Yes, he has _______ a good idea to solve it.

A. caught up with　 B. kept up with　　 C. put up with　　　 D. come up with

 _______ in the hunt was a great thrill for Clancy, who wrote the two anecdotes at the beginning of the 20th century.

A. Included        B. Including        C. Being included     D. To include