I have to admit: I don’t flush(冲) the toilet every time I go to the bathroom. In fact, I firmly believe “If it’s yellow, let it mellow; if it’s brown, flush it down.”
I’m sure a lot of it has to do with the fact that I work at home. Alone (well, except for the cats and dog). All day. And I drink a lot of water, which makes for many trips to the bathroom.
Another thing I have to admit: I also try to use very little toilet paper. I wash my hands after, though. Every time. (So maybe the water I don’t use flushing makes up for the water used to wash my hands?)
Ironically, my husband, who only uses toilet paper when necessary, always flushes. But he doesn’t seem to mind that I don’t flush every time. Or, at least not enough to file for divorce. Yet.
Posted by Juliet Farmer
Jun 14, 2010 at 10:21 PM
Comments (2)                                                     
When I’m at home alone I do not flush every time I pee(小便).  My husband hates that, though, so when he’s home, I flush a little more often.  I grew up doing that because I had a family that lived with huge tanks and you have to do it that way because it’s easier on the system, so it doesn’t bother me.  I do flush when I’m out in public, at people’s houses that don’t have big tanks and when we have company!
CherBearCM, Jun 15, 2010 at 4:21 PM
Not always. But I have 4 children who are always hanging from the door knob（球形捏手） while I pee anyway. So I’m lucky I have time to wash my hands after. The average toilet uses 8 gallons of water per flush! Much less than what it takes to wash my hands after. (just saying)
luvbnmomnwife, Jun 15, 2010 at 4:32 PM
【小题1】 CherBearCM doesn’t flush the toilet every time she pees ________.

A．because she can’t afford so much water

B．because her husband doesn’t like that

C．when she is with her friends

D．when she is alone

【小题2】luvbnmomnwife seems to enjoy ________.

A．washing hands after using the toilet

B．taking care of her four children

C．peeing with her kids watching

D．flushing the toilet after peeing

【小题3】The text is taken from ________.

A．a newspaper

B．a website

C．a magazine

D．a handbook

【小题4】 Which of the following titles best suits the text?

A．Stop flushing your toilet!

B．Do you flush the toilet every time?

C．Don’t forget to flush the toilet after peeing!

D．Do you realize the importance of saving water?

Hallmark arrived in my hometown of Calcutta, India when I was 16. On Valentine’s Day(情人节), I waited in line with many other teenagers just for a chance to get into the store. I remember wishing two things. One of them is that the good-looking boy whom I could see through the store window was picking out a gift for me. Unfortunately, Valentine’s Day passed and I received nothing but a lecture from my father on how Western capitalism(资本主义) was ruining your culture.
The next Valentine’s Day, I still didn’t have a boyfriend, but I did receive a greeting card from a secret admirer. I can’t remember what it exactly said inside the card, but it hardly mattered. I know I’m not the only one who’s had the blues because of being single on Valentine’s Day.
It’s not just on Valentine’s Day that I’m reminded of these feelings. One night, my friend and I were at the subway station in New York City waiting for the local to arrive. The station was mostly full of college students, and later an older couple walked in. Just at that moment, a street musician started playing She’s Only a Woman to Me. The couple began dancing around the station and lost in their own world. On the train, I found myself recalling the time when I was with a date at the subway station, and there he picked me up in his arms like I was a ballerina(芭蕾舞女演员).
My view of romance has changed from when I was 16 in Calcutta to now, 23, and living in Manhattan. This year, I won’t focus all my romantic expectations on one particular day. I’ll spend Valentine’s Day with friends in New York City. But I won’t try to hide somewhere or turn off my cellphone. Instead, I’ll help my coupled-up friends pack for their weekend trips to Rome.
【小题1】The underlined word “Hallmark” in Paragraph 1 probably refers to a              .

A．city

B．street

C．store

D．man

【小题2】We can infer that in the opinion of the writer’s father                           .

A．his daughter should have received a gift

B．people in India shouldn’t celebrate Valentine’s Day

C．people in India should welcome Western culture

D．his daughter should know more about capitalism

【小题3】According to Paragraph 2, if someone has the blues, he or she is probably           .

A．lucky

B．angry

C．excited

D．sad

【小题4】What is implied in the passage?

A．The writer now has a boyfriend.

B．The writer now is afraid of Valentine’s Day.

C．The writer will go to Rome with her coupled-up friends.

D．The writer’s attitude towards Valentine’s Day has changed.

I was in lodgings (寄宿处) now, on my own, but the other lodgers had constant visitors up and down the stairs past my door. None of this disturbed me except one girl who sang softly to herself an old Russian folk song as she ran up to the room above. It was a sound of sweetness, musical, soft, unselfconscious and happy. I began to listen out for it, jumped up from my table, and threw open the door to catch a glimpse(一瞥) of her as she passed, but I was always too late. I asked the people upstairs who she was, and described the beautiful sounds she made. They became rather reserved(拘谨) and exchanged glances and hurriedly admitted it might be Sally. I thought she was someone special, not to be discussed in the ordinary way, and became a little curious to meet her. But the last thing I wanted at that stage was to get caught up with anybody. I’d just come to the end of a rather painful friendship, and now I had work to do.
One day, I came face to face with a girl on the landing. It was certainly her; whoever made that noise would look as she did. We stood and stared at each other too long for comfort. I broke the moment and, excusing myself, moved past her because it was too like the movies. I thought for some time of that long, silent stare, and laughed. She was tall and looked proud, with a slight , round-shouldered look that made me breathless and I didn’t know why.
【小题1】At his lodgings, the author __________.

A．seldom had visitors

B．wished he had more visitors

C．was always disturbed by other people’s visitors

D．had too many visitors.

【小题2】Whenever the author heard the sound of the girl’s voice__________.

A．he sat listening to it	B．he saw her moving upstairs
C．he threw down his books	D．he tried to see who it was

【小题3】People who were asked about the girl__________.

A．told him all about her	B．didn’t want to tell him much
C．didn’t tell him anything	D．were angry when he mentioned her

【小题4】From this passage we can see that the author was____________.

A．was not interested in Sally	B．curiously attracted by Sally
C．angry at being disturbed by Sally	D．afraid to get to know Sally

Sometimes life makes more sense when you look at it in reverse (相反). That's certainly been true for me.
Last Christmas, at 39, I caught a disease which attacked my knees and eyes. At its worst I could hardly walk or see. For months I' d have to crawl (爬) across the floor to use the bathroom or get a drink of water when my husband wasn't home. For a while I could only see shapes and colors so I couldn't drive.
My parents kept begging me to let them come out to stay with me in Los Angeles, but our apartment is small and I knew there was nothing they could really do to help me. For the excellent health insurance my husband had through his job, I was receiving the best medical care possible.
My only problem was that I couldn't drive to my doctors' appointments and I didn't want my husband to keep missing work to drive me. Three days after I explained this to my parents, a check came from them with a note saying this was "taxi money". Several months later another check showed up from my brother to help make up our income since I wasn't able to work. It probably goes without saying that I was extremely grateful to have family members who could and would support me during the hard time.
In terms of my day-to-day existence, I live in a village within Los Angeles called Brentwood so I was able to walk to the local post office, market, bank, and library. But once there, I had to depend on the kindness of strangers to help me. Los Angeles is a big city, but I lived in a village with a wonderful community (社区) of people who were kind and patient.
Slowly I became well. Life was good again and I thought I had a clear understanding of the blessings (恩惠) this illness has provided.
【小题1】When the author's husband was at home, he __________.

A．was still busy working

B．often had a good rest

C．often helped her a lot

D．taught her to drive a car

【小题2】Why did the author not want her husband to drive her to her doctors' appointments?

A．Her husband didn't drive well.

B．Her husband was too busy.

C．She didn't want to affect his work.

D．Her doctor was far away from her.

【小题3】What is the fourth paragraph mainly about?

A．The help that the author received from her family members.

B．The influence of the author's disease on her family.

C．The author's thanks to her family members.

D．The way the author saw her doctors.

【小题4】What did the author feel about Brentwood?

A．She thought it was small but convenient.

B．She felt it was hard to live there.

C．She thought it was small and strange.

D．She felt warm and comfortable there.

Once upon a time, there was an island inhabited by: Happiness, Sadness, Knowledge, and all the rest of it, including Love. One day it was announced to the feelings that the island would sink, so all constructed boats and left. Except for Love.
Love was the only one who stayed. Love wanted to hold out until the last possible moment.
When the island had almost sunk, Love decided to ask for help.
Richness was passing by Love in a grand boat. Love said, "Richness, can you take me with you?"
Richness answered, "No, I can't. There is a lot of gold and silver in my boat. There is no place here for you."
Love decided to ask Vanity(虚荣) who was also passing by in a beautiful vessel. "Vanity, please help me!"
"I can't help you, Love. You are all wet and might damage my boat," Vanity answered.
Sadness was close by so Love asked, "Sadness, let me go with you."
"Oh . . . Love, I am so sad that I need to be by myself!"
Happiness passed by Love, too, but she was so happy that she did not even hear when Love called her.
Suddenly, there was a voice, "Come, Love, I will take you." It was an elder. So blessed and overjoyed, Love even forgot to ask the elder where they were going. When they arrived at dry land, the elder went her own way.
【小题1】What idea did the writer intend to tell us in this passage?

A．Love takes a long period.	B．Love gets along without richness.
C．Love goes on against Vanity.	D．Love is different from happiness.

【小题2】Why did all except the elder refuse to take Love with them?

A．Because they have enough Love already.

B．Because they don’t need Love.

C．Because they look down upon Love.

D．Because in the writer’s opinion, Love has nothing to do with them.

【小题3】It can be inferred from the passage that the elder probably refers to ________.

A．Cleverness

B．Time

C．Knowledge

D．Beauty

Last summer I went through a training program and became a literacy volunteer (扫盲志愿者). The training I received, though excellent, didn't tell me how it was to work with a real student, however. When I began to discover what other people’s lives were like because they could not read, I realized the true importance of reading.
My first student Marie was a 44-year-old single mother of three children. In the first lesson, I found out she walked two miles to the nearest supermarket twice a week because she didn't know which bus to take. When I told her I would get her a bus schedule, she told me it would not help because she couldn't read it. She said she also had difficulty once she got to the supermarket because she couldn't always remember what she needed. Also, she could only recognize items by sight, so if the product had a different label, she would not recognize it as the product she wanted.
As we worked together, learning how to read built Marie’s self-confidence. She began to make rapid progress and was even able to take the bus to the supermarket. After this successful trip, she reported how self-confident she felt. At the end of the program, she began helping her youngest son, Tony, a shy first grader, with his reading. I found that helping Marie to build her self-confidence was more rewarding than anything I had ever done before.
As a literacy volunteer, I learned a great deal about teaching and helping others. In fact, I may have learned more from the experience than Marie did.
【小题1】What did the writer do last summer?

A．She worked in the supermarket.

B．She helped someone to learn to read.

C．She helped some single mothers.

D．She was trained by a literacy volunteer.

【小题2】 Why didn't Marie go to the supermarket by bus at first?

A．Because she liked to walk to the supermarket.

B．Because she didn't have a bus schedule.

C．Because she couldn't afford the bus ticket.

D．Because she couldn't find the right bus.

【小题3】How did Marie use to find the goods she wanted in the supermarket?

A．She knew where the goods were in the supermarket.

B．She asked others to take her to the right place.

C．She managed to find the goods by their looks.

D．She remembered the names of the goods.

【小题4】Which of the statements is TRUE about Marie?

A．She could do many things she had not been able to before.

B．She was able to read stories with the help of her son.

C．She decided to continue her studies in school.

D．She helped to build up my self-confidence.

To son, Cecil,
Just a quick note before I start in earnest. When I wrote this, you were 8, still a little boy. In 2002, I was called to active duty in the Marine Corps in the war on Terrorism (恐怖主义). On the 11th of September 2001 when America was attacked, I knew that I would eventually have to go and I was filled with a deep sense of sadness. That night as you and Keiko were asleep, I looked at your little faces and couldn’t help but fight the tears. I knew it would be hard for you because I had a similar experience. When I was a little boy aged 6, my dad, your Grandpa Cawley, was sent to Vietnam during the war there. I remember how much I missed him, too. But now unfortunately I have come to realize just how rough it must have been for Grandpa to be away from his children for a year. Thinking about this, I wanted to put my thoughts and feelings down for you and your sister. I am so sorry that I had to leave for such a long time. There is no place I would rather be than with you and Keiko. You two are the lights of my life. I have known no greater joy than in the few years since you two were born. I hope to have many more years with you. If this doesn’t happen, then know that I love you more than words can express. If for some reason I don’t make it home, I will need you to take care of your little sister and your Mom. You will be the man of the Cawley family. Be good my son and God will watch over you as he has me. I will be waiting impatiently for the time when we can all be together again.
【小题1】The writer of the letter may be ______.

A．an American soldier in the battle field

B．an American policeman

C．a soldier in the Vietnam War

D．a postman working far away from home

【小题2】Keiko is the ______ of the writer.

A．wife

B．son

C．daughter

D．sister

【小题3】One of the experiences the writer and his son had in common is that ______.

A．they both experienced the Vietnam War

B．their fathers had to leave them and fight abroad.

C．they used to study in the same school

D．they were both eight when the fathers had to leave them

【小题4】We can infer(推断) that ______.

A．the writer was a devoted son

B．the writer was a brave soldier

C．the writer realized he might die in the battle field

D．the writer’s wife was suffering from a terrible illness.

Being able to multitask---doing several things at the same time---is considered a welcome skill by most people. But if we consider the situation of the young people aged from eight to eighteen, we should think again.
What we often see nowadays is that young people juggle an ever larger number of electronic devices as they study. While working, they also surf on the Internet, send out emails, answer the telephone and listen to music on their iPods. In a sense, they are spending a significant amount of time in fruitless efforts as they multitask.
Multitasking is even changing the relationship between family members. As young people give so much attention to their own worlds, they seem to have no time to spend with the other people around them. They can no longer greet family members when they enter the house, nor can they eat at the family table.
Multitasking also affects young people’s performance at university and in the workplace. When asked about their opinion of the effect of modern gadgets on their performance of tasks, many young people gave a positive response. However, the response from the worlds of education and business was not quite as positive.
Educators feel that multitasking by children has a serious effect on later development of study skills. They believe that many college students now need help to improve their study skills. Similarly, employers feel that young people entering the job market need to be taught all over again, as modern gadgets have made it unnecessary for them to learn special skills to do their work.
【小题1】What does the underlined word “juggle” in Paragraph 2 most probably mean?

A．Want to buy.

B．Take the place of.

C．Use at the same time.

D．Seek for information from.

【小题2】In Paragraph 3, the author points out that  ________.

A．family members do not eat at the family table.

B．family members do not greet each other.

C．young people live happily in their families

D．young people seldom talk with their family members

【小题3】What is the main idea of the last paragraph?

A．multitasking is harmful to young people’s development.

B．Young people benefit a lot from modern gadgets.

C．Multitasking is an important skill to young people.

D．Yong people must learn skills for future jobs.

【小题4】The author develops the passage mainly by ________.

A．providing typical examples

B．following the natural time order

C．comparing opinions from different fields

D．presenting a cause and analyzing its effects

When I was growing up, I had an old neighbor named Dr. Gibbs. He didn’t look like any doctor I’d ever known. He never yelled at us for playing in his yard. I remember him as someone who was a lot nicer than most of the adults in our community.
When Dr. Gibbs wasn’t saving lives, he was planting trees. His house sat on ten acres, and his life’s goal was to make it a forest.
The good doctor had some interesting theories concerning plant care and growth. He never watered his new trees, which flew in the face of conventional wisdom. Once I asked why. He said that watering plants spoiled them so that each successive tree generation would grow weaker and weaker. So you have to make things rough for them and weed out(淘汰) the weaker trees early on. He talked about how watering trees made for shallow roots, and how trees that weren’t watered had to grow deep roots in search of moisture. I took him to mean that deep roots were to be treasured.
So he never watered his trees. He planted an oak and, instead of watering it every morning, he beat it with a rolled-up newspaper. Smack! Slap! Pow! I asked him why he did that, and he said it was to get the tree’s attention.
Dr. Gibbs passed away a couple of years after I left home. Every now and again, I walked by his house and looked at the trees that I’d watched him plant some twenty-five years ago. They’re extremely tall, big and robust since they have deep roots now. However, the trees in my garden trembled in a cold wind although I had watered them for several years.
It seems that adversity(逆境) and suffering benefit these trees in ways comfort and ease never could. I stood there deep in thought.
Every night before I go to bed, I check on my two sons. I stand over them and watch their little bodies, the rising and falling of life within. I often pray for them. Mostly I pray that their lives will be easy. But I think that it’s time to change my prayer(祷词) because now I know my children are going to encounter hardship.
【小题1】According to Dr. Gibbs’ theories, trees will become weaker if they _________.

A．are lack of care

B．are watered

C．are weeded out

D．are beaten

【小题2】According to Para.3 and Para.4, we can infer that Dr. Gibbs’ motto(座右铭) may be       .

A．“Seeing is believing”	B．“Put everything in proper use”
C．“Practice makes perfect”	D．“No pain, no gain”

【小题3】The underlined word robust in Para.5 most probably means _________.

A．strong

B．strange

C．deep

D．old

【小题4】Which of the following may be the author’s best prayer for his two sons now?

A．I wish them strong wings, with which they can fly higher and touch the sky.

B．I wish them nice fortune so that they can meet people like Dr. Gibbs in the future.

C．I wish them deep roots into the earth since the rains fall and the winds blow often.

D．I wish them great shades under the tree since the sunlight is always sharp and bitter.

【小题5】Which of the following can be the best title of this passage?

A．A Nice Doctor

B．The Deep Roots

C．Adversity and Suffering

D．My Childhood Memory

About ten years ago when I was an undergraduate in college in New York, I was working as a practice student at my University's Museum of Natural History. One day while I was working at the cash register in the gift shop, I saw an elderly couple come in with a little girl in wheelchair.
As I looked closer at this girl, I saw that she was seated on her chair. I then realized she had no arms or legs, just a head, neck and the trunk of the human body. She was wearing a little white dress with the patterns of red roses and yellow dots.
As the couple wheeled her up to me I was looking down at the register. I turned my head toward the girl and gave her a wink(眨眼示意). As I took the money from her grandparents, I looked back at the girl, who was giving me the most beautiful, largest smile I have ever seen
All of a sudden herhandicap was gone and all I saw was this beautiful girl, whose smile just melted me and almost instantly gave me a completely new sense of what life is all about. I immediately felt full of hope and confidence. She took me, a poor, unhappy college student, into her world, a world of smiles, love and warmth.               
That was ten years ago, but I still remember it clearly as if it happened just yesterday. I'm a successful business person now and whenever I get down and think about the troubles of the world, I think about that little girl and the remarkable lesson about life that she taught me.
【小题1】What was the writer a decade ago?

A．A worker working in a university.

B．A teacher teaching in a college.

C．A clerk working in a museum.

D．A university student who had not yet taken a degree.

【小题2】What does the underlined world “handicap” in Paragraph 4 probably mean?

A．Life difficulty.	B．Troublesome problem.
C．Failure in work.	D．Physical disability.

【小题3】How did the writer probably feel before meeting the disabled girl?

A．She felt full of hope.

B．She was filled with confidence.

C．She felt unhappy because of poverty.

D．She felt life was beautiful.

【小题4】Which of the following title suits this passage best?

A．A Disabled Girl.

B．A Disabled Girl’s Smile.

C．Full of Hope.

D．Full of Confidence.