阅读理解

　　After 21 years of marriage, my wife wanted me to take another woman out to dinner and a movie．The other woman was my mother, who has been a widow(寡妇)for 19 years．However, the demands of my work and my three children had made it possible to visit her only occasionally．

　　That Friday after work, when I arrived at her house, my mother was waiting in the door with her coat on．She had curled her hair and was wearing the dress that she had worn to celebrate her last wedding anniversary．

　　We went to a restaurant that, although not elegant, was very nice and cozy(舒适的)．My mother took my arm as if she were the First Lady．During the dinner, we had an agreeable conversation about nothing extraordinary but just caught up on recent events．We talked so much that we missed the movie．

　　As we arrived at her house later, she said; "I'll go out with you again, but only if you let me invite you．" I agreed．A few days later, my mother died of a massive(严重的)heart attack．It happened so suddenly that I didn't have a chance to do anything for her．

　　Sometime later, I received an envelope with a copy of a restaurant receipt(收据)from the same place mother and I had dined．An attached note said："I paid ibis bill in advance．I wasn't sure that I could be there; still, I paid for two plates－one for yon and the other for your wife．You will never know what that night meant for me．I love you, Son．"

　　At mat moment, f understood the importance of saying; "I love you" and of giving our loved ones the time they deserve．Nothing in life is more important than family．Give family members the attention they deserve, because these things cannot be put off rill some "other" time．

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阅读理解

　　The trouble with Europe is that it is．so diverse．There are many different cultures, from German and French composers to English and Irish poets, from French film directors and Italian tenors(男高音)to Swiss bankers and clockmakers．When we move into the world of politics, it is equally difficult for European leaders to see eye to eye．

　　When European leaders got together at their recent summit meeting in Brussels, Belgium, to discuss the European debt crisis, there were hitter exchanges of words．President Nicolas Sarkozy of France turned on David Cameron to tell him that he was fed up -with the British Prime Minster's constant criticism of the euro．

　　Sarkozy told him："You lost a good opportunity to shut up．We are sick of you criticizing us and telling us what to do．You say you bate the euro and now you want to interfere(干涉)in our meeting．" This was a reference to the way the UK has stayed outside the euro zone and held on to its own currency, the pound．

　　Take a look at history．For centuries, France, Britain, Spain, Portugal and Germany fought with one another-on land and sea．There was a 100-year-long war between Britain and France in the 14th and 15th centuries．Two world wars began in Europe．

　　When European nations weren't fighting each other in Europe, they were fighting in other foreign countries in a quest(寻求)for colonial(殖民地的)power, raw materials, spices and tea．

　　It is small wonder, then, that cultural stereotypes(成见)of the different European nations have emerged－and some of them are far from friendly．

　　The phrase "cheese-eating surrender monkeys(吃奶酪的投降派杂耍猴)" was first used in an episode of The Simpsons to describe the French．

　　Germans have a reputation for being efficient, which has led to their powerful economy, great cars－and lack of a sense of humor, according to the stereotype．

　　As for the Scots, they have a reputation for drinking too much．Prince Philip, the Queen of England's husband, once asked a driving instructor in Scotland how he managed to keep his clients away from the alcohol long enough for them to pass their driving tests．Was this the prince's idea of a joke?Or was he repeating a cultural stereotype?

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阅读理解

　　Be more popular, get better grades, have more pocket money．．．A teenager's life seems far from trouble-free．However, American author Daniel Gottlieb disagrees．

　　In his book, Learning From the Heart：Lessons on Living, Loving and Listening, Gottlieb says that people should listen to the voices of others and to their own hearts and learn to feel comfortable with who they are．

　　In most people's eyes, Gottlieb, 60, might be uncomfortable with himself．He became paralyzed(瘫痪)due to an accident that happened when he was 30．He went through a terrible divorce(离婚)and his second wife got cancer．He had to try hard to communicate with his autistic(患有自闭症的)grandchild．

　　Yet in his book, Gottlieb manages to see the silver lining to every cloud．He writes that being paralyzed brings him great parking spaces．He doesn't need to spend money on shoes．More importantly, he learns that what he really wants is to stop wanting to become or to have something that he simply cannot be or have．

　　"Because of my dilferentness, I have not been intimidated(胁迫)by my need to be like everyone rise," he writes．"I might not have become the man I am today were-it not for this trauma(伤害)．"

　　Perhaps, the best side of being paralyzed for Gottlieb is that he becomes an outsider among people?"like a foreign reporter", as he puts it．He acutely(敏锐的)observes the way people act, think and live, and puts his observations into the pages of Learning From the Hears．Its Chinese version will be released in January next year．

　　Publishers Weekly says that the message of the book contains "the unmistakable ring of truth to it; love rather than change yourself or anyone else"．

　　"Trying to change others is about intolerance(不够宽容)," the magazine says, "which is．at the core(核心问题)? of so much enmity(敌对)．We can't find peace unless we are trying to help others find peace also．"

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阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项A、B、C和D中，选出最佳选项。

　　What would you do if you were lost in the dark forest at night? The first sensible lesson is that you shouldn't bother trying to find your way in the dark at all, but just stay put until dawn．Because then you won't trip over things? No, mainly because you'll have an idea of direction．The sun rises in the east．But you will be amazed at how many people forget they know that．Apparently, the area underneath a holly bush provides a good makeshift shelter－they are thick, and evergreen．The next thing to do－or rather not to do－is panic, for the obvious reason that unless there is someone there to hear you scream, it will get you nowhere．Just try to think of nice, happy things．

　　There is always a oint in films then a erson who is lost in the desert or the snow, dehydrated(脱水的)and exhausted, comes across a set of their own footrints and realizes they have just walked in huge, round circle．It is wrong to owe it to the unequal strengths or different lengths of your legs．Experiments prove that, without the sun or the moon(or landmarks)as a fixed guide, lots of small errors add u over time so the brain can't correctly identify the “straight ahead” direction．To just get out of somewhere, pick a spot on the horizon and just head for it．

　　There are several ways to find directions in the dark, and by far the best is to establish north using the stars．Most people can identify the Plough, which is part of Ursa Major, It looks a lot like a saucepan．The Plough rotates thraugh the sky, but let's imagine the saucepan lying horizontally(水平地), with its handle on the left．You neet to trace a line from the star at the right－hand base of the pan, through the star at the right－hand rim(边沿), and follow it upwards; the north star is roughly five thmes the distance between those two “pointer” stars．Then drop a vertical line from the North Star to the horizon and that's north．

　　“Tonight is very cloudy and I can't see the Plough．” Maybe luckily, it is quite windy．Keep in mind that almost all of our weather comes from a south－westerly direction．(This only works if you are in the British Isles)．To find the direction, you can throw light bits of dried－out grass in the air and see which way they blow; or, if there are clouds and patches of clear sky, see which way they blow across the stars．You can also get an idea of direction from leggy plants．If they look as if they have been blown over, they will probably be pointing north－east．If they are simply leaning in one direction as they grow, there's a good chance that is south(they will be reaching towards the sun)．The last thing to do is to judge your direction and off you go．

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阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项A、B、C和D中，选出最佳选项。

　　Have you got any wonderful plans for your coming winter vacation? Here are some wonderful films for you to kill time．

Away We Go

　　With a baby on his way, a young couple, Burt and Verona, look at their lives and are puzzled about what they really want．So they hit the road and seek a place to call home．On their journey, they visit a handful of characters and learned a lot．

　　It's about taking the scenic route in life, preparing for the hope and excitement and fear of new beginnings, while never forgetting to look out of the window．

Orphan

　　Esther, a bright and well－behaved child, however, is not as innocent as she appears．Soon after being taken home, the peace of her adoptive family is completely changed

　　You want a good horror film about a child from hell? Then you got one! Do not, in any cases, take children to see it．

500 Days of Summer

　　Tom is in love with Summer from the moment he sees her．Can he accept that she simply likes him for now, not for forever? The movie is about Tom wrestling with that reality．Tom remembers his love, Summer, as a series of joys and bafflements．But Summer is just herself and he cannot have her．

　　Here is a rare movie that begins by telling us how it will end and is about how the hero has no idea why．

2012

　　The director Roland Emmerich successfully dresses a corny story with an old Mayan prediction, which is believed by many to happen in the coming 2012 and as a result, attracts millions of people into the cinema．

　　It's just an entertaining Hollywood blockbuster(大片)with plenty of jokes, instead of a description of what the end of the world is really like．Don't take it too seriously!

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阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项A、B、C和D中，选出最佳选项。

　　The Friday after the American holiday of Thanksgiving is called Black Friday．It's said that it's the day that store ledgers(分类账)move into the black and companies become profitable．On that day, retailers slash prices to get consumers to buy．It is also a time when many Americans start their Christmas shopping．VOA's Elizabeth Lee tells us how the economy may affect consumers on that bargain day．

　　“It's just the deals, the sales and everything you can get for a lesser price,” said Sandy Thomas, a shopper．But it's a nightmare for others．“I think it's crazy．I’ve done all of my shopping throughout the week so I don't have to go out on Friday,” she said．It's called Black Friday, the start of the traditional Christmas shopping season in the United States．Every year it's the day after the Thanksgiving holiday．Stores open before sunrise and there are deep discounts everywhere you look．

　　While the lead up to Christmas is known as the season of giving, Black Friday can get ugly．

　　Last year a crowd of bargain－hunters killed a Wal－mart worker in a New York suburb．This year, many stores are increasing security while they slash prices．“This is a huge time for the retail stores,” said Fred Joutz from George Washington University．“This is when they begin making their profits for the year．”

　　Economics professor Fred Joutz says how Americans spend the weekend after Thanksgiving is a good indication of how consumers feel about the future．

　　With the unemployment rate above 10 percent, Joutz says Americans are saving more and spending less．“Credit is still strictly controlled whether through credit cards or through borrowing from banks,” he said．Some retailers are attracting consumers by opening on Thanksgiving Day, when shops are traditionally closed．Other stores open their doors anywhere from midnight to four in the morning．

　　And shoppers will be lining up in front of the doors in order to be one of the first ones to walk through and get a big discount．Electronics like flat screen TVs are usually the first items to go．Sandy Thomas says it's an annual family tradition and well worth it．“I just save maybe half of what I would have spent on a regular, you know, shopping trip,” she said．

　　Economists say U．S．consumers will spend money this Black Friday, but they will spend it more carefully．

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阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项A、B、C和D中，选出最佳选项。

　　He was an old man who fished alone in a boat in the Gulf Stream and he had gone eighty－four days now without taking a fish．In the first forty days a boy had been with him．But after forty days without a fist the boy's parents had told him that the old man was now definitely and finally salao, which is the worst form of unlucky, and the boy had gone at their orders in another boat which caught three good fish the first week．It made the boy sad to see the old man come in each day with his skiff empty and he always went down to help him carry either the coiled lines or the gaff(鱼钩)and harpoon(鱼叉)and the sail that was furled around the mast(桅杆)．The sail was patched with flour sacks and, furled, it looked like the flag of permanent defeat．

　　The old man was thin and gaunt with deep wrinkles in the back of his neck．The brown blotches(斑点)of the skin cancer the sun brings from its reflection on the tropic sea were on his cheeks．The blotches ran well down the sides of his face and his hands had the deep－creased scars from handling heavy fish on the cords．But none of these scars were fresh．They were as old as erosions in a fishless desert．

　　Everything about him was old except his eyes and they were the same color as the sea and were cheerful and undefeated．

　　“Santiago,” the boy said to him as they climbed the bank from where the skiff was pulled up．“I could go with you again．We’ve made some money．”

　　The old man had taught the boy to fish and the boy loved him．

　　“No,” the old man said．“You’re with a lucky boat．Stay with them．”

　　“But remember how you went eighty－seven days without fish and then we caught big ones every day for three weeks．”

　　“I remember,” the old man said．“I know you did not leave me because you doubted．”

　　“It was papa who made me leave．I am a boy and I must obey him．”

　　“I know,” the old man said．“It is quite normal．”

　　“He hasn't much faith．”

　　“No,” the old man said．“But we have．Haven't we?”

　　“Yes,” the boy said．“Can I offer you a beer on the Terrace and then we'll take the stuff home．”

　　“Why not?” the old man said．“Between fishermen．”

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阅读理解

　　A popular saying goes, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me．” However, that's not really true．Words have the power to build us up or tear us down．It doesn't matter if the words come from someone else or ourselves－ the positive and negative effects are just as lasting．

　　We all talk to ourselves sometimes．We're usually too embarrassed to admit it, though．In fact, we really shouldn't be because more and more experts believe talking to ourselves out loud is a healthy habit．

　　This “self－talk” helps us motivate ourselves, remember things, solve problems, and calm ourselves down．Be aware, though, that as much as 77％ of self－talk tends to be negative．So in order to stay positive, we should only speak words of encouragement to ourselves．We should also be quick to give ourselves a pat on the back．The next time you finish a project, do well in a test, or finally clean your room, join me in saying “Good job!”

　　Often, words come out of our mouths without us thinking about the effect they will have．But we should be aware that our words cause certain responses in others．For example, when returning an item to a store, we might use warm, friendly language during the exchange．And the clerk will probably respond in a similar manner．However, harsh and critical language will most probably cause the clerk to be defensive．

　　Words possess power because of their lasting effect．Many of us regret something we once said．And we remember unkind words said to us! Before speaking, we should always ask ourselves：Is it loving? Is it needed? If what we want to say doesn't pass this test, then it's better left unsaid．

　　Words possess power：both positive and negative．Those around us receive encouragement when we speak positively．We can offer hope, build self－esteem and motivate others to do their best．Negative words destroy all those things．Will we use our words to hurt or to heal? The choice is ours．

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阅读理解

　　Motherhood may make women smarter and may help prevent dementia(痴呆)in old age by bathing the brain in protective hormones(荷尔蒙), U．S．researchers reported on Thursday．

　　Tests on rats show that those who raise two or more litters of pups do considerably better in tests of memory and skills than rats who have no babies, and their brains show changes that suggest they may be protected against diseases such as Alzheimer's(早老痴呆症)．University of Richmond psychology professor Craig Kinsley believes his findings will translate into humans．

　　“Our research shows that the hormones of pregnancy(怀孕)are protecting the brain, including estrogen(雌激素), which we know has many neuroprotective(保护神经的)effects,” Kinsley said．

　　“It's rat data but humans are mammals just like these animals are mammals,” he added in a telephone interview．“They go through pregnancy and hormonal changes．”

　　Kinsley said he hoped public health officials and researchers will look to see if having had children protects a woman from Alzheimer's and other forms of age－related brain decline．

　　“When people think about pregnancy, they think about what happens to babies and the mother from the neck down,” said Kinsley, who presented his findings to the annual meeting of the Society of Neuroscience in Orlando, Florida．

　　“They do not realize that hormones are washing on the brain．If you look at female animals that have never gone through pregnancy, they act differently toward the young．But if she goes through pregnancy, she will sacrifice her life for her infant－that is a great change in her behavior that showed in genetic alterations(改变)to the brain．”

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　　Tips for First Time Renters

　　Young people should know the basics of renting accommodation before they hand over their money．

　　◎Deal with agent：In many cases, you'll have to work with an agent before finding an apartment, because they have all the information．Find a large, reputable property agent．Small agents(especially those that are unregistered), might cheat you by offering a good place with low rent．In many cases, they'll ask for commission(佣金)before showing you the apartment．And they'll raise the rent afterwards．

　　◎Before you rent：Make sure you read the rental agreement carefully and ask for advice about anything you don't understand．Make sure that once you sign a rental contract, you will receive a copy．Keep all the paperwork you receive, such as receipts for rent and paid bills．They are proofs．If dispute arises, they will be vital．

　　◎Upfront costs：Moving into rental accommodation can be fairly expensive to start．You will usually be asked for three month's rent in advance and a deposit(押金)，which is one month's rent．If the place is not fully furnished, you may have to buy things like a mattress, refrigerator and washing machine．You need to be financially prepared in advance．

　　◎Sharing with friends：If you intend to share an apartment with friends, make sure you discuss costs and possible house rules before you make a promise．There will be ongoing expense, so consider collecting separate contributions(定期缴款)towards regular bills such as electricity, phone or gas．Put this money into a special purpose bank account．

　　◎Damage control：If any damage is made to your apartment either by you or your visitors, whether it is accidental or not, make sure you tell your landlord about it．Remember, you are required to leave the place in the same condition as when you moved in．You will have to pay for any damage that is not considered to be reasonable “wear and tear” ．

　　◎Before you move out：You usually need to tell the landlord one month in advance．Clean your room(or apartment)before you leave．Ask for a refund(return)of your deposit．

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