A British train station has put up a no kissing sign to stop lovers going full steam ahead with their over?amorous farewells.

Commuters have been told：if you want to get up to that kind of business，do it in the car park.

The sign has been put up at the drop?off point (落客处) at Warrington Bank Quay station in the town of Warrington，between Liverpool and Manchester in northwest England.

A similar sign，this time permitting kissing，has been put up elsewhere in a zone where kissing is considered tolerable.

“We have not banned kissing in the station，” said a spokesman for operators Virgin Rail.

“But we have put the sign up at the drop?off point because it is not a very big area and it often gets busy. The sign is a light?hearted way of reminding people to move on quickly. If people wish to spend a little more time with their loved ones before they leave，then they should park in the short?stay car park nearby.”

The busy station links the town with the major cities London，Birmingham，Glasgow，Edinburgh，Liverpool and Manchester.

However，one station is trying to rescue love from the tracks. High Wycombe，northwest of London，is having none of it and is actively urging commuters to show their emotions in public.

“Kissing is welcome here！...we would never dream of banning kissing，” says a poster of a cartoon couple embracing，framed by a pink heart. “Railway stations are romantic places，” insisted Kirsteen Robertson from Chiltern Railways. “They are where fond farewells and emotional reunions take place，where relationships start with a glance and even，in the case of our Marylebone station last November where one passenger will propose (求婚) to another over the public address system.”

“So our passengers are more than welcome to share a kiss in our stations.”

1．The train station has put up a no kissing sign in order to________.

A．ban kissing in the station

B．get passengers to walk quickly

C．avoid embarrassment

D．prevent illegal practice

2．The underlined word “it” here refers to________.

A．rescuing love from the tracks 　　 B．banning kissing in the station

C．kissing at the drop?off point 　　　 D．kissing in the car park

3．We learn that in High Wycombe________.

A．kissing is encouraged

B．kissing is forbidden

C．kissing is intolerable

D．kissing is limited to a certain time

4．We can infer that________.

A．the drop?off point is not a safe place

B．the drop?off point is a quiet place

C．the drop?off point is a romantic place

D．the drop?off point is often packed with the traffic and passengers

I recently ran into a friend I hadn’t seen for a long while．Our conversation was lively and full of news from both sides．Before we parted she said，“You'll have to drop in sometime.” I immediately sensed that if I simply  “dropped in’’  I would take my friend by surprise，and I would be discouraged by the image of her standing in her doorway，staring at me，and asking，“Oh，err …what brings you here?”

Whatever happened to the unannounced drop-in visit? When I was growing up in the 1960s, it seemed that people - mostly relatives, but also friends - were always popping in. My parents would put coffee on，and my mom would find something in the kitchen to serve along with it．Then the conversation would begin…The neighbor lady，a worrier，was unloading her sadness while my mom quietly listened．The Irish man next door had such an accent that I remember asking what language he spoke．My Polish relatives arrived in packs…But I never heard my parents say anything like “We weren’t expecting you’’ or “This isn’t a good time．”Drop-in visitors had a certain right of way and became No．1．

What happened to such visits? Actually I know the answer．Times have changed．Everybody gets busy with work．There is no longer a stay-at-home mom keeping a pot of hot coffee or tea ready throughout the day for a surprise guest．Exploding malls and stores are now replacing homes as a central form of entertainment．

Just the other day a former student of mine showed up．“I'm sorry for the surprise visit．”my student began．“I just wanted to see if you still lived here．I'll only stay a minute．”My response was immediate.“ No, you won’t,” I said.“Just come in, sit, have coffee, and we’ll talk.’’

I had nothing in the kitchen but we ordered pizza．And we had a lovely time．I have tried to keep the drop-in tradition alive though it takes some effort．

1.The author thought of his friend’s invitation --- “You’ll have to drop in sometime”--- as _______.

A．a nice way of refusal

B．an excuse of leaving

C．a kind of politeness

D．an expression of surprise

2.The underlined phrase “ pop in”  in the second paragraph means _________.

A．make many friends

B．make a special date

C．have a good time

D．pay a sudden visit

3.The woman from the neighborhood used to visit the author’s home to ________.

A．seek comfort from my parents

B．make new friends

C．1isten to my parents’ story

D．taste nice dishes

4.From the third paragraph of the passage，we can infer that __________．

A．the author misses the lost good days

B．unexpected visitors are still welcome now

C．modern people prefer outdoor activities

D．there are more jobs for the housewives now

5.The author writes the passage intending to __________.     

A．encourage people to be drop-in visitors

B．explain how to deal with unexpected visitors

C．share his feelings about the drop-in tradition

D．show the importance of making friends

You may drop in or just give me a call．________ will do．

1. A.
   Either
2. B.
   Each
3. C.
   Neither
4. D.
   All

Bill Gates was born on October 28th, 1955. He and his two sisters grew up in Seattle. Their father, William H. Gates II, was a Seattle lawyer. Mary Gates, their late mother, was a school teacher.

Gates attended public elementary school before moving on to the private Lakeside School in North Seattle. It was at Lakeside that Gates began his career in personal computer soft  ware, programming computers at age 13.

In 1973, Gates entered Harvard University as a freshman, where he lived down the hall from Steve Ballmer, who is now Microsoft's president. While at Harvard, Gates developed a version (版本) of the programming language BASIC for the first microcomputer---the MITS Astair. In his junior year, Gates dropped out of Harvard to devote his energies full-time to Microsoft, a company he had started in 1975 with his boyhood friend Paul Allen. Guided by a belief that the personal computer would be a valuable tool on every office desk-top and in every home, they began developing software for personal computers.

Gates' foresight has led to the success of Microsoft and the software industry. He plays an important role in the technical development of new products. Much of his time is devoted to meeting with customers and staying in touch with Microsoft employees around the world through e-mail.

In the dozen years since Microsoft went public, Gates has donated more than $ 800 million to charities, including $ 200 million to the Gates Library Foundation to help libraries in North America make use of new technologies and the Information Age.

1.Where did Bill Gates begin his career in personal computer software?

A．At public elementary school.               B．At the private Lakeside School.

C．At Harvard University.                    D．At Microsoft Company.

2.Why did he drop out of Harvard?

A．To change school.                       B．To spend all his energies to Microsoft.

C．To find a full-time job.                    D．To earn money.

3.How does Gates spend much of his time?

A．Meeting with people.

B．Travelling around the world.

C．E-mailing some friends.

D．Meeting with customers and e-mailing Microsoft employees.

4.What does the underlined word “donated” in the last paragraph mean?

A．gave.             B．earned.           C．made.            D．received.

Children start out as natural scientists, eager to look into the world around them. Helping them enjoy science can be easy; there is no need for a lot of scientific terms or expensive lab equipment. You only have to share your children’s curiosity. Firstly, listen to their questions. I once visited a classroom of seven –year- olds to talk about science as a job. The children asked me “textbook questions” about schooling, salary and whether I liked my job. When I finished answering, we sat facing one another in science. Finally I said,” Now that we’ve finished with your lists, do you have questions of your own about science?”

After a long pause, a boy raised his hand, “have you ever seen a grasshopper eat? When I try eating leaves like that, I get a stomachache. Why?”

This began a set of questions that lasted nearly two hours.

Secondly, give them time to think. Studies over the past 30 years have shown that. After asking a question, adults typically wait only one second or less for an answer, no time for a child to think. When adults increase their “wait time” to three seconds or more, children give more logical, complete and creative answers.

Thirdly, watch your language. Once you have a child involved in a science discussion, don’t jump in with “That’s right” or “very good”. These words work well when it comes to encouraging good behavior. But in talking about science, quick praise can signal that discussion is over. Instead, keep things going by saying, “That’s interesting” or “I’d never thought of it that way before’, or coming up with more questions or ideas.

Never push a child to “think”. It doesn’t make sense; children are always thinking, without your telling them to. What’s more, this can turn a conversation into a performance. The child will try to find the answer you want, in as few words as possible, so that he will be a small target for your disagreement.

Lastly, show; don’t tell. Real-life impressions of nature are far more impressive than any lesson children can learn from a book or a television program. Let children look at their fingertips through a magnifying glass, and they’ll understand why you want them to wash before dinner. Rather than saying that water evaporates, set a pot of water to boil and let them watch the water level drop.

1.According to the passage, children are natural scientist, and to raise their interest, the most important thing for adults to do is______________.

A．to let them see the world around

B．to share the children’s curiosity

C．to explain difficult phrases about science

D．to supply the children with lab equipment

2.In the last sentence of the first paragraph, the word “list” could best be replaced by ______________.

A．any questions                          B．any problems

C．questions from the textbooks              D．any number of questions

3.According to the passage, children can answer questions in a more logical, complete and creative way if adults______________________.

A．ask them to answer quickly

B．wait for one or two seconds after a question

C．tell them to answer the next day

D．wait at least for three seconds after a question

4.In which of the following paragraph (s) does the author tell us what to say to encourage children in a science discussion?

A．The 2nd and 3rd    B．The 4th and 5th     C．The 5th and 6th     D．The 7th

5.The author mentions all of the following techniques for adults to share with their children’s curiosity except that adults should_____________.

A．tell their children stories instead of reciting facts

B．offer their children chances to see things for themselves

C．be patient enough when their children answer questions

D．encourage their children to ask questions of their own