December 2
Sharon called about four times today. At least it shows she’s trying to explain something to me. I feel a little better.
December 3
This morning Sharon said she had only told one person and didn’t know why everyone seemed to know. Yes, I am an adopted (收养的) daughter. But she had promised to keep it a secret for ever!
December 5
I wish I had a friend I could really trust all of the time. I thought I found that friend, but I haven’t and it’s making me miserable (痛苦的)! It’s wrong to tell her all about it. She gains my trust, and then loses it.
December 7
I have a nice room, beautiful house and everything I’ve ever wanted. My adoptive parents will give me all the things I’ve ever dreamed of. Yet all the money in the world can’t buy what I want now. I want for Sharon to be my best friend again.
December 10
Sharon just called. She said she thought it might help if we spent more time together. She worried that I would switch schools (转学). She is the best friend I’ve ever had. When I’m with Sharon, I can be myself. I need Sharon’s friendship. I need it more than I’ve ever known.
December 16
I just had the most fantastic two days of my life! This was the best time I’ve had for a long, long while. Yesterday, we walked five times around the park and today we walked along the river for twenty minutes. We talked so much. Sharon, Sharon, no brick wall between us now.
【小题1】What is the author mainly worried about?

Endless playing of songs like All I want for Christmas in shops during the festive season doesn’t just drive us mad —the songs also make us more careless with our money, research has warned.

While repeated performance of Jingle Bells may seem like an innocent attempt to raise customers’ spirits during the nightmare of Christmas shopping, the songs also have a more delicate impact.

“Background music, or “Muzak”,can be used by marketers to impose cultures ---such as the commercialization of Christmas--- onto consumers and influence their behaviour,” experts said.

Dr. Alan Bradshaw of Royal Holloway, University of London, said, “Festive jingles are force-fed to Christmas shoppers in a bid to change their mood, influence their sense of time and what sort of products they buy. In other words, this is an attempt to control your shopping habits in a way that you might hardly be aware of.”

“Often we are told that we have the freedom to choose where we want to shop, but during Christmas the use of music in this way is so common that our freedom to choose disappears.”

Dr. Bradshaw and Prof Morris Holbrook of Columbia University examined the phenomenon and found that retailers often “dumb down” the music played in shops to relax customers, meaning it is easier to control their behaviour.

It is thought that slowing down the rhythm of music in shops can trick customers into thinking less time has passed, and therefore spend more time examining the shelves, for example.

Some providers of background music have been known to promote their services by claiming they can boost profits by controlling the behaviour of customers.

“A common trick is to take a popular current song and record an instrumental version which can be slowed down or sped up at different time of the day to influence behaviour in different ways,” Dr. Bradshaw said.

Background music is often classed as “Muzak” in honor of the Seattle-based company which began producing its soft-sounding melodies in the 1930s.

1.According to Dr. Bradshaw, in what ways does Christmas music influence customers?

①their mood               ②their income

③their sense of time         ④ the sort of products they buy

A.①②③    B.①③④    C.②③④   D.①②④

2. Shopkeepers slow down the rhythm of music in shops to ___________.

A. let customers spend more time shopping

B. make customers and sales assistants relaxed

C. let customers enjoy the beautiful music

D. help customers find what they really want

3.What kind of music is now often adapted to influence customers in shops?

A. Classical music     B. Popular modern songs.

C. Folk songs.        D. Jazz music.

4.What is the best title of the passage?

A. Music makes happy Christmas

B. Christmas “Muzak”

C. How to make Christmas music?

D. Christmas music makes us spend more

Directions: For each blank in the following passage there are four words or phrases marked A,B,C and D. Fill in each blank with word or phrases that best fits the context.

When I was a young man, I thought life was all about me --- about how I'd make my way in the world, become successful, and get the things I want.    36    then the two of you came into my world with all your curiosity and mischief and those smiles that never    37   to fill my heart and light up my day. And suddenly, all my big plans for myself didn't seem so    38    anymore. I soon found that the greatest joy in my life was the joy I saw in yours. And I    39    that my own life wouldn't count for much unless I was able to ensure that you had every opportunity for happiness and fulfillment in yours. In the end, girls, that's why I  40   President because of what I want for you and for every child in this nation. I want all our children to go to schools worthy of their    41    --- schools that challenge them, inspire them, and instill in them a    42    of wonder about the world around them. I want them to have the chance to go to college ---    43    their parents aren't rich. And I want them to get good jobs: jobs that pay well and give them benefits like health care, jobs that let them spend time with their own kids and    44    with dignity.

Sometimes we have to send our young men and women into war and other dangerous    45    to protect our country --- but when we do, I want to make sure that it is only for a very good reason, that we try our best to settle our differences with others peacefully, and that we do everything possible to keep our servicemen and women    46   . And I want every child to understand that the blessings these brave Americans fight for are not free --- that with the great privilege of being a citizen of this nation     47    great responsibility.

36. A. However                  B. While            C. But              D. Although

37. A. fail                     B. escape           C. drop             D. prepare

38. A. shallow                  B. important            C. respectful           D. delighted

39. A. recognized           B. regretted            C. realized         D. reminded

40. A .searched for             B. accounted for        C. asked for            D. ran for

41. A. potential                B. ability          C. possibility          D. reputation

42. A. sign                 B. sense            C. ray              D. bunch

43. A. as if                    B. now that         C. in case              D. even if

44. A. resign               B. resettle             C. retire               D. request

45. A. borders              B. situations           C. nations              D. scenery

46. A. satisfied                    B. fortunate            C. successful       D. safe

47. A. comes                B. goes             C. lies             D. stands

When I was a young man, I thought life was all about me—about how I’d make my way in the world, become successful, and get the things I want.  36  then the two of you came into my world with all your curiosity and mischief and those smiles that never  37  to fill my heart and light up my day. And suddenly, all my big plans for myself didn’t seem so 38 any more. I soon found that the greatest joy in my life was the joy I saw in yours. And I 39 that my own life wouldn’t count for much unless I was able to ensure that you had every opportunity for happiness and fulfillment in yours.

In the end, girls, that’s why I 40 President because of what I want for you and for every child in this nation. I want all our children to go to schools worthy of their 41  schools that challenge them, inspire them, and instill in them a 42 of wonder about the world around them. I want them to have the chance to go to college — 43 their parents aren’t rich. And I want them to get good jobs: jobs that pay well and give them benefits like health care, jobs that let them spend time with their own kid and 44 with dignity.

Sometimes we have to send our young men and women into war and other dangerous 45 to protect our country — but when we do, I want to make sure that it is only for a very good reason, that we try our best to settle our differences with others peacefully, and that we do everything possible to keep our servicemen and women 46 . And I want every child to understand that the blessings these brave Americans fight for are not free — that with the great privilege of being a citizen of this nation 47 great responsibility.

1.A. However                   B. While                    C. But                               D. Although

2.A. fail                         B. escape                            C. drop                       D. prepare

3.A. shallow                           B. important           C. respectful                  D. delighted

4.A. recognized                     B. regretted                     C. realized                            D. reminded

5.A. searched for       B. accounted for                   C. asked for                    D. ran for

6.A. potential          B. ability                         C. possibility                   D. reputation

7.A. sign              B. sense                     C. ray                       D. bunch

8.A. as if              B. now that                     C. in case                       D. even if

9.A. resign                              B. resettle                        C. retire                           D. request

10.A. borders                   B. situations             C. nations                    D. scenery

11.A. satisfied                        B. fortunate                     C. successful                   D. safe

12.A. comes                     B. goes                      C. lies                               D. stands

What I Want for You and Every Child in America
Dear Malia and Sasha,
I know that you’ve both had a lot of ___（31） these last two years on the campaign trail, going to picnics and parades and state fairs, eating all sorts of junk food your mother and I probably shouldn’t have let you have．But I also know that it hasn’t always been easy for you and Mom, and that as excited as you both are about that new puppy, it doesn’t ____（32）for all the time we’ve been apart．I know ____（33）I’ve missed these past two years, and today I want to tell you a little more about why I decided to take our family on this journey．
When I was a young man, I thought life was all about me-about how I’d___（34） my way in the world, become successful, and get the things I want．But then the two of you came into my____（35） with all your curiosity and mischief （捣乱） and those smiles that never____（36） to fill my heart and light up my day．
I want all our children to go to schools_____（37） of their potential-schools that challenge them, inspire them, and instill （灌输） in them a sense of_____（38） about the world around them．I want them to have the chance to go to college____（39）their parents aren’t rich．And I want them to get good jobs: jobs that pay well and give them benefits like health care, jobs that let them spend time with their own_____（40）and retire with dignity．
I want us to____（41） the boundaries of discovery so that you’ll live to see new technologies and inventions that improve our lives and make our planet cleaner and safer．And I want us to push our own human boundaries to reach _____（42）the divides of race and region, gender and religion that_____（43） us from seeing the best in each other．
That was the_____（44） your grandmother tried to teach me when I was your age, reading me the opening lines of the Declaration of Independence and telling me about the men and women who marched for_____（45） because they believed those words put to paper two centuries ago should mean_____（46）．
She helped me understand that America is great not because it is perfect but because it can always be made better and that the_____（47）work of perfecting our union falls to each of us．It’s a charge we pass on to our children, coming closer with each new generation to_____（48）we know America should be．
These are the things I want for you, to_____（49）in a world with no limits on your dreams and no achievements beyond your reach．And I want every child to have the same chances to learn and dream and grow and thrive that you girls have．That’s why I’ve taken our family on this great adventure．
I am so proud of both of you．I love you______（50）you can ever know．And I am grateful every day for your patience, poise （自信）, grace, and humor as we prepare to start our new life together in the White House．
Love, Dad