I’m beginning to think whether my grandmother was right when she complains,as she frequently does,that children nowadays aren’t as well-behavioured as they used to be.She recounts in detail how she used to be told to respect her elders and betters.She was taught to speak when she was spoken to and when she went out on her own,she was reminded to say please and thank you.Children in her days,she continues,were expected to be seen and not heard,but these days you are lucky if you ever hear parents telling their children to mind her manners.?

If you give her the chance she then takes out of her writing desk the old photograph album which she keeps there,and which she never tires of displaying.Of course when you look at pictures of her parents you feel sure that,with a father as strict looking as that,you too would have been “seen and not heard”.Beside him sits his wife,with their children around her;Granny and her elder brothers.It always occurs to me that perhaps those long,stiff,black clothes were so burdensome (heavy) to a little girl that she hadn’t enough breath left to be talkative,let alone mischievous (淘气的).It must have been a dull and lonely life too,for she stayed mainly at home during her childhood,while her brothers were sent to school from an early age.?

However,my childhood was much freer than Granny’s.I went to school with my brother.I played football with him and his friends.We all spoke a common language,and we got up to the same mischief.I would have died if I had to stay indoors,wearing tight,stiff clothes.

1.The writer thinks that her grandmother_________ .?

A.makes mistakes about the youth?

B.complains too much about her childhood?

C.received good education at school?

D.led an unhappy life when she was a child?

2.When Granny was young,children were expected_________.?

A.to speak to the elders loudly?

B.to hear and not to see?

C.to be present quietly?

D.to stay still and study?

3.This passage is mainly about _______.?

A.Granny’s life story in the past?

B.Granny’s complaints about the children?

C.women’s life in different times?

D.children in the past and at present

I have just listened to the same “lecture” given by my grandmother. And now I’m beginning to think whether she is right when she complains,  1  she frequently does, that children nowadays aren’t as well-behaved as they  2  to be. She describes in detail how she used to be told to  3  her elders and betters. She was taught to speak when she was spoken to, and when she went out  4  her own, she was  5  to say “please” and “thank you”. Children in her days, she 6 , were expected to be seen and not heard, but these days you are  7  if you ever hear parents telling their children to  8  their manners.（礼节）

If you give her the  9 , she then takes out of her writing desk the old photograph album which she keeps there, and which she is never  10  of displaying（展示）. Of course when you look  11  pictures of her parents you feel  12 that, with a father as strict-looking as that, you too would have been “seen and not heard”.  13  him sits his wife, with their children around her—Granny and her elder brothers. It always occurs to me that perhaps those long, stiff （僵硬的）, black clothes were so  14  to a little girl that she had not enough breath left to be talkative, not to mention mischievous （淘气的）.  15 must have been a dull and lonely life too,16  she stayed mainly at home during her childhood, while the brothers were  17 from an early age.

However, my childhood was much  18  than Granny’s. I went to school with my brother, I played football with him and his friends. We  19  spoke a common language, and we got up to the same mischief （淘气的人）. I would have died if I had had to  20  indoors, wearing tight, stiff clothes. 

1. A. since               B. as                    C. which                 D. because

2. A. intended            B. expected             C. used                  D. wished

3. A. respect             B. love                   C. follow                  D. understand

4. A. of                     B. in                     C. with                   D. on

5. A. glad                    B. persuaded            C. reminded               D. determined

6. A. continues                  B. forgets              C. retells                 D. delivers

7. A. right                    B. sad                   C. lucky                  D. happy

8. A. care                    B. mind                 C. notice                 D. keep

9. A. throat                  B. pleasure              C. space                 D. chance

10. A. tired                   B. bored                C. unhappy              D. disappointed

11. A. up                   B. at                   C. out                    D. for

12. A. strange               B. pleased                 C. sure                    D. surprised

13. A. Besides               B. Beside               C. Near                 D. On

14. A. heavy                B. used                   C. ugly                  D. funny

15. A. It                                    B. There               C. She                      D. This

16. A. where                       B. when                C. as a result of          D. for

17. A. made to work          B. sent to school        C. allowed to speak       D. told to stay in

18. A. better                        B. freer                        C. happier                  D. greater

19. A. both                         B. never                       C. all                       D. seldom

20. A. stay                       B. play                      C. study                             D. wait

When I was a child, I promised to try to remember as much as I could about my childhood. Because from what I could __21__, it seemed that most __22__ had forgotten their childhoods. I wanted to __23__ other adults and myself when the time came. You should __24__ some useful things when you get away from your __25__.

       When I was three years old, my parents asked me to be __26__. I did not understand why my parents asked a three-year-old girl to depend on myself. I did not have a doll. We did not have much __27__ and a doll seemed so expensive. __28__, my father managed to __29__ me a full set of encyclopedia (百科全书), maps and beautiful pictures __30__ I could read. Well, guess what? I learned to read __31__ realizing them! When I started school, all came so __32__. I knew so many places on the map __33__ the teacher did. If my dad hadn’t asked me to read all those books, __34__ them on me and told me what I should look for, I would __35__ have become so interested in the things I learned. That time, we did not have a TV and had not much else to do. It was the simple __36__ that really opened a new __37__ for me.

       These days, most kids lead a happy life. They can get what they want from their __38__. But they should learn to be independent. Be independent to learn some __39__ knowledge; be independent to __40__ and discover the world safely; and be independent to do your own things.

Today I was at the mall waiting for friends, when a lady wearing a knit hat and a sweater came up to me and, shivering, said, “I’m homeless. Would you mind buying me some food?”
In that split second, everything I’d learned since kindergarten flashed through my mind. Don’t talk to strangers … Be a good citizen … People will take ­advantage of you … Treat others as you wish to be treated … The greatest thing you’ll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return … I guess love won the debate. “Sure,” I said. “What would you like?”
She thought and then said, “I’d like to get Chinese food.” We headed upstairs. On the way she told me about when she was a teenager. She remembers taking pictures for the yearbook with her best friend. She was in the band and played basketball. She got good grades and was a good student.
She ordered soup, an egg roll, white rice, and pepper chicken. I would normally think that was a lot, but she had probably barely eaten in the last few days. I got my usual – lo mein and General Tso’s chicken.
As we ate, we got to know each other. She asked if I played any instruments. I replied that I played the violin, cello, and guitar. She told me she played the flute, piano, guitar, and violin. In the middle of our meal, I realized something. And she thought of it at exactly the same time.
“So, what’s your name?” she asked.
“I’m Claire,” I said, startled at our exact same thought. “What’s yours?”
“Joyce,” she said with a smile.
We continued talking, and she asked my favorite subjects in school and if I wanted to go to college. “Hopefully,” I replied. “I’m interested in nursing.”
“I went to college for nursing,” she said.
I was taken aback. How could we have so much in common? Was she pretending so I’d feel sympathy for her? But her eyes were genuine as she said this.
Meanwhile I was eating my lo mein, picking around the cabbage and the other vegetables. Joyce said, “If you don’t like it you can take it back.” I told her that I liked it, but was not fond of the vegetables. She broke into a big grin. “You don’t like vegetables, huh? Neither did I. But now I do.” I immediately felt guilty. How could I be picking at my food across from someone who barely gets to eat at all?
I tried my best to finish, but she seemed to sense my guilt and said, “You don’t have to eat it if you don’t want it.” How could she know what I was feeling? I told her the dish was my favorite, but I just eat slowly.
She replied, “I used to like lo mein, but pepper chicken was my dad’s favorite, so I get that now.” Noticing that she used the word “was,” I assumed her dad had passed away. I found it sweet that she gave up her favorite in order to honor her dad.
She asked why I was at the mall.
“I’m waiting for friends. We’re going to see ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,’” I replied, stumbling over the words a bit.
“‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,’” she echoed in awe. “What’s that about?” I realized that she didn’t see commercials for movies.
I explained the basic plot and she chuckled. “A man who is born 80 years old and ages backwards! That sounds interesting.”
She got up to get a to-go box. “Would you like one?” she asked, but I refused. I realized that this food would probably last her for a few days, and I was glad she had ordered a lot.
“Would you like these?” I asked, gesturing at the food I had left untouched. “Oh, no, thank you,” she said. “This is enough.” I got up to throw my tray away, feeling guilty about wasting so much.
“I need to meet my friends now,” I explained. “It was so nice to meet you, Joyce.”
“You too, Claire,” she replied with a smile. “Thank you.”
I headed to the theater, and she went back downstairs. It sounds like a perfect coincidence, but I can’t help but think that some force compelled us to meet. I kept puzzling, Why is Joyce homeless? It seems so unfair. She shouldn’t need people to buy her dinner. She was a nurse. She got good grades. She took pictures for her yearbook. She was the person I hope to be in the future. What went wrong? How could such a good life be rewarded with horrible luck?
I feel lucky to have run into Joyce. She changed my outlook. She is still a wonderful person, despite what the world has done to her. I wish her the best, and can only hope that the force that brought us together will help her find what she deserves in life.
【小题1】From the second paragraph we know that the writer _________.

Today I was at the mall waiting for friends, when a lady wearing a knit hat and a sweater came up to me and, shivering, said, “I’m homeless. Would you mind buying me some food?”

    In that split second, everything I’d learned since kindergarten flashed through my mind. Don’t talk to strangers … Be a good citizen … People will take ­advantage of you … Treat others as you wish to be treated … The greatest thing you’ll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return … I guess love won the debate. “Sure,” I said. “What would you like?”

    She thought and then said, “I’d like to get Chinese food.” We headed upstairs. On the way she told me about when she was a teenager. She remembers taking pictures for the yearbook with her best friend. She was in the band and played basketball. She got good grades and was a good student.

    She ordered soup, an egg roll, white rice, and pepper chicken. I would normally think that was a lot, but she had probably barely eaten in the last few days. I got my usual – lo mein and General Tso’s chicken.

    As we ate, we got to know each other. She asked if I played any instruments. I replied that I played the violin, cello, and guitar. She told me she played the flute, piano, guitar, and violin. In the middle of our meal, I realized something. And she thought of it at exactly the same time.

    “So, what’s your name?” she asked.

    “I’m Claire,” I said, startled at our exact same thought. “What’s yours?”

    “Joyce,” she said with a smile.

    We continued talking, and she asked my favorite subjects in school and if I wanted to go to college. “Hopefully,” I replied. “I’m interested in nursing.”

    “I went to college for nursing,” she said.

    I was taken aback. How could we have so much in common? Was she pretending so I’d feel sympathy for her? But her eyes were genuine as she said this.

    Meanwhile I was eating my lo mein, picking around the cabbage and the other vegetables. Joyce said, “If you don’t like it you can take it back.” I told her that I liked it, but was not fond of the vegetables. She broke into a big grin. “You don’t like vegetables, huh? Neither did I. But now I do.” I immediately felt guilty. How could I be picking at my food across from someone who barely gets to eat at all?

    I tried my best to finish, but she seemed to sense my guilt and said, “You don’t have to eat it if you don’t want it.” How could she know what I was feeling? I told her the dish was my favorite, but I just eat slowly.

    She replied, “I used to like lo mein, but pepper chicken was my dad’s favorite, so I get that now.” Noticing that she used the word “was,” I assumed her dad had passed away. I found it sweet that she gave up her favorite in order to honor her dad.

    She asked why I was at the mall.

    “I’m waiting for friends. We’re going to see ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,’” I replied, stumbling over the words a bit.

    “‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,’” she echoed in awe. “What’s that about?” I realized that she didn’t see commercials for movies.

    I explained the basic plot and she chuckled. “A man who is born 80 years old and ages backwards! That sounds interesting.”

    She got up to get a to-go box. “Would you like one?” she asked, but I refused. I realized that this food would probably last her for a few days, and I was glad she had ordered a lot.

    “Would you like these?” I asked, gesturing at the food I had left untouched. “Oh, no, thank you,” she said. “This is enough.” I got up to throw my tray away, feeling guilty about wasting so much.

    “I need to meet my friends now,” I explained. “It was so nice to meet you, Joyce.”

    “You too, Claire,” she replied with a smile. “Thank you.”

    I headed to the theater, and she went back downstairs. It sounds like a perfect coincidence, but I can’t help but think that some force compelled us to meet. I kept puzzling, Why is Joyce homeless? It seems so unfair. She shouldn’t need people to buy her dinner. She was a nurse. She got good grades. She took pictures for her yearbook. She was the person I hope to be in the future. What went wrong? How could such a good life be rewarded with horrible luck?

    I feel lucky to have run into Joyce. She changed my outlook. She is still a wonderful person, despite what the world has done to her. I wish her the best, and can only hope that the force that brought us together will help her find what she deserves in life.

1.From the second paragraph we know that the writer _________.

   A. debated with the girl over moral issues

B. hates having to make a quick decision

   C. hesitated before she decided to reach out

D. fell in love with the girl at the first sight

2.The writer felt guilty for a moment because ________.

   A. she was particular about food and also wasted so much

   B. she was a strict vegetarian who ate very little

   C. she didn’t order enough food for the girl

   D. she urged the girl to take her share of food

3.Why did Joyce end up unemployed and homeless?

   A. She was a victim of high education

B. She actually had some kind of mental disorder

   C. She graduated with average grades

D. The reason is not yet given.

4.Which detail doesn’t show the coincidence in the story?

   A. They both took interest in nursing.

   B. They were about to ask names of each other at the same time.

   C. When Claire headed to the theater, Joyce went back downstairs.

   D. They were both musical lovers.

5.The writer was very happy to have met Joyce because______.

   A. she didn’t know what she was going to be until then.

   B. this chance meeting changed her attitudes towards life in a way.

   C. she was glad to be able to pay for someone in need.

   D. hopefully the force that brought them together may bring good luck to Joyce.

6.The passage is intended to _______.

   A. arouse readers’ curiosity

B. explore social problems

   C. teach readers a lesson

D. share a sweet personal story