My father had always been an alert(警觉的) observer of human character. Within seconds of meeting someone, he could sum up their strengths and weaknesses. It was always a challenge to see if any of my boyfriends could pass Dad’s test. None did. Dad was always right---they didn’t pass my test either. After Dad died, I wondered how I’d figure it out on my own.

That’s when Jack arrived on the scene. He was different from any other guy I’d dated. He could sit for hours on the piano bench with my mother, discussing some composers. My brother Rick loudly announced that Jack wasn’t a turkey like the other guys I’d brought home. Jack passed my family’s test. But what about Dad’s?

Then came my mother’s birthday. The day he was supposed to drive, I got a call. “Don’t worry,” he said, “but I’ve been in an accident. I’m fine, but I need you to pick me up.”

When I got there, we rushed to a flower shop for something for Mom. “How about gardenias?” Jack said, pointing at a beautiful white corsage(胸花). The florist put the corsage in a box.

The entire ride, Jack was unusually quiet. “Are you all right?” I asked. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking,” he said. “I might be moving.” Moving? Then he added, “Moving in with you.” I nearly put the car on the sidewalk. “What?” I asked. “I think we should get married,” he said. He told me he’d planned his proposal in a fancy restaurant, but after the accident, he decided to do it right away. “Yes,” I whispered. We both sat dumbfounded, tears running down our cheeks. I’d never known such a tender moment. If only Dad were here to give his final approval.

“Oh, let’s just go inside.” Jack laughed. My mother opened the door. “Happy Birthday!” we shouted. Jack handed the box to her. She opened it up. Suddenly, her eyes were filled with tears. “Mom, what’s wrong?” I asked. “I’m sorry,” she said, wiping her eyes. “This is only the second gardenia corsage I’ve ever received. I was given one years ago, long before you kids were born.” “From who?” I asked. “Your father,” Mom said. “He gave me one right before we were engaged.” My eyes locked on Jack’s as I blinked away(眨掉) tears. Dad’s test? I knew Jack had passed.

1.According to the text, we know the writer’s father was __________.

A．interested in observing things around

B．good at judging one’s character

C．strict with her boyfriend

D．fond of challenges

2.What is the main idea of Paragraph 2?

A．Jack got the family’s approval except Dad’s.

B．Jack was different from any other boy.

C．Jack was getting on well with Mother.

D．Jack knew a lot about piano.

3.The underlined word “proposal” in Paragraph 5 means __________.

A．piece of advice                         B．wedding ceremony

C．celebration of birthday                   D．offer of marriage

4.On hearing “moving in with you”, the writer felt          .

A．pleased           B．worried           C．surprised          D．disappointed

5.Why did the writer’s mother cry?

A．The gift was the same as the one her husband gave her.

B．She had never received such a beautiful gift.

C．Her daughter found her life partner at last.

D．The gardenia corsage was too expensive.

 

根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。

Most drinks stating that they are fruit­ flavored (水果味道的) contain no fruit at all, while most of the rest contain only a small quantity of fruit, according to a study carried by the British Food Commission.

“Shoppers need to check the labels (标签) before buying drinks, though sometimes the actual content can be non­existent，” said Food Commission spokesperson Ian Tokelove. “Food production is highly competitive. __76__ It will increase profits, and consumers won't always realize they are being tricked.”

Flavorings are focused on the flavors of natural food products such as fruits, meats and vegetables, or creating flavor for food products that do not have the desired flavors. Researchers analyzed the contents of 28 strawberry­ flavored products sold in stores.    __77__  Of the 11 products that did contain strawberries, five of them contained less than one percent real fruit. In addition, each juice box contained nearly eight teaspoons of sugar.

__78__ Let's take jam as an example. Some strawberry­ flavored jam was labeled as containing no artificial colors, flavors, or sweeteners, but it contained absolutely no strawberries at all.

__79__ Consumers have the rights to know clearly about what they have bought. Under current UK law, food packages do not have to distinguish between natural and artificial flavoring. “Describing a product as strawberry flavor and covering the surface of the packet with pictures of strawberries is misleading.   __80__ Unfortunately, it is also legal and widespread，” Tokelove said. “It's time to take measures to protect the consumers' rights.”

A．The products which contain real fruit are popular with people.

B．Even products advertised as more natural often contained no fruit.

C．They found that about 60 percent of them didn't contain any fruit at all.

D．If companies can cut their costs by using flavoring, they are likely to do so.

E. It is important and necessary to demand a small amount of flavoring in the products.

F. Actually the product contains just a tiny percentage of strawberry or even no fruit at all.

G. The Food Commission suggested all flavors used in a product should be listed on the packaging.

 

Laugh and the world laughs with you. Even better, you might live longer, an American researcher reports.

“Adults who have ___1.___ sense of humor live longer than those who don’t find life funny, and the survival edge is ___2.__ (particular) large for people ___3.___ cancer,” says Richard Smith of the Columbia University of Science and Technology.

He ___4.___ (present) his study of about 54,000 Americans, ___5.___ he had followed for seven years, at the American Psychosomatic Society meeting last Monday.

At the start, patients filled out questionnaires on how easily they found humor in real-life situations __6.___ how important a ___7.___ (humor) idea was.

The study showed next the greater role humor played in their lives, the greater their chances were in ___8.___（survive）the seven years. Adults scoring in the top one-quarter for humor appreciation were 35% more likely to be alive ___9.__ those in the bottom quarter. In a smaller group of 2,015 people who had a cancer diagnosis(诊断) at the start, the study found ___10.__ important that a great sense of humor cut the chances of dying by about 70%.

 

Eight-year-old Jesse Abrogate was playing in the sea late one evening in July 2001 when a 7-foot bull shark attacked him and tore off his arm. Jesse’s uncle jumped into the sea and dragged the boy to the store. The boy was not breathing. His aunt gave him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation while his uncle rang the emergency services. Pretty soon, a helicopter arrived and flew the boy to hospital. It was a much quicker journey than the journey by road.

Jesse’s uncle, Vance Folsenzier, ran back into the sea and found the shark that had attacked his nephew. He picked the shark up and threw it onto the beach. A coastguard shot the fish four times and although this didn’t kill it, the shark’s jaws relaxed so that they could open them, and reach down onto its stomach, and pull out the boy’s arm.

At the Baptist hospital in Pensacola, Dr Lan Rogers spent eleven hours reattaching Jesse’s arm. “It was a complicated operation,” he said, “but we were lucky. If the arm hadn’t been recovered in time, we wouldn’t have been able to do the operation at all. What I means is that if they hadn’t found the shark, well then we wouldn’t have had a chance.”

According to local park ranger (园林管理者) Jack Tomosvic, shark attacks are not that common. “Jesse was just unlucky” he says, “Evening is the shark’s feeding time. And Jesse was in the area without lifeguards. This would never have happened if he had been in the area where swimming is allowed.” When reporters asked Jesse’s uncle how he had had the courage to fight a shark , he replied, “I was mad and you do some strange things when you’re mad.”

1.What was the boy doing when the accident happened?

A．Feeding a hungry shark                   B．Jumping into a rough sea

C．Dragging a boy to the shore                D．Swimming in a dangerous area

2.In which way did the boy’s uncle help with the operation?

A．By finding his lost arm                    B．By shooting the fish

C．By flying him to hospital                   D．By offering his blood

3.How was his uncle in time of danger ?

A．Careful           B．Brave             C．Optimistic         D．Patient

 

With the new school year quickly coming near (or perhaps, for your early-starters, already under way), it’s time to get ready for a successful term(学期). And while you may be cleaning your wardrobe(壁柜), it’s equally important to freshen up(更新) your study skills, too.

Have you ever noticed that your study habits are different from those of your friends? Or how you seem to learn faster in certain classes? Some people are quick to blame(责备) the teacher or subject(学科) for their difficulties, but that isn’t always the cause(原因). One thing that many people seem to ignore(忽视) is their learning type.

Now, you may be wondering what a learning type is and how to find yours. There are three different learning types: Visual, Auditory, and Kinesthetic. You can be a combination of learning types, but most people have one main type.

1. Visual learners learn best by seeing. If you seem to easily get information from pictures, graphs, and videos, you are likely a visual learner.

2. Auditory learners learn best by hearing. If you seem to remember things by hearing them, whether listening to a lecture or repeating information out loud, then you are likely an auditory learner.

3. Kinesthetic learners learn best by doing. If you seem to learn best by working with your hands or testing out what you are shown, you are likely a kinesthetic learner.

So now that you know your personal learning style, the trick (窍门) is to find out how to use your new-found knowledge to help you in your classes.

1.According to the speaker, why are some students slower than others in a certain subject?

A．Because they find the subject too difficult.

B．Because they have lost interest in the subject.

C．Because their teacher is not good enough.

D．Because they don’t know their learning type.

2.Which of the following can best replace the underlined word “combination”?

A．success

B．mixture

C．wonder

D．model

3.Stephen loves science and usually does experiments with his classmates in the lab to test what he has learned. So what type of learner is he?

A．Visual

B．Auditory

C．Kinesthetic

D．Both A and B

4.What do you think the speaker is going to do next?

A．To give further explanation to the three types of learners.

B．To give clear examples of the three types of learners.

C．To make a survey(调查) about the three types of learners.

D．To suggest different study skills to different types of learners.