Twenty years ago, I drove a taxi for a living. One night I went to pick up a passenger at 2:30 AM. When I arrived to collect, I found the building was dark except for a single light in a ground floor window.
I walked to the door and knocked, “Just a minute,” answered a weak, elderly voice.
After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her eighties stood before me. By her side was a small suitcase.
I took the suitcase to the car, and then returned to help the woman. She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the car.
She kept thanking me for my kindness. “It’s nothing,” I told her. “I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated.”
“Oh, you’re such a good man.” She said. When we got into the taxi, she gave me an address, and then asked, “Could you drive through downtown?”
“It’s not the shortest way,” I answered quickly.
“Oh, I’m in no hurry,” she said. “I’m on my way to a hospice(临终医院). I don’t have any family left. The doctor says I don’t have very long.”
I quietly reached over and shut off the meter(计价器).
For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked, the neighborhood where she had lived, and the furniture shop that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.
Sometimes she’d ask me to slow down in front of a particular building and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.
At dawn, she suddenly said,” I’m tired. Let’s go now.”
We drove in silence to the address she had given me.
“How much do I owe you?” she asked.
“Nothing.” I said.
“You have to make a living,” she answered. “Oh, there are other passengers,” I answered.
Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly. Our hug ended with her remark, “You gave an old woman a little moment of joy.”
【小题1】 The old woman chose to ride through the city in order to ______.

A．show she was familiar with the city	B．see some places for the last time
C．let the driver earn more money	D．reach the destination on time

【小题2】The taxi driver did not charge the old woman because he ______.

A．wanted to do her a favor

B．shut off the meter by mistake

C．had received her payment in advance

D．was in a hurry to take other passengers

【小题3】What can we learn from the story?

A．Giving is always a pleasure.

B．People should respect each other.

C．An act of kindness can bring people great joy.

D．People should learn to appreciate others’ concern.

Some American parents might think their children need better education to compete with those in China and other countries. But how much do the parents themselves need to change?
A new book called Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua has caused a debate about cultural differences in parenting. In Chinese culture, the tiger represents strength and power. In the book, Ms. Chua writes about how she demanded excellence from her daughters. She said that she had a clear list of what her daughters, Sophia and Louisa, were not permitted to do, such as attending a sleepover, having a play date, watching TV or playing computer games and getting any grade less than an A.
Many people have criticized Amy Chua. Some say her parenting methods were abusive(辱骂的). She even admits that her husband, who is not Chinese, sometimes objected to her parenting style. But she says that it was the way her parents raised her and her three sisters.
Ms. Chua makes fun of her own extreme style of parenting. She says she eased some of the pressure after her younger daughter rebelled and shouted, “I hate my life! I hate you!”
Ms. Chua says she decided to retreat when it seemed like there was a risk that she might lose her daughters. But she also says American parents often have low expectations of their children’s abilities. “One of the biggest differences I see between Western and Chinese parents is that Chinese parents assume strength rather than fragility(脆弱),” she said.
“The beginning of this intense discussion has to do with what it means to be a successful parent and what it means to be a successful child,” said Stacy Debroff, who has written four books about parenting.
Ms. Debroff says Amy Chua’s parenting style is not limited to Chinese families. She says it represents a traditional way of parenting among immigrants(移民) seeking a better future for their children.
But she also sees a risk. When children have no time to be social or to follow their own interests, they might not develop other skills that they need to succeed in life. Stacey Debroff advises parents to develop their own styles of parenting and not just repeat the way they were raised.
【小题1】Amy Chua has been criticized mainly because ____.

A．she looks up to boys and down on girls

B．she has already abused her right as a parent

C．she hasn’t raised her children like her own parents

D．she has fought with her children several times

【小题2】Which can best describe Ms. Chua according to the passage?

A．Uneducated.

B．Cruel.

C．Strict.

D．Strong.

【小题3】 According to Ms. Debroff, _____.

A．Amy Chua’s parenting style should be banned(禁止) in China

B．Amy Chua’s should stop to adopt American parenting styles

C．Amy Chua’s parenting style should be adjusted if possible

D．There isn’t any advantages in Amy Chua’s style

【小题4】What does the underlined word “retreat” in Paragraph 5 mean?

A．Give in.

B．Pass away.

C．Cry out.

D．Go ahead.

【小题5】What should be the best title of this passage?

A．Some books on studying styles.

B．The disadvantage of Chinese parenting styles

C．Differences between western and eastern parenting styles

D．The comparison between American and Chinese parenting styles

Laugh and Smile Your Way to Health

How much do you laugh and smile during the day? Do you take your life and your illness or injury so   36    that there is no room for joy to fill you? Want a totally free, simple way to increase your    37     and your health with no medicine needed? Then laughing and smiling is   38   to you

So laugh your way to happiness.   39    it takes to put a smile on your face is what you should be doing.  

Research shows that laughing can increase the immune system,   40    the body to stay disease free and fight colds and the flu.

If you are facing an illness , having a positive life opinion and a   41    of humor will keep your body open to healing. If you are healthy, laughing will help to make sure you stay that way, and can    42     enjoyment to your work and home life and   43   your daily stress.

Certainly, it can be   44   to keep a positive opinion of life all the time. Simply taking the time to   45   on the positive and treat for the good things    46   in your life can help   47   , but if you are struggling with negative emotions that you just can’t seem to    48    , there are tools that can help.

There are so many things out there to smile about and   49   you have to do is find   50   . Practice looking for the bright   51   of every situation. Avoid the negative：don't   52    yourself with your own problems—or    53    others for their "shortcomings." And don’t pay no attention to the joy in everyday things. Create your own "Laugh for Health"   54    —anything to add to your collection and to give you fresh materials that   55   to you.

36.A. proudly               B.seriously                   C.carefully                   D.freely

37. A.burdens               B.spirits                       C.loads                         D.values

38. A.beneficial             B.changeable                C.suitable                     D.harmful

39. A.However              B.Whenever                  C.Whatever                  D.Whichever

40.A.helping            B.making                            C.letting                       D.causing

41. A.taste                   B.sense                         C.knowledge                 D.joy

42. A.adjust                  B.adapt                        C.apply                        D.add

43. A.improve              B.arise                         C.cancel                       D.reduce

44. A.hard                    B.awful                        C.energetic                   D.helpful

45. A.concentrate          B.put                           C.focus                        D.interview

46. A.carefully                 B.thankfully                 C.particularly                D.differently

47..A.remarkably          B.accidentally               C.frequently                 D.purposefully

48.A.seek                   B.stress                        C.accept                       D. overcome

49. A.all                       B.that                           C.how                          D.why

50. A.it                        B.that                           C.this                           D.one

51. A.side                         B.plan                         C.aspect                  D.future

52.A.depend                 B.abandon                    C.load                          D.ban

53.A.praise                   B.miss                          C.approve                     D. blame

54. A.ambition                 B.summary                   C.message                    D.collection

55.A. appeal                 B.apply                        C.center                       D.assume

--- How much do you know about the 3D film technology?

--- A little. Not until ________ the hot movie Avatar ________ some about it.

A．did I see; did I begin to learn               B．I saw; I began to learn

C．I saw; did I begin to learn                  D．did I see; I began to learn

 

根据短文内容，从短文后的七个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。

—— Sara, I’ve been looking forward to our yearly camp out for 3 weeks.       1.      . Camping under the stars. This is the life.

—— Yeah. But Paul,      2.      . The weatherman said it was going to rain later tonight.

—— Nothing can prevent our adventure. Those weather reports are never right.

——     3.      .

—— Ah. Don’t worry. 

—— Paul, Paul. Did you remember to bring our raincoats just in case, like I told you?

—— Uh…no. I left them at home.

——      4.    . 

—— How about playing a card game? 

—— Uhh. I left them next to the picnic table. Hey, you want to me to go out in this rain and get them?

—— No. That’s Ok.     5.     . 

—— Well, we could go down the mountain and stay at that hotel we passed on the way up.

A. And it said there was a chance of heavy winds. 

B. I’m a little worried about the weather though.

C. How much do you suggest we take with us?

D. It’s up to you. 

E. What are we going to do now? 

F. It’s going to be a wonderful day for hiking tomorrow.

G. So what now?