"Time is a problem for children," states a news report for a new Swiss watch. Children in some countries" learn time slowly" because" they don’t wear watches" and " parents don’t really know how to teach them time. " The children grow up with this handicap and become adults (成人) —and then can’t get to work on time. Is there an answer to this problem? Of course — it’s the Flik Flak, made by a famous Swiss watch company.

The Flik Flak is being marketed as something teaching watch for children aged 4 to 10. The watch itself does not teach children how to tell time, of course; it merely " takes their imagination" by presenting the " hour" hand as a beautiful red girl named Flak and the " minute" hand as a tall blue boy named Flik. Flik points to related" blue" minutes on the dial, while Flak points to " red" hour numbers. The characters and colors combined with parental help, are supposed to teach young children how to tell time.

The watch comes equipped with a standard battery (电池) and a nylon band (尼龙表带). Peter Lipkin, the United States sales manager for the Flik Flak, calls it " childproof if it gets dirty you can throw the whole watch in the washing ma??chine. " The product is being sold in select department stores in Europe, Asia and the United States for a suggested price of $25. Parents who buy the watch may discover that it is one thing to tell time; it’s quite another for them to be on time.

1. From the news report we know that ______.

A. parents are patient when teaching children time

B. parents have little idea of how to teach children time

C. children are likely to learn time quickly

D. children enjoy wearing the Flik Flak watch

2. The author doesn’t seem to believe ______.

A. children will be on time if they have learnt how to tell time

B. a Flik Flak can help parents teach their children how to tell time

C. the Flik Flak can take children’s imagination

D. children usually have trouble telling time if they don’t wear watches

3. The underlined word handicap in Para. 1 means

A. displeasure        B. discouragement        C. disappointment     D. disadvantage

4. The United State sales manager calls the new watch " childproof" because ______.

A. it is designed to teach children to be on time

B. it proves to be effective in teaching children time

C. it is made so as not to be easily damaged by children

D. it is the children’s favorite watch

 

         Eddie’s father used to say he’d spent so many years by the ocean, breathing seawater. Now, away from that ocean, in the hospital bed, his body began to look like a beached fish. His condition went from fair to stable and from stable to serious. Friends went from saying, “He’ll be home in a day,” to “He’ll be home in a week ” In his father’s absence, Eddie helped out at the pier(码头), working evenings after his taxi job.

         When Eddie was a teenager, if he ever complained or seemed bored with the pier, his father would shout, “What ? This isn’t good enough for you?” And later, when he’d suggested Eddie take a job there after high school, Eddie almost laughed, and his father again said, “What? This isn’t good enough for you?” And before Eddie went to war, when he’d talked of marrying Marguerite and becoming an engineer, his father said, “What? This isn’t good enough for you?”

         And now, regardless of all that, here he was, at the pier, doing his father’s labor.

         Parents rarely let go of their children, so children let go of them. They move on. They move away. It is not until much later, as the heart weakens, that children understand their stories, and all their accomplishments sit on top of the stories of their mothers and fathers, stones upon stones, beneath the waters of their lives.

         Finally, one night, at his mother’s urging, Eddie visited the hospital. He entered the room slowly. His father, who for years had refused to speak to Eddie, now lacked the strength to even try.

         “Don’t sweat it, kid,” the other workers told him. “Your old man will pull through. He’s the toughest man we’ve ever seen.”

         When the news came that his father had died, Eddie felt the emptiest kind of anger, the kind that circles in its cage.

         In the weeks that followed, Eddie’s mother lived in a confused state. She spoke to her husband as if he were still there. She yelled at him to turn down the radio. She cooked enough food for two. One night, when Eddie offered to help with the dishes, she said. “Your father will put them away.” Eddie put a hand on her shoulder. “Ma,” he said, softly, “Dad’s gone.”

         “Gone where?”

1. In Paragraph 4, the writer indicates that       .

A．Children like moving away from them parents

B．Children often feel regretful because they leave their parents

C．Children wouldn’t have achieved so much without their parents’ support

D．Children can never understand how much their parents have devoted to them   

2. The underlined sentence probably means “       ”.

A．Don’t give it up           B．Don’t worry about it

C．Don’t let him down             D．Don’t touch it

3. Which of the following shows the right order of the story?

a．Eddie’s father died.

b．Eddie worked as a taxi driver.

c．Eddie married Marguerite.

d．Eddie was bored with his father’s job.

A．bacd  B．dcab  C．bcda  D．dcba

4. From the last part of the passage, we learn that       .

         A．Eddie’s mother liked to listen to the radio

         B．Eddie often helped his mother wash the dishes

         C．Eddie and his wife lived in his mother’s apartment

         D．Eddie’s mother missed her husband so much that she was at a loss

 

Emanuel’s father liked to declare he’d spent ages by the sea, breathing seawater. Now, away from the sea, in the hospital, his body just looked like a beached fish. His condition went from bad to worse. The doctor came from saying, “He’ll be home in a day,” “He’ll be home in a week,” to “He will be home in a month.”

When Emanuel was a teenager, if he ever seemed bored with the pier(码头), his father would shout, “What ? This isn’t good enough for you?” And later, when he suggested Emanuel take a job at the pier after high school, the boy almost laughed, and his father again said, “What? This isn’t good enough for you?” And before Emanuel went to war, when he talked of marrying Maggie and becoming an engineer, his father said, “What? This isn’t good enough for you?”

And now, here he was, Emanuel helped out at the pier, working evenings after his taxi job, doing his father’s labor.

Parents rarely let go of their children, so children let go of them. They move on. They move away. It is not until much later that children understand: their stories and all their accomplishments sit on top of the stories of their mothers and fathers.

One night his father, lying in hospital, was practically too weak to speak. Others comforted him. “Your old man will pull through. He’s the toughest man we’ve ever seen.”

When the news came that his father had died, Emanuel felt heart-broken.

In the following weeks, Emanuel’s mother lived in a confused state. She spoke to her husband as if he were still there .She yelled at him to turn down the radio. She cooked enough food for two .One night, when Emanuel offered to help with the dishes, she said. “Your father will put them away.” Emanuel put a hand on her shoulder. “Ma,” he said softly, “Dad’s gone.”

“Gone where?” murmured Mum.

1.Which of the following shows the right order of the story?

a．Emanuel’s father fell ill.         

b．Emanuel helped out at pier.

c．Emanuel went to the war.

d．Emanuel wished to be an engineer.

e.  Emanuel’s mother lived in a confused state

A．bacde            B．dcabe            C．bceda            D．decba

2.In Paragraph 4, the writer inplies that       . 

A．Children can never understand how much their parents have devoted to them

B．Children wouldn’t have achieved so much without their parents’ support

C．Children often feel regretful because they leave their parents

D．Children like moving away from their parents

3.The underlined phrase “pull through” can probably be replaced by ________

A．wake up          B．give up           C．pick up           D．get up

4.The last paragraph mainly tells us that      . 

A．Emanuel’s mother was at a loss at her husband’s death.

B．Emanuel often helped his mother to wash the dishes.

C．Emanuel lived with his mother and often comforted her.

D．Emanuel’s mother doesn’t like to listen to the radio.

 

Eddie’s father used to say he’d spent so many years by the ocean, breathing seawater. Now, away from that ocean, in the hospital bed, his body began to look like a beached fish. His condition went from fair to stable and from stable to serious. Friends went from saying, “He’ll be home in a day,” to “He’ll be home in a week.” In his father’s absence, Eddie helped out at the pier (码头), working evenings after his taxi job.

When Eddie was a teenager, if he ever complained or seemed bored with the pier, his father would shout, “What? This isn’t good enough for you?” And later, when he’d suggested Eddie take a job there after high school, Eddie almost laughed, and his father again said, “What? This isn’t good enough for you?” And before Eddie went to war, when he’d talked of marrying Marguerite and becoming an engineer, his father said, “What? This isn’t good enough for you?”

And now, regardless of all that, here he was, at the pier, doing his father’s labor.

Parents rarely let go of their children, so children let go of them. They move on. They move away. It is not until much later, as the heart weakens, that children understand: their stories, and all their achievements, sit on top of the stories of their mothers and fathers, stones upon stones, beneath the waters of their lives.

Finally, one night, at his mother’s urging, Eddie visited the hospital. He entered the room slowly. His father, who for years had refused to speak to Eddie, now lacked the strength to even try.

“Don’t sweat it, kid,” the other workers told him. “Your old man will pull through. He’s the toughest man we’ve ever seen.”

When the news came that his father had died, Eddie felt the emptiest kind of anger, the kind that circles in its cage.

         In the weeks that followed, Eddie’s mother lived in a confused state. She spoke to her husband as if he were still there. She yelled at him to turn down the radio. She cooked enough food for two. One night, when Eddie offered to help with the dishes, she said, “Your father will put them away.” Eddie put a hand on her shoulder. “Ma,” he said, softly, “Dad’s gone.”“Gone where?”

1.In Paragraph four, the writer wants to say that __________.

A. Children wouldn’t have achieved so much without their parents’ support  

B. Children often feel regretful because they leave their parents

C. Children like moving away from their parents

D. Children can never understand how much their parents have devoted to them

2.The underlined sentence “Don’t sweat it” (Para. 6) probably means __________.

A. Don’t touch it                                              B. Don’t worry about it

C. Don’t let him down                                   D. Don’t give it up

3.Which of the following shows the right order of the story?

   a. Eddie’s father died.

   b. Eddie married Marguerite.

   c. Eddie worked as a taxi driver.

   d. Eddie was bored with his father’s job.

A. dbca                        B. dcab                        C. bcda                        D. bacd

4.From the last paragraph, we learn that __________.

A. Eddie’s mother liked to listen to the radio

B. Eddie and his wife lived in his mother’s apartment

C. Eddie’s mother missed her husband so much that she was at a loss

D. Eddie often helped his mother wash the dishes

 

Eddie’s father used to say he’d spent so many years by the ocean, breathing seawater. Now, away from that ocean, in the hospital bed, his body began to look like a beached fish. His condition went from fair to stable and from stable to serious. Friends went from saying, “He’ll be home in a day,” to “He’ll be home in a week.” In his father’s absence, Eddie helped out at the pier (码头), working evenings after his taxi job.

When Eddie was a teenager, if he ever complained or seemed bored with the pier, his father would shout, “What? This isn’t good enough for you?” And later, when he’d suggested Eddie take a job there after high school, Eddie almost laughed, and his father again said, “What? This isn’t good enough for you?” And before Eddie went to war, when he’d talked of marrying Marguerite and becoming an engineer, his father said, “What? This isn’t good enough for you?”

And now, regardless of all that, here he was, at the pier, doing his father’s labor.

Parents rarely let go of their children, so children let go of them. They move on. They move away. It is not until much later, as the heart weakens, that children understand: their stories, and all their accomplishments, sit on top of the stories of their mothers and fathers, stones upon stones, beneath the waters of their lives.

Finally, one night, at his mother’s urging, Eddie visited the hospital. He entered the room slowly. His father, who for years had refused to speak to Eddie, now lacked the strength to even try.

“Don’t sweat it, kid,” the other workers told him. “Your old man will pull through. He’s the toughest man we’ve ever seen.”

When the news came that his father had died, Eddie felt the emptiest kind of anger, the kind that circles in its cage.

         In the weeks that followed, Eddie’s mother lived in a confused state. She spoke to her husband as if he were still there. She yelled at him to turn down the radio. She cooked enough food for two. One night, when Eddie offered to help with the dishes, she said, “Your father will put them away.” Eddie put a hand on her shoulder. “Ma,” he said, softly, “Dad’s gone.”

         “Gone where?”

1.In Paragraph four, the writer indicates that __________.

A. Children like moving away from their parents

B. Children often feel regretful because they leave their parents

C. Children wouldn’t have achieved so much without their parents’ support

D. Children can never understand how much their parents have devoted to them

2. The underlined sentence “Don’t sweat it” (Para. 6) probably means __________.

A. Don’t touch it                                              B. Don’t give it up

C. Don’t let him down                                   D. Don’t worry about it

3.Which of the following shows the right order of the story?

a. Eddie’s father died.

b. Eddie married Marguerite.

c. Eddie worked as a taxi driver.

d. Eddie was bored with his father’s job.

A. dbca                        B. dcab                        C. bcda                        D. bacd

4.From the last paragraph, we learn that __________.

A. Eddie’s mother liked to listen to the radio

B. Eddie’s mother missed her husband so much that she was at a loss

C. Eddie and his wife lived in his mother’s apartment

D. Eddie often helped his mother wash the dishes