You may know your mother, but how well do you really know Mother’s Day? Cards, flowers, sales, TV specials, and a day off for someone who really deserves it —those are what probably come to mind for many people when they think of Mother’s Day. But there’s more about the story.

The earliest Mother’s Day celebrations were held during spring in Ancient Greece. The celebrations honored Rhea, the Mother of the gods. During the 1600s, England celebrated a day called Mothering Sunday. On this day even servants (仆人) were given the day off to spend with their families. A mothering cake was even served with the family meal.

In the U.S., Mother’s Day began in 1872 when Julia Ward Howe, who wrote the words of the famous song The Battle Hymn of the Republic, suggested it as a day devoted to peace. But it didn’t really become popular until 1907 when Anna Jarvis started a campaign (运动) to honor her own mother. She believed that mothers could help people get over the pain they experienced during the Civil War. The U.S. isn’t alone in devoting a day to its mothers. Many other countries including Denmark, Finland, Italy, Turkey, Australia, Japan, and Belgium also celebrate their Mother’s Day in May. Other countries honor their mothers at different times of the year.

Learning more about Mother’s Day and celebrating Mother’s Day is important, but probably not as important as understanding what your own mother, or grandmother, or aunt has really done for you. And that should certainly be appreciated more than one day in a year.

1.What is the passage mainly about?

A．The reason why people celebrate Mother’s Day.

B．How people honor mothers.

C．The history of Mother’s Day.

D．Mother’s Day in different countries.

2.Where was the earliest Mother’s Day celebrated?

A．In Ancient Greece.                      B．In the U.S.

C．In England.                            D．In Italy.

3.According to the third paragraph, we know that _____.

A．Julia Ward Howe composed a song about Mother’s Day

B．American people started to celebrate Mother’s Day in 1907

C．Anna Jarvis attached great importance to mothers

D．Mother’s Day celebrations are held in different times in the U.S. every year

4.The last paragraph tells us that ______.

A．all the people should celebrate Mother’s Day

B．only mothers are honored on Mother’s Day

C．understanding mothers’work is more important than just celebrating Mother’s Day

D．people should make every day a Mother’s Day

 

School uniforms（制服）are becoming more and more popular across the U.S.A. That’s no surprise，because they offer many benefits. They immediately end the powerful social sorting and labeling （标记）that come from clothing. If all students are dressed in the same way，they will not pay too much attention to their clothing，and some of them will not be laughed at for wearing the “wrong” clothes.
Some people are against the strict rule of school uniforms，but they do not realize that students already accept a kind of rule — wanting to look just like their friends. The difference is that the clothing students choose for themselves creates social barriers（障碍）; school uniforms tear those barriers down.
As in other places，uniforms remind the wearers of their purposes and duties. For example，when a man or woman puts on a police uniform，he or she becomes，for a time，the symbol（象征）of law and order. The uniform means to the wearer his or her special duties and sends the same message to everyone the wearer meets. People with different jobs wear uniforms of one kind or another. For students，the school uniform reminds them that their task for the six or seven hours they are in school is to get an education.
Some parents are unhappy about uniforms，saying that school uniforms will affect their children’s “creativity”. First，as noted above，the clothes students choose to wear do not necessarily express their individuality （个性）. They just copy their classmates. Second，students have the rest of the day to be as creative as they like. While they’re in school，their job is to master reading，writing，and maths; this should take up all the creativity they have. Mastery of those skills will be good for the students to build up their creativity in every way.
【小题1】In Paragraph 1，the word “benefits” probably means       .

A．tasks

B．messages

C．differences

D．advantages

【小题2】From the passage we learn that uniforms in general       .

A．prevent the wearers from being laughed at

B．help the wearers keep their duties in mind

C．are seen as a symbol of power

D．help to create social barriers

【小题3】Some people are against school uniforms because       .

A．they fail to realize that students have accepted the uniforms

B．they believe that uniforms will make students less creative

C．they don’t agree that uniforms can remove social barriers

D．they think that school uniforms are too popular

【小题4】The author would probably agree that       .

A．it makes no difference whether to wear school uniforms or not

B．students’ individuality may not come from school education

C．students’ creativity is related to the clothes they choose

D．school uniforms help to create equality among students

【小题5】School uniforms are becoming more and more popular and important because _____

A．they can stop the powerful social sorting and labeling.

B．if all students are dressed in the same way，they will not pay too much attention to their clothing.

C．uniforms can remind the wearers of their purposes and duties

D．school uniforms will affect their children’s creativity.

When I was seven, my father gave me a Timex, my first watch. I loved it, wore it for years, and haven’t had another one since it stopped ticking a decade ago. Why? Because I don’t need one. I have a mobile phone and I’m always near someone with an iPod or something like that. All these devices (装置) tell the time — which is why, if you look around, you’ll see lots of empty wrists (手腕); sales of watches to young adults have been going down since 2007. 

But while these wise people have realized that they don’t need them, others — including some distinguished ones of our time — are spending total fortunes on them. Brands such as Rolex, Patek Philippe and Breitling command shocking prices, up to £ 250.000 for a piece.

This is ridiculous. Expensive cars go faster than cheap cars. Expensive clothes hang better than cheap clothes. But these days, all watches tell the time as well as all other watches. Yes, you may say expensive watches will come with some extra functions — but who needs them? How often do you dive to 300 metres into the sea to test its function of waterproof, or need to find your direction in the area around the South Pole by using its compass? So why pay that much of five years’ school fees for watches that allow you to do these things?

If justice were done, the Swiss watch industry should have closed down when the Japanese discovered how to make accurate watches for a five-pound note. Instead, the Swiss re-invented the watch, with the aid of millions of pounds’ worth of advertising, as a message about the man —— usually a famous star, wearing it. Rolexes are for those who spend their weekends climbing icy mountains; a Patek Philippe is for one from a rich or noble family; a Breitling suggests you like to pilot planes across the world. 

Watches are classified as “investment items” (投资项目) now. A 1994 Philippe recently sold for nearly £ 350, 000, while 1960s Rolexes have gone from 15, 000 to 30, 000 plus in a year. But, to some wealthy people, a watch is more than an investment. It’s a valuable toy for self-satisfaction, a matter of fashion. Prices may keep going up — they’ve been rising for fifteen years. But when fashion moves on, the owner of that £ 350, 000 treasured object will suddenly find his pride and joy is no more a good investment than my childhood Times. 

1.The sales of watches to young people have fallen because ______. 

A．they have other devices to tell the time

B．they think watches are too expensive

C．they have little sense of time now

D．they prefer to wear an iPod on their wrists

2.It seems ridiculous to the writer that ______. 

A．some people often dive 300 metres deep into the sea

B．expensive clothes sell much better than cheap ones

C．cheap cars usually don’t run as fast as expensive ones

D．expensive watches with unnecessary functions still sell

3.What can be learnt about Swiss watch industry from the passage?

A．It targets rich people as its potential customers.

B．It seems hard for the industry to beat its competitors.

C．It wastes a huge amount of money in advertising.

D．It is easy for the industry to re-invent cheap watches.

4.Which would be the best title for the passage?

A．Timex Being better than Rolex

B．My Expensive Childhood Timex

C．Super-level Watches? Not for Me!

D．Watches — a Valuable Collection

 

As a professor at a large American university, there is a phrase that I hear often from students: “I’m only a 1050. ”The unlucky students are speaking of the score on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT）, which is used to determine whether they will be admitted to the college or university of their choice, or even have a chance to get a higher education at all. The SAT score, whether it is 800, 1 100 or 1550, has becomes the focus at this time of their life.

It is obvious that if students value highly their test scores, then a great amount of their self-respect is put in the number. Students who perform poorly on the exam are left feeling that it is all over. The low test score, they think, will make it impossible for them to get into a good college. And without a degree from a prestigious university, they fear that many of life’s doors will remain forever closed.

According to a study done in the 1990s, the SAT is only a reliable indicator(指示物) of a student’s future performance in most cases. Interestingly, it becomes much more accurate when it is set together with other indicators——like a student’s high school grades. Even if standardized tests like the SAT could show a student’s academic proficiency（学业水平）,they will never be able to test things like confidence, efforts and willpower, and are unable to give us the full picture of a student’s potentialities（潜力）. This is not to suggest that we should stop using SAT scores in our college admission process. The SAT is an excellent test in many ways, and the score is still a useful means of testing students. However, it should be only one of many methods used.

1.The purpose of the SAT is to test students’      .

A．strong will                             B．academic ability

C．full potentialities                        D．confidence in school work

2.Students’ self-respect is influenced by their     .

A．scores in the SAT                        B．achievements in mathematic

C．job opportunities                       D．money spent on education

3.“A prestigious university” is most probably      .

A．a famous university                      B．a technical university

C．a traditional university                    D．an expensive university

4.This passage is mainly about       .

A．how to prepare for the SAT                B．stress caused by the SAT

C．American higher education                D．the SAT and its effects

 

Visiting a new place can be a scary experience for a lot of people because it could include speaking in a language that most people are not comfortable with ---- English. So how can you keep away form this kind of situation? Learn how to speak English fluently. Here are 4 English speaking tips you must know to become a more confident English speaker.

1. Listen first.

One of the best English speaking tips is to listen carefully to understandable English EVERY DAY. Most people turn to textbooks to study English grammar rules, but you cannot learn the correct English pronunciation of the words merely by reading them. You do not need to learn grammar in detail because this can prevent you from speaking English fluently.

Instead, listen to how native English speakers pronounce and observe their mouth movements. Also watch English shows and movies to build on your English accent and improve your vocabulary.

2. Practice makes perfect.

Studies show that you’ll probably spend three months of practice every day in order to have strong mouth muscles. Read aloud in English for 15 to 20 minutes a day in front of the mirror, which helps in accent reduction and improves your English communication skills.

Also, practice with your friends and family. Talking with a good English speaker can help improvise (即兴发挥) your usage of words and formation of sentences.

3. Think in English.

One of the most effective English speaking tips is to think in English. What most English learners do in the early stages of learning is that they think of what they have to say in their native language, translate and then say it in English. This can be mentally tiring.

If your goal is to speak English fluently, you need to learn “thinking” in English. Make up the sentences in English as you think about them before saying them. With practice, you will be able to respond automatically in English.

4. Be more confident.

All these English speaking tips will be in vain if you are not that confident in your English speaking skills. It is quite natural to commit errors when learning a new language.

Try to relax if you’re speaking in English. When you speak at a normal speed, you’ll discover that you will be able to pronounce the words correctly and people will understand you. Most of the time, the person you are talking to is not even aware of your errors.

In a word, learning English does not happen overnight. It takes a lot of time, effort and practice. Don’t get too frustrated and never give up. Follow these English speaking tips and practice daily. Soon, you would learn to speak English fluently as if it is your own language.

English speaking tips you must know

Introduction	It’s many people’s dream to 1._____ the discomfort from being unable to speak English in a new place.
Tips	Listen first. v Seeking help from textbooks won’t enable you to learn the 2._____ English pronunciation. v Listen to how native English speakers pronounce and observe how their mouths 3._____. v Watch English shows and movies to improve your English accent and 4._____.
Practice makes perfect. v Practice three months to 5._____ your mouth muscles. v Regular reading 6._____ can reduce accent and improve your English communication skills. v Practice with your friends and family.
Think in English. v Thinking in your native language makes you 7._____ mentally. v Thinking in English will reward you with automatic 8.____ in English.
Be more confident. v Committing errors is a necessary part of language learning. v Try to relax to speak at a normal speed and make yourself 9._____.
10._____	Learning English does not happen overnight.