Another food which is closely associated with Americans is apple pie．Apple pie is often served hot with a spoon of ice cream or a slice of cheese at the end of the biggest meal of the day—dinner, and it is a favorite dessert throughout the nation.If a person is typical of Americans, we can say, "He is as American as apple pie．"

It is true that the apple and apple pie do not originate in America, but the expression "as American as apple pie" is not the product of a pure imagination．As early as 1625, the English colonists, having brought orchards （果园） on this new land and in most of the colonial times, the apple was a main material of both plain and fancy cooking．The first Massachusetts governor, William Endicott, was one of many keen apple planters who helped to lay the foundations for today' s apple-growing industry in America．

A major attraction of the apple for the colonists was that it could be made into cider （苹果酒）. Like most Europeans, English colonists held a strong suspicion （怀疑） of drinking water, and since grape growing was hindered by plant peats, cider became an alternative to wine．Cheap and easy to produce, it was the American drink of first choice well into the nineteenth century． Whether it was dried, raw or cooked, the apple also found its way into numerous colonial dishes, including apple sauces, pudding, stuffing and many desserts．Therefore, the conclusion to be drawn here is obvious．The apple pie became known as American, not because it was invented on this land （since it was proved that Europeans had been eating apple pies for centuries）, but because, thanks to the huge orchards in the states of Washington and New York, America became the world's largest apple-producing nation．

1..

If a person is said to be as American as apple pie, it means that _______．

    A．he always prefers apple pie as a dessert        

B．his favourite pie is apple pie

    C．he behaves and thinks in the American way       

D．he is good at making American apple pie

2..

The apple can be used to make into all of the following except _______．

    A．wine             B．sauces           C．pudding          D．cider

3..

The underlined word hindered in Paragraph 3 means．________．

    A．promoted         B．prevented        C．improved         D．enlarged

4..

It can be concluded from the passage that_______．

    A．the apple pie was first served in America

    B．the English colonists developed a taste for the apple only after they, arrived at the New World

    C．the expression "as American as apple pie" is a pure imagination

    D．the apple pie is traditionally associated with Americans due to their large apple production

 

 

Like any good mother, when Karen found out that another baby was on the way, she did what she could to help her 3-year-old son, Michael, prepare for a new baby. They find out that the new baby is going to be a girl, and day after day, night after night, Michael sings to his sister in Mommy's stomach.

In time, the labor pains come. But complications arise during delivery. Finally, Michael's little sister is born. But she is in serious condition. With alarm in the night, the ambulance rushes the infant to the neonatal intensive care unit at St. Mary's Hospital, Knoxville, Tennessee. The days go by. The little girl gets worse. The pediatric (儿科的) specialist tells the parents, “There is very little hope. Be prepared for the worst.”

Karen and her husband contact a local cemetery about a burial plot. They have fixed up a special room in their home for the new baby, but now they plan a funeral. Michael keeps begging his parents to let him see his sister, "I want to sing to her," he says. But kids are never allowed in Intensive Care. Karen makes up her mind. She will take Michael whether they like it or not. If he doesn’t see his sister now, he may never see her alive.

She dresses him in an oversized suit and marches him into ICU. He looks like a walking laundry basket, but the head nurse recognizes him as a child and shouts, "Get that kid out of here now. No children are allowed. Never disturb patients here.” The mother rises up strongly and said," He is not leaving until he sings to his sister!"

Karen leads Michael to his sister's bedside. He gazes at the tiny infant losing the battle to live. And he begins to sing. In the pure hearted voice of a 3-year-old, Michael sings:" You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy when skies are gray…" Instantly the baby girl responds. The pulse rate begins to calm down and becomes steady.

“Keep on singing, Michael.”encouraged Karen with tears in her eyes. "You never know, dear, how much I love you, please don't take my sunshine away."

The next day, the very next day, the little girl is well enough to go home! Woman's Day magazine called it "the miracle of a brother's song". The medical staff just called it a miracle. Karen called it a miracle of Gods love!

Never give up on the people you love.

1.What may the underlined words "the infant" refer to?

A．The baby          B．Karen            C．Mary             D．Michael

2.What do we know about the little sister after she was born?

A．She was driven to St. Mary's shop.           B．A doctor came to see her in her house.

C．She was very thin and couldn't speak.        D．She was in great danger.

3.Why did Karen firmly let little Michael see his sister in ICU?

A．Because he could make his sister alive.

B．Because his sister would be sent to a far hospital.

C．Because his sister was going to die soon.

D．Because his father wanted to take him away.

4.What do we know about the head nurse?

A．The head nurse was careful.               B．The head nurse was rude.

C．The head nurse was responsible.            D．The head nurse had no sympathy.

5.What is the general idea of the text?

A．A boy’s singing saved his sister’s life.

B．The little girl is well enough to go home.

C．Michael's little sister is born with a serious disease.

D．No children are allowed to enter the intensive care unit.

 

One day, when I was working as a psychologist in England，an adolescent boy showed up in my office. It was David. He kept walking up and down restlessly, his face pale, and his hands shaking slightly. His head teacher had referred him to me.  "This boy has lost his family," he wrote.  "He is understandably very sad and refuses to talk to others, and I'm very worried about him. Can you help?”

       I looked at David and showed him to a chair. How could I help him? There are problems psychology doesn’t have the answer to, and which no words can describe. Sometimes the best thing one can do is to listen openly and sympathetically

       The first two times we met, David didn't say a word. He sat there, only looking up to look at the children's drawings on the wall behind me. I suggested we play a game of chess. He nodded. After that he played chess with me every Wednesday afternoon一in complete silence and without looking at me. It's not easy to cheat in chess, but I admit I made sure David won once or twice.

Usually, he arrived earlier than agreed. took the chess board and pieces from the shelf and began setting them up before I even got a chance to sit down. It seemed as if he enjoyed my company. But why did he never look at me?

       "Perhaps he simply needs someone to share his pain with," I thought. "Perhaps he senses that I respect his suffering.” Some months later, when we were playing chess, he looked up at me suddenly.

       "It’s your turn," he said.

       After that day, David started talking. He got friends in school and joined a bicycle club. He wrote to me a few times about his biking with some friends, and about his plan to get into university. Now he had really started to live his own life.

       Maybe I gave David something. But I also learned that one一without any words一can reach out to another person. All it takes is a hug, a shoulder to cry on, a friendly touch, and an ear that listens.

36. When he first met the author, David         .

A. felt a little excited

B. walked energetically

C. looked a little nervous

D. showed up with his teacher

37. As a psychologist, the author         .

A. was ready to listen to David

B. was skeptical about psychology

C. was able to describe David's problem

D. was sure of handling David's problem

38．David enjoyed being with the author because he________.

A．wanted to ask the author for advice

B．need to share sorrow with the author

C．liked the children’s drawings in the office

D．bear the author many times in the chess game

39．What can be inferred about David?

A．He recovered after months of treatment.

B．He liked biking before he lost his family.

C．He went into university soon after starting to talk.

D．He got friends in school before he met the author.

40．What made David change?

A．His teacher’s help.

B．The author’s friendship.

C．His exchange of letters with the author.

D．The  author’s silent communication with  him.

One day, when I was working as a psychologist in England，an adolescent boy showed up in my office. It was David. He kept walking up and down restlessly, his face pale, and his hands shaking slightly. His head teacher had referred him to me. "This boy has lost his family," he wrote. "He is understandably very sad and refuses to talk to others, and I'm very worried about him. Can you help?”

I looked at David and showed him to a chair. How could I help him? There are problems psychology doesn’t have the answer to, and which no words can describe. Sometimes the best thing one can do is to listen openly and sympathetically

The first two times we met, David didn't say a word. He sat there, only looking up to look at the children's drawings on the wall behind me. I suggested we play a game of chess. He nodded. After that he played chess with me every Wednesday afternoon-in complete silence and without looking at me. It's not easy to cheat in chess, but I admit I made sure David won once or twice.

Usually, he arrived earlier than agreed, took the chess board and pieces from the shelf and began setting them up before I even got a chance to sit down. It seemed as if he enjoyed my company. But why did he never look at me?

"Perhaps he simply needs someone to share his pain with," I thought. "Perhaps he senses that I respect his suffering.” Some months later, when we were playing chess, he looked up at me suddenly.

"It’s your turn," he said.

After that day, David started talking. He got friends in school and joined a bicycle club. He wrote to me a few times about his biking with some friends, and about his plan to get into university. Now he had really started to live his own life.

Maybe I gave David something. But I also learned that one-without any words-can reach out to another person. All it takes is a hug, a shoulder to cry on, a friendly touch, and an ear that listens.

1.When he first met the author, David    .

A．felt a little excited                       B．walked energetically

C．looked a little nervous                    D．showed up with his teacher

2.As a psychologist, the author    .

A．was ready to listen to David

B．was skeptical about psychology

C．was able to describe David's problem

D．was sure of handling David's problem

3.David enjoyed being with the author because he________.

A．wanted to ask the author for advice

B．need to share sorrow with the author

C．liked the children’s drawings in the office

D．bear the author many times in the chess game

4.What can be inferred about David?

A．He recovered after months of treatment.

B．He liked biking before he lost his family.

C．He went into university soon after starting to talk.

D．He got friends in school before he met the author.

5.What made David change?

A．His teacher’s help.

B．The author’s friendship.

C．His exchange of letters with the author.

D．The author’s silent communication with him.

 

Like any good mother, when Karen found out that another baby was on the way, she did what she could to help her three-year-old son, Michael, prepare for a new baby. They found out that it was going to be a girl, and day after day, night after night, Michael 21._____ to his sister in Mommy's tummy.

   The pregnancy progressed 22._____for Karen. Then the labor pains came. Every five minutes ... every minute. But complications   23.__  during delivery. Finally, Michael's little sister was born. But she was in serious 24._____. With siren （警报）howling in the night, the ambulance 25.____ the infant to the Intensive Care unit at St. Mary's Hospital in Knoxville, Tennessee.

  26.______ inch by. The little girl got worse. The doctors told the parents, "There is very little hope. " Karen and her husband contacted a local cemetery (墓地) about a burial plot. They had 27.______ a special room in their home for the new baby — now they planned a funeral.

   Week two in Intensive Care. It looked as if a funeral would come 28 _____the week was over. Michael, kept begging his parents to let him see his sister, "I want to sing to her," he said. Kids were never 29______in Intensive Care. But Karen made up her mind. She would take Michael 30._______they liked it or not.

   She 31.______ him in an oversized scrub suit and 32.____ him into ICU. He looked like a walking laundry basket, but the head nurse33. _____him as a child, "Get that kid out of here now! " The usually 34._____ lady glared into the head nurse's face, her lips a 35.____ line. "He is not leaving until he sings to his sister!" Karen towed Michael to his sister's bedside. He gazed at the tiny baby 36.____ the battle to live. And he began to sing 37._____ the pure hearted voice of a 3-year-old, Michael sang:

   "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy when skies are gray"

   38. ______ the baby girl responded. The pulse rate became 39._____ and steady.

   Keep on singing, Michael. "You never know, dear, how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away — " The breathing became as smooth as a kitten's purr.

   Keep on singing, Michael. "The other night, dear, as I lay sleeping,… " Michael's little sister relaxed as rest.

Funeral plans were 40______. The next day — the very next day — the little girl was well enough to go home!

The medical staff just called it a miracle. Karen called it a miracle of God's love!

1.A. talked      B sang          C. played        D whispered

2. A. quietly      B peacefully     C hopefully      D normally

3. A. arose        B. raised       C rose           D aroused

4. A situation      B condition     C place          D position

5.A took         B sent          C carried         D rushed

6.A The years     B The months    C The weeks     D The days

7.A fixed up      B made up       C built up        D set up

8. A until         B before         C after          D when

9.A asked        B allowed        C admitted       D acquired

10. A no matter      B even if        C whether       D as if

11.A put          B dressed         C wore           D fit

12. A marched        B forced         C hid           D followed

13.A required        B replied         C recognized      D regarded

14. A   warm-hearted                B well-managed

   C   mild-mannered               D cold-blooded

15. A firm           B strong       C hard           D tough

16. A losing         B lost          C to lose         D having lost

17.A in            B on           C at             D with

18.A Finally        B Instantly       C Patiently       D Interestingly

19.A calm          B quiet          C slow          D fast

20. A put off        B put away       C put up         D put down