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.

 

From the health point of view we are living in an amazing age. We are free from many of the most dangerous diseases. A large number of once deadly illnesses can now be cured by modern medicine. It is almost certain that one day medicines will be found for the most stubborn remaining diseases. The expectation of life has increased greatly. But though the possibility of living a long and happy life is greater than ever before, every day we witness the unbelievable killing of men, women and children on the roads. Man vs the motor-car! It is a never-ending battle which man is losing.

    Thousands of people all over the world are killed or horribly killed each year and we are quietly sitting back and letting it happen.

    It has been rightly said that when a man is sitting behind a steering wheel(方向盘), his car becomes the extension of his personality. There is no doubt that the motor-car often brings out a man’s very worst qualities. People who are normally quiet and pleasant may become unrecognizable when they are behind a steering-wheel. They say, they are ill-mannered and aggressive, willful as two-year-olds and completely selfish. Their hidden angers and disappointments seem to be brought to the surface by the act of driving.

    The surprising thing is that society smiles so gently on the motorist and seems to forgive his behavior. Everything is done for his convenience. Cities are allowed to become almost uninhabitable because of heavy traffic; towns are made ugly by huge car parks; the countryside is ruined by road networks; and the deaths become nothing more than a number every year, to be easily forgotten.

    It is high time a world rule was created to reduce this senseless waste of human life. With regard to driving, the laws of some countries are unbelievable lenient(宽容的) and even the strictest are not strict enough. A rule which was universally accepted could only have an obviously beneficial effect on the accident rate. Here are a few examples of some of the things that might be done. The driving test should be standardized and made far more difficult than it is; all the drivers should be made to take a test every three years or so; the age at which young people are allowed to drive any vehicle should be raised to at least 21; all vehicles should be put through strict tests for safety each year. Even the smallest amount of alcohol in the blood can damage a person’s driving ability. Present drinking and driving laws(where they exist) should be made much stricter. Speed limits should be required on all roads. Governments should lay down safety specifications for car factories, as has been done in the USA. All advertising stress power and performance should be banned. These measures may not sound good enough. But surely nothing should be considered as too severe if it results in reducing the number of deaths. After all, the world is for human beings, not motor-cars.

1.What is the main idea of this passage?

  A. Traffic accidents are mainly caused by motorists.

  B. Thousands of people all over the world are killed each year.

  C. The laws of some countries about driving are too lenient.

  D. More strict traffic laws can prevent accidents.

2.What does the author think of society toward motorists?

  A. Society laughs at the motorists.

  B. Huge car parks are built in the cities and towns.

  C. Victims of accidents are nothing.

   D. Society forgives their rude driving.

3.What does the author mean by saying “his car becomes the extension of his personality” in

Paragraph 3?

A. Driving can show his hidden qualities.

B. Driving can show the other part of his personality.

C. Driving can bring out his character.

D. Driving can represent his manners.

4. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a way against traffic accidents?

  A. Perfect the road network.

 B. More strict driving tests.

  C. Test drivers every three years.

  D. Raise age limit and lay down safety specifications.

5. The author’s attitude towards the traffic situation is ______.

  A. confused        B. discontented       C. appealing       D. doubtful

 

During the last century we have moved from the Industrial Age through the Information Age to the Knowledge Age. The ability to obtain and apply the right knowledge effectively will become a key skill in the next century. Our ability will no longer be judged only by knowledge gained in the past, but will also be measured by our ability to learn and adapt in the future.

Learning isn’t just about economic success, however. It is the key to achieving our full potential(潜能,潜力). Human beings are particularly adapted to learn and we have the ability to do so throughout our lives.

Learning has the power to change us. Specifically, we can become more successful. Learning can enable us to solve problems and change our attitudes. It makes us more interesting to be with. It can be enormous fun. It can also be very challenging.

We all have the ability, at any age, to change our lives through learning. Our survival in the twenty-first century as individuals, organizations and nations, will depend on our ability to learn. A learning population is healthier, more tolerant(容忍的,宽容的), independent and fulfilled. Learning can take place in a range of styles: anytime, anywhere, anyhow.

None of us learn in isolation(隔绝,孤立). There are a whole range of factors that can affect us in learning. The key factors affecting people’s learning include: ●their resources ●their image of learning ●the rewards associated with any learning activity ●the availability of information about learning opportunities ●the climate created by government and employers in which learning takes place

1. What is the most important skill in the next century according to the passage?

A．Knowledge we obtained in the past.

B．Computer skill.

C．The ability to obtain and apply knowledge.

D．Foreign language.

2. What is the most important purpose of learning?

A．To succeed economically.

B．To achieve in life.

C．To solve problems.

D．To achieve our full potential.

3. In many ways learning has the power to transform us, so which of the following does NOT belong to the ways?

A．We can have a longer life.

B．We can become more successful through learning.

C．We can be more open-minded.

D．We can be more agreeable.

4.Which of the following proverbs can best go with the fourth paragraph?

A．Learning makes a good man better and an ill man worse.

B．It’s never too late to learn.

C．Reading makes a full man.

D．Knowledge is power.

 

Two men, Alan and Henry, both seriously ill, shared a hospital room. Alan was allowed to sit up in his bed and his bed was next to the room’s only window. Henry had to spend all his time flat on his back.

The men talked for hours, of their wives, families, their homes and their jobs. And every afternoon when Alan, in the bed next to the window, could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Lovers walked arm in arm among flowers. Trees and skyline could be seen in the distance. As he described all this, Henry, on the other side of the room, would close his eyes and imagine the scene.

One warm afternoon Alan described a parade (游行) passing by. Although Henry could not hear the band, he could see it in his mind. Unexpectedly, an alien thought entered his head: why should he have all the pleasure of seeing everything while I never got to see anything? It doesn’t seem fair. Henry felt ashamed at first. But as the days passed and he missed seeing more sight, his envy grew and soon let him down. He began to find himself unable to sleep. He should be by that window—and that thought now controlled his life.

Late one night,　as he lay staring at the ceiling. Alan began to cough. He was choking. Henry watched in the dim room as the struggling man tried hard to reach for the button to call for help. Listening from across the room, he never moved, never pushed his own button which would have brought the nurse running. In less than five minutes, the coughing and choking stopped, along with the sound of breathing. Now, there was only silence—deathly silence.

As soon as it seemed appropriate, Henry asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.

Slowly, painfully, he struggled to take his first look. Finally, he would have the joy of seeing it all himself. He looked out, but faced a black wall.

1.Judging from the passage, the meaning of the underlined word “alien” is ______.

A．disappointing       B．sudden           C．new              D．strange

2.What finally happened to Alan?

A．He was moved to another room.            B．He died.

C．He switched his bed with Henry.            D．He was very sick.

3.Henry, who had his bed switched, had expected _____.

A．to see the black wall                     B．to feel the joy of seeing the outside world

C．to feel the joy of breathing fresh air         D．to see more than Alan

4.Which of the following words could be used to describe Alan?

A．Kind-hearted and imaginative              B．Well-informed and humorous

C．Talkative and funny                      D．Cold-hearted and indifferent

 

In America, when people say “man’s best friend”, they don’t mean another person. Instead, they are talking about a lovely animal：A dog! These words show the friendship between people and animals. Dogs and other pets can give happiness to people’s lives. Some people think of their pets as their children. A few even leave all their money to their pets when they die!

Animals can help people, too. Dogs can be taught to become the “eyes”for a blind person or “ears”for a deaf people. Scientists have found that pets help people live longer! They make people happier, too. Because of that, animals are brought into hospitals for “visit”.

Americans hold “Be---Kind-to-Animals Week”in the first week of May.

Pets shows are held during the week. Even if you don’t live in America, you, too, can do this. How? First, think about how animals make your life richer. If you have a pet, take more time this week to play with it. Remember to give it delicious food. Also, be sure to keep your pet from those unwanted babies.

If you don’t have a pet, be kind to animals around you. For example, if you see a street dog, don’t kick(踢)it or throw things at it. Instead, just leave it alone, or beter yet, make friends with it. If others around you do bad things to an animal, try to shop them. As people, we must protect animals who can’t speak for themselves.

1.“A few even leave all their money to their pets when they die!”means that__________

A．pets have the right (权力) to inherit (继承) money.

B．money can give pets happiness.

C．it’s the best way to spend money.

D．some pets are taken as children.

2.Why are dogs brought to hospitals?

A．Because they are ill and need to see doctors.

B．Because they can make the patients happier.

C．Because they can find out the problems of the patients.

D．Because doctors can do experiments (实验) on them.

3.What’s the most popular activity in the “Be-Kind-to-Animals Week”?

A．Holding a pet show in the week.

B．Playing with pets the whole week.

C．Cooking delicious food for pets.

D．Making friends with other people’s pets.

4.What’s the passage mainly about?

A．A lot of people are interested in dogs.

B．Dogs can help people do many things.

C．Pets are lovely and need care and protection.

D．We have done a lot of things for pets.

5.The words“ man’s best friends”shows____________.

A．the friendship between people.

B．the friendship between people and animals.

C．the friendship between animals.

D．the friendship between men and women