At railway stations all across Britain next week, groups of students will gather with their backpacks to wait for the trains that will carry them home for Christmas. This is as large a movement of human beings as before, but with more contradictory traffic flows, so that trains filled with the young pass each other travelling in every direction.

At first, I went home every weekend with my washing, but then those visits became less regular. How did I let my parents know I was coming? They had no phone. Perhaps I wrote to them ("Expect me with dirty shirts this Friday afternoon"), but more likely I didn't let them know, and just turned up or didn't turn up, not understanding that my parents' dashed hopes of seeing me were a greater casualty of my carelessness than a spoiled tea.

And in all this I suspect I was typical, at least of young men. As for our fathers and mothers, none of them talked of "empty-nest syndrome", even though its implication that the principal human duty is to protect and feed the young would have suited their generation better than ours. Then, the feelings of loss went without a name. Today, it's a condition with remedies, which will make parents feel more enjoyable in their life. The Mayo Clinic, for example, suggests you try to maintain regular contact with your children through "visits, phone calls, emails, texts or video chats". If you feel depressed, lean on loved ones or your mental health provider. Above all, stay positive: "Thinking about the extra time and energy you might have to devote to your marriage or personal interests after your last child leaves home might help you adapt to this major life change."

What can’t be denied, however, is that children often leave home. In modern societies, this is what they do. Christmas is the very time they can be depended on to return. For the non-religious, that may be this season’s true comfort and significance.

1.The main reason for the busy traffic across Britain next week is that         .

A．young students will travel home for Christmas

B．young people will travel in every direction

C．it is a large movement of human beings

D．the traffic flows will be more contradictory

2.From the second paragraph we can learn that the writer      .

A．went home every week to wash dirty clothes

B．understood his parents’ desire of seeing him

C．didn’t understand his parents’ feelings

D．went home to see his parents regularly

3.The underlined word “remedies” in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to          .

A．reasons           B．excuses           C．habits            D．solutions

4.From the last paragraph we know that        .

A．in modern society, children should leave home

B．Christmas is likely a time for family reunion

C．the significance of Christmas is celebration

D．Christmas is not a comfort for the non-religious

5.From the passage we can infer that by writing the article the writer’s purpose is to       .

A．persuade the young to show concern for their parents

B．ask the young to go home regularly

C．make the young understand their parents’ interests

D．enable the young to be more independent

 

George had stolen some money, and had been caught by the police. Now his ___1___ was about to begin. He felt ___2___ that he would be sent to prison for a long time. Then he ___3___ that his friend Jim was one of the members of the jury(陪审团). He succeeded in seeing him ___4___. He said to him, “Jim, I know that the jury will find me guilty of having stolen the money. I can’t hope to be found ___5___ of taking it. But I should be grateful ___6___ you if you could ___7___ the other members of the jury to ___8___ some strong ___9___ for me to their statement that they consider me seriously guilty.”

“Well, George,” answered Jim, “I shall ___10___ try to do what I can for you as an old friend, ___11___ I cannot promise you will be highly ___12___ with the result. The other eleven members of the jury are not ___13___ good terms with me.” Of course, George was very ___14___, but he did not have a ___15___ to see Jim for some time after the trial. At last, ___16___, Jim visited him in prison. George ___17___ him very much for what he had done.

“Well, George,” Jim told him, “___18___ I thought, those eleven men were very ___19___ to persuade, but I managed it in the end ___20___ tiring them out. You know, those fools had all wanted to find you not guilty!”

1. A. punishment    B. trial    C. sentence     D. arrest

2. A. doubtful B. firm    C. sure    D. uncertain

3. A. wondered      B. imagined    C. explained   D. discovered

4. A. secretly  B. rarely  C. often   D. openly

5. A. guilty     B. moral  C. not moral   D. not guilty

6. A. for  B. with    C. to       D. of

7. A. please     B. try      C. persuade     D. advise

8. A. add B. add up       C. increase      D. increase up

9. A. feeling   B. mercy C. care    D. excuse

10. A. difficulty     B. easily  C. certainly     D. uncertainly

11. A. so  B. but     C. thus    D. then

12. A. surprised      B. supposed    C. satisfied     D. separated

13. A. in  B. by      C. on      D. of

14. A. lucky    B. unlucky      C. pleased       D. disappointed

15. A. time     B. hope   C. chance       D. reason

16. A. moreover     B. however     C. therefore    D. thus

17. A. complained  B. criticized    C. thanked      D. envy

18. A. as  B. like     C. if D. though

19. A. foolish  B. easy    C. clever D. difficult

20. A. in  B. by      C. with    D. after

History is full of examples of leaders joining together to meet common goals. But rarely have two leaders worked together with such friendship and cooperation as American President Franklin Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. They both were born in wealthy families and were active in politics for many years. Both men loved the sea and the navy，history and nature.

Roosevelt and Churchill first met when they were lower­level officials in World War One. But neither man remembered much about that meeting. However，as they worked together during the Second World War they came to like and trust each other. Roosevelt and Churchill exchanged more than one thousand seven hundred letters and messages during five and a half years. They met many times，at large national gatherings and in private talks. But the closeness of their friendship might be seen best in a story told by one of Roosevelt’s close advisors，Harry Hopkins. Hopkins remembered how Churchill was visiting Roosevelt at the White House one day. Roosevelt went into Churchill’s room in the morning to say hello. But the president was shocked to see Churchill coming from the washing room with no clothes at all. Roosevelt immediately apologized to the British leader for seeing him naked. But Churchill reportedly said: “The Prime Minister of Great Britain has nothing to hide from the president of the United States.” And then both men laughed.

The United States and Great Britain were only two of several nations that joined together in the war to resist Hitler and his Allies. In January,1942，twenty­six of these nations signed an agreement promising to fight for peace，religious freedom，human rights，and justice. The three major Allies，however，were the most important for the war effort: the United States，Britain，and the Soviet Union. Yet，Churchill and Roosevelt disagreed about when  to attack Hitler in western Europe. And Churchill resisted Roosevelt’s suggestions that Britain give up some of its colonies. But in general，the friendship between Roosevelt and Churchill，and between the United States and Britain led the two nations to cooperate closely.

1.What can be inferred from the passage?

A．Roosevelt and Churchill had much in common.

B．Roosevelt and Churchill had nothing in common.

C．Roosevelt and Churchill had no difference but cooperation.

D．Roosevelt and Churchill always joined together to meet common goals.

2.Which of the following about Roosevelt and Churchill is TRUE according to the passage?

A．Since World War One they had believed in each other.

B．They exchanged just 27 letters and messages per month during the 5.5 years.

C．Harry Hopkins never let out the closeness of their friendship.

D．Roosevelt and Churchill hadn’t been presidents before World War One.

3.We can know from the passage that________.

A．Roosevelt and Churchill did not always agree with each other

B．over two differences between Churchill and Roosevelt were mentioned

C．Churchill urged Roosevelt to give up some of its colonies

D．the differences between Roosevelt and Churchill had an effect on their cooperation

 

_____into the house, the thief was soon caught by the police.

 A. Having seen him steal  B. Seen stolen  C. Seen stealing   D. Seeing him steal

I think you must be mistaken about seeing him at the theatre; I’m sure he _____ abroad all week.

A. is                  B. was  C. has been     D. had been