She is quiet, soft-spoken and has a kind face and a strong heart. She is my mom, Lili.
When I was nine, Lili quitted her job and started her own business. She said she didn’t want to stay at home and work as a housewife: “It’s a waste of life.” Lili became so busy that she spent less and less time with me. She didn’t help me with my schoolwork. It was, in her words, “so that you can develop your independence”. We quarreled because she rarely showed up at parents’ meetings.
Like mother, like daughter. I have many things in common with Lili. I want everything to be under control. I want to be perfect and I don’t expect other people to help me. I push myself hard to achieve my goals.
After I started to go to high school, Lili and I were too busy to communicate much with each other.
In biology class I began to be depressed. When the teacher showed us a picture of a butterfly, I was scared and screamed. I had a vision of thousands of butterflies flying toward me.
That night I told Lili about it. The next morning, I saw that she had red eyes with black circles around them.
She took me to see a therapist (治疗师). Three hours later, the therapist told Lili that my life was like a wheel spinning (旋转) faster and faster and that was the reason for what had happened to me. I only realized it when my body couldn’t stand the pressure anymore. At these words, Lili burst into tears. “It’s all my fault, she’s just a kid and I didn’t have time to take care of her….”  To be honest, I had never seen Lili cry before.
After that, Lili began to spend more time at home, cooking and dragging me to do sports. I realized she was the one who would always be there when I was in real trouble. No mom is perfect, but she is the one who really cares about her kid.
【小题1】Lili quitted her job and started her own business because _________.

A．she wanted to make more money	B．she was not willing to look after me
C．she didn’t want to waste her life	D．she likes keeping busy

【小题2】 We quarreled because __________.

A．she began to spend less and less time with me

B．she didn’t help me with my schoolwork.

C．she seldom attended the parents’ meetings in my school.

D．Lili and I were too busy to communicate much with each other.

【小题3】What can we learn from the passage?

A．Most women don’t want to be a housewife.

B．Most children want their mothers to accompany them at home.

C．We need to understand our mothers’ busy life.

D．Although mothers are not perfect, they all love the children

【小题4】 Which of the following statements is WRONG?

A．Lili is a quiet, strong-willed woman.

B．Lili began to spend more time at home after visiting the therapist.

C．I was scared and screamed in biology class because I hate butterflies.

D．I only realized my life was like a wheel when my body couldn’t stand the pressure anymore.

【小题5】 What is the best title for the passage?

A．Mom Does Care.	B．A Busy but Successful Mother.
C．Change From Mother to Businessman.	D．A Student’s Opinion on Mother.

Hot words on the Internet don’t stay hot for long. “Geili” and “fuyun”, last year’s biggest linguistic innovations, are practically prehistoric in Internet terms. What’s buzzing now is “hold steady”

The term comes from a segment (片段) on the Taiwanese TV show University which features Miss Lin(Xie Yilin) giving a lecture on how to behave like a fashion queen at parties or on the bus. The extremely funny lecture is mainly an over-the-top mockery(嘲笑) of the fashion world, but Miss Lin makes a point: We need to hold steady in pressure-filled or embarrassing situations.

Holding steady, Internet slang for “staying poised”, is one of the qualities the public has been looking for lately as pressures on marriage, work and money can easily drive people crazy. The quality was demonstrated by a girl named Su Miaoling this year. The contestant in the TV singing competition Super Girl carried herself with an air of confidence on stage and kept her cool when others got anxious. “I like your poise(淡定). Very few contestants on this stage can keep calm like you do,” said one of the show’s judges, Hu Haiquan, to Su. Internet users dubbed Su “Sister Poise”.

Poise is also appreciated in Western culture as an essential quality of a well-mannered person. Each year, the National League of Junior Cotillions of the US releases a list of the Ten Best Mannered People. Kate Middleton made it onto the list in 2011 “for the poise and dignity with which she conducts herself in the public spotlight”. The Duchess of Cambridge was also acclaimed earlier this year for her remarkable poise at the royal wedding.

Good news for many, poise is not genetic----it can be acquired with a bit of effort. A personal growth guidance gives tips on how to stay poised. “Take a few deep breaths when you are facing a situation that tests your patience; practice yoga regularly to calm your nerves; use self-affirmation by saying ‘I choose to be calm in any situation’; write down your affirmation daily to imprint the goal,” reads the site.

1.According to the passage, what does “hold steady” mean?

A．well balanced	B．hold still
C．remain stable	D．keep calm

2.Which of the following statements is NOT true?

A．Poise isn’t born with people, so it can be acquired.

B．Under different pressures, people hope to keep calm.

C．“Hold steady” comes from a lecture given by a fashion queen.

D．In western culture, holding steady is a quality of well-mannered people.

3.Which of the following is NOT the way to hold steady?

A．learn to use self-encouragement.

B．Write the goals to be achieved

C．Practice yoga regularly to calm your nerves.

D．Take deep breaths when facing difficult situations.

4.The purpose of this passage is to_______.

A．introduce the Internet hot term “hold steady”

B．tell funny stories about how to hold steady

C．demonstrate how to keep calm under pressure

D．give advice on how to keep cool in daily life

 

Amy returned to her small apartment at midnight, exhausted. Pushing the key into the lock, she quietly opened the door so as not to wake her younger brothers. She stepped into the front room and froze. The apartment was a mess: plates of half-eaten food were scattered in front of the TV; toys littered the floor; clothes, shoes and homework were strewn everywhere. Amy’s eyes welled with tears. This is just way too much for me, she thought. Her worst fears began to race through her mind. Would the court（法院）tell her she couldn’t care for her family anymore? Would the kids go through the bitterness once more of being split up and sent away? She was so young, almost a child herself, and yet Amy knew everything depended on her. At that moment, she wondered if she would ever find the strength to see it through

Amy had been born dead. Doctors fought and saved this smaller twin of a drug-taking mother, and she’d had to fight for everything in life ever since. From earliest childhood, Amy took care of her younger brothers. Jan, their mother, only added to the family disorder and confusion. Sometimes they lived in apartments, sometimes in shelters.

One afternoon Amy was called to the high school, where a social worker was waiting for her. “We know your mother has been staying with you,” the social worker said. “We’re going to have to put you guys in foster （收养)）care.” “No! Don’t split us up!” the girl cried out. “Can’t you just leave it the way it is?” The social worker shook his head. Amy’s voice then rose like the howl of a lioness protecting her babies: “Why can’t I take them? I take care of them all the time anyway.” The social worker hesitated, and then said, “Maybe. Once you’re 18, you could apply to become their relative caretaker. Then you’d be their foster mother until we find a home where all of you can be together.” “I’ll do it,” Amy said.

One month later, Amy was named guardian（监护人）of her brothers for a six-month trial period. It was a remarkable victory for an 18-year-old girl. Her brothers didn’t make her task any easier in the months ahead. However，Amy’s efforts were rewarded when the court allowed her to continue as guardian. Amy’s relief at remaining the kids’ guardian was at risk of being taken away by the pressure she always felt to measure up. Social workers still looked regularly over her shoulder and asked the boys shameful questions: “Does she feed you? Does she ever try to harm you?” Then one day a visiting social worker came over. “We’d like to get the boys out of foster care and adopted into homes,” she said. Sensing that the family was about to be split apart yet again, Amy replied, “Fine, then. Call it adoption if you want, but they’re not going anywhere.” To her surprise, the social worker took her remark seriously. She explained that if Amy were to adopt the boys, they would become like any other family.

That night at dinner Amy told the boys about the idea. “Cool!” Joey said. He threw a piece of corn at Adam. His brother flicked it back, and pretty soon corn was flying. Amy rolled her eyes. They didn’t have far to go to be like any other family. As the proceedings（程序）ended, Amy thanked everyone. “No,” the judge responded, “thank you. You saved three kids. Not many family members would do what you’re doing, especially for this many children. I’m very proud of you.” 

On a lazy spring day, in a modest suburban neighborhood, Amy stood in front of a neatly kept one-story house. She watched her brothers playing basketball, and heard the playful bark of their dog, Tahoe. The young lady had made good on her promise: they had rented a home, a real home, and the boys had gotten their dog. Amy continues to raise her family alone, but has begun taking courses in business management at a nearby community college. Eventually, she hopes to become a child psychologist.

1.Which of the following best describes Amy?

A．Crazy and tough.                        B．Firm and stubborn.

C．Enthusiastic and generous.                D．Abnormal and aggressive.

2.What was bothering Amy most in the passage?

A．The mess in her apartment.

B．Her family being split up again.

C．Working hard to support the family.

D．Her young age to take care of her brothers.

3.From the Paragraph 3, we can learn that __________.

A．The social worker gave in to Amy.

B．The social worker tried to adopt Amy’s brothers.

C．Amy tried to apply for the guardian of the brothers.

D．Amy had no idea how to face her family being split up.

4.By saying “They didn’t have far to go to be like any other family”, the writer means________.

A．they will live in the same area as other families.

B．they made a deep impression on the neighborhood.

C．Amy is able to take good care of the family.

D．Amy and her brothers would be already just like a family.

5.The best title for this text would be___________. 

A．Standing On Two Feet                    B．Growing Up Alone

C．A Lifelong Fight                         D．A Teen Hero

 

“I usually put my mobile phone in my bag, and I often feel like it is ringing when there actually is no phone call. Now I always want to keep it in my hand, being afraid that I might miss important calls or messages,” Miss Liu tells her doctor.

Miss Gu, a news worker, has to take her mobile phone with her all the time so as not to miss any calls from her office or readers. Gradually, she started to experience a great “panic” about her mobile phone. “Every night when I’m about to fall asleep, I often wake up with a start, feeling that my phone is ringing. Although I’m sure that I have turned it off, I still feel that it is ringing, clearly.”

The above phenomenon is what we call “mobile-phone acouasm (幻听)”. The mobile phone has now become a “new organ” in a white collar’s daily life, and “mobile-phone acouasm” has become a common phenomenon among office workers.

According to a report of China Youth Daily, “mobile-phone acouasm ” most likely results from people’s dependency on hi-tech products. It is associated with certain professions, such as salesmen, consultants and journalists. They use mobile phones almost continuously.

Constantly being in the “stand-by” mode, the strong psychological tension gives them acouasm. Meanwhile, a large number of this year’s graduates are joining the family of acouasm suffers due to the hard job-hunting experience.

“You know that the rings are not from your phone, but you always take it out and have a look. This is subconscious (潜意识) from your body sending you a signal, telling you that you must take a break to reduce your pressure,” Professor Sun Li from Huadong Normal University explains.

There are many ways to solve the problem. The professor says that the key is to deal with pressure from work. “This is just a kind of self-protection”; the most important thing is to find out the source of your pressure. And then take part in some activities that are not related to your work. You can do anything that can relax your body and mind.

1. According to the passage the phrase “mobile-phone acouasm” refers to           .

A. people’s being addicted to mobile phones

B. people’s feeling the unreal phone rings

C. mobile phones’ going wrong frequently

D. mobile phones’ disturbing people constantly

2.How does “mobile-phone acouasm ” come about ? 

A. Some mobile phones are in poor quality.

B. Some people develop the dependency on mobile phones.

C. Some people listen to the music on mobile phones too much.

D. Something is wrong with some people’s hearing.

3.What kind of people are more likely to suffer from “mobile-phone acouasm” ?

A. Those who use mobile phones too often.

B. Those who like mobile phones very much.

C. Those who lead a busy life.

D. Those who lead a free life.

4.What is the most important measure to deal with “mobile-phone acouasm ” ? 

A. To buy a mobile phone of good quality.

B. To turn off your mobile phone.

C. To get rid of pressure from work.

D. To have your ears examined regularly.

 

She is quiet, soft-spoken and has a kind face and a strong heart. She is my mom, Lili.

When I was nine, Lili quitted her job and started her own business. She said she didn’t want to stay at home and work as a housewife: “It’s a waste of life.” Lili became so busy that she spent less and less time with me. She didn’t help me with my schoolwork. It was, in her words, “so that you can develop your independence”. We quarreled because she rarely showed up at parents’ meetings.

Like mother, like daughter. I have many things in common with Lili. I want everything to be under control. I want to be perfect and I don’t expect other people to help me. I push myself hard to achieve my goals.

After I started to go to high school, Lili and I were too busy to communicate much with each other.

In biology class I began to be depressed. When the teacher showed us a picture of a butterfly, I was scared and screamed. I had a vision of thousands of butterflies flying toward me.

That night I told Lili about it. The next morning, I saw that she had red eyes with black circles around them.

She took me to see a therapist (治疗师). Three hours later, the therapist told Lili that my life was like a wheel spinning (旋转) faster and faster and that was the reason for what had happened to me. I only realized it when my body couldn’t stand the pressure anymore. At these words, Lili burst into tears. “It’s all my fault, she’s just a kid and I didn’t have time to take care of her….” To be honest, I had never seen Lili cry before.

After that, Lili began to spend more time at home, cooking and dragging me to do sports. I realized she was the one who would always be there when I was in real trouble. No mom is perfect, but she is the one who really cares about her kid.

1.Lili quitted her job and started her own business because _________.

A．she wanted to make more money           B．she was not willing to look after me

C．she didn’t want to waste her life           D．she likes keeping busy

2.We quarreled because __________.

A．she began to spend less and less time with me

B．she didn’t help me with my schoolwork.

C．she seldom attended the parents’ meetings in my school.

D．Lili and I were too busy to communicate much with each other.

3.What can we learn from the passage?

A．Most women don’t want to be a housewife.

B．Most children want their mothers to accompany them at home.

C．We need to understand our mothers’ busy life.

D．Although mothers are not perfect, they all love the children

4.Which of the following statements is WRONG?

A．Lili is a quiet, strong-willed woman.

B．Lili began to spend more time at home after visiting the therapist.

C．I was scared and screamed in biology class because I hate butterflies.

D．I only realized my life was like a wheel when my body couldn’t stand the pressure anymore.

5.What is the best title for the passage?

A．Mom Does Care.                        B．A Busy but Successful Mother.

C．Change From Mother to Businessman.        D．A Student’s Opinion on Mother.