One night this summer, on my way home from work I decided to see a movie. I knew the theatre would be air­ conditioned and I couldn’t face my 36 apartment. Sitting in the theatre I had to 37 the opening between the two tall heads in front of me. I had to keep changing the　38　every time she leaned over to talk to him, 39　he leaned over to kiss her. Why do Americans display such　40 in a public place？I thought the movie would help improve my English, but as it 41 ,it was an Italian movie. 42 about an hour I decided to give up the movie and 43　my popcorn. I’ve never understood why they gave me so much popcorn！It tasted pretty good , 44. With time going by, I understood 45 of the romantic­ sounding Italians. I just heard the 46 of the popcorn chewed between my teeth. My thought started to 47.I remembered when I was in South Korea, I 48 to watch a host on TV frequently. He seemed like a good friend to me, until I saw him　49　on TV in New York speaking　50　English instead of perfect Korean. He didn’t　51　have a Korean accent！I felt like I had been betrayed (背叛)．

When our family moved to the United States six years ago, none of us spoke any English. 　52 we had picked up a few words, my mother suggested that we all should practise English at home. Everyone agreed, but our house became terribly　53 and we all seemed to avoid each other. When we couldn’t avoid seeing each other, our expressions were stiff (僵硬的)．Sitting at the dinner table we preferred silence to　54　a difficult language. Mother　55　to say something in English but it came out all wrong and we all burst into laughter and decided to forget it！We’ve been speaking Korean at home ever since.

1.                A．warm          B．hot            C．heated   D．uncomfortable

 

2.                A．wander through  B．walk through     C．run through   D．look through

 

3.                A．room          B．seat            C．space    D．angle

 

4.                A．however        B．but            C．or   D．and

 

5.                A．excitement      B．feeling         C．privacy   D．love

 

6.                A．came about     B．came up        C．turned up D．turned out

 

7.                A．Within         B．After           C．For  D．Before

 

8.                A．concentrate on   B．stare at         C．work on  D．stick with

 

9.                A．too            B．either          C．anyhow   D．somehow

 

10.               A．much          B．something      C．nothing   D．anything

 

11.               A．nutrient        B．sound          C．explosion D．smell

 

12.               A．stop           B．wander         C．imagine   D．fascinate

 

13.               A．started         B．began          C．devoted   D．used

 

14.               A．again          B．immediately     C．closely    D．clearly

 

15.               A．fake           B．informal        C．perfect    D．practical

 

16.               A．even           B．always         C．occasionally    D．frequently

 

17.               A．Unless         B．If             C．Before    D．Since

 

18.               A．noisy          B．quiet          C．exciting   D．still

 

19.               A．improving       B．reading         C．writing    D．speaking

 

20.               A．managed       B．happened       C．tried  D．had

 

 

The day I became a mom was not the day my daughter was born, but seven years later. Up until that day, I had been too busy trying to survive my abusive(辱骂的) marriage. I had spent all my energy trying to run a "perfect" home that would pass inspection each evening, and I didn't see that my baby girl had become a toddler. I'd tried endlessly to please someone who could never be pleased and suddenly realized that the years had slipped by and could never return. 

Oh, I had done the normal "motherly" things, like making sure my daughter got to ballet and gym lessons. I went to all of her recitals and school concerts, parent-teacher conferences and open houses alone. We suffered from my husband's rages(暴怒) when something was spilled(溢出) at the dinner table, telling her, "It will be okay, Honey. Daddy's not really mad at you." I did all I could to protect her from hearing the awful shouting and complaints after he returned from a night of drinking. Finally I did the best thing I could do for my daughter and myself: I removed us from the home that wasn't really a home at all. 

That day I became a mom was the day when my daughter and I were sitting in our new home having a calm, quiet dinner just as I had always wanted for her. We were talking about what she had done in school and suddenly her little hand knocked over the full glass of chocolate milk by her plate. As I watched the white tablecloth and freshly painted white wall become dark brown, I looked at her small face. It was filled with fear, knowing what the consequence of the event would have meant only a week before in her father's presence. When I saw that look on her face and looked at the chocolate milk running down the wall, I simply started laughing. I am sure she thought I was crazy, but then she must have realized that I was thinking, "It's a good thing your father isn't here!" She started laughing with me, and we laughed until we cried. They were tears of joy and peace and were the first of many tears that we cried together. That was the day we knew that we were going to be okay. 

Whenever either of us spills something, even now, seventeen years later, she says, "Remember the day I spilled the chocolate milk? I knew you had done the right thing for us." That was the day I really became a mom. I discovered that being a mom isn't only going to ballet or gym, recitals, and attending every school concert and open house. It isn't keeping a tidy house and preparing perfect meals. It certainly isn't pretending things are normal when they are not. For me, being a mom started when I could laugh over spilled milk. 

                                       ---- By Linda Jones from “Chicken Soup for Soul”

1.What does the underlined part "the right thing" refer to?

A．Becoming a single mother.

B．Divorcing with her abusive husband.

C．Doing all the motherly things well and running the family.

D．Not blaming on her daughter’s spilling the chocolate milk.

2.Which statement is NOT true?．

A．The author had suffered from an unfortunate marriage for a long time.

B．All the things the author did were to protect her daughter

C．The author hadn’t been a mother until she removed from her marriage.

D．Both the author and her daughter were frightened at the husband and father.

3.Why did the author and her daughter laugh and then cry?

A．Because it was a thorough relief after they had suffered too much.

B．Because they were actually crazy.

C．Because they wouldn’t see the abusive man any more.

D．Because spilling the chocolate milk on the wall was really funny.

4.What is the best title for this article?

A．How To Be a Better Mon?               B．The Day I Became a Mom

C．A Thing Happened 17 Years Ago          D．Survive an Abusive Marriage

 

Thanksgiving is an important festival in North America. We interviewed several students from the US and Canada. Here is what they have told us about their Thanksgiving experiences.
Josie from New York, USA
“In America, Thanksgiving is celebrated every year at the end of November. It is to remember the first group of people from Europe to live in America. When they first arrived, they found the environment strange. But they learned to survive after some native American friends showed them how to grow and find food. Thanksgiving is meant to be a traditional celebration.”
Todd from California, USA
“Thanksgiving is the first day of Christmas shopping. That means we have four weeks to buy Christmas presents for our families and friends. For me and my friends, the most important part of the festival is the big football game on TV. The match is watched by millions of people all over America. Thanksgiving is seen as an exciting day for football!”
Ian from Saskatoon, Canada
In Canada, Thanksgiving is held on the 2nd Monday in October. On the Sunday before Thanksgiving Day, many people go to church. Thanks is given for all the good things that happened to them during the year. I always give thanks for the nice big turkey I’m going to have at the family dinner! Like all festivals, Thanksgiving is about food!
Katie from Maritimes, Canada
On Thanksgiving Day, we have dinner with all our cousins, aunts and uncles. It is always very busy. Sometimes we have two Thanksgiving dinners because we go to both our grandparents’ houses. The dinner is usually attended by more than twenty people at each house! My mother and my aunts do all the cooking but the washing-up is done by me and my cousins. And that’s not an easy job! But I don’t mind because Thanksgiving is meant to be a time to give thanks.
【小题1】People in the USA and Canada ____________.

A．all have the same opinion of Thanksgiving

B．have different opinions of Thanksgiving

C．feel that Thanksgiving is about food

D．have no interest in Thanksgiving

【小题2】Which of the people interviewed feels that Thanksgiving is all about football?

A．Ian

B．Josie

C．Todd

D．Katie

【小题3】Where does the person who thinks that Thanksgiving is a traditional celebration come from?

A．New York

B．California

C．Saskatoon

D．Maritimes

【小题4】For what reasons do people give thanks at Thanksgiving?

A．All the good things that have happened

B．Presents, a big turkey

C．Grandparents, food

D．Football, traditions

  Dear Betty,

　　My roommate’s family wants me to celebrate Thanksgiving Day with them in their home. I accepted the invitation, and I’m excited about going, but I’m a little nervous about it, too. The social customs in my country are different from those here, so I’m a little worried about making mistakes.

　　Should I bring a gift, such as candy or flowers? Should I arrive on time or a little late?  At the dinner table, how can I know which fork or knife to use? How can I let the family know that I’m thankful for their kindness?

Yours,

Knowing Nothing

Dear Knowing Nothing,

　　It’s a good idea to bring a gift when you go to a dinner party. Flowers are always welcome, or you can bring a bottle of wine if you know the family drink it.

　　You should arrive on time or five to ten minutes late. Don’t get there early. If you are going to be more than fifteen minutes late, you should call and tell them.

　　Try to relax at the dinner table. If you don’t know how to use the right fork, knife or spoon, just watch the other guests, and follow them. If you still have no idea of what to do, don’t be shy about asking the person next to you; it’s better to ask them than to be silently uncomfortable and nervous.

　　If you like the food, say so. Of course, you’ll thank the host and hostess for the meal and for their kindness. It’s also a good idea to send a card to thank them the day after.

Yours,

Betty

1. Knowing Nothing wrote a letter to Betty to _____.

A．tell Betty some good news	B．ask for some advice
C．answer some questions	D．invite her to dinner

2.According to Betty, Knowing Nothing ______ when going to a dinner party.

A．can only bring some flowers

B．can’t bring wine

C．should arrive on time or five to ten minutes late

D．should arrive twenty minutes late

3. Betty does NOT advise Knowing Nothing to _____.

A．relax at the dinner table	B．watch the other guests
C．ask the person beside him	D．keep silent at table

 

As any housewives who has tried to keep order at the dinner table knows, there is far more to a family meal than food. Sociologist Michael Lewis has been studying 50 families to find out just how much more.

Lewis carried out his study by videotaping the families while they ate ordinary meals in their own homes. They found that parents with small families talk actively with each other and their children. But as the number of children gets larger, conversation gives way to the parents’ efforts to control the loud noise they make. That can have an important effect on the children. “In general the more question-asking the parents do, the higher the children’s IQ scores,” Lewis says. “And the more children there are, the less question-asking there is.”

The study also provides an explanation for why middle children often seem to have a harder time in life than their siblings. Lewis found that in families with three or four children, dinner conversation is likely to center on the oldest child, who has the most to talk about, and the youngest, who needs the most attention. “Middle children are invisible,” says Lewis. “When you see someone get up from the table and walk around during dinner, chances are it’s the middle child.” There is, however, one thing that stops all conversation and prevents anyone from having attention: “When the TV is on,” Lewis says, “dinner is nothing.”

1.The writer’s purpose in writing the text is to _________.

A．show the relationship between parents and children

B．teach parents ways to keep order at the dinner table

C．report on the findings of a study

D．give information about family problems

2.By saying “Middle children are invisible” in paragraph 3, Lewis means that middle children _________.

A．have to help their parents to serve dinner

B．get the least attention from the family

C．are often not allowed to come to the dinner table

D．find it hard to get along well with other children

3.Which of the following statements would the writer agree to?

A．Parents should talk to each of their children frequently.

B．It is a good idea to have the TV on during dinner.

C．It is important to have the right food for children.

D．Elder children should help the younger ones at dinner.