Raising pets is not a new thing in China , but recently it has taken on a new meaning .

     As a famous Chinese saying goes, pursuit of petty (小的，不重要的) pleasures weakens one’s will to make progress . The saying has been so popular that even today many people still consider raising pets as a hobby of the idle .

     Things have changed much recently and now raising pets has become a popular pastime , resulting in a successful pet care industry .

     Pet food is sold in almost all supermarkets and many special stores for pet needs have been set up .

     Animal hospitals provide various medical services for sick dogs and cats , and pet exchange fairs are held regularly .

     At the China International Pet Show which took place recently in Beijing , more than 100 factories from across the country exhibited their products . Thousands of dealers and pet owners went to the show.

     “People’s swollen pockets make it possible for many to raise pets , a hobby that used to be enjoyed only by the wealthy ,” said Wang Wei , who works with the National Kennel Association of China .

     Wang Yuyan , vice president of the Small Animals Protection Association , agreed , “ In many films and novels , having a pet is used as a symbol of wealth . That’s not a complete picture . ” Wang added that pets are friends in a real sense of the word , not just playthings . “ Anyone with a loving nature can raise pets . ”

     Still the high cost of keeping a pet is something many people have to think about .

     “I like dogs and cats , but I have neither time nor money to raise them , ”said Li Jun , in her 40’s , a civil servant from Beijing .

     The cost of raising a dog is high in Beijing , where registration (登记) is a must for all dogs and costs 5,000 yuan for each animal . In addition , pet owners must pay for regular injection of vaccines (疫苗). Most of all , dog food is quite expensive .

     Unlike his mother , Li Jun’s 10-year-old son, Li Qiyu, dreams of the day he will have his own pet . “I hope I can have a dog in my house , ” he said .

Things have changed much recently , because ___________ .

  A. people have all become kind-hearted       B. small animals have no places to live in

  C. people’s living conditions are improving    D. more and more people are out of work

In big cities in China today , raising pets ________ .

  A. has changed people’s life        B. has destroyed some families

  C. has met much difficulty         D. has brought much business for some people

According to Wang Yuyan’s opinion , raising pets _________ .

  A. is a necessary job for us all       B. is harmless for most people 

  C. should be a hobby of the rich      D. will make the poor happy

My mother was a household servant. Through her work, she observed that successful people spent a lot more time reading than they did watching television. She announced that my brother and I could only watch two to three pre-selected TV programs during the week. With our free time, we had to read two books each from the Detroit Public Library and write book reports. She would mark them up with check marks. Years later we realized her marks were a ruse. My mother had only received a third-grade education. Although we had no money, between the covers of those books, I could go anywhere, do anything and be anybody.
When I entered high school, I was an A-student, but not for long. I wanted the fancy clothes. I wanted to hang out with the guys. I went form being an A- student to a B- student to a C-student, but I didn’t care.
One night my mother came home and I complained about not having enough shirts. She said, “Okay, I’ll give you all the money I make this week cleaning floors and bathrooms, and you can buy the family food and pay the bills. With everything left over, you can have all the shirts you want.”
I was very pleased with that arrangement but once I got through allocating(分配) money, there was nothing left. I realized my mother was a financial genius to be able to keep a roof over our heads and any kind of food on the table, much less buy clothes.
I also realized that immediate satisfaction wasn’t going to get me anywhere. Success required intellectual(理智的) preparation. I went back to my studies and became an A-student again. I dreamed of becoming a doctor when I was just a kid. And now I have achieved my dream.
Over the years my mother’s changeless faith in God has inspired me, particularly when I found myself faced with my own medical illness. A few years ago I discovered I had a very serious cancer; I was told it might have spread to my spine(脊柱). My mother believed in God very much. She never worried. She said that God would never throw me away forever; there was no way that this was going to be a major problem. The abnormality in spine turned out to be not bad; I was able to have surgery and am cured.
My story is really my mother’s story －a woman little formal education or worldly goods who used her position as a parent to change the lives of her children.
【小题1】 The underlined word “ruse” in the first paragraph probably means           .

A．discovery

B．success

C．trick

D．pleasure

【小题2】When the author asked his mother to buy him shirts, she           .

A．advised him to earn money by himself

B．asked him to try to manage their money

C．persuaded him not to buy them patiently

D．agreed to buy them for him immediately

【小题3】 What do we learn about the author?

A．He now works as a doctor.

B．He disliked watching TV as a kid.

C．He received little formal education.

D．He often did housework when young.

【小题4】The underlined word “this” in the last but one paragraph refers to        .

A．God’s throwing me away

B．my own medical illness

C．the operation on my spine

D．my mother’s changeless faith in God

【小题5】In writing the passage, the author mainly shows us         .

A．the happy relationships in his family

B．the benefits of reading for young children

C．the importance of formal education for adults

D．his mother’s great influence on his development

Vampires (吸血鬼), creatures of myth, have been around in one form or another for centuries. Terrifying but also attractive, they are as popular in the early 21 st century as ever, as the current popularity of Twilight series, and its hero Edward Cullen, show.

Vampires first appeared in fiction in the 1700s. in 1895 Irish novelist Bram Stoker published Dracula, introducing the world’s most famous vampire.

But just what is it about these drinkers of human blood that continues to fascinate us? Speaking to Eric Lewis of the Times and Transcript website, academic Deborah Wells said that vampires are “culturally adaptive”. “We create very different vampires to fit different times. Edward Cullen is not the same as Count Dracula,” she said.

Different as they are, Wells believes vampires are “the perfect containers into which we can pour our current cultural anxieties”, Bram Stoker’s Dracula is powerful, yet old and physically ugly. Stoker’s book dealt with fear of the fall of the British Empire, real fears in the day in which it was written.

According to the website Bookrags, today’s vampires have all our cultural desires, money, power and sexual attraction. Represented by Cullen, they are noble, handsome young men whom women find irresistible. What’s more, vampires challenge traditional ideas about death, science and parental authority. This may be why teenagers are drawn to vampire tales.

“In many ways, the vampire story shows up teenage concerns,” said wells. “The emotional intensity (强度) of the relationship with the vampire matches the intensity of how it feels to have your first real love affairs. Your first real love, it really feels like life and death.”

55．The best title for this passage should be_______.

A．Vampires may continue to drink our blood

B．Vampires have been around us for long

C．Why Twilight is so popular nowadays

D．We still like the story about vampires

56．What is the image of the vampire in Bram Stoker’s book?

A．Anxious but perfect.

B．Powerful, old and ugly.

C．Terrifying but also attractive.

D．Afraid of the fall of the British Empire.

57．According to the website Bookrages, today’s vampires_______.

A．desire money, power and sexual attraction

B．may not think highly of parental authority

C．dare to give up traditional ideas

D．are likely to be resisted by women

58．Which of the following statements is true according to Wells?

A．People need different vampires in different times.

B．Our current cultural anxieties are hidden in vampires.

C．The vampire story reflects the conches of the teenagers.

D．The relationship with the vampire equals your first real love.

 

Christmas, Easter and Birthday parties can be difficult times for grandmothers and parents as they rush around trying to arrange the perfect celebration or making everyone as happy as possible! What’s better than a birthday party that makes your grandchild smile throughout or a celebration that impresses relatives and close friends?

That is why Granny Look has supplied in this section, one of the most comprehensive guides to making these special occasions that happen perhaps once a year a real success.

From a selection of Advent calendars to party planning or Christmas-stocking fillers we have all the possibilities covered so that your children and grandchildren will really have a memorable time with attractive gifts and original ideas.

Bring that festive spirit to all those traditional days, and ensure you are always ready for any possibility. Granny Look’s extensive links are bound to make every special occasion an entirely different experience from the year before and allow everyone to feel entertained and content.

CHRISTMAS-STOCKING FILLERS

LOOK no further!! Granny Look helps the family to prepare in time for FATHER CHRISTMAS. Give SANTA CLAUS some ideas. He can fill all the children’s Christmas-stockings with goodies! Unique Christmas gifts for children - stocking fillers.

A Granny Look favorite!

ADVENT CALENDARS

All children love the build-up to CHRISTMAS! What is better than choosing one of Granny Look’s selection of Advent Calendars! Here you will find a list of websites to buy traditional or fun Advent calendars for children at Christmas time.

A Granny Look favorite!

BIRTHDAYS

LOOKING for a SPECIAL BIRTHDAY GIFT? Explore Granny Look’s selection of PRESENTS, PARTYPLANNING, PARTY TOYS and PARTY GAMES for your Children and Grandchildren’s BIRTHDAYS.

Plan and organize the KIDDIE’S PARTIES ahead of time!!

Don’t forget the PERSONALISED INVITATIONS!

CHRISTMAS

LOOK and BOOK now!! Granny Look’s selection of CHRISTMAS GIFTS for children.

Some guides to “What’s on in your area” … for the kids. PANTOS, SHOWS, THEATRES … at Christmas time!

UNIQUE Christmas gifts for Children. Spend QUALITY TIME with your Children’s Children this FESTIVE SEASON!

1.From the text, we know that “Granny LOOK” is __________.

A．a person who guides you to make your yearly celebration a real success

B．a magazine that helps the family to prepare for special occasions

C．a company that sells all sorts of products on the Internet

D．a website that helps you to prepare for special occasions

2.The purpose of the text is _________.

A．to make children have a memorable holiday

B．to show you how to shop on the Internet

C．to give you some information about Granny Look

D．to introduce some goods

3.If you want to send some invitations to your daughter’s classmates, where will you search for the information?

A．At Birthdays.                           B．At Advent Calendars.

C．At Christmas-stocking fillers.               D．At Christmas.

4.You will fail to find any information at Christmas when you need _________.

A．Christmas cards                         B．fun Advent calendars

C．Christmas gifts                          D．tickets for theatres

5.If your son wants a traditional Advent calendar, you should search _________.

A．Birthdays                             B．Advent Calendars

C．Christmas-stocking fillers                  D．Christmas

 

There are many commonly held beliefs about eyeglasses and eyesight that are not proved facts. For example, some people believe that wearing glasses too soon weaken the eyes. But there is nothing to show that the structure (结构) of eyes is changed by wearing galsses at a young age. Wearing the wrong galsses, however, can prove harmful. Studies show that only children can develop loss of sihgt if they have the wrong glasses. We have all heard some of the common myths(荒诞的说法)about how eyesight get bad. Too little light makes the eyes work harder, so they do get tired and strained (过劳). Eyestrain also resulsts from reading a lot, reading in bed, and watching too much television. But, although eyestrain may cause some pain or headaches, it does not harm eyesight all the time. Another myth about eyes is that they can be replaced from one person to another . It is quite difficult to connect aneyeball to a new brain.And it is impossible to replace a whole eyeball to a new person. Only certain parts of the eye can be replaced now. But if we keep clearing up the myths and learning more about the eyes, some day it may be possible to replace a full eyeball.
【小题1】
One cause of eyestrain mentioned in the passage is ____.        .

A．wearing eyeglasses too long	B．going to the cinemas
C．reading a lot	D．not visiting your eye doctor

【小题2】
.From this passage one can conclude that    ____.   .

A．doctors are still learning things about eyesight	B．headcaches are usually caused by eyestain
C．people should wear glasses as soon as possible	D．people only believe things that are proved facts

【小题3】
"Commonly held beliefs" are ____.       .

A．ideas that only low class people believe	B．ideas that moet people believe
C．beliefs that have something in common	D．foolish beliefs

【小题4】
This passage mainly tells us that ____.

A．people have many wrong beliefs about eyes and sight.

B．there are many things about the body that are not completely understood

C．there are several cuases of eyestrain

D．eyes are very important to people