After Mom died, Dad and I took a trip together every summer. Just the two of us, father and daughter. This was especially meaningful because Dad was old and we lived two thousand miles apart — so a week with Dad, undisturbed from other family members or from work was a treat.

    Our first destination was a tour up the Mississippi river. We boarded the steamboat（汽艇）in St. Louis and noticed that we were some of the youngest people among the travelers! Even Dad, at 73 looked young! We sat in rocking chairs on the deck, the warm breeze blowing on our faces, admiring the lush green trees linking the mighty river. A jazz band played in the background.

    On the deck we met John, who met the love of his life at a singles’ dance for old people and asked the lady to marry him two weeks later. Then there was Jane, a teacher from Little Rock, Arkansas(阿肯色州) who danced with Bill Clinton decades ago at a school fundraiser. Sometimes on the deck Dad and I sat quietly, reading.

    At lunchtime we stood in line for the food. People asked if Dad was my brother! Amazing for our thirty-eight-year age difference! Dad filled his plate with bread, meats, and cheeses to make a sandwich. Dad loved mayonnaise! Anything else between two pieces of bread was extra fillings.

    After lunch we landed at Alton（奥尔顿）, Missouri. This small town was home to a lot of antique shops. Dad, with little interest in shopping or antiques (although he was almost an antique himself) walked in and out of shop after shop. We walked up the hill, down the hill, and through the old town. We walked all day. It was the longest time I ever spent shopping with Dad.

    Each day combined together like the last, until seven days passed. On the seventh day we reached Minnesota（明尼苏达州）at the top of the Mississippi. My home was there. Dad saw my house for the first time and met my two cats, Coconut and Coffee Bean. Coconut sat on his lap and purred(打呼噜). The two became quick friends.

    This was the first of many trips we planned together, but unfortunately, it would be our last. Dad died a few months later from being hit by a drunk driver while crossing a street in his hometown. What made this trip special was our time together, just the two of us. I had grown from the teenager embarrassed to be with Dad to the adult cherishing our time together. I’ll always treasure these memories of my father, and be proud of who I have become.

51．What did the writer think of the journey together with her father?

    A. Appropriate            B. Significant           C. Enjoyable        D. Worthless

52. According to the passage, most of the travelers aboard were _______. 

    A. parents and children                    B. teachers and students

    C. the aged people                        D. couples and friends

53. Why was the author proud of herself?

    A. She had grown up.                    B. She took a trip with her father.

    C. She felt embarrassed with her father.      D. She came to value the time with her father.

54. What’s the main purpose of the text?

    A. To memorize her father.                 B. To advocate diverse ways of life.

    C. To share an interesting story.             D. To solve a problem.

_______ you want to change for a single room, you’ll have to wait for a while.

A．While            B．Although          C．Until             D．If

 

Looking back on my childhood, I am convinced that naturalists are born and not made．Although we were all brought up in the same way, my brothers and sisters soon abandoned their pressed flowers and insects．Unlike them, I had no ear for music and languages．I was not an early reader and I could not do mental arithmetic．

Before World War I we spent our summer holidays in Hungary．I have only the dim memory of the house we lived in, of my room and my toys．Nor do I recall clearly the large family of grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins who gathered next door．But I do have a clear memory of the dogs, the farm animals, the local birds, and above all, the insects．

I am a naturalist, not a scientist．I have a strong love of the natural world and my enthusiasm led me into varied investigations．I love discussing my favorite topics and enjoy burning the midnight oil while reading about other people’s observations and discoveries．Then something happens that brings these observations together in my conscious mind．

Suddenly you fancy you see the answer to the riddle, because it all seems to fit together．This has resulted in my publishing 300 papers and books, which some might honor with the title of scientific research．

But curiosity, a keen eye, a good memory and enjoyment of the animal and plant world do not make a scientist: one of the outstanding and essential qualities required is self-discipline, a quality I lack．A scientist requires not only self-discipline, but hard training, determination and a goal．A scientist, up to a certain point, can be made．A naturalist is born．If you can combine the two, you get the best of both worlds．

The first paragraph tells us the author _____．

      A．was interested in flowers and insects in his childhood

      B．lost his hearing when he was a child  

       C．didn’t like his brothers and sisters  

       D．was born to a naturalist’s family

The author can’t remember his relatives clearly because _____．

      A．he didn’t live very long with them       

       B．the family was extremely large  

       C．he was too young when he lived with them       

       D．he was fully occupied with observing nature

The author says that he is a naturalist rather than a scientist probably because he thinks he _____．

      A．has a great deal of trouble doing mental arithmetic

      B．lacks some of the qualities required of a scientist

      C．just reads about other people’s observations and discoveries

      D．comes up with solutions in a most natural way

Looking back on my childhood, I am convinced that naturalists are born and not made．Although we were all brought up in the same way, my brothers and sisters soon abandoned their pressed flowers and insects．Unlike them, I had no ear for music and languages．I was not an early reader and I could not do mental arithmetic．

Before World War I we spent our summer holidays in Hungary．I have only the dim memory of the house we lived in, of my room and my toys．Nor do I recall clearly the large family of grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins who gathered next door．But I do have a clear memory of the dogs, the farm animals, the local birds, and above all, the insects．

I am a naturalist, not a scientist．I have a strong love of the natural world and my enthusiasm led me into varied investigations．I love discussing my favorite topics and enjoy burning the midnight oil while reading about other people’s observations and discoveries．Then something happens that brings these observations together in my conscious mind．

Suddenly you fancy you see the answer to the riddle, because it all seems to fit together．This has resulted in my publishing 300 papers and books, which some might honor with the title of scientific research．

But curiosity, a keen eye, a good memory and enjoyment of the animal and plant world do not make a scientist: one of the outstanding and essential qualities required is self-discipline, a quality I lack．A scientist requires not only self-discipline, but hard training, determination and a goal．A scientist, up to a certain point, can be made．A naturalist is born．If you can combine the two, you get the best of both worlds．

1.The first paragraph tells us the author _____．

       A．was interested in flowers and insects in his childhood

       B．lost his hearing when he was a child  

         C．didn’t like his brothers and sisters  

         D．was born to a naturalist’s family

2.The author can’t remember his relatives clearly because _____．

       A．he didn’t live very long with them   

         B．the family was extremely large  

         C．he was too young when he lived with them          

         D．he was fully occupied with observing nature

3.The author says that he is a naturalist rather than a scientist probably because he thinks he _____．

       A．has a great deal of trouble doing mental arithmetic

       B．lacks some of the qualities required of a scientist

       C．just reads about other people’s observations and discoveries

       D．comes up with solutions in a most natural way

 

 

Looking back on my childhood, I am convinced that naturalists are born and not made．Although we were all brought up in the same way, my brothers and sisters soon abandoned their pressed flowers and insects．Unlike them, I had no ear for music and languages．I was not an early reader and I could not do mental arithmetic．

Before World War I we spent our summer holidays in Hungary．I have only the dim memory of the house we lived in, of my room and my toys．Nor do I recall clearly the large family of grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins who gathered next door．But I do have a clear memory of the dogs, the farm animals, the local birds, and above all, the insects．

I am a naturalist, not a scientist．I have a strong love of the natural world and my enthusiasm led me into varied investigations．I love discussing my favorite topics and enjoy burning the midnight oil while reading about other people’s observations and discoveries．Then something happens that brings these observations together in my conscious mind．

Suddenly you fancy you see the answer to the riddle, because it all seems to fit together．This has resulted in my publishing 300 papers and books, which some might honor with the title of scientific research．

But curiosity, a keen eye, a good memory and enjoyment of the animal and plant world do not make a scientist: one of the outstanding and essential qualities required is self-discipline, a quality I lack．A scientist requires not only self-discipline, but hard training, determination and a goal．A scientist, up to a certain point, can be made．A naturalist is born．If you can combine the two, you get the best of both worlds．

1.The first paragraph tells us the author _____．

      A．was interested in flowers and insects in his childhood

      B．lost his hearing when he was a child  

       C．didn’t like his brothers and sisters  

       D．was born to a naturalist’s family

2.The author can’t remember his relatives clearly because _____．

      A．he didn’t live very long with them        

       B．the family was extremely large  

       C．he was too young when he lived with them                         

       D．he was fully occupied with observing nature

3.The author says that he is a naturalist rather than a scientist probably because he thinks he _____．

      A．has a great deal of trouble doing mental arithmetic

      B．lacks some of the qualities required of a scientist

      C．just reads about other people’s observations and discoveries

      D．comes up with solutions in a most natural way