I was shopping in the supermarket when I heard a young voice.

“Mom, come here! There’s this lady here my size!”

The mother rushed to her son; then she turned to me to apologize.

I smiled and told her, “It’s okay.” Then I talked to the boy, “Hi, Mickey, I’m Darry Kramer. How are you?”

He studied me from head to toe, and asked, “Are you a little mommy?”

“Yes, I have a son,” I answered.

“Why are you so little?” he asked.

“It’s the way I was born,” I said. “Some people are little. Some are tall. I’m just not going to grow any bigger.” After I answered his other questions, I shook the boy’s hand and left.

My life as a little person is filled with stories like that. I enjoy talking to children and explaining why I look different from their parents.

It takes only one glance to see my uniqueness. I stand three feet nine inches tall. I was born an dwarf (侏儒). Despite this, I did all the things other kids did when I was growing up.

I didn’t realize how short I was until I started school. Some kids laughed at me.. I began to hate the first day of school each year. New students would always stare at me as I struggled to climb the school bus stairs.

But I learned to smile and accept the fact that I was going to be noticed my whole life. I decided to make my uniqueness an advantage rather than a disadvantage. What I lacked in height, I made up for in personality.

I’m 47 now, and the stares have not diminished as I’ve grown older. People are amazed when they see me driving. I try to keep a good attitude. When people are rude, I remind myself, “Look what else I have---a great family, nice friends.”

It’s the children’s questions that make my life special. I enjoy answering their questions. My hope is that I will encourage them to accept their peers (a person of the same age, class, position, etc.), whatever size and shape they come in, and treat them with respect.

1.Why did the mother apologize to the author?

    A．Because the boy ran into the author.

    B．Because the boy laughed at the author.

    C．Because the boy said the author was fatter than him.

    D．Because the mother thought the boy’s words had hurt the author.

2.When did the author realize that she was too short?

    A．When she grew up.

    B．When she was 47 years old.

    C．When she began to go to school.

    D．When she met the boy in the supermarket.

3.How does the author feel about people’s stares?

    A．Angry.       B．Calm.        C．Painful.     D．Discouraged.

 

One of the most important meals of the day is breakfast. In order for children to build strong bodies and for adults to keep well, they should always eat a good breakfast. Eating the right food is necessary for good health. You should eat different kinds of food in order to keep a good health.

It is understood that a good breakfast may contain eggs, bread, milk, and so on. By eating breakfast every morning, you can feel alive and active in the morning’s work. After a good breakfast you can step out into the morning air and feel wonderful. Anybody can feel better by eating a good breakfast.

Many fathers and mothers are unable to get their children to eat breakfast. There are many reasons for children not to eat breakfast. One reason could be that they do not have a good example. It could be that the father and mother do not eat breakfast. What ever the reasons are for children not to eat breakfast, it can be bad for their health.

Without breakfast children may not grow as fast as they should and may not study and play as well in school in the morning as they could. They can have more illnesses, and, when they are ill, it may take them longer to be in good health again than it takes children with good health habits.

Good eating habits mean eating breakfast. Unless you eat breakfast, you do not eat a full meal from dinner the night before until lunch the next day. This is quite a long time for the body to go without food.

Food is the source of power for the body. Unless the body gets food, it cannot keep operating at top speed. Without food the body will slow down. Nobody will live without food. It is necessary to start the day full of power. So you must eat breakfast so that you can keep in good health and do your best each morning.

1.What should adults do in order to keep good health?

A．Eat less and take more exercise.            B．Have less for lunch.

C．Have more for supper.                    D．Have a good breakfast.

2.Many fathers and mothers are unable to get their children to eat breakfast because they __________.

A．always eat a big breakfast                 B．eat a little for breakfast

C．eat more for breakfast                   D．don’t have breakfast at all

3.What will happen to the children without breakfast?

A．They may not grow as fast as children with breakfast.

B．They may grow faster and better than children with breakfast.

C．They may grow as fast and well as children with breakfast.

D．They may study as well as or ever better than children with breakfast.

4.Which of the following statements is TRUE?      

A．Breakfast can provide us the power we need.

B．Adults needn’t have breakfast.

C．Many fathers and mothers are unable to afford their children breakfast.

D．Only breakfast is important to us.

 

阅读理解

　　Complaining(抱怨)about faulty goods or bad service is never easy. Most people dislike making a fuss(大惊小怪). But if something you have bought is faulty or does not do what is instructed for it, you are not asking for a favor to get it put right. It is the shopkeeper's responsibility(负责) to take the complaint seriously and to replace or repair a faulty article or put right poor service, because he is the person with whom you have entered into an agreement. The manufacturer may have a part to play but that comes later.

　　Complaints should be made to a responsible person. Go back to the shop where you bought the goods, taking with you any receipt(发票)you may have. Ask to see the buyer in a large store. In a small store the assistant may also be the owner or you can complain directly. In a chain store ask to see the manager. If you telephone, ask the name of the person who handles your enquiry, otherwise you may never find out who dealt with the complaint later.

　　Even the bravest person finds it difficult to stand up in group of people to complain, so if you do not want to do it in person, write a letter. Stick to the facts and keep a copy of what you write. At this stage you should give any receipt numbers, but you should not need to give receipts or other papers to prove you bought the article. If you are not satisfied with the answer you get, or if you do not get a reply, write to the managing director of the firm, shop, or organization. Be sure to keep copies of your own letters and any you receive.

(1)The shopper makes a complaint because ________.

[　　]

A．he dislikes causing a fuss

B．it doesn't do what is instructed for it

C．the article bought is not up to standard

D．he was at fault in buying the article

(2)When complaining in person, you should ________.

[　　]

A．get a receipt for what you buy

B．speak to to a responsible person

C．talk directly to the assistant

D．ask to see the buyer

(3)When complaining on the telephone ________.

[　　]

A．you should speak directly to the owner

B．you must ask for the manager

C．you may never find nut who dealt with the matter

D．you should find out with whom you discuss the matter

(4)If you write a letter to complain ________.

[　　]

A．it is important to keep a record of what you say

B．it is necessary to send receipts

C．say how you feel about the matter

D．ask what receipt numbers you should give

It's fourteen years since I left the Philippines to live with my family in the USA. A month ago, while on summer vacation back in my motherland, I learned a lesson from mosquito (蚊子) bites. Right before    16   Kennedy Airport in New York, my grandma   17   me of the behavior of the native mosquitoes around the   18   like me. She said, "There's an old saying—the   19   you stay away from the motherland, the sweeter your blood   20   to the mosquitoes. " Not   21   it, I replied, "Grandma, that's just an old wives' tale!" 

Well, less than a week   22   my arrival in Manila, I was already carpeted with a   23   of mosquito bites. I took many measures to keep myself from being   24   , but they all proved useless.

Late one   25   in my cousin's home, I couldn't bear the   26   of the bites. Hoping to find some comfort, I   27   my cousin, who was sleeping peacefully in the bed next to mine. Unhappy for being   28    she said, "There is nothing you can do. Go back to sleep. "  With a few turns, she slept again. Enviously (妒嫉地)   29   her sleep, I hoped a big mosquito would   30   on her face.  However, the mosquitoes would just lightly dance around her forehead and fly away quickly, never biting her. Amazed (惊奇的), I ran to others'   31   , only to find they were all sleeping  32   as the same thing occurred again and again.

From those bites, I came to   33   my grandma's silly tale. From then on, I've always tried to keep a(n)  34   mind about those strange old wives' tales   35   they do have some truth to them.

1.A. leaving        B. passing              C. visiting            D. finding

2.A. persuaded      B. reminded          C.  warned            D.  informed

3.A. students       B. foreigners           C. passengers               D. visitors

4.A. earlier        B. longer               C. sooner               D. later

5.A. grows          B. goes                 C. flows                D. remains

6.A. expecting      B. understanding        C. recognizing         D. believing

7.A. after          B. before               C. when                 D. as

8.A. shade          B. pile                 C. cloud                    D. blanket

9.A. touched        B. bitten          C. defeated             D. discovered

10.A. morning       B. afternoon            C. evening              D. night

11.A. noise         B. hit                  C. pain                     D. effect

12.A. woke up       B. shouted at           C. looked for               D. dropped on

13. A. blamed           B. interrupted          C. moved                D. frightened

14.A. having       B. watching             C. making               D. helping

15.A. land          B. fly                  C. fall                     D. wait

16.A. houses         B. flats               C. rooms                D. homes

17.A. joyfully          B. anxiously            C. soundlessly         D. worriedly

18.A. tell              B. know             C. remember             D. accept

19.A. open          B. active          C. clear                D. honest

20.A. and           B. so                   C. because              D. until

 

Sometimes you’ll hear people say that you can’t love others until you love yourself. Sometimes you’ll hear people say that you can’t expect someone else to love you until you love yourself. Either way, you’ve got to love yourself first and this can be tricky. Sure we all know that we’re the apple of our parents’ eyes, and that our Grandmas think we’re great talents and our Uncle Roberts think that we will go to the Olympics, but sometimes it’s a lot harder to think such nice thoughts about ourselves. If you find that believing in yourself is a challenge, it is time you build a positive self-image and learn to love yourself.

　　Self-image is your own mind’s picture of yourself. This image includes the way you look, the way you act, the way you talk and the way you think. Interestingly, our self-images are often quite different from the images others hold about us. Unfortunately, most of these images are more negative than they should be. Thus changing the way you think about yourself is the key to changing your self-image and your whole world.

　　The best way to defeat a passive self-image is to step back and decide to stress your successes. That is, make a list if you need to, but write down all of the great things you do every day. Don’t allow doubts to occur in it.

　　It very well might be that you are experiencing a negative self-image because you can’t move past one flaw or weakness that you see about yourself. Well, roll up your sleeves and make a change of it as your primary task. If you think you’re silly because you aren’t good at math, find a tutor. If you think you’re weak because you can’t run a mile, get to the track and practice. If you think you’re dull because you don’t wear the latest trends, buy a few new clothes. But remember, just because you think it doesn’t mean it’s true.

　　The best way to get rid of a negative self-image is to realize that your image is far from objective, and to actively convince yourself of your positive qualities. Changing the way you think and working on those you need to improve will go a long way towards promoting a positive self-image. When you can pat(拍) yourself on the back, you’ll know you’re well on your way. Good luck!

1.You need to build a positive self-image when you.

A．dare to challenge yourself

B．feel it hard to change yourself

C．are unconfident about yourself

D．have a high opinion of yourself

2.According to the passage, our self-images .

A．have positive effects                     B．are probably untrue

C．are often changeable                    D．have different functions

3.How should you change your self-image according to the passage?

A．To keep a different image of others.

B．To make your life successful.

C．To understand your own world.

D．To change the way you think.

4.What is the passage mainly about?

A．How to prepare for your success.

B．How to face challenges in your life.

C．How to build a positive self-image.

D．How to develop you good qualities.

5.Who are the intended readers of the passage?

A．Parents.           B．Adolescents.       C．Educators.         D．People in general.