I had the meanest mother in the world. While other kids ate candy for breakfast，I had to have cereal，eggs and toast. Others had cokes and candy for lunch，while we had to eat a sandwich. As you can guess，my supper was different than the other kids’. But at least I was not alone in my suffering. My sister and two brothers had the same mean mother as I did.
My mother insisted on knowing where we were at all times. She had to know who our friends were and what we were doing. We had to wear clean clothes every day. Other kids always wore their clothes for days. We reached the height of disgrace because she made our clothes herself，just to save money.
The worst is yet to come. We had to be in bed by 9:00 each night and up at 7:45 the next morning. So while my friends slept，my mother actually had the courage to break Child Labor Law. She made us work. I believed she lay awake all night thinking up mean things to do to us. Through the years，our friends’ report cards had beautiful colors on them, black for passing，red for failing. My mother, however，would merely be content with black marks. None of us was allowed the pleasure of being a dropout.
She forced us to grow up into educated and honest adults. Using this as a background，I’m now trying to bring up my three children. I’m filled with pride when my children think I am mean because now I thank God every day for giving me the meanest mother in the world.
【小题1】From the passage we can learn that the writer’s mother was __________.

阅读下面的短文，并根据所读内容在文章后表格中的空格里填入最恰当的单词。
注意：每空一词，注意所填的词开头的大小写。
It is interesting to know what people of different nations like to do best.
In France, when a woman enters a cafe or restaurant, she is freely discussed, not only about her appearance but about her past and future as well. She invites looks in the street whether she is beautiful or plain. There is no better way for a woman to get back her self-confidence than a walk in the streets of  Paris or Marseilles, and women really like that.
In Italy, people love talking. They sit about in cafes, exchanging news and discussing politics. They do not hesitate to ask questions about the family, income and private life of anybody who happens to be there.
The Swiss eat as a pastime. Ladies walk into a teashop, eat a couple of ice creams and a large piece of chocolate cake, and then leave, complaining about their weight.
For the Americans, the greatest fondness is said to be the push of buttons. You push a button in the lift, you push a button for cigarette, chewing gums, stamps, even for a life insurance. You can even push a button to get married and another button to get divorced.
In England, waiting in a line is national passion. The English will form a line whether they have the opportunities when the train is practically empty and everybody can have a seat

C
Dear Ariel,
I got a job offer from a high-tech company with a fairly satisfactory payment and benefits．Even the work environment is cool．But I heard that the job requires a lot of overtime and even weekends．I know it’s important for newcomers to get their feet planted firmly on the ground to reach their goals, but I’m scared of the idea of having nearly no free time．I still need to find a girlfriend and look after my parents．So, shall I accept the job or give it up for another one with much less pay and more freedom?
Amoretto
Dear Amoretto,
I have two things to say: First, you’re lucky to have such an excellent offer, especially at a time when so many talented people are struggling to find any work at all; and second, you can’t figure out your work-life balance until you’re actually working.
Take the job．You’ll be learning, doing interesting things, working in a cool environment, and making money．If you’re given contract, make sure you understand the terms before you sign．Ask your boss how many hours a week you’re expected to work．If he tells you a number that’s much lower than what you find once you’re working, you’ll be in a better position to talk to him about it．
Give your work 100 percent．Work energetically and efficiently．If you’re devoted and focused, you might achieve more than your co-workers in less time．Showing yourself to be a productive and talented worker from the beginning will give you more bargaining power．Finally, remember that taking a job doesn’t have to be a life commitment．Try to give it at least a year（two is better）．If you’re really miserable after that time, look for another job that will give you more freedom．By then, you’ll have workplace experience, bosses and colleagues who can speak positively about your work and some savings as well．
Good luck!
Ariel
64．When considering the job offer, Amoretto is most concerned about whether he’ll have______．
A．a pay rise     B. a girlfriend       C．free time      D. cool working condition
65．We can infer that Ariel thinks________．
A．young people are faced with a fierce competition in job-hunting
B．a good start and 100% devotion to the work are of great importance
C．Amoretto should ask nothing until he actually works in the company
D．beginning workers with bargaining power are not popular with bosses
66．Ariel recommended Amoretto to_____．
A．balance his life and work before taking the job
B．analyze the contract carefully before signing it
C．spare no effort to please his boss and colleagues
D．be a lifelong worker for the company whatever happens
67．In the first letter, the underlined part “get their feet planted firmly on the ground” means______．
A．present themselves truthfully        B．face the reality bravely
C．be conscious of their abilities        D．work heart and soul

I had the meanest mother in the world．While other kids ate candy for breakfast．I had to have cereal, eggs and toast．Others had cakes and candy for lunch, while we had to eat a sandwich．As you can guess, my supper was different from the other kids'．But at least I was not alone in my suffering．My sister and two brothers had the same mean mother as I did．
My mother insisted on knowing where we were at all times．She had to know who our friends were and what we were doing．We had to wear clean clothes every day．Other kids always wore their clothes for days． We reached the height of disgrace （耻辱） because she made our clothes herself, just to save money．
The worst is yet to come．We had to be in bed by 9:00 each night and up at 7:45 the next morning．So while my friends slept, my mother actually had the courage to break Child Labor Law．She made us work. I believed she lay awake all night thinking up mean things to do to us．Through the years, our friends' report cards had beautiful colors on them, black for passing, red for failing．My mother, however, would only be satisfied with black marks．None of us was allowed the pleasure of being a dropout （辍学者）．
She forced us to grow up into educated and honest adults．Using this as a background, I'm now trying to bring up my three children．I'm filled with pride when my children think I am mean because now I thank God every day for giving me the meanest mother in the world．
【小题1】From the passage we can learn that the writer's mother was____．

No one wants to look silly or do the wrong thing at a new job. It’s important to make the right impression (印象) from the first day. You will face new people. You will be in a new place. It may be difficult to know what to do. Here are seven tips to help you make it through the first days at a new job:
1. First impression is important. Make sure you make a good one. Before your first day, find out if your new job has a dress code. If so, be sure to follow it. No matter what you wear, always be neat (整洁) and clean.
2. Get to work on time. Employers value workers who come to work on time. Give yourself an extra 15 minutes to make sure you arrive on time.
3. Pay attention to introduction. One of the first things that your supervisor (主管) may do is to introduce you to co-workers. These co-workers will be important to you. They are the ones who will answer your questions when the boss isn’t around.
4. Ask plenty of questions. Make sure that your supervisor has told you what your are expected to do. If he or she has not told you your job duties, ask for a list. Set daily and weekly goals for yourself.
5. Don't make personal phone calls. You should never make personal phone calls to your friends and family unless it's an emergency.
6. Don’t take too long for lunch. What’s the lunch-hour policy at your new job? You can find out from your supervisor or your company’s personnel department(人事部门). For example, do people eat at their desks or does everyone take a full hour outside the workplace?
7. Never be the first one to leave. Observe how your co-workers behave around quitting (离开) time. It does no good for you to be eager to leave.
【小题1】Which is the best title for the passage?