The story goes that some time ago, a man punished his 3-year-old daughter for wasting a roll of gold wrapping paper. Money was tight and he became infuriated(愤怒的) when the child tried to decorate a box to put under the Christmas tree. Nevertheless, the little girl brought the gift to her father the next morning and said, "This is for you, Daddy."

The man was embarrassed by his earlier overreaction, but his anger flared again when he found out the box was empty. He yelled at her, stating, "Don't you know, when you give someone a present, there is supposed to be something inside? The little girl looked up at him with tears in her eyes and cried, "Oh, Daddy, it's not empty at all. I blew kisses into the box. They're all for you, Daddy."

The father was crushed. He put his arms around his little girl, and he begged for her forgiveness.

Only a short time later, an accident took the life of the child. It is also told that her father kept that gold box by his bed for many years and, whenever he was discouraged, he would take out an imaginary kiss and remember the love of the child who had put it there.

In a very real sense, each one of us, as humans beings, have been given a gold container filled with unconditional love and kisses from our children, family members, friends, and God. There is simply no other possession, anyone could hold, more precious than this.

The 3-year-old girl was punished by her father for ________.

A. wasting gold                        

B. wasting wrapping paper

C. putting the box under the Christmas tree    

D. bringing the gift to her father

What’s inside the box according to the little girl?

A. nothing    B. air    C. kisses   D. gold wrapping paper

Choose the best title for the passage.

A. The kisses in the box.      B. A girl and his father 

C. A love story                D. The box under the Christmas tree.

Brian knew he had been drinking more and more, but he was convinced that he'd return to more moderate drinking when he wasn't so pressured at work, and that "a few too many drinks now and then" wasn't a major problem.

"My wife and father were on me to stop drinking, but you know how critical and protective family can be," said Brian. "So I blew them off."

It wasn't until his friend Jack spoke up that Brian started to think differently. "That really hit home, because I wouldn’t expect a friend to confront me with something that personal unless it was very important," said Brian. "Jack said he was really concerned about me. He pointed out that my personality changed after I had a few beers--that I became belligerent(寻衅的). For a normally easy-going guy, that was a dramatic change in behavior."

Jack could see that Brian's numerous drinking binges(放纵) were causing problems. Brian was frequently calling into work sick and falling behind in his work, and his marriage was seriously on the ropes. Brian was teetering(摇摇欲坠) on the edge of disaster. "I didn't want to see a good life and a good friendship ruined," said Jack, "so I approached Brian, shared my honest observations with him, and suggested that he seek help."  

After a couple days of soul searching, though still reluctant, Brian took Jack's suggestion and was assessed by an addiction professional. The expert recommended that Brian check into a treatment center, and one day later Brian did so.

Many people fear taking the path that Jack took. Speaking up to a friend who may have a problem with alcohol or other drugs can be a tricky undertaking.

Yet it's true that a concerned friend can do a lot. Most people don't recognize they have a substance abuse problem and most don't seek help for a problem until someone close to them intervenes(干预).

1.What happened to Brian according to the passage?

A. He suffered from an illness called alcohol addiction.

B. He changed so much that he was deserted by his family.

C. He became morally corrupted drinking too much all day.

D. He drank a little more than normal to escape the pressure.

2.What does “that” in the 3rd paragraph refer to?

A. Brian’s drinking binges.                 B. Jack’s talk with Brian.

C. Wife and father’s intervention.           D. Brian’s different thoughts.

3. Brian could accept Jack’s suggestions mainly because ____________.

A. he found his friend was very critical and protective

B. Jack’s suggestions were professional and persuasive

C. Jack and Brian’s family had different opinions

D. he knew his friend wouldn’t easily intervene his personal affair

4. Brian’s alcohol abuse brought him many problems EXCEPT ____________.

A. his refusal to listen to his family    B. his bad temper and aggressiveness

C. his failure to do his work well            D. his marriage problems

5. The writer narrates Brian’s story in order to ____________.

A. tell us the bad results of alcohol addiction     

B. warn us not to fall into the habit of drinking

C. show friends have real power to intervene  

D. prove a friend in need is a friend indeed

 

 

第三部分：阅读理解(共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分)

   When my first wartime Christmas came, I was in basic training in New Jersey and not sure if I could make it home for the holidays. Only on the afternoon of December 23 was the list of men who would have three-day passes posted. I was one of the lucky soldiers. It was Christmas Eve when I arrived home, and a light snow had fallen. Mother opened the front door. I could see beyond her, into the corner of the living room where the tree had always stood. There were lights, all colors, and ornaments shining against the green of a pine. "Where did it come from?" I asked.

    "I asked the Gates boy to cut it," my mother said. "I wouldn't have had one just for myself, but-such a rush! He just brought it in this afternoon…" The pine reached to the proper height, almost to the ceiling, and the Tree Top Krystal Star was its place. A few green branches reached about a little awkwardly at the side, I thought, and there was a bit of bare trunk showing in the middle. But the, tree filled the room with warm light and the whole house with the pleasant smell of Christmas.  "It's not like the one you used to find." my mother went on. "Yours were always in good shape. I suppose the Gates boy didn't know where to look. But I couldn't be fussy(挑剔的)."

    "Don't worry," I told her. "It's perfect." It wasn't, of course, but at the moment I realized something for the first time: all Christmas trees are perfect.

1. From para. 1, we can infer that        .

   A. the writer spent his first wartime Christmas at home

   B. Not all the soldiers were allowed to go home for Christmas

   C. all the soldiers would have three-day passes for Christmas

   D. the writer could not go home for Christmas

2. When the writer got home,         .

   A. it was December 23

   B. it was snowing heavily

   C. he found a Christmas tree in the living room

   D. the Gates boy was cutting a Christmas tree

3. "All Christmas trees are perfect", because they can remind you of        .

   A. the wartime                    B. the green of a pine

   C. the pleasant moment             D. the sweet home

4. The best title for this passage would be "        ".

   A. How to Choose a Christmas Tree

   B. How Soldiers Spent Christmas

   C. A Perfect Christmas Tree

   D. A Christmas Without a Tree

 

The story goes that some time ago, a man punished his 3-year-old daughter for wasting a roll of gold wrapping paper. Money was tight and he became infuriated(愤怒的) when the child tried to decorate a box to put under the Christmas tree. Nevertheless, the little girl brought the gift to her father the next morning and said, "This is for you, Daddy."

The man was embarrassed by his earlier overreaction, but his anger flared again when he found out the box was empty. He yelled at her, stating, "Don't you know, when you give someone a present, there is supposed to be something inside? The little girl looked up at him with tears in her eyes and cried, "Oh, Daddy, it's not empty at all. I blew kisses into the box. They're all for you, Daddy."

The father was crushed. He put his arms around his little girl, and he begged for her forgiveness.

Only a short time later, an accident took the life of the child. It is also told that her father kept that gold box by his bed for many years and, whenever he was discouraged, he would take out an imaginary kiss and remember the love of the child who had put it there.

In a very real sense, each one of us, as humans beings, have been given a gold container filled with unconditional love and kisses from our children, family members, friends, and God. There is simply no other possession, anyone could hold, more precious than this.

The 3-year-old girl was punished by her father for ________.

A. wasting gold                         B. wasting wrapping paper

C. putting the box under the Christmas tree   D. bringing the gift to her father

What’s inside the box according to the little girl?

A. nothing           B. air 

C. kisses            D. gold wrapping paper

The father remembered the love of his daughter by ________.

A. kissing the gold box.                    B. putting gold into the box.

C. taking out an imaginary kiss from the box.   D. keeping the little girl’s ash box by his bed.

Choose the best title for the passage.

A. The kisses in the box.      B. A girl and his father 

C.  A love story            D. The box under the Christmas tree.

　Having one of those days or weeks — when everything seems to annoy you? Even if you do nothing about it, your bad mood will probably go away after some time. But with a little effort, you can forget it much faster — often within a day or two.

　　Walk it off

　　Exercise is the most popular bad-mood buster. A person who’s in a bad mood has low energy and high tension. Taking a fast ten-minute walk, or doing some quick exercises can do wonders towards changing that bad mood.

　　Tune it out

　　Listening to your favorite music for a while can also make tension go away quickly, because music starts associations with past positive experiences we’ve had.

　　Give yourself a pep talk

　　Stop and listen to what’s on your mind. Bad moods are often started by too many negative thoughts. Write them all down on paper; the pessimistic (悲观的) messages you’ve been giving yourself and then give optimistic answers. ("I still don’t have a job. "vs" I have two interviews next week.")

　　Reduce your stress

　　Relaxation techniques are wonderful mood-lifters. These include deep breathing, stretching and visualizing (想象), all of which sound complicated but aren’t. One easy way to visualize: close your eyes and picture a favorite place, such as the beach. Another simple way to against distress is to make a to-do list. One reason for being in a bad mood is feeling you have no options(选择权) By taking control over certain areas, you realize you’re not helpless. You can make changes in your mood and life.

　　Avoid things that won’t improve your mood

　　TV may not help much: You need to increase your energy level and stimulate your mind something — that the TV show "Neighbors" won’t do. And before you reach for that piece of cake and coffee, think about how mood and food are linked. Sugar and caffeine contribute to depressed moods. The better choice? Research shows that carbohydrates, such as potatoes and pasta, produce a calming effect in people who have a desire for them.

　　We learn from the text that it might help rid us of a bad mood ________.

　　A. to do nothing about it

　　B. to take a long walk on the beach

　　C. to do some exercises with light music

　　D. to talk it to neighbours

　 Why is it suggested that you close your eyes and picture the beach?

　　A. It is not complicated to do so.

　　B. It is an area to be easily controlled.

　　C. It helps beat a bad mood.

　　D. It brings us a new technique.

　　 TV may not improve your mood because ________.

　　A. it sometimes shows what happens around you

　　B. it keeps you stay unmoved

　　C. it reminds you of eating and drinking

　　D. it produces a calming effect

　　This text most probably appears in ________.

　　A. a book on physical exercises            B. a doctor’s handbook

C. a notice                                          D. a magazine