This was not going to be a Mother’s Day as before. A lot of things had changed in the last few months. Usually we would give Mom flowers and take her out for a big meal. We couldn’t afford it this year.

Since I was born, Mom had been able to stay at home with me. We always had enough money to go out to eat two or three times a week if I had behaved well.

All that changed in January.

I could tell that Dad was getting a little angry. Mom would tell me to be quiet and let him rest at night. He’d work later and later.

Beginning in February, Dad tried hard to find another job. But it wasn’t easy for him to find something at the level he used to. He could not bring in as much money. That’s when he asked my mom to go back to work.

After a couple of weeks, Mom found a full-time job at a bank. The pay would be a big help to the family, but now Mom would not be around as much. I didn’t like it. I now had to stay in the after-school care program instead of going home and playing in my neighborhood. Too bad was, as soon as I did get home, I had to help get dinner ready, because Mom wouldn’t get home until after 6:00. I really missed the past time.

a)        This was not going to be a Mother’s Day as before because the writer’s father wasn’t in

b)       The writer’s home used to be rich. 

c)        His family changed because his father was mad.

d)       In February, the writer’s mother started to work at a bank.

e)        The writer really wanted his mother to stay with him

This was not going to be a Mother’s Day as before. A lot of things had changed in the last few months. Usually we would give Mom flowers and take her out for a big meal. We couldn’t afford it this year.
Since I was born, Mom had been able to stay at home with me. We always had enough money to go out to eat two or three times a week if I had behaved well.
All that changed in January.
I could tell that Dad was getting a little angry. Mom would tell me to be quiet and let him rest at night. He’d work later and later.
Beginning in February, Dad tried hard to find another job. But it wasn’t easy for him to find something at the level he used to. He could not bring in as much money. That’s when he asked my mom to go back to work.
After a couple of weeks, Mom found a full-time job at a bank. The pay would be a big help to the family, but now Mom would not be around as much. I didn’t like it. I now had to stay in the after-school care program instead of going home and playing in my neighborhood. Too bad was, as soon as I did get home, I had to help get dinner ready, because Mom wouldn’t get home until after 6:00. I really missed the past time.
a)        This was not going to be a Mother’s Day as before because the writer’s father wasn’t in
b)       The writer’s home used to be rich. 
c)        His family changed because his father was mad.
d)       In February, the writer’s mother started to work at a bank.
e)        The writer really wanted his mother to stay with him

For many families, their holiday is a time to spend with relatives（亲戚）or friends. You might stay in a house with people you don’t know very well. Let’s look at some problems that happen in these situations and these ideas can help you solve them.

1. In this passage the writer probably wants to give advice on holiday to ____________.

A. the children       B. the old people     C. the adults        D. the parents

2. If someone who hasn’t seen you for a long time buys you a present that is too young for you, you’d better ____________.

A. talk to your parents ahead of time         B. keep your eyes open

C. get to know him/her                    D. be understanding and polite

3. The sentence “Pay attention and you will be able to know whether things are strict or not.” is from the passage. Which situation may it belong to?

A. Situation 1.                                       B. Situation 2.

C. Situation 3.                                         D. Situation 1 and Situation 3.

Jay Chou was born on January 18, 1979, in Taiwan, China. He grew up with his mother, and was a quiet and shy kid. He didn’t do well in study, so people thought he would never be successful in life.
As a small child, Jay took a great interest in music. His mother sent him to learn the piano when he was only three years old. He loved it and kept on practicing. When he was in high school, he could play the piano quite well. At the same time, he showed his talent for writing songs.
Before Jay became a singer, he worked as a songwriter. For two years, he spent most of his time writing for singers. Some of them were very famous, like Coco Less and Jacky Cheung. Jay released(发行) his first album(专辑) in 2000 and soon he got quite popular.
Now Jay is one of the most famous singers in Asia. However, he is still shy and doesn’t speak clearly when he sings or talks, but he has a lot of fans. Most of his fans like him because he is really good at music and never follows(仿效) others.
【小题1】When Jay Chou was a small kid,        .
①he was quiet and shy
②he lived with his parents
③he didn’t study well
④he loved music

Do your parents ever say, “act like a lady” or “be a gentleman” to you? But in the eyes of today’s teenagers, what should a lady or a gentleman be like? Let’s take a look.

What is a gentleman? The girls have their ideas:

  Huang Xiaoyu of Guizhou: A gentleman doesn’t always get angry. He wants others to be well and happy. He is always ready to help. There is a boy in my class and I think he is a gentleman. If I don’t do well in the English exam, he will say, “You will do better next time.” That makes me feel happy.

  Chen Tingting of Shenzhen: A gentleman always says, “Ladies first” When students clean up the classroom, he does the heavy work. He lets girls go into rooms first. There are no gentlemen in my class. When there is something to eat, the boys in my class always get them before girls!

What is a lady？ Boys tell us what they think a lady is:

  Wu Yifan of Dalian: A lady is quiet and kind, but she’s not shy (害羞) and she can talk about her ideas in front of others. To me, Dong Jie, a film star, is a lady. She is pretty and kind. She does a lot for others.

   Wang Lichao of Tianjin: A lady is not just beautiful but clever. She never says bad words. She is quiet and kind to others. I don’t think there is a lady in my class. Most of the girls are “wild beauties”, I think.

1.What does Huang Xiaoyu think a gentleman will do if she doesn’t do well in the English exam?

A. He will say “You’ll do better next time”

B. He will get angry

C. He will say “You’re so careless.”

D. He will laugh at her

2.Why does Wu Yifan think Dong Jie is a lady?

A. Because she is quiet.                          

B. Because she likes expressing (表现) herself

C. Because she is pretty and kind.

D. Because she is very shy.

3.Which of the following is TRUE according to this passage?

A. Wang Lichao thinks pretty-looking is enough for a lady.

B. Huang Xiaoyu thinks there is a gentleman in his class

C. Chen Tingting thinks there is a gentleman in his class

D. Wu Yufan thinks a lady can’t talk about her ideas in front of others.

4.What does the underlined words “wild beauties” mean in this passage?

A. Beautiful and kind girls                              B. Pretty- looking but rude girls

C. Gentle and shy girls                                 D. Clever girls