Last week my youngest son and I visited my father at his new home in Tucson, Arizona. He moved there a few years ago, and I was eager to see his new place and meet his friends.
My earliest memories of my father are of a tall, handsome, successful man devoted to his work and family, but uncomfortable with his children. As a child I loved him; as a school girl and young adult I feared him and felt bitter about him. He seemed unhappy with me unless I got straight A’s and unhappy with my boyfriends if their fathers were not as “successful” as he was. Whenever I went out with him on weekends, I used to struggle to think up things to say, feeling on guard.
On the first day of my visit, we went out with one of my father’s friends for lunch at an outdoor café. We walked along that afternoon, did some shopping, ate on the street table, and laughed over my son’s funny facial expressions. Gone was my father’s critical(挑剔的) air and strict rules. Who was this person I knew as my father, who seemed so friendly and interesting to be around? What had held him back before?
The next day my dad pulled out his childhood pictures and told me quite a few stories about his own childhood. Although our times together became easier over the years, I never felt closer to him at that moment. After so many years, I’m at last seeing another side of my father. And in so doing, I’m delighted with my new friend. My dad, in his new home in Arizona, is back to me from where he was.
1.Why did the author feel bitter about her father when she was a young adult?
A. He was silent most of the time. B. He was too proud of himself.
C. He did not love his children. D. He expected too much of her.
2.When the author went out with her father on weekends, she would feel ______.
A. nervous B. sorry C. tired D. safe
3.What does the author think of her father after her visit to Tucson?
A. More critical. B. More talkative.
C. Gentle and friendly.. D.Strict and hard-working
4.The underlined words “my new friend” in the last paragraph refer to ______.
A. the author’s son B. the author’s father
B. the friend of the author’s father D. the café owner
In 1947 a group of famous people from the art world headed by an Austrian conductor decided to hold an international festival of music, dance and theatre in Edinburgh. The idea was to reunite Europe after the Second World War.
At the same time, the “Fringe” appeared as a challenge to the official festival. Eight theatre groups turned up uninvited in 1947, in the belief that everyone should have the right to perform, and they did so in a public house disused for years.
Soon, groups of students firstly from Edinburgh University, and later from the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, Durham and Birmingham were making the journey to the Scottish capital each summer to perform theatre by little-known writers of plays in small church halls to the people of Edinburgh.
Today the “Fringe”, once less recognized, has far outgrown the festival with around 1,500 performances of theatre, music and dance on every one of the 21 days it lasts. And yetas early as 1959, with only 19 theatre groups performing, some said it was getting too big.
A paid administrator was first employed only in 1971, and today there are eight administrators working all year round and the number rises to 150 during August itself. In 2004 there were 200 places housing 1,695 shows by over 600 different groups from 50 different countries. More than 1,25 million tickets were sold.What was the purpose of Edinburgh Festival at the beginning?
| A．To bring Europe together again. |
| B．To honor heroes of World War 11. |
| C．To introduce young theatre groups. |
| D．To attract great artists from Europe. |
Why did some uninvited theatre groups come to Edinburgh in 1947?
| A．They owned a public house there. |
| B．They came to take up a challenge. |
| C．They thought they were also famous. |
| D．They wanted to take part in the festival. |
Who joined the "Fringe" after it appeared?
| A．they owned a public house there |
| B．University students. |
| C．Artists from around the world. |
| D．Performers of music and dance. |
We may learn from the text that Edinburgh Festival______.
| A．has become a non-official event |
| B．has gone beyond an art festival |
| C．gives shows all year round |
| D．keeps growing rapidly |
Some people will do just about anything to save money. And I am one of them. Take my family’s last vacation. It was my six-year-old son’s winter break form school, and we were heading home from Fort Lauderdale after a weeklong trip. The flight was overbooked, and Delta, the airline, offered us $400 per person in credits to give up our seats and leave the next day. I had meetings in New York，So I had to get back. But that didn't mean my husband and my son couldn't stay. I took my nine-month-old and took off for home.
The next day, my husband and son were offered more credits to take an even later flight. Yes, I encouraged—okay, ordered—them to wait it out at the airport, to "earn" more Delta Dollars. Our total take: $1,600. Not bad, huh?
Now some people may think I'm a bad mother and not such a great wife either. But as a big-time bargain hunter, I know the value of a dollar. And these days, a good deal is something few of us can afford to pass up.
I've made living looking for the best deals and exposing （揭露） the worst tricks. I have been the consumer reporter of NBC's Today show for over a decade. I have written a couple of books including one titled Tricks of the Trade: A Consumer Survival Guide. And I really do what I believe in.
I tell you this because there is no shame in getting your money’s worth. I’m also tightfisted when it comes to shoes, clothes for my children, and expensive restaurants. But I wouldn't hesitate to spend on a good haircut. It keeps its shape longer, and it's the first thing people notice. And I will also spend on a classic piece of furniture. Quality lasts.Why did Delta give the author's family credits?
| A．They took a later flight. |
| B．They had early bookings. |
| C．Their flight had been delayed. |
| D．Their flight had been cancelled. |
What can we learn about the author?
| A．She rarely misses a good deal. |
| B．She seldom makes a compromise. |
| C．She is very strict with her children. |
| D．She is interested in cheap products. |
What does the author do?
| A．She's a teacher. |
| B．She's a housewife. |
| C．She's a media person. |
| D．She's a businesswoman. |
What does the author want to tell us?
| A．How to expose bad tricks. |
| B．How to reserve airline seats. |
| C．How to spend money wisely. |
| D．How to make a business deal. |
Researchers in the psychology department at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) have discovered a major difference in the way men and women respond to stress.This difference may explain why men are more likely to suffer from stress related disorders.
Until now，psychological research has maintained that both men and women have the same “fightorflight” reaction to stress.In other words，individuals either react with aggressive behavior，such as verbal or physical conflict (“fight”)，or they react by withdrawing from the stressful situation (“flight”)．However，the UCLA research team found that men and women have quite different biological and behavioral responses to stress.While men often react to stress in the fightorflight response，women often have another kind of reaction which could be called “tend and befriend.” That is，they often react to stressful conditions by protecting and nurturing their young (“tend”)，and by looking for social contact and support from others—especially other females (“befriend”)．
Scientists have long known that in the fightorflight reaction to stress，an important role is played by certain hormones(激素) released by the body.The UCLA research team suggests that the female tendorbefriend response is also based on a hormone.This hormone，called oxytocin，has been studied in the context of childbirth，but now it is being studied for its role in the response of both men and women to stress.The principal investigator，Dr.Shelley E．Taylor，explained that “animals and people with high levels of oxytocin are calmer，more relaxed，more social，and less anxious.” While men also secrete(分泌) oxytocin，its effects are reduced by male hormones.
In terms of everyday behavior，the UCLA study found that women are far more likely than men to seek social contact when they are feeling stressed.They may phone relatives or friends，or ask directions if they are lost.
The study also showed how fathers and mothers responded differently when they came home to their family after a stressful day at work.The typical father wanted to be left alone to enjoy some peace and quiet.For a typical mother，coping with a bad day at work meant focusing her attention on her children and their needs.
The differences in responding to stress may explain the fact that women have lower frequency of stressrelated disorders such as high blood pressure or aggressive behavior.The tendandbefriend regulatory(调节的) system may protect women against stress，and this may explain why women on average live longer than men.The UCLA study shows that in response to stress，men are more likely than women to ______.
| A．turn to friends for help |
| B．solve a conflict calmly |
| C．find an escape from reality |
| D．seek comfort from children |
Which of the following is true about oxytocin according to the passage?
| A．Men have the same level of oxytocin as women do. |
| B．Oxytocin used to be studied in both men and women. |
| C．Both animals and people have high levels of oxytocin. |
| D．Oxytocin has more of an effect on women than on men. |
What can be learned from the passage?
| A．Male hormones help build up the body's resistance to stress. |
| B．In a family a mother cares more about children than a father does. |
| C．Biological differences lead to different behavioral responses to stress. |
| D．The UCLA study was designed to confirm previous research findings. |
Which of the following might be the best title of the passage?
| A．How men and women get over stress |
| B．How men and women suffer from stress |
| C．How researchers overcome stress problems |
| D．How researchers handle stress related disorders |
What are American high schools like? Well, I’m happy to tell you what I know.
When I started school here, it had already been a week since the school opened. At this school, freshmen usually go on a trip for about three days at the beginning of school. Unfortunately I missed that wonderful trip, which would have been the best time to get to know my classmates. I was really sad. I wished I’d known about it earlier.
Despite the disappointment, however, I gradually adapted to my new life and school.
There is a space in the basement of the teaching building where students chat and meet each other. As we do not always have the same classrooms and classmates, the school wants us to get to know each other there. Students usually come to school early, sit in that space and have fun. Around the space, there are many lockers for students to leave their books in, so that students do not have to carry a heavy schoolbag everywhere.
It really surprises me that we have almost no textbooks. We only have textbooks for World History and Algebra 2 and they are big and heavy, like bricks. For other classes, we only need binders (活页夹) with paper in them. Without textbooks, students learn things freely and actively. For example, my humanities teacher just teaches us what is in her mind at the time. We never know what we will learn.
Another difference between American schools and Chinese schools is that American schools care about students’ morality more than their academic studies. For example, if you do not finish your homework, you will just be asked to do it later, but if you cheat or lie, you will get a warning or even be kicked out.
I think that most students here are good at schoolwork as well, but compared to Chinese students, they can make learning a more joyful experience. I think we should take the good points from our two different kinds of education to perfect our approach to studying. What was the writer sad for?
| A．He was late for school. |
| B．He missed the trip at the beginning of school. |
| C．He didn’t know anyone. |
| D．American students looked down upon him. |
Why do students go to the basement of the teaching building?
| A．To attend class. | B．To share a classroom. |
| C．To have fun. | D．To meet teachers. |
How do teachers in the US teach the students?
| A．However they want to. |
| B．They use bricks. |
| C．Some use textbooks; some teach freely. |
| D．They always teach as required. |
According to the passage, in American high schools, ________.
| A．you are likely to be kicked out if you cheat |
| B．you’ll be punished if you do not finish your homework |
| C．students are better at school work than Chinese students |
| D．students care much about the grades they get |
The new high-speed railway line between Urumqi, capital of the Xinjiang Uygur self-governing region, and Lanzhou, capital of Gansu province, has cut train travel time by half to less than 12 hours.
The dramatic improvement will benefit many families planning reunions for Spring Festival.
"For the first time, I feel home is not that far away after all," said Liang Shaofu as he boarded a high-speed train in Urumqi with six members of his family.
The 35-year-old left Lanzhou to set up a dry fruit business in Xinjiang eight years ago, and he has now settled in Urumqi.
The 1,776-km line, which passes through Qinghai province and is the country's first high-speed railway to be built in a high-altitude region, came into service on Dec 26.
"We normally drive home for Spring Festival to avoid the difficulties of buying seven train tickets for the whole family during the peak season," Liang said. "Driving can be very tiring and dangerous sometimes, so one year we even decided not to go back to Lanzhou simply to avoid the trip.
More than 600,000 passengers traveled on the line during its first month, and the Urumqi Railway Bureau said the introduction of high-speed services will ease transport pressure during the Spring Festival peak season.
The existing usual railway line could no longer support Xinjiang's development. All passenger trains will gradually shift to the new link, leaving the old one to be used for goods. As a result, Xinjiang's annual goods ability could reach 200 million metric tons from the current 70 million.
The line passes through areas that experience high winds, and it also crosses parts of the deserted Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the bone-dry sands of the Gobi Desert.
The project could help China to promote its high-speed railway technology abroad, said Ma Xizhang, director of the Lanzhou-Xinjiang railway project's management department in Xinjiang.How long did it take to go from Urumqi to Lanzhou by the usual train before?
| A．about 12 hours. | B．About 6 hours. |
| C．About 18 hours. | D．About 24 hours. |
What’s the main advantage of the new high-speed railway?
| A．It takes more time to go to Urumqi to Lanzhou. |
| B．It will be more convenient for people all over the country to Xinjiang. |
| C．All the people in Lanzhou can return home on festivals. |
| D．It helps to improve Xinjiang’s development. |
From the passage we can learn _______.
| A．Xinjiang’s annual goods ability can increase nearly four times |
| B．the new railway technology may help more railway lines to be built abroad |
| C．the high-speed railway lines can’t be built across the bone-dry sands |
| D．the old railway lines can only carry goods now |
Which of the following is true according to the passage?
| A．The new high-speed railway line is good for all people to go home. |
| B．The new high-speed railway line benefits businessmen to carry goods. |
| C．Taking the new train is safer than driving home from Urumqi to Lanzhou. |
| D．Businessmen seldom went home for Spring Festival before. |
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