All of my childhood and early, adult life, my mom weighed over 220 pounds (one pound =" 0.454" kilograms). I could feel the pain that my mom experienced with her fatness.
I was never uncomfortable about my mother, but I think she was uncomfortable about herself, and that feeling was painful for all of us. And she began to lose weight.
After more than twenty years of battling obesity（肥胖）, my mother completed a forceful eighteen-month diet that left her ninety pounds lighter than before. A new woman was born! At age twenty-eight, I got a new mom! For the first time, I met the woman my mother truly was, the beautiful little lady under the fatness. It wasn’t so much her new body that was the surprise, but rather her new spirit.
To celebrate her new size and to devote herself to dancing again, my mother joined a “Mrs. Forty-Plus” competition, where she would have to model, give a speech and provide a dance performance. She told our family that she did not care if she won — she simply had always wanted to perform on stage.
She told each one of us, “I’m not doing it to win; I’m doing it to dance!”
The competition was exciting! I prayed that my mom would win, but while watching her on stage I was simply overjoyed just by her effort. To me, she had already won. She posed to perfection, her speech brought tears to everyone’s eyes, and her performance was wonderful.
That night, at age fifty-three, my mother was crowned (为......加冕) “Mrs. Forty-Plus”. She was the first person in our family to ever win such a title.
64. The first two paragraphs mainly show that the author’s mom was __________.
A. experienced B. painful C. comfortable D. fat
65. After the author’s mom completed a forceful eighteen-month diet, she was about __________.
A. 85 kilograms B. 41 kilograms C. 130 pounds D. 90 pounds
66. In order to join in the “Mrs. Forty-Plus” Competition, the author’s mom has to do the following EXCEPT __________.
A. providing a dance performance B. telling a funny story about herself
C. giving a speech to a large number of people D. wearing special clothes to show to people
67. The underlined part in Paragraph 6 means that __________.
A. the author’s mom succeeded in modeling and speaking
B. the author’s mom’s performance was very wonderful
C. the author’s mom was not successful in modeling
D. the author’s mom succeeded in making a speech
Breathe, wave and smile. Along with more than 300 other seniors, I marched into the stadium on the afternoon of May 10. The audience burst into deafening cheers. The huge stadium shook with all the whistling and clapping.
It was as if a Hollywood superstar had walked on stage. And indeed, every single senior that day was a star of the moment. Each deserved it. The seniors had been preparing for four years for this once-in-a-lifetime moment—the commencement (graduation ceremony).
Seated, I waited anxiously for the opening address. As a foreign exchange student, I was not able to receive a diploma. However, I still had the wonderful feeling of being part of things. Like the other graduates, I was dressed in marron cap and gown.
Our principal, Mr. Glover, delivered a short, warm greeting. The US national anthem followed and then, hands on chests, a solemn Pledge of Allegiance(美国的爱国誓言).
Students who had excelled academically gave farewell speeches. The tears in some eyes convinced me that many had deep feelings about the occasion. It was as the class motto says, “Life brings us tears, smiles and memories. The tears dry; the smiles fade; but the memories last forever.”
Then came the core (the most important part) of the commencement. Hundreds of names were announced. Each graduate walked across the stage to receive his or her diploma from the principal. From the different cheers each graduate got, we had the funny sense that it was a kind of competition of who could cheer the loudest.
To be honest, the presentation of diplomas got boring. A girl sitting next to me even started yawning. But it wasn’t boring for those receiving the diploma: they would treasure the moment the principal placed the sacred brown document in their hands for the rest of their lives.
A new page in the book of that person’s life had turned. They were glimpsing their futures: futures of challenge, hardship, perhaps loneliness too, which would take all of their courage.
What’s the article mainly about?
| A．An American high school’s graduation ceremony. |
| B．The opening ceremony of a sports meeting. |
| C．A presentation of college diplomas. |
| D．A US college’s farewell party. |
Which of the following statements about the author is FALSE?
| A．She was one of the graduates. | B．She was a foreign exchange student. |
| C．She was excited to receive her diploma. | D．She felt it great to be at the ceremony. |
The right order of the following events is______.
a. Diplomas were presented to graduates. b. Students gave farewell speeches.
c. The US national anthem was played. d. The principal gave a short, warm speech.
e. Seniors went into the stadium.
| A．b,c,a,d,e | B．c,d,b,e,a | C．d,b,e,a,c | D．e,d,c,b,a |
From the text, we can conclude that_______.
| A．a diploma ensures a good job |
| B．a diploma guarantees a bright future |
| C．the commencement symbolizes the beginning of a new stage in life |
| D．everyone felt excited at the presentation of the diploma |
According to the passage, which of the following statement is true?
| A．Hollywood superstars went to attend the commencement. |
| B．Every single senior became a superstar on the commencement day. |
| C．All graduates would treasure the diploma for the rest of their lives. |
| D．When each graduate got his or her diploma, there were loud cheers. |
An old problem is getting new attention in the United States—bullying．Recent cases included the tragic case of a fifteen-year-old girl whose family moved from Ireland．She hanged herself in Massachusetts in January following months of bullying．Her parents criticized her school for failing to protect her．Officials have brought criminal charges against several teenagers．
Judy Kaczynski is president of an anti-bullying group called Bully Police USA．Her daughter Tina was the victim of severe bullying starting in middle school in the state of Minnesota．She said, "Our daughter was a very outgoing child．She was a bubbly personality, very involved in all kinds of things, had lots of friends．And over a period of time her grades fell completely．She started having health issues．She couldn't sleep．She wasn't eating．She had terrible stomach pains．She started clenching her jaw and grinding her teeth at night．Didn't want to go to school．"
Bullying is defined as negative behavior repeated over time against the same person． It can involve physical violence．Or it can be verbal — for example, insults or threats．Spreading lies about someone or excluding a person from a group is known as social or relational bullying．
And now there is cyberbullying, which uses the Internet, e-mail or text messages．It has easy appeal for the bully because it does not involve face-to-face contact and it can be done at any time．
The first serious research studies into bullying were done in Norway in the late 1970s．The latest government study in the United States was released last year．It found that about one-third of students age twelve to eighteen were bullied at school．
Susan Sweater is a psychologist at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and co-director of the Bullying Research Network．She says schools should treat bullying as a mental health problem to get bullies and victims the help they need．She says bullying is connected to depression, anxiety and anti-social behavior, and bullies are often victims themselves．
From the case of Tina, we can know that ．
| A．bullying is rare | B．victims suffered a lot |
| C．schools are to blame | D．personalities are related |
Which of the following is NOT bullying?
| A．To beat someone repeatedly． | B．To call someone names． |
| C．To isolate someone from friends． | D．To refuse to help someone in need． |
Why is cyberbullying appealing to the bully?
| A．Because it can involve more people． | B．Because it can create worse effects． |
| C．Because it is more convenient． | D．Because it can avoid cheating． |
According to Susan Sweater, ．
| A．bullies are anti-social | B．bullies should give victims help |
| C．students are not equally treated | D．bullies themselves also need help |
Which of the following can be the best title of the text?
| A．Bullying—Old Irish Girl Committed Suicide |
| B．15-Year-Old Irish Girl Committed Suicide |
| C．Cyberbullying-Taking Off in Schools |
| D．How to Find Bullying among Teens |
Psychiatrists(精神病专家)，who work with older parents say that maturity can be an asset(资产) in child raising----older parents are more thoughtful, use less physical discipline and spend more time with children. But raising kids takes money and energy, many older parents find themselves balancing their limited financial resources, declining energy and failing health against the growing demands of an active child. Dying and leaving young children is probably the older parents’ biggest and often unspoken fear. Having late-life children, says an economics professor, often means parents, particularly fathers, “end up retiring much later.” For many, retirement becomes an unobtainable dream.
Henry Metcalf, a 54-year-old journalist, knows it takes money to raise kids. But he’s also worried that his energy will give out first. Sure, he can still ride bikes with his athletic fifth grader, but he’s learned that, young at heart doesn’t mean young. Lately he’s been taking afternoon naps to keep up his energy.” My body is aging,” says Metcalf, “You can’t get away from that.”
Often, older parents hear the ticking of another kind of biological clock. Therapists who work with middle-aged and older parents say fears about aging are nothing to laugh at. “They worry they’ll be mistaken for grandparents, or that they’ll need help getting up out of those little chairs in nursery school.” Says Joann Galst, a New York psychologist .But at the core of those little fears there is often a much bigger one. “that they will not be alive long enough to support and protect their child, ” she says .
Many late-life parents, though, say their children came at just the right time. After marrying late and undergoing years of fertility(受孕) treatment, Marilyn Nolen and her husband, Randy, had twins. “We both wanted children,” says Marilyn, who was 55 when she gave birth. The twins have given the couple what they desired for years, “a sense of family.”
Kids of older dads are often smarter, happier and more sociable because their fathers are more involved in their lives. “The dads are older, more mature,” says Dr. Silber, “and more ready to focus on parenting.”Why do psychiatrists regard maturity as an asset in child raising?
A Older parents can better balance their resources against children’s demands.
B Older parents are usually more experienced in bringing up their children.
C Older parents are often better prepared financially.
D Older parents can take better care of their children.What does the author mean by saying “For many, retirement becomes an unobtainable dream”
A They have to go on working beyond their retirement age.
B They can’t get full pension unless they work some extra years.
C They can’t obtain the retirement benefits they have dreamed of.
D They are unwilling to retire when they reach their retirement ageThe author gives the examples of Henry Metcalf to show that______.
A many people are young in spirit despite their advanced age
B taking afternoon naps is a good way to maintain energy
C older parents tend to be concerned about their aging bodies
D older parents should exercise more to keep up with their athletic childrenWhat’s the biggest fear of older parents according to New York psychologist Joann Galst?
A Being laughed at by other people B Slowing down of their pace of life
C Being mistaken for grandparents D Approaching of deathWhat do we learn about Marilyn and Randy Nolen?
A They thought they were an example of successful fertility treatment
B Not until they had the twins did they feel had formed a family
C They believe that children born of older parents would be smarter.
D Not until they reached middle age did they think of having children.
After their 20-year-old son hanged himself during his winter break from the University of Arizona five years ago, Donna and Phil Satow wondered what signs they have overlooked, and started asking other students for answers.
What grew from this soul searching was Ulifeline (www. Ulifeline. org), a Web site where students can get answers to questions about depression by logging on through their universities. The site has been adopted as a resource by over 120 colleges, which can customize it with local information, and over 1.3 million students have logged on with their college ID’s.
“It is a very solid Web site that raises awareness of suicide, de-stigmatizes mental illness and encourages people to seek the help they need,”said Paul Grayson, the director of counseling services at New York University, which started using the service nearly a year ago.
The main component of the Web site is the Self-screening program developed by Duke University Medical Center that tests students to determine whether they are at risk for depression, suicide and disorders like anorexia and drug dependences. Besides helping students, the services compiles anonymous student date, offering administrators an important window onto the mental health of its campus.
The site provides university users with links to local mental health services, a catalog of information on prescription drugs and side effects, and access to Go Ask Alice, a vast archive developed by Columbia University with hundreds of responses to anonymously posted inquires from college students worldwide. For students concerned about their friends, there is a section that describes warning signs for suicidal behavior and depression.
Yet it is hard to determine how effective the service is. The anonymity of the online service can even play out as a negative. “There is no substitute for personal interaction(个人互动才能解决)，” said Dr. Lanny Berman, executive director of the American Association of Suicidology, based in Washington.
Ulifeline would be the first to say that its service is no replacement for an actual therapist. “The purpose is to find out if there are signs of depression and then direct people to the right places,” said Ron Gibori, executive director of Ulifeline.
Mrs. Satow, who is still involved with Ulifeline, called it “a knowledge base” that might have prevented the death of her son, Jed. “If Jed’s friends had known the signs of depression, they might have seen something,” she said. The first paragraph is written to_________.
| A．report a suicide of a young man |
| B．show the suffering of Mr. And Mrs. Satow |
| C．describe the Satows’ confusion over their son’s death |
| D．introduce the topic of a website called Ulifeline. |
One reason that many colleges adopt the website is to _________
| A．provide their students with campus information |
| B．offer medical treatment to students in mental disorder |
| C．encourage their students to seek advice about depression |
| D．give their students various help they may need |
Go Ask Alice as mentioned in the passage is________
| A．a side effect caused by some prescription drugs |
| B．intended to counsel college students in mental problems |
| C．a collection of medical responses from students the world over |
| D．meant to describe the various signs of mental disorders |
The underlined sentence of the seventh paragraph implies that ______
| A．only actual therapy can ensure adequate treatment |
| B．the help given by the web service is doubtful |
| C．doctors have expressed a negative view of the service |
| D．a therapist’s office is the first place for the depressed to go |
Mrs. Satow would probably agree that _________
| A．Jed’s friends can prevent her son’s death |
| B．her son’s suicide is unavoidable |
| C．Ulifeline is a worthwhile website |
| D．depression is the final cause of suicides |
Is there a magic cutoff period when children become responsible for their own actions? Is there a wonderful moment when parents can become spectators in the lives of their children and shrug, “It’s their life,” and feel nothing?
When I was in my twenties, I stood in a hospital passage waiting for doctors to put a few stitches(缝线) in my son’s head. I asked, “When do you stop worry?” The nurse said, “When they get out of the accident stage.” My mother just smiled faintly and said nothing
When I was in my thirties, I sat on a little chair in a classroom and heard how one of my children talked continually and disrupted the class. As if to read my mind, a teacher said. “Don’t worry, they all go through this stage and then you can sit back, relax and enjoy them” My mother just smiled faintly and said nothing.
When I was in my forties, I spent a lifetime waiting for the phone to ring, the cars to come home, the front door to open. A friend said, “ They’re trying to find themselves, Don’t worry, in a few years, you can stop worrying. They’ll be adults.” My mother just smiled faintly and said nothing.
By the time I was 50, I was sick and tired of being weak. I was still worrying over my children, but there was a new wrinkle, there was nothing I could do about it. My mother just smiled faintly and said nothing.
I continued to suffer from their failures, and be absorbed in their disappointments. My friends said that when my kids got married I could stop worrying and lead my own life. I wanted to believe that, but I was haunted(萦绕心头) by my mother’s warm smile and her occasional “You look pale. Are you all right?” Call me minute you get home. Are you depressed about something ?” Can it be that parents are sentenced to a lifetime of worry?
One of my children became quite anxious about me recently, saying, “ Where were you ? I’ve been calling for three days, and no one answered . I was worried.”
I smiled a warm smileThe author intends to tell us in the passage that_______.
A parents long for a period when they no longer worry about their children.
B there is no time when parents have no worry about their children.
C it’s parents’ duty to worry about their children
D there should be a period when parents don’t have to worry their childrenWe can infer from the underlined sentence “My mother just smiled faintly and said nothing” that ______.
A her mother shared the same idea as the nurse
B her mother didn’t agree with the nurse
C her mother thought the nurse was lying
D her mother wouldn’t express her opinion upon the matter The author mentioned her ages of twenties, thirties, forties and fifty in order to show_______.
A the hard times she experiences in her life
B the different stages of her children
C the support she received from her mother
D she had been worrying her children in her life What can we infer from the last sentence?
A The mother was happy that her child began to worry about her, too
B Finally the mother didn’t have to worry about her children.
C At last the mother could live her own life without worry.
D The mother succeeded in turning her children into adults.Which of the following should be the best title?
A Life B Parents C Worry D Children
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