I used to be a mortgage broker(贷款中间人) in the Phoenix area. In April 2007, the company that I had been with for a year went out of business. That was the latest of the four companies that I had worked for since 2000 .They all either went under or let most of the employees go, including me.
In December 2007, the bank took
back my house, and I had no choice but to move in with my parents, five miles away. My sister has three children, and she had no room. My fiancée(未婚妻), Brandi Wetch, and I have been living in my parents’ house for about a year and a half now.
My mother, Sue, works part-ti
me at a high school library. My father left for a job in the Marshall Islands a few months ago and will be gone for two years.
I’m trying to be patient with finding a new job, but it’s been hard. I check the Internet for jobs every morning. I have sent countless letters but have never got a job. I have no idea how many other people are applying for the same job.
I do the housework and washing, and 
I take care of the garden. Sometimes, I feel like the best part of my life is over. The worst part of the day is when I chat with my friends on the Internet. I’ve talked to about 10 old friends online. The f
irst thing they usually ask is what I’m doing now.
My mother, who is in her 60s, has been so patient and supportive. She acts like she’s happy to have us, not like we’re crowding her. We have learned what’s important since I lived here. We can infer that the writer is living a _________ life.
| A．busy | B．rich | C．difficult | D．hopeful |
How long has the writer been out of work?
| A．For more than a year | B．For a year and a half |
| C．For less than two years | D．For more than two years |
Which of the following types of work is NOT done by the writer in his parents’ house?
| A．Looking after children | B．Doing the housework. |
| C．Washing clothes and dishes | D．Applying for a job online. |
It can be learned from the passage that the writer now________.
| A．is preparing for his wedding | B．is fond of doing the housework |
| C．is patient with job-hunting | D．is afraid of being asked about work |
The clock struck eleven at night. The whole house was quiet. Everyone was in bed except me. Under the strong light, I looked sadly before a huge pile of troublesome things they call “books”.
I was going to have my examination the next day. “When can I go to bed?” I asked myself. I didn’t answer, in fact I dared not.
The clock struck 12. “Oh, dear!” I cried, “ten more books to read before I can go to bed!” We pupils are the most wretched(可怜的) creatures in the world. Dad does not agree with me on this. He did not have to work so hard when he was a boy.
The clock struck one. I was quite hopeless now. I forgot all I had learnt. I was too tired to go on. I did the only thing I could. I prayed, “Oh, God, Please help me pass the exam tomorrow. I do promise to work hard afterwards, Amen.” My eyes were heavy, so heavy that I could hardly open them. A few minutes later, with my head on the desk, I fell asleep.When the author was going over his lessons, all the others in the house were_____ .
| A．asleep | B．working | C．outside | D．watching TV |
Reviewing his lessons didn’t help him at all because ____________.
| A．he thought it was useless doing this at night |
| B．his parents were not able to help him |
| C．his eyes were so heavy that he couldn’t keep them open |
| D．he hadn’t studied hard before the examination |
What do you suppose happened to the author later？
| A．He went to a church to pray again |
| B．He passed the exam by luck |
| C．He failed in the exam |
| D．He was punished by his teacher |
For some minutes, all was quiet in the street. Then from across the street someone came walking.
It looked like a man of middle height, dressed in a big raincoat, a soft hat and rubber-soled boots or shoes, and making little sound while walking. No one was in sight. It was a street with two rows of about fifty small houses and there were three lamps on either side. The lamp nearest to the child’s house could be seen clearly, but the others were almost hidden by the smoky air. A car passed the end of the street and its lights showed faintly，but clearly enough to show the smooth skin of a woman’s face. The car disappeared as the woman, wrapped up in her coat, reached the doorway of the child’s house. She put a key in the lock quickly, pushed the door open and stepped inside, then closed the door without looking round. She began to breathe hard.
She leaned against the door for a moment, then straightened up as if with an effort, and walked towards the door of the front room, the passage leading to the kitchen, and the narrow staircase. She hesitated outside the door, then went up the stairs quickly but with hardly a sound. There was enough light from the narrow hall to show the four doors leading off a small landing(楼梯平台). She pushed each door open in turn and shone a torch inside, and the light fell upon beds, walls, furniture, a bathroom hand-basin, a mirror which flashed brightness back; but this was not what the woman was looking for. She turned away and went downstairs, and hesitated again at the foot of the stairs, then turned towards the kitchen. Clearly there was nothing there, or in the small washroom that she wanted. Two rooms remained; the front room and a smaller one next to it. She opened the front room door. After a moment, she saw the child’s bed and the child.The lights of the car passing the end of the street showed that ______.
| A．a woman was driving the car |
| B．someone was standing by a street lamp. |
| C．a man and a woman were walking up the street. |
| D．a woman was walking by herself up the street. |
After the woman closed the front door, she ___________.
| A．looked round quickly | B．started breathing again |
| C．rested before moving | D．walked straight towards the front door |
When she was upstairs, the woman _______.
| A．saw that there was a wash-basin in each room |
| B．noticed a mirror which she was looking for |
| C．found a torch in one of the rooms |
| D．opened four different doors |
Once she was in the house, the woman behaved as if what she was looking for ____
| A．might be in the kitchen |
| B．was more likely to be upstairs |
| C．would be easily seen by the light from the hall |
| D．would look frightening to a child |
Changsha,
Hunan Province
May 6, 2010
Dear editor,
Under China’s current (现在的) educational system, there are those who do nothing but study. They of course are thought to be model students.
But I feel that there is another type of student who, perhaps not as diligent (勤奋的) as the first type, uses his time more efficiently and achieves a lot academically.
Last year, a classmate of mine was accepted by a top university. It surprised all of us. It was because, unlike most of us, he didn’t spend too much of his time studying.
When I asked him the secret of his success, he said that the key was properly and scientifically arranging his time.
“ I spent a lot of time keeping fit and as a result, I was able to better concentrate (集中) on my class work.”
The moral (教训) of the story is: it isn’t necessary to sit at your desk all day long to get high academic (学术) grades.
Yours,
Zhang ZishuWhat does the letter-writer (a reader) think leads to the fact that many students do nothing but study?
| A．The present educational system. | B．People’s old ideas. |
| C．The teaching methods. | D．The parents of these students. |
It seems that this reader thinks .
| A．the first type of student is our model |
| B．the second type of students is our model |
| C．both types of students are worth learning from |
| D．neither of the two types of students are good |
The reader wrote the letter in order to .
| A．call on us to work even harder |
| B．cause people to think about how to study more efficiently (有效地) |
| C．advise people to do research into his classmate’s success |
| D．criticize (批评) China’s educational system |
What would be the best to stand for (代表) the letter-writer’s opinion?
| A．Secret of success. |
| B．China’s educational system needs changing. |
| C．Work while you work and play while you play. |
| D．Keep fit first. |
Too many people want others to be their friends, but they don’t give friendship back. That is why some friendships do not last very long. To have a friend, you must learn to be one. You must learn to treat your friend the way you want your friend treat you. Learning to be a good friend means learning three rules. Be honest; be generous; be understanding.
Honesty is where a good friendship starts. Friends must be able to trust one another. If you do not tell the truth, people usually find out. If a friend finds out that you haven’t been honest you may lose your friends’ trust. Good friends always depend on one another to speak and act honestly.
Generosity means sharing and sharing makes a friendship grow. You do not have to give your lunch money or your clothes of course. Instead you have to learn how to share things you enjoy, like your hobbies and your interest. Naturally you will want to share your ideas and feelings. These can be very valuable to a friend. They tell your friend what is important to you. By sharing them you help your friend know you better.
Sooner or later every one needs understanding and help with a problem. Something may go wrong at school. Talking about the problem can make it easier to solve (解决). Turning to a friend can be a first step in solving the problem. So to be a friend you must listen and understand. You must try to put yourself in your friend’s place so you can understand the problem better.
No two friendships are ever exactly alike (同样的). But all true friendships have three things in common. If you plan to keep your friends, you must practise honesty, generosity, and understanding.Some friendships don’t last very long because ______.
| A．there are too many people who want to make friends. |
| B．those who never give others friendships receive no friendship from others. |
| C．those who give others friendship receive friendship from others. |
| D．they don’t know friendship is something serious. |
According to the passage honesty is _____.
| A．something good | B．the base of friendship |
| C．as important as money | D．more important than anything else |
The underlined word “generosity” means ___.
| A．大度 | B．节约 | C．吝啬 | D．和气 |
Do you love the holidays, but hate gaining weight? You are not alone. Holidays are times for celebrating. Many people are worried about their weight. With proper planning, though, it is possible to keep normal weight during the holidays. The idea is to enjoy the holidays but not to eat too much. You don't have to turn away from the foods that you enjoy.
Here are some tips for preventing（阻止） weight gain and maintaining（维持） physical fitness: Don't skip meals. Before you leave home, have a small, low-fat meal or snack. This may help to avoid getting too excited before delicious foods.
Control the amount of food. Use a small plate (about 10 inches) and put aside the large ones that may encourage you to "load up". You should be most comfortable eating an amount of food about the size of your fist (拳头).
Begin with soup and fruit or vegetables. Fill up beforehand (预先) on water-based soup and raw fruit or vegetables. Or drink a large glass of water before you eat to help you to feel full.
Stick to physical activity. Don’t let exercise take a break during the holidays. A 20-minute walk helps to burn off excess calories.
Avoid(避免) high-fat foods. Dishes that look oily or creamy may have large amount of fat. Choose lean meat (瘦肉).Fill your plate with salad and green vegetables. Use lemon juice instead of creamy food.Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．You should never eat delicious foods. |
| B．Drinking some water or soup before eating helps you to eat less. |
| C．Holidays are happy days but they may bring you weight problems. |
| D．Physical exercise can reduce the chance of putting on weight. |
Which of the following can NOT help people to lose weight according to the passage?
| A．Eating lean meat. | B．Creamy food. |
| C．Eating raw fruit or vegetables. | D．Physical exercise. |
In which section（专栏）of a newspaper can you find the passage?
| A．Holidays and Festivals section | B．Health and Fitness section |
| C．Fashion section | D．Student Times Club section. |
What is the best title of the passage?
| A．How to avoid holiday feasting and celebrating. |
| B．Do's and don'ts for keeping slim and fit. |
| C．How to avoid weight gain over holidays. |
| D．Wonderful holidays, boring weight. |
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