Stepfamilies are commonplace in the United States and their number continues to grow．While stepfamilies differ widely in their make-up， they all consist of a parenting couple and children， one or more of whom is of a previous union．Such combinations of his kids， her kids， and then， possibly， kids of the new union make for complicated and often trying difficulties， more challenging than those of traditional families．
Since stepfamilies involve more people and， consequently， more potential problems from the start than do childless new marriage， it is wise for the couple to do some careful planning prior to （＝before） marriage．Not only do the prospective（预期的） marital partners need agreement about their own carriers， life goals， finance and special interests， they must also prepare for new relationship with their children and attempt to accommodate their individual needs and feelings．Furthermore， there are often the rights of other relatives to consider．
As for any family， the basic ingredient（成分） of a successful stepfamily are affection， kindness and mutual（相互的） respect．However， love alone is not enough．Certainly love is the cornerstone upon which the foundation of any family is built， but there are also many other important ingredients involved in building a successful stepfamily．
Surveys reveal that successful families regard the ability to communicate openly as the most important factor in their success．Communication is what keeps families on track and functioning as a unit．Although healthy communication is easier for some people than for others， this skill can be learned and improved．Healthy communication involves speaking clearly and listening carefully．
By their very nature， stepfamilies often are complicated by past events that give rise to ambivalent（矛盾的） loyalties， lingering（持久的） hurts， fears， feelings of guilt and unrealistic dreams．The difficulties that arise within the stepfamilies are human and understandable．However， there are ways to confront（面临） and resolve them．For example， support groups and professional counselors（法律顾问） are available in most communities to provide help and guidance when communications stopped and problems seem overwhelming（压倒性的）．
Planning and building a stepfamily is not a responsibility to take lightly．It can be a very trying and， at times， seemingly impossible effort．Many potential troubles can arise and threaten to destroy the stepfamily．Nevertheless， meeting and mastering these special challenges can bring unexpected satisfactions and rewarding depths of family closeness and affection．According to the passage， there are in the United States．
| A．no stepfamilies | B．more stepfamilies than ever before |
| C．fewer stepfamilies than ever before | D．fewer stepfamilies than traditional ones |
Which of the following can help avoid the potential problems arising in a stepfamily？
| A．The pursuit of the same careers． | B．Professional interventions（干涉）． |
| C．The development of special interests． | D．Careful planning before the marriage． |
Many people believe that contributes most to the building of a successful stepfamily．
| A．everlasting loyalties | B．open communication |
| C．kindness and mutual respect | D．persistent（持久稳固的） affection |
It is natural for a stepfamily to be ．
| A．unrealistic | B．complicated | C．ambivalent | D．guilty |
According to the author， planning and building a stepfamily is ．
| A．impossible | B．satisfying and rewarding |
| C．discouraging and frustrating | D．a difficult and trying experience |
Most parents of kids under age 8 don't worry about how much time they spend watching TV or using other media, from computers to smart phones to tablets PCs, according to a new survey that found a child's use of media often reflects how much time parents spend in the similar way．
¨We generally found that media use is not a source of conflict in the home" for families with young children, Ellen Wartella, a researcher from Northwestem University, told USA Today． She led a survey of 2,326 parents who have children 8 and younger．It found that in 80 percent of families, children's media use was not a problem, with 55 percent “not too" or“ not at all" concerned about it． It also showed parents have more positive than negative feelings about how media consumption affects a child's learning and the development of creativity．The exception is video games, which are viewed more negatively than TV, computers or mobile devices．“Parents rated video games as more likely to have a negative effect on children's school performance, attention time, creativity, social skills, behavior and sleep than any other medium," the researchers said in a news conference about the survey．
¨The findings exposes a generational shift （转移） in parental attitudes about technology's role in young children's lives," said Wartella．“Today's parents grew up with technology as a central pact of their lives, so they think about it differently than earlier generations of parents, instead of a battle with kids on one side and parents on the other, the use of media and technology has become a family affair． "
The researchers identified three media environments created by parents: media-centric （39 percent of families） , media-moderate （45%）and media-light （16%）． Children in media-centric families spend at least three hours more each day watching TV or using computers, video games and tablet PCs don't make parenting easier．And 88 percent of parents say they are most likely to turn to toys or activities to keep their children occupied．Slightly fewer turn to books （79%） and TV（78%）．
The survey didn't look at how media affects children． That's a topic that the American Academy of Pediatrics has handled a number of times． The AAP says studies have found too much media use can lead to attention- problems, school difficulties, sleep and eating disorders and being fat． In addition, the Internet and cell phones can provide platforms for illegal and risky behaviors．¨By limiting screen time and offering educational media and non-electronic formats （格式）such as books, newspapers and board games, and watching television with their children, parents can help guide their children's media experience． Putting questionable content into context and teaching kids a700ut advertising contributes to their media literacy （素养） ," it says．
The pediatricians' group says parents should have “screen-free zones" and TV should be turned off during dinner． At most, it recommends children and teens engage with entertainment media for no more than two hours a day and that should be high-quality content． It is important for kids to spend time on outdoor play, reading, hobbies and using their imaginations in free play．“ Kids under 2 should not use television and other entertainment media because their brains are developing quickly and they learn best from direct human interaction," the group says．
An article on screen time by t．he Mayo Clinic also notes problems linked t．o over screen time, including being fat, irregular sleep , behavioral problems , weak school performance , violence and less time for active and creative play． Parents have more negative than positive feelings about media consumption like ．
| A．computers | B．smart phones |
| C．video games | D．tablets PCs |
Most parents don't worry about kid's media use because ．
| A．they can limit the screen time |
| B．they want their children happy |
| C．they also grew up with technology |
| D．they can teach their children themselves |
From the data of the survey, we learn ．
| A．children in media-centric families are smarter than others |
| B．children in media-light families spend one hour watching TV |
| C．more than half of the parents think children's media use was a problem |
| D．media-centric children spend more than three hours each day on media use |
To make parenting easier, most parents probably ．
| A．try to persuade their children to read books |
| B．ask their children questions while watching TV |
| C．allow their children watching TV or using computers |
| D．turn to toys or activities to keep their children occupied |
Which of the following is a suggestion by the researchers?
| A．Media use time for babies under 2 should be limited． |
| B．Entertainment media use should be high-quality content． |
| C．Schools should provide more time for active and creative play． |
| D．Home media use should provide platforms for illegal and risky behaviors． |
Below are pages adapted from, http：//sochi2014．com/en/
Sochi Volunteers
Sochi 2014 Volunteer Training Program was launched on ．
| A．30 May 2013 | B．11 March 2013 |
| C．16 December 2013 | D．19 September 2013 |
“ White Stick" Music Festival took place in ．
| A．Sochi | B．St． Petersburg |
| C．the United Kingdom | D．Moscow |
Which of the following statements is true?
| A．The 25 ,000 volunteers were from Russia． |
| B．Winners of Cultural Program Competition weren't known until 19 September 2013． |
| C．From August,25 to September,8,you were able to enjoy Winter Games in Sochi． |
| D．Few of the cultural activities were intended for creating atmosphere of Sochi Winter Games． |
From the two boxes, you can learn that the activities were listed according to ．
| A．importance | B．place | C．date | D．name |
Henry Ford grew up on an un-electrified farm, and as a young man he followed Edison's career as the inventor became a national role model．Ford took a job at the Edison Illuminating Company working his way up to chief engineer．
In 1896 Ford was thirty-three and, though still working for Edison Co．,he had created his first experimental automobile the Ford Quadricycle2 during his off-time． At an Edison company party in New York, Ford had his first chance to meet his hero Edison and was able to explain his new automobile to the great inventor． Edison was impressed． Edison is said to have slammed his fist downand shouted ¨Young man, that's the thing! You have it! Your car is self-contained and carries its own power plant．" Edison himself had been working on the idea, but had only been considering electricity as the power source, so the idea of a gas engine was a somewhat new one．
The words comforted Ford greatly, who immediately set out building a second car which was to become the Model-T．6．The two men became f'ast friends and would go on camping trips together．When Edison later became limited to a wheelchair, Ford brought an extra one to his house so they could race．At the 50th anniversary of the invention of light-bulb, Ford honored Edison．When Edison spoke, he ended his speech directed at Ford:“ As to Henry Ford, words fail to express my feelings．I can only say that he is my friend．" Therefore it is no surprise that Ford wanted something to remember Edison by after he passed away in 1931．
Once, Ford asked Thomas Edison's son Charles to sit by the dying inventor's bedside and hold a test tube next to his father's mouth to catch his final breath． Ford was a man with many strange behaviors（ as was Edison）including some interest in reanimation and spiritualism（夏活通灵术）and some say that he was attempting to catch Edison's soul as it escaped his body in hopes of later bringing the inventor back to life．
The test tube itself didn't turn up until 1950 when it was listed in the Ford possessions after Clara Ford's passing away, and then lost again until 1978 when it was discovered in an exhibit Entitled “Henry Ford-A Personal History" in the Henry Ford Museum．It would then be discovered that the tube was labeled “Edison's Last Breath"．
There is a further mystery of this “last breath" test tube． It would seem as if Edison had quite a last breath indeed, as the Edison Estate holds a collection of 42 test tubes all supposedly containing Edison's last breath．
Regardless of the excitement over the last breath, the test tube is quite touching in its meaning．Although both men were known for all sorts of poor behavior towards ．their loved ones and mistreatment of employees, between them at least, there was clearly a deep respect and admiration． The passage can be sorted as a ．
| A．science research | B．short story |
| C．news report | D．self-introduction |
From the underlined sentence in Paragraph2 we can learn that ．
| A．Edison envied what Ford had achieved |
| B．Edison was annoyed that Ford did better him |
| C．Edison was angry because Ford stole his idea |
| D．Edison was extremely amazed at Ford's new idea |
In Paragraph 3,the writer mentions Ford bought an extra wheelchair ．
| A．to remind Edison was Ford's role model |
| B．to suggest Ford was a man of strange behavior |
| C．to tell us the importance of a creative idea then |
| D．to show the close friendship between Henry Ford and Edison |
The 61ast breath' test tube" can probably be regarded as ．
| A．a symbol of a friendship and memory |
| B．a witness to a scientific breakthrough |
| C．a failure to bring Edison back to life |
| D．a sign of the two inventors' poor behavior |
It can be learned from the last paragraph that“ ” ．
| A．Great minds think alike |
| B．Nobody is perfect |
| C．Two heads are better than one |
| D．A friend in need is a friend indeed |
In New York, Ma witnessed the Alibaba Group opening on the New York stock exchange with the largest initial public offering (IPO，新股发行) in American history. “Alibaba, the world’s largest Internet commerce company makes China equal to the US in the rapidly increasing global competition for technological innovation (创新) and economic transformation ” commented the South China Morning Post.
It has also made Ma China’s richest man with a fortune of around $25 billion (153 billion yuan), reported Reuters.
It’s reported that Ma’s rags-to-riches journey is just as spectacular as his Internet empire. Ma failed the national college entrance exams twice before he was finally in Hangzhou Normal University on his third attempt and failed in finding a suitable job several times. Aslo, Mr Ma is a big believer in perseverance, which was proved in his English study experience.
However, it was his vision and goals that launched his career.
During a short trip to the US as an interpreter in 1995, Ma first experienced the Internet. He believed in the Internet’s business potential when few other Chinese people did. He started Alibaba in his Hangzhou apartment, with 17 friends and $60,000 of funds. At the time, when e-commerce was unheard of in China, “I called myself a blind man riding on the back of blind tigers,” he once said, according to The Guardian. His unusual ideas earned him the nickname “Crazy Jack Ma” .
Indeed, Ma is different. Although he is very thin and about 160cm tall, “Ma is yet animated and forceful, said The Guardian. “He is funny, creative, and a compelling (引人注目的) speaker.
Ma told Time magazine that he was “old for the Internet”. He started to slow down and looked around. According to The Wall Street Journal, Ma “plans to open a tai chi club with the actor Jet Li, build an entrepreneur (企业家) university in Hangzhou and continue to work on several environmental projects.”What made him into e-commerce industry?
| A．His English learning experience. |
| B．His foresight and ambitions. |
| C．His belief in perseverance. |
| D．His 17 friends and $60,000 funds. |
What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 5 mean?
| A．Ma is a blind man riding on a blind tiger. |
| B．Ma had no confidence in his business future. |
| C．Ma knew little about e-commerce. |
| D．Ma had not enough money at that time. |
What’s the personality of Ma Yun according to the passage?
| A．Funny and competitive. |
| B．Determined and creative. |
| C．Rich and different. |
| D．Attractive and believable. |
What’s the best title of the passage?
| A．The Development of Alibaba Group |
| B．Ma Yun’s Personal Life |
| C．Ma Yun’s Crazy Success |
| D．E-commerce in China |
The virus “Ebola” is named after the Ebola River in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo. That’s where the virus was discovered in 1976. A person can only get Ebola through direct contact with an infected person’s bodily fluids, for example, sweat or spit. Additionally, the virus can get into your body through your eyes and mouth if those areas come into contact with something that contains the bodily fluids of an infected person. That’s why health care workers are supposed to keep themselves completely covered while treating patients.
The deadliest Ebola outbreak is spreading fast in Western Africa, taking over 900 lives so far. The health systems in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia are severely lacking in resources, and health care workers may not have access to adequate protective clothing when working in rural clinics, where the proper protections are lacking. Since Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia share a border; it’s easier for people to move from one country to another, increasing the risk for disease spread.
For now, all doctors can do is treat the symptoms and provide supportive care like monitoring heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing while making sure the patients’ fluids are supplied. Sometimes patients are given antibiotics(抗生素) to treat other possible infections. The hope is to make the patient pull through the infection so their immune system can eventually clear the virus. The people who survive Ebola have created enough antibodies to kill it.
There are several promising drugs and vaccines in development, but since Ebola is less common—and research about it is not well funded — there is no drug or vaccine that has been approved for use in humans. Many of the other drugs and vaccines have not yet been tested in humans. The WHO (World Health Organization) is meeting next week to discuss whether experimental treatments should be used during this outbreak.According to the passage, Ebola only spreads through _________.
| A．patients’ sweat | B．bodily fluids |
| C．people’s spit | D．your body |
Which is the possible reason why Ebola spreads in West Africa quickly?
| A．The Ebola river is polluted by the virus. |
| B．There aren’t any protections. |
| C．The protective clothing is adequate. |
| D．Three western countries share a border. |
Why have there been no cures used for Ebola in humans so far?
| A．There are not enough drugs for the infected people. |
| B．Ebola is rare and its research money is lacking. |
| C．The people have enough antibodies to kill Ebola. |
| D．The WHO has decided not to use them. |
Which of the following can be the best title?
| A．The Prevention from Ebola. |
| B．No Cure for the Virus “Ebola”. |
| C．The Deadliest Ebola in Africa. |
| D．Introduction to the Virus “Ebola”. |
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