“Mum, what does it mean when someone tells you that they have a skeleton (骨骼) in the closet (衣橱)？”Jessica asked. “A skeleton in the closet?” her mother paused thoughtfully. “Well, it’s something that you would rather not have anyone else know about. For example, if in the past, someone in Dad’s family had been arrested for stealing a horse, it would be ‘a skeleton in his family’s closet’. He really wouldn’t want any neighbor to know about it.”
“Why pick on my family?” Jessica’s father said with anger. “Your family history isn’t so good, you know. Wasn’t your great-great grandfather a prisoner who was transported to Australia for his crimes?”“Yes, but people these days say that you are not a real Australian unless your ancestors arrived as prisoners.”“Gosh, sorry I asked. I think I understand now,” Jessica cut in before things grew worse.
After dinner, the house was very quiet. Jessica’s parents were still quite angry with each other. Her mother was ironing clothes and every now and then she glared at her husband, who hid behind his newspaper pretending to read. When she finished, she gathered the freshly pressed clothes in her arms and walked to Jessica’s closet. Just as she opened the door and reached in to hang a skirt, a bony arm stuck out from the dark depths and a bundle of white bones fell to the floor. Jessica’s mother sank into a faint (晕倒), waking only when Jessica put a cold, wet cloth on her forehead. She looked up to see the worried faces of her husband and daughter.
“What happened? Where am I?” she asked. “You just destroyed the school’s skeleton, Mum,” explained Jessica. “I brought it home to help me with my health project. I meant to tell you, but it seemed that as soon as I mentioned skeletons and closets, it caused a problem between you and Dad.” Jessica looked in amazement as her parents began to laugh madly. “They’re both crazy,” she thought. According to Jessica’s mother, “a skeleton in the closet” means .
| A．a family honor | B．a family secret |
| C．a family story | D．a family treasure |
What can we learn about some Australian’s ancestors from Paragraph 2?
| A．They were brought to Australia as prisoners. |
| B．They were the earliest people living in Australia. |
| C．They were involved in some crimes in Australia. |
| D．They were not regarded as criminals in their days. |
Jessica’s mother fell down into a faint because she was .
| A．knocked | B．frightened | C．injured | D．surprised |
Why did Jessica bring a skeleton home?
| A．She was curious about it. | B．She planned to keep it for fun. |
| C．She needed it for her school task. | D．She intended to scare her parents. |
Jessica’s parents laughed madly at the end of the story probably because .
| A．they were crazy |
| B．they were overexcited |
| C．they realized their misunderstanding |
| D．they both thought they had won the quarrel |
My mother is a diligent and kind woman. She is very busy from morning till night. As a teacher, she works hard. 1 Both my brother and I love her dearly as she loves us.
My mother has been teaching math at a middle school in my hometown. She goes to work early in the morning and does not return home until late in the afternoon. 2 She treats them with patience and teaches them well. For her excellent quality and very good teaching results, she has been elected as a model teacher several times.
3 Every day, when she comes back home from work, she sets about doing housework, sweeping the living room and bedrooms or cleaning the furniture, and putting everything in good order. She seems to be busy all the time. As she has been very busy working every day, she looks older than her age. But she looks as cheerful and happy as ever. Mother never buys expensive dresses for herself, but she often buys some inexpensive but high quality clothes for us. 4 She just eats a plain meal outside when she is too busy to cook herself. She lives a busy yet simple life, without any complaints.
Often she says to us, “work while you work, and play while you play. That is the way to be happy and gay. If you do not work, you will become lazy and be of no use to society”. What a piece of good advice this is! 5 This advice of hers will always serve as a guide to my behavior. My mother is great indeed, and I always feel proud of her.
| A．She enjoys listening to classic music. |
| B．As a mother, she takes good care of us and gives us every comfort. |
| C．She loves her students and cares for them. |
| D．She never goes to expensive restaurants to enjoy meals. |
E. My mother is hard-working and never wastes money.
F. I never forget it and always bear it in my mind.
G. Can you tell us something about your mother?
The invention of the electric telegraph gave birth to the communications industry.Although Samuel B．Morse succeeded in making the invention useful in 1837，it was not until 1843 that the first important telegraph line was constructed.By 1860 more than 50,000 miles of lines connected people east of the Rockies.The following year，San Francisco was added to the network.
The national telegraph network strengthened the ties between East and West and contributed to the rapid expansion of the railroads by providing an efficient means to monitor schedules and routes.Furthermore，the extension of the telegraph，combined with the invention of the steam－driven rotary printing press by Richard
M．Hoe in 1846，revolutionized the world of journalism.Where the business of news gathering had been dependent upon the mail and on hand－operated presses，the telegraph expanded the amount of information a newspaper could supply and allowed for more timely reporting.The creating of the Associated Press as a central wire service in 1846 marked the arrival of a new era (纪元) in journalism.The main topic of the passage is ________.
| A．the history of journalism |
| B．the origin of the national telegraph |
| C．how the telegraph network contributed to the expansion of railroads |
| D．the contributions and development of the telegraph network |
This passage would most likely be found in a________.
| A．U.S. history book | B．book on trains |
| C．science textbook | D．computer magazine |
It can be inferred from the passage that ________.
| A．Samuel Morse did not make a significant contribution to the communications industry |
| B．Morse’s invention did not immediately achieve its full potential (潜力) |
| C．the extension of the telegraph was more important than its invention |
| D．journalists have the Associated Press to thank for the birth of the communications industry |
Leadership is the art of getting someone to do something you want done because he wants to do it. People naturally want to follow a good leader. After meeting with an effective leader it is not unusual to feel uplifted(情绪高涨), inspired, and motivated to work towards a common goal.
An effective leader makes others feel good about themselves, as well as the work they are doing. The leader has a vision(幻想)of what he or she wants to achieve, and can communicate that vision to others in a way that makes people want to be part of it. One thing a good leader typically does is to communicate the big picture, so that each employee can see how the particular role he or she plays makes a contribution to the final result.
Good leaders are positive and optimistic when they speak about the future. Their enthusiasm wins them plenty of supporters who help make their vision a reality.
Good leaders also understand that different people are motivated by different things. For employees motivated by a need for achievement, a leader explains how the task offers an opportunity to take on a challenge with an achievable goal. And employees are motivated by hearing how they will be part of a team of people working together.
Good leaders will introduce employees by name first, rather than job titles. They refer to employees as team members, companions, or colleagues, never as “servants”. Words have power, including the power to make people feel whether or not they are important to the success of an organization.
Good leaders believe that every team member matters and set up environments that make everyone feel important. It is no wonder they can attract the support they need to help them achieve their goals.What’s the author’s purpose of writing this passage?
| A．To tell us how to be a good leader at work. |
| B．To describe the proper relationship between leaders and employees. |
| C．To inform us of how leaders and employees should communicate. |
| D．To show the optimism of a leader. |
What is the most important to be a good leader?
| A．A good leader learns art very well. |
| B．A good leader can promote employees. |
| C．A good leader can satisfy all his or her employees. |
| D．A good leader can make employees happy and willing in their work. |
What should a good leader do for an employee who wants to succeed at work?
| A．To promote the employee to a leadership role. |
| B．To draw a beautiful picture of the employee’s future. |
| C．To encourage the employee to meet the challenges of his work. |
| D．To let the staff know the important role the employee plays. |
We can infer from the passage that_________.
| A．a good leader is always good at creating comfortable working conditions |
| B．the support of employees is necessary for a leader to reach his goal |
| C．names are much easier to remember than job titles |
| D．the motivation of the employees all comes from the leader |
Busy senior managers need no longer waste time in showering themselves－an Australian company has invented a suit that can be worn while they wash.
The suit has been specially designed so that it can be cleaned under the showerhead. There is no need for soaking (浸泡)，dry cleaning－or even soap.
The Japanese market has taken a liking to the “shower suit”，described as “revolutionary” by its owner Australian Wool Innovation (AWI)，which is the research and marketing body that represents Australian wool－growers. Orders have been placed for 170,000 of the woolen suits.
The suit could be worn in the shower，although it was probably better to hang it on a clothes hanger and carry it instead，AWI corporate affairs spokesman Stephen Feighan said.“The idea is that you hang it up and then...you give it a spray (喷雾)，and it’s dry the next morning，” Mr Feighan said.
A Japanese researcher working for AWI invented the suit by combining three technologies. The secret is the best lining (内衬)，which allows the suit to dry quickly.The shower suit attracted busy corporate people，particularly those who often traveled or stayed up late，Mr Feighan said.The airline industry was also interested.
Mr Feighan confessed he had not worn one of the suits yet，or tried to wash it in the shower，because they cut to fit Japanese figures.AWI believes that the shower suit will spread from the Japanese market through Europe and India. Mr Feighan hoped the suit，made from local wool，would be available in Australia in 12 to 18 months’ time.What is the writing purpose of the article?
| A．To introduce a newly－designed shower suit. |
| B．To help the white collars arrange their life more sensibly. |
| C．To provide suggestions on saving time in bath. |
| D．To praise AWI for its important achievement. |
Which is true about the suit according to the passage?
| A．It can spare the owner’s trouble of soaking，dry cleaning and applying soap. |
| B．It is of the quality of fast dry for its best cloth. |
| C．It is not suitable for hanging. |
| D．It has attracted more orders than any other suit. |
The suit draws the attention from all the following groups EXCEPT________.
| A．corporate people who are always on the go |
| B．people on occasional business trips |
| C．the airline industry |
| D．people burning the midnight oil |
Which of the following has much to do with Mr Feighan?
| A．The invention of the suit. |
| B．The try－on of the suit. |
| C．The combination of the three technologies on the suit. |
| D．The popularization of the suit and best wishes for it. |
When I was struggling with cancer a few years ago，my wife and I formed our own “couple caution circle”．Anytime a doctor came with news of my progress，my wife would give me a big hug. The reports were seldom good during the early stages of my illness，and one day a doctor brought particularly frightening news.Staring at my reports，he said in a low voice，“It doesn’t look like you’re going to make it.”
Before I could ask him a question，my wife stood up，handed me my clothes，adjusted the tubes fastened to my body and said，“Let’s get out of here.This man is a risk to your health.” As she helped me struggle to the door，the doctor came near us.“Stay back，” demanded my wife.“Stay away from us.”
As we walked together down the hall，the doctor attempted to catch up with us.“Keep going，” said my wife，pushing the intravenous (静脉注射的) stand.“We’re going to talk to someone who really knows what is going on.” Then she held up her hand to the doctor.“Don’t come any closer to us.”
The two of us moved as one.We escaped to the safety and hope of a doctor who did not confuse diagnosis with conclusion. I could never have made that walk toward wellness alone.From the passage we know ________.
| A．hearing that the husband was not going to make it，the wife went out of her mind |
| B．the wife’s decision in crisis (危机) contributed to the husband’s wellness |
| C．the husband was diagnosed with cancer by mistake |
| D．the husband became weaker and weaker as a result of the treatment conducted by the doctor |
What’s the author’s feeling when writing the passage?
| A．Angry. | B．Thankful. | C．Excited. | D．Sad. |
What can be inferred from the passage ?
| A．The wife was a woman hard to get along with. |
| B．The doctor was a dangerous man. |
| C．The wife loved her husband very much. |
| D．The husband was a man who believed everything would be OK. |
What would be the best title for the passage ?
| A．A Happy Couple In Crisis | B．Struggle With Cancer |
| C．In Crisis，Become As One | D．Don’t Believe The Doctor |
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