What makes a gift special? Is it the price you see on the gift receipt? Or is it the look on the recipient's face when they receive it that determines the true value? What gift is worth the most?
This Christmas I was debating what to give my father. My dad is a hard person to buy for because he never wants anything. I pulled out my phone to read a text message from my mom saying that we were leaving for Christmas shopping for him when I came across a message on my phone that I had locked. The message was from my father. My eyes fell on a photo of a flower taken in Wyoming. and underneath a poem by William Blake. The flower, a lonely dandelion（蒲公英） standing against the bright blue sky, inspired me. My dad had been reciting those words to me since I was a kid. That may even be the reason why I love writing. I decided that those words would be my gift to my father.
I called back. I told my mom to go without me and that I already created my gift. I sent the photo of the cream-colored flower to my computer and typed the poem on top of it. As I was arranging the details another poem came to mind. The poem was written by Edgar Allan Poe; my dad recited it as much as he did the other. I typed that out as well and searched online for a background to the words of it. The poem was focused around dreaming, and after searching I found the perfect picture. The image was painted with blues and greens and purples, twisting together to create the theme and wonder of a dream. As I watched both poems passing through the printer, the white paper coloring with words that shaped my childhood. I felt that this was a gift that my father would truly appreciate.
Christmas soon arrived. The minute I saw the look on my dad's face as he unwrapped those swirling black letters carefully placed in a cheap frame, I knew I had given the perfect gift.The idea for a special gift began to form when the author was____________.
| A．doing shopping | B．having a debate |
| C．reading a message | D．leaving for Wyoming |
The author's inspiration for the gift came from____________.
| A．a photo of a flower | B．a story about a kid |
| C．a call from the mother | D．a text about Christmas |
The author made the gift by_____.
| A．searching for the poems online | B．drawing the background by hand |
| C．painting the letters in three colors | D．matching the words with pictures |
What is the main purpose of the passage?
| A．To show how to design images for gifts. |
| B．To suggest making gifts from one's heart. |
| C．To explain how computers help create gifts. |
| D．To describe the gifts the author has received |
Once in a television interview, I was chatting with the host about stay – at – home athers. I made the point that one reason why we’re seeing more stay – at – homw dads may be hat it’s no longer definite that a man makes more money than his wife. Many families now ake earning power into account when deciding which parent will stay home.
At that point, one of the male crew membe
rs pointed out, almost to himself but loud nough for my benefit, “It should be the better parent who stays home.” A lot of guys say hings like that. Usually it’s a code for “My wife, or any woman is the better parent.”
I was a stay – at – home father for 8 years, so his words made me excited. It implied that our family’s choice could only have been correct if I was a “better” parent than my wife.
I suppose an argument could have been made that when I began staying home my wife was the “better” parent if she spent more time with Jack. She would be able to read him wetter and calm him more quickly. But as the more employable one, my wife went out to work a
nd I looked after our son.
Because of the increased time I spen
t with Jack. I soon knew him well, understood that he needed and could look after him more or less as well as my wife could. Actually, he experience helped me unlock one of the world’s great secrets; Women are good at booking after children because they do it. It is not because of any innate (先天的) female talent. It is because they put in the time and attention required to become good at the job.
Woman obviously get a biological head starting from giving birth and nursing, but ever the long term experience is more important. When I got the experience myself. I was people are able to look after them as well besides their moms.The first paragraph implies .
| A．more and more men like staying at home |
| B．the author works at a TV station as a host |
| C．more women are earning money than before |
| D．dad is the better parent in a family |
The author stayed at home to look after their son for 8 years because .
| A．he thought he was the better parent |
| B．he was afraid of working outside now |
| C．their son liked him better than his Mom |
| D．he was less likely to find a job than his wife |
Women are good at taking care of children because .
| A．they devote their time and attention to children |
| B．they would rather stay at home than work outside |
| C．they are born with the ability to look after children |
| D．they’ve learn to take care of children from their parents |
What does the author conclude?
| A．A man can take better care of children than his wife. |
| B．A man with experience can take good care of children. |
| C．A child prefers to stay with his or her mother. |
D．A child prefers  to stay with his or her father. |
Calvin Coolidge (1872 – 1933
) was the thirtieth president of the United
States. He looked down on a person as being unworthy of respect who was too fond of talking about the details of others people’s actions and private lives because he had no time for small talks. The following two incidents clearly show how Collidge treasured silence.
When he was vice president, Coolidge had plenty of opportunities to participate (参加) in Washington’s social life, especially the many dinner parties. As be ignored the art of conversation, he couldn’t exactly make himself dear to his hostesses. One lady felt she could solve this problem. She placed him next to Alice Roosevelt Longworth, daughter of the former President Roosevelt. Mrs. Longworth, a very brilliant conversationalist (谈话者), began to talk in her usual charming manner, but all attempts to a wake the interest on the part of the vice president were unproductive. Finally, being shamed into anger, she said, “I’m sure that going to as many dinners as you do, you must get terribly bored.”
Without lifting his eyes from his plate, Coolidge said not very clearly, “Well, a man has to eat somewhere.”
Later, when he was president and once again at a dinner party, Collidge was seated next to an outstanding society woman, one of those busybodies, who seemed to take delight in trying to change the lives of everyone they met. “Oh, Mr. President,” she spoke with too much enthusiasm, “you are always so quiet. I made a bet (打赌) toda
y that I could get more than two words out of you.”President Collidge considered those people as being unworthy of respect .
| A．who liked to talk about the affairs of others |
| B．who never talked about anything serious |
| C．who often spoke insincerely |
| D．who talked much but did little |
The hostesses thought Collidge was unfriendly because in her eyes.
| A．he treated women coldly and rudely |
| B．he paid no attention to conversational skills |
| C．he was too serious to please any women |
| D．he was pretty easy and quick to get angry |
Mrs. Longworth got shamed and angry because .
| A．the vice president took part in too many dinner parties |
B．the vice president  didn’t lift his eyes from his plate |
| C．the vice president didn’t speak exactly and clearly |
| D．the vice president didn’t react to all her efforts |
The underlined sentence “Well, a man has to eat somewhere” probably means .
| A．Mr. Coolidge didn’t want to talk with Mrs. Longworth at all |
| B．Mr. Coolidge had really got tired of so many social dinners |
| C．Mr. Coolidge was unhappy with the dinner he was eating that day |
| D．Mr. Coolidge was really hungry and had to find something to eat |
Washington D. C. is a great city to live in and visit – partly because D. C.’s public transportation can get you almost a
nywhere in the city, D. C.’s subway, the Metro, is great for getting you to the main tourist sites, but the bus is also a great resource and is cheaper. Learn how to conquer the D.C. bus system in a few quick steps will help you to have fun in this city.
* Things You’ll Need: cash or a D. C. Smart Trip card, a transfer (转乘卡) and a map of Washington, D. C.
* To choose a bus line to take from home or your hotel, look at the buses that arrive at the closest Metro stations.
Many bus routes start at a Metro subway terminal and make their way across the greater D.C. area.
*Learn to identify bus stops. They are usually located at the intersections(交叉) of streets. Look for a tall sign with a tall sign with the words of “Metro Bus” that is dark blue at the top, white in the middle and red at the bottom. Once you’ve found one of these signs, check the red section at the bottom of the sign. In it, you should see several number or letter combinations written
in white. Those are the bus lines that service that stop.
*Be careful of the direction buses are heading for. All buses have an electronic screen on the front, side and back of the bus that let you know which way they are headed and what line the bus is. The signs will list the last stop on the bus route. Know where your bus terminates on each end so you can get on the bus heading in the direction you want to go.
*To board the bus, you'll obviously need some sort of payment. The bus will only accept cash or a SmarTrip card. Smar－Trip card are purchasable at several Metro stations or at Metro headquarters(总部) and cost $5. You can also buy the card online at www.wmata.com.
*If you do order it online, purchase it in advance as it will take time for it to ship. Riding the bus costs $1.35 if you pay in cash and $1.25 if you pay with your SmarTrip card.
*If you pay in cash, ask for a transfer slip. This will allow you to board the bus within a two-hour time period without having to pay again. These machines are located by the escalators that take you to the waiting platforms. To enjoy a wonderful tour in Washington D. C., you won’t need .
A．a
D. C, Smart －Trip card B．a transfer
C．a map of Washington D. C D．a tall signAccording to the passage, you can identify bus stops by .
| A．looking at the buses that arrive at the closest Metro station from your hotel |
| B．checking the red section at the bottom of the sign with a “metro bus” logo |
| C．checking electronic screens on the front, side and back of the bus |
| D．checking the machines located by the escalators taking you to the platforms |
The underlined word “term
inates” probably means .
| A．stops | B．decides | C．starts | D．passes |
Where can you get a Smart－Trip card?
| A．At a platform. | B．At a post office. |
| C．At www. wmata. com | D．At a bus station. |
Have you ever got stuck with unwanted courses or a class schedule that cannot be changed? If so, that’s because you don’t know how to select the perfect schedule．But by following a few simple steps, you can begin any term with the right courses at the most convenient times．
First, you must find the right courses．These are the ones that have the least amount of work, the fewest tests and the kindest professors．Ask your friends about courses in which they received A’s after attending only 70 percent of the classes．Ask around, too, to see which instructors have given the same tests for the last fifteen years．Photocopies of these tests are usually cheap and ca
n be easily found in school．Then, pick up a copy of the master schedule and study it carefully．Find the course titles that mean an easy pass for a painless subject．Look for titles like “Arts and Crafts for Beginners,” and “Rock Music of the 1950s．”
Next, when you have got lists of easy instructors and subjects you can begin to select your time periods．If you stay up late in order to watch old movies, you may want a daily schedule that begins no sooner than noon．You should schedule only afternoon courses, too, if you’re one of those people who hate to leave a warm bed in the morning．On the other hand, if you are a person who gets out of bed at dawn, you may want to get your classes as early as possible．That way you have the rest of the day free．Morning classes are also necessary if you are a soap opera（肥皂剧）fan．
Finally, you want your schedule to pass through registration successfully．The main way to do this i
s to register（注册）early．If a course does happen to be closed because you simply couldn’t register at 7:00 a．m．, you may still be able to get in．Talk to the professor and tell him or her that a serious and hardworking student like yourself would be a shining example to other students．Be sure to carry a list of backup courses to registration, though, just in case one of your chosen classes changes professors or time periods．By following these suggestions, any student can pick the perfect class schedule．College can thus become an almost pleasant activity．Which of the following statements is true?
| A．You can get copies of tests if you are willing to pay the price． |
| B．“Rock Music of the 1950s” may be an easy course． |
| C．It is difficult to pick the perfect class schedule． |
| D．Attendance is required in all classes． |
You should ．
| A．register for classes in the morning if you get up early |
| B．have classes late in the morning if you stay up late |
| C．sign up for afternoon classes if you want to see soap operas |
D．choose classes in  the evening if you want to watch old films |
If a course happens to be closed, you should ．
| A．register at 7:00 a．m． | B．sit in on the class anyway |
| C．register for a backup course | D．get help from the professor |
Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Course Registration Made Easy | B．How to Find the Right Courses |
| C．Classes and After-class Activities | D．How to Pick the Perfect Schedule |
Computers are very important to modern life. Many people think that in the future computers will be used in lots of everyday life. It is thought that we won’t have to go shopping because we will be able to get most things which are sold in shops on the Internet. There will be no more books because we will be able to get all texts from computers. The Internet will be used to play games, see films and buy food. Most telephone 
calls will be made by computers, too.
Some people are glad about these new ways of shopping and communicating. Others do not think that computers will replace our old ways.
Let’s look at books, for example. Some people think that one day we will not read books made of paper. Instead, we will buy and read books using computers. We will read texts on small pocket computers. The computers will keep many different books in them at the same time. We won’t need to turn lots of pages and paper will be saved. Computerized(计算机化) books will be used more and more.
Is Internet shopping such a pleasure as going to the shop? Many people say it is not. It is a pleasure to go into shops and look at things you want to buy. It is also unlikely that many people will want to read large texts on our computers. Because paper books will perhaps be more friendly. Maybe computers won’t change these two habits.In paragraph(段落)1 it is thought people will use computers for _______.
| A．playing games, shopping and making telephone calls |
| B．making telephone calls, having meals and seeing films |
| C．seeing films, buying food, and going for holidays |
| D．playing games, making telephone calls and seeing the doctor |
Which reason for using computerized books is NOT said in the passage?
| A．Computerized books won’t be very expensive. |
| B．Computers can keep many different books in them. |
| C．We won’t have lots of pages. |
| D．We won’t need any paper. |
Paragraph 4 tells _______.
| A．about the old and new ways of shopping and communicating |
| B．if the Internet will change our habits |
| C．about computerized books |
| D．about future uses of computers |
The title for this passage is _______.
| A．Computers will Replace Shops and Books | B．Computers will be Used a lot in the Future |
| C．Computers will Do Everything for Man | D．How Computers Change Our Habits |
According to the writer’s view, which is right?
| A．Computers will replace everything completely in our daily life in the future. |
| B．Computers will not be used at all in our daily life in the future. |
| C．Computers will not be used in shopping in the future. |
| D．Computers will bring more and wider usage in our daily life in the future. |
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