It was Thanksgiving morning and in the crowded kitchen of my small home I was busy preparing the traditional Thanksgiving turkey when the doorbell rang. I opened the front door and saw two small children in rags huddling together. “Any old papers, lady?” asked one of them.
I was busy. I wanted to say “no” until I looked down at their feet. They were wearing thin little sandals, wet with heavy snow.
“Come in and I’ll make you a cup of hot cocoa.”
They walked over and sat down at the table. Their wet sandals left marks upon the floor. I served them cocoa and bread with jam to fight against the cold outside. Then I went back to the kitchen and started again on my household budget.
The silence in the front room struck me. I looked in. The girl held the empty cup in her hands, looking at it. The boy asked in a flat voice, “Lady, are you rich?”
I looked at my shabby slipcovers. The girl put her cup back in its saucer carefully and said, “Your cups match your saucers.” Her voice was hungry with a need that no amount of food could supply. They left after that, holding their bundles of papers against the wind. They hadn’t said “Thank you.” They didn’t need to. They had reminded me that I had so much for which to be grateful. Plain blue china cups and saucers were only worth five pence. But they matched.
I tasted the potatoes and stirred the meat soup. Potatoes and brown meat soup, a roof over our heads, my man with a good steady job—these matched, too.
I moved the chairs back from the fire and cleaned the living room. The muddy prints of small sandals were still wet upon my floor. Let them be for a while, I thought, just in case I should begin to forget how rich I am. Two children came to the writer’s front door because _________________.
| A．it was Thanksgiving Day | B．they were beggars |
| C．they wanted old papers | D．they wanted a cup of cocoa |
Why did the writer let the children in?
| A．She showed great pity on them |
| B．She had old papers to sell |
| C．She wanted to invite them to her Thanksgiving feast |
| D．She wanted them to see how rich she was |
The girl thought the writer was rich perhaps because ________________.
| A．she saw that the lady’s room was comfortable |
| B．she saw the cups matched the saucers |
| C．the writer’s slipcovers were very new |
| D．the writer was preparing a big meal while she was too hungry. |
From the passage, we can infer that whether you are rich depends on ________.
| A．how much money you have had |
| B．how you feel about your life |
| C．how you have helped others |
| D．what job your husband is doing |
The writer left the muddy prints of small sandals on the floor for a while to ____________.
| A．show her husband that someone had come |
| B．remind her that she had helped two children |
| C．remind her that she was very rich in the neighborhood |
| D．remind her how life should be |
Tykoon is an online website that allows you to teach your child financial principles through allowances，assignment of tasks and daily chores.As the parent，you can assign a cash value to the things you want your child to do.Then，your child can go in，accept the task and add to their wish list of what they would like to purchase with the money that they earn.
Let’s start with the parent side of things.The parent must be the one to set up the account.You simply enter your information and your child’s information to get started.You are then able to assign allowance amounts to your child.
Then you can add tasks for your child to accept and link them to either their weekly allowance or a predetermined amount.Your child is then able to accept or decline their tasks.They can see how much each task earns，how often they need to do it and what they will get if they do！They can add items that they are working toward earning and can even earn nncash incentives such as extra TV time or staying up late!
Tykoon is a great way to start teaching your child about responsibility and financial principles in fun and safe way.Through the creation of their own profile and the ability to accept or decline tasks，they are taught the skills that they will need later in life when they are managing their own budgets！So，head over and sign up for a free account today and watch your child get excited about doing their chores!
And right now，as a special reward，if you share Tykoon with your friends and have five friends sign up and stay active for more than a month，you’ll earn a $25 Amazon.com gift card！So get your child enrolled(注册)，tell your friends and let’s start teaching all our kids about the important financial principles today!
The purpose of the text is to________.
| A．make an advertisement |
| B．share teaching experience |
| C．describe an online website |
| D．present a way of making money |
The underlined word “incentives” in Paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to “________”．
| A．promises | B．rewards |
| C．gifts | D．tasks |
4．What is the best title of the text?
What can kids learn from Tykoon?
| A．The ability to manage their budgets. |
| B．The responsibility to do daily chores. |
| C．The skills to earn their own living. |
| D．The tricks to accept or refuse tasks. |
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When it comes to social behaviour，mammals are in a league of their own.Some birds may form pairs，or even cooperate to hunt，but the complexity (复杂性) of their relationships can hardly compare to those within a school of dolphins，a herd of elephants or a group of humans.What makes mammalian social groups different from a flock of starlings or a shoal of fish，is that in many cases the individuals could recognize each other.Although we may think that all elephants look pretty much the same，we can easily tell individuals of our own species apart and it has become clear through studies that the same is true of other species.Dolphins have their own signature whistles that act like “names”，and elephants can recognize and greet other individuals they have known but not seen for many years.This is something that only a few species of birds appear to be able to do.
Mammals in complex social groups not only recognize each other as individuals，but also they remember a lot of information about that individual.Social groups often rely on this memory—such as knowing who is dominant to whom，who is related to whom，and who has done what to whom in the past.It’s like remembering who you have lent money to or done a favour for，and who hasn’t repaid that money or has talked about you behind your back.You have to learn who to trust，who your friends are，and who to watch out for.
All this remembering goes on in a particular part of the brain called the neocortex (大脑皮层)．If you compare the size of a mammal’s social group with the size of this part of the brain，you will find they are remarkably closely related.This area seems to take a long time to develop fully and animals in which it is very large take a very long time to grow up to adulthood.During this time，the youngster has to learn all the rules of social behaviour in their group and to piece together all the relationships between the group members：Knowledge that will be needed to avoid getting into trouble.What is special about a mammalian social group according to the passage?
| A．All the individuals cooperate to hunt. |
| B．The individuals can communicate with each other. |
| C．The individuals can recognize each other. |
| D．The individuals form closer relationship. |
The passage suggests that elephants________.
| A．are cleverer than dolphins |
| B．can recognize other species |
| C．may mistake a member for another |
| D．have good memories |
Animals whose area of the neocortex is large________.
| A．will have a long period of time before they become adults |
| B．will spend a shorter time learning the necessary knowledge |
| C．will learn the necessary knowledge much more easily |
| D．will have more difficulty in growing up as adults |
If the neocortex is larger，the animals________.
| A．can live a longer life |
| B．have a smaller social group |
| C．have a larger social group |
| D．have a greater body size |
It’s a great sunny day，so it’s time to get out and enjoy the weather.Many of us would like to，but we have projects due，tasks that need to be done，people that we need to see，and money that needs to be made.
What if your company gave you that time off as compensation for the great effort that you gave to the team to finish a project on time？See，when it comes to teamwork，the main focus is for the team to work together.In a “winning” team there is an equal balance of people who have unique strengths and weaknesses.
Take the example of the Chicago Bulls of the 1990s.Michael Jordan was the greatest basketball player to play the game，but did they win a championship every year when Michael had played？No.It took a (Dtype) Michael Jordan to lead the team and control the outcome.It took a(n) (Itype) wild and energetic Dennis Rodman to keep the team fun and interesting.It took (Stypes) Scottie Pippin，Bill Cartwright，and John Paxson to support the team.And it took the (Ctype) analytical mind of Coach Phil Jackson to create a foundation for the players to play on.In the end they，the Chicago Bulls，were able to win six championships within eight years.
What is your team made up of？All Jordans？All Jacksons？All Rodmans？Or all Pippins，Cartwrights and Paxsons？It is you who can choose who’s on your team.Try finding the right people for the right job，and you will have a “winning” team every time!We can infer from the first paragraph that________.
| A．we need to finish the task |
| B．we are eager to make more money |
| C．we are all very busy every day |
| D．we often go out and enjoy the fine weather |
The underlined word “compensation” in the second paragraph means “________”．
| A．reward | B．present |
| C．money | D．duty |
According to this passage，a winning team is made up of________.
| A．a group of people who are tall and strong |
| B．a group of people who don’t have weaknesses |
| C．a group of people who don’t quarrel with each other |
| D．a group of people whose strengths and weaknesses can get to balance |
What would be the best title for this passage?
| A．Working Is Happy |
| B．The Story of the Chicago Bulls |
| C．Good Choice |
| D．Working Together for a Team |
About a year ago，if you had asked who Dinara Safina was，the answer would have been，“She is Marat Safin’s younger sister.” She was overshadowed by her wonder brother.But now she has made a name for herself：the world No.1 player in women’s tennis.
The 22yearold Russian overtook Serena Williams of the US for top ranking on April 20.“Before，every place I go，I am Marat’s sister.Nothing else，”she told New York Times.“I always wanted to be myself，and now finally the results come，and people can know me as Dinara Safina.”
Safina has made it to two great event finals，in the 2008 French and in the 2009 Australian Open，and won a silver medal in the Beijing Olympic Games.
Clearly，family isn’t the only connection Safina and her brother share.Their DNA burns with competitive fire.Safin has held the distinction for years of being a hottempered player on court.When he lost his temper，he would smash a racket (球拍)．Safina is as emotionally explosive as her brother.A headline in the newspaper The Australian once described her as “mad as a snake”．The Sydney Morning Herald，during the Australian Open，summed up Safina’s volatile (不稳定的) emotional state with the headline—Safina goes from basket case to top of the world.
It’s not rare for a family to have two top tennis players.Safina’s father owns a tennis academy and her mother worked as a coach.“I had no choice but to become a tennis player，but I don’t mind being a tennis player，” Safina said.
From this talented family she is also given one of her best weapons on court，her size.She is 1.82 meters tall and weighs 70kg.But it is hard work that led her to her recent success.
“I hope to prove to everyone over the coming months that I deserve the honor of being world No.1，”she said.What is the passage mainly about?
| A．How Safina came first in women’s tennis. |
| B．How the parents taught Safina to play tennis. |
| C．How her brother helped Safina play tennis. |
| D．How Safina beat her brother in playing tennis. |
Which one of the following doesn’t contribute to Safina’s success?
| A．Her hard work and strong competitiveness. |
| B．Her emotional explosion and volatile emotional state. |
| C．The fact that she is 1.82 meters tall and weighs 70kg. |
| D．The fact that her parents are both good tennis players. |
Which of the following statements is TRUE?
| A．Serena Williams was topped by Safina on ranking list on April 20. |
| B．Dinara Safina was always very confident and eager to succeed. |
| C．Safina was eager to become a tennis player when she was a child. |
| D．Marat Safin won the two finals，in the 2008 French and in the 2009 Australian Open. |
What can we infer from the headline “Safina goes from basket case to top of the world”？
| A．Safina wanted to top the world in tennis when she was a baby in a basket. |
| B．After she won the Australian Open，Dinara Safina cried. |
| C．Too nervous at first，Safina finally gained confidence and won. |
| D．Safina learnt from the basket case and finally came top of the world. |
You will go to college some day and college is one of the most exciting stages of one’s life.If you wish to make the most of your campus(校园) experience and become a better person after those four years，then first you ought to make friends.Close friends contribute to your selfgrowth for they provide you with moral support that is so important to survive the stressful college life.Friends can lend a helping hand when necessary like collecting your homework when you’re too sick to leave your dorm，and help you develop the right attitude by pointing out to you your weaknesses.
Being home most of your life and then suddenly finding yourself on your own in a large campus without your parents to hold your hand can be annoying.However，rather than thinking about your missing home too much，why not see this new stage in your life as an opportunity for selfgrowth and develop the right attitude that will prepare you for the rigors of postgraduation life，particularly when you join the workforce?
Specialinterest clubs or organizations are great for selfgrowth.Here，not only do you get the opportunity to meet with likeminded people，you can also discover more things about your field of interest.Club meetings usually include lively discussions，so go there with the right attitude.You should try to build a good name in the organization by being respectful，active and considerate to others.
You might not like all of your professors，but they are there to provide knowledge you need to be successful in your chosen field.Thus，show up for each class with the right attitude and determination to learn.Whether you get along well with your professors or not has a huge effect on your selfgrowth as it is a measure of how well you can respect authority and obey requirements.
Actively participating in a class debate(辩论) or lecture contributes to your selfgrowth as it helps you build confidence in speaking up and improves your communication skills.It also helps you develop the right attitude by exercising diplomacy(外交术) when you choose your words carefully especially when discussing a very politically sensitive issue and exercising patience when dealing with classmates who shoot down your ideas.In the writer’s opinion，how can college students develop a positive attitude?
| A．By joining specialinterest clubs. |
| B．By focusing on their studies. |
| C．By taking up parttime jobs. |
| D．By making friends with others. |
According to the text，college students should do many things EXCEPT ________.
| A．forget the family |
| B．be respectful at club meetings |
| C．try to attend each class |
| D．take an active part in a class debate |
We can learn from the text that ________.
| A．college life is very interesting |
| B．friendship can help college students avoid stress |
| C．students should choose words carefully at any occasion |
| D．it is important to have a good teacherstudent relationship |
The purpose of the text is to ________.
| A．introduce how to show yourself in college |
| B．tell college students how to socialize with others |
| C．give college students some advice on selfgrowth |
| D．explain the importance of fouryear college life |
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