Amy returned to her small apartment at midnight, tired. Her worst fears raced through her mind. Would the court tell her she couldn’t care for her family anymore? Would the kids go through the sadness once more of being split up and sent away? She was so young, almost a child herself, and yet Amy knew everything depended on her. At that moment, she wondered if she would ever find the strength to see it through.
From earliest childhood, Amy took care of her younger brothers. Jan, their mother, only added to the family disorder and confusion because of her drug addict. Sometimes they lived in apartments, sometimes in shelters.
One afternoon Amy was called to the high school, where a social worker was waiting for her. “We’re going to have to put you guys in foster（收养) care.” the social worker said. “No! Don’t spilt us up!” the girl cried out. “Can’t you just leave it the way it is?” The social worker shook his head. Amy’s voice then rose like the howl of a lion protecting her babies: “Why can’t I take them? I take care of them all the time anyway.” The social worker hesitated, and then said, “Maybe. Once you’re 18, you could apply to become their relative caretaker. Then you’d be their foster mother until we find a home where all of you can be together.” “I’ll do it,” Amy said.
One month later, Amy was named guardian of her brothers for a six-month trial period. It was a remarkable victory for an 18-year-old girl. Her brothers didn’t make her task any easier in the months ahead. However，Amy’s efforts were rewarded when the court allowed her to continue as guardian. Amy’s relief at remaining the kids’ guardian was at risk of being taken away by the pressure she always
felt to measure up. Social workers still looked regularly over her shoulder and asked the boys shameful
questions: “Does she feed you? Does she ever try to harm you?” Then one day a visiting social worker
came over. “We’d like to get the boys adopted into homes,” she said. Sensing that the family was about to be split apart yet again, Amy replied, “Fine, then. Call it adoption if you want, but they’re not going anywhere.” To her surprise, the social worker took her remark seriously. She explained that if Amy were to adopt the boys, they would become like any other family.
That night at dinner Amy told the boys about the idea. “Cool!” Joey said. He threw a piece of corn at Adam. His brother flicked it back, and pretty soon corn was flying. Amy rolled her eyes. They didn’t have far to go to be like any other family. As the proceedings（程序）ended, Amy thanked everyone. “No,” the judge responded, “Thank you. You saved three kids. Not many family members would do what you’re doing, especially for this many children. I’m very proud of you.”
On a lazy spring day, in a modest suburban neighborhood, Amy stood in front of a neatly kept one-story house. She watched her brothers playing basketball, and heard the playful bark of their dog, Tahoe. The young lady had made good on her promise: they had rented a home, a real home, and the boys had gotten their dog. Amy continues to raise her family alone, but has begun taking courses in business management at a nearby community college. Eventually, she hopes to become a child psychologist. Which of the following best describes Amy?
| A．Crazy and tough | B．Firm and stubborn |
| C．Enthusiastic and generous | D．Abnormal and aggressive. |
From Paragraph 3, we can learn that __________.
| A．The social worker gave in to Amy. |
| B．The social worker tried to adopt Amy’s brothers. |
| C．Amy tried to apply for the guardian of the brothers |
| D．Amy had no idea how to face her family being separated up. |
By saying “They didn’t have far to go to be like any other family”, the writer means________.
| A．they will live in the same area as other families |
| B．they made a deep impression on the neighborhood |
| C．Amy is able to take good care of the family |
| D．Amy and her brothers would be already just like a family |
The best title for this text would be___________.
| A．Standing On Two Feet | B．Growing Up Alone |
| C．A Lifelong Fight | D．A Teen Hero |
What does the underlined word guardian in paragraph 4 mean?
| A．保护者 | B．监护人 | C．收养人 | D．引导人 |
“A very destructive seven-year old child kicked my legs and scratched at my hand,” said one teacher. “I broke up a fight and was kicked,” said another. Many people have heard stories like this. But the situation is more worrying still and it involves parents.
Every child, regardless of the circumstances into which they are born, has the right to achieve their potential, regardless of their parents' wealth and class. And we recognize that, as a nation, it is a long way to achieve this goal. But rights come with responsibilities and what worries people is that we are in danger of neglecting the latter.
Far too many children are behaving badly at school, even to the point of being violent to staff. This is terrible enough, but it is hard to be surprised since many children are just mirroring the behavior of their parents. Too many are starting school unable to hold a knife and fork, unused to eating at a table，and unable to use the lavatory properly.
We are in danger of becoming a nation of families living separate lives under one roof. The bedroom, once a place to sleep, has become the living space for the young. Spending hours in front of computer screens, on social networking sites or being immersed in computer games, children and young people spend little time with their parents. Parents are unable to monitor just what their children are watching.
Schools cannot right the wrongs of society and teachers cannot become substitute parents. Both parties need to work together. Parents must be helped and given confidence to take back control. They are responsible for setting boundaries for their children's behavior and sticking to those boundaries when the going gets tough. They are responsible for setting a good example to their children and for devoting that most precious of resources---time---so that children come to school ready and willing to learn.What problem do people ignore in the writer's opinion?
| A．The school violence. |
| B．The pressure of students' learning. |
| C．The right to achieve students' potential. |
| D．Students' responsibilities. |
The writer's attitude to the behaviors of parents may be that of____________.
| A．dissatisfaction | B．sympathy |
| C．understanding | D．tolerance |
The underlined part in Paragraph 4 may mean_____________.
| A．children don't live with their parents in the same room |
| B．parents care little about children's life at home |
| C．children spend little time with their parents at home |
| D．parents attempt to establish a good relationship with their children |
From the last paragraph, we can infer that__________.
| A．Schools can’t correct the wrongs that society does to teachers |
| B．Teachers have no responsibility for playing the role of parents |
| C．Parents should spend time with children making them ready to learn |
| D．Students are responsible for making themselves known in society |
What is the main idea of the passage?
| A．Children’s behavior at school is worrying people |
| B．Parents expect schools to correct their children’s bad habits |
| C．There is no point in parents’ teaching children at home |
| D．Don’t blame teachers when it’s parents who are failing |
Blind imitation is self-destruction. To those who do not recognize their unique worth, imitation appears attractive; to those who know their strength, imitation is unacceptable．
In the early stages of skill or character development, imitation is helpful．When I first learned to cook, I used recipes （菜谱）and turned out some tasty dishes．But soon I grew bored．Why did you follow someone else’s way of cooking when I could create my own? Imitating role models is like using training wheels on a child’s bicycle; they help you get going, but once you find your own balance, you fly faster and farther without relying on them．
In daily life, imitation can hurt us if we subconsciously（下意识地）hold poor role models．If, as a child, you observed people whose lives were bad, you may have accepted their fear and pain as normal and gone on to follow what they did. If you do not make strong choices for yourself, you will get the results of the weak choices of others．
In the field of entertainment, our culture glorifies celebrities．Those stars look great on screen．But when they step off screen, their personal lives may be disastrous. If you are going to follow someone, focus on their talent, not their bad character or unacceptable behaviors．
Bless is that the person is willing to act on their sudden desire to create something unique. Think of the movies, books, teachers, and friends that have affected you most deeply．They touched you because their creations were motivated by inspiration, not desperation．The world is changed not by those who do what has been done before them, but by those who do what has been done inside them．Creative people have an endless resource of ideas．The problem a creator faces is not running out of material; it is what to do with the material knocking at the door of imagination．
Study your role models, accept the gifts they have given, and leave behind what does not serve．Then you can say, “I stand on the shoulders of my ancestors’ tragedies and declare victory, and know that they are cheering me on．Imitation proves useful when you ．
| A．know you are unique |
| B．lose the balance of life |
| C．begin to learn something new |
| D．get tired of routine practice |
To avoid the bad result of imitation, we should________．
| A．forget daily fear and pain |
| B．choose the right example |
| C．ask others for decisions |
| D．stay away from stars |
According to the author, the world moves on because of those who are ．
| A．desperate to influence others with their knowledge |
| B．ready to turn their original ideas into reality |
| C．eager to discover what their ancestors did |
| D．willing to accept others’ ideas |
The trouble a creator faces is ．
| A．the lack of strong motivation |
| B．the absence of practical ideas |
| C．how to search for more materials |
| D．how to use imagination creatively |
What is the author’s purpose in writing this passage?
| A．To highlight the importance of creatively． |
| B．To criticize the characters of role models． |
| C．To compare imitation with creation． |
| D．To explain the meaning of success． |
Sometime in the next century, the familiar early-newspaper on the front porch (门廊) will disappear. And instead of reading your newspaper, it will read to you. You'll get up and turn on the computer newspaper just like switching on the TV. An electronic voice will distribute stories about the latest events, guided by a program that selects the type of news you want. You'll even get to choose the kind of voice you want to hear. Do you want more information on this brief story? A simple touch makes the entire text appear. Save it in your own personal computer if you like. These are among the predictions from communication experts working on the newspapers of the future. Pictured as part of broader home-based media and entertainment systems, computer newspapers will unite print and broadcast reporting, and offer news and analysis with video images of news events.
Most of the technology is available now, but convincing more people that they don't need to read a newspaper is the next step. But resistance to computer newspapers may be stronger from within journalism. Since it is such a cultural change, it may be that the present generation of journalists and publishers will have to die off before the next generation realizes that the newspaper industry is no longer a newspaper industry. Technology is making the end of ' traditional newspapers unavoidable.
Despite technological advances, it could take decades to replace newsprint with computer screens. It might take 30 to 40 years to complete the changeover because people need to buy computers and because newspapers have established financial interests in the paper industry.Which of the following is NOT an advantage of computer newspapers?
| A．They are cheaper than traditional newspapers. |
| B．They are more convenient to read. |
| C．You can choose the kind of voice you want to hear. |
| D．You can easily save information for future use. |
Which of the following is a reason why it will take a long time to complete the changeover?
| A．The technology is impossible now. |
| B．Computer newspaper s are too expensive. |
| C．The popularization of computers needs a long time. |
| D．Traditional newspapers are easier to read. |
It can be inferred that journalists are against computer newspapers because ____ .
| A．they don't know how to use computers |
| B．they think computer newspapers take too much time to read |
| C．they think the new technology is bad |
| D．they have been trained to write for traditional newspapers |
We can infer from the passage that .
| A．all technological changes are good |
| B．new technologies don't always replace old ones |
| C．new technologies will eventually replace old ones |
| D．traditional newspapers are here to stay for another century |
What is the best title of the passage?
| A．Computer newspapers are well liked. |
| B．Newspapers of the future will be on the computer. |
| C．Newspapers are out of fashion. |
| D．New communications technology. |
Pulling heavy suitcases all day in the summer is hard work, especially when you are a thin 14-year-old boy. That was me in 1940-the youngest and smallest baggage boy at New York City's Pennsylvania Railway Station.
After just a few days on the job, I began noticing that the other fellows were overcharging passengers. I'd like to join them, thinking, "Everyone else is doing it."
When I got home that night, I told my dad what I wanted to do. "You give an honest day's work," he said, looking at me straight in his eye. "They are paying you. If they want to do that, you let them do that."
I followed my dad's advice for the rest of that summer and have lived by his words ever since.
Of all the jobs I've had, it was my experience at Pennsylvania Railway Station that has stuck with me. Now I teach my players to have respect for other people and their possession. Being a member of a team is a totally shared experience. If one person steals, it destroys trust and hurts everyone. I can put up with many things, but not with people who steal. If one of my players were caught stealing, he'd be gone.
Whether you're on a sports team, in an office or a member of a family. if you can't trust one another, there is going to be trouble.What can be inferred about the baggage boys?
| A．They could earn much, but they had to work hard. |
| B．Many of them earned money in a dishonest way. |
| C．They were all from poor families. |
| D．They were thin, young boys. |
What does the father's advice imply?
| A．It is wrong to give more to the passengers. |
| B．Don't believe them if they are paying you more. |
| C．Don't follow others to overcharge the passengers. |
| D．It is difficult to work hard and live as an honest boy. |
The underlined word "it" (in Paragraph 2) refers to______
| A．overcharging passengers | B．pulling heavy suitcases all day |
| C．paying passengers money | D．working in an honest way |
The writer can't put up with stealing because he thinks that _______.
| A．it is a total shared experience |
| B．it is considered as the most dangerous |
| C．it does great harm to human relationship |
| D．it may led to the loss of his sports team. |
It can be concluded from the text that _______.
| A．his father's advice helped him to decide which job to take up |
| B．working in the sports team was his most important experience |
| C．he learned much from his shared experience with his team members |
| D．his experience as a baggage boy had a great influence on his late life |
Certainly, a well-rounded education is the foundation from which all of us spring forth. I am grateful to the many incredible teachers who have inspired me to do greater things, and have fired my enthusiasm for everlasting learning!
I have also been honored to have the most amazing teachers in all of my children's lives. These are extraordinary people who not only teach our children, but love them, challenge them, and provide an environment where a child learns how to learn.
But, sometimes I wonder if the outline of our educational plan is lacking something. I watched the movie Easy A with my older daughter. The main character's parents were loving, supportive, and built great confidence in their daughter and developed her ability to handle her own problems.
There was a scene where the mother was speaking to the younger child and he announced that he received an "A" on his spelling test. She replied, "That' s great, honey, but everything has spell check these days. " It was funny --- but TRUE ! I don't mean that we shouldn't teach our children how to spell, but maybe some of our time should be spent educating them about the dangers of posting things on Facebook.
Maybe we might want to spend time showing them how real life works - the credit card isn't free money - you will have to pay it back at sometime. Oh, and get this - they charge you for borrowing that money. Perhaps, we should spend some time on interpersonal relationships. I worry that our kids do not know how to relate to one another.
Choosing a career (职业) is a daunting task. My daughter is in her second year in college and has changed her major twice. It' s not that she didn't know what she wanted to do. What she "wanted to do" and the degree she chose did not match.
I have learned many college students do not know what they want to do because they haven' t seen what it looks like in the real world. Being a journalist in the real world looks very different from writing stories. Maybe if we spent some time exposing them to real life experience - maybe two or three courses m areas of interest in high school that give them a "feel" for what that particular field would look like, they might be better prepared. I do not know the solution, but it seems that it should at least be a topic of discussion. Why does the author mention the movie Easy A?
| A．To prove the importance of book learning. |
| B．To show the parents' ignorance of spelling. |
| C．To lead to the topic he is going to talk about. |
| D．To share with the readers his feeling about the movie. |
The author believes that
| A．students need to focus on the skills in learning |
| B．parents and school should be consistent in education |
| C．his daughter is smart enough to make her own choice |
| D．courses in areas of interest in high schools will benefit students |
The underlined word "daunting" in Paragraph 6 probably means_____
| A．discouraging | B．specific |
| C．rewarding | D．regular |
What is mainly discussed in the passage?
| A． Schools should prepare students for the real life. |
| B．What students learn in school should be practiced in life. |
| C． Life experience is of greater importance than school education. |
| D．Students should spend more time discussing practical problems. |
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