DEARAUNTYf
My husband’s niece is 13 and what I would call “a handful”. She wants to stay with us for while, and her mother and grandmother have told me what a great influence I would be on her. Her visit ，no doubt, would bring about a long list of demands’ and she’d want to bring a friend too. I don t feel comfortable hosting her, but I don 3r know how to tell my husband’s family members without hurting their feelings.
-Reluctant Aunt
Dear Reluctant,
Let’s get you out of this mess. Your husband’s family is making a request that borders on a demand and sugarcoating it with self-serving flattery (恭维）• Put your foot down, and tell the truth. Say you don’t feel equipped or comfortable hosting the little darling, and regretfully decline (拒绝).Under no circumstances should you take part in any discussion that attempts to change your mind through flattery.
DEAR AUNTY
have two stepdaughters, 21 and 24. On holidays, the older one always buys me gift but adds her sister’s name on the card. I feel insincere thanking the younger daughter -Vd rather get no gift than be a part of this pretence. Is it tacky (俗气)to ask the 24-year-old to stop giving her sister credit while it isn t deserved? Will the younger one ever learn to be thoughtful?
-Mindful Mum
Dear Mindful,
Lighten up! Your older stepdaughter is a considerate and generous sister who covers for and protects her younger sister. Good for her! The girls’ relationship is between them. As for your role, you can’t punish anyone into being thoughtful. You can, however, model thoughtful behavior. Spend some time with her, and get to know her better.The underlined word “a handful” would probably mean a person who______
| A．is difficult to deal with | B．enjoys making friends |
| C．is easy to get along with | D．gets easily influenced |
AUNTY suggested that Reluctant Aunt______
| A．kindly host the guest |
| B．discuss with her husband |
| C．politely turn down the request |
| D．try to meet all the demands |
Which of the following is TRUE about the second case?
| A．Mindful Mum is very proud of her two step daughters. |
| B．The two stepdaughters always buy Mindful Mum gifts. |
| C．AUNTY thinks the older sister should be punished. |
| D．The older stepdaughter cares for her sister. |
In which section does the passage most probably appear in a magazine?
| A．Entertainment. | B．Advice. | C．Health. | D．Food &Recipes. |
I have many new teachers in high school, but Lori Runkle, my English Language and Composition teacher, is my favorite teacher.
Ms. Runkle enjoys getting to know more about students, so I have many chances to talk with her after class. I have always wanted to become a journalist (新闻记者). Since Ms. Runkle used to be a journalist back in the United States, she has introduced many helpful journalistic writing skills to me.
Although she is my teacher, Ms. Runkle and I are more like friends. She often invites my classmates and me to take part in different activities outdoors. For example, I went to listen to a journalist’s speech, which helped me better understand current events (时事).
Not only does Ms. Runkle talk with me outside of school, she is also a great teacher in the classroom. English Language and Composition is a really hard subject for a second language learner. We felt worried in the beginning, but Ms. Runkle really makes an effort to help us out. In class, Ms. Runkle always encourages students to question everything to keep us active. One part of class I love the most is when groups of students are requested to give speeches on events that are happening in the world. It requires a lot of deep thinking and I really learn quite a lot from it.
I love Ms. Runkle very much. She not only helps me to get good scores, but also acts as a good friend and always gives me advice on life.After class, the author ____________.
| A．seldom sees Ms. Runkle |
| B．talks with Ms. Runkle quite a lot |
| C．enjoys introducing Ms. Runkle to her friends |
| D．often invites Ms. Runkle to different activities |
We can infer (推断) from the passage that Ms. Runkle is ___________ .
| A．friendly and helpful | B．kind and humorous |
| C．clever and active | D．strict and boring |
The author’s favorite part of Ms. Runkle’s class is when Ms. Runkle ___________ .
| A．tells them how to get good scores |
| B．asks them questions about the world |
| C．asks them to describe current events |
| D．tells them about events that are happening |
What is the author’s purpose of writing this passage?
| A．To express how much she misses Ms Runkle. |
| B．To look back on her special high school life. |
| C．To describe an unforgettable teacher. |
| D．To show what makes a good teacher. |
There once was a little boy who wanted to meet the king. He set off, walking towards the king’s castle. After many years of walking, the king’s castle came into his view. However, as the boy drew closer to the outside of the castle, the guards noticed him.
“Get out of here!” ordered the guards.
Well, the little boy didn’t have to be told twice. He turned…and ran. All he wanted to do was to tell the king wonderful things, and see all the beautiful things in the king’s house. But he couldn’t even get near the castle! The boy finally stopped running, sat down and cried.
A young man happened to be coming down the path at the very moment. He saw the little boy and stopped. “What’s wrong, young man?” he asked.
“Sir, I walked and walked just to see the king. But these guards made me scared. I wanted to tell the king how lovely everything is and just tell the king that I just wanted to see him!”
The man looked at the little boy thoughtfully. “Look, why don’t you try again? I’ll come with you this time.”
The little boy got up and took the man’s hand. The king’s guards spotted them.
“Look, mister, we don’t have to do this…I don’t want you to get hurt. We can just turn around now.”
The man held the little boy’s hand and went on. The boy really thought the man might be crazy until he looked back up at the guards. They were all smiling now. The little boy was amazed.
“Who are you?” asked the little boy in astonishment.
“Why, I’m the king’s son. You can enter the castle and be with the king.” Said the man.
The little boy broke into a huge smile.
Why did the boy want to see the king?
| A．To get some help from the king. |
| B．To invite the king to visit his beautiful village. |
| C．To share wonderful things with the king. |
| D．To ask the king to play with him. |
What does the underlined sentence in the paragraph mean?
| A．The little boy didn’t understand the guards’ words at first. |
| B．The guards repeated the words to the boy. |
| C．The little boy had been to the castle twice. |
| D．The little boy understood the guards’ words immediately. |
According to the passage, the man is .
| A．kind | B．stupid | C．ambitious | D．mean |
Which of the following best suits the story’s lesson for us?
| A．Never judge a book by its cover. |
| B．Anything is possible if one tried hard enough. |
| C．Life can sometimes be unfair. |
| D．Make new friends and keep the old. |
If you are looking for the place that has everything, there is only one place to visit, and that’s New York. It’s a whole world in a city.
The World of Theater: All of New York is a stage. And it begins with Broadway. Where else can you find so many hit shows in one place? Only in New York!
The World of Music: Spend an evening with Beethoven at Lincoln Center. Swing to the great jazz of Greenwich Village. Or rock yourself silly at the hottest dance spots found anywhere.
The World of Art: From Rembrandt to Picasso. From Egyptian tombs to Indian teepees. Whatever kind of art you like, you will find it in New York.
The World of Fine Dining: Whether it’s roast Beijing duck in Chinatown, lasagna in little Italy, or the finest French coq au vin found everywhere, there is world of great taste waiting for you in New York.
The World of Sights: What other city has a Statue (雕塑) of Liberty? A Rockefeller Center? Or a Bronx Zoo? Where else can you take a horse-drawn carriage through Central Park ? Only in New York !
From the text we know that “Rembrandt” is most likely to be the name of a famous .
| A．actor | B．musician | C．cook | D．painter |
Which of the following can visitors do only in New York?
| A．To see the Statue of Liberty. |
| B．To taste the finest French coq au vin. |
| C．To enjoy a Beethoven concert. |
| D．To eat Roast Beijing Duck. |
This passage may be taken from .
| A．a handbook for English learners |
| B．a guidebook for foreign travellers |
| C．a pocketbook for businessmen |
| D．a storybook for local readers |
I wish there would be a way to describe China in simple terms but that’s impossible. For the most part, Chinese people are friendly, easy-going and optimistic. They are curious and unusually patient and they are also the hardest-working people I have ever met.
In China, family is everything. In my English classes when the students were asked what they would do if they only had a few hours to live, most students told me how they would spend their last few hours with their families and parents. Many times the subjects in the classes center on families and friends. I teach many students a year, talking to them freely.
The cost of living here is very low compared with that of the US. The city of Xiang Fan I live in isn’t large and I live better. Non-imported(非出口的) foods are very cheap, so are clothing and articles of everyday use. The cost of public transportation is very low, too. Chinese value education. However, it is reported that many children can’t afford the expenses of schooling and are forced to leave school in some poor areas in China. But they organized Project Hope many years ago. It creates conditions for the poor children to go back to school. In my opinion, Project Hope is of great importance to the development of the rural education.
When we read news of China in the west, rarely, if ever, will we see anything mentioned of the positive changes China has gone through. While it is true that economic miracles have not reached many areas of China, but we also have the same problems.
When I am asked which country I consider better. China or the US, my answer has always been the same, “We are not worse or better than each other, we are only different.” How does the author find Chinese people ?
| A．He thinks most Chinese people hardly work. |
| B．He praises most Chinese people a lot. |
| C．He thinks most Chinese people are proud. |
| D．He dislikes most Chinese people. |
What are not cheap in China in the author’s opinion?
| A．Imported foods |
| B．Local foods |
| C．Public transportation tickets. |
| D．Clothes and shoes made in China. |
We can infer from the passage that the author thinks________.
| A．the westerners have got to know China well |
| B．China’s economic miracles have appeared everywhere |
| C．the education in rural areas is never cared about in China |
| D．the progress of China is seldom reported in the US |
In the author’ eyes,________.
| A．China is better than the US |
| B．China is different from the US |
| C．Americans are richer than Chinese |
| D．China bears great similarities to the US |
Very soon a computer will be able to teach you English. It will also be able to translate any language for you，too. It's just one more incredible result of the development of microprocessors - those tiny parts of a computer commonly known as "silicon chips". So give up going to classes, stop buying more textbooks and relax. In a couple of years you won't need the international language of English.
Already Texas Instruments in the United States is developing an electronic translation machine. Imagine a Spanish secretary, for example, who wants to type a letter from the boss to a businessman in Sweden. All he or she will have to do is this: first type the letter in Spanish. The letter will appear on a television screen. After a few seconds the translated letter will appear on another television screen in Stockholm in perfect Swedish.
And that's not all. Soon a computer will be able to teach you English, if you really want to learn the language. You'll sit in front of a television screen and practice endless structures. The computer will tell you when you are correct and when you are wrong. It will even talk to you because the silicon chips can change electrical impulses into sounds. And clever programmers can predict the responses you, the learner, are likely to make.
So think of it．You will be able to teach yourself at your own pace．You will waste very little time，and you can work at home．And if after all that，you still can't speak English，you can always use the translating machine．In a few years，therefore，perhaps there will be no need for BBC Modern English，or BBC English by Radio programmes - no more textbooks or teachers of English．Instead of buying an exciting new textbook，the computer will ask you to replace it with a microprocessor．Fast，reliable and efficient language learning and translating facilities will be available to you．Think of that，no more tears or embarrassing moments．One little problem is that a computer can't laugh yet - but the scientists are working on it．Happy learning！According to the writer, "you won't need the international language of English" because _____.
| A．learning English will no longer be a difficult task |
| B．textbooks are no longer necessary |
| C．it's better to buy a computer than to go to classes |
| D．the computer will be able to translate any language for you |
You will _____ if you use a computer to learn the language.
| A．waste much of your time |
| B． speak better English |
| C．need no translating machine |
| D．do everything at your own pace |
This passage is mainly about _____
| A．someone who learns English with the help of a computer |
| B．the computer teaching the language |
| C．fast, reliable and efficient language learning |
| D．what language learning could be like when computerized |
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