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 thought for a while. “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 brought 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 from time to time she looked angrily 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 in 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 wanted to tell you, but it seemed that as soon as I said something about 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 |
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 wanted to scare her parents. |
Jessica’s parents laughed madly at the end of the story probably because ________.
| A．they realized their misunderstanding |
| B．they were crazy |
| C．they were over excited |
| D．they both thought they had won the quarrel |
When can I get a cell phone?” The answer is when your parents think you need one, though many kids seem to be getting them around age 12 or 13. Some younger kids may have them because their parents see it as a matter of safety and convenience. For example, a kid can call mom and dad when sports practice is over. And a cell phone can give kids almost instant access(快捷通道) to their parents if something goes wrong or they need help. It can give parents quick access to their kids so they can check on them and make sure they’re OK.
If you do get a cell phone, make some rules with your parents, such as how many minutes you’re allowed to spend on the phone, when you can use your phone, when the phone must be turned off, and what you will do if someone calls you too often, and so on.
You’ll also have to learn to take care of the phone in your life. Keep it charged(充电) and store it in the safe place so it doesn’t get lost. And whatever you do, don’t use it in the bathroom. I know someone who dropped her phone in the toilet!Parents buy cell phones for their kids because ___________.
| A．they think it is necessary |
| B．they think their kids are old enough |
| C．they have asked the author for advice |
| D．they want to follow their kids wherever they are. |
The author of the passage ___________.
| A．wants to describe how children use cell phones |
| B．knows nothing about when children can have a cell phone |
| C．may have done a survey on kids using cell phones |
| D．has been a teacher for many years |
Which of the following is true?
| A．It is too young for kids of 12 or 13 to get a cell phone. |
| B．A cell phone is useful for kids and their parents. |
| C．The author is against the idea of kids to have cell phones. |
| D．Most kids are considering having cell phones. |
Who is the passage most probably written by?
| A．Parents who have bought phones for their kids. |
| B．Someone who does cell phone business. |
| C．A teacher who cares most about school safety. |
| D．Someone who works for children’s education. |
Which might not be a rule for kids with a cell phone?
| A．Keep it on all the time. | B．Make a call if something goes wrong. |
| C．Don’t use it in the bathroom. | D．Take care not to lose it. |
Do you like chocolate? Maybe most people do. A box of it can be a great gift. Buy one for a friend and give it as a surprise. See how happy that person gets.
Say you just got a box of chocolate. Which piece do you pick first? A man has studied people’s choices. He says they tell something about the person. Did you choose a round piece? You are a person who likes to party. Did you choose an oval (椭圆形的) shape? You are a person who likes to make things. Picking a square shape shows something else. The person is honest and truthful. You can depend on him or her.
What kind of chocolate do you pick? Maybe you like milk chocolate. This shows you have warm feelings about the past. Dark chocolate means something else. A person who chooses it looks toward the future. What about white chocolate? Would you choose it? If so, you may find it hard to make up your mind. Some people like chocolate with nuts (果仁). These are people who like to help others.
Do you believe these ideas? Can candy tell all these things? It doesn’t really matter. There is one sure thing about eaters of chocolate. They eat it because they like it.This passage mainly tells us ______.
| A．why people like chocolate |
| B．almost everyone likes chocolate |
| C．about different kinds of chocolate |
| D．different choices may show different characters |
Picking a round shape of chocolate shows that a person ______.
| A．likes singing, dancing and drinking | B．likes to do something for others |
| C．is good at making things | D．can be depended on |
If you enjoy eating milk chocolate you may ______.
| A．look forward to the future | B．like to think of the past |
| C．enjoy parties and fun | D．have trouble making decisions |
From this passage we can say that a helpful man may choose chocolate ______.
| A．in oval shape | B．in square shape |
| C．with nuts | D．with coffee |
The last paragraph suggests that the writer ______.
| A．believes all the information about chocolate |
| B．does not believe the information about candy |
| C．is trying to get you to believe false information |
| D．doesn’t think it important whether you believe the ideas |
Soon computers and other machines will be able to remember you by looking at your eyes! The program works because everyone’s eyes are different. So in the future you won’t have to remember a number when you want to use a machine or take money out of a bank. You’ll just have to look at the machine and it will be able to tell who you are.
The eye-recognition（眼睛识别 program has already been tested in shops and banks in the USA, Britain, Spain, Italy and Turkey. Soon this technology（技术） will take the place of all other ways of finding out who people are.
However, scientists are also working on other systems. Machines will soon be able to know you from the shape of your face or hand or even your smell! We already have machines that can tell who you are from your voice or the mark made by your finger.
Eye-recognition is better than other kinds because your eyes don’t change as you get older, and don’t get dirty like hands or fingers, and even twins have different eyes. So the eye-recognition program can be up to 94% correct, depending on how good the technology is. However, some other programs may only be 51% correct at present. In Britain, it was found that 91% of people who had tried it said that they liked the idea of eye-recognition.
In the future your computer will be looking you in the eye. So smile!Where has the eye-recognition program already been tested in a few countries? In_______.
| A．shops and banks | B．shops and schools |
| C．banks and schools | D．schools and hospitals |
How does the eye-recognition program work?
| A．You look at the machine and type a number. |
| B．You need to speak and then look. |
| C．The machine looks at your face. |
| D．You look at the machine. |
We already have machines that can tell who you are from ________.
| A．your eyes or your smell |
| B．your voice or the mark made by your finger |
| C．your face or your voice |
| D．your face or your hand |
Which of the following doesn’t belong to the advantages of the eye-recognition program?
| A．Your eyes don’t change as you get older. |
| B．Eyes don’t get dirty like hands or fingers. |
| C．Everyone’s eyes are different, even twins have different eyes. |
| D．We can’t see anything without eyes. |
What problem could there be with the eye-recognition program?
| A．Some eyes are the same. | B．Eyes can change. |
| C．It is not always correct. | D．Eyes can get dirty like hands. |
When I was about 12, I had an enemy, a girl who liked to point out my shortcomings(缺点). Sometimes she said I was thin. Sometimes she said I was lazy. Sometimes she said I wasn’t a good student. Sometimes she said I talked too much, and so on. I tried to put up with(忍受) her as long as I could. At last, I became very angry. I ran to my father with tears in my eyes.
He listened to me quietly, and then he asked, “Are the things she said true or not? Mary, didn’t you ever wonder what you’re really like? Go and make a list of everything she said and mark the points that are true. Pay no attention to the other things she said.”
I did as he told me and to my surprise, I discovered that about half the things were true.
I brought the list back to my dad. He refused to take it. “That’s just for you,” he said. “You know better than anyone else the truth about yourself. When something said about you is true, you’ll find it will be helpful to you. Don’t shut your ears. Listen to them all, but hear the truth and do what you think is right.”
Many years have passed. The situation often appears in my mind. In our life we often meet with some trouble and we often go to someone and ask for advice. For some advice you will treasure(珍惜) all your life! What did the writer’s father do after he heard her complaints(抱怨)?
| A．He agreed with her “enemy”. |
| B．He let her continue to put up with her “enemy”. |
| C．He told her to write down all her “enemy” had said about her. |
| D．He told her not to pay attention to what her “enemy” had said. |
The writer felt _________ when she did the things as her father had told her.
| A．surprised | B．angry | C．disappointed | D．sad |
What fact does the passage provide?
| A．The “enemy” thought the writer was pretty. |
| B．The “enemy” thought the writer studied hard. |
| C．The writer and her “enemy” became best friends at last. |
| D．The writer is grateful to her father. |
Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?
| A．My Parents. |
| B．A Serious Criticism(批评). |
| C．What People Say About You Is Always Right. |
| D．The Best Advice I Ever Had. |
If the rose can be said to be a special flower, then the apple can be said to be a special fruit. It is very important in American culture. American stories speak of Johnny Appleseed, who went throughout America collecting apple seeds and planting apple trees. He had a great love for nature and went through fields and farms adding richness and beauty to the country.
One of the first sayings taught to school children is, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” This short saying encourages children to eat fresh fruit to keep healthy. If someone always says good words to a person, people will call him an “apple polisher”. This, however, is not a good name. If someone is very dear to us, we say that he or she is the “apple of our eye”.
Most people believe that the fruit which Eve gave to Adam was an apple, even though the Bible(圣经) never says so. The apple, therefore, is a deep part of the language and stories of America.
An apple is also delicious. Apples can be cooked in many ways, used as a dessert, and made into sweet juice.
In many parts of the country during the harvest season, a popular activity is to go into an apple garden to pick apples. Washington, D. C. and New York are both famous for their apples.
Finally, when it’s time to take a vacation to American cities, one can always visit New York, which is “the biggest apple” of all the American cities.What does the underlined phrase “apple polisher” mean?
| A．Something for cutting apples. |
| B．A person who likes to please others. |
| C．A person who is dealing with fruits. |
| D．A machine for cleaning apples quickly. |
Which of the following is TRUE with apples?
| A．Apples are medicine. |
| B．Apples are the most important food. |
| C．New York is famous for its big apples. |
| D．The Bible says Adam was given an apple. |
The passage is mainly about .
| A．stories about the apple |
| B．apples in American culture |
| C．some famous sayings of the apple |
| D．big cities that is famous for apples |
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