In the fall of 1985, I was a bright-eyed girl heading off to Howard University, aiming at a legal career and dreaming of sitting on a Supreme Court bench somewhere. Twenty-one years later I am still a bright-eyed dreamer and one with quite a different tale to tell.
My grandma, an amazing woman, graduated from college at the age of 65. She was the first in our family to reach that goal. But one year after I started college, she developed cancer. I made the choice to withdraw from college to care for her. It meant that school and my personal dream would have to wait.
Then I got married with another dream: building my family with a combination of adopted and biological children. In 1999, we adopted our first son. To lay eyes on him was fantastic---and very emotional. A year later came our second adopted boy. Then followed son No. 3. In 2003, I gave birth to another boy.
You can imagine how fully occupied I became, raising four boys under the age of 8! Our home was a complete zoo — a joyous zoo. Not surprising, I never did make it back to college full-time. But I never gave up on the dream either. I had only one choice: to find a way. That meant taking as few as one class each semester.
The hardest part was feeling guilty about the time I spent away from the boys. They often wanted me to stay home with them. There certainly were times I wanted to quit, but I knew I should set an example for them to follow through the rest of their lives.
In 2007, I graduated from the University of North Carolina. It took me over 21 years to get my college degree!
I am not special, just single-minded. It always struck me that when you’re looking at a big challenge from the outside it looks huge, but when you’re in the midst of it, it just seems normal. Everything you want won’t arrive in your life on one day. It’s a process. Remember: little steps add up to big dreams.When the author went to Howard University, her dream was to be_________.
| A．a writer | B．a doctor |
| C．a judge | D．a journalist |
Why did the author quit school in her second year of college?
| A．Her grandma asked her to withdraw from college. |
| B．She fell in love and got married. |
| C．She had so many children to support that she was too busy to continue her college. |
| D．She decided to look after her grandma. |
What does the author mostly want to tell us in the last paragraph?
| A．Failure is the mother of success. |
| B．Little by little, one goes far. |
| C．Every coin has two sides. |
| D．Well begun, half done. |
Which of the following can best describe the author?
| A．Caring and determined. | B．Honest and responsible. |
| C．Ambitious and sensitive. | D．Innocent and single-minded. |
Researchers are placing robotic dogs(机器狗)in the homes of lonely old people to determine whether they can improve the quality of life for humans. Alan Beck，an expert in human animal relationship，and Nancy Edwards，a professor of nursing，are leading the animal assisted study concerning the influence of robotic dogs on old people’s depression，physical activity，and life satisfaction.“No one will argue that an older person is better off being more active，challenged，or stimulated(刺激)，”Edwards points out.“The problem is how we promote(使……成为现实)that，especially for those without friends or help. A robotic dog could be a solution.”
In the study，the robot，called AIBO，is placed for six weeks in the houses of some old people who live alone. Before placing AIBO in the home，researchers will collect baseline data for six weeks. These old people will keep a diary to note their feelings and activities before and after AIBO. Then，the researchers will review the data to determine if it has inspired any changes in the life of its owner.
“I talk to him all the time，and he responds to my voice，”says a seventy year old lady.“When I’m watching TV，he’ll stay in my arms until he wants down. He has a mind of his own.”
The AIBOs respond to certain orders. The researchers say they have some advantages over live dogs，especially for old people.Often the elderly are disabled and cannot care for an animal by walking it or playing with it. A robotic dog removes exercises and feeding concerns.
“At the beginning，it was believed that no one would relate to the robotic dog，because it was metal and not furry.”Beck says.“But it’s amazing how quickly we have given up that belief.”
Hopefully，down the road，these robotic pets could become a more valuable health helper. They will record their masters’ blood pressure，oxygen levels，or heart rhythms. AIBOs may even one day have games that can help stimulate old people’s minds.The purpose of Beck and Edwards’ study is to________.
| A．understand human animal relationship |
| B．make lonely old people’s life better |
| C．find the causes of old people’s loneliness |
| D．promote the animal assisted research |
In the research，the old people are asked to________.
| A．note the activities of AIBOs |
| B．keep AIBOs at home for 12 weeks |
| C．record their feelings and activities |
| D．analyze the collected information |
What is the advantage of AIBO over live dogs?
| A．It is easier to keep at home. |
| B．It can help the disabled people. |
| C．It responds to all the human orders. |
| D．It can watch TV with its owner. |
The author seems to suggest that the future robotic dogs may________.
| A．cure certain diseases |
| B．keep old people active |
| C．change people’s beliefs |
| D．look more like real dogs |
According to the passage，which of the following statements is TRUE?
| A．The professors are leading the animal assisted study concerning old people’s life. |
| B．The AIBOs will always listen to their owners without their own minds. |
| C．The researchers will know from the data whether AIBO can help its owner. |
| D．AIBOs can have games with the old people to stimulate their minds. |
Can dogs and cats live in perfect harmony in the same home? People who are thinking about adopting a dog as a friend for their cat are worried that they will fight. A recent research has found a new recipe for success. According to the study, if the cat is adopted before the dog, and if they are introduced when still young (less than 6 months for cats, a year for dogs), it is highly probable that the two pets will get along swimmingly. Two-thirds of the homes interviewed reported a positive relationship between their cat and dog.
However, it wasn’t all sweetness and light. There was a reported coldness between the cat and dog in 25% of the homes, while aggression and fighting were observed in 10% of the homes. One reason for this is probably that some of their body signals are just opposite. For example, when a cat turns its head away it signals aggression, while a dog doing the same signals submission.
In homes with cats and dogs living peacefully, researchers observed a surprising behavior. They are learning how to talk each other’s language. It is a surprise that cats can learn how to talk ‘Dog’, and dogs can learn how to talk ‘Cat’.
What’s interesting is that both cats and dogs have appeared to develop their intelligence. They can learn to read each other’s body signals, suggesting that the two may have more in common than was previously suspected. Once familiar with each other’s presence and body language, cats and dogs can play together, greet each other nose to nose, and enjoy sleeping together on the sofa. They can easily share the same water bowl and in some cases groom (梳理) each other.
The significance of this research on cats and dogs may go beyond pets ─ to people who don’t get along, including neighbors, colleagues at work, and even world superpowers. If cats and dogs can learn to get along, surely people have a good chance.The underlined word swimmingly in Paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to ______.
| A．early | B．sweetly | C．quickly | D．smoothly |
Some cats and dogs may fight when ______.
| A．they are cold to each other |
| B．they look away from each other |
| C．they misunderstand each other’s signals |
| D．they are introduced at an early age |
What is found surprising about cats and dogs?
| A．They eat and sleep together. |
| B．They observe each other’s behaviors. |
| C．They learn to speak each other’s language. |
| D．They know something from each other’s voices. |
It is suggested in Paragraph 4 that cats and dogs ______.
| A．have common interests |
| B．are less different than was thought |
| C．have a common body language |
| D．are less intelligent than was expected |
What can we human beings learn from cats and dogs?
| A．We should learn to live in harmony. |
| B．We should know more about animals. |
| C．We should live in peace with animals. |
| D．We should learn more body languages. |
Sometimes you’ll hear people say that you can’t love others until you love yourself. Sometimes you’ll hear people say that you can’t expect someone else to love you until you love yourself. Either way, you’ve got to love yourself first and this can be tricky(棘手的). Sure we all know that we’re the apple of our parents’ eyes, and that our Grandmas think we’re great talents and our Uncle Roberts think that we will go to the Olympics, but sometimes it’s a lot harder to think such nice thoughts about ourselves. If you find that believing in yourself is a challenge, it is time you build a positive self-image and learn to love yourself.
Self-image is your own mind’s picture of yourself. This image includes the way you look, the way you act, the way you talk and the way you think. Interestingly, our self-images are often quite different from the images others hold about us. Unfortunately, most of these images are more negative than they should be. Thus changing the way you think about yourself is the key to changing your self-image and your whole world.
The best way to defeat a passive self-image is to step back and decide to stress your successes. That is, make a list if you need to, but write down all of the great things you do every day. Don’t allow doubts to occur in it.
It very well might be that you are experiencing a negative self-image because you can’t move past one flaw or weakness that you see about yourself. Well, roll up your sleeves（袖子） and make a change of it as your primary task. If you think you’re silly because you aren’t good at math, find a tutor. If you think you’re weak because you can’t run a mile, get to the track and practice. If you think you’re dull because you don’t wear the latest trends（潮流）, buy a few new clothes. But remember, just because you think it doesn’t mean it’s true.
The best way to get rid of a negative self-image is to realize that your image is far from objective（客观的）, and to actively convince（使确信） yourself of your positive qualities. Changing the way you think and working on those you need to improve will go a long way towards promoting（促进，晋升） a positive self-image. When you can pat (拍) yourself on the back, you’ll know you’re well on your way. Good luck!You need to build a positive self-image when you _________.
| A．dare to challenge yourself |
| B．feel it hard to change yourself |
| C．are unconfident about yourself |
| D．have a high opinion of yourself |
According to the passage, our self-images _________.
| A．have positive effects |
| B．are probably untrue |
| C．are often changeable |
| D．have different functions |
How should you change your self-image according to the passage?
| A．To keep a different image of others. |
| B．To make your life successful. |
| C．To understand your own world. |
| D．To change the way you think. |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．How to prepare for your success. |
| B．How to face challenges in your life. |
| C．How to build a positive self-image. |
| D．How to develop your good qualities. |
Who are the intended readers of the passage?
| A．Parents. | B．Adolescents（青少年）. |
| C．Educators. | D．People in general. |
As any homemaker who has tried to keep order at the dinner table knows, there is far more to a family meal than food. Sociologist Michael Lewis has been studying 50 families to find out just how much more.
Lewis and his co-workers carried out their study by videotaping(录像) the families while they ate ordinary meals in their own homes. They found that parents with small families talk actively with each other and their children. But as the number of children gets larger, conversation gives way to the parents’ efforts to control the loud noise they make. That can have an important effect on the children. “In general the more question-asking the parents do, the higher the children’s IQ scores,” Lewis says. “And the more children there are, the less question-asking there is.”
The study also provides an explanation for why middle children often seem to have a harder time in life than their siblings(兄弟姐妹). Lewis found that in families with three or four children, dinner conversation is likely to center on the oldest child, who has the most to talk about, and the youngest, who needs the most attention. “Middle children are invisible,” says Lewis. “When you see someone get up from the table and walk around during dinner, chances are that it’s the middle child.” There is, however, one thing that stops all conversation and prevents anyone from having attention: “When the TV is on,” Lewis says, “dinner is a non-event.”Parents with large families ask fewer questions at dinner because ______.
| A．they are busy serving food to their children |
| B．they are busy keeping order at the dinner table |
| C．they have to pay more attention to younger children |
| D．they are tired out having prepared food for the whole family |
By saying “Middle children are invisible” in paragraph 3, Lewis means that middle children ______.
| A．have to help their parents to serve dinner |
| B．get the least attention from the family |
| C．are often kept away from the dinner table |
| D．find it hard to keep up with other children |
Lewis’ research provides an answer to the question ______.
| A．why TV is important in family life |
| B．why parents should keep good order |
| C．why children in small families seem to be quieter |
| D．why middle children seem to have more difficulties in life |
Which of the following statements would the writer agree to?
| A．It is important to have the right food for children. |
| B．It is a good idea to have the TV on during dinner. |
| C．Parents should talk to each of their children frequently. |
| D．Elder children should help the younger ones at dinner. |
The writer’s purpose in writing the text is to ______.
| A．show the relationship between parents and children. |
| B．teach parents ways to keep order at the dinner table. |
| C．report on the findings of a study. |
| D．give information about family problems. |
One night this summer, on my way home from work I decided to see a movie. I knew the theatre would be air conditioned and I couldn’t face my 36 apartment. Sitting in the theatre I had to 37 the opening between the two tall heads in front of me. I had to keep changing the 38 every time she leaned over to talk to him, 39 he leaned over to kiss her. Why do Americans display such 40 in a public place？I thought the movie would help improve my English, but as it 41 ,it was an Italian movie. 42 about an hour I decided to give up the movie and 43 my popcorn. I’ve never understood why they gave me so much popcorn！It tasted pretty good , 44. With time going by, I understood 45 of the romantic sounding Italians. I just heard the 46 of the popcorn chewed between my teeth. My thought started to 47.I remembered when I was in South Korea, I 48 to watch a host on TV frequently. He seemed like a good friend to me, until I saw him 49 on TV in New York speaking 50 English instead of perfect Korean. He didn’t 51 have a Korean accent！I felt like I had been betrayed (背叛)．
When our family moved to the United States six years ago, none of us spoke any English. 52 we had picked up a few words, my mother suggested that we all should practise English at home. Everyone agreed, but our house became terribly 53 and we all seemed to avoid each other. When we couldn’t avoid seeing each other, our expressions were stiff (僵硬的)．Sitting at the dinner table we preferred silence to 54 a difficult language. Mother 55 to say something in English but it came out all wrong and we all burst into laughter and decided to forget it！We’ve been speaking Korean at home ever since.
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