Valentine’s Day（情人节） was coming. Helen felt hurt and lonely because this was her first Valentine’s Day after the divorce（离婚）.
Helen’s twelve-year-old son, Jack, looked at his mother, knowing that this was a difficult time for both of them. In order to make his mother happy, he prepared a present, and handed it to her on Valentine’s Day.
It was a beautiful gift package （纸盒）. Helen couldn’t believe what was happening. She opened it and took out a lovely card and a small box.
“Now,” he said, “read the card.” It reads as follows:
“I know that this isn’t easy for you because it has been a hard year for both of us. I know that Valentine’s Day is a special day for people in love. I want you to know that I love you. I know that Valentines are supposed to get chocolate. I went to the store today to buy some for you. Luckily, I got the last piece. I told the clerk it was just perfect.”
Helen stood there for a moment and looked at her son. Her eyes sparkled in the light as tears formed in each corner. Jack knew he had done the right thing. Slowly she opened the small box, careful not to tear the paper. She would never forget the moment. She found a chocolate heart that was broken into pieces along with a note:
“I am so sorry that Dad left us, Mom. And all you were left with was a broken heart. But I just want you to know we still have each other.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Your son,
Jack”Which of the following words can best describe Jack?
| A．Hard-working. | B．Humorous. |
| C．Brave. | D．Caring. |
Why did Jack think it was a difficult time for his mother and him?
| A．Because he hadn’t heard from his father for a long time. |
| B．Because his mother had been out of work for a long time. |
| C．Because his father left them and his mother felt hurt and lonely. |
| D．Because he had no money to buy a gift for his mother |
Which of the following wasn’t in the gift package?
| A．A card | B．A flower |
| C．A small box. | D．A chocolate heart. |
Jack wrote a card to his mother in order to ____.
| A．show his love to her |
| B．explain why he felt lonely |
| C．ask her to give him some money |
| D．express he missed his father |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．Helen felt hurt and lonely when Valentine’s Day was coming. |
| B．Jack knows his mother’s feelings and prepared a present on Valentine’s Day. |
| C．Jack’s mother still loves Jack’s father. |
| D．Helen was moved by her son when she received Jack’s gift. |
We have all experienced days when everything goes wrong. A day may begin well enough, but suddenly everything seems to get out of control. It seems as if a single unimportant event may cause a number of things to happen. Let us suppose that you are preparing a meal and keeping an eye on the baby at the same time. The telephone rings and this means your troubles are beginning. While you are on the phone, the baby pulls the table-cloth off the table, destroying your half prepared meal. You hang up（挂断电话） hurriedly and attend to your baby. Meanwhile, the meal gets burnt. As if this were not enough to bring you to tears, your husband arrives, unexpectedly bringing three guests to dinner.
Things can go wrong on a number of people on the road. During the rush hour one evening two cars hit each other and both drivers began to argue. The woman driver behind the two cars happened to be a learner. She suddenly go into a panic (恐慌) and stopped her car. This made the driver following her stop suddenly. His wife was sitting beside him holding a large cake. As she was thrown forward, the cake went right through the window and landed on the road. Seeing a cake flying through the air, a truck-driver had to stop his truck all of a sudden. The truck was carrying empty beer bottles and hundreds of them slid off the back of the truck on to the road. This led to yet another angry argument. Meanwhile, the traffic piled up（排成长龙） behind. It took the police nearly an hour to get the traffic on the move again. In the meanwhile, the truck-driver had to sweep up hundreds of broken bottles. Only two dogs were enjoying themselves from the accident, for they were happily having what was left of the cake. It was just one of those days!According to the author’s opinion, ____.
| A．troubles always come in groups |
| B．accidents may happen anytime |
| C．a small matter may cause great trouble |
| D．anyone may have trouble any day |
When the telephone rings,____.
| A．you should never go to answer it in a hurry |
| B．your trouble is sure to come |
| C．you’d better just let it ring all the way |
| D．you’d better have your baby a little distant from your table before answering it |
What did the police do after the accident?
| A．They helped the driver clean up the road. |
| B．They tried to stop the people from arguing. |
| C．They helped the drivers to go on with their journey. |
| D．They would find out who should be responsible |
It has long been thought that first-born children are more successful than their younger brothers and sisters and often have qualities of being more organised and responsible as well as being eager to be in charge.
But a new study has shown that the elder child's achievements can help improve their younger siblings(兄弟姐妹) exam results by helping them to raise their game. For the first time ever, researchers from the University of Essex examined how the success of first born children in school affected their younger brothers and sisters by studying primary school test results.
And the data showed that having an older brother or sister improved a child’s learning with the equal effect of spending an extra £670 on the younger sibling's schooling. One of the study’s authors Birgitta Rabe explained, the older sibling’s achievement may have a direct effect on the younger sibling’s school grades if the older sibling teaches the younger sibling or helps with homework; the younger sibling imitates(模仿) the older sibling, for example in their work style, or tries to be different, for example to avoid competition; the older sibling passes on important information about educational choices or school and teachers to the younger sibling.
The effect is even more noticeable in less well-off families showing poorer children benefit more from a successful older sibling. “We find that the effect is larger for siblings in families relying on free school meals, living in poverty and speaking a language other than English at home. This means that children who live in poverty benefit more from a successful older sibling than children who live in well-off families.”
The study is mainly based on the children’s ________.
| A．exam results | B．work style |
| C．family background | D．educational choices |
According to the study, ________ tend to benefit more from a successful older sibling.
| A．the children who live in rich families |
| B．the children who live in poor families |
| C．the children whose parents are successful |
| D．the children whose mother language is English |
What can we conclude from the study?
| A．Younger siblings are more successful than first borns. |
| B．First-born children are as successful as their younger siblings. |
| C．First-born children are more successful than their younger siblings. |
| D．The success of first borns has positive effects on their younger siblings. |
The passage is likely to appear in ________.
| A．a newspaper advertisement |
| B．a high school textbook |
| C．a science magazine |
| D．a news report |
Goedeker's loves to see happy customers, so every year we host a drawing competition in January and July, and one lucky person receives an iPad Mini. Goedeker’s customers can enter the competition through many ways, such as sending product or customer reviews.
When I spoke to July’s drawing winner, I couldn’t believe the encouraging story behind her efforts. Sari Bailey entered the drawing competition in hopes of winning the iPad Mini for her blind granddaughter, Aubrey. Aubrey, soon-to-be 4 years old, was born with a rare condition called Septo-Optic Dysplasia. The condition, also known as De Morsier’s Syndrome, happens when the optic(视觉的) nerves do not develop fully before the baby is born. Aubrey once had an iPad Mini, given to her by the Gia Foundation, which provides an iPad Mini to the blind once a year. However, it was stolen, and her family did not know how they could replace it. The iPad was extremely important to Aubrey’s development, as she uses it for intensive therapy(强化治疗). Each week, Aubrey works through an hour of physical and speech therapy.
While Aubrey may struggle with her sight, she loves music and plays the piano and sings fairly well for a three-year-old! As one can imagine, the iPad plays a huge role in this. She also finished her first year of school in May.
Sari says, "We are very happy for her progress. We like to have as many tools for learning as possible available to Aubrey, thus, my desire for the winning of the iPad Mini! She is a very special little girl and I love her dearly."
Here at Goedeker’s, we wish Aubrey the very best, and we hope she loves the new iPad Mini!Why did Sari take part in the drawing competition?
| A．To win an iPad Mini for her granddaughter. |
| B．To make customers at Goedeker’s happy. |
| C．To encourage her granddaughter to draw. |
| D．To prove her drawing talent to her family. |
How long has Aubrey been suffering from her illness?
| A．More than 1 year. | B．Around 2 years. |
| C．Less than 3 years. | D．Almost 4 years. |
The iPad Mini is special to Aubrey because________.
| A．it’s a prize received by her grandmother |
| B．it’s a tool for the treatment of her illness |
| C．it’s something her family can’t afford |
| D．it teaches her to sing and play the piano |
Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?
| A．The Yearly Competition at Goedker’s. |
| B．The Brave Girl Fighting Rare Disease |
| C．iPad Mini Winner Shares the Love |
| D．The New iPad Mini from Grandmother |
For lots of people in Britain, the 31st of December, or New Year’s Eve as we call it, is the biggest party of the year. It’s a time to get together with friends or family and welcome in the coming year. New Year’s Eve parties can take place at a number of different places. Some people hold a house party; others attend street parties, while some just go to their local for a few drinks with their mates. Big cities, like London, have large and wonderful fireworks shows.
There’s one thing that all New Year’s Eve parties have in common: the countdown(倒计时) to midnight. When the clock strikes(敲)twelve, people give a loud cheer, and give each other a kiss. They then link arms and sing a song called Auld Lang Syne, by a Scottish poet called Robert Burns. Not many people can remember all the words of the song, but the tune(旋律) is well known, so lots of people just hum along. The parties then continue into the early hours of the morning with lots of dancing and drinking. Other people might spend the day visiting relatives or friends they haven’t managed to catch up with for a while. Whatever happens, New Year’s Day tends to be very relaxed.
In Britain, it’s popular to make a promise to yourself about something you are going to do, or want to stop doing, in the New Year. This is called a New Year’s resolution. Typical resolutions include giving up smoking and joining a gym to get fit. However, the promise is often broken quite quickly and people are back into their bad habits within weeks or days.
New Year’s Day is the last bank holiday of the festive season, which means most people have to go to work the next day: bright and fresh and ready for the new year ahead!New Year’s Eve parties in Britain ________.
| A．end at midnight |
| B．can only be held indoors |
| C．only take place in big cities |
| D．include countdown to midnight |
The underlined word “hum” in Paragraph 2 probably means________.
| A．dancing to the music |
| B．singing with your mouth closed |
| C．learning to sin |
| D．keeping silent |
What does the author think of the New Year’s resolution?
| A．It can help people keep fit. |
| B．It’s a promise to your family. |
| C．It’s often hard to keep. |
| D．It’s a joke played on New Year’s Day. |
What is the main idea of the passage?
| A．New Year parties in Britain. |
| B．New Year countdown in Britain. |
| C．New Year’s resolution in Britain. |
| D．New Year celebration in Britain. |
There is an old saying about volunteer work that goes like this: No one can do everything, but everyone can do something.
Today, many people volunteer their time and energy to help others. There are a lot of ways to meet other people’s needs. For example, some volunteers provide help after a disaster. Others are happy to get dirty while repairing homes or planting trees or flowers in poor neighborhoods（地区）. Young people see suffering and loneliness around them and find ways to help. And history lovers help archeologists（考古学家）search for ancient objects to help deepen knowledge of the past.
Volunteers also work in many areas around the world, including Haiti（海地）. More than two years have passed since a 7.0 earthquake shook the nation. The exact number of people who died may never be known. Thousands of survivors of the Haitian earthquake still live in temporary（临时的）shelters. Last year, former American President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn joined five hundred Habitat volunteers in the town of Leogane to build houses.
Organizations do not have to be large to get volunteers. An activist group in Dharamsala, India is a good example. Jodie Underhill from England arrived in northern India several years ago. She planned to volunteer for an environmental project. She could almost not believe how much rubbish was ruining some of the area’s most beautiful sights. Ms Underhill learned about how to deal with the rubbish while taking part in other volunteer projects. But soon enough she formed her own group, Mountain Cleaners. Ms Underhill says the work is very hard. But she praises the group’s efforts as a wonderful experience. The young English woman says the Indian media started calling her “Garbage Girl”. And she says she was pleased with the name.
American teenagers also volunteer in many ways.The author uses an old saying in the first paragraph to .
| A．introduce the topic of the passage |
| B．draw the readers’ attention to care for the poor |
| C．encourage people to become volunteers |
| D．explain the meaning of volunteer work |
What did former American President Jimmy Carter do as a volunteer?
| A．Give some money to the poor in Haiti. |
| B．Plant trees and flowers in Haiti’s park. |
| C．Help archeologists search for ancient objects |
| D．Help to build houses after a disaster. |
How did Jodie Underhill feel when she saw beautiful sights ruined by the rubbish?
| A．shocked | B．pleased | C．moved | D．interested |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．The number of people died in Haiti’s earthquake is unclear. |
| B．Ms Underhill formed her own group to make money. |
| C．History lovers mainly learn the history from ancient objects. |
| D．Ms Underhill was called “Garbage Girl” by American media. |
What may the next passage talk about?
| A．The reason why people offer their services to others. |
| B．The way to join in a volunteer group. |
| C．The volunteer work that American teenagers do. |
| D．The benefits that volunteers can achieve. |
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