Four years ago my sweet mom went to be with her Lord. She did it her way.
I got the call at work, and I headed home quickly. Mom and Dad lived on a small farm that they had owned since I was seven. I hated going there every weekend. There was nothing for a young girl to do but watch the one station on the old TV set, if the weather allowed reception.
My mom, on the other hand, loved the peace and quiet of the land. The place was rustic, with no indoor plumbing or heat. We had a big wood stove in the kitchen that did its best to heat the little farmhouse, but it always seemed cold and too quiet to me.
In the evenings, my mom and I would sit for hours singing in the little kitchen. I sang the melody and Mom harmonized. Her favorite song was "Moon River" and we sang it over and over. Mom told me stories about how when I was a little girl, I could sing before I could talk.
As time passed, I had my own children and went to visit them every week or two. The kids loved the farm and the tractor rides with my dad. Me, well, I still hated the silence of the farm. While my mom loved to sit at her kitchen table and look out at her garden and flowers and retell all the old stories, I missed the hustle and bustle（喧闹）of my life at home. But I sat there listening quietly as she reminisced.
Now, I sat back in the silence and the silence was deafening so I finally leaned over to turn on an old radio. Music always comforted me.
My heart skipped a beat. "Moon River" was playing on the radio. I sat there stunned, with a tear running down my cheek, as I listened to every familiar note. From the first paragraph, we know that the writer’s mother ________.
| A．left the small farm with Lord |
| B．passed away four years ago |
| C．left for Lord to live her own way |
| D．preferred to be with Lord |
The underlined word reminisced in the fifth paragraph probably means ________.
| A．shouted | B．comforted |
| C．recalled | D．sighed |
The writer didn’t like staying in the farm for the following reasons except that ________.
| A．she could only sing one song in the small farm |
| B．it was too cold and quiet |
| C．there was nothing more that could make her excited |
| D．the place was rustic, with no indoor plumbing or heat |
Which of the following would be the best title for this passage? _______
| A．Cherish(珍惜) life | B．My happy childhood |
| C．Our small farmhouse | D．Mom’s music |
A smart phone’s low battery warning is the only warning that most people take seriously. Try the following steps and you will improve your battery life.
1. Let there be less light
For larger smart phones, the longer the screen is on and the brighter it is, the faster you
r battery goes. Try making the screen as dark as you can bear it and still read a text. Darkening the screen is common among teenagers, but it may be hard for Mom and Dad to see what’s showing on their phone.
2. Turn off the signals
Your smart phone does a lot of communicating in the background. They’re checking for things like new emails, text messages, Wi-Fi signals, Bluetooth signals, your location and more. These activities do drain your battery life, so you should turn off whatever you aren’t using. Location Services is also another feature that burns up your battery, so you can use GPS and Wi-Fi to find out which apps have access to Location Services and turn them off.
3. Turn off notifications (通告)
Another way to improve battery life is to stop the constant flow of notifications and updates from Facebook, email, games and sites. Your phone will automatically pick up these notifications when it’s connected to the Internet, and they can have a noticeable impact on battery life.
4. Use battery saving mode (模式)
For a quick way to improve your battery, simply put your smart phone in Airplane Mode. If Airplane Mode is too limiting, some phones have a specific battery saver mode. This shuts down unimportant functions and apps like Wi-Fi, some updates and more.
If used properly, these tips above will improve your battery life up to 30 percent.The underlined word “drain” means “ ”.
| A．light up | B．use up |
| C．pick up | D．make up |
If you want to improve your battery life, you are advised to use a .
| A．small screen | B．large screen |
| C．bright screen | D．round screen |
We can infer that aged people tend to .
| A．email family members | B．use Location Services |
| C．darken the screen | D．brighten the screen |
We can learn that Airplane Mode can .
| A．improve signals | B．waste energy |
| C．affect health | D．save power |
Sleep is a basic human need, as basic as the need for oxygen. Getting a good night’s sleep is not only directly related to how we feel the next day, but to our long-term health as well. However, many of us suffer from insomnia (失眠). Even more of us report at least one night of restless sleep per week. This is a serious problem.
Well, how can we make sure that we rest well and stay healthy? Here are some suggestions.
If you can’t sleep in the middle of the night, don’t get up. The bright light will affect your body clock and worsen your insomnia. Stay in bed!
Avoid short sleep during the day, except for a brief ten to fifteen-minute sleep between 2:00 and 4:00 P.M.
Limit your time in bed to the average number of hours you’ve actually slept per night last week. Don’t try to make up for lost sleep. It can’t be done.
Get regular exercise each day, but finish at least six hours before bedtime. Exercising in the evening can help keep you awake.
Take a hot bath for thirty minutes within two hours of bedtime. The bath will warm you, relax you, and make you feel sleepy.
Keep our bedroom dark, quiet, and well ventilated (通风).
Keep a regular schedule seven days a week. Avoid sleeping late on weekends. Although it may feel good while you’re doing it, sleeping late on weekend can lead to insomnia during the week.
Don’t drink alcohol (酒精). Although, having a drink before bed makes you sleep, alcohol loses its effects after a while. The secondary effects of alcohol can wake you up during the second half of your night’s sleep.
Keep the face of the clock in your bedroom turned away, and don’t find out what time it is when you awaken in the night.The first paragraph serves as a(n) __________.
| A．argument | B．introduction |
| C． comment | D．explanation |
Which of the following is NOT advised for a good night’s sleep?
| A．Staying in bed after failing to sleep. |
| B．Don’t exercise six hours before sleeping |
| C．Don’t drink alcohol before sleeping. |
| D．Preventing the wind from blowing into your room. |
To sleep well, you need to __________.
| A．get up late on weekends |
| B．sleep during the day sometimes |
| C．avoid looking at your clock |
| D．have a bath in the morning |
The text mainly about__________ .
| A．some keys to a better night’s sleep |
| B．some advantages of having a good sleep |
| C．some effects of bad night’s sleep |
| D．some reasons for insomnia |
I was never very neat, while my roommate Kate was extremely organized. Each of her objects had its place, but mine always hid somewhere. She even labeled (贴标签 ) everything. I always looked for everything. Over time, Kate got neater and I got messier. She would push my dirty clothing over, and I would lay my books on her tidy desk. We both got tired of each other.
War broke out one evening. Kate came into the room. Soon, I heard her screaming, "Take your shoes away! Why under my bed!" Deafened, I saw my shoes flying at me. I jumped to my feet and started yelling. She yelled back louder.
The room was filled with anger. We could not have stayed together for a single minute but for a phone call. Kate answered it. From her end of the conversation, I could tell right away her grandma was seriously ill. When she hung up, she quickly crawled (爬 ) under her covers, weeping. Obviously, that was something she should not go through phone. All of a sudden ,a warm feeling of sympathy rose up in my heart,
Slowly, I collected the pencils, took back the books, made my bed, cleaned the socks and swept the floor, even on her side. I got so absorbed into my work that I even didn't noticed Kate had sat up. She was watching, her tears dried. Then, she reached out her hands to grasp mine. I looked up into her eyes. She smiled at me. "Thanks."
Kate and I stayed roommates for the rest of the year. We didn't always agree, but we learned the key to living together: giving in，cleaning up and holding on.What made Kate angry that evening?
| A．She heard the author shouting loud. |
| B．She couldn't find her books. |
| C．She saw the author's shoes beneath her bed. |
| D．She got the news that her grandma was ill. |
The author tidied up the room most probably because___.
| A．she was scared by Kate's anger |
| B．she wanted to show her care |
| C．she hated herself for being so messy |
| D．she was asked by Kate to do so |
How is Paragraph 1 mainly developed?
| A．By showing differences. | B．By describing a process. |
| C．By analyzing causes. | D．By following time order. |
What might be the best title for the story?
| A．How to Be Organized | B．Learning to Be Roommates |
| C．My Friend Kate | D．Hard Work Pays Off |
Our spiritual intelligence quotient（精神智商）,or SQ, helps us understand ourselves, and live fuller, happier lives.
Though we're all born with SQ, most of us don't even realize that we have it. Fortunately, you don't have to sign up for classes to learn how to improve your SQ. Here are some simple steps that can lead you to this new level of understanding.
Sit Quietly. The process of developing spiritual intelligence begins with solitude（独处）and silence. To tune in to your spirit, you have to turn down the volume（强度）in your busy, noisy, complicated life and force yourself to do nothing at all. Start small by creating islands for silence in your day. In the car, instead of listening to the music, use the time to think. At work, shut the door to your office between meetings, take a few breaths and let them out very, very slowly. Enjoy the stillness in your home after the kids are finally in bed.
Step Outside. For many people, nature sets their spirit free. Go outside to watch a beautiful sunset. If you are walking with the dog, take the time to admire flowers in bloom; follow the flight of a bird and watch clouds float overhead.
Ask Questions of Yourself. Ask open-ended questions, such as "What am I feeling? What are my choices? Where am I heading?"
But don't expect an answer to arrive through some supernatural forms of e-mail. “Rarely do I get an immediate answer to my question,” says Reverend Joan Carter, a Presbyterian minister in Sausalito, California. “But later that day I suddenly find myself thinking about a problem in a perspective I never considered before.”
Trust Your Spirit. While most of us rely on gut（本能的）feeling to realize danger, spiritual intelligence pushes us, not away from, but towards some action that will lead to a greater good..The passage is mainly about______.
| A．what your SQ is and in what way it can benefit our life |
| B．what your SQ is and in what way it can be improved |
| C．the relationship between your SQ and your life |
| D．advantages and disadvantages of SQ |
The underlined phrase "to tune in to your spirit" in the third paragraph probably means to_________
| A．get your spirit relaxed | B．keep up your spirit |
| C．keep seated quietly | D．change your spirit |
From the passage, we can know that the most important thing to improve your SQ is______
| A．a peaceful mind | B．deep thought |
| C．spare time and hobbies | D．good spirits |
It was the end of my first day as a waitress in a busy New York restaurant. My cap had gone away, and my feet hurt. The loaded plates I carried seemed to be heavier and heavier. Tired and discouraged, I didn’t seem able to do anything right. As I made out a check for a family with several children who had changed their ice-cream order a dozen times, I was ready to stop. Then the father smiled at me as he handed me my tip. “Well done,” he said, “you’ve looked after us really well.” Suddenly my tiredness disappeared. I smiled back, and later, when the manager asked me how I’d liked my first day, I said, “Fine!” Those few words of praise had changed everything. Praise is like sunlight to human spirit; we cannot flower and grow without it. And yet, most of us are only too ready to apply to others the cold criticism（批评）, but are unwilling to give our fellows the warm sunshine of praise. Perhaps that is why one word of praise can bring such pleasure.
It’s strange how chary we are about praising. Perhaps it’s because few of us know how to accept it. It’s especially rewarding to give praise in areas in which effort generally goes unnoticed．An artist gets admired for a glorious picture，a cook for a perfect meal．But do you ever tell your laundry （洗衣房）manager how pleased you are when the shirts are done just right? In fact，to give praise costs the giver nothing but a moment’s thought and a moment’s effort．Which of the following can’t describe the writer’s situation before she got her tip?
| A．She was tired． | B．She was busy． |
| C．She was sorry． | D．She was confident． |
According to the passage，which of the following is least likely to be given praise?
| A．An artist． | B．A cook． |
| C．A waitress． | D．A laundry manager． |
The underlined word “chary” in Paragraph 2 means_________.
| A．careless | B．cautious |
| C．unwilling | D．greedy |
What is the best title of the passage?
| A．Why Do You Praise Others? |
| B．Why do You Criticize Others? |
| C．Be Generous to Give Others Praise! |
| D．Don’t Criticize Others! |
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