D
I was no different from any other mother.
When my little boy, Skyler, was born, I longed for the day he would talk to me. My husband and I dreamed about the first sweet “Mama” or “Dada.” Every cry or coo was a small glimpse into my son’s mind.
My baby’s noises were even more precious to me because Skyler had been born with several health problems.
At first, the problems had delayed his development, but once they were safely behind us. I looked forward to my son’s first words. They didn’t come.
At age three, Skyler was diagnosed autistic, a developmental disability destined to affect his social and emotional well-being in his entire life. Skyler couldn’t talk and wouldn’t talk. I would probably never hear any words from him at all. In a store, I would hear a child calling “Mommy,” and I would wonder if that were what my little boy might sound like. I wondered how it would feel to hear my child call out for me.
But I could have learned to live with his silence if it weren’t for another hallmark characteristic of autism: Skyler formed no attachments. He didn’t want to be held, much preferring to lie in his bed or sit in his car seat. He wouldn’t look at me; sometimes, he even looked through me.
Once, when I took him to the doctor, we talked to a specialist who was my size, age and who had the same hair color. When it was time to go, Skyler went to her instead of me—he couldn’t tell us apart. When Skyler was three, he spent three days at Camp Courageous for disabled children in Iowa, and when he returned he didn’t even recognize me.
The pain was almost unbearable. My own son didn’t even know I was his mother.
I hid the pain, and we did the best we could for Skyler. We enrolled him in our local area educational agency preschool, where the teachers and speech pathologist worked hard to help Skyler connect with the world around him. They used pictures and computer voice-machines that spoke for him, and sign language. These devices gave me little glimpses of who Skyler was, even if he didn’t understand who I was. “He will talk,” the speech pathologist insisted, but inside, I had given up hope.
The one dream I couldn’t let go was to have Skyler understand that I was his mom. Even if I never heard him say, “Mom,” I wanted to see the recognition in his eyes.
The summer of Skyler’s fourth year was when it started. A smoldering ember of understanding in him sparked, and fanned by our efforts, steadily flamed. His first words were hardly recognizable, often out of context, never spontaneous. Then, slowly, he could point to an item and say a word. Then two words together as a request. Then spontaneous words. Each day, he added more and more recognizable words, using them to identify pictures and ask questions. We could see his understanding increase, till his eyes would seek out mine, wanting to comprehend.
“You Mom?” he said one day.
“Yes, Skyler, I’m Mom.”
He asked his teachers and caregivers: “You Mom?”
“No, Skyler, not Mom.”（原作者：陈德琪）“You my Mom?” he said back to me.
“Yes, Skyler, I’m your Mom.”
And finally, a rush of understanding in his eyes: “You my Mom.”
“Yes, Skyler, I’m your Mom.”
If those had been Skyler’s only words ever, they would have been enough for me: My son knew I was his mother.
But Skyler wasn’t done.
One evening I leaned against the headboard on Skyler’s bed, my arms wrapped around him. He was cozily tucked between my legs, our bodies warm and snug as I read to him from one of his favorite books—a typical affectionate scene between mother and son, but because of Skyler’s autism, one that I could never take for granted.
I stopped reading. Skyler had interrupted me, leaning back his head so he could look me in the eye.
“Yes, Skyler?”
And then the voice of an angel, the voice of my son: “I love you, Mom.”According to the description of the author, we can learn that Skyler .
| A．could easily have a cold |
| B．usually preferred to stay alone |
| C．could only recognize his doctor |
| D．frequently lost temper |
The author felt the most heartbroken when .
| A．Skyler was diagnosed with autism |
| B．a child in a store called her “Mommy” |
| C．she realized Skyler didn’t know who she was |
| D．she found Skyler was born with several health problems |
What does the underlined sentence mean?
| A．The author had little hope that Skyler would talk. |
| B．The author decided to give up the treatments for Skyler. |
| C．The author was disappointed with the speech pathologist. |
| D．The author strongly believed that Skyler would make progress. |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．Skyler traveled around the world with his teachers. |
| B．The family was so frustrated that they lost hope. |
| C．The author never heard Skyler say “Mum”. |
| D．Skyler’s language ablity grew little by little. |
From the last few paragraphs, we can infer that .
| A．the author was grateful that her efforts paid off |
| B．Skyler could not only talk but also read |
| C．mom was the only word Skyler could say |
| D．the author had high expectations for Skyler |
What’s the best title for the passage?
| A．Road to Speaking | B．What is Autism? |
| C．A Caring Mother | D．Talk to Kids |
Companies can increase the money with which they run their business in a number of ways. One way is borrowing money, and another way is buying things with the agreement that payment would be made later. There are also other processes for providing money for use by a company. Two of these processes are described here.
One process the company may use is to issue bonds(债券). Bonds are a special kind of promissory note. They are issued in different values, in the forms of money used in different countries, such as the pound in England or the euro in Europe. These bonds can easily be sold again to other people or to other companies. The company that issues the bonds promises to pay a particular amount of money as interest regularly for a certain period of time. This continues until when the company has to pay back the principal(本金) of the bond. Payments of principal and interest must be made on time whether the company has been earning money or not. If these payments are not made on time, it means that the company has not done what it agreed to do and can be sued(控告，起诉).
Another process companies may use is to issue other forms of promissory notes called stocks(股票). Bonds and stocks are opposite methods of providing money for a company. The people who buy stocks provide money that is earned and take part in deciding how the company will conduct its business. They must also take part in the losses. The people who own stocks receive dividends only after the company has paid all of its debts to the people who own bonds. On the other hand, the persons who own bonds have no right, according to the law, to help decide how the company will handle its business, unless it is bankrupt or in danger of becoming so.
1. Which of the following statement is not the way for companies to increase their capital?
A. Borrowing money. B. Buying materials without paying.
C. Issuing bonds D. Issuing stocks
2 As to bonds, we know from the passage that ________.
A. they are cheques like bank notes
B. the company only pays back the principal
C. they are issued in the forms of money
D. if a company is bankrupt, it needn’t pay back the interest
3. According to this passage, who have the legal control over the decisions of the business?
A. Stockholders B. Bondholders
C. The government D. The workers in the company
4. It can be inferred from this passage that ________.
A. to issue bonds is a better way than to issue stocks
B. stockholders can sue the company when it is bankrupt
C. bondholders have the same rights as stockholders
D. investing in stocks has more risk than in bonds
第三部分：阅读理解（共20小题，每小题2分，满分40分）
As China’s women’s gymnastics team enjoyed the glory of winning the country’s first team Olympic gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games，the young gymnasts took the opportunity to remind the world that they are old enough to compete．
Weeks before the Beijing Games, some international media raised questions about the ages of some of the members of China’s gymnastics team, particularly He Kexin and Jiang Yuyuan. They said the girls might be younger than 16, the minimum age for the Olympics. But the Chinese Gymnastics Association quickly provided copies of the gymnasts’ ID cards and passports, proving they are indeed old enough to compete.
In the final, He Kexin gave a clean performance on her favorite uneven bars（高低杠）, earning the second highest score after falling from the bars during qualification. “Although I fell down in the qualification, I became more confident today to make up for my mistake and I finally made it.”She said. It was a great moment for head coach Lu Shanzhen. “Our team made history today and proved to the world that we are the best.” the coach said, “The gold medal is not only for the gymnastics team，but also for the whole Chinese delegation at the Beijing Games.”
The coach owed the team’s success to a series of reforms. The Chinese team used to train a 1ot, but competed less, which led to poor results in international competitions. To improve their ability to compete and to strengthen their psychological power, the Chinese team sent more team members to compete abroad, so they could bring a competitive spirit back to the team. All six gymnasts in the Olympic team final were selected from fierce competition, and they proved themselves today.
1. Before the Beijing Games started，some international media doubted whether ________.
A. Chinese women gymnasts could win the team gold medal
B. He Kexin would fall from the bars during qualification
C. Chinese women gymnasts could make history at the Beijing Games
D. some Chinese women gymnasts were old enough for the Games
2. Which of the following statements is NOT true?
A. The international media’s doubts proved to be true.
B. He Kexin’s fall in the qualification had no bad effect on her performance in the final competition.
C. Chinese women gymnasts’ success at the Beijing Games proved that the reforms did work.
D. Each team is made up of 6 members to compete for the team gold medal in women gymnastics.
3. In the opinion of Lu Shanzhen, the key to achieving success for athletes is to________.
A. practice harder than ever B. experience more competitions abroad
C. have strong psychological power D. have a competitive spirit
4. The main purpose of the text is to________.
A. tell a story B. provide evidence C. give a report D. compare opinions
Board, But Not Boring
Roll the Dice and Take a Chance on Something New…
Are you vacationed-out, tired of video-gaming, waterlogged by too many trips to the pool and ready to scream if you see one more “SpongeBob” rerun?
In other words, are you bored with summer?
We’ve got a suggestion: Kill that boredom with some great board boredom games. We went to game expert Lizzy Palmer of Barston’s Child’s Play in the District and ask for suggestions. All the games you see on this page are a ton of fun, she said, and there are sure to be at least one or two that you don’t already have.
Maptangle
Borderline Games
Ages 7 and older, 4 to 6 players, $24.95
This clever take on the classic game of Twister
challenges your gymnastic and geographic
skills at the same time. A huge floor map of
the world serves as the game board. There are
lots of geographic elements: countries, oceans,
rivers, deserts, even man-made landmarks. A
deck of cards tells you where to put one foot,
then the other. The round is over when someone falls.
Jungle Speed
Ages 7 and older, 2 to 8
players, $25.99
This is a fast-paced shape-
recognition game. A wooden totem
(图腾柱) sits in the middle. Players flip
(翻) over cards one at a time. When your
card matches another, be the first to grab
the totem so that you can give your card to the loser. But be careful: Some cards look the same but aren’t!
Enchanted Forest
Ravensburger Ages 6 and older, 2 to 6 players,
$24.99
A classic memory game. Take a winding path
through the forest and check under the trees for
fairy-tale treasure. Remember what you saw so
that when you need a particular treasure you can
go back to that tree to get it. Cool rule: You can split your dice (骰子) roll—for example, move five spaces in one direction and two in the other to land at the right tree.
Go fish for Wildlife Birdcage Press All ages, $9.95
Birdcage has several decks (副) of cards that are
more like trading cards. You fish for sea creatures,
reptiles, wild animals. Each deck has instructions
for several card games, and each card has great
photos and fun facts. Great for a trip.
HedBanz Funrise Ages 6 and older, 2 to 6
players, $13.99
Put on a headband and slip in a card that shows an
animal or thing. Everyone else can see it but you.
Ask questions until you guess what it is—but do it
before time runs out!
1. What’s the purpose of writing the article?
A. To advertise several board games to attract potential consumers.
B. To introduce several board games for readers to pass the summer.
C. To try to persuade readers to give up video games and choose board games.
D. To make some suggestions on how to spend the long summer.
2. Suppose Doris, a mother with a six-year old boy, wants to buy some board games for her child. How many kinds of board games can she choose?
A. 2 B. 3 C. 4 D. 5
3 Which of the following games will be the best choice for Mr Smith who wants to find an indoor game that can benefit both his daughter’s mind as well as her body?
A. Go Fish for Wildlife B. Jungle Speed
C. Maptangle Borderline Games D. Hedbanz
4. Which of the following can match the games with their benefits to players?
(1) Enchanted Forest a. to practice your quick response
(2) Maptangle Borderline Games b. to practice your memory
(3) Jungle Speed c. to practice your geographic knowledge
(4) Go fish for Wildlife d. to increase the knowledge about animals
A. bacd B. bcad C. cbad D. cdab
I have a friend who lives by a three-word philosophy: seize the moment. Just possibly, she may be the wisest woman on this planet. Too many people put off something that brings them joy just because they haven’t thought about it, don’t have it on their schedule, didn’t know it was coming or are too strict to depart from their routine.
I can’t count the times I called my siste
r and said, “How about going to lunch in half an hour?” She would gasp and stammer (结结巴巴地说), “ I can’t . I have clothes on the line. My hair is dirty. I wish I had known yesterday. I had a late breakfast. It looks like rain.” And my personal favo
rite response: “It’s just Monday.” She died a few years ago. We never did have lunch together. From then on, I’ve tried to be a little more flexible.
Life has a way of going faster as we get older. The days get shorter, and the list of promises made to ourselves gets longer. One morning, we awake, and all have to show for our lives is repetition of “I’m going to”, “I plan on” and “someday”, when things are settled down bit.
When anyone calls my “seize the moment” friend, she is open to adventure and available for trips. She keeps an open mind on new ideas. Her enthusiasm for life is contagious. You talk with her for five minutes, and you’re ready to trade your bad feet for a pair of Rollerblades and skip an elevator for a bungle cord.
My lips have not touched ice cream in 10 years. I love ice cream. The other day, I stopped the car and bought a triple-decker. If my car had hit an iceberg on the way home, I would have died happy.
Now…go on and have a nice day. Do something you WANT to…not something on your SHOULD DO list.
1. The example of the writer’s sister serves as ____.
A. an argument B. an introduction C. a support D. a conclusion
2. The writer thinks that the underlined excuse “It’s just Monday.” is acceptable,
because ____.
A.it is still likely that they can have lunch together some time later
B.it sounds most reasonable of all the excuses
C.it shows respect for the writer’s suggestion
D.it indicates the time when they can have lunch together
3. The underlined word “contagious” in the fourth paragraph means “______”.
A. appropriate B. influential C. practical D. evident
4. What did the purpose of the writer by writing this passage?
A. To suggest how time flies. B. To persuade busy people to relax.
C. to advise people to keep their promise.
D. To convince readers to be flexible on their schedule for practical joy.
Some people look at a hole and see empty space. Others see opportunity. That’s what Sheri Schmelzer spotted a few years ago when everyone—including her three children—started wearing Crocs, the colorful shoes dotted with holes.
“My kids and I were clowning around, and my eldest daughter, Lexie, got
the sewing kit out. I brought one of the Crocs, pulled some buttons, rhinestones, and fabric out of the kit, and stuck them in the holes. Lexie said, ‘Mom, I love that!’”
Sheri and Lexie, then seven, spent the rest of the day filling holes in the family’s 12 pairs of Crocs. Every look-alike shoe was suddenly unique. When her husband, Rich, experienced in setting up businesses, came home later that day, says Sheri, “I could see the light bulb go on over his head,” Crocs had sold millions of pairs of shoes; the couple figured they could create a business simply by riding the wave. Rich refused to let a decorated Croc leave their Boulder, Colorado, house until he’d filed a patent.
But first they needed a name. “Rich and I had seen a movie where Meg Ryan says to Tom Hanks, ‘I’m such a flibbertigibbet!’ That became my nickname, so I called the business Jibbitz.” While Sheri designed, Rich strategized. They decided to sell the charms through a website, Jibbitz.com
Six months later, in February 2006, Sheri was doing so well that Rich left his business to work with her full-time. She was making hundreds of Jibbitz to order, by hand, by herself, in their basement. And filling those holes wasn’t as easy as it looked. The bigger the shoe, the bigger the holes; it took six models before Sheri figured out how to make her charms one-size-fits-all. Later Rich found a way to get plastic Jibbitz manufactured in China.
Someone at Crocs was sure going to notice the charms—after all, the company was headquartered (总部设在) just ten miles down the road. Duke Hanson, one of Crocs’ founders, spotted Lexie and her Jibbitz at the local pool, handed her his business card, and said, “Have your mom call me.”
Sheri and Rich met with Crocs executives, but no one suggested buying the company. Sheri was actually relieved because she wanted to see if she, not Crocs, could make it big. And she did. In December 2006, Crocs bought Jibbitz for $20 million, with the Schmelzers staying on board.
1. The passage is mainly about ____.
A. how the Schmelzers found opportunities out of nothing.
B. how the Schmelzers found opportunities and developed their business
C. how creativity matters to a successful business
D. how the business of Crocs became successful.
2. When Sheri said, “I could see the light bulb go on over his head”, she meant that ____.
A. Rich was really excited B. Rich liked their shoe charms
C. saw this as a business opportunity
D. Rich wasn’t satisfied with the decorations
3. From Paragraph 5, we can learn that ____.
A. the Schmelzers kept improving to make their business successful
B. Sheri does not trust others when it comes to designing Jibbitz
C. making the products unique is key to business success
D. Rich made a lot of sacrifices for their family business
4. Which of the following is arranged in the right order according to the text?
a. the Schmelzers applied for a patent b. Crocs’ shoes sold well
c. the Schmelzers set up their website
d. by making their products in China, the Schmelzers spread their business.
A. acdb B.bacd C. bcad D. adcb
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