Sixteen years ago, Eileen Doyle’s husband, an engineer, took his four children up for an early morning cup of tea, packed a small case and was never seen or heard from again. Eileen was astonished and in a state of despair. They had been a happy family and, as far as she knew, there had been nothing wrong with their marriage.
Every day of the year a small group of men and women quietly pack a few belongings and, without so much as a note or a good-bye, close the front door for the last time, leaving their debts, their worries and their confused families behind them. Last year, more than 1,200 men and nearly as many women were reported missing from home — the highest in 15 years. Many did return home within a year, but others rejected the past completely and are now living a new life somewhere under a different identity.
To those left behind this form of desertion is a terrible blow to their pride and self-confidence. Even the finality of death might be preferable. At least it does not imply rejection or failure. Worse than that, people can be left with an unfinished marriage, not knowing whether they will have to wait seven years before they are free to start a fresh life.
Clinical psychologist Paul Brown believes most departures of this kind to be well planned rather than impulsive. “It’s typical of the kind of personality which seems able to ignore other people’s pain and difficulties. Running away, like killing yourself, is a highly aggressive act. By creating an absence the people left behind feel guilty, upset and empty.”Eileen Doyle reacted that way after her husband’s leaving, because she__________.
| A．failed to hear from him for a long time |
| B．had no idea what was wrong with their family life |
| C．blamed herself for something wrong she did |
| D．wondered why her husband took up all their children |
According to the passage, those people left their families behind for the following reasons except_________.
| A．they couldn’t bear their spouse (配偶) |
| B．they were afraid of the burden of debts |
| C．they wanted to forget the past completely |
| D．they wanted to start a new life somewhere else |
The man or woman left behind with an unfinished marriage usually ________.
| A．admits their responsibility for the situation |
| B．feels embarrassed and useless |
| C．will have no legal marriage life for seven years |
| D．wishes the person who has left were dead |
Some people would even prefer the death to the running away of their spouse because ________.
| A．their spouse would feel greatly relieved |
| B．their spouse would feel no pain during the death |
| C．their spouse’s death would contribute to them starting a fresh life |
| D．their spouse’s death would not bring a feeling of rejection or failure |
What’s the author’s attitude towards the departures of this kind?
| A．Objective. | B．Supportive. |
| C．Negative. | D．Positive. |
The clothes you wear. The food you eat. The color of your bedroom walls. Where you go and how you get there. The people you hang around with. What time you go to bed. What do these things have in common, you’re asking? They’re just a few examples of the many hundreds of things that your parents controlled for you when you were a child.
As a kid, you didn’t have a say in everything; your parents made decisions about everything from the cereal you ate in the morning to the pajamas you wore at night. And it’s a good thing, too—kids need this kind of protection on their own.
But finally, kids grow up and become teens. And part of being a teen is developing your own identity—one that is separate from your parents’. But as you change and grow into this new person who makes his own decisions, your parents have a difficult time adjusting(调整).
In many families, it is this adjustment that can cause a lot of fighting between teens and parents. And issues like the type of friends you have or your attitudes to partying can cause bigger arguments, because your parents still always want to protect you and keep you safe, no matter how old you are.
The good news about fighting with your parents get more comfortable with the idea that their teen has a right to certain opinions. It can take several years for parents and teens to adjust to their new roles, though. In the meantime, focus on communicating with your parents.
Sometimes this can feel impossible—like they just don’t see your point of view and never will. But talking and expressing your opinions can help you gain more respect from your parents.
Keep in mind, too, that your parents were teens once and that in most cases, they can relate to what you’re going through.In the first two paragraphs, the writer________.
| A．complains that parents control kids too much. |
| B．proves that kids have no right to give their opinions. |
| C．describes how carefully parents look after kids |
| D．explains that it is necessary for parents to control kids |
A lot of fighting breaks out between teens and parents because________.
| A．parents aren’t used to losing control of kids |
| B．teens like to have everything decided |
| C．parents blame teens for not respecting them |
| D．teens are eager to develop their own identity |
In the opinions of the writer, parents control teens in order to ________.
| A．prevent them from having their own ideas |
| B．protect them from being hurt |
| C．make them respect parents in family |
| D．make sure that children have a good future. |
The underlined word “this” in paragraph 6 may refer to “________”.
| A．arguing with friends |
| B．fighting with your parents |
| C．communicating with parents |
| D．adjusting to new roles |
What might be the most suitable title for the passage?
| A．What do parents control their children for? |
| B．How parents take are of children? |
| C．How to get rid of your parents’ control? |
| D．Why do I fight with parents so much? |
It was Monday. Mrs. Smith's dog was hungry, but there was not any meat in the house.
Considering that there was no better way. Mrs. Smith took a piece of paper, and wrote the following words on it：“Give my dog half a pound of meat.” Then she gave the paper to her dog and said gently：“Take this to the butcher（* person whose job is selling meat）and he's going to give you your lunch today.”
Holding the piece of paper in its mouth, the dog ran to the butcher's. It gave the paper to the butcher. The butcher read it carefully, recognized that it was really the lady's handwriting and soon did it as he was asked to. The dog was very happy, and ate the meat up at once.
At noon, the dog came to the shop again. It gave the butcher a piece of paper again. After reading it, he gave it half a pound of meat once more.
The next day, the dog came again exactly at noon. And as usual, it brought a piece of paper in the mouth. This time, the butcher did not take a look at paper, and gave the dog its meat, for he had regarded the dog as one of his customers（*people who buy sth. from a shop）.
But, the dog came again at four o'clock. And the same thing happened once again. To the butcher's more surprise, it came for the third time at six o'clock, and brought with it a third piece of paper. The butcher felt a bit puzzled. He said to himself, “This is a small dog. Why does Mrs. Smith give it so much meat to eat today?”
Looking at the piece of paper, he found that there were not any words on it！Mrs. Smith treated her little dog quite____.
| A．cruelly | B．fairly | C．kindly | D．friendly |
It seemed that the dog knew well that the paper Mrs. Smith gave it ______ .
| A．might do it much harm | B．could do it much good |
| C．would help the butcher | D．was worth many pounds |
The butcher did not give any meat to the dog __________ .
| A．before he felt sure that the words were really written by Mrs. Smith |
| B．when he found that the words on the paper were not clear |
| C．because he had sold out all the meat in his shop |
| D．until he was paid enough by Mrs. Smith |
From its experience, the dog found that ________.
| A．only the paper with Mrs. Smith's words in it could bring it meat |
| B．the butcher would give the meat to it whenever he saw it |
| C．Mrs. Smith would pay for the meat it got from the butcher |
| D．a piece of paper could bring it half a pound of meat |
At the end of the story, you'll find that _______.
| A．the dog was clever enough to write on the paper |
| B．the dog dared not go to the butcher's any more |
| C．the butcher was told not to give any meat to the dog |
| D．the butcher found himself cheated by the clever animal |
The fourth of July marks the anniversary of America’s Declaration of Independence from Britain. During the summer of 1776, American colonists were deeply divided. Almost one in three was loyal to Britain. Yet most were increasingly angry about what they considered unfair treatment by the British government. By June, fighting had already taken place between colonial forces and Britain. The idea of independence was spreading.
Delegates (代表) from the thirteen colonies gathered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Continental Congress decided that a document declaring separation from Britain should be declared. Thomas Jefferson led a committee chosen to write it.
On July 4th, 1776, the Continental Congress voted to approve the Declaration of Independence. It says that people have the right to change their government if it denies them their rights. It states that everyone has the right to life, liberty and the pursuit (追求) of happiness.
Today, the Fourth of July holiday is a time for friends and families to gather. They might play sports and eat hot dogs, hamburgers and other foods cooked outdoors. They might watch a parade in their community. At night, many people gather to watch fireworks bursting in the dark sky.
In Washington, D. C. this year (2011), thousands of people attended a concert with performances by musicians. There was also a huge fireworks show with more than two thousand five hundred shells exploding over the National Mall.
Another event that traditionally took place on the National Mall was the Smithsonian Folk life Festival. This year’s event celebrated the cultures of Mexico and Asian Pacific Americans. Visitors heard the music, eat the food and learn about the many traditions of these cultures.
The third subject of the festival was called “Smithsonian Inside Out”. Smithsonian experts had a chance to present their research and knowledge to the public.Why was the idea of independence spreading before July 4, 1776? (No more than 10 words)
What right does everyone have according to the Declaration of Independence? (No more than 13 rds)
What does the Fourth of July holiday mean to Americans today? (No more than 10 words)
What happened at “Smithsonian Inside Out” this year (in 2011)? (No more than 12 words)
Directions: Read the following passage. Fill in the numbered blanks by using the information from the passage. Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.
Garlic (大蒜) is one of the most common spices of the kitchen, and the good news is that growing garlic indoors is simple. Garlic can be easily grown at home from individual cloves (瓣), which is the most commonly used form of cultivating garlic than growing garlic from seeds. Here are some useful tips on growing garlic indoors.
Autumn is the best time to plant garlic. Garlic requires enough time to develop strong roots. In warmer climate, it can be delayed to late winter or early spring.
Ensure the container used to grow garlic is large enough for the roots to have enough space to grow. The larger the size of the container, the healthier and bigger the garlic bulbs (鳞茎) will be. The container should also have holes at the bottom so that the water can drain (流走) out easily.
Sow each clove vertically into the soil at a depth of one inch. Ensure that the bluntend (平端) is facing downward. In case of container gardening, the number of cloves to be sowed in each container depends on the size of the container. In case you are planning to sow more than one clove in each container, make sure that each clove is at least 5 inches apart from others.
For the best growth of the garlic plant, choose a sunny spot where there is enough air circulation (流通). This will aid evaporation (蒸发) of too much amount of water and prevent the soil from becoming too damp in case too much watering does occur. Window sill (窗台) is a good place to put your container of garlic plant.
Once the clove has been sowed, cover the soil with a layer of mulch (覆盖物) to protect the roots from extreme cold. Provide fertilizer at the correct time in right amounts, and proper watering. Once the garlic tips start appearing in the spring season, pull back the layer of mulch. Feed the plants once or twice every month with fertilizer.
| Items |
(1) on growing garlic indoors. |
| Time |
● It’s best to plant garlic in (2) ● In warmer climate, it’s also suitable to plant garlic in late winter or early spring. |
| Container |
● Be large enough to (3) with enough space to grow. ● Have holes at the bottom to (4) the water to drain out easily. |
| Sowing |
● Sow each clove vertically into the soil one inch (5) . ● Ensure that the blunt end is facing (6) . ● Ensure that each clove is at least 5 inches apart from others in a container. |
| Place |
●Choose a sunny spot like window sill having enough(7) to aid evaporation of too much amount of water. |
| Care |
●Cover the soil with a layer of mulch to(8) from extreme cold after sowing the clove. ● Provide right amounts of fertilizer at the correct time. ● Water the clove (9) . ● (10) the layer of mulch once the garlic tips start appearing. ● Use fertilizer to feed the plants once or twice a month. |
In China, many people are leaving the countryside to find jobs in the cities, because the countryside is much poorer than the city, and often there isn't much work there. Services such as hospital and transport are usually much better in the city than in the countryside. They hope that their lives will improve when they move to the city.
But in the big cities of Europe like London or Paris, people are moving out of the city. These rich families want to live a quieter life. They are tired of the noise and the dirt of the city, and they are tired of the crowded streets, crowded trains and buses. They don't want to live in the cities any more. They want a house with a garden in the countryside, and breathe the fresh air there.
So they move out of the cities. Some don't go very far, just a little way out of the city, to the towns near the cities, other people move to the real countryside with sheep, cows and green fields. There, they start new lives and try to make new friends.
Not all those who move from the city to the countryside are happy. After two or three years, many people who have done this feel that it was a big mistake. They don't make so much money and there isn't much work to do. People in the countryside are very different and aren't always very friendly.
As a result, quite a lot of people who have moved to the countryside move back to the city. “It’s wonderful to see crowds in the streets and cinema lights,” they say.Which is NOT the reason for people moving to the cities in China?
| A．The countryside is much poorer than me city. |
| B．People in the countryside have nothing to eat. |
| C．People in the countryside don't have much work to do there. |
| D．Services in cities are usually much better than those in the countryside. |
Why do some rich families in Europe move to the countryside?
| A．Because they will find good jobs. |
| B．Because they are tired of living in the city. |
| C．Because they can make more money there. |
| D．Because they like feeding sheep and cows in the green fields. |
After moving to the countryside, some people in Europe feel unhappy because .
| A．they can’t make much money |
| B．there isn’t much work for them to do in the countryside |
| C．some people in the countryside aren’t always very friendly to them |
| D．A, B and C |
The underlined sentence in the last paragraph shows .
| A．they are happy to move back to the city |
| B．they will miss their friends in the countryside |
| C．they still want to move to the countryside |
| D．they are tired of the noise and the crowded streets in the city |
The best title of this passage may be “ ”.
| A．A happy life! | B．Living in the city! |
| C．Moving out or moving back? | D．Living in the countryside! |
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