When I was an education official in Palo Alto, California, Polly Tyner, the president of our school board, wrote a letter that was printed in the Palo Alto Times. Polly’s son, Jim，had great difficulty in school．He was classified as the educationally disabled and required a great deal of patience on the part of his parents and teachers. But Jim was a happy kid with a great smile that lit up the room. His parents knew his academic difficulties, but always tried to help him see his strengths so that he could walk with pride. Shortly after Jim finished high school, he was killed in a motorcycle accident. After his death, his mother sent this letter to the newspaper．
Today we buried our 20-year-old son. He was killed instantly in a motorcycle accident on Friday night. How I wish I had known when I talked to him last that it would be the last time．If I had only known, I would have said, “Jim, I love you and I’m very proud of you．”
I would have taken time to count the many blessings he brought to the lives of the many who loved him. I would have taken the time to appreciate his beautiful smile，the sound of his laughter, his genuine love of people.
When you put all the good qualities on the scale and try to balance all the irritating phenomena such as the radio which was always too loud, the haircut that wasn't to our liking, the dirty socks under the bed, etc, your angry feelings won’t amount to much.
I won't get another chance to tell my son all that I would have wanted him to hear, but, other parents, you do have a chance. Tell your young people what you would want them to hear if you knew it would be your last conversation. The last time I talked to Jim was the day he died. He called me to say, “Hi, Mom! I just called to say I love you. Got to go to work, Bye.” He gave me something to treasure, forever．
If there is any purpose at all for Jim's death, maybe it is to make others appreciate more of life and to have people, especially members, take the time to let each other know just how much we care.
You may never have another chance. According to the passage, we know that .
| A．Jim was always ashamed of himself |
| B．Jim did very well in his studies |
| C．Jim’s parents were patient with him |
| D．Jim failed to finish his high school |
The underlined word "irritating" in paragraph 4 most probably means .
| A．annoying | B．aggressive |
| C．impatient | D．surprising |
By writing the letter printed in the Palo Alto Times, the author intends to __________.
| A．mourn(哀悼)her son’s sudden death in a traffic accident |
| B．remind people to be cautious of motorcycles |
| C．tell parents to take better care of their children |
| D．suggest people taking the chance to express their love in time |
Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?
| A．Many people loved him． |
| B．Jim's smile cheered up his family． |
| C．Jim was killed in a motorcycle accident at the age of 20． |
| D．Jim constantly expressed his love to his mother． |
Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?
| A．Love Your Family | B．Do It Today |
| C．Walk with Pride | D．Appreciate Smiles |
“Choo, Choo!” Here comes the Chunnel train. Get aboard if you want to learn more about this underground transportation system. This is an unusual form of transportation, because it is a tunnel that trains travel through and not an actual form of transportation.
The Chunnel is actually the English nickname for the Channel Tunnel. In French, it is called le tunnel sous la Manche. It is a rail tunnel beneath the English Channel at the Straits of Dover. It connects Cheriton in Kent, England with Sangatte in northern France. It is the second longest rail tunnel in the world.
Did you know that the British and the French had a race whi1e they were building the Chunnel? The race was to see who could get to the middle of the tunnel first. The British won by a little bit. It took 15,000 workers over seven years to dig the tunnel. The tunnel was finished in 1994.
The completed Chunnel cost about $ 21 billion. But it all paid off, because it became very popular, very quick. Millions of people use it. Now it is getting even more popular.
There are three complete tunnels in the Chunnel. The two outside ones are the passenger trains. The small inner one is a guidance train. The guidance train is not used for transportation. Each track is exactly parallel to each other.
There are four different train systems in the Chunnel. The Eurostar is a high speed passenger service that connects London, Paris, Brussels, and Lille. The Eurotunnel shuttle is a rail ferry service. These shuttles carry cars. These are railcars that allow drivers to drive their vehicles on and off. There are also two Eurotunnel goods service trains.
Now you know more about the Chunnel. Everybody off, this is the last stop.The Channel Tunnel links ______ with _______.
| A．Dover; Kent | B．London; Paris |
| C．Lille; Brussels | D．Cheriton; Sangatte |
Which of the following shows the structure of the tunnels in the Chunnel?
The Eurotunnel shuttle is intended to carry _________.
| A．passengers | B．drivers and their vehicles |
| C．goods | D．staff members of the Chunnel |
The text can most probably be __________.
| A．found in a textbook |
| B．read in a magazine |
| C．broadcast on a train |
| D．heard in a railway station |
Expensive and new gloves allow chatterboxes（话匣子）to take the term “handsfree” to a new level—by talking into them as they make a call. The gloves are known as “Talk to the Hand” and cost £1,000 a pair. They fixed a speaker unit into the thumb and a microphone into the little finger that can be connected to any mobile handset using Bluetooth.
Artist Sean Miles designed the new gloves that double as a phone in part of his project that shows the possibilities of gadget(小装置，小机械) recycling. He uses outdated gloves and combines them with parts from mobile handsets recycled through O2, which commissioned（承担）the project. Mobile phone users will be able to keep their hands warm while they chat without taking their phones out of their pockets or handbags.
Mr Miles designed two pairs of the new gloves—one in pink and the other in brown and yellow. They will appear in an exhibition this July and visitors will be able to win the gloves. If demand is high, they will then be produced on a larger scale. O2 Recycle, which backed the project, estimates that there are already 70 million unused mobile handsets in the UK. The service pays up to £260 to those who recycle gadgets including phones, handheld consoles, MP3 players and digital cameras.
Designer Sean Miles hopes his work will get people thinking about recycling. The 41-year-old said, “I hope that my ‘Talk to the Hand’ project will get people to think again about the waste created by not recycling gadgets. If a few more people recycle their gadgets rather than send them to trash, I think this project will have fulfilled its aim.”
Bill Eyres, head of O2 Recycle, urges people to recycle their phone responsibly. He said, “There’s a pressing need for all of us to look at outdated handsets, and all the gadgets that we move on from or upgrade each year. Whether they are consoles or cameras, we should think of them as a resource that we need to recycle responsibly rather than throw them away.”
The underlined word “O2” in Paragraph 2 is probably the name of ______.
| A．an artist | B．a company |
| C．a mobile | D．an exhibition |
Consumers can buy the “Talk to the Hand” gloves ______.
| A．in the exhibition |
| B．from Mr Miles |
| C．when they are mass produced |
| D．after they recycle the gadgets |
The purpose of the project is to _______.
| A．promote the technology of IT |
| B．enable people to talk to their hands |
| C．raise people’s awareness of recycling |
| D．attract visitors’ attention in the exhibition |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．New mobiles that are fashionable. |
| B．Outdated handsets that are upgraded. |
| C．Outdated gadgets that can be used for recycling. |
| D．New gloves that can be used for making phone calls. |
Rules for the University Entrance Examination
You must be at the examination center ten minutes before the examination starts．If you are more than ten minutes late, you may not enter the examination center．The examination takes place at the same time in different states．
You must have proof of your name and grade as well as official examination number．Show these when you come to the examination center．
Depending on which examination you are taking you may bring certain items into the examination center．Mathematics examinations may allow you to use electronic calculators（计算器）．Other subjects may allow you to use dictionaries and other reference material．Please read the notes sent with your time table carefully．
You must bring your own pencils．None will be provided for you．The following items are not allowed in the examination center: walkmans and radios, head sets, any food or drink, school bags, electronic equipment （unless specifically permitted for various subjects）, and mobile phones．
Once in the center, you must sit at the desk with your examination number on it．When you sit down, place your examination number at the to corner of your desk．You must remain silent during the examination．You must not disturb other people who are taking the test．
If you need a drink or toilet break, you should raise your hand and wait for the supervisor（监督者） to speak to you．You will be given water or the supervisor will take you to the bathroom．You are not allowed to talk with anyone during the break．
You must write your answers in the official answer sheet．Your supervisor will provide extra paper if you wish to make notes．
You may leave the examination room at any time if you do not plan to return, If you finish early and want to leave well away from the examination center．
The supervisor will warn you fifteen minutes, five minutes and one minute before the end of the examination．When the supervisor says that the time is up you must put down your pencil and wait at your desk until your paper is collected．What kind of examination are these rules probably for?
| A．A local exam． | B．A final exam． |
| C．A college exam． | D．A national exam． |
What are you allowed to have with you when you take mathematics examination?
| A．Related material． | B．Proof of yourself． |
| C．A cell phone． | D．A dictionary． |
What should you do if you finish the test early and want to get a better result?
| A．Take some notes carefully． |
| B．Leave the room immediately． |
| C．Remain in your seat and check again． |
| D．Raise your hand to inform your teacher． |
Hidden in our subconsciousness (潜意识) is a perfect mental picture. We see ourselves on a long trip that goes across the continent. We are traveling by train. Out the windows, we think in the passing scene of cars on nearby highways, of children waving at a crossing, of cattle feeding on a distant hillside, of smoke pouring from a power plant, or row upon row of corn and wheat, of flat lands and valleys, of mountains and rolling hills, of city skylines and village halls.
But uppermost in our minds is the final destination. On a certain day at a certain hour, we will pull into the station. Bands will be playing and flags waving. Once we get there, so many wonderful dreams will come true and the pieces of our lives will fit together like a completed jigsaw（拼图玩具） puzzle. How restlessly we pace the aisles(通道), condemning the minutes for loitering --waiting, waiting, waiting for the station.
“When we reach the station, that will be it!” we cry. “When I’m 38.” “When I buy a new 450SL Mercdes Benz!” “When I put the last kid through college.” “When I have paid off the loan!” “When I get a promotion.” “When I reach the age of retirement, I shall live happily ever after! ”
Sooner or later, we must realize there is no station, no one place to arrive at once and for all. The true joy of life is the trip. The station is only a dream. It constantly outdistances us.
“Relish(appreciate) the moment” is a good motto, actually it isn’t the burdens of today that drive man mad. It is the regret over yesterday and the fear of tomorrow. Regret and fear are twin thieves who rob us of today.
So stop pacing the aisles and counting the miles. Instead, climb more mountains, eat more ice cream, swim more rivers, watch more sunsets, laugh more and cry less. Life must be lived as we go along. Then the station will come soon enough.Why does the author describe the mental picture?
| A．To lead us into a perfect world. |
| B．To let people enjoy the scenery. |
| C．To introduce an actual trip of his. |
| D．To compare it to our life’s journey. |
How do people feel when they’re on their trip?
| A．Puzzled. | B．Happy. | C．Relaxed. | D．Impatient. |
What does the author mean by “Regret and fear are twin thieves who rob us of today” in Line 2 Paragraph 5?
| A．Regret and fear are responsible for the loss of today. |
| B．We must be careful of the two thieves: regret and fear. |
| C．regret and fear stop us from enjoying our present life. |
| D．We’re frequently challenged by the two : regret and fear. |
Why does the author write the passage?
| A．To teach us a good lesson. |
| B．To tell us the right attitude to life. |
| C．To advice us to forget our worries. |
| D．To stop us wandering along the aisles. |
American actress Marisa Tomei won an Academy Award for her work in the 1992 movie My Cousin Vinny. People laughed when they saw her film character telling a boyfriend that they need to get married. Why marriage? Because her biological clock is ticking and she wants a baby.
“Well I hate to bring it up because I know you got enough pressure on you already. But…we agreed to get married as soon as you won your first case(law case). Meanwhile, ten years later…my niece…the daughter of my sister is getting married. My biological clock is ticking like this (stomp, stomp, stomp). And the way this case is going…I ain’t never getting married.”
“Lisa, I don’t need this. I swear to God I don’t need this right now.”
Using it this way, a biological clock means the time in a woman’s life when she is able to bear children. In the not-so-distant past, most people thought that when a woman reached her 40s it was too late for her to have children. The time on her biological clock had run out.
Well, that has changed. These days some women are resetting their biological clocks. They are giving themselves more time to have children.
Make no mistake. Being a “Single Mother by Choice” is very different from younger women who find themselves pregnant, perhaps not by choice.
Generally speaking, single mothers by choice are older and well educated. They are usually financially secure and successful in their careers. So, they have the money. What they may not have is a partner.
This is the place in life where writer Kerry Reichs found herself several years ago. She says she did not plan to become a single mother. She says she just did not find the right partner.
“Well, I think I had a set of standards for the partner I was looking for and I didn’t meet anyone that fit those standards. And, at 39 I found myself single, without children and I wanted them very much. So, I made the difficult decision that I could do this on my own. According to the passage, what is a biological clock?
| A．It’s a clock made of biological matters. |
| B．It refers to a women’s certain life period. |
| C．It records when women need to bear children. |
| D．It refers to a woman in her 40s. |
According to the passage, in the past, when a woman reached her 40s, ________.
| A．she can’t get married. |
| B．she might not be able to have children. |
| C．her biological clock will need to be reset. |
| D．her status of being a single mother is difficult. |
What does “Single Mother by Choice” mean?
| A．It means single mothers have a choice. |
| B．It means single mothers are pregnant by chance. |
| C．It means single women in their late 30s or early 40s decided to have children. |
| D．It means women want to make a choice. |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Choosing to be a single mother. |
| B．A woman’s biological clock. |
| C．Getting married by force. |
| D．Single women wanting marriage. |
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