For years, I thought that my mother would become a centenarian（百岁老人）, but after 98 years and eight months, she recently died of old age. As it was with my father, her funeral took place in the most peaceful setting of the countryside of rural Washington County. Even after my father died, we continued to think of our parents as one. They were a team in the traditional sense. Church and family were their lifeline. They worked hard, never complaining. They expected to earn their daily bread by the sweat of their forehead.
Once during a conversation with Tom Brokaw, who wrote the bestselling book The Greatest Generation, I told him, “You left out my parents.” They didn’t go off to war, but they belonged to the Greatest Generation. They, too, were part of the foundation that made American truly great. They kept the home fires burning.
Our mother gloried in being a housewife and mother. Having been a teacher in her early adult years, when education was more than important than anything else, she gave up her job to raise a family. She was an excellent cook, but she had to cook on a wood stove（火炉）. There was no refrigerator, nothing electric. But nobody was ever better at making do（凑合着用）. In addition to all the housework, she went to the fields every day to help produce a crop to pay the rent to provide for the family. She and my dad worked hard to save every penny possible.
They saved every penny to buy a farm late in life. They also saved enough money to live out their respective lives with home care without taking up residency in a nursing home. They were very independent. If you had suggested they accept a government transfer payment, they would have spit in your eye.
Which of the following is the best title for the passage?
| A．Mother played a great part in the family. |
| B．Mother died at the age of 98 years old. |
| C．Mother was buried by the side of father. |
| D．Mother survived father by many years. |
The underlined word “one” in the passage means ________.
| A．parent | B．Centenarian | C．hero | D．entirety |
What do we know about Tom Brokaw?
| A．He is one of the author’s parents’ friends. |
| B．He likes talking with the author’s parents. |
| C．He takes up a position as a writer. |
| D．He is good at managing a home. |
How does the author find his parents?
| A．Brave and hardworking |
| B．Modest and warmhearted |
| C．Economical and independent |
| D．Respective and satisfied |
The summer I was ten, my mother decided to bring us to the world of art. My brother and I were not very excited when we realized what my mother meant. What she meant was not that we could take drawing classes or painting classes but that we would have to spend one afternoon a week with her at the Fine Arts Museum. Before each visit to the museum, she made us read about artists and painting styles. It was almost as bad as being in school. Who wants to spend the summer thinking about artists when you could be with your friends at the swimming pool?
First we had to read about ancient Egyptians(古埃及人) and their strange way of painting faces and then go to look at them at the museum. My 12-year-old brother thought this was so funny, but I was not interested. Later we had to learn about artists in the Middle Ages who painted people wearing strange long clothing. We had to look at pictures of fat babies with wings and curly hair and with no clothes on flying around the edges of paintings. I certainly couldn't see what was so great about art.
On our last visit to the museum, something happened when I saw a painting by a woman called Mary. In it, a woman was reading to a child. The colors were soft and gentle, and you could tell by the mother’s expression how happy she was just to be with the child. I couldn't stop looking at this painting! I wanted to see every painting Mary had ever made! It was really worth looking at so many paintings to find a painter who could interest me so much.The aim of the mother’s plan was to _________.
| A．take them to visit the museum |
| B．introduce them to the world of art |
| C．ask them to read about artists |
| D．show them different painting styles |
What was the writer’s experience in the museum before the last visit?
| A．She came to feel her mother’s love. |
| B．She liked many paintings. |
| C．She hardly enjoyed herself. |
| D．She could understand the pictures of fat babies. |
What made the writer go through a change that summer?
| A．One of Mary's paintings. |
| B．A strange way of painting. |
| C．Artists in the Middle Ages. |
| D．Her mother’s instruction. |
From the text, we can see _________.
| A．the importance of curiosity |
| B．the effect of art |
| C．the value of learning |
| D．the power of family education |
The writer and her brother had thought that they could ___________ in their summer vacation.
| A．visit some art museums |
| B．go to Egypt for a visit |
| C．take drawing or painting classes |
| D．play with their friends. |
Saturday, March 24th
We have arrived in the hot, wet city of Bangkok. This is our first trip to Thailand（泰国）. All the different smells make us want to try the food. We are going to eat something special for dinner tonight. The hotel we are staying in is cheap, and very clean. We plan to stay here for a few days, visit some places in the city, and then travel to Chiang Mai in the North.
Tuesday, March 27th
Bangkok is wonderful and surprising. The places are interesting. We visited the famous market which was on water, and saw a lot of fruits and vegetables. Everything is so colorful, and we have taken hundreds of photos already! Later today we will leave for Chiang Mai. We will take the train north, stay in Chiang Mai for two days, and then catch a bus to Chiang Rai.
Friday, March 30th
Our trip to Chiang Rai was long and boring. We visited a small village in the mountains. The village people here love the quiet life—no computers or phones. They are the kindest people I have ever met. They always smile and say“hello”. Kathy and I can only speak a few words of Thai, so smiling is the best way to show our kindness. I feel good here and hope to be able to come back next year.The diaries above show the writer’s __________________ days in Thailand.
| A．3 | B．7 | C．15 | D．8 |
It seems that visitors ______ in Bangkok.
| A．often feel hungry |
| B．can’t take any photos |
| C．can have a good time |
| D．feel a little bored |
Which of the following is TRUE?
| A．Chiang Mai is a beautiful city in the south of Thailand. |
| B．The writer left Chiang Mai for Chiang Rai by bus. |
| C．The writer is traveling alone in Thailand. |
| D．The writer will take a bus to Chiang Mai. |
The people in the village _______________________.
| A．are friendly to others |
| B．like to speak English |
| C．hope to live in the cities |
| D．live a very busy life |
What is the best title（标题）for the whole diary?
| A．My First Travel |
| B．The Outside World |
| C．Traveling in Thailand |
| D．My Trip to Chiang Mai |
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 the 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 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! |
Often we take for granted the many household items we use every day. It is difficult to imagine there was a time in the past when these inventions did not exist. Actually, several of the most common inventions have been with us for quite some time. Inventions like toothbrush, contact lenses（隐形眼镜）, and credit cards came into use long ago.
The first toothbrush was introduced in China in the late 1400s but it was only 300 years later that this simple tool came into common use in Europe. By the nineteenth century, a variety of paste and powder cleaners were available throughout Europe as dental(牙齿的) care became more widespread. The first tube of toothpaste hit the market in Great Britain in 1891.
There is evidence to show that the first contact lenses were actually suggested by an astronomer, Sir John Herschel, in 1827. However, SirJohn Herschel was never able to create a working model of his idea. It was not until 1887 that a Swiss doctor from Zurich, Dr. Eugen Frick, came up with a workable process for producing precision (精密)lenses. Dr. Frick designed a new method for producing contact lenses,and the Zeiss factory in Germany began to produce contact lenses.
Credit cards have also been available for many years. They have been in use in the United States since the 1920s. At first, these cards were only used to buy gas in the quickly growing automobile service industry. Then, in the 1950s, Diners Club introduced the first general-purpose credit card. Today, credit cards such as Master Card, Visa, and American Express are commonly used by travelers around the world.
While it may be true that some of the greatest inventions and discoveries in history came about by chance, the majority of inventions that simplify our lives today came about through careful research and patient study. Of course, it still holds true that even with all the comforts of modern technology, inventors continue to search for ways of helping all of us get out of doing those necessary but tedious (乏味的) tasks which we still face. As the old saying goes, “Necessity is the mother of invention.”From the second paragraph we can learn that _____.
| A．toothbrushes came into common use in Europe in the 17th century |
| B．people could enjoy a variety of paste and powder cleaners in the 18th century |
| C．more and more people paid attention to dental care throughout Europe in the 19th century |
| D．the English could use different kinds of tubes of toothpaste in the early 19th century |
All of the following made a contribution to the invention and use of contact lenses EXCEPT _______.
| A．Diners Club | B．Sir John Herschel |
| C．Dr Eugen Frick | D．the Zeiss factory |
Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the fourth paragraph?
A. Credit cards have a history of about two hundred years.
B. Three kinds of credit cards are being used in the USA.
C. The use of credit cards is closely related to the economic development.
D. American Express is only used by American travelers now.The last paragraph mainly tells us that ______.
| A．the greatest inventions came about by chance |
| B．inventions came about through careful research and patient study |
| C．inventors still continue to make inventions |
| D．necessity is the mother of invention |
To get an extra 14 years of life, don’t smoke, eat lots of fruits and vegetables, exercise regularly and drink alcohol in a proper amount. That is according to a study published this Monday in the Public Library of Science Medicine Journal.
After tracking more than 20,000 people aged 45-79 years in the United Kingdom from about 1993-2007, Kay-Tee, Khaw of the University of Cambridge and his colleagues found that people who adopted these four healthy habits lived an average of 14 years longer than those who didn’t.
“We’ve known for a long time that these behaviors are good things to do, but we’ve not seen this benefit before, ” said Susan Jebb, head of Nutrition and Health at Britain’s Medical Research Council. “The benefit was also seen regardless of whether or not people were fat and what social class they came from.”
Study participants（参与者）scored a point each for not smoking, regular physical activity, eating five servings of fruits and vegetables a day and moderate alcohol intake．
Public health experts said they hoped the study would inspire governments to introduce policies helping people to adopt these changes．But because the study only observed people rather than testing specific changes, it would be impossible to conclude that people who suddenly adopted these healthy behaviors would surely gain 14 years．
“We can't say that any person could gain 14 years by doing these things, ”said Dr．Tim Armstrong, a physical activity expert at the World Health Organization．“The 14 years is an average across the population of what's theoretically（理论上地）possible．”
“Most people know that things like a good diet matter and that smoking isn't good for them, ”Susan Jebb said．“We need to work on providing people with much more practical support to help them change．”Which of the following DOESN'T belong to the four healthy habits?
| A．Eat five servings of fruits and vegetables a day． |
| B．Do proper exercise in the morning every day． |
| C．Drinking alcohol in the proper amount every day． |
| D．Having a cigarette before going to bed every day． |
We can learn from the passage that ．
| A．Susan Jebb did not take part in the study． |
| B．the study observed people as well as tested specific changes． |
| C．there's no need for people under 45 to adopt these good habits． |
| D．only those from first class can benefit from these healthy behaviors． |
What can be inferred from the passage?
| A．All the people are well aware of the harm of their bad habits． |
| B．People aged 45 to 70 have bad habits in the United Kingdom． |
| C．Governments should take measures to help people change their bad habits． |
| D．People have adopted the four healthy habits after knowing they're good． |
What would be the best title for this passage?
| A．Smoking and Drinking Cuts You 14 Years |
| B．How to Live a Much Healthier Life |
| C．Healthy Habits May Give Extra 14 Years |
| D．How to Make Your Life Longer Than Others |
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