Students who date(约会) in middle school have significantly worse study skills. They are four times more likely to drop out of school and report twice as much alcohol and tobacco use as their single classmates, according to new research from the University of Georgia.
“Romantic relationships are a trademark of adolescence, but very few studies have examined how adolescents differ in the development of these relationships,” said Pamela Orpinas, study author and professor in the College of Public Health and head of the Department of Health Promotion and Behavior.
Orpinas followed a group of 624 students over a seven-year period from 6th to 12th grade.
Each year, the group of students completed a survey indicating whether they had dated and reported the frequency of different behaviors, including the use of drugs and alcohol. Their teachers completed questionnaires about the students’ academic(学术的) efforts. He found that some students never or hardly ever reported dating from middle to high school, and these students always had the best study skills according to their teachers. Other students dated infrequently in middle school but increased the frequency of dating in high school.
“At all points in time, teachers considered the students who reported the lowest frequency of dating as having the best study skills and the students with the highest dating as having the worst study skills,” according to the journal article. Study skills refer to behaviors that lead to academic success such as doing work for extra credit (学分), being well organized, finishing homework, working hard and reading assigned chapters.
“Dating a classmate may be as complicated as dating a co-worker,” Orpinas said, “when the couple break up, they have to continue to see each other in class and perhaps see the ex-partner dating someone else. It is reasonable to think this could be linked to depression and could divert (转移) attention from studying.”
“Dating should not be considered a ceremony of growth in middle school,” Orpinas concluded.According to the passage, students who date in middle school may_____
| A．have poorer academic performances |
| B．be more likely to hurt others |
| C．enjoy better school lives |
| D．be less likely to use alcohol and tobacco |
When doing his study, Orpinas ________________.
| A．followed a group of students of 6th and 12th grade |
| B．completed a survey and a report each year |
| C．found that the students’ study skills have connection with their frequency of dating |
| D．completed questionnaires about the students’ academic efforts |
What can possibly happen to the school couples after they break up?
| A．They don’t want to see each other any longer. |
| B．They will think it’s reasonable to get depressed. |
| C．They will miss their ex-partners sometimes. |
| D．Their attention to studying will be affected. |
Orpinas’ attitude towards dating in middle school is_____
| A．supportive | B．negative |
| C．positive | D．Unconcerned |
Norm Pethrick, a 36-year-old man in Australia’s northern city Darwin, was praised on Thursday for jumping onto a crocodile’s back to save his wife Wendy at Litchfield National Park, a popular tourist spot southwest of Darwin, a local newspaper reported.
Ms. Pethrick was standing on a river bank Wednesday afternoon when the saltwater crocodile lunged (扑), locking its jaws on both her legs as it tried to drag her underwater.
Norm Pethrick, who with his wife had been collecting water, immediately went to help her. He jumped onto the back, poked (戳) the eyes of the crocodile and finally got his wife free.
Ms. Pethrick was later taken to Royal Darwin Hospital for a medical treatment. The doctors said she was suffering eight puncture wounds in her right leg, a puncture wound in her left leg and a serious cut to one of her fingers.
“This could have been a fatal and tragic situation,” said the general manager of Royal Darwin Hospital (RDH), Dr. Len Notaras, according to a local report.
He said Ms. Pethrick was saved by her husband’s “quick and diligent actions”. Dr. Notaras also said she would remain in hospital for three to four days and have an operation to clean the wounds, which are easy to get infected because of bacteria on the teeth of the crocodile.This passage is most likely to be found in ______.
| A．a travel guide | B．a textbook |
| C．a novel | D．a newspaper |
The crocodile attacked Ms. Pethrick when she was ______.
| A．swimming in the river |
| B．standing on the river bank |
| C．watching the crocodile |
| D．fishing in the water |
Which of the following statements is TRUE about Ms. Pethrick?
| A．One of the crocodile’s teeth was found in her leg. |
| B．She had eight wounds altogether. |
| C．One of her fingers also got hurt. |
| D．Her eyes were badly poked. |
Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?
| A．The husband should save the wife |
| B．Human beings can beat crocodiles sometimes |
| C．A crocodile is not so dangerous as people imagine |
| D．A man saves wife’s life from crocodile’s jaws |
Having a husband means an extra seven hours of housework each week for women, according to a new study. For men, getting married saves an hour of housework a week. “It’s a well-known pattern,” said lead researcher Frank Stafford at University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research. “Men usually work more outside the home, while women take on more of the housework.”
He points out that differences among households (家庭) exist. But in general, marriage means more housework for women and less for men. “And the situation gets worse for women when they have children.” Stafford said.
Overall, times are changing in the American home. In 1976, women busied themselves with 26 weekly hours of sweeping-and-dusting work, compared with 17 hours in 2005. Men are taking on more housework, more than doubling their housework hours from six in 1976 to 13 in 2005.
Single women in their 20s and 30s did the least housework, about 12 weekly hours, while married women in their 60s and 70s did the most – about 21 hours a week.
Men showed a somewhat different pattern, with older men picking up the broom more often than younger men. Single men worked the hardest around the house, more than that of all other age groups of married men.
Having children increases housework even further. With more than three children, for example, wives took on more of the extra work, clocking about 28 hours a week compared with husbands’ 10 hours.How many hours of housework did men do every week in the 1970s?
| A．About 26 | B．About 6 |
| C．About 28 | D．About 13 |
What kind of man is doing most housework according to the text?
| A．A married man with children. |
| B．An older married man. |
| C．An unmarried man. |
| D．A younger married man |
What can we conclude from Stafford’s research?
| A．Housework sharing changes over time. |
| B．Having children means doubled housework. |
| C．Marriage has effects on job choices. |
| D．Marriage gives men more freedom. |
According to the “well-known pattern” in Paragraph 1, a married man ________.
| A．is the main breadwinner |
| B．is the master of the house |
| C．takes on heavier work |
| D．does more housework |
A nobleman and a merchant once met in an inn. For their lunch they both ordered soup. When it was brought, the nobleman took a spoonful, but the soup was so hot that he burned his mouth and tears came to his eyes. The merchant asked him why he was weeping. The nobleman was ashamed to admit that he had burned his mouth and answered, “Sir, I once had a brother who committed a great crime, for which he was hanged. I was thinking of his death, and that made me weep.” The merchant believed this story and began to eat his soup. He too burned his mouth, so that he had tears in his eyes. The nobleman noticed it and asked the merchant, “Sir, why do you weep?” The merchant, who now saw that the nobleman had deceived (欺骗) him, answered, “My lord(="master)," I am weeping because you were not hanged together with your brother.”This story teaches us ______.
| A．not to believe everything you hear |
| B．not to eat soup that is too hot |
| C．not to eat in inns |
| D．to cry when we burn our mouth |
The nobleman did not tell the truth because he ______.
| A．felt ashamed | B．was in an inn |
| C．was angry | D．was a nobleman |
It is probable that the nobleman ______.
| A．had never eaten soup |
| B．knew the soup was too hot |
| C．had no brother who was hanged |
| D．had a very good brother |
The merchant’s answer showed that he ______.
| A．had kind heart |
| B．was angry with the nobleman |
| C．believed the nobleman |
| D．was very happy |
This fourth of July I moved into a new house with my wife, Nicole. Nicole and I met through a series of coincidences that would be unlikely without some unbelievable force causing them to happen.
The day Nicole and I met, we talked about the Yankees. In the restaurant where we sat, the first game between the Yanks and Tampa Bay was being shown on television. Nicole was happy I was a baseball fan, and she told me that was an important reason when she considered dating (约会) me. “My dad wouldn’t like me dating anyone who isn’t,” she said.
Nicole’s dad, Ira, used to be a coach for the Yankees. Many years ago, a colleague (同事) of his was leaving and packing up his office. The only thing left unpacked was a photo on the wall. It was a picture of Sparky Lyle, a famous baseball player. Sparky had signed the photo on the bottom.
“You’re not taking that?” Ira asked. “You want it?” his colleague offered. “Sure!” Ira said. He jumped at the chance to have a signed photo from a great player who had helped the team win two World Series.
Ira told me the story after the movers had gone. He then said to me, “Adam, when I first learned who was dating my daughter, that photo came into my mind,” he said. “But by now, I know for sure you’re meant to have it.” He then presented me with a box. I tore it open. Inside was the signed photo of Sparky Lyle which I had lost years ago.
“To Adam, Best Wishes, Sparky Lyle”. It was picked up by Nicole’s dad years before I’d even met her. The perfect gift — a sign only making me believe what I already knew ... I was meant for Nicole and her family all along.What does the underlined word “coincidences” in Paragraph 1 mean?
| A．New things. |
| B．Important things. |
| C．Things that happened long ago. |
| D．Things that happened by chance. |
A big reason why Nicole agreed to be Adam’s girlfriend was that _____.
| A．he was able |
| B．he was a baseball fan |
| C．he got a new house |
| D．they had much in common |
Ira got the photo of Sparky Lyle from _____.
| A．Sparky Lyle | B．Nicole |
| C．his colleague | D．Adam |
We can infer from the text that _____.
| A．Adam did not like the gift |
| B．Nicole found the lost picture |
| C．Adam and Nicole will love each other forever |
| D．the picture of Sparky Lyle was first owned by Adam |
In the United States, many low income (低收入) parents cannot afford to buy enough food for their children. A program called Kids Café is helping some of these children by providing free nutritious (有营养的) snacks and meals during after-school programs.
At a community (社区) center in Virginia just outside of Washington, D.C., children make a snack as part of their afterschool program. “The snack is very healthy for your body, but the main thing is that it tastes really, really good,” Keith Clements tells them. He runs the Kids Café program.
The children are between the ages of 5 and 11 and are from several local schools. About half have parents from Ethiopia. Many of the children eat their traditional food at home. Kids Café, with food offered free by a food bank, gives them an opportunity to try different types of food.
“It’s good,” says one girl. But Rebecca Nance, whose parents are from the US, is not so sure. “The taste is weird.” Her mother, Daffany Nance has two children in the program. She’s glad her kids are getting nutritious food. “Even in my house we don’t have much junk food,” she says, “so it’s very important that it’s healthy and continues to help them grow better.”
The charity (慈善机构), Feeding America, started the national Kids Café program in 1993. The charity says more than 16 million children in the United States do not have enough healthy food to eat.
Kids Café became part of the afterschool program at this community center five years ago. Lori McFail heads the afterschool program. She says some children do not eat good evening meals because their parents work late or cannot afford healthy food. She hopes the children will make full use of what they’ve learned about nutrition in their lives.What is the purpose of starting Kids Café?
| A．To provide poor children with nutritious food. |
| B．To raise money for some poor children. |
| C．To develop the afterschool program. |
| D．To help poor children learn new skills. |
The underlined word “weird” is the closest in meaning to _____.
| A．delicious | B．unusual |
| C．terrible | D．strong |
What can we learn about Daffany Nance?
| A．She is from Ethiopia and has two children. |
| B．She cared little about her children’s diet before. |
| C．She believes the program is good for her children. |
| D．She hopes more types of food can be offered for free. |
Who leads the afterschool program?
| A．Lori McFail. |
| B．Keith Clements. |
| C．Feeding America. |
| D．A community center in Virginia. |
Steve Sparks was a young successful lawyer when a bruise （挫伤） on one of the legs of his 3-year-old daughter changed his life. The bruise led to a doctor’s visit. The doctor said his daughter was suffering from leukemia (白血病).
Steve said that in a moment his life changed from what restaurant he was going to take his clients (客户) to lunch to whether his daughter Katie was ever going to see her fourth birthday.
For three years Katie received a lot of treatment at the Nemours Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Delaware and with the help of wonderful doctors, kind nurses, whom Steve and his wife Michelle called heroes, Katie’s leukemia was cured (治愈).
Forever changed by the experience and encouraged by the heroes at Nemours who saved his daughter’s life, Steve felt he couldn’t go back to business as usual. He felt there was something else he was meant to do and that something else led him to join the Nemours Foundation（基金会）at the age of 28. The job change came with a 65% pay cut from what he was making as a lawyer, but Steve thought he was right and it was more important to help those who need help. Steve is glad to have made such a choice.
Katie is now a healthy 20-year-old college student and Steve is one of the leaders of the Nemours Foundation. In three weeks Steve will have a party for Katie’s 21st birthday, and give big thanks to the Nemours by riding his bicycle from Nemours in Jack-sonville, Florida to Wilmington, Delaware. He’ll ride 900 miles in 9 days and raise $100,000 for the Nemours Foundation with the hope of saving more children’s lives.From the text we can learn that _____.
| A．Steve hated being a lawyer |
| B．Katie’s bruise caused leukemia |
| C．Katie suffered from leukemia at four |
| D．Steve had ever doubted whether Katie could survive |
What did Steve and his wife think of the doctors and nurses?
| A．They were unfriendly. |
| B．They were great. |
| C．They were inexperienced. |
| D．They were clever. |
Which of the following is TRUE about Steve’s becoming a member of the Nemours Foundation?
| A．He felt sorry about his decision. |
| B．He didn’t get even half the pay he used to. |
| C．His daughter gave him much encouragement. |
| D．He was advised to do so by the doctors. |
Steve will ride 900 miles in 9 days to _____.
| A．show he is strong enough |
| B．celebrate his daughter’s birthday |
| C．raise money to save more children’s lives |
| D．advise people to do more exercise |
It was very cold and I had been watching a homeless man make himself comfortable in a “shelter” on the river bank. His “shelter” was a tarpaulin (油布) tied to rocks to keep the wind from blowing it away. He had been living there for over a month. I never saw him with warm clothing or food. I knew what I wanted to do.
When I told my parents what I wanted to do they were alarmed. They said I could be putting myself at risk, taking a box to a homeless person at night! But I knew, in my deep heart, that I would be safe.
I got a box. My parents watched as I added warm gloves, a heavy blanket ... into the box until it was full! Then, I put a Christmas card on top. It said, “Even though we hardly know each other, I want to wish you a Merry Christmas!” I put ten one-dollar bills inside it as well.
My father insisted he went there with me as it was 10 pm on Christmas Eve. I said he could drive me but he had to stay in the car. He agreed.
I took the box and walked towards his “house”. I called, “Sir, I have a Christmas box for you!”
“Go away!” he shouted.
“Sir,” I repeated.
“Go away!” he shouted.
“Why?” I asked him.
He walked over and I expected to see an angry face. Instead I saw two of the most beautiful, gentle, blue eyes I have ever seen.
“Merry Christmas!” I said.
“Why are you doing this?” he asked.
“Because you matter to me,” I said. With that I gave him the box.
Tears came to his eyes and he thanked me. I got back to the car and watched him carry the box like it was filled with gold. I didn’t want to embarrass (使困窘) him by watching him any more so Dad and I left.The underlined word “alarmed” can best be replaced by _____.
| A．pleased | B．worried |
| C．disappointed | D．surprised |
Why did the author ask his father to stay in the car?
| A．Because he wanted to prove he was brave. |
| B．Because he believed the homeless man was bad. |
| C．Because he wanted to protect his father from being hurt. |
| D．Because he didn’t want the homeless man to feel bad. |
When the homeless man saw the author first, he was _____.
| A．quite angry | B．very excited |
| C．quite puzzled | D．very curious |
The author’s purpose in writing the text is to tell readers that _____.
| A．it is easier said than done |
| B．poverty is the mother of health |
| C．where there is a will, there is a way |
| D．a willing helper does not wait until he is asked |
As life expectancy increases nowadays, the average person lives well beyond the age of retirement. As a result, the elderly make up an ever-increasing percentage of society, which makes it more important than ever for a real effort to be made in improving the lives of senior citizens.
One way to deal with the situation would be to ensure that the elderly have enough money on which to live. Obviously, when a person stops working, they still require a source of income to cover their basic needs such as food, accommodation and heating. A clear solution to the problem is for the government to make sure that the state pension is adequate for these needs.
Steps should also be taken to overcome the health problems the elderly face. The government should also provide access to the best health care available, which may necessitate paying for residential homes where the elderly can have round-the-clock nursing, or, at the very least, providing medication free of charge to all people over a certain age.
The lives of old people could be improved if attempts were made to address the problem of social isolation. If we organised trips for the elderly to community centres, visits from social workers their problem of loneliness can be reduced a lot which marks the lives of so many old people living alone and far from their families.
One final suggestion, which would help enormously, is to change the attitude of the community towards its older members, who are all too often seen as a burden on society and dismissed as having little to do with modern life. We need to be taught from an early age to respect the views of old people, and appreciate their broader experience of life. This would help society as a whole, and encourage appreciation of the role that old people can still play today.What can be inferred from Paragraph 3?
| A．All the elderly can enjoy free medication. |
| B．The nurses can take good care of the elderly. |
| C．The elderly are in face of health problems. |
| D．The health care available to the elderly is good. |
The underlined word “address” in Paragraph 4 probably means_________.
| A．find out |
| B．deal with |
| C．put down |
| D．pick up |
What factors affected the old people’s life?
a. the state pension
b. the basic needs
c. the attitude of the community
d. the experience of life
e. social isolation
f. medical care
| A．a, b, c, d |
| B．b ,c ,d ,e |
| C．c ,d ,e, f |
| D．a, c, e, f |
According to the last suggestion, the old people_________.
| A．should be respected by all of us |
| B．have to gather more life experience |
| C．may be regarded as our heavy burden |
| D．must change their attitude to the community |
One of my neighbors used to have a beautiful tree in her front yard. Her dad had planted it for her when it was nothing more than a twig and several years later it started to shoot towards the sky with amazing speed. Soon it blessed her with cooling shade in the summer and glorious, golden leaves in the fall.
When the two-day snowstorm struck our town, heavy snow fell on the tree’s branches that were still full of leaves. The weight split that lovely tree down the middle. It was so sad seeing half of it laying on the ground after the storm. When I talked to my neighbor later, she said that the damage had been too much and that the entire tree would have to be cut down. Thankfully she had saved a few saplings(树苗) from it that she hoped to replant in the future.
Still, it was a shock to drive by her house the other day and see nothing but a stump in her front yard. I missed that tree. I missed its beauty, its leaves shinning in the afternoon sun. I missed seeing its limbs reach towards the heavens. I thought that the stump would be a sad reminder of its loss for a long time to come. My wonderful neighbor, though, had another plan. When I drove by her home today I saw a tiny bird feeder sitting on that stump and a colorful songbird having its dinner. It was such an affirmation of life. It was such a joy to see. I could feel my heart smile.
Life by its very nature is a mixed bag. It hands us both beauty and tragedy, love and loss, pleasure and pain. What we do with it, however, is up to us. We can let it split us in two, or we can use even its hardest times to make our souls stronger and our hearts more loving. We can spend it complaining or we can use it to help others.We know from the first paragraph that _____．
| A．the tree grew very slowly. |
| B．the tree showed its beauty and benefits. |
| C．the author’s neighbor was good at planting trees. |
| D．the tree was so strong that it could bear any weight. |
The author’s neighbor left a stump in her front yard to use it as_____.
| A．a good reminder. |
| B．a seat after dinner. |
| C．a place to feed birds. |
| D．a beautiful sculpture. |
What does the author mainly want to show in the passage?
| A．Life has beauty and tragedy. |
| B．Life consists of pain and suffering. |
| C．Life should be pleasant rather than painful. |
| D．Life is determined by our attitude towards it. |
Boys’ schools are the perfect place to teach young men to express their emotions and involve them in activities such as art, dance and music. Far from the traditional image of a culture of aggressive masculinity (阳刚), the absence of girls gives boys the chance to develop without pressure of following that tradition, a US study says.
Boys at single-sex schools are said to be more likely to get involved in cultural and artistic activities that help develop their emotional expressiveness, rather than feeling they have to follow the “boy code” of hiding their emotions to be a “real man”.
The findings of the study are so against received wisdom that boys do better when taught alongside girls.
Tony Little, headmaster of Eton, warns that boys are being faded by the British education system because it has become too focused on girls. He criticizes teachers for failing to recognize that boys are actually more emotional than girls.
The research argues that boys often perform badly in mixed schools because they become discouraged when their female schoolmates do better earlier in speaking and reading skills. But in single-sex schools teachers can tailor lessons to boys’ learning style, letting them move around the classroom and getting them to compete in teams to prevent boredom, writes the study’s author, Abigail James, from the University of Virginia.
Teachers can encourage boys to enjoy reading and writing with “boy-focused” approaches such as themes and characters that appeal to them. Because boys generally have sharper vision to learn best through touch, and are physically more active, they need to be given “hands-on” lessons where they are allowed to walk around. “Boys in mixed schools view classical music as feminine (女性的) and prefer what centers on violence and sexism, ” James writes.
Single-sex education also makes it less likely that boys would feel they have to follow the tradition that men should be “masterful and in charge” in relationships. “In mixed schools boys find themselves pushed to act like men before they understand themselves well enough to know what that means,” the study reports.The author believes that a single-sex school will _________.
| A．force boys to hide their emotions to be “real men” |
| B．help to develop masculine aggressiveness in boys |
| C．encourage boys to express their emotions more freely |
| D．naturally make boys accept the traditional image of a man |
It is commonly believed that in a mixed school boys _________.
| A．perform relatively better |
| B．grow up more healthily |
| C．behave more responsibly |
| D．receive a better education |
What does Tony Little say about the British education system?
| A．It fails more boys than girls academically. |
| B．It focuses more on mixed school education. |
| C．It fails to give boys the attention they need. |
| D．It places more pressure on boys than on girls. |
According to Abigail James, one of the advantages of single-sex schools is _________.
| A．teaching can be tailored to suit the characteristics of boys |
| B．boys can focus on their lessons without being absent-minded |
| C．boys can choose to learn whatever they are interested in |
| D．teaching can be designed to promote boys’ team spirit |
Our site specializes in European cycling tours, Bike & Boat Tours, Road Bike Tours and now River Cruises (航行) throughout Europe, Asia, and the Americas.
We take great pride in offering you the best services and in providing you with a vacation that will be fondly remembered. Whether it is a European bike tour, river cruise, or one of many other cycling vacations, our staff will do everything to plan your dream holiday.
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Bicycle touring in Europe and beyond -- cycle your next vacation almost anywhere in Europe from our carefully chosen catalogue of bike tours. Recently we have also added a few American bike tours as well as bike tours in Vietnam. Whether you cycle Europe with a standard bicycle or an e-bike (electrically assisted bicycle), one of our cycling tours is bound to be right for you.
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Cycle Europe and experience one of our great new European road bike tours! These cycle tours in Europe (and now one is in the New Zealand) are intended for the more experienced cyclist that is not afraid of the long distances through extremely beautiful countryside.
River Cruises
We now offer river cruises throughout the world’s most famous waterways. Whether it is a European river or a river cruise in China, one of our cruises is certain to attract you.The text is mainly written to _________.
| A．introduce fantastic tour places |
| B．invite readers to join in the tours |
| C．compare boat tours with bike tours |
| D．Encourage readers to have adventures |
Which countries have been added to “Bike Europe and Beyond”?
| A．America & New Zealand. | B．New Zealand & China. |
| C．Vietnam & America. | D．China & Vietnam. |
Which of the following require(s) certain cycling experience?
| A．Road Bike Tours. |
| B．Bike & Boat Trips. |
| C．Luxury Boat Tours. |
| D．Bike Europe and Beyond. |
The text is probably taken from a _________.
| A．newspaper | B．textbook |
| C．website | D．Magazine |
Grammarphobia is the fear of grammar. This fear attacks almost everybody at one time or another, and it's most likely to strike during English or language arts classes. Even people who love reading and writing have been known to get feverish and insecure when they are aware of the possibility of turning in homework with grammar or spelling mistakes. Though writing may be enjoyable, being corrected is definitely not!
Grammarphobes, it's time to put your fears behind you. Grammar isn't that dreadful (可怕的). Here's why.
Let's assume you like hearing and telling stories and that you enjoy joking with friends. You probably also like emailing and instantmessaging. Well, what do you think makes all these possible? Grammar!
Grammar is simply the art of putting words together to make sentences. Whenever you use words to express yourself, you're using grammar. You do this all the time without even thinking.
So why think about it? Because good grammar helps you convey the ideas you intend. If your words aren't right, or if they are not in the right order, the person you are talking to might get the wrong idea. This can have embarrassing results.
Grammar helps us understand each other. It's like a manual (手册) for assembling the words in your head. You have to put your words together the right way if you want them to make sense. They can't do what you want if they aren't put together correctly.
What if everybody you know had a different manual? How would you agree on what others' words mean? People with different grammar manuals might be speaking different languages.
Communicating is similar to playing cards. To make sense, we have to play the same game, by the same rules. What are the rules for playing the game of English? You already know most of them without having to open a book.Grammarphobes refer to people who ________.
| A．consider grammar to be boring |
| B．are afraid of making grammar mistakes |
| C．mind grammar too much in writing |
| D．are worried about grammar homework |
The underlined word “assembling” in Paragraph 6 may mean ________.
| A．directing | B．remembering |
| C．looking for | D．bringing together |
What does playing cards have in common with communicating?
| A．Both can be learned easily. |
| B．Both can be interesting games. |
| C．Both need standards. |
| D．Both can make sense for our life. |
What might be the main idea of the passage?
| A．Grammar is not horrible. |
| B．Forgetting grammar when writing. |
| C．Improving grammar through writing. |
| D．What is grammarphobia? |
I fell in love with the minister's son the winter I turned fourteen. He was not Chinese. For Christmas I prayed for the boy, Robert. When I found out that my parents had invited the minister's family over for Christmas Eve dinner, I cried in panic. What would Robert think of our shabby Chinese Christmas? What would he think of our noisy Chinese relatives who lacked proper American manners?
On Christmas Eve, my mother created abundant Chinese food. And then they arrived—the minister's family and all my relatives. Robert greeted hello, and I pretended he was not worthy of existence.
Dinner threw me deeper into disappointment. My relatives licked (舔) the ends of their chopsticks and reached across the table. Robert and his family waited patiently for a large plate to be passed to them. My relatives murmured with pleasure when my mother brought out the whole steamed fish. Robert made a face. Then my father reached his chopsticks just below the fish eye and picked out the soft meat. “Amy, your favorite，” he said, offering me the tender fish cheek. I wanted to disappear.
At the end of the meal, my father leaned back and burped (打嗝) loudly, thanking my mother for her fine cooking. “It's a polite Chinese custom to show you are satisfied，” explained my father to our astonished guests. Robert was looking down at his plate with a reddish face. The minister managed to bring up a quiet burp. I was shocked into silence for the rest of the night.
After everyone had gone, my mother said to me, “You want to be the same as American girls on the outside.” She handed me an early gift. It was a miniskirt. “But inside you must always be Chinese. You must be proud that you are different. Your only shame is to have shame.”
It was not until years later that I was able to fully appreciate her lesson and the purpose behind her particular menu. For Christmas Eve that year, she had chosen excellent Chinese food.When the writer found out the minister's family would come for Christmas Eve dinner, she cried mainly because ________.
| A．she worried about their shabby Chinese Christmas |
| B．she worried about their Chinese relatives lacking American manners |
| C．she worried about being laughed at |
| D．she worried about meeting the minister's family |
What does “he was not worthy of existence” probably mean? It means ________.
| A．he should not exist |
| B．he was worthless |
| C．the writer was not interested in his existence |
| D．the writer expected his coming |
The dinner threw the writer deeper into disappointment mainly because ________.
| A．she childishly expected all of them to act in the same way as Americans did at table |
| B．her father reached his chopsticks to pick fish for her |
| C．her father leaned back and burped loudly |
| D．her relatives licked the ends of their chopsticks |
We can infer from the passage that ________.
| A．the writer appreciated her mother's lesson years later |
| B．the mother prepared to show Chinese different food culture |
| C．the writer must be proud that she is different |
| D．the minister's family really enjoyed the food |
If your parents take out a loan, remind themselves to make the payments on time. Otherwise it will become a negative record in their personal credit reports, which are playing an increasingly big role in people's daily lives. A story carried by Chongqing Morning Post in June, underlines this trend.
According to the report, a Chongqing student borrowed money from the bank to finance his university studies. After he graduated in 2005, he went to work in Shenzhen. Later, he wanted to buy a house using loans. But several banks turned down his loan applications. The reason was that he had not paid back 1,500 yuan he borrowed from a bank when he was at university.
A personal credit rating is becoming an essential “pass” in everyday life, as China establishes a nationwide credit database. Personal credit systems go back 150 years. In developed countries, enterprises and banks use them to decide whether or not to loan money or do other business with a person.
A credit report estimates the credit worthiness of an individual, a company, or even a country. It is an evaluation made by credit bureaus of a borrower's overall credit history and his or her ability to repay debt. A poor credit rating means a high risk of defaulting on a loan, and thus leads to the refusal of a loan by the lender.
Today in China, credit history in banks is the major content of a credit report. But in the future, reports will include information about the payment of telephone bills, water use fees, electricity and natural gas bills, and taxes, according to officials of the People's Bank of China, the central bank.
Personal information such as appearance, genetic data, fingerprints, blood type, disease history, ethnic identity, family and religious beliefs are not to be included in credit reports, according to a draft regulation on credit rating issued last year by the Sate Council. The authors of the draft have just finished soliciting(征求) public opinions.
The Credit Reference Center run by the People's Bank of China is in charge of developing a nationwide credit database. Credit reports for all people with bank transactions (交易)began in 2006.
A personal credit rating is important to the social and economic activities of a person. According to the draft, if you have a personal negative credit record, it will be kept for five years.The author took the story as an example in order to ________.
| A．warn us of the importance of our personal credit report |
| B．tell us the story of a Chongqing student |
| C．encourage us to use credits widely |
| D．inform us to apply for a loan at university |
Credit reports will include the following except ________.
| A．taxes | B．telephone bills |
| C．water use fees | D．genetic data |
According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?
| A．Personal credit systems go back 150 years in China. |
| B．You can turn to the People's Bank of China for the information about your credit report. |
| C．Credit history in banks is the only content of a credit report. |
| D．Credit reports began in 2006 in China. |
What's the best title for the passage?
| A．A Credit Report Rating |
| B．Credit in China |
| C．Credit Really Counts |
| D．Credit Report Contents |
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