Swiss International Air lines（SWISS）will introduce daily non-stop flights between Beijing and Zurich．
The new service to the financial center of Switzerland is expected to start on Dec．12,2012，which marks an expansion of services for the Chinese market．In May 2008，SWISS already started direct flights to Shanghai．
The first flight to Europe has a special price of 2,680 yuan，which does not include taxes and fuel surcharges．
“I am delighted the airlines of Switzerland can contribute to growing economic ties between the two countries with new daily flights scheduled，”says SWISS CEO Harry Hohmeister．
“We are witnessing a growing demand for tourist travel in both directions．”
Apart from Shanghai and Hong Kong，Beijing will be the third Chinese destination for SWISS．
The new route marks a return to Beijing for SWISS：the airlines previously flew to the Chinese capital as late as June 2003．
SWISS will initially operate its new daily non-stop Beijing-Zurich flights with an Airbus A340-300（219 seats）and Airbu: A330-300（236 seats）air-crafts．
The modem SWISS business class offers the most suitable comforts since the seats can be adjusted into a two-meter-long bed．
Seating firmness and softness can be adjusted thanks to air cushions．
With the introduction of the new SWISS service from Beijing，the Lufthansa Group Airlines may attract more Chinese customers when traveling to Europe．
SWISS．Lufthansa and Austrian Airlines already connect five Chinese cities with Europe and beyond．
This airlines group is the leading European airlines network in the Chinese market．
In the summer of 2011，the Lufthansa Group operated 78 weekly flights from China including Hong Kong to Europe．
SWISS is part of the Lufthansa Group as well as a member of the Star Alliance，the world's biggest airlines grouping．
According to the passage，from Dec．12,2012， ．
| A．it will only take us a day to fly from Beijing to Zurich |
| B．we can fly directly from Beijing to Zurich |
| C．the first flight from Beijing to Europe will only cost you 2,680 yuan |
| D．the direct flight to Shanghai started by SWISS will be canceled |
Why is the new flight added?
| A．SWISS wants to offer good service to Chinese people． |
| B．SWISS wants to contribute to growing economic ties between the two countries |
| C．There is a growing demand for tourist travel in both directions． |
| D．SWISS wants to create more opportunity for people to work． |
What's special about the Airbus of the new flight?
| A．The Airbus can carry more passengers than other planes． |
| B．The seats in it can be adjusted into comfortable beds． |
| C．It offers all kinds of services for passengers to choose from． |
| D．It has two kinds of air cushions on its seats． |
What's the right relation between SWISS，Lufthansa and Austrian Airlines?
| A．SWISS is the customer of the Lufthansa Group Airlines |
| B．Austrian Airlines is a part of SWISS． |
| C．SWISS is part of the Lufthansa Group． |
| D．SWISS belongs to Austrian Airlines． |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．SWISS already started direct flights to Shanghai． |
| B．SWISS adds direct flights from Beijing to Europe． |
| C．Beijing will be the third Chinese destination for SWISS． |
| D．SWISS is the world's biggest airlines grouping． |
All the housewives who went to the new supermarket had one great ambition: to be the lucky customer who did not have to pay for her shopping. For this was what the notice just inside the entrance promised. It said: “Remember, once a week, one of our customers gets free goods. This May Be Your Lucky Day!”
For several weeks Mrs. Edwards hoped, like many of her friends, to be the lucky customer. Unlike her friends, she never gave up hoping. The cupboards in kitchen were full of things which she did not need. Her husband tried to advise her against buying things but failed. She dreamed of the day when the manager of the supermarket would approach her and say: “Madam, this is Your Lucky Day. Everything in your basket is free.”
One Friday morning, after she had finished her shopping and had taken it to her car, she found that she had forgotten to buy any tea. She dashed back to the supermarket, got the tea and went towards the cash-desk. As she did so, she saw the manager of the supermarket approach her. “Madam,” he said, holding out his hand, “I want to congratulate you! You are our lucky customer and everything you have in your basket is free!”The housewives learnt about the free goods _______.
| A．on TV | B．at the supermarket |
| C．from the manager | D．from the newspaper |
Mrs. Edwards ________.
| A．is always very lucky |
| B．had no friends |
| C．hoped to get free shopping |
| D．gets disappointed easily |
Mrs. Edwards’s husband tried to ________.
| A．make her unhappy | B．cheer her up |
| C．buy things with her | D．stop her buying things |
Mrs. Edwards went back to the supermarket quickly because she had to _______.
| A．buy another thing | B．talk to the manager |
| C．pay for her shopping | D．find her shopping |
Mrs. Edwards must have been ________.
| A．pleased | B．delighted |
| C．proud | D．disappointed |
B
Many areas of cropland in Bangladesh(孟加拉国) are becoming unfit for farming. The land is becoming salty. It is a big problem for the small country. More than 155 million people live in Bangladesh. Growing crops is the most common way Bangladeshis support themselves.
Farmers in the country are learning to grow vegetables in so-called "vertical gardens." The soil in these gardens is better because heavy rains have removed much of the salt.
A vertical garden is easy to make. Villagers fill containers with good soil and natural fertilizers. They put the containers on bricks so they are off the ground. They add pieces of the bricks to the soil to help water flow and drain.
The farmers cut small holes into the sides of the containers. This permits vegetables with short roots a place to grow. Vegetables with long roots grow on top of the container. One bag of soil can produce up to eight kilograms of vegetables in one season.
Villagers also grow vegetables in containers made from large, thin pieces of plastic supported by bamboo. This "vertical tower" measures more than a meter wide. Each of these towers can produce more than 100 kilograms of vegetables. It costs about $12-$13 to build.
The village of Chandipur is in southwestern Bangladesh. Pumpkins and other gourds(葫芦) grow on vines on top of small homes. The vegetables get the food they need from soil placed in containers on the ground.
Shobitha Debna is a 35-year-old farmer in the village. Her garden space is very small. But she is able to grow hundreds of kilograms of vegetables each season.
She says she grows gourds, including pumpkin, as well as green beans, red amaranth, beets, carrots, cauliflower and more.
Ms. Debna depends on the vegetables to earn money. She makes a few dollars a day.
This kind of farming is new in Chandipur. But it may spread across the country.The reason why cropland is becoming unfit for farming is that________.
| A．the soil has been polluted |
| B．more and more land is used for planting trees |
| C．the land is becoming salty |
| D．there is too much rain |
Why the soil in vertical gardens is better_______?
| A．because there is much less salt in the soil |
| B．because there is much salt in the soil |
| C．because there is enough water in the soil |
| D．because there is many nutrients in the soil |
From paragraph 4, we can learn that_______?
| A．vegetables with long roots grow in the sides of the containers |
| B．vegetables with short roots grow out of the small holes in the sides of the containers |
| C．vegetables with short roots grow on top of the container |
| D．vegetables in vertical gardens are not productive |
Ms. Debna grows many kinds of vegetables EXCEPT________.
| A．gourds | B．carrots | C．pumpkins | D．cucumbers |
What can we infer from the passage__________?
| A．Many areas of cropland in Bangladesh(孟加拉国) are becoming unfit for farming |
| B．155 million people in Bangladesh are short of food |
| C．This kind of farming may spread across Bangladesh |
| D．Ms. Debna earns a lot of money through selling vegetables |
After I made it to the city center, I started to feel it might be easy for a foreigner to deal with the great size of Beijing. With growing confidence, I decided to take the subway to the hotel, not realizing that the network didn’t go that far. Impressed with the cleanliness of the station, I bought a ticket and boarded the first train that came along.
After a few minutes I asked in English of course a young man seated next to me where I should get off closest to the Friendship Hotel. Wearing a smart business suit and tie, he would surely speak English, wouldn’t he? Unfortunately, he couldn’t understand me but seemed very friendly. I showed him the room card with all the information of the Friendship Hotel in Chinese characters. He looked at it, and then his eyes moved quickly to the carriage （车厢） subway map. Next, he raised three fingers of his right hand.
In Australia, raising fingers at someone is not usually nice, but this man wasn’t smiling. At the next station he showed me two fingers. Now in Australia, that’s really rude, but I got the message. When we stopped at the third station, he didn’t just point to the door, but got up, took me out of the train, and led me to the top of the stairs, and out onto the street. Then he stopped a taxi and told the driver where to take me.
All this came from a man who couldn’t speak my language, and I couldn’t speak his. I was now speechless, especially when he refused my offer of money. I felt a little embarrassed having even thought he would accept a tip.
This experience made it clear I had to learn some Chinese quickly or my adventures might start turning into bad luck.The author decided to take the subway because ________.
| A．he lived near the city center |
| B．the network covered most of the stops |
| C．he believed in his ability to deal with the trip |
| D．he had a good impression of its cleanliness |
Having been shown the room card, the young man_________.
| A．understood the author well |
| B．still remained puzzled |
| C．answered the author directly |
| D．pointed at the subway map |
Which of the following can’t be used to describe the young man?
| A．helpful | B．rude |
| C．warmhearted | D．caring |
The author’s purpose of writing this passage is mainly to ________.
| A．prove the importance of being careful |
| B．appreciate the kindness of the young man |
| C．complain some cultural misunderstanding |
| D．describe one of his adventurous experiences |
A planned visit to Trinidad and Tobago sometime ago by a former American president, suddenly took an amazing turn form the initial plan. The presidential aircraft could not land in Trinidad and Tobago. It was reported that the runway of the airport was too short. Therefore, the aircraft had to land in a nearby country and they came into the country by road.
Everyone has a runway by which events enter into his life. The events here could be favors, miracle, connections, job opportunities, etc. The size of your runway determines the level of results that will be attracted into your life.
I have a story of two good friends. They finished high school together. One wanted to further his studies while the other decided to look for a job. As time went on, the one that wanted to work was always there to support the other one especially in the area of fees in school for a long time. As destiny would have it, they both lost contact and after a very long time, they met again but on a very different level. The one that added values to himself by going back to school had stepped up greatly to become the general manager of a big company and the other was just a little lifted. So, it was time to pay back. The one of general manager could only support him financially and make him the chief driving officer in the company. Even though he would have loved to give him a higher post he was not qualified especially in terms of skills, orientation , experience and so on. In other words, his runway was too short for such an opportunity.
Everyone must increase in knowledge and training . You must step up in your education level, human, business and communication skills. Your relationship with people must improve by being a good person. Your runway is enlarged anytime you add values to your life.
There are some jobs, opportunities, favor that cannot protect base in your life. They will have to be coming from other people into your life because you have failed to work on your own runway by improving on your abilities. It is not too late or too early to start in life because every stage in life is a good place to begin. In the first paragraph, the president had to change his plan because _________________.
| A．the weather condition was bad for their journey |
| B．they couldn’t go into that country by their plane |
| C．they wanted to visit the neighboring country temporarily |
| D．the president had to deal with something back in his country |
The two friends had different final results because __________________________
| A．they had different life goals |
| B．one always wanted to beat the other |
| C．they had different education levels |
| D．they wanted to show their different success |
What is stressed in the last paragraph?
| A．The key to success. |
| B．The need of others’ help |
| C．The trouble from failure |
| D．The real meaning of life |
What would be the best title for this text?
| A．Kindness Makes a Big Different |
| B．Depend on Youself |
| C．Competition Exists Everywhere |
| D．Always Improve on Yourself |
Most children have heard their parents at one time or another yell “sit up straight!” or “don’t slouch!” In the past, this was usually heard at the dinner table as children ate dinner. But these days, it is also heard around another activity – video games.
Ten-year old Owaish Batliwala, from Mumbai, India, admits he spends three to four hours each day playing games on his tablet computer. His mother Mehzabin became concerned when her son started saying that his neck hurt. She said, "My son started having neck problems around June or July. The pain slowly spread to his hand and his back. He plays for hours on the iPad and mobile phone. This is what has caused the problem."
Sadia Vanjara is a physical therapist. She says the number of young children with chronic pain in their necks, arms and shoulders is on the rise. Dr. Vanjara says the pain is not from aging, accidents or disease. It is from poor posture, or body position, while playing video games.
This is a problem in many parts of the world. But there are more smartphone users in India than anywhere else in the world, except China. Networking equipment company Cisco estimates that the number of smartphone users in India will increase from 140 million today to 651 million by 2020.
19-year old student Nida Jameel says she feels pain in the finger which holds the weight of her smartphone most of the day. She says she uses her smartphone 24/7. This means 24 hours a day, seven days a week, or all the time.
Dr. Vanjara says the best treatments for the pain are daily exercises. Experts advise taking breaks from using a computer or other device often. Stand up. Stretch your legs, back, shoulders and arms. And when your work or school work is done, unplug and exercise. What can be the best title of the passage?
| A．Too Much Gaming is a Pain in the Neck |
| B．The Influence of Too Much Gaming on People’s Health |
| C．How To Avoid the Pain in the Neck |
| D．How To Be More Fit |
In paragraph 1, the underlined word “slouch” means _____
| A．stopping working |
| B．bending one’s head or shoulders forward |
| C．being much too calm about something |
| D．being enthusiastic about the things that are not related with study |
In which part of a website can we read the passage?
| A．School and Education | B．Entertainment |
| C．Health and Lifestyle | D．Food and Recipes |
In my thirty years as a time management speaker, I have observed (观察) a lot of what we can not and should not do to increase our daily results. Time management is not necessarily working harder, but rather smarter.
A lot of our time management has to do more with what we are not doing rather than what we are doing. Sometimes our mistakes will keep us from running at a full pace. Here are some time management mistakes we should all avoid to help us increase our daily efficiency:
Start your day without a plan of action. Without a plan, you will have worked hard but may not have done enough right things. Time management is not doing the wrong things more rapidly. That just gets us nowhere faster. Time management is doing the right things.
Work with a messy (凌乱不堪) desk or work area. Studies have shown that the person who works with a messy desk spends, on average, one and a half hours per day in looking for things. That’s seven and a half hours per week. If you have ever visited the office of a top manager, you can easily find that he or she is working with a clean desk environment.
Don’t take a lunch break. Many people do not take a lunch break. They work through that time period in the hope that it will give them more time to finish the task. Studies have shown that it may work just the opposite. After doing what we do for several hours, our mind will become boring. A lunch break, even a fifteen-minute break, gives us a chance to get our batteries all charged up again.With a plan of action, you can ______.
| A．work harder |
| B．do the wrong things more rapidly |
| C．avoid doing wrong things |
| D．get nowhere faster |
Working with a messy desk or work area, you will ______.
| A．waste a lot of time |
| B．find the things you need easily |
| C．become a top manager |
| D．save seven and a half hours per week |
The text mainly tells us ______.
| A．how to avoid wasting time |
| B．we should get our batteries all charged up |
| C．how important time management is |
| D．some time management mistakes |
The modern world is full of useful objects that were invented by someone, from spoons and chopsticks in our kitchens to the Ipads in our handbags. Each invention is an example of the creative power of the human mind. Where do inventors get their inspirations(灵感)? The inspiration behind each of these inventions varies.
Take the shopping cart as an example. Sylvan Goldman was a grocery store owner. Like most businessmen, he wished that his customers would buy more so that he could make more money. He knew what if they could carry more goods easily as they were shopping, when his sales would go up. While thinking about the problem one night, he had an idea. Working with a local handyman named Fred Young, he designed the first shopping cart. Today, retailers who use shopping carts sell more goods and make more profits.
Nature has also inspired inventors throughout history. This is what happened to George de Mestral one day. While hunting with his dog in the Swiss Alps, he noticed how the burs(剌球) of certain plants stuck to his clothing and to his dog' s fur. After examining them under a microscope,
he found they had tiny hooks that could easily stick to the fibers of clothing or animal hide. For the next ten years, George de Mestral searched for the hest way to produce his idea. The result of his original inspiration was Velcro, which is used in many modem objects, including sportswear, shoes, automobiles, and even space suits.
These examples show us that there are at least two possible inspirations for human creativity in the world of inventions — profit and nature. No doubt, the future will continue to breathe new life into the economies of the world with fresh ideas and inventions. How many of their creations will be inspired by natural phenomena? The world's problems require creativity and we can expect best solutions from future generations.Why did sales go up in Sylvan Goldman's grocery store after he began providing shopping carts?
| A．Because grocery stores without shopping carts made less money. |
| B．Because he lowered the prices of his goods. |
| C．Because customers liked the shopping cart’s creative design. |
| D．Because customers were able to carry more items when shopping. |
According to the article, which invention shows how nature inspires us?
| A．The bur. | B．The shopping cart. | C．Velcro. | D．Spoon. |
Which of the following statements would the author most likely disagree with?
| A．The future does not promise many useful inventions. |
| B．There are many interesting inventions in the world today. |
| C．Companies often invent things out of profit. |
| D．Nature inspires creativity. |
College libraries are designed primarily for research and study. To explain its use, let us choose a research topic and follow the step-by-step procedure of looking up the material for the paper．
Suppose your assignment is to write a paper on a novel called The Sun Also Rises by American writer Hemingway．The first step is to go to the main catalog．Many small drawers on the large wooden cabinets are lined up in alphabetical(字母的) order．Each of the drawers contains hundreds of alphabetical ordered cards．These cards are printed references to all material available in the library．Title cards are cataloged by the first word of the book title, leaving out the articles like “a”, “an” and “the”．And then you get the cards for the books you need．On the upper left corner of each card is the call number．This is the numerical code that shows where the book is located in the library．The library has open and closed stacks．If your book is on the open stacks, you can go to the open-stack room, and according to the call number find it out by yourself．There are only about 30,000 books on open stacks, while most of the 800,000 books in our library are kept in closed stacks, which are accessible only to teachers and graduate students.
For undergraduates like you, borrowing books from the closed stacks have to be done with the help of our librarian．In that case, you must fill out a call slip(纸条) for the book, showing the call number, author and title．You can get call slips on tables near the catalog cabinets．You show your call slip together with your library card to a librarian at the information desk．He or she will help you find the book out in the closed stacks.What is the main purpose of this text?
| A．To present readers a brief introduction to a college library． |
| B．To guide readers how to find books needed in a college library. |
| C．To tell readers how to fill out a call slip in a college library. |
| D．To show readers where to find books in a college library. |
What letter you should look for on the title card for the book The Old Man and the Sea by the Hemingway?
| A．The letter “t”. | B．The letter “h”. | C．The letter “o”. | D．The letter “s”. |
How are books arranged and shelved in the library?
| A．By call numbers. | B．By call slips of authors’ names. |
| C．In alphabetical order. | D．By the first word of book title. |
Suppose you are an undergraduate and you want to borrow a book from the closed stacks, which is the correct order to do it?
a. go to the main catalog b. show your call slip and library card
c. find out the call number d. fill out a call slip
e. get the cards for the books
| A．a-b-e-d-c | B．b-a-c-d-e | C．a-e-c-d-b | D．b-c-a-e-d |
If you were to walk up to Arthur Bonner and say, “Hey, Butterfly Man,” his face would break into a smile. The title suits him.，and he loves it.
Arthur Bonner works with the Palos Verdes blue butterfly, once thought to have died out. Today the butterfly is coming back — thanks to him. But years ago if you’d told him this was what he’d be doing someday, he would have laughed, “You’re crazy.” As a boy, he used to be “a little tough guy on the streets”. At age thirteen, he was caught by police stealing. At eighteen, he landed in prison for shooting a man.
“I knew it had worried my mom,” Bonner said after he got out of prison. “So I told myself I would not put my mom through that pain again.”
One day he met Professor Mattoni, who was working to rebuild the habitat(栖息地) for an endangered butterfly called El Segundo blue.
“I saw the sign ‘Butterfly Habitat’ and asked, ‘How can you have a habitat when the butterflies can just fly away?’” Bonner recalls. “Dr. Mattoni laughed and handed me a magnifying glass (放大镜), ‘Look at the leaves.’ I could see all these caterpillars(蝴蝶的幼虫) on the plant. Dr Mattoni explained, ‘Without the plant, there are no butterflies.’”
Weeks later, Bonner received a call from Dr. Mattoni, who told him there was a butterfly that needed help. That was how he met the Palos Verdes blue. Since then he’s been working for four years to help bring the butterfly back. He grows astragalus, the only plant the butterfly eats. He collects butterflies and brings them into a lab to lay eggs. Then he puts new butterflies into the habitat.
The butterfly’s population, once almost zero, is now up to 900. For their work, Bonner and Dr. Mattoni received lots of awards. But for Bonner, he earned something more: he turned his life around.
For six years now Bonner has kept his promise to stay out of prison. While he’s bringing back the Palos Verdes blue, the butterfly has helped bring him back, too.When he was young, Arthur Bonner _______.
| A．broke the law and ended up in prison |
| B．was fond of shooting and hurt his mom |
| C．often laughed at people on the streets |
| D．often caught butterflies and took them home |
Bonner came to know the Palos Verdes blue after he _______.
| A．found the butterfly had died out |
| B．won many prizes from his professor |
| C．met Dr. Mattoni, a professor of biology |
| D．collected butterflies and put them into a lab |
From the last sentence of the text, we learn that raising butterflies has _______.
| A．made Bonner famous | B．changed Bonner’s life |
| C．brought Bonner wealth | D．enriched Bonner’s knowledge |
Many years ago there was a huge oil refinery fire in a small town. Flames shot hundreds of feet into the air. The sky was thick with grimy black smoke. The heat was intense—so intense that firefighters had to park their trucks a block away and waited for the heat to die down before they could begin to fight the fire. However, it was about to rage out of control.
Then, all of a sudden, from several blocks away came a fire truck racing down the street. With its brakes screeching, it hit the curb in front of the fire. The firefighters jumped out and began to battle the blaze. All the firefighters who were parked a block away saw this, and they jumped into their trucks, drove down the block and began to fight the fire, too. As a result of that cooperative effort, they were just barely able to bring the fire under control.
The people who saw this teamwork thought, “My goodness, the man who drove that lead fire truck—what an act of bravery!” They decided to give him a special award to recognize him for his bravery in leading the charge.
At the ceremony the mayor said, “Captain, we want to honor you for a fantastic act of bravery in leading the charge. You prevented the loss of property, perhaps even the loss of life. If there is one special thing you could have—just about anything—what would it be?”
Without hesitation, the captain replied, “Your Honor, a new set of brakes of my truck would be great!” How was the captain probably feeling when his truck charged down the street to the fire?
| A．enthusiastic | B．encouraged |
| C．embarrassed | D．upset |
Which of the following statements is true?
| A．The captain was driving his truck fast because he was in a hurry to fight the fire. |
| B．There was something wrong with the brakes of the truck. |
| C．The mayor praised the captain for his honesty. |
| D．The people decided to honor the captain because he fought the fire bravely. |
Why did all the firefighters park their trucks a block away from the fire?
| A．Because they were waiting for the captain to arrive. |
| B．Because the smoke was too thick to see anything. |
| C．Because the fire was about to go out of control. |
| D．Because they had to wait for the intense heat to die down a bit. |
My grandma whom we all called Nanny was a solid, first-generation, Italian immigrant. She came to this country with her family on a tiny ship during World War I when she was only 8 years old. During the trip she survived stormy seas，little food, and an attack by a German U-boat. After getting here，her large family worked hard to build a new life in America. They never had much money but were rich in love.
One day, when I was about 5 or 6 years old, my parents and brothers went on a trip. It was just me and Nanny in the house for the weekend. Nanny seemed so happy to be taking care of me all by herself. She made me a special breakfast that first morning. However, all I could do was to complain about how the food was not how Mom always made it. Nanny quietly put down the plate and went into the living room. I followed a minute later and saw that she had tears in her eyes. It was the first time I had ever seen my strong and proud grandmother cry and I was the one who had caused it.
I walked over to Nanny, climbed on her lap, and for the first time in my short life I did something else too. I apologized without being told to and asked Nanny to forgive me. She smiled, rubbed my head, and told me I was a good boy even though I didn't feel like one then.
That memory just like my Nanny's love will stay in my heart forever. It is a sign of both strength and wisdom. Asking for forgiveness helps us to learn, to grow, and to love.Nanny’s family immigrated to America mainly because _____.
| A．they suffered starvation in their homeland |
| B．they wanted to start a rich life in the new land |
| C．they tried to get away from the terrible climate |
| D．their country was in war and they needed peace |
The boy complained to Nanny that the food _____.
| A．wasn't cooked the way his mom did |
| B．was served a bit later than usual |
| C．was prepared in a special way |
| D．was just to his parents’ taste |
When seeing Nanny crying in the living room, the author felt _____.
| A．surprised | B．ashamed |
| C．shocked | D．annoyed |
The author mainly wants to tell us that _____.
| A．forgiveness can be beneficial to people asking for it |
| B．hardships can make children more indifferent |
| C．grandparents are more tolerant than their grandchildren |
| D．family ties can sometimes be misused |
While I was in my 4th month of pregnancy（妊娠期）with my second child，we were preparing for a trip to Louisiana，where Marshall’s family live，to celebrate Jane’s 2nd birthday．Two days before we were to leave，we got the shocking news that I was going to lose the baby．Not knowing when this would happen，we decided to continue with our trip．
Since Marshall’s family lives on a 600-acre cattle farm，you often find that you have a lot of time to yourself to think when you are there．That is precisely what I did not want to do at this time．I told Marshall that I needed to get a good book to get lost in while I was there．I told him I heard the Harry Potter books were good，so he went out and got the first one for me．
During that trip，I totally got lost in the book，which was of great help during a time when I needed a distraction to forget about the sadness．In the book，I noticed the name “Seamus”．I vaguely remembered it was pronounced “Shamus” and I liked the sound of that．I mentioned it to Marshall and he liked it too．Toward the end of the trip，I had just 5 chapters left and I knew I was about to finish the first book，which I was pretty excited about．
Soon after we put Jane down to bed，I had started labor（分娩），so I was unable to read．The labor lasted 5 and 1/2 hours，but Marshall stayed there with me，sitting beside me and reading aloud the last 5 chapters of Harry Potter．I can never fully explain how much that helped me through the experience．And ever since then，Marshall and I both have been fans of the Harry Potter books．We remember how they helped us get through that time of our lives．
We were sad to have lost the baby，but the name Seamus started our journey toward adoption．And we gave this name to our adopted son．Though our Seamus doesn’t have a drop of Irish blood in him，the name fits him perfectly．Why did the writer want a good book during the trip?
| A．Because the trip to Louisiana would take a long time． |
| B．Because she didn’t want to think of losing her baby． |
| C．Because she had nothing else to do except reading． |
| D．Because a good book could help her enjoy her trip． |
According to the story，we can know that the Harry Potter books _________________．
| A．made the family’s trip more exciting |
| B．include five books all together |
| C．have someone called Seamus in them |
| D．can help people deal with their problems |
The writer named her son Seamus because ___________________．
| A．she wanted to keep her trip in memory |
| B．she loved this name very much |
| C．her son doesn’t have Irish blood |
| D．it is a perfect name for a boy |
Which is the best title for the passage?
| A．Funny Stories of My Family |
| B．Seamus And Harry Potter |
| C．How We Got To Louisiana |
| D．How My Son Got His Name |
“Mommy, I’m a funny bird,” Jack, my almost-4-year-old tells me. He moves his little fingers like wings.
“You are?” I say. I’m sitting across from him while he eats breakfast at our table. I smile; he says the greatest things. A week ago, however, when he had chocolate on his face and I licked (舔) my finger to wipe it off, he said, “Don’t put your dirty water on me.”
A week ago, I wouldn’t have been sitting here with him during breakfast. I wouldn’t have been up, emptying the dishwasher, cleaning the kitchen, or answering emails. We always had dinner together at the table, but other meals got much less attention. I work from home, and my husband owns an advertising agency and often travels. We were so busy that we had to do the chores during breakfast or lunch.
Why was I not sitting down with my son? It could take Jack an hour to eat a meal, during which I could feel the tug (猛拉) of unanswered emails, a deadline, and the unswept floor each minute.
Then we went to visit friends for a weekend. They have two kids. They are busy, professional, and good parents. And at every meal -- not just dinner -- we all sat down at the table and ate. When we got home, my husband said, “Maybe we should be doing that.”
I took this as criticism. My husband works a lot, so mealtimes are mostly under my charge. The “we” he was talking about was me.
Then, I remembered myself that I’m a big girl, and took his comment the way it was meant. We both want what’s best for Jack. Yes, I thought. I’m home. I have to eat, too. My husband is Jack’s favorite, which delights and moves me, but I am Jack’s constant. Constants are there. Constants sit down.
So I’ve been sitting. And, surprise, I haven’t missed a deadline. The house has been clean. And Jack seems to like having me there. Two days ago, over lunch, he smiled and stared at me.
“What?” I asked, amused.
“Mommy, I love you so much and I can’t stop loving you.”
I could have missed that.
God, I could have missed that. Before visiting the friends, Jack _________.
| A．didn’t like chocolate |
| B．couldn’t eat by himself |
| C．was sometimes rude to his mom |
| D．preferred his mother to his father |
After visiting the friends, the author _________.
| A．was determined to learn to cook |
| B．asked her husband to have every meal with her |
| C．decided to have dinner together with her family |
| D．was advised by her husband to learn from the friends |
What does the underlined word “that” in the last paragraph refer to?
| A．The best time to visit friends. |
| B．Jack saying sweet words to his mom. |
| C．A deadline for answering emails. |
| D．Jack having lunch with his mom. |
He was once referred to as the Picasso of poetry. Beloved by Chileans of all classes, he is one of the most widely read and respected poets in history. And this year is the 100th birthday of Pablo Neruda(1904—1973)．
Born with the name Neftali Ricardo Reyes Basolto, he was a tall, shy and lonely boy. He loved to read and started to write poetry when he was ten. The American poet Walt Whitman, whose framed picture Neruda later kept on his table became a major influence on his work.
However, his father did not like the idea of having a poet for a son and tried to discourage him from writing. To cover up (掩饰) the publication of his first poem, he took the pen name Pablo Neruda.
In 1924 Neruda gained fame with his most widely read work “Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair.” Yet his rich experience as a diplomat and exile(流犯) made him go beyond the theme of love. His work also reflected the political struggle of the left and development of South America. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1971.
Neruda loved the sea which he saw as creative, destructive and forever moving. He found inspiration in the power and freedom of the waves and the seabirds on the coast. “I need the sea because it teaches me,” he wrote. “I move in the university of the waves.” He loved how the sea forever renewed itself, a renewal echoed in his work. The underlined word “Picasso” can probably be replaced by“________”．
| A．most important person |
| B．famous person from Picasso |
| C．freedom fighter in Picasso |
| D．poem fans |
Neftali Ricardo Reyes Basolto took the pen name Pablo Neruda because________.
| A．literary greats usually used the pen name |
| B．his father encouraged him to use the name |
| C．he wanted to prevent his father knowing the publication |
| D．he was greatly influenced by other poets |
Which of the following is not the theme of his works?
| A．Love. | B．Political struggle. |
| C．Social reform. | D．Development of South America. |
The last paragraph mainly tells us________.
| A．the sea gave Neruda vast writing inspiration |
| B．the beautiful scenery along the Chile coast |
| C．Neruda's poems were widely read overseas |
| D．Neruda loved to write his poems near the sea |
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