高中英语阅读理解

My brother-in-law opened the bottom drawer of my sister's bureau(衣橱) and picked out a wonderful skirt. "Jan bought this the first time we went to New York, at least 8 or 9 years ago. She never wore it. She was saving it for a special occasion.” Well, I guess this is the occasion.
He took the skirt from me and put it on the bed. His hands touched the soft material for a moment, then he shut the drawer and turned to me, "Don't ever save anything for a special occasion. Every day you're alive is a special occasion."
I'm still thinking about his words, and they've changed my attitude to life. I'm spending more time with my family and friends and less time in committee meetings. Whenever possible, life should be a pattern of experience to enjoy, not suffer. I'm trying to recognize these moments now and treasure them.
"Someday" and "one of these days" are being lost from my vocabulary. If it's worth seeing or hearing or doing, I want to see and hear and do it now. I' m not sure what my sister would have done if she had known she wouldn't have tomorrow.
I think she would have called family members and a few close friends. She might have called a few former friends to apologize and mend her fences for past things. I like to think she would have gone out for a Chinese dinner, her favorite food.
If I knew that my hours were limited, those little things left undone would make me angry. Angry because I put off seeing good friends whom I was going to get in touch with some day. Angry and sorry because I didn't tell my husband and daughter often enough how much I truly love them.
I'm trying very hard not to put off, hold back, or save anything that would add laughter to our lives. And every morning when I open my eyes, I tell myself that every day, every minute; every breath truly, is... a gift from God.
The best title for the passage would be______.

A．Every day is An Important Occasion	B．My Poor Sister
C．Value Friendship Every Day	D．Every day is A Gift

Jan bought the wonderful skirt but didn't wear it because______.

A．she wanted to wear it on special occasions

B．she kept it as a special gift for someone else

C．she saved it until she grew older

D．she wanted to keep it as a sweet memory

Which of the following is not the writer’s attitude to life?

A．spending more time staying with family

B．enjoying life and valuing every day

C．attending social activities as often as possible

D．trying to get along well with friends

Which of the following can best explain the expression underlined “mend her fences for past things” in Paragraph 5?

A．break her word

B．try to be friendly again with someone

C．give up her point of view

D．keep her promise

Motherhood may make women smarter and may help prevent dementia(痴呆) in old age by bathing the brain in protective hormones(荷尔蒙) , U.S. researchers reported on Thursday.
Tests on rats show that those who raise two or more litters of pups do considerably better in tests of memory and skills than rats who have no babies, and their brains show changes that suggest they may be protected against diseases such as Alzheimer’s(早老痴呆症). University of Richmond psychology professor Craig Kinsley believes his findings will translate into humans.
“Our research shows that the hormones of pregnancy(怀孕) are protecting the brain, including estrogen(雌激素), which we know has many neuroprotective (保护神经的) effects,” Kinsley said.
“It’s rat data but humans are mammals just like these animals are mammals,” he added in a telephone interview. “They go through pregnancy and hormonal changes.”
Kinsley said he hoped public health officials and researchers will look to see if having had children protects a woman from Alzheimer’s and other forms of age-related brain decline.
“When people think about pregnancy, they think about what happens to babies and the mother from the neck down,” said Kinsley, who presented his findings to the annual meeting of the Society of Neuroscience in Orlando, Florida.
“They do not realize that hormones are washing on the brain. If you look at female animals who have never gone through pregnancy, they act differently toward young. But if she goes through pregnancy, she will sacrifice her life for her infant—that is a great change in her behavior that showed in genetic alterations (改变) to the brain.”
How do scientists know “Motherhood may make women smarter”?

A．Some researchers have told them.

B．Many women say so.

C．They know it by experimenting on rats.

D．They know it through their own experience.

What does the phrase “litters of pups” mean in the second paragraph?

A．Baby rats.	B．Animals.
C．Old rats.	D．Grown-up rats.

What can protect the brain of a woman according to the passage?

A．Estrogen.	B．The hormones of pregnancy.
C．More exercise.	D．Taking care of children.

Which title is the best for this passage?

A．Do You Want to Be Smarter?

B．Motherhood Makes Women Smarter

C．Mysterious Hormones

D．An Important Study

Some people are lucky enough to be born with a good sense of direction and even if they have only visited a place once, they will be able to find it again years later.
I am one of those unfortunate people who have poor sense of direction and I may have visited a place time after time but I still get lost on my way there. When I was young I was so shy that I never dared ask complete strangers the way and so I used to wander round in circles and hope that by some chance I would get to the spot I was heading for.
I am no longer too shy to ask people for direction, but I often receive replies that puzzle me. Often people do not like to admit that they didn’t know their hometown and will insist on telling you the way, even if they do not know it; others, who are anxious to prove that they know their hometown very well, will give you a long list of directions which you cannot possibly hope to remember, and still others do not seem to be able to tell between their left and their right and you find in the end that you are going in the opposite direction to that in which you should be going.
If anyone ever asks me the way to somewhere, I always tell them I am a stranger to the town in order to avoid giving them wrong direction but even this can have embarrassing results.
Once I was on my way to work when I was stopped by a man who asked me if I would direct him the way to the Sunlight Building. I gave my usual reply, but I had not walked on a few steps when I realized that he had asked for directions to my office building. However, at this point, I decided it was too late to turn back and search for him out of the crowd behind me as I was going to meet with someone at the office and I did not want to keep him waiting.
Imagine my embarrassment when my secretary showed in the very man who had asked for directions of my office and his astonishment when he recognized me as the person he had asked.
What is the writer going to do when someone asks him for direction?

A．He will direct the right way to the person willingly.

B．He will reply to it by the means of being a stranger to the town.

C．He will give the very person long list of direction.

D．He is going to show the man an opposite direction.

Why did the writer consider himself to be an unlucky dog?

A．Because of his poor sense of direction.

B．Because he always forgot the way home.

C．Because he did not have any friend.

D．Because he used to be shy and dared not ask others the way.

How did the visitor feel when he was showed into the very room?

A．He felt strange.	B．He felt embarrassed.
C．He felt very sad.	D．He felt astonished.

Who showed the right way to the interviewee according to the passage?

A．Someone we don’t know.

B．The writer did it for himself.

C．The secretary did so.

D．A warm-hearted old lady did such a thing.

Here is some information about several famous local bakeries(面包烤房) in Indiana, the US. They serve as a social gathering place for locals.
Maple Lane Bakery
At 8260 S. State Rd. Claypool, IN. [phone], it offers a variety of cooked pies, cookies, and bread. With 20 years’ experience Maple Lane Bakery has specialized in the making of pies. The menu includes peach pie $7.19, berry pie $7.70, apple pie $7.19 and banana pie $6.99. Feel free to place an order at least 24 hours in advance.
Betty’s Cakes & Candy Shop
At 816 E. Winona Avenue Warsaw, IN. [phone], it specializes in cakes and offers cookies and candies. The chocolate cookies are sold at $8.99 a dozen. Betty’s Cakes & Candy Shop, started half a century ago, specializes in wedding cakes and birthday cakes. Buying a cake from Betty’s will not disappoint you as they are always excellent.
Crepes’ Quality Bakery
At 217 S. Cavin Street Ligonier, IN. [phone], this third generation bakery is located downtown Ligonier. It offers cookies and cupcakes, and specializes in rolls and bread. If you plan to buy cookies for the office or work area, you had better get there early as the building workers arrive just before 5:00 am waiting for the doors to open.
Olympia Candy Kitchen
At 136 N. Main Street Goshen, IN. [phone], it has been welcoming visitors for almost a century in its unchanged location in downtown Goshen, Indiana. Its tradition began in 1912 when Greek Nicholas began making his own chocolates. Today this family-owned operation offers all kinds candies and boxed candies.
If you need an order, you should call ahead of time to see if they can meet your request.
Which of the following pies is the most expensive?

A．Banana pie.	B．Berry pie.
C．Peach pie.	D．Apple pie.

If you want to order a birthday cake, you are advised to call _________.

A．[phone]	B．[phone]
C．[phone]	D．[phone]

Which of the following bakeries has the shortest history?

A．Maple Lane Bakery	B．Crepes’ Quality Bakery
C．Olympia Candy Kitchen	D．Betty’s Cakes & Candy Shop

The author wrote this passage mainly to __________.
A. warn customers to order bakeries in advance
B. tell readers some travel information
C. make the bakeries better known to readers
C. persuade more people to eat pies

We spent a day in the country, picking wild flowers. With the car full of flowers we were going home. On our way back my wife noticed a cupboard (柜厨) outside a furniture shop. It was tall and narrow. “Buy it, ” my wife said at once. “We’ll carry it home on the roof rack. I’ve always wanted one like that.”
What could I do? Ten minutes later I was ￡20 poorer; and the cupboard was tied on the roof rack. It was six feet long and eighteen inches square, quite heavy too.
In the gathering darkness I drove slowly. Other drivers seemed unusually polite that evening. The police even stopped traffic to let us through. Carrying furniture was a good idea.
After a time my wife said, “There’s a long line of cars behind. Why don’t they overtake, I wonder?” In fact a police car did overtake. The two officers inside looked at us seriously as they passed. But then, with great kindness, they led us through the rush-hour traffic. The police car stopped at our village church. One of the officers came to me.
“Right, sir, ” he said. “Do you need any more help?”
I was a bit puzzled. “Thanks, officer, ” I said. “You have been very kind. I live just on the road.”
He was staring at our car, first at the flowers, then at the cupboard. “Well, well, ” he said, laughing. “It’s a cupboard you’ve got there! We thought it was something else.”
My wife began to laugh. The truth hit me like a stone between the eyes. I smiled at the officer. “Yes, it’s a cupboard, but thanks again.” I drove home as fast as I could.
Other drivers thought the author and his wife were _______.

A．carrying a cupboard to the church

B．sending flowers to the church

C．carrying nothing but a piece of furniture

D．going to attend a funeral at the church

The police will be more polite to those who are _______.

A．driving in gathering darkness

B．in great sorrow

C．driving with wild flowers in the car

D．carrying furniture

What did the husband think of this matter?

A．It was very strange.	B．He took great pride in it.
C．He felt ashamed of it.	D．He was puzzled at it.

Scientists fear rising energy bills may lead to an increase in obesity （肥胖） after discovering a link between poorly-heated homes and higher body -fat．
Researchers from the University of Stirling’s Behavioural Science Centre set out to explore claims that warm indoor temperatures have contributed to rising obesity levels in winter．Instead, the team found that people who live in well-heated homes are more likely to have low body mass index （体重指数） levels while those who keep their heating turned down or off tend to be heavier．
Dr Michael Daly, behavioral scientist and senior lecturer, said: "We set out to investigate the scientific claims that cooler indoor temperatures help us maintain a healthy weight by pushing our bodies to use up more energy. In fact, the research suggests people may eat less and burn more energy when in a warmer indoor environment．
The 13-year study, published in the journal Obesity, involved more than 100,000 adults across England．
Researchers found reduced weight levels among people living in homes heated to above 23°C（73F）, which involved about 15,000 of the households studied．
Dr Daly said: "As national gas bills continue to rise faster than the rate of inflation, this research suggests the obesity could worsen where heating is turned down below comfortable levels or off for long periods to cut costs．"
This is not just about people who live in well-heated homes being in the financial position to afford more expensive low-calorie foods, exercise classes and sporting activities, and therefore finding it easier to maintain a low BMI level．The study took age, sex, social class and other factors into account．
"The comfortable temperature of 20°C -23°C is where we feel comfortable in our clothes and are neither hot nor cold．At temperatures above this, we use more energy and we eat less because our appetite is affected．"
The findings of the research can be described as ___     ．

A．horrible	B．surprising
C．funny	D．encouraging

According to the passage, with rising gas bills, people may turn down or off their heating to______.

A．stay in shape	B．maintain a low BMI level
C．save money	D．avoid eating more

Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?

A．Obesity links to poorly-heated homes

B．Well-heated home's contribute to obesity

C．Obesity--- A weighty problem in England

D．Rising energy bills help maintain a healthy weight

    Italians were reminded to slow down and relax on World Slow Day, an annual event celebrating life's simple pleasures.
"Let's take this day to stop and think about all the things we miss while we're rushing through our lives," said Bruno Contigiani, the President of the Art of Living Slowly Association. Contigiani, 62, a one-time high-powered manager, is now an ambassador for the slow life movement around the world. He started the first World Slow Day in 2007 to encourage the values of living and working at a more natural pace, and to make people rethink their daily lifestyle.
Contigiani's association suggests "14 commandments (诫条) " for living better, such as waking up five minutes earlier to enjoy breakfast without rushing. Others include walking whenever possible, and reading in the evenings instead of watching television.
This year, Contigiani left Italy where the event has spread around the country for Shanghai, one of the fastest moving cities in the world. The slow-living supporter said he wandered around the busiest streets of the commercial center for an entire afternoon, inviting people to "slow down". "Among the ‘14 commandments’, the one about waking up five minutes earlier was the most popular by far, " Contigiani said.
Back in Italy, the now well-known event hosts a lot of activities, such as reminding people to stop and smell the roses. In central Milan you would probably be fined if you walk too fast. In parks and public spaces, free yoga and Tai Chi (太极拳) lessons are important parts of the events.
Italian farmers' union noted that Italians spent less and less time preparing meals, a habit connected to rising levels of obesity（肥胖）. Therefore, the group said World Slow Day was a good opportunity to remind Italians to take extra time at meals in particular.
World Slow Day is by now an international event. A total of 90 “Slow Cities" in 11 countries inspired by the “live well" philosophy are supporting the day.
What's the best title of the text?

A．Slow Life Supporters	B．Lifestyle of Italy
C．World Slow Day	D．Living Well

World Slow Day is intended to             .

A．tell people to walk slowly

B．encourage people to enjoy pleasant things

C．advise people to adjust to modern lifestyle

D．remind people to live and work at a natural pace

Which of the following goes against the "commandments"?

A．Walking whenever possible.

B．Slowing down to smell flowers.

C．Watching TV in the evenings instead of reading.

D．Waking up five minutes earlier to enjoy breakfast.

In which section of a newspaper is the text probably put?

A．Advertisement.	B．Culture.
C．Business.	D．Entertainment.

  ''If you can see the magic in a fairytale童话）, you can face the future”-- Danielle Steel
Who have not read fairytales? We all have had the experience of taking great delight in the beauty and innocence of fairytales．May it be Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty．．．Fairytale is a word which cannot be new to us. But haveyou ever travelled ages back to the earliest of times and uncovered the fascinating facts about these stories?
The history of the fairytale is particularly difficult to track．The oral tradition of the fairytale came long before the written page．The oldest known fairytales date back to ancient Egypt around 1300B.C.and now, after travelling through various periods of time, they have grown and matured in various aspects and have become the most popular forms of stories for young children
The characters and themes of fairytales are simple and similar:Princesses and goose girls, youngest sons and brave princes, wicked, stepmothers, fairy godmothers, talking animals, glass mountains, witches, castles and the like. The tale goes into an unreal world and in this never-never land our heroes kill the enemy, succeed to kingdoms and marry the ever beautiful princesses. W. H Auden said, “The way to read a fairytale is to throw yourself in.”  It is very true indeed or you will not be able to feel the ecstasy of reading a fairytale. So whenever you read a fairytale, imagine you arethe hero/heroine and you will be carried to a mysterious land where everything will be as you want.
Every child believes in fairies（仙女), dragons, etc. Yet, as we grow up we fail to believe in these fantasy-based characters．Fairytales are told to children when they are young. This is very essential indeed, for if in the beginning of our lives, our minds are touched by the beauty, innocence and the morals in these tales, we will be able to obtain the optimistic side of happenings．In life, sometimes, believing in such mystics can lead to greathappiness．
Well, I don’t know about you, but I do believe in fairies…and who knows I may someday meet one because, after all, believing is just the beginning! And as J.M. Barries said, “When you say I don’t believe in fairies, a fairy somewhere drops dead.” And I wouldn’t want anyone dead on my account, would you?
In Paragraph 1, thewriter mentioned Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty to __

A．tell the beauty and innocence of thefairytales

B．present us the fascinating facts behind them

C．show us that fairytales are something we are familiar with

D．describe his feeling towards fairytales

The underlined word '"ecstasy" in Paragraph 3 probably means“___”

A．delight	B．innocence
C．mystery	D．the optimistic side

Why is it important to tell the fairytales to the children when young?

A．Because they can gain greathappiness．

B．Because it is easier for the children to throw themselves in the role

C．Because they tend to have wild imagination

D．Because when they see the magic in the tales in the beginning, they can face the future

How do you understand the sentence in the last paragraph "When you say I don't believe in fairies, a fairy somewhere drops dead.” ?

A．If you don’t believe in the tales, the fairy will be really sad．

B．We need the beauty, innocence, and moral of the fairytales to stay optimistic．

C．If nobody believes in us, we will be heartbroken．

D．The writer is just trying to be humorous by saying this．

  If you didn't look at them, they weren't there, right? On seeing those in rags on the corner, I only wanted the light to turn green fast enough so that I wouldn't have to keep pretending not to see them.
Then, one day, as I was holding the hand of my best friend Jane who was young but dying of breast cancer, she told me that she made every moment count by slowing down and by seeing everything . I held her hand for five years and then she passed away. She did teach me something. It took a while for her words to really sink in. I can be a slow learner.
I started by seeing everything, and focused on their presence. One day I saw a Vietnam veteran(老兵). I asked him what would make his day.
"A hot cup of coffee," he told me.
I bought him a cup of coffee, a stack of pancakes, some eggs, and so on. After our meal together, I asked him if there was anything else that would make his life a bit easier.
"A new pair of socks, "he said.
Socks, really? I actually happened to be wearing a nice pair of wool hiking socks at that very moment. I told him that I wanted to give him the pair I was wearing if he would accept it. Finally he agreed. We sat down on a bench, and he started to first take off his boots, and then remove the black socks that had once been white off his feet. I think a layer or two of skin might have come off with them. Taking his new pair of socks, he held the socks up to his cheeks and said they were warm and smelled as good as me, pools of tears in his eyes.
Such a simple luxury (奢侈品) I used to take for granted. Now I always have an extra pair with me in my car. They are always my best pair, just waiting to be given away.
On seeing the homeless, the author used to_______.

A．act as if they were not there	B．show mercy to them
C．hide in the corner	D．make fun of them

What can we learn about the author from Paragraph 2?

A．He was slow in learning things.

B．His best friend was once a teacher.

C．He was sad that his friend was dying.

D．He didn't understand Jane's words at first.

Why does the author always have an extra pair of socks in his car?

A．To decorate his car.

B．To sell it to others.

C．To keep it for a change.

D．To donate it to a needy person.

What does the author want to convey to us?

A．All men are born equal.

B．Don't miss doing any good thing.

C．A beggar's purse is bottomless.

D．Don't trouble trouble until trouble troubles you.

The kids in this village wear dirty, ragged clothes. They sleep beside cows and sheep in huts made of sticks and mud. They have no school. Yet they all can chant the English alphabet, and some can make words.
The key to their success: 20 tablet computers(平板电脑) dropped off in their Ethiopian village in February by a U.S. group called One Laptop Per Child.
The goal is to find out whether kids using today’s new technology can teach themselves to read in places where no schools or teachers exist. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers analyzing the project data say they’re already amazed. “What I think has already happened is that the kids have already learned more than they would have in one year of kindergarten,” said Matt Keller, who runs the Ethiopia program.
The fastest learner—and the first to turn on one of the tablets—is 8-year-old Kelbesa Negusse. The device’s camera was disabled to save memory, yet within weeks Kelbesa had figured out its workings and made the camera work. He called himself a lion, a marker of accomplishment in Ethiopia.
With his tablet, Kelbasa rearranged the letters HSROE into one of the many English animal names he knows. Then he spelled words on his own. “Seven months ago he didn’t know any English. That’s unbelievable,” said Keller.
The project aims to get kids to a stage called “deep reading,” where they can read to learn. It won’t be in Amharic, Ethiopia’s first language, but in English, which is widely seen as the ticket to higher paying jobs.
How does the Ethiopia program benefit the kids in the village?

A．It contributes to their self-study.

B．It trains teachers for them.

C．It helps raise their living standards.

D．It provides funds for building schools.

It amazed Keller that with the tablet Kelbesa could _______.

A．draw pictures of animals.

B．learn English words quickly.

C．write letters to researchers.

D．make phone calls to his friends.

What is the aim of the project?

A．To offer Ethiopians higher paying jobs.

B．To make Amharic widely used in the world.

C．To assist Ethiopians in learning their first language.

D．To help Ethiopian kids read to learn in English.

The behavior of a building’s users may be at least as important as its design when it comes to energy use, according to new research from the UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC). The UK promises to reduce its carbon emissions (排放）by 80 percent by 2050, part of which will be achieved by all new homes being zero-carbon by 2016. But this report shows that sustainable building design on its own — though extremely important- is not enough to achieve such reductions: the behavior of the people using the building has to change too.
The study suggests that the ways that people use and live in their homes have been largely ignored by existing efforts to improve energy efficiency (效率)，which instead focus on architectural and technological developments.‘Technology is going to assist but it is not going to do everything explains Katy Janda, a UKERC senior researcher，‘consumption patterns of building users can defeat the most careful design. ’In other words，old habits die hard, even in the best-designed eco-home.
Another part of the problem is information. Households and bill-payers don’t have the knowledge they need to change their energy-use habits. Without specific information，it’s hard to estimate the costs and benefits of making different choices. Feedback (反馈） facilities, like smart meters and energy monitors，could help bridge this information gap by helping people see how changing their behaviour directly affects their energy use; some studies have shown that households can achieve up to 15 percent energy savings using smart meters.
Social science research has added a further dimension (方面），suggesting that individuals’ behaviour in the home can be personal and cannot be predicted — whether people throw open their windows rather than turn down the thermostat (恒温器) , for example.
Janda argues that education is the key. She calls for a focused programme to teach people about buildings and their own behaviour in them.
As to energy use, the new research from UKERC stresses the importance of________.

A．the behaviour of building users

B．zero-carbon homes

C．sustainable building design

D．the reduction of carbon emissions

What are Katy Janda’s words mainly about?

A．The necessity of making a careful building design.

B．The importance of changing building users’ habits.

C．The variety of consumption patterns of building users.

D．The role of technology in improving energy efficiency.

The information gap in energy use _______.

A．affects the study on energy monitors

B．can be bridged by feedback facilities

C． brings about problems for smart meters

D．will be caused by building users’ old habits

What does the dimension added by social science research suggest?

A．The social science research is to be furthered.

B．The education programme is under discussion.

C．The behaviour preference of building users is similar.

D．The behaviour of building users is unpredictable.

Wealth starts with a goal saving a dollar at a time. Call it the piggy bank strategy(策略). There are lessons in that time-honored coin-saving container.
Any huge task seems easier when reduced to baby steps. I f you wished to climb a 12,000-foot mountain, and could do it a day at a time, you would only have to climb 33 feet daily to reach the top in a year. If you want to take a really nice trip in 10 years for a special occasion, to collect the $15,000 cost, you have to save $3.93 a day. If you drop that into a piggy bank and then once a year put $1,434 in a savings account at 1% interest rate after-tax, you will have your trip money.
When I was a child, my parents gave me a piggy bank to teach me that, if I wanted something, I should save money to buy it. We associate piggy banks with children, but in many countries, the little containers are also popular with adults. Europeans see a piggy bank as a sign of good fortune and wealth. Around the world, many believe a gift of a piggy bank on New Year’s Day brings good luck and financial success. Ah, but you have to put something in it.
Why is a pig used as a symbol of saving? Why not an elephant bank, which is bigger and holds more coins? In the Middle Ages, before modern banking and credit instruments, people saved money at home, a few coins at a time dropped into a jar or dish. Potters(制陶工) made these inexpensive containers from an orange-colored clay(黏土) called “pygg,” and folks saved coins in pygg jars.The Middle English word for pig was “pigge”. While the Saxons pronounced pygg, referring to the clay, as “pug”, eventually the two words changed into the same pronunciation, sounding the “i” as in pig or piggy. As the word became less associated with the orange clay and more with the animal, a clever potter fashioned a pygg jar in the shape of a pig, delighting children and adults. The piggy bank was born.
Originally you had to break the bank to get to the money, bringing in a sense of seriousness into savings. While piggy banks teach children the wisdom of saving, adults often need to relearn childhood lessons. Think about the things in life that require large amounts of money--- college education, weddings, cars, medical care, starting a business, buying a home, and fun stuff like great trips. So when you have money, take off the top 10%, put it aside, save and invest wisely.
What is the piggy bank strategy?

A．Paying 1% income tax at a time.

B．Setting a goal before making a travel plan.

C．Putting aside a little money regularly for future use.

D．Aiming high even when doing small things.

Why did the writer’s parents give him a piggy bank as a gift?

A．To delight him with the latest fashion.

B．To encourage him to climb mountains.

C．To teach him English pronunciation.

D．To help him form the habit of saving.

The piggy bank originally was ________.

A．a cheap clay container

B．a potter’s instrument

C．an animal-shaped dish

D．a pig-like toy for children

The last paragraph talks about ________.

A．the seriousness of educating children

B．the enjoyment of taking a great trip

C．the difficulty of starting a business

D．the importance of managing money

Do you want to get home from work knowing you have made a real difference in someone’s life?
If yes, don’t care about sex or age! Come and join us, then you’ll make it!
Position: Volunteer Social Care Assistant
(No Pay with Free Meals)
Place: Manchester
Hours: Part Time
We are now looking for volunteers to support people with learning disabilities to live active lives! Only 4 days left. Don’t miss the chance of lending your warm hands to help others!
Role:
You will provide people with learning disabilities with all aspects of their daily lives. You will help them to develop new skills. You will help them to protect their rights and their safety. But your primary concern is to let them know they are valued.
Skills and Experience Required:
You will have the right values and great listening skills. You will be honest and patient. You will have the ability to drive a car and to communicate in fluent written and spoken English since you’ll have to help those people with different learning disabilities. Previous care-related experience will be a great advantage for you.
The text is meant to ________.

A．leave a note

B．send an invitation

C．carry an advertisement

D．present a document

What does the underlined part mean?

A．You’ll arrive home just in time from this job.

B．You’ll make others’ lives more meaningful with this job.

C．You’ll earn a good salary from this job.

D．You’ll succeed in getting this job.

The volunteers’ primary responsibility is to help people with learning disabilities ________.

A．to get some financial support

B．to properly protect themselves

C．to realize their own importance

D．to learn some new living skills

Which of the following can first be chosen as a volunteer?

A．The one who has done similar work before.

B．The one who can drive a car.

C．The one who has patience to listen to others.

D．The one who can use English to communicate.

Undoubtedly there are a few positive characters who are able to “rise above” their environment, who are able to impress the people with whom they come in contact in spite of their clothes.
Sometimes we read of some learned woman, who has “made good in her profession,” who says that she has not looked in a mirror for years; but such a woman is a rare exception, and one is not safe in gambling(赌博) with one’s chances of success by following her. It is not the positive characters with whom we are concerned, however, for they are few and somehow manage to take care of themselves. The vast majority of the race are not so blessed, and we need to observe but little to realize that with them the reaction of clothes is an important factor.
School girls should know that clothes may make a career; happiness and leadership in all the years of high school and college life may be affected by the story a Freshman’s clothes tell. Many a girl with a keen mind, who has a natural disregard for clothes, perhaps, or who has not been trained in the appreciation of beauty in clothes, has lost her opportunities for leadership and self-expression which by right her brain power should have given her.
One of the mental capacities which we all exercise and yet exercise most unconsciously is that of passing judgment on the people we meet. In a majority of cases the judgment is superficial(肤浅的) and inaccurate; but the estimate is made. Some people may not get their final judgment till they hear one talk and will judge one by the tone of voice and by what is said as the true index; but the vast majority will form an opinion based largely, if not entirely, on appearance. One tells the world daily of one’s ideals, ambitions or good breeding through dress; and it is told so plainly that “he who runs may read” and, perhaps, he who reads may run.
According to the first two paragraphs, few people ________.

A．care about their appearances

B．understand the art of dressing themselves

C．can catch others’ attention by dressing plainly

D．are able to dress properly without professional directions

Who is the text intended for?

A．Book writers

B．Women

C．Men

D．Fashion designers

The author thinks it is ________ for most of us to judge the people we meet by what they wear.

A．natural	B．foolish
C．surprising	D．necessary

Which of the following can be the best title?

A．Rise Above Your Environment

B．He Who Runs May Read

C．Dress to Impress

D．Art of Dressing

Hair has always been an important sign of beauty. This is especially true for women. Next to the face, hair is one of the main qualities people look for when they consider a woman’s beauty. Whether long or short, curly or straight, hair often gets a lot of attention.
Each hair on a person’s head grows from a single tube-like hole in the skin called a follicle. People are born with all of the hair follicles they are ever going to have. The average person has about one hundred thousand hair follicles. They begin to form around the third month of pregnancy.
Each hair grows independently of other hairs. There are three periods of hair growth. Not all hairs experience the same period of growth at the same time. The period of active growth is called Anagen. During this period, hair grows at a rate of about three tenths millimeters a day, or one centimeter a month. About 85 percent of hair follicles are going through this process at any given time. This period can last from two to six years.
The Catagen period of hair growth comes next. It is then that hair growth begins to slow down. This period usually lasts two or three weeks. Finally, hair growth comes to a complete stop and the hairs begin to fall out. This period is known as Telogen. It affects about 15 percent of all hairs at a time.
On average, a person loses between 50 and 100 hairs every day. Since each hair grows at a different rate, this process is overlooked. Once the Telogen period has ended, the hair growth process begins again.
What does the underlined word “They” in the 2^nd paragraph refer to?

A．The babies	B．The hairs
C．The follicles	D．The pregnant women

Anagen is the period when ________.

A．hairs grow the fastest

B．hairs grow at a different rate

C．hair growth comes to a stop

D．85 percent of hairs are growing

When some hairs are experiencing the period of Telogen, they ________.

A．grow very quickly	B．slow down their growth
C．stop growing	D．affects other hairs’ growth

Which of the following shows the process of hair growth?

A．Anagen → Telogen → Catagen

B．Anagen → Catagen → Telogen

C．Anagen ↗ ↘ Catagen ← Telogen

D．Anagen

↗  ↘
Telogen ← Catagen