Since the end of World War I(WWI) in 1918, Canadians, and millions of others around the world have paused at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month to honour the sacrifice our soldiers have made in different ways, fighting for the freedoms that we all enjoy today.
Known as Remembrance Day, the day originated as a tribute to the soldiers of WWI, a dark period for our young country, which claimed the lives of over 60,000 military personnel and civilians and over 16 million dead worldwide. As there are no more surviving soldiers of WWI, today we rely on the wisdom and words of those soldiers who fought in the wars that followed and this day now also recognizes their heroic contribution. They tell us to always remember what those brave souls fought for, and all they ask in return is that we never forget.
That’s why we wear the red poppy(罂粟花)；that’s why when we see a soldier in uniform we should stop him or her and say “Thank you”; that’s why we take a pause from our busy lives for two short minutes today to honor that request. Yet this message is fading away, year after year. Take for example the terrible decision to allow parents to excuse students from Remembrance Day ceremonies at school. Not only is this disrespectful, it distances the student from his or her classmates.
It is difficult to understand why any Canadian parent would want to remove their child from the time-honored tradition of reading the poem in Flanders Fields, while a wreath of poppies is laid. It is more important than ever to teach school-aged children about our history, no matter how violent it was. Sheltering them from the realities of war is a great disservice. Understanding why conflicts happened, or happen today can help shape choices and decisions they make as adults.
Of course, because we live in a free society, we cannot force an individual to do something. It is unfortunate, but some parents now have their child “opt-out” of the services. These people should be reminded they are free to make such choices only because of the men and women the rest of us are remembering.
1.Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a Remembrance Day activity today?
A. Stopping at 11a.m. to remember the war dead.
B. Listening to stories told by WWI soldiers.
C. Wearing a red poppy to show respect.
D. Showing gratitude to soldiers in uniform.
2.What can we learn from the passage?
A. War history is too violent for school children
B. The writer was once a soldier in the Canadian army
C. Few students are willing to take part in Remembrance Day ceremonies.
D. More parents are keeping their children away from frightening war stories.
3. The underlined word “It” in the last paragraph probably refers to_______.
A. the death of so many soldiers in wars
B. the fact that there were so many wars after WWI.
C. people’s ungratefulness for the freedom they have.
D. removing children from Remembrance Day events.
4.The writer believes that ______.
A. the sacrifice of the soldiers should always be remembered.
B. Remembrance Day is becoming less important for soldiers.
C. school no longer think Remembrance Day is necessary.
D. people should be forced to learn about the realities of war.
A newly-published study has shown that loneliness can spread from one person to another, like a disease. Researchers used information from the Framingham Study, which began in 1948. The Framingham Study gathers information about physical and mental health, personal behavior and diet. At first, the study involved about 5,000 people in the American state of Massachusetts. Now, more than 12,000 individuals are taking part.
Information from the Framingham Study showed earlier that happiness can spread from person to person. So can behaviors like littering and the ability to stop smoking.
University of Chicago psychologist John Cacioppo led the recent study. He and other researchers attempted to show how often people felt lonely. They found that the feeling of loneliness spread through social groups.
Having a social connection with a lonely person increased the chances that another individual would feel lonely. In fact, a friend of a lonely person was 52% more likely to develop feelings of loneliness. A friend of that person was 25% more likely. The researchers say this shows that a person could indirectly be affected by someone’s loneliness.
The effect was strongest among friends. Neighbors were the second most affected group. The effect was weaker on husbands and wives, and brothers and sisters. The researchers also found that loneliness spread more easily among women than men.
The New York Times newspaper reports that, on average, people experience feelings of loneliness about 48 days a year. It also found that every additional friend can decrease loneliness by about five percent, or two and a half fewer lonely days.
Loneliness has been linked to health problems like depression and sleeping difficulties. The researchers believe that knowing the causes of loneliness could help in reducing it.
The study suggests that people can take steps to stop the spread of loneliness. They can do this by helping individuals they know who may be experiencing loneliness. The result can be helpful to the whole social group.
1.What is TRUE about the Framingham Study?
A. It was only conducted in 1948.
B. It involves more than 12,000 participants.
C. It was led by John Cacioppo.
D. It showed that any behavior could spread.
2.Which statement about the spread of loneliness is true?
A. The spreading effect was the second strongest among friends.
B. No spreading effect was found on husbands and wives.
C. Women are more likely to be affected than men.
D. Brothers are more easily affected than neighbors.
3.What is the main idea of the passage?
A. Actions should be taken to help lonely people.
B. People feel lonely for many reasons.
C. Ways to fight against loneliness.
D. Lonely people can affect others.
Ridgewood is a small, quiet town 20 miles from Manhattan. It is a typical suburban town, perfect for raising children away from the fast pace of the city. However, some Ridgewood kids feel as upset as if they were on the city’s busy streets. In addition to hours of homework, Ridgewood’s children are occupied with afterschool activities — from swimming to piano to religious classes.
Out of desperation one day, the town decided to schedule another activity. This one was called “Ridgewood Family Night — Ready, Set, Relax!” Instead of schedules filled with sports, music, or overtime at the office, some of the town’s 25,000 residents decided to take the night off and stay home. For a few months before Family Night, a committee of volunteers worked hard to spread the word. Younger students took “Save the Date for Me” leaflets home to their parents. The mayor issued a statement, and schools and clubs agreed to cancel homework and meetings so families could relax and be together.
The tension between a hope for a more relaxed lifestyle and the knowledge that the benchmark for success has been raised in recent years weighs heavily on the minds of the townspeople. Some parents like to recall a different kind of childhood, one without so many scheduled afterschool activities. However, these same parents feel obliged to make sure their children are prepared to survive in today’s high-pressure work environment. They are afraid that any gap in their children’s physical or intellectual development might mean they won’t be admitted to the “right” universities and won’t succeed in a more and more competitive world.
Nevertheless, it seems that Family Night worked, at least to a point. Cars moved easily around Ridgewood’s normally busy downtown streets, and stores and restaurants saw a drop in business. Some families ate supper together for the first time in months.
Initially, there was great hope of taking back their lives. But sadly, few families believe that one night will change their lives. Many are sure that they will fall back into the habit of over-scheduling their children to be overachieving adults.
1.The writer describes Ridgewood as a town where ________.
A. residents take little notice of education
B. children are stressful and over expected
C. parents are concerned about children’s safety
D. children lead a life of relaxed, ordinary rhythms
2.According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true about the Family Night?
A. Schools assigned no homework.
B. Fewer people ate in the restaurants.
C. The streets were less crowded.
D. People enjoyed meeting each other.
3.According to the passage, the parents in Ridgewood ________.
A. have conflicting desires about what experiences to offer their children
B. are happy with the lifestyle they have chosen for themselves and the children
C. believe that it is their duty to make a change for the stressful life style
D. are worried about their children’s lacking of big ambition
4.We may get the conclusion from the passage that ________.
A. the concept of Family Night will become a regular part of life in Ridgewood
B. Ridgewood people believe the Family Night will change their way of living
C. Family Night is not as popular as people have originally thought
D. schools are worried about students being given too much free time
The writer Margaret Mitchell is best known for writing Gone with the Wind, first published in 1936. Her book and the movie based on it, tell a story of love and survival during the American Civil War. Visitors to the Margaret Mitchell House in Atlanta, Georgia, can go where she lived when she started composing the story and learn more about her life.
Our first stop at the Margaret Mitchell House is an exhibit area telling about the writer’s life. She was born in Atlanta in 1900. She started writing stories when she was a child. She started working as a reporter for the Atlanta Journal newspaper in 1922. One photograph of Ms. Mitchell, called Peggy, shows her talking to a group of young college boys. She was only about one and a half meters tall. The young men tower over her, but she seems very happy and sure of herself. The tour guide explains: “Now in this picture Peggy is interviewing some boys from Georgia Tech, asking them such questions as ‘Would you really marry a woman who works?’ And today it’d be ‘Would you marry one who doesn’t?’ ”
The Margaret Mitchell House is a building that once contained several apartments. Now we enter the first floor apartment where Ms. Mitchell lived with her husband, John Marsh. They made fun of the small apartment by calling it “The Dump ” .
Around 1926, Margaret Mitchell had stopped working as a reporter and was at home healing after an injury. Her husband brought her books to read from the library. She read so many books that he bought her a typewriter and said it was time for her to write her own book. Our guide says Gone with the Wind became a huge success. Margaret Mitchell received the Pulitzer Prize for the book. In 1939 the film version was released. It won ten Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
1. The book Gone with the Wind was _________.
A. first published on a newspaper
B. awarded ten Academy Awards
C. written in “The Dump”
D. adapted from a movie
2.The underlined phrase “tower over” in Paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to_________.
A. be very pleased with
B. show great respect for
C. be much taller than
D. show little interest in
3.Why did Ms. Mitchell stop working as a reporter according to the passage?
A. Because she was rich enough.
B. Because she was injured then.
C. Because her husband didn’t like it.
D. Because she wanted to write books.
4.Which is the best title for the passage?
A. Gone with the Wind: A Huge Success.
B. Margaret Mitchell: A Great Female Writer.
C. An Introduction of the Margaret Mitchell House.
D. A Trip to Know Margaret Mitchell.
One weekend afternoon I toured an art museum while waiting for my husband to finish a business meeting．I was looking forward to a quiet 36 of the splendid artwork．
A young 37 viewing the paintings ahead of me 38 nonstop between themselves．I watched them a moment and decided the lady was doing all the talking．I admired the man's 39 for putting up with her 40 stream of words． 41 by their noise, I moved on．
I met them several times as I moved 42 the various rooms of art．Each time I heard her continuous flow of words, I moved away 43 .
I was standing at the counter of the museum gift shop making a 44 when the couple approached the 45 ．Before they left, the man 46 into his pocket and pulled out a white object．He 47 it into a long stick and then 48 his way into the coatroom to get his wife's jacket．
"He's a 49 man, " the clerk at the counter said．" Most of us would give up if we were blinded at such a young age．During his recovery, he made a promise his life wouldn't change．So, as before, he and his wife come in 50 there is a new art show．"
"But what does he get out of the art?" I asked．"He can't see．"
"Can't see! You're 51 ．He sees a lot．More than you and I do," the clerk said．"His wife 52 each painting so he can see it in his head．"
I learned something about patience, 53 and love that day．I saw the patience of a young wife describing paintings to a person without 54 and the courage of a'' husband who would not 55 blindness to change his life．And I saw the love shared by two people as I watched this couple walk away, their arms intertwined．
1.A．view B．touch C．wander D．stare
2.A．lady B．couple C．man D．clerk
3.A．yelled B．argued C．screamed D．chatted
4.A．attempt B．independence C．patience D．wisdom
5.A．constant B．vivid C．casual D．vague
6.A．Adopted B．Adapted C．Disturbed D．Conducted
7.A．from B．to C．towards D．through
8.A．anxiously B．quickly C．urgently D．sensibly
9.A．comment B．purchase C．decision D．profit
10.A．exit B．entrance C．front D．queue
11.A．plugged B．reached C．held D．bent
12.A．lengthened B．made C．brought D．broadened
13.A．led B．found C．tapped D．forced
14.A．generous B．rough C．smart D．brave
15.A．wherever B．whatever C．whenever D．whichever
16.A．unique B．silly C．equal D．wrong
17.A．decorates B．draws C．shoves D．describes
18.A．kindness B．pride C．courage D．enthusiasm
19.A．sight B．support C．expectation D．confidence
20.A．get B．allow C．hope D．cause
—Have you got time on Friday?
—________
A. It's certain. B. Of course not
C. Why? I'll stay at home. D. You can say that again.
