As any homemaker who has tried to keep order at the dinner table knows， there is far more to a family meal than food. Sociologist Michael Lewis has been studying 50 families to find out just how much more.
Lewis and his co-worker carried out their study by videotaping (录像) the families while they are having ordinary meals in their own homes. They found that parents with small families talk actively with each other and their children. But as the number of children gets larger，conversation gives way to the parents’ efforts to control the loud noise they make. That can have an important effect on the children. "In general the more question-asking the parents do， the higher the children's IQ scores，"Lewis says. " And the more children there are， the less question-asking there is. "
The study also provides an explanation for why middle children often seem to have a harder time in life than their siblings (兄弟姐妹) . Lewis found that in families with three or four children， dinner conversation is likely to center on the oldest child， who has the most to talk about, and the youngest， who needs the most attention. “Middle children are invisible,”says Lewis. When you see someone get up from the table and walk around during dinner，chances are for the middle child. "There is, however，one thing that stops all conversation and prevents anyone from having attention: ”When the TV is on，"Lewis says, “dinner is a non-event ".
1.The writer's purpose in writing the text is to______.
A. show the relationship between parents and children
B. teach parents ways to keep order at the dinner table
C. report on the findings of a study
D. give information about family problems
2. Parents with large families ask fewer questions at dinner because______.
A. they are busy serving food to their children
B. they are busy keeping order at the dinner table
C. they have to pay more attention to younger children
D. they are tired out having prepared food for the whole family
3. By saying" Middle children are invisible" in paragraph 3, Lewis means that middle children______.
A. get the least attention from the family
B. have to help their parents to serve dinner
C. are often kept away from the dinner table
D. find it hard to keep up with other children
4.Lewis' research provides an answer to the question______.
A. why TV is important in family life
B. why parents should keep good order
C. why children in small families seem to be quieter
D. why middle children seem to have more difficulties in life
5.Which of the following statements would the writer agree to?
A. It is important to have the right food for children.
B. It is a good idea to have the TV on during dinner.
C. Parents should talk to each of their children frequently.
D. Elder children should help the younger ones at dinner.
We use both words and gestures to express our feelings, but the problem is that these words and gestures can be understood in different ways. It is true that a smile means the same thing in any language. So does laughter or crying. There are also a number of striking similarities in the way different animals show the same feelings. Dogs, tigers and humans, for example, often show their teeth when they are angry. This is probably because they are born with those behavior patterns.
Fear is another emotion that is shown in much the same way all over the world. In Chinese and in English literature, a phrase like "he went pale and begin to tremble" suggests that the man is either very afraid or he has just got a very big shock. However, "he opened his eyes wide" is used to suggest anger in Chinese whereas in English it means surprise. In Chinese "surprise" can be described in a phrase like 'they stretched out their tongues!' Sticking out your tongue in English is an insulting gesture or expresses strong dislike.
Even in the same culture, people differ in ability to understand and express feelings. Experiments in America have shown that women are usually better than men at recognizing fear, anger, love and happiness on people's faces. Other studies show that older people usually find it easier to recognize or understand body language than younger people do.
1.According to the passage, __________.
A. we can hardly understand what people's gestures mean
B. we can not often be sure what people mean when they describe their feelings in words or gestures
C. words can be better understood by older people
D. gestures can be understood by most of the people while words can not
2.People's facial expressions may be misunderstood because __________.
A. people of different ages may have different understanding
B. people of different countries speak different languages
C. people of different sex may understand a gesture in a different way
D. people have different cultures
3.In the same culture, __________.
A. people have different ability to understand and express feelings
B. people have the same understanding of something
C. people never fail to understand each other
D. people are equally intelligent
4.From this passage, we can conclude __________.
A. words are used as frequently as gestures
B. words are often found difficult to understand
C. words and gestures are both used in expressing feelings
D. gestures are more efficiently used than words
5.The best title for this passage may be __________.
A. Words and Feelings B. Words, Gestures and Feelings
C. Gestures and Feelings D. Culture and Understanding
It feels like every time my mother and I start to have a conversation, it turns into an argument. We talk about something as simple as dinner plans and suddenly, my mother will push the conversation into World War 3. She’ll talk about my lack of bright future because I don’t plan to be a doctor. And much to her disappointment, I don’t want to do any job related to science, either. In fact, when I was pushed to say that I planned to major(主修) in English and communications, she nearly had a heart attack.
“Why can’t you be like my co-worker’s son?” she bemoans all the time. Her coworker’s son received a four-year scholarship and is now earning 70,000 dollars a year as an engineer. I don’t know what to answer except that I simply can’t be like Mr. Perfect as I’ve called the unnamed co-worker’s son. I can’t be like him. I am the type of the person who loved to help out in the community, write until the sun goes down, and most of all, wants to achieve a career because I love it, not because of a fame or salary.
I understand why my mother is worried about my future major. I’ve seen my mother struggle to raise me on her small salary and work long hours. She leaves the house around 6:30 am and usually comes home around 5 pm or even 6pm. However, I want her to know that by becoming a doctor, it doesn’t mean I’ll be successful. I’d rather follow my dreams and create my own future.
1.Which of the following topics do the writer and his mother often talk about?
A. the writer’s dreams B. the writer’s future job
C. dinner plans D. wars around the world
2.We can infer from Paragraph 1 that the writer’s mother _____.
A. doesn’t want the writer to major English
B. doesn’t think the writer should be a doctor
C. gets along very well with the writer
D. doesn’t think in the scientific field is a good idea
3.The underlined word “bemoans” in Paragraph 2 most probably means “________”
A. agrees B. shouts C. complains D. smiles
4.Which of the following statements is probably TRUE about the writer?
A. He wants to be like his mother’s co-worker’s son.
B. He wants to find a job in his community in the future.
C. He doesn’t think his mother’s co-worker’s son is perfect.
D. He wants to do something he really likes in the future.
5.We can know from the last paragraph that ____.
A. the writer doesn’t know what his future will be like
B. the writer’s mother works very hard for the family
C. the writer doesn’t think being a doctor is a good job
D. the writer sometimes thinks his mother’s advice is very good.
阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从1～15各题所给的A、B、C和D项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Carmen’s mother Maria had just survived a serious heart attack. But without a heart transplant(移植)her life was in constant .
Both the mother and daughter knew that the chances were very small: finding a donor heart that Maria’s blood type could take years. However, Carmen was determined to save her mother. She kept hospitals all over the country.
Days stretched out. By Christmas, Maria had trouble from one end of the room to the other. Carmen lost all hope. She fell into a of the hospital, crying.
“Are you okay?” a man asked.
Carmen sobbed as she told the stranger her story. This middle-aged man was named Frank, whose wife, Cheryl, a tender and devoted mother of four lovely children, had been in hospital with a brain disease and wouldn’t it through the night. Suddenly, an idea came to Frank’s mind. He knew Cheryl had always wanted to something from herself. Could her go to Carmen’s mother?
After reviewing the data, doctors Frank that his wife’s heart was by some miracle a perfect fit for Carmen’s mother. They were able to the transplant.
That cold night, when Cheryl was dead, Frank came to knock at Maria’s door. She was for Frank’s family as she had been doing every day recently. Though Maria had never met Frank before, they both felt a strange bond as they hugged and cried.
On New Year’s Eve, Carmen attended Cheryl’s with Frank’s family, who were singing their favorite song “My heart will go on.”
One day later, on New Year’s Day, Maria with Cheryl’s heart. Yes, Cheryl’s loving heart would go on, for it was in another loving mother’s chest.
1.A. change B. danger C. disorder D. pain
2.A. matched B. replaced C. controlled D. cooperated
3.A. finding B. interrupting C. touring D. phoning
4.A. rolling B. running C. walking D. jumping
5.A. corner B. bed C. man D. nurse
6.A. put B. support C. pass D. make
7.A. save B. recycle C. donate D. separate
8.A. heart B. brain C. husband D. spirit
9.A. informed B. warned C. congratulated D. reminded
10.A. give up B. carry out C. search after D. put off
11.A. noticed B. predicted C. found D. declared
12.A. praying B. begging C. decorating D. singing
13.A. funeral B. operation C. performance D. anniversary
14.A. passed away B. left behind C. woke up D. dressed up
15.A. active B. alive C. necessary D. changeable
假如你是李明，你跟你的e-pal Paul聊天，他表示学习压力很大，请你给他发封电子邮件，安慰他并给他提一些建议。
【写作内容】
将自己的问题告诉老师和同学，请求得到他们的帮助。
不要总想着考试成绩，要多想想自己在哪些方面进步了，这样会更自信。
多做运动，运动可以帮助自己缓解压力，并且有助于睡眠。
你对他的祝福。
注意：1.词数100左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Dear Paul,
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Yours sincerely,
Li Ming
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误， 每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。
修改：在错的词下面画一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1.每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2.只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
My mother always bought gifts to me for my birthdays. With my fifteen birthday around the corner, she asked me which I wanted. For the first time, I realize how lucky I was to have born in such a fortunate family. I was satisfying and there was nothing more I needed. That was because I told my mother that instead of getting an expensive gift, I’d love to use the money to help others. At the first, she felt surprised. When she realized I was seriously, she offered me 500 yuan. I bought some toys and went to the orphanage in our city. I handed out the toys to the child and had a good time with them.
