When the telephone rings late at night, most women guess it must be one of only four or five people calling. A sister?Maybe.An emergency?Possibly.A mother?Probably not at that time of night. Much more probably it is a close female friend calling to tell you that she has split up with her boyfriend again or perhaps simply that a good movie has just started on TV.
At a time when families are spread far and wide and marriages often end in divorce, friendships are becoming more and more important. Erika, a 32-year-old lawyer, is strengthened by her ten-year friendship with her married friend Jane. “I was very sick one night, so I called Jane at about 3:00 a.m. to talk about it,” she says. “She was very supportive and even came over to take me to the doctor’s the next morning.”
As American TV shows like Friends, which follows the lives of a very close group of young friends, have become more popular, many of us are beginning to see the value of such friendships. TV shows like this tell us that our romantic relationships may not last, but we need to keep in touch with our close friends if we want to survive.
A TV show called Real Women is about the lives and relationships of five former school friends. In this show, family, husbands, and work are all less important than friendships. One of its actresses says the show reflects her own experience. “Friendship is about commitment. I don’t see some of my friends for ages but when we get together, it is as if time hasn’t passed.”
This is true of Erika and Jane’s friendship. With Erika’s family 200 miles away, it is Jane who keeps a spare set of keys to Erika’s apartment and waters her plants whenever she is away. “Having Jane around gives me a certain amount of freedom. It is not the kind of thing that you could ask anyone to do, but she knows I would do the same for her.” Erika feels that because she no longer sees her family every day, she now enjoys a closer relationship with her best friend. Jane, who may move to a different city soon, is worried about leaving such a support system of friends. “My friends have more to do with my life than my parents and, therefore, I don’t have to spend a lot of time explaining things to them. Friends are more up to date with what is happening.”
1.According to the passage, a late-night phone call for most women is probably from ________.
A. a friendB. a relativeC. a strangerD. a doctor
2.TV shows like Friends tell us that ________.
A. marriages with friends often end up in failure
B. families and work are as important as friends
C. close friends help us face problems in life
D. friendship fades as time goes by
3.From the passage, we can learn that Erika and Jane ________.
A. live far away from each other
B. have been friends for 32 years
C. spend a lot of time explaining things
D. trust and support each other in daily life
4.Which of the statements will the author probably agree with?
A. A near friend is more helpful than a faraway relative.
B. Both marriage and friendship demand commitment.
C. However far away we’re, parents worry about us.
D. Long distance makes the hearts closer.
Dear Mr. Smith,
I am seeking an opportunity to work with World Destiny as a Computer Systems Manager. My professional experience and my awareness of your high reputation and great achievements have led me to want to work for World Destiny.
Since 1998 I have focused on computer-system design and training. As Systems Administrator for Newport Museum for the past two years, I have directed accounting, capital campaign and publication production. We designed the system from scratch, developing all applications, policies, procedures, and training programs. I was well prepared for such a challenge by my previous positions as a Systems Support Specialist and MicroComputer Assistant for the Imperial Corporation of America.
Over the years, I have worked with Novell, using programs including dBase, Wordstar and Microsoft Word. This familiarity with a variety of hardware and software has helped me to get up to speed on nearly any computer with a minimum training period.
Additional experience in other fields also adds my value to World Destiny. As a Market Research Coordinator for Cushman & Wakefield of California, I not only researched and maintained（维护） a comprehensive database of Silicon Valley, but also produced statistical and written reports that support Cushman & Wakefield’s reputation. Previously, I organized companywide annual sales meetings for Qualogy, Inc.
Mr. Smith, while this experience more than qualifies me to join any number of successful companies, it is my personal goals that lead to my interest in being part of the World Destiny team. I believe my computer, promotional, and organizational skills, fueled by my beliefs, make World Destiny and me right for each other. Can we arrange an interview at your earliest convenience? I will call within the next week to arrange a meeting.
Sincerely, Beth Henning
1.Beth Henning’s work experience include ________.
A. Computer Systems Manager for Corporation of America
B. Systems Support Specialist for World Destiny
C. Systems Administrator for Newport Museum
D. MicroComputer Assistant for Novell
2.While working with Cushman & Wakefield of California, Beth’s work involved ________.
A. training new workers
B. maintaining a database
C. organizing sales meetings
D. developing company policies
3.Beth Henning proves herself qualified for the position mainly by ________.
A. stressing her personality strengths
B. promising her value to the company
C. listing relevant experiences and skills
D. expressing a strong interest in the company
阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
It was the third period of the day and time for the physical education class. Once outside, students broke into an easy jog toward the field until, all of a sudden, Marcus cried out, “Look! What happened to the ________? It looks…angry.”The students turned to see what he was pointing at all at once: Someone painted angry faces on the walls of the stadium!
During lunch, all of the students were whispering with ________ about the graffiti (涂鸦). Possible explanations spread like wildfire ________ the school.
Later in the afternoon, when Brian cleaned the blackboard, Marcus suddenly ________ the paint on his hands. He ________ that it was Brian who painted the graffiti, so after school, Marcusfollowed Brian to his locker and ________ on what he was doing. When Brian opened his locker, Marcus saw small cans of paint in there! He decided to ________ it to Mr. Johnson.
The next morning, Brian was called to the principal’s office. The moment Mr. Johnson asked ________ about the graffiti, tears started flowing down Brian’s cheeks. Filled with shame, he explained that he liked to paint, but he couldn’t join the ________ club because he had to go right home after school to baby-sit his little brother. “I don’t know why I painted those faces, and now I’ve ________ the stadium!” he sobbed.
Mr. Johnson was quite angry at first, but he began to ________ as he realized how miserable Brian was. “Brian, painting graffiti on school walls is a very ________ matter. We have to call your mother, and, of course, you will have to clean and ________ the walls.” Mr. Johnson paused. “________, I must say, those paintings are quite good. Did you have any ________ with them?”
Brian looked up and said,“No, I did them myself. Drawing and painting are the only things that I can do well.”
Mr. Johnson looked at Brian and thought for a moment before making a ________. “Well,” he said, “some teachers suggested that we hire a local ________ to paint our school mascot(吉祥物) on the stadium wall. How would you feel about participating in that?”
“Really?” Brian hesitated, ________ to believe what he just heard.
“Yes, but this project will be hard work, and you’ll be expected to complete the job on time. We can consider it part of your ________,” Mr. Johnson said, trying to hide his ________ as he picked up the phone.
1.A. fieldB. classroomC. officeD. stadium
2.A. curiosityB. excitementC. fearD. relief
3.A. toB. aroundC. fromD. beyond
4.A. wipedB. examinedC. spottedD. scanned
5.A. rememberedB. suspectedC. witnessesD. hoped
6.A. spiedB. reflectedC. commentedD. hit
7.A. makeB. reportC. describeD. retell
8.A. hesitantlyB. patientlyC. directlyD. sympathetically
9.A. artB. mathC. sportsD. music
10.A. changedB. decoratedC. cleanedD. ruined
11.A. worryB. softenC. relaxD. panic
12.A. strangeB. urgentC. seriousD. unusual
13.A. repaintB. hideC. buildD. repair
14.A. AndB. SoC. OrD. But
15.A. connectionB. difficultyC. experienceD. help
16.A. promiseB. choiceC. decisionD. judgment
17.A. reporterB. artistC. designerD. scientist
18.A. unableB. unwillingC. unlikelyD. unhappy
19.A. responsibilityB. talentC. devotionD. punishment
20.A. regretB. angerC. smileD. pride
________ by the heavy rain, we had to take shelter under a big tree.
A. DriveB. DrivenC. DrivingD. To drive
Many universities share teaching resources online, creating a learning space ________ benefits life-long learners.
A. howB. whatC. whichD. where
You ________ give me a lift. I want to walk home for exercise.
A. needn’tB. couldn’tC. can’tD. mustn’t
