Last Christmas while staying with my parents, I________across some old love letters that my parents wrote to each other. These letters were all piled up in a basket, dirty and ______With dust. Deciding to read and sort them, I asked them if I could take the letters back to my Illinois home. They _____ .
As I carefully opened each letter, ______of them fragile with age, I discovered a new page _______unknown to me in this private chapter of my parents' lives.
My father used to ________ in the army. So his letters were full of frontline _______of the things about the war. Each of my mother's letters was marked with her 1944 dark red lipstick kiss. I was _______to these letters like a magnet (磁铁).
Just six weeks after our Christmas visit, Daddy became very ______and was hospitalized. This time, he was fighting a ______kind of war. As I sat by his bedside, we discussed the _______. He told me how much receiving those lipstick-kissed letters had ________to him when he had been so far from home.
It so happened that the next day would he February 14. From the ________letters I chose the card my father had sent Mother in 1944 and brought it to my father's bedside.
At his bedside, I joked with him, saying _______, "Today is Valentine's Day, don't you want to send Mother a present?" He became more _________ when I handed him the old _______. He carefully opened it and took out the card, and when he _______it, his eyes were filled with tears.
My father, in a______tight with emotion(情感)read the loving message he'd sent to my mother fifty-six years ________. And this time, he could read it to her ________ .
1.A. came B. hit C. drew D. fell
2.A. hidden B. covered C. buried D. filled
3.A. refused B. smiled C. shocked D. agreed
4.A. all B. none C. both D. neither
5.A. recently B. usually C. previously D. occasionally
6.A. work B. study C. serve D. report
7.A. accounts B. documents C. introductions D. occupations
8.A. devoted B. addicted C. thrown D. drawn
9.A. sad B. dead C. dangerous D. ill
10.A. typical B. traditional C. different D. familiar
11.A. wars B. illnesses C. letters D. hospitals
12.A. meant B. intended C. planned D. said
13.A. divided B. sorted C. separated D. updated
14.A. sadly B. angrily C. softly D. loudly
15.A. curious B. enthusiastic C. fantastic D. positive
16.A. card B. envelope C. basket D. lipstick
17.A. found B. wrote C. recognized D. missed
18.A. sound B. noise C. whisper D. voice
19.A. later B. earlier C. ago D. ahead
20.A. person B. private C. danger D. peace
Everyone needs a break, and vacations are not meant for serious study. 1.The Spring Festival is coming up so this is the perfect time to discuss some great English language literature to take on a long train journey.
Before getting into the recommendations, you need to determine your English reading comprehension level. If you’re at the beginner level, there are two options: reading a children’s book or reading a book that you’ve read in Chinese translation. 2. If you’re at the intermediate level, popular books like pop fiction, mysteries and thrillers are good options. For advanced readers, classic works of literature or modern prize winners (Nobel, Pulitzer) are good options.
3. When I pick up a book I like, even though the first few chapters are really hard to get through, I would try to get accustomed to the language the author uses. Generally, after the first few chapters, things get a lot easier, especially if I get involved in the story.
Another great way to keep yourself motivated is to find a friend who’s interested in reading the same book. You can make goals that you both want to achieve. 4.
Some quick recommendations: Harry Potter, start with the first book and go on from there; the Narnia series; anything by U.S. writer Michael Crichton; and if you like horror, U.S. writer Stephen King is always unusual and fun. 5. Happy reading!
A. If you pick a book which is so challenging, it will be too stressful.
B. The most important thing is to pick a book that you’re really interested in.
C. You may also enjoy your reading when hanging out with your family.
D. You should just find a topic or author you’re interested in, and the rest will go from there.
E. You can also discuss plot lines or vocabulary issues with each other by SMS or e-mail.
F. Instead, they’re a great way to take a break and enjoy a good book.
G. This will help you get over any unfamiliar words or phrases, since you’re already familiar with the story.
Many parents have learned the hard way that what sounds like open communication is often the very thing that closes a youngster’s ears and month. One common mistake is The Lecture, the long monologue that often starts with “When I was your age….” Eighteen-year-old Kelly calls lectures “long, one-side discussions in which I don’t say much.”
Kids reflexively（条件反射地） shut down in the face of a lecture. Their eyes glaze over(呆滞), and they don’t register any incoming information. Listen to 13-year-old Sarah describe her least favorite times with her mom and dad. “First, they scream. Then comes the ‘We’re so disappointed’ speech. Then the ‘I never did that to my parents’ lecture begins. After that, even if they realize how ridiculous they sound, they never take it back.”
Lines like “When you have children of your own, you’ll understand” have been seriously said by parents since time immemorial. But many of our expert parents, like Bobby, a registered nurse and mother of three, feel that by falling back on clichés（陈词滥调） to justify our actions, we weaken our position.
Since kids are creatures of the here and now, the far-off future has no relevance to them. Therefore, good communicators like Bobby suggest, “Give specific reasons for your actions in present language: ‘I’m not letting you go to the party because I don’t think there will be enough adult supervisions（监护）.’”
Betty, who lives in Missiouri, uses an indirect approach. “I find that warnings are accepted more readily if I discuss a news article on a subject I am concerned about. My husband and I talk about it while our children absorb the information. Then they never think I’m preaching.”
This really helped when Betty’s kids began driving. Instead of constantly repeating “Don’t drink; don’t speed,” she would talk about articles in the paper and express sympathy for the victims of a car crash. Betty made no special effort to draw her kids into the conversation. She depended on a teen-ager’s strong desire to put in his opinions---especially if he thinks he isn’t being asked for them.
1.The purpose of the passage is to _________.
A. compare two ways of parents` communicating with their kids
B. give parents advice on how to communicate with their kids
C. explain why kids won’t listen to their parents.
D. introduce kids` reaction to the communication between them and their parents
2.Which of the following statements is NOT right?
A. Kids won’t listen to their parents because they think what their parents say is boring.
B. Many kids think they have no right to express their own opinions.
C. Some kids think their parents should apologize when they are wrong.
D. Kids don’t like any discussion at all.
3.What does the underlined word in the first paragraph mean?
A. 独白 B. 对话
C. 插话 D. 讨论
4.Which of the following topic may appeal to kids?
A. Parents` own experience
B. Kids possible life in the future
C. Something related to kids` present life
D. What parents have done to their own parents.
5.In order to make kids follow their advice, parents should______.
A. tell their kids to listen carefully B. set out their warnings directly
C. list out as many examples as possible D. arouse kids` desire to express themselves.
Have you ever picked a job based on the fact that you were good at it but later found it made you feel very uncomfortable over time? When you select your career, there’s whole lot more to it than assessing your skills and matching them with a particular position. If you ignore your personality, it will hurt you long-term regardless of your skills or the job's pay. There are several areas of your personality that you need to consider to help you find a good job. Here are a few of those main areas:
1) Do you prefer working alone or with other people?
There are isolating(使孤立) jobs that will drive an outgoing person crazy and also interactive jobs that will make a shy person uneasy. Most people are not extremes in either direction but do have a tendency that they prefer. There are also positions that are sometimes a combination of the two, which may be best for someone in the middle who adapts easily to either situation.
2) How do you handle change?
Most jobs these days have some elements of change to them, but some are more than others. If you need stability in your life, you may need a job where the changes don't happen so often. Other people would be bored of the same daily routine.
3) Do you enjoy working with computers?
I do see this as a kind of personality characteristic. There are people who are happy to spend more than 40 hours a week on a computer, while there are others who need a lot of human interaction throughout the day. Again, these are extremes and you'll likely find a lot of positions somewhere in the middle as well.
4) What type of work environment do you enjoy?
This can range from being in a large building with a lot of people you won't know immediately to a smaller setting where you'll get to know almost all the people there fairly quickly.
5) How do you like to get paid?
Some people are motivated by the pay they get, while others feel too stressed to be like that. The variety of payment designs in the sales industry is a typical example for this.
Anyway, these are a great starting point for you. I've seen it over and over again with people that they make more money over time when they do something they love. It may take you a little longer, but making a move to do what you have a passion for can change the course of your life for the better.
1.What is unnecessary in your job hunting?
A. Assessing your skills
B. Going to different areas
C. Matching your skills with a position
D. taking your personality into consideration
2.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. Isolating jobs usually drive people mad.
B. Interactive jobs make people shy easily.
C. Extreme people tend to work with others.
D. Almost everyone has a tendency in jobs.
3.What is the missing word about a job search in the following chart?
A. Design B. Skills
C. Cooperation D. Hobbies
4.What is the best title for this passage?
A. Lifestyles and Job Pay B. Jobs and Environment
C. Job Skills and Abilities D. Personalities and Jobs
It was a beautiful Sunday morning, and Maggie and I were returning from our walk through the woods. We were only a couple of blocks from home when I spotted a cell phone and a credit card sitting on the road. We took them home. We always find amazing things on the street and she looks upon them as a movable feast-a chicken wing here or a barbecue rib there.
I found another cell phone a few years back, too, and called a number in its phone book. I explained the situation to the guy who answered. He said it was his sister's and that he'd come to pick it up, which he did.
And that was that. No verbal thank-you, no written thank-you, no “here's a box of chocolates” thank-you.
I didn't have time to call anyone on my latest found cell phone. I was pouring myself coffee when it started to vibrate(震动) and dance across the kitchen counter.
“Who's this?” someone asked when I picked up.
“Who's this?” I countered（反问.“Sarah?”
She was surprised at my knowing her name until she realized her name was on the credit card. “Could you send them to me?” she asked.
She lives in Arlington, which is 2 miles from my house.
“Hmm, no, ”I replied, adding that I thought she could come to get them, and that if I wasn't at home, they would be in my mailbox.
A day later, when I was out for a run, someone retrieved(取回) them. There wasn't even a piece of paper put in the mailbox with “Thanks” on it. In this age of e-mail and cell phone, there's really no excuse. Years ago, I found something more precious than a $100 bill on the street: a driver's license. I saw that its owner lived a couple of blocks from me, so I called him up. He asked whether I could slip the license through his front door.
“I guess I could, ”I replied.
And that was that.
1.What is the relationship between Maggie and the writer?
A. Wife and husband B. Daughter and father
C. Teacher and student D. Master and pet dog
2.How did the writer know it was Sarah calling?
A. From her telephone's phone book B. From her credit card
C. From her e-mail D. From her driver's license
3.The writer wants to tell us ____________through the unusual stories.
A. we should return the things we picked to t he losers
B. people don't know how to appreciate others because of the use e-mail and cellphone
C. people should learn to appreciate persons who provide help to you
D. the advance of society make people lose some virtues
For a 400-year-old art form, opera had a bad fame: overweight actresses singing the words which were hard to understand in one of those romance languages you were supposed to learn in high school. And with tickets costing as much as＄ 145 a performance, opera goers also had a certain appearance in people’s mind: rich, well-dressed and old.
But now opera companies around the country are loosening their ties and kicking off their shoes in an attempt to keep opera alive and take it to a younger and not so wealthy audience.
Opera producers have found that to attract this crowd, they need to associate opera with common people. Because young people don’t or won’t come to the opera, companies are bringing the opera to them, giving performances in such unusual places as parks, libraries and public schools.
The Houston Grand Opera’s choice is the public library, where it performs “mobile operas”, shortened version(剧本) of child-friendly operas. This summer’s production is Hansel &Gretel. By performing smaller versions of large productions, producers are able to make people interested while keeping costs at a reasonable level. The San Francisco Opera, which will be celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, is staging Cinderella free of charge, keeping costs down by employing students from its Young Artists’ Training Program.
1.Which of the following is the main idea of this passage?
A. Opera is famous for its long history.
B. Opera is only performed for rich people.
C. Opera companies are trying to keep operas alive.
D. Young people are not interested in opera.
2.The underlined phrase in the second paragraph means ________.
A. breaking up the old rules B. changing the dresses
C. making the audience at ease D. advertising themselves
3.Opera companies prefer to perform short versions because ______.
A. they can be performed in public libraries
B. short versions are easy to perform
C. it is hard to find long versions
D. they can make more people come to opera
