It was a hot, sticky (闷热的)summer day in Texas and I was surrounded by laundry, loads of baby clothes all over the floor.I folded a towel, tears streaming down my face.My newborn Dillon, just a few weeks old, was sleeping peacefully beside me.My 4yearold Tanner was watching “Ninja Turtles”，laughing at the TV screen.
Meanwhile I was exhausted, with dark circles under my eyes and clothes dirty.I loved my baby boys more than anything.But this wasn't the life I'd pictured for myself.I was only 27 years old.Once upon a time, I'dhad dreams.I'd wanted to become a good journalist (记者)and photographer, not a stayathome mom, whose sleep was taken away, spent her days changing diapers (尿布)．I kept on folding...and the tears kept coming.What about my dreams and future?
The word “this is the most important job in the world” spread and I nearly dropped the towel I was folding.I looked around, but saw nobody there.Later I realized the voice must have come from the TV.I calmed down.I'd never thought a housewoman's job was the most important job in the world.I put the laundry aside, carried Tanner up in my arms and hugged him tight.From that day on, I was willing to do my housework and I made motherhood my top priority (优先考虑的事)even when I returned to the workforce as a journalist and photographer.
Of course, it wasn't all fun and games raising three children, especially after I gave birth to my third son, Noah.Anyhow, the laundry still gave me great joy to watch my children grow healthily.Now Noah is about to enter high school.And Tanner and Dillon both have become kind, courageous young men and graduated from the key colleges.Today I think raising a child is the most rewarding job.
1.Why did the writer cry?
A. It was too hot and sticky that day.
B. Her children always made trouble.
C. Too much housework made her very exhausted.
D. She lost hope because of the boring housework.
2.The writer knew，“raising a child is the most important job in the world”________．
A. while she dreamed
B. overhearing from TV
C. when she opened a book
D. as she was watching TV
3.What did the author get from the laundry?
A. The company of her children.
B. Physical exercise.
C. Her children's appreciation.
D. Great joy to see her children's growth.
4.We can learn from this passage that ________.
A. Tanner is four years older than his brother Noah
B. the writer was once a journalist
C. the writer's three children are all college students
D. the writer once hated her children because of unhappiness
War is disturbing.No matter which “side” you're on，people are killing, people are being killed, and people are suffering.A recent poll (民意调查)in New York showed 47% for the war, 49% against.That means half the people you meet won't be agreeing with you.Be aware that this is beyond your control.You can't solve the problems of the world；no one has but it's up to you how you think about things, how you respond，what you do and say.
Help someone who is having a hard time or has a loved one serving on the front.Reassure children, telling them that they're well protected and safe.Be grateful for things in your own life or life in general, such as flowers coming out in your garden, a job you like, an A on your child's report card, someone's getting a promotion (升职)，a new baby being born and so on.Find ways to make yourself feel at peace.Talk with a good listener, spend extra time with loved ones or treat yourself with a good meal.
Remember you have a choice in the discussion about war and peace.You can choose to take part in or not, knowing that everyone who has an opinion thinks theirs will make the world better.End the discussion positively.You can connect with people in the discussion；you can't always convince others.Value being in relationship over being “right”．
Seek help if you need it.Advisers and psychologists can help you deal with your reactions caused by past events.Coaches can help you stay focused on moving ahead with plans and goals.
Start a new personal adventure.Take a course, start a new hobby, focus on a personal or professional development program，lose weight, get in shape...The way we make the world better is one person at a time.
1.The recent poll in New York shows that ________.
A. war is not necessarily a bad thing
B. only half of the people suffer from the war
C. half of the people don't like peace
D. people are deeply divided on the problem of war
2.The underlined word “Reassure” in the second paragraph means ________.
A. to make somebody feel happier
B. to make somebody less worried
C. to make somebody have the courage to fight
D. to make somebody agree with you
3.What does the author suggest doing in the discussion about war and peace?
A. To take part in as actively as possible.
B. To respect others' ideas though they disagree with yours.
C. To always support peace at the end of the discussion.
D. To be convinced by others for keeping good relationships.
4.The passage mainly wants to tell us ________.
A. some bad influences of the war
B. the result of a recent poll in New York
C. some ways to deal with war
D. the author's opinions on the war
Our lifestyles today are very busy. We have families, school, sports, entertainment and social activities to fit into a time that seems never enough. We need to be healthy to meet the demands of daily life. But what does it mean to have a healthy lifestyle?
To have a healthy lifestyle, we need to：
◆eat different kinds of healthy food most of the time
◆do exercise often
◆have time to relax
◆get enough sleep to give our bodies time to grow healthy and strong
Read about a normal day in the lives of two children：
Abbey gets up at 7：00 a．m., feeds the dog, and has cereal and a glass of juice for breakfast. She walks to school with her friend, Julia. She has a bag of chips for a morning snack, drinks water, and has a chicken and lettuce sandwich with a banana for lunch. She likes to play soccer with her friends at lunch and morning breaktime. She walks home with Julia, has some crackers with cheese and juice for afternoon snack and plays with the dog for a while. She plays computer games for an hour or two before dinner, then has a shower and does her homework. She watches her favourite television show for an hour, then usually goes to bed at about 9：30 p．m.
Carl gets up at 8: 30 a．m. and has two pieces of bread with jam and a glass of milk for breakfast. His mother drives him to school on her way to work. He eats cookies with juice for morning snack and a pot pie ordered from the school lunch room with juice for lunch. He likes to play card games with his friends at lunchtime and climb the fixed equipment at morning breaktime. He catches the bus home, has a cereal bar and a can of soda for afternoon snack, then watches some television. He has a shower before dinner, then plays computer games for an hour or two. He goes to bed at about 10：30 p．m.
No matter which kind of lifestyle you agree on, just remember it's important to balance all aspects of life.
1.About a healthy lifestyle, the writer DOESN'T talk about ________.
A. diet B. exercise
C. relaxation D. medicine
2.What can we learn from the article?
A. Abbey plays soccer with her friends at school.
B. Abbey does her homework first after school.
C. Carl goes to school by bus every day.
D. Carl has juice for breakfast.
3.Where is the article probably from?
A. A health magazine.
B. A clothing website.
C. A sports guidebook.
D. A travel advertisement.
I began training to swim the English Channel at 58 years old.The ______ I was asked over and over again was this: “Why？”
When a student reporter of Indiana University recently asked me this question, I said, “First let me ______ you a question.What are your ______ for this summer？” He ______ that he was going to bag groceries (食品杂货)in the supermarket.I didn't have to say more; he understood my ______.
A ______ and an element of adventure are welcome whether you are 20 or 58 ______ when you have a choice.But why did I ______ to swim the Channel at 58? It is the challenge that ______ about 100 swimmers every year who are willing to spend time, effort and money ______ it.
I don't think that I am a superman.I do think I have three things going for me：
First, I am training hard－presently ______ 7.5 miles a day.Before that time I also kept physically ______ by training moderately (适度地)hard.
Second, I am a very goaloriented (目标导向的)person for whom this swim has long been a ______.I have a feeling I will be ______ ready and won't do as a Channel swimmer did a few years ago.
______， a young girl touched me, who was attempting to finish her swim when the ocean got ______ .She was having a ______ time with the turbulent (汹涌的)and cold water, when her trainer shouted to her from the boat that he thought she should ______ and get out of the water.She ______， “I'm doing the swimming and I will decide when to get out.” She ______ it.
1.A. opinion B. advice C. question D. reason
2.A. ask B. give C. tell D. bring
3.A. experiences B. courses C. plans D. suggestions
4.A. realized B. hoped C. agreed D. replied
5.A. situation B. poin C. problem D. success
6.A. challenge B. friend C. chance D. hobby
7.A. probably B. generally C. especially D. simply
8.A. fail B. hesitate C. stop D. decide
9.A. frightens B. attracts C. comforts D. puzzles
10.A. trying B. proving C. examining D. changing
11.A. hiking B. walking C. swimming D. running
12.A. attractive B. active C. desirable D. aggressive
13.A. target B. habit C. form D. practice
14.A. experimentally B. economically C. theoretically D. psychologically
15.A. For example B. Without doubt C. In addition D. As usual
16.A. rough B. calm C. beautiful D. vast
17.A. busy B. disappointing C. wonderful D. hard
18.A. go on B. look around C. call out D. give up
19.A. warned B. shouted C. begged D. repeated
20.A. took B. broke C. made D. caught
All the nations，powerful or not，should be ________harmony with each other.
A. out of B. in
C. on D. of
They have been waiting for hours to see the singer，but the airplane must have been ________.
A. behind the times B. behind schedule
C. ahead of time D. in no time
