Dear Mom, Clear My Calendar

September is around the corner, and some of us are already complaining about summer’s end. But parents have a special reason to do so. The end of summer means the start of school. And these days, planning a young child’s schedule is a big challenge. The challenge is no longer finding activities to fill a child’s day; it is saying no to the hundreds of options available. Our mailbox is filled with brochures urging us to sign our kids up for classes from cooking to martial arts(武術(shù)).

Educators are themselves discouraged by the number of special classes that many children attend. In the name of “enrichment,” three-year-olds not only go to preschool in the morning but study French or gymnastics after lunch. One teacher tells of a four-year-old asking for help in the toilet before hurrying off to tennis. Another teacher says that children sometimes hold on to her at pickup time. What happened to unstructured time?

A generous explanation is that we enjoy giving children opportunities we never had. The truth however is that many parents have doubts about how much time they spend away from their families. And one way to reduce this guilt is to believe that time spent in these classes is somehow more beneficial to children than the time we know we should be giving them ourselves.

David Elkind, an expert on children, suggests that the 1960s gave birth to the belief that earlier is better. Parents hope that early music lessons, for example will build a child’s confidence. The truth, however, is that any time children are asked to do too much, too soon, they are at greater risk for feelings of failure.

A child’s time does not have to be planned to be meaningful. Remember the lazy days of summer? Some children sleep late and play with the kids across the street until it’s time to come home for dinner. However, with the majority of mothers working, fewer children enjoy that idle (空閑的) time now.

Come September, children across the country will finish a full day of kindergarten, only to attend an after-school program until 6 P.M., when a working mom or dad comes to take them home. That’s too much for a five-year old. Finances, of course, do limit some parents. But let’s be honest with ourselves – our own busy schedules, whatever they involve, are no excuse for burdening a young child’s.

1. The author holds that it’s a challenge to plan a schedule for a child mainly because _____.

A. a child’s schedule is too complex

B. activities suitable for kids are limited

C. parents are stuck in numerous choices

D. children always say no to parents’ advice

2. What the two teachers say in Paragraph 2 implies that _____.

A. children love to stay at school

B. they are popular with children

C. children dislike after-school classes

D. after-school classes are of poor quality

3. According to the author, what is the real reason for parents to send their children to after-school classes?

A. Parents want to make up for their own regrets.

B. After-school classes develop children’s potential.

C. Parents have doubt about their own ability to guide children.

D. After-school classes give parents an excuse for being absent.

4.Which of the following will the author probably agree with?

A. For children’s benefits, the earlier the better.

B. Children’s spare time should be carefully designed.

C. Idle time for children is becoming a thing of the past.

D. Parents should be forgiven if they have a good reason.,

A decades-old tradition, illustrated in a modem children's book, links the sweetness of honey with the joy of learning to read.

The grandpa held a jar of honey so that all the family could see. He then dipped a spoon into it and put some honey on the cover of a small book.

The little girl had just turned five. Stand up, little one, "he asked the girl softly. "I did this for your mother, your uncles, your

old brother, and now you ! "

Then, he handed the book to her. "Taste f "

She touched the honey with her finger and put it into her mouth.

" What is the taste?" the grandpa asked.

The little girl answered, " Sweet ! "

Then all. the family said in a single voice, "Yes, and so is knowledge, but knowledge is from the bee that made that sweet honey, you have to go after it through the pages of a book ! " The little girl knew that the promise to read was at last hers. Soon she was going to learn to read.

This is the beginning of a profoundly moving children's book entitled Thank You, Mr. Falker.

In this book, Patricia Polacco writes of her own passion to read, inspired by the honey on the book. It wasn't until fifth grade that she met her beloved teacher who provided the help that she needed to finally unlock the magic of the written world.

The child learning to read is admitted into a collective memory by way of books. And with the printed words that are active with. meaning, the child bees acquainted(熟悉的) with a common past which he or she renews, to a greater or lesser degree, in every reading. Much as the author of the book Thank You, Mr. Falker puts it, " Almost as if it were magic, or as if light poured into her brain, the words and sentences started to take shape on the page as they never had before-And she understood the whole thing---Then she went into the living room and found the book on a shelf, the very book that her grandpa had shown her so many years ago. She spooned honey on the cover and tasted the sweetness---Then she held the book, honey and all, close to her chest. She could feel tears roll down her cheeks, but they weren't tears of sadness- she way happy, so very happy. "

1.The girl who tasted the honey on the book was ______.

A. nearly six years old B. less than five years old

C. a little more than five years old D. more than six years old

2.It can be inferred from this passage that_______.

A. the girl's mother and uncles were good scholars

B. Mr. Falker helped Patricia Polacco write her book for children.

C. the girl who tasted the honey on the book grew into an artist

D. the honey-on- book tradition has been practiced for many generations

3.The book entitled Thank You, Mr. Falker is about

A. the early life of Mr. Falker

B. the magic power of oral words on children

C. Polacco's early experience with reading

D. how the honey on the book makes children feel happy

4.The last paragraph implies that the happiness of the little girl came from _______.

A. the ability to read books B. the honey she tasted

C. the book her grandpa had shown her D. the collective memory that accepted her

I was standing in the kitchen helping with dinner, asking my mom about my brother's doctor ' s appointment. They were testing him for autism(自閉癥 ) . My brother, Captain, four years old at the time, had always been my best friend. We would wrestle, play games and have the best of times together, even though we were far apart in age. My mom told me about the appointment, but ,when she got to the point about the test, she stopped. I turned around and she had tears in her eyes. I stared at her, wishing she would say something , when I realized what that silence meant. My eyes got blurry (模糊的 ) and my breathing got very ragged. " The test was positive , sweetheart , " she said. I broke down, crying.

My mom was trying to cool me down, saying that Captain couldn't see me like this and I had to be a big girl , when the front door opened, and Captain, our three-year-old sister Cali, and my father came in. I walked out of the kitchen. I couldn't look at him. Everything had just changed. He was no longer that little baby brother who was just a normal little boy.

We had to move a while later because Captain needed treatment. One day ,I was standing in the bus line waiting when the " short bus" came and picked some kids up. The children in the other line started making jokes about the " retards(智力遲鈍者) " on that bus and I felt a strange feeling in my stomach, ,which I had never felt before.

During a band class, my teacher, Mrs. Young, stopped our playing to give us some feed- back. " Guys ,we ' re playing like the kids on the short bus ! Come on!" I felt that same feeling I had in the bus line. The entire room was laughing when I raised my hand. " Yes , Alexis?" Mrs. Young asked. "I don't think we should make fun of the short bus, because there are a lot of people on that bus who have great personalities and have the same feelings as we do. And also ,I know some people on those buses and they are some of the most caring, sweetest, and smartest people , so I would appreciate it if you didn't make fun of them. "

Everyone stared at me. Mrs. Young apologized for the comment and then started the song again.

1. What did Alexis think her mother' s silence mean in Paragraph One?

A. There was no chance for Alexis to play games with Captain.

B. Captain was likely to miss the appointment.

C. Captain really suffered from autism.

D. Alexis had to prepare dinner quickly.

2. Why did Alexis go out of the kitchen?

A. Because she didn't want to help with dinner.

B. Because she would be much sadder looking at Captain.

C. Because she wanted to play with Captain outside.

D. Because she wasn't willing to meet a sick brother.

3.What Alexis said to her teacher can be seen as a kind of .

A. threat B. approval C. apology D. condemnation

4. Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?

A. Speaking up. B. Giving up. C. Looking .up. D. Taking up.

Say you're in the wine store and you want to buy something new. You have nothing to go by outside of the label. Will the label tell you anything you should know? Here's some general advice:

Vintage. This is the first thing we look for ourselves. You don't need to care whether 2001 or 2002 was a better year in the Sierra Foothills. The vast majority of wines at the store are meant to be drunk right away, so you make sure the wine isn't too old, particularly if you're buying it expecting lively, fresh fruitiness. We often see five-year-old Pinot Grigio and two-year-old Beaujolais Nouveau at stores, for example, so as soon as we see that kind of age on wines like those, we know we can skip them and move on(and possibly not shop there again).

Alcohol content. Too many wines have too much alcohol, which leaves them unbalanced. Sure, there are some classic wines with high alcohol levels, but many of today's regular table wines--Merlot, Chardonnay--have levels at 15% or above. Some of those might be terrific, but if we had nothing else to go on, we'd look for alcohol content at about 14% and below.

The more specific the better. A wine that says it's from Napa is probably a better bet than a wine that simply says it's from California. Unfortunately, this will also probably be reflected in the price, so this might not tell you much about value, If you care enough to know a few of famous vineyards for producing high-quality grapes, they might help you make an educated guess about quality.

Old vines. Theoretically, older vines produce fewer, but more flavorful grapes, but the problem is that no one has defined what an "old vine" is, so anyone can put this on the label. Just ignore it.

A phone number. You'd be surprised many small-production wines these days include a phone number on the back and an invitation to call the winerY, which is a sign of a highly personal winerY. We have called those numbers many times over the years and it's amazing how often the winemaker or winerY owner answers the phone.

1. The underlined word "Vintage" in the second paragraph probably means "________ " .

A. the place where the wine was made B. the year when the wine was made

C. the freshness of the wine D. the label of the wine

2.It's better to buy

A. five-year-old Pinot Grigio B. the wine labeled from older vines

C. the wine from famous vineyards D. two-year-old Beaujolais Nouveau

3. From the passage we Can infer that

A. the wine with high alcohol levels is definitely terrific

B. most wines at the store are intended to be drunk right away

C. older vines have lower production

D. some winemakers keep the promise all the time

4. What is paragraph 4 mainly about?

A. Geography. B. Price C. Quality. D. Grapes.

Pulling heavy suitcases all day in the summer is hard work, especially when you are a thin 14-year-old boy. That was me in 1940-the youngest and smallest baggage boy at New York City's Pennsylvania Railway Station.

After just a few days on the job, I began noticing that the other fellows were overcharging passengers. I'd like to join them, thinking, "Everyone else is doing it."

When I got home that night, I told my dad what I wanted to do. "You give an honest day's work," he said, looking at me straight in his eye. "They are paying you. If they want to do that, you let them do that."

I followed my dad's advice for the rest of that summer and have lived by his words ever since.

Of all the jobs I've had, it was my experience at Pennsylvania Railway Station that has stuck with me. Now I teach my players to have respect for other people and their possession. Being a member of a team is a totally shared experience. If one person steals, it destroys trust and hurts everyone. I can put up with many things, but not with people who steal. If one of my players were caught stealing, he'd be gone.

Whether you're on a sports team, in an office or a member of a family. if you can't trust one another, there is going to be trouble.

1. What can be inferred about the baggage boys?

A. They could earn much, but they had to work hard.

B. Many of them earned money in a dishonest way.

C. They were all from poor families.

D. They were thin, young boys.

2. What does the father's advice imply?

A. It is wrong to give more to the passengers.

B. Don't believe them if they are paying you more.

C. Don't follow others to overcharge the passengers.

D. It is difficult to work hard and live as an honest boy.

3. The underlined word "it" (in Paragraph 2) refers to______

A. overcharging passengers

B. pulling heavy suitcases all day

C. paying passengers money

D. working in an honest way

4.The writer can't put up with stealing because he thinks that _______

A. it is a total shared experience

B. it is considered as the most dangerous

C. it does great harm to human relationship

D. it may led to the loss of his sports team.

5. It can be concluded from the text that _______

A. his father's advice helped him to decide which job to take up

B. working in the sports team was his most important experience

C. he learned much from his shared experience with his team members

D. his experience as a baggage boy had a great influence on his late life

What exactly is a Dream Career? I am sure it means different things to different people. You could presently be unsure about what your final job would be. If you have any doubts about what your dream career is, you may know which careers you definitely would not like to do. For example, if you have an interest in art, and do not like math, you most certainly would not be an engineer .If you love art. and have no artist talent ,maybe you would like to be around art instead, as an art curator (館長(zhǎng))

A career related to your passion, bobby, or special interest, is the path to follow in finding your dream job. Try thinking about what things you like to do in your spare time. Many are attracted toward turning what they love to do in their off work hours into a full time job. For example, if you like to put together model cars, maybe you would like opening your own hobby shop, or work for someone who owns one.

Once you find what you arc interested in doing, you can then match this to a career which will be similar to what you are passionate about. What you consider a dream career has to centre around what kind of person you actually are. This is called your Career Personality. What type of person do you consider yourself to be? People are naturally attracted to those things which reflect who they are as unique individuals. For example, if you are slightly on the shy side, maybe you would like a job where you work on your own. relatively unsupervised ,behind a computer. If you are outgoing, maybe you would like to work with others, and be the supervisor.

All it may take to find our dream career is to know ourselves a little better, trust in our own judgment, and be realistic about what we can attain occupationally: This is how I found what I am doing now.

1.What is the main purpose of the passage?

A. To explain what a dream career really is.

B. To offer tips on finding a dream career.

C. To tell us what Career Personality means.

D. To give examples of different personalities.

2. Which of the following about Career Personality is TRUE?

A. One should choose a dream career by his/her personality.

B. Choosing a dream career depends on a person's ability.

C. One should choose a dream career according to the reality.

D. One should try different types of careers by his/her ability.

3. Which of the following is what we need to find a dream career?

a. Realizing our ability.

b. Believing in ourselves.

c. Having a better understanding of ourselves.

d. Considering the background of our family.

A. a, c, d B. a, b, c C. b, c, d D. a, c, d

4.From the second paragraph we learn your dream career has something to do with the

following EXCEPT ______.

A. your hobby B. your special interest

C. your part-time job D. your passion

5.55. It can be inferred from the passage that

A. a dream job is one that most people are fond of

B. people all want to turn their part-time jobs into full-time ones

C. finding our dream career should follow different suggestions

D. the author's present dream job is chosen by his personality

“Can’t hold a candle to” is a popular expression．When there wasn’t electricity, someone would have a servant light his way by holding a candle．The expression meant that the person who cannot hold a candle to you is not fit even to be your servant．Now，it means such a person cannot compare or compete．

Another expression is“hold your tongue．”It means to be still and not talk．“Hold your tongue”is not something you would tell a friend．But a parent or teacher might use the expression to quiet a noisy child．

“Hold out”is an expression one hears often in sports reports and labor news．It means to refuse to play or work．Professional football and baseball players“hold out” if their team refuses to pay them what they think they are worth．

The expression“hold up” has several different meanings．One is a robbery．A man with a gun may say,“This is a hold up．Give me your money．”Another meaning is to delay．A driver who was held up by heavy traffic might be late for work．Another meaning is for a story to be considered true after an investigation．A story can hold up if it is proved true．

“Hold on”is another expression，which means wait or stop．As you leave for school，your brother may say,“Hold on，you forgot your book．” It is used to ask a telephone caller to wait and not hang up his telephone．

Our final expression is“hold the line．”That means to keep a problem or situation from getting worse—to hold steady．For example，the president may say he will“hold the line on taxes．”He means there will be no increase in taxes．

1.The author introduces the expressions mainly by _____________．

A．giving examples B．making comparisons

C．raising questions D．quoting famous remarks

2.The expression“can’t hold a candle to”call be used when ____________．

A．some footballers refuse to play a game

B．someone else is wanted on the phone

C．someone is not qualified for a position

D．someone was delayed by heavy traffic

3.The tune ofthe phrase“hold your tongue”is probably a little ___________．

A．a(chǎn)musing B．polite C．unfriendly D．offensive

4.If some teachers“hold out”，they probably __________．

A．change their artitude B．refuse to work

C．make a compromise D．show their devotion

5.Which of the following sentences can convey positive meanings?

A．I was late as I was held up by a hold up．

B．Hold on!You have to pay the bill，sir．

C．You can’t even hold a candle to Michael．

D．I promise to hold the line on house prices．

Dear Dad,

Today I was at the shopping mall and I spent a lot of time reading the Father's Day cards. They all had a special message that in some way or another reflected how I feel about you. Yet as I selected and read, it occurred to me that not a single card said what I really want to say to you.

You'll soon be 84 years old, Dad, and you and I will have had 55 Father's Days together. I haven't always been with you on Father's Day but I've always been with you in my heart.

You know, Dad, there was a time when we were separated by the generation gap. You stood on one side of the Great Divide and I on the other.

The Father-Daughter Duel shifted into high gear ( 檔位) when you taught me to drive the old Dodge and I decided I would drive the '54 Chevy whether you liked it or not. The police officer who sent me home, after you reported the Chevy stolen, didn't have much tolerance for a stub­born 16 year old, while you were so tolerant about it, Dad, and I think that was probably what made it the worst night of my life.

Our relationship greatly improved when I married a man you liked, and things really turned around when we began making babies right and left. Somewhere along the line, the generation gap disappeared. I suppose I saw us and our relationship as aging together, rather like a fine wine.

But the strangest thing happened last week. I was at a stop sign and I watched as you turned the corner in your car. It didn't immediately occur to me that it was you because the man driving looked so elderly and fragile behind the wheel of that huge car. It was rather like a slap in the face delivered from out of nowhere. Perhaps I saw your age for the first time that day.

I guess what I'm trying to say, Dad, is what every son and daughter wants to say to their Dad today. Honoring a father on Father's Day is about respect and sharing and acceptance and tolerance and giving and taking. It's about loving someone more than words can say, and it's wishing that never had to end.

I love you, Dad.

Love,

Jenny

1. How did Jenny probably feel on the night she was sent home by the police?

A. Frightened B. Guilty C. Nervous D. Disappointed

2.We can learn from the passage that Jenny and her father_________.

A. had a hard time understanding each other.

B. has been getting along very well.

C. are separated due to the generation gap.

D. kept in touch by writing to each other.

3. Why did Jenny feel strange when she saw her father last week?

A. She had never seen him driving so slowly before.

B. She didn't expect to meet with him there.

C. She had never realized his being old and weak

D. She seldom saw him driving that huge car

4. Jenny wrote his father this letter to _________

A. remind him of the early incident B. express her gratitude to him

C. say sorry for her being stubborn D. tell him about their conflicts

It is one of the most annoying words in the English language and it seems there is no escaping it．The word “huh?” is in worldwide use, a study found．

Researchers discovered that languages spoken in countries from Ghana and Laos to Iceland and Italy all include ‘‘huh?”, or something that sounds very like it. They said that while the study may sound silly，the word is an absolutely necessary part of speech．Without it and similar words，it would be impossible to show that we haven’t heard or understood what had been said and this would lead to constant misunderstandings．

But while other words used in the same context，such as ‘‘sorry'’ or‘ ‘what”，vary widely across languages，“huh?” remains unchanged．

The Dutch researchers carefully studied ten languages from around the world，including Siwu, which is spoken in Ghana, and an Australian Aboriginal language，as well as Italian，Spanish，Dutch and Mandarin Chinese．

They analyzed tapes of recorded conversations for words that sounded like ‘‘huh?” and were used to request that whatever had just been said be repeated．All contained a version of ‘‘huh?”．The word was also found in another 21 languages．While there were subtle differences in each country, all sounded basically the same．

This is surprising because normally unrelated languages will use very different words to describe the same thing．For instance，the Japanese for “dog’’ is ‘‘inu”，while the French is‘ ‘chien”．It is thought that languages around the world have developed their own version of “huh?’’ because the sound is quick and simple to form，as well as being easily understood．

The researchers，said that it might seem unimportant to carry out scientific research into a word like “huh?'’ but in fact this little word is an essential tool in human communication．They also have an answer for those who claim that ‘‘huh?’’ isn’t a word．They say that it qualifies because of the small differences in its pronunciation in different languages．It also can be considered a word because it’s something we learn to say，rather than a grunt or cry that we are born knowing how to make．

1.According to researchers，the word “huh?” is very important in speech because of .

A. its important function in communication B．its simple and easy sound and spelling

C. its popularity in every language D．its stable meaning in language development

2.If you hear someone you’re speaking to say “huh?”, what should you do?

A. You should apologize to her for speaking in a low voice．

B. You should invite her to share her different views politely．

C. You should try to say what you’ve just said again in a clearer way．

D. You should ask her to repeat what she says before that.

3.The main method used in the research of “huh?” was_____________．

A. comparing different words with the same meaning in different languages

B. interviewing language experts in universities

C. talking with people from ten different countries

D. analyzing the recorded conversations in different languages

4. According to researchers，‘‘huh?” should be considered a word rather than a sound because __________ .

A. it is pronounced quite differently around the world

B. it is something humans learn to say

C. there is a clear and consistent spelling of the word

D. it is listed in most dictionaries

Smoggy weather has become common in China. But these days, air pollution levels in the north eastern city of Harbin surpassed the previous record levels.

The city was essentially shut down after PM2. 5, fine Particulate(微粒物) pollution that is considered hazardous(有害的) . reached levels of 1000 micrograms per cubic meter-40 times the safety level remended by the World Health Organization. Schools, motorways and an airport were closed on Tuesday as visibility in some areas of the city dropped to less than 10 meters.

Photos from Harbin showed residents covering their mouths with masks and scarves, and moving like ghostly shadows through the fog. Cars and motorcycles are moving slowly as traffic came to a standstill with traffic lights barely visible. .

Just days previously , the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified air pollution as a carcinogen(致癌物) . It stated that there is " sufficient evidence" that exposure to outdoor air pollution causes lung cancer and also linked it with an increased risk of bladder cancer. It's said that exposure has increased significantly particularly in " rapidly industrial countries with large populations".

"The air we breathe has become polluted with a mixture of cancer-causing substances" , Dr Kurt Straif , head of the IARC said in a press released. "We now know that outdoor air pollution is not only a major risk to health in general, but also a leading environmental cause of cancer deaths. "

On the Chinese social media site Weibo , many users complained about the pollution and shared their concerns. References to "feed people with smog "have become popular on Weibo and there is a sarcastic play on the expression "serve the people" , as the two have a similar pronunciation.

"The impact of air pollution on people will be gradual. There won't be a sudden outbreak of symptoms, but normally three to five days after the smoggy weather occurs, there is a peak in the number of people seeing doctors, " Deng Ying, a doctor at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University was quoted as saying.

1. As thick smog has become a common scene in Harbin, ______

A. students there can go to school as usual

B. residents in the city can see as far as 20 meters

C. traffic lights can be easily visible

D. the urban traffic has been seriously influenced

2. When exposed to outdoor air pollution, what kind of disease can be caused?

A. Cancer of stomach B. Breast cancer C. Bladder cancer D. Ovarian cancer

3. According to Dr Kurt Straif , we can learn that_______.

A. the effect of the. smoggy weather is gradual

B. air pollution is the man environmental cause, of cancer deaths

C. exposure has greatly increased in countries with large populations

D. "feed people with smog" has bee a hot word

4. The purpose of this passage is to

A. awaken people's environmental awareness

B. warn people not to go out in smoggy weather

C. call for the public to wear their masks

D. advise people not to live in Harbin