-Jack was admitted to Harvard University．

-_________? He is only 12 years old．

1. A.
   So what
2. B.
   Who cares
3. C.
   Are you kidding
4. D.
   What for

I was walking along Orchard Road when I realized a tall young man wearing a jacket and tie was following me. I noticed him because not many people wear a jacket and tie in the middle of a hot summer day, and I had already seen this man four times that afternoon.

To make sure he was following me, I walked on quickly, turned right into a shopping center and then stopped to look in a shop window. Soon the man appeared and stopped at another shop window. I walked on and stopped several times. When I stopped , he stopped too.

I began to be rather worried and decided to try to lose this strange man. When I saw a taxi coming, I jumped into it. As I was telling the taxi driver where to go, I found the man get into another taxi, which then followed mine. As the two taxies slowly made their way along Orchard Road, I looked back at the taxi behind, and saw that the stranger was looking out at me. At MRT station, I told the taxi driver to stop and I got out. As I was paying my fare, I saw the man was getting out of his taxi.

By now I got angry, so I turned and walked straight to him. I asked him why he was following me. At first he said he was not following me at all, but when I threatened(威脅) to call the police, he admitted he was. He then told me that he was a journalist(news reporter) and that he was writing an article on how elderly people in Singapore spend their time. He said he was observing me to gather materials for his article.

What is strange about the man who followed the writer?

A. He seemed to be wearing too much.

   B. He was out on such a hot day.

   C. He walked quickly behind.

  D. He was a tall young man.

Why did the writer get into a taxi?

   A. To test the young man.     B. To lose the young man.

   C. To call the police.         D. To get home earlier.

What did the stranger do when the writer jumped into a taxi?

   A. He got into another taxi.

   B. He tried to stop the taxi.

   C. He almost gave up following him.

   D. He made his way along Orchard Road.

How did the writer have the stranger admit he was following him?

   A. He threatened to take him to the police.

   B. He called the police.

   C. He said he would call the police.

   D. He talked to the police.

Why did the stranger follow the writer?

   A. He was interested in elderly people.

   B. He often does such things.

   C. He was writing a book about old people.

   D. He needed materials for his article.

“It was all his own idea, ” says Pat Peters, the 38-year-old wife of Palo Alto, California high school football coach Bob Peters, 39. Bob had just drawn up a “motherhood contract” --a document stating that for 70 days this summer he would take over the care and feeding of the couple’s four children, plus all household chores. Although he didn’t even know how to make coffee when he signed, he was quite confident.(He thought the experience would make a nice book.)

     After 40 of the 70 days, he was ready to give up. “I was beaten down, pletely humbled（挫敗的）,”  admits Peters. Three weeks later he spoke to the local press, stating, “Not only is motherhood a difficult task, not only is it never-ending, it is an impossible job for any normal human being.”

     Bob and Pat were high school sweethearts. After they were married in 1960, she worked as a secretary to help put him through university. Since then Bob has been the football and wrestling coach at Palo Alto’s Cubberley High while Pat raised the kids. Then two years ago Pat went back to work as a secretary at Cubberley. “I had been around children so much,” she sighs, “I couldn’t talk to a grown-up.” She continued to run the household, however----until Bob signed the contract, therefore, she decided to relax and enjoy it. 

Although Peters had consulted(咨詢(xún)) with his school’s home economics teachers and the head of the cafeteria, his meals were sometimes a disaster. “I tried to slip the butter I’d forgotten under the eggs after they were frying, ” he says. For the last three weeks, the family ate out a lot—sometimes having Macdonald’s hamburgers for lunch and dinner.

     As for housekeeping, a home economics teacher had told Bob that a room always looks clean if the bed is made. “I found an easier way-I shut the doors, ” he says. Soon the kids were wearing the same clothes for a week. “I made them wear their shirts inside out, and when we went to pick up Pat at work they turned them right side out so they would look clean.”

     Now that Bob has publicly admitted he was wrong, he is routinely sharing the child-raising and household tasks with Pat. The tentative（暫時(shí)的） title of his book about the summer is taken from something he shouted at the kids one day.

The couple signed the contract because _______.

    A. Pat plained a lot about her doing the housework all by herself

    B. Bob loved taking care of children and wanted his wife to have a good rest

    C. they agreed that husband and wife should share household tasks

    D. Bob thought it easy to take care of the family and wanted the experience for a book

It was agreed that if Bob failed to keep to the contract, he would have to _______.

    A. pay a certain amount of money

    B.  admit publicly he was wrong about motherhood 

 C. say sorry to his wife

    D. do all the housework for years

What can we learn about Pat Peters?

    A. She was hard-working and selfless.

    B. She was pretty and kind-hearted.

    C. She was tired of the child-raising and household tasks.

    D. She did not love Bob any longer.

Which of the following can best end the news story?

    A. “Wait till your mother gets home!”

    B. “My experience of being a mother.”

    C. “I’m proud of you all, my dear!”

    D. “Motherhood: an impossible job for anyone.”

“It was all his own idea, ” says Pat Peters, the 38-year-old wife of Palo Alto, California high school football coach Bob Peters, 39. Bob had just drawn up a “motherhood contract” -a document(文件) stating that for 70 days this summer he would take over the care and feeding of the couple’s four children, plus all household chores(雜務(wù)). Although he didn’t even know how to make coffee when he signed, he was quite confident.(He thought the experience would make a nice book.)

After 40 of the 70 days, he was ready to give up. “I was beaten down, completely humbled, ” admits Peters. Three weeks later he spoke to the local press(also part of the bargain), stating, “Not only is motherhood a difficult task, not only is it never-ending, it is an impossible job for any normal human being.”

Bob and Pat were high school sweethearts. After they were married in 1960, she worked as a secretary to help put him through university. Since then Bob has been the football and wrestling coach at Palo Alto’s Cubberley High while Pat raised the kids.

Then two years ago Pat went back to work as a secretary at Cubberley. “I had been around children so much,” she sighs(嘆氣), “I couldn’t talk to a grown-up.” She continued to run the household, however-until Bob signed the contract, whereupon she decided to relax and enjoy it.

Although Peters had consulted(咨詢(xún)) with his school’s home economics teachers and the head of the cafeteria(食堂), his meals were sometimes a disaster. “I tried to slip the butter I’d forgotten under the eggs after they were frying, ” he says. For the last three weeks, the family ate out a lot—sometimes having Macdonald’s hamburgers for lunch and dinner.

As for housekeeping, a home economics teacher had told Bob that a room always looks clean if the bed is made. “I found an easier way-I shut the doors, ” he says. Soon the kids were wearing the same clothes for a week. “I made them wear their shirts inside out, and when we went to pick up Pat at work they turned them right side out so they would look clean.”

Now that Bob has publicly admitted he was wrong, he is routinely(日常地) sharing the child-raising and household tasks with Pat. The tentative(暫定的) title of his book about the summer is taken from something he shouted at the kids one day.

The couple signed the contract because _______.

A. Pat complained a lot about her doing the housework all by herself

B. Bob loved taking care of children and wanted his wife to have a good rest

C. they agreed that husband and wife should share household tasks

D. Bob thought it easy to take care of the family and wanted the experience for a book

It was agreed that if Bob failed to keep to the contract, he would have to _______.

A. pay a certain amount of money

B. do all the housework for years

C. say sorry to his wife

D. admit publicly he was wrong about motherhood

What can we learn about Pat Peters?

A. She was hard-working and selfless.

B. She was pretty and kind-hearted.

C. She was tired of the child-raising and household tasks.

D. She did not love Bob any longer.

Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A. Bob managed to keep the kids’clothes clean.

B. Bob tried to cook good meals for his children.

C. Bob frequently took the kids out to eat because he was too busy at work.

D. Bob taught the kids to make their beds every day.

Which of the following can best end the news story?

A. “My experience of being a mother.”

B. “I’m proud of you all, my dear!”

C. “Wait till your mother gets home!”

D. “Motherhood: an impossible job for anyone.”

“It was all his own idea,” says Pat, the wife of California high school football coach Bob Peters. Bob had ___36___ made a “motherhood contract(合同)”—declaring that for 70 days this summer he would ___37___  the care of their four children and all the housework. ___38___ he didn’t even know how to make coffee when he sighed, he was very confident.

After40 of the 70 days, he was ready to ___39___. “ I was beaten down, “ admits Bob. “Not only is motherhood a ___40___ task, it is an impossible job for any normal human being. ”

Bob and Pat were married in 1991. After the married, Pat ___41___ a secretary to help put him through university. ___42___ Bob has been the football coach while Pat raised the kids. ___43___ two years ago Pat went back to work. “ I had been ___44___ children so much,” she ___45___, “I couldn’t talk to a grown-up. ” She continued to run the household, ___46___ -- until Bob sighed the contract.

Bob tried hard to learn cooking, but the meals he prepared were ___47___. For the last three weeks, the family ___48___ a lot--- sometimes having MacDonald’s hamburgers for lunch and dinner.

___49___ housekeeping, a home economics teacher had told Bob that a room always looks clean ___50___ the bed is made. “ I found ___51___ –I shut the doors,” he says. Soon the kids were wearing their shirts inside out. “When we went to ___52___ Pat at work, I made them wear their shirts 53 side out so they would look clean. ”

Now that Bob has publicly ___54___  he was wrong, he is ___55___ the child-raising and household tasks with Pat.

36. A. only     B. just     C. nearly D. ever

37. A. stick to B. set about    C. think about D. takeover

38. A. If  B. As      C. Since  D. Although

39. A. carry on       B. give up      C. break down       D. find out

40. A. strange B. pleasant      C. difficult     D. serious

41. A. sent      B. employed   C. learned from      D. worked as

42. A. In time B. Before long       C. Since then  D. Later on

43. A. Then    B. Thus   C. So      D. Still

44. A. near     B. after   C. about  D. around

45. A. insists   B. sighs   C. jokes   D. apologizes

46. A. besides B. therefore    C. however     D. otherwise

47. A. terrible B. tasty   C. expensive   D. special

48. A. starved B. traveled      C. worked out D. ate out

49. A. Due to  B. As for C. Along with D. Except for

50. A. until     B. before C. if D. unless

51. A. an easier way      B. a cheaper way    C. a cleaner way     D. a harder way

52. A. receive B. welcome    C. greet   D. fetch

53. A. good    B. wrong C. right   D. opposite

54. A. admitted      B. suggested   C. agreed D. explained

55. A. operating     B. realizing     C. sharing       D. performing