A woman renewing her driver’s license at the County Clerk’s office was asked to state her occupation. She hesitated, uncertain how to classify herself.

“What I mean is,” explained the recorder, “do you have a job, or are you just a …”

“Of course I have a job,” said Emily. “I’m a mother.”

“We don’t list ‘mother’ as an occupation… ‘housewife’ covers it,” said the recorder.

One day I found myself in the same situation. The clerk was obviously a career woman, confident and possessed of a high sounding title. “What is your occupation?” she asked.

The words simply popped out. “I’m a Research Associate in the field of Child Development and Human Relations.”

The clerk paused, ballpoint pen frozen in midair.

I repeated the title slowly, then I stared with wonder as my statement was written in bold, black ink on the official questionnaire.

“Might I ask,” said the clerk with new interest, “Just what you do in this field?”

Coolly, without any trace of panic in my voice, I heard myself reply, “I have a continuing program of research (what mother doesn’t), in the lab and in the field (normally I would have said indoors and out). Of course, the job is one of the most demanding in the humanities (any mother care to disagree?), and I often work 14 hours a day (24 is more like it). But the job is more challenging than most careers and rewards are more of a satisfaction rather than just money.”There was an increasing note of respect in the clerk’s voice as she completed the form, stood up, and showed me out.

As I drove into our driveway, buoyed up (鼓舞) by my glamorous new career, I was greeted by my lab assistants---ages 13, 7, and 3.

Upstairs I could hear our new experimental model (a 6 month old baby), in the child-development program, testing out a new vocal（嗓音的） pattern.

I felt proud! I had gone on the official records as someone more distinguished and indispensable (不可缺少的) to mankind than “just another mother.”

Motherhood…What a glorious career! Especially when there’s a title on the door.

1.What can we infer from the conversation between the woman and the recorder at the beginning of the passage?

A. Motherhood was not recognized and respected as a job by society.

B. The recorder was impatient and rude.

C. The author was upset about the situation that mothers faced.

D. The woman felt ashamed to admit what her job was.

2.How did the female clerk feel at first when the author told her occupation?

A. curious        B. indifferent       C. interested     D. puzzled

3.Why did the woman clerk show more respect for the author?

A. Because the author cared little about rewards.

B. Because she admired the author’s research work in the lab.

C. Because the writer did something she had little knowledge of.

D. Because she thought the author did admirable work.

4.What is the author’s purpose of writing the passage?

A. To show how you describe your job affects your feelings toward it.

B. To show that the author had a grander job than Emily.

C. To argue that motherhood is a worthy career and deserves respect.

D. To show that being a mother is hard and boring work.

 

    Last week my youngest son and I visited my father at his new home in Tucson, Arizona. He moved there a few years ago, and I was eager to see his new place and meet his friends.

    My earliest memories of my father are a tall, handsome, successful man devoted to his work and his family, but uncomfortable with his children. As a child I loved him. He seemed unhappy with me unless I got straight A’s and unhappy with my boyfriends if their fathers were not as “successful” as he was. Whenever I went out with him on weekends, I used to struggle to think up things to say, feeling on guard.

    On the first day of my visit, we went out with one of my father’s friends for lunch at an outdoor café. We walked along that afternoon, did some shopping, ate on the street table, and laughed over my son’s funny facial expressions. Gone was my father’s critical (挑剔的) air and strict rules. Who was this person I knew as my father, who seemed so friendly and interesting to be around? What had held him back before?

    The next day dad pulled out his childhood pictures and told me quite a few stories about his own childhood. Although our times together became easier over the years, I never felt closer to him at that moment. After so many years, I’m at last seeing another side of my father. And in so doing, I’m delighted with my new friend. My dad, in his new home in Arizona, is back to me from where he was.

56. Why did the author feel bitter about her father as a young adult?

A. He was silent most of the time.

B. He was too proud of himself.

C. He did not love his children.

D. He expected too much of her.

57. When the author went out with her father on weekend, she would feel         .

A. nervous                 B. sorry                C. tired             D. safe

58. What does the author think of her father after her visit to Tucson?

A. More critical.          B. More talkative

C. Gentle and friendly.     D. Strict and hard-working.

59. The underlined words “my new friend” in the last paragraph refer to          .

A. the author’s son                                B. the author’s father

C. the friend of the author’s father         D. the café owner

A powerful earthquake struck the northeastern coast of Japan at two forty-six p.m. local time on March eleventh.2011. Japan's Meteorological Agency released its first tsunami（海嘯） warnings just three minutes later. The country has one of the best earthquake early warning systems in the world.

There are more than four thousand Seismic Intensity Meters in place throughout Japan to measure earthquake activity. These meters provide information within two minutes of an earthquake happening. Information about the strength and the center of the earthquake can be learned within three minutes.

There are also concrete(混凝土) sea walls around much of the Japanese coastline. But these measures proved no match for the powerful earthquake and tsunami.

Costas Synolakis ，a tsunami expert at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles said，"Japan is one of those most well-prepared countries on earth in terms of tsunami warning. They had a warning. I think what went wrong is that they had not expected the size of this event."

He says there are two reasons for this. Japan has not had any event anywhere near as big as this one in the last one hundred fifty years. And scientists had not expected such a large earthquake happening off the coast of Japan.

The nine point zero magnitude earthquake was the fourth most powerful earthquake ever recorded worldwide. It was also the worst earthquake ever to hit Japan. The tsunami waves that followed were reported to have reached as high as thirteen meters in some areas.

Costas Synolakis says Japan's concrete sea walls were not built to handle such high waves.

Experts say early warning systems will continue to be limited by these facts until earthquakes and tsunamis can be predicted

1.Where can this passage probably be adapted from?

    A．A magazine on science       B．A fairy Tale 

C．A scientific fantasy book     D．A newspaper  

2.Which of the following statements NOT true ?

    A. A terrible earthquake hit the northeastern coast of Japan

    B. It was also the worst earthquake in Japan

C. The 9.0 earthquake was the fourth most powerful earthquake ever recorded in Japan

D. Japan's concrete sea walls was unable to handle such high waves.

3.According to Costas Synolakis, why did Japan suffer such a loss?

  A. The country has never experienced any event as big as this one over the past 150 years

B. Japan has the best earthquake early warning systems in the world.

C. There are not concrete sea walls around all of the Japanese coastline

D. The government didn’t announce its first tsunami warnings three minutes earlier.

 

 

My father enjoys bike riding. Ever since I was little, I’ve always loved going biking with my dad. 36 , as I became a teenager, other things began to draw my37. It became important to do things with 38.  I saw my dad every evening at home. Why did I have to 39 my Sundays to all-day bike trips with him , too? If my indifference(冷漠) hurt him, my father kept  40  , but he would always let me know when he was planning a bike trip  41  I wanted to come.

    It was a Sunday morning, and I was in low    42  Two of my friends had gone to the movies without inviting me. Just then my father   43  my room. “It’s a beautiful day. Want to go for a   44  today, Beck?”  “Leave me alone! ” I impatiently  45   . Those were the last words I said to him before he left the house that   46  .

    Several hours later, the police called us,   47   us that Dad had a traffic accident. My father’s injuries were serious. It took several days before he could   48    speak. Beside his bed I held his hand gently, 49  of hurting him.

    “Daddy … I’m sorry …”

    “It’s OK, sweetheart. I’ll be OK.”

    “No,” I said, “I    50  what I said to you that day. You know, that morning?”

    “Sweetheart, I don’t   51   anything about that day, not before, during or after the accident. I   remember kissing you goodnight the night before, though.” He  52   a weak smile.

    I felt regretful for my thoughtless remark, for I   53   wanted him to leave me alone. My teacher once told me that  54   have immeasurable power. They can hurt or they can heal. And we all have the   55   to choose our words. I intend to do that very carefully from now on.

A. However               B. Instead             C. Besides             D. Therefore

A. sight                  B. effort              C. attention                  D. energy

A. Dad                  B. brothers         C. teachers            D. friends

A. start                     B. devote              C. save               D. waste

A. asleep                   B. busy                 C. silent               D. awake

A. unless                  B. even if             C. so that              D. in case

A. spirits                  B. conditions        C. emotions         D. hopes

A. left                      B. checked            C. knocked           D. entered

A. walk                   B. ride                C. picnic               D. game

A. whispered          B. warned             C. shouted            D. announced

A. morning              B. moment            C. afternoon         D. evening

A. convincing         B. informing         C. reminding         D. phoning

A. eventually          B. generally          C. strictly             D. broadly

A. tired                   B. sorry               C. aware               D. afraid

A. mean                 B. think                C. care                 D. discuss

A. hate                    B. forget               C. like               D. remember

A. managed                    B. expressed          C. exchanged               D. got

A. often                  B. once               C. even                 D. never

A. words                B. promises           C. smiles              D. apologies

A. experience           B. power              C. honor               D. desire

How often do you let other people’s nonsense change your mood? Do you let a bad driver, impolite waiter，rude boss, or an insensitive employee        your day?

Sixteen years ago I learned this lesson in the back of a New York City taxi cab. One day I was in a taxi and we headed         the airport. We were driving in the        lane when suddenly a black car drove out of a parking space right in front of us.  My taxi driver slammed on his       , slide sideways，and at the very last moment our car stopped and         the other car by just inches！The driver of the other car , the guy who almost caused a big accident, looked around and started         at us.

      My taxi driver just        and waved at the guy. And I mean, he was         ,so I said，"Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital！” This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call "The Law of the Garbage Truck".

He said, “ Many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of      , full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage         up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they'll dump it on       .  Don’t take it personally; Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. Believe me. You’ll be        .”

So I started thinking, how often do I let Garbage Trucks run right over me? And how often do I take their garbage and          it to other people at work, at home, or on the street? It was then that I said, “I don’t want their garbage and I’m not going to spread it anymore.”

Life’s too short to wake up in the morning with       . The mark of your success is how quickly you can refocus on what’s        in your life. See, Roy Baumeister, a psychology researcher from Florida State University，found in his extensive research that you __      bad things more often than good things in your life. You store the bad memories more easily, and you __     them more frequently. So love the people who treat you right. Ignore the ones who don’t. Life is ten percent what you make it and ninety percent how you _     it！The odds are against you when a Garbage Truck comes your way, but when you follow “The Law of the Garbage Truck”，you take back control of your life. You make room for the good by       go of the bad.

Have a Garbage-Free Day！Have a marvelous, garbage-free day！The seeds you plant today        the harvest you reap tomorrow.

1.A. enrich      B. ruin            C. spare            D. obtain

2.A. through    B. to         C. in           D. for

3.A. latter     B. right            C. opposite           D. free

4.A. brakes      B. door           C. window      D. seat

5.A. knocked     B. overtook    C. missed     D. lost

6.A. laughing     B. throwing          C. glancing         D. yelling

7.A. wondered B. smiled         C. ignored           D. guessed

8.A. friendly      B. angry          C. tired           D. disappointed

9.A. expectation        B. passengers   C. garbage           D. goods

10.A. turns            B. pushes         C. holds      D. piles

11.A. roads            B. children   C. you            D. dustbin

12.A. upset            B. happier    C. pitiful             D. frightened

13.A. spread         B. share            C. explain            D. contribute

14.A. surprise   B. pleasure          C. doubt      D. regrets

15.A. funny           B. important        C. strange    D. embarrassing

16.A. remember  B. forget             C. value      D. appreciate

17.A. enjoy            B. exchange          C. recall      D. imagine

18.A. inspire   B. take          C. mend     D. notice

19.A. letting     B. consisting    C. making            D. dreaming

20.A. distinguish  B. deserve      C. deliver       D. determine