I had to knock on the taxi to get his attention. Finally, the driver, a man about 60, looked up from behind the wheel and apologized, “I’m sorry, but I was reading a letter.” He sounded as if he had a cold or a cough.

Since I was in no hurry, I told him to finish his letter. He shook his head, explaining that he had already read it several times and almost knew it by heart. Curious, I asked whether it was from a child or maybe a grandchild. “This isn’t family,” he replied. “though he might just as well have been a regular member of the family. Old Ed and I grew up together.”

They were always friends. But since he moved away from the neighborhood 30 years ago, it’d generally just been postcards at Christmas time between them. A couple of weeks ago, Ed died. “I should have kept in touch.” He repeated this, more to himself than to me. To comfort him, I said sometimes we just didn’t seem to find the time. “But we used to find the time,” he said. “Take a look.” He handed the letter over to me.

The first sentence “I’ve been meaning to write for some time, but I’ve always delayed it.” reminded me of myself. It went on to say that he often thought about the good times they had had together. When I read the part where it said “Your friendship really means a lot to me, more than I can say because I’m not good at saying things like that”, I found myself nodding in agreement.

We had gone several kilometers and were almost at my hotel, so I read the last paragraph: “So I thought you’d like to know that I was thinking of you.” And it was ended with “Your Old Friend, Tom.”

“I thought your friend’s name was Ed,” I said.

“I’m Tom,” he explained. “It’s a letter I wrote to Ed before I knew he’d died. I never put it in the mailbox. I guess I should have written it sooner.” His face was pale as he wiped his eyes with a handkerchief.

When I got to my hotel room I didn’t unpack right away. I had to write a letter and post it.

1. From Paragraph 4, we learn that the author of the passage _______.

A. often fails to write to his friends

B. doesn’t want to write to his friends

C. had many great moments with his friends

D. was good at expressing his feelings to friends

2. Who wrote the letter?

A. Old Ed B. The driver’s grandchild

C. The author D. Tom

3. What message does the passage probably try to convey?

A. Comfort your friends when they are feeling down.

B. Life is unpredictable so live each day as if it were your last.

C. Always make time to value and experience your lasting friendships.

D. Remember to always mail your letters after expressing your words.

Think about vitamin D when you’re catching up on summer rays. It’s sometimes called the “sunshine vitamin” because it’s produced in your skin in response to sunlight. Vitamin D is a fat-soluble (脂溶性的) vitamin in a family of compounds that includes vitamins D-1, D-2, and D-3. It can affect as many as 2,000 genes in the body.

Vitamin D has several important functions. Perhaps the most vital are regulating the absorption of calcium and phosphorous(磷), and promoting normal immune system function. Getting enough vitamin D is important for normal growth and development of bones and teeth, as well as improving resistance against certain diseases.

In addition to its primary benefits, research suggests that vitamin D may also play a role in:

reducing your risk of multiple sclerosis(多发性硬化), according to a 2006 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association

decreasing your chance of developing heart disease, according to 2008 findings published in Circulation

helping to reduce your possibility of developing the flu, according to 2010 research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

regulating mood and warding off depression

losing weight or preventing heart disease

How do you get it? Your body produces vitamin D naturally when it is directly exposed to sunlight. A little can go a long way. All you need is 10 minutes a day of midday, pre-sunscreen sun exposure,especially if you have fair skin. Besides getting vitamin D through sunlight, you can also get it through certain foods and supplements to ensure adequate levels of the vitamin in your blood.

1.Why is Vitamin D sometimes called “Sunshine Vitamin”?

A. Because it is produced in your skin reacting to sunlight.

B. Because it is named a fat-soluble vitamin.

C. Because it is produced with enough sunshine.

D. Because it is like sunshine in summer.

2.How can a person ensure enough Vitamin D in his/ her body?

A. He/ She could ask doctors for help.

B. He/ She should walk a long way in the sunlight.

C. He/ She should be exposed to sunlight for a long time.

D. He/ She should get it through sunlight, foods and supplements.

3.Which of the following is NOT the function of Vitamin D?

A. Preventing heart disease.

B. Helping the body grow normally.

C. Producing calcium and phosphorous.

D. Decreasing anxiety and nervousness.

4.Which is the best title of the passage?

A. Vitamin D Family

B. Vitamin D, You Need It

C. Ways to get Vitamin D

D. A Good Medicine—Vitamin D

As is often the case, when your teacher asks a question, there is only one correct answer. But there is one question that has millions of current answers. That question is "What's your name?" Everyone gives a different answer, but everyone is correct.

Have you ever thought about people's names? Where do they come from? What do they mean?

People's first names, or given names, are chosen by their parents. Sometimes the name of a grandparent or other member of the family is used. Some parents choose the name of a well-known person. A boy could be named George Washington Smith; a girl could be named Helen Keller Jones.

Some people give their children names that mean good things. Clara means "bright"; Beatrice means "one who gives happiness"; Donald means "world ruler"; Leonard means “as brave as a lion”.

The earliest last names, or surnames, were taken from place names. A family with the name Brook or Brooks probably lived near brook(小溪); someone who was called Longstreet probably lived on a long, paved road. The Greenwood family lived in or near a leafy forest.

Other early surnames came from people's occupations. The most common occupational name is Smith, which means a person who makes things with iron or other metals. In the past, smiths were very important workers in every town and village. Some other occupational names are: Carter — a person who owned or drove a cart; Potter — a person who made pots and pans.

The ancestors of the Baker family probably baked bread for their neighbors in their native village. The Carpenter's great-great-great-grandfather probably built houses and furniture.

Sometimes people were known for the color of their hair or skin, or their size, or their special abilities. When there were two men who were named John in the same village, the John with the gray hair probably became John Gray. Or the John was very tall could call himself John Tallman. John Fish was probably an excellent swimmer and John Lightfoot was probably a fast runner or a good dancer.

Some family names were made by adding something to the father's name. English-speaking people added –s or –son. The Johnsons are descendants of John; the Roberts family's ancestor was Robert. Irish and Scottish people added Mac or Mc or O. Perhaps all of the MacDonnell’s and the McDonnell’s and the O’Donnell’s are descendants of the same Donnell.

1.Which of the following aspects do the surnames in the passage NOT cover?

A. People's characters.

B. Talents that people possessed.

C. People's occupations.

D. Places where people lived.

2.According to the passage, the ancestors of the Potter family most probably ________.

A. made things with metals

B. made kitchen tools or contains

C. built houses and furniture

D. owned or drove a cart

3.Suppose an English couple whose ancestors lived near a leafy forest wanted their new-born son to become a world leader, the baby might be named ________.

A. Leonard CarterB. George Longstreet

C. Donald GreenwoodD. Beatrice Smith

4.The underlined word "descendants” in the last paragraph means a person's ________.

A. friends and relatives

B. colleagues and partners

C. grandparents

D. later generations

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