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 of a tall, handsome, successful man devoted to his work and family, but uncomfortable with his children. As a child I loved him; as a school girl and young adult I feared him and felt bitter about 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 my 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 when she was 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 weekends, 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

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

America is growing older. Fifty years ago, only 4 out of every 100 people in the United States were 65 or older. Today, 10 out of every 100 Americans are over 65. The aging of the population will affect American society in many ways — edu??cation, medicine, and business. Quietly, the aging of America has made us a very different society — one in which people have a quite different idea of what kind of behavior is suitable at various ages.

A person’s age no longer tells you anything about his/ her social position, marriage or health. There’s no longer a particular year in which one goes to school or goes to work or gets married or starts a family. The social clock that kept us on time and told us when to go to school, get a job, or stop work??ing isn’t as strong as it used to be. It doesn’t surprise us to hear of a 29-year-old university president or a 35-year-old grandmother, or a 70-year-old man who has become a father for the first time. Public ideas are changing.

Many people say, “I am much younger than my mother or my father was at my age.” No one says “Act your age” any more. We’ve stopped looking with surprise at older people who act in youthful ways.

It can be learned from the text that the aging of the popula??tion in America ________.

A. has made people feel younger

       B. has changed people’s social position

C. has changed people’s understanding of age

D. has slowed down the country’s social development

The underlined word “one” refers to ________.

A. a society           B. America          C. a place           D. population

“Act your age” means people should ________.

A. be active when they are old

B. do the right thing at the right age

C. show respect to their parents young or old

D. take more physical exercises suitable to their age

f a’ 25-year-old man becomes general manager of a big firm, the writer of the text would most probably consider it _________.

A. normal      B. wonderful         C. unbelievable     D. unreasonable

The 1____ picked up the thermos and poured some hot water into the tea-cup and placed it on the small table in front of his 2____, who were a father and daughter, and put the lid on the cup with a clink. Obviously 3_____ of something, he hurried into the inner room, leaving the 4 _____ on the table. His two guests heard a box of drawers opening and a rustling(飒飒地响).

They 5 _____ sitting in the living-room, the 10-year-old daughter, looking at the flowers outside the window. The father was just about to take his cup when the 6 ____ came, right there in the living room. Something was hopelessly broken.

It was the thermos, which had fallen to the floor. The girl looked 7 ____ her shoulder at once, startled(吓一跳), 8_____. It was 9 _____.Neither of them had touched it, not even a little bit. The sound caused the host to rush back from the inner room. He looked at the 10_____ floor and blurted out(脱口而出), “It doesn’t matter, it doesn’t matter!”

The father started to say something. Then he muttered(嘀咕), “ Sorry, I 11_____ it and it fell.”

“It doesn’t matter,” the host said.

Later, when they left the house the daughter said, “Daddy, I saw your 12 ____ in the windowpane(玻璃窗). You were sitting perfectly13____. Why did you say…?”

The father 14____, “What then would you 15____ as the cause of its fall?”

“It fell by itself. The floor is uneven(不平). It wasn’t steady when Mr Li put it there.”

“It won’t 16_____, girl. It sounds more 17_____ when I say I knocked it down. There are things people accept less the more you 18_____them. The truer your story is, the less true it sounds.”

The daughter was 19_____ in silence for a while. Then she said, “Can you 20____ it only this way?”

“Only this way,” the father said.

A.owner          B. host          C. guest         D. master

A.friends         B. neighbors     C. children       D. guests

A.knowing        B. remembering  C. hearing        D. thinking

A.thermos        B. cup          C. lid           D. tea

A.enjoyed         B. remained     C. imagined      D. hated

A.stranger        B. host          C. crash         D. noise

A.around         B. at           C. behind         D. over

A.staring          B. watching     C. shouting        D. crying

A.helpless         B. exciting      C. strange         D. terrible

A.broken         B. streaming    C. dirty           D. flooded

A.touched        B. used         C. hit            D. moved

A.faced          B. shadow       C. reflection      D. action

A.calm          B. still          C. silent          D. straight

A.shouted        B. murmured     C. laughed       D. repeated

A. tell           B. make         C. accept         D. give

A.do            B. help          C. go            D. fit

A.comfortable    B. friendly       C. acceptable      D. agreeable

A.defend        B. support        C. discuss         D. argue

A.kept          B. shut           C. worried         D. lost

A.do            B. explain        C. make           D. manage

       Andy rode slowly on his way to school, day-dreaming about the fishing trip that his father had promised him. He was so busy dreaming about all the fish he would catch that he was unaware of everything else around him.

       He rode along until a strange sound drew him to the present. He came to a stop and looked curiously up to the heavens. What he saw shocked and terrified him. A huge swarm of bees filled the sky like a black cloud and the buzzing mass seemed to be heading angrily towards him.

       With no time to waste, Andy sped off in the opposite direction, riding furiously — but without knowing how to escape the swarm. With a rapidly beating heart and his legs pumping furiously, he sped down the rough road. As the bees came closer, his panic increased. Andy knew that he was sensitive to bee stings (蜇). The last sting had landed him in hospital — and that was only one bee sting! He had been forced to stay in bed for two whole days. Suddenly, his father’s words came to him. “When you are in a tight situation, don’t panic. Use your brain and think your way out of it.”

       On a nearby hill, he could see smoke waving slowly skywards from the chimney of the Nelson family home. “Bees don’t like smoke,” he thought. “They couldn’t get into the house.” Andy raced towards the Nelson house, but the bees were gaining ground. Andy knew he could not reach the house in time. He estimated that the bees would catch up with him soon.

Suddenly, out of the corner of his eyes, he spotted a small dam used by Mr. Nelson to irrigate his vegetable garden. Off his bike and into the cool water he dived, disappearing below the surface and away from the savage insects. After holding his breath for as long as he could, Andy came up for air and noticed the bees had gone. Dragging himself out of the dam, he struggled up the hilly slope and rang the doorbell. Mrs. Nelson took him inside and rang his mother.

“You’ll really need that fishing break to help you recover,” laughed his mother with relief. “Thank goodness you didn’t panic!” But Andy did not hear her. He was dreaming once again of the fish he would catch tomorrow.”

Why did Andy fail to notice the swarm of bees earlier?

A. He was lost in the thought of the fishing trip.

B. He was listening to a strange sound.

C. He was going fishing with his father.                    

       D. He was riding to school.  

Which of the following is NOT mentioned about the swarm of bees in the passage?

A. They made Andy stay in hospital for two days.

B. They shocked and terrified Andy.

C. They tried to attack Andy in a mass.              

       D. They crowded like a black cloud.    

How did Andy avoid the bees in the end?

A. He rode off in the opposite direction.             B. He hid himself under the water.

C. He rushed into the Nelson house.                   D. He asked Mr. Nelson for help.

Which of the following can best describe Andy’s escape from the bees?

A. In time of danger, one’s mind works fast.              B. Once bitten, twice shy.

C. Where there is a will, there is a way.                     D. No pains, no gains.

About a year ago, a couple with three children moved into the apartment next door to mine. I never heard any noise from the children, but the parents were always shouting at the kids.

    We often met in the hallway when we were coming or going. I always spoke, but the only answer I got was a hello from the four-year-old girl.

    One afternoon when I returned, they were just coming out of their apartment and the little girl was holding the door open for the others. I remained in the car doing unnecessary things. But when I looked up I saw the little girl was still holding the door open, waiting for me. I hurried as much as I could and thanked her.

    I was really touched by her act of kindness. That afternoon I was at the K-Mart and I bought a white Teddy bear for her. The next day, there was a knock on the door and it was the little girl and her father. She was very proud of the bear and thanked me like I had never been thanked before.

    Now when we meet in the hall, we all speak in a friendly manner. As time passes, I don’t hear that yelling as often as before.

    Last night we had about four inches of snow. I looked out at my car and wondered how I was going to keep my doctor’s appointment. I went out to remove the snow. But when I opened my front door, I found my car was there with all the snow removed. You couldn’t imagine how I felt at that moment. I thanked that family in my heart.

    Isn’t it amazing how a small kind act of a four-year-old girl can change so many things for the better? My guardian angel says that good things come from small acts.

Who did the writer think removed the snow on his car?

A. That family next door.    B. Someone sent by his doctor.

C. Some strangers.         D. The gate keeper.

Which of the following is CORRECT according to the passage?

A. The children were very naughty and often made their parents angry.

B. Life must be very hard for the parents next door as they had a large family to support.

C. The writer put off the appointment with his doctor because of the heavy snow.

D. The little girl’s kind act changed the relationship between the writer and her family.

The right time order of these events in the passage may be         .

① I bought a white Teddy bear for the four-year-old little girl.

② A new family moved into the building next to my door.

③ The four-year-old little girl held the door for me.

④ The father came with the little girl and thanked me.

⑤We speak to each other now in a friendly manner.

A. ②-③-①-④-⑤   B. ②-④-①-③-⑤    C. ③-②-④-⑤-①  D. ③-④-②-⑤-①

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