High school graduation—the bittersweet feelings are as much a part of me now as they were twenty-one years ago.

As graduation day approached, excitement increased. Being out of high school meant I was finally coming of age. Soon I would be on my own, making my own decisions, doing what I wanted without someone looking over my shoulder and it meant going to school with boys—a welcome change coming from an all-girl high school. There was never any question in my mind that I would go to a college away from home. My mother’s idea, on the other hand, was just the opposite. Trying her best not to force her preferences on me, she would subtly ask whether I had considered particular schools—all of which happened to be located in or near my hometown of Chicago. Once it was established that, as long as the expenses would not be too heavy a burden on the family budget, I would be going away anyway, my family’s perspective changed. Their concern shifted from whether I was going away to how far. The schools I was considering on the East Coast suddenly looked much more attractive than those in California. But which college I would attend was just one of what seemed like a never-ending list of unknowns: What would college be like? Would I be unbearably lonely not knowing anyone else who was going to the same school? Would the other students like me? Would I make friends easily? Would I miss my family so much that I wouldn’t be able to stand it? And what about the work—would I be able to keep up? (Being an A student in high school seemed to offer little assurance I would be able to survive college.) What if the college I selected turned out to be a horrible mistake? Would I be able to transfer to another school?

Then panic set in. My feelings took a 180-degree turn. I really didn’t want to leave high school at all, and it was questionable whether I wanted to grow up after all. It had been nice being respected as a senior by the underclass students for the past year; I didn’t enjoy the idea of being on the bottom rung of the ladder again.

Despite months of expectation, nothing could have prepared me for the impact of the actual day. As the familiar melody of “Pomp and Circumstance” echoed in the background, I looked around at the other figures in white caps and gowns as we seriously lined into the hall. Tears welled up uncontrollably in my eyes, and I was consumed by a rush of sadness. As if in a daze(恍惚), I rose from my seat when I heard my name called and slowly crossed the stage to receive my diploma. As I reached out my hand, I knew that I was reaching not just for a piece of paper but for a brand-new life. Exciting as the future of a new life seemed, it wasn’t easy saying good-bye to the old one—the familiar faces, the familiar routine. I would even miss that chemistry class I wasn’t particularly fond of and the long travel each day between home and school that I hated. Good or bad, it was what I knew.

That September, I was fortunate to attend a wonderful university in Providence, Rhode Island. I needn’t have worried about liking it. My years there turned out to be some of the best years of my life. And as for friends, some of the friendships I formed there I still treasure today. Years later, financial difficulties forced my high school to close its doors for good. Although going back is impossible, it’s comforting to know I can revisit my special memories any time.

1. In this article the author mainly describes ________.

A. the great excitement during the months leading up to the big event—the graduation ceremony

B. her mixed feelings during the months leading towards graduation and on the actual graduation day

C. her happiness to be admitted to a wonderful university

D. her eagerness to go to a wonderful university far away from home

2.The author’s mother ________.

A. did not care very much which college her daughter went to

B. was greatly disappointed at her decision to go to a college on the East Coast

C. willingly allowed her to go to a college of her own choice

D. wished that she would study at a college or university close to home

3.Expectation and excitement suddenly changed into anxiety and fear. Which of the following did the author NOT include as a reason for that change?

A. Growing homesick might seriously affect her academic performance at college.

B. She might make a wrong choice and enter a university she did not like at all.

C. Her being a top student at high school did not mean a successful academic career for her.

D. It might be hard for her to make friends under new circumstances.

4. On the actual graduation day, ________.

A. the familiar tune “Pomp and Circumstance” brought tears to her eyes

B. she went through the whole ceremony in a daze

C. she came to realize that she had a passion for her old school

D. reaching out for diploma, she was aware of a new stage in life ahead of her

5.The author adopts a(n)________ tone in writing this article.

A. matter-of-fact B. serious

C. emotional D. indifferent

London used to be “foggy”( 有雾的) for the same reason that cities like Beijing or Chongqing are “foggy” today. The “fog” was in fact smog(烟雾), a mixture of smoke and fog.In other words, it was made by air pollution. In London, some of this pollution came from factories, but much of it came from the coal(煤)that people burnt in their houses to keep warm during the winter. By the 1950s, London’s smog problem had become so bad that the government decided to do something to clean the air. A new law was made and nobody could burn coal in any British city. Within a few years, the air became much cleaner. There were no more “pea-soupers”.

Many Chinese cities now face the same sort of problem with air pollution that London faced 40 or 50 years ago. However, this problem is more difficult for Chinese cities to solve. One reason is that more of the pollution comes from the factories, rather than from coal burnt in people’s houses. If these factories were closed, this would harm the economy and lots of people would lose their jobs. Another reason is that changing from coal to cleaner fuel(燃料), like gas, is quite expensive.

However, the air in many Chinese cities is becoming cleaner and cleaner, as the government and people pay more and more attention to cutting down pollution. As a result, there are fewer “pea-soupers” in Beijing than there used to be.

1.What was the main reason for air pollution in London?

A.There was too much smoke in the sky.

B.There were too many factories in the city.

C.People burnt too much coal in the houses.

2.How did the air in London become much cleaner?

A.There was not so much fog in the winter later.

B.A law was made to keep people from burning coal in their houses.

C.Many factories in the city were closed.

3.What does the underlined work “pea-soupers” refer to?

A.Smog. B.Smoke. C.Gas.

4.The problem of air pollution is more difficult for Chinese cities to solve because of _____reasons

A.one B.two C.three

5.Which sentence is Not true?

A.Using coal is much more expensive than using gas.

B.Factories made much more pollution in China.

C.The reasons of air pollution in London and Beijing are different.

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