Dear Ralph,

I’m a girl in Grade Two in senior middle school. In junior middle school I did very well in my studies. But when I entered senior middle school I began to __41__ the bitterness (苦涩) of failure.

A girl who was not as good as me in __42__ middle school surpassed (超过) me. My mother often scolds me. I can’t __43__ her, so when I return home I don’t want to talk to her. When I do a good job, she __44__ says, “Don’t be so __45__. Think of XXX, she did better than you.” Am I proud? __46__. I just want to give __47__ confidence. When I do something bad, she says, “What are you doing? Think of XXX, she is always better than you.” I had a(an) __48__talk with her. But she just said __49__, “When you grow up, you will know that I have done good for you.”

I can’t __50__ with her. I don’t want to go with her. What should I do?

Cinderella

Cinderella,

First analyze (分析) by yourself __51__ you have fallen behind. Is there something wrong with you, __52__ is the girl who surpassed you an outstanding person who is always at the __53__. And does it matter? Can you be number two and __54__ do well in exams and get into a good university?

To communicate, ask your __55__ about her own life. Did someone surpass her? If she regrets any experiences, she may hope you will realize her own __56__. This wish is common among __57__.

__58___, don’t blame that she should seek success. If she scolds but cannot help, she clearly knows study is important but does not know how to study__59__.

Do __60__ you think is best.

Dear Ralph,

I’m a girl in Grade Two in senior middle school. In junior middle school I did very well in my studies. But when I entered senior middle school I began to __41__ the bitterness (苦涩) of failure.

A girl who was not as good as me in __42__ middle school surpassed (超过) me. My mother often scolds me. I can’t __43__ her, so when I return home I don’t want to talk to her. When I do a good job, she __44__ says, “Don’t be so __45__. Think of XXX, she did better than you.” Am I proud? __46__. I just want to give __47__ confidence. When I do something bad, she says, “What are you doing? Think of XXX, she is always better than you.” I had a(an) __48__talk with her. But she just said __49__, “When you grow up, you will know that I have done good for you.”

I can’t __50__ with her. I don’t want to go with her. What should I do?

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 Cinderella

Cinderella,

First analyze (分析) by yourself __51__ you have fallen behind. Is there something wrong with you, __52__ is the girl who surpassed you an outstanding person who is always at the __53__. And does it matter? Can you be number two and __54__ do well in exams and get into a good university?

To communicate, ask your __55__ about her own life. Did someone surpass her? If she regrets any experiences, she may hope you will realize her own __56__. This wish is common among __57__.

__58___, don’t blame that she should seek success. If she scolds but cannot help, she clearly knows study is important but does not know how to study__59__.

Do __60__ you think is best.

41. A. meet　　　　　　　　　 B. taste　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. understand　　　　　　　 D. see

42. A. junior　　　　　　　　 B. high　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. senior　　　　　　　　　　 D. super

43. A. trust　　　　　　　　　 B. realize　　　　　　　　　　 C. stand　　　　　　　　　　　 D. believe

44. A. always　　　　　　　 B. seldom　　　　　　　　　　 C. hardly　　　　　　　　　　 D. sometimes

45. A. satisfied　　　　　　　　　　 B. happy　　　　　　　　　　　 C. proud　　　　　　　　　　　 D. excited

46. A. Never　　　　　　　　 B. Yes　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. Hardly　　　　　　　　　　 D. Almost

47. A. myself　　　　　　　 B. me　　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. herself　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. her

48. A. warm-hearted　　 B. open-hearted C. kind-hearted D. broken-hearted

49. A. warmly　　　　　　　 B. nervously　　　　　　　　 C. firmly　　　　　　　　　　 D. coldly

50. A. talk　　　　　　　　　　 B. communicate　　　　　 C. stay　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. sit

51. A. why　　　　　　　　　 B. when　　　　　　　　　　　 C. whether　　　　　　　　　 D. where

52. A. but　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. or　　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. and　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. yet

53. A. head　　　　　　　　　 B. top　　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. ceiling　　　　　　　　　　 D. front

54. A. ever　　　　　　　　　 B. still　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. either　　　　　　　　　　　 D. even

55. A. classmate　　　　　 B. fellow　　　　　　　　　　 C. teacher　　　　　　　　　　 D. mother

56. A. experience　　　　　 B. failure　　　　　　　　　　 C. dream　　　　　　　　　　 D. regret

57. A. students　　　　　　　　　　 B. people　　　　　　　　　　 C. teachers　　　　　　　　　 D. parents

58. A. However　　　　　　 B. But　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. Though　　　　　　　　　 D. And

59. A. fast　　　　　　　　　 B. busily　　　　　　　　　　　 C. effectively　　　　　　　 D. hard

60. A. all which　　　　　　 B. that　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. all what　　　　　　　　　 D. what

One evening I went out and left my 17-year-old son in charge of his 8-year-old brother and 4-year-old sister. On this occasion, the work was made less troublesome by the presence of his girlfriend. I left with complete confidence that the older children would do a wonderful job of babysitting the younger children and the younger children would do a wonderful job of accompanying the older ones. Later, I discovered that complete confidence was the last thing I should have left home with.

I had decided to return home earlier than planned so that my son and his girlfriend could go out. I called home with this happy news. But instead of hearing his cheerful, grateful voice on the other end of the line, all I heard was the sound of a telephone ringing.

It was, I should point out, after 10 p.m., when the two younger children should have been in bed, and when the two older children should have been answering the phone. “I’ll give him a lesson,” I said. I decided they must be outside. Why they might be outside at 10:30 on a wintry night I had no idea, but it was the only explanation I could come up with.

Finally, in desperation, I called his girlfriend’s house. After what seemed like countless rings, his girlfriend answered. “Yes,” she said brightly, “He’s right here.”

He came on the phone. I was not my usual calm, rational(理智的) self. After all, one of the rules of survival for modern parents is that you can’t trust modern teenagers. “Where are the children?” I said. He said they were with him. They had done nothing wrong. My son had taken the younger children over to his girlfriend’s house just for ice cream and cake. This was too good to be believed. Well, it turns out that I shouldn’t have believed it. It was only part of the truth.

The following Saturday evening we were at my parents’ home, celebrating my birthday. My oldest son gave me the children’s gifts. Mounted and framed were a series of lovely color photographs of my children, dressed in their best clothes, and wearing their most wonderful expressions. They are pictures to treasure a lifetime, all taken by the father of my son’s girlfriend.

1.51.The author went out and left her eldest son in charge of the younger children because ______.

A. she knew that his girlfriend was a good baby-sitter

B. she believed he could take good care of the younger ones with the help of his girlfriend

C. the older children have always loved the younger ones

D. she could not find a baby-sitter on that winter night

2.52.Shortly after the author left home one evening, she discovered that ______.

A. she shouldn’t have completely trusted her son

B. her son had left home with his girlfriend

C. her son had brought his girlfriend home

D. she should have taken the children along with her

3.53.The sentence “It was only part of the truth.” (Para. 5) implies that the children not only enjoyed ice-cream but also ______.

A. had their pictures taken                B. had a birthday party

C. framed some photographs            D. showed off their best clothes

4.54.Which of the following possible titles best expresses the main idea of this passage?

A. An Evening Out              B. Modern Teenagers

C. A Precious Birthday Gift           D. Mother and Children

One evening I went out and left my 17-year-old son in charge of his 8-year-old brother and 4-year-old sister. On this occasion, the task was made less troublesome by the presence of his girlfriend. I left with complete confidence that the older children would do a wonderful job of babysitting the younger children and the younger children would do a wonderful job of accompanying the older ones. Later, I discovered that complete confidence was the last thing I should have left home with.

I had decided to return home earlier than planned so that my son and his girlfriend could go out. I called home with this happy news. But instead of hearing his cheerful, grateful voice on the other end of the line, all I heard was the sound of a telephone ringing.

It was, I should point out, after 10 p.m., when the two younger children should have been in bed, and when the two older children should have been answering the phone. “I’ll give him a lesson,” I said. I decided they must be outside. Why they might be outside at 10:30 on a wintry night I had no idea, but it was the only explanation I could come up with.

Finally, in desperation, I called his girlfriend’s house. After what seemed like countless rings, his girlfriend answered. “Yes,” she said brightly, “He’s right here.”

He came on the phone. I was not my usual calm, rational self. After all, one of the rules of survival for modern parents is that you can’t trust modern teenagers. “Where are the children?” I said. He said they were with him. They had done nothing wrong. My son had taken the younger children over to his girlfriend’s house just for ice cream and cake. This was too favorable to be believed. Well, it turned out that I shouldn’t have believed it. It was only part of the truth.

The following Saturday evening we were at my parents’ home, celebrating my birthday. My oldest son gave me the children’s gifts. Mounted(裱装) and framed were a series of lovely color photographs of my children, dressed in their best clothes, and wearing their most wonderful expressions. They are pictures to treasure a lifetime, all taken by the father of my son’s girlfriend.

That was the most precious gift of all.

1.Shortly after the author left home one evening, she discovered that ____.

A．her son had brought his girlfriend home

B．the father of her son’s girlfriend had come to her home to take photos of the children

C．she shouldn’t have completely trusted her son

D．she should have taken the children along with her

2.According to Paragraph 3, “it” means ____.

A．the two younger children have been in bed

B．the older children have been answering the phone

C．the author will give her older son a lesson

D．the older son has gone outside with his girlfriend

3.The sentence “It was only part of the truth.” (Para. 5) implies that the children not only enjoyed ice-cream but also ____.

A．had a birthday party                     B．framed some photographs

C．had their pictures taken                  D．showed off their best clothes

4.Which of the following possible titles best expresses the main idea of this passage?

A．Puppy Love                            B．Brotherhood

C．Mother and Children                     D．A Precious Birthday Gift