A few days ago I got a call from my old college friend whom I haven’t seen for a very long time. The topic, which was about all the good old times that we had changed to a touching story when he started talking about his father.
His father’s declining health made him stay at the hospital. Because of his illness, his father suffered from insomnia (失眠) and often talked to himself. My friend, who had not been able to sleep for a few days as he had to keep watching his father’s condition, became annoyed and told his father to keep silent and try to get some sleep. His father said that he really wanted to sleep well because he was very tired and told my friend to leave him alone in the hospital if he did not want to keep him company.
After his father finished talking, he fell unconscious (失去知觉). My friend was very sorry for speaking the ill words towards his father. My friend, whom I knew as a tough person, cried as a baby on the other end of the telephone. He said that from that moment on, he prayed every day, asking God to let his father wake up from his coma. He promised himself that whatever words came out from his father’s mouth after he regained his consciousness, he would gladly take them. His only hope for God was to give him a chance to rectify his past mistake.
Often, we complain when we have to accompany or watch over our parents for years, months, days, hours or even minutes. But do we realize that our parents keep us company and watch over us for as long as we (or they) live? From the day we were born to our adulthood, and even when deaths come to us, they are always at our side.
Imagine how sad our parents will be when they hear a seemingly innocent （天真无邪的）word of “no” come out from our mouths. We can make promises to ourselves that from now on there will be no more complaints that come out from our mouths when we have to watch over or accompany our parents. No more complaints come out from our mouths when we feel that our parents have treated us like little children. There are so many unlucky ones who have neither fathers nor mothers. They long to have the things that we most complain about, but never have them.
Actually, it takes only a second to think and light the lamp that will bring us to a place where peace is dwelling.
【小题1】Which of the following word can be used to describe the writer’s friend?

A recent online poll (民意调查) asked kids what they hated most about school. “Classes are boring” came in first. “Too much homework” was a close second. Since all activities remain interesting for only so long, too much homework can lead to ennui. So, why are some kids getting homework overload? Teachers give two reasons. First, they say, the government now requires schools to meet higher-than-ever achievement goals for students. If students don’ t succeed, the school faces punishment. Second, many parents want their children to be able to get into the best colleges and universities. These parents believe homework is a way to ensure that students are learning as much as possible.
People who favor homework argue that it can have many beneficial effects. They claim it can help students develop good study habits. Homework can help students recognize that learning can occur at home as well as at school. It can help develop their independent learning and responsible character traits(性格特征).
But studies show that middle school students doing 60 to 90 minutes of homework a night are doing just as well in school as those doing more than 90 minutes. And homework can have negative effects. Homework can deny students access to leisure(休闲) activities that also teach important skills. For example, sports teams teach cooperation and leadership, in addition to helping kids stay physically active. Another problem with too much homework is that parents can get too involved. They can put too much pressure on their kids.
So what should be done? Good homework assignments in the proper amount will have positive effects. Too much homework, however, will have negative effects. The bottom line: Students in grades three through six should do no more than 30 to 60 minutes of homework each night.
【小题1】The underline word “ennui” in Paragraph 2 can be replaced by “______” .

C  
Maybe ten-year-old Elizabeth put it best when she said to her father, “But, Dad ,you can’t be healthy if you’re dead.”
Dad, in a hurry to get home before dark so he could go for a run, had forgotten to wear his safety belt- a mistake 75% of the US population make every day. The big question is why.     
There have been many myths about safety belts ever since their first appearance in cars some forty years ago. The following are three of the most common.
Myth Number One: It’s best to be “thrown clear” of a serious accident.
Truth: Sorry ,but any accident serious enough to “throw you clear” is also going to be serious enough to give you a very bad landing. And chances are you’ll have traveled through a windshield(挡风玻璃)or door to do it. Studies show that chances of dying after a car accident are twenty five times greater in cases where people are “thrown clear”.  
Myth Number Two: Safety belts “trap” people in cars that are burning or sinking in water. Truth: Sorry again, but studies show that people knocked unconscious(昏迷)due to not  
wearing safety belts have a greater chance of dying in these accidents. People wearing safety belts are usually protected to the point of having a clear head to free themselves from such dangerous situations, not to be trapped in them.
Myth Number Three: Safety belts are not needed at speeds of less than 30 miles per hour  
(mph) .  
Truth: When two cars traveling at 30mph hit each other, an unbelted driver would meet the windshield with a force equal to driving headfirst into the ground from a height of 10 meters.
64. Why did Elizabeth say to her father, “But Dad, you can’t be healthy if you’re dead?”  
A. He was driving at great speed.
B. He was running across the street.  
C. He didn’t have his safety belt on .  
D. He didn’t take his medicine on time.
65. According to the text, to be “thrown clear” of a serious accident is very dangerous because you_____________  
A. may be knocked down by other cars
B. may get seriously hurt being thrown out of the car
C. may find it impossible to get away from the seat
D. may get caught in the car door
66. Some people prefer to drive without wearing a safety belt because they believe______.  
A. the belt prevents them from escaping in an accident
B. they will be unable to think clearly in an accident
C. they will be caught when help comes
D. cars catch fire easily
67. What is the advice given in the text?
A. Never drive faster than 30 miles an hour.  
B. Try your best to save yourself in a car accident.
C. Never forget to wear safety belt while driving.
D. Drive slowly while you’re not wearing a safety belt.

A few days ago I got a call from my old college friend whom I haven’t seen for a very long time. The topic, which was about all the good old times that we had changed to a touching story when he started talking about his father.　　
His father’s declining health made him stay at the hospital. Because of his illness, his father suffered from insomnia (失眠) and often talked to himself. My friend, who had not been able to sleep for a few days as he had to keep watching his father’s condition, became irritated and told his father to keep silent and try to get some sleep. His father said that he really wanted to sleep well because he was very tired and told my friend to leave him alone in the hospital if he did not want to keep him company.　　
After his father finished talking, he fell unconscious (失去知觉). My friend was very sorry for speaking the ill words towards his father. My friend, whom I knew as a tough person, cried as a baby on the other end of the telephone. He said that from that moment on, he prayed every day, asking God to let his father wake up from his coma. He promised himself that whatever words came out from his father’s mouth after he regained his consciousness, he would gladly take them. His only hope for God was to give him a chance to rectify his past mistake.　　
Often, we complain when we have to accompany or watch over our parents for years, months, days, hours or even minutes. But do we realize that our parents keep us company and watch over us for as long as we (or they) live? From the day we were born to our adulthood, and even when deaths come to us, they are always at our side.
Imagine how sad our parents will be when they hear a seemingly innocent word of “no” come out from our mouths. We can make promises to ourselves that from now on there will be no more complaints that come out from our mouths when we have to watch over or accompany our parents. No more complaints come out from our mouths when we feel that our parents have treated us like little children. There are so many unlucky ones who have neither fathers nor mothers. They long to have the things that we most complain about, but never have them.
Actually, it takes only a second to think and light the lamp that will bring us to a place where peace is dwelling.
【小题1】Which of the following word can be used to describe the writer’s friend?

A few days ago I got a call from my old college friend whom I haven’t seen for a very long time. The topic, which was about all the good old times that we had changed to a touching story when he started talking about his father.

His father’s declining health made him stay at the hospital. Because of his illness, his father suffered from insomnia (失眠) and often talked to himself. My friend, who had not been able to sleep for a few days as he had to keep watching his father’s condition, became annoyed and told his father to keep silent and try to get some sleep. His father said that he really wanted to sleep well because he was very tired and told my friend to leave him alone in the hospital if he did not want to keep him company.

After his father finished talking, he fell unconscious (失去知觉). My friend was very sorry for speaking the ill words towards his father. My friend, whom I knew as a tough person, cried as a baby on the other end of the telephone. He said that from that moment on, he prayed every day, asking God to let his father wake up from his coma. He promised himself that whatever words came out from his father’s mouth after he regained his consciousness, he would gladly take them. His only hope for God was to give him a chance to rectify his past mistake.

Often, we complain when we have to accompany or watch over our parents for years, months, days, hours or even minutes. But do we realize that our parents keep us company and watch over us for as long as we (or they) live? From the day we were born to our adulthood, and even when deaths come to us, they are always at our side.

Imagine how sad our parents will be when they hear a seemingly innocent （天真无邪的）word of “no” come out from our mouths. We can make promises to ourselves that from now on there will be no more complaints that come out from our mouths when we have to watch over or accompany our parents. No more complaints come out from our mouths when we feel that our parents have treated us like little children. There are so many unlucky ones who have neither fathers nor mothers. They long to have the things that we most complain about, but never have them.

Actually, it takes only a second to think and light the lamp that will bring us to a place where peace is dwelling.

1.Which of the following word can be used to describe the writer’s friend?

A．Sad              B．Sorry             C．Regretful          D．Pitiful

2.What does the underlined word “rectify” mean in Para. 3?

A．put…right                             B．recite…by heart

C．realize                                D．recognize

3.What does the writer want to tell us in the passage?

A．Your parents will keep talking to themselves when they are old.

B．Be good to your parents when you still have the chance.

C．You will regret in your life if you don’t show your kindness to your parents.

D．It is not easy to take good care of sick old parents.