Like most July days, it was hot．I stepped into a tiny ice-cream shop to cool off with a chocolate ice-cream．It was a very   21   store with little round tables and chairs．

       As I entered, I found a very old woman bent over a  22   near the door．Her back was so  23  twisted （扭曲） by some misfortune that her face nearly  24  the tabletop．1 sat down  25  her a couple of tables away．

       "Poor woman," I thought．"What does she  26  life? Why does God let people live so long past their prime （盛年）?"

       As I thought, another  27  lady entered the shop and sat down with her．Soon the two of them were  28   childhood days．They talked of how little the shop had changed in 70 years．In minutes, the two of them were shaking with  29  .

       I looked again at the first woman, then in the  30  on a nearby wall, catching a picture of myself．I was wearing a dirty shirt．She was  31   dressed in white, her face carefully made up and her hands  32   with gold rings．I was  33 ．She was laughing．I was putting the   34   of my life together．She had millions of   35  memories to recall．  36  I was worried about getting old．She was old, but it wasn't   37   her．As I left the shop, I thought of my  38   question about God letting people live past their prime．Why, that woman was more  39   to life than I was．Age has not  40  her spirit． 

A．expensive         B．large                C．splendid        D．old-time

A．window        B．pillow             C．table           D．bench

A．badly              B．nearly           C．actually         D．fully

A．broke            B．touched            C．hit             D．fixed

A．facing           B．greeting            C．following       D．serving

A．look out of         B．get out of           C．learn about    D．devote to

A．aged             B．dirty               C．pretty          D．poor

A．speaking out       B．talking about         C．thinking over  D．planning for

A．food             B．fear                C．cold           D．laughter

A．newspaper       B．window            C．mirror       D．picture

A．just             B．well                C．poorly         D．quickly

A．shining         B．shaking             C．waving        D．wiping

A．happy          B．wrong              C．right         D．sad

A．periods          B．pieces              C．points          D．goals

A．terrible          B．difficult            C．wonderful       D．fresh

A．As a result        B．Above all           C．In a word     D．In secret

A．pleasing          B．hurting             C．envying      D．punishing

A．good             B．simple             C．foolish              D．interesting

A．alive            B．changeable           C．hopeful         D．interesting

A．bent             B．left                C．cut            D．took

Like every language, American English is full of special expressions, phrases that come from the day-to-day life to the people and develop in their own way. Our expression today is “to face the music”.

When someone says, “Well, I guess I’ll have to face the music.” It does not mean he’s planning to go to the concert. It is something far less pleasant, like being called in by your boss to explain why you did this and did that, any why you didn’t do this or that. Sour music indeed, but it has to be faced. At some time or another, every one of us has had to face the music, especially as children. We can all remember father’s angry voice, “I want to talk to you.” and only because we did not obey him. What an unpleasant business it was!

The phrase “to face the music” is familiar to every American, young and old. It is at least 100 years old. And where did this expression come from? The first explanation comes from the American novelist, James Fenimore Cooper. He said, in 1851, that the expression was first used by actors while waiting in the wings to go on the stage. When they got their cue to go on, they often said, “Well, it’s time to face the music.” And that is exactly what they did- facing the orchestra which was just below them. And an actor might be frightened or nervous as he moved on to the stage in front of the audience that might be friendly or perhaps hostile, especially if he forgot his lines. But he had to go out. If he did not, there would be no play. So the expression “to face the music” came to mean “having to go through something, no matter how unpleasant the experience might be, because you knew you had no choice.”

Other explanations about the expression go back to the army. When the men faced inspection by their leader, the soldiers would be worried about hw well they looked. Was their equipment clean, whinny enough to pass inspection? Still the men had to go out, and face the music of the band, as well as the inspection. What else could they do?

Another army explanation is more closely related to the idea of facing the results and accepting the responsibility for something that should not have been done. As, for example, when a man is forced out of the army because he did something terrible, he is dishonored. The band does not play. Only the drums tap a sad, slow beat. The soldier is forced to leave, facing such music as it is and facing the back of his horse.

According to the passage, how many ways does the phrase “to face the music” come from?

  A. One.           B. Two.         C. Three.           D. Four.

What’s the meaning of “to face the music?”

  A. To face something far less pleasant.         B. To face the stage.

  C. To face the back of one’s horse.            D. To face one’s leader.

The underlined word “hostile” in Paragraph 3 means “       ”.

  A. unfriendly         B. dislike          C. unimportant          D. unnecessary

Does technology pose a threat to the purity of Chinese language?

Many Chinese use instant messenger tools such as MSN or QQ, listen to music on MP3 players and log on the Internet using ADSL—most without knowing the literal Chinese translation of the abbreviations(缩略词). But they don’t have to, as many English letters have become part of the local vocabulary.

A dozen abbreviations including GDP, NBA, IT, MP3, QQ, DVD and CEO are among the 5,000 most-frequently used words in the Chinese media last year, according to a report on the 2006 Language Situation in China.

The report said some parents are so keen on English letters that a couple tried to name their baby “@”, claiming the character used in email addresses reflects their love for the child. While the “@”is obviously familiar to Chinese e-mail users, they often use the English word “at” to pronounce it “ai ta”,or “love him”.

The study collected more than 1 billion language samples from newspapers, magazines, TV, radio and websites. The annual report is jointly compiled by the Ministry of Education and the State Language Commission.

“Nowadays, more and more English abbreviations are being used in Chinese, making them an important part of modern language,” said Hou Min, a professor at Communication University of China.

“The abbreviations have gained popularity because of the ease of usage,” Hou said. For example, DNA is much simpler to use than its Chinese version. “As more Chinese people learn foreign languages, especially English, in recent years, using abbreviations has become a trend among educated people,” she added.

Some language scholars fear such usage will contaminate(污染)the purity of Chinese and cause confusion in communication.

Which of the following is TRUE about the report on the 2006 Language Situation in China?

A．The report is compiled by the Ministry of Education alone.

B．The report is compiled every year.

C．The report is compiled every two years.

D．The report is based on over 1 billion language samples from websites.

Why does the author use the example of a couple who tried to name their baby “@”?

A．To show Chinese is badly polluted by English.

B．To express the couple’s love for the child.

C．To indicate “@”is a very common sign among the e-mail users.

D．To show some people are very enthusiastic over English letters.

Why are the English abbreviations becoming more and more popular according to the passage?

A．Because English is the most common language in the world.

B．Because using English abbreviations is a fashion.

C．Because English abbreviations are easy and simple to use.

D．Because English abbreviations are easy to pronounce.

What can we infer from the passage?

A．People should know clearly the exact Chinese translation of English abbreviations.

B．More and more Chinese people will use English abbreviations in the future.

C．Most parents like to give their child English names now.

D．Language scholars hate to use English abbreviations.

Does your cordless phone crackle, fade, or go dead when you move only a few feet from the base? If so, we recommend that you try a Techtalk cordless phone.

Techtalk cordless phones are the only ones with the patented Cellular 6 technology. The result is a phone with excellent clarity, range, and security.

Clarity: It's essential that you communicate efficiently and effectively. No static (静电), echo, or crackling will ever interfere with your conversations on a Techtalk phone.

Range: Techtalk provides up to four times the range of an ordinary cordless phone. It will go anywhere you need it throughout your home in your yard, even around the Block.

Security: Some cordless phones allow other cordless phone users to overhear your conversations. Not Techtalk. We guarantee complete privacy whenever you talk to your friends, family, or business associates.

You decide an ordinary cordless phone or Techtalk? Visit your favorite electronics store this month and take a Techtalk home for a 30-day trial. If you don't agree that it's superior to all other cordless phones, return it for a full refund.

This passage is _________.

   A. a newspaper article                       B. an advertisement

   C. a letter                                 D. a scientific introduction

What is Techtalk?

   A. A kind of cordless phone.                 

B. A company that used cordless phones.

   C. A new technology that reduces static.                                       

D. A mobile phone with the patented Cellular 6 technology.

This month, you can ________.

         A. get a reduced price on a Techtalk

B. try a Techtalk at home

         C. get any cordless phone which you like

      D. exchange a Techtalk phone for an ordinary phone

Like most big projects, learning to manage your mother well is what you should do. Here are what I believe the best steps towards a better relationship with her. They are not necessarily surprising or revolutionary, but they have worked for many people. Try them.

Remember your mother’s age. As children, we often do not think of our mother as having an age. Even when we become conscious of her as an individual, age does not change our view; she is still our mother. Knowing our mother’s age, not just in numbers of years but in terms of her psychological and physical state, often helps us to understand her better.

Listen to your mother. I have found that sometimes the things my mother told me long ago are remarkably useful. If your mother knows that you respect her point of view, even if you do not share it, it will help her feel close to you.

Remember that your mother has a past. A key step in managing our relationship with our mother is to find out about her early life. Niclle’s mother suffered much during the Second War World War. “My parents are both Jewish-Turkish. They met in France and married young for love. They were in their twenties when war broke out and because they were Jews, they had to go into hiding. She does speak to me about the war, and I think it is important to know what she went through. It is a part of her life that must have affected her deeply. ” Sometimes, in learning about our mother’s past, we know that it can encourage us to think about her whole life.

Ask your mother about your childhood history. My grandparents died when I was young. If you are fortunate enough to have living family, think of your life as a jigsaw puzzle and ask as many questions as you can to put the picture together. Understanding your roots and your childhood can help you now more clearly who you are, as part of a family which you share with your mother.

Keep a sense of humor about your mother. When we hear about someone else’s misfortunes with their mothers and are amused by them, our laughter is one of recognition. I have often listened to stories of difficult mothers and I have also listened to the following piece of advice they have found most helpful is: “Don’t have a sense of humor failure about your mother. ”

Remember that managing your mother is really about managing yourself. Taking any measure to managing our mother is the issue of how we manage ourselves. No matter how difficult we find her, it is important to remember that is not her behavior it self that is causing us discomfort, but the way we feel about her behavior. We should follow the way of her life. At the heart of managing your mother is being able to accept your flawed self. Only then are you able to accept your mother—-with all her failings.

The followings are the steps you can take to get on with your mother EXCEPT________.

A. Remember your mother’s age and past  

B. Share your roots and your childhood with your mother

C. Have a sense of humor failure about your mother

D. Managing your shortcoming while managing your mother

What does the underlined phrase “a jigsaw puzzle” mean?

A. 拼图玩具         B. 浏览迷宫        C. 填充字谜       D. 游戏人生

Which of the following is implied but not stated in the passage?

A. It will help you have a better relationship with your mother if you respect her opinion.

B. You should follow a most useful piece of advice——a sense of humor.

C. The key measure of managing our mother is how we manage ourselves.

D. It is unreasonable to expect our mother to change totally from the way she was brought up.

The main purpose of writing the text is ________.

A. to give information about how we think of your mother.

B. to improve the relationship with your mother.

C. to keep a sense of humor about your mother all day long.

D. to accept your mother—-with all her failings.