I feel it enormous responsibility, as a mother of two little girls, to lead you down a path that is relatively healthy when it comes to beauty and self-image.

????????????? In a lot of women’s eyes I’ve probably already failed in that respect due to the amount of pink princess Barbie (芭比娃娃) mess cluttering up (堆满) Vera’s room. But I will say something about Barbie: I played with that stuff for a solid decade when I was growing up and here I am now at a healthy weight with a healthy outlook on my body and image. I have a successful career. If Barbie was really so damaging to my femininity (女性气质) and self-image I highly doubt I could list all of the accomplishments.

But I get it too. It’s hard for women to maintain a healthy self-image. I have girlfriends around whom I have to brace myself to see, because just being around them makes me self-conscious. I look at old pictures of my mother and wonder why I’ve never been able to be as skinny as she was. And then I have friends who are thinner than their mothers ever were. We women go round and round in circles, holding hands and trying to be one another sometimes. Men like to think we dress and style ourselves for them, but why would we when they hardly notice? I’ve never tried so hard to look good when I know I’m about to meet up with a stylish girlfriend. It’s she who will notice my slimmed-down waist or the thinnest, little bracelet on my arm.

And I have no doubt that the two of you, Veronica and Juliette, will endlessly compare yourselves to each other. You will wonder why one of you got longer legs or shinier hair. The thing I’ll tell you is this: not even the prettiest of us feel settled. The girl you think looks the most perfect in the world is probably the girl who wants to change herself more than anyone else.

Don’t take these on. You are not worthless. You are so full of love and light and you should let it shine through your every second. If someone pushes you down for standing tall then just push yourself back up and stand even taller. And know that the reason they push you down in the first place is just because they’re scared.

1.From the second paragraph, we can infer that the author _____.

A. regrets buying so much Barbie stuff for her daughters

B. thinks loving Barbie makes her not confident about her self-image

C. owes her beauty and success to playing with Barbie

D. thinks playing with Barbie caused no damage to her beauty and success

2.In the third paragraph, the author intends to show that _____.

A. women tend to be proud of their beautiful friends

B. she cares much about her appearance

C. she feels proud of her mother’s beauty

D. women tend to admire others and compare with each other

3.Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A. The author is disappointed that few men take notice of her slim figure.

B. The author cares more about looking good before her girlfriends.

C. Girls should constantly compare themselves with others to improve their beauty.

D. Only the prettiest girl can feel confident about her beauty.

4.The author advises her daughters that _____.

A. they should be cautious not to be pushed down by others

B. they should care much about their strong points instead of appearances

C. they should try to grow taller than others

D. they should care more about others’ opinions

At the top of a three-storey brick house Sue and Johnsy had their studio. In November a cold, unseen stranger, whom the doctors called Pneumonia(肺炎), touched one here and there with its icy fingers. Johnsy was struck down, and she lay, hardly moving, on her bed looking through the window at the blank side of the next brick house.

One morning the busy doctor invited Sue into the hallway(走廊).

“She has one chance in ten,” he said, “And that chance is for her to want to live. She has made up her mind that she’s not going to get well. I will do all that I can. But whenever my patient begins to count the carriages in her funeral procession(队列), I subtract 50 percent from her chance to live.”

After the doctor had gone, Sue went into the workroom and cried. Then she came into Johnsy’s room with her drawing board, whistling.

Johnsy lay hardly moving with her face toward the window. Sue stopped whistling, thinking she was asleep.

She arranged her board and began a drawing. As Sue was sketching, she heard a low sound. She went quickly to the bedside.

Johnsy’s eyes were open wide. She was looking out the window and counting backward.

“Twelve,” she said, and a little later “eleven”; and then “ten”, and “nine”; and then “eight” and “seven”, almost together.

Sue looked out the window. What was there to count? There was only the blank side of the brick house twenty feet away. An old ivy vine(常春藤) climbed halfway up the brick wall. Its branches clung(紧紧缠着), almost bare, to the bricks.

“What is it, dear?” asked Sue.

“Six,” said Johnsy, in almost a whisper. “They’re falling faster now. Three days ago there were almost a hundred. There goes another one. There are only five left now”.

 “Five what, dear? Tell me.”

 “Leaves. On the ivy vine. When the last one falls, I must go, too. Didn’t the doctor tell you?”

 “Oh, I never heard of such nonsense,” said Sue. “What have old ivy vine leaves to do with your getting well? Why, the doctor told me this morning that your chances for getting well real soon were ten to one! Try to take some soup now.”

 “There goes another. No, I don’t want any soup. I want to see the last one fall before it gets dark. Then I’ll go , too.”

 “Johnsy, dear,” said Sue, bending over her, “will you promise me to keep your eyes closed, and not look out the window until I’m done working? I need the light or I would draw the shade down.”

“Tell me as soon as you have finished,” said Johnsy, closing her eyes, “because I want to see the last one fall. I’m tired of waiting. I want to turn loose my hold on everything and go sailing down, down, just like one of those poor, tired leaves.”

1.By saying “Pneumonia touched one here and there” (in the first paragraph), the author means that _________.

A.some people were affected by the illnesses of others

B.pneumonia caused damage to the ivy vine

C.two people became ill

D.many people came down with the illness

2. How did Johnsy feel about the situation during the passage?

A. confident      B. hopeless        C. tired           D. curious

3.We can learn from the passage that _____________.

A.Sue came into the room whistling perhaps because she thought Johnsy might like the music.

B.Johnsy’s life was compared to the carriages in a funeral procession

C.Sue told a lie to Johnsy about the doctor’s words

D.Johnsy wanted to know about the falling ivy leaves to meet her own curiosity

4.The underlined word “subtract” in the third paragraph probably means “________”.

A. reduce      B. hope        C. add          D. doubt

5.The passage is probably taken out of ______________.

A. a newspaper    B. a novel

C. a medical report     D. a girl’s diary

As we drove along, my spirits went up again, and I turned, with pleasure, to the thought of the new life which I was entering. But though it was not far past the middle of September, the heavy clouds and strong north-easterly wind combined to make the day extremely cold; and the journey seemed a very long one, so that it was nearly one o’clock before we reached the place of our destination. Yet when we entered the gateway, my heart failed me, and I wished it were a mile or two farther off. For the first time in my life I must stand alone: there was no retreating now. I must enter that house, and introduce myself among its strange people. But how was it to be done? True, I was near nineteen; but, thanks to the protecting care of my mother and sister, I well knew that many a girl of fifteen, or under, was gifted with a more womanly address, and greater ease and self-possession, than I was. Yet, anyway. I would do very well, after all; and the children, of course, I should soon be at ease with them.
"Be calm, be calm, whatever happens," I said within myself; and truly I was so fully occupied in steadying my nerves and keeping down the rebellious beat of my heart that when I was admitted into the hall and into the presence of Mrs. Bloomfield, I almost forgot to answer her polite greeting; and it afterwards struck me that the little I did say was spoken in the tone of one half-dead or half-asleep.
With due politeness, however, she showed me my bedroom, and left me there to take a little refreshment for a little while and led me into the dining-room. Some beefsteaks and potatoes were set before me; and while I dined upon these, she sat opposite, watching me (as I thought) and trying to keep something like a conversation— consisting chiefly of commonplace remarks. In fact, my attention was almost wholly absorbed in my dinner: not from appetite, but from the toughness of the beefsteaks, and the numbness of my hands.
“I have had so little time to attend to their education myself, but I think they are clever children, and very willing to learn, especially the little boy; he is, I think, the flower of the flock— a generous, noble-spirited boy, one to be led, but not driven, and remarkable for always speaking the truth.” “His sister Mary Ann will require watching,” continued she, “but she is a very good girl on the whole, though I wish her to be kept out of the nursery as much as possible, as she is now almost six years old, and might acquire bad habits from the nurses. I have ordered her bed to be placed in your room, and if you will be so kind as to look after her washing and dressing, and take charge of her clothes, she needs to have nothing further to do with the nursery maid.”
I replied I was quite willing to do so; and at that moment the children entered the room. Tom Bloomfield was a well-grown boy of seven. Mary was a tall girl, for her age of six, somewhat dark like her mother. The second sister was Fanny, a very pretty little girl, looking little younger than Mary. The remaining one was Harriet, a little broad, fat, merry, playful thing of scarcely two, whom I had more desire for than all the rest — but with her I had nothing to do.
【小题1】Which of the following statements best describes how the writer felt when she entered Mrs. Bloomfield's home?

As we drove along, my spirits went up again, and I turned, with pleasure, to the thought of the new life which I was entering. But though it was not far past the middle of September, the heavy clouds and strong north-easterly wind combined to make the day extremely cold; and the journey seemed a very long one, so that it was nearly one o’clock before we reached the place of our destination. Yet when we entered the gateway, my heart failed me, and I wished it were a mile or two farther off. For the first time in my life I must stand alone: there was no retreating now. I must enter that house, and introduce myself among its strange people. But how was it to be done? True, I was near nineteen; but, thanks to the protecting care of my mother and sister, I well knew that many a girl of fifteen, or under, was gifted with a more womanly address, and greater ease and self-possession, than I was. Yet, anyway. I would do very well, after all; and the children, of course, I should soon be at ease with them.
"Be calm, be calm, whatever happens," I said within myself; and truly I was so fully occupied in steadying my nerves and keeping down the rebellious beat of my heart that when I was admitted into the hall and into the presence of Mrs. Bloomfield, I almost forgot to answer her polite greeting; and it afterwards struck me that the little I did say was spoken in the tone of one half-dead or half-asleep.
With due politeness, however, she showed me my bedroom, and left me there to take a little refreshment for a little while and led me into the dining-room. Some beefsteaks and potatoes were set before me; and while I dined upon these, she sat opposite, watching me (as I thought) and trying to keep something like a conversation— consisting chiefly of commonplace remarks. In fact, my attention was almost wholly absorbed in my dinner: not from appetite, but from the toughness of the beefsteaks, and the numbness of my hands.
“I have had so little time to attend to their education myself, but I think they are clever children, and very willing to learn, especially the little boy; he is, I think, the flower of the flock— a generous, noble-spirited boy, one to be led, but not driven, and remarkable for always speaking the truth.” “His sister Mary Ann will require watching,” continued she, “but she is a very good girl on the whole, though I wish her to be kept out of the nursery as much as possible, as she is now almost six years old, and might acquire bad habits from the nurses. I have ordered her bed to be placed in your room, and if you will be so kind as to look after her washing and dressing, and take charge of her clothes, she needs to have nothing further to do with the nursery maid.”
I replied I was quite willing to do so; and at that moment the children entered the room. Tom Bloomfield was a well-grown boy of seven. Mary was a tall girl, for her age of six, somewhat dark like her mother. The second sister was Fanny, a very pretty little girl, looking little younger than Mary. The remaining one was Harriet, a little broad, fat, merry, playful thing of scarcely two, whom I had more desire for than all the rest — but with her I had nothing to do.

1. 1.

   Which of the following statements best describes how the writer felt when she entered Mrs. Bloomfield's home?

   1. A.
      She was nervous, dissatisfied with her manners but still confident.
   2. B.
      She was cold, hungry but eager to see all the children in the family.
   3. C.
      She was frightened, nervous and regretful about her decision.
   4. D.
      She was calm, confident and very happy with all the family.
2. 2.

   What job would the writer take in Mrs Bloomfield's home?

   1. A.
      A nursery maid.
   2. B.
      A house cleaner.
   3. C.
      A home cook.
   4. D.
      A family teacher.
3. 3.

   Which of the following was TRUE according to the passage?

   1. A.
      The writer had some difficulty with her lunch because of the tough food and the cold.
   2. B.
      The delicious food took the writer's attention away from Mrs. Bloomfield’s words.
   3. C.
      All the children were well educated before the writer came to the family.
   4. D.
      All the children in the family were looked after by Mrs Bloomfield herself.
4. 4.

   From the passage, we can infer that ___________.

   1. A.
      Mrs Bloomfield would treat the writer kindly and help her a lot
   2. B.
      The youngest girl Harriet would be the writer’s favorite student
   3. C.
      the writer would take on more responsibilities than she should
   4. D.
      Tom Bloomfield would be the cleverest of all the children

 As we drove along, my spirits went up again, and I turned, with pleasure, to the thought of the new life which I was entering. But though it was not far past the middle of September, the heavy clouds and strong north-easterly wind combined to make the day extremely cold; and the journey seemed a very long one, so that it was nearly one o’clock before we reached the place of our destination. Yet when we entered the gateway, my heart failed me, and I wished it were a mile or two farther off. For the first time in my life I must stand alone: there was no retreating now. I must enter that house, and introduce myself among its strange people. But how was it to be done? True, I was near nineteen; but, thanks to the protecting care of my mother and sister, I well knew that many a girl of fifteen, or under, was gifted with a more womanly address, and greater ease and self-possession, than I was. Yet, anyway, I would do very well, after all; and the children, of course, I should soon be at ease with them.

"Be calm, be calm, whatever happens," I said within myself; and truly I was so fully occupied in steadying my nerves and keeping down the rebellious beat of my heart that when I was admitted into the hall and into the presence of Mrs. Bloomfield, I almost forgot to answer her polite greeting; and it afterwards struck me that the little I did say was spoken in the tone of one half-dead or half-asleep.

 With due politeness, however, she showed me my bedroom, and left me there to take a little refreshment for a little while and led me into the dining-room. Some beefsteaks and potatoes were set before me; and while I dined upon these, she sat opposite, watching me (as I thought) and trying to keep something like a conversation— consisting chiefly of commonplace remarks. In fact, my attention was almost wholly absorbed in my dinner: not from appetite, but from the toughness of the beefsteaks, and the numbness of my hands.

 “I have had so little time to attend to their education myself, but I think they are clever children, and very willing to learn, especially the little boy; he is, I think, the flower of the flock— a generous, noble-spirited boy, one to be led, but not driven, and remarkable for always speaking the truth.” “His sister Mary Ann will require watching,” continued she, “but she is a very good girl on the whole, though I wish her to be kept out of the nursery as much as possible, as she is now almost six years old, and might acquire bad habits from the nurses. I have ordered her bed to be placed in your room, and if you will be so kind as to look after her washing and dressing, and take charge of her clothes, she needs to have nothing further to do with the nursery maid.”

I replied I was quite willing to do so; and at that moment the children entered the room. Tom Bloomfield was a well-grown boy of seven. Mary was a tall girl, for her age of six, somewhat dark like her mother. The second sister was Fanny, a very pretty little girl, looking little younger than Mary. The remaining one was Harriet, a little broad, fat, merry, playful thing of scarcely two, whom I had more desire for than all the rest — but with her I had nothing to do.

67. Which of the following statements best describes how the writer felt when she entered Mrs. Bloomfield's home?

   A. She was nervous, dissatisfied with her manners but still confident.

   B. She was cold, hungry but eager to see all the children in the family.

   C. She was frightened, nervous and regretful about her decision.

   D. She was calm, confident and very happy with all the family.

68. What job would the writer take in Mrs Bloomfield's home?

   A. A nursery maid.     B. A house cleaner.     C. A home cook.      D. A family teacher.

69. Which of the following was TRUE according to the passage?

   A. The writer had some difficulty with her lunch because of the tough food and the cold.

   B. The delicious food took the writer's attention away from Mrs. Bloomfield’s words.

   C. All the children were well educated before the writer came to the family.

   D. All the children in the family were looked after by Mrs Bloomfield herself.

70. From the passage, we can infer that ___________.

   A. Mrs Bloomfield would treat the writer kindly and help her a lot

   B. The youngest girl Harriet would be the writer’s favorite student

   C. the writer would take on more responsibilities than she should

   D. Tom Bloomfield would be the cleverest of all the children