There are two things I can count on my dad asking every time he calls me: “Is there anything I can do for you?” and “How’s the car?” I guess he asks what he can do for me because his dad (an air force officer) was never really there for him, and he’s determined to provide me with the support he lacked. During my youth he never missed a school play or softball game. In fact, he was so supportive that I sometimes longed for one of those dads who dressed better and cared less. But my dad would forever be the guy wearing shorts with dress shoes and black socks, cheering me on, expecting greatness.

His other standard question—How’s the car? -- used to strike me as a waste of long-distance dollars from a man who once suggested making a list of what you want to talk about before calling someone out of state. What I now realize is that “How’s the car?” is not about the car. It’s a father’s way of asking his adult daughter how she is doing. The advantage is that if there’s something wrong with the car, he knows what to do about it and how much it will cost, whereas if you’re having problems about marriage or doubting a career choice, he might have to act Mom on the line.

At age thirty I finally took the plunge(跳进) into adulthood by renting a car without my dad’s help or advice. I’m sure my dad was hurt rather than proud. Though a daughter’s independence is evidence of a job well done, it still implies the job’s done, and many fathers are unwilling to retire. Even when my dad was overworked, he’d happily jump on a plane if I said I needed help. His frequent question “Is there anything I can do for you?” underlines the fact that he wishes there was still something he could provide. It’s interesting: Even though we’re tied by blood and I love him no matter what, he still seems to need a concrete function -- suggesting stocks, finding the cheapest plane fare -- to feel he has a role in my life.

1.In the author’s opinion, her father always attended her school plays or softball games to_____.

A. satisfy any demand she made to him

B. show his interest and watch them for fun

C. make up what he was previously short of?

D. expect his daughter would be great in games

2.The author has learned that by asking “How is the car?”, her father is actually_____.

A. reminding her not to waste money

B. asking how his daughter is getting along

C. expressing his concern for her daughter’s safety

D. asking his daughter if the car breaks down or not

3.According to the author, her father, like many other fathers, is unwilling to retire probably because_____.

A. he wants to continue to earn money

B. he is doubtful of children’s independence

C. he won’t put an end to caring for his children

D. he is afraid of losing connection with children

4.We can safely draw a conclusion from the story that in the author’s eye her father_____.

A. has a strong passion for his work

B. has the deepest love for his children

C. has great interest in his daughter’s car

D. has too much control over his children

She must be the wisest woman on this planet, for she has lived up to the three words “Seize the moment”. Too many people put off something that brings them joy just because they haven’t thought about it, or because they are unwilling to try something new.

My sister died a few years ago. We never did have lunch together. I can’t remember how many times I was refused when I called her to go to lunch. She would say to me: “I can’t. I have clothes on the line.” “My hair is dirty. I wish I had known yesterday.” “I had a late breakfast.” “It looks like rain.” Only after her death did I choose to be a little more flexible.

Life is not made up of thing that you do at a particular time, but it demands variety and adventure. As we grow older, the list of promises made to ourselves may get longer. Perhaps one morning, when we awaken, we will find to our surprise that our life is full of “I’m going to”, “I plan to” and “Someday, when things are settled down a bit.”

My seize-the-moment friend is open to adventure and ready at any moment to make a new start. She keeps an open mind about new ideas. Her great interest in life is contagious. With her around you, you may trade your bad feet for good shoes.

I have not touched ice cream for 10 years. The other day, I stopped off and bought a triple-decker. If my car had hit an iceberg on the way home, I would have died happy.

43．The passage suggests that the author’s sister _________________.

       A．was very busy with her work               B．died a very happy person

       C．always did things in a fixed order          D．was the wisest woman in the world

44．The writer has had a new way of looking at life since ___________.

       A．his sister died                                      B．he met the wise woman

       C．he turned old                                       D．the three words appeared

45．The underlined word “contagious” is used to show that the woman is_______”.

       A．polite                  B．powerful             C．practical              D．proud

46．The author expects those who have read the passage to ___________.

       A．have a long list of promises                   B．be a smart businessman

       C．hit an iceberg in their cars                     D．be as adventurous as himself

In the age of reality television, success isn’t the only way to the public eye. Failure can also create fame, just like William Hung, 21, a native of Hong Kong.

Hung recently has made an agreement with US-based entertainment firms Koch Records and Fuse Music Network. They will publish a full-length record, titled “The True Idol” on April 6.

The idol (偶像) is a civil engineering student at the University of California at Berkeley. He did a version (改写本) of Ricky Martin’s “She Bangs” on the television show “American Idol 3", on January 27. The Fox TV singing contest searches for pop stars among ordinary people. In the case of Hung, however, his act was so bad that the judges cut him off in mid-act. Hung’s response? “I already gave my best, so I have no regrets at all.” That’s interesting, because any common person would have found plenty to regret: the off-key singing, the blue Hawaiian shirt worn with pants pulled up too high, the terrible dancing, the hips jerking (摇摆) to a beat that did not belong to the song, maybe not even to this planet. It was, by all accounts, bad.

But, it was this very bad act that sold well.

Marc Juries, president of Fuse, explained it this way: “Every one of us is happily guilty of singing our favorite song at the top of our lungs with complete freedom, completely off-key and completely unworried. That’s what William did and immediately won the hearts of America.”

Whatever it is, for the moment it’s big. Three websites devoted to Hung have gone up on the Internet in the past few weeks. Versions of his performance have been remixed with hip hop and techno music and have made it to the top 10 request list at a Chicago radio station.

So, what does Hung think of this?

“There were all these people saying things about me. A lot were saying I was very courageous and that I was great on the show, but some didn’t have much respect for me and some were kind of mean.”

Now he says he’s not so sure whether to distance himself from the glamour (魅力) or to accept it. Returning to normal hasn’t been easy.

1．What is the main idea of this passage?

A．Sometimes an idol behaves quite foolishly.

B．Hung's performance attracted the public eye.

C．How an unsuccessful person became famous.

D．Success sometimes does not require hard work.

2．Hung was popular in America for all the following reasons EXCEPT ________

A．his shirt and pants　　　　    B．his off-key singing

C．his jerking hips　　　　　     D．his excellent version

3．What does the underlined word “it” in paragraph 6 refer to?

A．William Hung.　　　　　      B．Hung's bad performance.

C．Hung’s website.　　　　      D．The public’s opinion.

4．Which of the following shows the correct order of what happened to Hung?

a．The entertainment firms made an agreement with Hung.

b．The judges cut Hung off in mid-act in the singing contest.

c．Hung became popular among Americans.

d．Hung gave a terrible performance though he tried his best.

e. Three websites put Hung’s funny performance on the Internet.

A．d, b, e, c, a        B．a, c, d．b, e　     C．a, d, b, c, e　   D．d, b, a, e, c

5．Why was Hung able to win the hearts of America?

A．His success was based on luck rather than his own hard work.

B．He attracted people’s attention and won wide praise in the contest.

C．He was good-looking in his pants and shirt though he didn’t sing well.

D．In the contest he did what every one of us is happy to do in daily life.