Motherhood is a career to respect

　　A WOMAN renewing her driver’s license at the CountyClerk’s office was asked to state her occupation. She hesitated, uncertain how to classify herself.

　　“What I mean is,” explained the recorder, “do you have a job, or are you just a...”

　　“Of course I have a job,” said Emily. “I’m a mother.”

　　“We don’t list ‘mother’ as an occupation... ‘housewife’ covers it,” said the recorder.

　　One day I found myself in the same situation. The Clerk was obviously a career woman, confident and possessed of a high sounding title. “What is your occupation?” she asked.

　　The words simply popped out. “I’m a Research Associate (研究员) in the field of Child Development and Human Relations.”

　　The clerk paused, ballpoint pen frozen in midair.

　　I repeated the title slowly, then I stared with wonder as my pronouncement (声明) was written in bold, black ink on the official questionnaire.

　　“Might I ask,” said the clerk with interest, “just what you do in your field?”

　　Coolly, without any trace of panic in my voice, I heard myself reply, “I have a continuing program of research (what mother doesn’t), in the laboratory and in the field (normally I would have said indoors and out). Of course, the job is one of the most demanding in the humanities (any mother care to disagree?), and I often work 14 hours a day (24 is more like it). But the job is more challenging than most careers and the rewards are more of a satisfaction rather than just money.”

　　There was an increasing note of respect in the clerk’s voice as she completed the form, stood up, and showed me out.

　　As I drove into our driveway, buoyed up (激励) by my glamorous new career, I was greeted by my lab assistants – ages 13, 7, and 3.

　　Upstairs I could hear our new experimental model (a 6-month-old baby), in the child-development program, testing out a new vocal pattern.

　　I felt proud! I had gone on the official records as someone more distinguished and indispensable (不可缺少的) to mankind than “just another mother.”

　　Motherhood... What a glorious career! Especially when there’s a title on the door.

1. How did the female clerk feel at first when the writer told her occupation?

　　A. Cold-hearted.　　　　B. Open-minded.

　　C. Puzzled. 　　　　　　D. Interested.

2. How many children does the writer have?

　　A. 3　　　 B. 4 　　　C. 7　　　 D. 13

3.Why did the woman clerk show more respect to the writer?

　　A. Because she thought the writer did admirable work.

　　B. Because the writer cared little about rewards.

　　C. Because the writer did something that she had little knowledge of.

　　D. Because she admired the writer's research work.

4. What is the point of the article?

　　A. To show that how you describe your job affects your feelings toward it.

　　B. To show that the writer had a grander job than Emily.

　　C. To argue that motherhood is a worthy career.

　　D. To show that being a mother is hard and boring work.

Since these numbers are   6   with something   7  , people can remember them very  8  , so they have   9   advertisements for shops.

On the other hand,   10   are also telephone numbers which are regarded as forbidden   11   the Japanese people. 1564, for example, has the sound of “kill people”   12   the number 4219 has   13   of “people die”.

At   14  , there are about forty-four million   15   in Japan, yet it is almost   16   for everyone to get a lucky telephone number. So these   17   have become commodities (商品) and can be   18   as goods. The   19   can reach as   20   as 222 thousand Japanese yen (日元).

1.A. read　　　　　　　　　　  B. listen 　　　　　　　　　　  C. hear　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. look

2.A. English　　　　　　　　  B. strange　　　　　　　　　　　　    C. different　　　　　　　　   D. same

3.A. For　　　　　　　　　　   B. Neither　　　　　　　　　　　　    C. Either　　　　　　　　　　   D. Both

4.A.any　　　　　　　　　　    B.rest　　　　　　　　　　　　   C.other　　　　　　　　　　　　 D.any other

5.A.but　　　　　　　　　　　　 B.or　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 C.as　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D.and

6.A.joined　　　　　　　　　　 B.connected　　　　　　　　  C.fixed　　　　　　　　　　　　 D.mixed

7.A.to do　　　　　　　　　　  B.useful　　　　　　　　　　    C.nice　　　　　　　　　　　　  D.important

8.A.hard　　　　　　　　　　   B.slowly　　　　　　　　　　   C.much　　　　　　　　　　    D.easily

9.A.become　　　　　　　　  B.been　　　　　　　　　　　　  C.had　　　　　　　　　　　　   D.made

10.A.these　　　　　　　　    B.they　　　　　　　　　　　　  C.those　　　　　　　　　　    D.there

11.A.for　　　　　　　　　　   B.by　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 C.with　　　　　　　　　　　　  D.to

12.A.but　　　　　　　　　　   B.because　　　　　　　　　　 C.as　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D.while

13.A.sound　　　　　　　　   B.meaning　　　　　　　　    C.that　　　　　　　　　　　　   D.this

14.A.times　　　　　　　　    B.present　　　　　　　　　　  C.last　　　　　　　　　　　　   D.first

15.A.shops　　　　　　　　   B.Japanese　　　　　　　　    C.telephones　　　　  　　   D.numbers

16.A.possible　　　　　　    B.impossible　　　　　　　　 C.easy　　　　　　　　　　　　  D.necessary

17.A.telephones　　　　　　 B.goods　　　　　　　　　　    C.shops　　　　　　　　　　    D.numbers

18.A.used　　　　　　　　　　 B.made　　　　　　　　　　　　 C.sold　　　　　　　　　　　　  D.stored

19.A.yen　　　　　　　　　　  B.money　　　　　　　　　　   C.telephone　　　　　　　　   D.prices

20.A.valuable　　　　　　    B.big　　　　　　　　　　　　    C.high　　　　　　　　　　　　  D.large

I used to be ashamed of my grandma. I know that's a　 36　 thing to say, but it was true until today, so I have to　 37　 it.

The　 38　 started when my friend Katy found Grandma's false teeth floating in a glass on the bathroom sink. I was so used to seeing them that I　 39　 took notice of them. But Katy shouted, laughing and　 40　 to talk to them. I had to get down on my knees and　 41　 her to shut up so my grandma wouldn't　 42　 and get hurt.

After that happened, I　 43　 there were a million things about Grandma that were embarrassing（令人窘迫）.

Once she took Jill and me out to Burger King.　 44　 ordering our hamburgers well-done, she told the person behind the counter, "They'll have two Whoppers (巨无霸) well-to-do. " Jill burst out laughing, but I almost　 45　.

After a while, I started wishing I could　 46　 Grandma in a closet. I even complained to my parents. Both my parents said I had to be careful not to make Grandma feel　 47　 in our home.

Then last Wednesday, something happened that　 48　 everything completely. My teacher told us to help find interesting old people and　 49　 them about their　 50　 for a big Oral History project. I was trying to think of someone when Angie pushed me gently.

"Volunteer your grandmother," she whispered. "She's　 51　 and rich in experience."

That was the last thing I ever thought Angie would say about my grandma.

This is how I ended up on　 52　 today interviewing my own grandmother before the whole school assembly (集合). All my friends and teachers were listening to her　 53　 she was a great heroine. I was　 54　 of my grandma and hoped she would　 55　 know that I had been ashamed of her.

36. A. funny　　　　 B. common　　　　C. terrible　　 　D. clear

37. A. admit　　　　 B. receive　　　  C. refuse　　　　 D. show

38. A. quarrel　　　  B. accident　　　 C. trouble　　 　  D. adventure

39. A. already　　　  B. always　　　　C. simply　　　 　D. hardly

40. A. enjoying　　　 B. pretending　 　C. imagining　 　 D. continuing

41. A. warn　　　　　B. demand　　　　C. advise　　　  D. beg

42. A. mind　　　　　B. hear　　　　　C. see　　　　　 D. fall

43. A. expected　　 　B. declared　　　 C. realized　　 　D. doubted

44. A. Because of　　 B. Except for 　  C. Such as 　　 　D. Instead of

45. A. died 　　　　  B. cheered 　　　C. disappeared　　D. suffered

46. A. meet 　　　　 B. avoid　　　　 C. arrange 　　 　D. hide

47. A. independent　  B. inconvenient　 C. unwelcome　　 D. unfamiliar

48. A. changed 　　　B. finished　　　 C. stopped　　　　D. Prepared

49. A. interview 　　 B. report 　　　  C. tell 　　　　　 D. write

50. A. news 　　　　 B. lives　　　　 C. advantages　　  D. achievements

51. A. free　　　　 　B. popular　　　 C. interesting　　  D. embarrassing

52. A. show 　　　　 B. stage　　　　 C. duty　　　　　 D. time

53. A. and then 　　  B. even if　　　  C. so that　　　　 D. as if

54. A. sure　　　　 　B. proud　　　　 C. ashamed　　　 D. afraid

55. A. never　　　　  B. even　　　　　C. still　　　　　 D. once

We often hear the phrase: "You've a greater chance of being struck by lightning." It is used to describe something that hasn't got much chance of happening. However, the common saying undermines(掩盖) the very real dangers of lightning.

Last Friday, at least 5 people were killed by lightning in Nepal(尼泊尔).

Lightning strikes are the second most common cause of deaths during natural disasters in the US. The first is floods. Around 400 people nationwide are struck by lightning each year, and of those, 73 people die. There are more people killed by lightning than by tornadoes and hurricanes.

Because lightning kills only one or two people at a time, its danger does not receive as much attention as other disasters.

So to raise awareness, the US has made June 22-28 National Lightning Safety Week. It aims to warn the public of the dangers of lightning and provide safety tips during thunderstorms.

"If you hear thunder, you are in danger of lightning," said Rocky Lopes, a disaster educator at the American Red Cross.

"Thunder means that lightning is close enough to hit you at any minute, so you should move indoors immediately and stay there until after the storm has ended. The single most important thing to remember is to seek a hiding place," Lopes said.

Summer is the high time for lightning storms, so when lightning strikes across the sky, remember these safety tips:

Stop working, fishing, swimming or playing in open fields.

If you can count less than ten seconds between a thunder and a lightning flash, take cover inside the nearest building.

Do not stand under a tree.

Get off bicycles or motorcycles.

Crouch down(蹲下)if there is no hiding place.

Avoid open spaces, wire fences, metal objects and electrical objects such as hair driers.

   The popular opinion about being struck by lightening is that ______.

A. there’s a greater chance for being killed by lightening than any other natural disaster

B. it is the most dangerous among all the natural disasters

  C. the chance for a person to be struck by lightening is very small

  D. it is impossible for people to be killed by lightening

The average death rate of being struck by lightening in US is about _______.

  A.18%　　　　　B.50%　　　　　    C. 30%　　　　  D. 73%

thunder in             the open air______.

A. just stand by your bicycles and motorcycles

  B. quickly find a place to go inside

  C. count ten seconds between a thunder and a lightening

  D. don’t have a hair drier in your hand

According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?

A. There are more people killed by tornadoes and hurricanes than by lightening in US each year.

B. There are on average 5 persons killed by lightening in Nepal each day.

C. The death rate of being stuck by lightening is much higher than by other natural disasters.

D. The National Lightening Safety Week is made to warn the public against the lightening.

完形填空

　　Computers have done a lot since they turned up. In the future they will play a more important part in many 1 , such as education, transport, personal lives, scientific research and 2 Nowadays computers are being 3 in agriculture and industry 4 can help the farmers to 5 the conditions of the plants.

　　More and more computers will come into our daily life with the 6 of science and technology. If you want to change money or pay your electricity bills, you won’t have to go to the 7 . A computer and a telephone will help you. It can also help you to do the housework and it can even 8 human voices and carry out the instructions. It is  9   10  the majority of the labour force will work at home. People will be able to use the videophone 11 conferences. This can help us to save a lot of energy and 12 .It is said that trains in Japan will have 13 , because they’ll be well 14 by computers, which can also tell the best 15 between trains.

　　Computer programmes for 16 whole texts are already will be developed. You can 17 the name of a certain subject and a 18 list of book titles, then they will 19 on your screen. You may choose 20 you want.