When I was young,my parents ran a snack bar in our small town.

One evening in early April,my mother told me to fill in at the snack bar 36　 a worker who had the flu.I told her I would mess it up, 37 I had never worked at the bar before.I 　38　

that instead of making money,I would end up owing it.

“You can do it,”said my mother.“　 39　 ,you won’t get much business until lunch.”

“But I’ll never remember the orders,and I’m no good ___40_ money.Please,Mom,don’t

　 41　 me.”

“Then I’ll help you,”she said.

I shrugged my shoulders.I thought my mother’s　　 42　　 was a bad one,but I 　　 43　　 .

When I got to the bar the next day,I found my mother was　 44　 .Because the weather that day was rainy and cold,people wanted hot snacks and drinks.　 45　 ,I was really slow at taking the orders and making change.The line of people grew,and everybody seemed　 46　 .I was so nervous that my hands shook,and I 　 47 a cup into pieces.What a mess!Then my mother came to　 48 me,and she also showed me how to make　 49　 .If someone gave me $5 for something that cost $3.25,I handed over　 50　 quarters and a dollar and said,“75 cents makes four dollars,plus one dollar makes five.”Things went more　 51　 after that.

By the end of the day,I could remember orders,　 52　 the bill,and make change quickly with a smile.I was even a little　 53　 when the sun came out and dried up business.My mother said she was proud of me,and when she　 54　 that I work at the snack bar again next year,I did not even shrug.I was too busy　 55　 the restaurant I would open one day.

36.A.to　　　　　　　　　　　　 B.for　　　　　　　　　　 C.after　　　　　　　　　　　　 D.over

37.A.because　　　　　　　 B.though　　　　　　　 C.until　　　　　　　　　　　　 D.while

38.A.promised　　　　　　　　　　 B.noticed　　　　　　　 C.worried　　　　　　　　　　 D.hoped

39.A.Therefore　　　　　　 B.However　　　　　 C.Besides　　　　　　　　　　 D.Yet

40.A.of　　　　　　　　　　　 B.on　　　　　　　　　　 C.about　　　　　　　　　　　 D.with

41.A.blame　　　　　　　　　 B.fool　　　　　　　　　 C.frighten　　　　　　　　　　 D.make

42.A.idea　　　　　　　　　　 B.bar　　　　　　　　　　 C.day　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D.answer

43.A.guessed　　　　　　　 B.obeyed　　　　　　　 C.begged　　　　　　　　　　 D.admitted

44.A.angry　　　　　　　　　 B.sad　　　　　　　　　 C.wrong　　　　　　　　　　　 D.ashamed

45.A.At least　　　　　　　　 B.At last　　　　　　　 C.At most　　　　　　　　　　 D.At first

46.A.surprised　　　　　　　　　　 B.impolite　　　　　　 C.pleased　　　　　　　　　　 D.impatient

47.A.damaged　　　　　　　 B.destroyed　　　　　 C.broke　　　　　　　　　　　 D.ruined

48.A.scold　　　　　　　　　 B.help　　　　　　　　　 C.beat　　　　　　　　　　　　 D.save

49.A.money　　　　　　　　 B.lunch　　　　　　　　 C.coffee　　　　　　　　　　　 D.change

50.A.two　　　　　　　　　　 B.three　　　　　　　　 C.four　　　　　　　　　　　　 D.five

51.A.smoothly　　　　　　　　　　 B.fairly　　　　　　　　 C.simply　　　　　　　　　　　 D.conveniently

52.A.turn in　　　　　　　　 B.count out　　　　　 C.take over　　　　　　　　　 D.add up

53.A.discouraged　　　　 B.disturbed　　　　　 C.disappointed　　　　　　 D.distrusted

54.A.thought　　　　　　　　 B.stated　　　　　　　　 C.announced　　　　　　　　 D.suggested

55.A.imagining　　　　　　 B.preparing　　　　　 C.examining　　　　　　　　 D.describing

When a tornado touched down in a small town nearby, many families were left completely destroyed. Afterward all the local newspapers carried many human-interest stories featuring some of the families who suffered the hardest.
One Sunday, a particular picture especially touched me. A young woman stood in front of an entirely shattered mobile home, a depressed expression twisting her features. A young boy, seven or eight years old, stood at her side, eyes downcast. Clutching  (紧握)  at her skirt was a tiny girl who stared into the camera, eyes wide with confusion and fear.
The article that went with the picture gave the clothing sizes of each family member. With growing interest, I noticed that their sizes closely matched ours. This would be a good opportunity to teach my children to help those less fortunate than themselves. I taped the picture of the young family to our refrigerator, explaining their difficulty to my seven-year-old twins, Brad and Brett, and to three- year-old Meghan.
“ We have so much. And these poor people now have nothing,” I said.“We’ll share what we have with them.”
I brought three large boxes down from the room upstairs and placed them on the living room floor. Meghan watched seriously, as the boys and I filled one of the boxes with canned goods and foods.
While I sorted through our clothes, I encouraged the boys to go through their toys and donate some of their less favorite things. Meghan watched quietly as the boys piled up discarded toys and games.
“I’ll help you find something for the little girl when I’m done with this,” I said.
The boys placed the toys they had chosen to donate into one of the boxes while I filled the third box with clothes. Meghan walked up with Lucy, her worn, faded, much-loved rag doll hugged tightly to her chest. She paused in front of the box that held the toys, pressed her round little face into Lucy’s flat, painted-on-face, gave her a final kiss, then laid her gently on top of the other toys.
“Oh, Honey,” I said.“You don’t have to give Lucy. You love her so much.”
Meghan nodded seriously, eyes glistening with held-back tears. ‘”Lucy makes me happy, Mommy. Maybe she’ll make that other little girl happy, too．”
Swallowing hard, I stared at Meghan for a long moment, wondering how I could teach the boys the lesson she had just taught me. For I suddenly realized that anyone can give their cast-offs away. True generosity is giving that which you value most.
Honest benevolence  (善行)  is a three-year-old offering a valuable, though shabby, doll to a little girl she doesn’t know with the hope that it will bring this child as much pleasure as it brought her. I, who had wanted to teach, had been taught.
The boys had watched, open-mouthed, as their baby sister placed her favorite doll in the box. Without a word, Brad rose and went to his room. He came back carrying one of his favorite action figures. He hesitated briefly, clutching the toy, then looked over at Meghan and placed it in the box next to Lucy.
A slow smile spread across Brett’s face. Then he jumped up, eyes twinkling as he ran to fetch some of his prized Matchbox cars.
Astonished, I realized that the boys had also recognized what little Meghan’s gesture meant. Swallowing back tears, I pulled all three of them into my arms.
Taking the cue from my little one, I removed my old jacket from the box of clothes. I replaced it with the new hunter green jacket that I had found on sale last week. I hoped the young woman in the picture would love it as much as I did.
It’s easy to give that which we don’t want any more, but harder to let go of things we cherish, isn’t it? However, the true spirit of giving is to give with your heart..
【小题1】Why does the author give a detailed description of a particular picture in the Sunday newspaper?

A lazy Susan is an addition to a table, which is designed to assist in moving food from one person to another while dining. This is accomplished through the use of a turntable(转盘), which usually moves the food in a circle when pushed by those at table. In this way, the food never has to be picked up and passed around the table. Instead, it remains in place as the lazy Susan is turned about.
A lazy Susan may also be a part of a kitchen cabinet. One may spin the lazy Susan in order to find certain goods stored in it. From the outside, a lazy Susan appears to be two cabinets. When one of these cabinets is pushed, however, both doors move and the lazy Susan is revealed inside.
Whether the lazy Susan is on a tabletop or within a cabinet, it can be made of a variety of materials. Most commonly, a lazy Susan is made of either plastic, wood or glass. Some people believe that Thomas Jefferson invented the lazy Susan, though it was referred to as a dumb waiter(上菜升降架) at that time. It is said that Jefferson invented the lazy Susan because his daughter complained she was always served last at table and, as a result, never found herself full when leaving the table. Others believe that Thomas Edison was the inventor, as he is believed to have invented the turntable for his phonograph(留声机), which later developed into the lazy Susan.
Regardless of who invented it, it wasn’t until 1917 that the term lazy Susan was created in an advertisement for the invention. In Britain, however, the term dumb waiter is still used rather than the term lazy Susan. The reason for the name lazy Susan remains a mystery. One theory is that it was named after either Jefferson’s or Edison’s daughter, both of whom were named Susan.
【小题1】 According to the passage, a lazy Susan _____.

A．is a person who serves food at table

B．is a waitress who helps move dinner tables

C．is an additional round table in a dining room

D．is a turntable that passes food around the table

A．the lazy Susan was invented earlier than the phonograph

B．Susan was the name of Jefferson’s and Edison’s daughter

C．Jefferson and Edison invented the lazy Susan at the same time

D．When people talk about a lazy waitress they use the term “Susan”

When it comes to President Obama, most of his personal business is already known by the public. Personal information about his children, Malia and Sasha, however, has been kept a little more under wraps.
The New York Times recently released a list of rules that Michelle Obama has mentioned over the years that Malia and Sasha must follow during their time in the White House, as well as in general. See how the first family educates their children:
The girls must write reports about what they’ve seen on their trips, even if it’s not required by their school.
Malia may use her cell phone only on the weekends, and she and her sister cannot watch television or use a computer for anything but homework during the week.
Malia and Sasha have to play two sports: one they choose and one selected by their mother.
Malia must learn to do laundry(洗衣服) before she leaves for college.
The girls have to eat their vegetables, and if they say they are not hungry, they cannot ask for cookies or chips later.
While these might be shocking to some, Michelle said, “They’re not little princess. It’s just basic rules, boundaries, and expectations that we would have normally.”
Michelle also mentions another set of rules:
The girls must do their chores(家务), though the White House has a large staff. Malia and Sasha have chores of their own.
They must play a team sport, because it’s about learning how to play on a team, how to lose and how to win gracefully.
…
It sounds like Michelle and Barack want the best for their kids and to make them as well-rounded as possible. What are your thoughts on the Obama family rules?  
【小题1】What’s the passage mainly about?

When she was twelve, Maria made her first important decision about the course of her life. She decided that she wanted to continue her education. Most girls from middle-class families chose to stay home after primary school, though some attended private Catholic "'finishing" schools. There they learned a little about music, art, needlework, and how to make polite conversation. This was not the sort of education that interested Maria or her mother. By this time, she had begun to take her studies more seriously. She read constantly and brought her books everywhere. One time she even brought her math book to the theater and tried to study in the dark.

　　Maria knew that she wanted to go on learning in a serious way. That meant attending the public high school, something that very few girls did. In Italy at the time, there were two types of high schools: the "classical" schools and the "technical" schools. In the classical schools, the students followed a very traditional program of studies, with courses in Latin and Greek language and literature, and Italian literature and history. The few girls who continued studying after primary school usually chose these schools.

　　Maria, however, wanted to attend a technical school. The technical schools were more modern than the classical schools and they offered courses in modern languages, mathematics, science, and accounting. Most people including Maria's father believed that girls would never be able to understand these subjects. Furthermore, they did not think it was proper for girls to study them.

　　Maria did not care if it was proper or not. Math and science were the subjects that interested her most. But before she could sign up for the technical school, she had to win her father's approval. She finally did, with her mother's help, though for many years after, there was tension in the family. Maria's father continued to oppose her plans, while her mother helped her.

　　In 1883, at age thirteen, Maria entered the "Regia Scuola Tecnica Michelangelo Buonarroti" in Rome. Her experience at this school is difficult for us to imagine. Though the courses included modern subjects, the teaching methods were very traditional. Learning consisted of memorizing long lists of facts and repeating them back to the teacher. Students were not supposed to ask questions or think for themselves in any way. Teachers were very demanding, discipline in the classroom was strict, and punishment was severe for those who failed to achieve or were disobedient.

1.In those days, most Italian girls________.

A. went to classical schools

B. went to "finishing" schools

C. did not go to high school

D. went to technical schools

2.Maria's father probably________.

A. had very modern views about women

B. had very traditional views about women

C. had no opinion about women

D. thought women could not learn Latin

3.High school teachers in Italy in those days were________.

A. very modern                        B. very intelligent

C. quite scientific                       D. quite strict

4.We can infer from this passage that________.

A. girls usually attended private primary schools

B. only girls attended classical schools

C. girls did not like going to school

D. Maria was a girl of strong will