Alexis was hot and tired. With rage in her voice she shouted, "Pull me up！I give up, I hate this. This is stupid!" It was at that moment when Jason, the adviser on the trip, looked at me and said, "Ed, I'm going to go down and talk with her." I then shouted down to Alexis, "Hold on! You can do this. We know you can!"
Jason grasped another rope, put his climbing harness(系带)on and began to repel down the cliff. Within moments Jason was beside Alexis. She had her cheek directly against the face of the rock with her feet barely resting on a small piece of the cliff that jetted outward. Jason said to Alexis, "I know that you have been on this cliff now for what seems like a long time. Your feet and fingers are cramping(痉挛)up and your forearms feel as though they are on fire. But , Alexis, you are strong, look how far up you are already. You have taken one of the more difficult paths up the cliff. Look Alexis, look at the path you have taken."
At that moment, Alexis moved her cheek away from the rock face and looked down. The bright white chalk she used on her hands to give her a better hold, showed the path where her tired hands had moved her upward on the cliff. Jason was right. Alexis had taken the hardest way up the cliff. Jason then looked straight into Alexis' eyes and in a calm voice he said, "You are not alone out here, there are people who care about you, who want to help you and see you succeed. We are going to do this together. Are you ready?" Slowly she shook her head yes and took a deep breath.
【小题1】Jason went down the cliff because _________.

Love, success, happiness, family and freedom—how important are these values to you? Here is one interview which explores the fundamental questions in life.

Question: Could you introduce yourself first?

Answer: My name is Misbah, 27 years old. I was born in a war-torn area. Right now I’m a web designer.

A: My parents used to take us to hunt birds, climb tress, and play in the fields. For me it was like a holiday, because we were going to have fun all day long. Those are my great memories.

Q: Does your childhood mean a lot to you?

A: Yes. As life was very hard, I used to work to help bring money in for the family. I spent my childhood working, with responsibilities beyond my age. However, it taught me to deal with problems  all alone. I learnt to be independent.

Q: What changes would you like to make in your life?

A: If I could change something in my life, I’d change it so that my childhood could have taken place in another area. I would have loved to live with my family in freedom. Who cares whether we have much money, or whether we have a beautiful house? It doesn’t matter as long as I can live with my family and we are safe.

Q: How do you get along with your parents?

A: My parents supported me until I came of age. I want to give back what I’ve got. That’s our way. But I am working in another city. My only contact with my parents now is through the phone, but I hate using it. It filters(过滤) out your emotion and leaves your voice only. My deepest feelings should be passed through sight, hearing and touch.

1.In Misbah’s childhood,       .

A. he was free from worry                   

B. he liked living in the countryside

C. he was fond of getting close to nature       

D. he often spent holidays with his family

2.What did Misbah desire most in his childhood?

A. A colorful life                          B. A beautiful house

C. Peace and freedom                        D. Money for his family

3.How would Misbah prefer to communicate with his parents?

A. By chatting on the Internet                B. By calling them sometimes

C. By paying weekly visits                    D. By writing them letters 

4.If there were only one question left, what would it most probably be?

A. What was your childhood dream?          B. What is your biggest achievement?

C. What is your parents’ view of you?      D. What was your hardest experience in the war?

I’m Adam Gun from Istanbul, Turkey. I’m in a good school. And at the age of 15, in my first year of high school. I’m a great fan of tennis and cycling. I play tennis twice a week for two hours each time. Sometimes I want to play more, but I just keep playing for hours on end, never getting tired of doing it. This is one of the rare things I love in my life, in addition to cycling.

Like tennis, I find that I’m able to ride for ever and ever. Since Istanbul is made up of large and small hills, it’s a nice challenge to ride my bike every day. Although there aren’t many cycling places in Istanbul, I’m lucky enough to live near the biggest park. It’s downhill from my house to the park and I enjoy cycling up as much as floating down, because it’s challenging.

Now I have been thinking about being a lawyer and following my father’s footsteps, but I just don’t think I’m into it. I have heard people tell me over and over again: If you want to be happy with your life, you need to like and enjoy your job. Well, I’m not sure about the fact that I will enjoy being a lawyer when I grow up. I’m just not the type of person who sits down and studies for hours. So I just need opinions on whether to become a tennis player(hopefully), to become a cyclist(hopefully) or to become a lawyer.

1.We can know that Adam Gun is satisfied with ______.

A. his friends   B. his choice to be a lawyer   C. his school   D. his favorite tennis star

2.According to the passage, Adam Gun believes that cycling in Istanbul______.

A. need skills   B. needs good preparation   C. is easy but boring   D. is difficult but challenging

3.What does the underlined part in the last paragraph mean?

A. I’m able to do it.        B. I hate to do it.   C. I’m confident about it.   D. I’m interested in it.

4.What’s Adam Gun’s problem?

   A. He isn’t certain about his future career.

   B. He has no enough time to practise tennis.

   C. His dad disagrees with his career choice.

   D. He can’t concentrate on his study for hours.

Some American parents might think their children need better education to compete with those in China and other countries. But how much do the parents themselves need to change?

A new book called Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua has caused a debate about cultural differences in parenting. In Chinese culture, the tiger represents strength and power. In the book, Ms. Chua writes about how she demanded excellence from her daughters. She said that she had a clear list of what her daughters, Sophia and Louisa, were not permitted to do, such as attending a sleepover, having a play date, watching TV or playing computer games and getting any grade less than an A.

Many people have criticized Amy Chua. Some say her parenting methods were abusive(辱骂的). She even admits that her husband, who is not Chinese, sometimes objected to her parenting style. But she says that it was the way her parents raised her and her three sisters.

Ms. Chua makes fun of her own extreme style of parenting. She says she eased some of the pressure after her younger daughter rebelled and shouted, “I hate my life! I hate you!”

Ms. Chua says she decided to retreat when it seemed like there was a risk that she might lose her daughters. But she also says American parents often have low expectations of their children’s abilities. “One of the biggest differences I see between Western and Chinese parents is that Chinese parents assume strength rather than fragility(脆弱),” she said.

“The beginning of this intense discussion has to do with what it means to be a successful parent and what it means to be a successful child,” said Stacy Debroff, who has written four books about parenting.

Ms. Debroff says Amy Chua’s parenting style is not limited to Chinese families. She says it represents a traditional way of parenting among immigrants(移民) seeking a better future for their children.

But she also sees a risk. When children have no time to be social or to follow their own interests, they might not develop other skills that they need to succeed in life. Stacey Debroff advises parents to develop their own styles of parenting and not just repeat the way they were raised.

1.Amy Chua has been criticized mainly because ____.

A. she looks up to boys and down on girls

B. she has already abused her right as a parent

C. she hasn’t raised her children like her own parents

D. she has fought with her children several times

2.Which can best describe Ms. Chua according to the passage?

    A. Uneducated.  B. Cruel.   C. Strict.  D. Strong.

3. According to Ms. Debroff, _____.

A. Amy Chua’s parenting style should be banned(禁止) in China

B. Amy Chua’s should stop to adopt American parenting styles

C. Amy Chua’s parenting style should be adjusted if possible

D. There isn’t any advantages in Amy Chua’s style

4.What does the underlined word “retreat” in Paragraph 5 mean?

A. Give in. B. Pass away.   C. Cry out. D. Go ahead.

5.What should be the best title of this passage?

A. Some books on studying styles.

B. The disadvantage of Chinese parenting styles

C. Differences between western and eastern parenting styles

D. The comparison between American and Chinese parenting styles

—Have you got used to the Chinese food, Huang Yan?

   —Yes, but I hate ________ when a Chinese host keeps serving me the food I don’t like.

  A. this            B. that              C. those            D. it