Last week my youngest son and I visited my father at his new home in Tucson, Arizona. He moved there a few years ago, and I was eager to see his now place and meet his friends.

My earliest memories of my father are of a tall, handsome, successful man devoted to his work and family but uncomfortable with his children. As a child I loved him; as a school girl and young adult(成年人)I feared(害怕) him and felt bitter about him He seemed unhappy with me unless I got straight A’s and unhappy with my boy friends if their fathers were not as “successful” as he was. Whenever I went out with him on weekends, I used to struggle to think up things to say, feeling worried.

On the first day of my visit, we went out with one of my father’s friends for lunch at an outdoor cafe. We walked along that afternoon, did some shopping, ate on the street table, and laughed over my son’s funny facial expressions. Gone was my father’s critical(挑剔的)air and strict rules. Who was this person I knew as my father, who seemed so friendly and interesting to be around? What had held him back before?

The next day my dad pulled out his childhood pictures and told me quite a few stories about his own childhood. Although our times together became easier over the years, I never felt closer to him at that moment. After so many years, I’m at last seeing another side of my father. And in so doing, I’m delighted with my new friend. My dad in his new home in Arizona is back to me from where he was.

63. Why did the author feel bitter about her father as a young adult?

A. He was silent most of the time        B. He was too proud of himself

C. He did not love his children          D. He expected too much of her

64. When the author went out with her father on weekends, she would feel_______.

   A. nervous        B. sorry          C. tired              D. safe

65. What does the author think of her father after her visit to Tucson?

   A. More critical  B. More talkative  C. Gentle and friendly D. Strict and hard-working

66. The underlined words “my new friend” in the last paragraph refer to ________.

   A. the author’s son B. the author’s father C. the friend of the author’s father D. the cafe owner

D

A quarrel at home may result in you falling ill. Don’t laugh, it’s true. Family matters including living habits and even the way we speak have a big effect on our health, doctors say.

Wang Xiaoyu, a Senior 2 girl from Xichang, Sichuan Province, fainted (晕倒) in class when she heard her classmates quarrel at the top of their voices. Quarrels between her parents also put the girl into a coma. It is because she is suffering from depression (抑郁症), caused by bad relations at home, doctors explained.

“We don’t get sick or stay well by ourselves,” says Dr Robert Ferrer from the US. Ferrer shows that family forces may explain up to a quarter of health problems, in his recent research. The genes you get from your family may cause illness. If one of your parents has a heart attack, your risk of being affected may double. But effects on health are not only written in our DNA.

Unrelated people who live under the same roof also get similar problems. Diet, lifestyle and environment affect our health, too. Ferrer’s research also found that if teenagers feel they are ignored or unimportant at home they are more likely to get sick.

We may never fully understand all the effects that families have on our health. But just as individual (个别的) problems can have effects on others, a small improvement can have big benefits, Ferrer said.

67. Which of the following can best explain why Wang Xiaoyu fainted in class?

A. Because her classmates often quarreled in class.

B. Because her parents used to quarrel.

C. Because of her depression caused by bad family relations.

D. Because her classmates shouted loudly at her.

68. According to Dr Ferrer, which of the following statements is TRUE?

A. We get sick or stay well by ourselves.

B. Only the genes we get from our family have a big effect on our health.

C. Our health has nothing to do with diet, lifestyle and environment.

D. Teenagers who are ignored at home get sick more easily than those who are not.

69. The underlined word “coma” in Paragraph2 probably means ________.

A. surprise                 B. faint        C. tiredness        D. sadness                   

70. The best title for this passage is ________.

A. Family relations.                 B. The reasons why we get sick.

C. Family---- another cause to health    D. A research about health.

“I’d be better off dead.” he said, without any hesitation. Hearing those words come out of my best friend’s mouth tore my heart apart. He has repeated that phrase more than once, and my mind continually plays it over like a voice recording.

    I met him about three years ago. After knowing me for six months, he told me about his struggles with depression. Sadness was not the only feeling that came over me; I was shocked. He seemed so outgoing and happy all the time. I soon learned that he was hurt physically and mentally as a young child, causing him to have the thought of killing himself.

    He refuses to talk to others about his depression because he now distrusts adults, especially those in his family. However, he feels as if I understand him and that I know the right words to speak. Therefore, when it comes to helping him, convenience is not in my vocabulary. It does not matter where I am or what I am doing, for he always comes first.

    Many students at his school laugh at him when they notice scars on his arms from cutting. As he sees it, other kids have every right to make fun of him. But no one holds such a right, so I encourage him to ignore the heartless kids who treat him badly. When he feels the weight of judging eyes or hateful voices, I always remind him that I care about him unconditionally. Just hearing me say I will always be his best friend seems to give him the safety he needs to keep on going.

My best friend once told me that if he had not had me, he would not be alive. He said that my encouraging words helped him not to take his life. Our friendship has taught me that a single kind word can influence someone’s life. Life is not easy for every one, which makes me strongly believe in the necessity of encouragement.

56. According to the first paragraph, hearing his friend’s words, the author felt______.

57. By saying “convenience is not in my vocabulary”, the author means ______.

   A. he is always ready to help his friend

   B. he hardly spares time to help his friend

   C. he has no good excuse for refusing his friend

   D. he is not good at communicating with his friend

58. The author’s friend got into depression mainly because __________.

59. What is the best title for the passage?

Without any hesitation, he said, “I’d be better off dead.” Hearing those words come out of my best friend’s mouth tore my heart apart. He has repeated that phrase more than once, and my mind continually plays it over like a voice recording.
I met my best friend about three years ago. After knowing me for six months, he told me about his struggles with depression. Sadness was not the only emotion that came over me; I was shocked. He seemed so outgoing and happy all the time. I soon learnt that he was physically and emotionally abused as a young child, causing him to have suicidal (自杀的) thoughts.
He refuses to talk to others about his depression because he now distrusts adults, especially those in his family. In spite of this, he feels as if I understand him and that I know the right words to say. Thus, when it comes to helping him, convenience is not in my vocabulary. It doesn’t matter where I am or what I am doing, for he takes priority. Sometimes he just needs the assurance of my voice telling him that everything is going to be okay and that I will not let him down.
Many students at his school laugh at him when they notice the scars on his arms from cutting. It seems that other kids have every right to make fun of him and to look down on him. But no one holds such a right, so I encourage him to ignore the heartless kids who treat him badly. When he feels the weight of judging eyes or hateful voices, I always remind him that I care about him unconditionally. Just hearing me say I will always be his best friend seems to give him the security he needs to keep on going.
My best friend once told me that if he hadn’t had me, he wouldn’t be alive. He said that my encouraging words convinced him not to take his life. Our friendship has taught me that a single word can impact on someone’s life. With the fragility of life as it is, I believe in the necessity of encouragement.
【小题1】The author’s friend got into depression mainly because _____ .

Without any hesitation, he said, “I’d be better off dead.” Hearing those words come out of my best friend’s mouth tore my heart apart. He has repeated that phrase more than once, and my mind continually plays it over like a voice recording.

I met my best friend about three years ago. After knowing me for six months, he told me about his struggles with depression. Sadness was not the only emotion that came over me; I was shocked. He seemed so outgoing and happy all the time. I soon learnt that he was physically and emotionally abused as a young child, causing him to have suicidal (自杀的) thoughts.

He refuses to talk to others about his depression because he now distrusts adults, especially those in his family. In spite of this, he feels as if I understand him and that I know the right words to say. Thus, when it comes to helping him, convenience is not in my vocabulary. It doesn’t matter where I am or what I am doing, for he takes priority. Sometimes he just needs the assurance of my voice telling him that everything is going to be okay and that I will not let him down.

Many students at his school laugh at him when they notice the scars on his arms from cutting. It seems that other kids have every right to make fun of him and to look down on him. But no one holds such a right, so I encourage him to ignore the heartless kids who treat him badly. When he feels the weight of judging eyes or hateful voices, I always remind him that I care about him unconditionally. Just hearing me say I will always be his best friend seems to give him the security he needs to keep on going.

My best friend once told me that if he hadn’t had me, he wouldn’t be alive. He said that my encouraging words convinced him not to take his life. Our friendship has taught me that a single word can impact on someone’s life. With the fragility of life as it is, I believe in the necessity of encouragement.

1.The author’s friend got into depression mainly because _____ .

2.We know from the passage that the author’s friend_____.

3.What is the best title for the passage?