One evening I went out and left my 17-year-old son in charge of his 8-year-old brother and 4-year-old sister.On this occasion,the work was made less troublesome by the presence of his girlfriend.I left with complete confidence that the older children would do a wonderful job of babysitting the younger children.Later,I discovered that complete confidence was the last thing I should have left home with.

I had decided to return home earlier than planned so that my son and his girlfriend could go out.I called home with this happy news.But instead of hearing his cheerful,grateful voice on the other end of the line,all I heard was the sound of a telephone ringing.

It was,I should point out,after 10 p.m.,when the two younger children should have been in bed.and when the two older children should have been answering the phone.“I’ll give him a lesson.”I said.I decided they must be outside.Why they might be outside at 10∶30 on a winter night I had no idea,but it was the only explanation I could come up with.

Finally,in desperation,I called his girlfriend’s house.After what seemed like countless rings,his girlfriend answered.“Yes,”she said brightly,“He’s right here.”

He came on the phone.I was not my usual calm,rational(理智的)self.After all,one of the rules of survival for modern parents is that you can’t trust modem teenagers.“Where are the children?”I said.He said they were with him.They had done nothing wrong.My son had taken the younger children over to his girlfriend’s house just for ice cream and cake.This was too good to be believed.Well,it turns out that I shouldn’t have believed it.It was only part of the truth.

The following Saturday evening we were at my parents home,celebrating my birthday.My oldest son gave me the children’s gifts.Mounted and framed were a series of lovely color photographs of my children,dressed in their best clothes,and wearing their most wonderful expressions.They are pictures to treasure a lifetime,all taken by the father of my son’s girlfriend.

The author went out and left her eldest son in charge of the younger children

 because        .

A.she knew that her eldest son was a good baby-sitter

B.she thought it no hard work to take care of the younger ones

C.she believed he could do well with his girlfriend’s help

D.she could not find a baby-sitter on that winter night

When the author called home that evening,she found that        .

A.two younger children had already been in bed

B.the children were preparing a birthday gift for her

C.her son was quarrelling with his girlfriend

D.there was no one answering the telephone

What can you learn from the underlined sentence in the fifth paragraph?

A.The author didn’t believe what her son had told her.

B.The author had complete confidence in her son.

C.The author believed her son was telling the truth.

D.The author was moved by what her children had done.

What might the children do that evening?

A.They had a birthday party.

B.They framed some photographs.

C.They had their pictures taken.

D.They made some beautiful clothes.

What does the author intend to teIl us by the story?

A.Modem teenagers are not worth trusting.

B.It is no easy job to look after young children.

C.It’s no good to have a girlfriend at an early age.

D.Her children have a caring and tender heart.

By the year 1869 when the first transcontinental railroad was finished, over 350,000 pioneers had taken the Oregon Trail to head west and start a new life, which is known as the Gold Rush Period in American history. Many of these were women and most were accompanied by children.

Before heading west, many women often spent their day doing nothing more than visiting, needlework, and the occasional gardening of flowers. Others were not from as wealthy families and had to work alongside their men as laborers. Neither type was in most cases prepared for the hardships that lay ahead.

Once they did reach their destination, the work was far from over. A house would need to be built. Women quickly learned to use all kinds of tools right alongside their husbands. At the first sign of spring, a garden would need to be planted. Pioneer women also had to deal with dangerous wild animals, including bears and lions. Indians were also a concern, and some did fall to their deaths by the Indians’ hand. Where were the men when all this was being done? Working the fields and mining were the two most usual occupations. Their remaining work, which there was plenty of, fell to the women and the oldest children if there were any.

Women who headed west learned quickly that there was much more to life than teas and visiting. They had no choice but to struggle for survival. This was their life.

1.What is the passage mainly about?

A. Changes in the Gold Rush Period.

B. New life in the West.

C. Great people in American history.

D. Pioneer women to the West.

2.By mentioning women’s life before heading west in paragraph 2, the author implies (暗示) that          .

A. it was a real struggle for women to adapt to the hard life in the West

B. it was not reasonable for women to give up their comfortable life

C. it was a better choice for women to experience a new and hard life

D. it was necessary for women to change their lifestyle completely

3.According to the passage, which was NOT the problem women faced when heading west?

A. They had no choice but to throw away many of their beloved things.

B. They could not take their children along because of the hard journey.

C. It was common that they lost their husbands in some accidents.

D. They suffered from diseases or even lost their lives.

4.Women were kept busy with all the following work EXCEPT _________.

A. building a house

B. planting a garden

C. driving wild animals away

D. caring for the Indians

An idea that started in Seattle's public library has spread throughout America and beyond. The concept is simple: help to build a sense of community in a city by getting everyone to read the same book at the same tome.

In addition to encouraging reading as a pursuit (追求) to be enjoyed by all, the program allows strangers to communicate by discussing the book on the bus, as well as promoting reading as an experience to be shared in families and schools. The idea came from Seattle librarian Nancy Pearl who launched (发起）the "If All of Seattle Read the Same Book " project in 1998. Her original program used author visits,study guides and book discussion groups to bring people together with a book, but the idea has since expanded to many other American cities, and even to Hong kong.

In Chicago, the mayor(市长）appeared on television to announce the choice of To Kill a Mockingbird as the first book in the "One Book, One Chicago" program. As a result, reading clubs and neighbourhood groups sprang up around the city. Across the US, stories emerged of parents and children reading to each other at night and strangers chatting away on the bus about plot and character.

   The only problem arose in New York ,where local readers could not decide on one book to represent the huge and diverse population. This may show that the idea works best in medium-sized cities or large towns,where a greater sense of unity(一致）can be achieved .Or it may show that New Yorkers rather missed the point ,putting all their energy

And passion into the choice of the book rather than discussion about a book itself.

Ultinatel was Nancy points out,the level of sucicess is not meastured by how many people read a book,but by how many people are enriched by the process.or have enjoyed speaking to someone with whom they would not otherwise have shared a word.

1.What is the purpose of the project launched by Nancy?

A.To invite authors to guide readers.

B.To encourage people to read and share.

C.To involve people in communnity service.

D.To promote the friendship between cities.

2.Why was it difficult for New Yorkers to carry out the projict?

A.They had little interest in reading.

B.They were too busy to read a book.

C.They came from many different backgrounds

D.They lacked support from the locat government

3.According to the passage,where would the project be more easily carried out?

A.In large communities with little sense of unity

B.In large cities where libraries are far from home

C.In medium-sized cities with a diverse population

D.In large towns where agreement can be quickly reached

4.The underlined words“shared a word”in Paragraph 5 probably mean     

A.exchanged ideas with each other

B.discussed the meaning of a word

C.gamed life experience

D.used the same language

5.According to Nacy,the degree of students of the project is judged by

A.  the careful selection of a proper book

B.  the growing popularity of the writers

C.the number of people who benefit from reading.

D.the number of books that each person reads.

A. year ago August, Dave Fuss lost his job driving a truck for a small company in west Michigan. His wife, Gerrie, was still working in the local school cafeteria, but work for Dave was scarce, and the price of everything was rising. The Fusses were at risk of joining the millions of Americans who have lost their homes in recent years. Then Dave and Gerrie received a timely gift—＄7,000，a legacy （遗产） form their neighbors Ish and Arlene Hatch, who died in an accident . “It really made a difference when we were going under financially.” says Dave.  
But the Fusses weren’t the only folks in Alto and the neighboring town of Lowell to receive unexpected legacy from the Hatches. Doxens of other families were touched by the Hatches’ generosity. In some cases, it was a few thousand dollars ; in other, it was more than ＄100,000.   
It surprised nearly everyone that the Hatches had so much money, more than ＄3 million—they were am elderly couple who lived in an old house on what was left of the family farm .  
Children of the Great Depression, Ish and Arlene were known for their habit of saving, They thrived own （喜欢） comparison shopping and  would routinely go from store to store, checking prices before making a new purchase .   
Through the years, the Hatches paid for local children to attend summer camp when their parents couldn’t afford it. “Ish and Arlene never asked you needed anything,” says their friend Sand Van Weelden, “They could see things they could do go make you happier, and they would do them.   
Even more extraordinary was that the Hatches had their farmland distributed. It was the Hatches’ wish that their legacy—a legacy of kindness as much as one of dollars and cent —should enrich the whole community （社区） and Ish and Arlene Hatch’s story .  
Neighbors helping neighbors ——that was Ish and Arlene Hatch’s story.   
56. According go the text, the Fusses _____
A. were employed by a truck company    B. were in financial difficulty  
C. worked in a school cafeteria            D. lost their home  
57. Which of the following is true of the Hatches?  
A. They had their children during the Great Deoression  
B. They left the family farm to live in an old house  
C. They gave away their possessions to their neighbors  
D. They helped their neighbors to find jobs  
58. Why would the Hatches routinely go from store?  
A. They decided to open a store        B. They wanted to save money  
C. They couldn’t afford expensive things  D. They wanted to buy gifts for local kids  
59. According to Sand Van Weelden, the Hatches were_____  
A. understanding  B. optimistic    C. childlike   D. curious   
60 What can we learn from the text?  
A. The community of Alto was poor  
B. The summer camp was attractive to the parents  
C. Sandy Van Weelden got a legacy form the Hatches  
D. The Hatches would like the neighbors to follow their example  

Have you ever thought, “I wish I could take a year off and just travel around the world”? Well, three lucky American teenagers were able to do just that. The teens—two males and one female--got an all-expenses paid, yearlong hike to five continents.

This trip didn’t include any five-star hotels or shopping funs. Eighteen-year-old Jamie Fiel from Keller, Texas, 17-year-old Arsen Ewing from Canyon, California, and 16-year-old Tyler Robinson from Lincoln, Massachusetts, didn’t expect fancy treatment. They signed up for the experience of a lifetime, which included hard work, often uncomfortable accommodations, and encounters with some of nature’s most dangerous animals and environments.

Jamie, Arsen, and Tyler were among hundreds of high school kids nominated by their science teachers to take this trip. Earthwatch Institute sponsored (赞助) this adventure. Each year, Earthwatch employs thousands of volunteers worldwide to help with scientific research projects.

The group went all around the world to get a close look at the most pressing environmental issues of our time. Their assignments were as varied as their locations, and included measuring and attending pink flamingos in Kenya’s Great Rift Valley, and tracking giant sea turtles in Costa Rica.

As they worked with the Earthwatch scientists, Jamie, Arsen, and Tyler began to understand that we are at a critical moment in the life of our planet. Time for change is running out. As the teens went from country to country and witnessed different environmental dangers and challenges, they understood that solutions to important environmental issues start with the power of one person's actions. They realized that each of them can make a difference.

These teenagers went on the journey around the world _____.

A. to experience the most serous environmental problems on the earth

B. to bring the kindness of America to the other parts of the world

C. to go on sightseeing around the world

D. to call on more teenagers to join Earthwatch Institute

What’s true about their journey?  

A. They had to pay for their journey on their own expense.

B. They often had to move from one hotel to another.

C. They had to take great pains to collect environmental information.

D. They received a warm welcome every time they arrived at a new place.

It can be inferred that Earthwatch Institute could be _____.

A. an international university that takes in students from all over the world

B. a TV station that makes programmes on the beautiful scenery of the earth

C. a travel agency that organizes adventure trips specially for school children

D. an organization that brings science to life for people concerned about earth’s environment

What did they these teenagers learn from the journey?

A. It was high time that people protected the environment.

B. Long journey was not suitable for school children.

C. It should take the whole world to help the children.

D. Environmental problems can be solved if school children take part.