Stepfamilies are commonplace in the United States and their number continues to grow. While stepfamilies differ widely in their make-up， they all consist of a parenting couple and children， one or more of whom is of a previous union. Such combinations of his kids， her kids， and then， possibly， kids of the new union make for complicated and often trying difficulties， more challenging than those of traditional families.

Since stepfamilies involve more people and， consequently， more potential problems from the start than do childless new marriage， it is wise for the couple to do some careful planning prior to (＝before) marriage. Not only do the prospective(预期的) marital partners need agreement about their own carriers， life goals， finance and special interests， they must also prepare for new relationship with their children and attempt to accommodate their individual needs and feelings. Furthermore， there are often the rights of other relatives to consider.

As for any family， the basic ingredient(成分) of a successful stepfamily are affection， kindness and mutual(相互的) respect. However， love alone is not enough. Certainly love is the cornerstone upon which the foundation of any family is built， but there are also many other important ingredients involved in building a successful stepfamily.

Surveys reveal that successful families regard the ability to communicate openly as the most important factor in their success. Communication is what keeps families on track and functioning as a unit. Although healthy communication is easier for some people than for others， this skill can be learned and improved. Healthy communication involves speaking clearly and listening carefully.

By their very nature， stepfamilies often are complicated by past events that give rise to ambivalent(矛盾的) loyalties， lingering(持久的) hurts， fears， feelings of guilt and unrealistic dreams. The difficulties that arise within the stepfamilies are human and understandable. However， there are ways to confront(面临) and resolve them. For example， support groups and professional counselors(法律顾问) are available in most communities to provide help and guidance when communications stopped and problems seem overwhelming(压倒性的).

Planning and building a stepfamily is not a responsibility to take lightly. It can be a very trying and， at times， seemingly impossible effort. Many potential troubles can arise and threaten to destroy the stepfamily. Nevertheless， meeting and mastering these special challenges can bring unexpected satisfactions and rewarding depths of family closeness and affection.

According to the passage， there are 　　　　 in the United States.

A.no stepfamilies

B.more stepfamilies than ever before

C.fewer stepfamilies than ever before

D.fewer stepfamilies than traditional ones

Which of the following can help avoid the potential problems arising in a stepfamily？

A.The pursuit of the same careers.

B.Professional interventions(干涉).

C.The development of special interests.

D.Careful planning before the marriage.

Many people believe that 　　　　 contributes most to the building of a successful stepfamily.

A.everlasting loyalties

B.open communication

C.kindness and mutual respect

D.persistent(持久稳固的) affection

It is natural for a stepfamily to be 　　　　.

A.unrealistic

B.complicated

C.ambivalent

D.guilty

According to the author， planning and building a stepfamily is 　　　　.

A.impossible         

B.satisfying and rewarding

C.discouraging and frustrating

D.a difficult and trying experience

We often talk about ourselves as if we have permanent genetic defects(缺陷) that can never be changed. “I’m impatient.” “I’m always behind.” “I always put things 　　1 !” You’ve surely heard them. Maybe you’ve used them to describe　　　 ___2　 .

These comments may come from stories about us that have been 　3　 for many years—often from 　4　 childhood. These stories may have no 　5　 in fact. But they can set low expectations for us. As a child, my mother said to me, “Marshall, you have no mechanical (操作机械的) skills, and you will never have any mechanical skills for the rest of your life.” How did these expectations　 6　 my development? I was never 　7　 to work on cars or be around　 8　 . When I was 18, I took the US Army’s Mechanical Aptitude Test. My scores were in the bottom for the entire nation!

Six years later,　 9　 , I was at California University, working on my doctors degree. One of my professors, Dr. Bob Tannbaum, asked me to write down things I did well and things I couldn’t do. On the positive side, I　 10　 down, “research, writing, analysis, and speaking.” On the　 11　 side, I wrote, “I have no mechanical skills.”

Bob asked me how I knew I had no mechanical skills. I explained my life 　12 and told him about my 　13　 performance on the Army test. Bob then asked, “　 14　 is it that you can solve 　 15　 mathematical problems, but you can’t solve simple mechanical problems?”

Suddenly I realized that I didn’t 　16　 from some sort of genetic defect. I was just living out expectations that I had chosen to 　17　 . At that point, it wasn’t just my family and friends who had been　 18　 my belief that I was mechanically hopeless. And it wasn’t just the Army test, either. I was the one who kept telling myself, “You can’t do this!” I realized that as long as I kept saying that, it was going to remain true. 　19　 , if we don’t treat ourselves as if we have incurable genetic defects, we can do well in almost 　20　 we choose.

1. A. away 　　　　　 B. off 　　　　　　　 C. up 　　　　　　　　　 D. down

2. A. them 　　　　 B. myself 　　　　　 C. yourself 　　　　 D. others

3. A. said 　　　　　 B. spoken 　　　　　 C. spread 　　　　　 D. repeated

4. A. as long as 　 B. as far back as 　 C. as well as 　　　 D. as much as

5. A. basis 　　　　 B. plot 　　　　　　　 C. cause 　　　　　　　　　　 D. meaning

6. A. lead 　　　　　 B. improve　　　　　　 C. affect 　　　　　 D. change

7. A. encouraged B. demanded 　　 C. hoped 　　　　　 D. agreed

8. A. means 　　　 B. tools 　　　　　　 C. facilities 　　　　 D. hammers

9. A. therefore 　 B. somehow 　　　 C. instead 　　　　　 D. however

10. A. settled 　　 B. turned 　　　　　 C. took 　　　　　　　　　　 D. got

11. A. passive 　　　 B. active 　　　　　 C. negative 　　　　　 D. subjective

12. A. experiences 　　　 B. trips 　　　　　　　　　　 C. roads 　　　　　　 D. paths

13. A. unexpected B. poor 　　　　　　 C. excellent 　　　 D. average

14. A. When 　　　 B. What 　　　　　　 C. How 　　　　　　　 D. Why

15. A. complex 　 B. advanced　　　　　 C. common 　　　　 D. primary

16. A. arise 　　　　 B. separate　　　　　　 C. suffer 　　　　　 D. come

17. A. believe 　　 B. suspect 　　　　 C. adopt 　　　　　　 D. receive

18. A. weakening B. strengthening 　 C. abandoning 　 D. accepting

19. A. As a result 　　　 B. At the same time C. In addition 　　 D. On the contrary

20. A. anything 　　 B. something 　　 C. nothing 　　　　 D. all

阅读下面短文，从短文后所给各题的四个选项（A、B、C、D）中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。

Don’t Take the Fun Out of Youth Sports

When I joined a private football league a few years ago, the sport meant everything to me. My coach said that I had lots of potential, and I became captain of my  1  . That was before all the fun was taken out of   2  .

At first, everyone on the team got   3   playing time. Then the team moved up to the top division after winning all its games, and the   4  started. Some parents, who had paid the coach extra so their daughters could have   5  one on one training, got angry when she didn’t give them more playing time in our   6  . The coach was replaced.

The new coach, however, took all the fun out of the game: All we did during practice was 7  . I always wished to God that it would rain so we would not have the   8  .Of course, all teams run drills; they are  9  . But we ran so much that, afterwards, we had trouble   10  . Younger people shouldn’t be doing exercises   11  for 18-year-olds.

I was very thin   12  I started football, but as a member of this team I wouldn’t eat much, because I was afraid of being too  13  to run. I feared making mistakes, and the added pressure caused me to make more than my usual  14  .

Is all this pressure necessary? I  15   up leaving the football team. Four other girls did the same, and two of them stopped playing football completely. That’s  16  , because they had so much potential. They were just burned out with all the pressure they   17  from the coach or their parents.

I continued playing football at school and   18  my love for it. I joined a private team coached by my school coach. When I started playing   19  him, he told me I needed to relax because I looked nervous. After I   20  down, I played better. When you enjoy something, it’s a lot easier to do it well.

1.A.class　　　　　　　　　　  B.club　　　　　　　　   C.team　　　　　　　　  D.board

2.A.playing　　　　　　　　   B.living　　　　　　　　  C.learning　　　　　　  D.working

3.A.great　　　　　　　　　　  B.equal　　　　　　　　  C.right　　　　　　　　  D.extra

4.A.business　　　　　　　　 B.struggle　　　　　　  C.attempt　　　　　　　　　　 D.pressure

5.A.free　　　　　　　　　　    B.private　　　　　　    C.good　　　　　　　　  D.basic

6.A.matches　　　　　　　　 B.courses　　　　　　　　　　 C.lessons　　　　　　   D.programs

7.A.jump　　　　　　　　　　  B.play　　　　　　　　   C.run　　　　　　　　    D.shoot

8.A.duty　　　　　　　　　　   B.meeting　　　　　　  C.operation　　　　    D.training

9.A.necessary　　　　　　   B.boring &n
?

bsp;　　　　　　  C.scientific　　　　    D.practical

10.A.speaking　　　　　　   B.moving　　　　　　   C.sleeping　　　　　　  D.breathing

11.A.used　　　　　　　　　　 B.intended　　　　　　 C.made　　　　　　　　 D.described

12.A.till　　　　　　　　　　    B.since　　　　　　　　  C.before　　　　　　    D.because

13.A.full　　　　　　　　　　   B.tired　　　　　　　　   C.lazy　　　　　　　　   D.big

14.A.size　　　　　　　　　　  B.share　　　　　　　　  C.space　　　　　　　　 D.state

15.A.gave　　　　　　　　　　 B.kept　　　　　　　　   C.ended　　　　　　　　 D.picked

16.A.sad　　　　　　　　　　   B.shameful　　　　    C.silly　　　　　　　　   D.serious

17.A.received　　　　　　    B.suffered　　　　　　 C.brought　　　　　　  D.felt

18.A.reconsidered　　　　 B.rediscovered　　   C.re-formed　　　　   D.replaced

19.A.at　　　　　　　　　　　　 B.by　　　　　　　　　　  C.for　　　　　　　　　　 D.around

20.A.fell　　　　　　　　　　   B.stepped　　　　　　　　　　 C.slowed　　　　　　   D.calmed

　　For years scientists have been worried about the effects of air pollution on the earth’s natural conditions. Some believe the air inside many houses may be more dangerous than the air outside. It may be one hundred times worse.

　　Indoor air pollution can cause a person to feel tired, to suffer eye-pain, headache and other problems. Some pollutants（ 污染 物） can cause breathing disorders, diseases of blood and even cancer, Most scientists agree that every modern house has some kind of indoor pollution. People began to notice the problem in the early 1970s. It is that when builders began making houses and offices they did not waste energy. To do this they built buildings that limited the flow of air between inside and outside. They also began using manmade building materials. These materials are now known to let out harmful gases. As the problem became more serious, scientists began searching for a way to deal with it. They discovered a natural pollution control system for building— green plants. Scientists do not really know how plants control air pollution. They believe that a plant’s leaves absorb or take in the pollutants. In exchange the plant lets out oxygen through its leaves and through its tiny organizations on its roots. Scientists suggest that all buildings should have one large plant or several small plants inside for every nine square metres of space. Studies of different plants show that each absorbs different chemicals. So the most effective way to clean the air is to use different kinds of plants. Having green plants inside your house can make it a prettier and more healthy place.

　　Generally speaking, indoor air pollution may be more harmful than the air outside because ________.

　　A. the man - made building materials let out dangerous gases inside houses

　　B. there may be more harmful gases outside houses

　　C. the flow of air indoors is limited

　　D. indoor air pollution can make a person seriously ill

　　The most effective way to clean the air is to use different kinds of plants because________.

　　A. they may let out more oxygen which people need

　　B. they can absorb different kinds of the harmful indoor chemicals

　　C. they can take in all kinds of indoor pollutants

        D. they can make your house prettier and more healthy