Glynis Davis:

    I first piled on the pounds when I was pregnant(怀孕) and I couldn’t lose them afterwards. Then I joined a slimming club. My target was 10 stone and I lost 2 stone 2lbs in six months. I felt great and people kept saying how good I looked. But Christmas came and I started to slip back into my old eating habits. I told myself I'd lose the weight at slimming classes in the new year... but it didn't happen. Instead of losing the pounds, I put them on. I'd lost the willpower and tried to convince myself that the odd bag of crisps didn't make any difference - but the scales don't lie.

Roz Juma:

To be honest, I never weigh myself any more - I've learned to be happy with myself. It seemed ridiculous to feel guilty about every spoonful of tasty food that passed my lips. My philosophy is simple: You shouldn't be thinking too much about food and dieting. Instead, you should get on with life and stop dreaming about a super-thin body. This is obviously the size I'm meant to be and, most of all, I'm happy with it.

Lesley Godwin:

I was very happy after winning Young Slimmer of the Year. I'd look in the mirror unable to believe this slim creature was me. That might have been my problem - perhaps I didn't relate to my reflection any more. Winning a national competition makes everything worse, though, because you feel the eyes of the world are on you. I feel a failure because I've put on weight again... I find it shameful and embarrassing.

Julia Minifie:

I'm a compulsive eater. I can't control my urges and I really love cakes. When I'm slim I feel like a million dollars - and when I'm not I get very depressed. Over the years I'd tried and failed with just about every diet. I was determined I'd never put the weight back on, but at some stage along the line I lost my resolution, and it started to creep on again... Certainly I will face the same problem in the future.

Ros Langford:

Before moving in with my husband Gavin, I'd always been about 8 stone, but the joy to be a housewife went straight to my to my waist and I put on 2 stone in a year. Every so often I try to go on a diet... I'm really good for a few days, then end up eating the children's leftovers or gorging on chocolate - my weakness. I'd like to be slim, but right now my priorities are the children and home. I may be more motivated when the kids are older.

1．What do you think the five women are all talking about?

  A．Different diets they prefer.

  B．Their different ways to keep themselves slim.

  C．Their own slimming matter.

  D．Their same attitude towards keeping slim.

2．What does the underlined sentence in paragraph 3 “I didn’t relate to my reflection any more.” Mean?

  A．I didn’t imagine myself to be such a slim creature.

  B．I didn’t look in the mirror any more.

  C．I didn’t ever keep myself slim.

  D．I didn’t pay any attention to my figure from then on.

3．Which of the following best described each of the five women’s attitudes toward slimming?

      A．1-b; 2-c; 3-f; 4-a; 5-d                       B．1-b; 2-e; 3-d; 4-f; 5-a

    C．1-b; 2-e; 3-c; 4-f; 5-a                        D．1-b; 2-f; 3-c; 4-d; 5-e

4．Where are these short passages most likely to be taken from?

  A．Talks on the air.                                   B．Magazines for children.

       C．Advertisements on the wall.                  D．News on TV.

Though I have traveled in hundreds of trains, few unusual things have ever happened to me. But one day in a train something did happen. I do not mean that I was hurt: no one was hurt.
I do my work in a hot country far away from England. Every September I go there to do my business, and every July I come back to England to have a rest. So every September I go to Paris and take a train from the great French city to Mendova, and at Mendova I catch my ship.
There is one very fast train from Paris to Mendova, and it suits me well. It goes as far as Endoran, but it stops at Mendova for a few minutes to let travelers get out or in. It is called The Flying Bluebird. It reaches Mendova at seven minutes past nine in the morning, and it is never late.
A ship leaves Mendova at half past eleven, and so you will understand that The Flying Bluebird suits me very well. I always travel by it, and I have nearly two and a half hours at Mendova to go from the station to the ship. That is more than enough time.
Well, one September night, I took my place in The Flying Bluebird as usual. The train leaves Paris at nine o’clock every night, and I was in my place soon after half past eight. There were three or four people there with me, but very soon a lot of others got into the train. When no more people could sit down, they began to stand up near us and also in the corridor（走廊）. In a short time the corridor was full too, and it was impossible for any more travelers to get into the train.
I could see a lot of other people outside the corridor windows, but they could not get in, and the train left Paris without them. The man sitting next to me started to ask all kinds of questions: “Where do you work? How long does it take you to get there? Are you married? How many children do you have? How much money do they pay you every year? How much do you have in the bank? How much do you spend every month?”
He asked questions for about twenty minutes but I did not give him any clear answers, and at last he stopped and began to read the paper.
I usually sleep quite well in the train, but this time I slept only a little. There were too many people, and there were too many things: small bags, large bags, coats, hats, boxes, newspapers and food. As usual, we got angry about the window. Most people wanted it shut, and two of us wanted it open. But that always happens. It was shut all night, as usual.
When I awoke in the early morning I felt hot and dirty, and glad that the journey was reaching its end. At seven minutes past nine The Flying Bluebird stopped. We were at Mendova, and I stood up thankfully. I took my two suitcases, held one in each hand, and tried to move towards the door into the corridor. In order to get out of the train, I had to pass down the corridor to the door at the far end. There was no other way out.
I could not even into the corridor. There was a suitcase on the floor by my feet, and three men were standing in my way. I felt a touch of fear. I had to get out, you see; I had to catch my ship, which left at half past eleven. And the train did not stop again until it reached Endoran, two hundred miles away.
“I must get out!” I cried. Everyone there understood me, but no one could move.
At last I was able to put one foot over the suitcase on the floor, and I nearly reached the door into the corridor. But then, very slowly, the train began to move. It was taking me away!
“Stop!” I cried. “I want to get out!” But no one outside the train could hear me, and the people inside did not care much. The train moved a little faster. What could I do? I was not even in the corridor.
Fear made me think quickly. In front of my eyes, just, above the door, was a notice that told everyone how to stop the train. I had to pull an iron thing near the notice. I did not waste time. I pulled it.
Well, a noise started above our heads. That was to show everyone that there was something wrong. It was not a small sound. Possibly the men in my ship two miles away could hear it. Then the train stopped.
No one likes to stop a train if there is no need. But I had to catch my ship. That was the only thought in my mind: to get out and catch my ship.
【小题1】The purpose of the author writing the first paragraph is to __________.

Though I have traveled in hundreds of trains, few unusual things have ever happened to me. But one day in a train something did happen. I do not mean that I was hurt: no one was hurt.
I do my work in a hot country far away from England. Every September I go there to do my business, and every July I come back to England to have a rest. So every September I go to Paris and take a train from the great French city to Mendova, and at Mendova I catch my ship.
There is one very fast train from Paris to Mendova, and it suits me well. It goes as far as Endoran, but it stops at Mendova for a few minutes to let travelers get out or in. It is called The Flying Bluebird. It reaches Mendova at seven minutes past nine in the morning, and it is never late.
A ship leaves Mendova at half past eleven, and so you will understand that The Flying Bluebird suits me very well. I always travel by it, and I have nearly two and a half hours at Mendova to go from the station to the ship. That is more than enough time.
Well, one September night, I took my place in The Flying Bluebird as usual. The train leaves Paris at nine o’clock every night, and I was in my place soon after half past eight. There were three or four people there with me, but very soon a lot of others got into the train. When no more people could sit down, they began to stand up near us and also in the corridor（走廊）. In a short time the corridor was full too, and it was impossible for any more travelers to get into the train.
I could see a lot of other people outside the corridor windows, but they could not get in, and the train left Paris without them. The man sitting next to me started to ask all kinds of questions: “Where do you work? How long does it take you to get there? Are you married? How many children do you have? How much money do they pay you every year? How much do you have in the bank? How much do you spend every month?”
He asked questions for about twenty minutes but I did not give him any clear answers, and at last he stopped and began to read the paper.
I usually sleep quite well in the train, but this time I slept only a little. There were too many people, and there were too many things: small bags, large bags, coats, hats, boxes, newspapers and food. As usual, we got angry about the window. Most people wanted it shut, and two of us wanted it open. But that always happens. It was shut all night, as usual.
When I awoke in the early morning I felt hot and dirty, and glad that the journey was reaching its end. At seven minutes past nine The Flying Bluebird stopped. We were at Mendova, and I stood up thankfully. I took my two suitcases, held one in each hand, and tried to move towards the door into the corridor. In order to get out of the train, I had to pass down the corridor to the door at the far end. There was no other way out.
I could not even into the corridor. There was a suitcase on the floor by my feet, and three men were standing in my way. I felt a touch of fear. I had to get out, you see; I had to catch my ship, which left at half past eleven. And the train did not stop again until it reached Endoran, two hundred miles away.
“I must get out!” I cried. Everyone there understood me, but no one could move.
At last I was able to put one foot over the suitcase on the floor, and I nearly reached the door into the corridor. But then, very slowly, the train began to move. It was taking me away!
“Stop!” I cried. “I want to get out!” But no one outside the train could hear me, and the people inside did not care much. The train moved a little faster. What could I do? I was not even in the corridor.
Fear made me think quickly. In front of my eyes, just, above the door, was a notice that told everyone how to stop the train. I had to pull an iron thing near the notice. I did not waste time. I pulled it.
Well, a noise started above our heads. That was to show everyone that there was something wrong. It was not a small sound. Possibly the men in my ship two miles away could hear it. Then the train stopped.
No one likes to stop a train if there is no need. But I had to catch my ship. That was the only thought in my mind: to get out and catch my ship.

1. 1.

   The purpose of the author writing the first paragraph is to __________.

   1. A.
      answer some questions
   2. B.
      express some unusual feelings
   3. C.
      arouse the readers’ curiosity
   4. D.
      give some advice in advance
2. 2.

   What do we know about the author and the man sitting next to him?

   1. A.
      They talked with each other all night
   2. B.
      They got angry about the window
   3. C.
      The author didn’t understand the man’s words
   4. D.
      The author didn’t like the man’s foolish questions
3. 3.

   On this journey on The Flying Bluebird, the author felt uncomfortable because ___________.

   1. A.
      he couldn’t find a seat by the window
   2. B.
      he was angry with the man sitting next to him
   3. C.
      there were too many people on the train
   4. D.
      the window was kept shut all night
4. 4.

   It can be learned from Para. 10 that the author was afraid that ____________.

   1. A.
      he would have to spend another sleepless night on the train
   2. B.
      he would miss the ship that went where he worked
   3. C.
      more people might crowd into the train
   4. D.
      he would have to buy another ticket
5. 5.

   The noise in the underlined sentence “a noise started above our heads”（Para.15）was made by __________.

   1. A.
      the angry passengers shouting at the top of their voices
   2. B.
      the ship that was lying two miles away
   3. C.
      the falling of boxes and suitcases to the floor
   4. D.
      the train itself telling people that something was wrong
6. 6.

   What would be the best title for the text?

   1. A.
      A Bad Experience on the Train
   2. B.
      A Train that Is Never Late
   3. C.
      A Quick and Wise Decision
   4. D.
      A Journey to Mendova

Poetry is an interesting form of writing. It is very free, has few restrictions and can be a great way to express feelings. Writing a poem is all about observing the world within you or around you.

To write a poem, first you should begin with an idea or inspiration(灵感). Inspiration may come at any time unexpectedly. It may be a specific person, place or thing that causes some sort of strong emotion. It may be more of an abstract idea or release of emotion.

After getting the idea, you can write down everything that comes to mind. Don’t think much and let all feelings pour out. Remember everything can be thrown out later.

Then you can think about its form and begin to organize thoughts. Poetry comes in any forms, from epic (叙事的) poetry that has a story to dramatic poetry intended to be performed. Try them all out. One will come naturally. Maybe different poems fit different forms. When you write a poem, think about both meter (韵律) and rhythm carefully, which are equally important in poetry. Meter is the fixed pattern of the poem, while rhythm refers to the sound when it is spoken. It is also important to use a lot of descriptive words. Create imagery (意向) with words, trying to make them attractive to all the senses. For auditory (听觉的) interest, try repeating of similar sounds in a sentence or phrase. All of this adds life and interest to a poem.

After you finish your work, don’t be afraid to share your work with others. When others point out your weakness, accept and grow from it.

60. What does the underlined word “restriction” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?

   A. Change        B. Order        C. Limitation      D. Organization

61. When you begin to write a poem, you should first _____.

   A. begin with some specific persons   B. come up with ideas

   C. describe a famous place           D. organize your thoughts

62. We can infer from the text that_________.

   A. writing poems needs imagination and the ability to use language well            

B. people can get more ideas if they often share their poems with others

C. people should first learn to write epic poetry, then dramatic poetry         

D. people need to write down every feeling they want to release at a time

63. What’s the purpose of the text?

   A. To tell readers how to write a poem.

B. To encourage more people to write poems.

C. To show what quality a good poem should have.   

D. To teach people how to appreciate poems.