When I came to Cincinnati as an au pair (家庭打工留学生)，a lot of things there were different from what I knew.My host family lived in a huge house I could only describe as a  “castle”．In Germany I had lived in a small apartment together with my mom.Soon I found out that the “castle” was actually rather small in our neighborhood.

Everybody there was very friendly and polite.They greeted youwhen they were walking by at least 3 feet away from you.They must not have seen a German au pair before，for most people I met asked me all kinds of questions about Germany.I enjoyed answering their various strange questions.I made a lot of friends and I started to hang out with them.

Of course，there were a number of new things，and it took me the whole year to find them all out.I never got homesick.Perhaps it was because I did not have too many negative (负面的) experiences and felt loved and welcomed there.

However，I had undergone some painful experience back in Germany.I was frustrated by the way people would run me over and not even say “Sorry.” Taking up my studies at the TU­Dresden I felt lonely.Everybody here seemed to be withdrawn  (离群的)  and I missed everything I had in Cincinnati.Germany was so “cold”．I found it so much harder to make new friends.After six months I got a roommate and only two good friends.I also flew back to Cincinnati several times for long periods.I felt that without those visits I was not able to make it.

Now I am over this German culture shock.It almost took me an entire year.I am still going back and forward between Dresden and Cincinnati four times a year.

56．In the opinion of the author，life in Cincinnati was________.

A．wonderful                                          B．hard   

C．painful                                              D．strange

57．The underlined word “undergone” in Paragraph 4 probably means________.

A．welcomed                                        B．accepted 

C．expected                                         D．suffered

58．Which of the following statements is TRUE about the author?

A．She lived with her mother in a big house in Germany.

B．She never went back to Cincinnati after she came back to Germany.

C．She seldom hung out with her American friends as she was too busy.

D．She did miss her friends in Cincinnati when she was at the TU­Dresden.

59．What is the best title for this passage?

A．University life in Germany                     B．My culture shock experience

C．Advantages of living in USA                   D．How to be an au pair in USA

When I came to Cincinnati as an au pair (家庭打工留学生)，a lot of things there were different from what I knew.My host family lived in a huge house I could only describe as a  “castle”．In Germany I had lived in a small apartment together with my mom.Soon I found out that the “castle” was actually rather small in our neighborhood.

Everybody there was very friendly and polite.They greeted you    when they were walking by at least 3 feet away from you.They must not have seen a German au pair before，for most people I met asked me all kinds of questions about Germany.I enjoyed answering their various strange questions.I made a lot of friends and I started to hang out with them.

Of course，there were a numbor of new things，and it took me the whole year to find them all out.I never got homesick.Perhaps it was because I did not have too many negative (负面的) experiences and felt loved and welcomed there.

However，I had undergone some painful experience back in Germany.I was frustrated by the way people would run me over and not even say “Sorry.” Taking up my studies at the TU­Dresden I felt lonely.Everybody here seemed to be withdrawn  (离群的)  and I missed ewerything I had in Cincinnati.Germany was so “cold”．I found it so much harder to make new friends.After six months I got a roommate and only two good friends.I also flew back to Cincinnati several times for long periods.I felt that without those visits I was not able to make it.

Now I am over this German culture shock.It almost took me an entire year.I am still going back and forward between Dresden and Cincinnati four times a year.

46．In the opinion of the author，life in Cincinnati was________.

A．wonderful                                          B．hard   

C．painful                                              D．strange

47．The underlined word “undergone” in Paragraph 4 probably means________.

A．welcomed                                  B．accepted     

C．expected                                   D．suffered

48．Which of the following statements is TRUE about the author?

A．She lived with her mother in a big house in Germany.

B．She never went back to Cincinnati after she came back to Germany.

C．She seldom hung out with her American friends as she was too busy.

D．She did miss her friends in Cincinnati when she was at the TU­Dresden.

49．What is the best title for this passage?

A．University life in Germany

B．My culture shock experience

C．Advantages of living in USA

D．How to be an au pair in USA

    When I came to Cincinnati as an au pair (家庭打工留学生), a lot of things there were different from what I knew. My host family lived in a huge house I could only describe as a "castle"．In Germany I had lived in a small apartment together with my mom. Soon I found out that the "castle" was actually rather small in our neighborhood.

Everybody there was very friendly and polite. They greeted you when they were walking by at least 3 feet away from you. They must not have seen a German au pair before, for most people I met asked me all kinds of questions about Germany. I enjoyed answering their various strange questions. I made a lot of friends and I started to hang out with them.

    Of course, there were a number of new things, and it took me the whole year to find them all out. I never got homesick. Perhaps it was because I did not have too many negative experiences and felt loved and welcomed there.

However, I had undergone some painful experience back in Germany. I was frustrated by the way people would run me over and not even say "Sorry."  Taking up my studies at the TU-Dresden, I felt lonely. Everybody here seemed to be withdrawn(离群的) and I missed everything I had in Cincinnati. Germany was so "cold". I found it so much harder to make new friends. After six months I got a roommate and only two good friends. I also flew back to Cincinnati several times for long periods. I felt that without those visits I was not able to make it.

    Now I am over this German culture shock. It almost took me an entire year. I am still going back and forward between Dresden and Cincinnati four times a year.

51. When the author lived in Cincinnati, ________.

   A. she lived in a real castle

   B. some people were not very kind to her

   C. many people were curious about her motherland

   D. she lived in the biggest house in the neighborhood

52. In the opinion of the author, life in Cincinnati was________.

   A. wonderful          B. hard                  C. painful                     D. strange

53. The underlined word "undergone" in Paragraph 4 probably means________

   A. welcomed          B. accepted            C. expected           D. suffered

54. Which of the following statements is TRUE about the author?

   A. She lived with her mother in a big house in Germany.

   B. She never went back to Cincinnati after she came back to Germany.

   C. She seldom hung out with her American friends as she was too busy.

   D. She did miss her friends in Cincinnati when she was at the TU-Dresden.

55. What is the best title for this passage?

   A. University life in Germany                 B. My culture shock experience

   C. Advantages of living in USA              D. How to be an au pair in USA

DEAR AMY: Last year I got a full-time job as a baby-sitter for a wonderful family with two amazing kids. They have come to treat me as one of their own. But my boyfriend and I are attempting to save much more money for the life we want to build, including marriage, a house and kids. Much as I love my “babies,” I’m looking forward to beginning a challenging career in a big company. Should I tell the family that I am looking for a new job? I don’t want to find one that requires me to begin work immediately, leaving them without child care, but I also don’t want them to assume that I’m leaving right away.              

Up-in-the-Air Au Pair

DEAR AU PAIR: Whatever your arrangement, it is reasonable for them to expect you to be honest and to keep them in the loop. They see that you are making changes in your life, and surely they will also understand your desire to advance in a career. Tell them frankly and they should be happy to employ you as long as you are available.

                                                           Amy

DEAR AMY: I am a freshman in a high school. Last summer my best friend was diagnosed with skin cancer. It isn’t very serious, but she seems to be becoming more and more depressed. How can I help her be happy again?

                                                           Best Friend

DEAR FRIEND: Your best role is to prop up and encourage your friend when she seems down, and to be supportive and kind to her. You're doing a great job with that, and your friend is lucky to have you in her life.

                                                           Amy

1.What is Au Pair’s problem according to the first paragraph?

A. She has no idea whether to tell the family her plan or not.

B. She has no idea whether the family will hate her or not.

C. She has no idea where to find a new good job.

D. She has no idea how to save more money.

2.From the underlined phrase“ to keep them in the loop”, we can infer that Amy advises Au Pair_____.

A. to keep it secret to the family

B. to cheat the family for the time being

C. to tell her true impression of the family

D. to let the family know what’s going on

3. In which column of a newspaper can we probably find the passage?

A. Jobs             B. culture          C. Life             D. Entertainment

A major earthquake rocked Haiti at 4:53 pm local time on Jan.12, 2010, killing possibly thousands of people but no official figure has been released so far.

The quake, which struck about 15km (10 miles) south-west of the capital, Port-au-Prince, was quickly followed by two strong aftershocks. In the space of a minute, numerous buildings fell down. A five-story U.N. building was also brought down by the 7.3 magnitude quake, the most powerful to hit Haiti in more than 200 years according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

As night fell, the whole city is in total darkness. You can see thousands of people sitting in the streets with nowhere to go. There are people running, crying, screaming. Describing the earthquake as a "catastrophe", Haiti’s president said the cost of the damage could run into billions.

Haiti became the first independent Caribbean state in the early 19th century. Haiti's location, history and attracting climate once made it a tourist hot place. However, decades of poverty, environmental pollution and violence have left it as the poorest nation in the Americas. It has suffered a lot, including four hurricanes and storms in 2008 that killed hundreds.

The great earthquake happened to the _______ of the capital city.

   A. south-west          B. north-west           C. south-east     D. north-east

What can we infer from the underlined sentence?

A. People in Port-au-Prince don’t like to light on.

B. The earthquake happened in the evening.

C. Electricity in the city was cut off that night.

D. There are no lights at all in Port-au-Prince.

What’s the meaning of the word in bald “catastrophe”?

A. chance.         B. joke.                   C. illness.                D. disaster.

Which statement about Haiti is NOT true?

A. Haiti became an independent state in the early 19th century.

B. Haiti belongs to Americas, just like Canada, America and so on.

C. At one time, tourism was important to the economy of Haiti.

D. Haiti is a country where such strong quacks often take place.