It’s nearly noon on a Saturday and you can’t believe it: your teenager is still in bed, sleeping away. But before you wake him up---mumbling to yourself that you can’t believe what a lazybones he is---you should know that he probably needs all the zzzs he can get.

As much as nine hours of sleep a night, in fact. Furthermore, teens’ circadian rhythms (i.e., processes that occur once a day) mean that young people would rather stay up past midnight and rise after 9 a.m. The result? Many teens stay up late, drag themselves out of bed early for school and try to make up the sleep debt on the weekends---or in class!

“There’s a biological reason why teens stay up late and want to sleep late,” says Dr. Stan Kutcher, the Sun Life Chair of Adolescent Mental Health at Dalhousie University in Halifax. “Their natural sleep-wake cycle changes as part of the maturation process. And because of changes in their social activities, recovering from sleep debt is more problematic.”

Teens need extra sleep for several reasons. First, their brains are changing. “The brain is reorganizing itself, laying down new pathways. What we’re seeing is a relationship between brain redevelopment and an increased need for sleep,” says Kutcher. As well, growth hormones are released during sleep, so adequate sleep is crucial for adolescents’ physical development. In addition, everything adolescents have learned in school that day is being processed and locked into long-term memory during sleep. Sufficient sleep also plays a key role in overall physical health. The immune system, for example, needs deep sleep to become and remain robust(healthy).

Staying up late on school nights means that, on average, teens get between six and a half and seven hours of sleep a night---about two hours less than they need. As a result, many either doze off in class or have trouble concentrating. Some of the behavioural problems and irritability in teens can be linked directly to sleep deprivation(损失), Kutcher says.

Then there’s the breakfast issue. Dr. Carlyle Smith, a sleep researcher and a psychology professor at Trent University in Peterborough, Ont., adds that many teens simply cannot tolerate food when they first wake up, so skipping breakfast becomes another factor in reduced alertness in class. The most obvious solution to the teen sleep problem is to have school start later in the day, but initiatives(积极性) toward this across the country have gone nowhere, Smith says, mainly because of costs and resistance from school boards and teachers.

So for now, just sympathize with your teens. Encourage them to go to bed, if not early, then at least at a regular time, so they won’t develop insomnia from erratic(不稳定的) schedules. Warn them not to have too many caffeinated drinks before bed. And don’t let sleeping away the weekend become an issue to fight over. Schedule family activities to take place later in the day on weekends and let them sleep in. “If you want your kids to grow and remember stuff, let them sleep,” says Smith. “It’s not laziness. Their brains are working really, really hard.”

1.The word “zzzs” (Paragraph 1) most probably means __________.

A．food             B．sleep             C．energy           D．blame

2.What causes teenagers to be less sleepy late at night and more sleepy early in the morning?

A．Caffeinated drinks.

B．Too much family activities.

C．Circadian rhythms.

D．Too much homework.

3.How many reason why teens need extra sleep are mentioned in Paragraph 4?

A．Three.            B．Four.             C．Five.             D．Six.

4.One of the reasons why many teenagers fail to have better performances in class is that __________.

A．teenagers go to bed early and sleep late

B．teenagers stay up late and get up late

C．teenagers participate in too many social activities at night

D．teenagers skip breakfast because of sleeping in

5.The author wrote this article to __________.

A．advise parents to let sleeping teenagers lie

B．explain why teenagers often sleep late

C．state schools should start late in the day

D．warn teenagers not to drink coffee before bed

For years I wanted a flower garden. I’d spend hours thinking of different things I could plant that would look nice together.

But then we had Matthew. And Marvin. And the twins, Alisa and Alan. And then Helen. Five children. I was too busy raising them to grow a garden.

Money was tight, as well as time. Often when my children were little, one of them would want something that cost too much, and I'd have to say, “Do you see a money tree outside? Money doesn't grow on trees, you know.”

Finally, all five got through high school and college and were off on their own. I started thinking again about having a garden.

I wasn't sure, though. I mean, gardens do cost money, and after all these years I was used to living on a pretty lean, no-frills budget.

Then, one spring morning, on Mother's Day, I was working in my kitchen. Suddenly, I realized that cars were tooting their horns as they drove by. I looked out the window and there was a new tree, planted right in my yard. I thought it must be a weeping willow, because I saw things blowing around on all its branches. Then I put my glasses on — and I couldn't believe what I saw. There was a money tree in my yard!

I went outside to look. It was true! There were dollar bills, one hundred of them, taped all over that tree. Think of all the garden flowers I could buy with one hundred dollars! There was also a note attached: “IOU eight hours of digging time. Love, Marvin.”

Marvin kept his promise, too. He dug up a nice ten-by-fifteen foot bed for me. And my other children bought me tools, ornaments, a trellis (棚架), a sunflower stepping stone and gardening books.

That was three years ago. My garden's now very pretty, just like I wanted. When I go out and weed or tend my flowers, I don't seem to miss my children as much as I once did. It feels like they're right there with me.

I live up in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, where winters are long and cold, and summers are too short. But every year now, when winter sets in, I look out my window and think of the flowers I'll see next spring in my little garden. I think about what my children did for me, and I get tears in my eyes — every time.

I'm still not sure that money grows on trees. But I know love does!

1．By saying “Do you see a money tree outside .….,” the mother actually means “_______”

         A．Observation is the best teacher.                 B．Seeing is believing.

         C．The outsider sees the most of the game.       D．It is not easy to gain money

2．The best title for the passage would probably be_______.

        A．My flower garden          B．Marvin helps to realize my dream

         C．Love in Michigan          D．Money grows on trees

3．The underlined word “no - frills” in the fifth paragraph is similar in meaning to_______.

         A．wasteful         B．tight             C．absurd            D．helpful

4．From the last two paragraphs we can infer that the mother is_______

         A．divorced when she was young 

B．not caring for her kids any longer

         C．alone but not at all lonely

D．prouder with her garden than with her kids.  

One of the most exciting and attractive fields of work today is the fashion industry. Some of the most well-known people in this industry are the fashion designers with unbelievable financial (金融的) Kingdoms. But most of the clothes that you wear have been designed by people that the world has never heard of. Although these unknown fashion designers will never make a very large amount of money as their famous workmates, most still would not think of changing their careers. They are doing what they love.

If you spend hours looking through fashion magazines and like making your own clothes, a career as a fashion designer might be right for you. You do not have to go to design school to become a fashion designer, but many people who want a career in this field do. One of the most famous places to study is the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. It is located in the heart of the “garment” district on Eighth Avenue, also known as Fashion Avenue.

Becoming a fashion designer is not just a matter of classroom education. Students know that they cannot just leave school and start designing on their own. Many think that they need at least four years’ experience working for someone else after they graduate. The best schools encourage students to work closely with the fashion industry while they are still studying.

You need ambition (抱负) and hard work to get a career in fashion. Students often work 12 hours a day. They are encouraged to have realistic ambitions and not to expect success overnight, if ever. Success means finding a job in the fashion industry and more years of hard work.

1.What can we learn from the first paragraph?

A. Some famous fashion designers can make a lot of money.

B. Most of the clothes are designed by famous designers.

C. Most fashion designers don’t like their own jobs.

D. Unknown fashion designers can earn a large amount of money.

2.In order to have a career in fashion design, one had better ___________.

A. look through magazines

       B. go to New York City

       C. study in a design school

       D. graduate from high school

3.The following can lead to the success of a fashion designer EXCEPT___________.

       A. working with the fashion industry               B. realistic ambitions   

C. hard work                                                       D. expectation of success overnight

4.Which of the following old sayings shows the writer’s opinion about learning fashion design?

A. Better late than never.

B. Experience is the best teacher.

C. Well begun is half done.

D. Seeing is believing.

5.What can be inferred from the passage?

       A. To be a fashion designer, design school education is a must.

       B. All famous design schools are located in New York City.

       C. Design school students had better do some practice while studying.

       D. All students have to work with famous designers first.

When I was growing up, I had an old neighbor named Dr. Gibbs. He didn’t look like any doctor I’d ever known. He never yelled at us for playing in his yard. I remember him as someone who was a lot nicer than most of the adults in our community.

When Dr. Gibbs wasn’t saving lives, he was planting trees. His house sat on ten acres, and his life’s goal was to make it a forest.

The good doctor had some interesting theories concerning plant care and growth. He never watered his new trees, which flew in the face of conventional wisdom. Once I asked why. He said that watering plants spoiled them so that each successive tree generation would grow weaker and weaker. So you have to make things rough for them and weed out(淘汰) the weaker trees early on. He talked about how watering trees made for shallow roots, and how trees that weren’t watered had to grow deep roots in search of moisture. I took him to mean that deep roots were to be treasured.

So he never watered his trees. He planted an oak and, instead of watering it every morning, he beat it with a rolled-up newspaper. Smack! Slap! Pow! I asked him why he did that, and he said it was to get the tree’s attention.

Dr. Gibbs passed away a couple of years after I left home. Every now and again, I walked by his house and looked at the trees that I’d watched him plant some twenty-five years ago. They’re extremely tall, big and robust since they have deep roots now. However, the trees in my garden trembled in a cold wind although I had watered them for several years.

It seems that adversity(逆境) and suffering benefit these trees in ways comfort and ease never could. I stood there deep in thought.

Every night before I go to bed, I check on my two sons. I stand over them and watch their little bodies, the rising and falling of life within. I often pray for them. Mostly I pray that their lives will be easy. But I think that it’s time to change my prayer(祷词) because now I know my children are going to encounter hardship.

1.According to Dr. Gibbs’ theories, trees will become weaker if they _________.

A. are lack of care　　　　　B. are watered      C. are weeded out　　　　　D. are beaten

2.According to Para.3 and Para.4, we can infer that Dr. Gibbs’ motto(座右铭) may be       .

A. “Seeing is believing”                                    B. “Put everything in proper use”

C. “Practice makes perfect”                               D. “No pain, no gain”

3.The underlined word robust in Para.5 most probably means _________.

A. strong　　                      B. strange　　       C. deep　　                        D. old

4.Which of the following may be the author’s best prayer for his two sons now?

A. I wish them strong wings, with which they can fly higher and touch the sky.

B. I wish them nice fortune so that they can meet people like Dr. Gibbs in the future.

C. I wish them deep roots into the earth since the rains fall and the winds blow often.

D. I wish them great shades under the tree since the sunlight is always sharp and bitter.

5.Which of the following can be the best title of this passage?

A.     A Nice Doctor  B. The Deep Roots  C. Adversity and Suffering  D. My Childhood Memory

For years I wanted a flower garden. I spent hours and days thinking of different things I could plant that would look nice together.

    But then we had Matthew. And Marvin. And the twins, Alisa and Alan. And then Helen. Five children. I was too busy raising them to grow a garden.

    Money was tight, as well as time. Often when my children were little, one of them would want something that cost too much, and I’d have to say, “Do you see a money tree outside? Money doesn’t grow on trees, you know.”

    Finally, all five children got through high school and college and were off on their own. I started thinking again about having a garden.

I wasn’t sure, though. I mean, gardens do cost money, and after all these years I was used to living on a pretty poor, no-frills budget (预算).

Then, one spring morning, on Mother’s day, I was working in my kitchen. Suddenly, I realized that cars were tooting their horns as they drove by. I looked out of the window and there was a new tree, planted right in my yard. I thought it must be a weeping willow, because I saw things blowing around on all its branches. Then I put my glasses on—and I couldn’t believe what I saw. There was a money tree in my yard!

I went outside to look. It was true! There were dollar bills, one hundred of them, tied all over the tree. Think of all the garden flowers I could buy with one hundred dollars! There was also a note attached: “IOU eight hours of digging time. Love, Marvin.”

Marvin kept his promise, too. He dug up a nice ten-by-fifteen foot bed for me. And my other children bought me tools, a trellis (绷架), a sunflower stepping stone and gardening books.

That was three years ago. My garden’s now very pretty, just like what I wanted. When I go out to weed or tend my flowers, I don’t seem to miss my children as much as I once did. It feels like they are right there with me.

I live up in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, where winters are long and cold, and summers are too short. But every year now, when winter sets in, I look out of my window and think of the flowers I’ll see next spring in my little garden. I think about what my children did for me, and I get tears in my eyes---every time.

I’m still not sure that money grows on trees. But I know love does.

1.By saying “Do you see a money tree outside?”, the mother actually means _____.

  A. Observation is the best teacher            B. Seeing is believing

  C. The outsider sees the most of the game     D. It is not easy to gain money

2.The underlined word “no-frills” in the fifth paragraph is similar in meaning to _____.

  A. wasteful       B. tight        C. deserted     D. helpful

3.From the last two paragraphs we can infer that the mother is _____.

A. divorced when she was young          B. not caring for her kids any longer

C. alone but not at all lonely          D. prouder with her garden than with her kids

4.The best title for the passage would probably be _____.

  A. My flower garden                       B. Marvin helps to realize my dream

  C. Love in Michigan                       D. Money grows on trees