For a long time, a boy wondered why his next-desk-pal was always the first in the class, whereas he could only rank the 21st. At home, he asked his mom, “Am I more stupid than other kids? How come I always lag behind? I just can’t come up with an answer.” Mom was aware that her son’s self-respect had been damaged by the ranking system, but she didn’t know what to say to help.
　 She was tempted (想要) to say that intelligence differs and that yes, her son’s friend really was the smarter boy. But that would have so upset her son. Thank goodness she resisted the temptation to say it.

Her son and his friend went on to high school that year, but despite trying as hard as he could, her son’s friend still outdid him. But she was proud of her boy for his hard work, sincerely proud. It was around this time she decided to take him on a trip to the seaside. On the trip, she at last found an answer for him.
　 Today her son no longer cares about rankings. He doesn’t have to, for he himself is now the top of the class – at the top national university he attends. Invited to speak to his old high school, he mentioned a valuable childhood experience: “Once, on a trip to the sea, my mother and I were lying on the beach. She pointed to the sea and said to me: ‘Do you see the seabirds fighting for food out there? When a wave comes near, the little birds rise quickly. The “clumsy” seagulls (海鸥) are far less agile (灵活的) and have to struggle to get away from the wave. But these “clumsy” birds prove to have the biggest, strongest wings, which open the widest and allow the bird to travel the furthest. When the season changes, they leave for foreign shores, leaving the little birds behind. Son, I have a feeling that you are one of those seagulls.”

56. From the first paragraph, we could conclude the mother ______.
A. knew her son was not bright enough
B. saw the negative effects of the ranking system

C. decided to help with her son’s school work

D. was troubled by her son’s low rankings

57. The mom was glad she didn’t give an answer at first because ______.
　 A. she knew her son would forget his rankings soon
　 B. she felt intelligence doesn’t mean everything
　 C. she knew he was not strong enough for the truth
　 D. she wanted to avoid another blow to her son’s self-respect
58. The story conveys the message that ______.
　 a. only rankings show intelligence
　 b. hard work and confidence can lead to a change in rankings
　 c. parents should see children’s strengths and encourage them
　 d. competition between students is good for society
　 A. bc 　　　　　　 B. cd 　　　　　

C. abc 　　　　　 D. bcd
59. Which of the following would be the best title for the story?
　 A. How important are rankings?
　 B. Little birds and seagulls
　 C. The answer Mom gave
　 D. Hard work pays off!

Preparing for a medical emergency involving your pet is always best accomplished before the event takes place. This series is designed to help guide you through the important decisions about first aid, as well as how and when to transport your pet quickly and safely to a veterinary hospital or emergency ability．

VeterinaryPartner．com has provided this complete reference book online for you to skim through, expanding your knowledge of dog and cat first aid；however, we encourage you to buy the book to keep in your home or car as a quick reference during an emergency．

This book is an emergency preparedness ready-reference for dogs and cats．Wise preventive measures, intelligent use of first aid principles, coupled with recognition of abnormal symptoms and treatment of disorders, diseases, and problems, lead to effective health care．

A working knowledge of this information will help you get rid of some potentially dangerous circumstances and help you prepare for emergency situations．

It includes information on what to do and what not to do in specific emergency situations．The authors encourage careful reading and occasional rereading．We have tried to make this book easy to understand, avoiding technical terms as often as possible, but defining（下定义）them in context when they are necessary．

What does the underlined word “veterinary” in paragraph 1 mean?

A．Immediate    B．For animals    C．Urgent   D．For humans

Why are we advised to buy the book?

A．Because it's very cheap and may be useful to all the people．

B．Because it contains a working knowledge of information about dogs and cats．

C．Because it contains information on specific emergency situations．

D．Because it is convenient to know things dealing with dog or cat in an emergency．

Which is NOT true about the book?

A．It can enlarge the readers' knowledge of dog and cat first aid．

B．It contains the knowledge of recognition of abnormal symptoms of dogs and cats．

C．Although it contains many technical terms, it is easy to understand．

D．You can read it on VetrinaryParmer．com free of charge．

What's the purpose of the passage?

A．To introduce a book．                B．To introduce a website．

C．To introduce a working knowledge．   D．To encourage careful reading．

Preparing for a medical emergency involving your pet is always best accomplished before the event takes place. This series is designed to help guide you through the important decisions about first aid, as well as how and when to transport your pet quickly and safely to a veterinary hospital or emergency ability．
VeterinaryPartner．com has provided this complete reference book online for you to skim through, expanding your knowledge of dog and cat first aid；however, we encourage you to buy the book to keep in your home or car as a quick reference during an emergency．
This book is an emergency preparedness ready-reference for dogs and cats．Wise preventive measures, intelligent use of first aid principles, coupled with recognition of abnormal symptoms and treatment of disorders, diseases, and problems, lead to effective health care．
A working knowledge of this information will help you get rid of some potentially dangerous circumstances and help you prepare for emergency situations．
It includes information on what to do and what not to do in specific emergency situations．The authors encourage careful reading and occasional rereading．We have tried to make this book easy to understand, avoiding technical terms as often as possible, but defining（下定义）them in context when they are necessary．
【小题1】What does the underlined word “veterinary” in paragraph 1 mean?

Preparing for a medical emergency involving your pet is always best accomplished before the event takes place. This series is designed to help guide you through the important decisions about first aid, as well as how and when to transport your pet quickly and safely to a veterinary hospital or emergency ability．
VeterinaryPartner．com has provided this complete reference book online for you to skim through, expanding your knowledge of dog and cat first aid；however, we encourage you to buy the book to keep in your home or car as a quick reference during an emergency．
This book is an emergency preparedness ready-reference for dogs and cats．Wise preventive measures, intelligent use of first aid principles, coupled with recognition of abnormal symptoms and treatment of disorders, diseases, and problems, lead to effective health care．
A working knowledge of this information will help you get rid of some potentially dangerous circumstances and help you prepare for emergency situations．
It includes information on what to do and what not to do in specific emergency situations．The authors encourage careful reading and occasional rereading．We have tried to make this book easy to understand, avoiding technical terms as often as possible, but defining（下定义）them in context when they are necessary．
【小题1】What does the underlined word “veterinary” in paragraph 1 mean?

Preparing for a medical emergency involving your pet is always best accomplished before the event takes place. This series is designed to help guide you through the important decisions about first aid, as well as how and when to transport your pet quickly and safely to a veterinary hospital or emergency ability．

VeterinaryPartner．com has provided this complete reference book online for you to skim through, expanding your knowledge of dog and cat first aid；however, we encourage you to buy the book to keep in your home or car as a quick reference during an emergency．

This book is an emergency preparedness ready-reference for dogs and cats．Wise preventive measures, intelligent use of first aid principles, coupled with recognition of abnormal symptoms and treatment of disorders, diseases, and problems, lead to effective health care．

A working knowledge of this information will help you get rid of some potentially dangerous circumstances and help you prepare for emergency situations．

It includes information on what to do and what not to do in specific emergency situations．The authors encourage careful reading and occasional rereading．We have tried to make this book easy to understand, avoiding technical terms as often as possible, but defining（下定义）them in context when they are necessary．

1.What does the underlined word “veterinary” in paragraph 1 mean?

A．Immediate         B．For animals        C．Urgent            D．For humans

2.Why are we advised to buy the book?

A．Because it's very cheap and may be useful to all the people．

B．Because it contains a working knowledge of information about dogs and cats．

C．Because it contains information on specific emergency situations．

D．Because it is convenient to know things dealing with dog or cat in an emergency．

3.Which is NOT true about the book?

A．It can enlarge the readers' knowledge of dog and cat first aid．

B．It contains the knowledge of recognition of abnormal symptoms of dogs and cats．

C．Although it contains many technical terms, it is easy to understand．

D．You can read it on VetrinaryParmer．com free of charge．

4.What's the purpose of the passage?

A．To introduce a book．                   B．To introduce a website．

C．To introduce a working knowledge．        D．To encourage careful reading．