For years and years people have been saying that the railways are dead．“We can do without railways” people say，as if motorcars and planes made the railways unnecessary．We all keep hearing that trains are slow，that they lose money，that they’re dying．But this is far from the truth．In these days of expensive oil，the railways have become highly competitive with motorcars and planes．If you want to carry people or goods from place to place，they’re cheaper than planes．And they have much in common with planes．A plane goes in a strange line and so does a railway．What is more，it takes you from the heart of a city into the heart of another．It doesn’t 1eave you as a plane does，miles and miles from the city center．It doesn’t hold you up as a car does，in endless traffic jams．And a single train can carry goods which no plane or motorcar could ever do．Far from being dead，the railways are very much alive．Modern railway lines give you a smooth，untroubled journey．Where else can you eat well，sleep in comfort，feel safe and enjoy the scene while you are traveling at speed at the same time? And we are only at the beginning．For we have just entered the age of super-fast trains, traveling at 1 50 miles an hour and more．Soon we will be wondering why we spent so much on motorways we can't use because we have not enough money to buy the oil and planes we can't fly in for the same reason.

Some people think the railways are dead for many reasons except that ______   ．

  A．planes and motorcars will take the place of trains  B．oil is expensive today

  C．trains are slow                              D．railways lose money

The writer’s idea seems to be that ______   ．

  A. we can do without railways    B．trains have much in common with motorcars and planes

  C．motorcars and planes are not as good as trains D．trains are as good as motorcars and planes

According to the writer，which of the following is NOT true?

  A．It is cheaper to travel by train than by plane．

  B．The railway station is usually at the center of a city．

  C．When you get off the plane you will find yourself right in the city center．

  D．No motorcar or plane can carry as many goods as a train does．

From the underlined sentence at the end of the passage，we can infer that    ．

  A．1ess and less people will take planes and motorways in the future

  B．the people have known that the train is better than planes and motorways

  C．trains will be more popular in the future

  D．nobody likes spending much money on motorways

Honestly, since my daughter was born, I have thought a lot about how to raise a child. I once heard a story that told about when a baby was born. The story said that when a baby was born, a new master was born. The parents of that baby would become the servants. The question is: Why? Based on my observation, this phenomenon is true. Most parents who don't pay much attention to their kids have difficulties with their kids' attitude.

I'll make a comparison of how two families raise their children. The first one is a family with three children. Both mother and father never say "No" to their children's demands. As a result, all of their children became stubborn and won't listen to their parents’ words, "We can't."

The second family educated their children strictly from one year old to high school. The parents never approved or agreed directly to give their children what they wanted. They always postponed one or two days, even if they could afford it. Due to the way their parents educated them, these children understood that if they wanted something, they had to wait or they had to make an effort first. As a result, all the kids from the second family successfully graduated from university on time.

In my opinion, if we want to be successful parents and raise our children well, we have to start disciplining them when they are toddlers but not wait until they become teenagers.

1.Why did the writer give two different stories in this passage?

2.What does the underlined word “postponed” in the third paragraph mean?

3.In the writer’s opinion, which of the following about raising a child is TRUE?

The type of things we remember are different. Although we tend to remember good things in our lives, bad things have a way of sneaking up (悄悄接近) on us. One such thing I remember happened when I was 10 years old.
I decided to ride my bicycle over a near-by stream. I carefully planned the adventure, and asked my friends to go there and have a watch. This was going to be my moment! I started riding down the hill, picking up speed and then pulled up on the handlebars (自行车把手) at the precise moment and landed face-first into the muddy stream! That painful moment is one that I will never forget. As long as I live, I will remember the pain and embarrassment at that moment. When we do something stupid or thoughtless, it has a way of sticking with us. Fortunately, good momories have a way of over-riding the bad ones. I have memories that I gladly remember, like what happened today.
I had my first conversation with my son today. It was not anything profound. It was a simple connection between father and son. It was one of those bonding moments that you can’t plan or force. They just happen on their own. I was walking into the living room where my son sat in bed watching television attentively. Then he looked up at me and pointed to the television and babbled (含糊的说) something. I asked him if he was watching SpongeBob (海绵宝宝) and he nodded his head and said,“Yes”. It was at that moment that his eyes lit up and it was as if we both realized we had communicated. And how happy I was! Sure, at eighteen months, he probably did not realize what communication was like, but his joy at that moment was evident. It was a moment I will remember all my life.
Good or bad, memories can last a lifetime. As for an unpleasant memory, though we can’t forget it we can get lessons from it and it is like a mirror that will warn us against making such mistakes again. As for a good memory, we should try our best to enjoy it during our lifetime. Such moments are the treasures that we store up forever.
【小题1】The author will always remember what happened when he was ten because he          .

Just by living, it is apparent that the media has profound effects on people. How or why or to what degree, only the individual can judge for himself/herself. No matter if the media is small or major, everyday events are what effects people. A commercial about ice cream can send millions running to the nearest grocery store ready to try the new flavor.

While reading the online article about how poor sleep contributes to health problems, I was surprised to hear that not getting enough sleep was such a big problem. I was absolutely freaked out (使震惊) by this article, so right after I decided to get a good night's rest from then on. That night I drank hot tea, took a long bubble bath and listened to peaceful music before bed. I didn't sleep a wink that night, and it's because of the pressure I was putting on myself to “sleep well”. This article has macro effects because it is possible that many people have read the article and been affected.

Another media effect is a movie. It is originally a novel that is adapted into a movie. I normally hate literature that is put into film, but this was an exception. My mother was in love with the book Pride and Prejudice, so when I went to Blockbuster the other night it caught my eye. I rented the movie and fell in love with it. I was in fact so inspired by the movie that I decided to read the book. Thus, it was an unintended (无意识的) effect because the writer/adapter did not produce this movie thinking that it would make viewers want to read more classic books.

1. What is mainly talked about in the passage?

A. The different kinds of the media.

B. The effects of the media on people.

C. Our pressure under the influence of the media.

D. Our addiction to the media.

2. The author decided to read the book Pride and Prejudice because ________.

A. his mother liked reading it

B. the movie was well produced

C. he didn't like the movie

D. the producer wanted viewers to do so

3. The last paragraph is written to show that ________.

A. the media can influence us in a positive way

B. a movie is usually a poor betray of a classic book

C. people usually like movies instead of original works

D. we can't love a classic without reading the original work

4. The author probably believes that________.

A. the influence of the media is usually misleading

B. we should remain calm under the influence of the media

C. the media can cause great pressure to people

D. people can't avoid the influence of the media in their daily life

5. The author's attitude towards the media can be described as ________.

A. subjective    B. negative  C. objective  D. positive

Open Letter to an Editor
I had an interesting conversation with a reporter recently---one who works for you. In fact, he's one of your best reporters. He wants to leave.
Your reporter gave me a copy of his resume (简历) and photocopies of six stories that he wrote for you. The headlines showed you played them proudly. With great enthusiasm, he talked about how he finds issues (问题), approaches them, and writes about them, which tells me he is one of your best. I'm sure you would hate to lose him. Surprisingly, your reporter is not unhappy. In fact, he told me he really likes his job. He has a great assignment (分工), and said you run a great paper. It would be easy for you to keep him, he said. He knows that the paper values him. He appreciates the responsibility you've given him, takes ownership of his profession, and enjoys his freedom.
So why is he looking for a way out?
He talked to me because he wants his editors to demand so much more of him. He wants to be pushed, challenged, coached to new heights.
The reporter believes that good stories spring from good questions, but his editors usually ask how long the story will be, when it will be in, where it can play, and what the budget is.
He longs for conversations with an editor who will help him turn his good ideas into great ones. He wants someone to get excited about what he's doing and to help him turn his story idea upside down and inside out, exploring the best ways to report it. He wants to be more valuable for your paper. That's what you want for him, too, isn't it?
So your reporter has set me thinking.
Our best hope in keeping our best reporters, copy editors, photographers, artists---everyone--is to work harder to make sure they get the help they are demanding to reach their potential. If we can't do it, they'll find someone who can.
1. What does the writer think of the reporter?
A. Optimistic.     B. Imaginative.   C. Ambitious.    D. Proud.
2. What does the reporter want most from his editors in their talks?
A. Finding the news value of his stories.   B. Giving him financial support.
C. Helping him to find issues.            D. Improving his good ideas.
3. Who probably wrote the letter?
A. An editor.      B. An artist.       C. A reporter.      D. A reader.
4. The letter aims to remind editors that they should __
A. keep their best reporters at all costs
B. give more freedom to their reporters
C. be aware of their reporters' professional development
D. appreciate their reporters' working styles and attitudes