It was New Year’s Night. An aged man was standing at a window. He raised his mournful eyes towards the deep blue sky, where the stars were floating like white lilies on the surface of a clear calm lake. Then he cast them on the earth, where few more hopeless people than himself now moved towards their certain goal --- the tomb. He had already passed sixty of the stages leading to it, and he had brought from his journey nothing but errors and remorse. Now his health was poor, his mind vacant, his heart sorrowful, and his old age short of comforts.

The days of his youth appeared like dreams before him, and he recalled the serious moment when his father placed him at the entrance of the two roads --- one leading to a peaceful, sunny place, covered with flowers, fruits and filled with soft, sweet songs; the other leading to a deep, dark cave, which was endless, where poison flowed instead of water and where devils and poisonous snakes hissed and crawled.

He looked towards the sky and cried painfully, “O youth, return! O my father, place me once more at the entrance to life, and I’ll choose the better way!” But both his father and the days of his youth had passed away.

He saw the lights flowing away in the darkness. These were the days of his wasted life; he saw a star fall down from the sky and disappeared, and this was the symbol of himself. His regret, which was like a sharp arrow, struck deeply into his heart. Then he remembered his friends in his childhood, who entered on life together with him. But they had made their way to success and were now honored and happy on this New Year’s Night.

The clock in the high church tower struck and the sound made him remember his parents’ early love for him. They had taught him and prayed to God for his good. But he chose the wrong way. With shame and grief he dared no longer look towards that heaven where his father lived. His darkened eyes were full of tears, and with a despairing effort, he burst out a cry: “Come back, my early days! Come back!”

And his youth did return, for all this was only a dream which he had on New Year’s Night. He was still young though his faults were real; he had not yet entered the deep, dark cave, and he was still free to walk on the road which leads to the peaceful and sunny land.

Those who still wander on the entrance of life, hesitating to choose the bright road, remember that when years are passed and your feet stumble on the dark mountains, you will cry bitterly, but in vain: “O youth, return! Oh give me back my early days!”

1.We can learn from the passage that ____.

A．the man returned from a long journey and regretted what he had done

B．the man didn’t enter the deep, dark cave when he was young

C．the man was deserted by his parents when he was only a child

D．the man found it no use crying over the spilt milk

2.Why does the author set his story on New Year’s Night?

A．He wants to tell people it’s time to recall the past

B．he suggests the aged man will have a bright future

C．He tries to stress the man’s sad feeling

D．He expects people to share the man’s emotion

3.The aged man in the passage can be described as ________.

A．sorrowful, fearful and regretful             B．hopeful, cheerful and peaceful

C．regretful, painful and disappointed          D．disappointed, regretful and hopeful

4.The author writes the passage mainly to ________.

A．encourage young people to take the right road B．help the old man to pick up his confidence

C．describe the old man’s unsuccessful experience   D．show his compassion for the aged man

------I’ve been told that John ________  from his journey to India.

What about visiting him tonight?

------- Great. I’ll call for you at 6:30pm.

A.had come back  B. is back  C. came back  D. coming back 

The differences between men and women's friendships
Betty and Harold have been married for years. But one thing still puzzles (困扰) old Harold. How is it that he can leave Betty and her friend Joan sitting on the sofa, talking, go out to a ballgame, come back three and a half hours later, and they're still sitting on the sofa and talking?
What old Harold cannot understand or explain is the fact that women have so much to share.
Betty shrugs. Talk? We're friends.
Researching this matter called friendship, psychologist Lillian Rubin spent two years interviewing more than two hundred women and men. the results were completely clear: women have more friendships than men. Rubin's study shows that for emotional support a married woman is more likely to turn to a female friend.
"In general," writes Rubin in her new book, "women's friendships with each other lie on shared emotions and support, but men's relationships are marked by shared activities.”
“ Men keep their innermost(内心深处的) feelings to themselves. " Rubin writes, " Whereas(然而) a woman's closest female friend might be the first to tell her to leave a failing marriage. However, a man by society doesn’t complain about his marriage trouble. it wasn't unusual to hear a man say he didn't know his friend's marriage was in serious trouble until he appeared one night asking if he could sleep on the sofa. "
【小题1】What old Harold cannot understand or explain is the fact that ________.

Betty and Harold have been married for years .But one thing still puzzles (困扰) old Harold .How is it that he can leave Betty and her friend Joan sitting on the sofa ,talking ,go out to a ballgame ,come back three and a half hours later ,and they’re still sitting on the sofa ? Talking ?

What in the world ,Harold wonders ,do they have to talk about ?

Betty shrugs .Talk ? We’re friends .

Researching this matter called friendship ,psychologist Lillian Rubin spent two years interviewing more than two hundred women and men .No matter what their age ,their job ,their sex ,the results were completely clear :women have more friendships than men ,and the difference in the content and the quality of those friendships is “marked and unmistakable .”

More than two –thirds of the single men Rubin interviewed could not name a best friend. Those who could were likely to name a woman .Yet three-quarters of the single women had no problem naming a best friend ,and almost always it was a woman .More married men than women named their wife/husband as a best friend ,most trusted person ,or the one they would turn to in time of emotional distress （感情危机）.“Most women ,”says Rubin ,“identified （认定） at least one ,usually more ,trusted friends to whom they could turn in a troubled moment ,and they spoke openly about the importance of these relationships in their lives .”

“In general,”writes Rubin in her new book ,“women’s friendships with each other rest on shared emotions and support ,but men’s relationships are marked by shared activities.” For the most part ,Rubin says ,interactions （交往）between men are emotionally controlled –a good fit with the social requirements of “manly behavior .”

“Even when a man is said to be a best friend ,”Rubin writes ,“the two share little about their innermost feelings .Whereas a woman’s closest female friend might be the first to tell her to leave a failing marriage ,it wasn’t unusual to hear a man say he didn’t know his friend’s marriage was in serious trouble until he appeared one night asking if he could sleep on the sofa .”

1.What old Harold cannot understand or explain is the fact that     .

2.Rubin’s study shows that for emotional support a married woman is more likely to turn to     .

3.Which of the following statements is best supported by the last paragraph ?

4.The research done by psychologist Rubin centers around________ .

Betty and Harold have been married for years. But one thing still puzzles (困扰) old Harold. How is it that he can leave Betty and her friend Joan sitting on the sofa, talking, go out to a ballgame, come back three and a half hours later, and they're still sitting on the sofa? Talking?

What in the world, Harold wonders, do they have to talk about?

Betty shrugs. Talk? We're friends.

Researching this matter called friendship, Psychologist Lillian Rubin spent two

years interviewing more than two hundred women and men. No matter what their age, their job, their sex, the results were completely clear: women have more friendships than men, and the difference in the content and the quality of those friendships is“marked and unmistakable”.

More than two hirds of the single men Rubin interviewed could not name a best friend. Those who could were likely to name a woman. Yet three?quarters of the single women had no problem naming a best friend, and almost always it was a woman. More married men than women named their wife／husband as a best friend, most trusted person, or the one they would turn to in time of emotional distress (感情危机).“Most women,” says Rubin,“identified (认定) at least one, usually more, trusted friends to whom they could turn in a troubled moment, and they spoke openly about the importance of these relationships in their lives.”

“In general,” writes Rubin in her new book,“women's friendships with each other rest on shared emotions and support, but men's relationships are marked by shared activities.” For the most part, Rubin says, interactions (交往) between men are emotionally controlled—a good fit with the social requirements of “manly behavior”.

“Even when a man is said to be a best friend,”Rubin writes,“the two share little about their innermost feelings. Whereas a woman's closest female friend might be the first to tell her to leave a failing marriage, it wasn't unusual to hear a man say he didn't know his friend's marriage was in serious trouble until he appeared one night asking if he could sleep on the sofa.”

1.What old Harold cannot understand or explain is the fact that________.

A. he is treated as an outsider rather than a husband

B. women have so much to share

C. women show little interest in ballgames

D. he finds his wife difficult to talk to 

2.Rubin's study shows that for emotional support a married woman is more likely to turn to_________.

A. a male friend     B. a female friend      C. her parents      D. her husband

3.According to the text, which type of behavior is NOT expected of a man by society?

A. Ending his marriage without good reason.

B. Spending too much time with his friends.

C. Complaining about his marriage trouble.

D. Going out to ballgames too often. 

4.Which of the following statements is best supported by the last paragraph?

A. Men keep their innermost feelings to themselves.

B. Women are more serious than men about marriage.

C. Men often take sudden action to end their marriage.

D. Women depend on others in making decisions. 

5.The research done by psychologist Rubin centers around_________.

A. happy and successful marriages        

B. friendships of men and women

C. emotional problems in marriage         

D. interactions between men and women