"Hey Dad," one of my kids asked the other day, "What was your favorite fast food when you were
growing up?"
     "We didn't have fast food when I was growing up," I told him. "All the food was slow.""Where did you
eat?""It was a place called 'at home,'" I explained. "Grandma cooked every day and when Grandpa got home
from work, we sat down together at the dining room table, and if I didn't like what she put on my plate I was
allowed to sit there until I did like it."
     Some parents never owned their houses, set foot on a golf course, travelled out of the country or had a
credit card (信用卡).
     My parents have never drove me to football practice. This was mostly because we never had heard of
football. I had a bicycle that weighed probably 50 pounds, and only had one speed. We didn't have a television
in our house until I was 11. I was 13 when I tasted my first pizza; it was called "pizza pie." When I bit (咬)
into it, I burned the roof of my mouth (上颚) and the cheese slid off, swung down, plastered (粘) itself
against my chin (下巴) and burned that, too. It's still the best pizza I ever had.
      I delivered newspapers, six days a week. The paper cost 7 cents, of which I got to keep 2 cents. I had
to get up at 4 a. m every morning. On Saturday, I had to collect the 42 cents from my customers. My favorite
customers were the ones who gave me 50 cents and told me to keep the change.
     If you grew up in a generation (一代) before there was fast food, you may want to share some of these
memories with your children and grandchildren.
     Growing up isn't what it used to be, is it?

1. By saying "All the food was slow", the writer implies (暗示) that ______.

A. when he was growing up, he never ate fast food
B. he didn't like fast food when he was growing up
C. his mother made food slowly
D. he had to wait for a long time for the fast food

2. From the writer's childhood life, we know that ______.

A. the writer lived a colorful life
B. the writer's parents treated him badly
C. the writer had to sell pizza to support his family
D. life was harder for him than it is for his children

3. The writer's purpose of writing this passage is to ______.

A. tell his children there was no fast food in the past
B. tell us that life has been changing
C. tell us how hard it is to deliver newspapers
D. make us understand the meaning of life

     For several years, Americans have enjoyed teleshopping-watching TV and buying things by phone. Now
teleshopping is starting in Europe. In a number of European countries, people can turn on their TVs and shop
for clothes, food, toys, and many other things.
     Teleshopping is becoming popular in Sweden (瑞典).The biggest Swedish company sells different kinds of
things on TV in fifteen European countries, and in one year it made $100 million. In France there are two
teleshopping channels (频道), and the French spend about $20 million a year buying things through those
channels.
      In Germany, until last year teleshopping was only possible on one channel for one hour every day. Then
the government allowed more teleshopping. Other channels can open for telebusiness. German businesses
are hoping this new teleshopping will help them sell more things.
     Some people like teleshopping because it allows them to do shopping without leaving their homes. With all
the problems of traffic in the cities, this is an important reason. But at the same time, other Europeans do not
like this new way of shopping. They call teleshopping "junk (劣质货) on the air". Many Europeans usually
worry about the quality (质量) of the things for sale on TV.
     The need for high quality means that European teleshopping companies will have to be different from the
American companies. They will have to be more careful about the quality of the things they sell. They will
also have to work harder to sell things that the buyers cannot touch or see in person.

1. Is teleshopping growing in Europe?
    _____________________________________________________
2. How many European countries have already started teleshopping? 
   _____________________________________________________
3. What can help German businesses sell more things? 
   _____________________________________________________
4. Why do some Europeans prefer teleshopping?
   _____________________________________________________
5. Why do many Europeans worry about things for sale on TV? 
   _____________________________________________________

     No one can change the weather. Nobody can control the weather. But if we read correctly the signs
around us, we can tell what the more important changes in the weather will be. This way of telling what
the weather will be like on the following day or two is called weather forecasting. For many centuries and
in all countries, people have studied the weather and tried to make weather forecasting. Rings around the
sun are a sign of coming rain. Many people feel their joints hurt in their bones if wet weather is coming.
Some birds fly high if fine weather is coming, but they fly near the ground if rainy or stormy weather is
on the way. It is probably because of the insects (昆虫) which they are hunting that they fly low. If you
see a rainbow (彩虹) during rainy weather, this is a sign that the weather will become clear and fine. Such
rainbows come in the evening. If the stars twinkle clearly at night, then fine weather will continue. If a fog
appears in the morning just above a river, then the day will be warm. If the sunset is mostly red in color,
then the following day will be fine. If a rainbow appears in the morning, rainy weather will probably come.
Most of the above sayings have been made by the people who have used their eyes and brains to make
weather forecasting.

1. According to the passage,  people's joints ache ______.

A. is a sign of coming rain
B. without any reason
C. because they are ill
D. because of the insects

2. Which is true about weather forecasting?

A. Weather forecasting is a recorder about the weather on the following day or two.
B. Weather forecasting is a way of telling what the weather will be like.
C. Weather forecasting is a sign of coming rain.
D. People can change the weather.

3. The birds fly high and the stars twinkle clearly is a sign that the weather will ______.

A. be warm
B. be rainy
C. become clear and fine
D. be cold

4. A rainbow is a ______ of the weather.

A. sign
B. way
C. method
D. road

5. We must ______ to make weather forecasting.

A. use our eyes and brains
B. study the weather hard
C. read correctly the signs
D. All of the above

     Many teenagers feel that the most important people in their lives are their friends. They believe that their
family members, and in particular (尤其是) their parents, don't know them as well as their friends do. In large
families, it is quite often for brothers and sisters to fight with each other and they can only go to their friends
for advice.
      It is very important for teenagers to have one good friend or a circle of friends. Even when they are not
with their friends, they usually spend a lot of talking among themselves on the phone. This communication
(交际) is very important in children's growing up, because friends can discuss something difficult to say to
their family members.
      However, parents often try to choose their children's friends for them. Some parents may even stop their
children from meeting their good friends. The question of "choice" is an interesting one. Have you ever thought
of the following questions?
     Who chooses your friends?
     Do you choose your friends or your friends choose you?
     Have you got a good friend your parents don't like?
     Your answers are welcome.

1. Many teenagers think their ______ know them better than their parents do.

A. friends
B. parents
C. brothers and sisters
D. family members

2. When teenagers stay alone, the usual way of communication is ______.

A. to go to their friends
B. to talk with their parents
C. to have a discussion with their family by phone
D. to talk with their friends on the phone

3. From the passage, we can infer (推断) that teenagers ______.

A. often fight each other
B. spend much money on their friends
C. are difficult to say something to their family
D. should make some good friends

4. Which of the following sentences is right according to the passage?

A. Parents should like everything their children enjoy.
B. In all families children can choose everything they like.
C. Parents should try their best to understand their children better.
D. Teenagers can only go to their friends for help.

5. Which is the best title of the passage?

A. Only Parents Can Decide
B. Parents and Children
C. Teenagers Need Friends
D. A Strange Question