When my sister Gina was born, she had a problem with her heart. Her heart was pretty bad in the beginning and she stayed in the hospital for a month. The first few years were very difficult because she was very sick. She had five operations before she was three years old. She had trouble walking, playing with other children, and going to school.

Although Gina couldn’t laugh and talk, we all knew that she just needed love and care. Our parents wanted to take Gina to a special place in Florida where she could swim with dolphins. Gina was afraid of swimming with them because she had never been around dolphins before. We had also never traveled that far as a family.

When we got to Florida, we saw where the dolphins lived. It was a place where kids with special needs like Gina could come and spend time. I thought it was going to be a vacation, but it wasn’t. Gina had to work hard every day for a week.

The trip was amazing .Gina laughed and clapped(拍手) when she saw the dolphin, and the dolphin splashed (溅起水花) when it saw Gina. They swam together all day. Gina was able to move her body more than she normally did at home. Mom and dad were proud of Gina. I was, too.

1.We know from the text that Gina ________.

A.experienced five operations in a month

B.got along well with other children

C. stayed in the hospital before three

D. was born with a heart disease

2.How did Gina feel about swimming with dolphins at first?

A.ExcitedB.FrightenedC.AngryD.Proud

3.The text is written to tell us that ________.

A.learning to walk is hard work

B.dolphins can treat many illness

C.families should travel together often

D.help sometimes comes in unusual form

Every man wants his son to be somewhat of a clone, not in features but in footsteps. As he grows you also age, and your ambitions become more unachievable. You begin to realize that your boy, in your footsteps, could probably accomplish what you hoped for. But footsteps can be muddied and they can go off in different directions.

My son Jody has hated school since day one in kindergarten. Science projects waited until the last moment. Book reports weren’t written until the final threat.

I’ve been a newspaperman all my adult life. My daughter is a university graduate working toward her master’s degree in English. But Jody? When he entered the tenth grade he became a “vo-tech” student(技校学生). They’re called “motorheads” by the rest of the student body.

When a secretary in my office first called him “motorhead”, I was shocked. “Hey, he’s a good kid,” I wanted to say. “And smart, really.”

I learned later that motorheads are, indeed, different. They usually have dirty hands and wear dirty work clothes. And they don’t often make school honor rolls(光荣榜).

But being the parent of a motorhead is itself an experience in education. We who labor in clean shirts in offices don’t have the abilities that motorheads have. I began to learn this when I had my car crashed. The cost to repair it was estimated at $800. “Hey, I can fix it,” said Jody. I doubted it , but let him go ahead, for I had nothing to lose.

My son ,with other motorheads, fixed the car. They got parts(零件)from a junkyard, non-toasting toaster have been fixed. Neighbours and co-workers trust their car repair to him.

Since that first repair job, a broken air-conditioner, a non-functioning washer and a non-toasting toaster have been fixed. Neighbors and co-workers trust their car repairs to him.

These kids are happiest when doing repairs. They joke and laugh and are living in their own relaxed world. And their minds are bright despite their dirty hands and clothes.

I have learned a lot from my motorhead: publishers need printers, engineers need mechanics, and architects need builders. Most important, I have learned that fathers don’t need clones in footsteps or anywhere else.

My son may never make the school honor roll. But he made mine.

1.What used to be the author’s hope for his son?

A. To avoid becoming his clone.

B. To resemble him in appearance.

C. To develop in a different direction.

D. To reach the author’s unachieved goals.

2.What can we learn about the author’s children?

A. His daughter does better in school.

B.His daughter has got a master’s degree.

C. His son tried hard to finish homework.

D. His son couldn’t write his book reports.

3.The author let his son repair the car because he believed that_______.

A. His son had the ability to fix it.

B. it would save him much time.

C. it wouldn’t cause him any more loss

D. other motorheads would come to help.

4.What did the author realize in the end?

A. It is unwise to expect your child to follow your path.

B. It is important for one to make the honor roll.

C. Architects play a more important role than builders.

D. Motorheads have greater ability than office workers.

Mexico City sits on an inland plateau(高原) surrounded by volcanic peaks, which makes air quality a constant concern for people who live here.

In April, the country took a decisive step toward improving air quality by enacting(颁布) a temporary ban(禁令) on private and federal vehicles in the city. The rule forbids people from driving in the city one day each week and one Saturday each month. Electric vehicles, government service vehicles, public transport options and school buses are not included in the ban.

Mexico City isn’t the first urban centre to be involved in car-free living. But the ban is more than an awareness-raiser; it was enacted with the direct aim of solving air pollution. In March, the city sank into a deep brown haze of smog when pollution levels passed the 200 mark. The city ordered some 1.1m of the area’s 4.7m cars off the streets and also offered free bus and subway rides.

Mexico City’s temporary vehicle ban raises questions about the best ways to improve urban air quality. India, whose citizens breathe some of the world’s dirtiest air, has tried a variety of solutions. Earlier this year, the Indian government started a 4% sales tax on new-car purchases.

Beijing also has experience with cleaning the air. The city introduced alternate-day rules in advance of the 2008 Olympic Games, which produced good, if short-lived, results. The day after the vehicle-use restrictions (限制) were lifted, the blue faded back to gray. And then there is the London congestion(拥挤) charge, introduced in 2003. The charge has had a measurable effect on air quality.

For now, Mexico City—named by the United Nations as the most polluted city on the planet in 1992—can look forward to the start of the region’s rainy season, when daily showers will help to clean the air.

1.What makes the air quality of Mexico City a concern for citizens?

A. Its population.

B. Its location.

C. Its public transportation.

D. Its government action.

2.Which is true about the rule enacted in April in Mexico City?

A. It will come into effect forever.

B. Federal vehicles are not included in the ban.

C. The rule prevents people from driving on Saturdays each month.

D. It’s a decisive measure toward reducing air pollution.

3.What can we learn from the passage?

A. Two more places are mentioned which dealt with air pollution besides Mexico City.

B. The Indian government started a 47% sales tax on new-car purchases in advance of the 2008 Olympic Games.

C. The action Beijing took has got good results for a very long time.

D. As for Mexico City, rainy season can help to improve the air quality.

4.Which word has the closest meaning to the underlined word “lifted”?

A. removedB. raisedC. approvedD. clarified

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