In character-training of children, what really ____much is what their parents say and do.

A．considers                B．values                C．minds                 D．matters

With a lot of tough problems____, the manager was as nervous as a cat on hot bricks.

A．settle               B．to settle              C．being settled             D．settled

There is so much to see in Italy. I want to stay here for _____three days.

A．more               B．another              C．other              D．some

Nobody seems to understand. I don’t know who to_____.

A．look after                B．call for               C．turn to                D．work with

You have to pass a driving test_____ you can get a license.

A．before             B．until        C．when               D．since

In 2004, I was 22 years old and had just come back to Brazil after 14 months in England, holding my Cambridge Proficiency certificate. After nervously__1__a short training course, I began to give classes to my 12 students, all of them older than I was. I __2__hard to remain clam in class and__3__they wouldn’t find out how unconfident I felt most of the time. I was quite__4__, actually, until the end of__5__and the night of the final oral test.

       The test was going to start at 7 pm, and at 6:50, I __6__myself in the teacher’s bathroom to__7__all the test questions again. I really wanted to learn the__8__by heart so no one would think I was an inexperienced tester. The__9__is, I actually locked myself in the bathroom. I __10__couldn’t get out! The bell rang at 7 pm and I could hear the noise in the halls__11__the students went to their rooms. I tried hard to__12__the bathroom door, but failed.

       I heard the cleaning lady’s voice and asked for help as__13__as I could. However, she wasn’t exactly a thoughtful person, and started__14__: “Diana’s locked in the bathroom!” Shame had fallen upon me! __15__, the course director, the secretary and some teachers were outside the bathroom trying to get me out, and, __16__, my students gathered outside too, happily saying things like “Aren’t we__17__! No test today!” All I could do was__18__, feeling miserable and completely stupid. The door finally opened, and my entire__19__was waiting for me outside, naughty smiles on their faces. “__20__! Teacher.” They said, “We know you are human too!”

       They all passed their test. True to the Brazilian style, we all went out for a beer afterwards, and laughed the whole thing off.

1．A holding                 B．taking                     C．getting                           D．giving

2．A performed            B．learned                    C．worked                          D．tried

3．A thought                B．hoped                     C．guessed                      D．realized

4．A successful            B．fortunate                 C．happy                            D．satisfied

5．A the class            B．the course               C．the day                          D．the year

6．A tidied                   B．washed                   C．locked                           D．reminded

7．A rewrite                 B．answer                   C．go over                          D．put forward

8．A questions              B．instructions             C．answers                         D．steps

9．A situation            B．condition                 C．trick                              D．problem

10．A probably             B．simply                    C．sadly                             D．nearly

11．A as                      B．before                     C．after                              D．until

12．A knock                B．kick                        C．open                              D．push

13．A quietly                B．hurriedly                 C．excitedly                        D．crazily

14．A scolding             B．running                   C．laughing                         D．shouting

15．A At first               B．Soon enough           C．In the end                      D．Right now

16．A to my amazement       B．to my delight    C．to my surprise                D．to my horror

17．A lucky                 B．comfortable             C．anxious                          D．regretful

18．A watch                B．smile                      C．wait                              D．worry

19．A class                  B．staff                       C．group                            D．school

20．A Sorry                 B．Congratulations C．Don’t be angry               D．Don’t worry

I cannot remember too many specifics of what I was taught in school, but I do remember learning the layers of the earth—inner core(地核), outer core, mantle, crust. I think it’s rather humorous that I know these, because studying the earth is not exactly something that would interest me. The only subjects I enjoyed in school were art and spelling. Every other subject I seemed to tune out. Anyway, the reason I learned the layer of the earth and actually enjoyed learning them was because my 6^th grade teacher told us that she was going to make an ice-cream earth. For the entire week, I tried to imagine how in the world she was going to do this. She had us memorize the layers so that we would be able to tell her the names of them before we would get some ice-cream that Friday.

       Friday came and everyone was excited. I was even more excited that I could tell the teacher the names of each layer. She got a big bowl, lined it with a chocolate cracker crust, then three layers of different colored ice-cream. I thought it was so cool that the crust was the crust.

       This shows me that taking the time to teach creatively is worth it because unique activities are what students will learn, rather then simply reading everything from a text or listening to lecture done in black and white.

1．According to the writer, how did his teacher teach creatively?

       A．She was humorous and taught geography in art and spelling classes.

       B．She asked her students to make the ice-cream earth with colored layers

       C．She made the ice-cream earth and used it as a reward for good learners.

       D．She taught the lesson on Friday so her students could review it at the weekend.

2．The underlined words “tune out”(Paragraph 1) most probably means_____.

       A．fail                  B．ignore                C．hate                    D．forget

3．What is the point the writer wished to express in the text?

       A．Children learn better through interesting experiences.

       B．Ice-cream with a chocolate crust is children’s favorite.

       C．A woman teacher is better at organizing good classroom activities.

       D．A knowledge of the earth is best learned through ice-cream making 

       After 21 years of marriage, I started to go out with another woman. It was really my wife’s idea. “I know that you love her,” she said one day, taking me by surprise. “But I love YOU,” I protected. “I know, but you also love her.”

       The other woman that my wife wanted me to visit was my mother, who has been a widow for 19 years, but the demands of my work and my three children had made it possible to visit her only occasionally. That night I called to invite her to go out for dinner and a movie. “What’s wrong, are you well?” she asked.

       My mother is the type of woman who suspects that a late night call or a surprise invitation is a sign of bad news. “I thought that it would be pleasant to pass some time with you,” I responded. “Just the two of us.” She thought about it for a moment, then said, “I would like that very much.”

       That Friday after work, as I drove over to pick her up I was a bit nervous. When I arrived at her house, I noticed that she, too, seemed to be nervous about our date. She waited in the door with her coat on.

       She had curled her hair and was wearing the dress that she had worn to celebrate her last wedding anniversary. “I told my friends that I was going to go out with my son, and they were impressed,” she said, as she got into the car. “They can’t wait to hear about our meeting.”

       We went to a restaurant that, although not elegant, was very nice and comfortable. My mother took my arm as if she were the First Lady. After we sat down I had to read the menu. Her eyes could only read large print.

       “It was I who used to have to read the menu when you were small,” she said.

       “Then it’s time that you relax and let me return the favor,” I responded.

       During the dinner we had an agreeable conversation—nothing extraordinary—but catching up on recent events of each other’s life. We talked so much that we missed the movie. As we arrived at her house later, she said, “I’ll go out with you again, but only if you let me invite you.” I agreed.

1．From the text, we can learn that the writer is_____.

       A．a regular moviegoer                                    B．a wealthy businessman   

       C．a frequent visitor to his mother                     D．a busy and middle-aged father of three

2．Why was the mother surprised when getting invited?

       A．She was already in bed                                B．She rarely got invited

       C．She never expected such a call                            D．She seldom watched late night movies

3．Why did the writer feel nervous when he drove to meet his mother?

       A．He was eager to find out how his mother liked the date.

       B．He was excited to express his love for his mother.

       C．He hadn’t seen his mother after he was married.

       D．He didn’t tell his wife that he was to visit his mother.

4．How would the man feel after the dinner?

       A．He should take his mother to a movie some other time.

       B．He should meet his mother’s friends.

       C．His mother wants more invitations.

       D．His mother enjoys spending time with him.

In the African country of Tanzania, a company from Belgium called APOPO trains African giant pouched rats(非洲巨袋鼠) to find dangerous land mines(地雷)left over from wars. The rats are trained to smell out some of the chemicals in the mines. After 8-12 months of training, the rat can find mines so they can be safely destroyed.

       Trained dogs often perform this important work, but APOPO director Bart Weetjens recently discovered that the African giant pouched rat costs far less money to train and care for. These rats may seem huge. Their bodies are 12 to16 inches long, not including their tails. But their size suits the job: At one and a half to 3 pounds, they are too light to set off the land mines.

       Rats and trainers search one small area at a time. When a rat smells mines, it lets the trainers know by pawing(用爪子抓)at the dirt in that spot. The trainers mark each spot on a map. Later, technicians explode the mines safely. In the African country of Mozambique, nearly half the population is younger than 15 years old. A lot of kids are in danger as they play or work.

       “In the town of Vilanculos, children had been playing on the football field, until there was an accident,” Bart Weetjens said. APOPO rats and trainers helped other organizations make the area safe. “The football field has been opened again, and there is no danger any more,” Weetjens said.

       About 80 million land mines are buried out of sight in more than 60 countries around the world. As APOPO’s program grows, the rat heroes might travel the globe!

1．The underlined word “they” (Para. 1) refers to_____.

       A．the trainers                     B．the mines                C．the wars                 D．the rats

2．Why are rats chosen to be trained to find the land mines?

       A．They are native to Africa                      B．They are smarter than dogs

       C．They are cheap to keep and train           D．They are quick to escape from danger

3．What is the task of the rats in the job?

       A．To mark a map                                    B．To find the mines

       C．To set off the mines                             D．To paw at the ground

4．What happened on the football field in Vilanculos?

       A．A land mine exploded                           B．A player was injured during the training

       C．The children were attracted by the rats  D．The villagers tried to get the field back

Singing, even speaking in a sing-song voice to children is natural for most parents. Something deep inside us tells us that music provides joy and happiness, and even calms our little ones. Charlotte Diamond, former teacher and now an award-winning children’s performer talks on how easy it is to bring music into children’s lives. “Young children love music. Parents can rock(动摇) their children and sing to them each night before bed. It’s not necessary to have a great voice, because children are simply happy to hear their parents’ voice and how they express themselves.”

       Whether or not you’ve studied music formally has nothing to do with sharing music with your child. “I don’t think a parent should ever worry about their own weakness musically”, says Diamond. “Hearing someone sing with their own voice is great; it’s part of who they are and part of their personality(个性).

       As for what you should sing to your child, the answer can be found in the songs of our own childhood. It’s not so much how perfectly sung they are, explains Diamond. “What’s being communicated is your love for your child, that you’re taking care of them and that they are secure(无忧无虑).”

       Diamond feels that the more young children are exposed to music, the more likely they will be to develop their musical abilities. “Music is everywhere. If parents have music playing in the home, on tapes in the car, and have fun singing with them, then music is just a part of everyday life and children will grow to be musical.”

       So rather than reserving music for your child’s formal lessons, bring music into their lives on a regular basis. Sing songs at bedtime or find a favorite tape or CD to play in the car or at home. Diamond says parents should “make a point of listening to music together and sharing feelings with them about music. If you love something and tell them, then they might be encouraged to feel the same way.”

1．If parents want to bring music into children’s lives, they should_____.

       A．be able to sing in a great voice

       B．have a good knowledge of music

       C．send their children to Diamond’s music lessons

       D．share songs of their childhood with their children regularly

2．According to Diamond, listening to their parents singing songs, children will _____.

       A．feel happy and free from worry

       B．get a good understanding of music

       C．admire their parents for their musical abilities

       D．become a good learner when they go to school

3．What does the underlined word “reserve” (paragraph 5) means?

       A．To keep back for future use

       B．To encourage children to learn music

       C．To explain something difficult to children

       D．To provide children with a music teacher

4．What does the text mainly deal with?

       A．Diamond, an award-winning children’s performer

       B．Early development of children’s musical abilities

       C．Roles of parents in children’s growth

       D．Songs and music for children