In the more and more competitive service...

The day was warm and the sun shone down like a new beginning on my life. I was waving goodbye to my son, the last one of my fledglings （刚会飞的鸟）to leave home and go to new woods, "University actually" . I felt so lighthearted after spending many years looking after my four children-cooking, washing, ironing, teaching them how to look after themselves and manage their finances-that I actually thought “At long last, freedom".

But, as I watched my last one leave, although it was a joyous occasion, I realized I had not really prepared for this day, I was too tied up with bringing up these adults of the future to realize that they would all leave the nest and lives independently.

At first I didn't know what "I" wanted to do. I tried a part time job, which ended in me running out in tears. I started a business making soft furnishings, but that didn't work either.  I grew my own veggies and fruit, which lasted 3 years, until I was advised by my doctor that my feet couldn't take any more "tools” driven through them. 

I began wondering if I had a future of my own. I cried for the life I was used to, and hadn't known or wanted anything different.

Then one day I saw an ad. For foster parents, I discussed it with my husband who was always behind everything I tried and with great disturbance, I rang up the number.

I now laugh and sing with my 14-year-old foster daughter, even when my cooker is a mess and my bathroom is a disaster area. I now know, 8 years later, what “I” was meant to be doing with all the spare hours, days, and weeks I had on my hands when my last fledgling flew the nest. The sun shines once again in my home.

1.How did the mother first feel when her last child went off to university?

2.The underlined phrase “was tied up with” in the second paragraph means “        ”.

3.In the third paragraph, the poor mother did all the things just to         .

4.What did the empty-nested mother think of her husband?

5.Thanks to the foster daughter, the author         .

Winners Club

You choose to be a winner!

The Winners Club is a bank account specially designed for teenagers. It has been made to help you better manage your money. The Winners Club is a transaction account（交易账户）where you receive a key-card so you can get to your money 24/7 – that’s 24 hours a day, 7 days a week!

It’s a club with impressive features for teenagers:

No account keeping fees!

You’re no millionaire so we don’t expect you to pay large fees. In fact, there are no account keeping or transaction fees!

Excellent interest rates!

You want your money to grow. The Winners Club has a good rate of interest which gets even better if you make at least two deposits（储蓄）without taking them out in a month.

Convenient

Teenagers are busy – we get that. You may never need to come to a bank at all.  With the Winners Club you can choose to use handy tellers and to bank from home using the phone and the Internet···You can have money directly deposited into your Winners Club account. This could be your pocket money or your pay from your part-time job!

Mega magazine included

Along with your regular report, you will receive a FREE magazine full of good ideas to make even more of your money. There are also fantastic offers and competitions only for Winners Club members.

The Winners Club is a great choice for teenagers. And it is so easy to join. Simply fill in an application form. You will have to get permission from your parent or guardian (so we can organize that cool key – card) but it is easy. We can’t wait to hear from you. It’s the best way to choose to be a winner!

1.The Winners Club is a bank account intended for ________.

2.Which of the following is TRUE about the Winners Club?

3.The Winners Club provides magazines which ________.

4.If you want to be a member of the Club, you must ________.

5.What is the purpose of this text?

There are some very good things about open education. This way of teaching allows the students to grow as people, and to develop their own interests in many subjects. Open education allows students to be responsible for their own education, as they are responsible for what they do in life. Some students do badly in a traditional classroom. The open classroom may allow them to enjoy learning. Some students will be happier in an open education school. They will not have to worry about grades or rules. For students who worry about these things a lot, it is a good idea to be in an open classroom.

But many students will not do well in an open classroom. For some students, there are too few rules. These students will do little in school. They will not make good use of open education. Because open education is so different from traditional education, these students may have a problem getting used to making so many choices. For many students it is important to have some rules in the classroom. They worry about the rules even when there are no rules. Even a few rules will help this kind of students. The last point about open education is that some traditional teachers do not like it. Man y teachers do not believe in open education. Teachers who want to have an open classroom may have many problems at their schools.

You now know what open education is. Some of its good points and bad points have been explained. You may have your own opinion about open education. The writer thinks that open education is a good idea, but only in theory. In actual fact, it may not work very well in a real class or school. The writer believes that most students, but of course not all students, want some structure in their classes. They want and need to have rules. In some cases, they must be made to study some subjects. Many students are pleased to find subjects they have to study interesting. They would not study those subjects if they did not have to.

1.Open education allows the students to _________.     .

2.Open education may be a good idea for the students who _____.           

3.Some students will do little in an open classroom because____.

4.Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?

5.Which of the following best summarizes the passage?

I was feeling a little blue. My mother had been laid off from her job, but she said she was OK since her boss wasn't the nicest person   36 .

I got off the college bus and started walking. That's  37  I heard piano music and singing rising above the  38 of the people and the traffic. I walked a little slower  39 I could find out where it was coming from.   40 the crowd I saw a young lady sitting at a piano with a   41 next to her, singing songs about love. The way she was singing  42 me a bit. I stood there watching her   43 for about fifteen minutes, thinking that it must take  44 to perform on her own in public.

Feeling my presence, she looked in my  45 . I walked over and put some money in her carriage. “I have been going through a   46  time lately, but you’re made me hopeful again.”

"I'm happy that I could   47 . Why are you so sad?"

"Well, my mum had got  48 from her job, but I’m not sure what to do….”

"You see, the way you were   49 ," she explained. “Don't look defeated,   50  comes in different ways. If your head is down you might never see it. Smile more ...   51  your head up."

I smiled slightly, amazed by how she was  52 me.

“Why are you playing here?” I asked.

“I am not making music. I study psychology. I often see many  53  people and hope to relieve their   54  and make them think positively by sharing music.”

I smiled a little wider. She was doing a good thing. My heart was touched by a   55 soul.

John waited until he got back his breath and could speak      .