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    Three years ago, I was working as a lawyer. For a year or longer, my work was beginning to suffer. I ____ got to the point where I couldn’t concentrate --- one of the early signs that something was _____. I kept forgetting things. Legal work is complicated, and you have to have a good ____ to do that work. So I ____ my job. I talked to my doctor about my family’s ____ of Alzheimer's; my father and grandfather had it. Then I was asked to do some tests. It ____ that I have early-onset Alzheimer's disease.

Needless to say, my life has ____. My husband Dan retired soon after my diagnosis (诊断) ____ we spend a lot of time together. ____ going to work, I used to spend my days having lunch with my friends and _____ my mother. I could drive up to see her before I started getting ____. The situation wasn’t _____, but I’d had to turn around enough times that it frightened me. Now I ____ drive out of town. I stay in town.

I am an independent person, but now I have to ____ some of that independence. My husband and I mostly do the shopping together because I ____ the list.

Dan and I are enjoying life while we can. Some people are saving money for trips years down the road. We’re not _____, we take a trip every year.

The one thing I wish I could change is people’s ____ when I tell them I have Alzheimer’s. They shut down. I can still ____; it’s not like suddenly I can’t remember anything. This happened with my father. He was very ____, and he had lots of friends. When his friends learned he got Alzheimer’s, they wouldn’t come to visit him. I think people should learn more about Alzheimer’s and ____ that people with the disease can still socialize.

1.A.hardly B.possibly C.finally D.certainly

2.A.different B.strange C.difficult D.wrong

3.A.reason B.brain C.chance D.hand

4.A.got B.enjoyed C.left D.continued

5.A.habit B.description C.idea D.history

6.A.made sure B.added C.turned out D.meant

7.A.begun B.changed C.returned D.ended

8.A.so B.but C.as D.unless

9.A.Apart from B.Along with C.Because of D.Instead of

10.A.helping B.visiting C.missing D.calling

11.A.bored B.hurt C.tired D.lost

12.A.funny B.terrible C.similar D.special

13.A.never B.again C.often D.still

14.A.ask for B.look at C.give up D.show off

15.A.forget B.make C.take D.hate

16.A.waiting B.caring C.pretending D.listening

17.A.interests B.relationship C.lives D.reaction

18.A.travel B.drive C.talk D.learn

19.A.brave B.social C.honest D.proud

20.A.realize B.explain C.expect D.imagine

    If you’re thinking about studying abroad, but aren’t sure how to convince your parents or yourself, here are some of the best reasons why spending a semester or year overseas is a smart and fun thing to do.

1. Want to impress potential employers? Companies around the world continue to invest in the global market, and prefer to hire employees who have international experience. Not to mention the knowledge of a second language. Your resume (简历) will stand out from everyone else applying for the same position.

Learn foreign languages. Language teachers say being immersed (沉浸) in a culture that speaks the language you want to learn is the quickest and most effective way to learn it. 2. As globalization brings the world together, it’s important to be competent in more than one language.

Experience different cultures. Immersing yourself in a totally different culture is powerful. You’ll experience things like trying different foods, celebrating traditional customs, and learning the history of another country. A person’s culture reflects beliefs and values that influence their way of life. 3.

Expand your worldview. Previously held beliefs about foreign countries will change once you’ve been abroad. 4. It can be surprising just how much you know is slightly biased (有偏见的), based on where you’re from. It’s also a unique opportunity to educate others on your country！

Earn money! 5. We are pretty lucky that English is the international language of business. It’s an important language that many foreigners want to learn. You can get paid for teaching, interpreting, or translating English while you’re studying abroad.

A. Discover what you want out of life.

B. Improve employment opportunities.

C. You can actually earn income while you study abroad.

D. You’ll gain a completely new view on your own country, too.

E. You’ll gain an understanding of this that can’t be taught with books.

F. Mastering a foreign language opens up all kinds of new opportunities.

G. You’ll miss your friends who will want to share their culture and ideas with you.

    It used to be mostly the army that used small, unpiloted aircraft, called “drones”. The little planes were very costly. But as they have dropped in price more people have begun to use them.

The fast rate of development of computer technology, image sensing equipment, satellite navigation and smart phones has led to lower-priced drones. Researchers and developers have learned how to build smaller and less costly drones. Nowadays, moviemakers are using drones to film from the sky. Historians use them when they explore ancient buildings. Rescue workers use them to look for people. And now farmers are also using them to watch over their crops.

Romain Faroux is a French businessman, whose father was a farmer. He believed drones could help farmers. He has helped create a company which has developed a small drone that could be controlled by people on the ground. It’s called “Agridrone”. It uses a special sensor to examine crops. The technology used on the drone is similar to that used on a smartphone -- except it has wings. A computer program directs the drone to fly over the crops. The sensor on the drone records four different-colored “bands” of sunlight that are reflected off the crops.

Jean-Baptiste Bruggeman is another farmer in France who is using a drone. He says the drone flies over his crops at different times of the season and provides a lot of information about his crops. The pictures taken by the drone show him the exact amount of fertilizer the crops need. It also shows exactly where the fertilizer is needed.

Romain Faroux says farmers use information provided by the Agridrone to place fertilizer only in areas where it is needed. This saves money and reduces pollution. Before they used the drones, farmers would put the same amount of fertilizer everywhere. Drones also save time because farmers can examine up to three hectares (英亩) in about a minute.

1.Why do rescue workers and farmers begin to use drones?

A.Because they are affordable now.

B.Because their sizes have become smaller.

C.Because they can save people a lot of time.

D.Because the technology has been developed.

2.What is the sensor on the drone mainly used for?

A.Helping the sunlight shine on the crops.

B.Directing the wings to fly over the crops.

C.Examining the different colors of the crops.

D.Recording the sunlight “bands” reflected off the crops.

3.What does the underlined word “it” in paragraph 3 probably refer to?

A.A smartphone. B.A sensor.

C.A drone. D.A band.

4.What is the main idea of the text?

A.Crops will be harvested by drones soon.

B.Drones will be widely used in different fields.

C.French farmers use drones to examine their crops.

D.Farmers develop special drones for their crops.

    Josh Katz works at the New York Times. His common job is to use information to tell interesting stories. In December 2013, Katz built a quiz on the Times website. It asked people about the words they used to describe things and events. It also asked how they pronounced common words. The quiz then used people’s answers to decide where in the United States they were from.

The quiz got more than 350, 000 results. Katz turned the results into a book. In Speaking American, he studies regional differences in how Americans talk.

“A lot of people’s language shows who they are and where they are from, in a very personal way”, Katz said.

Katz says people are often surprised to learn that the way they talk can show where they grew up. Most Americans don’t realize they use regionalisms --- or words and phrases specific to a particular part of the country. But just about everyone does. Almost every major U.S. city has a few unique terms. For example, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the night before Halloween is known as Mischief Night. Anyone who calls it that is likely to be connected to the city.

Katz himself was surprised by how many common words are regional. “There are a lot of words I use that I just thought were standard words,” he says. “Then I found out some of these words were actually a product of my upbringing.”

For example, he says, “I thought everyone said ‘sneakers’ (运动鞋) and not ‘tennis shoes’.”  But it turns out “sneakers” is connected mostly to the Northeast. That’s where Katz is from.

Some scholars think that language in the U.S. is growing more homogeneous (同类的). But Katz disagrees. “These regional differences are here to stay.” he says.

Not only are people still using common regionalisms, but there are new ones appearing all the time, according to Katz. There’s no way to predict how language will change in the future. But Katz sees more changes coming. “The only sure thing about language is that it’s going to keep moving.” he says.

1.What’ s the purpose of the quiz?

A.To test people on common knowledge.

B.To find out what words are mostly used.

C.To help people learn about their hometown better.

D.To see whether people’s language shows their backgrounds.

2.How do most Americans look at their using regionalisms?

A.They are proud of it.

B.They do it unintentionally.

C.They find it quite interesting.

D.They have no idea why everybody does it.

3.Why does Katz mention “ sneakers” in the 6th paragraph?

A.Because it’s different from “tennis shoes”.

B.Because it’s an example of a standard word.

C.Because his hometown is possibly the birthplace of it.

D.Because many common words come from a specific area.

4.What is Katz’s opinion on regional differences?

A.They will finally disappear in the future.

B.They have a bad influence on people’s life.

C.They will remain a part of people’s everyday life.

D.They prevent language from being homogeneous.

    I was in Walt Disney World with my son, Daniel, who is autistic (患自闭症的), and at that time he was 7 years old. My wife and our three other sons were with us too. He was having one of his melt down screaming tantrums (发怒), only God knows why. So my wife and I decided I would take the bus back to the hotel, and she would stay in the park with the other three children.

After we got on the bus, the screaming continued. My son looks “normal”. To the many people on the bus, he appeared to just be a kid screaming --- or a spoiled child who did not get his special toy that day. It did not take long --- less than a minute --- before the screaming brought about stares, then glares from the other passengers.

To my shame, I found myself losing my temper at my own son. I was embarrassed, angry, and frustrated, and felt cheated by God for not being able to enjoy a normal vacation with my family because of him. I started to wonder what life would be like without having to deal with this cross (痛苦).

And just as the reactions of the other passengers were becoming most intense, a man seated just in front of me turned around to face me. I cheered myself up for his advice on how to raise a well-behaved child.

He said calmly, “Is he alright?” I said, “He’s autistic.” Then the man said , “It's alright.” And he smiled. That’s all.

And suddenly, all the anger building up inside me was gone. I almost wept for shame at how I had felt a moment before. It no longer mattered what the other people thought. My son was my gift from God.

I will never forget that man, nor his small, simple act of kindness and understanding. I truly believe he was my son’s guardian angel that day maybe mine too.

1.Why did Daniel become angry?

A.Because he didn't get his special toy.

B.No one knew the reason for his anger.

C.Because something went wrong with him.

D.Because he quarreled with his brother or sister.

2.Hearing Daniel’s screaming, _______.

A.the passengers were not satisfied

B.the passengers felt sorry for the author

C.the author comforted him with patience

D.the driver asked the author and his son to get off

3.What does the third paragraph tell us?

A.How the author helped his son calm down.

B.How the author reacted to his son's screaming.

C.What made the author angry and embarrassed.

D.What the author’s life would be like without Daniel.

4.How did the author’s anger disappear?

A.The bus arrived at the stop near his hotel.

B.A stranger helped him realize his mistake.

C.His son stopped screaming and apologized to him.

D.He suddenly realized his son was an autistic child.