When I was a little girl, I was foolish enough to believe everything adults said. Even I was scared to death by a word my mother said.
It all started when my elder brother came home with a heavy bag of cherries(樱桃)a friend gave him. In order to spend a pleasant afternoon, my sister suggested we have a competition to see who could eat the most cherries in as short a time as possible and be the winner. We all jumped at her idea, and the competition began in no time. Our action had to be fast and we must know how to bite in the middle of the cherry to chew and spit the seed out losing no time. I realized that this wasn't a good game to play. And I suddenly found that I have swallowed more than one seed down to my stomach. Then Mother came and laughed and said to me, "tonight when you sleep, a cherry tree will grow out from your head." I was jittery and scared. I believed every word she said at that age. I was rather frightened that night thinking how I was going to make it to school the next morning if I had a tree on top of my head or how I would leave this world just like that because of the cherry seeds in my stomach. I couldn't sleep the whole night.
Well, the next morning, I woke up to my surprise, and discovered nothing had changed. My head was normal as it was. But one thing remains unchanged until this day. My love for cherries stays forever.
1.Why did they start the cherry eating competition?
A.Because they wanted to challenge their friends.
B.Because their mother asked them to do that.
C.Because they wanted to have a happy afternoon.
D.Because they just wanted to please their brothers.
2.The underlined word "jittery" (Para 2) probably means"____".
A.pleased B.disappointed
C.lucky D.nervous
3.From the mother's words we can learn that____.
A.She was just joking. B.She wanted to help the writer
C.She didn't know what to do D.She was too strict with her children
4.Why did the writer believe her mother's words?
A.Because her mother asked her to do that.
B.Because she was too young at that time.
C.Because her brother had the similar experience before.
D.Because she wanted to have a good relationship with her mother.
5.In this passage the writer wants to ___.
A.Introduce a kind of fruit to readers B.Show her anger to her mother
C.Show the reason why she hates the fruit D.Tell an interesting story of her childhood
If you'd rather eat out on Thanksgiving or order the meal to go,you have no shortage of options. Here are some Chicago restaurants celebrating the holiday with a variety of dishes on offer.
Cyrano's Bistrot and Wine Bar, 546N.Wells
Go French for Thanksgiving，with Cyrano's sixcourse togo menu. It's packed with four appetizers, including ratatouille and lamb rillettes; four vegetable sides, including potato Lyonnaise; pumpkin soup; a choice of turkey，duck or chicken; a cheese plate，and desserts also included；reheating instructions. The cost is $39 a person. To order，call(312) 4670546.
Fairmont Chicago, 200N. Columbus
The hotel is going retro(怀旧) and green this year with its Thanksgiving togo menu，from organic green bean casserole(砂锅) made with mushroom soup to organic mashed potatoes with bacon bits and sour cream. The meal，which serves 8 to 10，is $195，plus tax. Orders must be in by 3 p．m. Wednesday. To order，call (312) 5656665.
Kit Kat Lounge and Supper Club, 3700N. Halsted
The restaurant celebrates Thanksgiving a day early with a threecourse menu on Wednesday. Menu items include a wild mushroom tart(馅饼) with Gruyere and Cabernetmarinated steak with Havarti mashed potatoes. The $35 dinner each, tax and tip not included, includes a martini(马提尼酒)．For reservations, call (773) 5251111.
Lawry's the Prime Rib, 100E. Ontario
The star of the Thanksgiving menu is organic, free-range turkey from Pennsylvania. Togo dinner packages also will be offered, with 10 percent of proceeds going to the Greater Chicago Food Depository. Carryout packages range from $27 for an individual turkey dinner to $480 for a meal serving 12 to 14.Orders must be placed by Tuesday. Call (312) 7875000.
Popeyes, various locations
Thirteen of the chicken chain's Chicago locations are taking orders now for takeout fried turkeys. The turkeys，which serve 8 to 10，range from $40 to $45.Use the restaurant locator at www. popeyes. com for locations and phone numbers.
1.Turkey is offered in the restaurants EXCEPT ______.
A.Fairmont Chicago, 200N. Columbus
B.Popeyes, various locations
C.Lawry's the Prime Rib, 100E.Ontario
D.Cyrano's Bistrot and Wine Bar, 546N. Wells
2.If a person wants to order sweet food like pudding，he should dial ______.
A.(312) 4670546 B.(312)7875000
C.(773) 5251111 D.(312)5656665
3.How much will it cost if two persons order meal in the Kit Kat Lounge and Supper Club?
A.Less than $70. B.More than $70 .
C.Less than $35. D.More than $35.
4.______ is the second most popular food on Thanksgiving Day.
A.Chicken B.Potato
C.Pumpkin D.Steak
5.If a person wants to know more about the chicken chain's Chicago，what should he do?
A.Call a telephone. B.Surf the Internet.
C.Watch TV. D.Listen to the radio.
I had my first job at the age of thirteen, when a friend of my mother who owned a bookshop hired me for six hours a week to help her in the shop. I was very __ to earn my own pocket money and my parents never interfered with (干涉) __ I spent it, even when I was spending it foolishly. They __ that by earning money, spending it, and learning from my mistakes, I would become more mature (成熟的) and responsible about how to __ work, relationships with others, and money.
Like many American parents, my parents also let my brother and me do things over which they __ a great deal. When I was sixteen,__, after I finished high school and before I entered __, I wanted to spend the summer months traveling around Europe. My mother was against the idea of my traveling __ at such a young age, but my father felt that it would be a great __ for me. In the end, my father won the argument on the condition that I limited my traveling to France, my mother’s home, __ I had many relatives who could __ shelter and help if I needed it.
Three years later, when my brother was eighteen, he decided to __ a year off after his first year in university and __ through the States and the Caribbean, Again my mother was worried to see my brother leave school, but my father __ him and my brother had a fantastic year __ his way on trains and ships to earn passage (旅费) to different ports and cities, and __ many fascinating places and people.
Such experiences are __ rare for children in many countries, but in the US they are fairly __. Most parents start pushing their children at a young age to do small things by themselves. __ they finish high school, many American kids have already had part-time jobs, traveled around the US or other countries on their own, __ a university and maybe even decided on their future career.
1.A. anxious B. successful C. disappointed D. proud
2.A. how B. whether C. when D. where
3.A. believed B. explained C. suggested D. mentioned
4.A. handle B. deal C. make D. take
5.A. panicked B. suffered C. worried D. struggled
6.A. as a result B. in reality C. on the whole D. for example
7.A. politics B. business C. university D. market
8.A. alone B. apart C. along D. aboard
9.A. practice B. schedule C. performance D. experience
10.A. which B. what C. where D. that
11.A. support B. equip C. provide D. take
12.A. send B. take C. pick D. give
13.A. travel B. march C. explore D. push
14.A. encouraged B. agreed C. prevented D. blamed
15.A. finding B. working C. making D. forcing
16.A. challenging B. exploring C. expecting D. discovering
17.A. nearly B. probably C. merely D. slightly
18.A. special B. usual C. common D. ordinary
19.A. At the moment B. On the occasion C. To the point D. By the time
20.A. attended B. joined C. finished D. selected
He asked so many questions that I got completely _____.
A.confused B.confusing C.confusion D.mess
I won't go out tonight, you know; I'm going to watch the _____football match on TV.
A.alive B.living C.live D.life
Because of his strange clothes, he immediately became the ___ of attention when he entered the hall.
A.concentration B.point C.focus D.aim
