I remember that every Saturday night Mama would sit down by the kitchen table and count out the money Papa had brought home in the little envelope.
“For the rent.” Mama would say, counting out the big silver pieces.
“For the groceries.” Another pile of coins.
“Teacher says this week I'll need a notebook.” That would be my sister Christine, my brother Nels or me. Mama would put one or two coins to the side.
We would watch with anxious interest. At last, Papa would ask,” Is that all?” When Mama nodded, we could relax a little. Mama would look up and smile,” Good. We do not have to go to the Bank downtown.” We were all so proud of Mama's Bank Account. It gave us such a warm, secure feeling. No one else we knew had money in a big bank downtown.
I remember when the Jensens down the street were put out because they couldn't pay their rent. We children watched the big strange men carry out the furniture, ignoring the tears of Mrs. Jensens. “Might this, could this, happen to us?”
“We have a Bank Account.” Mama comforted me calmly, and suddenly I could breathe again.
Whatever happened, we always knew we still had the Bank to depend upon.
That was twenty years ago. Last year I sold my first story. When the check came, I hurried over to Mama's and put it in her lap.” For you, I said,” to put in your Bank Account.” I noticed for the first time how old Mama and Papa looked. Papa seemed shorter, and Mama's hair was silver now.
Mama fingered the check and looked at Papa.” Good,” she said, and her eyes were proud.
“Tomorrow,” I told Mama, “you must take it to the Bank.”
“You will go with me, Katrin? But...”Mama stopped for a moment and looked at me.
“There is no account,” she continued. “In all my life, I've never been inside a bank.”
And when I didn't-couldn't-answer, Mama said seriously. “It is not good for little ones to be afraid-to not feel secure.”
1.What can we learn about the family twenty years ago?
A.They lived downtown. B.They were badly in debt.
C.They had money in the bank. D.They were careful with money.
2.What happened to the Jensens made the children feel
A.ashamed B.disappointed C.worried D.amazed
3.What did Mama hesitate about at the end of the story?
A.How to comfort her child. B.How to spend the money.
C.Whether to tell the truth. D.Whether to go to the Bank.
4.Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?
A.My first check B.Mama's Bank Account C.Sense of security D.Struggle for better life
Would you like to see the festival from a different perspective?
A volunteer position at Canada Blooms might be a good fit for you.
Bringing with you energy and expertise to help make Canada Blooms a world-class event. Come and join us in celebrating our 24th festival, and put your love and knowledge of gardening to use.
Volunteer schedules are flexible and you will receive a free entrance for any day of the festival. 3-4 hour shifts in either the morning, afternoon or evening, are available. Feel free to stay and enjoy the show after your shift.
We are looking for:
Garden/Landscape/Nursery Aides(before/after festival, change over night)
Ice cream Ambassador
Bus/Tour Greeting Ambassador
General Greeting Ambassador
General Help/Runner
Please complete the Volunteer Sign-up Form and send an email to bloomsvolunteers @gmail.com with your preferred day(s),time(s)and position(s).
If you are interested in helping with the pre-festival horticultural set-up, contact Tanya Smith at bloomshortvolunteers@gmail.com.
Additional Information:
Free parking is available on outside lots Mon-Fri after 4 pm.
If you are offered a position, we need to be able to count on you to be responsible. If you are unsure of what day or time you will be available, we can still use your help, just sign up as General Help and we will offer you a position when you arrive.
1.What's the purpose of the passage?
A.To raise Canada Blooms to a world-class level.
B.To advertise volunteer positions for the festival.
C.To encourage people to practice their gardening skills.
D.To offer volunteers chances to better enjoy the
2.The volunteers are supposed to__________.
A.have bus driving skills B.stay after the their shifts
C.take their responsibilities D.park outside on weekends
3.If you are uncertain when you are free, you can__________.
A.complete the Volunteer Sighup Form B.email to bloomsvolunteers@gmail. com
C.contact Tanya Smith by sending emails D.sign up and volunteer as General Help
Directions: Write an English composition in 120-150 words according to the instructions given in Chinese.
假设你是明启中学高三学生 Alice，你的好朋友 Mary 进入高三以后，学习热情骤减， 成绩下降，甚至产生厌学情绪，她写信向你倾诉，说学习压力太大，生活没有目标，家长老师不能够理解她等等。针对她的情况，请你给她写封回信，安慰她，并向她提出合理的建议。
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Directions: Translate the following sentences into English, using the words given in the brackets.
1.显然，他缺乏经验，无法胜任这份工作。 (lack)
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2.遍布我们城市各个角落的便利店满足了人们适应快节奏生活的需要。(adapt)
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3.现在越来越多的野生动物正面临着灭绝的威胁，所以是我们要采取措施保护他们时候了。(time)
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4.只有队员之间加强配合并全力以赴，我校篮球队才能在决赛中战胜对手赢得冠军。(Only)
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Directions: Write a summary of the passage in more than 60 words and the original sentences in the passage are not allowed to use.
Why do some people live to be older than others? You know the standard explanations: keeping a moderate diet, engaging in regular exercise, etc. But what effect does your personality have on your longevity? Do some kinds of personalities lead to longer lives? A new study in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society looked at this question by examining the personality characteristics of 246 children of people who had lived to be at least 100.
The study shows that those living the longest are more outgoing, more active and less neurotic (神经质的) than other people. Long-living women are also more likely to be sympathetic and cooperative than women with a normal life span. These findings are in agreement with what you would expect from the evolutionary theory: those who like to make friends and help others can gather enough resources to make it through tough times.
Interestingly, however, other characteristics that you might consider advantageous had no impact on whether study participants were likely to live longer. Those who were more self-disciplined, for instance, were no more likely to live to be very old. Also, being open to new ideas had no relationship to long life, which might explain all those bad-tempered old people who are fixed in their ways.
Whether you can successfully change your personality as an adult is the subject of a longstanding psychological debate. But the new paper suggests that if you want long life, you should strive to be as outgoing as possible.
Unfortunately, another recent study shows that your mother’s personality may also help determine your longevity. That study looked at nearly 28,000 Norwegian mothers and found that those moms who were more anxious, depressed and angry were more likely to feed their kids unhealthy diets. Patterns of childhood eating can be hard to break when we’re adults, which may mean that kids of depressed moms end up dying younger.
Personality isn’t destiny, and everyone knows that individuals can learn to change. But both studies show that long life isn’t just a matter of your physical health but of your mental health.
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Directions: Choose from the sentences A-F to complete the passage. There are extra sentences which you do not need to use.
Practical tips to stay fit for Spring Festival
The Spring Festival is here and lots of people may not only ruin their usual diets, but also gain a few extra pounds.1.. Excessive eating is claimed to be the main cause for the additional weight gain, but it is also due to lack of physical activity and exercise. A lot of individuals out there tend to set aside their fitness routines during the holidays since they believe that they do not have enough time to perform their workouts. And because they feel guilty after the holiday season, most of the gyms and fitness centers are packed with fresh members. 2.. Here are several useful tips that might help you.
Eat before heading out. It is best that you eat something before heading out to visits, trips or family dinners. You will no longer be tempted to eat a lot or overindulge yourself since you have already eaten.
Don’t skip meals, especially breakfast! Even though it can be tempting to skip on certain meals, believing that it will make up for the treats you consumed in the previous day, don’t do it because it will only lead to counterproductive results.
3.. Alcohol, coke or other juices will only add more calories to the ones you already ate!
Make the holidays a family affair. Plan outdoor activities where everyone is involved. Even a tour at the shopping mall will burn a lot of calories and keep the children entertained.
You’d better distribute your meals evenly throughout the day, and do not eat everything at once. 4.. Eat your dinner earlier and have a nice walk before going to bed.
These tips will help you avoid gaining weight during the holiday, and will also allow you to enjoy yourself and have a great time with your loved ones. So there you go!
A.Try to do exercise early in the morning while everyone else is still sleeping.
B.Always bear in mind that you can enjoy the holidays and stay fit at the same time.
C.Instead of having two enormous meals, have five small ones.
D.Based on studies, the majority of people tend to gain additional weight during the holiday season.
E.It is best to regulate your drinking.
F.Prioritize your workouts and try your best to avoid neglecting meals.
