It was a Sunday morning, and I was in a terrible mood. Two of my friends had gone to the movies the night before and hadn’t invited me. I was in my room thinking of ways to make them sorry when my father came in. “Want to go for a ride, today, Beck? It’s a beautiful day.”
“No! Leave me alone!” Those were the last words I said to him that morning.
My friends called and invited me to go to the mall with them a few hours later. I forgot to be mad at them and went. I came home to find a note on the table. My mother put it where I would be sure to see it. “Dad has had an accident. Please meet us at Highland Park Hospital”.
When I reached the hospital, my mother came out and told me my father’s injuries were extensive. “Your father told the driver to leave him alone and just call 911, thank God! If he had moved Daddy, there’s no telling what might have happened. A broken rib (肋骨) might have pierced (穿透) a lung....”
My mother may have said more, but I didn’t hear. I didn’t hear anything except those terrible words: Leave me alone. My dad said them to save himself from being hurt more. How much had I hurt him when I hurled (愤慨地说出) those words at him earlier in the day?
It was several days later that he was finally able to have a conversation. I held his hand gently, afraid of hurting him.
“Daddy... I am so sorry....”
“It’s okay, sweetheart. I’ll be okay.”
“No,” I said, “I mean about what I said to you that day. You know, that morning?”
My father could no more tell a lie than he could fly. He looked at me and said, “Sweetheart, I don’t remember anything about that day, not before, during or after the accident. I remember kissing you goodnight the night before, though.” He managed a weak smile.
My English teacher once told me that words have immeasurable power. They can hurt or they can heal. And we all have the power to choose our words. I intend to do that very carefully from now on.
1.The author was in bad mood that morning because ________.
A. his father had a terrible accident
B. he couldn’t drive to the mall with his friends
C. his friends hadn’t invited him to the cinema
D. his father didn’t allow him to go out with his friends
2.Why did the author say sorry to his father in the hospital?
A. Because he didn’t go along with his father.
B. Because he was rude to his father that morning.
C. Because he failed to come earlier after the accident.
D. Because he couldn’t look after his father in the hospital.
3.The reason why the author’s father said he forgot everything about that day is that ________.
A. he had a poor memory
B. he didn’t want to forgive his son
C. he just wanted to comfort his son
D. he lost his memory after the accident
4.What lesson did Beck learn from the matter?
A. Don’t treat your parents badly.
B. Don’t hurt others with rude words.
C. Don’t move the injured in an accident.
D. Don’t be angry with friends at small things.
Books for Children
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Beth Webb More stories of Fleabag, the talking cat—star of this wonderful set of 3 books. Ages 8—13, 208 pages, paper-back 07459 44116, ￡3.99 |
The little White House Elizabeth Goudge A fairy tale and winner of the Carnegie Medal. Ages 8—12, 240 pages, paper-back 07459 45783, ￡4.99 |
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My Very First Christmas Book Lois Rock and Alec Ayliffe A big, bright book, which presents the story simply, and delightfully for very young children. Ages 0—3, 12 pages, 200mmx200mm, board 07459 40560, ￡4.99 |
First Festival: Christmas Lois Rock An all-in-one book to help grown-ups and children prepare their Christmas celebration together. Presents, activities and customs. Ages 5—8, 48 pages, 290mmx250mm, hardback 07459 39074, ￡8.99 |
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Star of Wonder Pat Alexander A wonderful collection of Christmas stories and poems. Full of lively pages to read and enjoy. Ages 7—12, 224 pages, paperback 07459 39323, ￡4.99 |
The Not-So-Wise Man Alan MacDonald and Andrew Rowland We all know about the 3 Wise Men who traveled to Bethlehem（伯利恒）and discovered the baby Jesus Christ. This is the tale of another one, who always missed the point. Ages 5—9, 32 pages, 270mm×210mm, hardback. 07459 38922, ￡8.99 |
1.If you want to make a Christmas plan together with your children, which book do you prefer？
A. Star of Wonder B. The Not-So-Wise Man
C. First Festival: Christmas D. My Very First Christmas Book
2.Which number would you dial if you want to order a book for your 2-year-old child?
A. 07459 40560. B. 07459 38922.
C. 07459 45783. D. 07459 44116.
3. If your child wants to read stories of animals, whose book will be your choice?
A. Pat Alexander. B. Beth Webb.
C. Lois Rock. D. Elizabeth Goudge.
In Britain today, is it possible to tell a person’s class just by looking at him? Physical details alone tell us about health, diet and the type of work a person does. A hundred years ago the working class often looked unhealthy, small and they were either too thin or too fat. The upper classes were often tall, sporting types who were used to a good diet and looked healthy. Today living and working conditions have improved, and such descriptions are no longer true. People are taller now than a hundred years ago. Everyone in Britain today is able to have free medicine, a good diet, acceptable working conditions and enough rest and leisure.
The clothes people choose to wear, however, do provide information about their backgrounds. Expensive clothes look expensive and show their wearer is rich. Clothes can provide other clues as well. The upper classes appear to be less interested in fashion and wear good quality clothes in non-bright colours, made of natural material like wool, leather and cotton. Lower working-class people often choose clothes in bright colours, made of man-made materials. A sociological explanation for this would be that colour and interest are missing from their lives, and therefore any opportunity to produce this is taken.
Clothes are available at a price within most people’s reach. New clothes make the wearer feel good and show some degree of wealth to the outside world. Today it is the younger people who spend most money on clothes. Fashion is no longer for the upper classes and the rich. Young people from all social classes spend a lot of money on clothes. Some new fashions are started by working-class people who want to look different and feel important. They want people to look at them.
1.In the past, a person’s appearance could not tell other people about his ________.
A. health B. diet C. occupation (职业) D. habits
2.The clothes people choose to wear tell us about their ________.
A. education B. richness C. backgrounds D. hobby
3. A working-class person may start a new fashion because ________.
A. she wants to draw the attention of other people
B. she wants to look different and healthy
C. she wants to show their wealth
D. she wants to show their taste
4.Which of the following statements is NOT true?
A. Expensive clothes look expensive and show the wearer is rich.
B. Working-class people prefer clothes in bright colours because they lack colour in their lives.
C. Today, it is still the upper class people who spend most money on clothes.
D. Today, fashion is no longer for the upper classes and the rich.
There is an endless supply of stories about sleepwalkers (梦游者). People have been said to climb on roofs, solve mathematical problems, write music, walk through windows, and do murder in their sleep.
In Revere, Massachusetts, a hundred policemen searched for a lost boy who left his home in his sleep and woke up five hours later on a strange sofa in a strange living room, with no idea how he had got there.
At the University of Lowa, a student was reported to have the habit of getting up in the middle of the night and walking three-quarters of a mile to the Lowa River. He would take a swim and then go back to his room to bed.
An American expert on sleep claims (声称) that he has never seen a sleepwalker. He is said to know more about sleep than any other living man, and during the last thirty-five years he has lost a lot of sleep watching people sleep. He says, “Of course, I know that there are sleepwalkers because I have read about them in the newspapers. But none of my sleepers ever walked, and if I were to advertise for sleepwalkers for an experiment, I doubt whether I would get many takers (应征者).”
Sleepwalking, however, is a scientific reality. It is one of those strange things that sometimes look quite fantastic (怪诞的). Doctors say that sleepwalking is much more common than is generally supposed. Many sleepwalkers do not try to find help and their sleepwalking is never recorded.
1.Generally speaking, sleepwalkers are people who ________.
A. climb on roofs B. walk through windows
C. do fantastic things during their sleep D. walk in a half-awake state
2. It was reported that a boy ________.
A. was found on a strange sofa, telling how he had got there
B. slept in his own room but woke up in a strange room
C. lost his way five hours after he left home
D. was searched for by policemen when he lost his way
3.There was a college student who got into the habit of ________.
A. getting up in the middle of the night and walking down to the river
B. walking three-quarters of a mile every day
C. swimming in the Lowa River before going to bed
D. walking about before he went to bed
4.Why do people think sleepwalking is nothing but a fantastic thing which doesn’t have any explanation?
A. It is so common that it needn’t be recorded.
B. Scientists take no interest in it.
C. Most sleepwalkers do not seek help for their problem.
D. No records about it have been made.
请认真阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
It was in my high school science class. I was doing a task in front of the classroom with my favorite shirt on.
A 41 came, “Nice shirt,” I smiled from ear to ear. Then another voice said, “That shirt belonged to my dad. Greg’s mother works for my family. We were going to 42 that shirt away, but gave it to her 43 .” I was speechless. I wanted to hide.
I 44 the shirt in the back of the closet and told my mum what had happened. She then dialed her 45 , “I will no longer work for your family,” she told him. That night, Mom told my dad that she couldn’t clean anymore; she knew her life’s 46 was something greater.
The next morning she 47 with the personnel manager at the Board of Education. He told her that without a proper education she could not teach. So Mom decided to 48 a university.
After the first year in college, she went back to the personnel manager. He said, “You are 49 , aren’t you? I think I have a 50 for you as a teacher’s assistant. This opportunity deals with children who are mentally challenged with little or no chance of 51 .” Mom accepted the opportunity very 52 .
For almost five years, as a teacher’s assistant, she saw teacher after teacher give up on the children and quit, feeling 53 . Then one day, the personnel manager and the principal 54 in her classroom. The principal said, “We have watched how you 55 the children and how they communicate with you and admire your hard-working 56 over the last five years. We are all in agreement that you 57 be the teacher of this class.”
My mom spent more than 20 years there. 58 her career, she was voted Teacher of the Year. All of this came about because of the 59 comment made in the classroom that day. Mom showed me how to handle 60 situations and never give up.
1.A. noise B. voice C. sound D. tune
2.A. get B. take C. carry D. throw
3.A. otherwise B. anyhow C. instead D. actually
4.A. settled B. pushed C. stored D. stuck
5.A. teacher B. employer C. director D. adviser
6.A. purpose B. encouragement C. achievement D. victory
7.A. went B. met C. worked D. stayed
8.A. visit B. continue C. attend D. prepare
9.A. serious B. fortunate C. careful D. responsible
10.A. career B. duty C. position D. part
11.A. learning B. judging C. obeying D. imagining
12.A. patiently B. eagerly C. successfully D. skillfully
13.A. upset B. frightened C. guilty D. ashamed
14.A. looked up B went up C. took up D. showed up
15.A. believe B. protect C. treat D. receive
16.A. spirit B. intention C. action D. attempt
17.A. must B. would C. might D. should
18.A. At B. During C. On D. With
19.A. worthless B. thoughtless C. hopeless D. helpless
20.A. challenging B. different C. dangerous D. strange
---- I must be off now. See you!
---- ________. See you!
A. Walk slowly B. Nice to meet you
C. Take care D. Be careful of safety
Fleabag and
the Ring's End