I have to admit: I don’t flush(冲) the toilet every time I go to the bathroom. In fact, I firmly believe “If it’s yellow, let it mellow; if it’s brown, flush it down.”
I’m sure a lot of it has to do with the fact that I work at home. Alone (well, except for the cats and dog). All day. And I drink a lot of water, which makes for many trips to the bathroom.
Another thing I have to admit: I also try to use very little toilet paper. I wash my hands after, though. Every time. (So maybe the water I don’t use flushing makes up for the water used to wash my hands?)
Ironically, my husband, who only uses toilet paper when necessary, always flushes. But he doesn’t seem to mind that I don’t flush every time. Or, at least not enough to file for divorce. Yet.
Posted by Juliet Farmer
Jun 14, 2010 at 10:21 PM
When I’m at home alone I do not flush every time I pee(小便). My husband hates that, though, so when he’s home, I flush a little more often. I grew up doing that because I had a family that lived with huge tanks and you have to do it that way because it’s easier on the system, so it doesn’t bother me. I do flush when I’m out in public, at people’s houses that don’t have big tanks and when we have company!
CherBearCM, Jun 15, 2010 at 4:21 PM
Not always. But I have 4 children who are always hanging from the door knob（球形捏手） while I pee anyway. So I’m lucky I have time to wash my hands after. The average toilet uses 8 gallons of water per flush! Much less than what it takes to wash my hands after. (just saying)
luvbnmomnwife, Jun 15, 2010 at 4:32 PM
1. CherBearCM doesn’t flush the toilet every time she pees ________.
A. because she can’t afford so much water
B. because her husband doesn’t like that
C. when she is with her friends
D. when she is alone
2.luvbnmomnwife seems to enjoy ________.
A. washing hands after using the toilet
B. taking care of her four children
C. peeing with her kids watching
D. flushing the toilet after peeing
3.The text is taken from ________.
A. a newspaper
B. a website
C. a magazine
D. a handbook
4. Which of the following titles best suits the text?
A. Stop flushing your toilet!
B. Do you flush the toilet every time?
C. Don’t forget to flush the toilet after peeing!
D. Do you realize the importance of saving water?
There is much more to growing up in a bilingual(双语的) family than learning two languages, and the cultural influences from both cultures are just as important.
In July we had a curious incident that shows the slight differences between cultures. My son has already changed a few of his baby teeth and since we lived in Italy we decided to go with the Italian version(版本) of the Tooth Fairy, which is not a fairy(仙女) but a little mouse. So last year when he lost his first tooth we had a visit from the little mouse who took the tooth away and left a rather good amount of coins --- when he lost the second tooth a few days later, however, the amount was significantly less! That in itself caused quite a few questions, but the real questions started when in July during a visit to the UK another tooth left my son’s mouth in Tooth Fairy land! The grandparents made a real problem out of it --- it was their first grandson’s tooth they got to say Goodbye to, so it was Tooth Fairy and rather generous, too!
The Qs & As
Son: Mum, how is the little mouse going to smell my tooth all this way? (as the story goes the little mouse smells a milk tooth and comes to collect it)
Me: No dear, it won’t! We are in England now so the Tooth Fairy will come.
Son: Oh, is she stronger than the little mouse? (I knew where this was going)
Me: She is very strong, and she is magic.
Son: What does the Tooth Fairy bring? (straight to the point)
Me: I am not sure. We’ll find out maybe a nice message.
Son: So is the little mouse coming too?
Me: No, it won’t make it all the way from Italy.
Son: But why don’t they have little mice in England?
Me: Because here the Tooth Fairy collects all baby teeth and she’s too fast, so the little mouse would always get there late.
Son: Oh!?
1.Italian kids are supposed to believe ________ will come and collect the milk teeth.
A. a little mouse
B. Tooth Fairy
C. their parents
D. the grandparents
2.The author thought Tooth Fairy would be rather generous because ________.
A. Italian parents often give much money for their kids’ lost baby teeth[
B. she knew Tooth Fairy was more generous than the little mouse
C. she knew the grandparents would give her son a big gift
D. English people are usually more generous than Italians
3.Hearing “Oh, is she stronger than the little mouse?”, the author knew her son was actually worried about ________.
A. the tooth fairy’s health
B. the little mouse’s coming
C. the amount of coins he could get
D. the story his grandparents know
4.By telling this story, the author intends to say it’s important to _________ in a bilingual family.
A. make kids know the folk stories
B. help kids choose one of the cultures
C. teach kids two languages
D. keep the balance of both cultures
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该选项的标号涂黑。
One of the speaking rules you need to know might sound strange to most ESL(English as a second language) students, but it is one of the most important rules. If you want to pass examinations, then study grammar. However, if you want to become fluent in English, then you should try to learn English without studying the grammar.
Studying grammar will only slow you down and confuse you. You will think about the rules when creating sentences instead of naturally saying a sentence like a native. Remember that only a small fraction(部分) of English speakers know more than 20% of all the grammar rules. Many ESL students know more grammar than native speakers. I can confidently say this with experience. I am a native English speaker, majored in English Literature, and have been teaching English for more than 10 years. However, many of my students know more details about English grammar than I do. When they sometimes ask me about grammar, I can easily look up the definition(定义) and apply it, but I can’t tell them the answer off the top of my head.
I often ask my native English friends some grammar questions, and only a few of them know the correct answer. However, they are fluent in English and can read, speak, listen, and communicate effectively.
Do you want to be able to recite the definition of a causative verb(使役动词), or do you want to be able to speak English fluently?
1.According to the author, what opinion do most ESL students hold?
A. Grammar matters a lot only in speaking.
B. Grammar doesn’t matter much in speaking.
C. Grammar is not important in English learning.
D. Grammar is very important in English learning.
2. What is the author?
A. An ESL student.
B. A native English teacher.
C. A native English student.
D. A teacher teaching English natives.
3. The underlined part “off the top of my head” means ________.
A. without consideration
B. on purpose
C. after thinking
D. with difficulty
4.Which of the following titles best suits the text?
A. Grammar Counts!
B. Fluency or Grammar?
C. Exams or No Exams?
D. No More Grammar!
完形填空（共20小题；每小题1. 5分，满分30分）
请阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从36~55各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该选项的标号涂黑。
It was Lin Tao’s first visit to England. He was looking 36 to his first journey on London’s Underground Railway. Against 37 of his friends he decided to go alone.
He 38 the station shortly after five o’clock in the afternoon. This is a 39 time to travel in London because too many people go home 40 work at this hour. He had to join a long line of people 41 were waiting for tickets. When 42 his turn came, he had some difficulty in making himself understood by the man 43 tickets. However, he got the right 44 in the end and by asking people the 45 he also found the right platform. It was crowed with people. He did not manage to get on the first train, 46 he was able to move nearer the edge of the platform so as to be in a better position to 47 the next one.
When this train came in, Lin Tao was swept forward on to the train by the rush of people from behind. The doors 48 and the train moved off. He was 49 to see the names of the stations 50 the train stopped, but he knew that the station he wanted was the sixth stop along the line. When the train reached the sixth station, Lin Tao got off, 51 glad that his journey had been so easy. But he suddenly 52 that he had come to a station he 53 ! He explained his difficulty to a man standing on the platform. With a smile 54 his face, the man told Lin Tao that he 55 a train going in the opposite direction. The train had come to a small town, the name of which sounded very strange.
1. A. forward B. toward C. upward D. downward
2. A. an advice B. the advice C. advice D. advise
3. A. arrived B. got C. hurried D. entered
4. A. short B. well C. good D. bad
5.A. for B. at C. from D. before
6.A. who B. whom C. whose D. which
7. A. at first B. at last C. at least D. at most
8.A. sell B. to sell C. selling D. sold
9. A. platform B. station C. ticket D. taxi
10.A. road B. way C. path D. means
11. A. and B. or C. but D. so
12.A. get on B. get off C. get up D. get down
13.A. open B. opened C. close D. closed
14. A. able B. unable C. sure D. possible
15.A. which B. that C. before D. where
16.A. feeling B. felt C. fell D. fallen
17.A. recognized B. understood C. realized D. felt
18.A. have never listened to B. had never heard of C. had never listened D. has never heard
19. A. in B. on C. of D. to
20. A. had bought B. had sat C. had driven D. had caught
— Right. Thank you for reminding me of the exam.
— Don’t mention it! ________.
A. That’s all B. That’s a small deal
C. Good idea D. Good luck to you
It was ________ that saw a lot of close matches in the 16th Asian Games in November, 2010.
A. Guangzhou B. located in Guangzhou
C. in the city of Guangzhou D. held in Guangzhou
