I moved into a new house in July. Since then I have met a few of my neighbors who are very nice people. For Christmas, I thought I would do something nice for each of the neighbors I know. There were nine neighbors whom I knew by name or spoke with often when I was out in my yard. I knew which houses they lived in.
I decided to add one more to my list. This lady I decided to add lives down the street from me. I meet her every morning walking to work as I drive down the street. She always smiles to me. But I had no idea who she was and which house she lived in.
I planned to make small fruit baskets and leave them on my neighbor's front porches(门廊) on Christmas Eve. I signed the cards: "Happy Holidays from 5104 Northumberland Road."
I saved the last for the friendly lady. I finally decided on a house where I met her each morning and guessed that it was hers.
My neighbors really appreciated the baskets and would tell me as they saw me in the yard or they would call, and a couple even came by to thank me.
This morning I found a small note in the mailbox. It was addressed simply: Resident, 5104 Northumberland Road.
The Thank You card really caught me by surprise. I opened it and read the message, "Thank you for the lovely fruit basket you left on our porch. It was very thoughtful. Richard Kelly passed away last week. He talked a lot about how nice it was that someone remembered him in his time of illness. He really appreciated it."
I had no idea who Richard Kelly was and that he had been seriously ill. I had left that nice lady's basket on his porch by mistake. I wanted to say sorry, but that would be wrong. I believe that Mr. Kelly was meant to have that basket because he was dying. I hate that the nice lady did not get to receive a fruit basket on Christmas, but I believe if she knew what had happened, she would be happy. I feel pleased to have helped Richard Kelly's last days be more cheerful.
1.How many Christmas gifts did the author intend to send?
A. Nine. B. Eight. C. Ten. D. Eleven.
2.Where did the friendly lady live?
A. She lived at the end of Northumberland Road.
B. Her address was 5104 Northumberland Road.
C. She was thought to share a house with Mr. Kelly.
D. The author was not sure about her address at all.
3.How did the author’s neighbors respond to his gifts?
A. They liked the gifts very much and were thankful.
B. They were thankful that they wanted to be friends.
C. They all made phone calls to say “Thank You”.
D. They all visited him by person to show gratitude.
4.What does the author mean in the last paragraph?
A. He was regretful that the nice lady didn’t receive his gift.
B. He was glad to have made Mr. Kelly's life more pleasant.
C. He thought Richard Kelly deserved to receive that basket.
D. The old lady was happy to sacrifice to make Kelly happy.
Two years ago, the Funk family of suburban Chicago adopted a Chinese baby girl who had been abandoned on a sidewalk near a Yangzhou textile factory.
Last year and halfway across the United States, the Ramirez family of suburban Miami adopted a girl who had been abandoned a week later on the same spot.
Both families named their daughters Mia. It turns out, a first name and Chinese heritage aren’t the only things the three-year-olds have in common. The girls’ mothers—Holly Funk and Diana Ramirez—met on a website for parents who had gone through international adoptions. After a flurry of e-mails comparing photographs and biographical details, DNA testing proved the families’ suspicions: The girls are probably fraternal (手足般的) twins.
“I was in shock,” said Ramirez, who lives with her husband Carlos in Pembroke Pines, Florida. “Well, now this is for real.”
The Internet and Web groups revolving around international orphanages are increasingly being used to link adopted children with biological kin(亲属). The site that the Funks and Ramirezes used has a membership of 137 people, with 15 sets of twins and seven sets of siblings whose relationships have been confirmed.
At a reunion on Friday at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, Mia Diamond Funk Mia Hanying Ramirez shyly surveyed each other, then reached for each other’s hand.
DNA tests established an 85 percent probability that the girls are at least half sisters. Scientists did not have a biological parent to test and reach a greater certainty, but given their ages and physical similarities, experts say it is likely they are fraternal twins.
Douglas and Holly Funk hope to take Mia to Miami in October. Both sets of parents say they are committed to staying in touch and often let the twins talk to each other on the phone.
1.. Both the adopted girls shared a first name ________.
A. because they both came from China
B. because of their physical similarities
C. because their US parents suspected they were twins
D. for no good reason
2. Why did the girls’ mothers meet on the Internet?
A. To compare photographs of the two girls.
B. To communicate with other people who had adopted children abroad.
C. To test their suspicion.
D. To exchange experiences on adopting children.
3.Experts are still not 100 percent sure that the two girls are fraternal twins because ________.
A. DNA tests are still not accurate enough
B. the two girls were born by different parents
C. the DNA of a biological parent is still missing
D. one girl is born a week later than the other
4.What would be the best title for the passage?
A. Adopted Twins Reunited on Internet
B. Adopted Twins Live happily in the US.
C. Suspicion Turned into Reality
D. The Story of Adopted Twins and Their Parents
What do you want to be when you grow up? A teacher? A doctor? How about an ice-cream taster?
Yes, there really is a job where you can get paid to taste ice-cream. Just ask John Harrison, an “Official Taste Tester” for the past 21 years. Testing helps manufacturers to be sure of a product’s quality. During his career Harrison has been responsible for approving large quantities of the sweet ice cream — as well as for developing over 75 flavors (味道）.
Some people think that it would be easy to do this job: after all, you just have to like ice cream, right? No — there’s more to the job than that, says Harrison, who has a degree in chemistry. He points out that a dairy or food-science degree would be very useful to someone wanting a career in this “cool” field.
In a typical morning on the job, Harrison tastes and assesses 60 ice-cream samples. He lets the ice cream warm up to about 12℉. Harrison explains, “You get more flavor from warmer ice cream, which is why some kids like to stir it, creating ice-cream soup.”
While the ice cream warms up, Harrison looks over the samples and grades each one on its appearance. “Tasting begins with the eyes,” he explains. He checks to see if the ice cream is attractive and asks himself, “Does the product have the color expected from that flavor?” Next it’s time to taste!
Continuing to think up new ideas, try out new flavors, and test samples from so many kinds of ice cream each day keeps Harrison busy but happy — working at one cool job.
1.What is John Harrison’s job?
A. An official. B. An ice-cream taster.
C. A chemist. D. An ice-cream manufacturer.
2.According to John Harrison, to be qualified in the “cool field”, it is helpful to ______.
A. keep a diary of work B. have a degree in chemistry
C. have new ideas every day D. find out new flavors each day
3.What does Harrison do first when testing ice cream?
A. He stirs the ice cream.
B. He examines the color of the ice cream.
C. He tastes the flavor of the ice cream.
D. He lets the ice cream cool down.
My friend Michelle is blind, but you’d never know it. She makes such good use of her other 36 , including her "sixth sense", that she rarely gives the impression she's 37 anything.
Michelle looks after her children pretty much like the rest of us, 38 that she doesn’t push too hard on them, 39 really benefit a lot from her relaxed attitude. She knows when to clean the house, she moves around so fast that often 40 don't realize she's blind.
I 41 this the first time after my six-year-old daughter, Kayla, went to play there. When Kayla came home, she was very 42 about her day. She told me they had baked cookies, played games and done art projects. But she was 43 excited about her finger-painting project."Mom, guess what?" said Kayla, all smiles. "I learned how to 44 colors today! Blue and red make purple, and yellow and blue make green! And Michelle 45 with us.
To my great 46 , my child had learnt about color from a blind friend! Then Kayla continued, "Michelle told me my 47 showed joy, pride and a sense of accomplishment. She really 48 what I was doing!" Kayla said she had never felt how good finger paints felt 49 Michelle showed her how to paint without looking at her paper.
I realized Kayla didn't know that Michelle was blind. It had just never 50 in conversation. When I told her, she was 51 for a moment. At first, she didn't believe me. "But Mommy, Michelle knew exactly what was in my picture!" Kayla 52 . And I knew my child was 53 because Michelle had listened to Kayla describe her artwork. Michelle had also heard Kayla's 54 in her work.
We were silent for a minute. Then Kayla said slowly, "You know, Mommy, Michelle really did ‘see’ my picture. She just used my 55 ." Indeed, she uses a special type of “vision” that all mothers have.
1.A．ways B．means C．methods D．senses
2.A．enjoyed B．found C．missed D．lost
3.A．and B．except C．even D．but
4.A．who B．it C．she D．which
5.A．children B．family C．guests D．friends
6.A．realized B．heard C．recognized D．witnessed
7.A．sad B．satisfied C．excited D．enjoyed
8.A．especially B．not so C．a little D．not at all
9.A．paint B．draw C．create D．mix
10.A．stayed B．painted C．talked D．played
11.A．excitement B．encouragementC．delight D．surprise
12.A．attitude B．color C．picture D．paper
13.A．touched B．distinguishedC．saw D．understood
14.A．after B．before C．until D．when
15.A．come up B．turned out C．referred to D．talked about
16.A．curious B．quiet C．puzzled D．worried
17.A．cried B．insisted C．complained D．informed
18.A．right B．wrong C．worried D．uncertain
19.A．shortcomingsB．difficulties C．pride D．description
20.A．paper B．pens C．hands D．eyes
---I think Maths is playing a more important part in the new test system. What about you?
--- ______. We should be more devoted to it.
A. No pains, no gains.
B. Fact speaks louder than words.
C. Great minds think alike.
D. Don’t claim to know what you don’t know.
_______ , and he felt hopeless.
A. Because Charles was sentenced to death
B. As Charles was sentenced to death
C. Sentenced to death
D. Charles was sentenced to death
