There is an old Chinese proverb that states "One Generation plants the trees; another gets the shade," and this is how it should be with mothers and daughters. The relationship between a mother and daughter is sometimes confusing. If close, the relationship can be similar to friendship. However, the mother and daughter relationship has unique characteristics that distinguish it from a friendship. These characteristics include a hierarchy (等级) of responsibility and unconditional love, which preclude mothers and daughters from being best friends.
Marina, 27 years old, says, "I love spending time with my mom, but I wouldn't consider her my best friend. Best friends don't pay for your wedding. Best friends don't remind you how they carried you in their body and gave you life! Best friends don't tell you how wise they are because they have been alive at least 20 years longer than you.” This doesn't mean that the mother and daughter relationship can't be very close and satisfying.
While some adult relationships are still troubled, many find them to be extremely rewarding. This generation of mothers and adult daughters has a lot in common which increases the likelihood of shared companionship. Mothers and daughters have always shared the common experience of being homemakers, responsible for maintaining and passing on family values and traditions. Today contemporary mothers and daughters also share the experience of the workforce and technology, which may bring them even closer together.
Best friends may or may not continue to be best friends, but for better or worse, the mother and daughter relationship is permanent, even if for some unfortunate reason they aren't speaking. The mother and child relationship is closer than any other. There is not an equal relationship. Daughters should not feel responsible for their mother's emotional well-being. It isn’t that they don't care deeply about their mothers. It's just that they shouldn't be burdened with their mother's well being.
The mother and daughter relationship is a relationship that is not replaceable by any other. Mothers never stop being mothers, which includes frequently wanting to protect their daughters and often feeling responsible for their happiness. Mother always "trumps" friend.
1.The underlined word “preclude” in Paragraph 1 probably means “_________”.
A. differ B. prevent C. benefit D. change
2.Why do many mothers and adult daughters keep a rewarding relationship?
A. Because they have a lot in common.
B. Because they have common family values.
C. Because they have no generation gap.
D. Because they keep a constant relationship.
3.What do we know from the passage?
A. The mother and daughter relationship can be replaced by a best friend.
B. A mother’s love brings her and her daughter a close friendship.
C. The mother and daughter relationship goes beyond best friends’ friendship.
D. Marina has a troubled relationship with her mother.
4.The author proves his statements mainly by _________.
A. listing data B. giving explanations C. quoting sayings D. making examples
5.What is the best title for the passage?
A. How to be a good mother and daughter
B. Who is a mother’s best friend?
C. A friend in need is a friend indeed.
D. Can a mother be a daughter’s best friend?
Regarded as one of the English language’s most gifted poets, John Keats wrote poetry that concentrated on imagery, human nature, and philosophy. Although Keats didn’t receive much formal literary education, his own studies and passion brought him much success. Additionally, his own life situation influenced his poetry greatly.
Growing up as a young boy in London in a lower middle-class family, the young John didn’t attend a private school, but went to a public one. His teachers and his family’s friends regarded him as an optimistic boy who favored playing and fighting much more than minding his studies. After his father’s death in the early 1800s, followed by his mother’s passing due to tuberculosis (肺结核), he began viewing life differently. He wanted to escape the world and did so by reading anything he could get his hands on.
At around the age of 16, the teenage John Keats began studying under a surgeon so that he too might become a doctor. However, his literary appetite had taken too much of his fancy, especially with his addiction to the poetry of Ehmund Spenser. He was able to have his first full poem published in the Examiner in 1816, entitled O Solitude! If I Must With Thee Dwell. Within two months in 1817, Keats had written an entire volume of poetry, but was sharply criticized by a magazine. However, the negative response didn’t stop his pursuit of rhythm (韵律).
John Keats’ next work was Endymion, which was published in May 1818. The story involves a shepherd who falls in love with the moon goddess and leads him on an adventure of one boy’s hope to overcome the limitations of being human. Following Engymion, however, he tried something more narrative-based and wrote Isabella. During this time, John Keats began seeing his limitations in poetry due to his own limit in life experiences. He would have to have the “knowledge” associated with his poems. His next work was Hyperion that would attempt to combine all that he learned. However, a bout (发作) with tuberculosis while visiting Italy would keep him from his work and eventually take his life in 1821.
1.John Keats’ attitude towards life changed because of _________.
A. his early education from school B. the deaths of his parents
C. Edmund Spenser’s poetry D. the criticism of a magazine
2.What is the common thing between John Keats and his mother?
A. They read many books.
B. They had a bad childhood
C. They died of the same disease.
D. They showed strong interest in poetry
3.What do we know from the passage?
A. Keats received little education at school.
B. Keats once had a chance of becoming a doctor.
C. In 1816 Keats spent two months writing a poem.
D. Endymion was about a real love story.
4.While pursuing his dream of becoming a poet at first, John Keats was __________.
A. determined B. experienced C. knowledgeable D. impatient
5.What can we infer from the passage?
A. Keats’ family must have been very poor when he was young.
B. Edmund Spenser was the greatest poet in Keats’ time.
C. It is likely that Keats rewrote his poem Isabella.
D. The poem Hyperion wasn’t completed by Keats.
I decided to go back to school in the fall of 2008 after not being happy with my current job and financial status. I obtained my Associate’s Degree in May 2002 in Commercial Arts. After graduation, I had trouble obtaining a job in that field. For years, I was going from one job to another feeling unfilled, and I was not satisfied with the instability.
I decided to go back to school for either International Business or Psychology. I weighed the pros and cons of both professions and Psychology won. I like helping my friends and family, when they go through hard situations in their life by giving them sound advice and being honest with them. Also, I was interested in “the mind”.
I was searching for online schools because my work schedule at my current job would not allow me to attend a regular class. I was nervous about starting online classes because I heard mixed stories from other friends who were taking online classes. I decided to do it anyway to experience something different. I wanted to find an online school that was affordable and reputable. Through my search, I discovered Walden University, which is specially for working adults who want to obtain a bachelor’s degree or higher. The process of getting accepted was easy, which included writing an essay on why I wanted to attend their school, transferring my previous credits, etc.
I am currently enrolled in the Bachelors program for psychology, and I am paying for college via financial-aid loans and grants. This experience has been interesting yet trying as sometimes it was difficult to balance work, school and home life. I learned a lot about psychology and myself. For example, I like writing about current events, relationships and traveling. I thought my English composition was ordinary, but after taking a few classes at Walden University, I improved my English composition and it made me feel confident enough to start writing professionally so I became a freelance (自由撰稿) writer. Currently, I am only three classes away from obtaining my Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology! It was one of the best decisions I made in my life.
1.What did the author study originally when he was in college?
A. Psychology B. Commercial Arts C. International Business D. English Composition
2.What do we know about the author from Paragraph 2?
A. He decided to study International Business at first.
B. He wanted to study two majors.
C. He liked Psychology better.
D. He chose his major with the help of his friends.
3.Why was the author nervous about starting online classes?
A. Because he heard some negative remarks about it.
B. Because he was worried that he didn’t have enough time to study.
C. Because he feared he would fail the entrance exam.
D. Because he was afraid that he didn’t have enough money.
4.Which of the following best describes the author’s learning experience?
A. Dull and challenging. B. Interesting and easy.
C. Interesting and challenging. D. Dull and easy
5.According to the passage, the author _________.
A. was not able to find a full-time job
B. is most interested in writing
C. pays for his schooling with the help of his family
D. is satisfied with his achievements.
阅读下面短文，按照句子结构的语法性和上下文连贯的要求，在空格处填入一个适当的词或使用括号中词语的正确形式填空。
It was a dreadfully cold and cloudy afternoon. I was on the bus with my children, aged four and two, heading home when it started to rain. I realized this would mean a wet walk home 1. the bus stop.
2. my house was merely two blocks away, it was not a pleasant walk with one small boy asleep in the pram (手推婴儿车), the other one in a raincoat and no umbrella for myself. A pick-up truck passed us on the road. I tried to thumb a ride but failed. My little boy woke up with a start and began to cry. I 3. (convince) that things might become worse and nobody would bother to help on such a terrible day.
A few minutes later, 4. truck drove by, but to my surprise, I saw it 5. (pull) back and the driver looking directly at us.
A young man put the window down. “Hey, here’s an umbrella for you, please take 6. .” He called out.
I stood there 7. (astonish), barely believing that the man 8. existence was unknown to me only moments ago, could be so 9. (consider). “Come on, give this to your mummy,” he said to my older son. I accepted the offer and expressed my gratitude to him.
This man might have needed the umbrella for himself later during the day but preferred to give it to me. It was a lesson to me 10. it’s possible to give without expecting anything in return.
When we think of green buildings, we tend to think of new ones-the kind of modern, solar-paneled masterpieces that make the covers of architecture magazines．But the US has more than 100 million existing homes, and it would be incredibly to tear them all down and them with greener versions．
An enormous amount of energy and resources went into the construction of those houses．And it would take an average of 65 years for the carbon emissions (排放) from a(an) __ _ energy-efficient (节能) home to make up for the lost by destroying an old one．
So in the broadest sense, the greenest home is the one that has already been built．But at the same time, half of US carbon emissions come from heating, cooling and powering our , offices and other buildings．"You can't deal with climate without dealing with existing buildings," says Richard Moe, the president of the National Trust．
With some exceptions, the oldest homes tend to be the energy-efficient．Houses built before 1939 use about 50% more energy per square foot than those built after 2000, mainly due to the tiny cracks and gaps that over time and let in more outside .
,there are a vast number of relatively simple changes that can green older homes, from ones like Lincoln's Cottage to your own postwar home．And efficiency upgrades (升级) can save more than just the earth; they can help property owners from rising power .
1.A． terrible B．wasteful C．wonderful D．useful
2.A．put B．build C．replace D．take
3.A．reduced B．increased C．used D．destroyed
4.A．old B．fashionable C．new D．beautiful
5.A．magazines B．trees C．materials D．resources
6.A．nearly B．hardly C．rarely D．mostly
7.A．libraries B．schools C．homes D．stores
8.A．improvement B．appearance C．stability D．change
9.A．most B．really C．very D．least
10.A．expand B．narrow C．strengthen D．weaken
11.A．dust B．air C．smoke D．water
12.A．Oppositely B．Unfortunately C．Fortunately D．Frankly
13.A．historic B．worthless C．ordinary D．meaningless
14.A．charge B．protect C．punish D．warn
15.A．prices B．costs C．businesses D．bargains
阅读下面的短文，然后按照要求写一篇150词左右的英语短文。
Mountain climbers around the world dream about going up Qomolangma, the highest mountain in the world. But many people who have climbed the mountain have left waste material that is harming the environment.
A team of Americans is planning the largest clean-up effort ever on Qomolangma. They will make the risky trip up the mountain next month.
The team of eight Americans will be guided by more than twenty Sherpas of Nepal(尼泊尔夏尔巴人). Their goal is to remove all the rubbish they see. They will spend two months cleaning up the mountain by gathering oxygen bottles, fuel containers, batteries, drink cans, human waste and all kinds of disposable products(一次性产品). They are expected to remove at least three tons of rubbish in large bags.
Team leader Robert Hoffman is making his fourth trip up the mountain. He says he hopes to bring Qomolangma to the condition it was in before the first successful climb fifty years ago. He says he hopes the effort will influence other people to clean up the environment closer home.
Disposable products on Qomolangma are a major concern. So the clean-up team will take along newly developed equipment to collect and treat disposable products. Over the years, the disposable products have polluted the mountain. In the warm season when the ice melts, the polluted water flows to Nepali villages below. The problem has gotten worse in recent years because climbing Qomolangma has become more popular.
【写作内容】
1．以约30个词概括短文内容要点；
2．以约120个词就 “Cleaning the World”这个主题写一篇短文，并包括如下要点：
（1）你所居住的地方周围存在怎样的环境问题？
（2）你认为这个问题是什么造成的？
（3）为帮助解决这一问题，你做了什么？
【写作要求】
1.可以使用亲身经历或虚构的故事，也可以参照阅读材料的内容，但不得直接引用原文中的句子；
2.作文中不能出现真实姓名和学校名称
【评分标准】
概括准确，语言规范，内容合适，语篇连贯。
