It was now raining 1.(heavy). My husband was away. I did not want to ask anyone else to go with me. So I went to the hospital by 2. . I was taken to a small room. Lina lay sleeping quietly on a table. This wasn’t 3. first time Lina had taken too many pills. I knew she would sleep deeply for about twelve hours until the poison had stopped doing its harm. I sat down by Lina’s side and watched her sleep. The room was still. I looked 4.. The room seemed familiar. “Have I been here before?” I wondered. I looked around again.“I’m sure I’ve been in this room,” I told myself. Then I remembered. It was in this very room 5. I gave birth 6. Lina seventeen years ago. 7.happy I was then! Lina used to be such a bright, 8. (health) and nice child. “What has turned her into a dope-taker (吸毒者)?” I asked myself. “And why are 9. (million) of young people like her taking dope to destroy themselves? There must be something 10. (serious) wrong with our society. What is it?”
All over the world people enjoy sports. Sports help to keep people healthy and happy, and to live longer.
1. They buy tickets or turn on their TVs to watch the games. Often they get very excited when their player or team wins.
2. Football, for example, has spread around the world. Swimming is popular in all countries near the sea or in those with many rivers. What fun it is to jump into a pool or lake, whether in China, Egypt or Italy! 3. Think how many lovers to skate or ski in Japan, Norway or Canada.
Some sports or game go back thousands of years like running or jumping. Chinese Wushu, for example, has a very long history. But basketball and volleyball are rather new. Neither one is a hundred years old yet. 4. Water-skiing is one of the newest in the family of sports.
People from different countries may not be able to understand each other, but after a game together they often become good friends. 5. One learns to fight hard but fight fair, to win without pride and to lose with grace.
A. And think of people in cold countries.
B. Sports help to train a person’s character.
C. Not a few people participate in different sports competitions themselves.
D. Many people like to watch others play games.
E. People aren’t inventing new sports or games.
F. Some sports are so interesting that people everywhere take part in them.
G. People are inventing new sports or games all the time.
I’m sure you know the song “Happy Birthday”. But do you know who wrote the song and for whom it was written?
The retired professor, Archibald A. Hill in Lucasville, USA could tell us the story. Ninety-seven years ago, two of Mr. Archibald Hill’s aunts, Miss Patty Hill and Miss Mildred Hill were asked to write some songs for a book called “Song Storied for the Sunday Morning”. Miss Patty Hill and Miss Mildred Hill were both kindergarten teachers then. They loved children very much and wrote many beautiful songs for the book. One of them was the famous “Good Morning to You.” The song said, “Good morning to you, good morning to you, dear children, good morning to all.” This song was very popular at that time among kindergarten children. But not many grown-ups knew it. A few years later little Archibald was born. As his aunt, Miss Patty Hill sang the song “Happy Birthday” to the melody（曲调）of “Good Morning to you” to her little nephew（侄子）. She sang the song like this: Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday, dear Archie! Happy birthday to you!
Miss Patty Hill and her sister had never expected that this song would become so popular, but it really did. People all over the world like the song because of its simplicity in tune（曲调简单）and friendliness in words.
1.Archibald A. Hill was __________.
A. English B. Russian
C. American D. Australian
2.Why did Miss Hiss wrote songs?
A. Because they are musicians.
B. Because they love children.
C. Because they were asked to write for a book.
D. Because their nephew asked them to do so.
3.The sentence “it really did” means __________.
A. The song really became popular
B. Their wish would really come true
C. People all over the world like to listen to the song
D. Yes, but the song didn’t become popular
More than half of Americans do not take all their vacation days，even though they think they need one more holiday. And nearly a third of workers who take a break check their emails from the boss every other day and some even keep in touch hourly.
“We’re workaholics(工作狂)’，”said Samuel Nahmias.“From a general perspective，this has a lot to do with the economic situation in the US. More and more people are unemployed.”
With jobless numbers reaching 9.6 percent，people who have jobs seem to be unwilling to take time off.“It is not a great picture and that affects vacations. People are not going on vacation as much and those who are going on vacation are being more selective about where they are going.”Nahmias explained.
Unlike European countries where four or more weeks of holiday each year is normal,27 percent of people questioned in the poll said they had 6 to 10 days of annual leave and 20 percent had less than 3 days.With more people on unemployment lists in America，those still with jobs are facing more responsibility at work，which is reflected in their lack of time off.
The majority of workers who did not take time off mentioned too many responsibilities or stress at work，while some people said they simply did not have time to plan a holiday.“People are more conscious of what they are doing and when they are going on vacation because they don’t want to look bad in this situation，”Nahmias explained.
Technology is also playing a part with smartphones enabling workers to keep in contact in ways that were not possible before.It has to do with technology and the level of concern about what is going on in the office.
1.Americans don’t take all their vacation days because ________.
A．they devote themselves to the whole work
B．they are afraid that they may lose their jobs
C．they are asked to keep in touch with their bosses
D．they aren’t in need of holidays at all
2.What does Nahmias mean by saying the underlined words in Paragraph 3?
A．Travelling makes people unwelcome.
B．People are unwilling to go on short vacations.
C．The economic situation remains at a low point.
D．People are more selective about places of interest.
3.We can infer from Paragraph 4 that ________.
A．Unemployment rate is higer in America than that in Europe
B．European economic situation is better than that in America
C．Americans are more hardworking than Europeans
D．More people are losing their jobs in Europe
4.What’s the main idea of the text?
A．Americans are all workaholic.
B．Many Americans don’t choose to take vacations.
C．Unemployment is going from bad to worse.
D．US economic situation becomes worse and worse.
When did you last see a polar bear? On a trip to a zoo, perhaps? If you had attended a winter activity in New York a few years ago, you would have seen a whole polar bear club. These "Polar Bears" are people who meet frequently in the winter to swim in freezing cold water. That day, the air temperature was 3℃, and the water temperature was a bit higher. The members of the Polar Bear Club at Coney Island, New York are usually about the age of 60. Members must satisfy two requirements. First, they must get along well with everyone else in the group. This is very important because there are so many different kinds of people in the club. Polar Bears must also agree to swim outdoors at least twice a month from November through February.
Doctors do not agree about the medical effects of cold-water swimming. Some are worried about the dangers of a condition in which the body's temperature drops so low that finally the heart stops. Other doctors, however, point out that there is more danger of a heart attack during summer swimming because the difference between the air temperature and water temperature is much greater in summer than in winter.
The Polar Bears themselves are satisfied with the benefits (or advantages) of cold-water swimming. They say that their favorite form of exercise is very good for the circulatory system（循环系统）because it forces the blood to move fast to keep the body warm. Cold-water swimmers usually turn bright red after a few minutes in the water. A person who turns blue probably has a very poor circulatory system and should not try cold-water swimming.
The main benefits (or advantages) of cold-water swimming are probably mental. The Polar Bears love to swim year-round; they find it fun and relaxing. As one 70-year-old woman says. "When I go into the water, I pour my troubles into the ocean and let them float away."
1.The members of the Polar Bear Club must meet the following requirements except that ___.
A. they must reach the age of 60
B. they should be easy to make friends with
C. they must swim outdoors at least 8 times in the four cold months
D. they must agree to swim outdoors from November through February
2.Doctors __________.
A. encourage people to take part in cold-water swimming actively
B. point out the possible danger of blood illness during cold-water swimming
C. believe swimming is helpful both in winter and in summer
D. have different ideas about the medical effects of cold-water swimming
3.The Polar Bears like to swim all the year round, for __________.
A. they can remain young
B. it is an easy way to keep the body warm in winter
C. they find it enjoyable and interesting
D. they might meet fewer troubles in life
4.The passage is mainly about __________.
A. a group of cold-water swimming lovers
B. the polar bears' life
C. doctors' ideas about cold-water swimming
D. the requirements of the Polar Bear Club
475 Riverside Drive
New York N.Y. 10027
Jan.15, 2011
Dear John,
I'm sorry you didn't get the part you tried out for in that play. I know how much you wanted to be in the play. Now you feel that maybe acting isn't the right future for you. I think you're wrong. You're a good actor. Do you remember when you played Caesar in your summer theatre group's play? You were excellent . People clapped(鼓掌)every time you walked on stage（舞台). Even the other actors loved you.
All actors have to get used to being turned down for a job. It's part of an actor's life. Even famous actors don't get every part they want. I think you should give acting another chance. You love it so much, and you're good at it. Don't be discouraged because you lose one part in the play. Wait a bit, and try for another one. After all , you can always give up some other time.
Love,
Jane
1.Jane wrote this letter because____.
A. she wanted John to get a part in the play he was trying out for
B. she wanted to tell John that he shouldn't give up acting.
C. she wanted to tell John how to become an actor.
D. she was unhappy with John.
2.Jane talks about other actors to show John that ____.
A. they are as bad as he is
B. acting is a hard life
C. they sometimes get turned down for parts they want
D. they are lucky enough
3.What does Jane think of John?
A. He is a good actor, and some day he will be successful.
B. He is too easily discouraged to become a good actor.
C. He is a better actor than the person who has got the part.
D. He is as unlucky as the other actors.
4.The person who wrote this letter probably ____.
A. is an actress.
B. cares about John
C. wants to be an actress some day
D. envies at John's success
