Although in 1947 we were still very new to the atomic age, we knew about mushroom clouds. A huge crack spread across the library wall upstairs, sending teachers and students screaming down the hall.
Had a new world war started? Pale-faced, our young science teacher quickly organized us for a fire drill. We huddled in little groups on the beach side of the school grounds and watched the spreading cloud darken the bright spring sky.
Rumors flew every which way, although two hours would pass before we got the full story.One rumor we heard was that the Texas City Monsanto Chemical plant had blown up; children whose parents worked there began to weep.
I froze—that was where my father was working that day.
The school bell called us back inside, and we were dismissed to find our way home the best way we could. I-d walked a quarter of the three-mile trip to my home when a car horn startled me to attention. My Uncle Barney pulled up alongside me in his old Ford. The instant I saw him, I knew my father was gone. Otherwise, Papa would have come for me himself.
As if in slow motion from a great distance, Uncle Barney motioned for me to get in. Numb with grief, I crawled into the back seat. I barely took notice of the man sitting there, and didn’t recognize him until he reached for me. When Papa put his strong arms around me, I forgot for a moment that Cherokees(柴罗基人) aren’t supposed to cry.
Many of my fellow students lost their parents in the explosion. Tragedy would one day come to our family, as it inevitably comes to all, but on the day Texas City blew up, it miraculously passed us by. Because he lost his keys on that April morning, as he explained, my father lived for another 32 years-we were to have a second lifetime forever.
1. What happened according to the first three paragraphs?
A. A war broke out. B. An earthquake happened.
C. An atomic bomb exploded. D. A chemical factory blew up.
2. How did the science teacher react to the accident?
A. He was sad. B. He acted quickly.
C. He panicked. D. He felt helpless.
3.Which of the following statements is TRUE?
A. The author-s father didn-t have to work that day.
B. The author-s father had a narrow escape.
C. The school was near where the accident happened.
D. The author-s uncle broke the news of her father-s death.
4.The author cried because .
A. she was grateful that her father had survived
B. her father was killed in the accident
C. she was sad over the tragedy that day
D. her father didn’t meet her after school
5. What does the author intend to tell us?
A. Be prepared for the worst.
B. Be brave in disasters.
C. Cherish everything that you have.
D. Parents are the most important people.
It is always good to come to an understanding with your parents.
Gurdjieff used to say,“1. you are in good communion with your parents, you have missed your life." If some anger persists between you and your parents, you will never feel 2. ease. Wherever you are, you will feel a little guilty. You will never be able to forgive 3. forget…Parents are not just a social relationship. It is out of them 4. you have come. You are part of them, _ 5. branch of their tree. You are still rooted in them. When parents die, something very deep-rooted dies within you. When parents die, for the first time you feel alone, uprooted. 6. while they are alive, do everything that you can so that an understanding can arise and you can communicate with them and they can communicate with you. Then, 7. they leave the world-and they will leave someday,you will not feel guilty; you will not repent; you will know that things have settled. 8. have been happy with you and you have been happy with them.
Part m Reading Comprehension (30 marks)
My husband and I only have one car. So after work I always walk to his office and wait for him to drive mc home.
One day, while I was waiting for him, a beautiful Cadillac near me.Honestly, the driver was probably the prettiest woman I had ever seen outside of a movie screen. Her eyes were as blue as the sea, and she had like an even row of pearls. Minutes later, a man came out of the building and walked over to her. They kissed and drove off.
Sitting there, dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, I wanted to cry. It is so that some people have it all.
The next week I saw her again, and after that it became almost to see her. I would wonder if she and her husband ate out a lot and where they went. I wanted her to the car so I could see her in full length. Did she wear classy, high-heeled shoes?
A few weeks, I was waiting in my usual spot and the lady's husband came over to their car.He opened the door. Slowly the pretty woman walked around to the passenger side— on a walking cane. She one leg with her hands and then the other one; she had a prosthetic(假肢) on her left leg and a brace (文架) on her right one.
When my husband arrived I told him about what had happened. He said he knew her husband and that, when the lady was 12 years old, she had been in a car that got stuck on the railroad tracks. Both her parents were killed.The rail company made a large with her because the crossing had no ; that is why she owned such a nice car.
For weeks I had this woman and her way of life. Now I realize how lucky I am.When you meet a person who seems to be much better off than you don't be appearances.
1.A. rang up B. sped up C. went up D. pulled up
2.A. cars B. hairs C. teeth D. fingers
3.A. unfair B. lonely C. surprising D. touching
4.A. strange B. boring C. stressful D. routine
5.A. stay away from B. get out of C. look out of D. pick up
6.A. putting B. turning C. leaning D. carrying
7.A. skipped B. patted C. pressed D. lifted
8.A. limited B. left C. knocked D. trapped
9.A. arrangement B. fortune C. settlement D. contract
10.A. signals B. stations C. pedestrians D. announcement
11.A. ignored B. envied C. respected D. understood
12.A. prevented B. limited C. blocked D. fooled
The cost of organic food is higher than of conventional food because the organic price tag reflects more closely the true cost of growing the food.
A. it B. one C. this D. that
Next door to ours ,who seem to have settled in this community for quite a long time.
A. arc living a black couple
B. arc a black couple living
C. live a black couple
D. do a black couple live
Research found that children who drank mainly soda were more than twice as likely as those who drank no soda signs of aggression.
A. showing B. shown C. to show D. show