As I admire my beautiful teapot, I am reminded of my wedding day back in 1990. My fiance(未婚夫)，Don, and I had enjoyed our last evening of ____life at his parents ‘home in Nelson. My future brother-in-law, Kerry, his wife, Tabatha, and their baby daughter, Amanda, were ____to arrive late that night. But I needed a good night’s ____before our big day, so I left Don at his parents’ place for the night.
The next morning, when I met up with my parents, I ____ something wrong. At first, they didn’t want to tell me, but eventually they ____ : Kerry, Tabatha and the baby had been in a bad ____. A drunken driver had ____ their car, throwing it into another one. The people in it acted quickly to free Kerry, Tabatha and the baby ____ the vehicle. My fiancé’s parents. Grace and John, raced to the hospital____they met the “roadside______“ who had helped their family. While telling them the ______of the accident, they mentioned that they too were coming into town for a(n)______.Grace knew that there were three weddings scheduled for the following day and asked which one they were here to attend. To her ____, these “angels” who had helped her family were my aunt Denise and her daughter, Anne!
Kerry suffered two broken legs, Tabatha a broken hip and the baby a broken leg, but ____ all three were to recover. Before heading into the operation room, Kerry make sure ____ we were told to go ahead with our wedding as ____. Just before the ceremony, we received the good news that his operation had been ____. We were greatly comforted by the news.
At the gift-opening, Grace______us a present box from Kerry and Tabatha. As we______ the damaged box, we shook our heads in amazement. Inside it was a beautiful, perfect____.
1.A. single B. gentle C. harmful D. wealthy
2.A. delivered B. intended C. gathered D. expected
3.A. diet B. sigh C. sleep D. adventure
4.A. sought B. sensed C. argued D. inspired
5.A. moved off B. gave in C. crowded in D. referred to
6.A. project B. campaign C. accident D. connection
7.A. wandered B. limited C. rode D. hit
8.A. from B. out C. off D. of
9.A. that B. which C. where D. when
10.A. angels B. audience C. drivers D. doctors
11.A. results B. details C. curiosity D. feast
12.A. present B. hospital C. wedding D. operation
13.A. embarrassment B. emergency C. disappointment D. amazement
14.A. occasionally B. terribly C. interestingly D. thankfully
15.A. that B. which C. when D. how
16.A. harvested B. planned C. existed D. consulted
17.A. considerate B. successful C. powerful D. painful
18.A. lent B. sent C. handed D. ordered
19.A. opened B. closed C. awarded D. wiped
20.A. glass B. plate C. cup D. teapot
How to Achieve Happiness
Different people have different ideas about happiness, and so does how to achieve happiness. Are you truly happy? Do you ever know what it means to be happy and what it takes to achieve happiness? 1.. The following are a few tips that I follow to create happiness in my life.
※Make a plan for attaining goals that you believe will make you happy. Your moods will very likely increase if you are going after something you value.
※ Surround yourself with happy people. It is easy to begin to think negatively(消极地) when you are surrounded by people who think that way.2.
※ When something goes wrong, try to figure out a solution instead of being absorbed in self pity. Truly happy people don’t allow setbacks to affect their mood because they know that with a little thought they can turn the circumstances back to their favor.
※3.. These few minutes will give you the opportunity to focus on the positive things in your life and will lead you to continuous happiness.
※4.. Whether you treat yourself to lunch, take a long, relaxing bath or simply spend a few extra minutes on your appearance, you will be subconsciously(下意识地) putting yourself in a better mood.
※Finding the humor in situations can also lead to happiness. Find a way to make light of a situation that would otherwise make you happy.
※Keeping healthy is another way to achieve happiness.5..
A. What makes one person happy may be very different from what makes someone else happy.
B. On the contrary(相反的), if you are around people who are happy, their emotional state will be infectious(感染的).
C. Being overweight or not eating nutritious foods can have a negative effect on your mood.
D. These are important questions for anyone who is seeking(寻求)happiness to ask themselves.
E. Spend a few minutes each day thinking about the things that make you happy.
F. There are some tips in life that lead to happiness.
G. It’s also important to take some time each day to do something nice for yourself.
Recently, a new law in Arizona requires high school students to pass the United States’ citizenship test. There’re 100 questions on US history and government in the test.
The Joe Foss Institute helped created the law. They want to pass a law in each of the 50 states to require high school student to pass the test.
A 2010 national test showed only about 25 percent of students in their final year of high school had a good understanding of American government. Thirty-six percent did not have even a basic understanding.
“That’s a shame, and it’s not only a shame.” Said John Hale, the Associate Director of the Center for Civic Education California. Mr. Hale thinks it is dangerous when citizens do not know or care about how their government works. He says students do not only to learn facts about government. They should also learn how to take part in their communities. “Requiring high school student to take the test might be a way to improve students’ civic behavior,” he says.
But some wonder if a test young people take in high school will make adults more active in their communities.
Sam Stone writes reports for the Joe Foss Institute. He says research shows that civic education does result in more involved adults. He noted a 2012 survey found that the more young people studied civics in high school, the more likely they were to get actively involved in their communities.
In another state, Virginia, many people are against the test. Meg Gruver is the president of the Virginia Education Association. She says students already take classes in civics and US history. And, she says, schools should not have to pay more for the test.
Sam Stone agrees. He says his organization is paying for an online testing website. Schools can use the website to give the test for free.
1.The US citizen test________.
A. is a required test all over America
B. was created by the Joe Foss Institute
C. helps students understand America government
D. has been included in American law for five years
2.What might John Hale agree with?
A. How the US government works should not be open to the public.
B. It’s a shame that the US government is unpopular with students.
C. Community activities outweigh facts about the US government.
D. The US citizenship test will be good for students and society
3.The result of the 2012 survey_________.
A. was different from Sam Stone’s findings
B. showed civics helped students become more active citizen
C. showed it was hard for more young people to pass the civics test
D. showed students were as interested as adults in their government
4.What did Meg Gruber think of the citizen test?
A. Uninteresting B. Unsatisfying
C. Acceptable D. Fair
Many years ago, on a winter morning, Lily, our only daughter, sat quietly, all her heart put into her work. Every once in a while she would ask how to spell the name of someone in our family, and then painstakingly(费力地) formed the letters one by one. Next, she added flowers and green grass at the bottom of each page with a sun in the upper right corner, surrounded by the blue sky. Holding them at eye level, she was satisfied.
“What are you making, honey?” I asked.
“It’s a surprise,” she said, covering up her work with her hands.
It wasn’t until later that evening that I noticed the “mailboxes” fastened to the door of each of our bedrooms. There was one for Edward, one for Tom. She hadn’t forgotten Peter and baby Paul.
For the next few weeks, we received mail regularly. There were little notes showing her love for each of us and short letters full of tiny things that only a seven-year-old child would notice. I was in charge of retrieving baby Paul’s letters, page after page of colored scenes, including flowers with happy faces.
“He can’t read yet,” she said, “but he can look at the pictures.”
This little girl grows up now, but something about her has never changed. One morning only a week or so ago, I found a love note next to my pillow.
“Thanks for always being there for me, Mum,” it read, “I’m glad that we are best friends,”
I couldn’t help but remember that she has brought me countless hours of joy throughout these years. There are angels among us. I know, I live with one.
1.What was Lily busy doing that afternoon?
A. Playing a spelling game.
B. Examining her work carefully.
C. Doing her drawing homework
D. Preparing love notes for the family
2.Every time the writer received her daughter’s mail, she felt___.
A. surprised B. happy
C. proud D. interested
3.The underlined words “something about her” in Paragraph 7 mean__.
A. her habit of writing letters to her friends
B. her interest in drawing pictures
C. her action of giving us surprises on purpose
D. her love for the family members
4.Why did the author write the passage?
A. To draw people’s attention to her daughter
B. To tell people her daughter’s growing stories.
C. To remember the true love from her daughter,
D. To describe the angel living with her all her life.
Now most children chat daily either online or through their mobile phones, They are connecting to a huge number of other children all over the world. Some are shy “in real life” but are confident to communicate with others online; others find support from people of their own age on relationship issues, or problems at home.
Sometimes the online world, just like the real world, can introduce problems, such as arguments, Going online is great fun, but there are also a few people who use the Internet for offensive(冒犯性的) or illegal aims. Children must be made aware of both the good things and the dangers.
To keep children safe your management must cover the family computer. Just as you decide which TV programs are suitable, you need to do the same for the websites and chat rooms your children visit. Remind your children that online friends are still strangers. Reminding them of the risks will keep them alert(警惕).
Computer studies are part of schoolwork now, so it’s likely that your children may know more than you do. We get left behind when it comes to the latest gad-gets and the interactive areas of websites, like chat rooms and message boards, which are especially strange. The language of chat is strange to many parents, too. Chatters love to use abbreviations(缩写) such as: atb—all the best, bbfn—bye bye for now, culter—see you later, grt—great, Idk—I don’t know, imbl—it must be love, kit—keep it touch, paw—parents are watching,lol—laugh out loud, xInt—excellent!
1.The passage is meant for___.
A. children B. teachers
C. parents D. net bar owners
2.Which of the following will the author probably agree with?
A. The Internet is no good for children.
B. The Internet is a good place for children.
C. Children shouldn’t chat so much online.
D. The chat language is strange to adults.
3.In order to keep children safe online, you’d better___.
A. not let them use the Internet
B. teach them use the Internet
C. surf the Internet together with them
D. choose suitable websites and chat rooms for them
4.If you stand beside him when your son is chatting about something secret online, he may use___.
A. paw B. lol
C. bbfn D.culer
We will be traveling to the Presidio in San Francisco to visit the newly opened Walt Disney Family Museum. Your whole family will be fascinated by over 1,400 works of art featuring Disney characters. There are countless exhibits and even a model of the early Disneyland Park.
We will have a timed entry into the museum, and then each family is free to explore at their leisure. Lunch will be on your own. So bring your lunch or money for the Museum Restaurant. The Walt Disney Family Museum is a must-see for everyone who loves Disney.
Date: July 22, 2011
Time: 9:00 am to 4:00pm
Location: Presidio, San Francisco
Cost per person: $35.00 for adults,$25.00 for young people of 6-17 years old and seniors over 65 years old, and $10.00 for children under 6 years of age. Cost includes round-trip bus transportation to and from Alameda and admission into the Museum.
Pick-up location: Bayport Recreation Center(301 Jack London Avenue, near Ruby Bridges Elementary School)
It’s easy to register! You may register in person or mail the completed form and the payments to Alamede Recreation and Park Department 2226 Santa Clara Avenue,Alameda,94501.
Phone registrations begin from Monday to Friday,8:00 am to 5:00pm with MasterCard or VISA only.Have your credit card and class activity number ready just before calling (510) 7477529.Fax the completed registration form with MasterCard/VISA,(510) 5234071.Registration is not accepted for anyone under 18 years of age.
1.The cost of the trip doesn’t include____.
A. the lunch at the Museum B. the transportation to Alameda
C. the transportation from Alameda D. the admission into the Museum
2.The Walt Disney Family Museum is open for____.
A. three days B. nine hours
C. seven hours D. two days
3.If Mr and Mrs Green visit the museum with a 9-year-old son and a 3-year-old daughter, they will spend____.
A. $90 B. 95
C. $105 D. $120
