I can't remember a winter being as cold as this in Pennsylvania, but I'm sure there were colder days.
Even though the daylight hours are growing longer minute by minute, it's easy to find an excuse not to go out unless you absolutely must, but then again I often have to push myself to accomplish things.
People I speak to have been in all kinds of nasty moods. They say they're “under the weather”, not feeling good about this time of year.
As I stood outside with my two dogs yesterday, it was so cold that my nose, face and ears felt frozen. Of course, that doesn't matter to Ricky and Lucy. They have a routine they must go through to find just the fighting spot no matter how cold or hot it is. So I wait.
But this time it was different. As cold as it was, I suddenly was excited thinking about how wonderful this extreme cold really was.
Then the sun broke through the clouds and memories of summer's extremely hot days flashed through my mind. I could remember standing in the heat of the afternoon, with sweat pouring down my brow and the hot, burning sun against my face. I reminded myself then and there that in the cold of the winter I would wish I had this heat.
I was grateful for the extremes. Without the extremes in my life, I would never appreciate the days when things were just right. Without the extremes, life would be boring.
It's being pushed to one of the extremes that makes us appreciate the middle more. Health challenges remind us that we need to pay more attention to how we live. Financial extremes remind us that when things go smoothly it's also time to save for raining days.
I've come to the conclusion that all too often I find a reason not to be happy with where I am at that moment. Whether it's hot or cold, good health or bad, in the money or out of it, I always want it to be different.
I'm tired of being “Under the Weather！”
1.What is the author's attitude towards the extremes in life?
A. Grateful. B. Critical.
C. Sensitive. D. Unconcerned.
2.That day the writer waited in the terrible cold because ________.
A. his dogs wanted to hunt
B. his dogs had a routine
C. he wanted to be different
D. he wanted to face the cold bravely
3.The underlined word “nasty” in the third paragraph can be replaced by “________”.
A. unpleasant B. violent
C. favorable D. unusual
4.What is the best title for this passage?
A. Follow the Routine
B. Two Extremes in Life
C. Weather Information
D. Changes Should Be Expected
People in the United States honor their parents with two special days：Mother‘s Day，on the second Sunday in May，and Father’s Day，on the third Sunday in June.These days are set aside to show love and respect for parents.They raise their children and educate them to be responsible citizens.They give love and care.These two days offer an opportunity to think about the changing roles of mothers and fathers.More mothers now work outside the home.More fathers must help with child care.
These two special days are celebrated in many different ways. On Mother’s Day people wear carnations（康乃馨）.A red one symbolizes a living mother. A white one shows that the mother is dead. Many people attend religious services to honor parents. It is also a day when people whose parents are dead visit the cemetery. On these days families get together at home，as well as in restaurants. They often have outdoor barbecues for Father’s Day. These are days of fun and good feelings and memories.
Another tradition is to give cards and gifts. Children make them in school. Many people make their own presents.These are valued more than the ones bought in stores. It is not the value of the gift that is important，but it is “the thought that counts.”Greeting card stores，florists，candy makers，bakeries，telephone companies，and other stores do a lot of business during these holidays.
1.Which is NOT a reason for children to show love and respect for parents？
A. Parents bring up children
B. Parents give love and care to children
C. Parents educate children to be good persons
D. Parents pass away before children grow up
2.What do you know from the passage？
A. Mother‘s Day and Father’s Day are both in May.
B. Fewer women worked outside the home in the past.
C. Not all the children respect their parents.
D. Fathers are not as important as mothers at home.
3.On Mother‘s Day and Father’s Day，____ .
A. people usually have family parties
B. everyone goes to visit the cemetery
C. children always go to parents’home
D. hand-made cards are the most valuable gifts
4.What do you think “florists”do？
A. They sell flowers.
B. They make bread or pastry.
C. They offer enough room for having family parties.
D. They sell special clothes for Mother‘s Day and Father’s Day.
听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1.How long did the camp last?
A. For three days.
B. For a week.
C. For half a month.
2.When did the game start?
A. At 11：00 am.
B. At 2：30 pm.
C. At 4：00 pm.
3.What did the coach ask the speaker to do?
A. To run much faster.
B. Not to make any mistakes.
C. To be more confident.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.When does this conversation take place?
A. In the morning.
B. In the afternoon.
C. In the evening.
2.What is the movie probably about?
A. Some little dogs.
B. Some interesting people.
C. An interesting love story.
3.What happened to the woman yesterday?
A. She became ill for no reason.
B. She felt bad after eating some chicken.
C. She had to look after Jim at home.
4.What's the weather probably like today?
A. Rainy. B. Foggy. C. Fine.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.How will the man give the woman the story?
A. He will send it by fax.
B. He will send it by email.
C. He will bring it to her in person.
2.For whom did the woman buy a laptop several months ago?
A. For herself.
B. For her younger brother.
C. For the man.
3.Why does the man know about computers?
A. Because he often helps repair computers.
B. Because his job requires him to know about computers well.
C. Because he majored in computer science in college.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.What happened to Mike?
A. He had a car accident.
B. He was injured while playing basketball.
C. He drove too fast and hit someone.
2.When did Mike get his driver's license?
A. A week ago.
B. Three years ago.
C. Three weeks ago.
3.What did the man do this morning?
A. He played basketball.
B. He played tennis.
C. He went to see a doctor.
