阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。
The best way to get around a city may be driving a car. Indeed, it could be of little 1.(convenient) for you to travel from one point to another if you don't own a car. While you can always use public transport, it can be quite unreliable sometimes. But don't worry. There are car rental companies that can help you with your traveling needs at anytime. If you are planning on a vacation during a major holiday like Christmas, 2.(consider) hiring a car for you and your family's use. The obvious 3.(benefit) of doing so are as follows：
Some rental companies even include a driver with every car rented. Imagine yourself with a driver taking you to your destination 4. waiting to drive you back home. In this way, even parking 5.(become) the least of your concerns.
Even if you have to drive the car by yourself, you can benefit from hiring a car because you can take the shortest route 6.(enjoyable) to your destination. If you have planned your holiday in 7. hurry, you might have missed 8.(check) on your car's condition. If this is the case, it is wise to rent a car because it will not break down 9. your way at all.
Traveling in your own car is a lot 10.(comfortable), to be frank, than riding the train or bus. You can stop at anytime if you need to grab something.
Every year, as soon as Halloween is over, our son Matthew waits for the lights. He's been doing it for more than a dozen ______. As the days grow shorter and the nights longer, as the temperatures ______ and the leaves fall, he waits for the ______.
The neighbors across the street always put up a ______ and brilliant light display for the holidays and Matthew loves to wait for them to be turned on, which usually ______ right after Thanksgiving.______ he begins his monitoring a month before their arrival. And then, each day between Thanksgiving and ______ the lights are turned off, he waits, ______， from midafternoon on.
And when each evening's moment comes, you don't have to be with ______. You know it no matter where you are in the house. The rhythmic ______. The dancing around the house. Pure ______ on his face! And it happens every single night.
Despite all his ______， in the world's view — his severe mental disabilities, his two-year-old ______ in a twenty-three-year-old body, his inability to speak — Matthew knows ______ very profound, that light will shine in the darkness, that no matter how dark, how long the ______ eventually, and without ______， those lights will shine again. No matter how many seasons of the year without them, there will come a season when those lights will shine again.
Life ______ its own seasons of darkness，desperate, lonely, ______ and full of fear at times. ______those seasons, a new season can come and the light can be seen again. Whatever ______ I find within and around me, I look to my son, and remember that a light can break the darkness.
1.A. hours B. seconds C. decades D. years
2.A. rise B. change C. drop D. stay
3.A. lights B. neighbors C. tricks D. holidays
4.A. tasteful B. beautiful C. strong D. strange
5.A. happens B. tests C. obtains D. delivers
6.A. Instead B. Then C. Therefore D. However
7.A. unless B. until C. after D. since
8.A. nervously B. impatiently C. excitedly D. quietly
9.A. it B. her C. one D. him
10.A. poems B. excitement C. fighting D. clapping
11.A. surprise B. sadness C. glory D. delight
12.A. limitations B. advantages C. characters D. beliefs
13.A. brother B. sister C. mind D. memory
14.A. nothing B. something C. everything D. anything
15.A. holiday B. display C. street D. wait
16.A. fail B. pity C. stop D. plan
17.A. receives B. proves C. supports D. brings
18.A. satisfying B. unwilling C. painful D. peaceful
19.A. In spite of B. Thanks to C. Regardless of D. As to
20.A. happiness B. darkness C. sympathy D. warmth
Having a healthy family life can lower risk of heart attack and boost your chance of living longer. 1.．
Care for elders in a loving way
Caring for an elderly loved one is a wonderful way to show compassion and service, and it doesn't mean you have to sacrifice everything. 2.. Kids and marriages can be powerfully impacted by how these decisions are handled，both negatively and positively.They thoroughly think through the potential impact of moving an aging parent into the home or providing extended care. A good boundary with an aging parent is to do occasional outgoings.
Cultivate an attitude of gratitude
Healthy families set a culture of being grateful for the things you appreciate in life, big and small. Set up a respectful space where at the end of each day, each family member share what they are grateful for. 3.．
Keep treats out of sight(and out of mind)
What you see is what you want to eat. 4.. Put the sugary treats out of sight and leave colorful fruits and vegetables out on the counter or on the most visible shelves in the fridge so that you're more likely to reach for a nutritious snack.
5.
Healthy families will create a safe environment for healthy communication, where each individual feels like their feelings are acknowledged. When conflict arises, they don't have to agree with each other but they still need to acknowledge each other's feelings. They still feel their opinions are valued. They also learn tools for how conflicts can be resolved. No one shuts down, or runs away when there is disagreement. They work it out.
A. Fight fair
B. Live healthily
C. Keep healthy snacks highly visible in your kitchen
D. If you keep fighting，you will hurt your family
E. Here’s how to maximize this amazing health asset(资产)
F. This sets up an atmosphere of appreciation that all can benefit from
G. Healthy families have boundaries with aging parents and grandparents
“Give us back our stolen hour！” Britons demanded as they objected to the introduction of Daylight Saving Time(DST) in 1916. The idea of setting the clocks to move an hour of daylight from the morning to the evening during summer has been controversial throughout its history. People have argued that the practice saves energy, reduces crime, and prevents traffic accidents. Others are not so convinced, and studies conducted over the past decade have shown mixed results.
The idea was first put into operation in Germany during World War I(19141918) in an attempt to reduce coal supply during wartime. Britain soon followed with its own Summer Time but so did confusion and chaos, with some institutions following the changes and some simply ignoring them. One writer felt angry at the laws in a more poetic manner, expressing his dislike for being forced to favor the sun over the moon.
Despite the early controversy, 82 countries currently use DST. The United States moves its clocks forward an hour at 2 a．m. on the second Sunday in March and back an hour on the first Sunday in November. Some states, however, still do not apply DST, and in the past even some areas within individual states refused to observe DST while the rest of the state did.
It was originally thought that DST would reduce energy consumption as people would use less electric lighting in the evening due to the increased hours of daylight. However, recent studies have suggested that this benefit has been canceled out by the increased use of home air conditioners, which people use for longer on long summer evenings.
Brighter evenings have reduced the number of traffic accidents in countries which observe DST, but studies have also noticed a spike(剧增) in the number of accidents during the week after the clocks change, possibly due to the sudden interruption of people's sleeping patterns.
One certain good thing to come out of DST, however, happened in 1999, when a group of West Bank terrorists(on DST) delivered bombs to a cell in Israel(not on DST) but ignored the time difference when setting the timers for their bombs. The bombs went off one hour earlier than planned, killing three terrorists instead of the intended civilians.
1.Which of the following statements about DST is TRUE?
A. It was introduced from Germany to Britain after World War I.
B. It can help save energy and reduce traffic accidents.
C. It forces people to appreciate the sun more than the moon.
D. It probably affects people's sleeping patterns.
2.Terrorists should have set the bomb timers at ________(West Bank Time) for an 8：00 pm explosion in Israel.
A. 7：00 am B. 7：00 pm
C. 8：00 pm D. 9：00 pm
3.This passage can best be described as ________．
A. an advertisement B. an annual report
C. an informative essay D. a persuasive writing
We buy because it makes us happy. For some people, if they're feeling blue, shopping will make them happier because it restores some control in their lives.It's making the choice to buy or not to buy that helps people feel more in control.Retail therapy proves to be a useful and practical thing.
Doing something we find rewarding lights up the brain's pleasure center, which when activated leads to the release of dopamine(多巴胺), which makes us feel good. It's why we can even get addicted to the pleasure of buying. Experiments with the brain's dopamine releases in pleasurable situations have found that expectations also kicks them off to leave us in a joyful atmosphere; we experience pleasure, in other words, when we're looking forward to a fun event as well as during and after it. A trip to the mall is also enjoyable in our schedules for the weekend.
Pleasure is not the only reason why we buy things we don't need at all. Ryan Howell, an professor of psychology at San Francisco State University said back in our hunter and gatherer days，when people saw something they wanted, they'd grab it, even if they didn't need it, because it was likely they wouldn't come across that item again. “If you see something that seems to be running in short supply，you're going to get it,” Howell said. These days, such scarcity isn't an issue — we can buy nearly anything we want if we have the means — but we often still approach life like our ancestors did, especially when it comes to a sale. When we see a 50% off clearance price tag, that scarcity impulse kicks into gear, Howell said. The feeling is, if we don't buy that item now, it's going to be gone forever — or at least at that good price.
1.What can we learn from the first paragraph?
A. People may lose control of life occasionally.
B. People tend to be controlled by purchasing desire.
C. Purchase can comfort people when they are upset.
D. The concept of retail therapy was once a false idea.
2.What does the underlined word “them” in Paragraph 2 refer to?
A. Experiments. B. Expectations.
C. Dopamine releases. D. Pleasurable situations.
3.What can we infer according to the last paragraph?
A. A good bargain can’t be missed.
B. Our ancestors grabbed things for survival.
C. We should watch out for the trap of the sale.
D. Our ancestors had similar attitude with us to things wanted.
4.What is the best title for the text?
A. Why We Buy Things
B. To Purchase As You Wish
C. The Approach to Happiness
D. The Relaxation in Modern Life
“Please, mother, do sit down and let me try my hand，” said Fred, a bright, active boy twelve years old. A look of relief came over his mother's face as she seated herself, who looked pale and worn. Fred washed the dishes, swept the kitchen, and then set out for school. After school, he hurried home, set the table and again washed the dishes.
He kept on in this way for several days till his mother was able to resume her usual work and he felt fully rewarded when the doctor, who happened in one day, said, “well, madam, it's my opinion that you would be very sick if you had not kept quiet.”
The boys missed Fred because he had been in the habit of going early to school and staying to play after it was dismissed. Their curiosity was excited when he would give no other reason than that he was “wanted at home”．One boy secretly detected Fred washing dishes from his kitchen window and reported this at school and various were the greetings poor Fred received during break. “Well, you are a brave one to stay at home washing dishes.” “Girl boy！” “Pretty Bessie！” “Lost your apron, haven't you, Polly！”
Fred was not wanting either in spirit or courage, and he was strongly tempted to resent(对……气愤) these insults and to fight some boys. But his consciousness of right and his love for his mother helped him.
While he was struggling for self mastery, his teacher appeared at the door of the schoolhouse. Fred caught his eye, and it seemed to look, if it didn't say, “Don't give up! Be really brave！” He knew his teacher had heard the insulting remarks of his thoughtless schoolmates.
The boys received notice during the day that Fred must not be teased in any manner. They knew that the teacher meant what he said.
1.How do we understand the doctor's words?
A. The mother recovered due to her remaining quiet.
B. Encourage more children to learn from Fred.
C. The mother was sick because she didn't keep quiet.
D. Hope the mother would exercise more than keep quiet.
2.What does the underlined word “greetings” in Paragraph 3 probably mean?
A. Sympathetic remarks.
B. Admiring remarks.
C. Criticisms.
D. Teases.
3.What do we know about Fred in Paragraph 4?
A. Fred's courage enabled him to fight.
B. Fred's affection for mother stopped him fighting.
C. Fred had neither spirit nor courage to fight.
D. Fred's love for mother helped him fight.
4.Why did the teacher give notice to the thoughtless boys?
A. To help free Fred from further trouble.
B. To show his preference for Fred.
C. To punish the boys for lack of manliness.
D. To show his strictness.
