On Sundays my father always wore that dull gray apron - the one with the race cars all over it. The
ritual began after breakfast when Dad always announced: "Go ahead everyone. I'll take care of the
dishes!" With that my mother disappeared into the folds of the Sunday paper. Off came the suit coat he
had worn to church that morning. Up went the shirtsleeves. On went that apron. For the next hour Dad
did the dishes, singing ballads like "I Had a Hat When I Came In" and "Who Put the Chow in Mrs.
Murphy's Chowder?"
     I suppose it was strange for a boy's father to wear an apron - even one with race cars - but I never
thought much of it until the day that Dad broke with tradition. It was the last Sunday in August. My father
seemed in an expansive mood as we walked home from church together.
     "Tommy," he said letting my name roll off his tongue. My mind raced ahead of his words: The birds
and the bees? A new bike?  A part-time job?
     "There comes a time in every boy's life when he must take on responsibilities." This was important. I
might even get to back the car out of the driveway.
     " Responsibilities?" I asked.
     "Yes. It's time you took a greater role in the household." Power tools? Boss my baby brother?
     "Starting today, I want you to do the dishes on Sunday morning so your mother and I can work the
crossword puzzle together."
     "The dishes!?"
     "Anything wrong with taking over the dishes, son?"
      I started to say something about a man's job or woman's work, but I knew immediately that my
protests would fall on deaf ears.
     I didn't taste a bit of breakfast that morning. Dad seemed in a jovial mood as he described an
exceptional Yankee game seen through the eyes of Mel Allen on the radio last night.
     "Mickey Mantle drove the ball right over the center field wall," he said. "Just a straight line climb in
right out of the stadium." He looked out the window as if trying to pick the ball out of the cloud formations. I tried to imagine Mickey Mantle wearing an apron.
     Suddenly, everything grew quiet. My sister began to clear the table. My brother was scraping the last
of the egg from his plate. And then that ancient family ritual that had filled so many Sunday mornings came
to an end. My father announced: "Let's go read the paper, Hon."
     "Aren't you doing the dishes?" my mother asked in puzzlement.
     "Your oldest son has generously offered to fill the position."
     My brother and sister stopped cold. So this was what my life had come to. A dark angel sat on my
left shoulder and reminded me that I could hit a baseball farther than anyone in my class. I could
bench-press my weight. I knew three declensions in Latin, the language of Caesar. Ask me to run
through a rainstorm. Command me to ride the roller coaster - backward. These things I would do. But I
could never do those dishes. There was nothing left but to refuse.
     People often say there is a special chemistry between a father and a son. He came back into the
kitchen just as I was about to storm out. He had loosened his tie and rolled up the sleeves of his
shirt-ready to relax. In his right hand was the old apron.
     "I want you to have this, Tommy. It'll keep your clothes from getting wet." And before I could mount
a protest, he had put the thing on me. "Thanks, Son. Your mother and I appreciate this."
     With that he disappeared into the Sunday paper. I looked down at the plastic. It had seen better days.
I could see my dad reaching for the dishes. The dark angel flew off. Soon I was singing about Mrs.
Murphy's chowder. The words came out of nowhere. And out of nowhere I knew the kind of man I
wanted to be.

1. What can be inferred from the first paragraph?

A.  The author's family usually had breakfast after going to church on Sundays.
B. Father was not willing to wash dishes.
C.  Mother would wash dishes together with father.
D.  Mother used to do the dishes alone.

2. What did the author think of washing dishes at first?

A.  It's natural for a man to wash dishes .
B.  Washing dishes was women's work..
C.  Parents should wash dishes.
D.  Children should help their parents wash dishes.

3. Which of the statements is Not true?

A.  The author would rather run through a rainstorm than wash dishes at first.
B.  Mickey Mantle would wash dishes for the author.
C.  Father set a good example to the author.
D.  The author understood his father at last.

4. Which of the following words can best decribe the author's father?

A. successful    
B. humourous    
C. responsible    
D. generous

5. What can be the best title for the pasage?

A. Father's Love  
B. Father's Apron  
C. Father's Responsibility  
D. Father's Influence

     Perhaps every old generation since ancient times has complained about young people, and today is no different. Isn't it clear that compared with our glorious selves, kids these days are self-absorbed social
network addicts?
     However, this summer, my impression of today's kids has been restored by the story of Rachel
Beckwith. She could teach my generation a great deal about maturity and unselfishness - even though
she's just 9 years old, or was when she died on July 23.
     At age 5, Rachel had her long hair shorn off and sent to Locks of Love, which uses hair donations to
make artificial hair for children who have lost their own hair because of cancer or other diseases. After
that, Rachel announced that she would grow her hair long again and donate it again. And that's what she
did.
     Then when she was 8 years old, her church began raising money to build wells in Africa through an
organization called charity: water. Rachel was astonished when she learned that other children had no
clean water, so she skipped her ninth birthday party. Rachel set up a birthday page on the charity: water
website with a target of $300. Instead of presents, she asked her friends to donate $9 each to charity:
water. Finally Rachel raised only $220 - which had left her just a bit disappointed.
     Then, on July 20, a serious traffic accident  left Rachel critically injured. Church members and friends,
seeking some way of showing support, began donating on Rachel's birthday page - charitywater
.org/Rachel - and donations reached her $300 goal, and kept rising.
     But Rachel couldn't hear that she had raised beyond the $47,544 that the singer Justin Bieber had
raised for charity: water on his 17th birthday. "I think Rachel would have been overjoyed for she secretly
had a crush on (迷戀) him," Rachel's mom said. 
     When it was clear that Rachel would never regain consciousness, the family decided to remove the life
support system. Her parents donated her hair for the final time to Locks of Love, and her organs to other
children.
     Word about Rachel's last fund-raising spread. Contributions poured in, often in $9 each. The total
donations soon topped $100,000, then $300,000.
     This is a story not just of one girl, but of a young generation of outstanding problem-solvers working
creatively.

1. What does the author think of today's kids after he knew the story of Rachel Beckwith?

A. They are good at social network.
B. They have narrow minds and care about nothing.
C. They are unselfish as grown-ups.
D. They can get problems settled effectively.

2. When was it that Rachel's hair was donated for the final time to Locks of Love?

A. At her age of 5.
B. Before her ninth birthday.
C. Right after the traffic accident.
D. After her death.

3. Why did each of Rachel's friends donate $9 to charity: water?

A. Because she died at the age of 9 and they wanted to honor her.
B. Because she had asked them to do that.
C. Because she set up her birthday page on June 9th.
D. Because she began to raise money from her ninth birthday.

4. The singer Justin Bieber was mentioned in the text, mainly because ______.

A. Rachel collected more than him who she admired
B. he had donated on Rachel's page on his 17th birthday
C. Rachel would have been overjoyed for his donation
D. Rachel's mom said she secretly had a crush on him

5. What does the text mainly talk about?

A. The author's impression of today's kids.
B. Rachel's hair donations.
C. A nine-year-old girl Rachel.
D. A lesson from Rachel.

      My newly-rented small apartment was far away from the centre of London and it was becoming
essential for me to find a job, so finally I spent a whole morning getting to town and putting my name
down to be considered by London Transport for a job on the underground. They were looking for
guards, not drivers. This suited me. I couldn't drive a car but thought that I could probably guard a train,
and perhaps continue to write my poems between stations. The writers Keats and Chekhov had been
doctors. T.S. Eliot had worked in a bank and Wallace Stevens for an insurance company. I'd be a
subway guard. I could see myself being cheerful, useful, a good man in a crisis. Obviously I'd be
overqualified but I was willing to forget about that in return for a steady income and travel privileges-those being particularly welcome to someone living a long way from the city centre.
     The next day I sat down, with almost a hundred other candidates, for the intelligence test. I must have
done all right because after about half an hour's wait I was sent into another room for a psychological test. This time there were only about fifty candidates. The interviewer sat at a desk. Candidates were signaled
forward to occupy the seat opposite him when the previous occupant had been dismissed, after a greater
or shorter time. Obviously the long interviews were the more successful ones. Some of the interviews
were as short as five minutes. Mine was the only one that lasted a minute and a half.
     I can remember the questions now: "Why did you leave your last job?" "Why did you leave your job
before that?" "And the one before that?" I can't recall my answers, except that they were short at first
and grew progressively shorter. His closing statement, I thought, revealed a lack of sensitivity which
helped to explain why as a psychologist, he had risen no higher than the underground railway. "You've
failed the psychological test and we are unable to offer you a position."
     Failing to get that job was my low point. Or so I thought, believing that the work was easy. Actually,
such jobs - being a postman is another one I still desire - demand exactly the sort of elementary yet
responsible awareness that the habitual dreamer is least qualified to give. But I was still far short of full
self-understanding. I was also short of cash.

1.The writer applied for the job chiefly because ________.

A. he wanted to work in the centre of London    
B. he could no longer afford to live without one
C. he was not interested in any other available job  
D. he had received some suitable training

2. The writer thought he was overqualified for the job because ________.

A. he often traveled underground
B. he had written many poems
C. he could deal with difficult situations
D. he had worked in a compa

3. The length of his interview meant that _________.

A. he was not going to be offered the job      
B. he had not done well in the intelligence test
C. he did not like the interviewer at all        
D. he had little work experience to talk about

4. What does the writer realize now that he did not realize then?

A. How unpleasant ordinary jobs can be.
B. How difficult it is to be a poet.
C. How unsuitable he was for the job.
D. How badly he did in the interview.

5. What's the writer's opinion of the psychologist?

A. He was very aggressive(有進取心的).
B. He was unhappy with his job.
C. He was quite inefficient.
D. He was rather unsympathetic.

     For eighty four days old Santiago had not caught a single fish. At first a young boy, Manolin, had
shared his bad fortune, but after the fortieth luckless day the boy's father told his son to go in another
boat. From that time on, Santiago worked alone. The boy loved the old fisherman and  always helped
him with money and food. Usually, they would talk about the fish they had taken in luckier times or
about American baseball after supper, while at night, alone in his cottage, Santiago dreamed of lions on
the beaches of Africa, where he had gone years before. He no longer dreamed of his dead wife.
On the eighty-fifth day, Santiago set off to fish before dawn. Two of his baits (餌) were fresh tunas (金
槍魚) the boy had given him, as well as sardines (沙丁魚) to cover his hooks. Then he set his lines
which went straight down into deep dark water.
      As the sun rose he saw other boats in toward shore. A bird showed him where dolphin were chasing
some flying fish. This time Santiago saw tuna jumping in the sunlight. A small one took the hook on his
line. Pulling the fish aboard, the old man thought it a good fortune.
     Toward noon a marlin, a common fish in the sea, started eating the bait which was one hundred
meters down. Gently the old man played the fish, a big one, as he knew from the weight on the line. At
last he struck to settle the hook. The fish did not come out of the surface. Instead, it began to pull the
boat to the northwest. The old man followed it. Although he was alone and no longer strong, he had his
skill and knew many tricks. He waited patiently for the fish to be tired .
     It was cold after the sunset. When something took one of his remaining baits, he cut the line with his
knife. Once the marlin leaned suddenly, pulling Santiago forward on his face and cutting his cheek. By
dawn his left hand was cramped (抽筋的). The fish had headed northward; there was no land in sight.
Hungry, he cut pieces from the tuna and chewed them slowly.
     That morning the fish jumped. Seeing it, Santiago knew he had hooked the biggest marlin he had
ever seen. Then the fish went down and turned toward the east. Santiago drank a little water from the
bottle during the hot afternoon.
     Close to nightfall a dolphin took the small hook he had rebaited. He lifted it aboard, careful. After he
had rested, he cut meat from the dolphin and kept also the two flying fish he found in its stomach. That
night he slept. He awoke to feel the line running through his fingers as the fish jumped. Feeding line
slowly, he tried to tire the marlin. After the fish slowed its run, he washed his cut hands in sea water and
ate one of the flying fish. At sunrise the marlin began to circle. Faint, he worked to bring the big fish
nearer with each turn. Almost exhausted, he finally drew his big fish alongside and drove in the harpoon
(魚叉). The fish was two feet longer than the boat. No fish like it had ever been seen in Havana harbor.
      An hour later, he sighted the first shark, a fierce Mako, and it came in fast to chase after the dead
marlin. The old man struck the shark with his harpoon. The Mako rolled and sank, carrying the harpoon
with it and leaving the marlin bloody. He knew the smell would spread. Watching, he saw two sharks
closing in. He struck at one with his knife and watched it sliding down into deep water. The other he
killed while it tore at the flesh of the marlin. When the third appeared, he thrust (刺) it with the knife.
The other sharks came at sunset. At first he tried to beat them with the tiller (舵柄) from the boat, but
his hands were bleeding and there were too many in the sea. In the darkness, as he steered toward the
harbor of Havana, he heard them hitting the boat again and again. But the old man thought only of his
steering and his great tiredness. He had gone out too far and the sharks had beaten him. He knew they
would leave him nothing but the stripped skeleton of the big marlin.
     All lights were out when he sailed into the little harbor and beached his boat. He could just make out
the white backbone and the upstanding tail of the fish. Once he fell under their weight and lay patiently
until he could gather his strength to go on. In his cottage he fell on his bed and went to sleep.

1. The above story is adapted from __________.

A. Treasure Island                
B. The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer
C. The Old Man And The Sea       
D. The Son Of The Sea

2. Why did the man feel that he could be lucky this time?

A. Because a small tuna took the hook on his line.
B. Because he dreamed about the American lions.
C. Because he saw many flying fish were chased by the dolphins.
D. Because a lot of sharks followed his boat.

3. According to the text, which statement is NOT true about Manolin?

A. The boy had mercy on Santiago.
B. The boy often shared his stories with Santiago.
C. The boy showed his great concerns to Santiago.
D. The boy was Santiago's adopted son.

4. Why does Santiago let the marlin lead his boat instead of pulling the big fish up? 

A. He wanted to kill the marlin first before he pulled it up to the boat.
B. He was too tired and hungry to pull the big fish up.
C. His experience told him not to do so before the fish was tired out.
D. He wanted to use the marlin as a bait to catch the sharks.

5. Which sentence below can be used to best describe Santiago's character?

A. "He no longer dreamed of his dead wife."(Para 1)
B. "Although he was alone and no longer strong, he had his skill and knew many tricks."(Para4)
C. "Almost exhausted, he finally drew his big fish alongside and drove in the harpoon."(Para7) 
D. "Once he fell under their weight and lay patiently until he could gather his strength to go on ."(Para 9)

6. According to the text, what will be talked about in the next paragraph?

A. the man's action to realize his dream about the lions.
B. people's reflection when they saw the giant marlin outside.
C. people's discussion about how they ate the giant marlin.
D. a funeral held by the boy and the local people after his death.

     It was a winter morning, just a couple of weeks before Christmas 2005. While most people were
warming up their cars, Trevor, my husband, had to get up early to ride his bike four kilometers away
from home to work. On arrival, he parked his bike outside the back door as he usually does. After
putting in 10 hours of labor, he returned to find his bike gone.
     The bike, a black Kona 18 speed, was our only transport. Trevor used it to get to work, putting in
60-hour a week to support his young family. And the bike was also used to get groceries, saving us from
having to walk long distances from where we live.
     I was so sad that someone would steal our bike that I wrote to the newspaper and told them our
story. Shortly after that, several people in our area offered to help. One wonderful stranger even bought
a bike, then called my husband to pick it up. Once again my husband had a way to get to and from his
job. It really is an honor that a complete stranger would go out of their way for someone they have never
met before.
People say that a smile can be passed from one person to another, but acts of kindness from strangers
are even more so. This experience has had a spreading effect in our lives because it strengthened our
faith in humanity as a whole. And it has influenced us to be more mindful of ways we, too, can share with
others. No matter how big or how small, an act of kindness shows that someone cares. And the results
can be everlasting.

1.Why was the bike so important to the couple?

A. They used it for work and daily life.
B. It was their only possession.
C. It was a nice Kona 18 speed.
D. The man's job was bike racing.

2.What does the underlined phrase mean?

A. go very far to see someone
B. walk out on foot to greet someone
C. help someone with one's best
D. enjoy the moment with someone

3.We can infer from the text that ________.

A. the couple worked 60 hours a week
B. people were busy before Christmas
C. the stranger brought over the bike
D. life was hard for the young family

4. How did people get to know the couple's problem?

A. From a stranger.
B. From a newspaper.
C. From TV news.
D. From radio broadcasts.

5.What do the couple learn from their experience?

A. Strangers are usually of little help.
B. One should take care of their bike.
C. News reports make people famous.
D. An act of kindness can mean a lot.

     Honesty, my mum always used to tell me, is the best policy. Of course, this didn't include her when
she told me that if I didn't eat all my vegetables Father Christmas would find out and wouldn't give me
any presents.
     But when it comes to medicine, I had assumed it was important to always be honest with my patients. After all, the doctor-patient relationship is based on trust, and therefore honesty is essential, or so I
thought.
     I had just started working in geriatrics (老年病科). Mr. McMahon was brought in when his baby was
found very swollen. I took a medical history from his daughter who had accompanied him in the
ambulance. She'd been his main carer for years. I stood looking at him as she gave a detailed history.
"Has he lost any weight recently?" I asked, "Well, it's funny you should mention that, but yes. "She said
slowly. There was silence for a few moments." Why? What are you worried about?" she asked, I
hesitated. She was obviously very involved in his care and it was only fair that I told her the truth. "Well,
we need to prove it's not cancer. " I said and talked briefly about some of the tests I was going to order.
     Half an hour later, a nurse called me: "Mr. McMahon's daughter broke down－she said you told her
he had cancer. " My heart sank. By the time I arrived at the ward, my consultant was already there,
explaining that we still had to run lots of tests and that it was by no means confirmed that he had cancer.
I stood silently at the end of the bed. My consultant was obviously angry with me and as we left Mr.
McMahon, she turned to me. "Why on earth did you do that?" she asked in disbelief. I looked at her and
bit my lip. "She asked me what I was worried about and I told her. " I said, hanging my head. "And give
her more to worry about?" replied my consultant. "You don't say the word 'cancer' until it's confirmed.
Even if you suspect it, think very carefully before you tell people. "
     As it turned out, it wasn't cancer. But I did learn that when someone is stressed and worried about
their loved one they're sometimes selective in what they hear－and as a doctor it's important to be
mindful of this. In being truthful, I'd made the situation worse.

1. The purpose of the first two paragraphs is to show that the author_________. 

A. misunderstood the doctor-patient relationship
B. was anxious to receive Christmas gifts
C. regarded honesty as the best policy
D. had an unhealthy eating habit 

2. The author's consultant was angry with him because _________.

A. he told the daughter what he suspected.
B. he delayed running the necessary tests.
C. he failed to confirm the parent's disease.
D. he forgot what the consultant had advised.

3. The author hung his head (the underlined part in Para. 4) because he was feeling_________. 

A. guilty
B. hurt
C. disappointed
D. helpless

4.What lesson has the author learnt from his experience?

A. Learning from parents is necessary.
B. Jumping to a conclusion is dangerous.
C. Telling the truth may not always be the best solution.
D. Selecting pleasant words may not be the perfect policy.