Our little boy came up to his mother in the kitchen one evening while she was fixing supper，and handed her a piece of paper that he had been writing on. After his mom dried her hands on an apron，she read it，and this is what it said：

For cutting the grass $5.00     

For cleaning up my room this week $1. 00

For going to the store for you $0. 50

Baby－sitting my kid brother while you went shopping $0. 25

Taking out the garbage $1. 00

For getting a good report card $5. 00

For cleaning up and raking the yard $2. 00

Total owed： $14.75

Well，I’ll tell you，his mother looked at him standing there expectantly，and boy，could I see the memories flashing through her mind. So she picked up the pen，turned over the paper he’d written on，and this is what she wrote：   

For the nine months I carried you while you were growing inside me，No Charge.

For all the nights that I’ve sat up with you，doctored and prayed for you，No Charge.

For all the trying times，and all the tears that you’ve caused through the years，there’s No Charge.

For all the nights that were filled with dread，and for the worries I knew were ahead，No Charge

For the toys，food，clothes，and even wiping your nose，there’s No Charge，Son.

When you___________________，the cost of my love is No Charge.

Well，friends，when our son finished reading what his mother had written，there were great big old tears in his eyes，and he looked straight up at his mother and said：“Mom，I sure do love you. ”And then he took the pen and in great big letters he wrote：“PAID IN FULL”.

1.What’s the best title of the passage?      

2.Which sentence in the passage is the closest in meaning to the following one?

Although you have broght me hard thimes andmany tears in these years , you needn’t pay for them.

3.Please fill in the blank in the passage with proper words or phrases to complete the sentence.(within ten words)

4.What do you learn after reading the passage?(within 30 words)

5.Translate the underlined sentence into Chinese.

面對中學(xué)生“出國熱”，社會對此有不同的看法。請你以Studying Abroad為題，根據(jù)以下提供的信息，談?wù)勛约旱目捶ā?/p>

注意: 1）第一句已為你寫好，不計(jì)入總詞數(shù)。    2）詞數(shù)100 左右。

3）參考詞匯：媒介，中間人 mediator

Studying Abroad

In recent years, studying abroad has been popular.________________________     

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Gene technology to benefit people

Among all the fast growing science and technology, the research of human genes, or biological engineering as people call it, is drawing more and more attention now. Sometimes it is a hot topic discussed by people.

The greatest thing that gene technology can do is to cure serious diseases that doctors at present can almost do nothing with, such as cancer and heart disease. Every year, millions of people are murdered by these two killers. And to date, doctors have not found an effective way to cure them. But if the gene technology is applied, not only these two diseases can be cured completely, bringing happiness and more living days to the patients, but also the great amount of money people spend on curing their diseases can be saved, therefore it benefits the economy as well. In addition, human life span(壽命) can be prolonged.

Gene technology can help people to give birth to more healthy and clever children. Some families, with the English imperial family being a good example, have hereditary(遺傳的) diseases. This means their children will for sure have the family disease, which is a great trouble for these families. In the past, doctors could do nothing about hereditary diseases. But gene technology can solve this problem perfectly. The scientist just need to find the wrong gene and correct it, and a healthy child will be born.

Some people are worrying that the gene research can be used to manufacture human beings in large quantities. In the past few years, scientists have succeeded in cloning a sheep, therefore these people predict that human babies would soon be cloned. But I believe cloned babies will not come out in large quantities, for most couples in the world can have babies in very normal way. Of course, the governments must take care to control gene technology.    

What does "these two killers" in the second paragraph refer to? 

A. gene technology and another treatment of the two diseases.

B. The two murderers who killed the cloned baby

C. The two diseases of cancer and heart disease

D. Hereditary diseases and cancer

What's the main idea of the third paragraph?

A. How gene technology can be applied in the field of treating hereditary diseases.

B. Gene technology can be used to clone human babies.

C. Gene technology can help people to give birth of a baby.

D. Gene technology can help the English imperial family out

In what way gene technology can help to treat hereditary diseases?

A. Using gene technology, people with hereditary diseases can have more living days.

B. Using gene technology, scientist finds the wrong gene and corrects it.

C. Using gene technology, human babies can be cloned.

D. Doctors can cure cancer and heart disease with the help of gene technology.

What is the main purpose of writing this passage?

A. Expressing the writer's idea that gene technology will benefit people

B. Telling people the advantages of gene technology

C. Telling the readers that gene technology will not benefit people

D. Explaining that gene technology will also do harm to the humanity

NEWS BRIEF

●Prime Minister Tony Blair new allegations(指控) on Thursday that he misled Parliament and the public in making the case for the war in Iraq after he disclosed his chief legal adviser’s written opinion raising questions about the legality(合法) of the war.

●U.S. Forest Service officials are reminding people to stay off Forest Service roads that are closed. The fine for disobeying the rule of road closures is a maximum of ＄5,000 fine and/ or six months in prison. Those who enter the area and cause road damage may also be required to pay for repairs.

●In a second study presented at the meeting, scientists from the UK and Denmark showed that even a few days of high temperatures can severely reduce production of crops such as wheat,  soybeans, rice and groundnuts, if it occurs when the plants are flowering.

●A bomb exploded in Thailand’s mainly Muslin south on Sunday, killing two policemen and wounding three others, a day after Thailand’s queen condemned those behind a 15-month wave of violence(暴力).

●Mechanicsburg 3, West York 1: Ken Stamper and Rusty Bowman had seven kills each, and Ryan Warfield had six to lead the Wildcats past the Bulldogs, 25-11, 25-15, 15-25, 25-23, in a non-league match.

The news brief covers _____________.     

   A．war, law, violence, culture and agriculture

   B．sports, war, violence, politics and climate

   C．politics, culture, violence, climate and sports

   D．violence, sports, politics, law and agriculture

From the news brief, we can learn that ____________.

A．the Bulldogs defeated the Wildcats by 3-1 in a non-league match

B．Forest Service roads are closed for repairs before they are opened again

C．quite a few violent accidents happened in Tailand before the latest one

D．the British people think the decision made by Blair about the war is of legaliry

According to the U.S. Forest Service officials, those who enter the area and damage the closed roads __________.

A．shall have to pay a $ 5,000 fine for the repairs to them

B．shall be fined or put in prison, and may pay for the repairs

C．shall be fined $ 5,000 and kept in prison for six months

D．shall pay a fine and repair the roads as a punishment

The study of the scientists from the UK and Denmark is about ____________.

A．the importance of climate and the growth of crops

B．the damage caused by high temperatures to some crops

C．the relationship between crops flowering and high temperatures

D．the effect of high temperatures on the production of some crops

It’s not polite to arrive at a dinner more than 15 to 20 minutes late. The host or hostess usually waits for all the ___1___ to arrive before serving the meal. If someone is late, the food may be spoiled(變味), and ___2___ may the host or hostess’ spirits. If you have to be ___3___ call and tell them to start ___4___ you.

It’s even worse to be early! The host or hostess will probably not be ___5___. If you are early, drive or walk around the block a few times, or just sit in your car until the right time.

Though it’s often ___6___ to arrive at a party on time, on the other hand, the host or hostess ___7___ guests to arrive and leave between certain times, so you can ___8___ at any time between the times he or she gives you.

It’s nice to bring an empty stomach, but it’s even nicer to bring ___9___ present. The present should not cost a lot, or you might make the host or hostess ___10___. Flowers, wine, or a box of candy will be fine. ___11___ bring money as a present. In an introduction, the ___12___ of a name is: (1) the given name; (2) the family name. In other ___13___, the given name comes ___14___. It’s important not only to learn and remember ___15___, but to repeat them often in conversation. After the introduction, we usually call friends by their ___16___ names. Older people may want you to call them by their titles and family names, such as “Mrs Smith”, “Mr Johnson”, “Dr. Brown”.

A maiden(閨女) name is a ___17___ family name at birth. In the United States and Canada, after a woman ___18___, she takes the family name of her ___19___ in place of her maiden name. It is now becoming common, however, for women to ___20___ their maiden names after they get married.

1. A. guests     B. visitors       C. customs      D. passengers

2. A. or   B. so       C. but     D. yet

3. A. tired       B. hungry       C. late     D. early

4. A. without  B. for      C. with    D. after

5. A. awake    B. ready  C. up      D. friendly

6. A. useless    B. impossible  C. unable D. important

7. A. forces     B. invites C. begs    D. orders

8. A. play       B. fly      C. arrive  D. start

9. A. a big      B. a small       C. a good       D. an expensive

10. A. pleased B. satisfied     C. interested   D. uneasy

11. A. Never   B. Always       C. Do      D. Be sure to

12. A. spelling       B. calling       C. order  D. pronunciation

13. A. words   B. letters C. idioms       D. sentences

14. A. last       B. first    C. finally D. in the middle

15. A. expressions  B. appearances       C. names D. addresses

16. A. given    B. family C. middle       D. pen

17. A. gentleman’s  B. boy’s  C. woman’s    D. man’s

18. A. works   B. marries      C. bears   D. dies

19. A. husband       B. mother       C. father  D. sister

20. A. stop      B. give up      C. keep   D. find

Dear Hamilton,

    We are fortunate that in such a large, high-pressure office we all get along so well. You are one of the people who keep the social temperature at such a comfortable setting. I don’t know anyone in the office who is better liked than you.

    You can perhaps help with this. The collection of contributions towards gifts for employees’ personal-life events is becoming a little troubling. Certainly, the group sending of a gift is reasonable now and then. In the past month, however, there have been collections for two baby shower gifts, one wedding shower gift, two wedding gifts, one funeral（葬禮）remembrance, four birthday gifts, and three graduation gifts.

   It’s not only the collected-from who are growing uncomfortable (and poor), but the collected-for feel uneasy receiving gifts from people who don’t know them outside the office, who wouldn’t even recognize their graduating children, their marrying daughters and sons, or their dead relatives.

    This is basically a kind gesture (and one that people think well of you for), but the practice seems to have become too wide-ranging and feels improper in today’s office setting.

    Thank you for understanding.

The underlined word “contributions” probably means ________.

A. money         B. suggestions        C. reports          D. understanding

Hamilton is expected to _______.

A. show more kindness.                  B. discontinue the present practice

C. quit being the organizer for gift giving    D. know more about co-workers’ families

This is basically a letter of ________.

A. apology    B. sympathy      C. appreciation   D. dissatisfaction

There are several ways you can find out about the countries and places you wish to visit. You can talk to friends who have travelled to the places. Or you can go and see a colour film. Or you can read travel books.

It would seem that there are three kinds of travel books. The first are those that give a personal, subjective(主觀的) account of travels which the author has actually made himself. if they are informative and have a good index(索引), then they can be useful to you when you are planning your travels. The second kind are those books whose purpose is to give a purely objective(客觀的) description of things to be done and seen. If a well-read, cultured person has written such a book, then it is even more useful. It can be sorted as a selected guide book. The third kind are those books which are called “a guide” to some place or other. If they are good, they will, in addition to their factual information, give an analysis or an explanation. Like the first kind they can be inspiring and interesting. But their basic purpose is to help the reader who wishes to plan in the most practical way.

Whatever kind of travel book you choose you must make sure that it does not describe everything as “wonderful”, “excellent” or “magical”. You must also note its date of publication because travel is a very practical affair and many things change quickly in the twenty-first century. Finally, you should make sure that the contents are well presented and easy to find.

This passage is about _______.

A. how to travel                          B. how to buy travel books

C. how to read a travel book         D. travel books

The following travel books may be of use when you plan your travels except _______.

A. the book written by some people who have had the same travel experience themselves

B. the book which tells you what is worth doing and seeing based on the facts

C. the book in which a lot of big adjectives are used to draw your attention

D. the book which offers you a lot of useful information like a tour guide

The date of the publication must be noticed because _______.

A. the world is changing and so are the places you are going to visit

B. the price of the book is always changing

C. the author of the book may be different

D. the contents of the book are always the same

Listen carefully, working people, we would like to tell you something that could save your precious time and money! Best of all, it is free!

It’s “no”.

What do you ask? We’ll say it again: “No”.

Sweet and simple “no”.

Say “no” at your office and see how quickly that pile of work on your desk disappears.

“Saying ‘no’ to others means you are saying ‘yes’ to yourself, ” said Leslie Charles, a professional speaker from East Lansing, Michigan.

“Time is precious. People are spending money buying time. And yet we are willing to give up our time because we can’t say ‘no’.”

Susie Watson, a famous writer, said people who always say “yes” need to say “no” without guilt(內(nèi)疚)or fear of punishment. “I would rather have someone give me a loving ‘no’ than an obligated(強(qiáng)制的) ‘yes’, ” she said.

Susie Watson says she feels “no” obligation to give an explanation when she says “no” either socially or professionally. Does she feel guilty about it? “Not at all, ” said Watson, who is director of advertising and public relations at Timex Corp in Middlebury, Conneticut. “Most people are afraid of saying ‘no’… My advice is to say ‘yes’ only if you don’t mean ‘no’.”

Watson said “no” is the most effective weapon against wasting time. “Every year there are more demands on your time… Other people are happy to use up your time, ” Watson said. Time saving appears to be “no’s” greatest friend.

“No” can be your new friend, a powerful tool to take back your life. “No” may even take you further in the business world than “yes”.

“No” is power and strength. “No” now seems completely correct. “Saying ‘no’ isn’t easy. But finally it’s greatly liberating,” Charles said. But, he added, a “no” project needs to be worked on every day because it is hard to change long-term habit.

But, he also warns: “Don’t go to extremes. Don’t find yourself saying ‘no’ to everything. In return you should learn to hear ‘no’.”

The sentence “Saying ‘yes’ to yourself” means _______.

A. you can have more time to play with others

B. you needn’t care about other’s feeling if you are happy

C. you are selfish and treat others rudely

D. you can deal with your business as you have planned

When you say “no” to others you should say it in a _______.

A. secret way　　　B. polite way

C. proud way　　　　　D. guilty way

In Watson’s opinion, people can save much time on condition that _______.

A. they say “no” at a suitable time

B. they say “no” as much as possible

C. they are afraid of saying “no”

D. they make others angry at them

If a person says “no” to everything, the result he or she receive may be that he or she _______.

A. enjoys a wonderful life     B. makes a lot of money

C. faces difficulty in life　　D. forgets to say “yes” in the end

I grew up in a small town. My father raised chickens and ran a construction company. I was barely 10 years old when my dad gave me the responsibility (責(zé)任) of feeding the chickens and cleaning up the stable. He believed it was important for me to have those jobs to learn responsibility. Then, when I was 22, I found a job in Natchbill at a country music club called the Natchbill Palace, I washed dishes and cooked from 4: 00 pm to 9: 00 pm and then went on stage and sang until 2:00 in the morning. It wasn’t long before I became known as a singing cook. I had been rejected so many times by record companies that it was hard not to be discouraged. One night, a woman executive (懂事) from a company named Warner Brothers Records came to hear me sing. When the show was over, we sat down and talked and after she left, I said to myself it was one more rejection. A few weeks later, my manager received a phone call — Warner Brothers wanted to sign me to a record deal. Soon after, I released my first record in June 1986. It sold over 2 million copies. My best efforts had gone into every job I’ve ever held. It was the sense of responsibility that made me feel like a man. Knowing that I had done my best filled me with pride. I still feel that way today, even though I have become a well-known singer.

Why was the writer once known as the singing cook?

A. Because he was a cook at a country-music club.

B. Because he sang for guests while he worked as a cook.

C. Because he often sang while cooking.

D. Because he liked singing better than cooking.

Who first recognized his talents and helped make his career successful?

A. Wamer Brothers.                    B. His manager.    

C. His father.                              D. A businesswoman.

What made the writer proud of himself?

A. His ability to live independently.

B. His sense of responsibility in whatever he did.

C. His courage in the face of rejections.

D. His hard work in his early days.

I arrived at my mother’s home for our Monday family dinner. The smells of food flew over from the kitchen. Mother was pulling out quilt(被子)after quilt from the boxes, proudly showing me their beauties. She was preparing for a quilt show at the Elmhurst Church. When we began to fold and put them back into the boxes, I noticed something at the bottom of one box. I pulled it out. “What is this?” I asked.

“Oh?” Mom said, “That’s Mama’s quilt.”

I spread the quilt. It looked at if a group of school children had pieced it together; irregular designs, childish pictures, a crooked line on the right.

“Grandmother made this?” I said, surprised. My grandmother was a master at making quilts. This certainly didn’t look like any of the quilts she had made.

“Yes, right before she died. I brought it home with me last year and made some changes,” she said. “I’m still working on it. See, this is what I’ve done so far.”

I looked at it more closely. She had made straight a crooked line. At the center of the quilt, she had stitched(縫) a piece of cloth with these words:  “My mother made many quilts. She didn’t get all lines straight. But I think this is beautiful. I want to see it finished. Her last quilt.”

“Ooh, this is so nice, Mom,” I said. It occurred to me that by completing my grandmother’s quilt, my mother was honoring her own mother. I realized, too, that I held in my hands a family treasure. It started with the loving hands of one woman, and continued with the loving hands of another.

Why did the author go to mother’s home?

  A. To see her mother’s quilts.            B. To help prepare for a show.

  C. To get together for the family dinner.    D. To discuss her grandmother’s life.

The author was surprised because      .

  A. the quilt looked very strange.     B. her grandmother liked the quilt.

  C. the quilt was the best she had seen.   D. her mother had made some changes

The underlined wood “crooked” in the passage most probably means       .

  A. unfinished     B. broken      C. bent       D. unusual

Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?

 A. A Quilt Show    B. Mother’s Home  C. A Monday Dinner  D. Grandmother’s Quilt