Last week my youngest son and I visited my father at his new home in Tucson, Arizona. He moved there a few years ago, and I was eager to see his new place and meet his friends.

My earliest memories of my father are a tall, handsome, successful man devoted to his work and his family, but uncomfortable with his children. As a child I loved him. He seemed unhappy with me unless I got straight A’s and unhappy with my boyfriends if their fathers were not as “successful” as he was. Whenever I went out with him on weekends, I used to struggle to think up things to say, feeling on guard.

On the first day of my visit, we went out with one of my father’s friends for lunch at an outdoor café. We walked along that afternoon, did some shopping, ate on the street table, and laughed over my son’s funny facial expressions. Gone was my father’s critical (挑剔的) air and strict rules. Who was this person I knew as my father, who seemed so friendly and interesting to be around? What had held him back before?

The next day dad took out his childhood pictures and told me quite a few stories about his own childhood. Although our times together became easier over the years, I never felt closer to him at that moment. After so many years, I’m at last seeing another side of my father. And in so doing, I’m delighted with my new friend. My dad, in his new home in Arizona, is back to me from where he was.

1. What does the author think of her father before her visit to Tucson?

A．More critical and strict	B．More talkative
C．Gentle and friendly	D．Proud and hard-working

2. When the author went out with her father on weekend, she would feel _____ .

A．tired	B．safe
C．nervous	D．comfortable

3. The underlined words “my new friend” in the last paragraph refer to________.

A．the author’s son	B．the author’s father
C．the friend of the author’s father	D．the café owner

If you feel at present that you don’t have enough friends in your life, one reason may be that you have let yourself become too busy to make time for the relationships you already have. Starting and keeping friendship requires effort and commitment.

Many of us let our lives become so busy with work and other responsibilities that we don’t get around to scheduling time for pleasure and renewal（叙旧）with the friends, relatives and acquaintances we already have.

Making the effort to call your friends more regularly and to accept more of their invitations you receive from others can improve your social life in a hurry!

Are there any people you could call right now and be sure to receive a pleasant welcome? Are there people that you could count onto help you in time of difficulty? Can you have close talks with them? Do you have fun when you are together? Are you happy to have them in your life?

If you haven’t seen much of them lately, is it because you have become too busy? Have you grown apart? Was there an argument?

If the main reason you haven’t been getting together with the people you already know is that   you have got too busy，take a good look at how you spend your time. Compare it with your real values and priorities（优先考虑的事）in life. Is your busy lifestyle really bringing you the quality of life that you want?

If you have become too busy for friends, why has this happened? Are you seeking material toys in your life at the expense of relationships with other human beings? Have you allowed your time to be over spent because you never say “No” to anyone? Do you insist on doing things yourself that could be appointed to others? If so, why? Do you believe that everything depends on you?

Examine whether the way you are now spending your time accurately reflects your deepest values and priorities. Make sure that you schedule adequate time for the things that are truly most important to you.

If you really want to keep friends in your life, make a space in your schedule, and a space in your heart for them.

4. In this passage the author mainly discusses ______       .

A．how to balance friendship and work.

B．how to spend our spare time.

C．whether we should keep friendship.

D．whether we should invite friends to dinner regularly.

5. Which of the following doesn’t mean a good relationship?

A．You have someone to count on when you are in trouble.

B．You have someone to have close talks with.

C．You have fun when you are with someone.

D．You feel depressed with others in life.

6. The reason why you have become too busy for friends may be the following EXCEPT that_____.

A．you spend too much time seeking material toys in your life

B．you feel it difficult to keep friendship

C．you stick to doing everything all by yourself

D．you never refuse whatever other people ask you to do

7. Which would be the best title for the text?

A．Too busy for Friendship?	B．Too busy with work?
C．How to Spend Your Time	D．How to Make New Friends

I think a close friend is someone you get on really well with, who helps you when you have problems, who gives you advice, and who always has time for you.I didn't use to have many close friends when I was at school or at university as I was very shy, but now I have several.They are all women—I think it's difficult to have a close friend of the opposite sex (异性)．

—Marie

I don't really have any close friends.I know a lot of people but mainly through work, and the kind of social occasions (场合) when we meet are business dinners and evening parties.I think if you come from a really close family, then friends are a bit unnecessary.I prefer to spend the little free time I have with my family.

—Richard

I think a close friend is someone who you've known for a long time, and who you still get on with.They probably have similar hobbies to you so you can do things together.I've got three close friends whom I was at high school with and we often go away together (without our parents of course).We always go camping and somewhere we can go walking, play football and be outside in the open air.

—David

For me close friends are the people you spend your free time with.I go out at weekends with a group of people—there are about seven of us, and I'd say we are all close friends.We also live near each other.I don't think you can have close friends at a distance (在远处); you need to be able to see each other often. But I don't think you need to be doing the same things.I mean I'm at university but none of my friends are.

—Anna

8. What does Richard say about friends?

A．It's hard to make friends at work.

B．They're less important than family.

C．Friends need to have a lot in common.

D．Women and men can't be close friends.

9. What does David enjoy?

A．Physical activities.

B．Parent－child camps.

C．Going to evening parties.

D．Playing out in the open alone.

10. What do we know about Anna's friends?

A．They are college students.

B．They are doing the same things.

C．They don't live far away.

D．They don't see each other often.

11. Who has more friends now than before?

A．Anna.	B．David.
C．Richard.	D．Marie.

Farah was sitting in the kitchen going over the party list with her mother.The exams were over and Farah wanted to invite her friends for a party.
“Farah，aren’t you going to invite Hafsa？”her mother asked.Hafsa had been her best friend since childhood.
“Mother，you know I am now a part of Purple Girls Club and we have some rules about people we can be friends with，”Farah answered.
“Really？And what are the rules？”her mother asked.
“Well，only very pretty girls can be part of our group.And Hafsa is so...you know...dark.”
“I cannot believe it，”her mother said angrily.
As Farah left the kitchen，her father called   her from the living room.
Farah went to her father and paled when she saw the exam report in his hands.“Farah，what has happened to your grades？You have failed in Mathematics，”her father said.
Farah had no answer.The truth was that the activities of Purple Girls Club left her with very little time for studies.
“Farah，it says that you can take part in supplementary exams(补考).If your grades don’t improve then，I’ll cancel(取消) your trip to Spain.”
Farah went to her room and called Gina，the leader of Purple Girls Club， “Gina，can you help me to complete my notes before the exams？”
Gina laughed.“Exams？Who cares about exams？”
One by one，she called her friends in the club but no one seemed to care or wanted to help.
Farah knew Hafsa would help her.Farah also knew Hafsa had been hurt by her，but Hafsa said，“If you need any help，just let me know.We can study together till your exams.”
Next Monday，as two friends entered the school together，Gina called out.
“Farah，you know our rules.You cannot be friends with those who do not belong to our club.”
“Gina，I have a new rule about friendship，”Farah replied.
12. After Farah became a member of Purple Girls   Club，she chose a friend according to a person’s________.

A．looks

B．usual activities

C．grades

D．favorite colors

13. Farah became pale after going to her father because________.

A．he didn’t allow her to go to Spain

B．she didn’t do well in her exams

C．she had to leave Purple Girls Club

D．he asked her to improve her grades

14. Which word can best describe Hafsa?

A．Silly.

B．Beautiful.

C．Rude.

D．Kind.

15. What lesson can we learn from the passage?

A．A friend in need is a friend indeed.

B．A perfect friend will never be found.

C．Be slow in choosing a friend.

D．Friendship can be developed easily.

When things go wrong, many people turn to their friends for comfort and support. Are you the kind of person your friends trust to be there for them when they’re feeling down?     16    . You might feel awkward or nervous about comforting a sad friend at first, but with a little practice, you won't have to worry about saying the wrong thing or making the situation worse. When one of your friends is upset, help him/her by being there for him/her, finding the right things to say, and avoiding common mistakes.

1.     17    . Comfort your friend according to how upset he/she seems to be. If he/she seems to be very troubled, it may take more effort on your part to help him/her. If something is bothering him/her, but he/she isn’t too upset, be there for him/her without overreacting.

2. Find out what’s wrong. Before you say anything try to figure out what the problem is.     18    . If you try to talk to your friend without knowing the situation first, you could end up with putting your foot in your mouth.

3. Give your friend a hug. A kind touch will do wonders for your friend, even if you don't know what he/she is upset about.     19    .You can also pat him/her gently on the shoulder.

4.Let your friend vent(发泄). If your friend needs to get his/her sadness or anger out, let him/her do. Pay attention and don't interrupt. Encourage him/her to express himself/herself fully.

5.Just listen. Your friend needs someone to listen compassionately to him/her right now, so focus on doing that. Be patient and non-judgmental.     20    . Don’t act bored or try to change the subject.

A．You may find yourself wrong

B．Understand how upset your friend is

C．You can put your arm around your friend

D．Encourage him/her to keep talking as long as he/she needs to

E．This will help you know what to say and what not to say

F．Use your imagination and get close to the truth of what has taken place

G．If you aren’t sure, don’t worry---comforting people is a skill that you can learn

When things went wrong, Ittleby Fein always had something nice to say.

When Dad forgot about the pizza and it burned, Ittleby said, “Don’t _______. It’ll still taste good. ” And he was right. The pizza edges were dark, _______ the middle wasn’t bad.

Ittleby looked on the _______ side. And everyone, except Hazel, _______ that about him.

Hazel was the _______ student in class. On her first day, Ittleby said, “Nice to meet you, Hazel. I think you’ll like it here. ” Hazel looked at him, “I doubt it. ” Ittleby didn’t know what to do. He’d never _______ anyone like Hazel.

_______ Mr D. said they’d have recess(休息) inside _______ the rain, Hazel said, “Bad things come in threes. No outdoor recess is number one. What will the second thing be? ”

The class didn’t have to _______ long to find out. Greta was carrying a box of paints during art class. She ________, and paint went flying. Hazel turned to Ittleby, “That was the second ________ thing. What will the third be? ”

Ittleby didn’t know what to say. Hazel seemed so ________ about the Rule of Three Bad Things.

Emma came to look at Ittleby’s ________. She picked it up, not realizing she had paint on her fingers. Hazel pointed, “Ittleby’s picture is ruined(破坏)! There’s number three. ” Emma looked ________. “I’m sorry, Ittleby. ” “It’s OK, Emma. If I add wings, the fingerprint(指纹) could look like butterflies, ” said Ittleby.

So Ittleby added wings. Then he said, “Everyone, let’s make a field of butterflies. ”

Everyone put a fingerprint on Ittleby’s paper. Only Hazel didn’t.

“Want to add one? ” Ittleby asked her. Hazel thought about it, and she carefully added wings.

“It looks great. I like it very much, ” said Ittleby. Hazel ________, “You know, I don’t really think there’s a Rule of Three Bad Things. ” Ittleby nodded, “Bad things happen. But good things happen, too. And sometimes, there are good things hiding where you don’t expect them. ”

21.

A．argue

B．worry

C．touch

D．explain

22.

A．and

B．but

C．if

D．as

23.

A．humorous

B．easy

C．bright

D．back

24.

A．liked

B．hated

C．heard

D．trusted

25.

A．shy

B．good

C．poor

D．new

26.

A．met

B．helped

C．asked

D．believed

27.

A．Unless

B．When

C．Before

D．Though

28.

A．according to

B．along with

C．instead of

D．because of

29.

A．prepare

B．rest

C．wait

D．practice

30.

A．calmed down

B．went down

C．fell down

D．looked down

31.

A．strange

B．bad

C．funny

D．interesting

32.

A．sure

B．sorry

C．excited

D．disappointed

33.

A．finger

B．butterfly

C．painting

D．board

34.

A．happy

B．surprised

C．angry

D．upset

35.

A．answered

B．cried

C．shouted

D．smiled

语法填空

When I was young, I was not popular     36     my classmates. If you’d asked me, I would have told you I was against bullying(霸凌).

But one day, I was in the classroom,     37    (chat) with my friend Lizzie, when Kristina walked up to me. She was one of the bullies so I prepared     38    (me) for more insults(羞辱). I looked at her, feeling     39     (terrify). But she said that she was sorry for what she     40    (do) to me.

I accepted her apology. Later, we became friends, laughing at people,     41     even pushing them. People were noticing me in     42     way they never had before.

Then one day, Lizzie came up to me and shouted, “You’ve become a bully! ” That night I was awake thinking for a long time. The next day at school, I apologized to Lizzie and told her I would never hurt her    43    (feel) like that again.

It took a while     44    (earn) back her trust, but     45    (eventual) we got back to normal.