1 . I work with Volunteers for Wildlife, a rescue and education organization at Bailey Arboretum in Locust Valley. Trying to help injured, displaced or sick creatures can be heartbreaking; survival is never certain. However, when it works, it is simply beautiful.

I got a rescue call from a woman in Muttontown. She had found a young owl(猫头鹰) on the ground. When I arrived, I saw a 2-to 3-week-old owl. It had already been placed in a carrier for safety.

I examined the chick(雏鸟) and it seemed fine. If I could locate the nest, I might have been able to put it back, but no luck. My next work was to construct a nest and anchor it in a tree.

The homeowner was very helpful. A wire basket was found. I put some pine branches into the basket to make this nest safe and comfortable. I placed the chick in the nest, and it quickly calmed down.

Now all that was needed were the parents, but they were absent. I gave the homeowner a recording of the hunger screams of owl chicks. These advertise the presence of chicks to adults; they might also encourage our chick to start calling as well. I gave the owner as much information as possible and headed home to see what news the night might bring.

A nervous night to be sure, but sometimes the spirits of nature smile on us all! The homeowner called to say that the parents had responded to the recordings. I drove over and saw the chick in the nest looking healthy and active. And it was accompanied in the nest by the greatest sight of all — LUNCH! The parents had done their duty and would probably continue to do so.

1. What is unavoidable in the author’s rescue work according to paragraph 1?

A．Efforts made in vain.

B．Getting injured in his work.

C．Feeling uncertain about his future.

D．Creatures forced out of their homes.

2. Why was the author called to Muttontown?

A．To rescue a woman.

B．To take care of a woman.

C．To look at a baby owl.

D．To cure a young owl.

3. What made the chick calm down?

A．A new nest.

B．Some food.

C．A recording.

D．Its parents.

4. How would the author feel about the outcome of the event?

A．It’s unexpected.

B．It’s beautiful.

C．It’s humorous.

D．It’s discouraging.

2 . The question of what children learn, and how they should learn it, is continually being debated and redebated. Nobody dares any longer to defend the old system, the parrot-fashion (way of learning by repeating what others say) of learning lessons, the grammar-with-a-whip(鞭子) system, which was good enough for our grandparents. The theories of modern psychology have stepped in to argue that we must understand the needs of our children. Children are not just small adults; they are children who must be respected as such.

Well, you may say, this is as it should be, and a good idea. But think further. What happens? “Education” becomes the responsibility not of teachers, but of psychologists. What happens then? Teachers worry too much about the psychological implications (暗示) of their lessons, and forget about the subjects themselves. If a child dislikes a lesson, the teacher feels that it is his fault, not the child’s. So teachers worry whether history is “relevant” to modern young children. And do they dare to recount stories about violent battles? Or will this make the children themselves violent? Can they tell their classes about children of different races, or will this encourage racial hatred? Why teach children to write grammatical sentences? Oral expression is better. Sums? Arithmetic? No; real-life mathematical situations are more understandable.

You see, you can go too far. Influenced by educational theorists, who have nothing better to do than write books about their ideas, teachers leave their teaching-training colleges filled with grand, psychological ideas about children and their needs. They make complicated preparations and try out their “modern methods” on the long-suffering children. Since one “modern method” rapidly replaces another, the poor kids will have well been fed up by the time they leave school. Frequently the modern methods are so complicated that they fail to be understood by the teachers, let alone the children; even more often, the relaxed discipline so necessary for the “informal” feeling the class must have, prevents all but a handful of children from learning anything.

1. Under the old system, children were           .

A．made to learn passively

B．spoiled by their parents

C．treated as adults

D．were forced to become parrots

2. Modern psychologists hold the view that           .

A．children must be understood and respected

B．children are small adults and they know what they need

C．children are better off without learning lessons

D．education of children is the responsibility of psychologists

3. What happens when teachers pay too much attention to the psychological implications during a lesson?

A．They find that children dislike the lessons.

B．They tend to blame students for their failure in teaching.

C．They don’t pay enough attention to students’ actual lessons.

D．They no longer want to teach children history.

4. How do you understand the underlined sentence at the end of the passage?

A．Children will learn well in a relaxed classroom atmosphere.

B．Only a few children will actually learn when there is no discipline.

C．Relaxed discipline is necessary for children to develop.

D．No children will learn anything without strict discipline.

5. What is the author’s attitude toward the theories of modern psychology?

A．Uninterested.	B．Tolerant.
C．Satisfied.	D．Critical.

3 . 阅读理解。

A tender woman, or an independent one, which one would you prefer? A recent research shows that most people would choose the latter.

This type of woman is called a nühanzi (“tough woman”). Experts believe these characteristics have social and psychological roots among young females in China. Su Hao’s friends all call her a tough woman, because she can finish tough tasks usually carried out by men. For example, she carries 10-litre water to her dormitory on the 5th floor. “I depend on no one but myself,” she says.

According to a recent survey by China Youth Daily, tough women have become rather common in society. Of the 21,265 respondents, 78.5 percent said they are familiar with a tough woman. About 50 percent said they like women with tough characteristics, while less than 29 percent expressed the opposite view.

Why are tough women gaining popularity? Shen Meng, a psychological consultant, believes the fierce competition in society is contributing to this trend. “Women are often in a disadvantaged position compared to men,” Shen says. “In order to survive, they have to be independent, strong and tough.”

Liu Xiaolin, professor of psychology at Wuhan Mental Health Center, believes tough women are brought up this way. They are often on close relationship with their fathers, who teach their daughters to be brave and decisive,” he says. As a result, these women are more likely to be psychologically healthy and more tolerant to stress, according to Liu.

Though Liu believes that this is a good trend, Hu Shenzhi, a psychologist at the Guangdong Sunflower Counseling Center, says the popularity of tough woman indicates an unclear line between gender identities, which can lead to relationship problems. “Some women with characteristics that differ from the traditional female image may have a difficult time finding Mr Right,” he says.“Even if they get married, their manly characteristics might cause family conflicts.

1. Which of the followings does NOT belong to the characteristics of a tough woman?

A．She is independent of others in daily life.

B．She is soft and tender to others.

C．She is more tolerant to stress.

D．She can solve problems usually for men.

2. How many respondents like tough women?

A．About 10,600.	B．About 16,700.
C．21,265.	D．About 6,200.

3. Why are there more tough women nowadays?

A．Because tough women are more lovely.

B．Because more women want to be independent.

C．Because girls often love fathers more.

D．Because of the fierce competition in society.

4. What problems may tough women have in their life?

A．It’s difficult for them to be friends.

B．They often suffer gender confusion.

C．They may have difficulty with marriage.

D．They have different characteristics form traditional female images.

4 . Grandparents Answer a Call

As a third－generation native of Brownsville, Texas, Mildred Garza never planned to move away.Even when her daughter and son asked her to move to San Antonio to help with their children, she politely refused.Only after a year of friendly discussion did Ms.Garza finally say yes.That was four years ago.Today all three generations regard the move as a success, giving them a closer relationship than they would have had in separate cities.

No statistics show the number of grandparents like Garza who are moving closer to adult children and grandchildren. Yet there is evidence suggesting that the trend is growing.Even President Obama’s mother-in-law, Marian Robinson, has agreed to leave Chicago and move into the White House to help care for her granddaughters. According to a study by grandparents.com, 83 percent of the people said Mrs.Robinson's decision will influence grandparents in the American family.Two－thirds believe more families will follow the example of Obama’s family.

“In the 1960s we were all a little wild and couldn't get away from home far enough or fast enough to prove we could do it on our own,”says Christine Crosby, publisher of Grand, a magazine for grandparents. “We now realize how important family is and how important it is to be near them, especially when you’re raising children.”

Moving is not for everyone. Almost every grandparent wants to be with his or her grandchildren and is willing to make sacrifices, but sometimes it is wiser to say no and visit frequently instead.Having your grandchildren far away is hard, especially knowing your adult child is struggling, but giving up the life you know may be harder.

1. Why was Garza’s move a success?

A．It strengthened her family ties.

B．It improved her living conditions.

C．It enabled her to make more friends.

D．It helped her know more new places.

2. What was the reaction of the public to Mrs.Robinson’s decision?

A．17% expressed their support for it.

B．Few people responded sympathetically.

C．83% believed it had a bad influence.

D．The majority thought it was a trend.

3. What did Crosby say about people in the 1960s?

A．They were unsure of themselves.

B．They were eager to raise more children.

C．They wanted to live away from their parents.

D．They had little respect for their grandparents.

4. What does the author suggest the grandparents do in the last paragraph?

A．Make decisions in the best interests of their own.

B．Ask their children to pay more visits to them.

C．Sacrifice for their struggling children.

D．Get to know themselves better.

5 . A little girl lived in a simple and poor house on a hill. Usually she _______ play in the small garden. She could see over the garden fence and across the valley a wonderful house with shining golden windows high on another hill._______ she loved her parents and her family, she desired to live in such a house and _______all day about how wonderful and exciting   _______must feel to live there.

At the age when she gained some _______ skill and sensibility (识别力), she _______ her mother for a bike ride _______ the garden. Her mother finally allowed her to go，_______ her keeping close to the house and not   _______ too far. The day was beautiful. The little girl knew________ where she was heading! ________ the hill and across the valley, she rode to the ________ of the golden house.

________ she got off her bike and put it against the gate post, she focused on the path________to the house and then on the house itself. She was very disappointed when she ________ that all the windows were ________ and rather dirty.

So ________and heart­broken, she didn't go any further. She ________， and all of a sudden she saw an amazing ________. There on the other side of the valley was a little house and its windows were golden. Looking at her little home, she________ that she had been living in her golden house filled with love and care. Everything she dreamed was right there in front of her house.

1.

A．might

B．should

C．would

D．must

2.

A．Unless

B．Although

C．Since

D．But

3.

A．dreamed

B．worried

C．asked

D．shouted

4.

A．this

B．that

C．it

D．which

5.

A．different

B．scientific

C．musical

D．basic

6.

A．begged

B．blamed

C．invited

D．paid

7.

A．inside

B．outside

C．through

D．along

8.

A．insisting on

B．relying on

C．arguing about

D．wondering about

9.

A．traveling

B．running

C．riding

D．walking

10.

A．madly

B．rapidly

C．exactly

D．possibly

11.

A．Over

B．Down

C．Around

D．Beside

12.

A．windows

B．steps

C．center

D．gate

13.

A．Until

B．As

C．While

D．Because

14.

A．getting

B．introducing

C．leading

D．moving

15.

A．felt

B．learned

C．concluded

D．found

16.

A．transparent

B．bright

C．plain

D．wide

17.

A．anxious

B．angry

C．serious

D．sad

18.

A．turned around

B．cheered up

C．settled down

D．dropped in

19.

A．hill

B．valley

C．background

D．sight

20.

A．imagined

B．decided

C．realized

D．guessed

6 . I have been consistently opposed to feeding a baby regularly. As a doctor, mother and scientist in child development I believe there is nothing to recommend it, from the baby’s point of view.

Mothers, doctors and nurse alike have no idea of where a baby’s blood sugar level lies. All we know is that a low level is harmful to brain development and makes a baby easily annoyed. In this state, the baby is difficult to calm down and sleep is impossible. The baby asks for attention by crying and searching for food with its mouth.

It is not just unkind but also dangerous to say a four-hourly feeding schedule will make a baby satisfied. The first of the experts to advocate a strict clock-watching schedule was Dr Frederic Truby King who was against feeding in the night. I’ve never heard anything so ridiculous. Baby feeding shouldn’t follow a timetable set by the mum. What is important is feeding a baby in the best way, though it may cause some inconvenience in the first few weeks.

Well, at last we have copper-bottomed research that supports demand feeding and points out the weaknesses of strictly timed feeding. The research finds out that babies who are fed on demand do better at school at age 5, 7, 11 and 14, than babies fed according to the clock. By the age of 8, their IQ (智商) scores are four to five percent higher than babies fed by a rigid timetable. This research comes from Oxford and Essex University using a sample (样本) of 10,419 children born in the early 1990s,taking account of parental education, family income, a child’s sex and age, the mother’s health and feeding style. These results don’t surprise me. Feeding according to schedule runs the risk of harming the rapidly growing brain by taking no account of sinking blood sugar levels.

I hope this research will put an end to advocating strictly timed baby feeding practices.

1. According to Paragraph 2, one reason why a baby cries is that it feels______.

A．sick

B．upset

C．sleepy

D．hungry

2. What does the author think about Dr King?

A．He is strict.

B．He is unkind.

C．He has the wrong idea.

D．He sets a timetable for mothers.

3. The word copper-bottomed in Paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to _________.

A．basic

B．reliable

C．surprising

D．interesting

4. What does the research tell us about feeding a baby on demand?

A．The baby will sleep well.

B．The baby will have its brain harmed.

C．The baby will have a low blood sugar level.

D．The baby will grow to be wiser by the age of 8.

5. The author supports feeding the baby_______.

A．in the night

B．every four hours

C．whenever it wants food

D．according to its blood sugar level

7 . “Mama，when I grow up，I’m going to be one of those！” I said this after seeing the Capital Dancing Company perform when I was three.It was the first time that my______took on a vivid form and acted as something important to start my training.As I grew older and was______to more，my interests in the world of dance______varied but that little girl’s dream of someday becoming a______in the company never left me.In the summer of 2005 when I was 18，I received the phone call which made that dream a______； I became a member of the company______back to 1925.

As I look back on that day now，it surely______any sense of reality.I believe I stayed in a state of pleasant disbelief______I was halfway through rehearsals(排练) on my first day.I never actually______to get the job.After being offered the position，I was completely______.I remember shaking with excitement.

Though I was absolutely thrilled with the change，it did not come without its fair share of______.Through the strict rehearsal period of dancing six days a week，I found it vital to______up the material fast with every last bit of concentration.It is that extreme______to detail(细节) and stress on practice that set us______.To then follow those high­energy rehearsals______a busy show schedule of up to five performances a day，I discovered a new______of the words “hard work”．What I thought were my physical______were pushed much further than I thought______.I learned to make each performance better than the last.

Today，when I look at the unbelievable company that I have the great______of being a part of，not only as a member，but as a dance captain，I see a______that has inspired not only generations of little girls but a splendid company that continues to develop and grow—and inspires people every day to follow their dreams.

1.

A．hobby

B．plan

C．dream

D．word

2.

A．connected

B．expanded

C．exposed

D．extended

3.

A．rarely

B．certainly

C．probably

D．consistently

4.

A．director

B．trainer

C．leader

D．dancer

5.

A．symbol

B．memory

C．truth

D．reality

6.

A．bouncing

B．dating

C．turning

D．tracking

7.

A．lacks

B．adds

C．makes

D．brings

8.

A．while

B．since

C．until

D．when

9.

A．cared

B．expected

C．asked

D．decided

10.

A．motivated

B．relaxed

C．convinced

D．astonished

11.

A．challenges

B．profits

C．advantages

D．adventures

12.

A．put

B．mix

C．build

D．pick

13.

A．attention

B．association

C．attraction

D．adaptation

14.

A．apart

B．aside

C．off

D．back

15.

A．over

B．by

C．with

D．beyond

16.

A．function

B．meaning

C．expression

D．usage

17.

A．boundaries

B．problems

C．barriers

D．efforts

18.

A．necessary

B．perfect

C．proper

D．possible

19.

A．talent

B．honor

C．potential

D．responsibility

20.

A．victory

B．trend

C．tradition

D．desire

8 . That holiday morning I didn’t have to attend school. Usually, on holidays, Mother_______me to sleep in. And I would certainly take full advantage of it. On this particular morning,  _________,I felt like getting up early.

I stood by my window overlooking the _________, having nothing better to do. But as it turned out, I was soon to learn about something _________ in life.

As I watched several people go by, get into their cars and go off, I _________ an old man on a bicycle with a bucket on its _________ and a basket rags and bottles on its back-carriage. He _________ from one car to another, washing and cleaning them. From the water on the ground, it seemed that he had already _________ washing and cleaning about a dozen or more cars. He must have begun to work quite early in the morning.

Several thoughts _________my mind as I watched him work. He wasn’t well-dressed. He had on a pair of shorts and a(n) __________ T-shirt. The bicycle he rode was not by any means the kind modern __________would want to be seen riding on. But he seemed__________ with life. There he was, working hard at his small business, __________ at passers-by and stopping to chat now and then __________ elderly men and women on their way to the market nearby.

There was a noticeable touch of__________ in the way he seemed to be doing things— __________the windscreen, then standing back to admire it; scrubbing the wheels and __________, standing back to see what they look like after the scrub.

It was a __________ to learn, I felt. At no age need one have to beg for a __________if one has good health and is willing to work hard. For a while I felt ________ of myself. Young as I am—just sixteen, and there was this old man who must have been usefully engaged perhaps before the sun appeared above the horizon.

1.

A．forces

B．allows

C．causes

D．forbids

2.

A．otherwise

B．therefore

C．however

D．besides

3.

A．parking lot

B．bus stop

C．school

D．market

4.

A．interesting

B．surprising

C．awful

D．useful

5.

A．noticed

B．recognized

C．called

D．assisted

6.

A．back

B．handle

C．wheel

D．seat

7.

A．searched

B．left

C．moved

D．wandered

8.

A．stopped

B．started

C．intended

D．finished

9.

A．crossed

B．slipped

C．disturbed

D．inspired

10.

A．attractive

B．shiny

C．simple

D．expensive

11.

A．repairmen

B．businessmen

C．drivers

D．cyclists

12.

A．busy

B．content

C．careful

D．bored

13.

A．waving

B．looking

C．laughing

D．pointing

14.

A．about

B．for

C．with

D．like

15.

A．worry

B．respect

C．sympathy

D．pride

16.

A．cleaning

B．fixing

C．replacing

D．covering

17.

A．still

B．yet

C．again

D．soon

18.

A．lesson

B．subject

C．skill

D．fact

19.

A．business

B．living

C．success

D．right

20.

A．tired

B．doubtful

C．fearful

D．ashamed