1 . Using your face to unlock your phone is a pretty genius security. plan. But like any advanced technology, thieves and hackers are always up to the challenge, whether that's unlocking your phone with your face while you sleep or using a photo from social media to do the am.
Like every other human biometric identification system（生物标识系统）before it， such as fingerprints and retina scans, there are still significant.security bugs in some of the most advanced identity verification（证实）technology. Brigham Young University electrical and computer engineering Professor D.J.Lee has decided there is a better and more secure way to use your face for restricted access.
It's called Concurrent Two-Factor Identity Verification (C2FIV) and it requires both one’s facial identity and a specific facial motion to gain access.To set it up,a user faces a camera and records a short 1-2 second video of either a unique facial motion or a lip movement from reading a secret phrase.The video is then input into the device, which obtains facial features and the features of the facial motion, storing them for later ID verification.
To get technical, C2FIV relies on an integrated neural network framework to learn facial features and actions at the same time.Using this integrated neural network framework, the user’s facial features and movements are embedded（嵌入）and stored on a server or in an embedded device and when they later attempt to gain access,the computer compares the newly generated embedding to the stored one.That user's ID is verified if the new and stored embeddings match at a certain level.
Lee said C2FIV has broader application,including accessing restricted areas at a workplace, online banking,ATM use,safe deposit box access or even hotel room entry or keyless access to your vehicle."How great would it be to know that even if you lost your car key, no one can steal your vehicle because they don't know your secret facial action?"
1. How do today's hackers unlock your phone?| A．By challenging you to make faces. |
| B．By making genius security plans. |
| C．By taking your fingerprints. |
| D．By stealing your photos from social media. |
| A．How C2FIV differs. | B．How C2FIV works. |
| C．Why C2FTV is convenient. | D．Where C2FIV is applied. |
| A．Learning facial features and actions at once. |
| B．Being equipped with an embedded device. |
| C．Matching the new and stored embeddings. |
| D．Using an integrated neural network framework. |
| A．It has limited application areas. |
| B．It can improve work efficiency. |
| C．It has a bright application future. |
| D．It can ensure the motion of vehicles. |
2 . Physical activity is important in preventing cardiovascular(心血管的) disease in young people so long as they don’t undertake very intense activity on days when air pollution levels are high, according to a recently released study.
Until now, little has been known about the relationships between the health benefits of physical activity taking place outdoors and the potentially harmful effects of air pollution. Previous research by the authors of the current study had investigated the question in middle-aged people at a single point in time, but this is the first time that it has been investigated in young adults aged between 20—30 years over a period of several years. In addition, the researchers wanted to see what happens when people increase or decrease their physical activity over time.
At each health check-up, the participants completed a questionnaire asking about their physical activity in the past seven days and this information was changed into units of metabolic equivalent task(MET, 代谢当量任务) minutes per week(MET-mins/week). The participants were divided into four groups: 0, 1—499, 500—999 and 1000 or more MET-mins/week. People are recommended to do 500—999 MET-mins/week and this can be achieved by; for example, running, cycling or hiking for 15—30 minutes five times a week, or brisk walking, doubles tennis or slow cycling for 30—60 minutes five times a week.
The researchers used data to calculate annual average levels of air pollution, in particular the levels of small particulate matter that are less than or equal to 10 or 2.5 microns in diameter, known a PM10 and PM25.
Overall, the results show that physical activity is associated with a lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease among young adults. However, when air pollution levels are high, exercising beyond the recommended amount may offset or even reverse the beneficial effects. The study cannot show that air pollution causes the increased cardiovascular risk, only that it is associated with it.
1. What can we know from Paragraph 2?| A．Outdoor physical activity harms our health. |
| B．Exercising isn’t advised on serious air pollution days. |
| C．A first in-depth survey has been done on young adults. |
| D．Middle-aged people have been the ideal research target. |
| A．By doing research on young adults. |
| B．By collecting PM10 and PM2.5 data. |
| C．By making experiments on middle-aged people. |
| D．By studying a questionnaire on physical activity. |
| A．Air pollution leads to cardiovascular disease. |
| B．Cardiovascular disease relates to air pollution. |
| C．More physical exercise benefits young people. |
| D．Young adults seldom develop cardiovascular disease. |
| A．Physical activity & air pollution: when to do more or less physical activity. |
| B．Physical activity & health benefit: how to prevent cardiovascular disease |
| C．Physical activity & air pollution: what to do with high air pollution levels |
| D．Physical activity & health benefit: how to maximize the health benefits of exercising |
3 . I was so worried about handing my little boy over during his first week of school, but you made it easier. You smiled at him like a mother would at her own child.You showed warmth and your hugs were always on offer.After a day in class with you, Charlie would come home singing. Whenever I hear Do Your Ears Hang Low or see him stretching to the sky when singing about the days of the week, I will think of you.I didn't tell you at the time, but I loved your morning song so much that I implemented it in my own class (I'm a teacher, too).
When you saw I was troubled, you hugged me with your smile and I knew everything would be OK. You made parents feel as cared for as our children.In the short time I knew you; you taught me about the type of teacher I desire to be. You never seemed disturbed by the mountain of paperwork or impossible work-life balance that comes with the role. Instead, you appeared to embrace every minute.
I can't understand why you've been taken from us. Telling Charlie was one of the hardest things I've had to do.I'm not sure he fully understands, but he told me he loved you and has been asking whether your"robot powers"will work in heaven.
A friend once told me white feathers are angels telling us that loved ones in heaven are well. On the first day collecting the children without you，a white feather floated through the sleet (雨夹雪). Watching the younger ones bounce and gigle as they tried to catch it was beautiful.
I wish I had told you all of this when you were with us.I hope that you knew how you brought happiness to everyone you met and how loved you were. Goodbye, Dear Friend.
1. What does the underlined word "implemented" in Paragraph l probably mean?| A．Looked back on. | B．Looked forward to. |
| C．Thought highly of. | D．Made use of. |
| A．They need to sing songs before children. |
| B．They need to feel the affection as well. |
| C．They find it hard to handle their kids. |
| D．They find it necessary to hug the teachers. |
| A．inform us of the loved one's death |
| B．remind us it's time for a snowball fight |
| C．tell us the teacher stays in our mind after death |
| D．warn us of the falling snow when collecting children |
| A．To make a remark on Charlie's teacher. |
| B．To say goodbye to her fellow teacher. |
| C．To take pity on her fellow teacher. |
| D．To recall and show respect for Charlie's teacher. |
4 . A few days after dropping off her daughter at college, Andrea got a phone call. Her daughter was ill. Andrea drove there immediately, located a doctor in town, booked a room at the university hotel and put her daughter to bed to recover. The next morning, Andrea went to her daughter's classes, taking notes on her behalf. It was important that her daughter headed into the first semester of college without missing a beat: A future dental career required an extremely good undergraduate academic record of four years.
At the same time, another parent faced a different type of problem. Alexis had handpicked her daughter's new university specifically and aimed to give her daughter an ideal social experience at college. But when she got there, she didn't seem to hit her stride. Alexis blamed it on a working-class roommate who didn't ever want to go out to meet people-and told her daughter, in no uncertain terms, to change roommates.
Both Andrea and Alexis are examples of ''helicopter parents'', defined by their hovering and readiness with supplies, assistance and guidance. Their interventions were costly-requiring time, financial reserves, social understanding and knowledge of higher education-though they had different purposes.
Why does educational and professional success today seem to require financial and emotional parental support? In large part, it reflects the shifting relationship between families and the university in America in the past century. Slowly after WWI and rapidly after WWII, many public universities were in fact free, as the government offered universities the resources to help families battle economic depression and poverty. However, in the 1980s, the government shifted financial aid largely from grants to loans. Soon, universities entered a period of heavy and expensive administrative growth as they faced new and intensive pressures. Without the support of the state, families eventually came to absorb many of these costs.
Universities now rely, in part, on parents, particularly those with money, time, and connections to meet their basic needs. However, paying parents bring more than funds alone. They often help promote the university; conduct admissions interviews; interface with donating alumni; assist with their own students’ emotional, cognitive and physical needs and help place graduates(both related and not) in valuable internships and jobs.
But the new family-university partnership exacts a toll. Parents are pushed to extend major parenting responsibilities into doing heavy financial lifting for their children who are supposed to be building their own financial security. There is also some truth to the notion that the helicoptered children are slow to adapt to adulthood, make decisions about their careers, and manage friendships without calling on their parents for help.
1. What does the underlined sentence ''she didn't seem to hit her stride'' in Paragraph 2 mean?| A．Alexis' daughter's social competence wasn't promoted. |
| B．Alexis' daughter found she herself had financial difficulties. |
| C．Alexis' daughter disagreed with Alexis about her working-class roommate. |
| D．Alexis' daughter found university life was different from what she had expected. |
| A．Critical. | B．Cautious. | C．Doubtful. | D．Objective. |
| A．Troubles faced by universities in America. |
| B．The partnership between colleges and '''helicopter parents''. |
| C．The troubled relationship between parents and their children. |
| D．The fierce competition among the career-minded generation. |
5 . Of all the components of a good night's sleep, dreams seem to be least within our control. In dreams, a window opens into a world where logic is suspended and dead people speak. A century ago, Freud formulated his revolutionary theory that dreams were the disguised shadows of our unconscious desires and fears; by the late 1970s, neurologists had switched to thinking of them as just ''mental noise''-the random byproducts of the neural-repair work that goes on during sleep. Now researchers suspect that dreams are part of the mind's emotional thermostat(恒温器), regulating moods while the brain is ''off-line''. And one leading authority says that these intensely powerful mental events can be not only harnessed but actually brought under conscious control, to help us sleep and feel better, ''It's your dream'', says Rosalind Cartwright, chair of psychology at Chicago's Medical Center, ''If you don't like it, change it''.
Evidence from brain imaging supports this view. The brain is as active during REM (rapid eye movement) sleep-when most vivid dreams occur-as it is when fully awake, says Dr. Eric Nofzinger at the University of Pittsburgh. But not all parts of the brain are equally involved; the limbic system (the ''emotional brain'') is especially active, while the prefrontal cortex (the center of intellect and reasoning) is relatively quiet. ''We wake up from dreams happy or depressed, and those feelings can stay with us all day'', says Stanford sleep researcher Dr. William Dement.
The link between dreams and emotions shows up among the patients in Cartwright's clinic. Most people seem to have more bad dreams early in the night, progressing toward happier ones before awakening, suggesting that they are working through negative feelings generated during the day. Because our conscious mind is occupied with daily life we don't always think about the emotional significance of the day's events-until, it appears, we begin to dream.
And this process need not be left to the unconscious. Cartwright believes one can exercise conscious control over recurring bad dreams. As soon as you awaken, identify what is upsetting about the dream. Visualize how you would like it to end instead; the next time occurs, try to wake up just enough to control its course. With much practice people can learn to, literally, do it in their sleep.
At the end of the day, there’s probably little reason to pay attention to our dreams at all unless they keep us from sleeping of ''we wake up in a panic'', Cartwright says. Terrorism, economic uncertainties and general feelings of insecurity have increased people’s anxiety. Those suffering from persistent nightmares should seek help from a therapist. For the rest of us, the brain has its ways of working through bad feelings. Sleep-or rather dream-on it and you'll feel better in the morning.
1. Researchers have come to believe that dreams__________.| A．reflect our innermost desires and fears | B．are a random outcome of neural repairs |
| C．can be modified in their courses | D．are vulnerable to emotional changes |
| A．its difference from the prefrontal cortex | B．its function in our dreams |
| C．the mechanism of REM sleep | D．the relation of dreams to emotions |
| A．emerge in dreams early at night | B．develop into happy dreams |
| C．worsen in our unconscious mind | D．persist till the time we fall asleep |
| A．dreams should be left to their natural progression |
| B．dreaming may not entirely belong to the unconscious |
| C．visualizing bad dreams helps bring them under control |
| D．waking up in time is essential to the ridding of bad dreams |
6 . Did you hear what happened at yesterday’s meeting? Can you believe it? If you find those sorts of quietly whispered questions about your co-workers irresistible, you're hardly alone. But why are we drawn to gossip?
A new study suggests it’s because the rumors are all about us”. Gossip receivers tend to use positive and negative group information to improve, promote, and protect the self,” writes a research team, led by Elena Martinescu of the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. In the journal Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, the researchers described two experiments team, led by Elena Martinescu of the University described two experiments testing the personal value gossip receivers get.
The first featured 178 university undergraduates, who had all previously worked on at least one course assignment with a group of four or more students. Participants were asked to recall and write a short description of an incident, in which a group member shared with them either positive or negative information about another group member’s secret. They then reported their level of agreement with a series of statements. Some of these measured the self-improvement value of the gossip (“The information received made me think I learn a lot from X”); others measured its self-promotion value (“The information I received made me feel that I am doing well compared to X”). Still others measured whether the gossip raised personal concerns (“The information I received made me feel that I must protect my image in the group”).
In the second experiment, 122 undergraduates were assigned the role of “sales agent” at a major company. They received gossip from a colleague that a third person either did very well or very badly at a performance evaluation, and were then asked about the emotions that information caused. They also responded to the above-mentioned set of statements presented to the participants in the first experiment.
In each experiment, participants found both negative and positive gossip to be of personal value with different reasons. “Positive gossip has self-improvement value,” they write. “'Competence-related positive gossip about others contains lessons about how to improve one's own competence. On the other hand, negative gossip has self-promotion value, because it provides individuals with social comparison information that justifies self-promoting judgments which results in feelings of pride.”
In addition, the results showed that negative gossip brought about self-protection concerns, the researchers write. “Negative gossip makes people concerned that their reputations may be at risk, as they may personally become targets of negative gossip in the future, which generates fear”. Fear is hardly a pleasant sensation (感觉), but it can be a motivating one. As researchers put it: “Gossip conveniently provides individuals with indirect social-comparison information about relevant others.”
1. Why are we drawn to gossip according to the researchers?| A．We need evaluative information about others to evaluate ourselves. |
| B．We are interested in the news that arouses our personal concerns. |
| C．We tend to gain a sense of pride from judging others. |
| D．We are likely to learn lessons from others’ mistakes. |
| A．I have to learn from Mary according to what Tom said about her. |
| B．I should behave myself in case of being gossiped about like Mary. |
| C．I’ve done better than Mary according to what Tom said about her. |
| D．I have no comments on what Tom said about Mary. |
| A．The identities of the participants. |
| B．The number of the participants studied. |
| C．The time during which the experiment lasted. |
| D．The role-play technique used in experiment. |
| A．A fear killer. | B．A protector. |
| C．A motivator. | D．A subject provider. |
7 . Give yourself a test. Which way is the wind blowing? How many kinds of wildflowers can be seen from your front door? If your awareness is as sharp as it could be, you”ll have no trouble answering these questions.
Most of us observed much more as children than we do as adults. A child’s day is filled with fascination, newness and wonder. Curiosity gave us all a natural awareness, but distinctions that were sharp to us as children become unclear, we are numb (麻木的) to new stimulation (刺激), new ideas. Relearning the art of seeing the world around us is quite simple, although it takes practice and requires breaking some bad habits.
The first step in awakening senses is to stop predicting what we are going to see and feel before it occurs. This blocks awareness. One chilly night when I was hiking in the Rocky Mountains with some students, I mentioned that we were going to cross a stream. The students began complaining about how cold it would be. We reached the stream and they unwillingly walked ahead. They were almost knee-deep when they realized it was a hot spring. Later they all admitted they'd felt cold water at first.
Another block to awareness is the obsession (痴迷) many of us have with naming things. I saw bird watchers who spotted a bird, immediately looked it up in field guides , and said, a “ruby-crowned kinglet” and checked it off. They no longer paid attention to the bird and never learned what it was doing.
The pressures of “time” and “destination” are further blocks to awareness. I encountered many hikers who were headed to a distant camp-ground with just enough time to get there before dark. It seldom occurred to them to wander a bit, to take a moment to see what’s around them. I asked them what they’d seen. “Oh, a few birds,” they said. They seemed bent on their destinations.
Nature seems to unfold to people who watch and wait next time you take a walk, no matter where it is, take in all the sights, sounds and sensations. Wander in this frame of mind and you will open a new dimension to your life.
1. According to Paragraph 2, compared with adults, children are more ______.| A．anxious to do wonders | B．sensitive to others’ feelings |
| C．likely to develop unpleasant habits | D．eager to explore the world around them |
| A．They are keen to see rare birds at the destination. |
| B．They focus on arriving at the camp in time. |
| C．The natural beauty isn’t attractive to them. |
| D．The forest in the dark is dangerous for them. |
| A．fill our senses to feel the wonders of the world |
| B．get rid of some bad habits in our daily life |
| C．open our mind to new things and ideas |
| D．try our best to protect nature |
8 . For many parents, the most confusing part about choosing pre-schools is trying to make sense of terms such as “Montessori Method”, “Waldorf Approach”. What do these terms mean and how can these terms help you choose a preschool?
Oftentimes, the key difference between settings is connected to the preschool’s “educational philosophy”. While educational philosophies are numerous and their definitions are not set in stone, we have provided you with definitions for some of the most popular philosophies.
The Montessori Method
Focuses on maintaining the individuality of each child in the learning process. This method believes each child learns at their own pace and educational progress should not be rendered based on comparing students to one another.
The Reggio Emilia Approach
This approach focuses on providing opportunities for problem solving through creative thinking and exploration.
The Waldorf Approach
This approach places an emphasis on imagination in learning, providing students with opportunities to explore their world through the senses, participation and analytical thought.
The Bank Street Approach
This approach places an emphasis on learning through multiple perspectives, both in the classroom setting and in the natural world.
The High/ Scope Approach
This approach focuses on letting children be in charge of their own learning. Children are taught to make a plan for what they would like to do each day and participate in a review session to discuss the success of their plan and brainstorm ideas for the next day.
Outside of the formal educational philosophy, knowing the difference between other common early childhood terms will help you make informed decisions regarding your child’s education.
1. If a pre-school stresses each child’s learning progress, it may employ ___________.| A．The Reggio Emilia Approach | B．The Montessori Method |
| C．The Bank Street Approach | D．The Waldorf Approach |
| A．The Scope Approach is to let children learn all by themselves. |
| B．The definitions of educational philosophy remain the same. |
| C．To some extent, educational philosophies determine the differences between preschools. |
| D．The most confusing part about choosing pre-school is to choose educational philosophy. |
9 . "Why do we have to learn all this dumb stuff?"
Of all the complaints and questions I have heard from my students during my years in the classroom, this was the one most frequently asked. I would answer it by telling the following legend.
One night a group of nomads(游牧民) were preparing to retire for the evening when suddenly they were surrounded by a great light. They knew they were in the presence of a godly being. With great expectation, they awaited a heavenly message of great importance that they knew must be especially for them.
Finally, the voice spoke, "Gather as many pebbles (鹅卵石) as you can. Put them in your bags. Travel a day's journey and tomorrow night will find you glad and it will find you sad."
The nomads shared their disappointment and anger with each other. They had expected the
inspiration of a great universal truth that would enable them to create wealth, health and purpose for the world. But instead they were given a silly task that made no sense to them at all. However, the memory of the brilliance of their visitor caused each one to pick up a few pebbles and store them in their bags while voicing their displeasure.
They traveled a day's journey and that night while making camp, they reached into their bags and discovered every pebble they had gathered had become a diamond. They were glad they had diamonds. They were sad they had not gathered more pebbles.
It was an experience I had with a student, whom I shall call Alan, early in my teaching career that illustrated the truth of that legend to me.
When Alan was in the eighth grade, he majored in "trouble" with a minor in "suspensions (停学)". He had studied how to be a bully and was getting his master's degree in "thievery".
Every day I had my students memorize a quotation from a great thinker. As I called roll, I would begin a quotation. To be counted present, the student would be expected to finish the thought.
"Alice Adams--- 'There is no failure except..."'
"'In no longer trying.' I'm present, Mr. Schlatter."
So, by the end of the year, my young pupils would have memorized 150 great thoughts.
"People nowadays know the price of everything and the value of nothing."
"No pains, no gains."
"If you can conceive it, and believe it, you can achieve it."
No one complained about this daily routine other than Alan - right up to the day he was expelled(开除) and I lost touch with him for five years. Then one day, he called. He was in a special program at one of the neighboring colleges and had just finished parole（假释）.
He told me that after being sent to juvenile hall (少管所) and finally being shipped off to the
California Youth Authority for his wrong doings, he had become so disgusted with himself that he had taken a razor blade and cut his wrists.
He said, "You know what, Mr. Schlatter, as I lay there with my life running out of my body, I
suddenly remembered that quote you made me write 20 times one day." There is no failure except in no longer trying." Then it suddenly made sense to me. As long as I was alive, I wasn't a failure, but if I allowed myself to die, I would most certainly die a failure. So with my remaining strength, I called for help and started a new life."
At the time he had heard the quotation, it was a pebble. When he needed guidance in a moment of crisis, it had become a diamond. And so it is to you I say, gather all the pebbles you can, and you can count on a future filled with diamonds.
1. What does the underlined sentence "it will find you sad" mean?| A．The God told the nomads to gather pebbles that made no sense to them. |
| B．The pebbles won't enable the nomads to create fortune. |
| C．The God didn't give the nomads the message they expected. |
| D．The nomads regretted not having gathered as many pebbles as possible. |
| A．They were given a silly task that made no sense to them at all. (Para. 5) |
| B．He majored in "trouble" with a minor in "suspensions. (Para. 8) |
| C．People nowadays know the price of everything and the value of nothing. (Para. 13) |
| D．You can count on a future filled with diamonds. (Para. 19) |
| A．Not all the nomads gathered and stored some pebbles in their bags. |
| B．Students who finished the half-sentence quotation were counted present. |
| C．All students don't like the daily routine of finishing the half-sentence quotation. |
| D．It was the strong faith of never dying a failure that saved Alan's life. |
| A．He hated the hard life in the juvenile hall. |
| B．He was expelled by the school in the end. |
| C．He was badly treated at the California Youth Authority. |
| D．He felt so disappointed and hopeless about himself and his future. |
| A．sympathy and kindness | B．wisdom and patience |
| C．generosity and creativity | D．faith and devotion |
| A．A naughty trouble-marker. | B．Pebbles and nomads. |
| C．The magic pebble. | D．A quotation that saved life. |
10 . The phone ID flashed, “Emergency Vet”. “Oh no” I whispered. I could not lose Merlin now.
Ron and I had tried to have children for a long time with depressing results. I threw myself into my work. Any maternal feelings I had were spent on Merlin.
I couldn’t wait to get home from work each night. I wanted to pick up that warm bundle of loving fur and nestle him. I wanted to sing “Rock-a-bye Merlin”, as I did every night as he would put his paws around my neck.
Merlin was my comfort especially at times when I wondered if God was listening. But last night something had changed. Not only did I sing “Rock-a-Bye Merlin”, but I asked, “What will I do after you’re gone?”
Although Merlin was 19 years old, a senior in the age of a cat, he didn’t look or act that way. I didn’t want to accept the fact that he was nearing the end of his lifetime. My job at the law firm was so demanding and stressful that I couldn’t imagine getting through the day without Merlin waiting to greet me at home.
I dialed the vet’s number. I asked for my husband but he already left. Then I took a breath and asked the question that no one wants to ask, “Is my Merlin still alive?” The nurse said “yes.”
Ron came home and said that Merlin had almost no red blood cells left. White blood cells were replacing them. Merlin would need expensive transfusions most likely on a monthly basis. We both knew Merlin was running out of time. I asked Ron to drive me to the vet so I could say goodbye to my little boy cat but he was beat tired and it was late. Ron said if Merlin was still alive the next morning then he would take me to the vet.
The next morning I called the vet. Merlin had survived the night.After driving to the vet, I went into the examining room. The nurse brought Merlin and placed him on an examining table on his side. His eyes were tightly shut. I thought he died already. I carefully edged my hand to reach his body. His body felt warm, but when I spoke his name there was no response. No response to his name or that I was there and that I loved him. I was extremely sad.In that examining room I felt helpless. I wondered how many people in an examining room felt as helpless as I did. Feeling driven to prayer I yelled, “God this isn’t good enough. I need to see my Merlin the way I remember him, I need a miracle and I need it now!”
At that moment, God granted a miracle. Merlin’s favorite compliment entered my mind. I said, “Merlin, You are Beautiful and You are Gorgeous, do you hear me?”
One eye opened.
I said “Gotcha”. I kept repeating those words.
Merlin opened the other eye and, one limb at a time, got up. He was waiting for that phrase. He wanted to hear that he was beautiful and gorgeous again.
Then I experienced another miracle.
There was no sound in that examining room until Merlin started walking to me. From out of nowhere, or maybe from heaven, I clearly heard a song we sung in church often: “It Is Well With My Soul.” I remembered thinking, “Yes, it is well with my Soul. I got to see my little boy cat one more time.”
Merlin walked to me. He put his face in mine, which he had never done before. He rubbed a circle around my face twice. Merlin said goodbye with his face and marked me for life.
Ron appeared shocked that Merlin was up and had walked to me. I said to Merlin, “Tell God you are a good boy and how much we love you” and then handed him back to the nurse.
Tears of gratitude poured forth in memory of a miracle. You see for nineteen years God spoke to me through a special cat named “Merlin.” On Merlin’s last day, God proved he heard me when he granted a miracle. That miracle gave me time to say goodbye.
1. Ron’s wife couldn’t lose Merlin because ________.| A．Merlin was her adopted child for nineteen years |
| B．Merlin could supply her with comfort and warmth |
| C．she failed to give birth to her own biological child |
| D．she would sing her usual song to no one later in life |
①comfortable ②demanding ③long life ④full of devotion ⑤lovely ⑥religious
| A．①②⑥ | B．①②③ | C．④⑤⑥ | D．③④⑤ |
| A．The writer turned to the vet because Merlin was in desperate condition. |
| B．The writer was so hopeless as to ask a favor of the vet. |
| C．Ron would accompany her wife to the vet lo live up to his promise. |
| D．Ron did not care about Merlin so that the writer called the vet. |
| A．he shut his eyes lightly and was obviously dead |
| B．his body felt warm because the writer rubbed him hard |
| C．the writer chanted prayers to him trying to waking him up |
| D．the writer felt helpless to have no timely surgical operation |
| A．we have to have faith in the church to get miracles in future life |
| B．God will not disappoint us if we are devoted to our loved ones |
| C．couples should have a child or something to fill in their free time |
| D．doctors may not always be reliable when our loved ones need their help |
| A．The Miracle Granted | B．A Dying Cat |
| C．God Accompanying Us | D．Gratitude Out Of Miracle |
