During my childhood, whenever the sun dropped and the blue sky came up, my father and I would climb the mountain near our house. Walking together, we had a lot of conversations through
2 . Some Facts about Britain
School-leaving age
Children have to stay at school until the age of 16. There is no upper age limit.
Alcohol
You have to be 18 to buy alcohol in a shop, but if you’re 16 and you’re having a meal in a pub, you can drink beer or wine with it.
Motor vehicles
16-year-olds can ride a motorbike of up to 50 cc. At 17 you can ride any bike or drive a car.
Smoking
You can smoke cigarettes at any age, but you can’t go into a shop and buy them until you are 18.
Armed forces
Men can join the army at 16, women at 17. If you’re under 18, you need your parents’ permission.
Marriage
You can get married at 16 with your parents’ permission. Otherwise you have to wait till you’re 18.
Paid employment
You can take a part-time job at 14, and a full-time job at 16 (i.e. when you’ve left school).
Entering Parliament(议会)
The minimum age for becoming a Member of Parliament is 21.
1. What is the passage mainly about?| A．People and employment. | B．Children and smoking. |
| C．Age and the law. | D．Safety and traffic. |
| A．take a part-time job | B．drink beer or wine |
| C．drive a car | D．buy cigarettes |
| A．16 | B．17 | C．18 | D．21 |
| A．people can get married at 18 |
| B．people can buy alcohol in a shop at 16 |
| C．children have to study at school until 18 |
| D．a girl of 17 can join the army without asking her parents |
3 . The beauty of single travel is that you can choose what you want to see and when. Here are some of the safest cities in the world guaranteed to meet the single travelers’ needs.
Singapore
As Singapore is one of the safest cities in the world, it is ideal for a single traveller. There’s no shortage of good hotels and the locals and hotel staff are known for their friendly nature. Take a walk through Chinatown, spend a day at Jurong Bird Park, hit the shops on Orchard Road or simply watch the world go by at Clarke Quay.
Auckland, New Zealand
Auckland is known for being one of the friendliest cities in the world, according to surveys by Condé Nast Traveler, so the single travellers will feel right at home. An affordable city with lots to see, such as the Civic Theatre, the Sky Tower and the harbour foreshore, Auckland is a wonderful place to visit on your own.
Vienna, Austria
One of Europe’s finest and most beautiful cities, Vienna has so much to offer and you can’t possibly get bored. You can go for a museum tour, a cruise of the Danube, spend a morning exploring historic St. Stephen’s Cathedral, or visit St. Anton, known for being the best ski party city in Europe.
Napa, California
While Napa is a romantic destination for two, it’s also an attractive spot for the single travellers. Famous for its fine grapes, Napa is the perfect place if you have a taste for good wines. Many hotels are equipped with private pools and lounging areas, so you can enjoy a relaxing environment.
1. What will you probably do if you visit Auckland?| A．Spend a day at Jurong Bird Park. |
| B．Hit the shops on Orchard Road. |
| C．Explore historic St. Stephen’s Cathedral. |
| D．Enjoy a play in Civic Theatre. |
| A．Singapore. | B．Auckland, New Zealand. |
| C．Vienna, Austria. | D．Napa, California. |
| A．Quality wines. | B．Museum tours. |
| C．Private pools. | D．Lounging areas. |
4 . I was ten when my father first sent me flowers. I had been taking ballet lessons for four months, and the school was giving its yearly performance. As a member of the beginners’ chorus group, I was surprised to hear my name called out at the end of the show along with the leading dancers and to find my arms full of red roses. I can still feel myself standing on that stage, seeing my father’s big smiles.
Those roses were the first of many bunches accompanying all the milestones in my life. Getting all those roses was wonderful, but they brought a sense of embarrassment. I enjoyed them, but I also felt they were too much for my small achievements.
Not for my father. He did everything in a big way. Once, when mother told him I needed a new party dress, he brought home a dozen. His behavior often left us without money for other more important things. Sometimes I would be angry with him.
Then came my 16th birthday. It was not a happy occasion. I was fat and had no boyfriend. And my well-meaning father furthered my suffering by giving me a party. As I entered the dining room, there on the table next to my cake was a huge bunch of flowers, bigger than any before.
I wanted to hide. Now everyone would think my father had sent flowers because I had no boyfriend to do it. Sweet 16, and I felt like crying. But my best friend, Jenny, whispered, “Boy, you’re lucky to have a father like that.”
As the years passed, other occasions—birthdays, awards, graduations—were marked with Dad’s flowers. Those flowers symbolized his pride, and my success. As my fortunes grew, my father’s health became worse, but his gifts of flowers continued until he died. I covered his coffin with the largest, reddest roses I could find.
Often during the dozen years since, I felt an urge to buy a big bunch to fill the living room, but I never did. I knew it would not be the same.
Then one birthday, the doorbell rang. I was feeling blue because I was alone. My husband and my two daughters were away. My 10-year-old son, Tommy, had run out earlier with a “see you later”. So I was surprised to see Tommy at the door. “Forgot my key,” he said. “Forgot your birthday too.” He pulled a bunch of roses from behind his back.
“Oh, Tommy,” I cried. “I love flowers!”
1. The writer felt embarrassed getting her first roses because .| A．she wasn’t a member of leading dancers. |
| B．she thought her success wasn’t big enough. |
| C．she regarded the flowers as a milestone in her life. |
| D．she found herself standing on the center of the stage. |
| A．The father made the writer happy by giving her a party. |
| B．The father was proud of the writer in her growth stages. |
| C．The father didn’t leave the family money for important things. |
| D．The father bought the writer flowers when she got angry with him. |
| A．take back his keys. | B．show his love for flowers. |
| C．encourage his mother. | D．bring his mother birthday gift. |
| A．Love in Bloom. | B．Father and Me. |
| C．Pleasure and Embarrassment. | D．Father’s Flowers. |
The earth, the planet on
Yesterday, I was walking down the street
I walked to the door and knocked. “Just a minute,” answered a weak, elderly voice.
After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her eighties stood before me. By her side was a small suitcase.
I took the suitcase to the car, and then returned to help the woman. She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the car.
She kept thanking me for my kindness. “It’s nothing,” I told her. “I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated.”
“Oh, you’re such a good man,” she said. When we got into the taxi, she gave me an address, and then asked, “Could you drive through downtown?”
“It’s not the shortest way,” I answered quickly.
“Oh, I’m in no hurry,” she said. “I’m on my way to a hospice (临终医院). I don’t have any family left. The doctor says I don’t have very long.”
I quietly reached over and shut off the meter (计价器).
For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked, the neighborhood where she had lived, and the furniture shop that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.
Sometimes she’d ask me to slow down in front of a particular building and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.
At dawn, she suddenly said, “I’m tired. Let’s go now.”
We drove in silence to the address she had given me.
“How much do I owe you?” she asked.
“Nothing,” I said.
“You have to make a living,” she answered. “Oh, there are other passengers,” I answered.
Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly. Our hug ended with her remark, “You gave an old woman a little moment of joy.”
1. The old woman chose to ride through the city in order to ________.
| A．show she was familiar with the city |
| B．see some places for the last time |
| C．let the driver earn more money |
| D．reach the destination on time |
| A．wanted to do her a favor |
| B．shut off the meter by mistake |
| C．had received her payment in advance |
| D．was in a hurry to take other passengers |
| A．Giving is always a pleasure. |
| B．People should respect each other. |
| C．An act of kindness can bring people great joy. |
| D．People should learn to appreciate others’ concern. |
