When I was young, I wanted to be a model, so when a national competition was nearby, I asked my parents to take me for an audition(试演) and they agreed, I was selected and told I had potential. They said that for only $900 I could attend a weekend event that a number of the most famous modeling agenies(中介) from around the world would attend. At 13, my hopes of fame and fortune(名利) clouded my judgment and I begged my parents to let me go. We have never been rich, but they saw my enthusiasm and at last they agreed.

I imagined being signed by some famous model companies. For .months, any boredom or disappointment that I faced disappeared because I knew I would soon have the chance to be a real model. I thought I would appear in the covers of famous magazines!

Of course, I wasn't signed, but what hurt the most was being told that if I grew to 5'9' (about 1.75 meters) I could be a success. I sprayed for a growth spurt(冲刺) because I could not imagine giving up my dream. I met with a local modeling agency and the agent required $500 for classes, $500 for a photo shoot(拍摄), and $300 for other fees. My parents only agreed after hours and hours of my begging.

The agency sent me out on a few auditions but with every day I did not receive a call, I grew more disappointed. The final chance came in July after I had decided to focus on commercial modeling. There was an open call(公开挑it) in New York City. We spent hours driving and spent another few hours waiting, only to be told that I was too short, I could hardly stand it.

Years later, I realize that the trip to New York was good as it made me notice I didn't actually love modeling, just the idea of it.1 wanted to be special and I naively(天真地)decided to reach an impossible goal. The experience has made me stronger and that will help me in the future.

1.The author wanted to be a model, because_______.

A．she won a national contest

B．she wanted to be famous and rich

C．she was urged by some modeling agencies

D．she had full potential to be a successful model

2.The author's parents' attitude toward her dream is_______.

A．encouraging       B．doubtful          C．worried           D．excited

3.The author finally stopped dreaming to become a model mainly because_______.

A．her parents were strongly against it

B．she realized that it was impossible for her.

C．even a local modeling agency turned her down

D．she realized that she didn't actually love the idea of modeling

4.From her experience of struggling to be a model, the author learned that

A．where there is a will there is a way

B．being a model is not so easy

C．we should have our own judgment and should not just follow others

D．we might set unpractical goals but the experiences can help us grow.

When I was growing up in America, I was ashamed of my mother’s Chinese English. Because of her English, she was often treated unfairly. People in department stores, at banks, and at restaurants did not take her seriously, pretended（假装） not to understand her, or even acted as if they did not hear her.

My mother has realized the disadvantages of her English as well. When I was fifteen, she used to have me call people on phone to pretend I was she. I was forced to ask for information or even to yell at people who had been rude to her. One time I had to call her stockbroker（股票经纪人）. I said in a voice that was not very convincing, “This is Mrs. Tan.” And my mother was standing beside me, whispering loudly, “Why he doesn’t send me the check. It’s already two weeks late.”

And then, in perfect English I said: “I’m getting rather anxious .You agreed to send the check two weeks ago, but it hasn’t arrived.” Then she talked more loudly. “What does he want? I’ll come to New York and say it in front of his boss.” And so I turned to the stockbroker again, “I can’t accept any more excuses. If I don’t receive the check immediately, I have to speak to your manager when I am in New York next week.”

The next week we ended up in New York. While I was sitting there red-faced, my mother, the real Mrs. Tan, was shouting to his boss in her broken English. When I was a teenager, my mother’s broken English embarrassed (使困窘) me. But now, I see it differently. To me, my mother’s English is perfectly clear, perfectly natural. It is my mother tongue. Her language, as I hear it, is clear and direct. It was the language that helped me form the way I saw things, expressed ideas, and made sense of the world.

1.Why was the author’s mother poorly treated?

A. She was unable to speak good English.

B. She was often misunderstood.

C. She was not clearly heard.

D. She was not very polite.

2.From Paragraph 2, what can we know about the author?

A. She was good at pretending.

B. She was rude to the stockbroker.

C. She was ready to help her mother.

D. She was unwilling to phone for her mother.

3.Even after the author made the phone call to the stockbroker,__________.

A. they forgave the stockbroker

B. they failed to get the check

C. they moved to New York immediately

D. they wrote to their boss at once

4.What does the author think of her mother’s English now?

A. It’s hard for her to understand.

B. It embarrasses her.

C. It helps her understand the world.

D. It helps her forgive rude people.

I’m taking my family to other countries to have a trip. My wife and I and our two children are all going along. My elder brother will go with us, too. He has never been overseas and he is even more excited than the children. My father is so old that he’d like to stay at home and take care of the house.
We’re going by train to New York, and then take a ship to Europe . When we arrive in Europe, we’re going to some countries for sightseeing (观光). We’ll go to places either by train or by bus. We’re going to fly home.
It took us a long time to decide where to go, but I think we’ll have a very interesting trip. We’ll go to England, France and Italy. We also talked about how we would go to Europe. At first we wanted to fly because it would be faster and would save more time. But my brother likes to take a boat trip and the children like that, too.
(    ) 1. How many people will go to have a trip?
A.  Three          B. Four         C. Five             D. Six
(    ) 2. My father will not go on the trip because               .
A . he doesn’t like travels            B. he like staying at home
C. he is too old to travel             D. nobody wants to take him along
(    ) 3 . We’re coming back home by               .
A. sea                 B. air           C. bus            D. train
(    ) 4. In Europe we will               .
A. go sight-seeing at the seaside      B. to go to different countries by ship
C. buy a lot of presents             D. go from place to place by train or by bus
(    ) 5. My brother and my children would like to               .
A. do some shopping in Europe          B. study the Italian language in Italy
C. enjoy a trip by ship                D. learn French in France