When I had something difficult to do， I used to ask my mother for help. But she always said， “Do it yourself，dear.” I was not     1    at all. I thought she was the 2    mother in the world!

For example，one day， I decided to     3   some friends to my home. My bedroom was not in order. Books were everywhere. And I didn’t make the bed. I asked my      4   to help me clean it，   5      she still said，“Do it yourself，girl.”

Because of my “lazy mother”，I have to     6    my clothes and clean my room. I have to help my parents      7    I even have to go to the dentist by myself. It is really hard for me to do everything well，but I have learned     8   .

As time goes by， I understand my mother. She makes me clever and diligent (勤奋的)    9   a great mother! A     10  mother is worth（等值于） one hundred teachers! Don’t you think so?

1.A. old             B. glad             C. thin

2.A. tallest           B. most foolish      C. laziest

3.A. leave            B. invite           C. visit

4.A. mother          B. father           C. brother

5.A. or              B. when           C. but

6.A. wash           B. lead            C. knoc

7.A. do housework    B. go swimming     C. go camping

8.A. on show         B. by mistake       C. a lot

9.A. Which          B. What            C. Who

10.A. young         B. good             C. happy

 

My grandfather is eighty years old now. He always complains about how fast things have changed, and he often says that life used to be better.
Families aren’t families they used to be. A lot of families have broken up. If husband and wife have problems with their marriage, they no longer stay together. And mothers used to stay at home and take care of their children, but now not any more. Everyone is busy working. Mother used to spend all day cooking in the kitchen. But now the family don’t eat home-cooked food any more.
And the cars! No one walks any more. More and more people drive. Students used to walk 5 miles to school every day, even in winter. But nowadays students don’t. And in school, children don’t have to think any more.. In math class, for example, they used to add, subtract, multiply and divide(加减乘除)in their heads. Instead, they use calculators.
And people today have TV and computers, and they don’t talk to each other any more. They are too busy to talk, too busy to eat, too busy to think.
Life used to be simple, but it isn’t any more.
【小题1】What does my grandfather think of the life now?

A．He thinks the life now is very good.

B．He thinks the life now is worse than it used to be.

C．He thinks the life now is better than it used to be.

D．He thinks the life is the same as it used to be.

【小题2】What does the underlined word “marriage” mean in Chinese?

A．生活

B．工作

C．婚姻

D．家庭

【小题3】What has happened these years according to the passage?

A．Children don’t have to think any more in school.

B．Students use calculators in math class.

C．Some used to walk to school, but now they don’t.

D．All of above.

【小题4】What changes have happened to some families?
a. People have TV.  
b. People like to eat home-cooked food.
c. Lots of families have computers.
d. Lots of couples(夫妇)live apart because of unhappy problems.

A．a, b, d

B．b, c, d

C．a, b, c

D．a, c, d

【小题5】Which is TRUE according to the passage?

A．Life now is much simpler.

B．People have too much time to talk with each other now.

C．The writer’s grandfather only complains and pays no attention to better life now.

D．Lots of mothers stay at home and look after their children.

根据对话内容，在每个空缺处填入一个适当的词，使整段对话意思完整，并将答案完整地写在题后答题栏中对应题号的横线上。 （每空填一词）

W： Excuse me, sir.

M: Yes, what can I __1._ for you, madam?

W: It’s 12 o’clock. I have been here 2._ an hour to meet my father. But I saw all the passagers come out except _3.__.

M: Are you sure of the __4._ his flight arrives?

W: Yes, I think so. He told me he would reach the airport __5._ about 1:00 this afternoon.

M: That’s true. Flight BA506 has just __6.__.

W: What? BA506? Well, I don’t think it’s _7.__ flight number.

M: Do you __8._ his flight number?

W: It’s VA407. I think … Oh, a minute, please. Here. I wrote _9.__ on my notebook. Sorry, it’s VA408.

M: VA408? I see, madam the flight was to arrive at 1:00, but it will be two hours and twenty minutes late because of the bad weather in New York.

W: OK. Then I will __10.__ to wait longer. Thank you very much, sir.

M: Good luck! Madam.

 

阅读下列短文，根据短文内容填写表格 (每空限填一词)。

How do you feel when you have to make a speech in front of class? What about when you go to a birthday party? Do you get really shy?

Shyness means feeling nervous or frightened when you’re around other people. Experts (专家) have found that more than 80 percent of middle school students feel afraid to be the centre of attention. Some kids are born shy. Some become shy later because of their life experiences.

It’s OK if it takes you a while to feel yourself again when you go to a new place or meet new people. In fact, everybody gets a little shy sometimes. It’s just a case of how much.

Most people have red faces and talk in broken sentences when they get shy. But some become so shy that they won’t go to a restaurant because they are too nervous to order and pay the bill (账单). Some are afraid of meeting new people, so they seldom go outside. This kind of shyness can be bad for a person.

If shyness doesn’t stop you from doing something you want to do, being shy isn’t a very big problem. Some experts say shy people are quieter and cleverer because they think more and talk less. Shy people are also good at working with others because they think more for other people. Some great people in history were shy, too.

You see, being shy isn’t all bad. But remember not to let good chances pass by just because of it! If you have to sing a song at a birthday party or practice your spoken English in front of others, just do it! There’s nothing to be afraid of.

Shyness

Meaning	To feel1.       or frightened
Causes	To be the2.       of attention To be born shy To have 3.       experiences
Effects	4.       effects	To have red 5.          To talk in6.         sentences To be 7.       of meeting new people
Good effects	To be quieter and8.       To be good at 9.       with others
Advice	To take hold of (抓住) good 10.