I feel very excited at the thought that in another week I shall be with you again on holiday. I have enjoyed my stay in England very much indeed. Mr Brown and classmates are nice to me, but, as they say in England, “There’s no place like home.” and I think you feel this above all at Christmas time.

I am leaving here early on Thursday, the 23rd, and I shall arrive in Basle on Friday morning, so I shall be home somewhere about lunchtime. Can you meet me at the station, as I shall have a lot of luggage?

In some of my earlier letters I have told you all about the other students here. Well, I want to ask my Polish friend Jan to come and spend Christmas with us. Will that be all right? His father and mother died last year, he can go home for Christmas, and he has no friend in England except the Browns. He is a nice boy. I know you all like him, and I feel sure he will enjoy Christmas with us. It is very short notice, but you are always pleased, I know, if we bring our friends home. however, I have not yet invited him, as I thought it was better to ask you first. Please let me know as soon as possible if it will be all right.

The writer was very excited at the thought that ________.

A. she would be back home with her new friend

B. she would be with her parents in another week

C. her parents wanted to see her very much

D. she would go on staying in England

She wanted some one to meet her because ________.

A. she was told to do so                          B. she would be tired out after the trip

C. she would carry a pile of things            D. she didn’t know where the station was

The underlined sentence “There’s no place like home” means ________.

A. There is not a place that the writer likes     

B. There is no place that the writer can live in

C. The writer’s home is not in London in fact   

D. East and west, home is best

These paragraphs are taken out of a ________.

A. magazine              B. letter                  C. book                  D. newspaper

We can make mistakes at any age. Some mistakes we make are about money. but most

mistakes are about people. "Did Jerry really care when I broke up with Helen?" "When I got

that great job, did Jim, as a friend, really feel good about it? Or did he envy my luck?" "And was Paul friendly just because I had a car? " When we look back, doubts like these can make us feel bad.

   But when we look back, it is too late.

   Why do we go wrong about our friends, or our enemies? Sometimes what people say hides their real meanings. And if we do not really listen, we miss the feeling behind the words. Suppose someone tells you, "You're a lucky dog!"(你真幸运!) Is he really on your side? If he says, "You're a lucky guy!", that is being friendly. But "a lucky dog?" There is a bit of envy in those words. What he may be saying is that he does not think you deserve your luck.

   "Just think of all the things you have to be thankful for" is another phrase that says one thing and means another. It could mean that the speaker is trying to get you to see your problem. But this phrase contains the thought that your problem is not at all important.

   How can you tell the real meaning behind someone's words? One way is to take a good look at the person talking. Do his words fit the way he looks? Is what he says shown by the tone of voice? The look in his eyes? Stop and think. The minute you spend thinking about the real meaning of what people say to you may save your another mistake.

1.When the writer recalls(回想) some of the things that happened between him and his

  friends, he _______.

A. feels happy, thinking how nice his friends were to him

B. feels he might not have understood his friends' true feelings

C. think it a mistake to have broken up with his girl friend

D. is sorry that his friends let him down

2..When the writer talks about someone saying, "You're a lucky dog!", he is saying that

_____.    

A. the speaker is just friendly

B. this sentence suggests the same as "You're a lucky guy!"

C. the word "dog" should not be used to apply to people

D. sometimes the words show that the speaker is a bit envious

3.This passage tries to tell you how to ______.

A. avoid mistakes about money and friends

B. get an idea of friendly people

C. avoid mistakes in understanding what people tell you

D. keep people friendly without trusting them

4.The writer suggests that ______ be trusted.

A. everybody   B. nobody    C. all the people  D. all the people not

 It's common for parents to feel emotional when the moment comes for their child to leave home and go to university. Even parents who don't speak about the event are likely to feel a sense of sadness because it’s the end of an era where you and your family were at the centre of your child's world. As a parent you’ll probably continue to support your child in different ways, but the main job of raising your child is over. It's a huge change for everyone involved.

   There are a few things that you can do to make the transition easier. Plan carefully for your child's departure and think about how you can help. Many parents take their child to university for the first time. If you decide to do that, be ready to feel a real wrench when the time comes to say goodbye. Your child will probably be as nervous as you are about the moment when you finally say goodbye – but that might not show!

   Be positive and cheerful about the choice your child has made to continue studying, and plan to leave once you've unpacked the car and looked around your child's new living accommodations. If you can, save your tears for the car – you'll make things easier on your child and yourself.

   The more you've invested in being a parent, the more you'll feel a sense of loss, so the sadness you feel now is a sign that you've been a good mom or dad. Remind yourself that parenting is all about raising an independent and confident child who functions well without you. If your child quickly settles and starts enjoying himself, you should congratulate yourself.

   It's also only fair to allow yourself some time to grieve(悲痛). Don't expect to pick yourself up and move on straight away. But you may decide to find a hobby or sport to fill your extra time. Perhaps you've always wanted to learn a new language, go to yoga classes or take up swimming. You may decide to spend more time with family and close friends, who are likely to be feeling the absence of your child as well.

   Agree on the best approach to staying in touch before your child leaves, and stick to your agreement. Try not to panic if your child doesn't respond immediately – remember, they're starting a new and busy life.

1.Why do parents feel sad when their child leaves home for college?

A. Because the absence of their child makes them feel lonely.

B. Because their children will start a new life in college.

C. Because it means the end of love between parents and their child.

D. Because they are no longer the main focus of their children’s life.

2.The underlined word “wrench” in Paragraph 2 means a feeling of ________.

A. sorrow                  B. regret               C. anger                D. love

3.What does good parenting consist of?

A. Supporting your child in different ways all the time.

B. Congratulating yourself when your child goes to college.

C. Preparing your child to stand on their own feet in the future.

D. Investing as much as possible in the growth of your child.

4.What’s NOT advised as the way to recover from your child’s departure?

A. Developing a new hobby or sport

B. Learning a new language.

C. Spending more time with close friends

D. Staying in touch with your child.

5.What would be an appropriate title for the whole passage?

A. Staying in Touch with Your Child

B. Preparing to Say Goodbye to Your Child

C. Dealing with Your Child Leaving Home for University

D. Life after Your Child Has Left Home for University

Mr. Harris used to work in Dover, but then he changed his work, and he and his wife moved to another town. They did not have many friends there, but they soon met a lot of interesting people, and after a few weeks, they often went to dinner or to parties at other people’s houses.

Then Mrs. Harris said to her husband, “We’ve been to a lot of other people’s houses, and now we must invite them to our house, mustn’t we?”

“Yes, certainly,” answered her husband, “A big party will be the easiest thing, won’t it? Then we can start to invite people to dinner in small numbers next month.”

So Mrs. Harris said, “Yes, I’ll invite all our friends here to a big party on 5th December.”

“How many will that be?” Mr. Harris asked. “Don’t invite too many.”

Mrs. Harris was beginning to write the invitations when her husband saw that she was writing, “Party. 6.30 to 8.30 p.m.”

“That isn’t very nice, is it?” he said. “You’re telling our guests that they must go at 8.30.” So Mrs. Harris just wrote “Party. 6.30 p.m.”

A lot of guests came, and they all had a good time, so they did not go home at 8.30. In fact they were still there at mid-night when the door bell rang and a policeman arrived. He said, “You must stop making a noise, because someone has complained.”

Mr. Harris said he did not want to quarrel with the policeman, so everyone went home. They were sorry to have to go.

When Mr. and Mrs. Harris were alone again, she said to him. “That was a surprise, wasn’t it? Who complained about the noise?”

“I did,” Mr Harris answered in a tired voice.

1.Why did Mr. Harris and his wife move to another town?

A．They wanted to make some new friends.

B．Mr. Harris changed his work.

C．They wanted to meet a lot of interesting people.

D．They enjoyed going to parties and visiting other people’s houses.

2.What made Mr. and Mrs. Harris hold a party at their house?

A．It was easy to hold a big party at home.

B．They could ask people to dinner in small numbers.

C．They had gone to other people’s parties many times.

D．They liked making friends with others.

3.How long would Mrs. Harris like the party to last?

A．From the morning till night.                B．About fourteen hours.

C．About two hours.                       D．Till midnight

4.When did the party end that evening?

A．At about 8.30.

B．When the policeman talked with Mr. Harris on the phone.

C．About twelve o’clock..

D．When someone telephoned the police station.

5.Why did Mr. Harris telephone the policeman about the noise?

A．Because someone rang his door bell many times at mid-night.

B．He did not want his friends to stay late that night.

C．His friends had a good time that night and also feel tired.

D．Because he hated the noise.

— Shall I go and buy two more bottles of beer?

— No, I’ve already bought twenty. That _____ be enough for us two.

A. can ?? B. may???? C. ought to? ? D. might