Until last spring, Nia Parker and the other kids in her neighborhood went to school on Bus 59．But as fuel prices rose, the school district needed to find a way to cut its transportation costs. So the school’s busing company redrew its route map, canceling Nia’s bus. Now Nia and her neighbors travel the half mile to school via a “walking school bus”—a group of kids, supervised （监护） by an adult or two, who make the walk together.

Many parents are delighted to see their kids walking to school, partly because many did so themselves. According to a 1979 survey, nearly half of school kids walked or biked to school, compared with only 16 percent in 2011.Modern parents have been unwilling to let kids walk to school for fear of traffic, crime or simple bullying, but with organized adult supervision, those concerns have reduced.

Schools and busing companies are finding other ways to save．In rural areas where busing is a must, some schools have even chosen four-day school weeks. Busing companies instruct drivers to cancel extra stops from routes and to turn off the engine while idling（挂空挡）.They are also using computer software to determine the most fuel-efficient routes, which aren’t always the shortest ones.

There could be disadvantages, however, to the busing cutbacks. If every formerly bused student begins walking to school, it’s an environmental win—but if too many of their parents decide to drive them instead, the overall carbon footprint can grow. Replacing buses with many more parent-driven cars can also increase safety risks. A 2011 report concluded students are 13 times safer on a school bus than in a passenger car, since buses have fewer accidents and withstand(承受) them better due to their size. And some students complain about the long morning hikes, particularly when the route contains a really big hill.

56. In regards to walking to school, modern parents seem much concerned with the _____.

　 A. safety of their kids’　　　　　 　　　　　　　　　 B. kids’ physical strength

　 C. time spent on the way　　　　 　　　　　　　　　 D. changes in the route

57. To save money, some schools choose to _____.

A. shorten the school week B. take the shortest routes

　 C. stop using school buses　　　　　 　　D. use fuel-efficient buses

58. Busing cutbacks may lead to _____.

　 A. fewer complaints about long morning hikes

　 B. more students taking public transportation

　 C. an increase in carbon dioxide emissions

　 D. a decrease in the safety of school buses

 (10·安徽D篇)

My father was 44 and knew he  wasn’t going to make it to 45. He wrote me a letter and hoped that something in it would help me for the rest of my life.

   Since the day I was 12 and first read his letter , some of his words have lived in my heart. One part always stands out . “Right now ,you are pretending to be a time killer. But I know that one day, you will do something great that will set you among the very best.” Knowing that my dad believed in me gave me permission to believe in myself . “You will do something great .” He didn’t know  what would be, and neither did I ,but at times in my life when I’ve felt proud of myself , I remember his words and wish he were here so I could ask , “Is this what you were talking about , Dad ? Should I keep going ?”

     A long way from 12 now , I realize he would have been proud when I made any progress. Lately, though , I’ve come to belvieve he would want me to move on to what comes next : to be pround of , and believe in , somebody else . Tt’s time to start writing my own letters to my children . Our children look to us with the same unanswered question we had . Our kids don’t hold back because they’re  afraid to fail. They’re only afraid of failing us . They’re only afraid of failing us . They don’t worry about being disappointed . Their fear as mine was until my father’s letter is of being a disappointment .

     Give your children permission to succeed. They’re waiting for you to believe in them . I always knew my parents loved me . But trust me ：That belief will be more complete , that love will be more real , and their belief in themselves will be greater if you write the words on their hearts ：“Don’t worry ; you’ll do something great .”Not having that blessing from their parents may be the only thing holding them back.

68.We learn from the text that the author （    ）

A. lost his father when he was young

B. worked hard before he read his father’s letter

C. asked his father’s permission to believe in himself

D. knew exactly what great thing his father wanted him to do 

69. What does the author tell us in the 3^rd  paragragh ?

A. Children need their parents’ letters.

B. Children are afraid to be disappointed .

C. His children’s fear of failure held them back.

D. His father’s letter removed his fear of failing his parents.

70. Which of the following is true of the author ?

A. He got no access to success.

B. He wrote back to his father at 12.

C. He was sure his parents loved him.

D. He once asked his father about the letter.

71．The main purpose of the text is to        .

A. describe children’s thinking

B. answer some questions children have

C. stress the importance of communication

D. advise parents to encourage their children

My First Job

    I was six when I joined my father and two elder brothers at sunrise in the fields of Eufaula, Okla.    1    the time I was eight I was helping Dad fix up old furniture. He gave me a cent for every nail I    2    out of old boards.

    I got my first    3    job, at JM's Restaurant in town, when I was 12. My main responsibilities (职责) were    4    tables and washing dishes,    5    sometimes I helped cook.

    Every day after school I would    6    to JM's and work until ten. Even on Saturdays I  7 from two until eleven. At that age it was difficult going to work and    8    my friends run off to swim or play. I didn't necessarily like work, but I loved what working    9    me to have. Because of my    10    I was always the one buying when my friends and I went to the local Tastee Freez. This made me    11   .

    Word that I was trustworthy and hard-working    12    around town. A local clothing store offered me credit (赊账)    13    I was only in seventh grade. I immediately    14    a $ 68 sports coat and a $ 22 pair of shoes. I was    15    only 65 cents an hour, and I already owed the storekeeper $ 90! So I learned    16    the danger of easy credit. I paid it    17  as soon as I could.

    My first job taught me self-control, responsibility and brought me a    18    of personal satisfaction few of my friends had experienced. As my father,    19    worked three jobs, once told me. “If you    20    sacrifice (奉献) and responsibility, there are not many things in life you can't have.” How right he was.

    1．

A. Before　　　　　　  B. Within

C. From　　　　　　  D. By

    2．

A. pulled　　　　　　  B. put

C. picked　　　　　　  D. pressed

    3．

A. usual　　　　　　  B. real

C. main　　　　　　  D. particular

    4．

A. sweeping　　　　　　  B. packing

C. clearing　　　　　　  D. emptying

    5．

A. or　　　　　　  B. so

C. but　　　　　　  D. even

    6．

A. head　　　　　　  B. turn

C. change　　　　　　  D. move

    7．

A. studied　　　　　　  B. worked

C. played　　　　　　  D. slept

    8．

A. helping　　　　　　  B. having

C. watching　　　　　　  D. letting

    9．

A. asked　　　　　　  B. told

C. promised　　　　　　  D. allowed

    10．

A. study　　　　　　  B. power

C. age　　　　　　  D. job

    11．

A. proud　　　　　　  B. friendly

C. lucky　　　　　　  D. hopeful

    12．

A. ran　　　　　　  B. got

C. flew　　　　　　  D. carried

    13．

A. although　　　　　　  B. while

C. if　　　　　　  D. since

    14．

A. sold　　　　　　  B. borrowed

C. charged　　　　　　  D. wore

    15．

A. keeping　　　　　　  B. making

C. paying　　　　　　  D. taking

    16．

A. gradually　　　　　　  B. greatly

C. hardly　　　　　　  D. early

    17．

A. out　　　　　　  B. over

C. away　　　　　　  D. off

    18．

A. point　　　　　　  B. level

C. part　　　　　　  D. sign

    19．

A. he　　　　　　  B. that

C. who　　　　　　  D. whoever

    20．

A. understand　　　　　　  B. demand

C. offer　　　　　　  D. fear

 

My First Job

    I was six when I joined my father and two elder brothers at sunrise in the fields of Eufaula, Okla.    1    the time I was eight I was helping Dad fix up old furniture. He gave me a cent for every nail I    2    out of old boards.

    I got my first    3    job, at JM's Restaurant in town, when I was 12. My main responsibilities (职责) were    4    tables and washing dishes,    5    sometimes I helped cook.

    Every day after school I would    6    to JM's and work until ten. Even on Saturdays I  7 from two until eleven. At that age it was difficult going to work and    8    my friends run off to swim or play. I didn't necessarily like work, but I loved what working    9    me to have. Because of my    10    I was always the one buying when my friends and I went to the local Tastee Freez. This made me    11   .

    Word that I was trustworthy and hard-working    12    around town. A local clothing store offered me credit (赊账)    13    I was only in seventh grade. I immediately    14    a $ 68 sports coat and a $ 22 pair of shoes. I was    15    only 65 cents an hour, and I already owed the storekeeper $ 90! So I learned    16    the danger of easy credit. I paid it    17  as soon as I could.

    My first job taught me self-control, responsibility and brought me a    18    of personal satisfaction few of my friends had experienced. As my father,    19    worked three jobs, once told me. “If you    20    sacrifice (奉献) and responsibility, there are not many things in life you can't have.” How right he was.

    1．

A. Before　　　　　　  B. Within

C. From　　　　　　  D. By

    2．

A. pulled　　　　　　  B. put

C. picked　　　　　　  D. pressed

    3．

A. usual　　　　　　  B. real

C. main　　　　　　  D. particular

    4．

A. sweeping　　　　　　  B. packing

C. clearing　　　　　　  D. emptying

    5．

A. or　　　　　　  B. so

C. but　　　　　　  D. even

    6．

A. head　　　　　　  B. turn

C. change　　　　　　  D. move

    7．

A. studied　　　　　　  B. worked

C. played　　　　　　  D. slept

    8．

A. helping　　　　　　  B. having

C. watching　　　　　　  D. letting

    9．

A. asked　　　　　　  B. told

C. promised　　　　　　  D. allowed

    10．

A. study　　　　　　  B. power

C. age　　　　　　  D. job

    11．

A. proud　　　　　　  B. friendly

C. lucky　　　　　　  D. hopeful

    12．

A. ran　　　　　　  B. got

C. flew　　　　　　  D. carried

    13．

A. although　　　　　　  B. while

C. if　　　　　　  D. since

    14．

A. sold　　　　　　  B. borrowed

C. charged　　　　　　  D. wore

    15．

A. keeping　　　　　　  B. making

C. paying　　　　　　  D. taking

    16．

A. gradually　　　　　　  B. greatly

C. hardly　　　　　　  D. early

    17．

A. out　　　　　　  B. over

C. away　　　　　　  D. off

    18．

A. point　　　　　　  B. level

C. part　　　　　　  D. sign

    19．

A. he　　　　　　  B. that

C. who　　　　　　  D. whoever

    20．

A. understand　　　　　　  B. demand

C. offer　　　　　　  D. fear

 

They say a cat has nine lives, and I think that possible since I am now living my third life and I’m not even a cat．My father died when I was 15, and we had a hard struggle to make a living．And my mother, who was seriously ill in her last years, died while still in her 60s．My sister married soon after, and I followed her example within the year．

This was when I began to enjoy my first life．I was very happy, in excellent health．I had a good job in San Jose and a beautiful home up the peninsula (半岛) in San Carlos．Life was a pleasant dream．Then the dream ended．I became afflicted (使苦恼) with a slowly progressive disease of the motor nerves, affecting first my right arm and leg, and then my other side．Thus began my second life…．

In spite of my disease I still drove to and from work each day, with the aid of special equipment installed in my car．And I managed to keep my health and optimism (乐观), to a degree, because of 14 steps．Crazy? Not at all．Our home was an affair with 14 steps leading up from the garage to the kitchen door．Those steps were a standard measure of life．They were my yardstick, my challenge to continue living．I felt that if the day arrived when I was unable to lift one foot up one step and then drag the other painfully after it ---repeating the process 14 times, I would be through---I could then admit defeat and lie down and die．

Then on a dark night in August, 1971, I began my third life．It was raining when I started home that night; strong winds and slashing rain beat down on the car as I drove slowly down one of the less-traveled roads．Suddenly the steering wheel jerked (猝然一动)．In the same instant I heard the bang of a blowout．It was impossible for me to change that tire! Utterly impossible!

I started the engine and thumped slowly along, keeping well over on the shoulder until I came to the dirt road, where I turned in and where I found lighted windows welcomed me to a house and pulled into the driveway and honked the horn．

The door opened and a little girl stood there．When she knew what happened to me, she went into the house and a moment later came out, followed by a man who called a cheerful greeting．I sat there comfortable and dry, and felt a bit sorry for the man and the little girl working so hard in the storm．

About an hour later, the man’s voice was heard, “This is a bad night for car trouble, but you’re all set now．” “Thanks,” I said．“How much do I owe you?” He shook his head, “Nothing．Cynthia told me you were a cripple．Glad to be of help．I know you’d do the same for me．There’s no charge, friend．” I held out a five-dollar bill, “No! I like to pay my way．” He made no effort to take it and the little girl stepped closer to the window and said quietly, “Grandpa can’t see it．”

1．“A cat has nine lives” here means ___________．

A．a cat can live nine times longer than any other animal

B．a cat can die ninth

C．a lucky man can not die easily

D．the writer will live nine times

2．What do you think of the man who helped change the tire?

A．Warm-hearted but pitiable

B．Warm-hearted and happy

C．A blind old man that has nothing to do every day．

D．A poor old man that is always ready to help others．

3．How will the story be ended?

A．The writer paid the little girl but the old man did not accept．

B．The writer drove away with tears running down his cheek．

C．The writer stayed there, without knowing what to do and how to do．

D．In the next few frozen seconds the writer felt the shame and astonishment he had never felt before．

4．How do you understand the underlined sentence “I followed my sister’s example?”

A．He listened to his sister carefully．

B．Mother told him that he must get the agreement from his sister for whatever he would do．

C．His sister got married．He, too．

D．His sister was a great woman．．He must learn from her．

5．The best title for this passage perhaps will be _____．

A．The Old Man and His Daughter                    B．Heart Leaping Up

C．Never Lose Heart                                        D．Good Will Be Rewarded Good