By Jerilyn Watson Broadcast: February 14, 2010.
Welcome to THIS IS AMERICA, in VOA Special English. I’m Steve Ember. And I’m Faith Lapidus. February fourteenth is Valentine’s Day. So this is a good time to play some love songs as we explore the subject of dating.
VOICE ONE: Valentine’s Day is a special time for love. Millions of people will receive flowers, chocolate or some other gifts. Others might get just a phone call or an electronic message from someone they care about. Still others would be happy just to have someone special in their life on Valentine’s Day.
VOICE TWO: Traditionally, there are many ways for people to meet. Some meet at work. Others meet by chance. Still others look for help from services that bring people together. Friends and family members might offer to help. They might plan a blind date. This is a meeting between two people who have never seen each other before. A lot of people try to improve their chances by looking in places where people with similar interests go, such as a place of religion, a bookstore, health club and sports team where men and women play together.
VOICE THREE: Internet dating services had been growing sharply through the end of 2009. But people do no always tell the truth about themselves online. And they do not exactly tell about their age, for example, they might offer an old picture instead. People who meet through computer services may not have to give their full name or e-mail address at first. Relationships that begin over the Internet do sometimes lead to marriage. Yet there is a risk anytime strangers meet. It could be a danger, or simply an unpleasant surprise. A young woman in Washington D.C was angry after seeing a date she met over the Internet. In his picture , he looked twenty-five or thirty years old. In reality, she said, he was old enough to be her father.
72. The topic of the VOA broadcast program is probably________.
A. Valentine’s Day                     B. how to make friends in daily life.
C. dating between men and women       D. how to keep your marriage.
73. In VOICE TWO, which of the following ways of dating is NOT mentioned by the speaker in the text?
A. Meeting by chance or at work    
B. Meeting with the help of media
C. Meeting with the help of the services 
D. Meeting with the help of friends and family
74.The speaker think Internet dating may be a risk, danger, or simply unpleasant surprise because___________.
A. people can’t know each other’s real name
B. people can’t know each other’s address
C. the computer don’t give their full name or e-mail address at first
D. people don’t always tell the truth about themselves online.
75.From the text, we can infer that the speaker is likely to _______dating online.
A. appreciate         B. hate           C. suggest        D. hold a negative attitude

It had been some time since Jack had seen the old man. College, carrier, and life itself got in the way. In fact, Jack moved clear across the country in pursuit of the dreams. There, in the rush of his busy life, Jack had little time to think about the past and often no time to spend with his wife and son. He was working on his future, and nothing could stop him.

Over the phone, his mother told him, “Mr. Belser died last night. The funeral is Wednesday.” Memories fleshed through his mind like an old newsreel as he sat quietly remembering his childhood days.

“Jack, did you hear me?”

“Oh, sorry, Mom. Yes, I heard you. it’s been so long since I thought of him. I’m sorry, but I honestly thought he died years ago,” Jack said.

“Well, he didn’t forget you. Every time I saw him he’d ask how you were doing. He’d reminisce (回忆) about the many days you spent over ‘his side of the fence’ as he put it, ” Mom told him.

“I loved that old house he lived in,” Jack said.

“You know, Jack, after your father died, Mr. Belser stepped in to make sure you had a man’s influence in your life,” she said.

“He’s the one who taught me carpentry. I wouldn’t be in this business if it weren’t for him. He spent a lot of time teaching me things he thought were important. Mom, I’ll be there for the funeral.” Jack said.

Busy as he was, he kept his word. Jack caught the next flight to his hometown. Mr. Belser’s funeral was small and uneventful. He had no children of his own, and most of his relatives had passed away.

The night before he had to return home, Jack and his Mom stopped by to see the old house next door one more time, which was exactly as he remembered. Every step held memories. Every picture, every piece of furniture … Jack stopped suddenly.

“What’s wrong, Jack?” his Mom asked.

“The box is gone,” he said.

“What box?” Mom asked.

“There was a small gold box that he kept locked on top of his desk. I must have asked him a thousand times what was inside. All he’d ever tell me was ‘the thing I value most’,” Jack said.

It was gone. Everything about the house was exactly how Jack remembered it, except for the box. He figured someone from the Belser family had taken it.

“Now I’ll never know what was so valuable to him,” Jack said sadly.

Returning to his office the next day, he found a package on his desk. The return address caught his attention.

“Mr. Harold Belser” it read.

Jack tore open the package. There inside was the gold box and an envelope. Jack’s hands shook as he read the note inside,

“Upon my death, please forward this box and its contents to Jack Bernett. It’s the thing I valued most in my life.” A small key was taped to the letter. His heart racing, and tears filling his eyes. Jack carefully unlocked the box. There inside he found a beautiful gold pocket watch. Running his fingers slowly over the fine cover, he opened it.

Inside he found these words carved: “Jack. Thanks for your time! Harold Belser.”

“Oh. My God! This is the thing he valued most …”

Jack held the watch for a few minutes, then called his assistant and cleared his appointments for the next two days. “Why?” his assistant asked.

“I need some time to spend with my son,” he said.

Why did Jack think Mr. Belser died years ago?

   A. College and career prevented him from remembering Mr. Belser.

   B. Jack was too busy with his business and family to think about Mr. Belser.

   C. Jack was too busy realizing his dreams to think about Mr. Belser.

   D. His present busy life washed away his children memories.

Jack’s mother told him on the phone about Mr. Belser EXCEPT that _________.

   A. Mr. Belser often asked how Jack was doing

   B. Mr. Belser’s funeral would take place on Wednesday

   C. Mr. Belser had asked for Jack’s mailing address

   D. Mr. Belser had pleasant memories of their time together

Why did Belser send Jack his gold watch?

   A. Because he was grateful for Jack’s time with him.

   B. Because he had no children or relatives.

   C. Because he thought he had to keep his word.

   D. Because Jack had always wanted it during his childhood.

Why did Jack say he needed some time to spend with his son?

   A. He was very tired of his work and wanted to have a good rest.

   B. He had promised to spare more time to stay with his son.

   C. He had missed his son and his family for days.

   D. He came to realize the importance of the time with his family.

Which of the following is the most suitable title for this passage?

   A. The Good Old Times   B. What He Valued Most

   C. An Old Gold Watch    D. The Lost Childhood Days

My 8­year­old son，Kevin，has made friends with some boys in the neighborhood. He has been 36    with them after school. My wife，and I are 37    he has other kids to be with and we have __38__ and encouraged him to play with his friends. We also want Kevin to learn __39__，so we have asked him to tell us __40__ he's going and to come home at a specified time.

The __41__ started when Kevin didn't come home on time. On one occasion，I asked Kevin to be back at 6 pm. By 6：30，I needed to go __42__ him. I found him at a friend's house，and he looked 43    that he couldn't continue playing. After we came home，I sat  Kevin down for a talk about the _44  _ of  keeping his word. I told him I was not worried about his arriving a few __45__ late， after a half hour， he told me he understood and I was _46_  _.

The next day，I came home from work at about 6:30 pm and my wife asked me to go and get Kevin back __47__ she said he should be back home at 6. I walked to his friend's house and a look of __48__ appeared on Kevin's face when he came to the door.

At __49__，my wife and I spoke to Kevin about why he didn't come home on time again. He said he just wanted to _50__ playing. This was __51__，so we decided to ground(罚不准出门)him for a week. This __52_ no playing with his friends.

For the next week，whenever his friends came to ask for Kevin，we let him __53__ to them that he was grounded. We felt this would help him be responsible for his __54__.

As a __55__，I believe one of the most important things we can teach our kids is self-responsibility and that actions have consequences.

Parents should stop blaming themselves because there’s not a lot they can do about it. I mean the teenager problem. Whatever you do or however you choose to deal with it, at certain times a wonderful, reasonable and helpful child will turn into a terrible animal.

I’ve seen friends deal with it in all kinds of different ways. One strict mother insisted that her son, right from a child, should stand up whenever anyone entered the room, open doors and shake hands like a gentleman. I saw him last week when I called round. Sprawling himself (懒散地躺) on the sofa in full length, he made no attempt to turn off the loud TV he was watching as I walked in, and his greeting was no more than a quick glance at me. His mother was ashamed. “I don't know what to do with him these days,” she said. “He’s forgotten all the manners we taught him.”

He hasn’t forgotten them. He’s just decided that he’s not going to use them. She confessed (坦白) that she would like to come up behind him and throw him down from the sofa onto the floor.

Another good friend of mine let her two daughters climb all over the furniture, reach across the table, stare at me and say, “I don’t like your dress; it’s ugly.” One of the daughters has recently been driven out of school. The other has left home.

“Where did we go wrong?” her parents are now very sad. Probably nowhere much. At least, no more than the rest of that unfortunate race, parents.

1.This text is most probably written by ______.

A. a specialist（专家） in teenager studies   B. a headmaster of a middle school

C. a parent with teenage children   D. a doctor for mental health problems

2. The underlined word “it” in the second paragraph refers to ______.

    A. the change from good to bad that’s seen in a child

    B. the way that parents often blame themselves

    C. the opinion that a child has of his parents

    D. the advice that parents want their children to follow

3.From the second example we can infer that the parents of the two daughters __.

    A. pay no attention to them        B. are too busy to look after them

    C. have come to hate them           D. feel helpless to do much about them

4.What is the author’s opinion about the sudden change in teenage children?

A. Parents have no choice but to try to accept it.

B. Parents should pay still some attention to the change.

C. Parents should work more closely with school teachers.

D. Parents are at fault for the change in their children.

Parents should stop blaming themselves because there’s not a lot they can do about it. I mean the teenager problem. Whatever you do or however you choose to deal with it, at certain times a wonderful, reasonable and helpful child will turn into a terrible animal.

I’ve seen friends deal with it in all kinds of different ways. One strict mother insisted that her son, right from a child, should stand up whenever anyone entered the room, open doors and shake hands like a gentleman. I saw him last week when I called round. Sprawling himself on the sofa in full length, he made no attempt to turn off the loud TV he was watching as I walked in, and his greeting was no more than a quick glance at me. His mother was ashamed. “I don’t know what to do with him these days,” she said. “He’s forgotten all the manners we taught him.”

He hasn’t forgotten them. He’s just decided that he’s not going to use them. She confessed(坦白) that she would like to come up behind him and throw him down from the sofa onto the floor.

Another good friend of mine let her two daughters climb all over the furniture, reach across the table, stare at me and say, “I don’t like your dress; it’s ugly.” One of the daughters has recently been driven out of school. The other has left home.

“Where did we go wrong?” her parents are now very sad. Probably nowhere much. At least, no more than the rest of that unfortunate race, parents.

71. This text is most probably written by ______.

A. A specialist in teenager studies.      B. a headmaster of a middle school

C. a parent with teenage children       D. a doctor for mental health problems

72. The underlined word “it” in the second paragraph refers to ______.

A. the change from good to bad that’s seen in a child

B. the way that parents often blame themselves

C. the opinion that a child has of his parents

D. the advice that parents want their children to follow

73. The boy on the sofa would most probably be described as ______.

A. lazy       B. quiet       C. unusual       D. rude

74. From the second example we can infer that the parents of the two daughters ______.

A. pay no attention to them          B. are too busy to look after them

C. have come to hate them           D. feel helpless to do much about them

75. What is the author’s opinion about the sudden change in teenage children?

A. Parents have no choice but to try to accept it.

B. Parents should pay still more attention to the change.

C. Parents should work more closely with school teachers.

D. Parents are a fault for the change in their children.