It was New Year’s Night. An aged man was standing at a window. He raised his mournful eyes towards the deep blue sky, where the stars were floating like white lilies on the surface of a clear calm lake.
He had already passed sixty and brought from his journey nothing but errors and regrets. Now his health was poor, his mind vacant and his heart sorrowful.
The days of his youth appeared like dreams before him, and he recalled the serious moment when his father placed him at the entrance of the two roads- one leading to a peaceful, sunny place, covered with flowers, fruits and filled with soft, sweet songs; the other leading to a deep, dark cave, which was endless, where poison flowed instead of water and devils and poisonous snake hissed ( 发嘶嘶声) and crawled (爬, 爬行).
He saw the lights flowing away in the darkness. These were the days of his wasted life; he saw a star fall from the sky and disappeared, and this was the symbol of himself. His regret like a sharp arrow struck deeply into his heart. Then he remembered his friends in his childhood. But they had made their way to success and were now honoured and happy on this night.
The high church clock struck and the sound made him remember his parents’ early love for him. They had taught him and prayed for his good. But he chose the wrong way. With shame and grief he dared no longer look towards that heaven. His darkened eyes were full of tears, and with a despairing effort, he burst out a cry: “Come back, my early days!”
His youth did return, for all this was only a dream which he had on New Year Night. He was still young though his faults were real; he had not yet entered the deep, dark cave, and he was still free to walk on the road which leads to the peaceful and sunny land.
Those who still wander on the entrance of life, hesitating to choose the bright road, remember that when years are passed and your feet stumble (绊脚) on the dark mountains, you will cry bitterly, but in vain（徒劳）: “ Oh youth, return! Oh give me back my early days!”
【小题1】 Why does the author set his story on New Year’s Night?

The father’s role in the family is important. One researcher says babies who are cared for by their fathers have greater cognitive (认知的) development at one year of age than babies not cared for by their fathers. Another researcher reports that by spending time with their pre-school children, fathers can help to develop children’s language ability. Researchers also point out that for school-age children, fathers are one bridge with the outside world.
Fathers who value (重视) education have children who do better in school than those children whose fathers don’t value education. What’s more, fathers who spend quality time with their children may give their children happy memories which may last a lifetime.
While each father is a unique person who educates children in his own style, good fathers have something in common.
Good fathers attend their children’s school activities. They also involve the children in their lives and the adult world by taking them to see the workplace, or by taking them when the car needs to be repaired, etc.
Good fathers expect a great deal from their children, but also accept and support the unique individuals (个体) that their children are becoming.
Good fathers prefer explanations and reasoning to force.
Good fathers know their time with children is really an investment (投资) in them.
Being an involved father is good for children and good for fathers. Both children and fathers have the chance for growth and development. Today’s lifestyles are changing. More and more fathers are keeping a balance between their personal life, work, and family time.
【小题1】According to the passage, we can find that          .

This dictionary tells you about English words and how to use them in reading, writing and speaking English. It not only gives the meaning of words, it can also help you with spelling, word building, grammar and pronunciation.
To use your dictionary correctly, you need to understand how the dictionary works. At the front of the book, you will find some exercises to help you make the most use of your dictionary.
If you look up the word “colour”, you will find two spellings for this word. “Colour” is used in British English, while “color” is used in American English. When such a thing happens, the dictionary shows it with the word “BrE” for British English and “AmE” for American English.
The dictionary also helps you pronounce words correctly. It uses a special alphabet (特殊字母表) to show pronunciation. If you turn to the inside back face, you will see all the phonetic letters (音标) with some words to show you how they are pronounced. Just have a look at this page when you’re not sure how to say a word.
The most important reason for using a dictionary is to find out the meaning of a word—its DEFINITION.
In this dictionary, the definitions have been written using only 2000 words. This means that the definitions of even the most difficult words are simply explained and easy to understand.
【小题1】 According to the passage, “neighbor” is used in ______ English.

Many students ask for advice about improving their English. There are three basic questions.
The first question is about real English. Li Hao from Hubei wrote, “I enjoy watching English films and listening to real English songs. But it takes a long time. What do you think?” This is a great way to learn English! Talk about the film or song with your friends, and guess the meaning of the new words. Just enjoy yourself!
The second question is about speaking. Sam, from Suzhou wrote, “Our school has a foreign teacher. But I’m shy and can’t speak to her. What should I do?” When I visit China, lots of people in the street say, “Hello! How are you? Where are you from? Do you like China?” These are good questions to start a conversation. Many people are shy when they speak English, so before you begin, take a deep breath and smile! Smiling always helps.
The third question is about vocabulary. Oliver, from Anhui wrote, “I want to remember all the new words. I wrote them down, but I forget them quickly. What should I do?” Try to remember eight or nine words a day. Write them on pieces of paper and place them in your bedroom. Say the words when you see them, and change them every day. And when you’re shopping, how about counting the English words, or saying the English names for everything you see?
【小题1】How many basic questions do the students often ask?

Have you ever been ill? When you are ill, you must be unhappy because your body becomes hot, and there are pains all over your body. You don’t want to work. Instead, you want to stay in bed,  feeling very sad.
What makes us ill? It is germs (细菌). Germs are everywhere. They are very small and you can’t find them with your eyes, but you can see them with a microscope(显微镜). They are very very small and there could be hundreds of them on a very small thing.
Germs are always found in dirty water. When we look at dirty water under the microscope, we shall see them in it. So your father and mother won’t let you drink dirty water.
Germs aren’t found only in water . They are found in air and dust. If you cut your finger and some of the dust ( 灰尘 ) from the floor goes into the cut, some of the germs would go into your finger. Your finger would become big and red , and you will have much pain in it. Sometimes germs would go into all of your body, and you would have pain everywhere.
【小题1】Which of the following is true?

Tigers are terrible animals, but a cat is a cute animal.    As a mother, the Chinese-American writer Amy Chua is just a tiger . Her book, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother (《虎妈战歌》), tells us how she gives her two children education.    She says that being strict is the only way to train a child’s talent. Her kids had to obey the following rules. To begin with, her kids weren’t allowed to watch TV or play computer games. Then, they were not allowed to “ hang out ” with other kids after school. They had to be the top students in their class. And they had to practice the piano and the violin for hours every day. Of course, she believes this has brought a lot of problems for herself and her kids. But she doesn’t mind because her kids have become great. Chua says, like her, most Asian mothers are tigers because they believe their children can achieve a lot if they’re pushed hard enough. She says American mothers are really cats. They care more about their children’s self-respect (自尊). They don’t want to be strict with their kids because this may hurt their feelings. With soft words and understanding, they encourage their children to choose for themselves. So is a tiger mom better than a cat mom? It may also depend on the child.
【小题1】The writer of this passage wants to  _________.

Most kids hate doing housework. However, not all hope is lost. There are some things that you can do to get your kids to help you clean your house. If you are struggling with the chores (家务)and need your kids to help you, take a look at some of the creative ways in this article.
If you are dealing with older kids, you may want to try the allowance deal. You can give your kids a list of chores that need to be done each week. If they complete these chores, you can give them some money. You can also break the list down and tell them they will get so much for each chore that is finished. Older kids , who like to do things on weekends or buy things like video games, will work hard to complete their chores and earn their money. This is also teaching them responsibility. This is teaching them that they must work for what they want.
If you are dealing with younger kids, you may want to go with the rewards chart(奖励图表）. This is where you design a chart and list their chores on the chart. For each chore they complete, you can put a red flower beside it. For the rewards, you canalso do a number of things ,such as going to the park, going out to eat, buying a DVD or something similar. The rewards would be up to you because you know what your kids like.
For real small kids, you can turn it into a game. When kids were much younger, you can teach them to dance around and sing as you cleaned. The kids loved it and would do a wonderful job at picking up their toys. So, consider turning cleaning into a game for the real small kids.
【小题1】What does the underlined word “allowance” in Paraph 2 mean ?

Being safe in your everyday life needs knowledge. If you remember the following information, your life will be much safer.
Always notice the environment around you. You shouldn’t walk alone outside. Make sure where the public phones are. If anything dangerous happens, you can find them easily.
Your bag should be carried towards the front of your body instead of putting it on your back. When a bus is full of people, it is easy enough for a thief to take away the things in the bag on your back.
If you are followed by someone you don’t know, cross the street and go to the other way, let the person understand that you know he or she is after you. Next, don’t go home at once. You are safer in the street than you are alone in your home or in a lift (电梯).
If you have to take a bus to a place far away, try to get to the stop a few minutes earlier before the bus leaves. This stops other people from studying you. On the bus, don’t sit alone. Sit behind the driver or with other people. Don’t sleep.
【小题1】 Which of the following is NOT safe when you are out?

The human brain weighs about 1.4 kilograms, but it can, hold much more information than most computers. However, there is another difference between humans and computers. Computers don't forget information they are given, but humans often do. No one remembers everything, and luckily we don't usually have to. But everyone can improve their memory if they want to. Here are some suggestions.
◆Try to use new information immediately. For example, if you meet someone who says "Hi! I'm Carlos," don't just say "Hello." Repeat the person's name. Say"____"
◆Break a big number into smaller parts. For example, it's hard to memorize (记忆) 109244153. But if you break it into three parts--109/244/153—it becomes easier.
◆Write out what you need to remember over and over again. This will help you keep it in mind longer, especially for memorizing formulas (公式) or facts.
◆Always review information. If you bring what you've learned back to your mind, they become easier to remember. For example, before you go to sleep, it’s a good idea to review the new things you learned that day.
◆Discuss with a friend. It is always easier to remember things through discussions. You can have a discussion about what’s right and what's wrong, and it will lead to the right answer.
◆Never tell yourself that you have a bad memory. You can always do something to help improve your memory. And everyone's memory gets better if they use it often enough.
All of the suggestions are helpful. If you follow them, you are certain to improve your memory.
【小题1】 How many suggestions are mentioned in the passage?

Many people go to school for an education. Some learn languages, history, math and other subjects. Others go to school to learn a skill. School education is very important and useful. Yet, no one can learn everything from school. A teacher can not teach his students everything they want to know. So, much more is to be learned outside school by the students themselves.
Great people before us didn’t get everything from school .Their teachers only showed them the way. Edison did not even finish school. But they were all so successful because they knew how to study. They read books that were not taught at school . They would ask many questions as they read. They worked hard all their lives. Above all , they knew how to use their heads.
根据短文内容，判断下列句子的正 (A)与误 (B)，并在答题卡的相应位置将其涂黑。
【小题1】Many people go to school only for an education, they don’t go there to learn a skill.
【小题2】People can learn everything from school.
【小题3】Students can learn much more outside school by themselves.
【小题4】Edison was successful because he read many books that were taught at school.
【小题5】Great people knew how to use their heads.