One of the most difficult things for children to deal with when moving to a new town is leaving their friends and making new ones.
We once moved and one of our new neighbors told us about a summer camp at the Recreation Center all the kids went to. My husband and I looked into it and we found it was unbelievably cheap. I had the kids sign up (报名) the next day so that they could know more kids there.
Another thing we did was to have them sign up for sports when school started. They were happy to be on teams with new friends they made. This also gave me a chance to meet new people and from them I sometimes got some useful ideas for my new books.
If you’re just moving to a new house in the same city you live in now, it won’t really be a problem unless your kids are changing schools. If they are, it is a great idea to have them take the address book to school. Thus, your children won’t feel “lost” without their old friends.
If you’re able to, over the summer vacation, try inviting the friend your child misses most to come and visit your new home for a week, or even a few weeks. I know this can be difficult if that child has to fly, but maybe you can work out a plan with the child’s parents. Think how happy the kids will be when they meet!
【小题1】The author had her kids sign up for the summer camp mainly because _____.

A．she could afford the cost	B．she was asked to do so by her kids
C．it could give her kids a chance to meet more kids
D．it could make the summer holiday not so boring

Three boys and three girls were going to Fort Lauderdale and when they boarded the bus，they were carrying sandwiches and wine in paper bags，dreaming of golden beaches as the gray cold of New York vanished behind them.
As the bus passed through New Jersey，they began to notice Vingo, He sat in front of them，dressed in a plain，ill-fitting suit，never moving，his dusty face masking his age. He kept chewing the inside of his lip a lot，frozen into some personal cocoon of silence.
Deep into the night，outside Washington，the bus pulled into Howard Johnson's，and everybody got off except Vingo. He sat rooted in his seat，and the young people began to wonder about him，trying to imagine his life：perhaps he was a sea captain，a runaway from his wife，an old soldier going home. When they went back to the bus，one of the girls sat beside him and introduced herself.
"We're going to Florida,” she said brightly, “I hear it's really beautiful.”
“It is，”he said quietly，as if remembering something he had tried to forget.
"Want some wine?" she said. He smiled and took a swig.  He thanked her and once again returned to his silence. After a while，she went back to the others，and Vingo nodded in his sleep.
In the morning，they awoke outside another Howard Johnson's．And this time Vingo went in.  The girl insisted that he join them.  He seemed very shy, and ordered black coffee and smoked nervously as the young people chattered about sleeping on beaches. When they returned to the bus，the girl sat with Vingo again，and after a while, slowly and painfully，he told his story. He had been in jail in New York for the past four years，and now he was going home.
“Are you married?”
“I don't know.
“You don’t know?” she said.
“Well，when I was in jail I wrote to my wife，”he said. “I told her that I was going to be away a long time，and that if she couldn't stand it．if the kids kept asking questions，if it hurt too much，well she could just forget me, I'd understand. Get a new guy，I said she's a wonderful woman，really something and forget about me. I told her she didn't have to write me for nothing.  And she didn't.  Not for three and a half years.”
"And you’re going home now，not knowing?”
“Yeah，”he said shyly. “Well，last week，when I was sure the parole (假释) was coming through, I wrote her again.  We used to live in Brunswick，just before Jacksonville，and there’s a big oak (橡树) tree just as you came into town. I told her that if she'd take me back，she should put a yellow handkerchief on the tree，and I'd get off and come home,  If she didn't want me, forget it, no handkerchief，and I'd go on through.”
"Vow,” the girl exclaimed. "Wow.”
She told the others，and noon all of them were in it, caught up in the approach of Brunswick，looking at the pictures Vingo showed them of his wife and three children. The woman was handsome in a plain way，the children still unformed in the much-handled snapshots.
Now they were 20 miles from Brunswick, and the young people took over window seat on the right side，waiting for the approach of the great oak tree. The bus acquired a dark，hushed mood，full of the silence of absence and lost years. Vingo stopped looking, tightening his face into the ex-con's mask, as if fortifying himself against still another disappointment.
Then Brunswick was ten miles, and then five. Then，suddenly，all of the young people were up out of their seats，screaming and shouting and crying，doing small dances of joy. All except Vingo.
Vingo sat there stunned，looking at the oak tree. It was covered with yellow handkerchiefs，20 of them，30 of them，maybe hundreds，a tree that stood like a banner of welcome billowing in the wind. As the young people shouted，the old rose and made his way to the front of the bus to go home

1. 1.

   Which is right about Vingo?

   1. A.
      He was a sea captain
   2. B.
      He was a runaway from his wife,
   3. C.
      He was an old soldier going home
   4. D.
      He was a prisoner
2. 2.

   The underlined word "`exclaimed" probably indicates that the girl was“______”

   1. A.
      surprised
   2. B.
      :  angry
   3. C.
      :  embarrassed
   4. D.
      puzzled
3. 3.

   From the story，we know that

   1. A.
      the young people and Vingo loved New York
   2. B.
      Vingo dressed himself decently
   3. C.
      Vingo's Wife didn't write to him because she didn't miss him
   4. D.
      the young people were happy for Vingo because he could went home
4. 4.

   What is the best title for the story?

   1. A.
      An Unexpected Return
   2. B.
      Forgiving My Absence
   3. C.
      Going Home
   4. D.
      The Old Oak Tree

I am one of the many city people who are always saying that given the choice we would prefer to live in the country away from the dirt and noise of a large city. I have managed to convince myself that if it weren’t for my job I would immediately head out for the open spaces and go back to nature in some sleepy village buried in the country. But how realistic(现实的) is the dream?

Cities can be frightening places. The majority of the population live in huge tower blocks, noisy, dirty and unfriendly. The sense of belonging to a group tends to disappear when you live fifteen floors up. Strangely enough, nowadays people on the same floor don’t even say hello to each other.

Country life, on the other hand, differs in that a sense of group generally unites the people of small villages together. People have the advantage of knowing that there is always someone to turn to when they need help. But it is also true that you are cut off from the exciting and important events that take place in cities. Shopping becomes a major problem, and for anything slightly out of the ordinary you have to go on a trip to the nearest large town. The city people are often worried by a sense of unbearable stillness and quiet.

What, then, is the answer? The country has the advantage of peace and quiet, but suffers from the disadvantage of being cut off. The city raises a feeling of loneliness, and constant noise beats the senses. But you are at the center of things, and life doesn’t come to an end at half-past nine at night. Some people have found or rather bought a solution between the two: they have expressed their preference for the “quiet life” by leaving the cities and moving to villages within commuting(同勤) distance of large cities.

What then of my dream? I’m eager for the idea, but you see there’s my  cat, Toby, I’m not at all sure that he would take to all that fresh air and exercise in the long grass. I mean, can you see him mixing with all those energetic males down the farm? No, he would rather have the electric fire any evening.

1．We get the impression from the first paragraph that the author            .

       A．works in the city  B．lives in the country

       C．used to work in the city                        D．used to live in the country

2．Which of the follow makes city people unhappy?

       A．Colorful life.                                        B．A sense of group.

       C．Close neighborhood.                            D．A feeling of loneliness.

3．What is difficult to buy in the country?

       A．designer clothes.  B．Farming tools.

       C．Daily supplies.     D．Fresh vegetables.

4． We can infer from the passage the author              .

       A．enjoys living in huge tower blocks    B．is in two minds

       C．will continue his life in the city    D．will move to the country