—According to my grandma, it is a good idea to eat chicken soup when you have a cold.

­—    , scientists agree with her.

D
February has long been a month of romance. With the sweet smell of roses in the air, romantic films hit cinemas and love stories fill newspapers and magazines.
On the 14th day, it is a custom for a boy to take his girlfriend out to dinner, buy her flowers and chocolates, write poems, sing to her or even spell out her name with rose petals! This is what you see on Valentine’s Day, a day named after Valentine who was a priest in the third century Rome. When the emperor decided that single men could become better soldiers than those with wives, he didn’t allow marriage.
But Valentine continued to perform marriage ceremonies for young lovers in secret. When his actions were discovered, the emperor sentenced him to death. While in prison, it is said that Valentine fell in love with the daughter of his prison guard. Before his death, he wrote her a letter, which he signed “From your Valentine”, an expression that is still in use today. Valentine died for what he believed in and so he was made a Saint (圣徒), as well as becoming one of history’s most romantic characters.
Nowadays, Valentine’s Day is also popular among Chinese young people. Some students are planning to make Valentine’s cards for parents, teachers and friends. Others want to hold parties at which they will exchange small gifts and eat heart-shaped cakes. The idea is to have fun and encourage people to share in the spirit of St. Valentine.
68. Which of the following is not a custom for a boy to do on Valentine’s Day?
   A. to take his girlfriend out to dinner
   B. to buy his girlfriend flowers and chocolates     
   C. to make Valentine’s cards for teachers and friends
D. to spell out his girlfriend’s name with rose petals
69. Why did the emperor in Rome not allow marriage in his country?
A. Because there were few women in his country at that time.
B. Because he thought men without wives could be better soldiers.
C. Because there wasn’t enough food for so many people.
D. Because he wanted to control the birth rate.
70. Valentine was put into prison because ______.
A. he killed one of the soldiers            B. he stole a lot of food
C. he didn’t obey the emperor’s order       D. he didn’t want to be a soldier
71. The last paragraph mainly tells us ______.
A. students in China send cards to their teachers
B. it is a good idea to celebrate Valentine’s Day in China
C. it is interesting to celebrate Valentine’s Day in China
D. Valentine’s Day is also popular in China now

Sweetest Day is celebrated on the third Saturday in October as a day to make someone happy. It is an occasion which offers all of us an opportunity to remember not only the sick, the aged, and children who have lost their parents, but also friends, workmates, relatives and neighbors whose helpfulness and kindness we have enjoyed.

Over 60 years ago, when a Cleveland man noticed that some people, such as children who lost their parents and patients who lay in bed, too often felt forgotten and neglected, he developed in his mind the idea of showing them that they were remembered. He did this by giving them small gifts. With the help of his friends and neighbors, he gave those people small gifts on a Saturday in October. During the years that followed, other Clevelanders began to take part in the celebration, which came to be called “Sweetest Day”. Over time, the Sweetest Day idea of spreading cheer to the poor, the sick and children who had lost their parents was broadened to include everyone, and became an occasion for remembering others with a kind act or a small gift. Soon the idea spread to other cities all over the USA.

Sweetest Day is not based on any single group’s religious beliefs or on a family relationship. It is a reminder that a thoughtful word or deed enriches life and gives it meaning.

Because for many people remembering takes the form of gift giving, Sweetest Day offers us the opportunity to show others that we care, in a positive way.

1.What is Cleveland?

A. An island.                           B. A country.

C. A city in America.                   D. A village in England.

2.What do most people usually do to show their care to others according to the passage?

A. They give gifts.                 B. They give money.

C. They send regards.              D. They offer help.

3.What can we learn from the first paragraph?

A. Sweetest Day is celebrated on the third Sunday in October.

B. Sweetest Day is just an occasion to care about disabled people.

C. Sweetest Day is an occasion for lovers to express love.

D. Sweetest Day is a day to make others happy.

4.The underlined word “neglected” in the second paragraph means “______”.

A. remembered                       B. hated

C. disappointed                     D. paid little or no attention to  

5.Which of the following has little relationship to Sweetest Day?

A. Visiting sick people of the hospital.

B. Visiting children who have lost their parents.

C. Giving flowers to sweethearts.

D. Giving friends small gifts.

As any homemaker who has tried to keep order at the dinner table knows, there is far more to a family meal than food. Sociologist Michael Lewis has been studying 50 families to find out just how much more.

Lewis and his co-workers carried out their study by videotaping (录像) the families while they ate ordinary meals in their own homes. They found that parents with small families talk actively with each other and their children. But as the number of children gets larger, conversation gives way to the parents’ efforts to control the loud noise they make. That can have an important effect on the children. “In general the more question-asking the parents do, the higher the children’s IQ scores,” Lewis says. “And the more children there are, the less question-asking there is.”

The study also provides an explanation for why middle children often seem to have a harder time in life than their siblings (兄弟姐妹). Lewis found that in families with three or four children, dinner conversation is likely to center on the oldest child, who has the most to talk about, and the youngest, who needs the most attention. “Middle children are invisible,” says Lewis. “When you see someone get up from the table and walk around during dinner, chances are it’s the middle child.” There is, however, one thing that stops all conversation and prevents anyone from having attention: “When the TV is on,” Lewis says, “dinner is a non-event.”

66．The writer’s purpose in writing the text is to _________.

       A．show the relationship between parents and children

       B．teach parents ways to keep order at the dinner table

       C．report on the findings of a study

       D．give information about family problems

67．Parents with large families ask fewer questions at dinner because ____________.

       A．they are busy serving food to their children

       B．they are busy keeping order at the dinner table

       C．they have to pay more attention to younger children

       D．they are tired out having prepared food for the whole family

68．By saying “Middle children are invisible” in Paragraph 3, Lewis means that middle children _________.

       A．have to help their parents to serve dinner

       B．get the least attention from the family

       C．are often kept away from the dinner table

       D．find it hard to keep up with other children

69．Lewis’ research provides an answer to the question _________.

       A．why TV is important in family life

       B．why parents should keep good order

       C．why children in small families seem to be quieter

       D．why middle children seem to have more difficulties in life

70．Which of the following statements would the writer agree to?

       A．It is important to have the right food for children.

       B．It is a good idea to have the TV on during dinner.

       C．Parents should talk to each of their children frequently.

       D．Elder children should help the younger ones at dinner