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The family man?

Father was a hardworking man who tried his best to support his wife and three

children. He spent all his evenings attending classes, hoping to improve himself

so that he could one day find a better-paid job, except for Sundays. Father hardly ate

a meal together with his family. He worked and studied very hard because he wanted

to provide his family with the best things that money could buy.

Whenever the family complained that he was not spending enough time with them, he reasoned that he was doing all this for them. But he often wished to spend more time with his family.

The day came when the examination results were announced. To his joy, Father passed with a good mark! Soon after , he was offered a good job as a senior supervisor (主管), which paid quite well.

However, the family still did not get to see Father for most of the week. He continued to work very hard, hoping to get the position of manager. Again, whenever the family complained that he was not spending enough time with them, he reasoned that he was doing all this for them. But he often wished to spend more time with his family.

Father’s hard word paid off and he was promoted(提升). Excitedly, he decided to hire a maid

so his wife did not have to do the housework any more. He also felt that their three-room flat was not longer big enough, and it would be nice for his family to be able to enjoy the comfort of a condominium(公寓). Having experienced the rewards of his hard work many times before, Father decided to further his studies and work at being promoted again. The family still did not get to see much of him again.

As expected, father’s hard work paid off again and he bought a beautiful condominium near the coast of Singapore. On the first Sunday evening in their new home, father told his family that he had decided not to take any more courses or pursue(追求) any more promotions. From then on he was going to spend more time with his family.

Father did not wake up the next day.

1.Father worked seven days a week, didn’t he ?

2.Why did father work and study hard?

3.What was father’s first well-paid job?

4.What did the family complain about father?

5.Where did father manager to buy a beautiful condominium for his family?

6.Do you want to have the “father”in your family? Why or not?

 

When I was seven years old my mom was diagnosed(诊断) with cancer. The doctors told us my mom might be saved with surgery(手术). But it could also kill her. She chose to have it.
The day before the surgery I was off school, and my mom planned the best day of my life, everything I loved at seven and everything that would put a smile on my face. The day began with her waking me up saying, “Kate, I have a surprise for you. Come and see.” The surprise was a doll I had wanted for the longest time. Throughout the day, she told me everything that she thought I would need to know to grow up and be a good person; she told me to be the best I could be and that I would always make her proud. We had a picnic in the park, and it was so cold that we moved to the car. The day was filled with laughter. For the first time in a long time I could see she was really happy. I would never forget her smile, or the way her eyes shone as if we were the same age. It was the best day of my life, and I will never forget the conversations we shared.
My mother managed to live through the surgery. Now when I look back, I realize that the best day of my life could be her last and this could be the last day I would remember with her, the last one we shared. I also understand how unselfish a mother is.
【小题1】 Who made the decision to have the surgery in the story?

A．The doctors.

B．The patient.

C．The writer.

D．The patient’s family.

【小题2】What did the writer’s mother do the day before the surgery?

A．She stayed at home to have a good rest.

B．She went to the doctor’s for advice.

C．She turned to her family for comfort.

D．She stayed all day with her child.

【小题3】 Why was the writer’s mother happy that day?

A．Because she left her child a special memory.

B．Because she realized her child had grown up.

C．Because she was proud of what her child had done.

D．Because she expected the surgery to be successful.

【小题4】The underlined sentence in the last paragraph suggests that ______.

A．her mother was ill again	B．the surgery was unsuccessful
C．her mother was getting better	D．the surgery was simple

【小题5】 Which of the following words best describes the writer’s mother?

A．Hardworking.

B．Famous.

C．Rich.

D．Great.

Did you visit the Shanghai World Expo last summer? What impressed (给……留下印象)  you? 21st Century Kids invites four kids to talk about their experiences. They are back from the Expo. What did they bring us? Let’s see what they have to say.

I went to the SAIC-GM Pavilion (上汽集团通用汽车馆). I found my dream car there. It is a green car. Its name is “Leaf”. Chinese engineers made the car. Its roof is in the shape of a leaf. The roof takes in CO₂ and changes it into electricity for the car.

The Japan Pavilion is full of high technology. The “Wonder Camera” is cool. It can find a smiling face in a crowd. When you’re smiling, it takes a photo of you. I want to invent something like that in the future.

My favorite pavilion is the Germany Pavilion. I watched the Energy Source show. Visitors made a ball swing back and forth (来回摇摆) by using only their voices. It’s amazing! Although we had waited for quite a long time before we entered the hall, I think it is well worth seeing with your own eyes.

I like painting, so my parents took me to the France Pavilion to see the famous paintings. But the French cooks caught my eye. I saw them cook. My mom told me that they are some of the best cooks in the world. The dish they cooked looked like a painting. So, being a cook is my second dream job.

1.The 21st Century Kids seems to be _____.

A．a travel service                         B．a newspaper

C．a group of tourists                       D．four children

2. What does the underlined word “electricity” mean in the passage?

A．电               B．汽油             C．灯光             D．指示

3. What activity did the writer experience in the France Pavilion?

A．Using the “Wonder Camera”

B．Driving the green car “Leaf”.

C．To have delicious French dishes.

D．To see cooks painting.

4. What made the ball in the Germany Pavilion swing?

A．Visitors’ smiling faces                   B．CO₂ from cars

C．Some secret power                      D．Noise made by visitors

5. The trip to the Shanghai World Expo made the four kids _____.

A．hardworking and polite                   B．amazed and frightened

C．patient and cheerful                     D．excited and curious

 

My brother is    a hardworking student that he always gets high marks.

A. so    B. very    C. such    D. too

 

You want to know about my staying in America, right? Well, to tell you the truth, it is really an eye-opening experience to study here.
In China, I had English classes five times a week since fifth grade. However, I didn’t know how different textbook English could be from everyday English until I came to Hotchkiss School, Connecticut.
When I first studied English, I was told to say,” I am fine” when people say “How are you?” But in the US, I found that people say, “I am good” or “I’m tired”.
One day, someone greeted me with “What’s up?” It made me confused . I thought for a moment and then smiled because I didn’t know what to say.
Since then, I have discovered more and more differences between Chinese and US cultures.
To my surprise, US girls spend a lot of time in the burning sun to get a tan(晒黑). However, in China, girls try every possible way to get their skin paler, or “whiter”.
I was also surprised by how hardworking US students are.  In China, schoolwork is almost everything, so we study hard and that’s it. But here, a “good” student gets good grades, does a lot for the public and plays sports or music.
The kids here are so talented, I am starting to be sorry that I gave up playing the piano at an early age and that I have never thought about sports.
【小题1】 What does the word “confused” in the fourth paragraph mean in Chinese ?

A．困惑

B．憧憬

C．悲痛

D．后悔

【小题2】A good US student spends his / her time ______ .

A．only in doing homework

B．on studies, sports or music and public work

C．only in working for the public

D．only on sports or music

【小题3】Which of the following is NOT true ?

A．The writer is now in US.

B．American girls love to have white skin.

C．US students are talented and hard working.

D．The writer regrets that he gave up playing the piano.