Twelve-year-old Kitty O’Neil asked her coach, “Let me try.” She was already on the swim team, but this was different. One of the divers had not arrived, and Kitty needed much help. Her coach looked  36   at her. She had been practicing dives, but could she really stand up to the competition? Besides, 37   was completely deaf. Many people thought a person who was deaf wouldn’t be able to dive well. However, Kitty 38  , and she won first place at that swimming meet and went on to win the Junior Olympics in the area.

Kitty began diving with Dr. Sammy Lee, a famous coach and former Olympic diving champion. The teenager went to school in the morning and then spent most afternoons diving. It was  39   work, and Kitty often hit the water the wrong way. However, she was able to 40   practicing. While she was diving , Kitty won many gold medals, but she wanted 41  . Perhaps she learned something from her 42  . Kitty lost her hearing at the age of four months. Because she wanted Kitty to lead a normal life, Kitty’s mother went to college to 43   about teaching people who are deaf. Kitty’s mother finally started a school for those who are deaf.

Kitty’s life was 44  but normal, and as an athlete, Kitty was much bettter than others. When she gave up diving, she wanted danger and adventure. She raced cars, boats, and motorcycles. Many of these 45  usually require at least some hearing. For example many racers judge their speed by the sound of the engine. Kitty did it by  46 .

In 1972 she began to learn doing dangerous action for movies and television. Soon she became one of the   47  women in Hollywood. In 1976 Kitty O’Neil also became the fastest woman in the world in a rocket-powered car that went more than 512 miles per hour.

1.A. up      B. down     C. carefully          D. closely

2.A. she      B. he      C. I           D. it

3.A. worked      B. did    C. practiced    D.  came

4.A. easy      B. usual     C. pleasant     D. hard

5.A. like       B. finish     C. keep     D. begin

6.A. fewer        B. more     C.some      D. many

7.A. father      B. mother    C. coach      D. teacher

8.A. learn      B. read      C. write      D.listen

9.A. something   B. anything   C. nothing   D. everything

10.A. classes     B. meetings    C. activities   D. parties

11.A. listening    B. learning    C. speaking   D. feeling

12.A. latest       B. fastest      C. prettiest   D. busiest

 

The most frightening words in the English language are, "Our computer is down." You hear it more and more when you are in business. The other day I was at the airport waiting for a ticket to Washington and the girl in the ticket office said, "I'm sorry,, I can't sell you a ticket. Our computer is down."

"If your computer is down, just write me out a ticket."

"I can't write you out a ticket. The computer is the only one allowed to do so."

　 I looked down the counter（柜台） and every passenger was just standing there drinking coffee and looking at the black screen. Then I asked her, "What do you do?"

　 "We give the computer the information about your trip and then it tells us whether you can fly

with us or not."

　 "So when it goes down, you go down with it."

　 "That's right, sir."

　 "How long will the computer be down?" I wanted to know.

　 "I have no idea. Sometimes it's down for 10 minutes, sometimes for two hours. There is no way we can find out without asking the computer, and since it's down it won't answer us."

　 After the girl told me they had no backup(备用) computer, I said, "Let's forget the computer. What about your planes'? They're still flying, aren't they?"

　 "I couldn't tell without asking the computer."

　 "Maybe I could just go to the gate and ask the pilot if he's flying to Washington," I suggested.

"I wouldn't know what gate to send you to. Even if the pilot was going to Washington, he couldn't take you if you didn't have a ticket."

"Is there any other flight to Washington within the next few hours?"

"I wouldn't know," she said, pointing at the dark screen. "Only 'IT' knows. "IT' can't tell me."

By this time there were quite a few people standing in line. The word spread to other travelers that the computer was down. Some people left without a word, some people started to cry and still others kicked their luggage（行李）.

26. What could the girl in the ticket office do for the passengers without asking the computer?

　　 A. She could answer questions.　　　 B. She could do nothing.

　　 C. She could sell a ticket.　　　　　　 D. She could write out a ticket.

27. Which of the following is true according to the passage?

　　 A. The girl didn't want to sell the writer a ticket

　　 B. The computer would be OK in just 10 minutes.

　　 C. If the writer didn't have a ticket, the pilot wouldn't take him

　 D. The writer could go to the gate and ask the pilot to take him to Washington.

28. The last paragraph suggests that _______.

　　 A. sometimes a computer may make people suffer

　　 B. computers can take the place of humans

　　 C. nothing can be done without a computer.

　　 D. no one can keep calm when computers break down

29. Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?

A. When in trouble, ask the computer to help you

B. The computer system of the airport

C. Getting help from others when the computer is down

D. An unpleasant experience for a passenger at an airport

I’ve been working in a school for more than twenty years. Many parents often ask me, “How can you teach your child good study skills? How can he or she get the homework done as quickly as possible?” Here are some tips:  
1. If the child is as young as nine or ten, ask him or her to prepare a small notebook to write down the homework given by his or her teachers. By developing this habit, he or she will learn to be much more responsible (负责的).
2. Find a good place to study. This should be a quiet place that is free from everything but study things. No games, radios, or televisions. Once you have decided on a place to study, this should be the only place where your child does his or her homework and studies. There should also be a very specific time for homework to be done. Usually, homework should be done as soon as the child gets home from school. This also goes for the kids who take part in after-school activities. Of course, it is a good idea to allow the child to have a healthy snack before the work begins.
3. Also remember that it is the child’s duty to do his or her homework. Some children give up easily and go to Mom and Dad for help when they have a problem. Try to let them solve it first. By doing this, they will get a sense of success from overcoming problems. In this way we help them to help themselves.
【小题1】Asking the kids to keep a notebook to remember their homework will make them ______.

A．remember more	B．learn more
C．more responsible	D．more interested in studying

【小题2】The place where the children study must ________.

A．be free for everything

B．have a TV set and a computer

C．be quiet, bright and free from things for entertainment

D．be big, clean and tidy

【小题3】What does the underlined word “overcoming” mean in the passage?

A．Forgetting.

B．Leaving.

C．Realizing.

D．Beating.

【小题4】According to the passage, the children should _____ when they have trouble with their homework.

A．ask their parents for help	B．try to solve the problems by themselves
C．wait for their teachers’ help	D．put it away and have a snack

【小题5】This passage is written _________.

A．for parents to help their children study well

B．for the children who want to improve their work

C．for teachers to teach their students

D．for housewives to make their kids happy

How much should you save? You may be able to save 100% of your money. Does that mean you should? Not at all. The best way to develop good saving habits is to make saving a regular part of your life, along with spending.
Here is the rule you should remember: save before spending. Whenever some money gets into your hands, from a job or your pocket money or whatever, take your savings out immediately, before spending any of the money. The beauty of this system is that if you take away your savings, you are free to spend the rest.
Here are some more suggestions on how to successfully get into the saving habit from teens. Let’s see!
Tony,13: I put my money in a bank instead of my wallet, so the money is not there. And I have to take an extra step to get it.
Bill,14: When considering a major purchase(购买), wait a week or so, at least. This will help you make sure if you still want it, and the price might go down.
Dick, 13: Carry very little money always. You can’t spend money if you don’t have it. A cake would be nice, but without a dollar, you can’t get it. Little things like that really add up quickly.
Steve,16: I used to be weak when it came to money. I bought something whenever I went into a store. I’m glad I’m not that person now. I taught myself discipline by keeping a $20 bill in my pocket while waking around the mall all day and not buying anything. Now I have no strong wish to buy things when I go into a store. It works for me.
These ideas should help you get started. If you have some questions about anything you’ve read here, or would like to share your ideas about saving money, please write to us.
【小题1】How does Tony advise you about saving money?

A．By keeping money in a bank.

B．By putting money in a wallet.

C．By making it easy to get your money.

D．By buying little things.

【小题2】According to Billy, if you want to buy something expensive, you’d better_________.

A．wait at least a month

B．make sure it’s necessary

C．wait until it’s for sale

D．ask somebody for help

【小题3】According to the passage, Steve is the person who _______.

A．didn’t carry any money

B．can’t wait to spend his money now

C．didn’t use to buy anything in a store

D．doesn’t spend money quickly and carelessly now

【小题4】Where is the passage most probably from?

A．A dictionary

B．The instructions

C．A newspaper

D．An advertisement.

【小题5】The writer wrote the passage in order to ask teens to_______.

A．make major purchases

B．save 100% of their money

C．spend all their savings regularly

D．save money regularly as well as spending