Amy returned to her small apartment at midnight, exhausted. Pushing the key into the lock, she quietly opened the door so as not to wake her younger brothers. She stepped into the front room and froze. The apartment was a mess: plates of half-eaten food were scattered in front of the TV; toys littered the floor; clothes, shoes and homework were strewn everywhere. Amy’s eyes welled with tears. This is just way too much for me, she thought. Her worst fears began to race through her mind. Would the court（法院）tell her she couldn’t care for her family anymore? Would the kids go through the bitterness once more of being split up and sent away? She was so young, almost a child herself, and yet Amy knew everything depended on her. At that moment, she wondered if she would ever find the strength to see it through

Amy had been born dead. Doctors fought and saved this smaller twin of a drug-taking mother, and she’d had to fight for everything in life ever since. From earliest childhood, Amy took care of her younger brothers. Jan, their mother, only added to the family disorder and confusion. Sometimes they lived in apartments, sometimes in shelters.

One afternoon Amy was called to the high school, where a social worker was waiting for her. “We know your mother has been staying with you,” the social worker said. “We’re going to have to put you guys in foster （收養(yǎng))）care.” “No! Don’t split us up!” the girl cried out. “Can’t you just leave it the way it is?” The social worker shook his head. Amy’s voice then rose like the howl of a lioness protecting her babies: “Why can’t I take them? I take care of them all the time anyway.” The social worker hesitated, and then said, “Maybe. Once you’re 18, you could apply to become their relative caretaker. Then you’d be their foster mother until we find a home where all of you can be together.” “I’ll do it,” Amy said.

One month later, Amy was named guardian（監(jiān)護(hù)人）of her brothers for a six-month trial period. It was a remarkable victory for an 18-year-old girl. Her brothers didn’t make her task any easier in the months ahead. However，Amy’s efforts were rewarded when the court allowed her to continue as guardian. Amy’s relief at remaining the kids’ guardian was at risk of being taken away by the pressure she always felt to measure up. Social workers still looked regularly over her shoulder and asked the boys shameful questions: “Does she feed you? Does she ever try to harm you?” Then one day a visiting social worker came over. “We’d like to get the boys out of foster care and adopted into homes,” she said. Sensing that the family was about to be split apart yet again, Amy replied, “Fine, then. Call it adoption if you want, but they’re not going anywhere.” To her surprise, the social worker took her remark seriously. She explained that if Amy were to adopt the boys, they would become like any other family.

That night at dinner Amy told the boys about the idea. “Cool!” Joey said. He threw a piece of corn at Adam. His brother flicked it back, and pretty soon corn was flying. Amy rolled her eyes. They didn’t have far to go to be like any other family. As the proceedings（程序）ended, Amy thanked everyone. “No,” the judge responded, “thank you. You saved three kids. Not many family members would do what you’re doing, especially for this many children. I’m very proud of you.” 

On a lazy spring day, in a modest suburban neighborhood, Amy stood in front of a neatly kept one-story house. She watched her brothers playing basketball, and heard the playful bark of their dog, Tahoe. The young lady had made good on her promise: they had rented a home, a real home, and the boys had gotten their dog. Amy continues to raise her family alone, but has begun taking courses in business management at a nearby community college. Eventually, she hopes to become a child psychologist.

1.Which of the following best describes Amy?

A．Crazy and tough.                        B．Firm and stubborn.

C．Enthusiastic and generous.                D．Abnormal and aggressive.

2.What was bothering Amy most in the passage?

A．The mess in her apartment.

B．Her family being split up again.

C．Working hard to support the family.

D．Her young age to take care of her brothers.

3.From the Paragraph 3, we can learn that __________.

A．The social worker gave in to Amy.

B．The social worker tried to adopt Amy’s brothers.

C．Amy tried to apply for the guardian of the brothers.

D．Amy had no idea how to face her family being split up.

4.By saying “They didn’t have far to go to be like any other family”, the writer means________.

A．they will live in the same area as other families.

B．they made a deep impression on the neighborhood.

C．Amy is able to take good care of the family.

D．Amy and her brothers would be already just like a family.

5.The best title for this text would be___________. 

A．Standing On Two Feet                    B．Growing Up Alone

C．A Lifelong Fight                         D．A Teen Hero

 

A young and successful executive was traveling down a street , going a bit too fast in his new car; He was         for kids rushing out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something.

       his car passed a brick        the car’s side door, He pressed hard the         and spun the car back to the         from where the brick had been thrown,.

He jumped out of the car,        a kid and pushed him up        a parked car,shouting,”what was that all about and who are you? Just what the heck are you doing?”        more and more angry, he wen on “That’s a new car and that brick you threw is gonna        a lot of money, Why did you do it?””P(pán)lease ,mister,please,I’m sorry, Ididn’t know what else to do!”      the youngster, “It’s my brother”,he said ,”He fell out of his wheelchair and I can’t        him up”,Sobbing ,the boy asked the executive, “Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair?”He’s hurt and he’s too heavy for me.”

      beyond words, the driver tried to       the rapidly swelling lump(塊)in his throat, He       the young man back into the wheelchair and took out his       and wiped the scrapes (擦傷)and cuts,      to see that everything was going to be okay.

“Thank you ,sir, And God bless you,”the       child said to him ,The man then watched the little boy      bis brother to the sidewalk toward their home.

It was a long slow walk back to his car, He never did       the side door ,He kept the dent(凹痕)to remind him not to go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at you to get your      .

1.A、looking              B、watching               C、caring                    D、waiting

2.A、Before                        B、After                     C、as                           D、while

3.A、hit                     B、blocked                C、dropped               D、scratched

4.A、hit                      B、brakes                            C、brick                      D、wheel

5.A、spot                   B、which                    C、that                        D、this

6.A、saw                    B、found                    C、stopped                D、grabbed

7.A、on                      B、in                           C、against                  D、towards

8.A、Remaining                  B、Growing                C、Building up           D、Making up

9.A、cost                    B、spend                    C、use                        D、take

10.A、begged                     B、required               C、asked                    D、wondered

11.A、get                            B、pick                        C、lift                          D、put

12.A、Worried                   B、Depressed           C、Moved                  D、Surprised

13.A、chew                        B、melt                       C、spit                        D、swallow

14.A、helped                     B、pulled                   C、held                       D、took

15.A、medicine                 B、handkerchief       C、belt                        D、money

16.A、demanding              B、expecting             C、checking               D、wanting

17.A、delighted                 B、sad                         C、helpless                D、grateful

18.A、push                         B、bring                     C、hand                      D、raise

19.A、recovery                  B、repair                    C、reform                           D、record

20.A、information             B、help                       C、attention              D、notice

 

We can stay young forever. That is the message Dr. Shen Ziyin wants to give the world. And the Chinese doctor claims that he has found an answer to the problems of aging.

His solution is a herbal medicine to slow the process of aging.

Dr. Shen Ziyin has been trained in Western medicine. At the same time he studied traditional Chinese medicine. And, he has been working for the past forty years to put together the best of both and find a cure for aging. He has taken a hint from the ancient Chinese medicine system called “shen”.

According to Shen, it is the kidney（腎臟）which adjusts the functioning of the body as well as its aging process. It is responsible for the level of activity that the human bodies go through. Studies conducted by Dr. Shen show that herbal medicine based on the shen system slow the aging process, says a report in The Telegraph newspaper.

We notice that when people grow old, they have reduced strength, loss of hair, backache, weakness in general, and wrinkles, among others. This happens because when people grow old, their bodies produce T-cells. These T-cells contain a particular substance called Fas. Fas makes the cells in the body destruct themselves.

So the only way to slow down aging is to slow the production of T-cells in the body. This can happen if people eat low calorie food. Then the body is not active enough to produce extra T-cells. But, is going hungry all the time a good price to pay for staying young?

This is where Dr. Shen’s herbal medicine comes in. But how effective it will be, only time can tell.

1. How did Dr. Shen find the solution to the problem of aging?

A．By studying Western medicine.

B．By learning traditional Chinese medicine.

C．By combining both Western and Chinese medicine.

D．By doing research on both Western and Chinese people.

2.The reason why people become old is that _________.

A．their bodies produce T-cells

B．their bodies are unable to fight diseases

C．they have reduced strength, loss of hair

D．they become weaker and weaker

3.We can probably learn from the passage that _________.

A．producing more low calorie food allows people to keep young

B．the more Chinese herbal medicine people drink, the better for health

C．people should try to quicken the production of T-cells in the body

D．it remains unknown how effective Dr. Shen’s herbal medicine is

 

About ten years ago, a young and very successful businessman named Josh was traveling down a Chicago neighborhood street. He was going a bit too fast in his shiny, black, 12 cylinder Jaguar XKE, which was only two months old.

He was watching for kids rushing out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something. As his car passed, no child came out, but a brick sailed out and—WHUMP! —it hit the Jag’s shiny black side door! Immediately Josh stopped the car, jumped out, seized the kid and pushed him up against a parked car. He shouted at the kid, “What was that all about and who are you? That’s my new Jag, that brick you threw is gonna cost you a lot of money. Why did you throw it? ”

“Please, mister, please. . . I’m sorry!  I didn’t know what else to do! ” begged the youngster. “I threw the brick because no one else would stop! ” Tears were streaming down the boy’s face as he pointed around the parked car. “It’s my brother, mister” he said. “He rolled off the curb (路沿) and fell out of his wheelchair and I can’t lift him up. ”Sobbing, the boy asked the businessman, “ Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He’s hurt and he’s too heavy for me. ”

Moved beyond words, the young businessman tried hard to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his throat. Straining, he lifted the young man back into the wheelchair and took out his handkerchief and wiped the scrapers and cuts, checking to see that everything was going to be OK. He then watched the younger brother push him down the sidewalk toward their home.

It was a long walk back to the black, shining 12 cylinder Jaguar XKE—a long and slow walk. Josh never did fix the side door of his Jaguar. He kept the dent (凹痕) to remind him not to go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at him to get his attention. Feel for the bricks of life coming at you.

1.The boy threw a brick at the businessman’s car because _____ .

A．the businessman drove at a high speed

B．he envied the brand-new car very much

C．he wanted to get help from the driver

D．he wanted to ask for some money

2.Which of the following is the right order of the story?

a. The younger brother threw a brick at Josh’s car.

b. The elder brother fell out of his wheelchair.

c. The younger brother begged Josh for help.

d. Josh lifted the elder brother back into his wheelchair.

e. Josh shouted at the younger brother.

A．a(chǎn), c, b, e, d                            B．a(chǎn), c, d, b, e

C．b, a, c, e, d                             D．b, a, e, c, d

3.What can we learn from the passage?

A．Josh would accept the money from the kids.

B．Josh was a kind-hearted man

C．The two kids were Josh’s neighbors.

D．Josh’s new car broke down easily.

4.According to the passage, the last sentence means _____ .

A．trying to be more understanding seeing others in trouble

B．driving fast in a neighborhood street is dangerous

C．trying to get ready for the trouble in your future life

D．protecting oneself from being hurt

 

If you intend to apply for admission to this college, you need to     .

complete your high school studies

go through the online application procedure

attend the exams held by the college

I), visit the college admission advisers

Once admitted, most of the students can get    .

A. student loans    B. part - time jobs

C. different scholarships   D. free financial support

The strength of their school learning environment mainly lies in   .

A. innovation and teamwork  B. application and school - based

C. cooperation and competition  D. task - based and school - based

The advertisement is designed for  .

A. US applicants only   B. singaporean students only

C. international students   D. All potential applicants