-
I’ve loved my mother’s desk since I was just tall enough to see above the top of it as mother sat doing letters. Standing by her chair, looking at the ink bottle, pens, and white paper, I decided that the act of writing must be the more wonderful thing in the world.
Years later, during her final illness, mother kept different things for my sister and brother. “But the desk,” she’d said again, “it’s for Elizabeth.”
I never saw her angry, never saw her cry. I knew she loved me; she showed it in action. But as a young girl, I wanted heart-to-heart talks between mother and daughter.
They never happened. And a gulf opened between us. I was “too emotional(易动感情的)”. But she lived “on the surface”.
As years passed I had my own family. I loved my mother and thanked her for our happy family. I wrote to her in careful words and asked her to let me know in any way she chose that she did forgive me.
I posted the letter and waited for her answer. None came.
My hope turned to disappointment, then little interest and, finally, peace— it seemed that nothing happened. I couldn’t be sure that the letter had even got to mother. I only knew that I had written it, and I could stop trying to make her into someone she was not.
Now the present of her desk told, as she’d never been able to, that she was pleased that writing was my chosen work. I cleaned the desk carefully and found some papers inside —a photo of my father and a one-page letter, folded and refolded many times.
Give me an answer, my letter asks, in any way you choose. Mother, you always chose the act that speaks louder than words.
1.The passage shows that ______.
A.mother was cold on the surface but kind in her heart to her daughter
B.mother was too serious about everything her daughter had done
C.mother cared much about her daughter in words
D.mother wrote to her daughter in careful words
2.The word “gulf” in the passage means ______.
A.deep understanding between the old and the young
B.different ideas between the mother and the daughter
C.free talks between mother and daughter
D.part of the sea going far in land
3.What did mother do with her daughter’s letter asking forgiveness?
A.She had never received the letter.
B.For years, she often talked about the letter.
C.She didn’t forgive her daughter at all in all her life.
D.She read the letter again and again till she died.
4.What’s the best title of the passage?
A.My letter to Mother B.Mother and Children
C.My mother’s Desk D.Talks between Mother and Me
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
-
Do you know the following expressions?
Homeric laughter
The “Homer” in this expression is the Greek poet who wrote The Iliad and the Odyssey. People laugh differently. Some laugh silently, while others tend to laugh loudly. “Homeric laughter” refers to laughter of the latter (后者) kind. It is at times uncontrollable, and the entire body shakes during the process. This kind of laughter is called Homeric laughter because this is how the gods laughed in Homer’s classics.
Faustian bargain
According to most stories, Faust was a German scholar who was rather unhappy with his life. The devil( 魔 鬼 ), Mephistopheles, promises him that in return for his soul, he will give Faust unlimited power and knowledge. Faust agrees and experiences all kinds of pleasures, but, in the end, his soul is condemned to the hell (下地狱). A “Faustian bargain” therefore is a deal that finally results in one's ruin. It means a bargain made for temporary gain without taking future consequences into consideration.
A three-ring circus (马戏团)
When you refer to a situation as being a three-ring circus, you are saying that it is a situation of complete confusion. There are so many activities taking place all together that they leave you confused or annoyed. The expression comes from the world of entertainment — the circus. The area where the artists perform their acts is called the “ring”. In the past, some of the circuses were so grand that they had three acts taking place simultaneously in three different “rings”. The audience had to decide which “ring” they wanted to focus on.
In the swim (of things)
When someone is in the swim of things, the individual is actively participating in the things happening around him, as in “I've been ill, but soon I'll be back in the swim of things.” In the world of fishing, fishermen use the word “swim” to refer to the section of the lake/river where fish can be found in plenty. So, if you are a fisherman and wish to catch a lot of fish, where would you be? You would be “in the swim”!
1.According to the text, Homeric laughter _______.
A.was the way Homeric laughed
B.means nervous, silent laughter
C.is a way to show disagreement
D.comes from a Greek poet’s works
2.If a person makes a Faustian bargain, _______.
A.he might come to a bad end
B.he would be considered clever
C.his life would become satisfying
D.he would gain power and knowledge
3.What does the underlined word “simultaneously” most probably mean?
A.All of a sudden. B.Little by little.
C.At the same time. D.One after another.
4.What do we learn about the expression “in the swim (of things)”?
A.It means having a lot of things to do．
B.It has nothing to do with swimming．
C.Originally it was used to refer to "going fishing"．
D.Patients use it to express their desire for health.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
-
Throughout Europe golf has been popular for many years. A recent report says that in Great Britain alone, 700 new golf courses (球场) will have to be built over the next ten years to satisfy people’s demand.
This is all good news for golf lovers, but it worries those who want to protect the environment. Their argument is that the new courses are disturbing the balance of nature. Woods, ponds and fields are being dug up to make way for the courses. The birds and animals that used to live there are being killed or forced to leave. The amount of water that a club uses to keep its course in good condition is reducing the amount of water available for industrial and other uses. The chemicals used to control insects are sinking into the underground water.
There may be some truth in this, but it is not the whole truth. The days are long past when building of any kind was allowed in beautiful places with no thought for the environment. Planning permission, nowadays, is as strict for golf courses as it is for any other type of development. Before any such project is given the go-ahead, many factors are studied. It is only when it is clear that no harm will be done to the area that the builders are allowed to move in.
A strong case can even be made that golf courses are actually good for the areas where they are built. Courses are built in areas which are not areas of natural beauty. The new courses often make the area livelier. To make holes more difficult, trees are planted and lakes are filled in around greens. Not surprisingly perhaps, it is not unusual to find that, within months of a course being completed, a whole variety of animals and birds have moved in.
Obviously, careful thought has to go into the design of the new courses. As few changes as possible should be made to the natural environment. The wild-life and woods should also be protected. But this can be, and is being, done. There is no reason why golfers and nature cannot live peacefully together.
1.What is TRUE about building a new golf course nowadays?
A.It takes up too much land.
B.A lot of trees have to be cut down.
C.It is easy to get planning taken into consideration.
D.Many things will be taken into consideration.
2.What can we infer from Paragraph 4?
A.That a whole variety of animals and birds have moved in the courses is uncommon.
B.Only when it is clear that no harm will be done to the area, are the builders allowed to move in.
C.Golf courses could make local areas look beautiful.
D.Golf courses’ construction wastes too much water and money.
3.Which of the following shows the structure (结构) of the text? (P=paragraph)
A.
B.
C.
D.
难度: 困难查看答案及解析
-
An abandoned car in Chicago worth about $600 has been issued more than $100, 000 in parking tickets (罚单) over the past three years. Now Jennifer Fitzgerald, 31, is stuck with the bill but says the 1999 Chevy Monte Carlo actually belongs to an ex-boyfriend who registered (登记注册) the car in her name without informing her.
The Expired Meter ( 停车计时器) reports that from May 23, 2009 to April 30, 2012, the Chicago Department of Finance (DOF) issued 678 tickets against the car, totaling $105, 761.80. It set a Chicago record both for the total number and amount of parking fines issued. In fact, it blew past the previous record holder, which was $65,000 from about 400 tickets.
But Fitzgerald says she doesn’t owe the city a dime (10 分硬币) and has filed a lawsuit (诉讼 ) in Cook County Circuit Court against the city of Chicago, United Airlines and the ex-boyfriend. Fitzgerald has two main arguments in her case. First, she says her ex-boyfriend, Brandon Preveau, is the actual owner of the car, having bought it from her uncle for $600 in 2008. In fact, Brandon paid for the car’s title (所有权), registration and insurance, but it was registered in Fitzgerald’s name. “Brandon used his 2007 income tax refund ( 退 款 ) to pay Patrick $600 for the car,” reads Fitzgerald’s complaint. “For reasons not recalled by Patrick, however, Patrick signed the title to the car over to Fitzgerald.”
Second, Fitzgerald’s lawyer is arguing that the city should have simply towed (拖走) the car after 30 days from O’Hare Airport, where it was parked and where Brandon worked at the time. According to Fitzgerald’s complaint, on or before November 17, 2009, Brandon drove the car into the parking lot and never drove it out again. And as the Expired Meter reports, Chicago law does state exactly that an abandoned vehicle is to be towed 30 days after being illegally parked.
1.After the Chicago Department of Finance noticed the car, it _______.
A.wanted to break a record
B.tried its best to find its owner
C.kept issuing tickets against the car
D.decided to play a joke on its owner
2.From Paragraph 3, we know that Jennifer Fitzgerald _______.
A.sold the car to her ex-boyfriend long ago
B.received the car from her ex-boyfriend
C.didn’t know anything about the car
D.wasn’t the real owner of the car
3.Jennifer Fitzgerald filed a lawsuit against the city of Chicago because the city _______.
A.didn’t inform her as soon as it found the missing car
B.didn’t tow the vehicle after 30 days from O’Hare Airport
C.didn’t state exactly that an abandoned vehicle was to be towed
D.didn’t help her find the car when it was missing in the beginning
4.After reading the passage we learn that Jennifer Fitzgerald _______.
A.doesn’t want to pay any money
B.thinks Patrick should pay the fines
C.isn’t trying to find her ex-boyfriend
D.has never been to O’Hare Airport
难度: 困难查看答案及解析