In the kitchen of my mother’s houses there has always been a wooden stand（木架）with a small notepad（記事本）and a hole for a pencil.

I’m looking for paper on which to note down the name of a book I am recommending to my mother. Over forty years since my earliest memories of the kitchen pad and pencil, five houses later, the current paper and pencil look the same as they always did. Surely it can’t be the same pencil? The pad is more modern, but the wooden stand is definitely the original one.

“I’m just amazed you still have the same stand for holding the pad and pencil after all these years.” I say to her, walking back into the living-room with a sheet of paper and the pencil. “You still use a pencil. Can’t you afford a pen?”

My mother replies a little sharply. “It works perfectly well. I’ve always kept the stand in the kitchen. I never knew when I might want to note down an idea, and I was always in the kitchen in these days.”

Immediately I can picture her, hair wild, blue housecoat covered in flour, a wooden spoon in one hand, the pencil in the other, her mouth moving silently. My mother smiles and says, “One day I was cooking and watching baby Pauline, and I had a brilliant thought, but the stand was empty. One of the children must have taken the paper. So I just picked up the breadboard and wrote it all down on the back. It turned out to be a real breakthrough for solving the mathematical problem I was working on.”

This story—which happened before I was born—reminds me how extraordinary my mother was, and is, as a gifted mathematician. I feel embarrassed that I complain about not having enough child-free time to work. Later, when my mother is in the bathroom, I go into her kitchen and turn over the breadboards. Sure enough, on the back of the smallest one, are some penciled marks I recognize as mathematics. Those symbols have traveled unaffected through fifty years, rooted in the soil of a cheap wooden breadboard, invisible（看不到的）exhibits at every meal.

1．Why has the author’s mother always kept the notepad and pencil in the kitchen?

       A．To leave messages.

       B．To list her everyday tasks.

       C．To note down maths problems.

       D．To write down a flash of inspiration.

2．What is the author’s original opinion about the wooden stand?

       A．It has great value for the family.

       B．It needs to be replaced by a better one.

       C．It brings her back to her lonely childhood.

       D．It should be passed on to the next generation.

3．The author feels embarrassed for       .

       A．blaming her mother wrongly.

       B．giving her mother a lot of trouble.

       C．not making good use of time as her mother did.

       D．not making any breakthrough in her field.

4．What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

       A．The mother is successful in her career.

       B．The family members like traveling.

       C．The author had little time to play when young.

       D．The marks on the breadboard have disappeared.

5．In the author’s mind, her mother is      .

       A．strange in behavior.

       B．keen on her research.

       C．fond of collecting old things.

       D．careless about her appearance.

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科目：高中英語 來源：2013屆河北省衡水中學高三第一次調(diào)研考試英語試卷（帶解析） 題型：閱讀理解

To Whom It May Concern:
On March 5, 2012 , I bought a Perfect Muffin Kit(松餅粉 ) from your store at Midfield Shopping Center. The cashier who assisted me was George. George was very friendly and told me that the Perfect Muffin Kit would live up to the guarantee on the box: “Perfect Muffins Every Time!”.
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I would appreciate a full refund(退款 ) of $3.99 for this product as soon as possible. Enclosed are the receipt, the empty box, and one of the un-perfect muffins so that you can experience it for yourself . Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely ,
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【小題1】This letter is most likely addressed to _______.

A．a(chǎn) local storeowner
B．the owner of the muffin mix company
C．the clerk at a local muffin bakery
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【小題3】the author was unhappy with the product because________.
A．the directions of the product contained a mistake
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D．it was worth less money than she paid for it
【小題4】The author’s main purpose in writing this letter is to ________.
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B．persuade the company to change the wording on their box
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科目：高中英語 來源：2011-2012學年河北省衡水中學高一下學期期末考試英語試卷（帶解析） 題型：閱讀理解

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Teach family members how to turn off gas or water lines or electrical power that may need to be shut off after a quake if severe damage occurs.

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Pack a preparedness kit(衣物裝備) and keep it in a safe location. In a major earthquake, it’s possible that you won’t be able to get into your house. Keep supplies in your car trunk or an outside storage shed if possible. Pack whatever your family is likely to need, enough for three days to a week, including food, water, medication, first aid and personal hygiene supplies, flashlights, a portable radio, blankets, clothes and shoes, cash, or camp stove, candles, matches or lighters, and a whistle.

Consider earthquake insurance for your home if you live in an earthquake-prone area. Regular homeowner’s insurance doesn’t cover earthquake damage.

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A. likely to suffer                 B. frequent to explore 

C. regular to measure              D. impossible to experience

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C. avoid power lines              D. sit on the ground

3. We can learn from the passage that_________.

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C. family members should meet in their home after an earthquake

D. people suffering earthquakes often should buy earthquake insurance

4.What would be the best title for the passage?

A. How to Keep Safe in an Earthquake

B. How to Prepare for an Earthquake

C. Who Can Help Us After an Earthquake?

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B. Because the author didn’t trust William.

C. Because the author hurt himself severely.

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科目：高中英語 來源：2011-2012學年廣東省惠州市高三第二次調(diào)研考試英語題 題型：閱讀理解

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His mother’s face looked frightened, broken. Not the cool, bright face he saw earlier. Her lips moved nervously. She looked very old. There were tears in her eyes.

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

   A．Alfred tried to sound big to hide his fear.

   B．It was the first time Alfred had stolen anything.

   C．Mr. Carr set a trap to catch Alfred stealing.

   D．Mr. Carr had planned to forgive Alfred from the beginning.

2.What does the underlined word “disarmed” probably mean?

   A．a(chǎn)nnoyed                               B．convinced

   C．got over                              D．made less angry

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    A．how angry she was                    B．how effectively she handled Mr．Carr

    C．that she didn't cry                       D．that she was able to save him

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    A．She was very strict with him．                           B．She was supportive of him．

    C．She felt disappointed with him．                         D．She was afraid of him．

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    C．felt guilty and regretful for his deed           D．wanted his mother to be happy

 

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