It was an autumn morning shortly after my husband and I moved into our first house. Our children were upstairs unpacking，and I was looking out of the window at my father moving around mysteriously on the front lawn. “What are you doing out there?” I called to him.

He looked up, smiling. “I’m making you a surprise.’’ I thought it could be just about anything. When we were kids, he always created something surprising for us. Today, however, Dad would say no more ，and caught up in the business of our new life ，I eventually forgot about his surprise.

Until one gloomy day the next March when I glanced out of the window，I saw a dot of blue across the yard. I headed outside for a closer look. They were crocuses (番紅花）throughout the front lawn 一 blue, yellow and my favorite pink ，with little faces moving up and down in the cold wind. I remembered the things Dad secretly planted last autumn. He knew how the darkness and dullness of winter always got me down. What could have been more perfectly timely to my needs?

My father’s crocuses bloomed (開花）each spring for the next five seasons, always bringing the same assurance： Hard times are almost over. Hold on, keep going, and light is coming soon.

Then a spring came with only half the usual blooms and the next spring there were none. I missed the crocuses ，so I would ask Dad to come over and plant new bulbs. But I never did. He died suddenly one October day. My family were in deep sorrow, leaning on our faith.

On a spring afternoon four years later, I was driving back when I felt depressed. It was Dad’s birthday, and I found myself thinking about him. This was not unusual — my family often talked about him, remembering how he lived up to his faith. Suddenly I slowed as I turned into our driveway. I stopped and stared at the lawn. There on the muddy grass with small piles of melting snow ，bravely waving in the wind, was one pink crocus.

How could a flower bloom from a bulb more than 18 years ago, one that hadn’t bloomed in over a decade? But there was the crocus. Tears filled my eyes as I realized its significance.

Hold on, keep going, and light is coming soon. The pink crocus bloomed for only a day, but it built my faith for a lifetime.

1.According to the first three paragraphs, we learn that ______.

A． it kept bothering the author not knowing what the surprise was

B． the author was unpacking when her father was making the surprise

C． it was not the first time that the author’s father had made a surprise

D． the author knew what the surprise was because she knew her father

2.Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?

A． The author usually felt depressed in the season of winter.

B． The author’s father planted the crocuses to lift her low spirits.

C． The author often thought about her father after he died.

D． The crocuses bloomed each spring before her father died.

3.The author’s father should be best described as ______.

A． a part-time worker who loved flowers

B． a kind-hearted man who lived with faith

C． a full-time gardener with skillful hands

D． an ordinary man with doubts in his life

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

A． Crocuses — My Source of Faith           B．Crocuses— Father’s Surprise

C． A Pink Crocus — My Memory            D．Crocuses in Blossom — My Favorite

 

XI’AN – China has introduced various emergency responses and long-term measures against air pollution in the central and eastern regions.

The air quality index (AQI) for Xi’an reached 500 on Wednesday afternoon, at the top of the AQI scale, according to the national air quality monitoring website. Xi’an weather forecasters predict the smog (霧霾) will continue for the next week and air pollution may worsen.

“I have to keep buying masks for my family,” said Liu, buying masks at a pharmacy (藥店) near her home in downtown Xi’an. “This is the only thing we can do to protect ourselves.”

On Wednesday, a city government emergency response plan was put into action, suspending all construction and taking at least 50 percent of government vehicles off the road. Power plants must limit their output and reduce emissions.

Nearly half the country, more than 100 cities in 20 provinces, has suffered from smog since last December. Many have taken action, including experimenting with artificial methods to reduce smog, limiting vehicle use and fining polluters.

Assessments based on GDP alone were abandoned last month and more emphasis has been put on public well-being and the environment. Whether the move will be effective in forcing local governments consider environmental issues over economic growth remains to be seen. Environmental protection professionals are doubtful about the immediacy of the effects of these measures.

Xiao Hang, an urban researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said it took London 50 years to lose the moniker (綽號(hào)) “foggy London town”, and Los Angeles still struggles to control its photochemical (光化學(xué)) smog. “We can’t ignore environmental problems during the development process and China has a long way to go,” he said.

1.What would be the best title for the article?

A. AQI for Xi’an reached 500

B. Smog crisis tries the limits of people’s patience

C. Smoggy Chinese cities to clear the air

D. Dust masks become hot sellers

2.The underlined word “suspending” in Paragraph 4 can be replaced by ________.

A. encouraging                    B. stopping                           C. continuing                       D. expanding

3.We can infer from the article that _________.

A. China is the only country suffering from smog

B. environmental professionals believe the air quality will soon be improved with these measures

C. assessments based on GDP alone were harmful to environmental protection

D. Xi’an was the most polluted city in China

4.What Xiao Hang said indicates _____________.

A. London still has serious air pollution after 50 years of effort

B. the development of China is more important

C. solving environmental problems requires great effort

D. it’s normal for China to have environmental problems

 

Dear Sirs，

Your shipment(裝運(yùn))of twelve thousand“Smart”watches was received by our company this morning．However，we wish to make a number of complaints concerning the serious delay in delivery and your failure to carry out our instructions．   

It was stressed from the beginning that the delivery date had to be less than six weeks. While we appreciate that delays in production are occasionally unavoidable．We must point out that the major reason why the order was placed with your company was that we were assured by you that your existing stocks ensure immediate shipment．Late delivery of the goods has caused us to disappoint several of our most valued customers．a(chǎn)nd is sure to have a negative effect on future orders．

The second complaint concerns the difference in colour．Only half the watches in the delivery received are of the colours we ordered．Our Hong Kong agent assures us that she stressed to you the importance of following our instructions．Since we consider there to be only a limited market in this country for watches of other colours．Any watches that are not of the specified colours will , of course, be returned to you．   

We are also somewhat concerned about the rather poor quality of the goods received．since it is obvious that the watches that finally arrived have been produced from inferior materials and have been made to a lower standard than those in the sample．We have also found that a number of the watches do not appear to be functioning．We should like to point out that we feel this matter to be entirely your responsibility．

As a result of the above problems，therefore，we feel that the most suitable course of action is to return to you unpaid any of the goods considered unsatisfactory，and to deduct(扣除)any costs from our final settlement．We shall also be forced to reconsider whether any further orders should be placed with your company.

We look forward to your immediate reply．

Yours sincerely，

John Smith

1.How many complaints does John Smith make with the“Smart”watch producer?

A．Five．            B．Four．            C．Three．          D．Two．

2.The producer of“Smart”watches were given the order because_________

A．they produced the best watches of its kind in the world

B．the watches would be easy to make and the designs were already prepared

C．they promised they could produce enough stocks quite quickly

D．they claimed the order would be easy since the watches were already in stock

3.Receiving watches in the wrong colours is a problem because_______ 

A．the Hong Kong agent stressed the need to fulfill the order exactly

B．these watches will be difficult to sell．

C． these watches will not be able to get into the limited market

D．people will not buy the watches at present

 

We were on the way from Hutchinson to Chicago for a short spring break. For many years I had wanted to take my family on the train. We all had been to Chicago four years ago, and the kids loved it. Chicago is one of my favorite cities, too, so the thought struck me again last fall to ride the train to Chicago. Of course, flying would have been faster. But I don’t think flying is easier, especially these days, with all the security and waiting in lines at airports.

Though we were tired in the middle of the night, the kids got on the train with the exhilaration of this adventure. “We’re moving,” my son William shouted happily with big eyes as the train began to pull away from the Hutchinson station.

I removed my shoes and lay down to try to finish my night’s sleep. The sleeper car would have better enabled that, but the ordinary train seats were not too bad. An airline flight is a more miserable experience for me: not enough room, two hours of pain with my knees almost touching my chin, the hard seatback in front cracking my kneecaps (膝蓋) with every move of the body planted in front of me. On the train I could almost outstretch all of my 6-foot-2-plus body in the generous legroom.

The journey didn’t feel at all as long as it was. We all found the train ride a joy. The car ride would have felt every minute of 13 hours. But on the train you are free to walk around, sit in the observation carriage for a while and enjoy the scenery out the windows, have a nice meal in the dining car, read a book, or play a board game.

In short, the train is all about enjoying the trip, which isn’t something I do so much when traveling by airline or by car, when the trip seems more of a mission (任務(wù)) to get there than an experience to enjoy along the way.

Chicago offers much to do for a family. This time, getting there was half the fun.

1.We can learn from the first paragraph that _____.

A．the kids love the train journey

B．Chicago is one of the kid’s favorite cities

C．the author didn’t enjoy the long train journey

D．it was the first time that the kids were taken on the train

2.What does the underlined word “exhilaration” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?

A．Excitement.        B．Relaxation.         C．Tiredness.         D．Worry.

3.In the third paragraph, an airline flight experience is mentioned to show _____.

A．a(chǎn)n airline flight is easier                  B．a(chǎn) train ride is too long

C．a(chǎn)n airline flight is miserable                D．a(chǎn) train ride is more comfortable

4.Which of the following words best describes the whole family’s feeling about the train journey?

A．Moved.           B．Delighted.         C．Disappointed.      D．Nervous.

 

On March 5, 2009, Michael Jackson stood in front of crowds of fans. Before screaming fans, he pronounced with pumping arms: “This is it!”

A few months later, Jackson was dead. With the late pop star’s return to radio, television and the cultural events, Forbes judges that Jackson has made $90 million since his death June 25. This figure is based on his royalties（版稅） from album sales, radio play, rights to his name and royalties from his stock in the Sony/ATV music catalog (編目權(quán)).

Jackson’s music was his most easily-seen source in the last months. “Nothing increases the value of an artist than death ... an untimely death,” says Barry Massarsky, a music industry economist.

The music’s immediate value was clear. Since June, Jackson has sold more than 5.9 million albums in the U.S. and another 4.5 million overseas. In the first weeks after his death, there were 5.6 million single downloads across North America, Europe and Australia. Jackson recently has three of the top 20 best-selling albums of the year in the US, according to Nielsen SoundScan. His 2003 hits album Number Ones is the best seller of the year, beating Taylor Swift’s Fearless.

More than 500,000 Jackson ringtones and 100,000 music videos were sold. In the week following his death, songs by The Jackson 5, The Jacksons and Michael were played over 100,000 times on the radio, according to Nielsen BDS.

Jackson’s estate（遺產(chǎn)）will likely see more money by the end of this year, as it has rights to some of the profits from This Is It as well as the two-disc album of the same name. The estate will share 90% of the film profits with AEG.

Ticket sales from an exhibit opening in London will also contribute a likely profit. Hundreds of Jackson’s personal belongings－h(huán)is L.A. Rolls Royce etc－will remain on show for three months at the O2 for fans willing to shell out $25 for a view.

The pop singer bought ATV Publishing, for $47.5 million in 1985. Ten years later, he sold the catalog to Sony for $95 million and took a 50% stock in Sony/ATV, which is now worth about $1.7 to $2 billion. So he still owned half the Sony/ATV catalog at his death.

Jackson’s future earning potential is based on his stock in valuable music and as well as the value of his image（肖像）. As many musicians, actors and artists before him, Jackson’s fame could have a long tail on the market with allowable products, advertising and entertainment events.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What do Barry Massarsky’s words in Paragraph 3 imply?

A. Jackson died at the time as expected.

B. Only at death can an artist become famous.

C. Jackson became more famous at death than when he was alive.

D. Jackson’s unexpected death raised his value as an artist immediately.

All the following is true EXCEPT that _____.

A. “This is it” is the last concert that Jackson gave

B. Jackson has sold 10.4 million albums since June

C. Jackson’s L.A. Rolls Royce is now for show and will finally be sold

D. Jackson’s stock in music and his image will keep on earning money in the future

What can be inferred from the passage?

A. Jackson’s album Number Ones beat Taylor Swift’s Fearless in 2003.

B. Taylor Swift’s Fearless is the second best seller of music albums of 2009.

C. AEG takes in more film profits from “This is it” than Jackson’s estate.

D. More Jackson’s music videos were sold than his ringtones right after his death.

What can we know about the Sony/ATV catalog?

A. Jackson sold ATV catalog to Sony in 1985.

B. Jackson had half right of ATV Publishing at his death.

C. Jackson sold ATV catalog to Sony for $ 47.5 million in 1995.

D. Jackson’s stock in Sony/ATV now has a value of about $ 1.7 billion to 2 billion.

What is the main idea of the passage?

A. Why Michael Jackson’s music is so popular all over the world.

B. How Michael Jackson has earned $90 million in the months since his death.

C. What Michael Jackson’s future earning potential is based on.

D. How much Michael Jackson earned in the first few months after his death.