For years I wanted a flower garden. I spent hours and days thinking of different

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For years I wanted a f

lower garden. I spent hours and days thinking of different things I could plant that would look nice together.
But then we had Matthew. And Marvin. And the twins, Alisa and Alan. And then Helen. Five children. I was too busy raising them to grow a garden.
Money was tight, as well as time. Often when my children were little, one of them would want something that cost too much, and I’d have to say, “Do you see a money tree outside? Money doesn’t grow on trees, you know.”
Finally, all five children got through high school and college and were off on their own. I started thinking again about having a garden.
I wasn’t sure, though. I mean, gardens do cost money, and after all these years I was used to living on a pretty poor, no-frills budget (预算).
Then, one spring morning, on Mother’s day, I was working in my kitchen. Suddenly, I realized that cars were tooting their horns as they drove by. I looked out of the window and there was a new tree, planted right in my yard. I thought it must be a weeping willow, because I saw things blowing around on all its branches. Then I put my glasses on—and I couldn’t believe what I saw. There was a money tree in my yard!
I went outside to look. It was true! There were dollar bills, one hundred of them, tied all over the tree. Think of all the garden flowers I could buy with one hundred dollars! There was also a note attached: “IOU eight hours of digging time. Love, Marvin.”
Marvin kept his promise, too. He dug up a nice ten-by-fifteen foot bed for me. And my other children bought me tools, a trellis (绷架), a sunflower stepping stone and gardening books.
That was three years ago. My garden’s now very pretty, just like what I wanted. When I go out to weed or tend my flowers, I don’t seem to miss my children as much as I once did. It feels like they are right there with me.
I live up in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, where winters are long and cold, and summers are too short. But every year now, when winter sets in, I look out of my window and think of the flowers I’ll see next spring in my little garden. I think about what my children did for me, and I get tears in my eyes---every time.
I’m still not sure that money grows

on trees. But I know love does.
小题1:By saying “Do you see a money tree outside?”, the mother actually means _____.

A．Observation is the best teacher	B．Seeing is believing
C．The outsider sees the most of the game	D．It is not easy to gain money

小题2:The underlined word “no-frills” in the fifth paragraph is similar in meaning to _____.

A．wasteful

B．tight

C．deserted

D．helpful

小题3:From the last two paragraphs we can infer that the mother is _____.

A．divorced when she was young	B．not caring for her kids any longer
C．alone but not at all lonely	D．prouder with her garden than with her kids

小题4:The best title for the passage would probably be _____.

A．My flower garden	B．Marvin helps to realize my dream
C．Love in Michigan	D．Money grows on trees

答案

小题1:D
小题1:B
小题1:C
小题1:A

解析

略

举一反三

When you do some minor image editing (修正) on your computer screen, you may make some mistakes, so from time to time you’d click undo (撤消).
There are things in life we cannot undo as easily and completely as we would with our computer files. A wrong turn, a hurtful word said to a loved one, a bad move — these we all commit as we walk our life’s journeys, no matter how careful we are in our steps. Once committed, we can no longer undo many of these mistakes, especially because unlike with our computer documents, each thing we do and say has vast impact as they involve not just us — the file that we are working on — but also others, the unopened files and computer programs in our system.
So I guess our life’s mistakes are not like our pencil scrawls (潦草书写) that can be effectively corrected with an eraser, or errors on our computer works that can be undone with an undo button. But there are effective and reliable tools we can use—APOLOGY and FORGIVENESS. Simply click the APOLOGY button when you have commit

ted a mistake that has hurt a loved one and the words “I’m Sorry” will flash on the other person’s screen. But, you have to be truly sorry and you must be prepared not to commit the same mistake again for your APOLOGY to work. Sincerity is definitely a necessary part.
When someone clicks the APOLOGY button and the words “I’m sorry” flash on your screen, all you have to do is click back the FORGIVENESS (原谅) button. It means that you have wholeheartedly accepted the other person’s APOLOGY. But not only that. You also have to click it when someone has sent you back the message “It’s okay. Forget about it.”. It means that you are also forgiving yourself for your mistake; that you won’t keep feeling so bad having committed it.
And lastly, don’t forget to keep clicking the SAVE button. Going through the whole process of editing—of doing and undoing, of apologizing and forgiving — is useless if you fail to save the LESSON for future use. Let the saved file be a reminder of the healing process you once went through to make yourself better; for you not to forget the lesson; and for others to access and learn from.
小题1:Which of the following is TRUE?

A．However careful we are, we still make mistakes in life.

B．Things we do and say can affect computer programs in our system.

C．We can undo life’s mistakes if we are careful enough.

D．An eraser is an effective tool for our computer works.

小题2: The APOLOGY button should be clicked when ________.

A．one wants to make the computer work perfectly

B．one’s mistakes won’t influence others any more

C．one is actually saying “I’m sorry”

D．one won’t make the same mistake again

小题3:What does the underlined word “it” in Paragraph 4 refer to?

A．The UNDO button.	B．The APOLOGY button.
C．The SAVE button.	D．The FORGIVENESS button.

小题4:We need to click the SAVE button in life because ________.

A．we want to go through the whole process of editing

B．we need to learn a lesson from the past mistakes

C．we want to make the healing process faster

D．we need to use the computer properly

题型：不详难度：| 查看答案

A company advertised in the newspaper for a sales position. Details of the requirements, salary and benefits were given. It was also clearly stated that applicants needed to take an aptitude test (能力倾向测试) and an interview. However, looking at the whole advertisement, one could not find any contact information of the company.
Most interested applicants thought that it was the company’s HR department’s carelessness or a printing error. They therefore waited patiently for the newspaper to publish an amendment(订正). But instead of waiting for the newspaper to publish the company details, another three applicants took the initiative(主动性) to find out the company’s contact information themselves.
Tim did a search on the Internet. By typing the company’s name, he easily obtained all the information including its contact number. Lisa called up the local telephone number search service and found out the company’s office number. She called up the office and got the required contact information. Donna put in a greater effort in her search. She remembered seeing a poster by the same company in the city so she drove all the way down and made a few rounds to search for it. She finally found it together with the company’s contact information.
Three days after that advertisement was published in the newspaper, most interested applicants were still waiting eagerly for an amendment. On the other hand, the application letters and resumes of Tim, Lisa and Donna had already reached the hands of the company’s HR manager. They were then called up for an interview. During the interview, all went well and immediately they were hired. The three of them were a little surprised at how fast things went on. They were expecting for an aptitude test as stated in the advertisement. The HR director answered them, smiling, “Our test is hidden in the advertisement itself. To be a good salesperson in this age, he or she has to be broad-minded and very importantly, does not follow rigid (死板的) steps or rules. You are all clever. In a short time, you’ve managed to find ways of contacting us. It shows clearly that you have passed the test with flying colors!”
The fools sit around waiting for their chances whereas the wise actively take actions with great initiative.
小题1:According to the passage the company wanted to test the applicants’ ______.

A．sales skills

B．carefulness

C．attitude

D．initiative

小题2: Whose search skill is the easiest of all?

A．Tim’s.

B．Lisa’s.

C．Donna’s.

D．None.

小题3:What can we infer from the passage?

A．The HR manager of the company made a mistake.

B．The company meant to omit (遗漏) its contact information.

C．The HR manager of the company was unfit for his / her job.

D．A printing error occurred in the advertisement in the newspaper.

小题4:Which of the statements is NOT correct according to the passage?

A．Many applicants thought the company made a mistake.

B．The advertisement was very special to many applicants.

C．Whoever found the company’s contact information didn’t need to have an interview.

D．The company needed broad-minded and clever salespersons.

小题5:The writer wants to tell us through this passage that ______.

A．no contact information seen in an advertisement might not be the company’s mistake

B．applicants should be careful not to be fooled by the company’s advertisement

C．opportunity always belongs to whoever is active and broad-minded

D．there are many successful chances to be found in this age

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Transport Guide
The Brisbane City Council (BCC) is responsible for bus and ferry services with in the city limits and suburbs. Most buses will either arrive at the city or an interchange where connecting buses can be caught．BCC buses operate from 5:30 am to 11:00 pm Monday to Thursday and 5:30 am to 12:00 a m on Fridays. On weekends and public holidays buses operate less frequently Pre-paid bus tickets can be purchased from the QUT (Queensland University of Technology)bookshop, the campus news agency, most other news agencies and general stores, and any BCC Customer Service Centre. Short-term students at QUT cannot use their ID cards to gain a discount fare on BCC public transport. You will need to buy an adult ticket to travel. Bus fares are dependent on the number of zones you have to travel. There are several types of ticket:

Zone	Cost (AUD)
Zone	Single	Daily	Off-peak Daily	Ten-Trip Saver	Weekly	Monthly
1	2.50	4.20	3.50	16.80	16.80	67.20
2	2.90	5.00	4.10	20.00	20.00	80.00
3	3.30	5.80	4.70	23.20	23.20	92.80

Single: one way ticket to reach your destination, including transfers within 2 hours.
Daily: unlimited travel within the zones.
Off-peak Daily: discounted unlimited travel between 9:00 am and 3:30 pm and after
7:00 pm Monday to Friday, and all day on weekends and public holidays.
Weekly: unlimited travel within the zones for one week from the date of issue.
Monthly: unlimited travel within the zones for one calendar month from the date of issue.
Ten-trip Saver: 10 trips at any time within the zones on buses and ferries only.
Transport routes, timetables and fare information are available from:
Public Transport Information Centre
69 Ann Street (corner of George St)
Brisbane City
Phone l3 12 30(Transport Information Service)
小题1: The transport guide above is most likely provided by ．

A．Public Transport Information Centre	B．the Brisbane City Council
C．Queensland University of Technology．	D．BCC Customer Service Centres

小题2: We can learn from the passage that ．

A．buses are scheduled as usual on weekends and public holidays

B．regular students at QUT need to buy adult tickets

C．Pre-paid tickets can be bought from the Public Transport Information Centre

D．Ten-trip Savers can be used at off-peak time

小题3:An exchange student staying at QUT for five days has to travel between zones every day．What type of ticket would he probably buy?

A．Single．

B．Weekly．

C．Off-peak Daily．

D．Ten-trip Saver．

题型：不详难度：| 查看答案

When women sit together to watch a movie on TV, they usually talk simultaneously（同时的）about a variety of subjects, including children, men, careers and what’ s happening in their lives. When groups of men and women watch a movie together, the men usually end up telling the women to shut up. Men can either talk or watch the screen -- they can’ t do both -- and they don’ t understand that women can. Besides, women consider that the point of all getting together is to have a good time and develop relationships -- not just to sit there like couch potatoes staring at the screen.
During the ad breaks, a man often asks a woman to explain the plot and tell him where the relationship between the characters is going. He is unable, unlike women, to read the subtle body language signals that reveal how the characters are feeling emotionally. Since women originally spent their days with the other women and children in the group, they developed the ability to communicate successfully in order to maintain relationships. For a woman, speech continues to have such a clear purpose: to build relationships and make friends. For men, to talk is to relate the facts.
Men see the telephone as a communication tool for sending facts and information to other people, but a woman sees it as a means of bonding. A woman can spend two weeks on vacation with her girlfriend and, when she returns home, telephone the same girlfriend and talk for another two hours.
There is no convincing evidence that social conditioning, the fact that girls’ mothers talked them more, is the reason why girls talk more than boys. Psychiatrist Dr Michael Lewis, author Social Behaviour and Language Acquisition, conducted experiments that found mothers talked to and looked at, baby girls more often than baby boys. Scientific evidence shows parents respond the brain bias of their children. Since a girl’ s brain is better organized to send and receive speech, we therefore talk to them more. Consequently, mothers who try to talk to their sons are usually pointed to receive only short grunts in reply.
小题1:While watching TV with others, women usually talk a lot because they

A．are afraid of awkward silence with their families and friends

B．can both talk and watch the screen at the same time

C．think they can have a good time and develop relationships

D．have to explain the plot and body language to their husbands

小题2: After a vacation with her girlfriend, a woman would talk to her again on the phone for hours in order to .

A．experience the happy time again	B．keep a close tie with her
C．recommend her a new scenic spot	D．remind her of something forgotten

小题3:What does the author want to tell us most?

A．Women’ s brains are better organized for language and communication

B．Women love to talk because they are more sociable than men.

C．Men do not like talking because they rely more on facts.

D．Social conditioning is not the reason why women love talking.

小题4:Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?

A．Women Are Socially Trained to Talk

B．Talking Maintains Relationships

C．Women Love to Talk

D．Men Talk Differently from Women.

题型：不详难度：| 查看答案

According to some researchers, you should not praise children for everything that they do. It does not help them build self-confidence.
Most parents and teachers agree that praise can help increase children’s self-confidence —the more, the better. However, according to some researchers, only proper praise is good for children. If adults praise everything children do, it makes children look for praise all the time, not trying to do their best. "Teachers should not say things like ’good job’ or ’nice work’ whenever a child does anything. They should encourage them to continue to improve," some researchers advise.
Another idea is that children with high self-confidence are happier, and do better at school. About this, Marshall Duke, a researcher in children, says, "High self-confidence brought in by too much praise does not make children happier, get more, or become able to do more. Finding a child’s advantages (强项) and developing them can help build confidence more than too much praise can." Praise also loses its effect (影响) if it is given equally to all students.
"It’s important to tell children the truth about what they’ve done. Honest feedback (反馈) is far better than empty praise," Duke adds. "People have got into the habit of not telling children when they’re wrong. That makes it hard for them to deal with difficulties when they grow up. That’s just how the world is."
小题1:According to some researchers, if parents praise their children too much, their children will ______.

A．always look for praise

B．increase self-confidence

C．become strong

D．do better in their studies

小题2: In order to help children build self-confidence, some researchers advise parents to ______.

A．make them live more happily

B．let them do more difficult work

C．help them do better in school

D．encourage them to improve

小题3:Which of the following is TRUE, according to the passage?

A．Praise makes children become successful.

B．Children don’t know what they’re really good at.

C．The same praise for all children has no meaning.

D．Duke thinks praise is more important than finding children’s strengths.

小题4: What is the last paragraph about?

A．It’s important to have the habit of praising children.

B．Children should know their mistakes as soon as possible.

C．We should praise children honestly and tell them their mistakes.

D．What children with high self-confidence are like.

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