For many people, the name Baskin-Robbins is linked to sweet memories of eating ice cream．Irvine Robbins, who helped create this famous company, died in May at the age of ninety．His life's work of making fun and exciting ice cream flavors changed the way Americans enjoy this food．
Irvine Robbins opened his first ice cream store in 1945 in California．At the time, there were no stores that sold only ice cream．His sister's husband, Burton Baskin, also opened his own ice cream stores．
In 1948 they combined their six stores into one business．Baskin and Robbins realized that they were too busy to operate each store well．So, they decided to sell part of each operation to the manager of that store．This permitted the company to grow quickly．
By 1953, they renamed their company Baskin-Robbins．They advertised that they sold 31 kinds of ice cream to show the many choices buyers had．There was one flavor for every day of the month．
Robbins and Baskin sold "Lunar Cheesecake" the day after astronauts landed on the moon in 1969．Other flavors included "ChaChaCha", for cherry chocolate chip, and Robbins' personal favorite "Jamoca Almond Fudge"．They said: "We sell fun, not just ice cream．"
By 1967, there were 500 Baskin-Robbins stores in the United States．The business partners sold their company that year．Today, there are more than 5,800 Baskin-Robbins stores around the world．
【小題1】What is the main idea of the passage?

A．The managers of Baskin-Robbins．	B．The start of Baskin-Robbins．
C．The production of Baskin Robbins．	D．The great success of Baskin-Robbins．

【小題2】From the text we learn that _____．

A．Baskin-Robbins was the only shop selling ice cream in 1945

B．Baskin-Robbins was famous for their special ice cream flavors

C．Baskin-Robbins grew quickly because they combined their other stores together

D．there had been more than 5,800 Baskin-Robbins stores around the world by 1967

【小題3】What was probably the main reason for Baskin-Robbins' success?

A．They sold not only ice cream, but fun．

B．They renamed their company．

C．They put all their hearts into the business．

D．They sold "Lunar Cheesecake"．

【小題4】It can be inferred from Paragraph 5 that

A．Jamoca Almond Fudge is Baskins' favorite

B．Cherry chocolate chip sells best

C．Robbins and Baskin were good at inventing new ice creams

D．Lunar cheesecake was invented for the astronauts

Bob was a clever college student, but his family was poor, so he had to work after class and during his holidays to get enough money for his studies.
One summer he got a job in a butcher’s shop during the day time, and another in a hospital at night. In the shop, he learned to cut and sell meat. He did so well that the butcher went into a room behind the shop to do all the accounts. In the hospital, of course, Bob was told to do only the easiest jobs. He helped to lift people and carry them from one part of the hospital to another. Both in the butcher’s shop and in the hospital, Bob had to wear white clothes.
One evening in the hospital, Bob had to help to carry a woman from her bed to the operating - room. The woman already felt frightened when she thought about the operation. When she saw Bob coming to get her, she felt even more frightened.
"No! No!" she cried. "Not a butcher! I won’t let a butcher operate on me!" with these words ,she fainted away.
【小題1】根據(jù)第一段Bob was a clever college student, but his family was poor, so he had to work after class and during his holidays to get enough money for his studies.描述,可知選C.
【小題2】根據(jù)第二段One summer he got a job in a butcher’s shop during the day time, and another in a hospital at night.描述,可知選B.
【小題3】根據(jù)In the hospital, of course, Bob was told to do only the easiest jobs. He helped to lift people and carry them from one part of the hospital to another. 描述,可知選D.
【小題4】Bob had to work after class and during his holidays because_________.

A．his father told him to make more friends

B．he wanted to become a rich man

C．he couldn’t go on with his studies without enough money

D．he had nothing to do at home.

【小題5】One summer Bob_________.

A．wanted to become not only a butcher but also a doctor.

B．got two different jobs at two places

C．was free only at night

D．worked only during the daytime

【小題6】In the hospital, Bob’s job was_________.

A．to take care of the wounded soldiers

B．to give the doctor’s advice

C．to find out what was wrong with the sick people

D．to carry the sick people from one place to another

The drug store was closing for the night and Alfred Higgins was about to go home when his new boss approached him.
“Empty your pockets please, Alfred,” Sam Carr demanded in a firm voice.
Alfred pretended to be shocked but he knew he’d been caught. From his coat he withdrew a make-up kit, a lipstick and two tubes of toothpaste.
“I’m disappointed in you, Alfred!” said the little gray-haired man.
“Sorry, sir. Please forgive me. It’s the first time I’ve ever done such a thing,” Alfred lied, hoping to gain the old man’s sympathy.
Mr Carr’s brow furrowed as he reached for the phone, “Do you take me for a fool? Let’s see what the police have to say. But first I’ll call your mother and let her know her son is heading to jail.”
“Do whatever you want,” Alfred shot back, trying to sound big. But deep down he felt like a child. He imagined his mother rushing in, eyes burning with anger, maybe in tears. Yet he wanted her to come quickly before Mr. Carr called the police.
Mr. Carr was surprised when Mrs Higgins finally arrived. She was very calm, quiet and friendly. “Is Alfred in trouble?” she asked.
“He’s been stealing from the store,” the old man coolly replied.
Mrs. Higgins put out her hand and touched Mr. Carr’s arm with great gentleness as if she knew just how he felt. She spoke as if she did not want to cause him any more trouble. “What do you want to do, Mr. Carr?”
The woman’s calm and gentle manner disarmed the once-angry store-owner. “I was going to get a cop. But I don’t want to be cruel. Tell your son not to come back here again, and I’ll let it go.” Then he warmly shook Mrs. Higgins’s hand.
Mrs. Higgins thanked the old man for his kindness, then mother and son left. They walked along the street in silence. When they arrived home his mother simply said, “Go to bed, you fool.”
In his bedroom, Alfred heard his mother in the kitchen. He felt no shame, only pride in his mother’s actions. “She was smooth!” he thought. He went to the kitchen to tell her how great she was, but was shocked by what he saw.
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.
This picture of his mother made him want to cry. He felt his youth ending. He saw all the troubles he brought her and the deep lines of worry in her grey face. It seemed to him that this was the first time he had ever really seen his mother.
【小題1】Which of the following is true according to the passage?

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

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

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

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

【小題2】 What does the underlined word “disarmed” probably mean?

A．a(chǎn)nnoyed	B．made less angry
C．convinced	D．got over

【小題3】What was the mother’s attitude toward Alfred?

A．She felt disappointed with him.

B．She was very strict with him.

C．She was supportive of him.

D．She was afraid of him.

【小題4】What impressed Alfred most about his mother at the drugstore was ________.

A．how angry she was

B．that she didn’t cry

C．that she was able to save him

D．how effectively she handled Mr. Carr

【小題5】 From the last paragraph, we know that Alfred ________.

A．was no longer a youth

B．felt proud of his mother

C．wanted his mother to be happy

D．felt guilty and regretful for his deed

A 33-year-old financial analyst in California recently quit his job to devote himself to an unpaid job teaching math on the Internet, and his lessons are reaching almost 100,000 people a month. Salman Khan’s voice is heard every day on the net --- by tens of thousands of students around the world who are hungry for help learning math. He has posted 1,200 lessons on YouTube ... lessons that appear on an electronic blackboard, which range from basic addition to advanced mathematics for science and finance. And they are free.
Khan lives in Silicon Valley, with his wife, a doctor, and their new baby. He got the idea for his “Khan Academy” four years ago, when he taught a young cousin how to convert kilograms to grams. With Khan’s help, the cousin got good at math, and Khan began a new career.
Now, Khan records his lessons himself, but he never goes on camera. “It feels like my voice in their head. You’re looking at it and it feels like someone’s over your shoulder talking in your ear, as opposed to someone at the blackboard, which is distant from you,” he said.
When Springfield High School in Palo Alto, California invited Khan to speak in person --- he immediately connected to the students there.
The idea of short lessons that can be played over and over again attracted high school senior Bridget Meaney. She says she had trouble with math in the seventh grade. “I think the teachers are good, but they can’t teach at a speed that’s perfect for everyone,” she said. “I like the idea of learning something in class but then going back and pressing pause or rewind and actually getting a deeper understanding of it.”
Originally, Khan kept his lessons short because of YouTube restrictions. Now, he thinks short is better. “Education researchers now tell me that 10 minutes is how long someone can have a high level of concentration. And anything beyond that and your brain switches off,” he said.
For Khan, teaching math, science, and finance is just the beginning. He says he’s ready to expand his YouTube site to include other subjects as well.
【小題1】What gave Khan the idea of teaching math online?

A．His success in helping his cousin learn math.

B．His discovery that many students found learning math difficult.

C．A suggestion made to him at a local high school.

D．His interest in Internet teaching.

【小題2】Why does Khan never go on camera?

A．He’s too shy to show his face on camera.

B．It’s restricted by YouTube for education videos.

C．He wants to keep distance from the viewers.

D．He wants to create a more relaxed learning atmosphere.

【小題3】From the passage, we know that ________.

A．Khan travels to many schools to promote his lessons

B．Khan plans to include more subjects in the future

C．Khan gives live math lessons every day for free

D．Khan set up the Khan Academy with his wife

【小題4】Why does Bridget Meaney like Khan’s lessons?

A．Khan teaches seventh grade math better than her teacher.

B．The lessons can be watched repeatedly until fully understood.

C．She can perfectly follow the pace of Khan’s teaching.

D．She cannot concentrate when learning in class.

【小題5】What does Khan mean by “short is better” in the 6^th paragraph?

A．Keeping the lessons short can ensure better concentration.

B．YouTube recommends short lessons for its site.

C．Short lessons encourage students to return to the website.

D．Students enjoy short mathematics lessons more.

A traveler was staying in an Egyptian village. One day, she held up her camera to take pictures of the children. Suddenly the young ones began to shout at her. The traveler’s face turned red and she apologized to the head for what she was doing, and told him she had forgotten that people in some places believed a person would lose his soul(靈魂) if his picture was taken. She explained to him the operation of a camera for a long time. Several times the head tried to say something, but he couldn’t. When she believed that the head didn’t fear any longer, the traveler then let him speak. With a smile, he said, "The children were trying to tell you that you forgot to take off the lens(鏡頭) cap!"
【小題1】The children shouted when the traveler was taking pictures of them because _______.

A．they didn’t want to stop playing

B．the traveler forgot to take off the cap on her head

C．they didn’t want to have their pictures taken

D．the traveler was not doing well with her camera

【小題2】 The traveler explained how to use a camera to the head because _______.

A．the head was very interested in her camera

B．the head wanted to learn to take pictures

C．she was afraid of the head

D．she wanted the head not to worry about what she was doing

【小題3】Which of the following is NOT right?

A．The traveler knew something about people in some countries.

B．The children wouldn’t mind if the traveler took pictures of them.

C．The head was afraid that the traveler’s camera would hurt the children.

D．The traveler didn’t understand why the children shouted.

It was a lovely day at the park and Stella Bianchi was enjoying the sunshine with her two children when a young boy, aged about four, approached her two-year-old son and pushed him to the ground.
“I’d watched him for a little while and my son was the fourth or fifth child he’d pushed,” she says. “I went over to them, picked up my son, turned to the boy and said, firmly, ‘No, we don’t push.’” What happened next was unexpected.
“The boy’s mother ran toward me from across the park,” Stella says, “I thought she was coming over to apologize, but instead she started shouting at me for blaming her child. All I did was let him know his behavior was unacceptable. Was I supposed to sit back while her kid did whatever he wanted and hurt other children?”
Getting your own children to play nice is difficult enough. Dealing with other people’s children has become a hidden danger.
In my house, jumping on the sofa is not allowed. In my sister’s house it’s encouraged. I find myself saying “no” a lot when her kids are over at mine. That’s OK between sisters but becomes dangerous when you’re talking to the children of friends or acquaintances.
“Kids aren’t all raised the same,” agrees Professor Naomi White of Monash University.” But there is still an idea that they’re the property of the parent. We see our children as a mirror of ourselves, so if you’re saying that my child is behaving improperly, then that’s somehow a criticism(批評(píng)) of me.”
In those situations, it’s difficult to know whether to approach the child directly or the parent first. There are two opinions.
“I’d go to the child first,” says Andrew Fuller, author of Tricky Kids. “Usually a quiet reminder that ‘we don’t do that here’ is enough. Kids have antennae (直覺(jué)) for how to behave in different settings.”
He points out bringing it up with the parent first may make them feel careless, which could cause problems. Of course, approaching the child first can bring its own headaches, too.
This is why White recommends that you approach the parents first. Raise your concerns with the parents and ask them to deal with it,” she says.   
Asked how to approach a parent in this situation, psychologist Meredith Fuller answers: “Explain your needs as well as stressing the importance of the friendship. Start with something like: ‘I know you’ll think I’m silly but in my house I don’t want…’” 
【小題1】What did Stella Bianchi expect the young boy’s mother to do when she talked to him?

A．Make an apology	B．Come over to stop her
C．Blame her own boy	D．Take her own boy away

【小題2】What does the author say about dealing with other people’s children?

A．It’s important not to hurt them in any way

B．It’s no use trying to stop their wrongdoing

C．It’s advisable to treat them as one’s own kids

D．It’s possible for one to get into lots of trouble

【小題3】According to professor Naomi White, when one’s kids are criticized, their parents will probably feel ______.

A．discouraged

B．hurt

C．puzzled

D．a(chǎn)ffected

【小題4】 What should one do when seeing other people’s kids misbehave according to Andrew Fuller?

A．Talk to them directly in a mild way	B．Complain to their parents politely
C．Simply leave them alone	D．Punish them lightly

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 most wonderful thing in the world.
Years later, during her final illness, mother kept different things for my sister and brother. “But the desk,” she said again, “is 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(易動(dòng)感情的)”. But she lived “on the surface”.
As years passed and 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 me that she was pleased that writing was my chosen work though she’d never been able to. I cleaned the desk carefully and found some papers inside — a photo of my father and a one-page letter, folded(折疊) 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.
【小題1】The writer began to love her mother’s desk _______.

A．a(chǎn)fter Mother died	B．before she became a writer
C．when she was a child	D．when mother gave it to her

【小題2】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.

【小題3】 The world “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.

【小題4】What did Mother do with her daughter’s letter asking for 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.

【小題5】 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.

While watching the Olympics the other night, I came across an unbelievable sight. It was not a gold medal, or a world record broken, but a show of courage.
The event was swimming and started with only three men on the blocks. For one reason or another, two of them false started, so they were disqualified. That left only one to compete. It would have been difficult enough, not having anyone to race against, even though the time on the clock is important.
I watched the man dive off the block and knew right away that something was wrong. I’m not an expert swimmer, but I can tell a good dive from a poor one, and this was not exactly medal quality. When he resurfaced, it was evident that the man was not out for gold – his arms were waving in an attempt at freestyle. The crowd started to laugh. Clearly this man was not a medal competitor.
I listened to the crowd begin to laugh at this poor man who was clearly having a hard time. Finally he made his turn to start back. It was pitiful. He made a few desperate strokes and you could tell he was worn out.
But in those few awful strokes, the crowd had changed.
No longer were they laughing, but beginning to cheer. Some even began to stand and shout “Come on, you can do it!” and he did.
A clear minute past the average swimmer, this young man finally finished his race. The crowd went wild. You would have thought that he had won the gold, and he should have. Even though he recorded one of the slowest times in Olympic history, this man gave more heart than any of the other competitors.
Just a short year ago, he had never even swum, let alone race. His country had been invited to Sydney.
【小題1】From the passage we can learn that the young man         .

A．made his turn to start back pitifully	B．was skillful in freestyle in the game
C．swam faster than the average swimmer	D．was not capable enough to win the medal

【小題2】The crowd changed their attitudes because          .

A．they felt sorry for the young man	B．they were moved by the young man’s courage
C．they wanted to show their sympathy	D．they meant to please the young man

【小題3】What’s the best title for the passage?

A．Compete for Gold!

B．Try again!

C．Break a Record!

D．Go for it!

As a boy，Tim was much influenced by books about the sea, but in fact by the age of fifteen he had decided to become a doctor rather than a sailor. His father was a dentist and as a result Tim had the opportunity of meeting many doctors either at home or elsewhere. When he was fourteen he was already hanging around the clinic of a local doctor where he was supposed to be helping to wrap up medicine bottles，but was actually trying to listen to the conversations taking place between the doctor and his patients in the next room.
During the war Tim served in the Navy as a surgeon（外科醫(yī)生）.“That was the happiest time of my life. I was dealing with very real suffering and on the whole making a success of it .”In California he taught the country people simple facts about medicine. He saw himself as a life-saver. He had proved his skills to himself and his ability to take decisions. Thus，while he was able to tell them what to do, he could feel he was serving them. After the war, he got married and chose to be a doctor in the countryside，working under an old doctor who was popular in the area，but who hated the sight of blood and believed that the secret of medicine was faith. This gave the younger man many opportunities to go on working as a life –saver.
【小題1】Tim decided to become a doctor at fifteen mainly because      

A．hisfather wanted him to be so

B．his father was a surgeon himself

C．e had read many books about medicine

D．e had chances to meet many doctors through his father

【小題2】Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A．Tim got married to the old doctor’s daughter.

B．Tim continued working as a surgeon after the war.

C．Before the war，Tim worked as a doctor at a local clinic．

D．While working in California，Tim taught life-saving to the patients.

【小題3】From the passage we can infer that Tim        .

A．was sent to Europe during the war	B．worked as a surgeon during the war
C．was satisfied with his career as a surgeon.	D．decided to give up medicine for faith

【小題4】The passage is mainly about        .

A．Tim’s life story

B．Tim’s dream

C．Tim’s marriage

D．Tim’ s patients

Life gets noisier every day and very few people can be free from noise of some sort or another. It doesn’t matter where you live—in the middle of a modern city, or a faraway village—the chances that you will be disturbed by jet aero planes, transistor radios, oil-powered engines, etc. are almost everywhere.We seem to be getting used to noise, too. Some people feel quite lonely without background music while they are working.
Scientific tests have shown that total silence can be very frightening experience for human beings. However, some people enjoy listening to pop music which is very loud, and this can do harm to their eardrums(耳鼓).The noise level in some disco is far above the usual safety level for heavy industrial areas.
One recent report about noise and concentration(專心) suggested that although a lot of people say that any noise disturbs their concentration, what really affects their ability to concentrate is a change in the level of noise. It goes on to say that a background noise, which doesn’t change too much (music, for example) may even help people to concentrate.
【小題1】The best title for this passage is __________.

A．Noisy Life

B．Background Noise

C．Disturbed Concentration

D．Changeable Noise

【小題2】From this passage, the pollution of noise __________.

A．doesn’t matter much	B．has become worse everywhere
C．has become better in big cities	D．has become better in villages

【小題3】 “Background music” in the passage means __________.

A．music played in the concert	B．a(chǎn) kind of noise coming into your ears
C．music helps people to concentrate	D．music played while people are working

【小題4】 Some people may have their hearing hurt __________.

A．while they are in completely silence	B．while they are dancing violently
C．while they are listening to pop music	D．while they are listening to soft music

【小題5】 Scientists have discovered that what prevents people from concentrating is ______.

A．a(chǎn)ny kind of noise	B．great changes in level of noise
C．background noise	D．various background music