Time Temp Glasses
     Are you a person who wants to know the time and temperature during the day? You might like Temp
Glasses. These special glasses show the time above your right eye and the temperature your left eye. It is
surely easier than wearing a wristwatch, and you never have to guess the Tature.
     Alarm Fork
     Do you eat too quickly? Do you eat too much? How can the Alarm Fork help you? Aren't you is (好奇的)?
Well, this special fork has two lights: one green and one red. When the green is on, it's ok to eat a piece of
food. The fork "knows" when you eat a piece, and soon the red goes on. Wait for the green light before you
eat another piece.
      Smell This
      Sow do you know if your breath smells nice, or if it smells bad? It's difficult to know, because it's very
hard to smell the air that comes out of your own mouth. Smell This is useful for this ion. Smell This covers
your nose and your mouth. Docs your breath smell nice, or do you need a piece of gum (口香糖)?
      Banana Suitcase (手提箱)
      Has this ever happened to you? You put a banana in your bag lunch in the morning, and when pen the
bag at noon, the banana looks like someone drove a car over it. If you put your banana Banana Suitcase, this
will never happen. It keeps a banana safe, delicious, and looking like new!

1. The writer thinks that the four inventions are ________.

A. dangerous
B. useless
C. unusual
D. expensive

2. A person who wants to lose weight may be interested in ________.

A. Time Temp Glasses
B. Alarm Fork
C. Smell This
D. Banana Suitcase

3. Which invention is most helpful for someone waiting for a train?

A. Time Temp Glasses.
B. Alarm Fork.
C. Smell This.
D. Banana Suitcase.

4. If you want to know how your breath is. you may buy ________.

A. Time Temp Glasses
B. Alarm Fork
C. Smell This
D. Banana Suitcase

5. Who might use the Banana Suitcase?

A. A person who eats bananas only at home.
B. Someone who needs to throw away a banana.
C. A person who has little interest in eating bananas.
D. Someone who loves bananas and brings lunch to school every day.

     The widespread number of food scandals (丑闻) in China is making many people pause before they put
their chopsticks in their mouth. They are wondering if the food they are eating is clean, healthy and nutritious
or does it contain something harmful that will cause disease?
     Most of the food we eat today is processed food ( 加工食品). That means the foods we buy in stores and
supermarkets, especially packaged foods, are prepared in factories. Chemicals are added to the foods in these
factories to make them look better, taste better and last longer on the shelf. The chemicals are supposed to be
harmless and there are laws that regulate which chemicals can and cannot be used. Unfortunately, some
producers do not obey the laws.
     A producer of steamed buns (馒头) in Zhejiang Province was recently discovered to be breaking the law.
He was adding yellow dye and other banned chemicals to the buns. He was also taking old buns and using
them to make new buns. Most of the buns were sold to schools and eaten by students... like you.
     Why did he do it? Why did he break the law and endanger people's health? The answer is simple: he
wanted to make more money. It was a moral failing, and this is at the heart of the food scandals in China.
Too many people focus on making money and not on the effects their actions can have on others.

1. Chemicals are added to the foods in the factories because ________.

A. they want to make the foods look better, taste better and last longer
B. they want to make the foods contain something harmful
C. chemicals will cause disease
D. chemicals are harmless

2. According to the passage, which is NOT true?

A. Most of the food we eat today is prepared in factories.
B. There are laws that regulate which chemicals can and cannot be used.
C. The food scandals in China are making many people worry about the food safety.
D. Most of the buns were sold to schools and eaten, by students in Zhejiang Province.

3. It was a moral failing, and this is at the heart of the food scandals in China.
    Here what's the Chinese meaning of "moral failing"?

A. 精神崩溃
B. 道德滑坡
C. 质量下降
D. 心理失衡

4. What is the main reason of the food scandals in China?

A. Some producers do not obey the laws.
B. The processed food is clean, healthy and nutritious.
C. Too many people pay much attention to making money.
D. The chemicals are supposed to be harmless and can be used.

     Do you know that it is your own immune system working against the virus that makes you uncomfortable
when getting a cold, but not the virus itself? So when you have got a strong immune system and the virus is
strong enough too, you will possibly get terrible cold symptoms (症状)?
     Vitamin C won't stop a cold
     It is claimed that Vitamin C helps by increasing white blood cells. However, many tests have shown that
it does not prevent colds. At best, it only slightly reduces the rime of symptoms.
     Staying indoors won't protect you
     One of the most likely sources of cold viruses is your computer mouse or desk. A study of the cold virus
in offices found that 47% of desktops, 46% of computer mice and 45% of telephones had cold viruses on
them.
     Wrapping up warm won't protect you
     Colds are more common in autumn and winter. That's because the cool, wet and cold weather drives
people indoors, where viruses may more easily jump from one person to another. And the distinct peak in
colds (感冒高峰) is in September and early January, which is likely due to the return of students to schools
and colleges after the summer and winter vacation.
     Old granny's chicken soup is right
     Granny's chicken soup is an old cure for colds since a long time ago. Scientists say it is true. Chicken
soup does help cure a cold. Many canned soups are just efficient as homemade ones.

1. It is ________ that makes you uncomfortable when getting a cold.

A. the virus itself
B. Vitamin C
C. the terrible cold symptom
D. your own immune system

2. "Staying indoors won't protect you" tells us that ________ indoors.

A. there are many desks
B. there are many telephones
C. there are many cold viruses
D. there are many computer mice

3. The distinct peak in colds is in September and early January. That's because ________.

A. it's in autumn and winter
B. the weather is cool, wet and cold
C. students return to schools and colleges
D. viruses can jump from one person to another more easily

4. Many canned soups are just efficient as homemade ones.
    The underlined word "efficient" means ________ in Chinese.

A. 有效的
B. 美味的
C. 值钱的
D. 方便的

     Tigers are fierce animals. They are the bosses of the Asian jungles with their cleverness, quickness and
strength. A pussycat, on the other hand, is a homebody that comforts us with its gentle warmth and calms us
with its purring.
     As a mother, the Chinese-American writer Amy Chua is definitely a tiger. Her book, Battle Hymn of the
Tiger Mother (虎妈战歌) tells of the strict upbringing she gave her two children. She thinks that being strict
is the only way to develop a child's potential (潜力) and to make them strong, independent and successful. Her
kids were not allowed to watch TV or play video games. They were not allowed to "hang out" with other kids
after school. They had to be the top students in their classes. And they had to practice the piano and violin for
hours every day. As a result, her kids became successful. She admits this caused a lot of tears and anger but
she has few regrets (后悔).
     Chua says, like her, most Asian mothers are tigers because they believe their children can achieve a lot if
they're pushed hard enough. She says American mothers are really pussycats. They care more about their
children's self-esteem (自尊). They don't want to push their kids too hard for fear of hurting their feelings.
American mothers encourage their children to find their own path.
     So, is a tiger mom better than a pussycat? Perhaps it depends on the differences between Asian and
Western cultures. It may also depend on the child himself. Some kids need to be pushed while others respond
to a gentler hand. To growl or to purr? There is no easy answer.

1. What's the Tiger Mother, Amy Chua's idea on children's education?
    ________________________________________________________
2. How did Amy Chua's kids become successful? (根据短文内容列举两条) 
(1)___________________________________________________________________________
(2)___________________________________________________________________________
3. Why are most Asian mothers tigers? (根据短文内容回答问题)
   ____________________________________________________________________________
4. 请将第三段中句子翻译成汉语。
    ___________________________________________________________________________
5. What kind of mother would you like, a tiger or a pussycat? And why?
    (先回答，然后至少写一个句子说明原因)
   ____________________________________________________________________________

     In the opinion of many people, the two-parent family is the correct way to raise children. Traditionally,
this has been as the most natural way, but single-parent families have had to face prejudices (偏见) against
their life-style. However, the single-parent family is the fastest growing type of family. In the United States,
a national survey showed that at least 50% of children will be members of a single-parent family. So we think
it is important to throw prejudices away and to see the advantages of single-parent families.
     When compared to two-parent families,single-parent families are usually at a disadvantage in some ways.
They are often in short of money,and children receive less attention. What's more, single parents can find
themselves under too much pressure of both work and home. Despite (尽管) these disadvantages, it is
possible for single-parent families to look for support from friends, schools, communities or other organizations. They need to remember that nobody can do it alone.
     Surprisingly,single-parent families also have some advantages over two-parent families. Single parents
have greater flexibility (灵活性) in spending time with children, because they don't have to consider the needs
of a husband or wife. So they can develop closer relationships with their children. Another advantage comes
from the fact that single parents often work together with their children to solve problems, which makes
children feel more needed and valued (尊重的).
     It's important to remember that single-parent families have,until now suffered (受到) prejudices from
some people.They think that it's easier for the children in single-parent families to drop out of school in teens,
and to be jobless in their early twenties. But, with the support from friends, schools and communities,
single-parent families become more accepted by society,and this situation is certain to improve. In the future
we will probably see these prejudices disappear.

1. What does the author mainly tell us in Paragraph 1?

A. People shouldn't have prejudices against single-parent families.
B. The single-parent family is not good for raising children.
C. The two-parent family is the correct way to raise children.
D. 50% of children will be members of a single-parent family in the USA.

2. Which disadvantage of single-parent families is NOT mentioned in Paragraph 2?

A. They are often in short of money.
B. Children may receive less attention.
C. Children also suffer from the prejudice.
D. Parents are under pressure of both work and home.

3. How can single parents make their children feel more needed and valued?

A. Don't consider the needs of others.
B. Pay more attention to their children.
C. Develop closer relationships with their children.
D. Discuss and solve problems together with their children.

4. Why does author believe that the situation of single-parent families will improve?

A. Single-parent families will be more accepted by society.
B. There will be fewer and fewer single-parent families.
C. Single parents will try best to protect and control their children.
D. People will understand that there are difficulties in single-parent families.

5. Which of the following may be the best title for this passage?

A. Advantages and Disadvantages
B. Changing Views on Single-parent Families
C. Best Life-style for Children
D. Comparing Two Types of Family