Dear Sara，

As we drove off from Columbia，I wanted to write a letter to you to tell you all that is on my mind．First，I want to tell you how proud we are．Getting into Columbia College shows what a great well-rounded student you are．Your academic，artistic，and social skills have truly blossomed in the last few years．Whether it is getting the highest grade in mathematics，completing your elegant fashion design，successfully selling your painted running shoes，or becoming one of the top speakers in Model United Nations，you have become a talented and accomplished young woman．You should be as proud of yourself as we are．

College will be the most important years in your life．It is in college that you will truly discover what learning is about．This will be the period where you go from teacher-taught to master-inspired，after which you must become self-learner．So do take each subject seriously，and even if what you learn isn’t critical for your life，the skills of learning will be important to you forever．

Follow your passion in college．Take courses you think you will enjoy．Don’t be trapped in what others think or say．Do your best in classes，but don’t let pressure get to you．Your mother and I have no expectations for your grades．If you graduate and learn something in your four years，we would feel happy．So please don’t give yourself pressure．

I told your mom I’m writing this letter，and asked what she wanted me to say．She thought and said：“Just ask her to take care of herself．”Please listen to your mother and take care of yourself．

So please treasure your college years，make the best of your free time，and become an independent thinker；learn and grow through your successes and challenges．

                                                              Love，

    Dad(& Mom)

21．Sara’performance in the last few years makes his parents ____________．

A．annoyed    B．proud    C．upset   D．concerned

22．What did Father mainly write about in Paragraph 2 ？

A．Learning skills．      B．College courses．

C．Learning attitude．   D．Ways of self-learning．

23．What do we know about Morn and Dad from the letter?

A．They expect too much of Sara．

B．They put lots of pressure on Sara．

C．They love their daughter very much．

D．They advise Sara to make more friends．

Christmas in the United States is traditionally a time of gift-giving and family gatherings．But small towns across the country have their own traditions.

Middleburg，a small town in the state of Virginia，is known for its horses．For more than 50 years，Middleburg has organized a yearly Christmas parade(游行)．Men and women ride horses through the woods and fields．They follow hunting dogs as they search for a wild fox．But first，these hunters ride in the yearly parade，wearing their bright red hunting clothes and hats．

John Hale，a citizen of Middleburg says many city people visit his town．“We have a lot of people from an urban area that come to visit，but it incorporates a lot of the o1d traditions.” The nighttime hay ride is one such tradition．Small groups gather under the moonlight on an open wagon filled with hay．The passengers sing as farm horses pull the wagon slowly across the fields．

There are some newer traditions，too．Trey Matheu works at the nearby Salamander Resort．He says a visit to Middleburg is a chance to slow down for a day．He says Middleburg can be a calming，peaceful place without tension．

“Middleburg is an opportunity to take a step back，to take a deep breath，and understand that  even though life is moving on at a very fast pace，there’s really an opportunity where you’re allowed to step off for a little bit．”

Parade organizers say more than 13，000 people attend even in below-freezing weather. But if you ask，you will hear many different reasons why people come to watch the parade：

“I come here because I’m from a small town．  I like how everybody comes together．”“I live right down that street；right there．And that’s my dog．”

Middleburg looks its best at Christmastime．That may be why so many people return each year．

24．Which of the following can be the best title for the text?

A．Middleburg Christmas parade

B．A small town known for horses

C．Christmas traditions in Middleburg

D. Newer traditions at Christmastime

25．At Christmas，people in Middleburg usually ___________．

A．visit friends and families

B．feed farm horses with hay

C．hunt for dogs in the woods

D．ride in the yearly parade

26．According to Trey Matheu，why do people visit Middleburg?

A．To relax themselves．

B．To enjoy the fresh air．

C．To escape competition．

D．To challenge themselves．

27．What do we know about the small town Middleburg? 

A．It makes a large profit from tourism．

B．It attracts many people each year．

C．It is a good place for family gatherings．

D．It doesn’t respect Christmas traditions．

SPECIAL EVENTS THIS WEEKEND

Captain Good Fellow

    Do your children enjoy interesting stories, funny games ,and exciting dances? Captain Good Fellow will be ready to teach all these things to children of all ages at the City Theater on Saturday morning at 10, free.

Walking Tour of the Town

    Forget your worries on Saturday morning. Take a beautiful walk and learn about local history. Meet at the front entrance of City Hall at 9:30. Wear comfortable shoes!

Films at the Museum

    Two European films will be shown on Saturday afternoon at the Museum Theater. See "Broken Windo" at 1:30" The Workers"will be shown at 3:45. For furher information, call 8493-7898.

International Picnic

    Are you tired of eating the same food every day? Come to Central Park on Saturday and enjoy food from all over the world. Delicious and not expensive. Noon to 5:00 pm.

Ballgame In the Open Air

    It's October, and tonight is your last chance to see the Redbirds this year . Get your tickets at the gate. It might be cold; don't forget sweaters and jackets.

Do you want to hear "The Zoo"?

"The Zoo", a popular rock group from Australia, will give their first US concert tomorrow night at 8:00 at Rose Hall, City College.

28. You can see movies at _________.

    A. the City College             B. the Museum Theater

    C. the City Theater              D. the Central Park

29. If you are going to the Walking Tour, don’t forget _________.

A. your worries                     B. your beautiful walk 

C. your learning about local history     D. your comfortable shoes

30. The Redbird’s ballgame _________.

A. is in the afternoon           B. is outside

C. is at the gate               D. might be cold

31. “The Zoo” is _________.

A. a park with lots of animals there B. US concert

C. a music group              D. going to give the concert at 8:00 am tomorrow

Bill and his family has been living in the six－family building for years. All the neighbours got along fairly well with each other until recently.

An old man and his wife used to live on the second floor. Bill’s mother and the old lady were good friends. Unfortunately the lady died last month. Her husband could not live alone, so he had his grandson move over and live with him.

The grandson has become a problem to all the neighbours, especially to Bill’s family. The walls of the building are thin and he is noisy. Bill is used to peace and quiet but the young man likes to listen to the radio late at night. Sometimes friends of his visit make a lot of noise. That is too much for Bill’s family.

Bill’s mother once asked the old man politely if he was able to sleep well at night, but obviously the man didn’t understand what she meant. If he did and spoke to his grandson, the young man obviously didn’t listen, since things haven’t changed any. Everyone in Bill’s family agrees that something must be done though they don’t want to hurt the kind old man.

32. Bill’ s family got angry because ________.

A. the old lady had died              B. a young man moved in

C. the old man could not live alone     D. the grandson made a lot of noise

33. Which of the following statements is true?

A. The old man could not live without his wife’s help.

B. The old man and his wife were sometimes making trouble too.

C. Bill’s mother was kind to her neighbours.

D. Bill’s mother was the only one who likes the young man.

34. The grandson makes a lot of noise mainly becasue ________.

A. he never thinks other people might not be happy with so much noise around

B. the walls of the building are thin

C. he likes to listen to the radio at night

D. friends of his visit

35. The best title of the passage is ________.

A. Good Neighbours                   B. An Old Man’s Sad Story

C. New Problem with Neighbours         D. Bill’s House

Guide for Teenagers

The teenage years can be tough, and it’s normal to feel sad every now and then. But if these feelings don’t go away or become so intense that you can’t handle them, you may be suffering from depression.___36________.
Try not to isolate yourself。
When you’re depressed, you may not feel like seeing anybody or doing anything. Just getting out of bed in the morning can be difficult, but isolating yourself only makes depression worse. ____37________Spend time with friends, especially those who are active.
Keep your body healthy
Making healthy lifestyle choices can do wonders for your mood. Ever heard of a "runners high"? Physical activity can be as effective as medications for depression, so get involved in sports, ride your bike, or take a dance class. Any activity helps! ______38____As for food, make sure you’re feeding your mind with plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
Avoid alcohol and drugs.
You maybe try drinking or use drugs in an effort to escape from your feelings and get a "mood boost," even if just for a short time. However, substance use can not only make depression worse, but can cause you to become more depressed. ______39_____ You will need special treatment for your substance problem.
_______40_____

Stress and worry can lead to depression. Talk to a teacher if exams or classes seem overwhelming. In addition, if you have a health concern you feel you can’t talk to your parents about, see a doctor. A health professional can help you approach your parents and guide you toward appropriate treatment. If you’re dealing with relationship, friendship, or family problems, talk to an adult you trust.
A. Turn to your parents for help.
B. Ask for help if you are stressed.   
C. Even a short walk can be beneficial.
D. The more exercise you do, the healthier you will be.
E. Help is available and you have more power than you think.
F. As you get out into the world, you may find yourself feeling better.
G. In short, drinking and taking drugs will make you feel worse in the long run.