My friend’s grandfather came to America from a farm in Thailand. After arriving in New York, he went into a cafeteria(自助餐厅) in Manhattan to get something to eat. He sat down at an empty table and waited for someone to take his order. Of course nobody did. Finally, a woman with a big plate full of food came up to him. She sat down opposite him and told him how a cafeteria worked.

“Start out at that end,” she said, “Just go along the line and choose what you want. At the other end they’ll tell you how much you have to pay.”

“I soon learned that’s how everything works in America,” the grandfather told my friend later, “Life’s a cafeteria here. You can get anything you want as long as you want to pay the price. You can even get success, but you’ll never get it if you wait for someone to bring it to you. You have to get up and get it yourself.”

21. My friend’s grandfather came from       .

A. Thailand                   B. Manhattan         C. New York         D. China

22. The grandfather went into a cafeteria to       .

A. wait for someone                                         B. get something to eat 

C. meet my friend                                     D. buy something

23. The woman in the cafeteria might be       .

A. a waitress                                                    B. a friend of grandpa’s  

C. a customer                                           D. an assistant

24. What should we do to get food in a cafeteria?

A. Wait for the waiter.                                B. Ask someone for help.

C. Get it ourselves.                        D. sit down at an empty table

25. What can we learn from the grandfather’s words about the life in the US?

A. Get up early and you can succeed.

B. Act and get what you want on your own.

C. Nobody brings you anything unless you pay the price.

D. Waiting is very important.

When I was a kid, I always used to wonder how in the world my father worked outside in the winter without a coat. It could be minus 20 degrees centigrade and there’d be Dad, removing snow, or perhaps chopping(砍) some wood --- his coat thrown aside--- wearing a shirt, a cap, and a pair of gloves.

“Aren’t you cold, Dad?” I’d ask. “No,” Dad would reply. “I’m not cold--- working too hard to be cold.”

Many times I wondered whether my father was an extremely tough man, or whether he was foolish.

One time when I was quite young, perhaps five or so, I went ice fishing with Dad. It was a bright, clear day—and bitterly cold.

After we’d been out on the ice for a little while, my feet started getting cold.

“Daddy, my feet are cold.” I said.

“Yeah, it’s cold out here today,” he replied.

“Tell you what,” he said. “Walk around. Make some circles in the snow. See how many different patterns you can make. That will get your feet warm.”

I was just a little girl at the time but I remember thinking, “How in the world will walking around in the snow make my feet warm? Dad must be out of mind.”

But he was my father, after all. I made circles in the snow. I made squares. Pretty soon I was having so much fun making patterns in the snow. I forgot about my feet being cold.

Now, all these years later, I know, too, from personal experience how my father was able to take his coat off and work outside in the winter wearing just a shirt, a cap and gloves. Because I do it, too. “Aren’t you cold?” my husband asked one winter day. “No,” I replied. “I’m not cold—working too hard to be cold.”

I hope my husband has decided I’m both tough and smart. But I guess quite a bit of the time he thinks I’m foolish.

Wherever Dad is on that great big farm in the sky—I’m sure he can’t help but smile whenever I take my coat off while I’m working outside in the winter.

26. When the author’s feet felt cold, her father advised her to ______ .

A. go home alone first             B. keep walking in the snow

C. draw pictures in the snow        D. light a fire on the ice

27. Hearing her father’s advice, the author thought her father _______.

A. forgettable     B. warm-hearted    C. crazy                D. cruel

28. What might the author’s husband think of her?

A. Tough         B. Smart         C. Brave                D. Foolish

29. The author’s purpose of writing this passage is to ______ .

A. remember her tough and smart father

B. show how her father cared about her

C. describe memories of her childhood

D. explain why her father loved her so much

People seem to have a natural need for friends and with good reason. Friends increase your enjoyment of life and relieve feelings of loneliness. They even can help reduce stress and improve your health. Having good friends is especially helpful when you are going through any kind of hard time such as when you are experiencing anxiety, panic(恐慌) attacks, or depression.

When you are with good friends you feel good about yourself, and you are glad to be with them. A friend is someone who —

●you like, respect, and trust, and who likes, respects and trusts you

●doesn’t always understand you, but accepts and likes you as you are, even as you grow and change

●allows you the space to change, grow, make decisions, and even make mistakes

●listens to you and shares with you both the good times and the bad times

●respects your need for secrets, so you can tell them anything

●lets you freely express your feelings and emotions without judging, laughing at or criticizing you

●accepts the limitations you have put on yourself and helps you to remove them

A person once said, “Friendship is a continuing source of bonding（连接）, releasing, and creating in yourself and with the other person. There is an emotional bond between the two people.”

A good friend or supporter may or may not be the same age or the same sex as you, and may not have the same educational, cultural, or religious background, or share interests that are similar to yours. Friendships also have different depths(深度). Some are closer to the heart and some more superficial, but they’re all useful and good.

30. Which of the following is NOT a function of a friend?

A. He brings you some happiness.

B. He helps you feel less lonely.

C. He helps you get over the difficulties.

D. He helps you cheat on the exam.

31. The underlined word “superficial” means _______.

A. deep         B. hard                    C. shallow        D. close

32. Which is the best title for the passage?

A. A Friend in Need Is A Friend Indeed 

B. What Kind of Person A Friend Should Be

C. To Be A Good Friend

D. How to Get on with Your Friend

The latest Chinese “god song”(an Internet term to describe pop songs that spread virally through the Internet(像病毒一样传播开来) is still making debates(争论) between those who view it as a milestone for Chinese pop music going global and those who regard it as a bad image of China.

       Last week, Little Apple, written and performed by the Chopsticks Brothers, won the AMA International Song Award and the duo performed the song at the 2014 American Music Awards in Los Angeles. Another Chinese pop singer, Zhang Jie, won the International Artist Award.

       But while fans of these singers are thinking highly of the awards(奖) and the performance by the Chopsticks Brothers at the AMA celebration, there are others who are less excited. They have questioned the value of the awards and what effect it will have on Chinese culture’s “going abroad”, saying it may leave foreign audiences with a poor impression(印象) of Chinese pop music, and even Chinese culture.

       The Little Apple phenomenon, both home and abroad, can be more easily understood and judged if we look at it from a business view rather than a cultural view. The professional promoters behind the duo have developed a clear strategy(策略) to promote the duo and their works, not just this particular song. Little Apple was originally released(发行) to promote the duo’s film Old Boys: The Way of the Dragon.

       From the very beginning a marketing strategy was used to promote(提升) the song, which immediately went viral on the Internet due to its repetitive rhythm(重复的韵律)，easy-to-remember lyrics(歌词), simple and funny dance and, most importantly, grass roots (草根)nature. The video accumulated(积攒) more than 1 billion bits on China’s major video websites.

       Although the song was generally disliked by music professionals who criticized(批评) it as “musical junk food”, Little Apple’s popularity nationally paved the way(为…铺平道路) for promoting the duo internationally.

33.   The writer’s attitude to the song of Little Apple is ______ .

A. opposed(相反的)      B. negative(消极的)       C. objective(客观的)     D. critical

34. What do the underlined words “the duo” refer to?

A. Little Apple   B. Chopsticks Brother      C. Zhang Jie                 D. American singers

35. We can learn from the passage that ________ .

A. Little Apple’s popularity is also a success of marketing strategy.

B. Little Apple is generally thought nothing by the AMA.

C. Little Apple is really popular with all people in China.

D. Little Apple was originally released as a pop play on the Internet.

Money Matters

Parents should help their children understand money.  36   So you may start talking about money when your child shows an interest in buying things, candy or toys, for example.

1. The basic function of money

Begin explaining the basic function of money by showing how people trade money for goods or services. It is important to show your child how money is traded for the things he wants to have. If he wants to have a toy, give him the money and let him hand the money to the cashier(收银员).  37  When your child grows a bit older and understands the basic function of money, you can start explaining more complex (复杂的) ways of using money .

2. Money lessons

Approach money lessons with openness and honesty.  38   If you must say NO to a child’s request to spend money, explain, “You have enough toy cars for now.” Or, if the request is for many different things, say, “You have to make a choice between this toy and that toy.”

3.  39 

Begin at the grocery store(杂货店). Pick out two similar brands（商标）of a product—a name-brand butter and a generic (无商标产品)，for example. You can show your child how to make choices between different brands of a product so that you can save money.  40   If he chooses the cheaper brand, allow him to buy another one with the money saved. Later, you may explain how the more expensive choice leaves less money for buying others.

A. Talk about how the money bought the thing after you leave the toy store.

B. The value of money

C. The best time to teach a child anything about money is when he shows an interest

D. Permit the child to choose between them

E. Ask yourself what things that cost money are most important to you

F. Tell your child why he can or can’t have certain things

G. Wise decisions