Last week my youngest son and I visited my father at his new home in Tucson, Arizona. He moved there a few years ago, and I was eager to see his new place and meet his friends.

    My earliest memories of my father are a tall, handsome, successful man devoted to his work and his family, but uncomfortable with his children. As a child I loved him. He seemed unhappy with me unless I got straight A’s and unhappy with my boyfriends if their fathers were not as “successful” as he was. Whenever I went out with him on weekends, I used to struggle to think up things to say, feeling on guard.

    On the first day of my visit, we went out with one of my father’s friends for lunch at an outdoor café. We talked along that afternoon, did some shopping, ate on the street table, and laughed over my son’s funny facial expressions. Gone was my father’s critical (挑剔的) air and strict rules. Who was this person I knew as my father, who seemed so friendly and interesting to be around? What had held him back before?

    The next day dad pulled out his childhood pictures and told me quite a few stories about his own childhood. Although our times together became easier over the years, I never felt closer to him at that moment. After so many years, I’m at last seeing another side of my father. And in so doing, I’m delighted with my new friend. My dad, in his new home in Arizona, is back to me from where he was.

21. Why did the author feel bitter about her father as a young adult?

A. He was silent most of the time.    B. He was too proud of himself.

C. He did not love his children.      D. He expected too much of her.

22. When the author went out with her father on weekend, she would feel         .

A. nervous    B. sorry    C. tired     D. safe

23. What does the author think of her father after her visit to Tucson?

A. More critical.          B. More talkative

C. Gentle and friendly.     D. Strict and hard-working.

24. The underlined words “my new friend” in the last paragraph refer to          .

A. the author’s son                     B. the author’s father

C. the friend of the author’s father         D. the café owner

Holidays

25.  What can you do if you like to go on holidays with pets?

A. Choose the holiday in Devon.          B. Go to the Snowdonia Centre

C. Join the World Sea Trip of 2008         D. Visit Acapulco and Hawaii

26.  In what way is the Snowdonia Centre different from the other two holidays?

A. It provides chances of family gatherings.    B. It provides customers with good food.

C. It offers a sport lesson.                  D. It offers comfortable room.

27.  What is special about the World Sea Trip of 2008?

A. You can have free meals on deck every day.

B. You can sleep on a ship and tour many places.

C. You will have chances to watch and act in a play.

D. You have to do your own packing and unpacking.

28.  At the Snowdonia Centre, the beginners’ costs of ￡57 do not cover         .

A. food         B. rooms        C. body exercises      D. walking shoes

 Low－Cost Gifts for Mother's Day

Gift No. 1

   Offer to be your mother's health friend. Promise to be there for any and all doctor's visits whether a disease or a regular medical check－up. Most mothers always say “no need，” but another set of eyes and ears is always a good idea at a doctor's visit. The best part? This one is free.

Gift No. 2

Help your mother organize all of her medical records, which include the test results and medical information. Put them all in one place. Be sure to make a list of all of her medicines and what times she takes them. “Having all this information in one place could end up saving your mother's life，” Dr Marie Savard said.

Gift No. 3

Enough sleep is connected to general health conditions. “Buy your mother cotton sheets and comfortable pillows to encourage better sleep，” Savard said. “We know that good sleep is very important to our health.”

Gift No. 4

Some gift companies such as Presents for Purpose allow you to pay it forward this Mother's Day by picking gifts in which 10 percent of the price you pay goes to a charity (慈善机构). Gift givers can choose from a wide variety of useful but inexpensive things—many of which are “green”—and then choose a meaningful charity from a list. When your mother gets the gift, she will be told that she has helped the chosen charity.

29. What are you advised to do for your mother at doctor's visits?

A. Take notes.     B. Be with her.      C. Buy medicine.   D. Give her gifts.

30．Where can you find a gift idea to improve your mother's sleep?

A. In Gift No. 1.    B. In Gift No. 2.     C. In Gift No. 3.    D. In Gift No. 4.

31．Buying gifts from Presents for Purpose allows mothers to________．

A. enjoy good sleep           B. be well－organized

C. get extra support           D. give others help

It happened to me recently. I was telling someone how much I had enjoyed reading Barack Obama's Dreams From My Father and how it had changed my views of our President. A friend I was talking to agreed with me that it was，in his words，“a brilliantly(精彩地)written book”．However，he then went on to talk about Mr Obama in a way which suggested he had no idea of his background at all. I sensed that I was talking to a book liar（说谎的人）.

And it seems that my friend is not the only one. Approximately two thirds of people have lied about reading a book which they haven't. In the World Book Day's “Report on Guilty Secrets”，Dreams From My Father is at number 9.The report lists ten books，and various authors，which people have lied about reading，and as I'm not one to lie too often (I'd hate to be caught out)，I'll admit here and now that I haven't read the entire top ten. But I am pleased to say that，unlike 42 percent of people，I have read the book at number one，George Orwell's 1984.I think it's really brilliant.

The World Book Day report also has some other interesting information in it. It says that many people lie about having read Jane Austen，Charles Dickens，Fyodor Dostoevsky(I haven't read him，but haven't lied about it either )and Herman Melville.

Asked why they lied，the most common reason was to“impress”someone they were speaking to. This could be tricky if the conversation became more in－depth!

But when asked which authors they actually enjoy，people named J．K. Rowling，John Grisham，Sophie Kinsella(ah，the big sellers，in other words)．Forty－two percent of people asked admitted they turned to the back o f the book to read the end before finishing the story(I'll come clean：I do this and am astonished that 58 percent said they had never done so)．

32．How did the author find his friend a book liar?

A．By judging his manner of speaking.     B．By looking into his background.

C．By mentioning a famous name.        D．By discussing the book itself.

33．Which of the following is a “guilty secret” according to the World Book Day report?

A．Charles Dickens is very low on the top－ten list.

B．42% of people pretended to have read 1984.

C．The author admitted having read 9 books.

D．Dreams From My Father is hardly read.

34．By lying about reading，a person hopes to ________．

A．control the conversation     B．appear knowledgeable

C．learn about the book        D．make more friends

35．What is the author's attitude to 58% of readers?

A．Favorable.     B．Uncaring.    C．Doubtful.   D．Friendly.

How Can I Fight Laziness?

Lazy people will never gain anything in life. However, laziness can be defeated once a few changes have been made in your mind.

   36._______ Many people lack sleep constantly, since they stay up too late and get up too early to prepare for work. These people have little motivation once they arrive home. Laziness works hand in hand with a lack of motivation and a tendency to put off things. By adjusting your sleep schedule to provide a few more hours of meaningful rest, you can fight laziness throughout the day.

Another way to fight laziness is to change your mind from passive to active. Some people treat their lives as if they were pushed from task to task. Others take a more positive approach, viewing each task as a challenge they must overcome alone. 37._______ 

Some people fight laziness by removing the temptations（诱惑）that surround them. A television in the living room may provide entertainment, but watching too much TV often contributes to laziness. Create a reward system for yourself, just as parents do for a child to promote responsibility.38.______

Laziness can also be a lasting problem at home. Couples and children may all have different energy levels, but laziness can be spread if not dealt with immediately. 39._______ Be the first to collect and wash dishes after a meal. Others in the home may eventually follow your example and perform their own task. It is difficult to practice laziness when you are surrounded by motivated people.

   40._______ Enough exercise and a balanced diet can help you to develop a healthy lifestyle, thus enabling you to have more energy and help lift your spirits.

A. Knowing how to fight laziness is important.

 B. One way to fight laziness is to get enough sleep.

 C. To fight household laziness, lead by example. 

 D. Complete a few tasks and reward yourself with what you enjoy, such as a good dinner or a film.

 E. Finally, taking exercise regularly can help you fight laziness.

 F. With strong determination, you will be able to achieve your goal.

 G. Laziness sets in when you no longer feel in charge of your own mind.