B
“It was all his own idea, ” says Pat Peters, the 38-year-old wife of Palo Alto, California high school football coach Bob Peters, 39. Bob had just drawn up a “motherhood contract” --a document stating that for 70 days this summer he would take over the care and feeding of the couple’s four children, plus all household chores. Although he didn’t even know how to make coffee when he signed, he was quite confident.(He thought the experience would make a nice book.)
After 40 of the 70 days, he was ready to give up. “I was beaten down, completely humbled（挫敗的）,”  admits Peters. Three weeks later he spoke to the local press, stating, “Not only is motherhood a difficult task, not only is it never-ending, it is an impossible job for any normal human being.”
Bob and Pat were high school sweethearts. After they were married in 1960, she worked as a secretary to help put him through university. Since then Bob has been the football and wrestling coach at Palo Alto’s Cubberley High while Pat raised the kids. Then two years ago Pat went back to work as a secretary at Cubberley. “I had been around children so much,” she sighs, “I couldn’t talk to a grown-up.” She continued to run the household, however----until Bob signed the contract, therefore, she decided to relax and enjoy it. 
Although Peters had consulted(咨詢) with his school’s home economics teachers and the head of the cafeteria, his meals were sometimes a disaster. “I tried to slip the butter I’d forgotten under the eggs after they were frying, ” he says. For the last three weeks, the family ate out a lot—sometimes having Macdonald’s hamburgers for lunch and dinner.
As for housekeeping, a home economics teacher had told Bob that a room always looks clean if the bed is made. “I found an easier way-I shut the doors, ” he says. Soon the kids were wearing the same clothes for a week. “I made them wear their shirts inside out, and when we went to pick up Pat at work they turned them right side out so they would look clean.”
Now that Bob has publicly admitted he was wrong, he is routinely sharing the child-raising and household tasks with Pat. The tentative（暫時的） title of his book about the summer is taken from something he shouted at the kids one day.
45. The couple signed the contract because _______.
A. Pat complained a lot about her doing the housework all by herself
B. Bob loved taking care of children and wanted his wife to have a good rest
C. they agreed that husband and wife should share household tasks
D. Bob thought it easy to take care of the family and wanted the experience for a book
46. It was agreed that if Bob failed to keep to the contract, he would have to _______.
A. pay a certain amount of money
B.  admit publicly he was wrong about motherhood 
C. say sorry to his wife         D. do all the housework for years
47. What can we learn about Pat Peters?
A. She was hard-working and selfless.   B. She was pretty and kind-hearted.
C. She was tired of the child-raising and household tasks.
D. She did not love Bob any longer.
48. Which of the following can best end the news story?
A. “Wait till your mother gets home!”    B. “My experience of being a mother.”
C. “I’m proud of you all, my dear!”     D. “Motherhood: an impossible job for anyone.”

When Teresa，a widow with four young children，saw a notice from her church for all members to gather to deliver presents and food to a 36 family，she took $10 out of her savings jar and bought some ingredients to make three dozen 37 ．She got to the church parking lot just in time to join the convoy（護送隊）going to the home that was to 38 the people’s help．

The route was 39 ，and she was astonished when the cars pulled up in front of her house．When the pastor saw her，he said，“ We 40 expected you to join us , Teresa．We know it’s been a great 41 since your husband died，and we all wanted to 42　 you．”

Although she was 　43 being the object of charity，Teresa didn’t want to 44 anyone so she 45 said，“ Well，at least I can share these cookies with our 　 46 ．”

This parable teaches us that no one is too 47　 to help others and that true charity is rooted in love and compassion． 48　 of spirit is worse than economic distress．Teresa’s story 49 us that very few of us give as much as we could and should．

My friend Larry Rosen，president of the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles 50 me to the concept of “ sacrificial giving”— 51　 in a large quantity up to a

point where one must 52 something that is desired．

You can start out easy．Take whatever 53 you are thinking of giving to charity，then　 54 it．If that’s too much, increase it by 50 percent instead．The 55 is to stretch yourself．It will mean a lot to those you help，but it will mean as much to your heart．

36．A．wealthy　 　　　　 B．big　　 　　　　　　 C．needy　　 　　　　　 D．noble

37．A．cookies　 　　　　 B．cakes　　 　　　　　 C ．buns　 　　　　　　 D．rolls

38．A．offer　　 　　　　　 B．receive　 　　　　　 C．expect　 　　　　　 D．refuse

39．A．pleasant　 　　　 B．lengthy　 　　　　　　 C．rough 　　　　　　　 D．familiar

40．A．just　　　 　　　　　 B．never　　 　　　　　 C．even　　 　　　　　　 D．seldom

41．A．failure　　 　　　　 B．comfort　 　　　　　 C．struggle　 　　　　　 D．success

42．A．satisfy　　 　　　　 B．invite 　　　　　　　　 C．support　　 　　　 D．remember

43．A．unnatural　 　　　　 B．uncomfortable　 C．unhappy 　　　　　 D．unfortunate

44．A．trouble 　　　　　　　　　　 B．embarrass　 　　 C．bother　 　　　　　　　　　　 D．annoy

45．A．humbly　 　　　　　 B．openly　 　　　　　 C．cheerfully 　　　　 D．clearly

46．A．children　 　　　　 B．friends　 　　　　　　 C．relatives 　　　　　 D．neighbors

47．A．weak　　 　　　　 B．generous　 　　　　　　 C．poor　 　　　　　　　　 D．patient

48．A．Power 　　　　　　　 B．Poverty　　 　　　　 C．Importance　 　　 D．Source

49．A．ensures　 　　　　 B．informs　　 　　　　 C．reminds　　　 　 D．proves

50．A．introduced 　　　　 B．presented　 　　　 C．led　　　　 　　　　 D．directed

51．A．taking　　 　　　　 B．giving　　 　　　　　 C．going　　　 　　 D．asking

52．A．reject　　 　　　　 B．win　　 　　　　　　 C．obtain　　　 　　 D．quit

53．A．weight　　 　　　　 B．size　　　 　　　　 C．load　　　　 　　　 D．amount

54．A．calculate　 　　　 B．double　 　　　　　 C．record　　 　　　 D．analyze

55．A．idea　　 　　　　　 B．way　　　 　　　　 C．advice　　 　　　 D．guidance

B

“It was all his own idea, ” says Pat Peters, the 38-year-old wife of Palo Alto, California high school football coach Bob Peters, 39. Bob had just drawn up a “motherhood contract” --a document stating that for 70 days this summer he would take over the care and feeding of the couple’s four children, plus all household chores. Although he didn’t even know how to make coffee when he signed, he was quite confident.(He thought the experience would make a nice book.)

     After 40 of the 70 days, he was ready to give up. “I was beaten down, completely humbled（挫敗的）,”  admits Peters. Three weeks later he spoke to the local press, stating, “Not only is motherhood a difficult task, not only is it never-ending, it is an impossible job for any normal human being.”

     Bob and Pat were high school sweethearts. After they were married in 1960, she worked as a secretary to help put him through university. Since then Bob has been the football and wrestling coach at Palo Alto’s Cubberley High while Pat raised the kids. Then two years ago Pat went back to work as a secretary at Cubberley. “I had been around children so much,” she sighs, “I couldn’t talk to a grown-up.” She continued to run the household, however----until Bob signed the contract, therefore, she decided to relax and enjoy it. 

Although Peters had consulted(咨詢) with his school’s home economics teachers and the head of the cafeteria, his meals were sometimes a disaster. “I tried to slip the butter I’d forgotten under the eggs after they were frying, ” he says. For the last three weeks, the family ate out a lot—sometimes having Macdonald’s hamburgers for lunch and dinner.

     As for housekeeping, a home economics teacher had told Bob that a room always looks clean if the bed is made. “I found an easier way-I shut the doors, ” he says. Soon the kids were wearing the same clothes for a week. “I made them wear their shirts inside out, and when we went to pick up Pat at work they turned them right side out so they would look clean.”

     Now that Bob has publicly admitted he was wrong, he is routinely sharing the child-raising and household tasks with Pat. The tentative（暫時的） title of his book about the summer is taken from something he shouted at the kids one day.

45. The couple signed the contract because _______.

    A. Pat complained a lot about her doing the housework all by herself

    B. Bob loved taking care of children and wanted his wife to have a good rest

    C. they agreed that husband and wife should share household tasks

    D. Bob thought it easy to take care of the family and wanted the experience for a book

46. It was agreed that if Bob failed to keep to the contract, he would have to _______.

    A. pay a certain amount of money

B.  admit publicly he was wrong about motherhood 

  C. say sorry to his wife         D. do all the housework for years

47. What can we learn about Pat Peters?

    A. She was hard-working and selfless.   B. She was pretty and kind-hearted.

    C. She was tired of the child-raising and household tasks.

    D. She did not love Bob any longer.

48. Which of the following can best end the news story?

 A. “Wait till your mother gets home!”    B. “My experience of being a mother.”

 C. “I’m proud of you all, my dear!”      D. “Motherhood: an impossible job for anyone.”

Below is a selection from a popular science book.
If blood is red, why are veins（靜脈） blue?
Actually, veins are not blue at all. They are more of a clear, yellowish color. Although blood looks red when it’s outside the body, when it’s sitting in the vein near the surface of the skin, it’s more of a dark reddish purple color. At the right depth, these blood-filled veins reflect less red light than the surrounding skin, making them look blue by comparison.
Which works harder, you heart or your brain?
That kind of depends on whether you’re busy thinking or busy exercising. Your heart works up to three times harder during exercise, and shifts enough blood over a lifetime to fill a supertanker. But in the long run, your brain probably tips it, because even when you’re sitting still your brain is using twice as much energy as your heart, and it takes four to five times as much blood to feed it.
Why do teeth fall out, and why don’t they grow back in grown-ups?
Baby (or “milk”) teeth do not last long; they fall out to make bigger room for bigger, stronger adult teeth later on. Adult teeth fall our when they become damaged, decayed and infected by bacteria. Once this second set of teeth has grown in, you’re done. When they’re gone, they are gone. This is because nature figures you’re set for life, and what controls regrowth of your teeth switches off.
Do old people shrink as they age?
Yes and no. Many people do get shorter as they age. But, when they do, it isn’t because they’re shrinking all over. They lose height as their spine（脊柱） becomes shorter and more curved due to disuse and the effect of gravity(重力). Many (but not all) men and women do lose height as they get older. Men lose and average of 3-4 cm in height as they age, while women may lose 5 cm or more. If you live to be 200 years old, would you keep shrinking till you were, like 60 cm tall, like a little boy again? No, because old people don’t really shrink! It is not that they are growing backwards ----- their legs, arms and backbones getting shorter. When they do get shorter, it’s because the spine has shortened a little. Or, more often, become more bent and curved.
Why does spinning make you dizzy（眩暈的）?
Because your brain gets confused between what you’re seeing and what you’re feeling. The brain senses that you’re spinning using special gravity-and-motion-sensing organs in your inner ear, which work together with your eyes to keep your vision balance stable. But when you suddenly stop spinning the system goes out of control, and your brain thinks you’removing while you’re not.
Where do feelings and emotions come from?
Mostly from an ancient part of the brain called the limbic system. All mammals have this brain area ----- from mice to dogs, cats, and humans. So all mammals feel basic emotions like fear, pain and pleasure. But since human feelings also involve other, newer bits of the brain, we feel more complex emotions than any other animal on this planet.
If exercise wears you out, how can it be good for you?
Because our bodies adapt to everything we do to them. And as far as your body is concerned, it’s “use it, or lose it”! It’s not that exercise makes you healthy, it’s more that a lack of exercise leaves your body weak and easily affected by disease
【小題1】What is the color of blood in a vein near the surface of the skin?