B
Dear friend,
For the past 17 years, you have been my best friend. I remember that you told me you were called Cigarette because of your features. You have seen me through difficult times, happy times and just about every stage of my life. You have always been here when I need you. Some of my family and friends didn’t like you so much, but I’ve always been on your side. I thought you were a great friend, and I counted on you at all times, especially when I was not very happy.
It’s hard for me to tell you this, but in the past few months, I have been seriously thinking about ending our relationship. I think that I‘ve just been too dependent on you, and I feel that at the age of 35 I should start being more independent. I thought about just maybe seeing you once in a while, but I don’t think that would work. Eventually, I’d start relying on you all the time again. I feel the only way to end our relationship is to end it forever.
I’ve always included you in everything I’ve done. But next week, I’m going on a trip, and I’ve decided not to take you along. I feel this would be a good time to break up. I will be gone for a whole week without you and if I can make it on my own for that week, I know I can make it forever.
It is a little sad for me knowing that I won’t be able to rely on you any more, but I think I will be a better person in the end.
61. By writing the letter, the author wants to ______.
A. say goodbye to his girlfriend B. tell his friendship with Cigarette
C. tell his travelling plan D. give up smoking
62. The underlined phrase “counted on” in the first paragraph can be replaced by “_______”.
A. worried about B. cared for C. depended on D. got along well with
63. According to the passage, the “letter-receiver” _______.
A. is the author’s girlfriend B. has done harm to the author for years
C. will feel sad when reading the letter D. will never leave the author
64. The author decided to take a trip to ______.
A. get away from his best friend B. relax himself for a while
C. reduce his sorrow for the break D. show that he is independent
65. Why does the author want to end his relationship with Cigarette?
A. Because he wants to be more healthy.
B. Because they are going through difficult times.
C. Because his family and friends no longer like him.
D. Because he is going on a trip.
C
Parents have widely different views on the problem of pocket money. Four new fathers were asked this question and this is how they answered.
Ashish Khanna: Although many argue that pocket money helps develop children’s sense of value, I don’t agree. I wouldn’t give my child any pocket money. First of all, I never got pocket money and I seem to have a good value for money. If my child ever needed something and I felt it was a reasonable(合理)request , I would buy it for him .
Sharad Sanghi: No, I wouldn’t give my child pocket money because I don’t want to create the perception(观念) of “ her ” money and “ my ” money . Besides, if I refuse to buy her something that I think is bad for her, she may buy it with her pocket money on the sly. In this way, I would lose control over my child’s requests. I feel it also encourages children to care more about money than anything else. I don’t want my child to start judging(评判) other children by the amount of money or pocket money they have.
Rakesh Shah: Yes, I would give my child pocket money. I feel that children should learn to spend money intelligently and not go overboard spending. They will learn what their limitations(限制)are and feel the difficulty when they have to pay for something that is over their own pockets .
Rajiv Patel: Yes, I would give my child pocket money because it is important that she learns to manage money. I will give her a fixed amount every month and if she spends the money before the month is over, then she will learn a lesson and not spend money so freely.
Vikram Desai: Yes, I would certainly give my child pocket money. But I would not give it to him on a weekly or monthly basis. He would have to earn it. If he helped me finish some of my jobs or helped his mother with housework, I would reward him. This helps him realize that “money does not grow on trees” and it requires hard work to earn money.
66. Ashish Khanna may agree that ____________.
A. he was given too much pocket money when young
B. he can take much control of his child by money
C. he will buy anything he thinks his child really needs
D. pocket money helps children develop a good value for money
67. The underlined phrase “on the sly” in Paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to ___.
A. for free B. at a lower price C. happily D. secretly
68. What do Rakesh Shah and Rajiv Patel have in common?
A. They want their children to learn to manage money.
B. They ask their children to get pocket money by working.
C. They teach their children the difficulty of making money.
D. They allow their children to spend money freely.
69. According to Vikram Desai, children’s earning money by themselves makes them know that ____.
A. money is not easy to get
B. money can be gotten from the trees
C. one can get lots of money if he / she works hard
D. money is not so important for people nowadays
70.Who would give his child pocket money every month ?
A. Ashish Khanna B. Sharad Sanghi C. Rakesh Shah D. Rajiv Patel
