I shook hands with my father in the truck，and for a long time he looked straight ahead and didn’t say a word. But I knew he was going to say a little to me. “I can’t tell anything，” he finally said. “I never went to college，and none of your brothers went to college. I can’t say don’t do this and do that，because everything is different and I don’t know what is going to come up. I can’t help much with money either，but I think things will work out.”
      He gave me a new check-book. “If things get pushing，write a small check. But when you write one，send me a letter and let me know how much. There are some things we can always sell.” In four years all the checks I wrote were less than a thousand dollars. My part-time jobs such as reading to the blind student and sitting with the teachers’ kids filled in the financial gaps. \
    “You know what you want to be，and they’ll tell you what to take，” my father went on. “When you get a job，be sure it’s honest，and work hard.” I knew that soon I would be alone in the big town，and I would be missing the cool winds and a life where your thinking was done for you.
       Then my dad reached down beside his seat and brought the old，broken Bible that he had read so often，the one he used when he wanted to look something up in a friendly quarrel with one of the neighbors. I knew he would miss it. I knew，though，that I must take it.
      He didn’t say I must read this every morning. He just said，“This can help you if you will let it.”
        Did it help? I got through college without being a burden on the family. I have been able to make money since.
24．What is the writer’s main purpose (目的) in writing this passage?

 

C
  Perhaps Joe Cheng has become popular with thousands of fans and has been chased by girls and middles students. But do you know his resume(简历)?
     Yes. Joe Cheng, who plays the most popular boy in high school in the popular Taiwanese drama “It Started with a Kiss.”
     Although thousands of girls have fallen in love with him for his cute smile and strong body, Cheng, 27, doesn’t want to rest on his good looks. He made the move from modeling to acting six years ago, and now he is trying another career－this time, to be a singer. Cheng worked on his first album, “Joe Cheng’s Day”, for a year. It came out on September 7.
     Apart from recording his CD, Cheng has been practicing dance moves for his music video. Given his height, 188cm, this was not an easy job. “I had bad dreams about dancing,” he said.
      Cheng’s life has had many ups and downs. His parents divorced when he was in primary school and he has lived with his father ever since. After dropping out of high school, he took on all kinds of jobs before being spotted by a scout（星探）for a modeling agency. Cheng said his key to life is “keeping a positive outlook and making the most out of life.”
       Cheng admitted that he got bad grades when he was in high school. But he was still very popular at school. “Being very active in the students union, I was elected president. I liked to organize parties and field trips, so many teachers and students knew me,” he said.
        Cheng once dreamed of becoming a cartoonist, and he regrets that he never did it. Now he hopes his teenage fans can learn from his life. “When you are in school, just focus on studies,” Cheng said. “Every young heart is eager to explore the world outside. But take your time. Finish your studies first.”


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

Which of the correct order of these events?
a. Joe Cheng dropped out of high school.
b. Joe Cheng worked on his first album, “Joe Cheng’s Day”.
c. Joe Cheng’s parents divorced.
d. Joe Cheng played the most popular boy in “It started with a Kiss”.
e. Joe Cheng worked in a modeling agency.
 

 D
     The United States has more tornadoes (龙卷风) than any other country in the world. In a normal year there are 800 to 1000 tornadoes. Most happen in the middle part of the country. Tornadoes form when warm and cool air meet. In the Midwest, the warm air from the Gulf of Mexico often meets the cold air from Canada.
     The usual tornado season is March through May. Tornadoes form most often in the afternoon and early evening. There is often no warning of a tornado. People who live in the Midwest know the signs of tornado activity. The sky becomes dark, often a greenish color. Dark clouds appear in the sky and there is often large hail (冰雹). Suddenly, there is a loud sound, like a train or a jet plane. Sometimes, two, three, five, ten or more tornadoes can form over a large area.
     This type of tornado activity hit Oklahoma and Kansas in May 1999. The day was stormy, with heavy thunderstorms in the afternoon. As the storms continued, tornadoes began to form. Dozens of tornadoes hit towns and neighborhoods in Oklahoma, then in Kansas. Some stayed on the ground for several hours, destroying everything they touched. The tornadoes killed 43 people and injured 600 others. They destroyed thousands of homes and businesses. In some areas, not one home stood. In other areas, the tornadoes destroyed every home on the left side of the street, but didn’t touch any homes on the right side. The tornadoes lifted people and cars into the air and then threw them back down to earth. So it is important to know where to hide and how to protect yourself in the face of a tornado.

32.What can we learn about tornadoes in America?