A clam (蚌) decided to take a rest on the bank of the River Yi. When the clouds passed, he felt cool in their shadow. When the sun returned, he felt warm. It was a good time to daydream, and so he did..

From above, a bird saw the clam and flew down and gave it a good peck (啄). The clam was frightened and closed his shell tight, catching the bird’s beak.

“Remove your beak at once,” ordered the clam. But the bird was stubborn, though she was able to pull out her beak, she refused.

“I will not remove my beak until you open your shell,” the bird mumbled. Like the clam, she found it was difficult to speak clearly under the situation. Of course, the clam was not about to listen to the bird and open his shell. But the bird threatened, (威脅)“Open your shell or you’ll be a dead clam.” “Remove your beak at once,” returned the clam.

“Open it!”

“ Remove it!”

“Open it!”

The two went back and forth like this for several hours. But neither of them would follow the other’s orders first, they stayed in such a state until a young man who happened to come here and carried two of them off for dinner!

71. Why the clam choose the bank to have a rest?

A. Because it was a place where he felt cool when the clouds passed and warm when the sun returned.　　　　　

B. Because he likes daydreaming.

C. Because it wanted to meet the bird on the bank..　　　　　

D. Because it could find some food for dinner.

72. In the fourth paragraph, the word “mumble” means 　　　　　　__.

A．慢條斯理地說 B．含糊地說　 C．狠狠地說　 D．快速的說

73. Which of the following can be true according to the passage?

A. The clam opened his shell first.　　　 B. The bird removed his beak first

C. The clam and the bird didn’t agree with each other until the young man came

D. The clam and the bird were cooked as a good dinner by the young man

74.Which of the following sayings can explain the story well?

A. Two dogs fight for a bone, and a third runs away with it.

B. Two heads are better than one.

C. Think twice before you do

D. Saying is one thing and doing another

75. The best title of the passage is 　　　　　　　__.

A. Remove it first 　　B. A daydream

C. A stubborn bird　 　 D. The bird and the clam　　

“Mind your own business．” we’re told．“Don’t talk about others behind their backs．”The problem with this advice is that，not only is it unrealistic，it’s also counterproductive(起反作用的)．

??? Common sense holds that gossip(流言蜚語(yǔ))hurts people’s feelings and damages relationships．But recent research shows the opposite—that strong communities and relationships between people would be impossible without gossip．

??? Gossip is a way for people to let you know the limits of social behavior．“If you move into a community and your neighbor tells you how the former homeowner never dealt with his rubbish properly，his gossip is letting you in on something，”says Dr．Ralph Rosnow of Temple University．“Gossip says：these are the boundaries and you are crossing them．You’re not abiding by the rules and you’d better get back in line．” Seen this way，gossip is a way to communicate criticism(批評(píng))without conflict(沖突)，giving you a chance to change your behavior without losing face．

??? On the other hand，what about ill-willed gossip，the kind that puts other people down? Gossip is hearing something we like about someone we don’t and，in nearly every country in the world，gossip magazines have huge numbers of readers．According to researchers，however，this kind of gossip also has a good side because it helps us put our own problems in perspective(正確地)．“If we read bad news about well-known people，or get the frightful details of our neighbors’ bad situation over a cup of coffee，our own problems begin to pale in comparison(對(duì)比)，”says Dr．Jack Levin of Northeastern University．

??? However，that doesn’t mean that gossip is necessarily a good thing，either．Researchers found that people who gossip a lot tend to feel like they’re under a lot of stress．This might be because while they’re busy talking about other people，they’re also busy thinking what other people are saying about them．
1.What is the purpose of the text?

A．To encourage us to spread gossip about others．

B．To prevent us from spreading gossip about others。

C．To make a comparison between good gossip and bad gossip．

D．To recognize certain positive functions of gossip．

2.According to the passage，people in general think that__________．

A．it’s a bad habit to gossip

B．nobody pays attention to gossip

C．not all the gossip you hear is worth believing

D．it’s necessary to have a nice gossip with a friend or neighbor

3.The underlined phrase “abiding by” in Paragraph 3 most probably means“________”．

A．making??? ????????????? ????????????? B．breaking??? ????????????? ????????????? C．obeying??? ????????????? D．changing

4.It could be learned from the passage that__________.

A. people under much stress enjoy gossiping about others.

B. in a way gossip helps us deal with our own problems.

C. in fact most people tend to believe gossip.

D. the more there is gossip, the stronger relationships become between people.

“Mind your own business．” we’re told．“Don’t talk about others behind their backs．”The problem with this advice is that，not only is it unrealistic，it’s also counterproductive(起反作用的)．
Common sense holds that gossip(流言蜚語(yǔ))hurts people’s feelings and damages relationships．But recent research shows the opposite—that strong communities and relationships between people would be impossible without gossip．
Gossip is a way for people to let you know the limits of social behavior．“If you move into a community and your neighbor tells you how the former homeowner never dealt with his rubbish properly，his gossip is letting you in on something，”says Dr．Ralph Rosnow of Temple University．“Gossip says：these are the boundaries and you are crossing them．You’re not abiding by the rules and you’d better get back in line．” Seen this way，gossip is a way to communicate criticism(批評(píng))without conflict(沖突)，giving you a chance to change your behavior without losing face．
On the other hand，what about ill-willed gossip，the kind that puts other people down? Gossip is hearing something we like about someone we don’t and，in nearly every country in the world，gossip magazines have huge numbers of readers．According to researchers，however，this kind of gossip also has a good side because it helps us put our own problems in perspective(正確地)．“If we read bad news about well-known people，or get the frightful details of our neighbors’ bad situation over a cup of coffee，our own problems begin to pale in comparison(對(duì)比)，”says Dr．Jack Levin of Northeastern University．
However，that doesn’t mean that gossip is necessarily a good thing，either．Researchers found that people who gossip a lot tend to feel like they’re under a lot of stress．This might be because while they’re busy talking about other people，they’re also busy thinking what other people are saying about them．
【小題1】What is the purpose of the text?

1. 1.

   Who is organizing the party?

   1. A.
      The Evans Center on Erie Road．
   2. B.
      The New York City Fire Department．
   3. C.
      The Boys and Girls Club of Lake Shore．
   4. D.
      The New York City Hospital．
2. 2.

   What is the cheapest way to get to the party?

   1. A.
      By bus．
   2. B.
      By train．
   3. C.
      By car．
   4. D.
      By boat．
3. 3.

   Which of the following is true about the party?

   1. A.
      Children under 12 are not allowed to attend．
   2. B.
      All drinks for the first guests are free．
   3. C.
      Tickets can only be bought online．
   4. D.
      There are different activities for guests．
4. 4.

   How much will a family of four(two parents and their 14-year-old twins)Pay to attend the party if they drive and park there?

   1. A.
      90 dollars．
   2. B.
      110 dollars．
   3. C.
      120 dollars．
   4. D.
      140 dollars．
5. 5.

   What is the main purpose of the poster?

   1. A.
      To raise money for young people．
   2. B.
      To tell people how to get to the party．
   3. C.
      To advertise the dance party．
   4. D.
      To explain the rules of the party．