It was nearly midnight when my wife Rita and I were driving home from the University of Illinois, where our son Randy was a freshman. Rita was asleep in the passenger seat. I headed north, wondering what on earth had made us take the afternoon off to drive to the university and back, a six-hour round trip. All for nothing.
For weeks Randy had been telling me how much fun he was having in football matches. I suddenly got the idea to show up and cheer my son, like we did in high school.
Just several hours earlier, Rita and I had met him on the field. We watched the young go on to the field, warm up, and then…there was something wrong. Randy ran over. “We cannot hold a competition today. The other team doesn't have enough players,” he said. It was not a big deal. I tried to comfort myself. But I'd just driven three hours to get here and I'd had my heart set on seeing my son in action. Instead, we took Randy out for pie and coffee.
As I was driving on the road, a memory rushed back to me when I was a Boy Scout (童子军). Our team made a canoe (独木舟) journey down the Fox River. My dad drove miles to see me. About a mile downriver we came to a bridge. I looked up and there he was. Dad was standing right on the bridge. He didn't shout like others. He simply waved until we passed underneath. But several miles later, on the next bridge, there he was again. And the one after that. And the next. My dad had taken the chance to show he was always with me.
At last I understood the most important thing I could do for my son — just be there, even if it meant driving a long way.
1. How did the author feel at first when he was driving home with his wife?| A．Hopeless. | B．Shocked. | C．Unhappy. | D．Worried. |
| A．To cheer their son on. | B．To watch a football match. |
| C．To have a meal with their son. | D．To encourage their son to study hard. |
| A．To show how his dad cheered him on. | B．To show he missed his dad very much. |
| C．To show he lived a happy life when young. | D．To show how his dad showed his love to him. |
| A．Be strict with his children. | B．Just be there with his children. |
| C．Have more patience with his children. | D．Do what he could to help his children. |
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【推荐1】I was only three when my real mom passed away. The last thing I remember about my real mom was watching the ambulance taking her away from us. After my mom died, my dad started abusing my brothers and me. I was sent away to live with one relative after another but no one would ever want to keep me for long. I was miserable almost all of the time. Finally, when I was five, my mom’s sister, Aunt Bonnie, and her husband, Uncle Jesse, said that they would take me in, and they became my legal guardians.
From then on, they became my family. I called Aunt Bonnie Mom and Uncle Jesse Dad. When I was six, Uncle Jesse was diagnosed with cancer and finally died shortly after my seventh birthday. I cried for days after losing him and still clung to the present he gave me on my sixth birthday.
Shortly after Uncle Jesse passed away, we moved to a smaller house in a new town. I spent a lot of time alone because Mom was always working. One summer, the beginning of a miracle happened when my mom met a great and funny guy, David. They got married and now I gained two more brothers.
When I look back on it now, I have come a long way from being a sad and lonely girl to being the person I am today---part of a big, happy family. I can’t imagine what my life would have been like if Aunt Bonnie hadn’t taken me in. She promised to love me and take care of me---no matter what--- and she has done exactly that. I have learned about strength, dedication and love. She has been there to hold me when I’m sick, to help me with homework, to support me when I need her. In return, I love her more than she’ll ever know. Without her in my life, I would have been a motherless child, but because of her I have a great family and the best mom in the world.
1. Why was the author sent to live with her relatives?| A．Because her dad didn’t want to raise her. |
| B．Because her relatives offered to help her. |
| C．Because her dad treated her badly. |
| D．Because her family was too poor to keep her. |
| A．Aunt Bonnie had been teaching the author at home |
| B．Aunt Bonnie was a strong, dedicated and loving mother |
| C．the family could hardly make ends meet after Uncle Jesse died |
| D．David, the new father, was wealthy enough to support the family |
| A．My Unusual Childhood | B．Thank You, My Mom! |
| C．My New Dad and Mom | D．A Motherless Child |
【推荐2】It was not turning out to be the great fishing trip we had imagined. It certainly was not the one Father had promised. All day the rain beat against the roof of our cabin.
Father sat at the window, looking out over the lake. My older brother Jeremy, who had recently turned sixteen years old, lay on the bed, looking up at the ceiling. I paced the room, occasionally glancing toward Father to see if there was any sign that the rain would let up.
“I wish we’d never come out to this boring place,” Jeremy said.
I stopped pacing and looked at Father. He gave no sign that he had heard, and I hoped he hadn’t. This trip meant a lot to him. He used to come out here with own father.
I started pacing again.
“I mean, if we’d stayed home, at least I could watch TV, go out with my friends or play my guitar,” Jeremy continued.
Silence continued for some time. I kept pacing, imagining the trip I had dreamed of before the bad weather had set in. I saw us in the boat, anchor dropped in a calm bay casting our lines toward shore, the way Father had described it when he was trying to convince Jeremy to come along.
Father stood up and turned to face us. He smiled at me. “Come on, get up, Jeremy,” he said. “Let’s go fishing, boys.” He picked up his fishing rod and the tool box, opened the door, and walked out into the rain.
Jeremy and I watched Father walk down the pathway toward the dock (码头)，the wind whipping (打) at his hair,the rain wetting his clothes. Jeremy shook his head. “He's crazy if he thinks I’m going with him,” he said. “Maybe I would have when I was a little kid, but not now,” he said.
I waited for a while, unsure of what to do, looking out the open door at Father, who was walking onto the dock, facing against the storm. Jeremy couldn’t believe I picked up my rod and walked out into the storm after Father. I couldn’t quite hear what Jeremy said because of the wind in my ears, but I heard his footsteps behind me as he began to follow me out to the boat.
1. What does the underlined phrase “let up” in Paragraph 2 mean?| A．Stop. | B．Continue. | C．Hit. | D．Arrive. |
| A．He had never fished in the rain. |
| B．It’s his son Jeremy’s first fishing trip. |
| C．He and his own father usually went fishing there. |
| D．He wanted to have a better relationship with his sons. |
| A．He doesn’t enjoy fishing. |
| B．He dislikes outdoor activities. |
| C．He is addicted to playing the guitar. |
| D．He showed no interest in the fishing trip. |
| A．To express the fondness for a particular day. |
| B．To describe a fishing experience in the rain. |
| C．To reflect on the old family tradition of fishing. |
| D．To recall the generation gap between father and brother. |
For 22 years, after I left home for college, my father called me every Sunday. Nine years ago, my father, 67 years old, spent three days painting my house. He asked me to hold the paint brush for him and talk to him. But I was too busy and I could not take the time to hold the paint brush, or talk to my father.
Five years ago, my father spent five hours making a swing（秋千）for my daughter. Again, all he asked me to do was to give him a glass of tea, and talk to him. But again, I had some clothes to wash, and the house to clean.
On January 16, 1996, my father telephoned me as usual, this time from my sister’s home in Florida. I had to get to church, and I cut the conversation short.
The call came at 4:40 pm. That day, my father was in hospital in Florida. I got on an airplane immediately, and on the way, I made up my mind that when I arrived, I would make up for the lost time, and have a nice long talk with him.
I arrived in Florida at 1:00 am, but my father had passed away at 9:12 pm. This time it was he who did not have time to talk, or time to wait for me.
1. When the author was young, her father ______.
| A．was busy with his work | B．disliked his children |
| C．often talked to his children | D．never cared about his children |
| A．45. | B．67. | C．71. | D．76. |
| A．he wanted to make his work easy |
| B．he was too old to work all by himself |
| C．he just wanted his daughter to help him |
| D．he wanted to have a talk with his daughter |
| A．arrived | B．lost | C．left | D．died |
He flew to New York on January 31st and found a nice hotel in the center of the city. He put his things in his room and then he sent his wife a telegram. He put the address of his hotel in it.
In the evening he didn't have any work, so he went to a cinema. He came out at nine o'clock and said, "Now I'm going back to my hotel and have a nice dinner."
He found a taxi and the driver said, "Where do you want to go?" But Dick didn't remember the name and address of his hotel.
"Which hotel are my things in?" he said, "And what am I going to do tonight?" But the driver of the taxi did not know. So Dick got out and went into a post office. There he sent his wife another telegram, and in it he wrote, "Please send me my address at this post office."
1. Dick flew to New York because ___.
| A．he went there for a holiday |
| B．he had work there |
| C．he went there for sightseeing (观光) |
| D．his home was there |
| A．Because she didn't know his address yet |
| B．Because she wanted to go to New York, too |
| C．Because she might send him another telegram |
| D．Because she couldn't leave her husband by himself in New York |
| A．The manager of his hotel. | B．The police office. |
| C．The taxi driver. | D．His wife. |
| A．Dick stayed at a nice hotel in the center of the city. |
| B．Dick didn't work on the first night of his arrival. |
| C．Dick forgot to send his wife a telegram. |
| D．Dick wanted to go back to his hotel in a taxi. |
【推荐2】Every day for a week, a strange, happy visitor would drop to play with Vanessa Prior’s pet dog Bobby. Prior thought Bobby had made a new dog friend. It seemed very friendly and got well along with Bobby. They would run after each other, play on the pool cover, gently wrestle or nap side by side.
At first she thought it was a wild dog. But when she posted a photo of the two playing on her Facebook, a pet rescue center called her. The group told her the Atlanta Wolf Project had been trying to catch the wolf for months, but they failed. Prior gave them new hope.
Because of the wolf’s friendship with her pet dog, it was likely to come back to her backyard. Researchers hoped Prior could help them. When they put some traps in the back of her yard, Prior got a very complicated feeling. She couldn’t describe what it was, but she was closely surrounded by it. The wolf would be in a safe place, but she would do something that harmed Bobby’s feelings.
Researchers told Prior that they would take the rare, black wolf to the Yellow River Wildlife Sanctuary where it would live with another wolf. They didn’t think it a fulfilling situation for a wild animal like a wolf to have a connection with humans’ life. They need to keep a natural awareness to humans and pets and keep to themselves.
Wolf experts added they would look into the genetics of the animal to try to learn why it liked to get close to people and tried to play with their pets. Some experts believe it could have a history with well-meaning humans. Prior had not expected that she and Bobby should meet such a special and lovely wolf. They just hoped the dear friend all the best.
1. What happened to Vanessa Prior according to the first two paragraphs?| A．She was worried about her dog’s safety. | B．She was awarded for her meaningful picture. |
| C．She realized her dog made friends with a wolf. | D．She learned a lot about wolves from researchers. |
| A．She was afraid to lose Bobby. | B．She regretted helping the researchers. |
| C．She was worried about the wolf’s future. | D．She had bittersweet feelings about the wolf. |
| A．Changeable. | B．Satisfying. | C．Strange. | D．Worrying. |
| A．It is a kind and sociable animal. | B．It was once kept as a human pet. |
| C．It will stay with Bobby for some time. | D．It will be sent to the wild to live with other animals. |
【推荐3】It was Christmas Eve 1949. I was 15 and feeling sad because there was not enough money to buy the dress I wanted. After supper, I was still feeling sorry for myself. It was a cold, clear night, and Pa came in. "Come on, Elizabeth,” he said. "Get dressed. It's cold out. " Pa was dragging me out in the cold. Ma gave me a mysterious smile as I opened the door.
Outside, I asked, "Pa, what are you doing?” Have you met Mrs. Clark lately?" he asked. Mrs. Clark lived about two miles down the road from us. Her husband had died the year before, leaving her with three children to raise on her own." Yeah, " I said. "Why?” "I rode by just today, " Pa said. Little Jake was trying to find a few woodchips. They're out of wood. " That was all he said. Pa then loaded the truck with a big ham, a sack of flour and a smaller sack of something in his left hand. "What's in the smaller sack?" I asked. "Shoes. They're out of shoes. I got the children a little candy too."
We rode the two miles to the Clarks' place in silence. I tried to think through what Pa was doing. I knew we didn't have much money. The Clarks had closer neighbors than us. Why was it our concern?
When Mrs. Clark realized what was happening, she bit her lower lip to keep it from trembling as tears ran down her cheeks. She looked at Pa as if she wanted to say something, but it wouldn't come out. I wasn't the same person when I got the wood unloaded. We gave each of the kids a hug and said goodbye. Thank you, Brother Cotton," Mrs. Clark said.
On the way back, Pa explained that he and Ma had saved all year long to buy me a dress for Christmas. 441 spent that money on some shoes and a little candy for those children. I hope you understand, he said. I understood very well. My father had given me a gift much greater than a dress.
1. I felt sorry for myself because ______| A．I didn't get the present I desired |
| B．Pa forced me to go out in the cold |
| C．Pa didn't have money for Christmas |
| D．I did a lot of housework after supper |
| A．She lived on others' help. |
| B．She was our closest neighbor. |
| C．She led a hard life that winter. |
| D．She was a warm-hearted woman. |
| A．I understood what Pa was doing then. |
| B．I helped with unloading the wood. |
| C．Mrs. Clark didn't recognize me. |
| D．Mrs. Clark noticed my change. |
| A．Christmas Gifts from Heart | B．A Cold Christmas Eve |
| C．Helping Our Neighbors | D．Clark and Her Children |
When Marco was a boy, he tried everything to get his father’s love and attention. He worked hard to earn exceptional marks; he chose inspiring friends and always tried to behave well.
At the age of eight his parents divorced, and Marco and his young sister Sandra moved in with their dad. It felt to Marco that his father had little time for him and Sandra. Marco sank further into his low self-esteem and was overwhelmed with feeling desperately unappreciated, alone and isolated.
One day his father, already tired after a long day, tripped over Marco’s bike in the garage. The fierce fight that followed left Marco feeling humiliated (羞辱). It seemed no matter how hard he tried he could never do anything right.
Two days later, his aunt Ginette called him. She said she had just seen some young teenagers participate in a public speaking contest called Gala Personnalite sponsored by Club Optimiste. She thought he should give it a try. She told him she firmly believed he could perform on stage like the other kids, since she had seen him do humorous performances for the family at Christmas. Feeling her strong belief, Marco agreed to enter the contest.
All that winter of 1980 to 1981, he practiced in Ville d’Anjou, where the competition would take place. The hours and the obstacles no longer counted. The criticism from his father didn’t matter. Four. months later, the big night arrived. His mother, his sister, his grandmother, and his aunt Ginette, were all in the audience. Butterflies filled his stomach. But when he stepped onto the stage and began to speak, he felt totally at home. To his shock and amazement, he WON!
As I travel around the world to speak to thousands of people every year, I tell them Marco’s story. I tell them his story because it is my story.
It all happened because of a single phone call, from one single person who simply believed in me. Because of her, I have been able to more than fulfill my dreams. I’ve been able to inspire and to touch the lives of so many others—and help them fulfill theirs.
1. Why did Marco want to behave and do well academically? (no more than 10 words)2. What caused Marco to hold negative attitude towards himself? (no more than 10 words)
3. How did his aunt Ginette plan to do to change Marco? (no more than 15 words)
4. What does the underlined sentence probably mean in the 5th Paragraph? (no more than 5 words)
5. Who often gives you confidence to fulfill your dreams? What does he/she do? (no more than 20 words)
【推荐2】Ann was my best friend. She had come to play half an hour ago and I didn't want her to leave. "Your mother said you could stay an hour." I said.
Ann pointed at the Teddy Bear on my desk. "I'll stay if you give me your Teddy Bear." she said.
I couldn't imagine giving it to her. It was a special gift from Aunt Reba on my tenth birthday. My aunt was a beautiful and kind woman who was never too busy to spend time with me. The day she died I cried for hours unable to believe that I would never see her again. Now when I saw the Teddy Bear I was filled with memories（回忆）of Aunt Reba.
“Come on,” Ann shouted, “I'm your best friend."
I don't know what came over me but I really wanted someone to play with me. So I handed Ann the Teddy Bear! Then she stayed.
That evening I went to bed without dinner. The memories of Aunt Reba brought tears to my eyes. How ashamed I felt. I was sad all night.
Alone in the dark I asked myself "Is Ann really my best friend?”
At school the next day I found Ann. I asked for the Teddy Bear. She was surprised at first. Then she thought for a few seconds and finally said "Okay, I don't like it anyway."
After that Ann and I stopped playing together. Through the years I have had other best friends. I have come to understand that best friends are people who want to spend time with you and they ask nothing in return.
1. Why didn't the writer want Ann to leave?| A．Because the writer wanted someone to play with so much. |
| B．Because Ann's mother wanted her to do so. |
| C．Because Ann didn't want to leave. |
| D．Because the writer wanted to give Ann Teddy Bear. |
| A．She was still alive. | B．She was too busy to spend time with the author. |
| C．She was kind and beautiful. | D．She was 10 years old. |
| A．a gift from Ann | B．a gift from Aunt Reba |
| C．the writer's aunt | D．the writer's best friend |
| A．The Teddy Bear | B．Aunt Reba |
| C．My Tenth Birthday | D．Best Friends |
Now let’s look at the case of the Illinois man who left the snow-filled streets of Chicago for a vacation in Florida. His wife was on a business trip and was planning to meet him there the next day. When he reached his hotel , he decided to send his wife a quick E-mail. Unable to find the note with his wife’s E-mail address, he did his best to type from his memory. Unfortunately, he missed one letter and his E-mail was directed to an elderly lady whose husband had passed away (去世) only the day before. When the sad widow checked her E-mail, she took one look at the screen, let out a sharp cry, and fell to the floor in a dead faint (昏迷 ). At the sound , her family rushed into the room and saw this note on the screen:
MY DEAREST WIFE： JUST GOT CHECKED IN. EVERYTHING PREPARED FOR YOUR ARRIVAL TOMORROW.
P.S. SURE IS HOT DOWN HERE
1. Where do you think this text comes from?
| A．It comes from a science report. |
| B．It comes from a computer screen. |
| C．It comes from a fiction. |
| D．It comes from a magazine. |
| A．It was snowy. |
| B．It was neither too hot nor too cold. |
| C．It was rainy. |
| D．It was hot. |
| A．a woman who has no children |
| B．a woman who has just been married again |
| C．a woman whose husband died and she has not remarried |
| D．a woman whose husband is not at home |
| A．she was too excited to hear from her husband |
| B．she was very ill |
| C．she thought the E-mail was from her dead husband |
| D．she was frightened to receive an E-mail from a stranger |
