1 . Mrs. Hill was an English teacher at the new middle school I attended in the eighth grade. She wasn’t my teacher but I loved being around her and enjoyed her kindness. She was also a good Listener.
At the end of the year, she was moving to Florida, and I was sad. We exchanged addresses and became pen friends. I could tell her anything, and she treated me with respect even though I was a Schoolboy.
In Florida, Mrs. Hill became a lawyer, but she managed to find time to write me letters. She wrote amusing stories and always took my concerns seriously. She had given me an invitation to visit. I accepted it immediately, I spent three weeks with her in Miami. Her love of music and creative writing inspired me.
Two years later, Mrs. Hill surprised me by attending my high school graduation ceremony. Later that year, my family decided to spend Christmas in Florida and I couldn’t wait to see her again. When I arrived at her house, I had hoped to talk to her about school, but instead she was in a hospital bed. She had cancer. A month after we got back home, we were shocked to hear that Mrs. Hill had passed away.
To this day, more than 50 years later, whenever I read her letters again, thinking about the advice she gave me, I still remember the importance of her smile and her friendship. For me, she is a respected teacher forever!
1. Why did the writer feel sad in the eighth grade?| A．Mrs. Hill wasn't his English teacher. | B．Mrs. Hill was moving to Florida. |
| C．Mrs. Hill never wrote to him. | D．Mrs. Hill became a lawyer. |
| A．Three weeks. | B．A month. | C．One year. | D．Two years. |
| A．stories told by Mrs. Hill | B．The graduation ceremony |
| C．the exchange of their addresses | D．Mrs Hill’s love of music and creative writing |
| A．Died. | B．Recovered. | C．Got back. | D．Gone out. |
| A．A Visiting Invitation | B．A Successful Lawyer |
| C．Skills of Making Pen Friends | D．Memories of a Respected Teacher |
2 . We spoke to three students from around the world about different national holidays. There are different customs for each festival.
Tan Xiaodong, 15, Hong Kong, China
“It’ll soon be the Chinese New Year. Before it, we’ll clean the house and decorate (装饰) it for good luck. Every shop is going to close for a few days and we’ll go out a lot to celebrate on the streets. We might go and see the lion and dragon dances in the city center. I love this festival.”
Wendy, 16, Sydney, Australia
“Australia Day is on 26th January and it’s an important holiday here. We always have a Monday off, so we celebrate for three days. My parents and I go to the countryside for a picnic and friends always come over. Many people go to beach parties or street parties and there’s lots of music and dancing. What fun!”
Amy, 14, New York, the USA
“The first Thanksgiving was celebrated hundreds of years ago when Europeans who came to America thanked God for his help. It’s still a very important day for family members to be together. This year we’re going to visit my grandparents and we’ll eat a delicious meal of turkey. Thanksgiving Day is on the fourth Thursday in November every year.”
1. How many festivals are mentioned in the passage?| A．Two. | B．Three. |
| C．Four. | D．Five. |
| A．do a lot of shopping | B．eat turkey |
| C．go to beach parties | D．see lion and dragon dances |
| A．have a picnic in the countryside |
| B．go to a swimming pool |
| C．have a party at school |
| D．clean the house and dance |
| A．A country. | B．A festival. |
| C．A kind of food. | D．A kind of drink. |
| A．Amy is from Sydney, Australia |
| B．different festivals have different customs |
| C．many people go out for a picnic with friends before the Chinese New Year |
| D．Thanksgiving Day is on 26th January in the USA |
阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Accept life as it is. I learned how to do it from my father.
My father was
I was also
Sometimes I
| A．However | B．Therefore | C．Meanwhile | D．Afterward |
| A．poor | B．slow | C．weak | D．tired |
| A．already | B．once | C．still | D．only |
| A．sent | B．threw | C．put | D．took |
| A．difficult | B．stressful | C．hopeless | D．impossible |
| A．asking | B．talking | C．worrying | D．caring |
| A．experiences | B．decisions | C．beliefs | D．ambitions |
| A．till | B．as | C．before | D．since |
| A．promises | B．suggests | C．requires | D．seems |
| A．spoke | B．opened | C．summed | D．turned |
| A．anything | B．something | C．everything | D．nothing |
| A．Immediately | B．Surprisingly | C．Naturally | D．Certainly |
| A．accepted | B．had | C．enjoyed | D．gained |
| A．attracted | B．warned | C．touched | D．astonished |
| A．would | B．should | C．could | D．might |
| A．quiet | B．relaxed | C．calm | D．happy |
| A．likely | B．free | C．ready | D．able |
| A．way | B．place | C．case | D．form |
| A．wonder | B．doubt | C．guess | D．know |
| A．award | B．word | C．reason | D．gift |
4 . It used to be that Christmas, with a little help from Blue Peter, was about adding the personal touch. We'd sit there for hours making cards and gifts for family and friends, knowing that the thought put into them would be properly appreciated.
Nowadays, time is against us, but there is still one easy way for you to make someone's Christmas this year — a personalised card from M＆S’ new website. To celebrate their new site, M＆S is offering Times readers two-for-one on all cards. Simply choose one of the 300 exclusive Christmas designs — starting from￡1.99, personalise it by changing the name and writing a message or uploading a photo. Then, add the receiver’s address and the card will be sent for you. Order by 2pm and it will be posted the same day.
In all, there are l,500 card designs to choose from, covering all kinds of special occasions. So if you want to get ahead of yourself for 2010, you know where to visit. You can even choose to be reminded of those important dates every year.
To claim your two-for-one on M＆S personalized cards, simply visit marksandspencer-personalised.com. Remember to enter the code ‘TIMESFRI’ on the payment page. This code is available for two days.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS: M＆S PERSONALISED CARDS
1. The product given for free must be of equal or lower value.
2. Payment of postage is required.
3. Marks＆Spencer reserves the right to take back this offer without prior notice.
1. What does the underlined part “two-for-one” in Paragraph 2 mean in the ad?| A．Two paid cards and one free card. | B．One paid card and two free cards. |
| C．Your name and a message on one card. | D．Your photo and the receiver’s on one card. |
| A．a website selling Christmas cards only | B．an agency of the newspaper Times |
| C．a company promoting the sales of cards | D．an advertising agency of card producers |
| A．enter a code on the payment page of M＆S’ website |
| B．always order it before two o'clock in the afternoon |
| C．put into the card your own date of birth and address |
| D．spend time making cards with the help of Blue Peter |
| A．they can be delivered free of charge |
| B．you can enjoy the special offer all the year round |
| C．their value may be lower than that of a free card |
| D．you can get a favor of at least ￡1. 99 |
5 . On the first day of my new high school, I almost had a nervous breakdown. Everything about the school seemed so difficult. When I got home, my parents said, “You're nervous and that's okay. Everyone is afraid of high school.” I denied it. I wanted to be strong, so I refused to let anyone know about my fear, even my closest friends.
On the first day I was late for every class and was constantly lost. The school seemed like a puzzle that I couldn't figure out. Was this how the whole year was going to be? I didn't think I could rise to this challenge, especially carrying a huge backpack that I could hardly lift. It was so big that I could knock someone out with it! The schoolmates seemed to regard me as a fool, and they were probably right.
Despite my fears, after the first week I finally had my schedule figured out. With the exception of falling up and down the stairs a couple of times and getting laughed at, high school was turning out to be not so bad. It was actually much better than middle school and much more challenging.
Since then, I've been elected vice monitor of my class, which wasn't much of a victory since only three people ran for the four positions.
It is normal to be scared about a new school. Take a deep breath and relax. High school is something that any student can overcome. Make sure you participate in some out-of-class activities because you'll find it easier to make friends. Try to do your best, even if it isn't straight A's.
Most important of all, be who you are, whether you're a “fool”， an athlete, or a lower grader. Don't try to pretend to be someone you're not. Now you know the true secrets of high school.
1. The main reason for the author's fear on his first day is that ________.| A．he was unable to work out the puzzle |
| B．his schoolmates were unfriendly to him |
| C．he was not familiar with the new surroundings |
| D．his schoolbag was too heavy for him to carry |
| A．his home was far from the school |
| B．he got to school before classes began |
| C．he was fond of the school immediately. |
| D．he didn't know the right way to class |
| A．was still not accustomed to the schedule |
| B．gradually adjusted himself to the new school |
| C．found high school not so challenging as he had imagined |
| D．ran for monitor of his class against three other students |
| A．making more friends |
| B．getting more A's at school |
| C．being who he really is |
| D．joining in out-of-class activities |
