1 . Dorothy and her friends the Scarecrow (稻草人), the Tinman (铁皮人) were walking through the forest with Toto. Suddenly, a great Lion came running at them from the trees. With one blow of his paw, he turned the Scarecrow over and over to the edge of the road, and then he struck at the Tinman with his sharp claws. But, to the Lion’s surprise, he could make no impression on the tin, although the Tinman fell over in the road and lay still. Then little Toto ran up to the Lion and started barking. The Lion was going to hit him too, but Dorothy came between him and the dog, shouting:

“Don’t you dare to bite Toto! A big animal like you is going to bite this poor little dog? You are nothing but a coward (胆小鬼)!”

The Lion’s face suddenly changed from mad to sad.

“I know it,” said the Lion, hanging his head in shame. “I’ve always known it. But how can I help it?” he sighed.

“Look at what you did to Scarecrow!” said Dorothy. She picked up the Scarecrow and set him upon his feet, while she put him into shape again.

“I’m terribly sorry, Scarecrow,” said the Lion. “You seemed so scary that I had to try and make you run away. Usually, when people and animals see me, they run, but you didn’t.”

“Why are you so scared of us?” asked Dorothy. “You’re a lion! Lions are the kings of the forests.”

“I can’t help being scared. Whenever there is danger, my heart beats fast.”

“Well,” said the Tinman, “maybe you can join us. I have no heart and Scarecrow has no brain. Dorothy and the little dog are dying to go home, very far away. We are going to find the Wizard of Oz for help. Why not come with us and ask him for courage?”

“But I am scared to go!” said the Lion.

“Everything will be fine,” comforted Dorothy. “There’s nothing to fear when we are all together. We’ll all become better.”

“Then, if you don’t mind, I’ll go with you,” said the Lion. “As long as I know myself to be a coward, I shall be unhappy!”

1. What does the underlined “him” in paragraph 1 refer to?

A．The Scarecrow.

B．The Tinman.

C．The Lion.

D．Toto.

2. Which of the following can best describe the Lion in the text?

A．Strong but not brave.	B．Wild but open-minded.
C．Smart but not honest.	D．Shy but warm-hearted.

3. Why did the Lion try to hit Dorothy and her friends?

A．They tried to beat it.	B．It was afraid of them.
C．They wanted to catch it.	D．It was the king of the forest.

4. What do we know about the Tinman?

A．He could free the Wizard of Oz.	B．He wanted to go home far away.
C．He invited the Lion to join them.	D．He was a robot with no thoughts.

5. What can we infer about the Lion from the last paragraph?

A．It hated to work for long.	B．It would live a simple life.
C．It minded joining the team.	D．It would try to find courage.

2 . When Su Bingtian was first added to the track and field team of his junior high school, what he did most was not training or competing, but carrying bags for his senior teammates and watching them running.

Nobody, including Su himself, would believe the small boy could one day become the first Asian man to reach the 100m final at the World Championships, running side-to-side with the fastest sprinters in the world.

Born in a rural area in China’s southeastern province of Guangdong, Su started training in athletics in 2003. After 12 years of fast progress, Su emerged from a bag-carrier to the fastest man in the world most populous country, breaking the national record after he clocked 9.99 seconds at the IAAF Diamond League Eugene leg on May 30. He is the first and only Chinese that have ever dipped under the 10-second barrier. He attributed such progress to a revolutionary technique change starting from last winter.

When Su first began to train in sprinting, he had been using his right foot to start off. But he always found his third step a little bit weak and unsteady which would affect his intermediate running and the whole rhythm. After consulting with his coach Yuan Guoqiang, China’s first national record holder, Su has changed his way to start with his left foot going forward first.

“It was like a desperate gamble, a brand new start for me. I knew if it works I would find some room to improve, otherwise it could lead to the end of my career,” Su said.

“To be honest, I am not fully prepared for such pressure and intensive media coverage. I will learn to deal with it as soon as possible. But training and competing will always be my priority,” said a determined Su. “I hope my story can encourage those young people to believe that Chinese can also run fast. I do not think I am a hero. I am just a step-stone, like my coach Yuan, a step-stone to pave the way for more youngsters to push the speed limit for China.”

1. What does the second paragraph imply?

A．Su Bingtian has a gift for sprinting.

B．Su Bingtian achieved success through hard work.

C．Su Bingtian seems not be talented in sprinting in his youth.

D．Su Bingtian ran the fastest in the world.

2. What is likely the most important factor in Su’s success?

A．His competitive spirit	B．His family support
C．His training strategy	D．His experience

3. Which of the following best describes Su Bingtian?

A．Determined and modest	B．Ambitious and honest
C．Competitive and desperate	D．Popular and tough

4. Why does Su call himself as “step-stone”?

A．He hopes to inspire other young sprinters.	B．He is not ready to be a champion.
C．He feels regretful for the speed.	D．He enjoys training and competing.

3 . About three years ago, a tornado attacked our town. My father and I _________ to visit my grandparents to make sure they were okay. Upon arrival, I took my regular seat and _________ with Grandma about what was on our mind to pass the time. _________, the power was out and it got dark in what seemed like a matter of minutes.

Then, Grandma turned to me and asked with _________ eyes that stared right past me, “Now you’re graduating this year, aren’t you?” As a freshman, I was _________, about this strange question. Actually, Grandma could exactly _________ you when every one of her grandchildren was born. _________, I assured her that I was not yet a(n) _________, and still had a few years until graduation.

Soon, my father asked if I was ready to go home. I silently _________ my head—yes. Into the car, I __________ and couldn’t stop weeping. My father asked me what was wrong. “Is Grandma going to __________ my graduation?” I asked.

It took him a long time to respond, “Yes. She may not know where she is, but she will be there, no matter what.” The rest of the car ride home was __________. When we eventually arrived home, I rushed to my room and cried for hours. That night, I could picture that Grandma’s __________ would be changed from the care giver to care receiver.

Ever since that talk with my Grandma, I have matured and __________. Her Alzheimer (阿尔茨海默症) has progressed to about stage 3 now. At my graduation, I was sitting on the stage seeing Grandma there sitting with the rest of my family. “She may not know where she is, but she will be there”. My father’s words __________ in my ears.

1.

A．flew

B．cycled

C．drove

D．walked

2.

A．chatted

B．argued

C．consulted

D．whispered

3.

A．Finally

B．Suddenly

C．Immediately

D．Constantly

4.

A．loving

B．bright

C．watery

D．empty

5.

A．concerned

B．confused

C．cautious

D．curious

6.

A．identify

B．remind

C．persuade

D．tell

7.

A．Shocked

B．Amazed

C．Disappointed

D．Excited

8.

A．assistant

B．freshman

C．senior

D．genius

9.

A．shook

B．nodded

C．raised

D．lowered

10.

A．calmed down

B．cut in

C．called out

D．broke down

11.

A．attend

B．forget

C．celebrate

D．cancel

12.

A．dull

B．smooth

C．silent

D．uneasy

13.

A．character

B．status

C．power

D．role

14.

A．grown up

B．given up

C．cheered up

D．kept up

15.

A．exploded

B．burst

C．rang

D．flashed

4 . Joe and Della were a new couple. They were both interested in art--one in painting, the other in music. They lived in a small flat. They loved each other and they were happy.

But one day they found that they had spent all their money. One afternoon Della told Joe that she had found a _________ and was to give her three music lessons a week. For that she could get fifteen dollars a week. But Joe was not _________ because he didn’t want to stay at home, playing with his art while Della was at work. He wanted to earn some money too.

Every day they parted in the morning and _________ in the evening.

A week _________ , Della brought home fifteen dollars, but she looked a little _________. Joe took eighteen dollars out of his pocket. They were both _________ to have so much money at hand.

The next week, Joe _________ home another eighteen dollars but Della came home with her right hand in a bandage (绷带). Joe asked Della what was the _________. Della said, “It was because of an iron-- I mean a plate of soup spilled on my _________.”

“What do you do every day, Della? Do you __________ give music lessons?” Joe asked. “Tell me the __________!”

Della cried. She told Joe that she was working in a laundry (洗衣店), __________ shirts. A girl accidentally __________ an iron on her hand and she got a __________ burn. But Della asked Joe how he had guessed that she wasn’t giving music lessons.

Joe told Della that he worked in the engine-room of the same laundry where she worked. They both let out their __________ and laughed.

1.

A．pupil

B．teacher

C．painter

D．director

2.

A．worried

B．busy

C．glad

D．surprising

3.

A．studied

B．met

C．worked

D．talked

4.

A．killed

B．spent

C．wasted

D．passed

5.

A．tired

B．excited

C．fatter

D．stranger

6.

A．puzzled

B．disappointed

C．anxious

D．happy

7.

A．borrowed

B．brought

C．applied

D．stored

8.

A．result

B．job

C．matter

D．bandage

9.

A．foot

B．face

C．arm

D．hand

10.

A．really

B．often

C．seldom

D．finally

11.

A．reason

B．cause

C．truth

D．incident

12.

A．making

B．repairing

C．ironing

D．selling

13.

A．picked up

B．set down

C．poured out

D．filled with

14.

A．slight

B．bad

C．soft

D．hard

15.

A．secrets

B．lessons

C．ideas

D．opinions

5 . The bride is 97. The groom is 98. The couple has been married for 77 years, and thanks to some very special people, they were finally treated to some very special wedding memories they missed out on all those years ago.

The Kings are just like family to the staff of the St. Croix Hospice who serve as caretakers for the elderly pair in their Oelwein, Idaho home. With a big anniversary coming up, their caregivers wanted to do something special to celebrate the occasion — and knowing something of the couple’s history, they came up with a perfect plan.

When Frankie and Royce King took their vows (誓言) on September 16, 1944, the world was a very different place. The simple church ceremony was small and short. Rather than a lace gown (蕾丝长裙), Frankie wore a suit. There was no photographer on hand to record the vows.

While Frankie and Royce’s wedding lacked splendor (壮观), their life together has more than made up for it. Two kids, four grandkids, and several great-grandkids later, the Kings’ marriage is still going strong.

On their anniversary, as one staff member played Big-Band era tunes on his saxophone and another took photos, Frankie, dressed in a lovely 1940s-era wedding gown, was led through a flower-covered archway to where Royce was waiting for her. By the time the big wedding cake was served, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.

Photographer Hilary Michelson said, “I work for St. Croix Hospice full-time while doing photography in my spare time. I am passionate about both of my jobs and it made my heart so incredibly full to see them embracing each other.”

The Kings’ daughter, Sue Bilodeau, is now putting together a photo album of cherished memories for them. “It was definitely one of the most special things ever,” she said. “When Mom mentioned she didn’t have time to plan a big wedding and didn’t have a photographer, the St. Croix staff members worked together to make sure they could get their special day.”

1. What did the staff of the St. Croix Hospice decide to do for the Kings?

A．Help them recall their wedding memories.

B．Take good care of them as family members.

C．Write something about the couple’s history.

D．Celebrate their wedding anniversary like a real wedding.

2. What was the Kings’ wedding ceremony like?

A．It seemed to be the perfect plan.

B．It was simple and held in a small church.

C．It was followed by the couple’s long separation.

D．It had only one photographer to record their vows.

3. What was everyone’s response when the wedding cake was served?

A．They were all in tears.

B．They applauded loudly.

C．They were busy taking pictures of the couple.

D．They stopped doing everything and watched.

4. What did the Kings’ daughter think of what the staff did?

A．It made her feel ashamed of herself.

B．They set a good example for people.

C．It was meaningful and she was thankful.

D．She was passionate about doing the same work.

6 . Jimmy Choi is a cyclist, and a world record holder for push-ups (俯卧撑). He also happens to be living with Parkinson's disease. He was diagnosed with the brain disorder in 2003, suffering from involuntary shaking and problems with walking and balancing. There is currently no cure. Jimmy has to quit the sports. Soon he commits himself to being a motivational speaker and advocating for people with the disease.

Jimmy often shares his struggles on social media, and in a recent video, he expressed his annoyance at the packaging of the pills he needs to take. It showed his shaking hand trying to get a tiny pill from the bottle. Jimmy wasn't the only one facing such a problem. Brian Alldridge, a videographer (电视录像制作人), saw his video and immediately decided to do something to help him and everyone else dealing with this problem. He sat down at his computer and taught himself 3D modeling software. Within two days, Brian designed a new medicine bottle that separates a single pill in a container.

Brian made his own video and offered his design free of charge to anyone with a 3D printer who would be willing to create a physical prototype (原型). “I expected maybe one or two people to message me when I couldn't guarantee that the device would actually work. Instead, thousands of people offered to print the thing the next day,” Brian said, feeling so surprised. “Even more told me that someone they knew could benefit from it.”

The online community took it from there, printing out many versions of Brian's design until they had a prototype to send to Jimmy. Jimmy was just surprised by their support, and he eagerly tested every version of it. The creators of the pill bottle now feel like there's nothing they can't do! “If you think of a way to improve the lives of others, there's most likely a way to make it happen.” Brian said.

1. What did Jimmy show in the recent video?

A．Poor packaging of his pills.	B．Bothering with reaching pills.
C．Design of a new medicine bottle.	D．Requirements for people with Parkinson.

2. What do we know about Jimmy in face of Parkinson's disease?

A．He feels upset about leaving sports.	B．He makes great efforts to recover.
C．He becomes devoted to a new career.	D．He lives in great pain from the disease.

3. Why did Brian feel surprised?

A．So many people responded to him.	B．The bottle worked better than expected.
C．His design benefited many patients.	D．Jimmy tried all versions of the bottle.

4. What do the creators think of the creation of the pill bottle?

A．There is nothing they can't accept.

B．There is nothing they can't imagine.

C．There is nothing they can't control.

D．There is nothing they can't achieve.

7 . After a rough week, all I wanted was a good rest. I went to the beach nearby for some ________ time with myself. It was a lovely, warm weekend in California, kids joyfully ________ in the water, or building sandcastles.

As I was leaving, I ________ a girl playing by herself. She built a little sandcastle with a moat (护城河) around it and was trying to fill it with water. Unfortunately, there was no ________ around to carry water. She would go to the waves,________ her hands and then walk back to her little castle. ________, not much of the water was making it to the moat. But she kept trying, still smiling and ________. As I was standing there watching her, feeling helpless, I ________ that I had a bottle of water in my bag. I quickly ________, took it out, and walked over to ________ it to her. Confused at first, she smiled but ________ her head shyly, saying no. I told her that it would make getting the water much faster. She ________ and finally took it from my hands after I insisted (坚持), Looking back, I saw her running over to the sea with a big smile, ________ in hand.

For me, it was a tiny ________. But I also know that when she meets someone in need, maybe, she would think of this little act of kindness by a ________. And maybe she would help create a little gentler world around her.

1.

A．crazy

B．free

C．busy

D．hard

2.

A．playing

B．sleeping

C．washing

D．skiing

3.

A．observed

B．caught

C．heard

D．noticed

4.

A．bowl

B．box

C．container

D．spoon

5.

A．raise

B．cup

C．wash

D．wave

6.

A．Sadly

B．Luckily

C．Amazingly

D．Surprisingly

7.

A．lonely

B．honest

C．safe

D．hopeful

8.

A．believed

B．decided

C．realized

D．expected

9.

A．dug in

B．set off

C．picked up

D．gave away

10.

A．explain

B．hand

C．throw

D．point

11.

A．hung

B．held

C．nodded

D．shook

12.

A．smiled

B．opened

C．failed

D．promised

13.

A．castle

B．pack

C．bottle

D．bag

14.

A．experience

B．act

C．idea

D．change

15.

A．designer

B．fisherman

C．stranger

D．friend

8 . A Happy Birthday for All

For her ninth birthday, Mary asked for some unusual birthday gifts such as soap, schoolbags and Towels. But Mary didn’t want these _________ for herself. She wanted to give them to other people.

At school, Mary’s teacher _________ her students, “You can’t always be self-centered. You have to _________ others.” Mary’s classmates had helped to _________ supplies for a school in Africa. But Mary wanted to do more. With help from _________ parents, Mary researched local charities(慈善机构)and _________ a shelter(庇护所)that helps women and children in need.

After finding out what supplies the shelter _________ , Mary included a list with each party invitation. Mary’s friends brought shelter supplies to her _________ party. Those who couldn’t come to her birthday party _________ gave gifts. She had so many gifts that they __________ her family’s truck! “It was like we were going on vacation.” Mary said with a __________ . She said it was fun to watch the pile of donations(捐赠物) __________ . Mary collected $650 in cash donations and more than $1,000 worth of __________ for the shelter in the end. __________ Mary went with her parents to send the supplies to the shelter, people there __________ her with another birthday party. They had __________ a cake for her and gave her a __________ signed(签名)by everyone there.

Mary hopes other children will hear about her __________ birthday and choose their own charity to support. “I felt really __________ when I did it,” she said. “You’re not just giving them something; you’re __________ them with their whole life.”

1.

A．books

B．bikes

C．toys

D．gifts

2.

A．knew

B．liked

C．taught

D．punished

3.

A．look for

B．laugh at

C．think of

D．keep off

4.

A．return

B．collect

C．destroy

D．refuse

5.

A．my

B．her

C．your

D．our

6.

A．found

B．missed

C．left

D．closed

7.

A．wasted

B．exchanged

C．discovered

D．needed

8.

A．graduation

B．dress

C．birthday

D．office

9.

A．seldom

B．still

C．perhaps

D．never

10.

A．cleaned

B．repaired

C．stopped

D．filled

11.

A．smile

B．pity

C．sigh

D．lie

12.

A．remain

B．increase

C．drop

D．burn

13.

A．robots

B．supplies

C．armchairs

D．paintings

14.

A．When

B．Before

C．Until

D．Since

15.

A．frightened

B．worried

C．surprised

D．remembered

16.

A．made

B．sold

C．lent

D．touched

17.

A．watch

B．ticket

C．card

D．menu

18.

A．unhappy

B．forgotten

C．common

D．special

19.

A．good

B．bored

C．afraid

D．hungry

20.

A．asking

B．calling

C．visiting

D．helping

9 . The Terror of the First F5 Tornado

The nonstop high plains wind suddenly fell dead still, leaving the evening air hot and heavy over Lubbock, Texas. Impossibly dark clouds hung low in the sky.

Standing in the yard outside her family’s trailer home, 12-year-old Cindy Keele saw the worry emerge in her grandmother’s face. “Go in and put on your shoes,” Keele’s grandmother said flatly. “We have to get to the storm cellar.”

The girl dashed inside. As soon as the screen door slapped shut behind her, hail (冰雹) began rapping against the roof. Keele yelled to her mother, “Grandma says we have to get to the storm cellar!” Then a hail stone the size of a softball smashed through the kitchen window. Another one punched a hole in the ceiling. And then came the sound: the unmistakable, ear-splitting roar of an approaching tornado.

Cindy Keele’s mother was suddenly on the same page. But getting herself, her three kids, and her mother to safety was no simple matter—the shelter was at the opposite end of the trailer park. If they didn’t drive, they’d never make it.

The five moved quickly to the family car, ducking to avoid hurtling pieces. At last, everyone was in the car.

“My purse!” Keele’s grandmother shouted “My purse is still in there!”

Keele jumped out of the car and ran back into the house. She fetched the purse and dashed back into the maelstrom. She almost made it. “As I ran to the car,” she says, “an enormous hailstone hit me in the back of the neck. I was told it was the size of a soccer ball.” The next few minutes were a blur for the girl. Her next clear memory is of inside the shelter.

“I guess there were 60 of us in there, plus dogs and cats,” Keele says. “The sound outside was deafening. And then, all of a sudden, it got quiet.” Cautiously, the group emerged from underground.

“My mother ran straight for our street. What she found was—nothing.” The place where our house had been were pieces of houses, but not pieces of our house. “I’d never seen my mom cry,” Keele recalls softly. “But she was on her knees. She was broken.”

May 11 marks the 51st anniversary of the 1970 Lubbock tornado, the first such storm ever to be classified F5.

1. What did Keele do in the story?

A．She dashed to the room to save her brothers.

B．She rushed to fetch her grandmothers purse.

C．She drove the family members to the shelter.

D．She ran to the cellar first with her grandmother.

2. What do we know about the tornado?

A．The tornado died down very slowly.

B．Hail was the biggest killer in the tornado.

C．The tornado came with a deafening noise.

D．It was windy and sunny before the tornado.

3. It can be learnt from the story that ________.

A．Keele’s house was totally mined	B．Keele’s mother got her knees hurt
C．Keele lost memory of the tornado	D．Keele was injured by a soccer ball

10 . I'm still very much figuring out what I want to do with my life, but I can honestly say now that I feel very proud of where I am right now. I've written about the teachers in high school and college I had that made a big impact on me, but I haven't mentioned the person that make the biggest difference.

Growing up, Mom was always there for me. People think of Asian mothers as scary and demanding, but my mother was nothing like that. During the summers, we had some math and Chinese lessons every day before we could go outside and play, which may sound dull, but somehow Mom made it fun. She took our education very seriously and spent countless hours copying math problems into notebooks with colored pens. She made hundreds of index（索引）cards, each with a Chinese character on it, which we would rearrange to make sentences. I still smile when I open up my math notebooks and see those colorful pages of math problems—if I got them all right, I'd get a smiling face and "100%!" or "Next Einstein!" on the top with sticker. If I didn't do so well, I'd get a Pretty Good!"

I was the only girl on the Math Counts team in middle school. I came home one day from middle school and told her that some of the boys in my class made fun of me because I was doing better than them in math. She went to my teacher and told her that she didn't want her daughter to feel like she couldn't be good at math or to be teased because of it. I didn't know this until recently my mom told me that she herself was the only female engineer where she started working, and gained the respect of her coworkers.

1. Who made the lasting and deepest influence on the author?

A．Her teachers in high school.

B．Her teachers in college.

C．Her friends in college.

D．Her mom.

2. When the author was young, her math and Chinese lessons made her feel ________.

A．fun with Mom's wonderful instructions

B．dull without classmates to study together

C．hopeless to keep up with other classmates

D．more confused since mom wasn't a teacher

3. Why did the author love learning from her mother?

A．She liked to play word games with Mom at home.

B．Mom always encouraged her whatever happened.

C．She knew Mom liked playing tricks on her.

D．Mom drew many smiling faces for her.

4. Why was the author made fun of when in Math Counts team in middle school?

A．Because her math was better than the boys.

B．Because no other girls liked to learn math.

C．Because her mother wasn't good at math.

D．Because she failed in the math contest.