3 . It was about ten years ago on a cold winter day. I was walking over to visit my dad when it began raining heavily. Although his house was only a short walk from mine, I was wet all over and it chilled (使冰冷) my bones. I knocked on his door and stepped in. Warm steam was floating from the kitchen. It touched my nose, and suddenly, I was 8 years old again. Dad was making Nana’s special sauce.

When I was growing up, Nana would make us an Italian feast every Sunday. She would slowly cook her spaghetti (意大利面) sauce for hours. Then she would drop in potatoes, chicken, meatballs, sausage and sometimes even steak. When it was done, we would mix it in the spaghetti, fix the plates and sprinkle(洒) it on the cheese. It always left our bellies full, our hearts happy and the house smelling heavenly.

I sat down while Dad made me a plate. It felt so good having a meal like we used to when I was a boy. We talked about those old times, my warm-hearted aunt and laughed over the memories, both good and bad. I didn’t feel cold any more.

Dad and Nana have been gone for years now. I still miss them both every single day. Although my daughter and I both know how to make Nana’s special sauce, we don’t cook it as often as we could. Maybe it is because no matter how hard I try, I can never get it 100 percent right. Maybe it was just the love with which Nana and Dad cooked it that made it so delicious. Either way, this winter, I’m going to make some again.

1. How was the author feeling on his way to his father’s house?

A．Excited.

B．Cold.

C．Tired.

D．Warm.

2. What can we learn about the Italian feast when the author was growing up?

A．It was nice and delicious.	B．He had to make it by himself.
C．The spaghetti was mixed with everything.	D．He never felt full after it.

3. Nana was most probably the author’s _________.

A．sister

B．wife

C．aunt

D．daughter

4. What is the best title for the passage?

A．A Travel in Winter	B．My Cooking Experience
C．Nana and My Dad	D．Special Sauce with Love

6 . My husband is more a kid at heart. He insists we find gifts for the grandkids while on a trip to Savannah.

I can be a kid at heart, too, but I also can be a mathematician — and even cheap, ugly gifts add up quickly when you have 11 grandkids.

Children like gifts and they want them. So we are digging through piles of cheap key fobs (钥匙链), plastic sun hats, chocolate treats that will melt in the heat, and funny T-shirts, finding nothing.

We go with two hats for the boys but are still empty-handed for the nine girls. Then I spot small bracelets (手链) in a rainbow of colors. He turns one over a couple of times and says, “Nice.”

The bracelets are made of small balls shaped like starfish and turtles. They all look like rock candy, which can be eaten and was popular when we were kids. We buy nine and make a mental note: tell the girls not to eat them.

As the clerk wraps the bracelets, I remember a gift I had as a girl. Once we could choose one thing in a shop to remember our trip. What I selected was a blue plastic soapbox with the lid (盖子) and topped with a pink flamingo (火烈鸟). It was cheap and tacky (俗气的) and I believed it was the loveliest thing a girl could own. It was too beautiful to put soap inside, so it sat in a dresser drawer year after year, slowly aging, yellowing, as a reminder of a family trip long ago.

The girls are married and have families of their own, and those gifts are still in the dresser drawers in their old bedrooms, but I have came to realize that every gift may have its worth and value, saying we are together even though we were apart. That’s always a good deal.

1. Why did the author say she was a mathematician?

A．Because their family was not rich enough to buy gifts.

B．Because she was good at choosing gifts for kids.

C．Because she ever studied mathematics in university.

D．Because she found it expensive to buy 11 gifts.

2. How are the gifts for the grandkids?

A．Shiny and costly.	B．Foreign and attractive.
C．Beautiful and ordinary.	D．Useful and cheap.

3. What did the gifts for the girls remind the author of?

A．The great family memories.	B．The experience in giving gifts.
C．The best gift she ever had.	D．The trip when she fell in love.

4. What is the main idea of the text?

A．Good reminders of our life.	B．How to choose gifts for kids.
C．The meaning of a gift.	D．What to expect on a family trip.

7 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

It was eight o’clock on a cold spring night. Our apartment was full of the artwork of an energeic five-year-old. The house was in a mess.

I was so tired that night. I had depended on a walking stick to go anywhere for seven weeks, recovering from an operation, and I couldn’t find a way to cheer myself up.

The phone rang - for the sixth time in less than an hour. I knew who it was. My mother had been suffering from dementia (痴呆). Though we visited her every few days, she believed that her daughters had not visited in months. She thought that her friend Jimmy never wanted to see her again, but he called her and visited weekly.

She had no idea that she had repeated the things she was about to say a million times today and a million times the day before. She had no idea that I had an operation, nor could she remember her own grandaughter’s name. She forgot most of her own past and she drifted in the present. Also, she was lonely.

This time I cast my anger at the easiest target: my mother, the very victim of this chance horror. “Mom!” I shouted. “We visited two days ago! You have to believe me, and even if you don’t, I cannot talk anymore! Everything is fine!”

Silence. Then: “I was only calling to say hi. Why are you shouting?!” she continued. “Do you have a minute?”

“No, Mom, I don’t. I can’t stand this!”

I sat on the couch, defeated. I was suddenly aware of all that my daughter was watching me shouting at my mother and losing my patience. I have failed at being a good example to my daughter.

注意：
1.续写词数应为150左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

My daughter approached me, saying, “Can I talk to Grandma Ellie?”

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

After many kissing noises, they eventually hung up.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

8 . Jan Tchamani, an English teacher in Birmingham, UK, suddenly developed a serious illness and had to quit her job. At age 50, she found herself out of work and stuck (被困住) at home with only her computer to keep her company. After a while, she discovered that surfing the Internet could help her feel less lonely and bored. She could listen to music, watch films, play games, and explore the world. She also joined an online group where she could talk about her problems and get support and advice from others. She realised that one of the greatest benefits of the Internet was its ability to remove the distance that usually exists between people.

She was so inspired by the people she met online that she decided to start an IT club to teach older people how to use computers and the Internet. She and her friends now organise events and collect money to pay for private teachers. Many people have been helped by the club. A 59-year-old man learnt how to apply for work online and found a great job. Now that he works and can take care of himself, his daughter has time to study at university. A 61-year-old woman who was living alone has started a small online company together with two friends. She no longer feels lonely, and her company has become quite successful.

Jan has started taking online classes to learn more about how to use the Internet to make society better. She believes that it is highly important to bridge the digital gap and make sure that everyone has access to the Internet and knows how to use new technology. Her next goal is to start a charity website to raise money for children in poor countries.

Jan’s life has been greatly improved by the Internet. “When you go through hard times, you meet others who are facing similar challenges,” Jan says. “Thinking about other people’s situations inspired me to offer help.”

1. What made Jan lose her job?

A．Her age.	B．A serious illness.
C．Poor working ability.	D．Surfing the Internet.

2. How did Jan feel when she lost her job?

A．Pleased.

B．Unhappy.

C．Amazed.

D．Nervous.

3. What could be inferred from Paragraph 2 about the IT club?

A．The club helps people online.

B．The club inspires old people who feel lonely.

C．The club helps the elderly get online.

D．The club teaches older people to take care of themselves.

4. What does the underlined word in Paragraph 3 mean?

A．Increase.

B．Narrow.

C．Improve.

D．Change.

5. What encouraged Jan to help those people?

A．A better understanding of the Internet.

B．Seeing the situation of children in poor countries.

C．Knowing how to use new technology.

D．Meeting people who were going through hardships similar to hers.

10 . 阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容(1个单词)或括号内单词的正确形式。

One day Mary was busy    1    (work) in her office in London    2    she received an e- mail from her friend Joan. In Joan’s e- mail, she asked Mary    3    (look) for a flat in London for her. As she had    4    (little) money at her command than before, the flat had to be cheap, but it had to be modern with elevators and gas lines. It had to be in the eastern part of London, with petrol and subway stations nearby. Though Mary found    5    difficult to find such a flat, she still went from one block to another, looking for a flat    6    would meet Joan’s requirements. Having tried too many times, Mary    7    (meet) her boss and politely asked him for advice. It was the first time that she    8    (talk) with his boss about her personal    9    (problem). It happened that the boss just had such a flat for rent, so they quickly reached    10    agreement. But to her surprise,when she e-mailed Joan, telling her the good news, Joan said that she had changed her mind—she was not returning to London.