1 . About a year ago, I had to spend a week in a hospital, because of the deadly food poisoning. There I met an elderly woman, who   _____     to be a professional musician. That time when I met her, the idea of learning to sing didn't       _____       my mind. I thought it was something     _____     and not meant for me, like being an airplane pilot.

And only recently, I suddenly decided to learn singing. I was     _____       my dog early in the morning. I sang     _____       to myself and it made me feel so wonderful.   At that moment I     _____       I had known more good songs and how to control my     _____     better. And then I thought, why didn't I take any singing lessons? Of course, it was not a practical skill that I could use at work, but not everything in this life is about actual _____   and income.

It was easy to find that woman.   I remembered her name and there was only one   _____   college in our city.   I was afraid she would reject me because I was a terrible amateur.   But she took my request very     ______. She understood how important music was     ______       one's soul.   In my first lesson, she sat at the gorgeous big piano and       ______       some rising notes that I had to repeat.   At first I was terrified to make a sound because I feared being judged and criticized. But my teacher was kind and professional. However， she was strict when she knew I could do better.

Learning to sing was like learning to walk.   It was like       ______ that all your life you had some superpower but were not aware of its   ______. Singing taught me more than just being able to take some high or low     ______.   Most importantly, it taught me to be braver about expressing myself and my opinions.

1.

A．turned out

B．ran out

C．went on

D．called on

2.

A．lose

B．cross

C．change

D．slip

3.

A．realistic

B．fashionable

C．unavailable

D．worthless

4.

A．sorting

B．owning

C．evolving

D．walking

5.

A．jokingly

B．painfully

C．lightly

D．properly

6.

A．planned

B．wished

C．heard

D．regretted

7.

A．sound

B．hope

C．talk

D．voice

8.

A．benefit

B．damage

C．habits

D．dates

9.

A．literary

B．architectural

C．medical

D．musical

10.

A．casually

B．seriously

C．rudely

D．uniquely

11.

A．from

B．under

C．for

D．during

12.

A．wrote

B．left

C．played

D．kept

13.

A．giving out

B．admitting to

C．belonging to

D．finding out

14.

A．existence

B．contents

C．purpose

D．forms

15.

A．words

B．notes

C．noises

D．spirits

2 . The Friends of Charles Dickens

Dickens was born in 1812. His father, a clerk in the navy pay office, was thrown into debtors' prison. The miserable treatment of children and the institution of the debtors' jail became   topics of several of Dickens^, novels。.

Wilkie Collins (1824-1889)

Although twelve years younger than Dickens Wilkie Collins became one of Dickens best friends. Collins was a popular novelist who developed the mystery novel style. The Moonstone is one of his best. He and Dickens wrote The Frozen Deep . Wilkie was the son of the painter William Collins. He was born in London and lived in Italy and France as a child.

John Elliotson (1791-1868)

Elliotson was Dickens's family doctor for many years and thus they became good friends. Elliotson was an early advocate for the use of the stethoscope (听诊器). He also believed in the use of acupuncture (针灸).

Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849)

Poe was an American author best known for his poems and short fiction. The Fall of the House of Usher and The Murders in the Rue Morgue are two of his most popular works Dickens and Poe's friendship began in Philadelphia while Dickens was on his first tour of the United States. They talked about literature and seemed to enjoy one another's company However，two years later Poe broke off the relationship because he was angry about an article on American poetry. The article was written by Thackeray, but Poe believed that Dickens was behind the article.

William Makepeace Thackeray (1811-1863)

William Makepeace Thackeray was a novelist His best known work is Vanity Fair. He was also a friend of Charles Dickens. While Dickens and Thackeray were friends, the relation ship wasn't always smooth. They had several serious quarrels. One quarrel involved Dickens siding with Edmund Yates after Yates insulted Thackeray.

1. Who had taken care of Dickens' health for years?

A．Collins.

B．Poe.

C．Elliotson.

D．Thackeray.

2. What broke Dickens and Poe's friendship?

A．A traffic accident.	B．Their ideas on running companies.
C．A poem written by Dickens.	D．An article written by Thackeray.

3. What is Thackeray's most famous novel?

A．Vanity Fair.	B．The Moonstone.
C．The Fall of the House of Usher.	D．The Murders in the Rue Morgue.

3 . Dad was not only my best friend, but my compass (指南针). While he was alive, he _________ me with his actions and advice. He taught me one important _______, “Believe in yourself.”

If there was one phrase my dad _______ liked to hear, it was “I can’t.” He never got to finish high school and took two jobs to support his large family, _______ he never complained. Through education and years of hard work, my dad became an excellent journalist.

When I was in high school, I had a _______ time with math. He tried to help me, but I _______ struggled. So my math teacher suggested I meet with him at 7:00 each morning before school for _______ help. I told Dad, “That’s crazy! I’m tired! I can’t do that!” He replied, “You are doing it. I’ll send you to school.” Every morning at 6:45, we’d leave the house. Despite working 12 hours every day, Dad never once _______ driving me to school.

After months of _______, I was facing the final exam. I was so ________. On the day of the final, my dad hugged me and said, “Luke, ________ yourself. You can do it.” His words made me realize I needed to trust in my ability and in the hours of study I’d put in. When I got my grade proudly, the first person I called was my father. He cried, “Yes! You deserved it!”

Even now, whenever I ________ that a task is too much for me, I think back to that exam. No matter how ________ something is, if you’re willing to work, you can succeed. I’m forever ________ to Dad for that lesson.

1.

A．understood

B．forgave

C．guided

D．impressed

2.

A．history

B．lesson

C．skill

D．language

3.

A．always

B．almost

C．ever

D．never

4.

A．so

B．or

C．but

D．and

5.

A．good

B．free

C．terrible

D．short

6.

A．still

B．nearly

C．hardly

D．probably

7.

A．real

B．practical

C．immediate

D．extra

8.

A．suggested

B．risked

C．enjoyed

D．missed

9.

A．meeting

B．testing

C．learning

D．interviewing

10.

A．excited

B．nervous

C．happy

D．shocked

11.

A．believe in

B．hold back

C．stand for

D．look after

12.

A．hope

B．forget

C．worry

D．promise

13.

A．different

B．hard

C．important

D．interesting

14.

A．grateful

B．sorry

C．polite

D．useful

4 . My son was ten at the time and we were on a late night family car trip to Cleveland for the get-together the next day. I was taking my _______ at the wheel while my husband and my little daughter _______.My son, full of energy, was wide awake in the back seat. I _______ to stay awake, too, and I didn’t want to _______ the radio, so I asked him to talk to me to help keep me _______.“Sure, Mom,” he said, “what do you want to _______?” I told him I’d talk about anything he wanted to talk _______.“How about frogs?” he asked. I said that would be _______,and for the next hour or so we talked about the _______ between frogs and toads(蟾蜍),and ________—basketball and soccer. He was quite ________ when we talked about Michael Jordan and Michael Jackson and how they got to be so famous. Now and then he would ________,but we’d continue to talk as I drove down the ________ road. 

About an hour and a half later, when I finally________,the bright lights woke everyone, and the magic of our discussion ________.But I knew I had taken the first step toward changing a bad listening habit with someone I love very much.

1.

A．offer

B．step

C．place

D．turn

2.

A．learned

B．ate

C．exercised

D．slept

3.

A．failed

B．needed

C．refused

D．agreed

4.

A．move

B．take

C．play

D．touch

5.

A．patient

B．pleased

C．awake

D．strong

6.

A．discuss

B．do

C．prove

D．say

7.

A．to

B．for

C．with

D．about

8.

A．lucky

B．fine

C．simple

D．dangerous

9.

A．studies

B．rules

C．differences

D．competitions

10.

A．tasks

B．sports

C．shows

D．programs

11.

A．interested

B．surprised

C．angry

D．sorry

12.

A．stay

B．stop

C．watch

D．leave

13.

A．dark

B．main

C．wide

D．beautiful

14.

A．passed

B．followed

C．finished

D．arrived

15.

A．worked

B．continued

C．disappeared

D．changed

6 . I think a close friend is someone you get on really well with, who helps you when you have problems, who gives you advice, and who always has time for you.I didn't use to have many close friends when I was at school or at university as I was very shy, but now I have several.They are all women—I think it's difficult to have a close friend of the opposite sex (异性)．

—Marie

I don't really have any close friends.I know a lot of people but mainly through work, and the kind of social occasions (场合) when we meet are business dinners and evening parties.I think if you come from a really close family, then friends are a bit unnecessary.I prefer to spend the little free time I have with my family.

—Richard

I think a close friend is someone who you've known for a long time, and who you still get on with.They probably have similar hobbies to you so you can do things together.I've got three close friends whom I was at high school with and we often go away together (without our parents of course).We always go camping and somewhere we can go walking, play football and be outside in the open air.

—David

For me close friends are the people you spend your free time with.I go out at weekends with a group of people—there are about seven of us, and I'd say we are all close friends.We also live near each other.I don't think you can have close friends at a distance (在远处); you need to be able to see each other often. But I don't think you need to be doing the same things.I mean I'm at university but none of my friends are.

—Anna

1. What does Richard say about friends?

A．It's hard to make friends at work.

B．They're less important than family.

C．Friends need to have a lot in common.

D．Women and men can't be close friends.

2. What does David enjoy?

A．Physical activities.

B．Parent－child camps.

C．Going to evening parties.

D．Playing out in the open alone.

3. What do we know about Anna's friends?

A．They are college students.

B．They are doing the same things.

C．They don't live far away.

D．They don't see each other often.

4. Who has more friends now than before?

A．Anna.	B．David.
C．Richard.	D．Marie.

7 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

When an important holiday comes, I usually think of what gifts to buy or prepare for my family members. It is the act    1    (it)rather than the things you buy that matters. Either a small present, a text message or a phone call can mean a lot to the receivers.    2    , I had never got anything from my son, who is    3    university student. Parents never forget to celebrate their children's birthday, but their children seem to be very forgetful. They seldom do something in return.

Life is unpredictable, and you never know what will happen tomorrow. When my son came back during the summer vacation, my wife and I, as usual,    4    (meet)him at the station. On arriving home, much    5    my surprise, my son took out a fashionable wrist watch and gave it to me,    6    (say)it was a birthday gift for me. You can imagine how    7    (surprise)and excited I was at that moment!

Some people say children get too much care and love from their parents,    8    they never express thanks for. It is natural for people to have such concerns and    9    (worry), but things may not turn out as badly as    10    (expect).

8 . 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，续写的词数应为150左右。

Desiree, a 4-year-old girl, was sobbing quietly over her father, Ken, who had died nine months earlier. She was hugging a photograph of her father with her fingers running around his face. “Daddy”, she said softly, “Why won't you come back?”

Instead of gradually adjusting to her father's death, Desiree refused to accept it “Daddy will be home soon,” she'd tell her mother. “He's at work.” When she played with her toy telephone, she pretended she was chatting with her father “I miss you, Daddy,” she'd say. “When will you come back?” Desiree's situation made her mother worried.

Days later, it was Ken's birthday. “How will I send him a card?” Desiree asked her mother “How about if we tie a litter to a balloon.” her mother said, “and send it up to heaven?” Desiree's eyes immediately lit up.

Her mother took her to a store and Desiree picked out a balloon with HAPPY BIRTHDAY above a drawing of The Little Mermaid (美人鱼). Desire and her father had often watched it.

The child's eyes shone as they were on the way to Ken's grave. Then Desiree dictated (口述) a letter to her Dad. “Daddy, Happy birthday, I love you and miss you,” she rattled off (快速说). “I hope you get this and can write to me on my birthday in January.”

Her mother wrote the message and their address on a small piece of paper, which was then wrapped in plastic and tied to the end of the string on the balloon. Finally, Desiree let fly the balloon. For almost an hour, they watched the shining spot of silver grow smaller and smaller till disappear. “Now Dad's going to write back to me,” Desiree said confidently.

Every day since they'd flew the balloon, Desiree had asked her mother, “Do you think Daddy has my balloon yet?” Several weeks passed, and she stopped asking.

Paragraph 1
One day, 3,000 miles away, Wade was on a duck hunt when suddenly something in the bush caught his eyes. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2

Desire's fifth birthday came and later on the afternoon, a package arrived.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

9 . Cory Nichol's whole life changed after he watched the documentary (纪录片) Hard Times. Lost on Long Island. This documentary follows four different families over six months as they struggle with unemployment. Cory knew he had to help any way that he could.

He founded an organization named “C the Difference”. The first step of his charity was to advertise. Using his own money, Cory had orange bracelets (手链) made. Now, he has sold the bracelets. A lot of people who are willing to donate bought them. “We've gotten donations from $5 to $500,” Cory said. “Every dollar really helps.”

Since founding the organization “C the Difference”, Cory has gotten the word out through e-mail and social media He has managed to get upwards of 7,500 and the amount will keep ring each month For Cox, his work is truly rewarding and he loves knowing that poll fortunate than him are really benefiting tom al the donations Once he said, “I was in the pantry (食品室) one time when a woman was taking food, and she was grateful for what I was doing That made me feel great.”

Cory's work has been truly remarkable. These past years he was recognized for “C the Difference” and was a recipient (获得者) of the New York State Prudential Spirit of Community Award. Cory was honored when he found out the news, and even more shocked When he found out that he was one of the only 102 winners out of the 28.000 applicants, As a recipient Cory got to travel to Washington D.C. with the other winners.

There are bright things in Cory's future. First, he wants to keep doing well in school. “I think school is really important to be successful in life.” In addition, Cory wants to keep “C the Difference” going through high school. “I am continuing to get donations, and to get younger kids and my peers involved to help each month”.

1. After watching the documentary, Cory _______.

A．set up a charity organization	B．found a job in Long Island
C．donated money immediately	D．felt the documentary interesting

2. Cory tried to raise enough money by _______.

A．wearing a ring and a bracelet	B．spreading the word out
C．phoning to his friends	D．collecting from his classmates

3. Cory felt _______ after he knew he was given an award.

A．proud and surprised	B．interested and delighted
C．embarrassed and puzzled	D．ashamed and frightened

4. We can infer from the passage that Cory will _______.

A．travel in Long Island alone	B．stop raising money
C．study in Washington	D．go on his charity

10 . 假定你是李华,你班的美国交换生Tom结束了在你校一年的学习，即将回国。你和同学打算于7月10日下午在班上为他开一个欢送会（farewell party），特写信邀请他参加。要点包括：
1.欢送会的时间和地点；
2.感谢Tom的帮助；
3.美好祝愿。
注意：
1.词数100左右；
2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3.开头语已为你写好，不计入总词数。
Dear Tom,

How time flies! It’s one year since you came to study Chinese in our school.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Yours sincerely,

Li Hua