1 . Dear Laura,

How are you? It has been several weeks since I heard from you. I have been missing you a lot these days, so I think I should find out how you are doing. Hope this letter finds you in the best of health. Things here are fine, though they seem to be a little boring now without you.

Since school started, I have made some new friends who are great company（陪伴）. But I keep remembering what a great time we had during our summer vacations. Those long rides in the woods, often shopping at the mall and our video game matches were all so much fun. Things here are a little different, and it is going to take me some time to get used to them.

I have some great professors who make classes very interesting. I actually look forward to doing my homework for these classes. However, there are some really boring science classes that I just don’t seem to enjoy. They all sound so difficult, but I have to learn them. A few years later, I am going to drop these subjects forever! The good thing is that all the friends I’ve made feel just the same way about these science classes.

How have things been with you? How about your school and all those great friends you keep talking about? Did you join that guitar class you wanted to so badly? Look forward to hearing from you.

By the way, Dad has bought me the latest video game controller. It is really amazing! Waiting for you to come back here so that we can have some more video game matches!

Yours truly,

Aaron

1. What does Aaron probably think of his life in the school?

A．Rather terrible.	B．A little bit dull.
C．Quite hard.	D．Fairly exciting.

2. What can we learn about Aaron from the letter?

A．He didn’t get along with his new friends.

B．He enjoyed a great summer vacation with Laura.

C．He has already got used to his new school life.

D．He enjoyed all of his new classes.

3. Aaron dislikes his science classes because he ________.

A．does not like the science professors

B．has too much homework for these classes

C．finds these classes very hard to understand

D．finds they are of no use in the future

4. What will Laura most probably talk about in her reply to Aaron?

A．Her school life and friendship.	B．Her science classes and the professors.
C．Her summer vacation.	D．Her video game matches.

5. Which of the following statements is TRUE about Aaron and Laura?

A．They are in the same school now.	B．They write to each other every week.
C．They both like playing video games.	D．They will take the guitar class together.

2 . At an airport I overheard a father and a daughter in their last moments together. It had announced her plane's________ and standing near the door, he said to his daughter, “I love you. I wish you enough. She said. “Daddy, our life together has been ________ enough. Your love is all I ________ needed. I wish you enough, too? Daddy. They kissed good-bye and she left.

He walked over toward the window where I ________. I could see he wanted to cry. I tried not to ________ his privacy（隐私），but he welcomed me in by asking, “Did you ever say good-bye to someone you love, knowing it would be forever?, “Yes, I have,” I ________. Saying that brought________ memories I had of expressing my love and ________ for all my Dad had done for me. After thirty seconds of silence. “Forgive me for asking, but why is this a/an   forever good-bye?" I asked. “I am old and she lives much too far away. The _______ is that her next trip back will be for my funeral(葬礼), ” he said. “When you were saying good-bye I heard you say, "I wish you enough” May I ask what that means?" He began to ________.

“That's a wish that has been handed down from other generations. My ________used to say it to everyone. ” He paused for a moment and _______ as if trying to remember it in detail, he smiled even more. “When we said I wish you enough, we were wanting the other person to have a life filled with enough good things to support them," he continued and then turning toward me he shared the following as if he were reciting it from ________.

“I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude________. I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more. I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive. I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear much bigger . I wish you enough gain to ________your wanting. I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you have. I wish enough Hellos to get you through the final “ Good-bye.” He then began to sob and walked away.

1.

A．arrival

B．leaving

C．delay

D．landing

2.

A．more than

B．or rather

C．rather than

D．less than

3.

A．never

B．even

C．ever

D．hardly

4.

A．sat

B．worked

C．hid

D．travelled

5.

A．ignore

B．laugh

C．break

D．disturb

6.

A．added

B．replied

C．doubted

D．shouted

7.

A．back

B．up

C．down

D．across

8.

A．pain

B．anger

C．appreciation

D．boredom

9.

A．condition

B．reaction

C．news

D．reality

10.

A．cry

B．smile

C．wish

D．complain

11.

A．teachers

B．friends

C．children

D．parents

12.

A．looked into

B．looked up

C．looked through

D．looked after

13.

A．examination

B．memory

C．communication

D．impression

14.

A．sunny

B．curious

C．relaxed

D．simple

15.

A．comfort

B．touch

C．satisfy

D．lift

3 . “Everything happens for the best,” my mother said whenever I faced disappointment. “If you can carry on, one day something good will happen.”

After graduating from college in 1932, I decided to find a job as a sports announcer (播音员) on the radio. I took the bus to Chicago and knocked on the door o£ every radio station. But I was refused every time. In one studio a nice lady told me that big radio stations didn’t want to accept inexperienced persons. “Go to the countryside and find a small station that might give you a chance,” she said.

I returned home, Dixon in Illinois. My father said Smith Ward had opened a store and wanted a local sportsman to manage its sports department. Since I had played football at Dixon in high school, I applied. The job sounded just right for me, but I still failed in the interview. As I left his office, I felt sad. I asked aloud, “How can a man become a sports announcer if he can’t get a job in a radio station?”

I was waiting for the lift when I heard Smith Ward calling, “What did you say about sports? Do you know anything about football?” Then he made me stand before a microphone and asked me to broadcast an imaginary (虚构的) game. As a result, I did a wonderful job and was told to broadcast Saturday’s game!

On my way home, I thought of my mother’s words again: Everything happens for the best if you carry on. One day something good will happen.

1. When did the writer graduate from college?

A．In 1931.

B．In 1932.

C．In 1933.

D．In 1934.

2. Who opened a store and wanted a local sportsman?

A．The writer.	B．Smith Marx.
C．The writer’s father.	D．Smith Ward.

3. Finally, the writer was asked to broadcast________.

A．Thursday’s game	B．Friday’s game
C．Saturday’s game	D．Sunday’s game

4. According to the text, “Everything happens for the best if you carry on” means that________.

A．you will fail if you keep on trying

B．you will succeed if you keep on trying

C．you will lose money if you keep on trying

D．you will make money if you keep on trying

4 . Senior citizens are permitted to travel cheaply on a bus if they have a special card. Women may get cards when they are sixty.

Mrs. Matthews lives in the country but she went into town once a week to buy food and other things for the house, and she usually went by bus. She always had to pay the full price for her ride.

Then she reached the age of sixty and got her senior citizen's card, but when she used it for the first time on the bus, it made her feel very old.

The bus driver had often seen her traveling on the bus before, and he notices that she was feeling unhappy, so after she had paid her money, he winked (眨眼) at her and whispered, “Don't forget to give your mother's card back to her when you see her again.”

Mrs. Matthews was very happy when she heard this.

1. Senior citizens in the story refer to ________.

A．those who have special cards	B．those who want to travel cheaply
C．old people with special cards	D．people holding high positions

2. What are women allowed if they are over sixty?

A．They have to pay their special card.

B．They don't have to pay for taking buses.

C．They have to pay the full price for their ride.

D．They pay less for their ride i£ they have a special card.

3. How often does Mrs. Matthews go to the town?

A．Twice a week.	B．Once a year.
C．Every other week.	D．Once a week.

4. Why did the driver whisper to Mrs. Matthews?

A．Because he knew her mother was still alive.

B．Because he hoped to make her feel younger.

C．Because she did not pay money for taking the bus.

D．Because she shouldn't have used her mother's card.

5 . 在你成长过程中一定有一些对你有帮助、对你很重要的人。假定你是李华，请以“An Important Person in My Life”为题，用英语写一篇短文给校报投稿，内容包括：
1. 对你很重要的人是谁；
2. 对你很重要的原因；
3. 你想如何回报他（她）。
注意：词数100左右。（文章的标题和开头已给出， 不计入总词数）

An Important Person in My Life

On the journey of my growth, there were many people who cared about me and helped me when I was in trouble.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

6 . Tristin Stewart, 15, of Northern Ireland, has no right knee after undergoing an operation. Now, his right leg connects directly to a right foot backward, which fits more_______than a traditional amputation (截肢).

Tristin said he began experiencing_______in his right leg in 2014, but it was not until last year that doctors diagnosed it as a cancer. The diagnosis and_______operation made Tristin’s parents, Mandy and Shane so worried.

“Tristin was scared firstly before receiving the operation,” Mandy said. “When we went in to see him after the operation, you could_______see that something was not in the right place under the_______, and Shane and I got up the courage to uncover it. That was a very strange sight, but my boy’s life was saved so that’s all that_______.”

In spite of a_______disease, the first in Northern Ireland, the soccer-loving teen is already back on his_______ just months after the operation.

“At the start it was uncomfortable and I wasn’t used to it because of the weight and my foot — you know, it felt_______— but now I’ m accustomed to it,” Tristin told Caters News. “It feels close to normal.”

“I can________with it and I’ve just started a jog,” Tristin said. “Without it, I’d be in a________. I wouldn’t be able to do anything.”

Unexpectedly, many people are now________ money to buy Stewart professional aid equipment so he can________in sports and more physical activities.

“Friends have been just as________, and they haven’t treated me differently,” Tristin added. “And I believe no matter how________ the mountain, there will always be a climb for the people who do not fear the difficult.”

1.

A．comfortably

B．differently

C．dangerously

D．commonly

2.

A．sorrow

B．pain

C．surprise

D．strength

3.

A．expecting

B．leading

C．following

D．increasing

4.

A．gradually

B．sorely

C．obviously

D．fortunately

5.

A．beds

B．covers

C．clothes

D．knives

6.

A．damages

B．matters

C．keeps

D．memorizes

7.

A．successful

B．deadly

C．frustrating

D．rare

8.

A．feet

B．way

C．behalf

D．side

9.

A．great

B．ugly

C．amazing

D．strange

10.

A．study

B．walk

C．swim

D．run

11.

A．bed

B．car

C．wheelchair

D．field

12.

A．raising

B．making

C．stealing

D．printing

13.

A．take

B．give

C．break

D．participate

14.

A．healthy

B．smart

C．hard

D．usual

15.

A．smooth

B．magnificent

C．steep

D．difficult

7 . 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

8 . 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.

9 . 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

10 . 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.