1 . Nelson Mandela is respected and admired across the world. And to South Africans he is a superstar. He is a hero who shocked the world by fighting for peace between races, despite the 27 years he spent in the prison of the South Africa’s white, racist regime(政权)
Mandela, who won the nation’s first all-race elections after the fall of apartheid(种族隔离) in 1944,retired in 1999. But he remains as popular as ever.
“He’s loved by all people, whether you’re white or black, whether you’re young or old,” said Ali Bacher, South Africa’s former cricket(板球) chief.
His popularity has inspired an entire national industry. His portrait has appeared at many places, including on some goods. His face has appeared on a South African coin, a metropolitan(大都会的)area was named in his honor and some business leaders hope to build a massive, rotating statue in his likeness---- the Statue of Freedom. It would stand taller than New York’s Statue of Liberty.
His popular appeal is similar to that of John F. Kennedy with US or Winston Churchill in Britain, but few politicians in his times have achieved his level of admiration, said Tom Lodge, head of the political science department of the University of the Witwatersrand.” Sometimes it isn’t completely appreciated what a skilled performer Mandela has been throughout his political career. He is a very, very clever man,” However, he is far from perfect.
Most articles for his birthday, which appeared in every major South African newspaper on the day, briefly mentioned that Mandela did have his shortcomings. Then they returned to their flowing praises. “Through the ages, the human race has had its icons（偶像）---- men and women who rose above ordinary people to inspire their generation,” The Mail and Guardian Weekly said. “____________________________.”
1. Nelson Mandela is loved by all the people of South Africa because_____________.

A．he’s as popular as Kennedy and Churchill

B．he spent 27 years in prison

C．he’s a great fighter against the racialism

D．he won the first all-race elections

2. Which of the following statements about Mandela’s portrait is true ?

A．It helps develop business

B．It appears on the Statue of Freedom

C．It is used to raise money for the Statue of Freedom

D．It is similar to that of John F. Kennedy or Winston Churchill

3. The underlined sentence in the last paragraph means “_____________”

A．Mandela is as great as a god

B．We are proud to live in Mandela’s time

C．Mandela lives together with us all

D．We are proud to know Mandela

4. What can we infer from the text?

A．Mandela is a very skilled politician

B．Most articles specially stressed Mandela’s shortcomings.

C．The Statue of Freedom is a present for Mandela’s birthday.

D．The article may have appeared in a newspaper on Mandela’s birthday.

2 . Our house was directly across the street from the clinic entrance of John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. We lived downstairs and rented the upstairs rooms to the patients at the clinic.
One evening as I was fixing supper, there was a knock at the door. I opened it to see a truly awful-looking man. He’s hardly taller than my eight-year-old son. “Good evening. I’ve come to see if you’ve a room. I came for a treatment this morning from the eastern shore, and there’s no bus till morning.” He told me he’d been hunting for a room since noon but with no success. “I guess it’s my face…I know it looks terrible, but my doctor says with a few more treatments…” For a moment I hesitated, but his next words convinced me: “I could sleep in this chair on the porch. My bus leaves early in the morning.”
I told him we would find him a bed. When I had finished the dishes, I talked with him. He told me he fished for a living to support his five children, and his wife, who was hopelessly crippled (残疾的) from a back injury. He didn’t tell it by way of complaint. Next morning, just before he left, as if asking a great favor, he said, “Could I come back and stay the next time?” He added, “Your children made me feel at home.”
On his next trip he arrived a little after seven in the morning. As a gift, he brought a big fish and the largest oysters (牡蛎) I had ever seen. I knew his bus left at 4:00 a.m. and I wondered what time he had to get up in order to do this for us.
In the years he came to stay overnight with us and there was never a time that he did not bring us vegetables from his garden. I know our family always will be grateful to have known him; from him we learned how to accept the bad without complaint when facing the misfortune.
1. Why did the author agree to let the man spend the night in his house at last?

A．Because the man said others refused to accommodate him.

B．Because the man said he would not cause much inconvenience.

C．Because the man said he had come from the eastern shore.

D．Because the man said he had been hunting for a room since noon.

2. How long would it take the man to travel from his home to Baltimore by bus?

A．About 1 hour.	B．About 2 hours.
C．About 3 hours.	D．About 4 hours.

3. From the text we can know that __________.

A．the author’s children were kind and friendly to the man

B．the man was fed up with his hard-work and his family

C．John Hopkins Hospital provided rooms for the patients to live in

D．the author and his family were thought highly of by his neighbors

4. The author’s family were grateful to know the man because __________.

A．he often brought them fish and vegetables from his garden

B．he paid them money for his staying

C．he taught them how to accept the bad without complaint

D．he stayed only overnight with the writer’s family

3 .
Where we live，on the eastern shore of Maryland，the gentle waters run in and out like fingers slimming at the tips.
The Canada geese know this place，as do the white swans and the ducks. In autumn，they come home for the winter. Once or twice each year，snow and frozen rain move into the area. When this happens，if the river is at its narrowest，there is a freeze which hardens the water to ice.
One morning，a friend of mine set the breakfast table beside the huge window，which overlooked the Tred Avon River. Suddenly she leaned forward and cried out，“There is a goose out there.”
We saw the figure of a large Canada goose，very still，its wings folded tight to its sides，its feet frozen into the ice.
Then from the dark skies，she saw a line of swans. They floated from the top of the sky downward and at last landed on the ice. My friend was on her feet now，with one hand against her mouth，unbelieving. As the swans surrounded the frozen goose，she feared that life it still had might be pecked(啄) out by those great swan bills.
Instead，those bills began to work on the ice. The long necks were lifted and curved down，again and again. It went on for a long time. At last，the goose’s head was lifted. Its body was pulled. Then the goose was free and stood on the ice. And the swans stood in the air watching. Then，as if it had cried，“I cannot fly.” Four of the swans came down around it. Their powerful beaks chipped off the ice held in the feathers. Slowly，the goose spread its wings as far as they would go，and moved slowly into the sky.
This is a true story. I just think of it in the bad moment，and from it comes only one hopeful question：If so for birds，why not for man？
1. Which would be the best title for the passage?

A．Why Not for Man?	B．Graceful Swans
C．Swans’ Brave Act	D．I Just Couldn’t Believe It!

2. What happened to the Canada goose?

A．It was deserted by other geese.

B．It was stuck in the ice.

C．It was wounded and couldn’t fly.

D．It was lost in the water.

3. At first the author’s friend was worried that________.

A．the swans would not help the Canada goose

B．she didn’t care about this matter any more

C．the swans wouldn’t identify with the Canada goose

D．the swans would peck the Canada goose to death

4. What did the swans do when they saw the Canada goose couldn’t fly?

A．They chipped off the ice held in its feathers.

B．They waited patiently for the ice held in its feathers to melt.

C．They came down and lifted it up to the sky together.

D．They stayed with it and protected it.

4 . Back in the fifteenth century, in a tiny village near Nuremberg, lived a family with eighteen children．In spite of the hopeless condition, two of the children, Albrecht Durer and Albert, had a dream．They both wanted to pursue their talent for art．After many long discussions, the two boys finally worked out an agreement．They would toss a coin．The loser would go down into the nearby mines and, with his earnings, support his brother who attended the academy．Then, when that brother who won the toss completed his studies, in four years, he would support the other brother at the academy．
Tossing a coin, Albrecht Durer won and went off to Nuremberg．Albert went down into the dangerous mines and, for the next four years, supported his brother, whose work at the academy was almost an immediate sensation（轰动）．By the time he graduated, he had earned considerable fees for his outstanding works．
When the young artist returned to his village, the Durer family held a festive dinner to celebrate Albrecht’s triumphant（胜利的）homecoming．Albrecht drank a toast to his beloved brother for the years of sacrifice that had enabled him to complete his dream．“And now, Albert, blessed brother of mine, now it is your turn．Now you can go to Nuremberg to look for your dream, and I will take care of you．”
Tears streaming down his pale face, Albert sobbed, “No．．．no．．．It is too late for me．Look．．．look at what four years in the mines have done to my hands！The bones in every finger have been broken at least once, and lately I have been suffering from arthritis（关节炎）so badly in my right hand that I cannot even hold a glass to return your toast, much less draw delicate lines with a pen or a brush．”
To show thanks to Albert for all that he had sacrificed, Albrecht Durer painstakingly drew his brother’s injured hands with palms together and thin fingers stretched skyward．He called his powerful drawing simply “Hands”, but the entire world almost immediately opened their hearts to his great masterpiece and renamed it “The Praying Hands”．The next time you see a copy of that touching creation, let it be your reminder—no one ever makes any success alone！
1. Why did the two brothers work out the agreement？

A．They were so curious as to make a joke．

B．Their family couldn’t afford the academy．

C．One of the brothers was supposed to go into mines．

D．They wanted to support the other sisters and brothers．

2. The underlined word “whose” in Para．2 refers to _____ ．

A．the Durer family’s	B．the miners
C．Albert’s	D．Albrecht’s

3. Which of the following statements is NOT true about Albrecht Durer？

A．He began to earn his living after graduation

B．He did perfectly well at the academy

C．He wanted his brother to go to the academy

D．He created great masterpieces

4. Which of the following is the correct order of the story？
a．Albrecht went to Nuremberg
b．Albert supported his brother
c．The Durer family held a festive dinner
d．Albrecht drew his brother’s injured hands
e．The brothers tossed a coin．

A．b, a, c, d, e	B．a, e, c, d, b
C．e, a, c, b, d	D．e, a, b, c, d

5. What can we learn from the story？

A．One can achieve success simply on his own

B．Any success requires the help of others．

C．It’s other people who contribute to one’s success

D．Nobody could succeed without good guidance

5 . Until a few months ago, he was a butler(管家) in one of the more expensive residential buildings in Manhattan. But now, Nepal-born Indra Tamang is the owner of two multi-million dollar apartments in the same building.
The former owner - his former employer, Ruth Ford - died last year and left the apartments   to Mr Tamang in her will.
Mr Tamang is happy but quickly points out that his good fortune did not come easily. "I am happy and have been touched by the generosity of the Ford family," he says. "I never expected that I will be given the ownership of these apartments. But I have been working for the family for the last 36 years, devotedly, with honesty and dedication(奉献). So my hard work has been rewarded."
Mr Tamang was 21 when he was brought from Nepal by Charles Ford, a writer and a photographer. Mr Ford died in 2002; his sister, actress Ruth Ford, then took charge and told Mr Tamang that he was like a brother to her after Charles's death.
Mrs Ford died aged 98. During the last five years of her life, she lost her eyesight and also developed speech problems. Mr Tamang looked after her most of the time and took care of her medicines and food.
He also worked with Charles Ford on various photography projects, which he now wants to keep as the photographer's legacy(遗产). He hopes to organize exhibitions of Mr Ford's photographs and edit a book of his works.
Mr Tamang plans to sell the bigger, three-bedroom apartment to pay the taxes he owes to the government on his legacy. He says: "The rules of the building might be a problem, as they require a minimum monthly income to qualify to live as owner of apartments. I have my small house here but I am happy with it,"
Mr Tamang has learnt his lesson from the life of his employers and plans to use his money with great caution. "I think one should save money for old age. That's when you need it the most to get care," he says.
1. Mr Tamang treated the legacy as __________.

A．a reward

B．a punishment

C．business

D．a gift

2. What DIDN’T Mr Tamang do in the Ford family?

A．Show Mr Ford's works in the exhibition.

B．Look after Ruth Ford when she was ill.

C．Work on kinds of photography projects

D．Experience deaths of Charles Ford and Ruth Ford

3. Mr Tamang wants to sell one apartment to _______.

A．buy the small house

B．pay the government the tax of the apartments

C．edit a book of Charles Ford's photographs

D．move into the expensive apartments as soon as possible

4. What lesson does Mr Tamang learn from the Ford family?

A．To find a good butler.

B．To spend money thoughtfully.

C．To save money for children.

D．To get good care when people get old.

5. What can we know from the passage?

A．Charles Ford gave the apartments to Mr Tamang.

B．Charles Ford couldn't see or speak before his death.

C．Mr Tamang treated Ruth Ford much better than her brother.

D．Mr Tamang will still live in his small house in the near future.

6 . When Frida Kahlo’s paintings were on show in London, a poet described her paintings as “ a ribbon（丝带）around a bomb”. Such comments seem to suggest Kahlo had a big influence on the art world of her time. Sadly, she is actually _________ today than she was during her time.
Born in 1907 in a village near Mexico City , Kahlo suffered from polio（小儿麻痹症） at the age of seven. Her spine（脊柱） became bent as she grew older. Then, in 1925, her back was broken in several places in a school-bus accident. Throughout the rest of her life, the artist had many operations, but nothing was able to cure the terrible pain in her back. However, the accident had an unexpected side effect. While lying in her bed recovering, Kahlo taught herself to paint.
In 1929, she got married to Diego Rivera, another famous Mexican artist. Rivera’s strong influence on Kahlo’s style can be seen in her early works, but her later works from the 1940s, known today as her best works, show less influence from her husband.
Unfortunately, her works did not attract much attention in the 1930s and1940s, even in her home country. Her first one-woman show in Mexico was not held until 1953. For more than a decade after her death in 1954, Kahlo’s works remained largely unnoticed by the world, but in the 1970s her works began to gain international fame at last.
1. What does the phrase “a much bigger name” in Paragraph 1 most nearly mean?

A．a far better artist

B．a much more famous person

C．a much stronger person

D．a far more gifted artist

2. The terrible pain Kahlo suffered was caused by         .

A．back injuries	B．her bent spine
C．polio	D．the operations she had

3. Kahlo’s style had become increasingly independent since the         .

A．1930s

B．1970s

C．1950s

D．1940s

4. What is the author’s attitude toward Kahlo?

A．Devotion.	B．Encouragement.
C．Worry.	D．Sympathy.

7 . As a single mother，I had to do two jobs，which kept me very busy.
Two months ago，I went to a ____with Alice. Since I ____went out with her，she seemed very happy. Many parents were there with their children. I sat down on a bench(长凳)，____Alice playing with other children. About half an hour later，a man of about forty years old came and ____beside me. As I had to go back to work，I stood up and told Alice that we had to ____
“Can I stay here a little longer？”Alice pleaded.
“No，we must go now，”I said，____ Alice just didn’t move.
“Just ten more minutes，”she pleaded(恳求) again，and I became ____.
“Go now，”I____，and Alice started to cry____ that，the man sitting on the ____stood up and came to us.
“Why don’t you just let her____ten more minutes？”he asked. Then he told me a ____He used to be very busy，too. Every time his little son wanted to go out and play，he told him he was ____One day，his son went out and played ____，and he didn’t come back again—he was hit by a ____driver of a car. The father regretted what he had done to his son，but he never had the ____to play with him again. Hearing the story，I ____I knelt down(跪下来)and said to Alice，“OK，ten more minutes，and Mom will play ____you.”
____is all about making priorities(优先)．What are your priorities？Give someone you____ten more minutes of your time today.1.

A．park

B．school

C．sea

D．cinema

2.

A．sometimes

B．often

C．usually

D．hardly

3.

A．keeping

B．hearing

C．finding

D．watching

4.

A．got off

B．sat down

C．broke in

D．turned up

5.

A．go

B．shop

C．change

D．eat

6.

A．because

B．as

C．but

D．so

7.

A．sad

B．pleased

C．angry

D．excited

8.

A．whispered

B．wished

C．begged

D．shouted

9.

A．Knowing

B．Seeing

C．Hoping

D．Thinking

10.

A．ground

B．chair

C．bench

D．stone

11.

A．run

B．play

C．do

D．laugh

12.

A．story

B．joke

C．way

D．lie

13.

A．busy

B．lonely

C．boring

D．ill

14.

A．suddenly

B．alone

C．happily

D．crazily

15.

A．blind

B．kind

C．drunken(喝醉的)

D．good

16.

A．energy

B．interest

C．heart

D．chance

17.

A．stayed up

B．took part

C．calmed down

D．came back

18.

A．behind

B．with

C．for

D．under

19.

A．Choice

B．Joy

C．Work

D．Life

20.

A．appreciate(欣赏)

B．dislike

C．admire(钦佩)

D．love

8 . His first successful fight was for the equal rights of black people in South Africa. Then, as the first black president, he fought to unite the country and organize the government. Now Nelson Mandela has set his sights on a new enemy, AIDS.

On March 19 the former president,   hosted his second AIDS­awareness concert. He warned that 25 million people in   Africa were already infected with the fatal disease.

Mandela was born in a small village in South Africa in 1918. He was adopted by the chief of his tribe and could have been a chief himself and lived a happy country life.

But he refused to be a chief when his people lived under racial discrimination(歧视). He decided to fight for equal rights for all the people in South Africa. Before 1990, under the country's Racial Segregation Law, coloured people and white people lived separately. Black people were treated unfairly even when taking a bus. Blacks had to stand at the back of the bus to make room for white people even when there were only a few of them on board.

For his opposition to the system, Mandela was arrested and spent 27 years in prison. He was freed in 1990 and became the president of the country after the first election was held in which everyone could vote.

Mandela was not only a political fighter who attacked with speeches. He was also a trained boxer and fought in the ring when he was young.

“Although I did not enjoy the violence of boxing, I was   interested in how one moved one's body to protect oneself, how one used a strategy both to attack and retreat，”he wrote in his autobiography.

As a skillful fighter, he chose music as his weapon against AIDS. He hopes to win another victory against AIDS.

1. When was Mandela arrested?

A．In 1963.

B．In 1990.

C．When he refused to be a chief.

D．When he became the president.

2. Nelson Mandela succeeded in doing the following EXCEPT ________.

A．winning the equal rights for the black people in South   Africa

B．uniting South Africa

C．organizing a government in South Africa

D．controlling the spread of AIDS

3. If Nelson Mandela hadn't fought against racial discriminatioin, he ________.

A．could have been the president of South Africa

B．could still have lived a happy life

C．could have been in a difficult situation

D．would have been an excellent boxer

4. Which of   the following statements can best describe the life of Nelson Mandela?

A．Struggle is his life.

B．Sports make his fame.

C．Fight for equal rights.

D．A great fighter against the government.

9 . On Christmas morning, I went to the Cockhedge Mall. People there were all busy buying their last minute requirements. I needed to buy a birthday card for my son-in-law whose birthday is the 29th of December. Picking up a few more things as well as my cared I went to join the line for the express checkout which was for people who only had a few items in a basket and not a trolley load. This line was next to the Customer Service desk.
Seemingly waiting quite a long time, I was jogged out of my thoughts by a voice behind me making comments on the things I bought.
It was so funny when I realized that she was describing the contents of my basket. The owner of the voice was a very pretty young lady. I said to her that I was going to buy a box of Christmas cookies but the only ones left were not to my liking. The lady told me that just opposite Cockhedge in Superdrug they had lots of cookies. I said, “I’m not going to bother now. I had enough of shops and I’m going home.”
The assistant from the Customer Service came across at this time saying “If there is anyone in the line with a few items in their basket, none of which needed to be weighed, I will check out their groceries at the desk.” Because I had the sprouts which needed to be weighted, the young lady accepted the offer and walked away waving goodbye.
Eventually my turn came at the checkout. I was walking away when I met my new friend once again who handed me a beautiful box of Christmas cookies. With a big hug she said “Hope you have a lovely Christmas.” She had been into Superdrug to buy me the cookies while I was still queuing in Cockhedge.
What a generosity to a stranger! I was so surprised you could have knocked me down with a feather. My Good Samaritan would never know what a joyful Christmas day I had with my family. Telling them this story, as we ate around the table, kept everyone _____.
1. .
The underlined word “spellbound” in the last paragraph probably means         .

A．interested

B．disappointed

C．astonished

D．frightened

2. .
Which of the following could be the best title of the story?

A．A Piece of Lucky Feather	B．A Surprise Christmas Gift
C．The Boring Shopping Experience	D．The Unforgettable Big Hug

3. .
How does the writer feel about the pretty young lady?

A．Worried.

B．Satisfied.

C．Grateful

D．Proud.

4. .
What can we learn from the story?

A．Nobody is sure what will happen the next moment.

B．A simple action can bring other people happiness.

C．Being patient will decrease the waiting time.

D．Life without hope and faith is a full thing.