1 . Cole Bettles had been rejected by a number of universities when he received an e-mail from the University of California, San Diego, last month, congratulating him on his admission and inviting him to tour the campus. His mother booked a hotel in San Diego, and the 18-year-old Ojai high school senior arranged for his grandfather, uncle and other family members to meet them at the campus for lunch during the Saturday tour.

“They were like ‘Oh my God, that’s so awesome (棒的)’, ” Bettles said. Right before he got in bed, he checked his e-mail one last time and found another message saying the school had made a mistake and his application had been denied.

In fact, all 28, 000 students turned away from UC San Diego, in one of the toughest college entrance seasons on record, had received the same incorrect message. The students’ hopes had been raised and then dashed (破灭) in a cruel twist that shows the danger of instant communications in the Internet age.

UCSD admissions director Mae Brown called it an “administrative error” but refused to say who had made the mistake, or if those responsible would be disciplined (受训)。

The e-mail, which began, “We’re thrilled that you’ve been admitted to UC San Diego, and we’re showcasing (展示) our beautiful campus on Admit Day, ” was sent to the full 46, 000 students who had applied, instead of just the 18, 000 who got in, Brown said.

The error was discovered almost immediately by her staff, who sent an apology within hours.

“It was really thrilling for a few hours; now he’s crushed (压垮), ” said Cole’s mother, Tracy Bettles. “It’s really tough on them.”

The admissions director said she was in the office on Monday until midnight answering e-mails and phone calls from disappointed students and their parents. She said she took full responsibility for the error. “We accessed the wrong database. We recognize the incredible pain receiving this false encouragement caused. It was not our intent.”

1. How many students received an admission e-mail from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD)？

A．18, 000

B．28, 000

C．46, 000

D．18

2. Which of the following statements is TRUE about the wrong e-mail message?

A．The mistake was made on purpose to cause pain among the applicants.

B．It was UCSD admissions director Mae Brown who made the mistake.

C．UCSD admissions staff got information from the wrong database.

D．Staff did not discover the mistake until next Monday.

3. The admissions director Mae Brown did what she could to __________.

A．protect the person who made the mistake

B．punish herself for the mistake

C．make up for the mistake

D．help the disappointed students enter the university

4. What does the passage mainly talk about?

A．Cole Bettles was admitted to the UCSD.

B．Cole Bettles was rejected y a famous university.

C．USCD admissions office often makes “administration errors”.

D．False admission information raised the students’ hopes and then dashed them.

2 . By the third year of teaching I’d begun to expect Christmas break more for the school holiday and less for the excitement of the children. I was teaching fourth grade and my students had made me ____ . I just had to get through one of the hardest days of the school year.
　The morning bell rang. I walked ____ through the cold into the overly heated school building. Twenty-two smiling faces ____ me at the school bus stop. I forced myself to ____their smiles. Back into the classroom, they____, comparing plans for the____ . I had to remove one student from each arm ____ I could take a seat at my desk for my morning duties. Before I could find my roll book（点名册） my desk was covered with____ and gifts followed by a ____ of “Merry Christmas” wishes.
　“Oh, thank you,” I must have ____ a million times. Each gift was truly special to me, except my____ mood. It was kind of them to____ me. After a while, I heard a small nervous____ say my name. I looked up to see Brandon standing____by my desk, holding a small, round gift. “This is for you.”
　“Thank you, Sweetheart.” I laid it on my desk with the others.
　“Um, could you____it now?”
　I gently tore at the paper and tape. “____ ,” he said, “it’s breakable.” Slowly I opened a small, green Christmas tree ornament（装饰物）, complete with a hook already____ It dawned on me what he had done. Then a nearby student said that he just pulled that off his own tree. I tried to keep my ____back.
Later that day, I sat____the ornament in my hands. Was I really so important to this child that he had searched for something to give me? Now every year as I____ pull a green Christmas ball from my ornament box, I remember the deep influence my students have on me.1.

A．excited

B．tired

C．amazed

D．relaxed

2.

A．eagerly

B．aimlessly

C．gently

D．heavily

3.

A．watched

B．greeted

C．delighted

D．warned

4.

A．return

B．forget

C．ignore

D．refuse

5.

A．calmed

B．settled

C．chatted

D．argued

6.

A．study

B．weekend

C．vacation

D．lesson

7.

A．before

B．when

C．after

D．because

8.

A．letters

B．books

C．chalks

D．cards

9.

A．knowledge

B．collection

C．series

D．bunch

10.

A．confirmed

B．assessed

C．responded

D．explained

11.

A．pleased

B．low

C．thrilled

D．angry

12.

A．talk about

B．think of

C．turn to

D．connect with

13.

A．call

B．sound

C．shout

D．voice

14.

A．shyly

B．bravely

C．rudely

D．sadly

15.

A．classify

B．collect

C．open

D．check

16.

A．Careful

B．Dangerous

C．Patient

D．Hasty

17.

A．exposed

B．adapted

C．adjusted

D．attached

18.

A．trees

B．hooks

C．gifts

D．tears

19.

A．looking into

B．turning over

C．giving away

D．packing up

20.

A．anxiously

B．hurriedly

C．delicately

D．casually

3 . I prefer the stories about the swimmers at the Beijing Olympics，one of which is about Zakia Nassar. She's a 21-year-old Palestinian ______ Bethlehem studying dentistry in Jenin. Having had neither a ______ nor a chance to an Olympic-sized pool in the past year, she had no choice but to ______ on her own at a 12m public pool.

There is a 50-meter ______ in nearby Nazareth, but the Israeli government did not ______ her to use it.

Nassar was ______ to training only when she returned to her parents' home in Bethlehem, ______ she did so only about every two months for two days or so. ______ the pool is only 12 meters long.

“My parents and friends always ______ me, reminding me that I had to keep training if I_____wanted to go to the Olympics,” she said.

It was only when Nassar______China a month ago that she finally got the opportunity to swim in a 50m pool and enjoyed the______of having a coach.

When she at last took part in the Games, she swam the 50m in 31.97 seconds, a(n)______of seven seconds on her personal______. Nassar said it was the most beautiful moment of her life.

She will not______on the cover of Time magazine or ______ millions of dollars in endorsements（捐款）, but she can always say she won a race at the Olympics. For her, it wasn’t about ______ the other swimmers or winning a prize, but about ______ her own goal, ______ difficult. When I think things are too difficult or I get those “I-just-can’t-do-it,” I think of her. Then I realize how ______ the task before me really is.

1.

A．to

B．from

C．through

D．in

2.

A．employer

B．captain

C．coach

D．master

3.

A．drill

B．educate

C．row

D．train

4.

A．pool

B．reservoir

C．lake

D．river

5.

A．admit

B．permit

C．forbid

D．restrict

6.

A．accustomed

B．controlled

C．limited

D．organized

7.

A．but

B．therefore

C．so

D．and

8.

A．Besides

B．Especially

C．Hopefully

D．Particularly

9.

A．discourage

B．encouraged

C．scolded

D．blamed

10.

A．extremely

B．merely

C．really

D．slightly

11.

A．reached for

B．attached to

C．departed from

D．arrived in

12.

A．advantages

B．honor

C．faults

D．trouble

13.

A．development

B．improvement

C．disappointment

D．movement

14.

A．worst

B．ordinary

C．best

D．average

15.

A．publish

B．broadcast

C．contain

D．appear

16.

A．receive

B．accept

C．take

D．earn

17.

A．following

B．exciting

C．inspiring

D．beating

18.

A．achieving

B．realizing

C．starting

D．winning

19.

A．wherever

B．whatever

C．whenever

D．however

20.

A．difficult

B．interesting

C．easy

D．hopeful

4 . Britain’s oldest man made his first visit to London yesterday at the age of 101. Mr John Evans had never found the time or money to make the trip from his home in Forest – fach, near Swansea. But, when British Rail offered him an all – expense – paid birthday treat to the capital he just could not refuse.
He arrived at Paddington Station and smartly turned out in his best suit, favorite Panama hat and a red rose in his buttonhole. “It’s very exciting. There’s no doubt about it,” he said.
Until yesterday he had never been far from home, except for one trip to Aberdeen. “But I’ve been on the seas to that faraway land called Ilfracombe 21 miles from home,” he joked.
Mr Evans, who spent 60 years working as a miner in South Wales, almost made the journey to London once before, at the turn of the century. “There was a trip to the White City but it was ten shillings return from Swansea – too much I thought. All my money went to the family then,” he said.
During the next two days Mr Evans will be taken on a short tour of London to see the sights. Top of his list is a visit to the House of Parliament organized by his MP, Mr Gareth Wardell.
The only arrangement he does not care for is the wheelchair provided for him if he gets tired. “I don’t like the chair – people will think I am getting old,” he said. His secret for a long and healthy life has been well publicized – no wine, no tobacco and no anger.
Before setting off from Swansea with his 76 – year – old son, Amwell, he said jokingly, “I’m glad to see they’ve given me a return ticket.”
1. The very reason that Mr. Evans didn’t go to see the world is that                .

A．he had already been on the seas to Ilfracombe

B．he was too busy to go too far away from home

C．he couldn’t afford both the time and the money

D．he believed “East or west, home is the best”

2. Mr Evans didn’t like the wheelchair simply because                 .

A．he was not used to traveling in it

B．the wheelchair was of poor quality and not easy to operate

C．he actually preferred walking to sitting in it at home

D．he thought he was still young enough to manage the trip

3. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

A．Mr Evans had to work hard to raise his family when young.

B．The trip to London excited Mr Evans very much.

C．Mr Evans could not really enjoy the trip because of his age.

D．Humor was one of Mr Evans’ characters.

4. The probable explanation to Mr Evans’ long life lies in                  .

A．his good living habits	B．his hard working for the family
C．his sticking to his hometown	D．his living conditions near the Swansea

5 . A man and his wife arrived in Boston by train．After getting off the train, they walked without an ____into the outer office of Harvard’s president．So they were stopped by his secretary and kept____．For hours, the secretary took no notice of them, ____ that the couple would finally become disappointed and ____．But they didn’t．The secretary finally decided to disturb the president, though ____ ．
A few minutes later, the president walked towards the couple with a ____ face．The lady told him, “We had a son that ____ Harvard for one year．He loved Harvard．He was ____ here．But about a year ago, he was accidentally killed．My husband and I would like to _______（纪念物）to him, somewhere on campus．”
The president wasn’t moved ．Instead, he was ____．“Madam,” he said, “we can’t put up a statue for every person who studied at Harvard and died．If we did, this place would look like a ____ ,” “Oh, no,” the lady ____ quickly．“We don’t want to put up a statue．We would like to give a ____ to Harvard．” The president rolled his eyes and ____ at the couple and then exclaimed, ” A building! Do you have any____ how much a building costs? We have spent over ＄7,500,000 on the campus building at Harvard．” For a moment the lady was silent．The president was ____ , because he could get rid of them now．Then the lady turned to her husband and said quietly, “Is that all it costs to start a ____ ? Why don’t we just start our own?” Her husband nodded．____ their offer was turned down．Mr．and Mrs．Stanford traveled to California where they founded Stanford University ____ after them, a memorial to a son that Harvard no longer ____ about．1.

A．choice

B．decision

C．acquaintance

D．appointment

2.

A．waiting

B．standing

C．sitting

D．talking

3.

A．hoping

B．finding

C．realizing

D．imagining

4.

A．go down

B．go out

C．go away

D．go around

5.

A．hopelessly

B．carefully

C．unexpectedly

D．unwillingly

6.

A．pleasant

B．funny

C．cold

D．sad

7.

A．attended

B．visited

C．studied

D．served

8.

A．clever

B．brave

C．proud

D．happy

9.

A．set about

B．set up

C．set down

D．set off

10.

A．satisfied

B．excited

C．shocked

D．ashamed

11.

A．park

B．cemetery

C．garden

D．museum

12.

A．explained

B．expressed

C．refused

D．admitted

13.

A．building

B．yard

C．playground

D．square

14.

A．laughed

B．shouted

C．glanced

D．called

15.

A．suggestion

B．idea

C．thought

D．opinion

16.

A．bored

B．astonished

C．interested

D．pleased

17.

A．department

B．university

C．business

D．club

18.

A．Once

B．While

C．Since

D．Though

19.

A．named

B．looked

C．taken

D．followed

20.

A．talked

B．knew

C．heard

D．cared

6 . Wings of Angel

I used to hate myself because I wasn’t “normal”. Everyone else could play on the monkey bars and ride on a bicycle, but not _______. I had a severe spinal cord disorder(脊髓病) and I knew I would always be much _______than others.

I hated going to school and I hated _______at me. I hated seeing others smiling broadly and standing _______and tall. And most of all, I hated looking in the_______and seeing an ugly and hunchback(驼背).

My friends found me _______because I didn’t let other get close to me. I thought I was going to go on like this for the rest of my life _______Angela appeared.

That afternoon, I was sitting by myself in a corner of the school—a spot where no one would _______ me. That’s when I first heard her voice.

“Hi. Can I sit down?”

I raised my head and there she was, with an irresistible smile on her round face.

“What are you looking at?” she asked.

“Ants.”

“What are they doing?”

“No _______.”

“I bet they’re playing games and make friends. Don’t you think so?”

That was how our ________started and it didn’t stop. We talked about everything under the sun—the ants, the clouds, my little niche(处境)—until it was sunset.

Then suddenly, you saw my ________ She just stared.

My heart ________. What I feared most had happened and I knew for sure she would________ me now.

She stood up, pointed at my back and said, “I know__________your back is hunched.”

I closed my eyes like a criminal waiting to be________. I begged in my heart for her to________, but you just kept on going. “I know what you’ve got in there. Do you?”

“No,” I answered ________.

She bent and whispered in my ears.

“Your back is bunched because you’ve got a pair of wings from the angels.”

I was________. I looked into her eyes and her________ touched my heart. From that day on, I started to learn to________myself because I have the wings of an angel and a kind – hearted friend.

1.

A．them

B．it

C．me

D．her

2.

A．sadder

B．shorter

C．weaker

D．slower

3.

A．looking

B．smiling

C．aiming

D．glaring

4.

A．still

B．alone

C．straight

D．together

5.

A．street

B．sun

C．corner

D．mirror

6.

A．distant

B．stubborn

C．hopeless

D．unfortunate

7.

A．after

B．before

C．since

D．until

8.

A．disturb

B．seek

C．interrupt

D．ignore

9.

A．wonder

B．idea

C．sign

D．action

10.

A．connection

B．competition

C．conversation

D．comprehension

11.

A．face

B．back

C．eyes

D．shoulders

12.

A．sank

B．beat

C．broke

D．ached

13.

A．care for

B．rely on

C．look down upon

D．put up with

14.

A．that

B．how

C．whether

D．why

15.

A．accused

B．arrested

C．punished

D．sentenced(宣判)

16.

A．relax

B．leave

C．stop

D．pause

17.

A．shyly

B．weakly

C．proudly

D．firmly

18.

A．astonished

B．ashamed

C．annoyed

D．amused

19.

A．wisdom

B．generosity

C．honesty

D．kindness

20.

A．control

B．like

C．comfort

D．enjoy