2 . As I went down the wooden snowy steps, I held the rough fence with one hand, held my crying daughter Kelly with the other and made my way into the yard. I knew everything would be okay if I located my mother.

Instead of a smile, she greeted me with concern. I knew she had read my face as I’d approached. “What’s wrong?” she asked.

I held the baby out. “I can’t take care of this baby,” I said simply. My mother didn’t take her from my arms as I expected. She smiled slightly, and then replied firmly, “You have to take care of that baby.” This was not the reply I wanted. Couldn’t she hear the baby crying? I wanted her to fix this problem. Instead, she took off her gloves and asked me in for some coffee.

Mom held Kelly while I held the coffee cup. At that moment the baby finally stopped crying. I glanced over at Kelly, content in my mother’s arms. Her tiny blue eyes were fixed on me, as if to ask, “What’s the problem here, Mama?” Her sweet, familiar breath eased the stress in the air. I looked at my mother, feeling foolish but relieved. She stood and placed an arm around my shoulders. “By the time you came along, things were quite the opposite for me. But with your elder brother, you can bet that I often felt helpless.”

The baby showed no signs of our afternoon struggle, while my own hair remained damp and messy from sweat and worry. “Crying is the only way babies have to communicate. Try to listen to her cries and hear them as language. She’s not crying to annoy you; she’s trying to send a message with the only voice she has.”

Once again, her gentle guidance had supported me through a storm and back into clear skies.

1. Why did the author visit her mother in the rough weather?

A．She was concerned about her mother’s safety.

B．She was helpless and needed her mother’s help.

C．She wanted to learn to care for babies from her mother.

D．She intended to borrow some money from her mother.

2. How did the author’s mother probably feel when bringing her up?

A．Inexperienced but patient.	B．Considerate but impatient.
C．Experienced and confident.	D．Thoughtless and unconcerned.

3. What did the author’s mother want to express in paragraph 5?

A．Taking care of babies was difficult.

B．Babies enjoyed annoying their parents.

C．The author should let her baby cry more.

D．Parents should understand and accept babies’ crying.

4. What can we infer about the author’s mother?

A．She usually goes shopping with the author.

B．She lives a lonely life without her children.

C．She often gives advice to the author in trouble.

D．She likes to raise small children for young mothers.

4 . I was quite angry with my professor last week when he gave us an assignment to “tell someone we love them”. It has to be someone we have never said those words to before or at least haven’t shared those words with for a long time.

But as I began driving home my conscience started talking to me. It was telling me that I knew exactly who I needed to say I love you to. You see, five years ago, my father and I had a disagreement and really never settled it since that time. We avoided seeing each other unless we absolutely had to at Christmas or other family gatherings.

So last Tuesday by the time I got home I had convinced myself I was going to tell my father I loved him. The next morning I was up bright and early. I could hardly sleep with excitement, nor did my wife.

At 9:00, I called my dad to see if I could come over after work. When he answered the phone, I just said, “Dad, can I come over after work tonight? I have something to tell you.” My dad responded with a grumpy face, “Now what?” I assured him it wouldn’t take long, so he finally agreed.

At 5:30, I was at my parents’ house ringing the doorbell, praying that Dad would answer the door. Dad did answer the door. I didn’t waste any time and took one step in the door and said, “Dad, I just came over to tell you that I love you.” His face softened and he began to cry. He reached out and hugged me and said, “I love you too, son.” Mom walked by with tears in her eyes.

Two days after that visit, my dad became unconscious. I don’t know if he’ll make it. What if I had waited to tell my dad? Maybe I will never get the chance again!

1. What problem did the author decide to solve?

A．His heavy office work load.	B．His hardly-finished assignment.
C．His disagreement with his father.	D．His unpleasant family gatherings.

2. What does the underlined phrase “a grumpy face” in Paragraph 4 most probably mean?

A．Soft tone.	B．Bad temper.
C．Good mood.	D．Great doubt.

3. How did the father feel when the author said “I love you” to him?

A．Confused.	B．Shocked.
C．Moved.	D．Indifferent.

4. Which sentence may be the best ending for the text?

A．So don’t wait to do the things that you know ought to be done.

B．So don’t believe there will be a problem without a solution.

C．So don’t complain when your teacher gives you assignments.

D．So don’t forget to visit your family even if you are very busy.

5 . It was at least two months before Christmas when nine-year-old Rose told her father and me that she wanted a new bicycle.

As Christmas drew nearer, her desire for a bicycle seemed to fade—or so we thought, as she didn’t mention it again. We bought the latest fashionable Baby Sitter’s Club dolls, a holiday dress and some beautiful story books. Then, much to our surprise, on December 23rd, she proudly announced that she “really wanted a bike more than anything else.”

It was just too late, what with all the details of preparing Christmas dinner and buying last-minute gifts. We could only think of the bicycle and the disappointment of our child. “What if I make a little bicycle out of clay and write a note that she could trade the clay model in for a real bike?” Her dad asked. The theory, of course, being that since that is a high-ticket item and she is “such a big girl”, it would be much better for her to pick it out. So he spent the next five hours painstakingly working with clay to make a tiny bike.

Three hours later, on Christmas morning, we were excited for Rose to open the little heart-shaped package with the beautiful red and white clay bike and the note. Finally, she opened it and read the note aloud.

She looked at me and then at her dad and said, “so does this mean that I trade in this bike that Daddy made me for a real one?”

Beaming, I said, “Yes.”

Rose had tears in her eyes when she replied, “I could never trade in this beautiful bicycle that Daddy made me. I’d rather keep this than get a real bike.”

At that moment, we would have moved heaven and earth to buy her every bicycle on the planet!

1. Rose’s parents didn’t buy her the bike she wanted because ________.

A．they had bought many other wonderful things for her

B．they thought she had changed her mind

C．they didn’t have time to do any shopping

D．they decided to make one for her

2. Why did Dad make the clay bicycle?

A．He thought Rose was too young for a real bike.

B．He didn’t want to disappoint his daughter.

C．He thought his daughter would like it.

D．He wanted to give his daughter a surprise.

3. From the story, we know that ________.

A．Rose’s father was an artist with special skills

B．Rose would trade in the clay bike for a real one

C．The parents were moved and proud of the girl

D．Rose was a thoughtful and independent girl

6 . Most young architects particularly those in big cities— can only dream about working in a building of their own. And making that dream come true often means finding a building no one else seems to want, which is exactly what happened to David Yocum and his partner, Brain Bell. Their building is a former automobile electrical-parts film in Atlanta. From the outside, it looks too old, even something horrible, but open the door and you are in a wide, open courtyard, lined on three sides with rusting (生锈的) walls.

In 2000, Yocum and Bell found this building in the city’s West End. Built in 1947, the structure had been abandoned years earlier and the roof of the main building had fallen down. But the price was right, so Yocum bought it. He spent eight months of his off-hours on demolition (排除), pulling rubbish out through the roof, because it was too dangerous to go inside the building. The demolition was hard work, but it gave him time to think about what he wanted to do, and “to treasure what was there — the walls, the rust, and the light.” Yocum said. “Every season, more paint falls off the walls and more rust develops. It’s like an art installation (装置) in there—a slow-motion show.”

Since the back building had been constructed without windows, an all-glass front was added to the building to give it a view of the courtyard, and skylights were installed in the roof. The back of the building is a working area and a living room for Yocum and his wife. A sort of buffer(缓冲） zone between the front and the back contains a bathroom, a kitchen and a mechanical room, and the walls that separate these zones have openings that allow views through to the front of the studio and the courtyard beyond.

Yocum and Bell, who have just completed an art gallery for the city, feel that the experience from the decoration of their building, focusing on the inside rather than the outside, has influenced their work. It has also given these architects a chance to show how they can make more out of less.

1. According to the passage, it is ________ for most young architects in big cities to work in a building of their own.

A．easy	B．unnecessary
C．unrealistic	D．common

2. Yocum bought the old building because ________.

A．it was a bargain to him

B．it was still in good condition

C．it was located in the city center

D．it looked attractive from the outside

3. Working on the old building, Yocum and Bell ________.

A．pulled rubbish out through the roof

B．removed the skylights from the bathroom

C．presented a slow-motion show in an art gallery

D．built a kitchen at the back part of the old building

4. It can be inferred from the passage that Yocum and Bell ________.

A．benefited a lot from pulling down the roof

B．turned more old buildings into art galleries

C．got inspiration from decorating their old building

D．paid more attention to the outside of the art gallery

5. The main idea of the passage is that ________.

A．people can learn a lot from their failures

B．it is worthwhile to spend money on an old building

C．people should not judge things by their appearance

D．creative people can make the best of what they have

7 . Difficult financial times don’t mean your giving shuts down.       1    There are so many ways to give back that won’t hurt your wallet and will enrich your life.

1. Pick up the phone

Calling someone “for no reason” is an important opportunity to show them that you are thinking of them. You are taking time out of your busy day to reach out. Everyone needs someone to just listen sometimes. They may be filled with joy or sadness.     2    

2.Write a note    3    It is one thing to say it, but it can be even more meaningful to put it in writing. What if you made a commitment to write a thank-you note to someone every week?

3.     4    

You never know what someone might be going through-a painful divorce, a tough college semester, or just a bad day. Opening up your home will make someone feel appreciated. In addition’ it costs less than going out. The leftovers from this dinner can be packaged up for homeless people. That’s double giving!

4. Set aside money from a daily routine to donate

Giving doesn’t have to mean a life full of sacrifices. You can still buy a burger or get your nails done.     5     Donate the money you saves: Even $ 5 can make a difference in someone’s life.

A．Give a gift to the stomach.

B．Invite someone over for dinner.

C．To take your awareness to a new level, move beyond money.

D．But instead of buying much coffee every week, you can drink less.

E．While some people enjoy receiving gifts, all of us appreciate a kind word.

F．Instead, they allow you to examine how your time and money are spent.

G．Be there to celebrate their good news, or support them with sympathy.

8 . Photography（摄影） has been my interest ever since I was old enough to pick up a camera, but today I want to share with you the 15 most treasured（珍贵的）photos of mine, and I didn't take any of them. In fact, most of them were taken by random（随机的）tourists.
My story begins when I was in New York City for a speech, and my wife took a picture of me holding my daughter on her first birthday. We're on the corner of 57th and 5th. We happened to be back in New York exactly a year later, so we decided to take the same picture.
Well you can see where this is going. Approaching（临近） my daughter's third birthday, my wife said, "Hey, why don't you take Sabina back to New York and make it a father-daughter trip, and continue the ceremony?" This is when we started asking passing tourists to take the picture.
So these photos are far more than representatives（代表） for a single moment, or even a specific（具体的） trip. They're also ways for us to freeze time for one week in October and reflect on（反思） our times and how we change from year to year, and not just physically, but in every way. Because while we take the same photo, our viewpoints（观点） change, and she reaches new milestones (里程碑) and I get to see life through her eyes, and how she communicates with and sees everything. This very focused time we get to spend together is something we value（重视，珍惜） and expect the entire（全部的） year.
1. What can we know about the author from the first paragraph?

A．He is fond of being photographed alone.

B．He hardly ever asks strangers to take pictures of him.

C．He has been interested in photography since childhood.

D．He's proud of the 15 most treasured photos taken by himself.

2. Who came up with the idea of having a father-daughter trip when Sabina was 3 years old?

A．Her mother.	B．Her father.
C．Sabina herself.	D．An unknown tourist.

3. It can be inferred from the last paragraph that_______.

A．children usually get to see life through adults' eyes

B．the 15 photos are meaningful to the author's family

C．it takes the author a whole week to have a family photo taken

D．the viewpoints of the author's family never change with the time

4. What can be the best title of the text?

A．Believe it or not: photos do change

B．Photos help a family become rich

C．Even strangers can help take photographs

D．A father-daughter bond, one photo at a time

9 . Before you make friends, you have to decide who you want to be your friends. Most people like to have friends who like to do the same kind of things they do.
The quickest way to make a friend is to smile. When you smile, people think you are friendly and easy to talk to. It may not be easy at first to smile, but remember most people will stay away from a scared or angry looking face.
One easy way to start a conversation with someone is to say something nice about him. Think about how great you feel when someone says something nice to you. Doesn’t it make you want to keep talking to that person?
Ask your new friends questions about themselves. Who’s their favorite singer, where do they live, what do they do after school are all good questions to start a conversation. Make sure you have something to add to the conversation, too. When someone asks you a question, do have an answer for them. There’s nothing that will stop a conversation quicker than a shrug (耸肩) for an answer.
Kids who show an interest in other kids and who are kind and friendly make good friends. Remember, everyone wants to be around people who like to do similar things and people who are nice to them.
1. This passage gives us some advice on _________.

A．how to make friends

B．what kind of person you can make friends with

C．how to start a conversation

D．the importance of smile

2. Most people like to make friends with those______.

A．who are sad every day.

B．who share the same interest

C．who are fond of talking

D．who say bad things to them

3. According to the third paragraph, most people enjoy talking to one _______.

A．who is always smiling

B．who seems to be friendly

C．who praises them

D．who points out their shortcomings.

4. The underlined (划线的)part in this passage means “_______”.

A．being very proud	B．making no answer
C．knowing nothing	D．not hoping to answer

10 . When something goes wrong, it can be very satisfying to say, “Well, it’s so-and-so’s fault.” or “I know I’m late，but it’s not my fault; the car broke down.” It is probably not your fault, but once you form the habit of blaming somebody or something else for a bad situation, you are a loser. You have no power and could do nothing that helps change the situation. However, you can have great power over what happens to you if you stop focusing on whom to blame and start focusing on how to remedy the situation. This is the winner’s key to success.
Winners are great at overcoming problems. For example, if you were late because your car broke down, maybe you need to have your car examined more regularly. Or, you might start to carry along with you the useful phone numbers, so you could call for help when in need. For another example, if your colleague causes you problems on the job for lack of responsibility or ability, find ways of dealing with his irresponsibility or inability rather than simply blame the person. Ask to work with a different person, or don’t rely on this person. You should accept that the person is not reliable and find creative ways to work successfully regardless of how your colleague fails to do his job well.
This is what being a winner is all about—creatively using your skills and talents so that you are successful no matter what happens. Winners don’t have fewer problems in their lives; they have just as many difficult situations to face as anybody else. They are just better at seeing those problems as challenges and opportunities to develop their own talents. So, stop focusing on “whose fault it is.” Once you are confident about your power over bad situations, problems are just stepping stones for success.
1. According to the passage, winners      .

A．blame themselves rather than others

B．meet with fewer difficulties in their lives

C．have responsible and able colleagues

D．deal with problems rather than blame others

2. The underlined word remedyin Paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to ______.

A．improve

B．accept

C．avoid

D．consider

3. When problems occur, winners take them as ______.

A．excuses for their failures	B．chances for self-development
C．challenges to their colleagues	D．barriers to greater power

4. Which of the following is the best title for the passage?

A．A Winner’s Opportunity.	B．A Winner’s Problem.
C．A Winner’s Secret.	D．A Winner’s Achievement.