2 . I’ve loved my mother’s desk since I was just tall enough to see above the top of it as mother sat doing letters. Seeing what Mother was doing, I thought that the act of writing must be the most wonderful thing in the world.

My mother was a kind person, who always showed her love on me in action. However, as a little girl, I only wanted heart-to-heart talks between mother and daughter. But such talks never happened. I was sad about it and often rude to her, eager to start a new life somewhere else.

When I had my own family, I came to understand mother’s love. So I wrote to mother and asked if she’d forgiven my rudeness. Then, I posted the letter and waited for her answer, but it never came. I felt disappointed and slowly didn’t care too much about it.

Years later, during mother’s final illness, she left some things for my sister and brother. “But the desk,” she said in a weak voice, “is specially for Elizabeth.” When I cleaned the desk-her present for me, I found a one — page letter inside, folded many times. It was the letter that I wrote years ago.

Then, tears came down, “Oh, dear mom, you’ve chosen the silent act to show you did forgive me and always be proud of my writing. Thank you for your silent love. I love you forever!”

1. According to the author, the most wonderful thing in the world must be the act of__________.

A．reading	B．cooking
C．writing	D．dancing

2. What kind of communication did the little girl want?

A．Arm-in-arm walks with her mother.	B．Face-to-face talks with her mother.
C．Hand-in-hand walks with her mother.	D．Heart-to-heart talks with her mother.

3. Who did the mother leave the desk for?

A．Elizabeth.	B．Elizabeth’s son.
C．Elizabeth’s sister.	D．Elizabeth’s brother.

4. How did the mother show her love on her kids?

A．In words.	B．In action.
C．By music.	D．By painting.

4 . After a serious earthquake happened, a father left his wife safely at home and rushed to his sons school, only to find that the building where his son studied had collapsed and looked like a pancake.

He was shocked. He didn’t know what he should do for a while, then he remembered the words he had said to his son, “No matter what happens, I’ll always be there for you!” And tears began to fill his eyes. He started digging through the ruins.

As he was digging, other helpless parents and the firemen arrived and tried to pull him off the ruins, saying, “It’s too late! They’re all dead! There’s nothing you can do!” To them he replied with one line, “Are you going to help me now?” And then he kept on digging.

No one helped, however. He went on alone because he needed to know for himself, “Is my boy alive or is he dead?” He dug for eight hours…12 hours.….24 hours.….36 hours.. then in the 39th hour, he pulled back a rock and heard his son’s words. He shouted his son’s name, “ARMAND!” He heard back, “Dad!?! It’s me, Dad! I told the other kids not to worry. I told them that if you were alive, you’d save me and when you saved me, they’d be saved. You promised, ‘No matter what happens, I’ll always be there for you!’ You did it Dad!”

“What’s going on there? How is it?” the father asked.

“There are 14 of us left out of 33, Dad. We’re frightened, hungry, thirsty and thankful you’re here. When the building fell down, it made a triangle, and it saved us.”

“Come out, boy!”

“No, Dad! Let the other kids out first, because I know you’ll get me! No matter what happens, I know you’ll always be there for me!”

1. The underlined word “collapsed” probably means_________

A．fallen down

B．shaken violently

C．stood by

D．gone off

2. Other parents and the firemen wanted to pull him off the ruins because they thought ____________

A．he was mad	B．all the children had died in the earthquake
C．he was too dangerous to others	D．it was not his job to dig

3. How many students were still alive when the father found them in the ruins?

A．Fourteen.

B．Thirty three

C．Forty seven

D．Nineteen.

4. We can learn from the passage that_________

A．it took the father one day to find his son and other students

B．his wife died in the earthquake

C．his son was the last one to come out of the ruins

D．the son didn’t believe his father would come to save him

6 . One day, two old friends were walking through the desert. During the journey they had a quarrel, and one friend couldn't control himself and hit the other one in the face.

The one who was hit was hurt, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he wrote in the sand, "Today my best friend hit me in the face."

They kept on walking until they found an oasis(绿洲). They decided to get some water. The one who was hit fell into the mire(泥潭) and was in danger, but the friend saved him.

When he felt all right, he wrote on a stone, "Today my best friend saved my life."

The one who had hit and saved his best friend felt surprised and asked him, "After I hurt you, you wrote in the sand but now you write on a stone. Why?"

The other friend replied," When someone hurts us, we should write it down in sand where winds of forgiveness can blow it away. But when someone does something good for us, we must write it in stone where no wind can ever blow it away!"

Since then the two friends have never quarreled with each other again and they got on better with each other.

1. Why did one friend hit the other in the face?

A．Because he didn't win the quarrel.	B．Because he won the quarrel.
C．Because he couldn't express himself.	D．Because he couldn't control himself.

2. Why did the one who was hit write in the sand?

A．Because he wanted to remember his being hit.

B．Because he wanted to express his anger.

C．Because he wanted to forget his being hit.

D．Because he wanted other people to know his friend was cruel.

3. Why did the one who was hit write on a stone?

A．Because he wanted to forget his friend.

B．Because he wanted to remember his friend.

C．Because he didn't want to forget his friend's kindness.

D．Because he wanted others to learn from his friend.

4. What is the best title for the article?

A．Remember a friend's kindness and forget his shortcoming（缺点）

B．Forget your friend's shortcoming

C．How to forgive a friend

D．It is difficult to make friends

8 . 阅读下面材料, 在空白处填入适当的内容（不多于3个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。

My husband and I were paying a visit    1    my parents in Tucson. We went to a fast-food restaurant for dinner together. My husband went to the counter(柜台)    2    (order) dishes and I stood with my parents.

My dad is 90 years old. He can hardly see very well and walks with a stick. I was looking around in the restaurant,    3    (wait) to sit at the first table that was    4    (convenient) than others. A woman who was sitting with her son saw me and asked me to come to her. With a puzzled look on my face, I pointed to     5    (me)and said, “Me?” . She    6    (nod) and said, “Yes, you.” I walked to the table and she said, “Bring your family here. I can finish eating at the counter. My son is in    7    hurry to leave anyway.” My eyes    8    (fill) with tears as she wiped down the table and guided my dad to the seat.

I always believe that there are    9    (nature) kind people in this world. This woman has set a good example to her son,     10    is a really lucky guy.

9 . Hundreds of years ago, a Roman army came north from England to make war on Scotland. The Scots, a brave people, love their country. They fought hard to drive the enemy out of Scotland. But there were too many of the Romans. It looked as if the Romans would win.

One night, the leader of the Scots marched his soldiers to the top of a hill. “We will rest here tonight, my men.” he said, “Tomorrow we will fight one more battle. We must win, or we will die.”

They were all very tired. So they ate their supper quickly and fell asleep. There were four guards on duty, but they were very tired, too, and one by one, they fell asleep.

The Romans were not asleep. Quickly they gathered at the foot of the hill. Slowly they went up the hill. Closer they came to the sleeping Scots. They were almost at the top. A few minutes more the war would be over. Suddenly, one of them put his foot on a thistle (蓟). He cried out and his sudden cry woke the Scots. In a minute they were on their feet and ready for a battle. The fighting was hard, but it did not last long. The Scots wiped out the Romans and saved Scotland.

The thistle is not a beautiful plant. It has sharp needles all over it. Few people liked it. But the people of Scotland liked it so much that they made it their national flower.

1. Hundreds of years ago, the Romans ________.

A．came from the north through England to make war on Scotland

B．came to the north Scotland from England to make war on Scotland

C．came from the north of England to fight the Scots

D．came to the north from the south of Britain to fight the Scots

2. The Scots were waken because ________.

A．they were too tired to sleep well

B．one of the guards pretended to sleep

C．one of the Romans stepped on a thistle and let out a cry

D．the Romans got too close and they discovered them

3. What is the meaning of the underlined words “were on their feet” on paragraph 4?

A．get on their feet	B．at their feet
C．under their feet	D．back on their feet

4. The Scots made thistle their national flower because thistle ________.

A．is lovely, though not beautiful

B．gives them happiness

C．is a kind of useful plant

D．helped the Scots to win the battle against the Romans

10 . As I stuck in the mud (泥), with my bike on top of me, I wondered what had forced me to come here. Madagascar is not a good place for a cycling holiday: one of the world's poorest countries, only 11 percent of roadway is paved (铺). South of the town of Antalaha, where I started, the road was in worse condition.

I appeared from a week in the wilderness and reached the start of the Route National 5 at Maroantsetra, but my dream of a smooth road and speed was suddenly destroyed by mud. The "worst road in the country" changed my bicycle into a burden (负担) for days. Finally, I was claimed by the road. Tired. Alone.

As I wiped (擦) the mud from my face and looked upwards, I was greeted by a Malagasy man. He helped me stand up and smiled playfully while he pointed to my bike, which sat next to his. I started again. But I fell again in the mud. Angrily, I told him to go on, but if he understood he showed no sign of it. His smile forced me back onto the bike. We continued like this for hours. But I fell less. Studying my quick guide, slowly I learned. As we passed through a village, a group of children saw me and shouted loudly. His only words were: "Their parents tell them while people steal and eat them. Funny, no?"

I tried to ask why, but he had already set off. I tried to catch up; as I got closer, he took it as a challenge and sped up. We raced along the road. I rode a little faster and I was just behind, about to catch up with him. With a smile, he sped up and was away, leaving me breathless.

1. What was in the author's mind when he was in the mud?

A．He considered his experience a special pleasure.

B．He made up his mind to continue challenging himself.

C．He tried to think out a new road for cycling in Antalaha.

D．He regretted having the cycling holiday in Madagascar.

2. What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 2 mean?

A．The author chose another road.

B．The author decided to ask for help.

C．The author lay on the road for a rest.

D．The author had no confidence to ride on.

3. How did the Malagasy man help the author?

A．By showing him the right way.

B．By wiping the mud from his bike.

C．By riding in front of him all the way.

D．By teaching him how to ride in the mud.

4. What's the best title for the text?

A．A lonely trip

B．A bicycle race

C．A lesson in cycling

D．A road in Madagascar