1 . In October, I said to my students, “Why not do some _________ to make some money? Then we’ll buy food for someone in need.”

Then early in that week, they came with their hard-earned money at their homes, _________ to go shopping. We soon picked what we needed. As we headed toward the checkout, someone shouted, “Flowers!” The group rushed to the flowers. However, considering practicality, I said, “You can’t send flowers.” “But please, Mrs. Sherlock,” someone begged, “we want flowers.” Defeated (被打败了), I _________ them to buy some carnations (康乃馨).

An organization had given us the information of a _________ grandmother living alone for many years. After a long drive, we _________ arrived at a small, shabby (破旧的) house. An old lady came out to _________ us. Each box was _________ quickly. But when the woman noticed the carnations, she seemed _________. “She’s wishing it were a bag of rice,” I thought. “Do you like living here?” Michael asked. Hearing this, the woman _________,“ Of course. I’m quite fond of living here.” She told the children about the birds flying to the bread she __________. “Maybe that’s why I could get the food from you,” she said.

1.

A．shopping

B．reading

C．exercise

D．housework

2.

A．nervous

B．excited

C．unwilling

D．afraid

3.

A．taught

B．forced

C．encouraged

D．allowed

4.

A．brave

B．poor

C．reliable

D．sick

5.

A．finally

B．already

C．suddenly

D．hardly

6.

A．thank

B．guide

C．help

D．welcome

7.

A．carried in

B．left behind

C．sent back

D．handed out

8.

A．satisfied

B．worried

C．surprised

D．angry

9.

A．cried

B．replied

C．asked

D．complained

10.

A．hid away

B．put out

C．picked up

D．brought in

2 . One day, a college student was taking a walk with a professor. As they went along, they saw a pair of old shoes lying in the path. They supposed the shoes belonged to a poor man who was employed in a field close by and who had nearly finished his day’s work.

The student turned to the professor, saying, “Let’s play a trick on him: we can hide his shoes, and hide ourselves behind those bushes, and wait to see his confusion when he cannot find them”.

“My young friend,” answered the professor, “we should never amuse ourselves at the expense of the poor. But you are rich, and may give yourself much greater pleasure by helping the poor man. Put a coin into each shoe, and then we hide ourselves and watch how the discovery will affect him.”

The student did so, and they both placed themselves behind the bushes close by. The poor man soon finished his work, and walked across the field to the path where he had left his coat and shoes. While putting on his coat he slipped his foot into one of his shoes, feeling something hard. He bent down to feel what it was, and found the coin. Astonishment and wonder were seen on his face.

He fixed his eyes on the coin, turned it round, and looked at it again and again. He then looked on all sides, but no person was seen. He put the money into his pocket, and continued to put on the other shoe, but his surprise was doubled on finding the other coin. His feelings overcame him. He fell upon his knees, looked up to heaven and cried a sincere thanksgiving, in which he spoke of his wife, sick and helpless, and his children without bread. He said the timely help, from some unknown hand, would save them from dying.

The student stood there, deeply affected, and his eyes filled with tears. “Now,” said the professor, “aren’t you much more pleased to do that than to play your intended trick?”

The student replied, “You have taught me a lesson which I will never forget.”

1. The student wanted to play a trick on the poor man to ______.

A．find the truth

B．show his wisdom

C．teach him a lesson

D．amuse himself

2. After finding the two coins, the man felt ______.

A．interested

B．thankful

C．peaceful

D．helpless

3. We can know from the passage that the professor is ______.

A．humorous

B．rich

C．wise

D．serious

4. What does the story intend to tell us?

A．God helps those who help themselves.	B．Where there is a will, there is a way.
C．A small act of kindness brings great joy.	D．Actions speak louder than words.

3 . 阅读下面短文，根据所给情节进行续写，使之构成一个完整的故事。

There was a boy who was sent to a boarding school. He used to be the brightest student in his class. He was at the top in every competition. But things changed after that. His grades started dropping. He hated being in a group. He was lonely all the time. He felt worthless and that no one loved him.

His parents began to worry. But even they did not know what was wrong. So his dad decided to visit the school and talk with him.

They sat on the bank of the lake near the school. The father started asking him casual questions about his classes, teachers and sports. Then he asked, “Do you know, son, why I am here today?” The boy said, “To check my grades?”

“No, no, ” his dad replied. “I am here to tell you that you are the most important person for me. I want to see you happy. I don’t care about grades. I care about you. I care about your happiness. YOU ARE MY LIFE.”

Now the boy had everything he wanted.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

6 . Table Talk

As we got out of the car, our son announced, “Phones stay in the car.”

“Why do you always have to tell us that?” complained our fifteen-year-old grandson.

Our son’s wife winked at us and then explained, “We have a family _______ that no one may bring anything electronic to the table.”

We _______ our phones in the car. Even though the restaurant was filled with families, there was little noise. All I heard were a few quiet conversations and the ding of forks on plates. The _______ unnerved me. I looked around. Everyone, even the young kids, was _______ at some kind of screen.

The silence was broken when the six of us sat down, and started talking. The waitress stood patiently and waited for our orders. When our food came, we continued to chat.

An elderly couple at the next table were finishing their dinners and conversing quietly. I noticed that they shot us a few glances, and wondered if our constant chatter was annoying them.

After the dessert, my son signaled the waitress for the check. She hesitated when she brought the black folder to our table. My son opened the black folder — it was _______ . “You forgot the check,” he told her.

“There isn’t one. Someone else _______ your bill — and the tip too.” she said with a giggle (咯咯笑).

“Why?” asked our son, his wife and myself at once.

“They loved it that no one was connected.” she continued. “They loved watching you guys _______ . The old lady went on and on about how nice it was to see a family eating and talking instead of looking at ‘electric games’.”

For a moment, everyone at our table was at a loss for _______ . Then we all started talking at once. My son's voice rose above the others. “Where are they? We want to thank them.”

“They left after you ordered dessert,” the waitress replied.

We spent the next fifteen minutes discussing this goodness and camp up with a _______ . Next time we see a family eating at a restaurant ________ looking at anything electronic, we'll pay it forward, just like what happened to us.

1.

A．rule

B．appointment

C．discussion

D．goal

2.

A．closed

B．returned

C．sent

D．locked

3.

A．sweetness

B．quietness

C．patience

D．preference

4.

A．smiling

B．knocking

C．staring

D．pointing

5.

A．special

B．strange

C．typical

D．empty

6.

A．paid

B．served

C．managed

D．changed

7.

A．eat

B．talk

C．argue

D．work

8.

A．directions

B．choices

C．words

D．ideas

9.

A．schedule

B．message

C．task

D．plan

10.

A．without

B．by

C．through

D．for

7 . Dear Dr. Bob,

I was visiting my sister Mary, who has two boys, aged seven and five. They were throwing a ball around the living room. She asked them several times to stop, but they didn’t listen to her. Finally, one of the boys threw the ball and knocked over a lamp. She shouted loudly at them for several times. Then, she sent them to their room. She looked at me and said, “They never listen to me.”

Carmen

Dear Carmen,

Your sister needs to be clear to her children what behaviour she expects. She should tell her boys, “Don’t throw the ball in the house. If you throw the ball again, I’m going to take it.” Then she needs to do what she says. Her boys will soon learn to listen to her.

Dr. Bob

Dear Dr. Bob,

I walked into my two-year-old daughter’s bedroom and found her coloring on the wall again with her crayons. I told her, “No! No! Never write on the wall with your crayons. You can only write on paper.” My husband thinks I was too easy on her and that she needed a punishment. What’s your opinion?

Debbie

Dear Debbie,

You dealt with the situation well. Children this age are too little to understand the relationship between their actions and a punishment. Use this as a warning; it’s time to babyproof your home. Now that your little one is more active and curious, what else can she reach? Check her room and your home for crayons, paints, medicines, cleaning products, and other things that might interest her.

Dr. Bob

1. What was wrong with Mary’s children?

A．They threw a ball at Carmen.

B．They turned a deaf ear to her words.

C．They had a fight over a ball.

D．They often shouted loudly at her.

2. By saying “to babyproof your home”, Dr. Bob means ________ .

A．giving your baby a punishment

B．getting crayons out of your home

C．making your home safe for babies

D．teaching your baby to behave well

3. Both Mary and Debbie found it hard to________.

A．ask their children to follow rules

B．stop their children from telling lies

C．get their children to go to bed on time

D．develop their children’s interest in reading

8 . Happy April Fool’s Day! In celebration of the day, we have put together a list of some of the greatest hoaxes in history. They are the lies that have been designed for innocent people who are ready to believe them.

▲INSTANT COLOR TV

In 1962 there was only one TV channel in Sweden, and it broadcast in black and white. The station’s Kjell Stepson, appearing on the news to announce that thanks to a newly developed technology, all viewers could now quickly and easily transform their existing sets to display color reception. All they had to do was pull a nylon (尼龙) stocking over their TV screen, and they would begin to see their favorite shows in color. Reportedly, hundreds of thousands of people, were taken in. Actual color TV transmission only started to appear in Sweden on April 1,1970.

▲SAN SERRIFFE

In 1977 the British newspaper The Guardian published a special seven-page supplement (增刊) in honor of the tenth anniversary of San Serriffe, a small republic located in the Indian Ocean. A series of articles affectionately asked for more information about the beautiful holiday spot. Few noticed that everything about the island was made up.

▲NIXON FOR PRESIDENT

In 1992 American National Public Radio’s Talk of the Nation program announced that, Richard Nixon, in a surprise move, was running for President again. His new campaign slogan was, “I didn’t do anything wrong, and I won’t do it again.” Accompanying this announcement were audio clips (片断) of Nixon delivering his election speech. Listeners responded immediately to the announcement, flooding the show with calls expressing shock and anger. Only during the second half of the show did the host John Huckleberry reveal that the announcement was a practical joke. Nixon’s voice was copied by comedian Rich Little.

1. Which of the following countries is NOT mentioned in the text?

A．Sweden.

B．Germany.

C．The UK.

D．The United States.

2. When did the small republic San Serriffe come into being?

A．Never.

B．In 1962.

C．In 1977.

D．In 1992.

3. Who worked as a host on the radio?

A．Kjell Stepson.

B．Rich Little.

C．Richard Nixon.

D．John Huckleberry.

9 . One day, 12-year-old Sean Redden surfed the Internet and went to a popular chat room. Just as he was about to be offline, he saw a name he’d never seen there before, Susan. Her brief message was “Would someone help me?”

Sean typed back, “What’s wrong?” A moment later he received this message, “I can’t breathe. Help me! I can’t get out of my chair.”

Oh, man, Sean thought. Pretending to be paralyzed (瘫痪) was a bad joke. Then he wondered   what if she really is sick? “Hey. Mom.” he called. “There’s a kid here who’s sick or something.” Sharon looked at the computer screen. “It’s not just some game, is it?” she asked.

The message was not a joke. Susan was actually a 20-ycar-old student, working late at night at a college library near Helsinki, Finland - almost 7,000 miles away from Sean’s home in Texas. While searching the Internet, she began to feel terrible pain all through her body. The library was silent and empty. The nearest phone was outside in the hallway. She couldn’t move that far. Any movement caused the pain to get worse. Then she realized she might get help on the Internet.

“I don’t think it’s a joke, Mom,“ Sean said. And he typed, “Where are you?” After a long while, the letters appeared, “Finland.” Sean and Sharon couldn’t believe it. Not knowing what else to do, Sharon called the local police.

Sharon explained the situation to the officer Amy Schmidt. Schmidt told Sharon to try to get the sick girl’s phone number. Texas police called the international telephone operator and asked to be connected to the proper agency (机构) in Finland. The call was put through to a nearby rescue station. The Texas police gave Susan’s address to the Finnish operator. When Sean heard that, he typed, “Help is on the way.”

In a few minutes, Susan heard people running down the hallway outside the door. Suddenly, the door opened. Emergency workers and three policemen ran in. Susan turned once more to the computer, “They are here. Thanks. Bye-bye.”

Four days later, the police in Texas received a message from officers in Finland: “Thanks to her Internet friend. Susan has received medical treatment she badly needed. She is doing well.”

1. What happened when Sean was about to get offline?

A．He noticed an unfamiliar name.

B．He came across a friend in the chat room.

C．A piece of online news attracted him.

D．His computer broke down.

2. What happened to Susan?

A．She fell down on the ground.

B．She was locked in the library.

C．She lost her phone.

D．She was too sick to move.

3. How did Sean and her mother Sharon help Susan?

A．They asked for help online

B．They reported to the Texas police.

C．They sent messages to Susan’s friend.

D．They called the rescue station in Finland.

4. Which of the following can be the best title for the text?

A．Help on the Internet

B．Help on the Way

C．Making Friends Online

D．Police Officer’s Act of Kindness

10 . I still remember that busy autumn evening as I hurried with my eldest daughter, Athena, to get to her classroom on time for the parent-teacher night. We walked in and all eyes were on me. A few adults quickly quieted their kids’ whispers. A classmate yelled to my daughter, “What’s wrong with your mom’s face?” Shocked, I started to explain my condition, but my six-year-old daughter looked at him and said, “It’s my mom’s birthmark! Don’t be rude!” I was extremely proud of how she handled that situation.

I was quite young when I realized I looked different because of my large facial birthmark. I always thought I would be alone because of it. Being compared to Batman’s evil Two-Face made me believe I could never find love. But I was lucky enough to meet my husband, who saw me for who I am inside. When I had my first daughter, I was overjoyed, but I began to worry if the world would judge my children. I always worried I might pass my condition onto my children; I didn’t want them to grow up feeling judged. Unfortunately, my facial difference has impacted my children. My daughters get disinvited from birthday parties or sleepovers, or I learn certain kids are no longer friends with mine after their parents saw me at school.

When my kids were young, I explained how my special purple skin was rare and we talked about acceptance and never judging others on how they look. When my girls kiss my purple-skinned cheek, I feel “normal” around them and their unconditional love. With time going by, both my daughters have become my strongest supporters. Thanks to them, I’ve begun to feel more self-confident as I try to be a good role model.

Their worldviews are similar to mine. We see the world a little differently and with a kinder, more accepting heart. As the saying goes, your daughters will grow up to be your best friends. I know that will be the case for me!

1. What happened when the author went to attend the parent-teacher night?

A．Athena was praised by others for her bravery and optimism.

B．Athena defended her mother against her classmate’s rudeness.

C．Some parents criticized their kids because of their misbehaviour.

D．The author felt shocked at her daughter’s response to her classmate.

2. According to paragraph 2, which of the following views might the author agree with?

A．Friendship needs to be watered by love.

B．We should treat our children as best friends.

C．We should accept other people’s differences.

D．Our ability to handle difficulties can be developed.

3. How are the daughters influenced by the author’s birthmark?

A．They have to drop out of school.

B．They have the same physical condition as me.

C．They have difficulty maintaining friendships.

D．They feel worried because they are often judged.

4. What is the best title for the passage?

A．A birthmark to live with.	B．My strongest supporters.
C．A kind and accepting heart.	D．The confidence to be different.