1 . 阅读短文，按照题目要求用英语回答问题。

I recently gave my adult class homework. The assignment was to “go to someone you love and tell them you love them. It has to be someone you have never said those words to before or haven’t shared those words with for a long time”.

That doesn’t sound like a tough assignment, but most of the men in that group were over 35 and were taught that expressing emotions is not “macho（男子汉的）”.

At the beginning of our next class, I asked if someone wanted to share what happened when they told someone they loved them. One of the men raised his hand. He appeared quite moved and a bit shaken.

He began by saying, “I didn’t feel that I had anyone to say those words to. But as I began driving home, I knew exactly who I needed to say ‘I love you’to. Five years ago, my father and I had a disagreement and never resolved it. We hardly spoke to each other.” “The next morning, I called my dad. When he answered the phone, I said, ‘Dad, can I come over tonight? I have something to tell you.’ I assured him it wouldn’t take long, so he finally agreed.”

“At 5：30, I was at my parents’ house ringing the doorbell. As luck would have it, Dad answered the door.”

“I took one step in the door and said, ‘Dad, I just came over to tell you that I love you’”

“His face softened, his wrinkles（皱纹）disappeared and he began to cry. He reached out and hugged me and said, ‘I love you too, son, but I’ve never been able to say it.’”

“Dad and I hugged for a moment longer. I hadn’t felt that great in a long time.”

“Two days after that visit, my dad had a heart attack and ended up unconscious in the hospital. I don’t know if he’ll make it.”

“My message to all of you is this：Don’t wait to do the things that need to be done. Take the time to do what you need to do and do it now！”

1. Why might the assignment challenge the students?（no more than 10 words）
2. What happened to the author’s student and his father five years ago?（no more than 15 words）
3. What is the meaning of the underlined part in Paragraph 5?（no more than 5 words）
4. Why did the student’s father cry? （no more than 10 words）
5. What do you often do when you have disagreements with your parents? Please explain.（no more than 20 words）

2 . I shared one of the lifeboats with the chief engineer, Tom Fenton. I don't _______ the exact circumstances, but the storm continued into the second night. In some _______, we were able to avoid being _______ into the sea. Then as quickly as it had come, the _______ passed. The wind died down and the stormy sea became _______, the clouds drifted away, and the _______ came out in the clear sky above. We didn't know where we were or what would happen to us but it was a marvelous(令人惊异的) feeling, just being _______. At night the little boat _______ in the open sea while Tom and I _______ soundly. We were both exhausted. The next morning, I was ________ by brilliant sunshine. At first the bright sun made it impossible to see, but as my ________ became used to the light, I was able to look around. There was nothing but the deep blue ________ of the Pacific in all directions. The other lifeboats were gone.

________ the danger of the storm was over, I began to ________ our other problems. All our supplies were ________. We had no food, no fresh water, and we were somewhere in the South Pacific, ________ hundreds of miles from land. Perhaps we would drift here in the quiet ________ for weeks. It was a frightening thought. My ________ was still sleeping. I was about to ________ him up when I saw something in the distance. ________ away from the sun towards the west, I thought I saw the blue shape of land in the distance.

1.

A．remember

B．recognize

C．doubt

D．see

2.

A．areas

B．ways

C．troubles

D．cases

3.

A．pulled

B．carried

C．thrown

D．put

4.

A．shadow

B．cloud

C．wind

D．storm

5.

A．quiet

B．unusual

C．rough

D．deep

6.

A．sun

B．stars

C．rainbow

D．lightning

7.

A．crazy

B．bored

C．sad

D．alive

8.

A．sank

B．returned

C．drifted

D．appeared

9.

A．slept

B．talked

C．played

D．ate

10.

A．shocked

B．hurt

C．awakened

D．heated

11.

A．body

B．face

C．ears

D．eyes

12.

A．shape

B．water

C．bank

D．sky

13.

A．Now that

B．Although

C．As if

D．Unless

14.

A．get around

B．worry about

C．work out

D．give up

15.

A．important

B．ready

C．gone

D．broken

16.

A．possibly

B．successfully

C．luckily

D．mostly

17.

A．forest

B．island

C．ocean

D．river

18.

A．wife

B．doctor

C．patient

D．companion

19.

A．ring

B．wake

C．dress

D．bring

20.

A．Keeping

B．Turning

C．Getting

D．Looking

3 . I started volunteering at a soup kitchen several years ago. The original reason I was going was to ___________ community service hours for school. My plan was to __________ go there a few times and get my service hours, but it taught me a lot. The typical volunteer there served __________ to people.

Basically, I was ____________ serving bread and juice to whoever wanted it, which was a simple task. Some of the people were homeless, and some of them were __________ families. All of them were people in need of a hot meal and a place to __________ for an hour or several minutes. ____________ some of them looked like they weren't behaving well, we always took care of them.

The first time I went there was right before Christmas. For the people coming to the soup kitchen, it was not exactly a ____________ time. It made me think about my happy Christmas and made me feel how__________ I was. Unlike them, I have a home and I don't __________ cold or hunger. At that point, I decided that I ____________ wanted to go back there. I couldn't offer them much, but I could always offer my time and ____________. The experience also gives me a feeling of ___________. Whenever I go there , people are __________ that I showed up again . They know my name and they know that I am more than happy to ___________ them. It truly feels good to know that you can ___________ someone's day. I've realized that the feeling of doing good for people can be a better ___________than any amount of money. You can't buy that feeling.

I have never ___________ a single second of my volunteering. It ___________ me that dozens of cities have made it illegal to set up a soup kitchen. But I will continue my volunteer work and find more ways to show my ____________ to people in need.

1.

A．reduce

B．avoid

C．complete

D．cancel

2.

A．yet

B．just

C．even

D．still

3.

A．food

B．work

C．time

D．money

4.

A．tired of

B．worried about

C．responsible for

D．free from

5.

A．busy

B．serious

C．experienced

D．struggling

6.

A．hide

B．rest

C．live

D．study

7.

A．Although

B．If

C．Because

D．Until

8.

A．available

B．strange

C．pleasant

D．painful

9.

A．wise

B．honest

C．curious

D．fortunate

10.

A．turn down

B．suffer from

C．pass down

D．learn from

11.

A．definitely

B．gradually

C．equally

D．hardly

12.

A．reason.

B．effort

C．chance

D．patience

13.

A．stability

B．guilt

C．loss

D．appreciation

14.

A．grateful

B．confident

C．proud

D．shocked

15.

A．change

B．leave

C．forget

D．help

16.

A．describe

B．waste

C．brighten

D．disturb

17.

A．reward

B．excuse

C．risk

D．mistake

18.

A．planned

B．regretted

C．forgiven

D．understood

19.

A．reminds

B．confuses

C．encourages

D．disappoints

20.

A．talent

B．concern

C．kindness

D．weakness

4 . My father was attached to gardening by birth. One of my earliest memories is following Dad barefoot around in the garden with both hands blackened from digging in the soil. The garden was a wonderland full of possibilities.

As Dad grew older, he still loved gardening. Even when he was diagnosed with cancer, he still planted all sorts of plants. Sometimes, I would come over to visit, and we would walk together in the garden. But then, something changed. Like the weeds that took over his garden, the cancer grew rapidly in Dad, and the doctor gave up. I stayed with Dad twenty-four hours a day and I found myself in all kinds of uncomfortable situations with Dad until I promised to care for the garden.

Though I had heard the words of the doctor, what really made me believe that Dad was dying was the state of his garden. That year, he only planted tomatoes. Too tired to weed them, he simply tied them with strong strings to the fence and let them be. It made me sad to see them ignored, so I would come over and water them once in a while, and remove the weeds. I still remember the day I picked the last tomato from the vine(藤). That day was one of the saddest I had ever experienced in my life.

Three years ago, I decided to plant my own garden. I decided I would start out with just a few tomatoes. That morning when I moved to the garden, something caught the corner of my eye and I had to smile. It was my eight-year-old son Nathan, standing barefoot in the soil , happily playing in soil.

1. When the author was a child he liked his father’s garden because it was _________.

A．a field that produced much food

B．a piece of land covered with black soil

C．a place where he got educated

D．a fantastic place with unexpected surprise

2. What was the author’s father most concerned about in his last days?

A．His garden	B．His illness
C．His son	D．His grandson

3. What made the author accept the fact that his father would die soon?

A．The words of the doctor.

B．The condition of his father.

C．His communication with his father.

D．That the garden wasn’t taken good care of by his father.

4. What did the author do in the garden on his father’s last day?

A．Water the garden	B．Remove weeds
C．Pick a tomato	D．Cut tomato vines.

5. Why did the author smile when he moved to his own garden one day?

A．Because he remembered his father.

B．Because his son showed interest in the garden.

C．Because he thought of the food he would get.

D．Because he could take care of his own garden.

5 . It was a warm, sunny Saturday afternoon some fifteen or sixteen years ago. I took my two kids to the local playground. As soon as we got there my daughter headed for the swings(秋千)and asked for a ____. I noticed another little girl ____ to get her own swing going high as I was ____ my daughter to go higher and higher.

I walked over to the little girl and asked ____ she needed help. She smiled and said YES and I soon had her feet flying towards the ____ while she laughed happily. For the next two hours I found myself pushing swings and playing games with my daughter and the little girl. By the time we headed home, I was ____ tired, but my spirits were flying ____ than those swings.

Three years later I was ____ again after a day’s work. Still, I needed to ____ my kids from their school before heading home. I stood in the ____ waiting area waiting for my children. Suddenly, I felt two ____ arms wrapped around my legs. I looked down and there was the little girl I met 3 years before on the ____ smiling up at me. She gave me a big hug before running away to ____ the school bus. As I watched her ____, I didn’t feel tired any more and my spirits were once again ____ with that swing.

The love we ____ with others will find its way back to us. It will travel from heart to heart. It may take seconds or it may take ____. The law of love, ____ is never broken. We will get back what we give. We will harvest what we ____ . The kindness we give and the joy we create will always come back to ____ us.

1.

A．jump

B．pull

C．push

D．climb

2.

A．failed

B．decided

C．stopped

D．managed

3.

A．encouraging

B．helping

C．refusing

D．advising

4.

A．why

B．how

C．when

D．whether

5.

A．clouds

B．ground

C．swing

D．trees

6.

A．finally

B．suddenly

C．physically

D．mentally

7.

A．faster

B．higher

C．more quickly

D．more slowly

8.

A．amazed

B．upset

C．concerned

D．tired

9.

A．look after

B．pick up

C．take away

D．bring up

10.

A．parents’

B．teachers’

C．patients’

D．passengers’

11.

A．strong

B．long

C．tiny

D．weak

12.

A．classroom

B．school

C．kindergarten

D．playground

13.

A．drive

B．catch

C．reach

D．repair

14.

A．hands

B．head

C．face

D．back

15.

A．flying

B．crying

C．running

D．falling

16.

A．own

B．care

C．share

D．find

17.

A．hours

B．days

C．months

D．years

18.

A．though

B．therefore

C．still

D．besides

19.

A．save

B．plant

C．design

D．offer

20.

A．scare

B．interest

C．excite

D．shock

6 . Mom was a teacher most of her life. When she wasn’t in the classroom, she was educating her children or grandchildren; correcting our grammar; starting us on collections of butterflies, flowers or rocks; or inspiring a discussion on her most recent “Book of the Month Club” topic. Mom made learning fun.

It was sad for my three brothers and me to see her suffering in her later years. At eighty- five, she suffered a stroke and she went steadily downhill after that.

Two days before she died, my brothers and I met at her nursing home and took her for a short ride in a wheelchair. While we waited for the staff to lift her limp body back into bed, Mom fell asleep. Not wanting to wake her, we moved to the far end of the room and spoke softly.

After several minutes our conversation was interrupted by a muffled sound coming from across the room. We stopped talking and looked at Mom. Her eyes were closed, but she was clearly trying to communicate with us. We went to her side.

“Whrr,” she said weakly. “Where?” I asked. “Mom, is there something you want?” “Whrr,” she repeated a bit stronger. My brothers and I looked at each other and shook our heads sadly. Mom opened her eyes, sighed, and with all the energy she could gather said, “ Not ...was. Say were!” We suddenly realized that Mom was correcting Brother Jim’s last sentence. “If it was up to me…”

Jim leaned down and kissed her cheek. “Thanks, Mom,” he whispered. We smiled at each other and once again shook our heads.

1. What do the underlined words “went steadily downhill” mean in the 2nd paragraph?

A．went lower and lower	B．went worse and worse
C．went down the hill	D．went downstairs

2. When Mom said, “Whrr”, what did she really want to do?

A．She wanted to tell her sons her will.

B．She wanted to have something to eat before she died.

C．She wanted to correct the mistakes Jim made while talking.

D．She wanted to give her sons something before she died.

3. Which of the following statements is FALSE according to the passage?

A．Mom was a good teacher and never gave up her teaching.

B．Mom was always making her teaching fun.

C．Mom didn’t forget her teaching until she died.

D．Mom stopped teaching when she was at home.

4. What does the writer think of his mother?

A．He loved her but was tired of his mother’s teaching.

B．His mother should have forgotten her teaching and enjoyed the rest of her life.

C．His mother was great because she devoted herself to teaching.

D．His mother was an excellent teacher before she was retired.

7 . I run a hotel in London. My knowledge on volcano is from my son’s science textbook, which says “volcanic ash is formed during explosive volcanic eruptions when dissolved gases escape __ into the atmosphere”. During the days with the terrible ash cloud which spread Europe from Iceland in May, 2010, I was   __   to a London radio station called LBC. People called in ___ their stories of trouble. Some had missed   __   for holidays, and some couldn’t get home following the volcanic eruption.

The story that most   __   me was a call from Peter, who had just gotten __ the previous weekend to Maz. They had planned to   __   their honeymoon to the Dominican Republic but could not   __   the ash cloud. When James O’Brien, the radio presenter, asked if he was unhappy, Peter said: “Not at all. I’ve married the   __   girl in the world whom I love, so…no… I’m not __ at all.” Both the presenter and I were so impressed by the beautiful __ .

A little later, after receiving many cancellations(取消预订), an idea __ to me and I called LBC. I spoke to the producer of the show and asked if she could keep __ with Peter to offer him and his wife a room for the weekend at my hotel __ . She later __ to say Peter and Maz were delighted and would love to take up the __ . The producer asked if I would like to __ offer it to them on the radio show, but I said no as I didn’t want it __ to the public.

So, two days later, Peter and Maz arrived at the hotel and   __ . I was so pleased to have made a bad situation better for a young couple. Nobody could ever imagine how   __ I was of myself.

1.

A．violently

B．slightly

C．slowly

D．urgently

2.

A．relating

B．listening

C．connecting

D．going

3.

A．telling

B．promising

C．inventing

D．persuading

4.

A．buses

B．taxis

C．trains

D．flights

5.

A．amused

B．struck

C．satisfied

D．disappointed

6.

A．married

B．away

C．home

D．abroad

7.

A．get around

B．pick up

C．leave for

D．turn to

8.

A．instead of

B．except for

C．in terms of

D．because of

9.

A．greatest

B．loveliest

C．poorest

D．healthiest

10.

A．upset

B．regretted

C．frightened

D．embarrassed

11.

A．question

B．solution

C．answer

D．attitude

12.

A．struck

B．happened

C．occurred

D．appeared

13.

A．in need

B．in danger

C．in trouble

D．in touch

14.

A．for free

B．for sale

C．for charge

D．for recreation

15.

A．made effort

B．called back

C．held back

D．found out

16.

A．offer

B．money

C．reward

D．space

17.

A．regularly

B．shortly

C．frequently

D．formally

18.

A．provided

B．known

C．separated

D．limited

19.

A．checked in

B．got around

C．moved in

D．settled down

20.

A．glad

B．happy

C．content

D．proud

8 . A Frenchman had arrived at a small Italian town and was staying with his wife at the best hotel there. One night he went out for a walk alone. He was late and the small street was dark and lonely. Suddenly he heard footsteps behind him. He turned his head and saw an Italian young man who quickly walked past him. The man was nearly out of sight when the Frenchman suddenly found that his watch was gone. He thought that it was the Italian who had taken his watch. He decided to follow him and force him to return the watch.

Soon the Frenchman caught up with the Italian. Neither of them understood the other’s   language. The Frenchman showed his fist to the Italian and pointed to his watch-pocket. The Italian thought that the Frenchman was demanding his own watch. In the end the Italian gave up his watch to the Frenchman.

When he returned to the hotel the Frenchman told his wife what had happened. He was greatly surprised when his wife pointed to the watch on the table. Now he realized that by mistake he had robbed the Italian of his watch.

1. When did the Frenchman find his watch missing?

A．When he returned to the hotel.

B．After the Italian went by.

C．When he was staying at the hotel with his wife.

D．As soon as he arrived at the small Italian town.

2. Why did the Frenchman catch up with the Italian?

A．Because he thought that the Italian had stolen his watch.

B．Because he found that the Italian’s watch was the same with his.

C．Because the Italian was a thief.

D．Because the Italian was walking too fast.

3. What really happened to the Frenchman’ s watch?

A．His wife had hidden the watch.

B．He had left the watch in the hotel.

C．The Italian had stolen his watch.

D．His wife gave the watch to the Italian.

9 . The old man walked slowly into the restaurant. His poor jacket, patched (打补丁的) trousers, and worn-out shoes made him stand out from the usual Saturday morning breakfast crowd. Unforgettable were his pale blue eyes that sparkled (闪耀) like diamonds, large rosy cheeks, and thin lips held in a steady smile.

With the help of his trusty cane (拐杖), he walked toward a table by the window. A young waitress named Mary watched him and ran over to him, and said, “Here, Sir. Let me give you a hand with that chair.”

Without a word, he smiled and nodded a thank you. She pulled the chair away from the table. Steadying him with one arm, she helped him move in front of the chair, and get comfortably seated. Then she pushed the table up close to him, and leaned his cane against the table where he could reach it.

In a soft, clear voice he said, “Thank you, Miss.”

“You are welcome, Sir.” She replied. “My name is Mary. I’ll be back in a moment. If you need anything, just wave at me!”

After he had finished a hearty meal of pancakes, bacon, and hot lemon tea, Mary brought him the change, helping him up from his chair and out from behind the table. She handed him his cane, and walked with him to the front door. Holding the door open for him, she said, “Come back and see us, Sir!”

He nodded a thank you and said softly with a smile, “You are very kind!”

When Mary went to clean his table, she was surprised. Under his plate she found a business card and a note written on the napkin, under which was a $ 100 bill.

The note on the napkin read...

“Dear Mary, I respect you very much, and you respect yourself, too. It shows by the way you treat others. You have found the secret of happiness. Your kind gestures will shine through those who meet you.”

The man she had served was the owner of the restaurant. This was the first time that she, or any of his employees, had seen him in person.

1. Who helped the old man in the restaurant? (No more than 8 words)
2. Please explain the underlined phrase “stand out” in English. (No more than 5 words)
3. How much did the old man leave on the table? (No more than 2 words)
4. Who do you think the old man was? (No more than 10 words)
5. According to the passage, how do you understand the meaning of “Happiness”？ (No more than 20 words)

10 . Many years ago, when I was fresh out of school and working in Denver, I was driving to my parents’ home in Missouri for Christmas. I stopped at a gas station (加油站) about 50 miles from Oklahoma City, where I was planning to stop and visit a friend. While I was standing in line at the cash register (收款台), I said hello to an older couple who were also paying for gas.

I took off , but had gone only a few miles when black smoke poured from the back of my car. I stopped and wondered what I should do. A car pulled up behind me. It was the couple I had spoken to at the gas station. They said they would take me to my friend’s. We chatted on the way into the city, and when I got out of the car, the husband gave me his business card.

I wrote him and his wife a thank-you note for helping me. Soon afterward, I received a Christmas present from them. Their note that came with it said that helping me had made their holidays meaningful.

Years later, I drove to a meeting in a nearby town in the morning. In late afternoon I returned to my car and found that I’d left the lights on all day, and the battery (电池) was dead. Then I noticed that the Friendly Ford dealership — a shop selling cars — was right next door. I walked over and found two salesmen in the showroom.

“Just how friendly is Friendly Ford?” I asked and explained my trouble. They quickly drove a pickup truck to my car and started it. They would accept no payment, so when I got home, I wrote them a note to say thanks. I received a letter back from one of the salesmen. No one had ever taken the time to write him and say thank you, and it meant a lot, he said.

“Thank you” — two powerful words. They’re easy to say and mean so much.

1. The author planned to stop at Oklahoma City ________.

A．to visit a friend

B．to see his parents

C．to pay at the cash register

D．to have more gas for his car

2. The words “took off” underlined in Paragraph 2 mean “________”.

A．turned off

B．moved off

C．put up

D．set up

3. What happened when the author found smoke coming out of his car?

A．He had it pulled back to the gas station.

B．The couple sent him a business card.

C．The couple offered to help him.

D．He called his friend for help.

4. The battery of the author’s car was dead because ________.

A．something went wrong with the lights

B．the meeting lasted a whole day

C．he forgot to turn off the lights

D．he drove too long a distance

5. By telling his own experiences, the author tries to show ________.

A．how to write a thank-you letter

B．how to deal with car problems

C．the kind-heartedness of older people

D．the importance of expressing thanks