1 . 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)

2 . When he was driving home one evening on a country road, he saw an old lady，stranded(抛锚的)on the side of the road. He stopped in front of her car and got out. Even with the smile on his face，she was worried. He looked poor and hungry. He knew how she felt. He said, “I am here to help you, madam. Why don’t you wait in the car where it’s warm? By the way, my name is Joe. ”

She had a flat tire. Joe crawled under the car, changed the tire. But he got dirty and his hands hurt. She could not thank him enough and asked him how much she owed him. He told her that if she really wanted to pay him back, the next time she saw someone who needed help, she could give that person the assistance they needed, and Joe added, “And think of me.”

She drove off. A few miles down the road the lady saw a small restaurant. She went in. The waitress had a sweet smile, and was nearly eight months pregnant(怀孕的). The old lady wondered how someone like her who seemed poor could be so kind to a stranger. Then she remembered Joe. After the lady finished her meal, the waitress went to get her change from a hundred—dollar bill. But she stepped right out the door.

When the waitress came back，she noticed something written on a napkin, “I am helping you because someone once helped me. If you really want to pay me back, here’s what you do—Do not let the chain of love end with you .”

That night when she got home，she was thinking about the money and what the lady had written. She and her husband needed money with the baby due(预期的)next month. She knew how worried her husband was，and as he lay sleeping next to her, she whispered，“Everything’s going to be all right. I love you, Joe. ”

1. When Joe stopped to help the lady, she ________.

A．became excited	B．was afraid to be hurt
C．refused his offer	D．thanked him

2. At the restaurant, the lady ________.

A．received good service	B．had an expensive meal
C．told the waitress Joe’s story	D．met another poor guest

3. Why did the lady leave the restaurant without getting her change?

A．She forgot it.	B．She wanted to help Joe.
C．She would get it later.	D．She wanted to give the waitress some help.

4. We can learn from the text that ________.

A．Joe’s boss fired him	B．Joe worked as a driver
C．Joe’s wife was the waitress	D．Joe had an unhappy marriage

5. By telling the story, the writer tries to show that ________.

A．helping others is helping oneself

B．kindness can be spread

C．poverty is not a threat to a happy marriage

D．a happy family depends on a happy marriage

3 . My grandma whom we all called Nanny was a solid, first-generation, Italian immigrant. She came to this country with her family on a tiny ship during World War I when she was only 8 years old. During the trip she survived stormy seas, little food, and an attack by German U-boat. After getting here, her large family worked hard to build a new life in America. They never had much money but were rich in love.

One day, when I was about 5 or 6 years old, my parents and brothers went on a trip. It was just me and Nanny in the house for the weekend. Nanny seemed so happy to be taking care of me all by herself. She made me a special breakfast that first morning. However, all I could do was to complain about how the food was not how Mom always made it, Nanny quietly put down the plate and went into the living room. I followed a minute later and saw that she had tears in her eyes. It was the first time I had ever seen my strong and proud grandmother cry and I was the one who had caused it.

I walked over to Nanny, climbed on her lap, and for the first time in my short life I did something else too. I apologized without being told to and asked Nanny to forgive me. She smiled, rubbed my head, and told me I was a good boy even though I didn’t feel like one then.

That memory just like my Nanny’s love will stay in my heart forever. It is a sign of both strength and wisdom, Asking for forgiveness helps us to learn, to grow, and to love.

1. Nanny’s family immigrated to America mainly because______.

A．they suffered starvation in their homeland

B．they wanted to start a rich life in the new land

C．they tried to get away from the terrible climate

D．their country was in war and they needed peace

2. The boy complained to Nanny that the food ______.

A．wasn’t cooked the way his mom did

B．was served a bit later than usual

C．was prepared in a special way

D．was just to his parents taste

3. When seeing Nanny crying in the living room, the author felt ______.

A．surprised	B．ashamed
C．shocked	D．annoyed

4. The author mainly wants to tell us that ______.

A．forgiveness can be beneficial to people asking for it

B．hardships can make children more indifferent

C．grandparents are more tolerant than their grandchildren

D．family ties can sometimes be misused

5. What kind of person is Nanny in author’s eyes?

A．Hardworking and careful.	B．Joyous and jealous.
C．Strong-willed and generous.	D．Kind and sensitive.

4 . 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.

5 . Many years ago my dad was diagnosed (诊断) with a terminal illness. He was unable to work at_______job. He would be fine for quite a while, but would then fall suddenly_______and have to be admitted to the hospital.

He wanted to do something to keep himself_______, so he decided to volunteer at the local children_______. My dad loved kids. He would talk to them and play with them. Sometimes, he would_______one of his kids. In certain instances, he would give_______to the sad parents of these children.

One of his kids was a girl who had been admitted with a_______disease that paralyzed (使……瘫痪) her from the neck down. I don’t know the_______of the disease, but I do know that it was very sad for a little girl. My dad decided to try to help her. He started_______her in her room, bringing paints, brushes and paper. He stood the paper up__________a backing, put the paintbrush in his mouth and began to paint. He didn’t use his hands at all. Only his__________would move. He would visit her________he could and paint for her. All the while he would tell her, “see, you can do________you set your mind to.”

________, she began to paint using her mouth, and she and my dad became friends. Soon after, the little girl was discharged (允许出院). My dad also________the children hospital for a little while because he became ill. Sometime later after my dad had recovered and________to work, he was at the volunteer counter one day and________the front door open. In came the little girl who had been paralyzed, but this time she was________. She ran straight to my dad and hugged him really tight. She gave my dad a picture she had done using her________. At the bottom it read, “thank you for helping me walk.” Sometimes love is more________than doctors, and my dad—who died just a few months after the little girl gave him the picture-loved every single child in that hospital.

1.

A．an important

B．a steady

C．an easy

D．a good

2.

A．ill

B．behind

C．asleep

D．down

3.

A．well

B．wealthy

C．busy

D．healthy

4.

A．palace

B．hospital

C．center

D．park

5.

A．teach

B．miss

C．lose

D．treat

6.

A．speech

B．comfort

C．praise

D．help

7.

A．special

B．curious

C．strange

D．rare

8.

A．result

B．reason

C．name

D．course

9.

A．observing

B．drawing

C．painting

D．visiting

10.

A．with

B．across

C．against

D．over

11.

A．head

B．neck

C．fingers

D．eyes

12.

A．with whoever

B．whenever

C．as if

D．as soon as

13.

A．everything

B．something

C．anything

D．nothing

14.

A．Basically

B．Naturally

C．Eventually

D．Suddenly

15.

A．left

B．entered

C．rushed to

D．stayed at

16.

A．stopped

B．returned

C．hesitated

D．refused

17.

A．pushed

B．noticed

C．observed

D．kicked

18.

A．shouting

B．lying

C．walking

D．jumping

19.

A．hands

B．pens

C．paper

D．mind

20.

A．thankful

B．useful

C．thoughtful

D．powerful

6 . Cats have no emotions . At least, that's what my husband once claimed. I ____ that my two cats experience emotions. They feel anger, fear, and ____. He agreed with me, but____ his opinion that cats don't feel love. ____, my tuxedo cat, Sebastian, would teach him otherwise.

When my next-door neighbour moved in, he had a she cat named Juliet. She was an indoor lady, always watching ____ through the window.

Then one day when I ____ my cat to the backyard for his playtime, Sebastian ____ Juliet gazing at him behind the window. It soon became____ that they were attracted by each other. So every day thereafter, whenever I let Sebastian out, he would rush ____ to the backyard next-door and they would sit gazing ____ at each other through the screen, she inside, and he outside. Even my husband watched____, and he would murmur, "But cats can't feel love... can they?"

Five months later, my neighbour had to ____ because of work. My heart sank. I wondered how Sebastian would ____ to Juliet's leaving.

For months after Juliet moved away and the new neighbour moved in, I often ____ Sebastian sitting by Juliet's window, looking into the apartment ____ his lady. The new neighbour didn't mind having the "Peeping Sebastian" after I____ his reason for being there.

Sebastian ____ the small area outside that window as his territory. Other male cats were allowed in the ____, but not near Juliet's window, which he guarded until his____.

Even now, when my husband and I walk through the backyard and see that window, he ____ me of the lesson Sebastian taught him... that cats do indeed fall in love.

1.

A．argued

B．quarreled

C．suggested

D．discussed

2.

A．energy

B．power

C．strength

D．happiness

3.

A．referred to

B．prepared for

C．stuck to

D．approved of

4.

A．Therefore

B．However

C．Besides

D．Meanwhile

5.

A．the environment

B．the sky

C．her owner

D．her boyfriend

6.

A．forbade

B．prevented

C．accompanied

D．left

7.

A．called attention to

B．caught sight of

C．took charge of

D．paid a visit to

8.

A．ambitious

B．doubtful

C．skeptical

D．obvious

9.

A．secretly

B．straight

C．quietly

D．worriedly

10.

A．lovingly

B．angrily

C．hungrily

D．greedily

11.

A．in trouble

B．in sorrow

C．in amazement

D．in horror

12.

A．settle

B．travel

C．apologize

D．move

13.

A．react

B．reply

C．reduce

D．replace

14.

A．took

B．caught

C．met

D．sensed

15.

A．in place of

B．on the basis of

C．in search of

D．on account of

16.

A．explained

B．requested

C．blamed

D．asked

17.

A．discovered

B．reformed

C．preserved

D．marked

18.

A．street

B．backyard

C．window

D．village

19.

A．birthday

B．departure

C．death

D．arrival

20.

A．reminds

B．informs

C．tells

D．Accuses

7 . 阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。

My wife Andrea and I picked a great time to move to New York City just a few days before the super storm Sandy hit the place.

Although Sandy _______ my family to stay indoors for two days while the wind and rubbish swirled through my new neighborhood, it _______ some unusual opportunities for us to meet our _______ by serving them. Before the storm _______ , my family went for a walk. We knew we’d be closed up for a while. We should enjoy some _______ time while we could.

        While we were walking we noticed a woman _______ a huge load of emergency supplies, _______ moving from the market to her _______ . She had three large piles of supplies. Each time she’d _______ 15 or 20 feet with a pile, set it down, then go back and get another.

The ________ was going to hit before she got all of her supplies up to her living place. ________ we were already set, we figured it would be a good _________ to get to know a neighbor.

So Andrea and I each ________ a pile of supplies and helped the woman get ________ home. We had a good time getting familiar with her. She was from the Caribbean. Andrea and I loved ________ her thick, rich accent. When the storm hit later that night, we felt a little less ________ because we had a friend just a few buildings ________ . After Sandy there were dozens of ________ of selfless acts of service on TV, as people helped friends, neighbors and strangers in need.

________ others when you are in need of service yourself is a sign of greatness. As Luther King Jr. said, “Everybody can be ________ , because anybody can serve.”

1.

A．invited

B．expected

C．forced

D．ordered

2.

A．missed

B．awarded

C．provided

D．wasted

3.

A．parents

B．neighbors

C．relatives

D．customers

4.

A．increased

B．reduced

C．disappeared

D．hit

5.

A．outside

B．lost

C．useless

D．local

6.

A．struggling with

B．fighting for

C．watching out

D．turning to

7.

A．quickly

B．slowly

C．hardly

D．easily

8.

A．office

B．garage

C．apartment

D．village

9.

A．drive

B．run

C．cycle

D．walk

10.

A．earthquake

B．price

C．car

D．storm

11.

A．Unless

B．Since

C．Until

D．If

12.

A．chance

B．goal

C．excuse

D．experience

13.

A．left

B．lifted

C．noticed

D．bought

14.

A．everything

B．something

C．nothing

D．anything

15.

A．dealing with

B．listening to

C．laughing at

D．commenting on

16.

A．busy

B．excited

C．friendly

D．lonely

17.

A．here

B．before

C．away

D．inside

18.

A．reports

B．notes

C．results

D．causes

19.

A．Refusing

B．Advising

C．Requesting

D．Serving

20.

A．upset

B．successful

C．great

D．grateful

8 . It’s a Christmas tradition that’s more than half a century old. And it happened completely by accident.

It started in 1955, when a local Sears store in Colorado Springs, Colorado printed an ad, which included a spedial phone number kids could call to know where Santa’s sleigh was at any given moment. Unfortunately, someone made a mistake in printing the phone number and kids were calling the wrong line.

A Colonel(上校) named Henry Shoup began answering his phone at what would become NORAD, the North American Aerospace Defence Command. At first, he thought it was a simple error of one caller.

But as the phone kept ringing and tiny voices kept asking about Santa, Shoup realized he couldn’t disappoint them. So he told the staff to issue updates to any one asking about the location of Santa.

The wrong turned into a custom of the holiday and kept growing in popularity, and NORAD finally decided to make it permanent.

It’s become a holiday favourite ever since, adapting to whatever new technology has come along since. In the early days, it was a phone line. Then in the 60s, NORAD put out a special series of “reports” that was played on hundreds of radio stations across North America, broadcasting the Jolly Old Elf’s exact position on Christmas Eve.

Think of it as kind of an early GPS without the computer gear.

Finally, came the Internet and NORAD has now transferred its annual watch onto the Web, with a site devoted to keeping tabs on the most famous journey in the world—what you might call the real amazing race, an around-the-world mission that has to be finished within 24 hours.

This year’s entry allows kids to track Santa in 3Dusing Google Earth and play games at the North Pole using the Kids Countdown Section, and it even offers Santa Cams which are only operational on the night before Christmas.

1. Why did children keep calling Henry Shoup?

A．Because they wanted to play a joke on him.

B．Because they wanted to amuse him.

C．Because he knew where Santa exactly was.

D．Because they wanted to know where Santa’s sleigh was.

2. What did Colonel Henry Shoup do when more and more children kept calling?

A．He became annoyed and decided to tell them the truth.

B．He became excited and jioned them in searching Santa.

C．He thought quickly and took it seriously to satisfy their needs.

D．He laughed at them and took no notice of their calls.

3. What does “Jolly Old Elf” in Paragraph 6 most probably refer to?

A．Santa Claus.

B．Colonel Henry Shoup.

C．NOARD.

D．The staff in Henry Shoup’s charge.

4. According to the passage, how did people learn about the Jolly Old Elf’s exact position in the 1960s?

A．By calling a special phone number.

B．By listening to a special series of reports over the radio.

C．With the help of a kind of early GPS.

D．By scanning the spedial column in the newspaper.

5. The passage mainly tells us      .

A．an old favorite holiday that develops along with new technology

B．50-year-old tracking Santa tradition that started by accident

C．a real amazing race, an around-the-world mission within 24 hours

D．a Colonel and the North American Aerospace Defence Command

9 . A friend of mine named Paul received an expensive car from his brother as a Christmas present. On Christmas Eve when Paul came out of his office, a street urchin (顽童) was walking around the shining car. “Is this your car, Paul?” he asked.

Paul answered, “Yes, my brother gave it to me for Christmas.” The boy was surprised. “You mean your brother gave it to you and it cost you nothing? Boy, I wish…” He hesitated.

Of course Paul knew what he was going to wish for. He wished he had a brother like that. But what the boy said surprised Paul greatly.

“I wish,” the boy went on, “that I could be a brother like that.” Paul looked at the boy in surprise, and then he said again, “Would you like to take a ride in my car?”

“Oh yes, I’d love that.”

After a short ride, the boy turned and with his eyes shining, said, “Paul, would you mind driving in front of my house?”

Paul smiled a little. He thought he knew what the boy wanted. He wanted to show his neighbors that he could ride home in a big car. But Paul was wrong again. “Will you stop where those two steps are?” the boy asked.

He ran up to the steps. Then in a short while Paul heard him coming back, but he was not coming fast. He was carrying his little crippled (残疾) brother. He sat him down on the step and pointed to the car.

“There she is, Buddy, just like I told you upstairs. His brother gave it to him for Christmas and it didn’t cost him a cent. And some day I’m going to give you one just like it… Then you can see for yourself all the nice things in the Christmas window that I’ve been trying to tell you about.”

Paul got out and lifted the boy to the front seat of his car. The shining-eyed older brother climbed in and the three of them began an unforgettable holiday ride.

1. The street urchin was very surprised when __________.

A．he saw the shining car

B．Paul told him about the car

C．he was walking around the car

D．Paul received an expensive car

2. From the story we know that the urchin __________.

A．wished to give his brother a car

B．wished Paul’s brother to give him a car

C．wished Paul could be a brother like that

D．wished he could have a brother like Paul’s

3. The urchin asked Paul to stop his car in front of his house ______.

A．to show he had a rich friend

B．to show his neighbors the car

C．to let his brother ride in the car

D．to tell his brother about his wish

4. We can infer from the story that __________.

A．Paul couldn’t understand the urchin

B．the urchin’s wish came true in the end

C．the urchin wished to have a rich brother

D．the urchin had a deep love for his brother

5. The be title for the story probably is __________.

A．A Christmas Present	B．A Street Urchin
C．A Brother Like That	D．An Unforgettable Ride