1 . It was the middle of winter some 30 years ago. I was a young father with three little children counting on me. I worked in a sawmill (锯木厂).

As I got ready to go to work I wrapped band aids around my fingers and put more in my pockets. Cutting and piling up wood for eight hours a day had caused my fingers to split (裂开) and bleed at their tips in the cold, dry winter air.

That day at work was harder than normal. We were short-handed on workers. The machines kept breaking down. We had to rush to catch up as the wood piled up. On top of that, all the heaters in the building had stopped working and we could see our breath as we spent hours working there.

When the work day finally ended, I walked wearily toward the washroom, took off my work gloves, and checked my aching fingers. The splits were worse than ever and I had bled through the band - aids again. I felt so tired. I wondered how long I could keep doing this, if things would ever get any better, and why life was so hard.

After driving home, I tried to put a smile on my face as I opened the front door. But instead, one appeared naturally. My daughter ran up to me, yelled “Daddy!” and wrapped her little arms around my neck. I lifted her up and my heart filled with love. My tired body didn’t feel so tired anymore. My aches and pains disappeared into her hug, And the joy in my heart chased the sadness away. At that moment I kissed my little girl’s cheek and held her tight. I knew I could continue and that things would get better.

1. What was the author’s situation 30 years ago?

A．He was young man teaching students.	B．He was a retired person owning a sawmill.
C．He worked in a factory as an accountant.	D．He had a heavy burden of raising children.

2. Which is NOT the factor making that day even harder than normal?

A．There were not enough workers.	B．Workers that day were not tall enough.
C．All the heaters had stopped working.	D．The machines stopped working repeatedly.

3. The author walked toward the washroom wearily, which shows that _________.

A．he was very tired	B．he felt very relieved
C．he wore heavy clothes	D．he was walking up and down

4. What does the underlined word “one” in Paragraph 5 refer to?

A．a face

B．a smile

C．the door

D．his daughter

5. In the story, the author wants to express that _________.

A．family can give us support	B．labor work is not that hard
C．it is better to have just one kid	D．it is important for kids to study hard

2 . I was out shopping with my kids doing my best to budget (谨慎花钱) the last of my paycheck. I saw a lady sitting beside my car with a sign that she was________and needed help. I had a few dollars I could.________and a couple of bottles of water in my car, so I handed her the bottles and the_________

The next day I was down to about $ 12 and________day was one day away. On the way to picking up my son from school, I tried to do something________with my 12-year-old son. We stopped by our favorite________for the amazing cow cookies and the chocolate chip cookies. I let the baker know I had to________it under $ 12.25.   When she rang it up (把款项记入收款机), she said, “Oh, it’s $12.43.” I told her, “Sorry, I’ll have to split the payment between my card and some loose________I have in my wallet.”

________, she rounded it down to $12. After I________her and went walking out, she told me to stop and handed me an/a________chocolate chip cookie and two more cow cookies. It was a small________but made me feel so happy to receive. When I told my son about this, he________on how when we do one act of________it gets multiplied by three, I believe that and I know in my heart it always feels good to________and do the right thing.

1.

A．alone

B．homeless

C．cold

D．unhappy

2.

A．spend

B．lend

C．spare

D．make

3.

A．paycheck

B．water

C．key

D．money

4.

A．work

B．pay

C．home

D．school

5.

A．special

B．good

C．upset

D．curious

6.

A．bakery

B．park

C．field

D．restaurant

7.

A．save

B．keep

C．design

D．deliver

8.

A．credits

B．tickets

C．change

D．gold

9.

A．In return

B．In addition

C．In turn

D．Instead

10.

A．thanked

B．met

C．asked

D．shook

11.

A．equal

B．cheap

C．extra

D．small

12.

A．gesture

B．bag

C．amount

D．request

13.

A．depended

B．commented

C．lived

D．based

14.

A．wisdom

B．appreciation

C．love

D．kindness

15.

A．go

B．receive

C．give

D．say

3 . Lena could clearly remember the night she had to flee her home in Hungary. It was the beginning of the Second World War and her family needed to escape fast. She quickly packed a suitcase with a few pieces of clothing, her diary, and her most prized possession — a beautiful silk scarf. Lena and her best friend, Monika, had persuaded their parents to buy them matching scarves, which they each wore tied around their neck as a symbol of their friendship. Lena had no idea that when she left for America that night, she would never return. Her family settled on the sunny west coast in California.

Lena kept that special silk scarf for many years. One day she decided to give it to her granddaughter, Eliza, to wear to her first job interview for good luck. Lena was afraid that Eliza would lose the scarf, but her granddaughter reassured her, “Don’t worry, Grandma, nothing’s going to happen to your scarf. You’ll see. It is going to bring both of us luck today.” With that, Eliza kissed her grandmother on the cheek and left.

That afternoon, Eliza left the interview feeling confident that she had got the job. She decided to celebrate by going to a restaurant. As she sat at her table, she felt someone staring at her. Sitting next to her was an elderly woman who could not take her eyes off her. “I’m sorry. Do I know you?” Eliza asked.

“I’m sorry, dear, but you remind me of someone I once knew,” the old woman replied in an accented voice. “My best friend looked like you and used to wear a scarf just like the one you’re wearing around your neck.” Eliza felt goose bumps go up her arms. She had heard stories of her grandmother’s best friend and knew the significance of the scarf. Could this be Monika, her grandmother’s childhood friend?

Eliza introduced herself and waited to hear the name of the other woman. “My name is Monika, dear. I’m originally from Hungary, but my family had to leave when I was 14 and I’ve been living here in California ever since.” Eliza could not believe it. She said, “Monika, would you mind going somewhere with me? I want to show you someone very special.” The elderly woman agreed and they left the restaurant together.

They walked the short distance to Lena’s home and rang the doorbell. When Lena opened the door, she was amazed to see her childhood friend standing in front of her. The scarf had indeed brought good luck.

1. Why did Lena and her family leave Hungary?

A．Because they intended to make a fortune in America.

B．Because they preferred to live on the sunny coast.

C．Because it was dangerous in their home at the war time.

D．Because they wanted to follow her best friend, Monika.

2. What can be inferred from Paragraphs 2 and 3?

A．Eliza went to the restaurant to meet Monika.	B．Lena cherished the silk scarf very much.
C．A silk scarf is a symbol of good luck.	D．Eliza celebrated with Lena in a restaurant.

3. Eliza felt goose bumps go up her arms because________.

A．the stranger’s stare made her scared

B．she got cold when she took the scarf off

C．she thought the old woman’s accent was too strange

D．she couldn’t believe she should meet her grandma’s childhood friend

4. Which of the following is the correct order of the story?
a. Eliza wore the silk scarf to the interview.                      b. Lena’s parents bought her a silk scarf.
c. Eliza went to a restaurant for celebration.                    d. Lena met her childhood friend.
e. Lena fled her home in hurry.                                   f. Eliza unexpectedly met Monika.

A．b-e-a-c-f-d

B．e-b-a-f-c-d

C．e-d-b-a-c-f

D．b-e-a-f-c-d

5. What could be the best title for the passage?

A．Reunion in California.	B．The Lucky Silk Scarf.
C．A Life-long Friendship.	D．Like Grandmother Like Granddaughter.

4 . 阅读短文，按照题目要求用英语回答问题。

When Marco was a boy, he tried everything to get his father’s love and attention. He worked hard to earn exceptional marks; he chose inspiring friends and always tried to behave well.

At the age of eight his parents divorced, and Marco and his young sister Sandra moved in with their dad. It felt to Marco that his father had little time for him and Sandra. Marco sank further into his low self-esteem and was overwhelmed with feeling desperately unappreciated, alone and isolated.

One day his father, already tired after a long day, tripped over Marco’s bike in the garage. The fierce fight that followed left Marco feeling humiliated (羞辱). It seemed no matter how hard he tried he could never do anything right.

Two days later, his aunt Ginette called him. She said she had just seen some young teenagers participate in a public speaking contest called Gala Personnalite sponsored by Club Optimiste. She thought he should give it a try. She told him she firmly believed he could perform on stage like the other kids, since she had seen him do humorous performances for the family at Christmas. Feeling her strong belief, Marco agreed to enter the contest.

All that winter of 1980 to 1981, he practiced in Ville d’Anjou, where the competition would take place. The hours and the obstacles no longer counted. The criticism from his father didn’t matter. Four. months later, the big night arrived. His mother, his sister, his grandmother, and his aunt Ginette, were all in the audience. Butterflies filled his stomach. But when he stepped onto the stage and began to speak, he felt totally at home. To his shock and amazement, he WON!

As I travel around the world to speak to thousands of people every year, I tell them Marco’s story. I tell them his story because it is my story.

It all happened because of a single phone call, from one single person who simply believed in me. Because of her, I have been able to more than fulfill my dreams. I’ve been able to inspire and to touch the lives of so many others—and help them fulfill theirs.

1. Why did Marco want to behave and do well academically?   (no more than 10 words)
________________
2. What caused Marco to hold negative attitude towards himself?   (no more than 10 words)
________________
3. How did his aunt Ginette plan to do to change Marco?   (no more than 15 words)
________________
4. What does the underlined sentence probably mean in the 5^th Paragraph?   (no more than 5 words)
________________
5. Who often gives you confidence to fulfill your dreams? What does he/she do?   (no more than 20 words)
________________

8 . Ten years ago I adopted my dog Rudy from a shelter just days before they were going to euthanize(使安乐死) him. We’ve had a special______ever since.

I’ve found his______really meaningful. Every night I get in my bed and he gets in his doggy bed right next to mine. But a year ago suddenly Rudy______. Every night when I got in bed he’d jump up on my bed and start licking(舔) my face. I’d get______and make him get off but the next night he’d do it again.

I was considering taking him to obedience(驯服) school when I suddenly______that he was licking the same spot on my jaw over and over again. I felt my jaw and it seemed okay but it was so______for my dog that I decided to just trust him. I made an appointment with the______and felt silly telling her why I came in but she agreed to do some______. It turns out I had a tumor(肿瘤) in my jaw. It couldn’t be felt from the outside but somehow Rudy knew it was there.

I’m feeling much better now but the doctors said if I’d______until the tumor was big enough to be felt, it’s likely I would have______. I saved my dog’s life and now he’s saved mine!

1.

A．exercise

B．connection

C．task

D．communication

2.

A．company

B．trust

C．support

D．comfort

3.

A．gave up

B．fell sick

C．left

D．changed

4.

A．happy

B．worried

C．mad

D．sad

5.

A．remembered

B．realized

C．guessed

D．imagined

6.

A．unusual

B．interesting

C．impossible

D．natural

7.

A．friend

B．dentist

C．doctor

D．manager

8.

A．experiments

B．tests

C．treatment

D．research

9.

A．waited

B．continued

C．refused

D．thought

10.

A．lost

B．fallen

C．failed

D．died

9 . 阅读下面短文,并根据题目要求用英语回答问题(请注意问题后的字数要求)。

“Mom, look at this LEGO Star Wars set,” my eight-year-old son Nathan said. “Can I get it for my birthday?” I looked at the LEGO set in question.

“Nathan, this isn’t just a regular LEGO set. It’s an Advent calendar(降临历).” Seeing his questioning look, I explained, “An Advent calendar counts down the days until Christmas. Starting on December 1st, you open one box each day, and each box contains one small LEGO toy.”

“I want this really badly, Mom. Can I get it for my birthday?”

“Yes, but here’s the problem with that. It’s August right now, and your birthday is in September. If we bought this for your birthday, you couldn’t start opening the toys until December 1st. That would be a long time for you before playing with a new toy. Are you sure you want it?” He thought for a minute and said, “Yes, Mom, I really want that Advent calendar.” So we bought the calendar.

On Nathan’s birthday in mid-September, he received many presents, including the Advent calendar. He seemed as surprised and pleased with it as he did with other gifts that were actually a surprise. And then he started to open it.

“Remember that’s an Advent calendar. So we can’t open it yet.” His shoulders slumped(垂下来). “Oh, yeah, that’s right,” he said unwillingly.

We put the box in his closet. I hoped he’d forget about it, but that was wishful thinking.

“How many more days should I wait until I can start opening the toys in the calendar?” he asked the day after his birthday. I gave him a pocket calendar, and we counted how many days there were until December 1st.

After waiting for so long, it was December 1st finally. Nathan’s hands were practically shaking as he opened that first box. “I’m so glad I waited, Mom,” he told me.

People say that Christmas starts earlier and earlier every year. I know these complaints are about the over-commercialization of the holiday, and I see their point. But this year, Christmas came to our house very early, and it was so much fun.

1. What is an Advent calendar used to do? (no more than 10 words)
________________
2. Why was the author unwilling to buy the Advent calendar for Nathan at first? (no more than 12 words)
________________
3. How can we understand the underlined sentence in Paragraph 7? (no more than 8 words)
________________
4. Why do people say Christmas starts earlier and earlier? (no more than 10 words)
________________
5. What do you think of Nathan’s birthday present? Why? (no more than 20 words)
________________