1 . An 80-year-old man was sitting on the sofa in his house chatting with his 45-year-old son. Suddenly a crow (乌鸦) landed on their window edge.

The father asked his son, “What is that?”

The son replied, “That is a crow.”

After a few minutes, the father asked his son for the second time, “What is this?”

The son said, “Father, I told you just now. It’s a crow.”

After a little while, the father asked his son the same question for the third time, “What is this?”

This time, the son said to his father in a low and cold tone, “It’s a crow, a crow, a crow.”

After a moment, the father yet again asked his son for the fourth time, “What is this?”

This time the son shouted at his father, “Why do you keep asking me the same question again and again? I have told you already, ‘IT IS A CROW.’ Are you unable to understand this?”

A minute later the father went to his room and came back with a diary, which he had kept since his son was born. On opening a page, he asked his son to read that page.

“Today my little son aged three was sitting with me on the sofa when a crow suddenly landed on the window edge. My son asked me 23 times what it was, and I replied him 23 times that it was a crow. I hugged him lovingly each time he asked me the same question. I didn’t feel angry at all, but instead felt affection for my son”.

If your parents reach old age, do not look at them as a burden, but speak to them gently, and be kind to them. From today say this aloud, “I want to see my parents happy forever. They have cared for me ever since I was a little child. They have always showered me with love. I will respect and take care of my old parents in the best way no matter how they behave.”

1. In what tone did the son said to his father “It’s a crow, a crow, a crow.”?

A．Impatient.

B．Excited.

C．Hurried.

D．Surprised.

2. We can infer that the father wrote that piece of diary at the age of _____.

A．eighty

B．three

C．thirty-eight

D．forty-five

3. What is the most suitable title for the passage?

A．A crow

B．Father’s love

C．An old dairy

D．An old man

2 . Henry found work in a bookstore after he finished middle school. He wouldn’t do anything but wanted to get rich. Mr King thought he was too lazy and was going to send him away. Henry was afraid and had to work hard.

It was a cold morning. It was snowing and there was thin ice on the streets. Few people went to buy the books and the young man had nothing to do. He hated to read, so he watched the traffic. Suddenly he saw a bag fall off a truck and it landed by the other side of the street.

“It must be full of expensive things,” Henry said to himself. “I have to get it, or others will take it away.”

He went out of the shop and ran across the street. A driver saw him and began to whistle (鸣笛), but he didn’t hear it and went on running. The man drove aside, hit a big tree and was hurt in the accident. Two weeks later Henry was taken to court (法庭). A judge asked if he heard the whistle when he was running across the street. He said that something was wrong with his ears and he could hear nothing.

“But you’ve heard me this time.” said the judge.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Now I can hear with one ear.”

“Cover the ear with your hand and listen to me with your deaf (聋的) one. Well, can you hear me?”

“No, I can’t, sir.”

1. What was Mr King?

A．A driver.

B．A doctor.

C．A policeman.

D．A shopkeeper.

2. Why did Mr. King want to send Henry away?

A．Because Henry was too lazy.	B．Because Henry hoped to be rich.
C．Because Henry finished middle school.	D．Because Henry sold few books.

3. The driver was afraid to ________, so he drove aside.

A．hit Henry

B．hurt himself

C．fall behind

D．lose the bag

4. What does the underlined word “judge” mean in Chinese?

A．裁判

B．律师

C．法官

D．原告

5. Why did Henry say that he was deaf?

A．He wanted to have a joke with the judge.	B．He wanted to get the judge’s help.
C．He wanted to find another piece of work.	D．He didn’t want to pay for the accident.

3 . Many years ago, I was fresh out of school and working in Denver. One day, I drove to my parents’ home in Missouri for Thanksgiving Day. Suddenly, I found the gas was running out. I stopped, wondering what I was supposed to do. A car pulled up behind me and an old couple came out. They offered to pull my car to a gas station. When we said good- bye to each other. the husband gave me his business card.

When I arrived home, I wrote him and his wife a thank-you note. I soon received a note saying that helping me had made their holiday meaningful.

Years later, I drove to a nearby town for a meeting in the morning. In the late afternoon, I returned to my car and found that the battery was dead. Then I noticed that the Friendly Ford Dealership — a shop selling cars — was right next door. I walked over and found a salesman waiting beside the door.

“Would you please do me a favor?” I asked and explained my trouble. He quickly drove a pickup truck to my car and started it. He would accept no payment. When I got home, I wrote a note to thank him. I received a letter back from the salesman. He said no one had ever taken the time to write him a note of thanks and it meant a lot.

Although it is easy to say thanks to others, it means so much.

1. Why did the author drive to his parents’ home in Missouri?

A．To repair his car.	B．To see a friend.
C．For Thanksgiving Day.	D．For a meeting.

2. What happened when the author found the gas was running out?

A．An old couple helped him go to a gas station.

B．He had a word with a policeman nearby.

C．He pushed his car to a car dealership.

D．He called up his best friend for help.

3. What can we learn from Paragraph 3?

A．The author got a gas from the old couple.

B．The author’s car battery was dead.

C．The author wrote a letter to the old couple.

D．The author bought a car from the dealership.

4. When the salesman received the author’s thank-you note, he must have been ________.

A．moved

B．worried

C．nervous

D．sad

5. The main purpose of the passage is to tell us ________.

A．how to write a thank-you note	B．how to deal with car problems
C．the kind-heartedness of old people	D．the importance of expressing thanks

5 . I learned how to accept life as it is from my father. ________, he didn’t teach me acceptance when he was strong and healthy, but rather when he was ________ and ill.

My father was ________ a strong man who loved being active, but a terrible illness________ all that away. Now he can no longer walk, and he must sit quietly in a chair all day. Even talking is ________. One night, I went to visit him with my sisters. We started ________ about life, and I told them about one of my ________. I said that we must very often give things up ________ we grow — our health, our beauty, our friends — but it always ________ that after we give something up, we gain something new in its place. Then suddenly my father ________ up. He said, “But, Peter, I gave up ________! What did I gain?” I thought and thought, but I couldn’t think of anything to say. ________, he answered his own question, “I________ the love of my family.” I looked at my sisters and saw tears in their eyes, along with hope and thankfulness.

I was also________ by his words. After that, when I began to feel angry at someone, I ________ remember his words and become ________. If he could replace his great pain with a feeling of love for others, then I should be ________ to give up my small anger. In this ________, I learned the power of acceptance from my father.

Sometimes I ________ what other things I could have learned from him if I had listened more carefully when I was a boy. For now, though, I am grateful for this________.

1.

A．However

B．Therefore

C．Afterwards

D．Meanwhile

2.

A．tired

B．slow

C．poor

D．weak

3.

A．already

B．once

C．only

D．still

4.

A．sent

B．threw

C．took

D．put

5.

A．impossible

B．hopeless

C．stressful

D．difficult

6.

A．worrying

B．caring

C．talking

D．asking

7.

A．decisions

B．beliefs

C．strengths

D．imaginations

8.

A．before

B．since

C．as

D．till

9.

A．suggests

B．seems

C．promises

D．requires

10.

A．opened

B．turned

C．broken

D．spoke

11.

A．something

B．anything

C．everything

D．nothing

12.

A．Naturally

B．Surprisingly

C．Truly

D．Certainly

13.

A．had

B．accepted

C．enjoyed

D．gained

14.

A．defended

B．astonished

C．touched

D．warned

15.

A．would

B．could

C．should

D．might

16.

A．quiet

B．relaxed

C．calm

D．happy

17.

A．able

B．likely

C．free

D．ready

18.

A．case

B．way

C．method

D．form

19.

A．doubt

B．guess

C．know

D．wonder

20.

A．award

B．theme

C．gift

D．word

6 . Evelyn Glennie was the first lady of solo percussion(打击乐器) in Scotland. In an interview, she recalled how she became a percussion soloist in spite of her disability.

“Early on I decided not to allow the opinions of others to ________ me becoming a musician. I grew up on a farm in northeast Scotland and began ________ piano lessons when I was eight. The older I got, the crazier I became about music. But I also began to gradually lose my ________. Doctors concluded that the nerve ________ was the cause and by age twelve, I was completely deaf. My love for music, ________, never left me.”

“My goal was to become a percussion soloist, ________ there were none at that time. In order to perform, I ________ to ‘hear’ music differently from others. I played in my stocking feet and could ________ the pitch of a note by the vibrations I felt through my body. My entire sound world depended on taking ________ of almost every sense that I had.”

“I was ________ to be recognized as a musician, ________ a deaf musician, and I ________ to the Royal Academy of Music in London. No other deaf student had ________ this before and some teachers ________ my admission. ________ my performance, I was ________ admitted and went on to graduate with the school’s highest honors.”

“After that, I became well-known as the first full-time solo percussionist. I ________ a series of musical compositions since ________ had been written specially for solo percussionists.”

“Though the doctor thought I was totally deaf, it didn’t ________ that my dream couldn’t be realized. I encourage people not to allow themselves to be ________ by others. Follow your passion; follow your heart. They will lead you to the place you want to go.”

1.

A．ignore

B．force

C．keep

D．stop

2.

A．taking

B．giving

C．playing

D．joining

3.

A．taste

B．feeling

C．sight

D．hearing

4.

A．ruin

B．damage

C．wound

D．cut

5.

A．moreover

B．therefore

C．however

D．besides

6.

A．ever since

B．even though

C．as if

D．so that

7.

A．used

B．agreed

C．turned

D．learned

8.

A．point

B．smell

C．tell

D．see

9.

A．advantage

B．charge

C．used

D．care

10.

A．determined

B．discouraged

C．educated

D．devoted

11.

A．such as

B．except for

C．as well as

D．instead of

12.

A．applied

B．congratulated

C．studied

D．researched

13.

A．begged

B．persuaded

C．done

D．accepted

14.

A．voted for

B．disagreed with

C．cared about

D．gave in

15.

A．Based on

B．Concerned about

C．Shocked at

D．Fond of

16.

A．possibly

B．hopefully

C．usually

D．finally

17.

A．copied

B．performed

C．wrote

D．spelt

18.

A．many

B．few

C．enough

D．little

19.

A．conclude

B．say

C．mean

D．seem

20.

A．taught

B．limited

C．directed

D．guided

7 . Music is something I could never live without. Without music, I was ______ and would only talk when I was asked to. Music allowed me to ______ myself and be as loud as I wanted to. Singing my ______ out during choir (合唱) class, auditioning for choir concert solos, and ______ the school play, I felt the most like myself. There was nothing that could keep me away from my ______, until high school.

Everyone who wanted to be in show choir auditioned for the ______, including me. In the audition room, there was a piano, notes and different lyrics ______ on the chalkboard. I hit every note, and the ______ was amazing. When my audition was over, I took a breath of ______. Weeks passed and the list of who had made it into show choir was ______. I found my ______. “Angelica H. –– alternate (候补者)”. After I saw this, my ______ disappeared. My outside showed I wasn’t sad, but on the inside, my whole world had ______.

A year passed, I was at a ______ that also held karaoke to the customers. My parents let me go up and ______. Finally, I got enough courage to ______ a song by Sam Smith and started off. While I hit the high notes, people eating   ______ for me. I realized, I did not get into one program but that did not mean that I had to give up all ______. I still had that passion. The lesson learned was that if you are ______ or do not get what you want, and it is something you’re in ______ with, don’t give up.

1.

A．calm

B．mad

C．anxious

D．quiet

2.

A．teach

B．express

C．praise

D．help

3.

A．heart

B．brain

C．mind

D．head

4.

A．looking forward to

B．getting along with

C．trying out for

D．picking up

5.

A．pride

B．adventure

C．passion

D．courage

6.

A．activity

B．programme

C．service

D．job

7.

A．suggested

B．recorded

C．permitted

D．written

8.

A．sound

B．scene

C．play

D．answer

9.

A．relief

B．concern

C．anger

D．sympathy

10.

A．removed

B．signed

C．expected

D．posted

11.

A．signature

B．mark

C．name

D．position

12.

A．kindness

B．confidence

C．pressure

D．luck

13.

A．crashed

B．started

C．continued

D．existed

14.

A．theatre

B．restaurant

C．garden

D．park

15.

A．eat

B．dance

C．sing

D．drink

16.

A．create

B．write

C．play

D．choose

17.

A．struggled

B．stopped

C．cheered

D．voted

18.

A．efforts

B．ideas

C．knowledge

D．hope

19.

A．picked out

B．turned down

C．brought up

D．left behind

20.

A．love

B．connection

C．touch

D．common

9 . When I was in middle school, I was on a family vacation in Washington DC. I found there was a homeless man down the street.

On our final day in the city, when my parents went for an evening walk, I went out of our hotel room and ran down the street to the homeless man.

He looked at me, surely not expecting anything from a middle school girl. I asked him what he wanted to have for dinner. He replied “Bread and water”. I ran into the store and bought a big bag of bread and a bottle of water. I ran back with a smile on my face and handed the bag and the bottle to him. His smile has been in my mind ever since.

I came back to the hotel room and when my parents returned, my dad told me he had a story for me. He asked if I remembered the homeless man down the street from our hotel and I shyly nodded. He then told me a story. As they were returning from their walk, they saw the homeless man was sharing a bag full of food with other homeless people around. They were all smiling and laughing as they ate.

I smiled at my dad but I have never told him to this day the other half of the story. Till today, I still haven’t forgotten that man’s smile but I wish I had the courage to do this more often. One small kind action can begin a ripple effect (连锁反应) of kindness. So please, share a smile and do something kind for the people in need.

1. Why did the author go to Washington DC?

A．To visit her parents.	B．To go on a vacation.
C．To do some shopping.	D．To meet with friends.

2. When the author went to see the homeless man, her parents _____

A．were having a walk	B．were staying in the hotel
C．had gone back home	D．were in a food store

3. What did the homeless man do with the food the author bought him?

A．He took it home and shared it with his children.

B．He gave it back to the author’s parents.

C．He returned it to the store for some money.

D．He shared it with other homeless men.

4. It can be inferred from the passage that_________.

A．homeless men usually live a happy life

B．the author’s father was proud of her

C．the author kept a secret to her parents

D．the author was paid back by the homeless man

5. The story inspires the readers to _______

A．help those in need	B．seek for their dreams
C．value what they have	D．face difficulties bravely

10 . When I was growing up, I had an old neighbor, Dr. Gibbs. He didn’t look like any doctor I’d ever known. He never invited us to play in his yard, but he was a very kind person. When Dr. Gibbs wasn’t saving lives, he was planting trees. He owned a large field and wanted to make it a forest.

The good doctor had some interesting ideas about planting trees. He never watered his new trees. Once I asked why, he said that watering plants spoiled them, and that if you watered them, each baby tree would grow weaker and weaker, so you had to make things difficult for them and pick out the weaker trees early on. He talked about how watering trees made for shallow (浅的）roots, and how trees that weren’t watered had to grow deep roots in search of water under the earth by themselves. Deep roots were very important. So he never watered his trees. He’d planted an oak and, instead of watering it every morning, he’d beat it with a rolled-up newspaper. I asked him why he did that, and he said it was to get the tree’s attention.

Dr. Gibbs died several years after I left home. Every now and then, I walked by his house and looked at the trees that I watched him plant about twenty-five years ago. They’re very big and strong now. I planted some trees a few years back and carried water to them for a whole summer. After two years of caring too much, whenever a cold wind blows in, they shake a lot.

Every night before I go to bed, I check on my two sons. Mostly I pray (祈祷) that their lives will be easy. But lately I’ve been thinking that it’s time to change my prayer. I know my children are going to face difficulties. There’s always a cold wind blowing somewhere, so what we need to do is to pray for roots that reach deep into the brave heart, so when the rains fall and the winds blow, we could face it strongly and won’t be beaten down.

1. We know from the reading, the doctor ______.

A．didn’t know how to plant trees at all

B．had his own ways of planting trees

C．wasn’t good at his own medical job

D．had nothing to do but plant trees

2. When Dr. Gibbs said “... pick out the weaker trees early on.”, he meant that ______.

A．some weak trees would be easily found out at the beginning

B．he would choose the weak trees to water earlier

C．the weak trees would be sent to his patients later

D．he would not plant weak trees so early anymore

3. The passage tells us that the writer ______.

A．beat all his trees with a rolled-up newspaper

B．often water his trees

C．took too much care of his trees

D．didn’t have a large field

4. The writer wants to change his prayer, hoping that ______.

A．his trees will be stronger than Dr. Gibbs'

B．his trees will not be beaten down

C．his sons will be better at planting trees

D．his sons will be able to face difficulties

5. Which can be the best title of the reading?

A．Watering Trees

B．Growing Roots

C．Doctor and his Neighbor

D．Father and his Children