2 . Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. _________ man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon. His bed was next to the room’s only _________. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back.

They talked for hours _________. Every afternoon when the man by the window could sit up, he _________ pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window. The other man felt his world would be _________ and brightened up by all the wonderful world outside.

The window overlooked a _________ with a lovely lake. Ducks played on the water while children _________ their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm in flowers. A fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the _________.

As the man by the window described all this in delicate _________, the other man would close his eyes and __________ the picturesque scene. One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing __________. Although the other man couldn’t hear the __________, he could see it in his mind’s eye as the gentleman by the window pictured it with __________ words.

Days and weeks passed.

One morning, the nurse arrived, __________ to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and had the body taken away.

The other man asked to be __________ next to the window. Painfully, he sat up to take his first look at the world outside. __________, he would have the joy of seeing it for himself.

He slowly turned to look out of the window. It faced a blank wall.

The man asked the nurse what could have __________ his roommate to describe such wonderful things outside. The nurse __________ that the man was blind. “Perhaps he just wanted to __________ you.”

Shared grief is half the sorrow, __________ happiness when shared, is doubled.

1.

A．The one

B．This

C．Another

D．One

2.

A．entrance

B．window

C．passage

D．exit

3.

A．at ease

B．in vain

C．on end

D．after all

4.

A．might

B．should

C．would

D．could

5.

A．broadened

B．deepened

C．shortened

D．sharpened

6.

A．courtyard

B．park

C．village

D．market

7.

A．sailed

B．designed

C．flew

D．carried

8.

A．process

B．way

C．distance

D．course

9.

A．detail

B．particular

C．effect

D．relief

10.

A．expose

B．spot

C．realize

D．imagine

11.

A．away

B．out

C．down

D．by

12.

A．concert

B．band

C．news

D．voice

13.

A．sensitive

B．productive

C．descriptive

D．active

14.

A．lately

B．only

C．surely

D．probably

15.

A．switched

B．offered

C．substituted

D．organized

16.

A．Willingly

B．Occasionally

C．Generously

D．Finally

17.

A．motivated

B．referred

C．sacrificed

D．intended

18.

A．requested

B．respected

C．responded

D．resisted

19.

A．recover

B．encourage

C．observe

D．defend

20.

A．or

B．and

C．so

D．but

3 . When my dad finally finished the triathlon (铁人三项)in Montauk, the crowd cheered. It showed me how his hard work paid off and it excited my_________ . I wondered whether a small boy of my size could _________ something like that. I found myself _________this out loud and my father overheard me. He _________me and said I could train with him.

Training with my clad turned out to be very_________. We would get up very early for a morning jog or go for a swim in the pool after school. After a few weeks of training, I _________ my first triathlon. Before the competition, I nervously waited for the_________.

When someone fired the gun. I was off,_________towards the distant buoy (浮标)that marked my turn. I finished the half-mile swim and ran towards my _________. I was dripping wet,trying to __________it. Once on the bike, I experienced an excitement specific to __________. I went through the transition zone and__________ my running shoes. At the start of the run part of the triathlon, my__________ already felt like they were made of cement (水泥).

For me, the real competition began during the run, because now I could see each competitor as a target. No matter my__________in the field, each racer was either following me__________ being followed. The run part of the race was in fact__________tolerance.

“Shut up, legs”, one of my favorite sayings, kept me from thinking about the__________feeling. Then I crossed the finish line. I took a breath and then began a(an)__________with the other finishers. The sense of__________was there for all of us.

Looking back, I remember the small boy on that day in Montauk who doubted whether he could__________it, like his dad. Now, that same boy is not only a huge fan, but also a training partner as well.

1.

A．pride

B．congratulations

C．concern

D．curiosity

2.

A．learn

B．deserve

C．achieve

D．organize

3.

A．saying

B．figuring

C．acting

D．leaving

4.

A．admired

B．encouraged

C．pushed

D．convinced

5.

A．unbearable

B．exciting

C．enjoyable

D．challenging

6.

A．learnt from

B．suffered from

C．signed up for

D．dropped out of

7.

A．signal

B．announcement

C．result

D．permission

8.

A．riding

B．walking

C．swimming

D．dashing

9.

A．bike

B．horse

C．destination

D．coat

10.

A．take off

B．get on

C．knock out

D．put away

11.

A．running

B．traveling

C．cycling

D．swimming

12.

A．kicked off

B．switched to

C．prepared for

D．polished

13.

A．arms

B．clothes

C．shoes

D．legs

14.

A．size

B．position

C．age

D．career

15.

A．or

B．and

C．but

D．so

16.

A．breathlessness

B．thirst

C．stress

D．pain

17.

A．winning

B．nervous

C．burning

D．proud

18.

A．suggestion

B．celebration

C．impression

D．organization

19.

A．accomplishment

B．guilt

C．sorrow

D．participation

20.

A．join

B．move

C．prove

D．make

4 . 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

5 . With his leg lame and his teeth uneven, the boy thought of himself as the most unfortunate child in the world. He _________played with his classmates, and when asked to answer questions, he always _________his head without a word.

One spring, his father brought home some saplings (树苗).______of his children would plant a sapling and he promised, "Whoever ________ his sapling best shall get a gift." The boy certainly wanted to get the gift.______seeing his brothers and sisters watering the trees, he_______ an idea: he hoped the tree he planted would die soon. So watering it once or twice, he never_______ it.

Several days later, he was _________ to find it not only didn't die, but also grew so many fresh ________. Compared with those of his brothers and sisters, his appeared greener. His father kept his _______, bought the boy a gift and said he would become an outstanding________ after growing up.

From then on, the boy slowly became_____ and confident. One evening, he suddenly________ his biology teacher once said that plants ________ grow at night. Why not go to see the tree?

When he came to the courtyard, he found his father working near the tree! Immediately he ________: Father had been secretly ________ his tree! He returned to his room, tears in his eyes.

Decades passed. The boy didn't become a botanist. ________, he became the U.S.__________. His name was Franklin Roosevelt.

________ is the best nourishment (滋养品) of life. ________ it is just a bucket of water, it can make the tree of life grow well!

1.

A．seldom

B．ever

C．still

D．often

2.

A．held

B．raised

C．lowered

D．covered

3.

A．Both

B．Each

C．One

D．None

4.

A．likes

B．protects

C．watches

D．grows

5.

A．But

B．So

C．Or

D．And

6.

A．came up with

B．got rid of

C．cared for

D．put forward

7.

A．contributed to

B．attended to

C．got used to

D．turned to

8.

A．amused

B．frightened

C．disappointed

D．surprised

9.

A．roots

B．branches

C．leaves

D．seeds

10.

A．opinion

B．balance

C．agreement

D．word

11.

A．teacher

B．gardener

C．botanist

D．president

12.

A．satisfied

B．upset

C．independent

D．optimistic

13.

A．remembered

B．believed

C．repeated

D．knew

14.

A．hardly

B．generally

C．recently

D．probably

15.

A．doubted

B．admitted

C．wondered

D．understood

16.

A．cutting

B．watering

C．decorating

D．fertilizing

17.

A．Therefore

B．Besides

C．Instead

D．Moreover

18.

A．lawyer

B．doctor

C．president

D．teacher

19.

A．Love

B．Water

C．Disability

D．Father

20.

A．So long as

B．If only

C．Now that

D．Even though

6 . （B）
I needed to get some money so, after Christmas, I took a job in the clothes department at Graham’s for the first fortnight of the January sale. I can’t say that I enjoyed it, but it was an experience I’ll never forget.
I could never understand why there were so many things in the sales; where did they all come from? Now I know the secret! Firstly, there is the special winter stock (货物) and the stock that people buy all the year round; some of these things are slightly reduced. Secondly, there are the summer clothes they couldn’t sell last year; these are heavily reduced to clear them. Thirdly, there are cheap clothes bought in specially for the sales; these are put out at high prices ten days before the sale begins and then are reduced by 60% in the sale. Clever! Lastly, they buy in “seconds? (clothes not in perfect condition) for the sale and they are sold very cheaply.
When I arrived half an hour before opening on the first day of the sale, there was already a queue around three sides of the building. This made me very nervous.
When the big moment arrived to open the doors, the security guards, looking less confident than usual, came up to them, keys in hand. The moment they had unlocked the doors, they hid behind the doors for protection as the noisy crowd charged in. I couldn’t believe my eyes; this wasn’t shopping, it was a battlefield! One poor lady couldn’t keep her feet and was knocked over by people pushing from behind.
Clothes were flying in all directions as people searched for the sizes, colours and styles they wanted. Quarrels broke out. Mothers were using their small children to crawl(爬行) through people’s legs and get hold of things they couldn’t get near themselves.
Within minutes I had half a dozen people pushing clothes under my nose, each wanting to be the first served. Where had the famous English Queue gone? The whole day continued like that, but I kept my temper(脾气)! I was taking money hand over fist and began to realize why, twice a year, Graham’s were happy to turn their expensive store into a battlefield like this.
In the sale fever, people were spending money like water without thinking whether they needed what they were buying. As long as it was a bargain it was OK.
You won’t believe this but as soon as I got home I crashed out for four hours. Then I had dinner and went back to bed, fearing the sound of the alarm which would tell me to get ready for the second day of the sale.
1. What kind of clothes is likely to be sold 5% cheaper?

A．Last summer’s clothes.	B．Clothes not in perfect condition.
C．Clothes bought in specially for the sales.	D．Clothes for winter.

2. Which of the following statements is true?

A．The customers gave up the queuing for which the English are famous.

B．The customers kept their temper while looking for clothes they wanted.

C．Small children enjoyed crawling through people’s legs.

D．The security guards were fearless of the crowd.

3. In the author’s opinion, why were Graham’s happy to make their expensive store into “Battlefield?

A．There were too many clothes and they wanted to clear them in the sales.

B．They were eager to show that they were clever at doing business.

C．They could take the chance to raise the prices of all their clothes.

D．They wanted to make more money by having sales.

4. The expression “crashed out” means ________.

A．chatted with her friends	B．slept soundly
C．broke down	D．dined out

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

A．The Best Bargain.	B．Hunting for a job.
C．Sale Fever.	D．A Pleasant Fortnight.

7 . 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