1 . Maybe it's because it was our first purchase as homeowners. The salesman must have spotted just how green we were, so he began persuading. And soon he led us to a classic leather chair. All these years later, I remember he used words like rich and handsome, the thing every living room needed.
We believed him. So we bought that chair — just less than $100, a great deal in the 1970s for a young couple!
How we loved that chair! It always occupied a place of honor in our various living rooms, moving with us from our first tiny house to our beloved new house.
Somehow, conversations were better on that chair, and life was more fun around it. Three daughters spilled their secrets on it. Old friends seemed to be attracted by it on those wonderful occasions. Crazy as it sounds, that leather chair seemed to have — well, powers. All for good.
At first, we didn't really care that the leather was showing signs of wear or that it had lost its sheen (光泽). But in our most recent move, when the chair was moved in our new living room, it suddenly looked terribly lonely sitting close to newly painted walls and a couple of shiny new tables.
My husband and I tried but still we couldn't ignore the rough spots. Our chair had a skin disease. Even our adult kids raised eyebrows, urging us to at least remove the chair to some dark corner of the room. Neither of us could imagine such a retirement for it.
So we had an inspired idea. We'd call in an upholsterer (修理工) to give our old chair a whole new life. Our friend Joe studied the chair and then took out a simple leather conditioner. He explained that although it wouldn't work miracles, it would definitely get our weary chair looking younger again. It certainly doesn't look new, but its seat and back are shining, and some of its deeper wrinkles have lightened.
Best of all, it's back in the living room, looking like a wise old friend to the furniture around it. And, yes, there it will stay.
Because some things, like some people, just deserve a happy old age.
1. How did the salesman persuade the author into buying the chair?| A．By thinking highly of the author. |
| B．By saying that the author was green. |
| C．By describing how great the chair was. |
| D．By comparing the chair with others. |
| A．Sweet memories with the chair. |
| B．Various functions of the chair. |
| C．People's comments on the chair. |
| D．Family activities and parties of friends. |
| A．Because he was persuaded by Joe. |
| B．Because he didn't have enough money. |
| C．Because it showed signs of hardness. |
| D．Because it couldn't match his new house. |
| A．East or west, home is best. | B．From saving comes having. |
| C．It is never too late to mend. | D．Old friends and wine are best. |
增加:在缺词处加一个漏字符号(
) 并在其下面写出该加的词。删除:把多余的词用斜线(\)划掉。
修改:在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意:1.每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2.只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
Three years ago I fail in an important exam in my life and became the student in an ordinary school. Disappointing as I felt at the shabby campus and the poor equipment, I found the teachers patiently. Besides, I enjoyed the friendly atmosphere in class. I decided make the best of it. I worked hard but got along well with my teachers and classmate. Whenever I had difficulties, you were always available. Soon I became one of the most best students in my class.
My experience tells me that it’s not what you are given but how you make use of it which determines who you are.
3 . The pupils of Grangetown High have been busy getting to know their newest and tallest classmate — a 7-meter-tall giraffe outside their school.
The giraffe is a huge sculpture (雕像). The school’s headmaster noticed it in an artist’s garden as he drove past one day, and thought it would be perfect for his school. “I knew everyone would love it,” he said, “because our basketball team is known as the Grangetown Giraffes, and they wear giraffes on their shirts. So I asked them to write to the artist, asking how much it would cost to buy the giraffe. He was very kind and got it ready to deliver (递送) in six weeks — all for nothing! It was expected to arrive one Sunday morning, so that the pupils would see it when they got to school on Monday — at that time they had no idea that we were getting it.”
The artist, Tom Bennett was a university professor of chemistry before he retired in 2012 and only took up metalwork a couple of years ago. “I’ve always drawn pictures,” he said. I can even remember doing it on my first day at school — I drew a horse. I wanted it to be the best horse picture ever, but I don’t think I succeeded.” Tom’s first metalwork was a bicycle on which he and his wife could go cycling together, “It was the most uncomfortable bike ever created,” he said, “so I gave up making bicycles and went into sculpture instead.”
Meanwhile the pupils at Grangetown High are very happy with their new classmate. “We’re going to hold a competition to give it a proper name,” said one girl. “Everyone likes the expression on its face, so perhaps that will give us some ideas.”
1. What can we learn about the giraffe according to the text?| A．It was specially made for a basketball team. |
| B．It was given to Grangetown High for free. |
| C．It was as tall as a basketball player. |
| D．It was sent to Grangetown High on Monday. |
| A．surprised | B．sad |
| C．shy | D．confident |
| A．He visited Grangetown High as a professor. |
| B．He did well in drawing, especially horses. |
| C．He learned a lot about sculpture at university. |
| D．He showed interest in art at an early age. |
| A．It was difficult to name a giraffe. |
| B．A metal giraffe arrived at Grangetown High. |
| C．Tom Bennett is famous as a sculptor. |
| D．The Grangetown Giraffes is a strong team. |
4 . With his leg lame and his teeth uneven, the boy thought of himself as the most unfortunate child in the world. He
One spring, his father brought home some saplings (树苗).
Several days later, he was
From then on, the boy slowly became
When he came to the courtyard, he found his father working near the tree! Immediately he
Decades passed. The boy didn't become a botanist.
| A．seldom | B．ever | C．still | D．often |
| A．held | B．raised | C．lowered | D．covered |
| A．Both | B．Each | C．One | D．None |
| A．likes | B．protects | C．watches | D．grows |
| A．But | B．So | C．Or | D．And |
| A．came up with | B．got rid of | C．cared for | D．put forward |
| A．contributed to | B．attended to | C．got used to | D．turned to |
| A．amused | B．frightened | C．disappointed | D．surprised |
| A．roots | B．branches | C．leaves | D．seeds |
| A．opinion | B．balance | C．agreement | D．word |
| A．teacher | B．gardener | C．botanist | D．president |
| A．satisfied | B．upset | C．independent | D．optimistic |
| A．remembered | B．believed | C．repeated | D．knew |
| A．hardly | B．generally | C．recently | D．probably |
| A．doubted | B．admitted | C．wondered | D．understood |
| A．cutting | B．watering | C．decorating | D．fertilizing |
| A．Therefore | B．Besides | C．Instead | D．Moreover |
| A．lawyer | B．doctor | C．president | D．teacher |
| A．Love | B．Water | C．Disability | D．Father |
| A．So long as | B．If only | C．Now that | D．Even though |
5 . William Franklin came to my class half a year ago．But from his first day here，he
After the Thanksgiving holiday，we received the news of the
The next morning，
After school I couldn't help sharing what had
As I sat down to
| A．seated | B．shut | C．tied | D．taught |
| A．failed | B．stopped | C．misunderstood | D．left |
| A．imagination | B．pleasure | C．sadness | D．silence |
| A．weekly | B．daily | C．monthly | D．yearly |
| A．young | B．sick | C．poor | D．honest |
| A．giving | B．enjoying | C．receiving | D．saving |
| A．true | B．happy | C．usual | D．long |
| A．find | B．make | C．buy | D．collect |
| A．prepare | B．finish | C．start | D．continue |
| A．so | B．however | C．then | D．moreover |
| A．discussed | B．forgotten | C．learnt | D．remembered |
| A．Quickly | B．Suddenly | C．Certainly | D．Carefully |
| A．soft | B．loud | C．low | D．deep |
| A．appeared | B．happened | C．arrived | D．remained |
| A．hope | B．wish | C．wonder | D．believe |
| A．glad | B．sorry | C．shocked | D．lucky |
| A．message | B．report | C．research | D．help |
| A．rest | B．read | C．work | D．study |
| A．liked | B．knew | C．met | D．accepted |
| A．result | B．success | C．talk | D．experience |
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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| A．chatted with her friends | B．slept soundly |
| C．broke down | D．dined out |
| A．The Best Bargain. | B．Hunting for a job. |
| C．Sale Fever. | D．A Pleasant Fortnight. |
7 . A young woman carrying a three-year-old child got on a bus．The conductor hurried to give her a warm welcome and then kindly asked the other passengers to make more room for the woman and her child．On seeing this, people were surprised and began to talk．．"You know this conductor used to be very rude．Now suddenly he has changed his bad behavior , "said a middle-aged man．
"Yes, he should be praised and we must write a letter to the company," said a second passenger．"That's right," another lady said, "I wish a newspaper reporter were here so that more people could learn from this conductor．”
Just then a gentleman who looked like a teacher turned to the conductor and said, "Excuse me, but can I know your name, please? Your excellent service must be praised．．．"
Before he could open his mouth, the three-year-old child sitting on the young woman's lap interrupted, "I know his name．I call him Dad．"
1. The passengers were ________ to see the conductor's kindness to the woman and the child．
| A．excited | B．pleased |
| C．interested | D．surprised |
| A．make a demand for more buses | B．praise the conductor for his good service |
| C．criticize the conductor for his rude behavior | D．invite a newspaper reporter to write about the conductor |
| A．the gentleman | B．the conductor |
| C．the middle-aged man | D．the three-year-old child |
| A．has changed his attitude towards his work |
| B．has been kind and polite to all passengers now |
| C．has not changed his rude behavior to passengers |
| D．has been kind and polite to women with children now |
Mr. Wang has a shop in the center of the town where all kinds of cars are sold. These years he has been very successful in business. He bought a
But one evening, when he was dancing at a party, he
“I have a shop
“I don’t think you break the law, ” said the man.
“I paid 500 dollars for a car the day before yesterday and sold it for 3,000 dollars.”
“Was it a(n)
“Even worse, ” Mr. Wang said
Mr.Johnson lived in the woods with his wife and children.He owned
10 . I remember the day when I first learned to ride a bike. It was a frightening, yet fun experience. My granddad was the one who taught me and he helped me when I got hurt. The first time I got on a bike, I had no idea what I was doing, and just about everything went wrong. My granddad told me to just put my feet on the pedals and start pedaling (骑自行车). He also told me he would hold onto the back of the bike the whole time, yet he didn’t.
As soon as I started trying to balance myself, he let go. I happened to look back just then. I was scared, to death that I was going to fall and hurt myself. When I was scared, my mind went blank from pedaling, and I just wanted off. I forgot how to use the brakes (车闸) and fell right off the bike. My granddad kept encouraging me to get up and try again, and after about 15 minutes, 1 finally stopped crying, got up and tried again.
As soon as I started pedaling again, my pants got caught in the chain, and I fell flat on my face and hit my nose. Since that happened t my granddad decided to call it a day and try again the next morning. The next morning I woke up bright and early, and was very eager to try to ride my bike. My nose felt better, so I wasn’t that afraid of falling anymore.
Though I knew there were a lot of difficulties on the way to mastering the skills in riding a bike, I believed I could do well with my granddad’s help. After all, riding a bike was what I wanted to do eagerly.
1. How was the author when he was on the bike first?| A．He didn’t know where he would be going. |
| B．He thought balancing himself was easy. |
| C．He was nervous and didn’t know what to do next. |
| D．He put his feet on the pedals and started pedaling. |
| A．Remember what happened this day. |
| B．Make the author feel happy. |
| C．Stop practicing bicycling. |
| D．Go on to ride a bike. |
| A．Supportive. | B．Grateful. |
| C．Indifferent. | D．Negative. |
| A．The Experience of My First Riding a Bike |
| B．The Difficulty I Met with My Granddad |
| C．The First Time I Got My Own Bike |
| D．The Great Moment When I Stayed with My Granddad |
