1 . Mom was a teacher most of her life. When she wasn’t in the classroom, she was educating her children or grandchildren; correcting our grammar; starting us on collections of butterflies, flowers or rocks; or inspiring a discussion on her most recent “Book of the Month Club” topic. Mom made learning fun.

It was sad for my three brothers and me to see her suffering in her later years. At eighty- five, she suffered a stroke and she went steadily downhill after that.

Two days before she died, my brothers and I met at her nursing home and took her for a short ride in a wheelchair. While we waited for the staff to lift her limp body back into bed, Mom fell asleep. Not wanting to wake her, we moved to the far end of the room and spoke softly.

After several minutes our conversation was interrupted by a muffled sound coming from across the room. We stopped talking and looked at Mom. Her eyes were closed, but she was clearly trying to communicate with us. We went to her side.

“Whrr,” she said weakly. “Where?” I asked. “Mom, is there something you want?” “Whrr,” she repeated a bit stronger. My brothers and I looked at each other and shook our heads sadly. Mom opened her eyes, sighed, and with all the energy she could gather said, “ Not ...was. Say were!” We suddenly realized that Mom was correcting Brother Jim’s last sentence. “If it was up to me…”

Jim leaned down and kissed her cheek. “Thanks, Mom,” he whispered. We smiled at each other and once again shook our heads.

1. What do the underlined words “went steadily downhill” mean in the 2nd paragraph?

A．went lower and lower	B．went worse and worse
C．went down the hill	D．went downstairs

2. When Mom said, “Whrr”, what did she really want to do?

A．She wanted to tell her sons her will.

B．She wanted to have something to eat before she died.

C．She wanted to correct the mistakes Jim made while talking.

D．She wanted to give her sons something before she died.

3. Which of the following statements is FALSE according to the passage?

A．Mom was a good teacher and never gave up her teaching.

B．Mom was always making her teaching fun.

C．Mom didn’t forget her teaching until she died.

D．Mom stopped teaching when she was at home.

4. What does the writer think of his mother?

A．He loved her but was tired of his mother’s teaching.

B．His mother should have forgotten her teaching and enjoyed the rest of her life.

C．His mother was great because she devoted herself to teaching.

D．His mother was an excellent teacher before she was retired.

2 . I run a hotel in London. My knowledge on volcano is from my son’s science textbook, which says “volcanic ash is formed during explosive volcanic eruptions when dissolved gases escape __ into the atmosphere”. During the days with the terrible ash cloud which spread Europe from Iceland in May, 2010, I was   __   to a London radio station called LBC. People called in ___ their stories of trouble. Some had missed   __   for holidays, and some couldn’t get home following the volcanic eruption.

The story that most   __   me was a call from Peter, who had just gotten __ the previous weekend to Maz. They had planned to   __   their honeymoon to the Dominican Republic but could not   __   the ash cloud. When James O’Brien, the radio presenter, asked if he was unhappy, Peter said: “Not at all. I’ve married the   __   girl in the world whom I love, so…no… I’m not __ at all.” Both the presenter and I were so impressed by the beautiful __ .

A little later, after receiving many cancellations(取消预订), an idea __ to me and I called LBC. I spoke to the producer of the show and asked if she could keep __ with Peter to offer him and his wife a room for the weekend at my hotel __ . She later __ to say Peter and Maz were delighted and would love to take up the __ . The producer asked if I would like to __ offer it to them on the radio show, but I said no as I didn’t want it __ to the public.

So, two days later, Peter and Maz arrived at the hotel and   __ . I was so pleased to have made a bad situation better for a young couple. Nobody could ever imagine how   __ I was of myself.

1.

A．violently

B．slightly

C．slowly

D．urgently

2.

A．relating

B．listening

C．connecting

D．going

3.

A．telling

B．promising

C．inventing

D．persuading

4.

A．buses

B．taxis

C．trains

D．flights

5.

A．amused

B．struck

C．satisfied

D．disappointed

6.

A．married

B．away

C．home

D．abroad

7.

A．get around

B．pick up

C．leave for

D．turn to

8.

A．instead of

B．except for

C．in terms of

D．because of

9.

A．greatest

B．loveliest

C．poorest

D．healthiest

10.

A．upset

B．regretted

C．frightened

D．embarrassed

11.

A．question

B．solution

C．answer

D．attitude

12.

A．struck

B．happened

C．occurred

D．appeared

13.

A．in need

B．in danger

C．in trouble

D．in touch

14.

A．for free

B．for sale

C．for charge

D．for recreation

15.

A．made effort

B．called back

C．held back

D．found out

16.

A．offer

B．money

C．reward

D．space

17.

A．regularly

B．shortly

C．frequently

D．formally

18.

A．provided

B．known

C．separated

D．limited

19.

A．checked in

B．got around

C．moved in

D．settled down

20.

A．glad

B．happy

C．content

D．proud

3 . 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.

4 . 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)

5 . 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

6 . 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

7 . 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

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 . 阅读表达
阅读下面短文，并按照题目要求用英语回答问题。

Ashley Power’s mother bought a computer for her when she was eight. When she was thirteen, she was surfing the Internet regularly, but she couldn’t find anywhere for teenagers to meet and talk. And one day she thought, “If I had my own website, I’d             make it a really interesting site for teenagers.”

So, when Ashley was sixteen, she launched her own website, called GooseHead. Young people got excited when they searched on this website and step by step they introduced the site to others and made more friends. She had no idea how big a success it would be, but three years later, the site was the most successful teen site in the USA! It was getting 100,000 hits every day, and Ashley had about 30 employees.

After a few years, the website closed down. Then Ashley, who lives in Los Angeles, was asked to write a book called GooseHead Guide to Life. It's safe to say that this is a book for teens that they'll enjoy. The book is about how to design a website             and start a business. It begins with a section called “All about Ashley,” where Ashley tells readers what it is like to be the boss of a company when you are only sixteen. “I was so happy. But it was crazy in a lot of ways. I was stressed. I mean,             I was only sixteen — I didn’t even have a car! If you were sixteen and you had your own company, you’d be stressed, too!”

In an interview Ashley gave advice to teenagers who wanted to start their own business, “Just be strong and have your dreams and work hard at them. And don’t listen when people tell you that you can’t do it, because I heard ‘no’ a lot. Just keep going             until you hear ‘yes’!”

1. What does the first paragraph mainly tell us? (within 10 words)

2. What does the underlined word “launched” mean in English? (within 2 words)

3. According to Paragraph 3, what did Ashley do after GooseHead closed down?(within 10 words)
4. How did Ashley feel as a young boss of a company? (within 5 words)

5. According to Ashley’s advice to success, what do you think is the most important?Why? (within 15 words)

10 . Many years ago, when I was fresh out of school and working in Denver, I was driving to my parents’ home in Missouri for Christmas. I stopped at a gas station (加油站) about 50 miles from Oklahoma City, where I was planning to stop and visit a friend. While I was standing in line at the cash register (收款台), I said hello to an older couple who were also paying for gas.

I took off , but had gone only a few miles when black smoke poured from the back of my car. I stopped and wondered what I should do. A car pulled up behind me. It was the couple I had spoken to at the gas station. They said they would take me to my friend’s. We chatted on the way into the city, and when I got out of the car, the husband gave me his business card.

I wrote him and his wife a thank-you note for helping me. Soon afterward, I received a Christmas present from them. Their note that came with it said that helping me had made their holidays meaningful.

Years later, I drove to a meeting in a nearby town in the morning. In late afternoon I returned to my car and found that I’d left the lights on all day, and the battery (电池) was dead. Then I noticed that the Friendly Ford dealership — a shop selling cars — was right next door. I walked over and found two salesmen in the showroom.

“Just how friendly is Friendly Ford?” I asked and explained my trouble. They quickly drove a pickup truck to my car and started it. They would accept no payment, so when I got home, I wrote them a note to say thanks. I received a letter back from one of the salesmen. No one had ever taken the time to write him and say thank you, and it meant a lot, he said.

“Thank you” — two powerful words. They’re easy to say and mean so much.

1. The author planned to stop at Oklahoma City ________.

A．to visit a friend

B．to see his parents

C．to pay at the cash register

D．to have more gas for his car

2. The words “took off” underlined in Paragraph 2 mean “________”.

A．turned off

B．moved off

C．put up

D．set up

3. What happened when the author found smoke coming out of his car?

A．He had it pulled back to the gas station.

B．The couple sent him a business card.

C．The couple offered to help him.

D．He called his friend for help.

4. The battery of the author’s car was dead because ________.

A．something went wrong with the lights

B．the meeting lasted a whole day

C．he forgot to turn off the lights

D．he drove too long a distance

5. By telling his own experiences, the author tries to show ________.

A．how to write a thank-you letter

B．how to deal with car problems

C．the kind-heartedness of older people

D．the importance of expressing thanks