1 . As a boy growing up in India, I had longed to travel abroad. I used to listen to the stories my father would tell me about his stay in Canada and tours to Europe in the 1970s, with great interest.

My big moment finally came in the summer of 1998 when I was able to accompany my parents to Europe, where my father was to attend a meeting. We planned to travel to Belgium, Netherlands and West Germany.

I have vivid memories even today of going to Mumbai airport at night all excited about finally going abroad. I had heard several great things about Lufthansa till then but now I finally got to experience them first hand, during the flight to Frankfurt. We flew business class and even today I can remember the excellent service by the Lufthansa crew. The flight was really smooth and thoroughly enjoyable, even for someone like me, who is otherwise scared of flying.

After spending almost two weeks in Europe, we took the Lufthansa airport express from Dusseldorf to Frankfurt airport, for our return flight. What a journey that was! All along the Rhine (莱茵河), it was simply an unforgettable experience. I was in a sombre mood on the flight back to Mumbai as it marked the end of a wonderful vacation, but the Lufthansa crew members were able to change it into a most enjoyable experience yet again, with the quality of their service.

Being the first airline to take me overseas, Lufthansa will always hold a special place in my heart. Even today, I continue to enjoy flights on Lufthansa and simply cannot dream of choosing any other airline. Flying, in general, for me, has always been an ordeal (terrible and painful experience). Flying on Lufthansa, however, is something I always have and always will look forward to.

1. Which of the following is TRUE about the author's trip to Europe in 1998?

A．The author traveled with one of his parents.

B．Both their going and return are by air.

C．They traveled in spring that year.

D．They stayed in Europe for nearly two months.

2. It can be inferred from the passage that Lufthansa is ________.

A．a city in India

B．a city in Europe

C．an airline company

D．a travel agency

3. What does the underlined word “sombre” in the 4th paragraph probably mean?

A．Happy.

B．Sad.

C．Angry.

D．Enjoyable.

2 . The Secret of a Long Life

I am Peter Brown. I am a writer with an important magazine. The other day I saw a white-haired man sitting on the chair in front of his house. I could see the wrinkles (皱纹) in his face and neck, and his wrinkled hands. Articles on the secrets of living to an old age are always popular with our readers, so I decided to write a story and discover the secret of this man's long life. As I went near him, I said:

“Sir, would it be okay if I talked with you for just a moment?”

“Not at all. Actually, it would make me very happy. I get very bored sitting here, even for a short time. Until a little while ago, I lived a full and active life without a moment's rest.”

“Well, they say that a lot of activities help one to live a long time.”

“That's true, very true. I still feel very well, although my step has slowed down a little.”

The conversation continued in that way for a while. Although I tried to be very thoughtful about getting information from older people, it seemed to me that it would now be all right to begin to ask some polite questions.

“Would it be okay if I smoked?”

“Not at all.”

“I'd offer you one, but I suppose you probably don't smoke, or drink, or ...”

“You're wrong! I've always smoked a great deal. And until a little while ago, I went dancing every night. And as for alcoholic drinks ...”

“Do you mean to say that you've done these things all your life?”

“Of course. Why does that surprise you so much?”

“I've always been told that doing those things is bad for the health.”

“Nonsense!”

“I suppose that you have another secret ... a lot of fruit ... vegetables ... a lot of exercise in the fresh air ...”

“Don't be silly! I hate exercise in the fresh air, and I don't like any kind of vegetable.”

“This is unbelievable!”

“What do you mean, unbelievable? What are you talking about?”

“It's just that I can't understand how you've been able to live like that and to have lasted so long. Tell me, how old are you?”

“Me? I'm twenty-eight. Why?”

1. Why did Peter Brown decide to write a story about the man?

A．Because the man looked healthy.

B．Because he thought the man looked cool.

C．Because the man was white-haired and wrinkled.

D．Because readers are interested in the secret of a long life.

2. What would the man probably say after “And as for alcoholic drinks ...”?

A．I don't like them.

B．I drink a little.

C．They're my favorite.

D．They cost too much.

3. According to the story, the man ________.

A．smokes a lot

B．often eats vegetables

C．likes doing sports

D．stays at home every night

3 . On the day the tornado hit, there was no indication severe weather was on its way—the sky was blue and the sun had been out. The first alert my husband, Jimmy, 67, and I, 65, got came around 9 pm, from some scrolling text on the TV Jimmy was watching. He ran upstairs to find me in our third­floor bedroom, and we changed the channel from the presidential primary debate I had been watching to our local Pensacola, Florida, station.

No sooner had we found coverage of the tornado than it was on top of us. Suddenly, the bones of the house shook, the power went out, and the wind began to roar through blown­out windows. We had three flights of steps to navigate to the safety of the first floor, where a closet fixed underneath a brick staircase might be the firmest place to wait things out. Everything around rattling, we struggled forward, uncertain whether we would make it.

As we reached the last flight of steps, our front door blew out. Shards of glass flew everywhere. A three­foot­long tree branch whipped, missing us by inches.

By the time I reached the closet, the tornado had been over us for about a minute. Jimmy pushed me down to the closet floor, but the wind kept him outside. I grasped his arm as the tornado constantly sucked the door open and tried to bring him with it. My knees and scalp were full of glass, but I felt no pain. If I had let go, Jimmy would have flown right out the back of the house and into the bay. Then everything stopped. In those first quiet moments, I couldn't believe it was over.

The storm lasted four minutes. Four of the twelve town houses in our unit were completely destroyed. Of the houses left standing, ours suffered the most damage. Amazingly, none of us were severely injured.

1. The author and her husband were caught unprepared by the tornado mainly because   ________.

A．they were watching the presidential debate on the TV

B．they missed the first alert from the TV

C．no signs indicated the disaster

D．the government didn't warn them of the severe weather

2. The author didn't feel the pain in her keens and scalp because ________.

A．she lost her consciousness

B．she was concerned about her husband's safety

C．she got to the closet safe and sound

D．she was glad that the tornado was over

3. How did they feel after the tornado?

A．Blessed.	B．Depressed.
C．Annoyed.	D．Shocked.

4 . I began to grow up that winter night when my parents and I were returning from my aunt's house，and my mother said that we might soon be leaving for America. We were on the bus then. I was_______，and some people on the bus were turning around to look at me. I remember that I could not_______the thought of never hearing again the radio program for school children to which I listened every morning.

I do not remember myself crying for this reason again. In fact，I think I cried very little when I was_______to my friends and relatives. When we were leaving I thought about all the places I was going to see—the strange and_______places I had known only from books and pictures. The_______I was leaving never to come back was hardly in my head then.

The four years that followed taught me the importance of optimism，but the idea did not come to me at once. For the first two years in New York I was really_______—having to study in three schools as a result of family moves. I did not quite know what I was or what I should be. Mother_______，and things became even more complex for me. Some time passed_______my stepfather and I got used to each other. I was often_______，and saw no end to “the hard times”．

My responsibilities in the family________a lot since I knew English better than everyone else at home. I wrote letters，filled out forms，translated at________with immigration officers，took my grandparents to the doctor and translated there，and even discussed telephone bills with________representatives.

From my experiences I have learned one important________：almost all common troubles________go away！Something good is certain to happen in the end when you do not give up，and just wait a little！I believe that my life will________all right，even though it will not be that easy.

1.

A．crying

B．shouting

C．singing

D．flying

2.

A．keep

B．consider

C．bear

D．take

3.

A．saying hello

B．kissing goodbye

C．seeing off

D．saying goodbye

4.

A．terrible

B．magical

C．difficult

D．surprising

5.

A．city

B．town

C．country

D．village

6.

A．lost

B．occupied

C．engaged

D．thought

7.

A．replaced

B．recovered

C．reorganized

D．remarried

8.

A．before

B．after

C．since

D．until

9.

A．happy

B．calm

C．sad

D．nervous

10.

A．decreased

B．increased

C．added

D．rose

11.

A．dialogue

B．conversation

C．talk

D．interviews

12.

A．company

B．office

C．government

D．school

13.

A．principle

B．custom

C．rule

D．law

14.

A．firstly

B．unexpectedly

C．slowly

D．eventually

15.

A．wear out

B．turn out

C．tire out

D．find out

5 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。续写的词数应为150左右。

One day when I was 12, my mother gave me an order: I was to walk to the public library, and borrow at least one book for the summer. This was one more weapon for her to defeat my strange problem, my inability to read.

In the library, I found my way into the “Children’s Room”. I sat down on the floor and pulled a few books off the shelf at random. The cover of a book caught my eye. It presented a picture of a beagle. I had recently had a beagle, the first and only animal companion I ever had as a child. He was my secret sharer, but one morning, he was gone, given away to someone who had the space and the money to care for him. I never forgot my beagle.

There on the book’s cover was a beagle which looked identical to my dog. I ran my fingers over the picture of the dog on the cover. My eyes ran across the title, Amos, the Beagle with a Plan. Unknowingly, I had read the title. Without opening the book, I borrowed it from the library for the summer.

Under the shade of a bush, I started to read about Amos. I read very, very slowly with difficulty. Though pages were turned slowly, I got the main idea of the story about a dog who, like mine, had been separated from his family and who finally found his way back home. That dog was my dog, and I was the little boy in the book. At the end of the story, my mind continued to the final scene of reunion, on and on, until my own lost dog and I were, in my mind, running together.

Paragraph 1:

My mother's call returned, me to the real world. I suddenly realized something.

Paragraph 2:

And years later, she was proud that her son had read thousands of books, and was awarded a PhD in literature.

6 . Ray Tokuda,a 54-year-old Japanese American,takes pride in the title his school has already given him.He is a Shifu,a Chinese word literally meaning a master,mentor or senior practioner of martial arts.

Surely, he has reason to be proud.He has been involved with Chinese martial arts for almost 40 years.After learning them at the martial arts school in New Mexico State,he is among the most experienced kung fu teachers of the school today.

Practicing martial arts two to three hours and helping students improve their skills have become Tokuda’s daily routine.He expects to practice and teach martial arts for the rest of his life.“I’m still learning.It’s worth more than a lifetime to learn Chinese martial arts,”he said.“Once I started,I just couldn’t stop.I think it’s also the magic of Chinese culture.”

Tokuda was sent to the martial arts school when he was 10.He still remembers how unwilling he was when starting out.“I remember my father had always wanted to learn Chinese martial arts but never got the chance,so he put his kid in,”he said.“I was so afraid at that time because I thought kung fu was all about fighting.”

But things changed after he learned that martial arts were more than punching and kicking.

“One of the things martial arts teach me is to overcome adversity,”Tokuda said.“As a little kid,my first lesson was like,oh,look,this is a thing that I can get through by diligence,perseverance（毅力）and dedication,and that was priceless for my life.”

Learning Chinese martial arts opened a gateway for him to better understand the culture of China.

Meanwhile,Tokuda has also been invited to various events in his home state to showcase traditional Chinese culture,including the dragon dance and lion dance,which he also learnt at the martial arts school.Because of this,he is now considered a cultural envoy(使者)in the eyes of the public.

1. At first,Tokuda weren’t willing to learn kung fu because he had thought it was______.

A．practical

B．magical

C．violent

D．difficult

2. From the passage,what can we learn about Tokuda?

A．He learnt martial arts from his mother.

B．He is the founder of the kung fu school.

C．He learnt from martial arts how to solve difficulties.

D．He is the most experienced kung fu teacher of his state.

3. Which of the following words can best describe Tokuda?

A．Modest and friendly.

B．Persevering and devoted.

C．Talented and humorous.

D．Motivated and considerate.

7 . My parents influenced us with the concepts of family, faith and patriotism when l was young.Even though we struggled to make ends meet, they stressed how fortunate we were to - live in a great country with limitless opportunities

       I got my first real job when I was ten. My dad, Benjamin, injured his back working in a cardboard - box factory and was retrained as a hairstylist. He rented space in a little mall and gave his shop the fancy name of Mr. Ben's Coiffure.
       The owner of the shopping center gave Dad a discount on his rent for cleaning the parking lot three nights a week, which meant getting up at 3 a.m. To pick up trash, Dad used a little machine that looked like a lawn mower．Mom and I emptied garbage cans and picked up litter by hand. It took two to three hours to clean the lot. I'd s1eep in the car on-the way home. I did this for two years, but the lessons I learned have lasted a lifetime, I acquired' discipline and a strong work morality, and learned at an early age the importance of balancing life's competing interests—in my case, school, homework and a job.This really’ helped during my senior year of high school, when l worked 40 hours a week flipping hamburgers, at a fast – food joint while taking a full load of college - prep courses.The hard work paid off . I attended the U.S. Military Academy and went on to receive graduate degree  in law and business from Harvard. Later, I joined a big Los Agnates law firm and was elected to the California state assembly.

In these jobs and in everything else I’ve done, I have never forgotten those nights in the parking lot. The experience taught me that there is dignity in all work and that if people are working to provide for themselves and their families ,that is something we should honor.

1. In order to get a discount on rent,          

A．his father had to work as a hairstylist

B．his father had to work in a cardboard - box factory

C．they had to clean the-parking lot three nights a week

D．his father had to pick up litter by hand three hours a day

2. Which of the following is NOT true of the author?

A．He got the graduate degrees from Harvard.

B．He took a college - prep courses at high school.

C．He took a part - time job during his senior year.

D．He regretted having worked in the parking lot.

3. What does the underlined sentence "The hard work paid off" mean?

A．The author got a high pay by working hard.	B．The author compounded of the hard work.
C．The effort which he made had no affection.	D．The hard work was worthwhile for the author.

4. We can learn from the text that  

A．it is unimaginable for a child to help his family

B．it is honored to work for one's family as a member

C．it is unnecessary to keep work rules

D．the harder the work is, the more interest one shows

8 . I took my son to a popular restaurant for a lunchtime treat. And it seems everyone else had the same_______. The place was full of_______!

I drove around the small parking lot(停车场) for10 minutes_______a spot (位置). Finally I_______ one. A lady was returning to her car so I_______ her and waited patiently. As I did this I looked in my rear vision mirror (后视镜) and_______ a young man quickly pull up behind me. As soon as he saw my indicator (转向灯) on for the spot，he seemed very_______ and began hitting his steering wheel(方向盘). I knew this wasn’t directed at me but at the disappointment that he had_______ a spot. I felt his_______. I too had been__________ the place for ages.

As the lady left I__________ something that surprised even me. I turned off my indicator and drove straight past. I let the man__________the spot.

The man behind me was__________, unsure what to do.__________ I lowered my window and gave him a(n)__________ to take it, calling out at the same time "It’s yours.”

I__________ driving further down the road to another car park, where although I had to walk quite a bit further, I was__________ I could. Perhaps the man couldn’t walk easily as his__________ wasn't as good as mine? I will__________ know. But I knew the spot__________more to him than it did to me, when I saw him react the way he did.

1.

A．experience

B．dream

C．idea

D．chance

2.

A．people

B．noise

C．pleasure

D．peace

3.

A．calling for

B．looking for

C．asking for

D．paying for

4.

A．borrowed

B．found

C．bought

D．accepted

5.

A．followed

B．helped

C．guided

D．met

6.

A．suggested

B．noticed

C．made

D．required

7.

A．serious

B．interested

C．angry

D．careful

8.

A．refused

B．chosen

C．reached

D．missed

9.

A．fear

B．pain

C．courage

D．wish

10.

A．circling

B．protecting

C．keeping

D．changing

11.

A．saw

B．heard

C．did

D．said

12.

A．search

B．pass

C．leave

D．have

13.

A．worried

B．tired

C．surprised

D．pleased

14.

A．But

B．So

C．Again

D．Still

15.

A．sign

B．order

C．reason

D．promise

16.

A．stopped

B．minded

C．gave up

D．ended up

17.

A．hopeful

B．sorry

C．thankful

D．afraid

18.

A．job

B．car

C．luck

D．health

19.

A．never

B．seldom

C．surely

D．often

20.

A．proved

B．brought

C．showed

D．meant

9 . John was part of my childhood growing up in the 1970s and a link to sunny, fun-filled days spent on the beach at Bangor in Northern Ireland where we went for our summer holidays. To many, he was a mystery. Every afternoon John would wander to the end of the pier (码头) where he fed the seagulls and delighted in the sound of their excited cries as they flew around his head.

Often I asked my family questions regarding John. Eventually I gave up as no one could tell me anything about him. As I grew up, my visits to the beach became less frequent, and my memories of John buried in a child's imagination.

Last year memories came flooding back as I walked along the coastline, where I noticed a lady feeding the seagulls on the pier, and I decided to introduce myself. Then I came to know that the lady was John's daughter, and after John left this world she carried out the ritual, which had held such importance for her father.

In some strange way I felt we shared a bond, each needing to remember. In return, Lucy told me of John's life, his days in the British Navy during World War I and how he almost lost hope when his ship was attacked by a German U-boat in the North Sea and he found himself in a lifeboat with five others.

Close to death, he thought he heard the sound of wings. He put up his hands, only to catch a seagull that had landed on the side of the boat. The seagull saved the lives of the six men as it was used to catch fish, which kept them alive until they reach land. This period of John's life was one he never talked about. But the ritual he first performed as a young man remained a part of him until he died.

Now I visit Lucy as often as I can, just to chat or very often walk along the beach to the pier end. We enjoy the comfortable silence, each lost in special memories.

1. Seeing John feeding the seagulls, the author might feel ______.

A．proud	B．worried
C．curious	D．guilty

2. The underlined word ''ritual" in the third paragraph can be replaced by ______.

A．law	B．tradition
C．interest	D．procedure

3. We can infer from the text that John ______.

A．once served in both World Wars	B．was a man with a grateful heart
C．spent his childhood in Bangor	D．joined the navy in the 1970s

4. What does the author mainly tell us in the text?

A．Her thanks to a seagull that saved her life.

B．The story of how she made friends with a lady.

C．Her childhood spent on the beach at Bangor.

D．Her memories of a man who fed seagulls.

10 . In college, we were required to do an act of kindness, including preparing lunch for an elderly person. When I ______ the elderly person with the food, it never ______ to me that it would result in a new friendship and the discovery of a ______.

Bill was unable to ______ much. A nurse came regularly to help him move to and from the wheelchair ______ he has no relatives. Bill said he was delighted to see me and it was a ______ for him to eat a meal with me because he usually eats ______. He said the food was great,        but he enjoyed having ______ even more.

Bill had many______ stories to tell about his travels to many places when working on the railroad. I was ______ a trip but hesitated about traveling by train. However, I would ______ be going by train after meeting Bill.

Perhaps the biggest______ of this project was that I suddenly realized that spending time with the elderly was fun. On the one hand, I am a good ______. On the other hand, older people want someone to know their inner world, so it is a perfect ______. I decided to focus my studies on the ______. Hopefully in the future, I can help even more people like Bill.

1.

A．called on

B．came across

C．picked up

D．turned to

2.

A．happened

B．appealed

C．occurred

D．proved

3.

A．travel plan

B．career path

C．holiday destination

D．cooking skill

4.

A．talk

B．eat

C．sit

D．walk

5.

A．but

B．because

C．though

D．so

6.

A．treat

B．fancy

C．privilege

D．waste

7.

A．slowly

B．little

C．alone

D．unhappily

8.

A．family

B．company

C．fun

D．health

9.

A．adventurous

B．fresh

C．absorbing

D．satisfying

10.

A．intending

B．pretending

C．allowing

D．requiring

11.

A．unbelievably

B．undoubtedly

C．unexpectedly

D．unhurriedly

12.

A．aim

B．impression

C．problem

D．bonus

13.

A．student

B．cook

C．learner

D．listener

14.

A．choice

B．deal

C．match

D．game

15.

A．old

B．poor

C．disabled

D．homeless