1 . When I was six, Dad brought home a dog one day, who was called “Brownie”. My brothers and I all loved Brownie and did different things with her. One of us would walk her, another would feed her, then there were baths, playing catch and many other games. Brownie, in return, loved each and every one of us. One thing that most touched my heart was that she would go to whoever was sick and just be with them. We always felt better when she was around.

One day, as I was getting her food, she chewed up one of my Dad’s shoes, which had to be thrown away in the end. I knew Dad would be mad and I had to let her know what she did was wrong. When I looked at her and said, “Bad girl, ” she looked down at the ground and then went and hid. I saw a tear in her eyes.

Brownie turned out to be more than just our family pet. She went everywhere with us. People would stop and ask if they could pet her. Of course she’d let anyone pet her. She was just the most lovable dog. There were many times when we’d be out walking and a small child would come over and pull on her hair. She never barked or tried to get away. Funny thing is that she would smile. This frightened people because they thought she was showing her teeth. Far from the truth, she loved everyone.

Now many years have passed since Brownie died of old age. I still miss the days when she was with us.

1. What would Brownie do when someone was ill in the family?

A．Look at them sadly.

B．Play games with them.

C．Keep them company.

D．Touch them gently.

2. Why does the author say that Brownie was more than just a family pet?

A．She was treated as a member of the family.

B．She played games with anyone she liked.

C．She went everywhere with the family.

D．She was loved by everybody she met.

3. Which of the following best describes Brownie?

A．Caring.

B．Polite.

C．Brave.

D．Shy.

2 . When I was growing up, I had an old neighbor named Doctor Gibbs. He didn’t look like any doctor I’d ever known. He never yelled at us for playing in his yard, but was always very kind.

When Doctor Gibbs wasn’t saving lives, he was planting trees. He had some interesting theories about planting trees. He hardly watered his new trees, an attitude which flew in the face of conventional wisdom.

Once I asked why and he told me that watering plants spoiled them because it made them grow weaker. He said he had to make things tough for the trees so that only the strongest could survive. He talked about how watering trees made them develop shallow roots and how, if they were not watered, trees would grow deep roots in search of water.

So, instead of watering his trees every morning, he’d beat them with a rolled-up newspaper. I asked him why he did that, and he said it was to get the trees’ attention.

Doctor Gibbs died a couple of years after I left home. Every now and then, I walked by his house and looked at the trees that I'd watched him plant some 25 years ago. They were tall and strong.

Every night before I go to bed, I check on my two sons. I often pray 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 encounter hardship. There’s always a cold wind blowing somewhere. What we need to do is to pray for deep roots, so when the rains fall and the winds blow, we won’t be torn apart.

1. What did the author think of Doctor Gibbs’s planting trees at first?

A．Perfect .	B．Puzzled.
C．Amused.	D．Impractical .

2. What did Doctor Gibbs do to the trees he planted?

A．He let them grow quickly.

B．He beat them to get their attention.

C．He helped them search for water.

D．He read a newspaper near them.

3. Which of the following can best describe Doctor Gibbs?

A．Kind and wise.	B．Calm and brave.
C．Careful and ambitious	D．Strict and devoted.

4. What does the author learn from Doctor Gibbs?

A．Elders are treasures.

B．Two heads are better than one.

C．A man without distant care must have near sorrow.

D．Only those who bear the most become the highest.

3 . Last week I did something that scared me. I stood in front of nearly 200 financial planners and I talked to them about why financial blogs are a good thing. I'm a confident writer. I've been doing this long enough that I know my strength and my limitations. I'm less confident as a speaker. I don't have time to pause to collect my thoughts. I'm not able to edit. I'm afraid of being trapped in a corner without being able to talk my way out. Basically, I'm scared to speak.

It would be easy to simply refuse the chances that come my way. When somebody asks me to speak in front of a group, I could say "no". When radio and television stations call for an interview, I could say "no". But for the past two years, I've been following my own policy to say "yes" to new chances.

To say "yes" is to live in fear. My goal is to continually improve myself to become better than I am today. One way to do that is to do the things that scare me, to take them on as challenges, and to learn from them—even if I fail.

In mid-November, a local station asked me to appear on live television. "I realize it's short notice," the producer wrote, "but we'd love to have you on the show if you're available tonight." I was frightened. I thought about recent taped television interviews that I had hated. I was afraid of what might happen.

But I also thought about the things that had gone right. I thought of how my speaking skills had improved over the past year. And then I thought of the book I was reading, a book that I had bought for $1.29 at the local store. The Magic of Thinking Big was a huge bestseller during the 1960s. Written by Dr. David Schwartz, a professor at Georgia State University, the book contains dozens of practical tips on how to take risks to achieve big goals. Schwartz argues that nobody will believe in you until you believe in yourself.

So when the television producer asked if I wanted to appear on his show, I thought big. "Sure," I said. "I'll do it." I acted confidently, but on the inside I was frightened. What I needed was techniques to build up my confidence and to overcome my fear.

1. Why is the author afraid of speaking in public?

A．He is aware of his potential.	B．He has few chances to talk.
C．He is not able to edit what he says.	D．He likes writing better.

2. The underlined words "my own policy" in Paragraph 2 probably mean ________.

A．self-improving through challenges

B．hesitating before chances

C．turning down the invitations

D．saying yes to fear

3. The author mentioned the book The Magic of Thinking Big mainly because ________.

A．it was inspiring	B．it was a bestseller
C．its author was famous	D．its price was attractive

4. What is the author's purpose to write the passage?

A．To analyze his strength and weaknesses.

B．To give practical tips on speaking in public.

C．To persuade people to follow his example.

D．To share his experiences of overcoming fear.

4 . In primary school, I _________ felt different or alone just for in a wheelchair. My life flowed like a river. I took part in lots of _________, like dance and music. I even went onstage in my wheelchair and performed dances and won prizes.

Then came the _________ for surgery (外科手术) that might help me walk. _________ I went into the operating room, I was hopeful and shut my eyes, and the world _________ around me. After my surgery, I was in so much pain that stepped into state of _________, shutting out everybody. I even _________ having the surgery and nearly gave up on my lifelong _________— walking.

My life began to turn back around when I went to an inpatient rehabilitation center (住院康复中心), along with my mom. At first, I didn’t _________ staying there, with all kinds of therapies (疗法) and doctor visits. There was so much I couldn’t do, like playing at the nearby playground when my dad and brother __________. What was worse, it was __________ to make friends.

As I felt better, things began to get __________. I made a good friend, and the playground became a harbor for my __________. I could paint pictures with my mind and bring characters to life. I was __________ puzzle pieces of myself and putting them back together.

Lately, I’ve been able to stand with help for five minutes straight. I feel __________ again and am dreaming big. I want to __________ companies to create role models for disabled kids to look up to — like maybe a disabled hero in a movie. I’ve also __________ the Just Say Hi campaign, which encourages everyone not to be afraid to accept and greet people who have a __________.

This journey has changed my life. It’s made me brave and __________. My message is: stay strong, stay determined, and don’t ever think your __________ are out of reach.

1.

A．still

B．never

C．just

D．sometimes

2.

A．sports

B．camps

C．activities

D．discussions

3.

A．chance

B．room

C．reason

D．price

4.

A．Because

B．If

C．Though

D．When

5.

A．changed

B．worked

C．continued

D．stood

6.

A．confusion

B．safeness

C．sadness

D．relaxation

7.

A．regretted

B．imagined

C．enjoyed

D．avoided

8.

A．journey

B．search

C．idea

D．goal

9.

A．mind

B．like

C．suggest

D．admit

10.

A．talked

B．visited

C．passed

D．agreed

11.

A．easy

B．important

C．hard

D．dangerous

12.

A．clearer

B．worse

C．better

D．stranger

13.

A．memory

B．performance

C．tour

D．creativity

14.

A．paying for

B．picking up

C．throwing out

D．turning over

15.

A．hopeful

B．lucky

C．awful

D．unsatisfied

16.

A．teach

B．invite

C．order

D．persuade

17.

A．believed

B．joined

C．remembered

D．left

18.

A．try

B．story

C．right

D．disability

19.

A．polite

B．honest

C．strong

D．friendly

20.

A．dreams

B．methods

C．costs

D．needs

5 . My friend, Monty Roberts owns a horse ranch (养马场). The last time I was there he introduced me a story like this: There was a young man who was the son of a horse trainer, who would go from stable (马厩) to stable, race track to race track, farm to farm and ranch to ranch, training horses. So the boy's school career was continually interrupted. When he was a senior, he was asked to write a paper about what he wanted to be and do when he grew up.

That night he wrote a seven-page paper describing his goal of someday owning a horse ranch. He wrote about his dream in great detail and he even drew a diagram of a 200-acre ranch, showing the location of all the buildings, the stables and the track. He also drew a detailed floor plan for a 4,000-square-foot house that would sit on a 200-acre dream ranch. He put a great deal of his heart into the project and the next day he handed it in to his teacher. Two days later he received his paper back. On the front page was a large red F with a note that read, “See me after class.”

The boy with the dream went to see the teacher after class and asked why he received an F. The teacher said, "This is an unrealistic dream for a young boy like you. You have no money. You have no resources. Owning a horse ranch requires a lot of money. You have to buy the land. There's no way you could ever do it... If you will rewrite this paper with a more realistic goal, I will reconsider your grade.”

The boy went home and thought about it long and haul. He asked his father what he should do. His father said, "Look, son, you have to make up your own mind on this. However, I think it is a very important decision for you.” Finally, after a week, the boy turned in the same paper, making no changes at all. He stated, “You can keep the F and I'll keep my dream."

Monty then turned to me and said, "I tell you this story because you are sitting in my 4, 000-square-foot house in the middle of my 200-acre horse ranch. I still have that school paper framed over the fireplace.” He added, "The best part of the story is that two years ago that same schoolteacher brought 30 kids to camp out on my ranch for a week. When the teacher was leaving, he said, “Look, Monty, when I was your teacher, I was something of a dream stealer. During those years I stole a lot of kids’ dreams. Fortunately you had enough ambition not to give up on yours.”

1. Why was Monty’s schooling continually interrupted?

A．Because he didn’t like his teacher.

B．Because he had to do much housework.

C．Because he refused to go to school sometimes.

D．Because his father always changed his working place.

2. How did the father deal with his son’s problem?

A．He did not pay attention to it.

B．He punished his son for the large red F.

C．He encouraged his son to make his own decision.

D．He scolded his son for the ridiculous plan.

3. What can we infer from the teacher's remarks in the last paragraph?

A．Skill comes by exercise.

B．Everybody's good at something.

C．It's great to have dreams.

D．Where there is a will, there is a way.

4. What's the best title for the text?

A．A boy having no changes	B．A boy following his heart
C．A boy holding on to his dream	D．A boy owning a horse ranch

6 . For some years，my mother worked for a charity as President and Secretary.Selling raffle tickets(兑奖券) was her main means of bringing in the charity’s much­needed funds.We girls would accompany her，selling tickets with great success.My father made and donated beautiful wooden toys，jewellery boxes and other lovely items as prizes.

Now my sister was always coming up with “good ideas”，most of which didn’t work out to plan.But that didn’t deter her.She had many just waiting to be tested.When she was eight and I was just five，we had a wonderful idea for a business adventure.We decided we would sell raffle tickets for charity，and that charity was us!

So one afternoon，we told our mother we were going to play in the park with our cousins as we did most days after school.But instead，we walked around the streets armed with a raffle book，a pen and a large cloth bag to carry the money.

We’d accompanied our mother many times when she sold tickets，so people were familiar with us when we appeared at their doors.Despite the blank looks they received when asking about the prizes on offer，they were very generous.Although there were no actual prizes，our mother’s previous track record enabled us to sell nearly the whole book of raffle tickets.

Like a little pair of lottery(彩票) winners，we walked home and proudly showed off our takings.But our enjoyment of this sudden wealth was short­lived，and our plans for spending it quickly failed.Our angry mother took us back to every ticket buyer，making us apologise and give the money back.Thankfully，our sweet neighbours didn’t make a big deal of our “clever” misbehavior and thus my mother’s

fundraising career could continue safely.We were taught a good lesson by our mother that day.Also I remember my sister’s entrepreneurial(企业家的) spirit dried up a bit after that.
1. What did the author’s father do?

A．He got prizes ready.	B．He sold hand­made items.
C．He was in charge of a charity.	D．He helped design raffle tickets.

2. What does the underlined word “deter” in Paragraph 2 mean?

A．Embarrass.	B．Shock.
C．Discourage.	D．Mislead.

3. What can be learned about the author and her sister while selling raffle tickets?

A．They ran into their mother.

B．They met some generous strangers.

C．They got lost while walking around the streets.

D．They took advantage of people’s trust in their mother.

4. What lesson did the author and her sister learn?

A．Honesty is the best policy.	B．What’s done can’t be undone.
C．Misfortune never comes alone.	D．Good advice is beyond all price.

7 . If life were a book and you were the author, how would you like the story to go? That is the question that _______ my life forever.

One day I went home from the training of snowboarding with what I thought was the flu, and less than 24 hours later, I was in a _______ on life support with less than two percent _______ of living. It wasn’t until days later that the doctors diagnosed (诊断) me with a _______ blood infection. Over the _______ of 2.5 months, I lost the hearing in my left ear and both my legs below the knee. When my parents _______ me out of the hospital, I _______ that I had been put together like a patchwork (拼缝物) doll and I had to live with _______ legs. I was absolutely physically and emotionally broken,_______ streaming down.

But I knew in order to move forward, I had to let go of the Old Amy and ________ the New Amy. It was at this moment that I asked myself that significant ________. And that is when it ________ me that I didn’t have to be five-foot-five anymore,________ I could be as tall as I wanted. And ________ of all, I can make my feet the size of all the shoes. So there were ________ here.

Four months later, I was back upon a ________. And this February, I won two Board World Cup gold medals,________ me the highest ranked snowboarder in the world.

So, instead of looking at our ________ and our limitations as something ________ or bad, we can beg in looking at them as a wonderful ________ that can be used to help us go further than we ever know we could go.

1.

A．saved

B．risked

C．ruined

D．changed

2.

A．hospital

B．club

C．field

D．stadium

3.

A．thought

B．degree

C．chance

D．decision

4.

A．mild

B．severe

C．potential

D．slight

5.

A．journey

B．break

C．course

D．schedule

6.

A．wheeled

B．dragged

C．pulled

D．delivered

7.

A．made sure

B．felt like

C．worked out

D．put forward

8.

A．muscled

B．heavy

C．shapely

D．false

9.

A．blood

B．sweat

C．tears

D．water

10.

A．hug

B．recognize

C．fix

D．introduce

11.

A．plan

B．question

C．information

D．favor

12.

A．dawned on

B．knocked into

C．depended on

D．looked into

13.

A．although

B．so

C．while

D．but

14.

A．first

B．strangest

C．best

D．luckiest

15.

A．struggles

B．benefits

C．rewards

D．conflicts

16.

A．stage

B．snowboard

C．track

D．playground

17.

A．allowing

B．giving

C．calling

D．making

18.

A．challenges

B．achievements

C．devotions

D．hesitations

19.

A．active

B．amazing

C．negative

D．terminal

20.

A．ability

B．skill

C．tool

D．gift

8 . A _______thing happened _______me last Sunday. It was such a beautiful day _______ I drove to go for a look in the country.

On the way back home, my _______ stopped. It was out of gas on a _______ road far from a town! I decided to walk until I found someone _______could sell some gas. I had walked almost a mile _______ I finally found a house near the _______. I was glad to see it because it was getting dark.

I knocked at the door and a little old lady with long white hair _______. She said, “I’ve been ________for you here for a long time. Come in. ________ is almost ready.”

“But I only came for some gas,” I answered. I couldn’t ________what she was talking about.

“Oh, Alfred! Gas? You ________tea,” said she.

I quickly________ that my car was out of ________, but she didn’t seem to listen to me. She just kept ________ me Alfred and talking about how long it had been________she had seen me. She was acting very strangely and I was anxious to leave. As soon as she went to get tea, I went out of the house as fast as I ________.

Fortunately, there was another house down the road and I was able to buy the gas I needed. When I told the man about my ________, he said, “Oh, that’s Miss Emily. She lives by herself in that big house. She’s strange, but she wouldn’t ________ anybody. She is still waiting for the man she was going to marry thirty years ago. The day before their wedding he left home and never came back because of the war.”

1.

A．happy

B．strange

C．common

D．bad

2.

A．on

B．in

C．upon

D．to

3.

A．and

B．so

C．but

D．that

4.

A．car

B．bus

C．bike

D．truck

5.

A．narrow

B．lonely

C．crowded

D．busy

6.

A．what

B．whom

C．who

D．how

7.

A．before

B．after

C．while

D．as

8.

A．street

B．block

C．way

D．road

9.

A．came

B．answered

C．opened

D．appeared

10.

A．asking

B．looking

C．calling

D．waiting

11.

A．Gas

B．Coffee

C．Tea

D．Lunch

12.

A．consider

B．understand

C．accept

D．think

13.

A．like

B．love

C．used to like

D．liking

14.

A．answered

B．explained

C．refused

D．promised

15.

A．gas

B．tea

C．strength

D．energy

16.

A．calling

B．call

C．to call

D．called

17.

A．until

B．before

C．since

D．when

18.

A．could

B．can

C．would

D．wanted

19.

A．accident

B．incident

C．experience

D．surprise

20.

A．hit

B．injury

C．hurt

D．frighten

9 . I used to be a very self-centered person, but in the past two years I have really changed. I have started to think about other people _______ I think about myself. I am happy that I am becoming a _______person:

I think my _______started when I was at Palomar College. At first, I just wanted to get my _______, and be left alone. I thought I was smarter than everyone else, so I hardly ever _______to anyone in my classes. By the end of my first semester, I was really _______. It seemed as if everyone but me had made friends and was having fun. So I tried a(n) _______. I started asking people around me how they were doing, and if they were having trouble I _______to help. That was really a big _______for me. By the end of the year, I had several new friends, and two of ________are still my best friends today.

A bigger cause of my new ________, however, came when I took a part-time job at a Vista Nursing Home. One old lady there who had Alzheimer s disease became my ________. Every time I came into her room, she was so ________because she thought I was her daughter. Her real daughter never ________her, so I took her place. She let me ________. That making others feel good make me feel good, too. When she died, I was ________, but I was very grateful to her.

I think I am a much ________, person today than I used to be, and I hope I will not ________these experiences. They have ________e to care about other people more than about myself. ________who I am today, and I could not say that a few years ago.

1.

A．since

B．before

C．or

D．unless

2.

A．famous

B．simple

C．different

D．skilled

3.

A．education

B．career

C．tour

D．change

4.

A．balance

B．homework

C．degree

D．interest

5.

A．talked

B．wrote

C．lied

D．reported

6.

A．careful

B．lonely

C．curious

D．guilty

7.

A．argument

B．game

C．experiment

D．defence

8.

A．dared

B．offered

C．hesitated

D．happened

9.

A．dream

B．problem

C．duty

D．step

10.

A．us

B．which

C．them

D．whom

11.

A．attitude

B．hobby

C．hope

D．luck

12.

A．friend

B．partner

C．guide

D．guest

13.

A．polite

B．happy

C．strange

D．confident

14.

A．bothered

B．answered

C．visited

D．trusted

15.

A．explain

B．guess

C．declare

D．see

16.

A．homeless

B．heart broken

C．bad-tempered

D．hopeless

17.

A．quieter

B．busier

C．better

D．richer

18.

A．forget

B．face

C．improve

D．analyze

19.

A．forced

B．preferred

C．ordered

D．taught

20.

A．miss

B．like

C．wonder

D．expect