1 . Do you know the following expressions?

Homeric laughter

The “Homer” in this expression is the Greek poet who wrote The Iliad and the Odyssey. People laugh differently. Some laugh silently, while others tend to laugh loudly. “Homeric laughter” refers to laughter of the latter (后者) kind. It is at times uncontrollable, and the entire body shakes during the process. This kind of laughter is called Homeric laughter because this is how the gods laughed in Homer’s classics.

Faustian bargain

According to most stories, Faust was a German scholar who was rather unhappy with his life. The devil(魔鬼), Mephistopheles, promises him that in exchange for his soul, he will give Faust unlimited power and knowledge. Faust agrees and experiences all kinds of pleasures, but, in the end, his soul is condemned to the hell (下地狱). A “Faustian bargain” therefore is a deal that finally results in one’s ruin. It means a bargain made for temporary gain without taking future consequences into consideration.

A three-ring circus (马戏团)

When you refer to a situation as being a three-ring circus, you are saying that it is a situation of complete confusion. There are so many activities taking place all together that they leave you confused or annoyed. The expression comes from the world of entertainment — the circus. The area where the artists perform their acts is called the “ring”. In the past, some of the circuses were so grand that they had three acts taking place simultaneously in three different “rings”. The audience had to decide which “ring” they wanted to focus on.

In the swim (of things)

When someone is in the swim of things, the individual is actively participating in the things happening around him, as in “I’ve been ill, but soon I’ll be back in the swim of things.” In the world of fishing, fishermen use the word “swim” to refer to the section of the lake/river where fish can be found in plenty. So, if you are a fisherman and wish to catch a lot of fish, where would you be? You would be “in the swim”!

1. According to the text, Homeric laughter ________.

A．was the way Homer laughed

B．means nervous, silent laughter

C．is a way to show disagreement

D．comes from a Greek poet’s works

2. If a person makes a Faustian bargain, ________.

A．he might come to a bad end

B．he would be considered clever

C．his life would become satisfying

D．he would gain power and knowledge

3. What do we learn about the expression “in the swim (of things)”?

A．It means having a lot of things to do.

B．It has nothing to do with swimming.

C．Originally it was used to refer to “going fishing”.

D．Patients use it to express their desire for health.

2 . When I was fifteen, I announced to my English class that I was going to write my own books. Half the students smiled unkindly, _______ nearly fell out of their chairs laughing. “Don’t be _______ , only geniuses can become writers,” the English teacher said, “And you are getting a D this term.” I was so ashamed that I burst into_______ . That night I wrote a short sad poem about broken dreams and mailed it to the newspaper. To my _______, they published it and sent me two dollars. I was a published and paid writer. I showed my teacher and fellow students. They laughed, “Just plain dumb luck,” the teacher said. I _______ success. I’d sold the first thing I’d _______written. That was more than any of them had done and if it was just dumb luck that was fine with me.

During the next two years I sold dozens of poems and letters. By the time I graduated from high school, I had scrapbooks (剪贴簿)_______ my published works. I never _______ my writing to my teachers, friends or my family _______ because they were dream killers.

I had four children at the time. ________ the children slept, I typed on my ancient typewriter. I wrote what I felt. It took nine months. I chose a ________ and mailed it. A month later I received a contract, an advance on payments, and a request to start ________ another book. Crying Wind, became a best seller, was translated into fifteen languages and sold worldwide. My first book also became ________ reading in native American schools in Canada.

The ________ year I ever had as a writer I earned two dollars. In my best year I earned 36,000 dollars. People ask what college I ________ , what degrees I had and what qualifications I have to be a writer. The answer is: “None.” I just write. I’m not a genius. But I’ve written eight books. To all those who dream of writing, I’m shouting at you: “Yes, you can.” Writing is easy, it’s fun and anyone can do it.

1.

A．other

B．others

C．the other

D．the rest

2.

A．silly

B．curious

C．excited

D．depressed

3.

A．laughter

B．tears

C．song

D．cheers

4.

A．puzzlement

B．disappointment

C．astonishment

D．expectation

5.

A．tasted

B．met

C．accepted

D．considered

6.

A．yet

B．never

C．even

D．ever

7.

A．crowded with

B．filled with

C．combined with

D．linked with

8.

A．remembered

B．concluded

C．mentioned

D．described

9.

A．again

B．instead

C．still

D．merely

10.

A．Though

B．Before

C．Until

D．While

11.

A．writer

B．reporter

C．publisher

D．manager

12.

A．putting on

B．going on

C．turning on

D．working on

13.

A．requested

B．required

C．demanded

D．reminded

14.

A．busiest

B．worse

C．worst

D．highest

15.

A．attended

B．took

C．admitted

D．participated

3 . I wasn’t prepared for the way I felt when my 18-ycar-old son, Dylan, left for Asia during his winter break. I was _________ the moment he first told my husband and me that he wanted to use some of his _________ to go around China. We were excited for him to explore the world. We told him that _________ was one of the best ways to spend his money and that the _________ will last a lifetime.

On the morning of Dylan’s departure, he _________ a few more things in his bag. Before he and Michael _________ for the airport, I yelled, “Be safe, and _________ when you arrive.” That night, _________ he was flying somewhere over the Pacific Ocean, it hit me that Dylan was really on his _________. I woke hourly, each time __________ the clock and counting the hours before he would land the following morning. __________ my decision to let him go alone, I prayed and thought about all the things that could go __________. And then I heard from him. The first text said he’d arrived. The second text said his luggage didn’t __________ it. Feeling anxious, I madly attempted to __________ his luggage. And I persuaded him to go back to the __________ and go to the airline’s office. My efforts __________. All the while Dylan was texting me he was all right.

After that, there was no more talk about lost luggage, __________ I knew that he’d figure it out, and that the life lessons would be __________.

Several days into the trip, Dylan sent a photo from the top of Victoria Peak in Hong Kong. “I thought I could __________ study abroad anywhere but Europe. However, I could definitely do it here,” his note read. And I was __________.

1.

A．thrilled

B．worried

C．eager

D．upset

2.

A．experiences

B．savings

C．relations

D．friends

3.

A．traveling

B．learning

C．driving

D．purchasing

4.

A．costs

B．posters

C．pressures

D．memories

5.

A．packed

B．changed

C．poured

D．knocked

6.

A．took off

B．saw off

C．set off

D．went on

7.

A．write

B．call

C．text

D．email

8.

A．since

B．though

C．after

D．while

9.

A．behalf

B．feet

C．mind

D．own

10.

A．touching

B．checking

C．finding

D．rocking

11.

A．Investigating

B．Doubting

C．Contacting

D．Admiring

12.

A．wrong

B．wild

C．away

D．bad

13.

A．arrive

B．make

C．manage

D．explore

14.

A．bring down

B．put down

C．take down

D．track down

15.

A．homeland

B．airport

C．supermarket

D．car

16.

A．failed

B．worked

C．ended

D．continued

17.

A．or

B．so

C．and

D．but

18.

A．awful

B．unbearable

C．impressive

D．worthless

19.

A．still

B．never

C．just

D．already

20.

A．in disbelief

B．for fun

C．at peace

D．in shock

5 . One day I was walking around in a national park when I saw a beautiful tarantula (狼蛛) crossing a path. I just stopped and decided to observe its walking.

Behind me there was a family going up the same way and they also noticed the tarantula. Without doubting it, a kid shouted, “Quick, Dad, kill it.” His brother also encouraged their dad to do that.

Then I stopped their dad. “Wait. This is the last place the tarantula has to live in. Do you really want to kill it?”

“Well, it’s dangerous and we have kids here…”

“Why not stand still and let it cross safely? Then you can go and admire the rest of the park.”

After some discussions I persuaded them to stand still and watch. Soon, the tarantula crossed and hid into the bushes.

Their dad thanked me and said, “You’re right. I was about to make a mistake.” The children even said good bye to the tarantula and they learned something too.

1. What did the family want to do on seeing the tarantula?

A．To watch it.

B．To kill it.

C．To stand by

D．To hide away.

2. What did the dad think of the tarantula?

A．Dangerous.

B．Interesting.

C．Powerful.

D．Beautiful.

3. What is the author’s advice on how to deal with the tarantula?

A．To stop it quickly.	B．To greet it politely.
C．To let it cross safely.	D．To drive it into the bushes.

6 . 阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容(1个单词)或括号内单词的 正确形式。

Jim is an eight-year-old boy. One day, when he went to the countryside with his parents, he caught a beautiful bird in the woods.     1     his father tried very hard to persuade him to let it go, Jim still decided     2     (keep) it.

After     3     (come) back from the countryside, Jim bought a beautiful cage and kept the little bird in it. In order to make the bird happy, he     4     (feed) it with nice food. He thought the bird lived     5     (happy) with him because it didn’t have to try hard to find food.     6    , the bird didn’t look happy. It always looked out of the cage, staring     7     the sky. And it never sang.

One day his father said to him, “You should let the bird go now. It would be much     8     (good) for it to live in the woods than here. If you continue to keep it, it may die.” But Jim didn’t follow his father’s     9     (suggest). The bird was still kept in the cage.

One morning, when Jim went to play with the bird as usual, he found that the bird     10     (die). Jim was very sad and regretted not letting it go. But it was already too late.

7 . Years ago, I was on a long flight, during which a voice from the speaker said, “We won’t________drinks or the meal because we are facing a storm ahead. Please make your seat belts fastened.” Many passengers became________, talking about it with each other. At once it became________in the plane. Soon, lightning________the darkening sky, and within moments the________was like a boat on waves in the storm. One moment it was________up by the storm; the next, it was thrown as if it were to________onto the ground. All the passengers were________. Some cried. Some prayed(祈祷). The________seemed hopeless. I wondered if we could________it through the storm.

Then I noticed the little girl next to me. Surprisingly, the storm seemed to mean________to her. She was________, looking through a picture book. Sometimes she closed her eyes，then she would________again, but she never showed a(n)________of worry or fear. The little girl wasn’t afraid at all________all the adults were scared to death. Finding me watching her, the girl smiled at me and said, “Don’t worry. My father is the pilot. He is taking me home. Take it easy. He will take us home safely.”

When the plane was out of________, I smiled at the girl and she gave me a big smile in________.“I said my father would take us home safely.”

Many kinds of storms may________ us: diseases, difficulties... They can easily darken our sky and________our planes into hard times. Let us________: Love is the pilot. It will help us out of trouble. So take it easy.

1.

A．serve

B．take

C．get

D．sell

2.

A．excited

B．comfortable

C．happy

D．nervous

3.

A．noisy

B．quiet

C．warm

D．cold

4.

A．broke out

B．came about

C．lit up

D．gave off

5.

A．ship

B．plane

C．train

D．seat

6.

A．lifted

B．cut

C．turned

D．shut

7.

A．jump

B．fly

C．land

D．drop

8.

A．surprised

B．scared

C．glad

D．Interested

9.

A．weather

B．question

C．future

D．action

10.

A．make

B．reach

C．win

D．finish

11.

A．something

B．anything

C．everything

D．nothing

12.

A．funny

B．frustrated

C．sad

D．calm

13.

A．talk

B．read

C．play

D．sleep

14.

A．book

B．story

C．expression

D．impression

15.

A．and

B．while

C．so

D．since

16.

A．order

B．date

C．fashion

D．danger

17.

A．turn

B．time

C．return

D．front

18.

A．trouble

B．help

C．encourage

D．stop

19.

A．introduce

B．invite

C．throw

D．change

20.

A．ask

B．remember

C．explain

D．wonder

8 . I’ve been farming sheep on a hillside for 54 years. I use a small tractor (拖拉机) to get about. My dog Don always sits beside me in the passenger seat.

One morning I ______ a lost lamb when I was in the top field, near where a motorway cuts through my land. The lamb had become separated from its ______, so I jumped out of the tractor to tend to it while Don stayed in his seat.

Lamb and mother ______, I turned back to the tractor only to see it move suddenly away from me. This was so ______ because I had put the handbrake (手刹) on when I jumped out. ______ Don had somehow made the vehicle move.

My heart froze in my chest as I ______ the tractor heading towards the motorway. I ran desperately(不顾一切地) but failed to ______. It crashed through a wooden fence and disappeared. The ______ thing I saw was Don’s face, looking calmly back at me.

Heart in mouth, I reached the fence and looked over. The tractor was ______ against the crash barrier in the central reservation, having miraculously (奇迹般地) crossed the ______ road with fast-flowing traffic. I couldn’t see Don, but as I ______ the tractor he jumped out onto the road, apparently ______, and rushed back to me.

The police ______ and the motorway ran normally again. I couldn’t quite believe my ______ —it turned out no one got badly hurt, but the result could have been ______. Don was given a special meal that night—I didn’t want him thinking I was angry with him!

1.

A．dropped

B．spotted

C．carried

D．returned

2.

A．kids

B．friends

C．owner

D．mother

3.

A．freed

B．switched

C．reunited

D．examined

4.

A．unexpected

B．dangerous

C．embarrassing

D．difficult

5.

A．Fortunately

B．Generally

C．Immediately

D．Obviously

6.

A．saw

B．stopped

C．remembered

D．drove

7.

A．take off

B．catch up

C．hold back

D．get out

8.

A．real

B．best

C．basic

D．last

9.

A．resting

B．running

C．parking

D．turning

10.

A．steep

B．long

C．wide

D．busy

11.

A．abandoned

B．approached

C．recognized

D．repaired

12.

A．unclean

B．uncertain

C．unhurt

D．unhappy

13.

A．arrived

B．replied

C．survived

D．waited

14.

A．ability

B．dream

C．luck

D．idea

15.

A．common

B．confusing

C．desirable

D．terrible

9 . “Daily Star, sir,” called Jason, carrying some newspapers under his arm. The little boy had been running up and down the street, but there were still twenty ______ left. His voice was almost gone and his heart was ______. The shops would soon close, and all the people would go home. He would have to go home too, carrying the papers ______ money. He had hoped to sell more papers tonight to make more money to buy a ______ for his mother and some seeds for his bird. That was why he had bought the papers with all his money. He ______ as he thought of his failure to sell all his papers.

“You don’t know the ______ of selling papers. You must shout, ‘Hot news! Bomb bursting!’” another newsboy Chad told Jason. “But it’s not in the paper at all,” replied Jason. “Just run away quickly before they have time to see, and you’ll ______ out and get your money,” Chad said.

Jason thought of his bird with no ______ and the cake he wanted to buy for his mother, but was ______ that he would not tell a lie. Though he was just a poor newsboy, he had been taught some good things.

The next afternoon Jason went to the office for his papers ______. Several boys were crowding around Chad, who declared with a ______ smile that he sold six dozen the day before. He added that Jason ______ money because he would not tell a lie. The boys ______ at Jason. “You wouldn’t tell a lie yesterday, my boy?” a gentleman at the office came up and patted Jason’s shoulder ______. “You’re just the boy I am looking for.” A week later Jason started his new ______. He lost the sale of twenty papers because he would not tell a lie, but got a well-paid job because he told the truth.

1.

A．copies

B．shops

C．coins

D．people

2.

A．weak

B．open

C．pure

D．heavy

3.

A．in exchange for

B．instead of

C．regardless of

D．in return for

4.

A．card

B．cup

C．cake

D．comb

5.

A．broke down

B．gave in

C．got away

D．showed up

6.

A．difficulty

B．process

C．secret

D．goal

7.

A．drop

B．call

C．reach

D．sell

8.

A．bread

B．insects

C．water

D．seeds

9.

A．concerned

B．determined

C．excited

D．amazed

10.

A．by chance

B．as usual

C．at once

D．at last

11.

A．warm

B．gentle

C．proud

D．polite

12.

A．made

B．saved

C．borrowed

D．lost

13.

A．shouted

B．laughed

C．nodded

D．started

14.

A．gently

B．gratefully

C．bravely

D．sadly

15.

A．business

B．duty

C．method

D．job

10 . My father would take me to the Queens County Farm Museum to see the sheep, lambs, horses, cows, chickens. I worked for a friend who had ________ many wild animals. And I also did part-time work with other farmers. I wanted to gain some working ________.

I also wanted to do the work that gave me target and ________ my longtime dream of working hands-on with ________. So I researched online and found a(n) ________ at a natural reserve in Zimbabwe. I didn't even know where that was on a map! But they ________ me for a three-week program, which turned into a year.

We were researching and ________ the animals. We'd go out in a truck and make sure they were safe, ________ and uninjured. There were days when we discovered animals ________ in a trap, bleeding, and we calmed them down in order to ________ them. Traps can cause serious pain and sometimes even ________.

We built bomas-secure enclosures (围墙) for the animals to sleep—and ________ they were doing well with their babies. We walked with the white rhinos, taking them to different enclosures and enrichment (强化) areas to stimulate (刺激) their ________ with new smells and features. The lions needed enrichment programs too, so we made toys and built play areas for them.

Seeing these animals ________ under human care and being able to live in harmony, I realized this is what I was ________ to do.

1.

A．washed

B．bought

C．raised

D．employed

2.

A．experience

B．results

C．methods

D．information

3.

A．observed

B．realized

C．presented

D．replaced

4.

A．volunteers

B．foreigners

C．animals

D．insects

5.

A．union

B．tip

C．community

D．program

6.

A．accepted

B．led

C．persuaded

D．served

7.

A．comforting

B．arranging

C．removing

D．tracking

8.

A．gentle

B．cute

C．healthy

D．swift

9.

A．caught

B．thrown

C．buried

D．hidden

10.

A．protect

B．cure

C．refresh

D．punish

11.

A．disappearance

B．anger

C．starvation

D．death

12.

A．figured out

B．made sure

C．focused on

D．put forward

13.

A．souls

B．mind

C．growth

D．demands

14.

A．living

B．existing

C．staying

D．lying

15.

A．expected

B．required

C．meant

D．influenced