Peter woke up early in the morning. He went downstairs in a hurry and started to have his breakfast as quickly as possible.
“Why are you in such a hurry, early bird?” Mum asked him. “We will have an English spelling test today, Mum,” Peter said. “Mr. White promised to offer prizes to those who get 100 scores. I’ve been studying the word list since last week. Although the words are difficult, I am well prepared for them.”
Peter reviewed the spelling of each word once more carefully when Dad drove him to school. At last, it was time for the students to have a test. “Responsibility,” Mr. White started. Peter wrote it on his test paper quickly and confidently.
“The second word: contribution,” Mr. White said.
“So easy,” Peter thought. He quickly wrote the word down.
Thirty words later, the test papers were collected by Mr. White. “I am to mark your papers now,” he told the class. After marking the test papers, Mr. White said, “Three of you won a prize today for excellent test scores. Peter, David and Mary got full marks on the spelling test!”
Mr. White praised them. Meanwhile, he gave the three students each a dictionary. Peter’s was an English-Chinese dictionary—the one he liked best. Peter was so excited that he held it high when his classmates cheered. “This is my happiest moment,” Peter thought.
After Mr. White gave the test paper back, Peter had a look at the words, feeling proud of his spelling. All of a sudden, the word “contribusion” confused him. It didn’t seem right. Peter began to compare them after taking out the word list. “C-O-N-T-R-I-B-U-S-I-O-N,” he whispered. He spelled it wrong.
“What am I to do?” Peter said to himself. “I expect my classmates to think I’m a master at spelling. If I tell Mr. White one of my spelling words is wrong, I’ll have to give my prize back, or I will become an example for telling a lie.”
Staring at the full marks written on his test paper, Peter was lost in thought. After a while, he remembered a lesson Mum used to teach him, “We ought to be an honest person.”
Paragraph1:Slowly,Peter raised his hand.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paragraph2:
Peter looked around.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________2 . In October, I told the eight-year-olds in the class I teach in Pompton Lakes, New Jersey, about my plan. “Since all of you have done extra jobs around the house to earn some money,” I said, “then we’ll buy food for a Thanksgiving dinner for someone who might not have a nice dinner otherwise.”
I watched them while they walked up and down the supermarket. “Flowers!” Kristine cried. The group rushed towards the holiday plants.
“You can’t eat flowers.”— It was wiser to use any extra money to buy something that could be turned into meals.
“But Mrs Sherlock,” came the begging voice, “we want flowers.”
Defeated finally, I put a pot of “funny” purple mums in the cart full of foods. “She’ll like this one,” the children agreed.
An organisation had given us the name and address of a needy grandmother who had lived alone for many years. We finally pulled up in front of a small house. A slightly-built woman with a weary face came to the door to welcome us.
My little group ran to get the foods. As each box was carried in, the old woman kept on saying “Thanks.”— much to her visitors’ pleasure. When Amy put the mums on the counter, the woman seemed surprised. She was wishing it was a bag of rice, I thought.
We returned to the car. As we fastened our seat belts, we could see the kitchen window. The woman inside waved goodbye, then turned and walked across the room, past the turkey, past the goods, straight to the mums. She put her face in them. When she raised her head, there was a smile on her face. She was transformed (转变) before our eyes.
The children were quiet. At that moment, they had seen for themselves the power they have to make another person’s life better. The children had sensed that sometimes a person needs a pot of funny purple flowers on a dark November day.
1. What does the story mainly tell us?| A．Everyone has the power to change the world. |
| B．Acts of kindness can change someone’s life. |
| C．The poor people may need flowers as well. |
| D．Children have different thoughts from adults. |
| A．Mothers. |
| B．Teachers. |
| C．Flowers. |
| D．Gifts. |
| A．She thought they were too ugly. |
| B．She thought they were for children. |
| C．She thought they were too expensive. |
| D．She thought they couldn’t help people in need. |
| A．The old woman preferred food to flowers. |
| B．Flowers are more important than food to the poor. |
| C．The old woman’s dark day was brightened by the children. |
| D．All the money the children earned was transformed into food. |
3 . My teacher held up a piece of broken glass and asked, “Who broke this window?”
Thirty boys tried to think about not only what they had done, but also what the teacher might have found out. She seldom became angry, but she was this time.
“Oh,” I thought. I was the one who broke the window. It was caused by a naughty throw of a baseball. If I admitted guilt, I would be in a lot of trouble. How would I be able to pay for a big window like that? I didn’t even get an allowance. “My father is going to have a fit as a result of it,” I thought. I didn’t want to raise my hand, but some force much stronger than I was pulled it skyward (朝向天空). I told the truth, “I did it.” It was hard enough to say what I had done.
My teacher took down a book from one of our library shelves and I had never known my teacher to strike a student, but I feared she was going to start with me.
“I know how much you like birds,” she said as she stood looking down at my guilt-ridden face. “Here is the field guide about birds that you are constantly checking out. It is yours now. It’s time we got a new one for the school anyway. You will not be punished, but remember that I am not rewarding you for your misdeed (恶行), but I am rewarding you for your truthfulness.”
I couldn’t believe it! I wasn’t being punished and I was getting my own bird field guide — the very one that I had been saving up money to buy.
The lesson my teacher taught me stays with me every day, and it will echo forever.
1. From the story, we can learn that the boy .| A．didn’t break the window on purpose |
| B．lacked the courage to admit his guilt |
| C．tried to think about what he had done |
| D．didn’t know what the teacher had found out |
| A．be punished by the teacher |
| B．make his father angry |
| C．pay for the broken window |
| D．get a bird field guide |
| A．Afraid—Surprised—Thankful. |
| B．Frightened—Amazed—Proud. |
| C．Regretful—Guilty—Excited. |
| D．Nervous—Afraid—Satisfied. |
| A．Every coin has two sides. |
| B．Honesty is always valued. |
| C．Bad luck never comes alone. |
| D．You can’t be too careful. |
4 . When my teenaged son became seriously ill, terrible times for my family began. Our once-happy home became tense and depressed. My husband and I were exhausted under the great stress of caring for my son. It was as if we forgot how to communicate-we couldn’t have a simple conversation without a fighting. Our marriage was on the point of breaking up.
One evening, my son and I were talking about gifts. I recalled my first Valentine’s present from my husband, a kazoo. I was awkward when I received it because I couldn’t get it to make a sound although I am a professional saxophone player. However hard I tried, it just never worked. The kazoo eventually got packed away and forgotten. But my son was interested and insisted on seeing it. After some trouble, I found it.
“You couldn’t get a sound? What’s so hard about it?” my husband asked, amazed. He took the kazoo and blew. Nothing happened. Surprised, he tried again. Still there was no sound. Frustrated, he tried again, only to produce a funny sound like an angry bumblebee trapped in the mouth of a bear. We burst into laughter. My son took a turn to play the kazoo. He did no better than us, causing more laughing.
Seeing his face light up, we felt as if the darkness had lifted and a ray of sunshine was let in. It was the best ten minutes of the past couple of years. The mood stayed light for the rest of the evening. It didn’t solve anything. But this experience with the kazoo brought some change in our hearts that always reminds us that there are still things to laugh at and enjoy, and that we can still connect as a family.
1. What affected the relationship of the couple?| A．Quarrels between the couple over marriage. |
| B．Different values they shared towards everything. |
| C．Stress and chaos arising from their son’s serious illness. |
| D．Lack of money needed for their son’s medical treatment. |
| A．He had a love for playing the kazoo. | B．He meant to make his son delighted. |
| C．He wanted to ease a feeling of depression. | D．He didn’t think it that hard to play the kazoo. |
| A．My failure to get the kazoo to make a sound. |
| B．The involvement of my husband in playing the kazoo. |
| C．My memory about the Valentine’s present from my husband. |
| D．The failed but funny playing of the kazoo by my husband and son. |
| A．Every cloud has a silver lining. | B．Parents are the best teachers. |
| C．Music can cure the hurt souls. | D．Misfortunes test the true love. |
5 . Ever since I was 13 years old, I wanted to be a photographer. I had a(n)
After leaving high school, I
I
I decided to transfer (转学) to Buffalo State College. When I was in class, I always
| A．chance | B．dream | C．experience | D．freedom |
| A．get | B．download | C．offer | D．preserve |
| A．joined | B．succeeded | C．took | D．majored |
| A．because | B．though | C．if | D．but |
| A．valuable | B．special | C．wrong | D．unusual |
| A．pleasant | B．suitable | C．acceptable | D．practical |
| A．relied on | B．heard of | C．referred to | D．thought of |
| A．find | B．strengthen | C．adopt | D．realize |
| A．above all | B．at last | C．in general | D．at most |
| A．stage | B．job | C．duty | D．department |
| A．difference | B．impression | C．sacrifice | D．exploration |
| A．amused | B．associated | C．concerned | D．helped |
| A．astonished | B．informed | C．inspired | D．struck |
| A．certainly | B．likely | C．eventually | D．gradually |
| A．conclusion | B．proposal | C．decision | D．sense |
6 . Barditch High School decided to have an All-School Reunion.Over 450 people came to the event. Here were tours of the old school building and a picnic at Confederate Park. Several former teachers were on hand to tell stories about the old days. Ms. Mabel Yates, the English teacher for fifty years, was wheeled to the park.
Some eyes rolled and there were a few low groans(嘟囔声)when Ms.Yates was about to speak. Many started looking at their watches and coming up with excuses to be anywhere instead of preparing to listen to a lecture from an old woman who had few kind words for her students and made them work harder than all the other teachers combined.
Then Ms.Yates started to speak: “I can’t tell you how pleased I an to be here. I haven’t seen many of you since your graduation. But I have followed your careers(事业)and enjoyed your victories as well as crying for your tragedies(不幸). I have a large collection of newspaper photographs of my students. Although I haven’t appeared in person. I have attended your college graduations, weddings and even the birth of your children, in my imagination.
Ms. Yates paused and started crying a bit. Then she continued:“It was my belief that if I pushed you as hard as I could, some of you would succeed to please me and others would succeed to annoy me. Regardless of our motives(动机), I can see that you have all been successful in your chosen path.””There is no greater comfort for an educator than to see the end result of his or her years of work. You have all been a great source of pleasure and pride for me and I want you to know I love you all from the bottom of my heart.“
There was a silence over the crowd for a few seconds and then someone started clapping. The clapping turned into cheering, then into a deafening roar(呼喊). Lawyers, truck drivers, bankers and models were rubbing their eyes or crying openly with no shame all because of the words from a long forgotten English teacher from their hometown.
1. What activity was organized for the school reunion?| A．Sightseeing in the park. |
| B．Telling stories about past events. |
| C．A picnic on the school playground. |
| D．Graduates’ reports in the old building. |
| A．Most people had little interest in the reunion. |
| B．Some people got tired from the reunion activities. |
| C．Many graduates disliked Ms. Yates’ ways of teaching. |
| D．Some graduates were too busy to listen to Ms. Yates’ speech. |
| A．went to her students’ weddings |
| B．gave her students advice on their careers |
| C．attended her students’ college graduations |
| D．kept learning about her students’ progress |
| A．Good-tempered and devoted. | B．Strict but caring. |
| C．Proud and generous. | D．Mean but patient. |
7 . When I was fifteen, I announced to my English class that I was going to write and illustrate my own books. Half the students sneered. The rest nearly fell out of their chairs laughing. “Don’t be silly, only geniuses can become writers,” the English teacher said, “And you are getting a D this semester.” I was so humiliated(羞辱) that I cried.
That night I wrote a short sad poem about broken dreams and mailed it to the Capri’s Weekly newspaper. To my astonishment, they published it and sent me two dollars. I was a published and paid writer. I showed it to my teacher and fellow students. They laughed. “Just plain dumb luck, "the teacher said. I tasted success. I’d sold the first thing I’d ever 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, letters, jokes and recipes. By the time I graduated from high school, with a C minus average, I had scrapbooks filled with my published work. I never mentioned my writing to my teachers, friends or my family again. They were dream killers and if people must choose between their friends and their dreams, they must always choose their dreams.
I had four children at the time, and the oldest was only four. While the children slept, I typed on my ancient typewriter. I wrote what I felt. It took nine months, just like a baby.
A month later Crying Wind, the title of my book, became a best seller, was translated into fifteen languages and Braille and sold worldwide. I appeared on TV talk shows. I traveled from New York to California and Canada on promotional tours. My first book also became required reading in native American schools in Canada.
People ask what college I attended, 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. I’m not gifted and I don’t write right. To all those who dream of writing, I’m shouting at you: “Yes, you can. Yes, you can. Don’t listen to them.” I don’t write right but I’ve beaten the odds. Writing is easy, it’s fun and anyone can do it. Of course, a little dumb luck doesn’t hurt.
1. Why did many students laugh after hearing what the writer said?| A．Because they didn’t like him. |
| B．Because they wished he could be successful as a writer. |
| C．Because their teacher laughed, too. |
| D．Because they felt it impossible for him to succeed. |
| A．The characters in his story. | B．His teacher. |
| C．His early experience. | D．His parents. |
| A．It is difficult for a person, who cares about what others say, to succeed. |
| B．It is important for a person to tell others what he wants to do. |
| C．It is necessary for a person, who wants to succeed, to take others’ advice. |
| D．It is impossible for an ordinary person to be a writer in the future. |
| A．A Famous Person | B．I Hate My Classmates and Teachers |
| C．I Never Write Right | D．A Genius Can Be a Writer |
8 . Six days a week, my grandfather brought mail to people. Aged 68, he retired, but he never
On his 80th birthday, I sent him a(n)
“Thank you for your nice words,” he wrote in his letter back, “but slowing down
“The happiest years of our lives were not when we had
The letter ended with a request: “Boy, on my next birthday, just tell me to wake up and get going, because I will have one less
Christina Rossetti once said: “Does the road wind uphill all the way? Yes, to the
| A．stopped | B．enjoyed | C．finished | D．considered |
| A．gift | B．note | C．invitation | D．letter |
| A．slow down | B．calm down | C．catch up | D．give up |
| A．confuses | B．scares | C．changes | D．attacks |
| A．still | B．obviously | C．instead | D．sadly |
| A．lain | B．fallen | C．moved | D．gone |
| A．daylight | B．breakfast | C．school | D．noon |
| A．fail | B．follow | C．meet | D．stand |
| A．tired | B．hungry | C．warm | D．annoyed |
| A．freedom | B．survival | C．health | D．riches |
| A．forms | B．tells | C．matters | D．hurts |
| A．design | B．experiment | C．style | D．journey |
| A．day | B．week | C．month | D．year |
| A．extra | B．very | C．frightening | D．advanced |
| A．thinking | B．smiling | C．giving | D．climbing |
9 . A sudden illness took away most of Rebecca’s hearing when she was only six years old. Afterwards, she says her
Today, working at the Qetan Sewing Center, Rebecca rediscovered something she greatly
Better still, Rebecca has also found a professional outlet. “I’ve always been
Rebecca says her
The way that Rebecca lives her life demonstrates this idea that you can achieve your goals
| A．fitness | B．happiness | C．efforts | D．pains |
| A．attempted | B．decided | C．refused | D．struggled |
| A．pity | B．change | C．blame | D．fool |
| A．whether | B．why | C．how | D．where |
| A．Eventually | B．Immediately | C．Naturally | D．Absolutely |
| A．tolerated | B．missed | C．considered | D．regretted |
| A．positive | B．similar | C．limited | D．plain |
| A．different | B．supportive | C．clean | D．safe |
| A．satisfied with | B．aware of | C．interested in | D．careful about |
| A．desire | B．secure | C．understand | D．adore |
| A．task | B．goal | C．journey | D．business |
| A．improve | B．express | C．defend | D．reflect |
| A．truth | B．choices | C．process | D．possibilities |
| A．conditions | B．opinions | C．actions | D．advantages |
| A．even if | B．as long as | C．as if | D．as far as |
10 . The morning had been a disaster. My tooth was aching, and I’d been in an argument with a friend. Her words still hurt, “ The trouble with you is that you won’t put yourself in my place. Can’t you see things from my point of view? ” I shook my head stubbornly-and felt the ache in my tooth. I’d thought I could hold out till my dentist came back from holiday, but the pain was really unbearable. I started calling the dentists in the phone book, but no one could see me immediately. Finally, at about lunchtime, I got lucky.
“ If you come by right now, ” the receptionist said, “ the dentist will fit you in. ”
I took my purse and keys and rushed to my car. But suddenly I began to doubt about the dentist. What kind of dentist would be so eager to treat someone at such short notice? Why wasn’t he as busy as the others?
In the dentist’s office, I sat down and looked around. I saw nothing but the bare walls and I became even more worried. The assistant noticed my nervousness and placed her warm hand over my icecold one.
When I told her my fears, she laughed and said, “ Don’t worry. The dentist is very good. ”
“ How long do I have to wait for him? ” I asked impatiently.
“ Come on, he is coming. Just lie down and relax. And enjoy the artwork, ” the assistant said.
“ The artwork? ”I was puzzled.
The chair went back. Suddenly I smiled. There was a beautiful picture, right where I could enjoy it: on the ceiling. How considerate the dentist was! At that moment, I began to understand what my friend meant by her words.
What a relief!
1. Which of the following best describes the author’s feeling that morning?| A．Upset. | B．Nervous. | C．Cheerful. | D．Satisfied. |
| A．The laughing assistant of the dentist. |
| B．The surroundings of the dentist’s office. |
| C．The dentist’s being as busy as the other dentists. |
| D．The dentist’s agreeing to treat her at very short notice. |
| A．Because the dentist came at last. | B．Because she could relax in the chair. |
| C．Because she saw a picture on the ceiling. | D．Because the assistant kept comforting her. |
| A．Strike while the iron is hot. | B．Put oneself in other’s shoes. |
| C．A friend in need is a friend indeed. | D．Have a good word for one’s friend. |
