1 . It was a few years ago. A friend_________me a restaurant gift card for Christmas and I picked a sunny Sunday afternoon to use it. It felt good taking my two grown sons and daughter to a nice_________instead of the fast food places we usually ate at. The meal was delicious and we all had a good time just being together. When the waitress brought the_________, I noticed that the gift card_________almost all of it. I_________my wallet to get enough cash to afford the rest.

At that moment my_________flashed back to 30 years ago. I was working as a(n)_________in a restaurant much like the one we were in. It was long hours of hard work for low incomes. I went home just barely making enough to_________my young family. I also remembered how more than once I saw the waitresses counting their few tips while worrying about how they were going to pay the house rent and_________their kids the things they needed.

I blinked(眨眼) and back to the__________again, with my fingers touching the smaller bill in my wallet. I smiled, pushed it back down, and__________out the much larger bill. As we all got up from the table I handed the larger bill to the hard-working waitress. “You keep the__________, ” I said with a__________smile and a happy heart.

We are all one family in this world. We live together, rejoice (欣赏) together, and suffer together. Do your best to be a__________person. Do your best to__________the suffering with joy.

1.

A．helped

B．borrowed

C．sent

D．lent

2.

A．restaurant

B．fair

C．supermarket

D．hotel

3.

A．bill

B．money

C．dish

D．food

4.

A．spent

B．covered

C．cost

D．offered

5.

A．reached into

B．prepared for

C．put out

D．turned in

6.

A．sense

B．idea

C．mind

D．heart

7.

A．waiter

B．cook

C．actor

D．teacher

8.

A．treat

B．value

C．feed

D．miss

9.

A．buy

B．show

C．find

D．pay

10.

A．future

B．past

C．present

D．instant

11.

A．carried

B．handed

C．burned

D．picked

12.

A．tip

B．ticket

C．wallet

D．card

13.

A．tired

B．amazed

C．satisfied

D．forced

14.

A．successful

B．different

C．good

D．humorous

15.

A．punish

B．provide

C．equip

D．greet

2 . It was one of those terribly hot days in Baltimore. Needless to say, it was too hot to do anything outside. But it was also scorching in our apartment. This was 1962, and I would not live in a place with an air conditioner for another ten years. So my brother and I decided to leave the apartment to find someplace indoors. He suggested we could see a movie. It was a brilliant plan.

Movie theaters were one of the few places you could sit all day and — most important — sit in air conditioning. In those days, you could buy one ticket and sit through two movies. Then, the theater would show the same two movies again. If you wanted to, you could sit through them twice. Most people did not do that, but the manager at our theater. Mr. Bellow did not mind if you did.

That particular day, my brother and I sat through both movies twice, trying to escape the heat. We bought three bags of popcorn and three sodas each. Then, we sat and watched The Music Man followed by The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. We’d already seen the second movie once before. It had been at the theater since January, because Mr. Bellow loved anything with John Wayne in it.

We left the theater around 8, just before the evening shows began. But we returned the next day and saw the same two movies again, twice more. And we did it the next day too. Finally, on the fourth day, the heat wave broke.

Still, to this day I can sing half the songs in The Music Man and recite half of John Wayne and Jimmy Stewart’s dialogue from The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance! Those memories are some of the few I have of the heat wave of 1962. They’re really memories of the screen, not memories of my life.

1. In which year did the author first live in a place with an air conditioner?

A．1952	B．1962
C．1972	D．1982

2. What do we know about Mr. Bellow?

A．He loved children very much.	B．He was a fan of John Wayne.
C．He sold air conditioners.	D．He was a movie star.

3. Why did the author and his/her brother see the same movies several times?

A．The two movies were really wonderful.

B．They wanted to avoid the heat outside.

C．The manager of the theater was friendly.

D．They liked the popcorn and the soda at the theater.

4. What can we learn from the last paragraph?

A．The author turned out to be a great singer.

B．The author enjoyed the heat wave of 1962.

C．The author’s life has been changed by the two movies.

D．The author considers the experience at the theater unforgettable.

3 . On my first trip to Ireland, I was drawn by its wonderful scenery and the hospitality (好客) of the people. More than that, I also felt a sense of _________. When leaving Ireland, I made a prayer: Please show me a way to live here.

Once home, I made a vision _________ with the title “Irish love”, which included pictures of the Irish countryside along with a handsome Irishman. I also chose an _________of a butterfly as my personal symbol and placed it in the center.

Back then, I was in my mid-thirties still _________ with a nice career. I had never lived outside of a five-mile distance from where I was born, so this _________ to live in Ireland was pretty big. Whenever I saw the images, I would _________ myself living in Ireland with the lover of my life.

One year later, I returned to Ireland. _________ and perhaps a little bit of hope led me to the small town of Lisdoonvarna County Clare, where the traditional matchmaking (相亲) festival was taking place. Early Sunday evening, _________, I found myself in a small pub. I was standing against the wall _________ I noticed a man entering the pub. It was just like in a movie: He was tall and dark-haired with the golden light of the setting sun __________ around him. It wasn’t long before I felt a __________ on my shoulder and came face-to-face with the man himself—Mike. Eventually, we kept __________ for hours, laughing heartily. This was the beginning of our relationship.

After getting married, we moved to the western Ireland and __________ there. The first day I stepped into the hallway of my new home, I was __________ by three butterflies flying around, which immediately reminded me of the vision board from years ago __________ my dream to live in Ireland.

1.

A．responsibility

B．achievement

C．belonging

D．neighbourhood

2.

A．board

B．film

C．lesson

D．diary

3.

A．opportunity

B．author

C．image

D．experience

4.

A．helpful

B．healthy

C．valuable

D．single

5.

A．honor

B．dream

C．adventure

D．memory

6.

A．predict

B．imagine

C．suggest

D．discover

7.

A．Faith

B．Curiosity

C．Strength

D．Sympathy

8.

A．undoubtedly

B．unwillingly

C．uncertainly

D．unknowingly

9.

A．before

B．as

C．when

D．while

10.

A．driving

B．shaking

C．shining

D．floating

11.

A．pat

B．hit

C．knock

D．strike

12.

A．expressing

B．contacting

C．conveying

D．chatting

13.

A．moved

B．stayed

C．formed

D．headed

14.

A．greeted

B．treated

C．figured

D．saw

15.

A．introducing

B．celebrating

C．picturing

D．sending

4 . One day a man was asked to paint a boat by the owner of the boat. He brought with him paint and brushes and began to paint the boat bright red, as the owner asked him. While painting, he _________ there was a hole in the boat and decided to _________ it. When he finished painting, he received his _________and left.

The next day, the owner of the boat came to the painter and offered him a nice check (支票), much _________than the payment for painting. The painter was _________. “You’ve already paid me for painting the boat!” he said.

“But this is not for the paint _________. It’s for having repaired the hole in the boat.”

“But it was such a(n) _________ service. Certainly it’s not worth _________ me such a high amount for something so unimportant!”

“ My dear friend, you do not _________. Now let me tell you what happened. When I asked you to paint the boat, I __________ to mention about the hole, When the boat dried, my kids took the boat and __________ a fishing trip. They did not know that there was a __________ in the boat. I was not at home at that time. When I returned and noticed they had taken the boat, I was desperate (绝望的) because I remembered that the boat had a hole. Imagine my relief (宽慰) and joy when I saw them returning from fishing.

“Then, I __________ the boat and found that you had repaired the hole! You see, now, what you did? You __________my children! I do not have enough money to pay your ‘small’ good deed.”

So, no matter who, when or how, just __________   repair all the “leak” you find.

1.

A．told

B．reminded

C．found

D．held

2.

A．repair

B．wipe

C．hide

D．measure

3.

A．benefit

B．bag

C．key

D．money

4.

A．higher

B．less

C．quicker

D．wealthier

5.

A．delighted

B．excited

C．moved

D．surprised

6.

A．award

B．kindness

C．job

D．skill

7.

A．cheap

B．small

C．valuable

D．important

8.

A．lending

B．selling

C．borrowing

D．paying

9.

A．excuse

B．cry

C．agree

D．understand

10.

A．decided

B．hated

C．forgot

D．remembered

11.

A．went through

B．went on

C．dreamed of

D．turned to

12.

A．hole

B．sign

C．rule

D．danger

13.

A．pulled

B．booked

C．examined

D．destroyed

14.

A．saved

B．taught

C．instructed

D．educated

15.

A．exactly

B．carefully

C．actually

D．finally

5 . Many years ago, Dad worked as a farmhand (农场工人). At that time, he had a horse. Every Saturday he _________ to the town after dinner and spent a few hours on social_________with other farmhands, such as drinking, chatting, and playing cards in the café. On Saturday evenings, the café was _________ because many farmhands were there. Before midnight Dad returned home on his horse, quite satisfied with his _________. In his words, he _________ thought of changing his job.

At the age of 31, Dad married my mother who was a school teacher. In the following spring I came _________ into the world. Life became hard, so my mother felt unsatisfied. She told Dad that they must make a _________.

My mother had _________ of how some famous persons, especially Thomas Edison who was born in a poor family, fought against fate and achieved greatness and fame. And she _________ that I would some day become a great leader, ruling men or cities and Dad should be a successful businessman. So she persuaded Dad to give up his job as a farmhand, sell his horse and ____________a small business of his own. And I went to high school and college. She even sent me abroad for____________ education when I graduated from college. Under the drive of my mother’s hope, Dad and I ____________ what we have today. Dad runs a big international ____________ and I am a successful lawyer enjoying great fame in my country, ____________ not a leader as my mother expected.

Dad said, without my mother, we wouldn’t be what we are today; at least, he would remain a farmhand. ____________ he got a lesson of life — sometimes we really need drive from outside.

1.

A．rode

B．walked

C．ran

D．drove

2.

A．conversations

B．games

C．relationships

D．activities

3.

A．cold

B．crowded

C．quiet

D．dirty

4.

A．horse

B．entertainment

C．life

D．beer

5.

A．often

B．ever

C．never

D．sometimes

6.

A．laughing

B．singing

C．sleeping

D．crying

7.

A．living

B．change

C．decision

D．house

8.

A．dreamed

B．heard

C．thought

D．spoken

9.

A．cared

B．knew

C．forgot

D．hoped

10.

A．start

B．find

C．design

D．sell

11.

A．farther

B．higher

C．easier

D．closer

12.

A．showed

B．kept

C．lost

D．achieved

13.

A．farm

B．school

C．company

D．cafe

14.

A．though

B．if

C．and

D．since

15.

A．So

B．However

C．Or

D．Because

6 . Andy rode slowly on his way to school, day-dreaming about the fishing trip that his father had promised him. He was so busy dreaming about all the fish he would catch that he was _________of everything else around him.

He rode along until a strange sound around _________him to the present. He came to a stop and looked _________ up to the heavens. What he saw shocked him. A huge swarm of bees _________ the sky like cloud and the buzzing mass was moving towards him.

With no time to waste, Andy sped off _________ the opposite direction, riding furiously without knowing how to _________ the swarm. With a rapidly beating heart and his legs pumping furiously, he sped down the rough road. As the bees came closer, his panic increased. Andy knew that he was sensitive to bee stings(蜇) . The last sting had _________ him in hospital - and that was only one bee sting! He had been forced to stay in bed for two whole days. Suddenly, his father's words came to him. "When you are in a tight situation, don't panic. Use your brain and think your ways out of it. "

On a nearby hill, he could see smoke waving slowly skywards from the chimney of the Nelson family home. "Bees don't like _________, " he thought. "They couldn't get into the house. " Andy _________ towards the Nelson house, but the bees were gaining ground. Andy knew he could not reach the house __________. He estimated that the bees would catch up with him soon.

Suddenly, out of the corner of his eyes, he__________ a small dam used by Mr. Nelson to irrigate(灌溉) his vegetable garden. Off his bike and into the cool water he dived, disappearing below the __________and away from the savage insects. After __________ his breath for as long as he could, Andy came up for air and noticed the bees have gone. Dragging himself out of the dam, he __________ up the hilly slope and rang the doorbell. Mr. Nelson took his inside and rang his mother.

"You'll really need that fishing break to help you recover, " laughed his mother with __________. "Thank goodness you didn't panic! But Andy did not hear her. He was dreaming once again of the fish he would catch tomorrow. "

1.

A．uncertain

B．unaware

C．unafraid

D．unbelievable

2.

A．held

B．concerned

C．drew

D．enabled

3.

A．cautiously

B．casually

C．curiously

D．cheerfully

4.

A．filled

B．flew

C．blocked

D．hung

5.

A．to

B．from

C．along

D．in

6.

A．strike

B．escape

C．survive

D．observe

7.

A．landed

B．cured

C．staged

D．engaged

8.

A．people

B．hills

C．sound

D．smoke

9.

A．raced

B．ran

C．moved

D．reached

10.

A．on time

B．in time

C．at one time

D．at times

11.

A．figured

B．viewed

C．judged

D．spotted

12.

A．surface

B．horizon

C．garden

D．ground

13.

A．catching

B．keeping

C．holding

D．limiting

14.

A．wandered

B．marched

C．struggled

D．covered

15.

A．curiosity

B．relief

C．generosity

D．emotion

7 . Ever since I was young, I have loved professional wrestling. I woke up every Saturday to _______ my favorite “superstars.” My peers would _______ me for following what was called a “man’s soap opera.” So I put my _______ for wrestling on the shelf. Like everyone else, I wanted to be invited to the _________ and hang out with the popular kids. I became pretty successful. _______ my Friday evenings were busy with parties, I’d still wake up early on Saturdays to watch wrestling. It wasn't until freshman year that I_________ I wasn’t being myself. That year, I _______ many new things and activities. In my town, football was the popular sport, so I decided to play football, thinking it might give me a head start in popularity. But I didn’t do it well. That _______ taught me a lesson: I wasn’t a football player. More importantly, it _______ me to be myself. After that season, I went back to being a wrestling fan. I came across a quote: “Don't dream it. Be it.” When I ________ this, my friend Dan had the same ________ I had. “What if we build a wrestling ring?” we asked. We acquired the necessary wood and equipment for its ________. The following weekend, we ________ in his backyard. We worked the whole day to build our great establishment. By Sunday night, our mission was ________. Our hard work had paid off. We had a real ________. We decided to hold an “event.” We ________ for hours, trying to improve our wrestling ability. The date was May 24th. Our ________ had a start time of 9 p.m. To our surprise, about one hundred friends and fans showed up to ________ us. It was the most ________ night of my life and a complete success.

We are now well known throughout school. When I walk down the halls, I'm ________ by my peers, who know I did something I believed in, despite what others said or thought.

1.

A．watch

B．visit

C．call

D．find

2.

A．worry about

B．laugh at

C．look for

D．agree with

3.

A．knowledge

B．confidence

C．hope

D．love

4.

A．schools

B．meetings

C．parties

D．concerts

5.

A．Although

B．Unless

C．Because

D．Since

6.

A．remembered

B．realized

C．imagined

D．predicted

7.

A．tried

B．refused

C．recorded

D．analyzed

8.

A．project

B．competition

C．dream

D．season

9.

A．promised

B．forced

C．taught

D．trained

10.

A．explained

B．proved

C．answered

D．read

11.

A．problem

B．duty

C．idea

D．mood

12.

A．construction

B．research

C．development

D．content

13.

A．played

B．met

C．disappeared

D．fought

14.

A．stopped

B．destroyed

C．discovered

D．completed

15.

A．yard

B．athlete

C．ring

D．event

16.

A．talked

B．practiced

C．struggled

D．observed

17.

A．show

B．test

C．journey

D．conference

18.

A．help

B．follow

C．support

D．persuade

19.

A．dangerous

B．important

C．comfortable

D．difficult

20.

A．forgiven

B．missed

C．protected

D．respected

8 . While a man was passing by an elephant, he suddenly stopped. The elephant was held by only a small rope. The farmer ties the rope to the elephant's front leg. No chains, no cages. The man was very confused. He wanted to know why the elephant didn't run away.

He visited the farmer and asked why the elephant just stood there and didn't run away. "Well," the farmer said, "when it was very young and much smaller, we used the same size rope to tie it. At that age, the rope was strong enough to hold it. Of course it couldn't run away. When it grew up, it still believed the rope could hold it. So it never tried to run away."

The man was very amazed. In fact, the grown-up elephant could run away at any time. But it didn't run away just because it believed it couldn't. As a result, it was stuck right there.

We have such problems in our life. Sometimes we don't think we can deal with the problems. Sometimes we fail to deal with them. It's not wise to stop struggling. See? Failure is part of learning. We should never give up the struggle.

1. The farmer held the elephant by ________.

A．making a chain to tie the elephant	B．making a cage for the elephant
C．tying a rope to the elephant's front leg	D．tying a rope around the elephant's body

2. When the elephant grew up, the farmer used ________ to hold it.

A．a stronger rope	B．a smaller rope
C．the same size rope	D．a longer rope

3. The grown-up elephant couldn't run away because ________.

A．no one came to save it	B．the elephant couldn't run fast
C．it was not strong enough	D．it believed it couldn't

4. The writer wants to tell us ________.

A．not to stop struggling	B．to give up the struggle in life
C．to learn from the farmer	D．to learn from the elephant

9 . About five years ago, I found myself working in a terrible middle school. The hours were long and the work was boring. _______, the pay was low. Every day the job seemed a physical _______ for me. My neck would burn with pain from the _______ bending. My feet would ache from _______ the entire day. The skin around my fingernails would _______ because of the work my hands were doing. I tried to keep my _______ up while I worked there, but day by day I felt myself _______ down. Every morning I would press sticking-plaster (膏药) on my neck, place Band-Aid around my fingers and _______ my worn-out shoes. And every night I would _______ myself home and fall onto the couch.

One evening I felt like I could____________ it no more. As I drove home alone, I said to myself. “Why am I working myself here just to ____________? Why couldn’t I find a better job than this? Why do I have to ____________ this right now?”

I wasn’t really expecting a(n) ____________, but life always loves to surprise us. As I ____________up the steps to my front door, I found my wife and my son waiting for me ____________ smiling faces. “Daddy, Daddy!” my son yelled. I smiled and picked him up with my ____________ arms. Then after hugging and kissing him, I laughed for the first time in days and sat down ____________. At that time, I found the answer which would give me the ____________ I needed to go on.

Eventually I moved on to a better school, but I____________ forgot that answer, which had gently reminded me of the simple truth. We may have to work to live, but we live to ____________. May you always fill your days with love and joy.

1.

A．Instead

B．Besides

C．Therefore

D．However

2.

A．class

B．shock

C．exploration

D．challenge

3.

A．neat

B．confusing

C．constant

D．curious

4.

A．standing

B．racing

C．running

D．shaking

5.

A．destroy

B．damage

C．benefit

D．split

6.

A．spirits

B．attitudes

C．minds

D．thoughts

7.

A．bringing

B．tearing

C．wearing

D．putting

8.

A．burn up

B．go on

C．put on

D．wind up

9.

A．walk

B．enjoy

C．help

D．drag

10.

A．appreciate

B．stand

C．like

D．prefer

11.

A．survive

B．support

C．continue

D．exist

12.

A．put aside

B．go through

C．keep up

D．come across

13.

A．reward

B．gift

C．solution

D．answer

14.

A．struggled

B．moved

C．jumped

D．climbed

15.

A．from

B．as

C．with

D．for

16.

A．broken

B．relieved

C．trembled

D．tired

17.

A．regularly

B．peacefully

C．surprisingly

D．sadly

18.

A．nutrient

B．courage

C．strength

D．break

19.

A．ever

B．never

C．seldom

D．already

20.

A．love

B．relax

C．work

D．laugh

10 . Jim was a young man in his early twenties who was studying to be a carpenter. He was a good worker, honest and worthy of trust, so his boss was pleased with him. As he was such a likable man and easy to deal with, he was popular with his workmates, too. They also made fun of him a great deal but he never got angry with them and would only laugh.

But Jim’s one great shortcoming was that he could never tell a lie, no matter how hard he tried, not even a little one. In fact, he was so honest and shy that he would blush even when he was telling the truth. He used to stand in front of the mirror and practise lying while looking himself in the eyes at the same time. But as soon as he saw his face starting to go red he had to look away.

One morning, however, he didn’t feel like going to work because he had been to a party the night before and it hadn’t ended till the early hours of the morning. And so far the first time in his life he decided to take the day off. He rang his boss, pretending to be a woman. “I’m afraid Jim can’t come to work today. He isn’t feeling very well.”

Poor Jim was thankful that his boss couldn’t see him just at that moment because his hands were trembling(发抖) and his face was bright red.

“Thank you for letting me know,” said Mr. Woods, his boss, and then just as he was about to hang up, he said, “just a moment, madam, who’s speaking.”

“Oh!” he stammered (口吃的说), and going all out for making a voice like a woman, he cried in a voice: “This is my landlady speaking!”

1. According to the passage we know that Jim was a ___.

A．skillful worker

B．skillful carpenter

C．researcher studying how to be a carpenter

D．being-trained carpenter

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

A．stammer	B．look away
C．go red	D．feel hot

3. Why did Jim try to practise lying?

A．To avoid being laughed at by his workmates.

B．To overcome his shortcoming.

C．To get his boss pleased with him.

D．To get ready for asking for leave.

4. At the end of the story poor Jim let the cat ____.

A．out of the bag	B．out of the house
C．into the bag	D．into the house