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 . Harry Depp will always treasure his experience of getting accepted to Yale Law School.

Harry had a happy life growing up until his mother _______ the family and moved out of the county when he was 8. His father then worked several jobs to _______ Harry and his older brother, but the family struggled _______. They often had no food or electricity.

Harry’s academics significantly suffered. As his grades _______, he channeled   his energy into sports. He was_______ in boxing and won national and international games, which he hoped would become his way out of_______. However, his dream were _______ when he suffered a shoulder injury in the 12th grade.

Harry’s poor grades as a senior resulted in him being _______ by every college he applied to. So he took a job at Bates Trucking and Trash, _______ rubbish and cleaning dustbins.

Rather than add to his despair (绝望), the job marked a ________ point in his life. His co-workers found his ________ , uplifted him and urged him to go back to school. Finally he was ________ to Bowie State University. By the end of his second year, Harry decided he wanted to go to ________ school.

Harry was ________ for the support he got from his co-workers. “It was the first time in my life that a group of individuals had really just ________ me, and told me I was intelligent."

1.

A．contacted

B．established

C．reunited

D．abandoned

2.

A．reward

B．raise

C．comfort

D．shelter

3.

A．physically

B．academically

C．financially

D．mentally

4.

A．counted

B．worsened

C．balanced

D．improved

5.

A．negative

B．awful

C．terrible

D．excellent

6.

A．poverty

B．argument

C．qualification

D．ignorance

7.

A．cut short

B．cut up

C．cut open

D．cut in

8.

A．commented

B．removed

C．rejected

D．guided

9.

A．collecting

B．reflecting

C．throwing

D．studying

10.

A．limited

B．challenging

C．weak

D．turning

11.

A．preference

B．potential

C．fortune

D．identity

12.

A．introduced

B．persuaded

C．directed

D．admitted

13.

A．arts

B．sports

C．law

D．science

14.

A．ambitious

B．grateful

C．desperate

D．responsible

15.

A．admired

B．honored

C．encouraged

D．promoted

3 . It was New Year time, but I wasn’t looking forward to it. That winter, my mother and my stepfather moved our family to Southern California. My brother and I were leaving our rural Alabama behind. This would be our first New Year away from Alabama. My mother took to California like a swan to a royal lake. My athletic little brother, Paul, was excited at a climate that allowed him to go to the beach whenever he wanted.

I, however, was a fat child with a heavy southern pronunciation. My first day in the new class, I introduced myself in a low voice. All I said was my name and where I was from. The class burst into laughter. “He talks funnily.” I was so helpless that I went to a place to call Granny Smith after school, who was my biggest support. But I didn’t get through.

On Sunday evening, the phone rang. It was Granny. She often took advantage of the discounted long-distance rates on Sundays. She said she’d shipped a New Year package. Sure enough, it arrived. Surprised at the box, large enough to hold a small refrigerator, we eagerly tore it open. The smell of Granny’s house filled the room: a combination of fried meat, sausages, furniture polish and decorations. Her house was tiny and always filled with tacky holiday decorations and homemade food before New Year. But in my childhood eyes, it was precious and fantastic.

There were countless tins and containers. We opened them to discover piles of holiday treats. She even included our traditional candy bars. The box was as bottomless as a magical box. There, beneath all these, was my familiar holiday.

Every New Year that we spent in California, the postal service would call and say our package arrived. Over the years, many treasures arrived in the box. For me, it’s always been the best part of the holiday.

1. How did he author’s brother feel when they were moving to California?

A．Unconcerned.

B．Joyful.

C．Grateful.

D．Upset.

2. Why did the author’s classmates laugh at him?

A．He had a strong accent.	B．He made a humorous talk.
C．He looked overweight.	D．He spoke in a very low voice.

3. What does the underlined word “tacky” in Paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．Suitable.

B．Large.

C．Cheap.

D．Attractive.

4. Which of the following can be the best title of the text?

A．Granny’s Care Package	B．An Unforgettable Holiday
C．Our Move to California	D．A Telephone Call from Granny

4 . In 1982 Steven Callahan was crossing the Atlantic alone in his sailboat when it struck something and sank. He was out of the shipping lanes and floating in a life raft,________. His supplies were few. His________were small. Yet when three fishermen found him seventy-six days later, he was much skinnier than he was when he_______ , but alive.

The thing that________my eye was how he managed to keep himself going when all hope seemed lost, when there seemed no________in continuing the struggle, when he was suffering greatly, when his lifeboat was broken with a hole and after more than a week struggling with his weak body to_______ it, it was still leaking water. He was________and thoroughly exhausted.________would have seemed the only wise choice.

When people survive these kinds of circumstances, they do something with their________that gives them the courage to keep going. Many people in _______desperate circumstances give in or go mad. Something the survivors do with their thoughts helps them find the________to carry on.

“I tell myself I can________it,” wrote Callahan in his account. “Compared to what others have gone________, I’m fortunate. I tell myself these things over and over,________my determination to keep going.”

I wrote that down after I read it. It________me as something important. And I’ve told myself the same thing when my own goals seemed________off. And every time I say it, I always come back to my________.

So here, coming to us from the extreme edge of________are wards that can give us strength.________you’re going through, tell yourself you can handle it. Tell this to yourself over and over, and it will help you get through the________spots with a little more determination.

1.

A．aloud

B．alone

C．aside

D．aboard

2.

A．fish

B．holes

C．crew

D．chances

3.

A．started

B．arrived

C．rose

D．disappeared

4.

A．covered

B．hurt

C．caught

D．entered

5.

A．sailor

B．companion

C．point

D．opportunity

6.

A．board

B．abandon

C．observe

D．fix

7.

A．starved

B．embarrassed

C．confused

D．satisfied

8.

A．Giving out

B．Giving up

C．Giving away

D．Giving off

9.

A．tools

B．dreams

C．minds

D．hearts

10.

A．similarly

B．physically

C．mentally

D．differently

11.

A．luck

B．direction

C．courage

D．privilege

12.

A．handle

B．delay

C．realize

D．imagine

13.

A．into

B．for

C．against

D．through

14.

A．putting up

B．building up

C．bringing up

D．taking up

15.

A．frightened

B．struck

C．disappointed

D．preserved

16.

A．far

B．low

C．heavy

D．bright

17.

A．status

B．crossroads

C．homes

D．senses

18.

A．experiment

B．hurricane

C．flood

D．survival

19.

A．However

B．Whoever

C．Whatever

D．Whichever

20.

A．smooth

B．rough

C．easy

D．comfortable

5 . Our room was on the second floor but you could still hear the roar of the ocean and see the stars at night. I used to take long walks along the water. The food in town was wonderful and the people were very friendly. The area was very quiet and peaceful, and fairly deserted.

The last evening of our vacation, however, we all heard strange footsteps following closely behind us as we were walking up to our room in the holiday centre. We turned around and noticed a fairly young man moving very rapidly across the beach and getting closer to us. He was tall and wore a baseball cap. We didn't have any cell phones on us. I never saw Dad as worried as he was then and knew that something was terribly wrong. The sense of fear started to overwhelm Mom and me. We had had such a good time in town. Now, the night was rapidly turning into a dangerous situation．

We could hear the man's footsteps getting closer. Dad's face was almost pale．The so﹣called intruder（侵入者）had moved nearer and nearer when all of a sudden, the nearby vending（自动贩卖）machine started going crazy and spitting out cans of soda! The noise actually scared the intruder and he ran out of sight. My parents were shaking, but we all turned around to see who had put money into the vending machine downstairs, and actually saved us, but no one was around at all. Not a soul.

It's one vacation I will never forget.

1. Where did the author spend her vacation?

A．Near a lake.	B．In a village.
C．At the seaside.	D．In a mountain.

2. What happened to the author's family on the last evening of their vacation?

A．They saw a stranger walking up to their room.

B．Their cell phones were missing.

C．They were robbed by a tall man.

D．They were followed by a stranger.

3. What does the underlined word“overwhelm”in Paragraph 2 mean.

A．Control	B．impress
C．excite	D．move

4. What helped them get out of the trouble?

A．Their quick action.

B．The noise from the vending machine.

C．Other people's kind help.

D．The young man's warning.

6 . 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

7 . 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

9 . I’ve loved my mother’s desk since I was just tall enough to see above the top of it as mother sat doing letters. Seeing what Mother was doing, I thought that the act of writing must be the most wonderful thing in the world.

My mother was a kind person, who always showed her love on me in action. However, as a little girl, I only wanted heart-to-heart talks between mother and daughter. But such talks never happened. I was sad about it and often rude to her, eager to start a new life somewhere else.

When I had my own family, I came to understand mother’s love. So I wrote to mother and asked if she’d forgiven my rudeness. Then, I posted the letter and waited for her answer, but it never came. I felt disappointed and slowly didn’t care too much about it.

Years later, during mother’s final illness, she left some things for my sister and brother. “But the desk,” she said in a weak voice, “is specially for Elizabeth.” When I cleaned the desk-her present for me, I found a one — page letter inside, folded many times. It was the letter that I wrote years ago.

Then, tears came down, “Oh, dear mom, you’ve chosen the silent act to show you did forgive me and always be proud of my writing. Thank you for your silent love. I love you forever!”

1. According to the author, the most wonderful thing in the world must be the act of__________.

A．reading	B．cooking
C．writing	D．dancing

2. What kind of communication did the little girl want?

A．Arm-in-arm walks with her mother.	B．Face-to-face talks with her mother.
C．Hand-in-hand walks with her mother.	D．Heart-to-heart talks with her mother.

3. Who did the mother leave the desk for?

A．Elizabeth.	B．Elizabeth’s son.
C．Elizabeth’s sister.	D．Elizabeth’s brother.

4. How did the mother show her love on her kids?

A．In words.	B．In action.
C．By music.	D．By painting.

10 . After a serious earthquake happened, a father left his wife safely at home and rushed to his sons school, only to find that the building where his son studied had collapsed and looked like a pancake.

He was shocked. He didn’t know what he should do for a while, then he remembered the words he had said to his son, “No matter what happens, I’ll always be there for you!” And tears began to fill his eyes. He started digging through the ruins.

As he was digging, other helpless parents and the firemen arrived and tried to pull him off the ruins, saying, “It’s too late! They’re all dead! There’s nothing you can do!” To them he replied with one line, “Are you going to help me now?” And then he kept on digging.

No one helped, however. He went on alone because he needed to know for himself, “Is my boy alive or is he dead?” He dug for eight hours…12 hours.….24 hours.….36 hours.. then in the 39th hour, he pulled back a rock and heard his son’s words. He shouted his son’s name, “ARMAND!” He heard back, “Dad!?! It’s me, Dad! I told the other kids not to worry. I told them that if you were alive, you’d save me and when you saved me, they’d be saved. You promised, ‘No matter what happens, I’ll always be there for you!’ You did it Dad!”

“What’s going on there? How is it?” the father asked.

“There are 14 of us left out of 33, Dad. We’re frightened, hungry, thirsty and thankful you’re here. When the building fell down, it made a triangle, and it saved us.”

“Come out, boy!”

“No, Dad! Let the other kids out first, because I know you’ll get me! No matter what happens, I know you’ll always be there for me!”

1. The underlined word “collapsed” probably means_________

A．fallen down

B．shaken violently

C．stood by

D．gone off

2. Other parents and the firemen wanted to pull him off the ruins because they thought ____________

A．he was mad	B．all the children had died in the earthquake
C．he was too dangerous to others	D．it was not his job to dig

3. How many students were still alive when the father found them in the ruins?

A．Fourteen.

B．Thirty three

C．Forty seven

D．Nineteen.

4. We can learn from the passage that_________

A．it took the father one day to find his son and other students

B．his wife died in the earthquake

C．his son was the last one to come out of the ruins

D．the son didn’t believe his father would come to save him