1 . My father was left fatherless at the age of 12, and pretty much on his own then.

Because of that, he was never the loving type. He didn’t have time to offer a pat on the back or a loving hug（拥抱）. He was built for work, and work he did—7 days a week—expecting my brothers and me to do the same.

Growing up, I spent much of my free time laboring with him on jobs around the house. To him, working alongside someone was the best way to show you cared. The way you felt about a person was clear from the fact you spent time with the person; you didn’t need to express your feelings. As far as I know, he never did. Except once.

I was 22, graduated from college, and leaving home for the last time. He and I had loaded my things into the car and were talking in the garage. Without warning, he wrapped me in his huge arms and hugged me tight.“You were always my favorite,”he said.“I love you, and I’m going to miss you.”

With that, he shooed（用“嘘”声驱赶）me into the car and then left for the house, tears in his eyes.

I was floored by his response—and then felt proud, pleased and grateful. Yet some small part of me also wondered why it had taken him so long to express his love.

I can accept now that it wasn’t possible for him to be warm—his feelings were buried too deeply under the layers of a tough life. Thanks to my father’s once-in-a-lifetime hug, I’ve come to realize something he never could. A hug is more than simple physical touch. It is a lightning-like connection between two people. A link that expresses love, encouragement, comfort-all the emotions that can strengthen a relationship, even turn a life around.

1. According to the author, his father didn’t show his feelings easily because of all the following reasons EXCEPT _____.

A．he didn’t think it important to show his love

B．he always worked around the house and paid no attention to his kids

C．he himself grew up without love from his own father

D．he thought the best way to show feelings was to spend time together

2. The word“floored”in the passage can be best replaced by _____.

A．frightened	B．flooded
C．hit	D．confused

3. It can be inferred from the passage that the author will probably _____.

A．hide his feelings for his kids as deeply as his father did

B．offer physical touch like hugs to his own kids quite often

C．not spend time working around the house with his own kids

D．not understand his father’s love for him for the rest of his life

4. The purpose of the writing is to _____.

A．mention the importance of a hug in our life

B．tell us an unhappy childhood without father’s care

C．share a touching story of the author and his father

D．show the difficult relationship between child and parents

2 . 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 unaware of everything else around him.

He rode along until a strange sound drew him to the present. He came to a stop and looked curiously up to the heavens. What he saw shocked and terrified him. A huge swarm of bees filled the sky like a black cloud and the noisy mass seemed to be heading angrily towards him.

With no time to waste, Andy sped off in the opposite direction, riding furiously—but without knowing how to escape the group. 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 landed 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 way 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 smoke,” he thought. “They couldn’t get into the house.” Andy raced towards the Nelson house, but the bees were gaining ground. Andy knew he could not reach the house in time. He estimated that the bees would catch up with him soon.

Suddenly, out of the corner of his eyes, he spotted a small dam used by Mr. Nelson to water his vegetable garden. Off his bike and into the cool water he lived, disappearing below the surface and away from the savage insects. After holding his breath for as long as he could, Andy came up for air and noticed the bees had gone. Dragging himself out of the dam, he struggled up the hilly slope and rang the doorbell. Mrs. Nelson took him inside and rang his mother.

“You’ll really need that fishing break to help you recover,” laughed his mother with relief. “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. Which of the following is not mentioned about the group of bees in the passage?

A．They crowded like a black cloud.	B．They made Andy terribly frightened.
C．They tried to attack Andy in a mass.	D．They sent Andy to the hospital.

2. The expression “gaining ground” can be best understood as “________”.

A．coming nearer	B．gaining more power
C．gathering near the ground	D．flying over the Nelson house

3. According to the passage, Andy finally avoided the bees by ______.

A．asking Mr. Nelson for help	B．hiding himself under the water
C．rushing into the Nelson house	D．riding off in the opposite direction

4. Which of the following proverbs can best describe Andy’s escape from the bees?

A．No pains, no gains.

B．Once bitten, twice shy.

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

D．In time of danger, one’s mind works fast.

3 . Directions: After reading the passage below, fill in the blanks to make the passage coherent and grammatically correct. For the blanks with a given word, fill in each blank with the proper form of the given word; for the other blanks, use one word that best fits each blank.

It was a cold winter day that Sunday. The parking lot to the church filled up quickly. I noticed, as I got out of my car, fellow church members     1     (whisper) among themselves as they walked in the church.

As I got closer, I saw a man leaning up against the wall outside the church. He was almost lying down     2     he were asleep. His hat was pulled down so you     3     not see his face. He wore shoes     4     looked 30 years old, too small for his feet, with holes all over them, his toes stuck out.

I guessed this man was homeless and asleep, so I walked on by through the doors of the church. We all talked for a few minutes, and someone mentioned the man     5     (lie) outside. People whispered but no one took trouble     6     (ask) him to come in, including me.

A few minutes later church began. We all waited for the preacher to take his place and to give us the Word, when the doors to the church opened. In came the man walking down the church with his head down. People gasped and whispered and made faces. He made his way down the church and up onto the pulpit (讲坛)     7     he took off his hat and coat. My heart sank.

There     8     (stand) our preacher... he was     9     “homeless man”. The preacher took his Bible and laid it on his stand. “Folks, I don’t think I have to tell you     10     I am preaching today. If you judge people by their appearance, you have no time to love them.”

4 . The bus screamed to a stop in Nazareth, Israel. Five Australian backpackers boarded and struck up a conversation with me. They asked typical travelers’ questions—where was I going and why was I traveling alone? My plan was to travel with a friend of a friend, I explained, but when I called her that morning, she didn’t pick up and I had no other way to reach her. My stomach was in knots, but I decided to head out anyway, thinking I might run into her if I traveled to Tiberius, where we had planned to go together.

“Why don’t you travel with us?” one of the backpackers offered. They were experienced adventurers who would work for a few months, save, then travel for as long as they could. Their current plan was to explore the Middle East and Europe in three months while working in London.

It seemed risky to travel with strangers, but my instinct said yes. For the next two weeks, I explored Israel with the backpackers and learned to trust my instincts in all types of new and interesting situations. When they hook a ride, I took the bus, but when they wanted to steal into the King David Hotel’s swimming pool, I led the way. The world opened up to me because I chose to travel alone. I joined complete strangers, who become close friends. Years later, one couple from the backpacking group even flew from Sydney to Phoenix to be in my wedding. The trip was such a special experience that it gave me confidence in all areas of my life. Since then, I’ve backpacked alone across South Africa, sky-dived from 12,000 feet in New Zealand and even moved across the U.S. with no job lined up.

On my third day wandering in Israel with my new friends, I bumped into the woman I was supposed to meet. Though I was happy she was all right, I was grateful she hadn’t picked up the phone.

1. By “My stomach was in knots” (in paragraph 1), the author most likely means that she was ______.

A．sick of riding on a bumpy bus	B．nervous of meeting strangers
C．upset about the sudden change	D．sorry about the impractical plan

2. Which of the following best describes the backpackers the author met?

A．Courageous but disrespectful.	B．Jobless and poorly educated.
C．Warmhearted and trustworthy.	D．Homeless but lighthearted.

3. The author’s sixth sense told her that ______.

A．she would get along with the backpackers	B．it might cause trouble to have a swim
C．she ought to stay away from the backpackers	D．it could add excitement to get a free ride

4. What can be inferred from the passage?

A．Most of the backpackers became the author’s lifelong friends.

B．The author gathered the courage to be a fulltime backpack traveler.

C．The woman missed the phone call with the purpose of traveling alone.

D．The author considered it the best decision of her life to travel on her own.

5 . Tim Richter and his wife, Linda, had taught for over 30 years near Buffalo, New York—he in computers, she in special education. “Teaching means everything to us.” Tim would say. In April 1998, he learned he would need a heart operation. It was the kind of news that leads to some serious thinking about life's purpose.
Not long after the surgery, Tim saw a brochure describing Imagination Library, a program started by Dolly Parton's foundation (基金会) that mailed a book every month to children from birth to age five in the singer's home town of Sevier, Tennessee. “I thought, maybe Linda and I could do something like this when we retire.” Tim recalls. He placed the brochure on his desk, “as a reminder”．
Five years later, now retired and with that brochure still on the desk, Tim clicked on imaginationlibrary.com. The program had been opened up to partners who could take advantage of book and postage discounts.
The quality of the books was of great concern to the Richters. Rather than sign up online, they went to Dollywood for a look­see. “We didn't want to give the children rubbish.” says Linda. The books—reviewed each year by teachers, literacy specialists, and Dollywood board members—included classics such as Ezra Jack Keats's The Snowy Day and newer books like Anna Dewdney's Llama Llama series.
Satisfied, the couple set up the Richter Family Foundation and got to work. Since 2004, they have shipped more than 12,200 books to preschoolers in their area. Megan Williams, a mother of four, is more than appreciative：“This program introduces us to books I've never heard of.”
The Richters spend about $400 a month sending books to 200 children. “Some people sit there and wait to die.” says Tim. “Others get as busy as they can in the time they have left.”
1. What led Tim to think seriously about the meaning of life?

A．The news from the Web.	B．His love for teaching.
C．The influence of his wife.	D．His health problem.

2. What did Tim want to do after learning about Imagination Library?

A．Give out brochures.

B．Write books for children

C．Do something similar..

D．Retire from being a teacher.

3. According to the text, Dolly Parton is ________.

A．a well­known surgeon

B．a singer born in Tennessee

C．a mother of a four­year­old

D．a computer programmer

4. What can we learn from Tim's words in the last paragraph?

A．He considers his efforts worthwhile.

B．He wonders why some people are so busy.

C．He tries to save those waiting to die.

D．He needs more money to help the children.

6 . There was a man who played the piano in a small bar. There were not too many ______, but because he was a good piano player, some people ______ came in every night just to hear him play. But one night, a patron (老顾客) told him he didn’t want to hear him play but to sing a song.

The man said, “I have never done that before in public. I think I’m ______ at playing the piano.” But the customer ______. He told the waiter, “I’m ______ listening to the piano day after day. I want to hear something new and I want that guy to sing.”

The waiter ______ across the room, “Hey, buddy! If you want to get ______, sing a song. The patrons are asking you to sing!”

So in order no bring some money home that night, the piano player who had never sung in public did so for the very first time. And ______ had ever heard the song Mona Lisa sung before ______ that night by Nat King Cole, and it surprised all, including the ______ himself.

He had talent he was sitting on! He may have lived the rest of his life as a no-name piano player in a no-name bar, but ______ he had to sing, he went on to become one of the best-known entertainers in America.

You, too, have skills and ______. You may not feel as if your “talent” is particularly ______, but it may be better than you think! And with persistence, most skills can be ______. Besides, you may as well have no ability at all if you sit on whatever talent you possess. The ______ is not “What ability do I have that is useful?” It is rather “How will I use whatever ability I have?”

1.

A．waiters

B．players

C．singers

D．customers

2.

A．never

B．still

C．ever

D．only

3.

A．better

B．nicer

C．easier

D．sooner

4.

A．agreed

B．worried

C．insisted

D．charged

5.

A．familiar with

B．fond of

C．used to

D．tired of

6.

A．complained

B．shouted

C．explained

D．served

7.

A．changed

B．fired

C．paid

D．praised

8.

A．nobody

B．anybody

C．somebody

D．everybody

9.

A．since

B．after

C．until

D．when

10.

A．waiter

B．singer

C．patron

D．owner

11.

A．unless

B．although

C．because

D．if

12.

A．advantages

B．characters

C．abilities

D．principles

13.

A．different

B．surprising

C．famous

D．great

14.

A．improved

B．wasted

C．recognized

D．impressed

15.

A．decision

B．difficulty

C．question

D．solution

7 . A true apology is more than just acknowledgement of a mistake. It’s recognition that something you’ve said or done has damaged a relationship—and that you care enough about that relationship to want it ____ .
It’s never ____ to acknowledge you are in the wrong. Being human, we all need the art of apology. Look back and think how ____ you’ve judged roughly, said ____ things, pushed yurself ahead at the expense of a friend. Some deep thought lets us know that when ____ a small mistake has been made, your ____ will stay out of balance until the mistake is acknowledged and your regret is ____.
I remember a doctor friend, telling me about a man who came to him with ____ illnesses: headache, insomnia, stomachaches and so on. No physical ____ could be found. Finally the doctor said to the man, “____ you tell me what’s on your conscience, I can’t help you.”
After a short silence, the man told the doctor that he ____ all the money that his father gave to his brother, who was ____. His father had died, so only he himself knew the matter. The doctor made the man write to his brother making an ____ and enclosing a ____. In the post office, the man dropped the letter into the mail box. As the letter disappeared, the man burst into tears. “Thank you, doctor,” he said, “I think I’m all right now.” And he ____.1.

A．built

B．formed

C．repaired

D．damaged

2.

A．difficult

B．easy

C．foolish

D．shy

3.

A．long

B．often

C．much

D．soon

4.

A．unusual

B．harmful

C．worthless

D．unkind

5.

A．hardly

B．even

C．only

D．such

6.

A．sense

B．brain

C．weight

D．feeling

7.

A．apologized

B．explained

C．offered

D．expressed

8.

A．strange

B．fatal

C．various

D．dangerous

9.

A．sign

B．injury

C．cause

D．symptom

10.

A．Whenever

B．Unless

C．Suppose

D．Although

11.

A．neglected

B．accepted

C．seized

D．wasted

12.

A．mad

B．lost

C．abroad

D．dead

13.

A．order

B．excuse

C．agreement

D．apology

14.

A．note

B．card

C．check

D．photo

15.

A．should

B．did

C．had

D．was

8 .

John Blanchard was studying the crowd making their way through the station. He was looking for the girl whose heart he knew, but whose face he didn’t, the girl with the rose.

When reading a book in a Florida library a year before, John became interested not in the contents of the book, but in the notes penciled in the margin. The handwriting reflected a thoughtful soul and beautiful mind. He discovered the former owner’s name in the front of the book: Miss Hollis Maynell.

He located her address and wrote a letter introducing himself. The next day he was shipped overseas to serve in the army. During the next year, they grew to know each other through the mail and their friendship developed. John requested a photograph, but she refused, saying if he really cared, it wouldn’t matter what she looked like. When the day finally came for him to return home, their first meeting was suggested — 7:00 p.m. at the Grand Central Station in New York.

She wrote, “You’ll recognize me by the red rose I wear on my coat.” So now John was in the station to meet the girl with a rose.

As a pretty and slim girl in green came over, John noticed her blue eyes like flowers in spring. He walked directly towards her, entirely forgetting she was not wearing a rose. As John came closer to her, he saw another woman with a red rose stood nearby. Well past 40, this woman had graying hair done under a worn hat. Seeing the girl in green walk quickly away, John felt as if he were split in two.

He desired to follow that girl, but longed for the woman whose spirit had truly companioned and supported him.

The woman looked gentle and sensible. John went to her, saying, “I’m Captain John Blanchard. You must be Miss Maynell. I am glad to meet you here. May I take you to dinner?”

She replied with a smile, “I don’t know what this is about. But the lady in green who just went by, begged me to wear this rose on my coat. She said if you asked me out to dinner, I’d tell you she is waiting for you in the big restaurant across the street. She said it was some kind of test!”
1. John was eager to know the former owner of the book because he ______.

A．was very interested in the contents of the book

B．was impressed by the notes written by its owner

C．wanted to improve his handwriting

D．wanted to discuss the book with her

2. What happened to John after getting in touch with Miss Hollis Maynell?

A．He served in the army abroad.

B．He went overseas for vacation.

C．He went on a business trip in New York.

D．He visited Miss Maynell.

3. What do we know about the woman with a rose?

A．She was Miss Maynell’s close friend.

B．She was a waitress in the big restaurant.

C．She was probably a passerby.

D．She was paid to meet John at the Station.

4. Which would be the best title of the text?

A．An Interesting Book	B．A Woman With a Rose
C．A Brave Soldier	D．A Love Test