A Little Boy
A little boy selling magazines for school walked up to a house that people rarely visited. The house was very old and shabby and the owner hardly ever came out. When he did come out, he would not say hello to his neighbors or passers-by but simply just glared at them.
The boy knocked on the door and waited, sweating from fear of the old man. The boy’s parents told him to stay away from the house, and a lot of other neighborhood children were told the same thing from their parents.
Dusk found the boy lingering on and hesitating what to do. As he was ready to walk away, the door slowly opened. “What do you want?” the old man said impatiently. The little boy was very afraid but he had a quota (定额) to meet for school with selling the magazines. So he got up the courage and said, “Uh, Sir, I am selling these magazines and, uh, I was wondering if you would like to buy one from me.”
The old man just stared at the boy without a word. The boy could see inside the old man’s house and saw that he had dog figurines (小雕像) on the fireplace mantle. “Do you collect dogs?” The little boy asked. “Yes, I have many collections in my house. They are my family here and they are all I have.” The boy then felt sorry for the man, as it seemed that he was a very lonely soul.
“Well, I do have a magazine here for collectors. It is perfect for you. I also have one about dogs since you like dogs so much.” The old man was ready to close the door on the boy and said, “No, boy. I don’t need any magazines of any kind, now goodbye.”
The little boy was sad that he was not going to make his quota with the sale. He was also sad for the old man being so alone in the house that he owned. The boy went home and then had an idea. He had a little dog figurine that he got some years ago from an aunt. The figurine did not mean nearly as much to him since he had a real live dog and a large family.
注意:1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式作答。
The little boy headed back down to the old man’s house.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________From that day on something changed inside the old man.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________2 . Nixon, 59 years old, was born and grew up in St. Petersburg. Each morning, he sits on a bench, watches the sunrise, and connects with
Eight years ago, he decided to begin each day from a bench (a kind of chair) with an impressive view of the St. Petersburg waterfront (圣彼得堡海滨), because it made him feel calm and
About a year later, a woman stopped to say hello, and she said something that
Instead of staring straight ahead at the waterfront, Nixon started
No matter what problem a person wants to
Nixon was always happy to listen, and he listens without
And at that moment, she truly wasn’t.
1.| A．teenagers | B．relatives | C．strangers | D．neighbors |
| A．peaceful | B．excited | C．proud | D．surprised |
| A．formed | B．changed | C．developed | D．supported |
| A．agreed | B．realized | C．imagined | D．remembered |
| A．pointing | B．laughing | C．shouting | D．smiling |
| A．joining | B．noticing | C．leaving | D．praising |
| A．say | B．face | C．hear | D．create |
| A．fame | B．success | C．marriage | D．privacy |
| A．health | B．hobbies | C．kids | D．job |
| A．give up | B．calm down | C．speak up | D．slow down |
| A．emotion | B．consideration | C．judgment | D．interest |
| A．guide | B．teacher | C．friend | D．workmate |
| A．hugged | B．greeted | C．competed | D．satisfied |
| A．secrets | B．worries | C．happiness | D．silence |
| A．sad | B．alone | C．stressed | D．hopeless |
3 . Like any other child growing up, Nicole LaMont was an outgoing, adventurous and free-spirited child with the dream of becoming a scientist. “My childhood was filled with imagination of adventure and curiosity, ”Nicole said. She experienced a normal childhood, but when she was 12 years old, a terrible illness led her to lose her hearing in both ears.
“My world was turned upside down,” said Nicole. “I went from being a talkative, joyous child to being quiet and depressed. ”However, she came to realize she had to fight when it was determined that her hearing would not return. With her family’s help, Nicole began to learn American Sign Language(ASL).
A year later, she received an operation where she was implanted (植入) a hearing device, which brought back some light to her life and she also learned how to adapt to the new life. It wasn’t until she attended Gallaudet, a school for the deaf, that she fully devoted herself to ASL and the deaf community. “Becoming fluent in ASL and having total communication allowed me to feel a sense of acceptance again,” said Nicole. “I found my confidence and ‘visual (视觉的) voice’ in the performing arts.”
It was then that she made her first request, demanding subtitles (字幕) for movie theatres in Alabama. After much struggle, Nicole’s efforts proved successful, and today nearly all movie theatres in Montgomery and Birmingham offer subtitles for the deaf. After graduating from Gallaudet University, Nicole continued to use her new found “visual voice” through taking part in several activities, becoming Miss Black Deaf D.C. “By doing this, I want to show that deaf people can achieve much. It’s very important to educate and support hearing families that struggle with making the best decisions for their deaf children’s education.” said Nicole.
1. Which of the following best describes Nicole’s childhood?| A．Fruitful. | B．Colorful | C．Lonely | D．Poor. |
| A．A sense of belonging. | B．A hearing device. |
| C．A chance of going to college. | D．A totally new treatment. |
| A．Nicole called on all US cinemas to offer subtitles. |
| B．Nicole was going to donate her invention-visual voice. |
| C．Nicole was determined to train more deaf kids to go to school. |
| D．Nicole hoped to promote deaf education in hearing families. |
| A．More Self-Control, More Success |
| B．Keep Going, and You Can Make It |
| C．Illness Makes One More Confident |
| D．He Who Laughs Last Laughs Longest |
4 . An old man went to live with his son, his daughter-in-law, and a four-year-old grandson. The old man’s hands trembled, his eyesight was very poor, and he couldn’t walk steadily (平稳地). The family ate together nightly at the dinner table. But the elderly grandfather’s shaky hands and failing sight made eating rather difficult. Rice often dropped on the floor.
The son and the daughter-in-law became angry with the old man, so they put a small table in the corner. There, the grandfather ate alone, while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner at the table. Since the grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl.
The four-year-old son watched it all in silence. One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with a piece of wood on the floor. He asked the child sweetly, “What are you making?” The boy answered, “Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and mama to eat your food from when I grow up.” The four-year-old son smiled and went back to work. The words struck the parents so hard that they were in silence. Then tears started to stream down their cheeks (脸颊). Though no word was spoken, both knew what must be done. That evening the husband took grandfather’s hand and gently led him back to the family table.
1. Why was the old man’s food served in a wooden bowl?| A．Because the wooden bowl was light enough. |
| B．Because the old man had broken a few bowls. |
| C．Because there was only a wooden bowl left. |
| D．Because the son and the daughter-in-law became angry with the old man. |
| A．annoyed | B．worried | C．scared | D．shocked |
| A．Led the old man back to the family table. | B．Ignored. |
| C．Kicked the old man out of their house. | D．Blamed the boy. |
| A．An Old Man and His Son | B．A Couple and Their Son |
| C．A Wooden Bowl | D．A Dinner Table |
5 . My cat hospital was very busy. So when the door rang just before closing on a Friday night, and a man walked in carrying a shoebox, I wasn’t
I looked into the box and found a thin cat. “Okay,” I said. “I’ll
Months later, after great care, the little cat
Ben was placed in the adoption cage. Andrea, one of my favorite clients (客户), was
Over the week, I found myself becoming less and less excited at Ben’s possible adoption. So, when Andrea phoned with her
“I understand,” I replied, trying to sound sad.
There was only one
| A．anxious | B．surprised | C．satisfied | D．worried |
| A．tried | B．suggested | C．remembered | D．regretted |
| A．notice | B．praise | C．allow | D．accept |
| A．follow | B．take | C．discover | D．recommend |
| A．grew into | B．focused on | C．led to | D．fed on |
| A．Suddenly | B．Actually | C．Finally | D．Usually |
| A．reason | B．choice | C．plan | D．problem |
| A．also | B．just | C．still | D．already |
| A．proud | B．healthy | C．confident | D．interested |
| A．know | B．return | C．admire | D．consider |
| A．advice | B．skill | C．decision | D．experience |
| A．mixed | B．true | C．similar | D．natural |
| A．doubted | B．proved | C．arranged | D．thought |
| A．example | B．sign | C．rule | D．method |
| A．fair | B．different | C．necessary | D．successful |
6 . Last week, I had a wisdom tooth (智齿) pulled, leaving me swollen and unable to speak. It was very strange spending a few days in this
I thought my husband would be the first to feel upset. I tried to imagine how
Later, I went to my local shop. It still
Soon after, I visited my mom, who chatted away normally. She didn’t even
People say
| A．room | B．state | C．position | D．period |
| A．embarrassing | B．entertaining | C．pleasant | D．frightening |
| A．Finally | B．Luckily | C．However | D．Therefore |
| A．treatment | B．recovery | C．disease | D．dinner |
| A．amazed | B．annoyed | C．ashamed | D．touched |
| A．wounded | B．harmed | C．hurt | D．injured |
| A．called on | B．appealed to | C．turned to | D．ran into |
| A．column | B．opinion | C．report | D．information |
| A．react | B．predict | C．distinguish | D．notice |
| A．daughter | B．patient | C．speaker | D．friend |
| A．health | B．family | C．silence | D．love |
| A．lesson | B．secret | C．treatment | D．wisdom |
| A．arms | B．eyes | C．mouths | D．faces |
| A．observe | B．smell | C．stare | D．suggest |
| A．cutting | B．pulling | C．brushing | D．losing |
7 . When I was in junior high school, I was a really bad boy. My history teacher — Mr Oven criticized me a lot because I was naughty in his class. By the end of the first semester, I’d had enough of his words and had decided that I would get my revenge on him.
The opportunity arose one morning when Mr. Oven was called to the office for a certain reason. While Mr. Oven left, my company Billy and I grabbed Mr. Oven’s lunch bag from under his desk. I opened his sandwich and placed a bug in between the two slices of bread. We put it back and closed it. To keep it in memory, Billy took photos of the whole process. We laughed for weeks over this.
Well, it all went south during Thanksgiving break. Billy’s Mother found the pictures in his room, and demanded that he should tell her where these pictures were from. Billy told his mother the whole story, and Mr. Oven was informed. Not only was I punished from school for two weeks, but also I was kicked off the football and basketball team. Before I could return to school, I had to turn in a 1000-word essay on what I did and why I did that. I really felt embarrassing every time I saw Mr. Oven in the hallway for the rest of the school year. I felt a little regret that Mr. Oven left our school the next year.
1. Mr. Oven criticized the writer a lot because _________.| A．he was naughty in his class | B．he didn’t go to his class |
| C．he didn’t answer his question | D．he was good at his class |
| A．He would be glad to eat his delicious sandwich. |
| B．He would eat it as usual when he had his sandwich. |
| C．He would cry because he was afraid of the bug in his sandwich. |
| D．He would be very angry when he found the bug in his sandwich. |
| A．It was until Thanksgiving break that the secret was let cut. |
| B．All the students left on Thanksgiving break. |
| C．All the students went south on Thanksgiving break. |
| D．Billy and I went south during Thanksgiving break. |
| A．Fired. | B．Punished. | C．Scolded. | D．Hit. |
8 . Once upon a time, a daughter complained to her father that her senior high school life was unhappy and that she was tired of struggling with homework all the time.
Her father, a chef, took her to the kitchen. He filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Once the three pots began to boil, h placed potatoes, eggs and coffee beans in them. After 20 minutes, he took them out, putting the potatoes and eggs in a bowl and the coffee in a cup.
Turning to his daughter, he said, “Look closer, and touch the potatoes.” She did and noted that they were soft. He then asked her to take an egg and break it. After puling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, he asked her to taste the coffee. Its good smell brought a smile to her face.
“Father, what does this mean?” she asked. He then explained that the potatoes, the eggs and the coffee beans were in the same adversity (逆境)—the boiling water. However, each one reacted differently.
The strong and hard potato became soft and weak in boiling water. The egg was fragile, with the thin outer shell protecting its liquid until it was put in the boiling water. Then the inside of the egg became hard. However, the coffee beans were unique. After they were exposed to the boiling water, they changed the water and created something new. “Which one do you want to be like,” he asked. “When adversity knocks on your door, how will you respond?”
In life, challenges happen to us all, but the only thing that truly matters is what happens within us.
1. Why did the girl complain to her father?| A．Because of her tiring job. | B．Because of her hard school life. |
| C．Because of her father’ s busy work. | D．Because of the food her father cooked. |
| A．The girl liked the coffee best. |
| B．The father was good at cooking. |
| C．Different people have different reactions to adversity. |
| D．The girl didn’t like the potatoes and eggs. |
| A．thick | B．hard | C．strong | D．easily-broken |
| A．Challenges and responses. | B．Adversities and a chef. |
| C．A chef and coffee beans. | D．Father and daughter. |
Last Saturday David was taking a walk in the park near his home when he noticed a woman with a boy of about eight years old. When David passed them, he heard the woman yelling: “How stupid you are! You’re good at nothing.” David stopped and looked at the little boy. The boy said nothing. He just stood there, looking upset.
David was reminded of his English teacher Mrs. Brown in middle school. After he entered middle school, David lacked self-confidence because he was often made fun of by others. He was often told that he was good at nothing, which David believed.
But one day it all changed. That day, in an English writing class, Mrs. Brown asked them to read a novel. They were asked to write a new chapter of the novel after they finished reading it. A few days later, David handed in his story. He didn’t give it much thought. But the next day to his surprise, the comment “well done” from Brown came into view the moment he turned to the page where the story was written. When David read that, he almost burst into tears. He had never expected to be praised. He suddenly gained some self-confidence.
That day after he returned home, he wrote another short story and gave it to Mrs. Brown the next morning. And again he was praised. David became very interested in writing. He often wrote short dories and asked Mrs. Brown to read them and correct them for him. Mrs. Brown always gave him good advice to improve them. One year later, David joined the school newspaper and became an editor of it. He gained his confidence and was hopeful about his future.
He succeeded in entering college and kept writing. Several years after graduating from college, he had his first book published, becoming famous as a writer in his country. And he owed his success to Mrs. Brown’s encouragement. Without her encouragement, his life might be very different now.
注意：1. 续写的词数应为150左右。2. 请按照如下格式在答题卡相应位置作答。
Inspired by his own life story, David decided to do something for that boy.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The mother was ashamed when she heard that.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________10 . Patrick never does homework. “Too boring,” he says. He always plays baseball and basketball after school. His teachers tell him, “Patrick! Do your homework, or you can’t learn anything.” But what can he do? He hates homework.
One day, his cat was playing with a little “doll”. He found it wasn’t a doll at all, but a man of the smallest size. The man called, “Save me! Don’t give me back to that cat. I have magic. I will help you if you save me!”
How lucky he was! Here was the answer to all of his problems. So he said, “If you help me to do my homework until the last day of school, I will get good grades.” The man agreed. He began to do Patrick’s homework. The man didn’t always know what to do and he needed help. “Help me! Help me! ”he said. And Patrick had to help. Day after day, Patrick had to work harder. Finally the last day of school arrived and the man was free to go. As for homework, Patrick didn’t hate doing it any more. Patrick got his A’s. His teachers and classmates were all surprised. Who really helped Patrick?
1. Patrick likes ________ after school.| A．doing sports | B．doing some reading |
| C．doing his homework | D．learning things |
| A．It means “Patrick got the teachers’ help”. | B．It means “Patrick got good grades”. |
| C．It means “Patrick got more friends”. | D．It means “Patrick got more problems”. |
| A．Patrick never hates doing his homework. |
| B．The man sometimes didn’t know what to do when he helped Patrick. |
| C．The man didn’t go until the last day of school. |
| D．Patrick finally started to like doing homework. |
| A．the man liked to play with the cat |
| B．the man never helped Patrick do his homework |
| C．Patrick’s classmates always helped him do his homework |
| D．in fact, Patrick helped himself |
