1 . On a bright Sunday morning, Damian Languell was sleeping soundly at home in Wade, Maine, the US. The sound that woke him at 8:15 was so _______ that he assumed it came from inside his house. As he got up to _______ , he heard another sound, this one coming most definitely from _______ . Looking out of his bedroom window, he _______ a tree engulfed in smoke about 500 yards away. A car was wrapped around the tree’s base, and its engine was   _______ .

Seeing that, he immediately _______ buckets of water and ran to the crash site. Up close, the _______ looked worse. The car was _______ nearly in two, and the tree was where the driver’s seat ought to have been, as if _______ there. He thought that no one should have survived this ________ , and yet there was 16-year-old Thompson, still ________ with his terrified face pressed against the driver’s side window in visible ________ . Languell tried stopping the fire with his buckets of water with no success. When the   ________ got into the front seats, he realized he had to get the boy out of there as soon as possible.

________ , Languell tried to open the back door, but he failed. He grabbed a stone beside the tree and ________ the back door. This time, it ________ and the back door was opened and Languell crawled in. Thompson was struggling to get free when Languell noticed how bad his legs were. Using a pocket knife, Languell sawed through Thompson's   ________. Now that Thompson was free of restraints (束缚), Languell pulled him out of a rear window, and then ________ him to safety before the car was entirely surrounded by flames.

Then Languell called a (n) ________ as Thompson suffered severely. Thompson thanked Languell for saving him, regardless of his own safety. Soon, the doctors arrived and Languell felt ________.

1.

A．strange

B．loud

C．pleasant

D．weak

2.

A．listen

B．view

C．investigate

D．question

3.

A．behind

B．above

C．inside

D．outside

4.

A．spied

B．inspected

C．overlooked

D．caught

5.

A．in danger

B．at work

C．in ruins

D．on fire

6.

A．got hold of

B．controlled

C．took charge of

D．prepared

7.

A．wound

B．damage

C．engine

D．smoke

8.

A．set

B．classified

C．split

D．cut

9.

A．hanging

B．falling

C．sent

D．planted

10.

A．crisis

B．crash

C．disorder

D．event

11.

A．calm

B．anxious

C．conscious

D．confident

12.

A．pain

B．surprise

C．comfort

D．anger

13.

A．water

B．driver

C．passengers

D．flames

14.

A．Instantly

B．Constantly

C．Eventually

D．Consistently

15.

A．kicked

B．hit

C．pulled

D．tapped

16.

A．responded

B．made

C．worked

D．managed

17.

A．trousers

B．seat belt

C．back pack

D．coat

18.

A．pushed

B．shouldered

C．dragged

D．fetched

19.

A．ambulance

B．taxi

C．policeman

D．firefighter

20.

A．satisfied

B．touched

C．recognized

D．relieved

2 . It had long been troubling a little boy that his desk mate could rank 1st in the class every time while he failed to: he only ranked 21st.

At home, he asked his Mom, “Mom, am I more stupid than others? I feel I am as hardworking as him, but how come I always fall behind?”     1    

In another test, the son ranked 15th, and his desk mate remained 1st. Back home, he raised the same question.     2     However, was this answer in her son’s best interest? Thank goodness she did not open her mouth.

There were times she wanted to tell him, “Your father and I used to be outstanding. Why aren’t you just as clever?” But she stopped because she felt it was cruel to blame him and that she needed a better answer.

    3     To reduce the burden on her son who was suffering from the pains of unsatisfied grades and rankings, Mom decided to take him to the sea. During the trip, she managed to give out an answer.

Now, the son no longer worries about his rankings, because, with the 1st ranking, he is admitted to a top university.     4     In the lecture, he mentioned a valuable experience, “…When my mother and I was lying on the beach, she pointed to the front and said, ‘Do you see the seabirds over there? When the waves come near, little birds can rise quickly while it would take longer for clumsy sea-gulls to complete the process. However, have you noticed birds that finally fly across the endless ocean are none other than clumsy sea-gulls?’     5    ” The moving speech affected many mothers present into tears, including his mother.

A．Feeling sad for her son’s failure, mom scolded him.

B．Mom really wanted to tell her son that intelligence differs.

C．Hearing the words, she went wordless, not knowing how to explain.

D．You might be a bit slower, but you will be the one who will make it!

E．Mom was so proud of her son’s success as to often share her experience.

F．Back to his high school, he was invited to give a speech to the students and parents.

G．Time flying swiftly, despite great efforts, he was still unable to keep up with his desk mate.

3 . Lazer loves running, and although he experiences a series of potentially fatal heart problems, he always cherishes a new finish line to inspire his _______.

By 2008, Lazer had undergone six heart _______, and the last one left him _______. In an attempt to feel_______, he decided to_______ his diet and, at the suggestion of a friend, started drinking more nutrient-packed juices._______, he began to feel good enough to _______ his sneakers and hit the_______again.

“After _______ the hospital, my goal was not to ________. I wanted to live my life as I desired, and that meant to ________ running and be in the best shape that I can,” he says. “I wasn’t going to be sedentary and sit on a sofa and ________ the remote. The big thing for me was that I wanted my own life. I was going to do everything I could to get my life back.”

To Lazer, that meant running, since it was such a big part of that life. ________, just months after that sixth surgery in 2008, he was back________ the starting line of the Las Vegas 26.2. And this past November, he crossed the finish line of his 18^th ________ race.

Lazer ________ running as one of the main reasons he’s lived well beyond that one-year prognosis he got back in 2004. “I believe I started running ________ knowing that if I didn’t, I wouldn’t be living too ________,” he says. “Running is a part of who I am—I am ________ to be the best that I possibly can be. It’s such a huge part of my life that my life seems out of order if I’m injured or I can’t run. It’s kind of my ________.”

1.

A．recovery

B．champion

C．competition

D．growing

2.

A．hurts

B．broken

C．surgeries

D．rehabilitation

3.

A．devastated

B．debilitated

C．strove

D．hesitated

4.

A．brighter

B．higher

C．happier

D．stronger

5.

A．pick up

B．add up

C．switch up

D．turn up

6.

A．Eventually

B．Normally

C．Quickly

D．Strangely

7.

A．put up

B．lace up

C．take on

D．control with

8.

A．master

B．disease

C．competitor

D．road

9.

A．getting out of

B．returning to

C．running out of

D．dropping out

10.

A．achieve

B．compromise

C．change

D．promote

11.

A．train

B．find

C．continue

D．start

12.

A．switch

B．play

C．fiddle

D．press

13.

A．Besides

B．However

C．But

D．So

14.

A．from

B．at

C．on

D．about

15.

A．consecutive

B．successful

C．ordinary

D．special

16.

A．doubts

B．credits

C．hopes

D．ponders

17.

A．somehow

B．anyone

C．somebody

D．anyhow

18.

A．late

B．long

C．painful

D．relaxed

19.

A．thinking

B．struggling

C．braving

D．striving

20.

A．drug

B．life

C．anchor

D．entire

4 . Tomorrow will be another day

On my way home from work every evening, there would be a homeless middle-aged man standing by the walkway. He was always ________ smiling, and sometimes almost dancing.

Every day after work I would remember to gather any spare ________, and put it aside. If l saw him I’d give him the coins. A feeling of ________ would come over me every time I saw him as he looked to feel joyful. Sometimes we would ask each other about our day. His ________ would be the same, “I’m fine. Have a bright day.”

I knew what his reply was going to be every time, ________ I would still ask. It ________ me of how lucky me that even in his situation of being homeless, he was so cheerful. He ________ me how lucky I was, a single mother of four kids, with a good job to provide for them.

Then one day I was called into my boss’s office and was told that I was   ________ due to the weak economy (经济). A feeling of worry filled my mind immediately, and for the rest of that day all I could think about was “how am I going to ________ my family, and how am I going to pay rent?”

That day I was very sad and upset on my way home. I ________ forgot to prepare some coins for the homeless man as usual. As I waited for the red light to turn, he walked over with a big smile and asked, “How is everything going?” I told him I lost my job and felt really bad. “OK, I will ________ you a dollar today. Tomorrow will be another day,” said the man.

I was deeply ________ and burst into tears. I wanted to hug him! That day what the man handed me was more than a dollar bill. He taught me a ________ lesson. Whatever material things are taken from you, no one can take away your ________ to be joyful. Tomorrow will be a bright day and full of ________.

1.

A．happy

B．shy

C．nervous

D．careful

2.

A．time

B．food

C．change

D．water

3.

A．pity

B．pain

C．anger

D．joy

4.

A．demand

B．answer

C．view

D．reason

5.

A．but

B．for

C．or

D．so

6.

A．satisfied

B．frightened

C．disappointed

D．amazed

7.

A．informed

B．advised

C．reminded

D．warned

8.

A．fired

B．examined

C．questioned

D．invited

9.

A．miss

B．support

C．trust

D．check

10.

A．still

B．once

C．even

D．always

11.

A．charge

B．find

C．show

D．give

12.

A．moved

B．hurt

C．lost

D．relaxed

13.

A．terrible

B．valuable

C．hard

D．strange

14.

A．cost

B．secret

C．stress

D．choice

15.

A．doubt

B．regret

C．hope

D．praise

5 . Two of the saddest words in the English language are “if only”. I live my life with the goal of never having to say those words, because they convey regret, lost opportunities, mistakes, and disappointment.

My father is famous in our family for saying, “Take the extra minute to do it right.” I always try to live by the “extra minute” rule. When my children were young and likely to cause accidents, I always thought about what I could do to avoid an “if only” moment, whether it was something minor like moving a cup full of hot coffee away from the edge of a counter, or something that required a little more work such as taping padding (衬垫) onto the sharp corners of a glass coffee table.

I don’t only avoid those “if only” moments when it comes to safety. It’s equally important to avoid “if only” in our personal relationships. We all know people who lost a loved one and regretted that they had foregone an opportunity to say “I love you” or “I forgive you.” When my father announced he was going to the eye doctor across from my office on Good Friday, I told him that it was a holiday for my company and I wouldn’t be here. But then I thought about the fact that he’s 84 years old and I realized that I shouldn’t give up an opportunity to see him. I called him and told him I had decided to go to work on my day off after all.

I know there will still be occasions when I have to say “if only” about something, but my life is definitely better because of my policy of doing everything possible to avoid that eventuality. And even though it takes an extra minute to do something right, or it occasionally takes an hour or two in my busy schedule to make a personal connection, I know that I’m doing the right thing. I’m buying myself peace of mind and that’s the best kind of insurance for my emotional well-being.

1. Which of the following is an example of the “extra minute” rule?

A．Start the car the moment everyone is seated.

B．Leave the room for a minute with the iron working.

C．Wait for an extra minute so that the steak tastes better.

D．Move an object out of the way before it trips someone.

2. The author decided to go to her office on Good Friday to ______.

A．keep her appointment with the eye doctor

B．meet her father who was already an old man

C．join in the holiday celebration of the company

D．finish her work before the deadline approached

3. The underlined word “foregone” in Paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to ______.

A．abandoned	B．lacked
C．avoided	D．taken

4. What is the best title for the passage?

A．To Keep Emotional Well-being	B．To Prevent “If Only” Moments
C．To Follow the Most Useful Rule	D．To Achieve the Peace of Mind

6 . "How do you account for your remarkable accomplishment in Queen Victoria of the UK asked Helen Keller. "How do you explain the fact that even though you were both blind and deaf you were able to accomplish so much?"

Ms. Keller's answer is a tribute (致敬) to her dedicated teacher. "If it had not been for Anne Sullivan, the name of Helen Keller would have remained unknown.”

According to speaker Zig Ziglar, "Little Annie" Sullivan, as she was called when she was young, was no stranger to hardship. She was almost sightless herself and was, at one time, diagnosed as hopelessly "insane" by her caregivers. She was locked in the basement of a mental institution outside of Boston. On occasion, Little Annie would violently attack anyone who came near. Most of the time she generally ignored everyone in her presence.

An elderly nurse believed there was hope, however, and she made it her mission to show love to the child. Every day she visited Little Annie. For the most part, the child did not acknowledge the nursed presence, but she still continued to visit. The kind woman left cookies for her and spoke words of love and encouragement. She believed Little Annie could recover, if only she were shown love.

Eventually, doctors noticed the change in the girl. Where they once witnessed anger and hatred, they now noted a gentleness and love. They moved her upstairs where she continued to improve. Then the day finally came when this seemingly "hopeless'' child was released.

Anne Sullivan grew into a young woman with a desire to help others as she herself was helped by the kind nurse. It was she who saw the great potential in Helen Keller. She loved her, disciplined her, played with her, pushed her and worked with her until the flickering candle that was her life became a beacon of light to the world. Anne Sullivan worked wonders in Helen's life; but it was a loving nurse who first believed in Little Annie and lovingly transformed an uncommunicative child into a compassionate teacher.

“If it had not been for Anne Sullivan, the name of Helen Keller would have remained unknown." But if it had not been for a kind and dedicated nurse, the name of Anne Sullivan would have remained unknown.

1. The dialogue between Queen Victoria and Helen Keller is mentioned mainly to   .

A．show a deep admiration for Helen Keller

B．prove that Helen Keller made a great contribution

C．begin telling the story of Helen Keller teacher Anne Sullivan

D．get the reader interested in how Helen Keller achieved so much

2. What is the hardship mentioned in the third paragraph?

A．Sullivan had a strange disease.

B．Almost everyone ignored Sullivan.

C．Sullivan was kept away from her parents.

D．Sullivan was believed to have a mental problem.

3. What can we conclude from the article?

A．Sullivan liked the nurse from the very beginning.

B．Sullivan experienced firsthand how terrible the life of a deaf child was.

C．The elderly nurse had no doubt that Sullivan would be a great teacher.

D．Without the nurse, Sullivan couldn't have helped Helen Keller later.

4. Which of the following would be the best title for the article?

A．The Power of Love

B．Making a Difference

C．The Secret to Being a Good Teacher

D．Similarities Between Anne and Helen

7 . When Lina was awoken by the sound of thunder, she was alone on the island. The air was cool and bullfrogs croaked. It was that brief moment when the summer sun had set but the stars hadn't yet appeared. Lina rubbed her eyes and looked around.

“Hello?” she called. “Celia? Marie”

There was no response.

The moon was rising now, shedding light on the island. They had always called it “Forgotten Island” because no one but they seemed to remember its existence. It wasn’t on any of the maps they could find, and even the forest rangers didn’t know about it. Lina loved that the island, hidden in a heavily-wooded side stream of the river, was a secret between the three friends — her, Celia, and Marie.

But now Lina was here alone, and it was night. Worse still, it was her own fault.

“Come on, Lina, let Marie row the boat.” Celia had said. Marie was two years older than Lina, but she was a hopeless rower. That’s why Lina refused and rowed the boat to the island. The argument that followed the refusal took the usual form. Celia took Marie’s side, as she always did. Lina had exploded and yelled at them to just leave. So they got back in the boat and left.

A bolt of lightning crossed the darkened sky, accompanied by a deafening thunder clap. The storm was here. As the first cold raindrop slid down her neck, Lina’s mind returned to her current problem. She was stuck here by herself. She just hoped she didn’t become as forgotten as the island. The thought of it sent a chill (寒意) down her back.

Suddenly, Lina spotted something in the water. It was a boat, and inside it were Marie, Celia, and Marie's dad, who was steering through the fast flowing waters. As the boat approached, they saw Lina waving and the worried expressions on their faces turned to relief.

In her excitement Lina jumped into the river. Only once she was in the icy water did she remember how fast the water was moving. Luckily a strong arm reached into the water and pulled her out. She smiled weakly at Marie’s dad and, without a word, hugged Celia and Marie. They didn’t seem to mind becoming wet.

1. What can be inferred about the island?

A．It is very near the ocean.

B．It is a popular place for boating.

C．It is surrounded by thick forest.

D．It has never been reached by others.

2. Why did Lina get angry?

A．Marie would not help row the boat.

B．Lina was left alone on the island.

C．Marie didn't know how to row the boat.

D．Celia supported Marie in the disagreement.

3. What caused Lina to feel a chill?

A．Her shame about the unnecessary argument.

B．The first raindrops of the approaching storm.

C．The idea that no one would come to save her.

D．The drop in temperature as the sun went down.

4. Who pulled Lina out of the water?

A．Marie’s father.

B．Lina herself.

C．Marie.

D．CeliA.

8 . About a month after I joined Facebook, I got a call from Lori Goler, a highly regarded senior director of marketing at eBay. She made it clear this was a business call. “I want to apply to work with you at Facebook,” she said. “Instead of recommending myself, I want to ask you: What is your biggest problem, and how can I solve it?”

       My jaw hit the floor. I had hired thousands of people over the previous decade and no one had ever said anything remotely like that. People usually focus on finding the right role for themselves, with the implication that their skills will help the company. Lori put Facebook’s needs front and center. It was a killer approach. I responded, “Recruiting is my biggest problem. And, yes, you can solve it.”
       Lori never dreamed she would work in recruiting, but she jumped in. She even agreed to trade earnings for acquiring new skills in a new field. Lori did a great job running recruiting and within months was promoted to her current job, leading People@Facebook.
       The most common metaphor for careers is a ladder, but this concept no longer applies to most workers. As of 2010, the average American had eleven jobs from the ages of eighteen to forty-six alone. Lori often quotes Pattie Sellers, who came up with a much better metaphor: “Careers are a jungle gym, not a ladder.”
       As Lori describes it, there’s only one way to get to the top of a ladder, but there are many ways to get to the top of a jungle gym. The jungle gym model benefits everyone, but especially women who might be starting careers, switching careers, getting blocked by external barriers, or reentering the workforce after taking time off. The ability to create a unique path with occasional dips, detours (弯路), and even dead ends presents great views of many people, not just those at the top. On a ladder, most climbers are stuck staring at the butt of the person above.
1. Why did Lori make the call?

A．She helped Facebook to solve the biggest problem.

B．She wanted to make a business deal with Facebook.

C．She tried to ask for a pay rise in Facebook.

D．She wanted to become an employee in Facebook.

2. What impressed “I” by Lori?

A．Lori was good at running recruiting.

B．Lori attached great importance to Facebook’s needs.

C．Lori jumped in Facebook with no adequate experience.

D．Lori was skilled in marketing at eBay.

3. What can we infer from the passage?

A．Now all people don’t tend to climb the ladder.

B．None on the ladder can enjoy the great views.

C．Jungle gyms offer limited exploration for employees.

D．A pregnant woman, jobless, benefits little from the jungle gyms.

4. What is the best title of the passage?

A．It’s a Jungle Gym, Not a Ladder.

B．Facebook’s Biggest Problem.

C．Applying for a Job in Facebook.

D．A Jungle Gym is Better than a Ladder.

9 . Mark and his brother Jason both were looking at the shining new computer enviously. Jason was determined not to go against their father’s wishes but Mark was more adventurous than his brother. He loves experimenting and his aim was to become a scientist like his father.
“Dad will be really mad if he finds out you’ve been playing with his new computer” Jason said, “He told us not   to touch it.”
“He won’t find out,” Mark said, “I’ll just have a quick look and shut it down.”
Mark had been scolded before for touching his father’s equipment. But his curiosity was difficult to control and this new computer really puzzled him.
It was a strange-looking machine — one his dad had brought home from the laboratory where he worked. “It’s an experimental model,” his father had explained, so don’t touch it under any circumstances.” But his father’s warning only served to make Mark more curious. Without any further thought, Mark turned on the power switch. The computer burst into life and seconds later, the screen turned into colours, shifting and changing, and then two big white words appeared in the centre of the screen: “SPACE TRANSPORTER.”
“Yes!” Mark cried excitedly, “It’s a computer game. I knew it! Dad’s only been pretending to work. He’s really been playing games instead!” A new message appeared on the screen:
“ENTER NAMES
VOYAGE　１
VOYAGE　２
Mark’s finger flew across the keyboard as he typed in both of their names.
“INPUT ACCEPTED.   START   TRANSPORT   PROGRAM. AUTO-RETRIEVE INITIATED（自动回收程序已启动）.”
The screen turn even brighter and a noise suddenly rose in volume.
“I think we’d better shut it off, Mark,” Jason yelled out in terror, reaching for the power switch. A beam(光束) of dazzling white light burst out of the computer screen, wrapping the boys in its glow(光芒)，until they themselves seemed to be glowing. Then it died down just as suddenly as it had burst into life. And the boys were no longer there. On the screen, the letters changed：
“TRANSPORT SUCCESSFUL．
DESTINATION:   MARS.
RETRIEVE DATE:   2025
1. Why did Mark touch the computer against his father’s warning?

A．He wanted to take a voyage.

B．He wanted to practice his skills.

C．He was so much attracted by it.

D．He was eager to do an experiment.

2. Where did the boy’s father most likely work?

A．In an electronic factory.

B．In a computer company.

C．In a scientific research center.

D．In an information processing center.

3. Mark thought “SPACE TRANSPORTER” on the screen was the name of ________.

A．a computer game	B．a company website
C．a software producer	D．an astronomy program

4. Why did Jason want to shut off the computer?

A．He was afraid of being scolded.

B．He didn’t like the loud noise and light.

C．He didn’t want to play games.

D．He was afraid something dangerous might happen.

5. What happened to the boys at the end of the story?

A．They were blown into the air.

B．They were sent to another planet.

C．They were hidden in the strong light.

D．They were carried away to another country.

10 . How I Turned to Be Optimistic

I began to grow up that winter night when my parents and I were returning from my aunt＇s house, and my mother said that we might soon be leaving for America. We were on the bus then. I was crying, and some people on the bus were turning around to look at me. I remember that I could not bear the thought of never hearing again the radio program for school children to which I listened every morning.
I do not remember myself crying for this reason again. In fact, I think I cried very little when I was saying goodbye to my friends and relatives. When we were leaving I thought about all the places I was going to see—the strange and magical places I had known only from books and pictures. The country I was leaving never to come back was hardly in my head then.
The four years that followed taught me the importance of optimism, but the idea did not come to me at once. For the first two years in New York I was really lost—having to study in three schools as a result of family moves. I did not quite know what I was or what I should be. Mother remarried, and things became even more complex for me. Some time passed before my stepfather and I got used to each other. I was often sad, and saw no end to “the hard times. ”
My responsibilities in the family increased a lot since I knew English better than everyone else at home. I wrote letters, filled out forms, translated at interviews with Immigration officers, took my grandparents to the doctor and translated there, and even discussed telephone bills with company representatives.
From my experiences I have learned one important rule: Almost all common troubles eventually go away! Something good is certain to happen in the end when you do not give up, and just wait a little! I believe that my life will turn out all right, even though it will not be that easy.
1. How did the author get to know America?

A．From her relatives.	B．From her mother.
C．From Books and pictures.	D．From radio programs.

2. Upon leaving for America the author felt ________.

A．confused	B．excited
C．worried	D．amazed

3. For the first two years in New York, the author ________.

A．often lost her way

B．did not think about her future

C．studied in three different schools

D．got on well with her stepfather

4. What can we learn about the author from Paragraph 4?

A．She worked as a translator.

B．She attended a lot of job interviews.

C．She paid telephone bills for her family.

D．She helped her family with her English.

5. The author believes that ________.

A．her future will be free from troubles

B．it is difficult to learn to become patient

C．there are more good things than bad things

D．good things will happen if one keeps trying