1 . Two men, Alan and Henry, both seriously ill, shared a hospital room. Alan was allowed to sit up in his bed and his bed was next to the room’s only window. Henry had to spend all his time flat on his back.
The men talked for hours, of their wives, families, their homes and their jobs. And every afternoon when Alan, in the bed next to the window, could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Lovers walked arm in arm among flowers. Trees and skyline could be seen in the distance. As he described all this, Henry, on the other side of the room, would close his eyes and imagine the scene.
One warm afternoon Alan described a parade (游行) passing by. Although Henry could not hear the band, he could see it in his mind. Unexpectedly, an alien thought entered his head: why should he have all the pleasure of seeing everything while I never got to see anything? It doesn’t seem fair. Henry felt ashamed at first. But as the days passed and he missed seeing more sights, his envy grew and soon let him down. He began to find himself unable to sleep. He should be by that window — and that thought now controlled his life.
Late one night, as he lay staring at the ceiling, Alan began to cough. He was choking. Henry watched in the dim room as the struggling man tried hard to reach for the button to call for help. Listening from across the room, he never moved, never pushed his own button which would have brought the nurse running. In less than five minutes, the coughing and choking stopped, along with the sound of breathing. Now, there was only silence — deathly silence.
As soon as it seemed appropriate, Henry asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone. Slowly, painfully, he struggled to take his first look. Finally, he would have the joy of seeing it all himself. He looked out, but faced a blank wall.
1. Judging from the passage, the meaning of the underlined word “alien” in Paragraph 3 is ______.| A．new | B．fascinating | C．strange | D．disappointing |
| A．He died with choking. | B．He switched his bed with Henry. |
| C．He was moved to another room. | D．He was very sick. |
| A．to see more than Alan | B．to feel the joy of breathing fresh air |
| C．to feel the joy of seeing the outside world | D．to see the blank wall |
| A．Talkative and funny | B．Well-informed and humorous |
| C．Kind-hearted and imaginative | D．Cold-hearted and indifferent |
2 . One of the qualities that most people admire in others is the willingness to admit one’s mistakes. It is extremely hard sometimes to say a simple thing like “I was wrong about that,” and it is even harder to say, “I was wrong, and you were right about that.” I had an experience recently with someone admitting to me that he had made a mistake fifteen years ago. He told me he had been the manager of a certain store in the neighborhood where I grew up, and he asked me if I remembered the egg boxes. Then he talked of an incident and I began to remember it.
I was about eight years old at that time, and I had gone into the store with my mother to do the weekly shopping. On that special day, I must have found my way to the food department where the incident took place.
There must have been a special sale on eggs that day because there was a big show of eggs in dozen and half-dozen boxes. The boxes were put three or four feet high. I must have stopped in front of them to admire the show. Just then a woman came by pushing her shopping cart and knocked off the pile of boxes. For some reasons, I decided it was up to me to put the boxes back together, so I went to work.
The manager heard the noise and came pushing over to see what had happened. When he appeared, I was on my knees checking some of the boxes to see if any of the eggs were broken, but to him it looked as though I was the person who was to blame. He scolded me loudly and wanted me to pay for any broken eggs. My face turned red and I tried to explain, but it did no good. Even though I quickly forgot the incident, but the manager did not.
1. How old was the author when he wrote this article?| A．About 8 years old. | B．About 18 years old. |
| C．About 23 years old. | D．About 15 years old. |
| A．The author. | B．The manager. |
| C．A woman. | D．The author’s mother. |
| A．The woman who knocked off the pile of boxes was seriously scolded by the manager. |
| B．The author was loudly scolded by the manager. |
| C．A woman carelessly knocked off the pile of boxes. |
| D．It was the author who tried to put the boxes back together. |
| A．admiration for the manager’s willingness to admit mistakes |
| B．anger to the manager for his wrong doing |
| C．dissatisfaction with the woman who knocked off the pile of cartons |
| D．regret for the mistake he made in the store |
3 . Computer programmer David Jones earns £35,000 a year designing new computer games, yet he cannot find a bank ready to let him have a credit card(信用卡). Instead, he has been told to wait another two years, until he is 18.
The 16-year-old works for a small firm in Liverpool, where the problem of most young people of his age is finding a job. David's firm releases(推出) two new games for the fast throwing computer market each month.
But David's biggest headache is what to do with his money. Even though he earns a lot, he cannot drive a car, take out a mortgage(抵押贷款), or get credit cards. David got his job with the Liverpool-based company four months ago, a year after leaving school with six O-levels and working for a time in a computer shop. "I got the job because the people who run the firm knew I had already written some programs," he said. David spends some of his money on records and clothes, and gives his mother 50 pounds a week. But most of his spare time is spent working.
"Unfortunately, computing was not part of our studies at school," he said. "But I had been studying it in books and magazines for four years in my spare time. I knew what I wanted to do and never considered staying on at school. Most people in this business are fairly young, anyway." David added: "I would like to earn a million and I suppose early retirement(退休) is a possibility. You never know when the market might disappear."
1. In what way is David different from people of his age?| A．He has a handsome income. |
| B．He lives with his mother. |
| C．He often goes out with friends. |
| D．He graduated with six O-levels. |
| A．He has very little spare time. |
| B．He has no time to learn driving. |
| C．He is too young to get a credit card. |
| D．He will soon lose his job. |
| A．He had done well in all his exams. |
| B．He had written some computer programs. |
| C．He was good at playing computer games. |
| D．He had learnt to use computers at school. |
| A．He received lots of job offers. |
| B．He was eager to help his mother. |
| C．He lost interest in school studies. |
| D．He wanted to earn his own living. |
4 . It was almost the worst birthday of Abraham Lincoln’s life.
On February 11, 1861 (the day before he turned fifty-two), Lincoln left for Washington to become the nation’s sixteenth President. As he left home in Springfield, Illinois, Lincoln handed his son Robert a black oilskin(油布) bag, and told him to keep it carefully. He did not tell Robert what was inside.
Unknown to his seventeen-year-old son, Lincoln had placed his newly written inaugural speech in the bag. It was to be the most important speech he ever made. And it was his only copy.
When the train arrived in Indianapolis----the first stop on the long journey---Lincoln rode off in a special carriage without his family. Robert walked from the station to the local hotel.
When Robert arrived at the hotel, he learned that his family’s rooms were not ready. So he asked that the bag should be held at the front desk. Then he went off to be with friends.
On his return, Robert found his father waiting anxiously. Where was the bag? Robert explained that he had checked it at the desk.
An angry Lincoln sped to the hall and leaped over the front desk. He began searching through a huge pile of luggage.
As puzzled guests looked on, Lincoln dragged from the pile a familiar-looking black bag and opened it, only to find someone else’s dirty clothes. It was the wrong bag. Back he went to the pile.
At last he found the valuable bag and the speech inside. Lincoln handed it to his son and said strictly, “Now you keep it!”
It was the one and only time, Robert said, that his father had ever lost his temper at him. But with his speech fond and his birthday yet to be celebrated, Abraham Lincoln grew cheerful. As Robert proudly recalled, “Father did not scold(责骂).”
1. The underlined words “inaugural speech” in Paragraph 3 probably refer to a speech_________.| A．made to a school |
| B．written by Lincoln’s secretary |
| C．to take office of President |
| D．to give at Indianapolis station |
| A．have Robert make a copy of it |
| B．let Robert keep an eye on it |
| C．ask Robert to have a read |
| D．train the independence of Robert |
| A．he found his father very anxious |
| B．his father handed the bag to him |
| C．his father returned the bag to him |
| D．he arrived at the Indianapolis station |
| A．warm-hearted |
| B．strong-willed |
| C．bad-tempered |
| D．readily-trusting |
The famous director of a big and expensive movie planned to film a beautiful sunset over the ocean, so that the audience could see his hero and heroine in front of it at the end of the film as they said goodbye to each other forever. He sent his camera crew out one evening to film the sunset for him.
The next morning he said to the men, “Have you provided me with that sunset？”
“No, sir,” the men answered.
The director was angry. “Why not？” he asked.
“Well, sir,” one of the men answered, “we’re on the east coast here, and the sun sets in the west. We can get you a sunrise over the sea，if necessary, but not a sunset.”
“But I want a sunset！” the director shouted. “Go to the airport, take the next flight to the west coast, and get one.”
But then a young secretary had an idea. “Why don’t you photograph a sunrise, ” she suggested, “and then play it backwards? Then it’ll look like a sunset.”
“That’s a very good idea！” the director said. Then he turned to the camera crew and said, “Tomorrow morning I want you to get me a beautiful sunrise over the sea.”
The camera crew went out early the next morning and filmed a bright sunrise over the beach in the middle of a beautiful bay. Then at nine o'clock they took it to the director. “Here it is, sir,” they said, and gave it to him. He was very pleased.
They all went into the studio. “All right, ” the director explained, “now our hero and heroine are going to say goodbye. Run the film backwards so that we can see the sunset behind them.”
The “sunset” began, but after a quarter of a minute, the director suddenly put his face in his hands and shouted to the camera crew to stop.
The birds in the film were flying backwards, and the waves on the sea were going away from the beach.
1. One evening, the director sent his camera crew out ______.| A．to film a scene on the sea |
| B．to find an actor and an actress |
| C．to watch a beautiful sunset |
| D．to meet the audience |
| A．Because he changed his mind about getting a sunset. |
| B．Because he was angry with his crew. |
| C．Because he wanted to get a scene of sunset. |
| D．Because it was his secretary’s suggestion. |
| A．it went well with the separation of the hero and heroine |
| B．when they arrived at the beach it was already in the evening |
| C．it was more moving than a sunrise |
| D．the ocean looked more beautiful at sunset |
| A．because he was moved to tears |
| B．as he saw everything in the film moving backwards |
| C．as the sunrise did not look as beautiful as he had imagined |
| D．because he was disappointed with the performance of the hero and heroine |
6 . Have you ever accidentally walked into the wrong place that end up changing your life? That’s what happened to Maceo Thomas of Lakewood, Colorado. One night, Maceo left his home to find a store where she could buy a back staff cane (拐杖). He weighed over 300 pounds. His doctor, concerned about his health, had suggested Maceo try yoga (瑜伽). But Maceo could barely walk, needing to use a cane to get around.
He entered what he thought was the right store—only to find black belts instead. He’d walked into the hall of the Rocky Mountain Karate Association. Hale Hilsabeck, owner and director of the studio, greeted him. Maceo told Hale he’d always wanted to learn karate (空手道), but was discouraged because of his weight. Hale told him to come back the next day to begin learning karate and boxing—free of charge.
Maceo began training two to three times, a week. Hale was amazed by his determination. “I was enthusiastic because he kept on showing up.” he said, “I thought he might disappear after the first couple or three times that he was there. But, no.”
Now, over five years later, Maceo weighs 60 pounds less and no longer walks with a staff. He can dance and deliver powerful boxes. I called Maceo to find out more. This all happened for a reason, he told me. Most of all, his faith was renewed, both in himself and in a higher power. Maceo’s story inspired me. Next time I ended up in a “wrong place”. Maybe I will stay there a minute longer—to see if that unexpected opportunity shows up.
1. What’s Maceo’s problem?| A．He didn’t buy a cane. | B．He is too fat. |
| C．He can’t walk at all. | D．He doesn’t like yoga. |
| A．Because she hadn’t been interested in it. |
| B．Because his doctor told him not to do it. |
| C．Because it was very expensive. |
| D．Because he hadn’t dared to try it. |
| A．he give up three times | B．he didn’t exercise often |
| C．he gained much benefits from them | D．Hale wasn’t satisfied with him first |
He had put a few clothes and his lecture notes in his shoulder bag , and he had put Rupert , the skeleton (人体骨架）to be used in his lecture , in a large brown suitcase. At the airport desk, he suddenly thought that he had forgotten to buy a newspaper. He left his suitcase near the desk and went over to the shop.
When he got back, he discovered that someone had taken his suitcase by mistake. He often wonders what they said when they got home and found Rupert.
1. Who wrote the story?
| A．Rupert's teacher. | B．The neighbor's teacher. |
| C．A medical school teacher. | D．The teacher's neighbor. |
| A．He needed it for the summer term in London. |
| B．He needed it for the lecture he was going to give. |
| C．He wanted to take it to Russia for medical research. |
| D．He wanted to take it home as he had finished his teaching. |
| A．The skeleton went missing. | B．The skeleton was stolen. |
| C．The teacher forgot his suitcase. | D．The teacher took the wrong suitcase. |
| A．He was angry. | B．He thinks it very funny. |
| C．He feels helpless without Rupert. | D．He feels good without Rupert. |
| A．The teacher got back the suitcase but not Rupert. |
| B．The teacher got back neither the suitcase nor Rupert. |
| C．The teacher got back Rupert but not the suitcase. |
| D．The teacher got back both the suitcase and Rupert. |
The next day the old woman met a young man, who was also a traveler in the mountains. The young man looked very hungry, so the old woman opened her bag to share her food. The hungry traveler saw the precious stone and asked carefully, “The stone is beautiful. Would you like to give it to me?”
“Sure. Why not?” the woman said, and handed the stone to him.
The young man left happily with the stone. He knew it was worth enough to give him security for a lifetime. But a few days later he came back to return the stone to the woman.
“I’ve been thinking,” he said. “I know how valuable the stone is, but I give it back and hope that you can give me something even more precious. Give me what you have within your bag.”
The woman opened her bag. It was almost empty. She looked at the young man and smiled, “I have nothing special in my bag, but I do have something precious — the joy of giving!”
The young man felt ashamed and left silently.
1. How did the young man find the precious stone?
| A．He found it in his food. | B．He dug it out in a valley. |
| C．He saw it in the woman’s bag. | D．He noticed it shining in the stream. |
| A．Money. | B．Worry. | C．Health. | D．Trouble. |
| A．he found the stone was not precious |
| B．he understood the real meaning of joy |
| C．he felt embarrassed at taking away the stone |
| D．he wanted to get something even more precious |
| A．A special stone | B．The joy of giving |
| C．A woman and a young man | D．An experience in the mountains |
“Aren’t you cold, Dad?” I’d ask. “No,” Dad would reply. “I’m not cold—working too hard to be cold.”
Many times I wondered whether my father was an extremely tough man, or whether he was foolish.
One time when I was quite young, perhaps five or so, I went ice fishing with Dad. It was a bright, clear day—and bitterly cold.
After we’d been out on the ice for a little while, my feet started getting cold.
“Daddy, my feet are cold.” I said.
“Yeah, it’s cold out here today,” he replied.
“Tell you what,” he said. “Walk around. Make some circles in the snow. See how many different patterns you can make. That will get your feet warm.”
I was just a little girl at the time but I remember thinking, “How in the world will walking around in the snow make my feet warm? Dad must be out of mind.”
But he was my father, after all. I made circles in the snow. I made squares. Pretty soon I was having so much fun making patterns in the snow. I forgot about my feet being cold.
Now, all these years later, I know, too, from personal experience how my father was able to take his coat off and work outside in the winter wearing just a shirt, a cap and gloves. Because I do it, too. “Aren’t you cold?” my husband asked one winter day. “No,” I replied. “I’m not cold—working too hard to be cold.”
I hope my husband has decided I’m both tough and smart. But I guess quite a bit of the time he thinks I’m foolish.
Wherever Dad is on that great big farm in the sky—I’m sure he can’t help but smile whenever I take my coat off while I’m working outside in the winter.
1. When the author’s feet felt cold, her father advised her to ________.
| A．go home alone first | B．keep walking in the snow |
| C．draw pictures in the snow | D．light a fire on the ice |
| A．forgettable | B．warm-hearted | C．crazy | D．cruel |
| A．Tough. | B．Smart. | C．Brave. | D．Foolish. |
| A．remember her tough and smart father |
| B．show how her father cared about her |
| C．describe memories of her childhood |
| D．explain why her father loved her so much |
