1 . I was now, in the months of November and December, expecting my crop of corn. On a sudden, I found I was in danger of losing it all by enemies of several sorts. It was hardly possible to keep away from them. The goats and the hares which I called enemies, tasting the sweetness of the leaf, lay in it day and night. As soon as it came up, they ate it so close that it could get no time to shoot up into stem.

I could do nothing but make a fence around it, which I did with a great deal of work because it required speed. However, as my land was small, suited to my crop, I got it totally well fenced in about three weeks’time. Shooting some of the animals in the daytime, I set my dog to guard it at night, tying him up to a post at the gate, where he would stand and bark all night long. So in a little time the enemies gave up and left the place, and the corn grew very strong and well.

But as the animals damaged it before, while my corn was in the leaf, the birds were likely to harm it now. Going along by the place to see how it grew, I saw my little crop filled with fowls, who stood, watching till I should be gone. I immediately let fly among them, for I always had my gun with me. I had no sooner shot than there rose up a little cloud of birds, which I had not seen at all, from among the corn itself.

1. Why were the goats and hares called enemies?

A．Because they woke him up at night without a break.

B．Because they damaged the fence over and over again.

C．Because they often came to feed on the young corn.

D．Because they always kept him away from the field.

2. How was the corn protected at night?

A．He shot some animals with a gun.	B．He put a dog at the gate to watch it.
C．He drove away animals by himself.	D．He made a wooden fence around it.

3. What does the underlined “fowls” in the last paragraph refer to?

A．Birds.

B．Hares.

C．Leaves.

D．Goats.

2 . Lenore Skenazy is a New York journalist. When she wrote about how she had left her nine -year -old son in central New York and let him take the subway home alone, she caused a _________ media storm. Her son, Izzy, whose _________ the expedition(出行) had been, was happy with the experience. He arrived home safely, _________ about his independence. He had been begging for weeks to be _________ out on his own and to travel unsupervised(无人监督的). Ms Skenazy gave Izzy a subway map, twenty dollars and some _________ in case he needed to make a phone call. But Ms Skenazy’s actions landed her in a huge _________. Although many came out to_________ her, she was labeled “America’s worst mom” by others. “My son had simply done what most people my age had done _________ when they were his age: gone somewhere on his own, without a security detail.” She wrote_________. “The problem with this dangerous idea is that overprotectiveness is a __________ in itself. A child who thinks he can’t do anything __________ eventually can’t.”

So. are we living in a risk-averse(风险规避的) culture where we limit our children’s ability to __________ danger by never allowing them to take reasonable __________? Does western society give its children too much __________? Or did Ms Skenazy’s actions __________ her son in unnecessary danger? What do you think?

1.

A．pleasant

B．fierce

C．illegal

D．embarrassing

2.

A．idea

B．emotion

C．outcome

D．mission

3.

A．surprised

B．frightened

C．annoyed

D．excited

4.

A．requested

B．allowed

C．desired

D．invited

5.

A．change

B．property

C．benefit

D．wage

6.

A．arrangement

B．violence

C．movement

D．argument

7.

A．support

B．follow

C．confirm

D．define

8.

A．possibly

B．usually

C．eventually

D．nearly

9.

A．alongside

B．earlier

C．afterwards

D．sooner

10.

A．fear

B．pressure

C．disability

D．danger

11.

A．on his own

B．in his way

C．now and then

D．more or less

12.

A．get into

B．look into

C．take on

D．deal with

13.

A．steps

B．risks

C．charge

D．control

14.

A．stress

B．freedom

C．protection

D．barrier

15.

A．appeal

B．fancy

C．involve

D．occur

3 . At 91 years old and with Alzheimer’s disease, Gene McGehee was finding his golden years to be his loneliest. That all ______ one day when he heard the clear sound of children’s laughter right outside his home.

When Gene ______ outside, he couldn’t believe his good ______ to discover a group of lively young kids playing. The children, from the daycare center across the street, were more than ______ to include Gene in their fun. They ______ him Big Gene, and a special, long-lasting friendship was ______ between Gene, the kids and Megan Nunez, the daycare teacher.

Gene’s ______ Alzheimer’s disease means he now has only short-term memory. For the last three years, Gene has been ______ Megan and the kids every day for what he thinks is the ______ time. “Every day, I cross the street, and we stay together,” explained Megan. “I always tell the kids that his ______ is kind of sick, but his heart ______ us.”

Gene’s daughter, Cathy, said he ______ from loneliness until the kids came into his life and ______ his days. He now gets to just go outside and make new friends on a daily basis. “They have been such a ______ to Daddy, and he lights up,” Cathy ______ shared.

Gene and the kids enjoy their one-hour “playdate” every afternoon. They ______ jokes, stories, laughs and hugs. He sometimes even ______ their games. Even though the day’s cherished memories disappear as the sun _______, something remains in the depths of Gene’s mind. It is that ______ feeling that makes him go outside as soon as he hears the children’s _______once again.

1.

A．changed

B．happened

C．mattered

D．began

2.

A．rushed

B．stayed

C．stepped

D．glared

3.

A．view

B．fortune

C．alternative

D．position

4.

A．willing

B．curious

C．annoyed

D．afraid

5.

A．awarded

B．nicknamed

C．owed

D．handed

6.

A．expected

B．faded

C．damaged

D．born

7.

A．infectious

B．mild

C．severe

D．rare

8.

A．meeting

B．consulting

C．asking

D．accompanying

9.

A．last

B．next

C．most

D．first

10.

A．leg

B．eye

C．arm

D．brain

11.

A．needs

B．remembers

C．ignores

D．discovers

12.

A．learned

B．suffered

C．benefited

D．recovered

13.

A．ruined

B．promoted

C．brightened

D．explored

14.

A．blessing

B．reward

C．problem

D．burden

15.

A．eventually

B．cheerfully

C．regularly

D．frequently

16.

A．exchange

B．communicate

C．tell

D．play

17.

A．breaks in

B．blows up

C．passes down

D．participates in

18.

A．rises

B．shines

C．moves

D．sets

19.

A．normal

B．necessary

C．special

D．cautious

20.

A．screams

B．complaints

C．laughter

D．news

4 . In 1996, farmers Ralph and Lisa Turner started Laughing Stock Farm. With trial and error ______ came success—a steady customer base providing fresh local vegetables.

When the pandemic（流行病） ______ last year, and suppliers to local restaurants were forced to close , that future seemed very much in ______ . Their main source of ______ was suddenly gone. Left behind were eight overflowing greenhouses plus 10 tons of vegetables in cold storage（储藏）—and zero ______ , which made zero cash flow.

With money already invested（投资）in produce they couldn't sell, a loss seemed ______ , breaking even only a pipe dream. But ______ getting rid of the harvest, the Turners ______ a Plan B-the couple opened a farm stand, ______ pre-bagged produce at $3 a pop, and sent out word via ______ .

Lisa said, "We sent it out to probably 450 email addresses—and then people just started ______ . The first day it was like, wow…a lot of people. We sold out 130 dozen eggs in two days. It was ______ .”

Realizing they were on to something, Lisa ______ a local beef farmer and set up a delivery. She said with customers asking for steak, the 40-pound delivery never even made it to the ______ for storage. Even more astonishing was that customers started leaving tips to show their ______ .

When all was said and done, the Turners didn't make a huge ______ , but they were able to keep themselves in the black（有盈余）financially. So they decided that in the coming year, ______ growing and selling their own crops, they'll ______ the local meat and dairy distributors.

While they are ______ about their future success, they do have cause for hope. The support and ______ they have received from friends and strangers is both a blessing and an affirmation（肯定）.

1.

A．directly

B．eventually

C．truly

D．probably

2.

A．slowed

B．left

C．hit

D．delayed

3.

A．action

B．danger

C．relief

D．advance

4.

A．entertainment

B．produce

C．income

D．information

5.

A．demand

B．expense

C．waste

D．possibility

6.

A．unavoidable

B．accidental

C．acceptable

D．unpredictable

7.

A．in spite of

B．as a result of

C．by means of

D．instead of

8.

A．went back to

B．came up with

C．broke away from

D．got along with

9.

A．charging

B．collecting

C．selling

D．harvesting

10.

A．emails

B．calls

C．advertisements

D．notices

11.

A．controlling

B．complaining

C．ignoring

D．sharing

12.

A．expected

B．unbelievable

C．convenient

D．depressing

13.

A．pointed to

B．ran into

C．depended on

D．communicated with

14.

A．freezer

B．table

C．car

D．greenhouse

15.

A．wealth

B．support

C．joy

D．attention

16.

A．mistake

B．decision

C．profit

D．contribution

17.

A．in addition to

B．because of

C．regardless of

D．in fear of

18.

A．respect

B．examine

C．help

D．understand

19.

A．crazy

B．curious

C．particular

D．doubtful

20.

A．patience

B．promise

C．advice

D．kindness