1 . Having worked at a 7-Eleven store for two years, I thought I had become successful at what our manager calls “customer relations”. I firmly believed that a friendly smile and an automatic “sir” ,“ma’am”, and “thank you” would see me through any situation that might arise, from comforting impatient or unpleasant people to apologizing for giving out the wrong change. But the other night an old woman shattered (粉碎) my belief that a simple and plain response could smooth over the rough spots of dealing with all kinds of customers.

The moment she entered, the woman presented a sharp contrast to our shiny store with its bright lighting and neatly arranged shelves. Walking as if each step were painful, she slowly pushed open the glass door and hobbled (蹒跚) down the nearest aisle. She coughed dryly, wheezing (气喘吁吁) with each breath. On a forty- degree night, she was wearing only a faded dress, a thin sweater too small to button, and black slippers with the backs cut out to expose calloused (满是老茧的) heels. There were no stockings or socks on her blue-veined legs.

After wandering around the store for several minutes, the old woman stopped in front of the rows of canned vegetables. She picked up a can of corn and stared with a strange intensity at the label. At that point, I decided to be a good, polite employee and asked her if she needed help. As I stood close to her, my smile became harder to maintain; her red-rimmed (边缘红的) eyes were partially closed by yellowish crusts (痂); her hands were covered with layer upon layer of dirt, and the stale (陈腐的) smell of sweat rose from clothes.

“I need some food,” she muttered (喃喃低语) in reply to my bright “Can I help you?”

“Are you looking for corn, ma’am?”

“I need some food,” she repeated, “Any kind.”

“Well, the corm is ninety-five cents,” I said in my most helpful voice.

“I can’t pay,” she said.

For a second, I was tempted to say, “ Take the corn. ” But the employee rules flooded into my mind: Remain polite, but do not let customers get the best of you. Let them know that you are in control. For a moment, I even entertained the idea that this was some sort of test, and that this woman was someone from the head office, testing my loyalty. I responded dutifully, “I’m sorry, but I can’t give away anything for free.”

The old woman’s face collapsed a bit more, and her hands trembled as she put the can back on the shelf. She shuffled (拖着脚走) past me toward the door, her torn and dirty clothing barely covering her bent back.

Moments after she left, I rushed out of the door with the can of corn, but she was nowhere in sight. For the rest of my shift, the image of the woman haunted (萦绕) me. I had been young, healthy and proud. She had been old, sick and desperate. Wishing with all my heart that I had acted like a human being rather than a robot, I was saddened to realize how weak a hold we have on our better instincts.

1. How did the writer feel about his job at 7-Eleven before the old woman came?

A．He was quite satisfied with the way he served customers.

B．He found room for improvement in developing customer relations.

C．He thought himself experienced after working in the store for two years.

D．He considered himself successful in dealing with all interpersonal relations.

2. The detailed account of the old woman is intended to show ________ .

A．she presented a sharp contrast to the other customers

B．the writer felt sorry to deal with a customer like her

C．the writer didn’t expect to see such an unusual person

D．she lived a miserable life and truly deserved help

3. Why didn’t the author manage to help the old woman at last? Because ________ .

A．the old woman lacked appropriate manners

B．the stale smell of sweat really annoyed the author

C．the author stood firm with the employee regulations

D．the old woman was testing his loyalty to his company

4. What does the phrase “get the best of” mean according to the passage?

A．To feel sympathy for.	B．To keep company with.
C．To bring out the best of.	D．To win an advantage over.

5. Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?

A．What For

B．If Only

C．How Come

D．Never Ever

2 . Sudha Chandran, a classical dancer from India, was _________ in the prime of her career — quite literally — when her right leg had to be amputated (截) after a car accident. Though the incident brought her bright career to an end, she didn’t _________.

In the painful months that followed, she met a doctor who _________ an artificial limb made from vulcanized (硬化的) rubber filled with sponge. So _________ was her desire that she decided to return to dancing after she had been fitted with an artificial leg. Knowing that she _________ herself and could fulfill her dream, Sudha began her courageous journey _________ the world of dancing — learning to balance, bend, stretch, walk, turn, twist, twirl and _________ dance.

After every public recital (音乐演奏会), she would ask her dad about her _________. “ You still have a long way to go ” was the answer she used to get _________.

In January 1948, Sudha made a historic ____________ by giving a public recital in Bombay. She performed in such a marvelous manner that it moved everyone to tears while ____________ her to the Number One position again. That evening when she asked her dad the ____________ question, he didn’t say anything. He just touched her feet as a tribute (颂词) to a great ____________.

Sudha’s return was such heart-warming that a film producer was inspired to ____________ the incident into a box office hit, Mayuri.

When someone asked Sudha how she ____________ to dance again, she said quite simply, “YOU DON’T NEED FEET TO DANCE.”

If you have ____________, get up and brush the dust off your knees and move on. A ____________ setback (挫折) is not a defeat. ____________, there’s no such thing as defeat. ____________ is impossible in this world. If you have the will to win, you can ____________ anything. And always remember that the whole world will help you when you want to attain something.

1.

A．taken away

B．cut off

C．brought down

D．passed up

2.

A．set off

B．give up

C．reach out

D．get through

3.

A．bought

B．operated

C．changed

D．developed

4.

A．strong

B．unique

C．weak

D．natural

5.

A．asked for

B．figured out

C．believed in

D．stuck to

6.

A．ahead of

B．away from

C．along with

D．back to

7.

A．simply

B．hopefully

C．finally

D．suddenly

8.

A．application

B．conclusion

C．fortune

D．performance

9.

A．in return

B．by accident

C．for free

D．in mind

10.

A．comeback

B．breakup

C．outcome

D．withdraw

11.

A．preventing

B．striking

C．pushing

D．dragging

12.

A．tricky

B．usual

C．rare

D．difficult

13.

A．expert

B．conductor

C．artist

D．pioneer

14.

A．captured

B．obtained

C．moved

D．invented

15.

A．continued

B．promised

C．designed

D．managed

16.

A．broke up

B．fallen down

C．held back

D．fit in

17.

A．hidden

B．ideal

C．common

D．temporary

18.

A．By no means

B．On no account

C．For that matter

D．In spite of that

19.

A．Something

B．Anything

C．Nothing

D．Everything

20.

A．receive

B．defend

C．achieve

D．lose

3 . It was time for Mr. Rocco to shut up the shop when I hurried into the flower shop. “Now, what is it you want? ” Mr. Rocco turned to me. “I want the most beautiful flower you have” I replied. “And just how much do you have to pay for this most beautiful flower? ” I held out a wet hand showing a quarter and dime. He nodded, and then showed me a plant on the counter. “I can give you this one for 35 cents, ” he said. “Aw, gee, ” I protested, “it looks like a weed (草)!” About 18 inches high, the plant was in a small pot covered with faded red paper. “Now trust me, boy-I promise that tomorrow morning when you get up, you will find your most beautiful flower,” said Mr. Rocco. I knew him to be a good honest man, so I agreed to take it.

It was almost midnight when I arrived home. Mum was seriously sick and using the front bedroom. I looked in to see if she was asleep, and then quietly tiptoed in and set the plant on the table beside her bed. I wanted her to be surprised when she woke on Mother’s Day.

The next morning, I dressed and hurried downstairs. The sun was shining through the kitchen window as I looked into Mum’s room and glanced over at the table where the plant was. My goodness! There were three big yellow trumpet shaped blooms. It was just like Mr. Rocco said -the most beautiful flower I ever saw! When I looked at Mum, she was smiling as tears streamed down her cheeks. She held out her hand for me to come near, then pulled me close and hugged me till it hurt. Then, remembering her contagious condition and that she wasn’t supposed to touch me, she quickly let me go.

My dear mum died the next night. The moment she hugged me turned out to be the most wonderful moment of my life. Not only had that beautiful plant helped show just how much I loved her, but I’d always know how much she loved me.

1. The author didn’t like the plant at first sight because he thought ______.

A．it was too cheap to be a gift

B．the plant was actually a weed

C．the plant couldn’t bring out beautiful flowers

D．Mr. Rocco was reluctant to do the deal with him

2. Since Mother’s condition was contagious, ______.

A．she was at the death’s door

B．she suffered from an illness

C．others were sick of her appearance

D．virus might spread from her to others

3. What’s the mother’s reaction when she saw the flower?

A．She was in great shock at the flower.

B．She took it for granted on Mother’s Day.

C．She was deeply moved by the precious gift.

D．She praised the author for the beautiful flower.

4. When the mother hugged the author tightly, it showed that ______.

A．she liked being given gifts on holidays

B．she appreciated what had been done for her

C．she was aware of the arrival of Mother’s Day

D．she was happy about the growth of her children

5. Which of the following is the best title of the passage?

A．Flower of Love	B．A Son and His Mother
C．Low Price, High Value	D．A Special Mother’s Day

5 . 阅读表达

Before entering college, I had heard so many stories about how stressful freshman year could get and that this would potentially be the most difficult experience I would ever have to go through. And yes, for the most part, those stories did live up to the reality.

In the first several months, I was urged to improve my social skills and to befriend people. Personally, there was a clear struggle on wanting to adjust and not simply adapt. Adapting required a change in behavior for the sake of fitting in and I didn't want that. Luckily and eventually, I was able to find my own group. It just required extra work and patience.

Naturally, there were academic obstacles that arose. The biggest one was my major. I was enrolled as a communication studies major. I chose it because it seemed like a safe haven. But I later discovered that it didn't actually fit my likes. After two quarters, serious thinking and several mini breakdowns, I switched to philosophy.

Ever since I was younger, I have known I wanted to work in the field. It has always intrigued me. To be honest, I've never had to read such challenging texts in my life, but I enjoy it. It pushes me beyond my limits in a good way. It introduces me to concepts and theories that I've never heard of. More importantly, it doesn't only make me more logical. It also makes me more empathic(有移情作用的)and understanding of others.

I eventually overcame the obstacles. As I recall it now, I'm thankful that the good always outweighed the bad. The good came in the form of new friends, significant learning and deepened self-understanding. As I head off to sophomore year, I plan to bring this good with me.

1. How was the author's freshman year in college? (no more than 5 words)
2. What troubled the author in his first several months in college? (no more than 10 words)
3. Why did the author switch to philosophy? (no more than 10 words)
4. What does the underlined part in Paragraph 4 mean? (no more than 10 words)
5. What do you think of the author? Please explain. (no more than 25 words)