1 . My friend, Jack, was a taxi driver. We became friends quite by accident. Five years ago, I made a trip to Chicago. The moment I stepped into a cab, I realized it was different. The floor was covered with a rug (小地毯). There were small reproductions of paintings by Van Gogh inside the cab. And the windows were spotless. I told the driver I had never ridden in a more attractive taxi.
“I like to hear my passengers say that,” he replied. “How long have you been decorating your cab?” I asked. “It’s not mine,” he said. “It’s a company cab. I hit upon the idea years ago when I worked as a clean-up man for the taxi company. Each car that came in at the end of the day was like a garbage pit. Cigarette butts and matches covered the floor. Sticky stuff like peanut butter was on the seats or door handles. I thought that if the company and the drivers would give people a car worth keeping clean, they might be more considerate. ”
“As soon as I got my taxi license, I tried out my ideas. I put a lot of extra decorations into the cab they gave me to drive. I got a nice rug and some flowers. When each passenger got out, I checked to make sure that everything was in order for the next fare. After about a month of my bringing in a spotless cab, the boss reserved the same car for me each day. That was when I put up the reproductions of great paintings.”
“I’ve never been disappointed by people in the past ten years—no garbage. Like I say, people appreciate beautiful things. If we planted more flowers and trees in the city and made the buildings more attractive, more people would tend to keep the city clean.”
Later, we became good friends. I was impressed by the taxi-driver, who had hit on a great truth—a sense of beauty comes with the gift of life. Most people don’t have to be instructed about the rarity of beauty. They respond when they find it. And, if they are made to feel a part of it, they will try to add to it.
1. What made the writer surprised when he got into the taxi?| A．The beautiful decoration on the rug. |
| B．The style of decoration outside the taxi. |
| C．The masterpieces of well-known painters. |
| D．The impressive inner environment of the taxi. |
| A．he got his taxi license |
| B．the boss reserved the same car for him each day |
| C．he served as a clean-up man for the taxi company |
| D．he found the taxi he cleaned was full of cigarette butts |
| A．People can easily make friends when taking a taxi. |
| B．When people find beauty in life, they will try to add to it. |
| C．If we plant more flowers and trees, we can keep the city clean. |
| D．We have to be taught to find beauty and make it more beautiful. |
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在此符号下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（＼）划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1. 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2. 只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
Today is an excellent day for small improvements. It is no need to make a huge change, just a small one, something you can probably to do right now. If you learn just one more new words each day, in the next year you will increase our vocabulary by more than 300 words. Small improvements can add up to big achievements. Consider the work you do each day and thinking about how you can do it just a little bit better.
On a marathon race, each step the winner takes is just a little bit long and faster than each step taken by the others. That small difference add up in a big way. Do just a little bit more today, and tomorrow too, but each day after that. Anyone can make just a small improvement, and that can make big difference.
3 . I will never forget the days when I met with my classmates. Early in the morning of our first school day, our professor introduced himself and challenged us to get to know someone we didn’t know yet. I stood up look around when a gentle hand touched my shoulder. I turned round to find a wrinkled, little old lady beaming up at me with a smile that lit up her entire being.
She said, “Hi handsome. My name is Rose. Can I give you a hug?”
I laughed and enthusiastically responded, “Of course you may!” and she gave me a giant squeeze.
“Why are you in college at such a young, innocent age?” I asked.
She jokingly replied, “I’m here to meet a rich husband, get married, and have a couple of kids…”
“No seriously,” I asked. I was curious what may have motivated her to be taking on this challenge at her age.
“I always dreamed of having a college education and now I’m getting one!” she told me.
After class we shared a chocolate milkshake. We became instant friends. Every day we would leave class together and talk nonstop. I was always mesmerized（迷住）listening to this “time machine” as she shared her wisdom and experience with me.
At the end of the semester we invited Rose to speak at our football banquet. I’ll never forget what she taught us.
“There is only one secret to staying young. You’ve got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die. We have so many people walking round who are dead and don’t even know it! There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up. If I am eighty-seven years old and stay in bed for a year and never do anything I will turn eighty-eight. Anybody can grow older. That doesn’t take any talent of ability. The idea is to grow up by always finding opportunity in change. Have no regrets. The elderly usually don’t have regrets for what we did, but rather for things we did not do. The only people who fear death are those with regrets.”
She concluded her speech by courageously singing The Rose. She challenged each of us to study the lyrics and live them out in our daily lives.
1. Why did the lady want to hug the author?| A．Because she wanted to challenge her professor. |
| B．Because she wanted to break the ice. |
| C．Because she wanted to find a rich husband. |
| D．Because she wanted to have a college education. |
| A．The author enjoyed his experience of riding in the “time machine”. |
| B．The author and the lady soon became close friends. |
| C．Talented people can easily find opportunities. |
| D．Old people usually don’t fear death. |
| A．a lively college student | B．the author’s girlfriend |
| C．a young and innocent lady | D．an encouraging song |
| A．An idle youth, a needy age. |
| B．Learn wherever you are. |
| C．A faithful friend is hard to find. |
| D．A man is not old until regrets to take the place of dreams. |
4 . A couple of years ago, there were billboards about the achievements of Boston Athletic Association. Beside the photos were some
As kids, many tales told us about the spirit of determination, of believing in ourselves. As
Practicing “can” thinking is important to keeping us young, to having a(n)
Be more active.
Try something new. It is easy for us to make excuses for why we shouldn’t try new things. Maybe you think it is
Increase your willpower. Saying “No” to our favorite things is not easy.
| A．disappointing | B．puzzling | C．satisfying | D．encouraging |
| A．stood out | B．turned out | C．held out | D．picked out |
| A．teachers | B．runners | C．adults | D．audience |
| A．differences | B．excuses | C．adjustments | D．preparations |
| A．can’t | B．mustn’t | C．shouldn’t | D．needn’t |
| A．sensitive | B．positive | C．imaginative | D．objective |
| A．developing | B．making | C．setting | D．reaching |
| A．arrange | B．build | C．lead | D．change |
| A．whichever | B．whenever | C．wherever | D．whatever |
| A．Whether | B．If | C．Though | D．Since |
| A．wall | B．stairs | C．ladder | D．hill |
| A．motto | B．activity | C．attitude | D．position |
| A．Preserve | B．provide | C．possess | D．protect |
| A．beside | B．without | C．beyond | D．within |
| A．him | B．himself | C．you | D．yourself |
| A．move | B．jump | C．overcome | D．defeat |
| A．consult | B．inform | C．discover | D．experience |
| A．Moreover | B．However | C．Therefore | D．Otherwise |
| A．Every | B．Each | C．Last | D．Next |
| A．regret | B．request | C．recommend | D．remind |
5 . Beverly and I have been the best friends for years. And our friendship, like a well-worn sweater, has
Last Saturday night, Beverly called, telling me she found a lump (肿块) in her breast and was
On Monday morning I went to the airport. I stepped up the
“I’m sorry.”
A tear
“Perhaps I can help you,” said an older woman with smiling blue eyes. “Well, I have a ticket. I’d be
“My journey is not
She handed me the ticket and we made the necessary
To this day, I often think of that woman who
| A．placed | B．put | C．hung | D．laid |
| A．states | B．streets | C．miles | D．blocks |
| A．intended | B．asked | C．allowed | D．scheduled |
| A．such | B．it | C．so | D．nor |
| A．In all | B．After all | C．Above all | D．First of all |
| A．uncertain | B．hopeless | C．disappointing | D．promising |
| A．flight | B．counter | C．pilot | D．computer |
| A．hit | B．knocked | C．tapped | D．struck |
| A．inform | B．remind | C．warn | D．instruct |
| A．day | B．plane | C．surgery | D．vacation |
| A．turned down | B．rolled down | C．fell down | D．poured down |
| A．honored | B．satisfied | C．annoyed | D．upset |
| A．pointed | B．waved | C．threw | D．flashed |
| A．necessary | B．convenient | C．meaningful | D．urgent |
| A．comments | B．bargains | C．changes | D．plans |
| A．raised | B．extended | C．held | D．reached |
| A．danger | B．hurry | C．operation | D．sorrow |
| A．hand | B．ticket | C．pressure | D．trouble |
| A．brought | B．sacrificed | C．took | D．received |
| A．word | B．smile | C．act | D．gift |
6 . By high school, T. J. was the most famous one in his town. I met him for the first time at a weekend leadership election. When I showed up, the community leaders gave me this overview of the attending students: “We have all the students here today, from the student president to T. J. Ware, the boy with the longest arrest record in the history of town.”
At the start of the election, he was standing against the back wall. He didn’t really join the discussion groups, or didn’t seem to have much to say. But slowly, the interactive games drew him in. The ice melted when the groups started building a list of positive and negative things that had occurred at school that year. T. J. had some definite comments on those situations. All of a sudden he was being treated like a leader. He knew something about poverty, hunger and hopelessness, and everyone was listening. By the end of the election, he had joined the Homeless Project team. The other students on the team elected him co-chairman of the team.
But when T. J. showed up at school on Monday morning, he arrived to a firestorm. A group of teachers were protesting (抗议) to the school principal about his being elected co-chairman. They reminded the principal, “He’ll probably steal half the food.”
Surprisingly, two weeks later, T. J. and his friends led a group to collect food. They created a school record： 2,854 cans of food in just two hours. It was enough to fill the empty shelves in two neighborhood centers, and the food took care of needy families in the area for 75 days. The local newspaper covered the event with a full-page article the next day. The event he led now collects 9,000 cans of food in one day, taking care of 70 percent of the need for food for one year.
Maybe you’ve heard the saying, “A bird with a broken wing will never fly as high.” T. J. reminds us that a bird with a broken wing only needs mending. But once it has healed, it can fly higher than the rest.
1. What was T. J. famous for when the author first met him?| A．Collecting food. | B．Making troubles. |
| C．Being elected co-chairman. | D．Showing up at the election. |
| A．The groups welcomed T. J.’s opinions. |
| B．T. J. knew little about the topics in the discussions. |
| C．T. J. was unwilling to collect food for needy families. |
| D．The groups made a list of positive and negative things about T. J.. |
| A．He was caught in terrible weather. | B．He suffered a fire disaster. |
| C．His stealing was made public. | D．His being elected was strongly opposed. |
| A．God helps those who help themselves. |
| B．Bad times makes a good man. |
| C．Everyone deserves a chance to clean up their mistakes. |
| D．Bad luck often brings good luck. |
7 . One day a professor entered the classroom and told the students about a surprise test. After hearing that, all students were seated and waited for the test to begin. Now, the professor gave the test papers to all students with text facing down on the desk. Once he was done with handing out the test to all students, he asked them to turn the test pages and begin.
Students were confused to see that there was not a question but just a black dot in the center of the page. The professor noticed the students’ facial expressions and told them, “I want you to write about what you see there.”
The students were still confused but got started with the test. At the end of the class, the professor took all answer sheets and started reading each answer from each sheet in front of all students. All of them described about the black dot and tried to explain its position. After the professor finished reading, the whole class was silent.
Now, the professor began to explain, “Don’t worry. I am not going to give you grades for this but I just want you to think about something. Here everyone focused on the black dot and wrote about it but no one wrote about the white paper. The same is with our lives. The white paper embodies our whole life and the black spot problems in our life.
Our life is a gift given to us by God, with love and care, and we always have reasons to celebrate---our friends around us, the job that provides us our livelihood, the miracles we see everyday. Still we just focus on day to day problems like health issues, lack of money, problems in relationships, etc. But we never see that these problems are very small compared to everything we have in our lives.”
1. From the text we learn that _________.| A．the professor gave the students an unexpected test |
| B．the professor graded the students’ test papers |
| C．none of the students focused on the black dot |
| D．the students were unwilling to take the test |
| A．presents | B．represents |
| C．empties | D．enriches |
| A．Be happy to take tests |
| B．Life is filled with problems |
| C．There are many black dots in our life |
| D．Take eyes off problems and enjoy life |
8 . The King received news one day that a group outlaws were committing some wrong and cruel acts on a distant border of the kingdom.
The news angered the King. He quickly gathered his army and started off for the distant border, leaving his kingdom unguarded and without a ruler.
On their long march, the King and his army made camp for the night wherever they could. One rainy day they stopped in a forest, seeking shelter under the trees. They unsaddled（卸鞍） their horses and steamed some peas, which they fed to their steeds(战马) in long narrow containers.
A monkey in a tree nearby saw the horses being fed, and he came racing down, fille9d both paws with peas, then climbed quickly up to a branch and settled down to eat. But as he opened one paw, a single pea fell to the ground. Without hesitation, my monkey jumped from his branch to hunt for the lost pea, and in doing so，he dropped all the other peas in his paws.
The King observed this foolish monkey and was greatly amused. He turned to his minister and asked: "Friend, what do you think of this monkey who would give up so much to retrieve so little?" "That is the way of the foolish," replied the minister, "they will give up much that is certain for a little that is uncertain." Then he added, "And we, Great King, are we not like the monkey in the trees. To gain so little we neglect (忽略 ) so much exactly like the monkey with its pea.
The King understood the blame and realized how very foolish he had been himself to leave his kingdom unguarded. He gave out orders to his men, and he and his army returned at once to their country.
1. What did the King do after he knew a group of bad guys were doing something illegal?| A．He asked the minister for advice. | B．He led his army to defeat them. |
| C．He found some monkeys to feed | D．He looked for shelters in the forest. |
| A．steaming some peas to feed the horses |
| B．amusing the King with the monkey’s trick |
| C．blaming the king gently using the monkey’s example. |
| D．going back and guarding the country. |
| A．bring up | B．get back |
| C．give away | D．come up |
| A．An Angry King | B．A Battle against the Outlaws |
| C．A Simple-minded Monkey | D．An Unguarded Kingdom |
