1 . When I was a kid,I was the girl who kept the training wheels on my bike as long as possible.Even my younger sister had got rid of them much earlier than me.But as I began to grow older,this changed.

All this happened on the Bike Safety Day.It is supposed to be a fun day at school when all of us kids bring our bikes to school and the school provides us with the opportunity to ride outside and learn proper bike safety.Sounds like fun,right?No.In fact,it caused me to panic.What was I going to say when my friends asked me about my training wheels?

With the pressure of everyone seeing my training wheels,I determined to let them go.This was the first big change I’d ever made on my own.

I went to my parents and told them all about my dilemma.They were more than happy to help.We went outside and got my bike.Instead of running away and hiding behind,I stood in front of my bike and took great pride in my decision as my dad removed the training wheels.

I got on and steadied myself.My heart raced but my feet and hands were calm.My dad started to push before my feet even moved and suddenly I was off.The fear faded away and a relaxed mind came into its place.It was crazy to think how quickly I learned something that took so long for me to even try!

My confidence soared (高涨).This was going to be the start of a brand new world for me.My accomplishment would carry me forth to new goals and wins.I realized that if I set my mind on doing something,I could achieve it.

1. What does the school expect the students to do on Bike Safety Day?

A．Have their bikes checked.

B．Ride outside for fun.

C．Acquire bike safety skills.

D．Remove the training wheels.

2. What does the underlined word “them” in paragraph 3 refer to?

A．The author’s friends.	B．The author’s parents.
C．The safety problems.	D．The training wheels.

3. What happened when the author finally rode without the training wheels?

A．She felt extremely embarrassed.

B．Everything turned out to be easy.

C．She ended up falling down.

D．Her sisters followed her example.

4. What does the author think is necessary for her to achieve a goal?

A．Patience.	B．Determination.
C．Pressure.	D．Concentration.

2 . There is a song by the great Jamaican singer Bob Marley called So Much Trouble in The World. Marley understood that part of the reason why there are so many problems in the world is the lack of tolerance between people. The UN understands this too— that is why it made November 16th “International Day for Tolerance”.

But first, what is tolerance? According to French philosopher Voltaire, “Tolerance is the consequence of humanity. We are all formed of frailty (脆弱) and error; let us pardon each other’s fool— that is the first law of nature.”

Very often, people do not realize that they are intolerant. This is because intolerance has a lot to do with ignorance. For example, the UN’s campaign is in part about the treatment of females by males. But often, the behavior of men toward women is intolerant because men do not put themselves in the shoes of women.

It is worth thinking a little about the words “tolerance” and “intolerance”. Are they the best words to describe the evils of which we are speaking here? To agree to be “tolerant” of someone is not necessarily a very respectful thing. When someone is tolerated, it implies that there is something wrong with them.

Still, what Voltaire said stands: We humans are not perfect and this weakness is something that we all share. That is the reason we should be tolerant. It is a little like generosity. We can give things to another person, and we can also give our forgiveness.

1. What is the purpose of the UN “International Day for Tolerance”?

A．To celebrate the founding of the UN.

B．To solve the problem of global warming.

C．To change people’s opinion towards globalization.

D．To arouse the awareness of tolerance among people.

2. Why do men behave intolerantly towards women?

A．Because men do not realize the purpose of the UN.

B．Because men are physically stronger than women.

C．Because men are not willing to understand women.

D．Because men do not appreciate the shoes of women.

3. Why is it meaningless to use the words “tolerance” and “intolerance”?

A．Because they cannot be used in a respectful way.

B．Because they are hard to pronounce in English.

C．Because they cannot be translated into other languages.

D．Because they do not express the exact meaning people refer to.

4. In what sense is “tolerance” similar to “generosity”?

A．Humans tend to find faults in others.

B．Humans need to give something to others.

C．Humans are advised to treat others better.

D．Humans change their attitudes towards others.

4 . Life Lessons

Life is not easy when you are pursuing something worthwhile and ready to learn from the best experiences.     1    Here are some life lessons which people will learn the hard way in majority of cases.

It takes consistent time and effort to be successful in any area. However, people usually get discouraged when it takes more time than they thought it would. At this time, people refer only to people who have already achieved what you want to be, which most people fail to do. Look at any successful person and you’ll notice one thing common in all of them. They took time to learn and mastered their skills like no one else.     2    

Be brave to take the road less travelled. In our whole life, we always want to follow the same path that everyone suggests, do the same things everyone does, take the same career path everyone takes, wear the same clothes everyone wears, and hang out with the same people we work with.

    3    But when you get bored of life, you will realize that you are not meant to do what everyone does and that your destiny is different from anyone else’s out there in the world. But the price you pay to realize this is high because it takes a great amount of courage to follow your own path.

You don’t have to live your life in a way society wants you to.     4    Parents sometimes force their children to select a career they don’t want because other children have selected that career. Worst of all, people follow them without even asking. There is no harm in old rituals (惯例) and beliefs but when you pursue then before your interest, sooner or later you’ll realize that yon should first do what you think is right.

    5     However, if you are smart enough to learn early and wish not to waste your precious time learning them the hard way, learn them now and apply it to your life.

A．You have to break the rules sometimes.

B．After al life lessons are always learned the hard way.

C．There is no elevator to success; you have to take the stairs.

D．The reason why we follow others is that we are scared to fail.

E．It always takes tests and then fails us to learn anything worthwhile.

F．The general rule goes that the harder you try, the greater results you get.

G．Many old beliefs are being performed these days and are followed blindly.

5 . When my children were teenagers, I ___________ a fridge magnet with what was said to be a First Nation or Native American prayer. I ___________ it on the door of our refrigerator in full view. I found the words to be thought ___________ and hoped they would teach my children to have more patience and be more ___________ of others.

Although my children are ___________ now, with homes of their own, I’ve kept the magnet on our_______ door for the past twenty-five years. During that time, I’ve often found that the _______ has helped me see situations from a different perspective.

For example, a number of years ago, I was on my way to a farewell function with several colleagues. As we were leaving the office, we _______ our other colleague, Wendy, who had previously planned to attend the event with us. I asked Wendy if she wanted us to wait for her, and she responded in a fairly rude manner,_______ our invitation. One of my other colleagues was quite ________ and clearly angry over Wendy’s behavior.“I don’t know why you even bothered to ________ her,” she said. ________on how tired Wendy appeared as she rushed away from us, I commented that perhaps we should just give Wendy a________ and forgive her for being rude at the last minute. She was ________ having a bad day, and it wasn’t worth holding a grudge (怨恨) against her if we weren’t aware of what ________her unusual behavior.

A week later, I learned that when we came across Wendy, she was returning to the office from a medical appointment ________ she was told she had pancreatic cancer. She died a year later. Wendy wasn’t being rude to us; she had just received a very ________ diagnosis.

Whether it’s a family member who let me down, a friend who __________ a confidence, or a difficult colleague, the quote on my fridge ________ me. Although it’s not always easy to forgive, I’ve been able to ________ a lot of grudge over the years by focusing on my mantra.

1.

A．missed

B．lost

C．purchased

D．sold

2.

A．spotted

B．carried

C．dropped

D．placed

3.

A．meaningful

B．interesting

C．familiar

D．unexpected

4.

A．aware

B．forgiving

C．ashamed

D．confident

5.

A．workers

B．parents

C．seniors

D．adults

6.

A．kitchen

B．fridge

C．bedroom

D．bathroom

7.

A．dream

B．message

C．target

D．relief

8.

A．bumped into

B．saw off

C．knocked down

D．dealt with

9.

A．demanding

B．accepting

C．declining

D．delaying

10.

A．curious

B．amazed

C．anxious

D．annoyed

11.

A．convince

B．promise

C．ignore

D．invite

12.

A．Reflecting

B．Counting

C．Looking

D．Concentrating

13.

A．break

B．party

C．dance

D．lesson

14.

A．suddenly

B．obviously

C．passively

D．naturally

15.

A．discovered

B．avoided

C．caused

D．created

16.

A．where

B．that

C．which

D．what

17.

A．confusing

B．shocking

C．unusual

D．casual

18.

A．built

B．lost

C．betrayed

D．possessed

19.

A．doubted

B．evaluated

C．guided

D．ordered

20.

A．take down

B．break through

C．come about

D．get rid of

6 . One Mother to Another

On Wednesday evening, our daughter, who was at a boarding school over 200 kilometers away, told us that she had lost her phone when she took part in an activity off campus. We realized that we had little chance of finding it.

The next morning, my phone beeped (哔哔响) loudly. A kind voice announced that she had something that belonged to my daughter. I _______ that I lived a three-hour drive away, and told her I would ask a friend to fetch the phone. My daughter had written my number on the inside of her phone’s case — good thinking!

After contacting the people I know who lived near the school, I was out of _______ — no one could go and _______ the phone, not surprisingly as it was the working day and everyone was busy. I decided to ask the lady to post the phone to my daughter. But when I sent her a text to ask if this would be OK, she replied, “We will _______ it and we’re going to drive down to the boarding school tonight.” To my _______, this wonderful couple, who had already spent a busy day at work, was making a round trip on the night, _______ for returning a phone to a complete stranger. How touching it was!

I gave them directions and they _______ the phone into the hands of my daughter at her boarding house. The only word of an explanation was, “I’ve got children of my own, and I know how a mother _______.”

We had thought that the chance of getting back the phone was _______, but we got it back in such a short time. It was a wonderful reminder of the good in the world and how the actions of one person can __________ the world to another.

1.

A．suggested

B．reported

C．explained

D．argued

2.

A．date

B．luck

C．work

D．control

3.

A．pick up

B．carry out

C．hand in

D．give away

4.

A．find

B．show

C．miss

D．take

5.

A．regret

B．surprise

C．amusement

D．disappointment

6.

A．especially

B．certainly

C．definitely

D．probably

7.

A．conducted

B．arranged

C．delivered

D．identified

8.

A．doubts

B．interests

C．predicts

D．worries

9.

A．free

B．slim

C．hard

D．fair

10.

A．tell

B．face

C．mean

D．join

7 . “Just sign here, sir,” the deliveryman said as he handed Oscar Reyna a package.

The package consisted of a long, narrow box carefully wrapped in brown paper._______the box, Oscar saw an umbrella inside — a very old one with a beautifully carved wooden handle. Although he had not seen it in more than 20 years, he recognized it_______.

Oscar was 16 when he first saw the unusual umbrella. He had gone to a concert with his grandparents. As they were leaving, he noticed an umbrella on an empty seat, impressed by its_______, Oscar felt a strong desire to find its owner.

Oscar_______the manager to look in the record of advance ticket sales. Just as he thought, a name___________ the seat where Oscar had found the umbrella. The name was Mrs. Katie O’Brien.

Oscar talked his grandparents into going by Mrs. O’Brien’s_______on their way home. He rang the bell, the door opened, and an elderly woman appeared. “May I help you?” she asked.

“I’d like to return it if it’s yours,” Oscar said, holding out the umbrella as if presenting a_______that had long been wished for.

“Why, yes! It’s mine,” replied Mrs. O’Brien with a wide smile and shining eyes. “It was given to me by my father years ago. Thank you so much for returning it. May I offer you a reward for your_______?”

“No, ma’am,” he said, “My grandmother says that a good deed is its own reward.”

“Well, that’s_______what my father used to say. What is your name, young man?”

Years later Oscar was staring at the finely carved handle of the umbrella as he remembered Mrs. O’Brien. It was in perfect condition, considering how old it was. Why had it arrived here today?

As if in answer, a note fell from the paper. It reads: Mrs. O’Brien wanted to__________this umbrella as a present for a kind, unselfish gesture long ago.

1.

A．Opening

B．Closing

C．Touching

D．Searching

2.

A．clearly

B．fully

C．immediately

D．suddenly

3.

A．history

B．shape

C．length

D．beauty

4.

A．encouraged

B．convinced

C．forced

D．advised

5.

A．called

B．matched

C．written

D．taken

6.

A．family

B．theater

C．house

D．neighborhood

7.

A．chance

B．fact

C．result

D．gift

8.

A．kindness

B．patience

C．courage

D．determination

9.

A．obviously

B．naturally

C．exactly

D．probably

10.

A．possess

B．accept

C．refuse

D．value

8 . My Hero

What does it mean to be a hero? I think a hero is someone who goes out of his way to make others happy. My hero is Mr. Wright, my chorus(合唱队) teacher.

When I was 12 years old, my grandparents passed away. I was really close to them, and losing them was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to __ through. I couldn’t eat, sleep, or think; I felt like I couldn’t even breathe. It was as if my whole world had fallen down from under me, and I__ into this huge hole of depression(抑郁).

__I was battling depression, I was determined to make my high school years the best of my life. It was difficult to be __, but I had to try. I joined Women’s Choir. Mr. Wright was the choral director and he was so funny that the first day, I just knew I had made the best ____ of my life.

As the year progressed, I loved chorus more and more. I began to smile again and really enjoy ____.

Then one day that all changed. My friends—or those that I thought were my friends—started talking about me behind my back. I was ____ , and I sat by myself. Mr. Wright came over and asked what was wrong. The look in his eyes told me that I could ____him. Trying hard to ____ back tears, I told him the whole story.

When I finished, he nodded and told me, “If you never learn anything from me, learn this: No one is worth__your joy.” What Mr. Wright said really ____ a chord (心弦) in my heart. He ____ cared about me and what was going on. I’ll never be able to thank him enough, because he not only saved me but has ____ every day of it since. Any time I feel like giving ___, I remember Mr. Wright’s words and push forward.

I’m proud to say that I__ my depression, and I’m now a senior. I’m still a ____ of chorus, and now I’m also in the best choir at my school.

Mr. Wright is a hero ___ everyone he meets. He cares about every single person who walks through his door, and he loves what he does more than any other teacher I’ve known. That’s ____ he deserves to be Educator of the Year. He deserves the ____ not just this year but every year.

I’m glad I had the opportunity to meet you, Mr. Wright. You are an_____ teacher, and I hope you realize that. You’re my hero.

1.

A．put

B．walk

C．run

D．go

2.

A．looked

B．broke

C．fell

D．turned

3.

A．If

B．Although

C．Because

D．Once

4.

A．happy

B．calm

C．smart

D．confident

5.

A．suggestion

B．decision

C．effort

D．offer

6.

A．care

B．nature

C．health

D．life

7.

A．refused

B．forgotten

C．hurt

D．trapped

8.

A．trust

B．impress

C．respect

D．satisfy

9.

A．set

B．fight

C．take

D．call

10.

A．stealing

B．sharing

C．hiding

D．feeling

11.

A．braked

B．struck

C．played

D．shook

12.

A．cheerfully

B．normally

C．exactly

D．truly

13.

A．made

B．started

C．understood

D．influenced

14.

A．off

B．out

C．up

D．away

15.

A．beat

B．suffered

C．developed

D．saved

16.

A．leader

B．part

C．fan

D．dancer

17.

A．about

B．with

C．to

D．at

18.

A．when

B．what

C．where

D．why

19.

A．title

B．job

C．help

D．name

20.

A．amusing

B．ambitious

C．amazing

D．advanced

9 . My faith in human nature has never been so great as it was last weekend after our family get-together in the town of Vail.

On Saturday, we all went to the market right in the middle of the town. Near the end, we all_________at the fountain near the bridge, and the kids waded（蹚水）around in the fountain until we_________. This is one of the busiest walking streets.

After we returned to the hotel late in the afternoon, my 7-year-old son Ponder_________that nowhere could he find his backpack, which_________his Gameboy and his watch. After a thorough_________we determined that he must have left it at the fountain.

Ponder has never_________anything. So we just take for granted that he needs no supervision（指导）for managing his_________.

He was upset, not about the Gameboy, but about the watch. "But Dad," he said, through massive_________, "they don't make that kind of watch anymore." We were all very_________.

Our dinner reservation was at a restaurant just on the other side of the bridge, so I__________him that we would not only search the area around the fountain when we went back for dinner, but we would also find the police and ask them if the backpack had been__________.

As we exited from the parking garage, we could see the fountain as we walked down the long staircase. I saw something black__________there, but it was right next to a woman standing by the fountain, so I could not__________what it was or if it was hers.

"See it, Dad?" Ponder shouted. "Don't get too__________because that may not be it," I said. But that was it. It had been five or six hours since we left the fountain, and it was__________there. There was no ID in it, and it looked like someone had looked through it and then set it right out where all could__________it.

I literally__________when we reached it and it was his！Everyone in our party was blown away by this "miracle（奇迹）". In my wildest__________, I would never have imagined that this could happen nowadays.

What a charmed life, eh? I believe this was a perfect__________for a child in losing something important…to lose it and feel the full__________of that loss, and then to miraculously get it back.

1.

A．drove

B．hiked

C．met

D．united

2.

A．landed

B．left

C．settled

D．slept

3.

A．responded

B．recognized

C．realised

D．recalled

4.

A．contained

B．combined

C．comprised

D．covered

5.

A．preparation

B．checkup

C．revision

D．search

6.

A．wasted

B．lost

C．sough

D．deserted

7.

A．emotion

B．time

C．money

D．stuff

8.

A．tears

B．fists

C．reliefs

D．outbreaks

9.

A．hesitant

B．curious

C．sad

D．eager

10.

A．promised

B．informed

C．warned

D．taught

11.

A．worn out

B．caught up

C．put away

D．turned in

12.

A．hiding

B．sitting

C．swinging

D．flowing

13.

A．assess

B．declare

C．tell

D．predict

14.

A．excited

B．puzzled

C．relaxed

D．amused

15.

A．already

B．even

C．almost

D．still

16.

A．take

B．see

C．touch

D．protect

17.

A．panicked

B．exploded

C．collapsed

D．cried

18.

A．dreams

B．claims

C．efforts

D．passions

19.

A．mode

B．lesson

C．option

D．plot

20.

A．range

B．pressure

C．weight

D．harvest

10 . Island of Feelings

Once upon a time there was an island where all the feelings lived: Happiness, Sadness, Knowledge, and all the others, including Love.

One day it was announced to all of the feelings that the island was going to sink to the bottom of the ocean. So all the feelings prepared their boats to leave.

Love was the only one that stayed. She wanted to preserve the island paradise until the last possible moment.

When the island was almost totally under, Love decided it was time to leave.

She began looking for someone to ask for help. Just then Richness was passing by in a grand boat. Love asked, ''Richness, can I come with you on your boat? ''

Richness answered, ''I'm sorry, but there is a lot of silver and gold on my boat and there would be no room for you anywhere. ''

Then Love decided to ask Vanity for help who was passing by in a beautiful vessel. Love cried out, ''Vanity, help me please! '' ''I can't help you, '' Vanity said, ''You are all wet and will damage my beautiful boat. ''

Next, Love saw Sadness passing by. Love said, ''Sadness, please let me go with you. ''

Sadness answered, ''Love, I'm sorry, but, I just need to be alone now. ''

Then, Love saw Happiness. Love cried out, ''Happiness, please take me with you. '' But Happiness was so overjoyed that he didn't hear Love calling to him.

Love began to cry. Then, she heard a voice say, ''Come Love, I will take you with me. '' It was an elder. Love felt so blessed and overjoyed that she forgot to ask the elder his name. When they arrived on land the elder went on his way. Love realized how much she owed the elder.

Love then found Knowledge and asked, ''Who was it that helped me? '' ''It was Time.'' Knowledge answered. ''But why did Time help me when no one else would? '' Love asked.

Knowledge smiled and with deep wisdom and sincerity, answered, ''Because only Time is capable of understanding how great Love is. ''

1. Which one was the last to leave the island?

A．Happiness

B．Sadness

C．Richness

D．Love

2. How many feelings in all are mentioned in the passage?

A．five

B．six

C．seven

D．eight

3. Who is the elder?

A．Knowledge

B．Time

C．Love

D．Happiness

4. Which one is both clever and honest?

A．Knowledge

B．Time

C．Love

D．Happiness