1 . Christmas was two days away. Had the packages with a camera in already been placed under the Christmas tree? That was the only thing that I had longed for. A million times I had kept dropping hints to my parents. Taking photos is my favorite. My bedroom walls are covered with photos I had taken with my mom’s old camera. I’m always trying to snap(抓拍) those wonderful moments in which you can hear the laughter or touch the beautiful scene, but my camera has always seemed to fall short.

I knew Mom had put a few presents under the tree this morning, so I went on a hunt in my mom’s room. I opened the door and found my Christmas present was lying unwrapped on the floor --- a big pink cat. My heart sank.

Mom seemed to notice that, and she tried to cheer me up. “Jenny, I got your present today. I am so excited to surprise you!” “I can’t wait,” I said.

The next day I couldn’t wait any longer. I needed to tell her.

“Mom, may I talk to you for a moment?”

“Sure, dear. What do you need to talk about?” she asked.

And so it came ---how upset I was that I was getting a cat!   

“Jenny, that cat is for your sister Julia!” she said with a smile.

“Then what am I getting” I asked.

She just smiled. “You’ll have to wait and see.”

Next morning, I happily got into the living room and sat next to the tree. I pulled out the box with my name on it and opened the wrapping paper to find …

My camera! “Thank you!” I said to both Dad and Mom.

Dad picked up the camera and took a picture of Julia, Mom and me. It has become one of my favorite pictures. Just on that Christmas morning, I took lots of photos with my camera --- my little sister making a face, my parents giving me a soft smile --- and all of these photos have come to mean one thing to me: love.

1. The underlined phrase “fall short” in Paragraph 1 probably means _____.

A．be too expensive	B．be not good enough
C．become short after falling	D．drop to the ground

2. Why did Jenny’s heart sink at first?

A．Her mother refused to talk to her.	B．She mistook her sister’s Christmas gift for hers.
C．Her present was not well wrapped.	D．Her mother forgot to buy her any Christmas gift.

3. We can learn form the passage that ________.

A．Jenny was happy to accept the pink cat

B．Jenny’s mother bought her a camera after discovering her disappointment

C．Jenny thought it was OK to have an old camera

D．Jenny’s mother knew what she wanted as a Christmas gift

4. What would be the best title for the passage?

A．Love can not be bought	B．Love is more important than gifts
C．A Christmas wish that came true	D．My Mother is always in my heart

2 . A blind baby is doubly handicapped. Not only is it unable to see, but because it cannot receive the visual stimulus（刺激）from its environment that a sighted child does, it is likely to be slow in intellectual development. Now the ten-month old son of Dr. and Mrs. Dennis Daughters is the subject of an unusual psychological experiment designed to prevent a lag（滞后）in the learning process. With the aid of a sonar-type electronic that he wears on his head, infant(婴儿) Dennis is learning to identify the people and objects in the world around him by means of echoes(回声).
The device is an improvement of the “Sonicguide”, an instrument produced by Telesensory Systems, Inc., of Palo Alto, Calif, and used by blind adults in addition to a smart or guide dog. As adapted for Dennis, it consists of a battery-powered system about the size of a half dollar that is on a headgear. A transmitter sends out an ultrasonic(超声的) pulse that creates an 80 degree cone of sound at 6 feet. Echoes from objects within the cone are perceived (felt) as sounds that vary in pitch(音调) and volume(音量) with the size and distance of the object.
The closer an object is, the lower the pitch, and the larger the object, the louder the signal. Hard surfaces produce a sharp ping, while soft ones send back signals with a slightly fuzzy quality. An object slightly to the right of Denny’s sends back a louder sound to his right ear than to the left. Thus , by simply moving his head right and left and up and down, he can not only locate an object but also get some notion of its shape and size, thanks to the varying qualities of sounds reaching his ears as the cone of ultrasound(超声波) passes _____ Dennis likes to use the device to play a kind of peek-a-boo with his mother. Standing on her knee and facing her directly, he receives a strong signal in both ears. By turning his head away, he makes her seem to disappear. “From the first time he wore it,” says Mrs. Daughters, “it was like a light going on in his head.”
What remains to be determined is how well the device will help Dennis cope with his surroundings as he begins to walk and venture further into his environment.
Meanwhile, Telesensory, Inc, is working on the development of sonar(声呐) device with somewhat the same sensitivity as Dennis’s for use by school-age children.
1. Dr. and Mrs. Daughters’ research is directed to ________.

A．helping the blind to see and learn as well as others

B．benefiting the learning process of blind children

C．solving blind children’s psychological problems

D．finding out how children develop intellectually

2. Infant Dennis becomes the subject of the experiment most probably because ________.

A．he already lags behind the sighted children

B．he leads a life as normal as any other children

C．he is at the early stage of the learning process

D．he has the aid of a sonar-type electronic device

3. What can we learn about infant Dennis’ device?

A．Its first design was designed for blind adults.

B．Its battery is as small as a half-dollar coin.

C．It is functionally similar to a sane and guide dog.

D．It has been improved by Telesensory Systems, Inc.

4. In the third paragraph, “its edges” refers to ___________ .

A．the edge of an object

B．the edge of the device

C．the boundary of Dennis’ movement

D．the boundary of the sound pitch.

3 . Some time ago I discovered that one of my chairs had a broken leg. I didn’t think there would be any difficulty in getting it mended, as there are a whole lot of antique（古董）shops near my home. So I left home one morning carrying the chair with me. I went into the first shop expecting a friendly reception. I was quite wrong. The man wouldn’t even look at my chair.

The second shop, though slightly more polite, was just the same, and the third and the fourth—so I decided that my approach must be wrong.

I entered the fifth shop with a plan in my mind. I placed the chair on the floor and said to the shopkeeper, “Would you like to buy a chair?” “Twenty pounds,” I said. “OK,” he said. “I’ll give you twenty pounds.” “It’s got a slightly broken leg,” I said. “Yes, I saw that. It’s nothing.”

Everything was going according to the plan and I was getting excited. “What will you do with it?” I asked. “Oh, it will be easy to sell once the repair is done.” “I’ll buy it,” I said. “What do you mean? You’ve just sold it to me,” he said. “Yes, I know but I’ve changed my mind. I am sorry. I’ll give you twenty-seven pounds for it.” “You must be crazy,” he said. Then, suddenly the penny dropped. “I know what you want. You want me to repair your chair.” “You’re right,” I said. “And what would you have done if I had walked in and said, ‘Would you mend this chair for me?’” “I wouldn’t have agreed to do it,” he said. “We don’t do repairs, not enough money in it and too much trouble. But I’ll mend this for you. Shall we say for a fiver?” He was a very nice man and was greatly amused by the whole thing.

1. We can learn from the text that in the first shop the writer .

A．was rather impolite	B．was warmly received
C．asked the shopkeeper to buy his chair	D．asked the shopkeeper to repair his chair

2. The expression “the penny dropped” in the last paragraph means the shopkeeper

A．changed his mind	B．accepted the offer
C．saw the writer’s purpose	D．decided to help the writer

3. How much did the writer pay?

A．￡5.	B．￡7.
C．￡20.	D．￡27.

4. From the text, we can learn that the writer was .

A．honest	B．careful
C．smart	D．funn

4 . The following are letters to the editor of a school newspaper   
Dear editor,
I’d like to express my opinion about grades. Students should be allowed to study without worrying about grades. Fortunately, most educators are becoming aware of the fact that students have different interests and abilities. I understand that grades are useful, but grades often limit creativity. Competing for better grades causes many students to turn down opportunities to pursue music, dramatics and sports. Grades force an arbitrary(武断的) standard of success on everyone. I do not demand as some extremists do, that grades be removed immediately. However, I do believe that less emphasis should be placed on grades. I hope that someday grades will become optional at Village High School.
Magdalena Smith
Drama Club
Dear editor,
I’d like to say something about grades. Let’s face the facts about grades. Grades perform three basic functions. First, grades motivate students to work at their highest level of competence. Second, they act as a reward for hardworking students and as a punishment to students who do not work hard. Finally, grades are used as an effective standard by which to measure student achievement. Good grades help students to get jobs and to get into university. I've spoken with a number of students who have jobs, and most of them say that they were hired primarily on the basis of their grades. My grades helped me land a part-time job and will help me get into university next year. I think grades are extremely important at Village High School.
Simon Harper
Science Club
1. Which of the following is not Magdalena Smith’s opinion?

A．Students may give up the chance to learn music and sports for grades.

B．Students’ creativity may not be developed for grades.

C．Grades should not be used to measure a person’s success.

D．Grades should be taken away at once.

2. We can learn Simon Harper _____.

A．believes in the benefits of good grades

B．is concerned about students' creativity

C．doesn't work too hard at his studies

D．supports students' interests and abilities

3. From the second letter, we can infer that Simon Harper is a/an_____.

A．teacher

B．headmaster

C．student

D．advertiser

5 . They should be Britain’s gilded (镀金的) youth, enjoying opportunities to study, travel and start exciting careers in a way older generations could only dream about. But instead they are the “Ipod” generation —“Insecure, Pressured, Over-taxed and Debt-ridden”—according to a study by a group of experts who provide advice and ideas on social issues.
“We thought that each generation would be better off than its predecessors (前辈),” said Professor Nick Bosanquet of Imperial College London, one of its authors. “But young people today have more duties and it is much more difficult for them to raise their incomes and create wealth. This really is a very big issue for the country.”
According to the report, today’s youth don’t have enough confidence and ability to build on the economic foundations created by post-war baby boomers (生育高峰期出生的人) . Because they are in debt, they are also reluctant to take risks. Levels of entrepreneurship (企业家精神) among Britain’s youth are lower than in America, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland and have fallen over the past decade. Many choose the jobs which offer a good amount of money after they retire. Others have to take any job that is available to try to pay off their debts.
“I borrowed a lot of money from the bank to pay for my education at university, which is the biggest chain around my neck now,” said Phil Grech, 22, from Cumbria, who has a degree in maths from the University of Reading. “I’m only doing a temporary job at the moment to pay the mounting bills. I haven’t really thought about the long term. Many people think that when you leave university you can get a good job, but it’s no longer like that.”
While older generations enjoyed higher education funded by taxpayers, young people today face university tuition fees and a decreasing “return” in the salary advantage they will get from their degrees.
1. What is the text mainly about?

A．Britain’s gilded youth.

B．The “Ipod” generation in Britain.

C．The challenges faced by the British today.

D．The career choices Britain’s youth have.

2. What’s the biggest problem in Phil Grech’s life?

A．Low income.

B．The debt.

C．Not having a good college degree.

D．Not having job opportunities.

3. We can infer from the text that the “Ipod” generation __________.

A．doesn’t have much determination

B．doesn’t want to have a full-time job

C．lives a harder life than the older generations

D．hasn’t realized the importance of saving money

4. Which of the following words can best take the place of the word “reluctant” in the third paragraph?

A．Unwilling.	B．Foolish.
C．Quick.	D．Sorry.

6 . It’s not easy being a teenager– nor is it easy being the parent of a teenager. You can make your child feel angry, hurt, or misunderstood by what you say without realizing it yourself. It is important to give your child the space he needs to grow while gently letting him know that you’ll still be there for him when he needs you.

Expect a lot from your child, just not everything. Except for health and safety problems, such as drug use or careless driving, consider everything else open to discussion to help them grow up more independently. If your child is unwilling to discuss something, don’t insist he tell you what’s on his mind. The more you insist, the more likely that he’ll clam up. Instead, let him attempt to solve   things by himself. At the same time, remind him that you’re always there for him should he seek advice or help. Show respect for your teenager’s privacy (隐私). Never read his mail or listen in on personal conversations.

Teach your teenager that the family phone is for the whole family, which can make them more mature. If your child talks on the family’s telephone for too long, tell him he can talk for 15 minutes, but then he must stay off the phone for at least an equal period of time. This not only frees up the line so that other family members can make and receive calls, but teaches your teenager moderation (节制). Or if you are open to the idea, allow your teenager his own phone that he pays for with his own pocket money or a part-time job.

1. The main purpose of the text is to tell parents ______.

A．how to get along with a teenager	B．how to respect a teenager
C．how to understand a teenager	D．how to help a teenager grow up

2. What does the phrase “clam up” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?

A．become excited	B．show respect
C．refuse to talk	D．seek help

3. The last paragraph is about how to teach a teenager ______.

A．to use the phone in a proper way	B．to pay for his own telephone
C．to share the phone with friends	D．to answer the phone quickly

4. What should parents do in raising a teenager according to the text?

A．Not allow him to learn driving or take drugs.

B．Give him advice only when necessary.

C．Let him have his own telephone.

D．Not talk about personal things with him.

7 . I live in Hollywood. You may think people in such an attractive, fun-filled place are happier than others. If so, you have some mistaken ideas about the nature of happiness.
Many intelligent people still equate happiness with fun. The truth is that fun and happiness have little or nothing in common. Fun is what we experience during an act. Happiness is what we experience after an act. It is a deeper, more long-lasting emotion. Going to an amusement park or ball game, watching a movie or television, are fun activities that help us relax, temporarily forget our problems and maybe even laugh. But they do not bring happiness, because their positive effects end when the fun ends.
I have often thought that if Hollywood stars have a role to play, it is to teach us that happiness has nothing to do with fun. These rich, beautiful individuals have constant access to exciting parties, fancy cars, expensive homes, everything that spells “happiness”. But in memoir(回忆录) after memoir, celebrities reveal the unhappiness hidden beneath all their fun: depression, alcoholism, drug addiction, broken marriages, troubled children, and long-time loneliness.
The way people hold on to the belief that a fun-filled, pain-free life equates happiness actually decreases their chances of ever attaining real happiness. If fun and pleasure are equated with happiness, then pain must be equated with unhappiness. But, in fact, the opposite is true: More times than not, things that lead to happiness involve some pain.
As a result, many people avoid the very efforts that are the source of true happiness. They fear the pain inevitably brought by such things as marriage, raising children, professional achievement, religious commitment, charitable work and self-improvement.
1. According to the passage, “fun activities” ____________.

A．are the things we do before we find happiness

B．may help us relax and forget our problems sometimes

C．will lead us to the true happiness

D．could provide long-last positive effects

2. In the author’s opinion, those Hollywood stars ____________.

A．possess happiness because they are rich and famous

B．experience almost all kinds of happy things

C．tell us happiness isn’t equal to fun using their own stories

D．have to suffer a lot before they become successful

3. It is difficult for people to find real happiness because ____________.

A．they believe happiness is the fun life without pain

B．they find pain equals unhappiness

C．they fear to lose what they already have in life

D．They are afraid all their efforts were in vain

4. The main purpose of the text is to ____________.

A．describe the difference between happiness and fun

B．show the true meaning of happiness

C．encourage people to pursue fun activities

D．advise people to find their real life

8 . I remember the first time that I was extremely happy, I was about 8 years old when for the first time, there was a computer in the classroom. I remember that my teacher allowed each student to take turns to play various educational games on the computer. One day, I found the source code for one of these games. Without knowing or being taught any programming language, I was able to figure out some of the BASIC code. I just gave myself a limitless number of lives in the game, so I could continue playing it forever. This was also my first introduction to algebra, and I didn’t even know it at the time. This was a decisive moment in my life. I was quite excited because of what I was learning and what I was able to do. As a result, I was enthusiastic for the rest of my life about self-learning and computers, and I was quite happy doing them too.
I’ve noticed that people who are truly content with life are enthusiastic about what they do. This enthusiasm, along with good health, is the key to being happy. It also leads to self-confidence and content in life too. It may also lead to success, wealth and achievements.
Success , wealth or achievements can also bring some people happiness , yet I know plenty of rich people who are unhappy . I know many people with successful businesses that are not happy with what they are doing .I know people who continuously buy themselves new toys , such as cars , computers ,and televisions ,yet never seem content for too long .Please remember , happiness is the journey of life , not the destination.
1. What can we know from Paragraph 1?

A．The author has a great talent for algebra.

B．Creative thinking is necessary for every child.

C．The BASIC code of the computer is not difficult.

D．The author’s experience in his childhood changed his life.

2. The author wants to tell us through the first paragraph that___________.

A．interest is the best teacher

B．children are the hope of the future

C．young people are fearless

D．where there’s a will , there’s a way

3. What is the secret of happiness in the author’s opinion?

A．Success and wealth.

B．Gifts and self-confidence.

C．Enthusiasm and good health.

D．Knowledge and achievements.

4. We can infer from the last paragraph that ___________.

A．rich people generally feel unhappy

B．wealth can’t bring people any happiness

C．one will feel unhappy once he has gained all the things he wants

D．being enthusiastic about what you are doing is more important than wealth

9 . “I’ve changed my mind. I wanted to have a telescope, but now I want my dad back.” Lucien Lawrence’s letter to Father Christmas, written after his father had been knifed to death outside his school gate, must have touched everyone’s heart. Lucien went on to say that without his father he couldn’t see the stars in the sky. When those we love depart from us, we cannot see the stars for a while.
But Lucien, the stars are still there, and one day, when you are older and your tears have gone, you will see them again. And, in a strange way, I expect that you will find your father there too, either in your mind or heart. I find that my parents, who died years ago, still linger (留连) in many of my dreams and that I think of them perhaps more than I ever did when they were alive. I still live to please them and I’m still surprised by their reactions. I remember that when I became a professor, I was so proud, or rather so pleased with myself that I couldn’t wait to cable my parents. The reply was a long time in coming, but when it did, all my mother said was “I hope this means that now you will have more time for the children!” I haven’t forgotten. The values of my parents still live on.
It makes me pause and think about how I will live on in the hearts and minds of my children and of those for whom I care. Would I have been as ready as Philip Lawrence has been to face the aggressors(入侵者), and to lay down my life for those in my care? How many people would want me back for Christmas? It’s a serious thought, which gives me pause.
I pray silently, sometimes, in the dead of night, that ancient cry of a poet “Deliver my soul from the sword and my darling from the power of the God.” Yet I know death comes to us all, and sometimes comes suddenly. We must therefore plan to live together, but lives as if we will die tomorrow. We live on, I’m sure, in the lives of those we loved, and therefore we ought to have a care for what they will remember and what they will treasure. If more parents knew this in their hearts to be true, there might be fewer knives on our streets today.
1. According to the whole text , we can see that the first paragraph ________.

A．puts forward the subject of the text

B．shows the author’s pity on the kid

C．serves as an introduction to the discussion

D．makes a clear statement of the author’s views

2. In the second paragraph the author mainly wants to explain to us ________.

A．how much he misses his parents now

B．why his parents often appear in his dream

C．when Lucien will get over all his sadness

D．how proud he was when he succeeded in life

3. In the author’s opinion, the value of a person’s life is ________.

A．to leave a precious memory to the people related

B．to have a high sense of duty to the whole society

C．to care what others will remember and treasure

D．to share happiness and sadness with his family

4. What does the writer mean by the sentence taken from an old poem?

A．Call on criminals and murderers to lay down their guns.

B．Advise parents to stay with their children safely at home.

C．Spend every day meaningfully in memory of death.

D．Try to keep violence and murder far away from society.

10 . When a dirty and untidy orange cat showed up in the prison yard，I was one of the first to go out there and pet it．I hadn’t touched a cat or a dog in over 20 years．I spent at least 20 minutes，knelt down behind the kitchen as the cat rolled around，relaxed．What he was expressing outwardly, I was feeling inwardly．It was an amazing bit of grace to feel him under my hand and note that I was reaching a life or another creature with something as simple as my care．
Over the next few days，there were other prisoners responding to the cat．Every yard period，a group of prisoners gathered there．They stood around talking and taking turns petting the cat．These were guys you wouldn’t usually find talking to each other．Several times I saw an officer in the group，not chasing people away, but just watching and seeming to enjoy along with the prisoners．Bowls of milk and water appeared along with bread, wisely placed under the edge of the dustbin to keep the birds from getting it．
The cat was obviously homeless and in pretty bad shape．People said that the cat came to the right place．He's getting treated like a king．This was true．but as I watched I was also thinking about what the cat was doing for us．There was a lot of talk about what's wrong with prisons in America．We need more programs．We need more psychologists or treatment of various kinds．Some may even talk about making prisons more kind．But I think what we really need is a chance to practise our own kindness．Not receive it，but give it．After more than two decades here，I know kindness is not a value that's encouraged．It's often seen as a weakness．
Instead，the culture encourages keeping your head down，minding your own business，and never letting yourself be weak．
The cat did my heart good to see the effect he had on me and the men here．By simply saying，”I need some help here”，he did something important for us．He needed us．And we needed to be needed．I believe we all do．
1. Which of the following statements is true?

A．The cat was dirty because it was kept in prison．

B．The officer in the prison enjoyed petting the cat．

C．The prisoners prepared food for both the cat and birds．

D．The author realized the importance of practising kindness．

2. We can infer from the third paragraph that______

A．showing love to others can make prisoners strong

B．the American prison culture will be improved

C．the author is not content with the prison culture

D．caring for others is encouraged in American prisons

3. What is the best title for the passage?

A．Caring Makes US Human．	B．Prison Culture is Important．
C．Animals Need Care．	D．Everyone Needs to be Cared for．

4. In Paragraph 2，the author mentioned that "Several times I saw an officer in the Group, not chasing people away, but just watching and seeming to enjoy along with the prisoners." to______ ．

A．show us the officer and prisoners get along well with each other

B．show us the American prison culture does need improvement

C．show us the officer and prisoners all like cat

D．show us the American prison culture is great