When I was a kid in Minnesota, watermelon was expensive. One of my father’s friends, Bernie, was a rich businessman, who owned a large store in St. Paul.
Every summer, when the first watermelons arrived, Bernie would call. Dad and I would go to Bernie’s place. We’ d sit on the edge of the dock（码头）, feet dangling（摇晃）, and got ready for a big meal.
Bernie would take his knife, cut our first watermelon, hand us both a big piece and sit down next to us. Then we’d bury our faces in watermelon, eating only the heart—the reddest, juiciest, firmest, sweetest, most seed-free part—and throw away the rest.
Bernie was my father’s idea of a rich man. I always thought it was because he was such a successful businessman. Years later, I realized that it was not Bernie’s wealth itself but his way of dealing with it that my father liked. Bernie knew how to stop working, get together with friends and eat only the heart of the watermelon.
What I learned from Bernie is that being rich is a state of mind. Some of us, no matter how much money we have, will never be free enough to eat only the heart of the watermelon. If you don’t take the time to dangle your feet over the dock and enjoy life’s small pleasure, your work is probably hurting your life.
For many years, I forgot that lesson I’d learned as a kid on the loading dock. I was too busy making all the money I could.
Well, I’ve relearned it. I hope I have time left to enjoy the success of others and to take pleasure in the day. That’s the heart of the watermelon. I have learned again to throw the rest away. We learned from the second paragraph that the writer and his father were feeling ______.
| A．relaxed | B．worried | C．hungry | D．proud |
How did the writer and his father eat the watermelon?
| A．They ate it in a polite way. | B．They only ate its best part. |
| C．They ate every part of it. | D．They shared only one piece. |
In the eyes of the writer’s father, Bernie ______.
| A．was just a rich businessman | B．worked hard all the time |
| C．lived a rich but healthy life | D．knew how to make money |
The underlined part “the heart of the watermelon” in the last paragraph refers to ______.
| A．the best part of the watermelon | B．the writer’s busy life |
| C．the writer’s decision of making money | D．the writer’s hope of enjoying life |
It can be learned from the passage that ______.
| A．one has to work hard to reach his goal | B．a friend in need is a friend in deed |
| C．watermelon is the healthiest fruit | D．one should keep work-life balance |
A famous doctor once received a little child that was badly ill. Thanks to his skill and care, the child got well and was soon able to get up and run about again.
The child’s mother was very thankful to the doctor, and she visited him for what he had done for her child. “Doctor,” she said, “you have saved my little son. I don’t know hoe to thank you enough. I feel that money alone cannot repay（回报）you, so I have made this little purse with my own hands, as a sign of my thanks. I hope you will accept（接受）it.” The doctor stood up and said coldly, “Madam, a little present like that is very nice between friends, but a doctor needs to paid enough for what he has done.” The lady was so surprised and hurt so much that she could not reply for a moment. Then she said quietly, “Perhaps you will tell me how much I should give you.”
“Fifty pounds,” he answered.
The lady opened the little purse and took out four fifty-pound bank notes. She passed one of them to the doctor, and put the other three back into the purse. She put the purse into her handbag and, saying goodbye to the doctor, went out of the room.Why was the lady very thankful to the doctor?
A. Because he had saved her life.
B. Because he had saved her son’s life.
C. Because he had given her some money.The doctor refused the lady’s purse because he thought _____.
A. the purse was too small
B. the lady wouldn’t give him money
C. purses should be given between friendsWhat can we learn from the passage?
A. The doctor got 50 pounds from the lady.
B. the doctor got 200 pounds from the lady.
C. The lady didn’t pay money for the doctor. According to the passage, the doctor would probably feel _____ in the end.
A. happy B. excited C. sorry
One Friday night, a poor young man stood at the train station. He played his violin and many people put 41 into the hat in front of him.
The next day, the young man came to the station 42 . But this time he took out a large piece of paper 43 some words on it. It said “Last night a lady 44 Mrs Sang put an important thing into my hat 45 . Please come for it.”
After about an hour, a middle-aged woman ran to the young man in a hurry and said, “You do come here. I know that you’re a(n) 46 man and will certainly come here.” They had a talk and the young man made sure she was the owner. Then he took out a lottery ticket and 47 it to the woman. Her husband bought a lottery ticket every day. Yesterday when she knew the lottery ticket he bought won, she was very 48 . The prize of the lottery ticket was $ 500,000. When she walked past the young man, she took out $50 and put it in the hat. 49 , the lottery ticket was also thrown in.
Later, someone asked the young man, “You play the violin every day to make money. Why didn’t you just take the prize of the lottery ticket for yourself?” the young man said，“Although I don’t have much money, I live happily. But if I 50 honesty, I won’t be happy forever.” A. money B. tickets C. paper
A. instead B. differently C. again
A. for B. with C. over
A. introduced B. spelled C. named
A. by mistake B. for mistake C. on mistake
A. crazy B. cool C. honest
A. gave B. lent C. offered
A. surprising B. happy C. exciting
A. But B. However C. Therefore
A. have B. win C. lose
A group of people asked this question to a group 4-to-8-year-old children. “What does love mean?” The answers were surprising. The children would answer like they did below.
“When my grandmother hurt her knees (膝盖), she couldn’t bent (弯腰) over and paint her toenails (脚指甲) any more. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands hurt too. That’s love.”
Rebecca–age 8
“Love is when someone hurts you. And you get so mad but you don’t shout at them because you know it would hurt her feelings.”
Samantha–age 6
“Love is what makes you smile when you’re tired.”
Terri–age 4
“I let my big sister pick on (捉弄) me because my mum says she only picks on me because she loves me. So I pick on my baby sister because I love her.”
Bethany–age 4
“I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new clothes.”
Lauren–age 4
“Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken.”
Elaine–age 5
“My mommy loves me more than anybody. You don’t see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night.”
Clear–age 5
“You really shouldn’t say ‘I love you’ unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget.”
Jessica–age 8 The passage mainly tells us about ______.
| A．what “life” means to children | B．what “family” means to children |
| C．what “friends” means to children | D．what “love” means to children |
Who told us the love between mum and dad?
| A．Clear. | B．Elaine. | C．Rebecca. | D．Lauren. |
Which of the following is NOT true?
| A．Rebecca’s grandmother ever couldn’t bend over. |
| B．Bethany is willing to be picked on by any other person. |
| C．If Samantha becomes angry, she will not shout at others. |
| D．Lauren prefers to wear her sister’s old clothes. |
What does Jessica mean about love?
| A．Too much love is no love. | B．You should say love more often. |
| C．You mean what you think. | D．Say love more often if you have it. |
What is love according to Terri?
| A．Love is the care between husband and wife. |
| B．Love is a rest when you are tired. |
| C．Love is what cheers you up when you are tired. |
| D．Love is a kiss from parents. |
Perhaps the only test score that I remember is the 55 when I was in high school.
The test was the final for a course. I remember waiting anxiously as my teacher Mr. Right passed out our papers one by one. It was a rather difficult test. I heard my classmates groaning, and I could tel by the groans that the scores weren’t looking good.
Mr. Right put my paper on my desk. There in big red numbers, circled to draw attention, was my score, 55!
I lowered my head, and covered the score up quickly. A 55 is not something that you wanted your classmates to see.“The scores were not very good, none of you passed,”Mr. Right said. “The highest score in the class was a 55.”
A 55. That’s me!
Suddenly my sad look didn’t look so bad. I had the highest score. I felt a lot better.
I walked home alone that day with the low but high score. My father knew that I had a big test that day and asked me as soon as I got home, “How did you do in your test？”“I made a 55,”I said.
A frown（皱眉）now stood on my father’s face. I knew I had to explain immediately. “But Dad, I had the highest score in the calss,”I proudly stated. I thought that explanation would make a difference.“You failed!”my father replied.“But it’s the highest!” I insisted.“I don’t care what scores others had, but you failed. What matters is what you do!”my father firmly said.
For years, my father was always that way. It didn’t matter what others did, it only mattered what I did and that I did it excelently.
We often don’t understand the wisdom（智慧）of good parents until we ourselves stand in the parents’shoes. My father’s words have carried me throughout life. The word groaning is the closest in meaning to _____.
| A．singing | B．laughing | C．complaining | D．quarreling |
In class, to hide my score from my classmates, I _____.
| A．lowered my head | B．covered my score up |
| C．walked home alone | D．explained immediately |
A frown stood on my father’s face because he thought _____.
| A．I did a bad job in the test |
| B．I gave a good excuse |
| C．I became the worst student |
| D．I stood in his shoes |
We can infer from the passage that _____.
| A．the father was strict with his child. |
| B．the writer was always poor in tests. |
| C．Mr. Right was worried about the writer |
| D．the writer was always happy with his scores |
Which is the best title of the passage？
| A．The Final Test | B．That’s Me! |
| C．My strict Teacher | D．Scores, Important？ |
I didn’t cry when I learned I was the parent of a disabled child. I just sat still and didn’t say anything.
When Jenny was old enough, I sent her to a kindergarten（幼儿园）. On the first morning, Jenny spent hours playing by herself. It seemed that she felt very(41).
However, to my joy, Jenny’s classmates always (42) her, “You got al your speling words right today!”In fact, her speling list was the (43). Later, she faced a very painful (44) —— at the end of the term, there was a game which had (45) to do with physical education. But Jenny was (46) in it.
My husband and I were anxious about the day. I wanted to let my child stay home! But my heart wouldn’t let me off that easily. So I (47) a pale, unwiling Jenny onto the school bus.
At the kindergarten, I was quite worried because of her (48) action, Jenny would probably hold up her team. The game went wel until it was time for the sack（麻袋）race. Surely Jenny would find it (49). Now each child had to climb into a sack, jump to the finishing line, return and climb out of the sack. I noticed Jenny standing near the end of her line of players.
But as it was her turn to join, a change took place in her (50). The talest boy behind Jenny placed his hands on her waist（腰）. Two other boys (51) in front of her. The moment the player before Jenny stepped out from the sack, the two boys (52) the sack suddenly and kept it open while the tal boy lifted Jenny and (53) her into it. A girl nearby took her hand and supported her (54) Jenny got her balance. Then she jumped forward, smiling and proud. In the cheers of the teachers, schoolmates and parents, I silently thanked the warm, understanding people in life who made it (55) for my disabled daughter to be like her felow human beings. Then I finaly cried.
A．excited B．lonely C．happy D．weak
A．greeted B．expected C．encouraged D．folowed
A．easiest B．longest C．smalest D．tidiest
A．choice B．problem C．result D．exam
A．nothing B．anything C．everything D．something
A．forward B．fast C．behind D．up
A．threw B．pushed C．knocked D．fixed
A．slow B．quiet C．quick D．secret
A．school B．family C．team D．heart
A．ran B．lay C．walked D．stood
A．picked up B．gave up C．cut up D．made up
A．drove B．hid C．put D．hit
A．when B．until C．after D．unless
A．popular B．special C．necessary D．possible
When my son, Mark, was in the third grade, he saved all his pocket money for over three months to buy holiday presents. The third Saturday in December Mark said he had made his list and had twenty dollars in his pocket.
I drove him to a nearby supermarket. Mark picked up a hand basket and went in while I wailed and watched in the car. It took Mark over 45 minutes to choose his presents. Finally he came to the checkout counter (交款处) and reached into his pocket for his money. It was not there! There was a hole in his pocket, but no money. Mark stood there holding his basket, tears falling down his face.
Then a surprising thing happened. A woman came up to Mark and took him in her arms. "You would help me a lot if you let me pay for you," said the woman. "It would be the most wonderful gift you could give me. I only ask that one day you will pass it on. When you grow up, I would like you to find someone you can help. When you help others, I know you will feel as good about it as I do no."
Mark took the money, dried his tears and ran back to the checkout counter as fast as he could. That year we all enjoyed our gifts almost as much as Mm-k enjoyed giving them to us.
I would like to say "thank you" to that very kind woman, and tell her that four years later, Mark went house to house collecting blankets (毯子) and clothes for the homeless people in the fire. And I want to promise her that Mark will never forget to keep passing it on.When did the story probably happen?
| A．On Christmas Day. | B．Before Christmas Day. |
| C．On New Year’s Day. | D．After New Year’s Day. |
When they got to the supermarket, Mark went in .
| A．with the writer | B．by himself |
| C．with the woman | D．with his friends |
What happened to Mark in the supermarket?
| A．His gifts were stolen. | B．He broke his basket. |
| C．He lost his money. | D．He lost his way. |
Why did the writer want to say "thank you" to the woman?
| A．Because she bought Mark a nice present. |
| B．Because she always paid money for others. |
| C．Because she collected clothes for the homeless. |
| D．Because she taught Mark to help people in need. |
What’s the best title for this passage?
| A．A big supermarket | B．A kind woman |
| C．A happy family | D．A wonderful gift |
Three small "fish lived in the sea. When they were very young, their parents died. They had to 61 each other day after day. Finally, they grew up and 62 to swim deeper and further.
One morning, the three fish were 63 to a shallow (浅) water by a big wave (浪). A small boat was taken there, too. It was hard for the fish to go back to the sea because the boat was fight in front of them. The largest fish realised that they were 64 , and said they had to find a way to leave there as fast as possible. The second largest fish 65 with his elder brother, but the youngest one did not. He said that there was much 66 for their activities, so he would not worry at all and still swam around 67
At last, the largest fish returned to the 68 by jumping over the lowestpart of t-he boat. The second largest fish also succeeded in 69 his eider brother in the other side of water. But the youngest one didn’t follow them and still swam joyfully.
Two hours later, when the 70 rose up, the water in the small shallow corner dried up. The fish who did not try to return to the sea died of lack(缺乏)of water.
A．listen to B．look after C．talk with D．worry about
A．dared B．hated C．refused D．stopped
A．allowed B．given C．invited D．taken
A．in safety B．in doubt C．in danger D．in peace
A．agreed B．talked C．compared D．discussed
A．time B．food C．water D．air
A．slowly B．sadly C．luckily D．happily
A．sea B．river C．lake D．pond
A．catching B．joining C．taking D．telling
A．storm B．stars C．moon D．sun
Failure is what often happens. It is everywhere in our life. Students may fail in exams, scientists may fail in their research work, and players may fail in competitions. (A) Although failure happens to everyone, but different people’s attitudes(态度) towards failure are different.
Some people don’t think that their failure is an important thing at all. So they pay no attention to it. As a result, they will have the (B) failure later. Some people think they themselves are fools and lose their hearts in everything after they get a failure. Then they(C) their time and energy on useless things. At last, they may really be fools as they have thought.
（D）Other people are quite different from these two kinds of people mentioned above. Instead of being hopeless and lost, they draw a lesson from every failure and become more experienced. (E) they, after, will ,hard, in, work, be , the, successful , end. So we should draw a lesson from every failure and become more experienced.
任务一: (A)处句中有一处错误，请找出并改正。（可用文字叙述）
任务二: 在( B )、(C )处的横线上分别填上一个单词（B） （C）
任务三：将(D)处句子译成汉语： 。
任务四: 将(E)处的单词连成句子：
任务五: 请从下面的选项中给短文选个标题，将答案标号填在此横线上：
| A．Draw a lesson from every failure | B．The attitudes towards failure |
C．Failure is everywhere in our life | D．Failure is very important |
Every child has his own dream. Every child hopes to be an adult. 36 , is it really like what they imagine? As a boy 37 lives in modern times and in a modern city, I feel 38
pressure (压力) on me with the city’s development. Although we 39 worry about money, we still have some 40 problems, such as competition among classmates and expectation (期望) from parents. These experiences are very 41 to our future. But 42 , they really give me a lot of pressure. I still clearly 43 the happiness of my childhood. 44 , we had to face the fact with time passing by. We began to 45 this invisible (无形的) pressure come upon us. We get up before sunrise and 46 after sunset. We work and study 47 an adult, even harder.
48 we do is in order to get an excellent 49 . Growing up is very boring, but we 50 try to find happiness while growing up. I think friendship among our friends, the support from our parents and the encouragement from our teachers can help us. Why not enjoy the pleasure of growing up and its delicious taste? A. However B. And C. So
A. which B. who C. whom
A. less B. fewer C. greater
A. always B. often C. seldom
A. other B. another C. others
A. helpful B. happy C. bad
A. at first B. for example C. in fact
A. think B. remember C. forget
A. Luckily B. Unluckily C. Impossibly
A. see B. touch C. feel
A. come out B. come down C. come back
A. as B. like C. alike
A. What B. That C. How
A. progress B. mark C. success
A. should B. shouldn’t C. mustn’t
If an American is satisfied with you，he will put his thumb and forefinger into a circle．That means OK．But in Brazil，the very sign is considered to be rude．In Poland，a guest usually presents flowers to his hostess．The number must be an odd（奇数）one．Besides，the hostess isn’t expected to remove the cover of the bunch of flowers．And usually，the red rose is a sign of love．
Usually we nod to express our agreement and shake our heads to show disagreement．To our surprise these body movements mean the opposite in Bulgaria．
The differences in customs and cultures in the world are really noticeable．We should learn more about them to avoid embarrassment（窘迫）．Then，would you please remember：When in Rome，do as the Romans do．In Poland，if a man gives some odd red roses to a woman as a present，it means that he ____．
| A．will invite her to a dinner party |
| B．has not been in love with her |
| C．will invite her to a party |
| D．has fallen in love with her |
If an American puts his thumb and forefinger into a circle，it shows that he_____ you．
| A．will be friends with |
| B．is not been in love with |
| C．is willing to help |
| D．is satisfied with |
In Poland，it is _____ for the hostess to remove the cover of the bunch of flowers somebody has presented to her．
| A．impolite | B．polite | C．strange | D．popular |
In Bulgaria，if a man nods， it means that he_____ with you．
| A．will have a talk |
| B．disagrees |
| C．will shake hands |
| D．agrees |
The sentence“When in Rome，do as the Romans do．”Means that______．
| A．we should learn from the Romans |
| B．we should work as the Romans do |
| C．we should obey its customs when we are in a foreign country |
| D．we have been Romans |
Dear Dad，
Happy birthday to you !
On this special day I’d like to talk to you 16 a special way．
I don’t think I am good at 17 you my thought face to face with you，so I’m writing to show my deep love for you．
You’re not a rich man or a famous person．But in my heart，you are one of the greatest 18 in the world．I am 19 you．
You are 20 interested in fame and wealth．You do 21 things like paying phone bills on time，and working as a worker in your factory．The smile on your face shows you are pleased with the family．You take good care of my grandparents．You help me with my schoolwork and do some shopping with Mom on Sundays．
In the past，I didn’t care 22 you were with me or not．Now I am sorry to say I 23 you the respect before．But I am thankful for what you have done for me． I am quite lucky that I have 24 a great father．And I feel happy that now I can let you 25 how much I love you．You are successful as a son，a husband，a father，and a friend．
Wish you happy forever!
Yours，David
A．in B．at C．by D．on
A．talking B．saying C．speaking D．telling
A．businessmen B．man C．men D．worker
A．worried about B．proud of C．afraid of D．sorry for
A．always B．ever C．already D．never
A．ordinary B．interesting C．wonderful D．popular
A．whether B．that C．what D．where
A．will show B．don’t show C．didn’t show D．have shown
A．too B．so C．very D．such
A．to know B．know C．knew D．knowing
It’s a goal for millions and millions of families every year to keep the Christmas spending within a certain amount of money, but you can still afford the gifts because your loved ones will enjoy them. This concern (忧虑) is becoming greater and greater theses days. Even so, there are several things that you can do to help. 
Hit the sales. No one wants to get up at four o’clock in the morning and fight to get a good deal (交易) on Black Friday ( the first Friday at Christmas time). It’s surely very difficult to pick up the courage and get out there in the cold for a good deal. But sometimes it can be well worth. Many retailers (零售商) offer specials all through the day. Some even offer online Black Friday specials, so we may still be able to get a great deal on Black Friday.
Read advertisements regularly. Once the Christmas shopping season is coming, retailers will be hungry for business. They will try their best to get us into the store. Please read the weekly advertisements of sales among the major retailers from time to time. We may be lucky enough to find different prices for the same thing in different shops.
Shop online. Some of us don’t like running from store to store to get the best price on the perfect gift. Some of us don’t like to go out in the cold at all, and then, we can do online shopping.
The world of online shopping makes it possible for us to visit all the major retailers and some
specialty stores on the Internet. We can find exactly what we are looking for at the best possible price without even having to leave the house. With traditional Christmas shopping, it will always take us a long time to wait if we want to get the perfect gift. The underlined word “specials” in Paragraph 2 means______.
| A．赠品 | B．奢侈品 | C．特价商品 | D．圣诞礼品 |
We can have more choices to get a good deal ______.
| A．on the Internet | B．in specialty stores | C．from salesmen | D．from retailers |
In this passage the writer wants to ______.
| A．tell us to shop online |
| B．tell us the best way to do shopping |
| C．show us how hard it is to do Christmas shopping |
| D．give us advice on how to get a good deal at Christmas time |
From the passage we can infer (推断) that ______.
| A．people are surely able to get a good deal on Friday |
| B．it is possible for people to buy the perfect Christmas gifts with less money |
| C．retailers will be hungry because they are busy selling Christmas gifts |
| D．with traditional Christmas shopping, people can’t buy the perfect gifts |
When I was about 12 years old, I really wanted a new bike! I __36__ my parents my birthday wish, but I knew there was little hope because my family could __37__ have that money.
On my birthday my parents told me they had my __38__ outside in the back yard. At once I __39__ out to the yard. There was my bike, __40__ it wasn’t the bike that I thought it would be. This one was pink, old and worn with age. It was so __41__! I thought I __42__ my parents’ feelings because I could see the disappointment __43__ their faces and I was sure they could see it on mine. I __44__ the old bike and rode it, feeling __45__ that I had made my parents feel this way. So I put on a smile, rode as fast as I could and didn’t __46__...
As time went by, I began to understand my parents gave me __47__ much more than just a rusty（生锈的）old bike. They gave me a life lesson about __48__. When you give something out of love, it doesn’t matter what it is in fact. What matters is the love that is in it. I like to remember this __49__ because giving a gift is not about money. It’s about how much love you can feel from it. Do remember, a gift that __50__ two dollars isn’t any less valuable（有价值的）than one that costs one hundred dollars, or even more.
A．talked B．spoke C．said D．told
A．hardly B．quickly C．slowly D．easily
A．guitar B．gift C．cake D．card
A．rushed B．rode C．climbed D．came
A．and B．or C．but D．because
A．exciting B．interesting C．relaxing D．disappointing
A．liked B．hated C．hurt D．thanked
A．on B．in C．at D．for
A．got in B．got on C．got off D．got up
A．surprised B．excited C．happy D．bad
A．look ahead B．look back C．come up D．come down
A．anything B．nothing C．something D．everything
A．love B．money C．friendship D．knowledge
A．idea B．news C．advice D．story
A．spends B．costs C．pays D．offers
A survey by baidu.com showed there were 16 million bloggers (写网络日志的人). Xu Jinglei was one of the first famous people that the website sina .com. invited to open blogs.
The web log written by Xu Jinglei is now the world’s most popular . Xu , an actress-turned –director, became famous overseas when she won a Best Director Award for the film. A Letter From an Unknown Woman in 2004.
Her blog has broken the domestic (国内的) record with more than 10 million visits .
Xu updates (更新) her blog every other day . But if she feels very good she sometimes posts two or three articles in a day .
Visitors leave thousands of messages about each of her articles , praising (赞扬) her open, free writing style, commenting (评论) on films.
( ) Now Xu Jinglei’s web log is ________________ .
broken by hacker B.written by an unknown woman
C. the world’s most popular D. closed by government
( ) How many visitors does Xu’s blog have ?
| A．About 16 million . | B．About 36.82 million |
| C．2004 | D．over 10 million |
( ) _________ invited Xu Jinglei who was one of the first famous people to open blogs.
| A．The website baidu.com | B．The website sina.com |
| C．The website Yahoo.com | D．The website blog.com |
( ) From the passage we know that ________________ .
a survey by baidu.com showed there were 16 million bloggers writing in English
Xu Jinglei was the only one that the website sina.com invited to open blogs
Xu Jinglei always posts one article in a day
Visitors leave lots of messages about her articles in her blogs
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