Maggiano is an award-winning teacher in the Social Studies Department at West Springfield High School in Virginia．He has taught in public and private schools for 25 years．In a piece on his blog called “The Classroom Post,” he calls for more males to enter the profession(职业).
Men Teach, a non-profit organization that encourages men to enter teaching, reports that in 2008, 18.8% of all elementary and middle school teachers were men．At the high school level during the same year, men comprised（构成） 44% of the work force.
Why are there so few men in teaching? Men Teach says low pay and lack of prestige（声望）, as well as a perception in our culture that teaching is for women．As a result, there is no organized effort across the country to attract men into the teaching profession.
A study in 2008 by the National Education Association showed that the number of male teachers hit a record 40-year low．Males comprised 24.5 percent of public schoolteachers．States with high percentages: Kansas (33.6 percent), Oregon (31.6 percent), Alaska (30.9 percent) and Indiana (30.5percent).States with the lowest percentage : Arkansas (16.2 percent), Virginia (17.4 percent), Mississippi (17.5 percent), Louisiana (18 percent), South Carolina (18.5 percent) and Georgia (19.7 percent)．
There is no definitive(确定) research that male students--or female students, for that matter-- learn better from a particular sex.
But as Maggiano put it, “Kids today, both boys and girls, must have the same opportunity to learn from outstanding, devoted men that I did．However, I have heard little discussion about this problem coming from our national leaders．What worries Maggiano is that_______．
| A．nobody will take his place when he retires | |
| B．male teachers are not so excellent | |
C．men are not interested in teaching |
D．there is not enough teachers in the schools |
According to the text , we can infer that______．
| A．the number of male teachers hit a record 40-year low in 2008 |
| B．it is not certain that students will learn better from male teachers |
| C．male teachers get a higher pay |
| D．organized efforts have been made to call on men into the teaching profession |
In which state are male teachers most badly needed?
| A．Alaska | B．Virginia | C．Georgia | D．Arkansas |
What does the last paragraph suggest?
| A．The government doesn’t pay much attention to the shortage．of male teachers in the school. |
| B．Students find it easy to learn from male teachers. |
| C．I’m glad to hear the discussion about the shortage of male teachers in the school. |
D．The shortage of ma le teachers in the school has no effect on students． |
JAMES Brown, the legendary US singer known as the “Godfather of Soul”, died Christmas morning, 2006. he was 73.
Brown was one of the major musical influences of the last
50 years. He provided the basis for mu
ch of black music and
most of pop music with his early hits like. “Please, Please,
Please”. He essentially created funk（“疯客”音乐）with
mid-1960s songs such as "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag".
It won him a Grammy Award as best rhythm-and-blues song,
and it was only the beginning of Mr. Brown's rhythmic
breakthroughs. His rapid-footed dancing inspired Michael Jackson and Prince. Rap stars of recent years, such as Fat Boys and Publ
ic Enemy, have all borrowed his lyrics and rhythms.
Brown's songs in the late 1960s and early 1970s, such as "Hot Pants" and "Make It Funky", mixed the sophistication(复杂) of jazz-style arrangements with raw funk. With these songs, Brown established himself as the godfather not just of soul, but of all subsequent styles of dance music: funk, disco, hip hop.
"He made soul music a world music," said Al Sharpton, who toured with Brown in the 1970s and imitates his hairstyle to this day. "What Brown was to music in terms of soul and hip hop, rap, all of that, is what Bach(巴赫, 德国作曲家) was to classical music. He put everybody on a different beat, a different style of music."
Amid the civil rights movement of the 1960s Mr. Brown used his fame and music for social messages. He released "Don't Be a Dropout" in 1966 and met with Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey to promote a stay-in-school initiative. Two years later "Say It Loud - I'm Black and I'm Proud" insisted, "We won't quit movin' until we get what we deserve." The passage is mainly about _______.
| A．black music in the US |
| B．James Brown's unique music styles |
| C．James Brown's contribution to American music |
| D．great musicians in the US in the last 50 years |
The author intends to tell us by the last paragraph that ______.
| A．James Brown was proud of being a black |
| B．James Brown was also active in political movements |
| C．the then Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey was one of Brown's fans |
| D．no children dropped out of school because of James Brown's social influence |
Which of the following indicates that Brown's career began to take off?
| A．His rapid-footed dancing. |
| B．His three years in prison. |
| C．His tour around the country with Al Sharpton. |
| D．His mid-1960s songs such as "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag". |
James Brown has influenced all American music types EXCEPT ______.
| A．classical music | B．rhythm-and-blues |
| C．Rap | D．hip hop |
I was in a strange city and I didn't know the city at all, and what is more, I could not speak a word of the language. After having spent my first day in the town-centre, I decided to lose my way on my second day, since I believed that this was the simplest way of getting to know the strange city.
I got on the first bus that passed, rode on it for several stops, then got off it and walked on. The first two hours passed pleasantly enough. Then I decided to turn back to my hotel for lunch. After walking about for some time, I decided I had better ask the way. The trouble was that the only word I knew of the language was the name of the street in which I lived and even then I pronounced it badly.
I stopped to ask a friendly-looking newspaper-seller. He smiled and handed me a paper. I shook my head and repeated the name of the street and he put the paper into my hands. I had to give him some money and went on my way. The next person I asked was a policeman. The policeman listened to me carefully, smiled and gently took me by the arm. There was a strange look in his eyes as he pointed left and right and left again. I thanked him politely and began walking in the direction he pointed.
About an hour passed and I noticed that the houses were getting fewer and fewer and green fields were appearing on either side of me. I had come all the way into the countryside.
The only thing left for me to do was to find the nearest railway station.The writer believed that if you wanted to get to know a strange city, ______.
| A．you should go everywhere on foot | B．you should have a map |
| C．you should ask people the way | D．you should get lost |
The newspaper-seller ______.
| A．could understand what he said | B．didn't know what he said |
| C．laughed at him | D．didn't want to take the money |
The writer's real trouble was that _______.
| A．he couldn't speak the language | |
| B．he followed the policeman's direction | |
| C．he took the wrong bus | D．he left the town-centre |
The policeman ______.
| A．didn't help him | B．pointed at him |
| C．didn't understand what he really meant | D．didn't know the way |
Saturday 28 April, 2001: Dennis Tito was setting off on his holiday. Mr. Tito’s journey was certainly unusual! So was the transport he chose, and the price of his trip.
The 60-year-old multi-millionaire from New York was sitting on board a Russian spaceship. He was on a journey to the International Space Station. It might have been a routine trip for the two astronauts who were traveling with him, but for him it was certainly no ordinary journey. Dennis Tito was the first tourist ever in space, and he had paid the sum of $20 million to go there. As the spacecraft left the earth’s atmosphere, Tito drank a glass of fruit juice to celebrate and looked down at the earth’s blue-green surface. Two minutes later, he was sick. Luckily it was only a minor problem. He soon recovered, and from then on enjoyed a smooth journey. When he arrived at the space station, there was a big smile on his face. “A great trip!” he commented． “I love space.”
For a long time space travel was something for heroes. But all this is going to change. Companies like ProSpace are investing large amounts of money in space travel. They want space and space travel to belong to the public, not just governments. There are other plans, like voyages through space from one side of the world to the other. Maybe we will be able to depart from New York at nine o’clock in the morning, and arrive an hour later-- in Tokyo! Such a schedule would allow the business traveler to return to New York on the same day, and still have eight hours for a meeting! Which of the following might be the best title of the passage?
| A．Business Travelers | B．Space Tourists | C．A Space Exploration | D．A Frightening Adventure |
According to the passage, Dennis Tito.
| A．enjoyed his trip very much | B．was too sick to eat anything in space |
| C．suffered a lot during the trip | D．didn’t think the trip was worthwhile |
Which of the following statements is tree according to the passage?
| A．Tito was the first American tourist in space. |
| B．Tito contributed all of his wealth to his space trip. |
| C．Tito visited the Russian Space Station during his trip. |
| D．Space travel has become a routine for Tito since then. |
It can be expected from the passage that.
| A．space travel will belong to the public instead of governments |
| B．airplanes will some day reach the speed of space vehicles |
| C．can will be able to circle the earth within less than an hour |
| D．travel between two places on earth will be made through space |
After their 20-year-old son hanged himself during his winter break from the University of Arizona five years ago, Donna and Phil Satow wondered what signs they have overlooked, and started asking other students for answers.
What grew from this soul searching was Ulifeline (www. Ulifeline. org), a Web site where students can get answers to questions about depression by logging on through their universities. The site has been adopted as a resource by over 120 colleges, which can customize it with local information, and over 1.3 million students have logged on with their college ID’s.
“It is a very solid Web site that raises awareness of suicide, de-stigmatizes mental illness and encourages people to seek the help they need,”said Paul Grayson, the director of counseling services at New York University, which started using the service nearly a year ago.
The main component of the Web site is the Self-screening program developed by Duke University Medical Center that tests students to determine whether they are at risk for depression, suicide and disorders like anorexia and drug dependences. Besides helping students, the services compiles anonymous student date, offering administrators an important window onto the mental health of its campus.
The site provides university users with links to local mental health services, a catalog of information on prescription drugs and side effects, and access to Go Ask Alice, a vast archive developed by Columbia University with hundreds of responses to anonymously posted inquires from college students worldwide. For students concerned about their friends, there is a section that describes warning signs for suicidal behavior and depression.
Yet it is hard to determine how effective the service is. The anonymity of the online service can even play out as a negative. “There is no substitute for personal interaction(个人互动才能解决)，” said Dr. Lanny Berman, executive director of the American Association of Suicidology, based in Washington.
Ulifeline would be the first to say that its service is no replacement for an actual therapist. “The purpose is to find out if there are signs of depression and then direct people to the right places,” said Ron Gibori, executive director of Ulifeline.
Mrs. Satow, who is still involved with Ulifeline, called it “a knowledge base” that might have prevented the death of her son, Jed. “If Jed’s friends had known the signs of depression, they might have seen something,” she said. The first paragraph is written to_________.
| A．report a suicide of a young man |
| B．show the suffering of Mr. And Mrs. Satow |
| C．describe the Satows’ confusion over their son’s death |
| D．introduce the topic of a website called Ulifeline. |
One reason that many colleges adopt the website is to _________
| A．provide their students with campus information |
| B．offer medical treatment to students in mental disorder |
| C．encourage their students to seek advice about depression |
| D．give their students various help they may need |
Go Ask Alice as mentioned in the passage is________
| A．a side effect caused by some prescription drugs |
| B．intended to counsel college students in mental problems |
| C．a collection of medical responses from students the world over |
| D．meant to describe the various signs of mental disorders |
The underlined sentence of the seventh paragraph implies that ______
| A．only actual therapy can ensure adequate treatment |
| B．the help given by the web service is doubtful |
| C．doctors have expressed a negative view of the service |
| D．a therapist’s office is the first place for the depressed to go |
Mrs. Satow would probably agree that _________
| A．Jed’s friends can prevent her son’s death |
| B．her son’s suicide is unavoidable |
| C．Ulifeline is a worthwhile website |
| D．depression is the final cause of suicides |
Many of us have heard of the saying: everything is possible if you can just believe. But few of us really know the power of faith and perseverance(坚定). South African swimmer Natalie du Tiot embodies(体现)those virtues.
Du Tiot, 24, became the first swimmer to compete in both the Olympic Games and the Paralympics (残奥会)in Beijing. Although she finished 16th in the tough 10km marathon in the able-bodied Games, she has collected three golds in the Paralympics so far.
One of the most successful disabled athletes of all time, Natalie du Tiot was already a promising swimmer when she lost her leg in a motorcycle accident in 2001, at just 17.
“There are a lot of dark moments,” she said, “There are some days when I cry. But I try to remember that better days are ahead. You just go on.”
Within a few months, she was back in the swimming pool.
She still completes and still succeeds. The only difference is she has switched to longer events—from 200m and 400m individual medley to 800m and 1,500m freestyle—to make up for her loss of speed with only one leg. But she made no adjustment to her mental look(精神面貌).
“Going out in the water, it feels as if there’s nothing wrong with me. It doesn’t matter if you look different. You’re still the same as everybody else because you have the same dream.”
She is the owner of many world records, and she also won gold when competing against able-bodied swimmers in the 1,500m freestyle at the All African Games in 2007.
But there is no magic recipe(秘诀) for success. It all comes down to hard work and determination. “She is stubborn, which is good and bad,” said her coach Karoly Von Toros. “Good for the swimming, but bad for the coach.”
There is a poem that hangs on her wall that reads:
The tragedy (悲剧)of life does not lie in not reaching your goals;
The tragedy of life lies in not having goals to reach for. Natalie du Tiot is a vivid example that____________________.
| A．you are what you believe |
| B．your biggest enemy is yourself |
| C．results are not so important as the process |
| D．you must set reasonable goals or you will fail |
According to the text , Natalie du Tiot became________________.
| A．the first athlete to compete with able-bodied swimmers in the world |
| B．the youngest disabled swimmer to break the world record in the 1,500m freestyle |
| C．the youngese disabled swimmer to collect three golds in a single Paralympics |
| D．the first swimmer to compete in both the Olympic Games and the Paralympics |
Which of the following is the correct order of the events that happened to Natalie du Tiot？
a. She won gold at the All Africa Games.
b. She finished 16th in the tough 10km marathon in the Olympics
c. She adjusted herself to long events.
d. A motorcycle accident disabled her.
| A．cdab | B．dcba | C．dcab | D．dacb |
In dark moments it was_______________ that pushed her on.
| A．her coach | B．her family | C．hope and faith | D．her love of swimming |
A water bearer in India had two large pots, each hung on each end of a pole which he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack(裂缝) in it, and while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water at the end of the long walk from the stream to the master’s house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.
This went on daily. The perfect pot was proud of its accomplishment. Of course, the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection. After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream.
“I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologise to you.”
“Why?” asked the bearer. “What are you ashamed of?”
“I have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back. And you do no get full value for your efforts” the pot explained.
The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in his compassion he said, “As we return to the master’s house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path.”
As they went up the hill, the cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path, and this cheered it a little.
The bearer said, “Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of the path, but not on the other pot’s side?” That is because I have known about you, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walked back from the stream, you have watered them. For two years, I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my master’s table. Without you being just the way you are, he would not have this beauty to grace his house.”Why did the cracked pot feel ashamed?
| A．Because it didn’t hold water. |
| B．Because the water bearer didn’t like it. |
| C．It couldn’t water the flowers well. |
| D．Because it could only accomplish half of its load. |
How would the cracked pot feel at the end of the story?
| A．Delighted with itself. | B．Disappointed with itself. |
| C．Prouder than the other pot. | D．Still ashamed of itself. |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．There were flowers on both sides of the path. |
| B．The cracked pot was more useful than the perfect one. |
| C．We sometimes don’t have to mind too much the way we are. |
| D．The water bearer preferred the perfect pot to the cracked one. |
Most 23-year-olds have
not done enough in life to be worthy of having their own documentary（纪录片）
Most 23-year-olds aren't LeBron James.
The NBA superstar, who recently won gold at the Beijing Olympics, has just released More Than a Game. It is a documentary that follows his rise to stardom (明星地位) and how he and four childhood friends overcame long odds to win a national championship in high school.
Combining footage (镜头) taken during James' career at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron, Ohio, US, along with one-on-one interviews by writer/director Kris Belman, home videos, and personal family photogra
phs, the film is about much more than basketball. At its core (核心) is a story of friendship, loyalty and love.
"We set out with a goal as kids and we wanted to accomplish that someway, somehow by using basketball as a tool, not knowing that it was going to create other opportunities fo
r us," James said. "We didn't know it was going to create a brotherhood and trust. We grew from kids into young men."
While 
James is the star, his former teammates, Dru Joyce III, Sian Cotton, Willie McGee and Romeo Travis, play a major role in the film.
Their journey began together as 8-year-old boys, winds through years traveling all over America playing in basketball tournaments and finishes in their senior season at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School.
At the time, Belman was a college film student. He set out to film James and his friends' season as his final school project, a 10-minute documentary. But after gaining the trust of the players and coach Dru Joyce, Belman spent two months filming and eventually teamed with producer Harvey Mason Jr to the full-length feature.
James hopes the film will inspire youngsters (年轻人).
"We set out with a goal when we were eight and we accomplished it when we were 18," he said. "It's a great story and I wanted to get it out to kids that have a dream, that they should continue to go after it, believe in it and live it if they want to accomplish something."LeBron James achieved his goal set at 8 when.
| A．he won a gold medal at the Beijing Olympics |
| B．He won a national championship in high school |
| C．he became a collage student |
| D．he was interviewed by Kris Belman |
Which of the following is unlikely to be included in the description of James?
| A．Friendly. | B．Faithful. | C．Hardworking. | D．Self-centered. |
More Than a Game is.
| A．James’ favorite story about his childhood |
| B．a documentary filmed by James’ classmate |
| C．a film made by Belman |
| D．an article a bout James’ high school life |
We can learn from the passage that More Than a Game is.
| A．inspiring | B．dull | C．puzzling | D．imaginary |
Although Thomas Edison created the technologies behind three major 21st century industries electrical power，recorded music and movies—his greatest invention may have been the modern method of inventing．He basically came up with the modern system of research and development．Edison was not the only scientist doing research in his garage but someone who gathered around him a team of creative scientific minds．Edison’s 1aboratories were the forerunners（先驱）of Apple，Google and Microsoft．
Yet for a11 his scientific gifts，he was no Steve Jobs or Bill Gates．He once said，“Anything that won’ t sell，I don’ t want to invent．” But Edison，unlike Jobs or Gates，had no real sense of what the public wanted or how to change his discoveries into products that might sell．It took him years to understand that the phonograph（留声机）was not a business tool but an entertainment invention．He helped create movies but resisted the idea that people might want to go into a theater to watch one．
We chose Edison this year because we need his example now more than ever．Though we live in a time of great reformation，the U．S．is in danger of losing its advantage in science and technology．American investment（投资）in research and development has not increased as a percentage of GDP since the mid一1980s，while the government’ s share has been dropping．And this is at a time when China is rapidly increasing its money on research and development．The U．S．was once among the 1eading nations．Now it ranks near the bottom of the 23 nations that collect such data．We hope that Edison’ s story might not only encourage reformation but also inspire more
young Americans to study science and engineering．The first paragraph is mainly about.
| A．the number of Edison’ s great inventions |
| B．Edison’ s special personal characters |
| C．Edi son’ s modern system of research |
| D．Apple．Google and Microsoft and their forerunners |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．A11 the things Edison invented sold well． |
| B．Edison wanted to invent things that sold well． |
| C．Edison’ s inventions were not valuable for being unpopular． |
| D．Edison had a gift for changing his discoveries into best sellers. |
The author’ s main purpose is to．
| A．inform US of the danger the USA is in |
| B．get young Americans to study science |
| C．be in honor of Edison for his contributions |
| D．tell US how important Edison’ s inventions are |
We can infer from the text that．
| A．the USA is no 10nger advanced in science and technology |
| B．the USA falls behind China in research and inventions |
| C．more and more young Americans will be interested in science |
| D．China is spending more and more money on research and development |
When Christina Brouder was five years old, a drunk driver ran over her as she and her father were crossing the street in front of their home．Hurt badly, the young girl was forced to spend a long time in a full-body cast（石膏） to recover from her injuries．Mostly, she traveled between the hospital and her home．Once out of the cast, Brouder sat in a wheelchair for almost a year.
In spite of the horrible accident, Christina was grateful for her recovery．She was so grateful, in fact, that she and her four talented siblings（兄弟姐妹）（ three sisters and a brother） started a music group, Gilbride．The group performed at local hospitals and nursing homes, performing for the patients．Among them, the children could sing, dance and play about 20 different musical instruments．At their first show in 1988, held at Montefiore Hospital, the kids were 2,3,6,8 and 9 years old．That year alone, the group made over a hundred appearances．
From the local public entertainment places, the group expanded to charity performances．They also entertained people at Disney World, Radio City Music Hall, and even the White House．
Christina balanced her happy and successful musical career with academics．First graduating from New York City’s High School of Music and Art，and then from Fordham．In 2000，as t he youngest graduate from Fordham，1 8一year—old Christina and her siblings went on tour for a year．Not pleased with the applause she received from the audience, she entered Pace University Law School．On May 19，Christina Brouder realized part of her dream when at only 22，she received Health Law Certificate（文凭）．What happened to Christina when she was five years old?
| A．She was coldly deserted by her father． |
| B．She got a strange and serious disease． |
| C．She had to give performances to make a living． |
| D．She was seriously injured in a traffic accident． |
According to the text，Christina was.
| A．thankful and hardworking | B．a little shy but gentle |
| C．a 1ittle stupid and 1azy | D．sad and bored with her 1ife |
According to the passage，the siblings.
| A．were talented in music |
| B．were interested in sports |
| C．were enthusiastic about writing |
| D．had the ability to draw very well |
In terms of time，what is the correct order of the things Christina did?
a．She graduated from Fordham．
b．Christina received Health Law Certificate．
c．Their first show was held at Montefiore Hospital．
d．She and her siblings entertained at the White House．
| A．d，a，b，c | B．d，c，b，a | C．c，d，a，b | D．c，b，d，a |
Mrs. Amatuli was my teacher in the fourth grade.
One day at lunch time, I was getting ready to eat my same old tuna fish（金枪鱼）sandwich and suddenly Mrs. Amatuli asked me if she could buy my sandwich from me. She explained that I could use the money to buy a hot lunch from the cafeteria.
I was thrilled. I never bought my lunch at the cafeteria. It was too expensive for my family, and we always carried our lunch and brought the bah back home to use again the next day. My sandwiches were either bologna（大腊肠）or tuna fish. It rarely varied beyond that.
You can understand my delight when I had the opportunity to buy a hot lunch.
When we finished lunch that day, Mrs. Amatuli took me aside and said she wanted to explain why she had bought my sandwich.
Oh, I couldn’t wait to get home and tell my Mama that form now on I wanted tuna fish on Fridays. After my Mama understood why, she gladly fixed tuna fish for me on Friday. She even fixed it on brown bread because she knew Mrs. Amatuli liked brown bread.
From then on every Friday I cold get in line with the rest of the kids for a hot lunch. I didn’t care how many of the ids complained about cafeteria food—it tasted divine to me!
I realize now that Mrs. Amatuli could have fixed herself a tuna sandwich of Friday. But she bought my sandwich because she saw a little girll who was thrilled over the simple act of having a hot lunch.
I will never forget her for her compassion and generosity.Which of the following can best describe Mrs. Amatuli?
| A．Lovely. | B．Strict. | C．Clever. | D．Kind. |
The author didn’t buy her lunch at the cafeteria because.
| A．her lunch was various | B．her family was very poor |
| C．her mother could prepare it at home | D．her teacher gave her a hot lunch |
After lunch that day, Mrs. Amatuli explained.
| A．she was Catholic | B．Catholic ate meat on Fridays |
| C．Catholic ate fish on Fridays | D．she liked brown bread |
The underlined word “divine” in Paragraph 8 means.
| A．delicious | B．bad | C．typical | D．hot |
What might be the best title for the passage?
| A．My grateful mother | B．My considerate teacher |
C．My boring lunch | D．A thrilled student |
It s just a small, white envelope stuck among the branches of our Christmas tree．It has been there for the past 10 years or so．It all began because my husband Mike hated Christmas—the commercial aspects of Christmas-overspending．Knowing he felt this way, I decided one year to avoid the usual presents．The idea came in an unusual way．
Our son Kevin, who was 12 that year, was wrestling at the junior level at the school he attended; and shortly before Christmas, there was a match against a team sponsored by a church．These youngsters, dressed in ragged clothes, presenting a sharp contrast to our boys in their beautiful dresses and shoes．As the match began, I was alarmed to see that the other team was wrestling without headgear, a kind of light helmet designed to protect a wrestler's ears．It was a luxury that the poor team obviously could not afford．Well, we ended up defeating them．Mike, seated beside me, shook his head sadly, "
I wish just one of them could have won," he said．"They have a lot of potential, but losing like this could take the heart right out of them．" That's when the idea for his present came．That afternoon, I went to a local sporting goods store and bought wrestling headgear and shoes for the youngsters and sent them anonymously （匿名地） to the church．On Christmas Eve? I placed the envelope on the tree, the note inside telling Mike what I had done and that this was his gift from me．His smile was the brightest thing about Christmas that year and in the following years．
For each Christmas, I followed the tradition．The envelope became the highlight of our Christmas．It was always the last thing opened on Christmas morning and our children, ignoring their new toys, would stand with wide-eyed expectation as their dad lifted the envelope from the tree to show its contents．As the children grew, they joined．
May we all remember the reason for Christmas, and the true Christmas spirit this year and always．God bless梡ass this along to your friends and loved ones．The author avoids usual Christmas presents because her husband _____．
| A．likes cheap Christmas presents |
| B．likes expensive Christmas presents |
| C．dislikes spending much on large Christmas presents |
| D．dislikes spending much on unmeaningful Christmas gifts |
The underlined word "luxury" in Paragraph 2 means "_____"．
| A．something of poor quality | B．something abundant |
| C．something strange | D．something expensive |
From the passage we can infer that in character the husband is _____．
| A．modest and mature | B．kind and practical |
| C．strong-willed and vain | D．optimistic and outgoing |
What is the most exciting thing for the family at Christmas?
| A．Preparing gifts． | B．Exchanging gifts． |
| C．Opening the envelope． | D．Writing Christmas cards． |
The first time I decided to leave home was when 1 was in high schoo1．1 was having trouble getting along will my parents．I had about a hundred dollars in my pocket，and so I thought about leaving home, It took me 6my three weeks away from home when I stared to feel homesick. Living on my own is a totally different experience for three main reasons：being more responsible, more decisive and more creative
First of all，I have learned that living on my own requires that I become more responsible．My parents usually tell me to carry out m
y work and duties almost every day．men I fail to do the work，I only get scolded. However now that I am on my own，I get to deal with my duties without being told to．When I fail to do my duties，I must also deal with the result by myself
Another different experience for me while living on my own is that now I have become more decisive. ·I have to be more careful since I am on my own because my parents are not here to give me their advice. I must make my own decisions．For example，I must make the best decisions for myself without hurting anybody’s feelings and without my parents，guidance．
Therefore，I became more creative just by living on my own．I could make my own future plan-l have made rules for myself to follow．This to me is a good experience，because I usually think that being creative is the．nicest thing in the world．However, when 1 was with my parents
l found it hard for me to be creative simply because I always followed their ideas．
In conclusion，these are the things that usually happen when I am with my parents and when I am alone. Besides，I think that it is better for everyone to love their parents and themselyes before they love anyone else．They s
hould leam how to live on their own. but meanwhile learn how to follow every technique that was given to them by their Pa
rents．They can make use of their freedom of choice to lead to wherever they want。According to the text，the author decided to leave home because
| A．he would like to live in the school with fellows |
| B．he found it hard to get on well with his parents |
| C．he had to go on with．his studies in．another city |
| D．he felt he was old enough to live on his own |
What did the author think matters most in the world?
| A．Being independent． | B．Being responsible． |
| C．Being creative． | D．Being more decisive． |
The passage mainly tells us that.
| A．one Can be, free of trouble by living on one’s own |
| B．one can enjoy more freedom by living on one，s own |
| C．living alone can help one keep good relationships with parents |
| D．1iving alone helps one become responsible，decisive and creative |
How is the text developed?
| A．Explanation—Examples—Conclusion |
| B．Explanation—Research—Conclusion |
| C．Argument—Information—Conclusion |
| D．Argument—Reasons—Conclusion |
One Sunday morning in June 1959 my mother walked into my room. “Surprise!” she said, proudly holding up a yellow dress. “I made it just for you. What do you think?”
I bit my tongue. How could I tell Mom it was the ugliest dress I had ever seen?
“It’s perfect for church,” my mother continued delightedly.“I wish someone had made a dress like this for me.”
Too bad you can’t wear it, I thought. But I knew Mom had spent a lot of time on the dress. No one should refuse.
Unwillingly I put it on.
All through church I prayed（祈祷）,Lord, let me get out of here without anyone seeing me. Especially Dennis Pearce, the boy I had a crush on, one of the coolest boys at Neptune High School. Although we were in some of the same classes, Dennis had never taken any noti
ce of me. Every time I got near him, I became tongue-tied.
At the end of the service I rushed for the door. But I had to wait on the steps while my parents chatted with their friends. Just a little while longer…Then out of the corner of my eye I saw the Pearces coming near. Before I could escape, Dennis was right beside me.
I started talking, hoping if I kept it up he wouldn’t notice my ugly dress. “I’m going to college in September,” I said.
“That’s great,” Dennis replied “I got accepted to police academy（学院）.”
“Wow!” I said. Somehow I kept the conversation going. The next thing I knew Dennis had asked me out on a date!
We courted（恋爱）through college, and eventually got married. Months after our wedding I asked Dennis if he remembered the day he had first asked me out.
“Certainly I do,” he said.“You were always quiet in school. I didn’t think you’d be much fun. But you were so lively when we talked on the church steps, I wanted to get to know you better.” Maybe that yellow dress wasn’t what I would have chosen, but that day it was the perfect dress for me.Why did she accept such a dress?
| A．She was fond of its new pattern. |
| B．Her Mom just brought it for her. |
| C．It was proper to go to church in it． |
| D．She understood her Mom’s love． |
The author tried to carry the dialog on，hoping .
| A．she would catch other boys’ attention |
| B．Dennis would get her out for a date |
| C．Dennis wouldn’t take notice of her dress |
| D．she could be noticed by Dennis’s parents |
The underlined part“had a crush on’’ in Paragraph 6 probably means：“”.
| A．10ved deeply | B．met by chance | C．100ked down on | D．worried about |
What would be the best title for the text?
| A．An Ugly Dress | B．A Perfect Dress |
| C．A Dress for the Church | D．A Dress for the Date |
Pete took his seat this day on his usual bench in Union Square．Every Thanksgiving Day for nine years Pete had taken this same seat exactly at one o'clock, and each time the same pleasant thing had happened．But this time Pete had come here more from habit than from hunger．Certainly today Pete was not hungry．Two rich old ladies gave him a Thanksgiving dinner of everything he could eat．
Pete sat on the bench now, hardly able to move．The buttons on his ragged shirt and coat were about to burst．The November breeze and the first light fall of snow felt cool and pleasant to his face．He happened to look to the left and there in the distance he saw the old Gentleman coming toward him．He wanted to get up and run, but he was so full of food he stayed right there．Every Thanksgiving Day for nine years, the Old Gentleman had come there, found Pete on this same bench, and then taken him to a restaurant and bought him a Thanksgiving dinner．It was a kind of tradition which the Old Gentleman, who had no family and lived alone, had tried to continue．
"How do you do' "said the Old Gentleman．" Glad to see that the changes of another year have permitted you to move in health through this beautiful world．"
Each time the Old Gentleman had said exactly this same thin? It was part of the tradition．Pete, too, began to feel as though he himself was now a part of the tradition, and he therefore did not have the courage to tell the old man that he had already eaten．This dinner seemed to mean so much to the Old Gentleman.
"Thank you, sir, " said Pete at last. “I’ll go with you gladly. I’m very hungry, sir.” Together the Old Gentleman and Pete walked south to the same restaurant where each year Pete had his Thanksgiving dinner. The Old Gentleman seemed pleased and happy. When the waiter brought dish after dish of food to Pete, the Old Gentlenman sat quietly and smiled．Under the circumstances, Pete had to eat．It was part of the tradition, and so he ate like a hero, although when he entered the restaurant even the smell of food almost made him sick．At last Pete leaned back with the battle won．
" Thank you, sir, " he said, with some effort, " for a fine dinner．"
They parted as they did each year at the door, the Old Gentlemen going south, Pete north．
Around the corner, Pete stopped for a moment, felt a terrible pain in his stomach, and then fell to the sidewalk unconscious．A little time later an ambulance came．In the hospital they discovered that he had had an attack of indigestion （消化不良）.
An hour later, another ambulance brought the Old Gentleman to the same hospital．At first they thought it was also indigestion but later one of the nurses said, "That nice old gentleman over there—you wouldn't think that it was a case of hunger．"Where did Pete and the Old Gentleman meet every Thanksgiving Day?
| A．In the restaurant． |
| B．In Union Square． |
| C．At the Old Gentleman's house． |
| D．At the hospital． |
Which of the following sentences in the passage doesn't show Pete was full?
| A．Pete sat on the bench now, hardly able to move． |
| B．The buttons on his ragged shirt and coat were about to burst． |
C．Glad to see that the changes of another year have  permitted you to move in health through this beautiful world． |
| D．When he entered the restaurant even the smell of food almost made him sick． |
The underlined sentence "I'm very hungry, sir．" in Paragraph 5 implies that .
A．Pete didn't have the heart to refuse the offer |
| B．Pete was so greedy that he wanted to have another dinner |
| C．Pete was suffering from hunger |
| D．Pete enjoyed having the Thanksgiving dinner for free |
Which of the following words can best describe the Old Gentleman?
| A．Self-centred. | B．Mosdest. |
| C．Stubborn． | D．Generous |
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