Mark Twain left school when he was twelve. He had little school education. In spite of this, he became the most famous writer of his time. He made millions of dollars by writing. His real name was Samuel Langhorne Clemens, but he is better known all over the world as Mark Twain, his penname.
Mark Twain was born in 1835 and he was not a healthy baby. In fact, he was not expected to live through the first winter. But with his mother’s care, he managed to survive. As a boy, he caused much trouble for his parents. He used to play jokes on all his friends and neighbors. He didn’t like to go to school, and he often ran away from home. He always went in the direction of the nearby Mississippi(密西西比河). He was nearly drowned nine times.
After his father’s death, Mark Twain began to work for a printer, who only provided him with food and clothing. Then, he worked as a printer, a river-boat pilot and later joined the army. But shortly after that he became a miner. During this period, he started to write short stories. Afterwards he became a full time writer.
In 1870, Mark Twain got married. In the years that followed he wrote many books including Tom Sawyer in 1876, and Huckleberry Finn in 1884, which made him famous, and brought him great fortune.
Unfortunately, Mark Twain got into debts in bad investments(投资) and he had to write large numbers of stories to pay these debts. In 1904, his wife died, and then three of his children passed away.
At the age of 70, his hair was completely white. He bought many white suits and neckties. He wore nothing but white from head to foot until his death on April 21, 1910.
小题1:In his childhood, Mark Twain, ________.

A．learned a lot at school

B．he often went swimming with other boys

C．his mother often worried about his safety

D．he often played games with other boys

小题2:Which of the following shows the right order about Mark Twain?
a. He became a miner.           b. He worked as a printer.
c. He got into debts.           d. His father died.
e. He became a full-time writer.    F. He joined the army.

A．a—d—b—c—e—f	B．d—b—f—a—e—c
C．d—a—f—e—b—c	D．c—b—d—f—e—a

小题3:In order to make a living, Mark Twain _______.

A．first worked as a printer	B．did many kinds of work
C．wrote stories in the beginning	D．joined the army after he worked in a mine

小题4:From the passage we can see that Mark Twain _______.

A．had a happy childhood

B．was a good boy and always did what he was asked

C．was very naughty when he was young

D．lived a pleasant life

小题5:Before his death, Mark Twain _______.

A．became a white man	B．was in low spirits
C．liked to buy all kinds of clothes	D．had nothing on

I could have easily gone through life without getting to know one of the most romantic feelings---love for a dog. For at least ten years my 1  had been suggesting that we get a dog. There were several reasons why the 2  came up. We had noticed that, on our block, couples with no children as a rule 3  one large or two small dogs. So we got one puppy (小狗) 4  we too had no children.
He flew into the house with the 5  of a Formula 1 (一级方程式赛车). In several minutes he ran over all the house, 6  from my shoulder onto the bed, and ended up in the 7  , where my wife washed him with 8  care. From that day on, the invisible（看不见的） 9  for the love of the new member of our household began at my home.
He seemed to 10  that at once. Most of the meals that my wife had 11  for him with greater care than those for me—he didn’t 12  look at them.
Every evening I went out walking with him. I could not know who was walking whom 13  one evening, when, tired from work, I 14  the walk. The dog was very angry and dragged me out.
Last night our dog pulled me by the ear with his teeth, 15  me up in my dream, and dragged me into the kitchen to make me turn off the 16  which had disturbed his sleep. I meekly（乖乖地）17  that I had forgotten to turn off the light, but that was not 18  . He looked at me like a teacher at a pupil who repeatedly makes 19 .
Now we finally know who’s the 20  at home, and for twenty years we had seriously argued whether it was my wife or I.

小题1:	A．wife B．son C．husband D．daughter

小题2:	A．promise B．chance C．idea D．trouble

小题3:	A．kept B．rose C．carried D．invited

小题4:	A．if B．unless C．since D．before

小题5:	A．speed B．shape C．cost D．race

小题6:	A．climbed B．jumped C．covered D．stopped

小题7:	A．yard B．street C．kitchen D．bathroom

小题8:	A．friendly B．motherly C．natural D．personal

小题9:	A．signal B．work C．war D．truth

小题10:

A．doubt B．understand C．deserve D．inspect

小题11:

A．reached B．searched C．looked D．prepared

小题12:

A．even B．still C．ever D．yet

小题13:

A．while B．because C．until D．as

小题14:

A．gave in B．gave up C．gave away D．gave out

小题15:

A．broke B．woke C．picked D．packed

小题16:

A．water B．heater C．cooker D．light

小题17:

A．hoped B．considered C．admitted D．decided

小题18:

A．enough B．good C．bad D．true

小题19:

A．plans B．mistakes C．faces D．decisions

小题20:

A．boss B．member C．adult D．child

It was the first day of school. I stood up to look around when a gentle hand touched my shoulder. I turned around to find a little old lady smiling at me. She said, “Hi handsome. My name is Rose. I’m eighty-seven years old. Can I give you a hug?”
I laughed and said, “Of course!” And she gave me a big hug. “Why are you in college at such an age?” I asked.
She jokingly replied, “I’m here to meet a rich husband, get married, and have kids and then retire and travel.”
“No seriously.”
“I always dreamed of having a college education and now I’m getting one!”
We became friends at once. Over the course of the year, Rose easily made friends wherever she went. She loved to dress up and she was happy with the attention given to her from the other students. At the end of the term we invited Rose to speak at our football banquet（宴会）. I’ll never forget what she taught us in her speech.
“We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing. There are only four secrets to staying young, being happy and achieving success. You have to laugh and find humor every day. You’ve got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die. We have so many people walking around who are dead and don’t even know it! There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up. If you are nineteen years old and lie in bed for one full year and don’t do one useful thing, you will turn twenty years old. If I am eighty-seven years old and stay in bed for a year and never do anything, I will turn eighty-eight. Anybody can grow older. That doesn’t take any ability. The idea is to grow up by always finding opportunity to do productive things. Have no regrets（遗憾；后悔）. The elderly usually don’t have regrets for what we did, but we regret for things we did not do.”
At the year’s end Rose finished the college degree. One week after graduation Rose died peacefully in her sleep. Over two thousand college students attended her funeral to honor the wonderful woman!
小题1:While meeting Rose at the college for the first time, the author was curious about _______.

A．her age

B．her life

C．her purpose

D．her dream

小题2:By saying “I’m here to meet a rich husband, get married, and have kids and then retire and travel”, Rose was trying to be ___________.

A．humorous

B．amazing

C．confident

D．smart

小题3:What else did Rose most probably say at the football banquet?

A．“It seems that my young days are over.”

B．“Don’t do much in order to stay young.”

C．“The people who fear death are those with regrets.”

D．“When we are old, we can do nothing.”

小题4:The story of Rose in the text shows that ___________.

A．it is good to make friends with old people

B．it is necessary to have a college education for old people

C．it is important to have a healthy body when people are getting old

D．it is never too late to be what you can possibly be

Lightning flashed through the darkness over Sibson’s bedroom skylight（天窗）.Sibson was shaken by a clap of thunder ____21___ he knew what was happening. The storm had moved directly _____22____ his two-story wooden house. Then he heard the smoke alarm beeping.
Sibson rushed down the stairs barefoot to     23     ; he opened the door to the basement（地下室）, and flames      24     out. Sibson ran back upstairs to call 911 from his bedroom. “I felt      25      because the room had a separate outdoor stairway,” he explains.
But the phone didn’t work, and when he tried to go down the outdoor stairway, he was      26     by a wall of flames. Sibson realized he was trapped（困住）.
Sibson’s house was three kilometers      27     the main road and was so well hidden by trees that he knew calling for help would be     28     .
Up a hill nearby lived Sibson’s neighbor, Huggons. He was lying in bed when something like a smoke alarm      29     his ears. He jumped out of bed, took his     30     and flashlight, and headed down the hillside toward the    31    . That was when he saw the rolling heavy smoke.
Huggons dialed 911, and the operator warned him not to    32   the house. But Huggons said, “There is no way I am going to listen to Sibson    33    and die in that fire.”
“Anyone there?” Huggons called out. Then he heard “Help! I’m trapped!” coming from the second floor balcony（阳台）. He entered the house, but soon had to run back to catch his     34    .
After one more    35   inside the house, Huggons gave up and     36   around back.
The wind parted the smoke just     37    for him to catch sight of Sibson. But there was no way to get to him. He    38   the flashlight into the woods and noticed a ladder. He took it over to the balcony and     39    Sibson down just as the second floor of the house fell off.
Sibson is still     40    when he tells the story. “ I was alone that night,” he says. “Then I heard the most beautiful sound in my life. It was Huggons.”

小题1:	A．before B．while C．since D．until

小题2:	A．on B．in C．through D．over

小题3:	A．hide B．wait C．check D．escape

小题4:	A．moved B．gave C．went D．exploded

小题5:	A．safe B．worried C．glad D．tired

小题6:	A．burned B．stopped C．shocked D．covered

小题7:	A．beside B．off C．across D．along

小题8:	A．limited B．false C．fruitless D．regretful

小题9:	A．struck B．missed C．touched D．passed

小题10:

A．coat B．key C．basin D．phone

小题11:

A．noise B．road C．smoke D．danger

小题12:

A．search B．enter C．leave D．damage

小题13:

A．call B．roll C．scream D．sigh

小题14:

A．breath B．attention C．ladder D．flashlight

小题15:

A．stay B．chance C．thought D．attempt

小题16:

A．climbed B．circled C．looked D．jumped

小题17:

A．clear B．open C．enough D．fit

小题18:

A．led B．put C．drove D．shone

小题19:

A．persuaded B．kicked C．pulled D．forced

小题20:

A．nervous B．surprised C．proud D．thankful

One of the greatest contributions to the first Oxford English Dictionary was also one of its most unusual. In 1879, Oxford University in England asked Prof. James Murray to serve as editor for what was to be the most ambitious dictionary in the history of the English language. It would include every English word possible and would give not only the definition but also the history of the word and quotations (引文)showing how it was used.
This was a huge task. So Murrary had to find volunteers from Britain, the United States, and the British colonies to search every newspaper, magazine, and book ever written in English. Hundreds of volunteers responded, including William Chester Minor. Dr. Minor was an American Surgeon who had served in the Civil War and was now living in England. He gave his address as “Broadmoor, Crowthorne, Berkshire,” 50 miles from Oxford.
Minor joined the army of volunteers sending words and quotations to Murray. Over the next years, he became one of the staff’s most valued contributors.
But he was also a mystery. In spite of many invitations, he would always decline to visit Oxford. So in 1897， Murray finally decided to travel to Crowthorne himself. When he arrived, he found Minor locked in a book-lined cell at the Broadmoor Asylum for the Criminally insane.
Murray and Minor became friends, sharing their love of words. Minor continued contributing to the dictionary, sending in more than 10,000 submissions in 20 years. Murray continued to visit Minor regularly, sometimes taking walks with him around the asylum grounds.
In 1910, Minor left Broadmoor for an asylum in his native America. Murray was at the port to wave goodbye to his remarkable friend.
Minor died in 1920, seven years before the first edition of the Oxford English Dictionary was completed. The 12 volumes defined 414,825 words, and thousands of them were contributions from a very scholarly and devoted asylum patient.
小题1:According to the text, the first Oxford English Dictionary _________.

A．came out before minor died

B．was edited by an American volunteer

C．included the English words invented by Murray

D．was intended to be the most ambitious English dictionary

小题2:How did Dr. Minor contributed to the dictionary?

A．He helped Murray to find hundreds of volunteers.

B．He sent newspapers, magazines and books to Murray.

C．He provided a great number of words and quotations

D．he went to England to work with Murray.

小题3:Why did Dr. Minor refuse to visit Oxford?

A．He was shut in an asylum

B．He lived far from Oxford

C．He was busy writing a book

D．He disliked traveling

小题4:Prof. Murray and Dr. Minor became friends mainly because __________.

A．they both served in the Civil War.

B．They had a common interest in words

C．Minor recovered with the help of Murray

D．Murray went to America regularly to visit Minor

小题5:Which of the following best describe Dr. Minor?

A．Brave and determined	B．Cautious and friendly
C．Considerate and optimistic	D．Unusual and scholarly

小题6:What does the text mainly talk about?

A．The history of the English language.

B．The friendship between Murray and Minor

C．Minor and the first Oxford English Dictionary

D．Broadmoor Asylum and is patients

About twenty of us had been fortunate enough to receive invitations to a film-studio(影棚)to take part in a crowd-scene. Although our "act" would last only for a short time, we could see quite a number of interesting things.
We all stood at the far end of the studio as workmen prepared the scene, setting up trees at the edge of a winding path. Very soon, bright lights were turned on and the big movie-camera was wheeled into position. The director shouted something to the camera operator and then went to speak to the two famous actors nearby. Since it was hot in the studio, it came as a surprise to us to see one of the actors put on a heavy overcoat and start walking along the path. A big fan began blowing tiny white feathers down on him, and soon the trees were covered in "snow". Two more fans were turned on, and a "strong wind" blew through the trees. The picture looked so real that it made us feel cold.
The next scene was a complete contrast (对比). The way it was filmed was quite unusual. Pictures in front taken on an island in the Pacific were shown on a glass screen (幕). An actor and actress stood of the scene so that they looked as if they were at the water’s edge on an island. By a simple trick like this, palm trees, sandy beaches, and blue, clear skies had been brought into the studio!
Since it was our turn next, we were left wondering what scene would be prepared for us. For a full three minutes in our lives we would be experiencing the excitement of being film "stars"!
小题1:Who is the author?

A．A cameraman.

B．A film director.

C．A crowd-scene actor.

D．A workman for scene setting.

小题2:What made the author feel cold?

A．The heavy snowfall.

B．The man-made scene.

C．The low temperature.

D．The film being shown.

小题3:What would happen in the "three minutes" mentioned in the last paragraph?

A．A new scene would be filmed.

B．More stars would act in the film.

C．The author would leave the studio.

D．The next scene would be prepared.

The Basics of Math—Made Clear
Basic Math introduces students to the basic concepts of mathematics, as well as the fundamentals of more tricky areas. These 30 fantastic lectures are designed to provide students with an understanding of arithmetic and to prepare them for Algebra(代数) and beyond.
The lessons in Basic Math cover every basic aspect of arithmetic. They also look into exponents(指数), the order of operations, and square roots. In addition to learning how to perform various mathematical operations, students discover why these operations work, how a particular mathematical topic relates to other branches of mathematics, and how these operations can be used practically.
Basic Math starts from the relatively easier concepts and gradually moves on to the more troublesome ones, so as to allow for steady and sure understanding of the material by students. The lectures offer students the chance to “make sense” of mathematical knowledge that may have seemed so frightening. They also help students prepare for college mathematics and overcome their anxiety about this amazing—and completely understandable—field of study.
By the conclusion of the course, students will have improved their understanding of basic math. They will be able to clear away the mystery(神秘性) of mathematics and face their studies with more confidence than they ever imagined. In addition, they will strengthen their ability to accept new and exciting mathematical challenges.
Professor H. Siegel, honored by Kentucky Educational Television as “the best math teacher in America,” is a devoted teacher and has a gift for explaining mathematical concepts in ways that make them seem clear and obvious. From the basic concrete ideas to the more abstract problems, he is master in making math lectures learner-friendlier and less scary.
With a PhD in Mathematics Education from Georgia State University, Dr. Siegel teaches mathematics at Central Arizona College. His courses include various make-up classes and a number of lectures for future primary school teachers.
If the course fails to provide complete satisfaction to you, you can easily exchange it for any other course that we offer. Or you can get your money back.
小题1:What does the course Basic Math mainly cover?

A．Algebra.	B．College Mathematics.
C．Arithmetic.	D．Mathematics Education.

小题2:What benefits can students expect from Basic Math?

A．Stronger imaginative ability.

B．Additional presentation skills.

C．More mathematical confidence.

D．Greater chances of becoming teachers.

小题3:What can we learn about Professor H. Siegel?

A．He is a guest lecturer at Kentucky Educational Television.

B．He is to deliver 30 lectures in Basic Math.

C．He works in Georgia State University.

D．He specializes in training teachers.

小题4:Where is the passage most likely to have been taken from?

A．A news report.	B．A book review
C．A lesson plan.	D．An advertisement

What makes a gift special? Is it the price you see on the gift receipt? Or is it the look on the recipient's face when they receive it that determines the true value? What gift is worth the most?
This Christmas I was debating what to give my father. My dad is a hard person to buy for because he never wants anything. I pulled out my phone to read a text message from my mom saying that we were leaving for Christmas shopping for him when I came across a message on my phone that I had locked. The message was from my father. My eyes fell on a photo of a flower taken in Wyoming. and underneath a poem by William Blake. The flower, a lone dandelion standing against the bright blue sky, inspired me. My dad had been reciting those words to me since I was a kid. That may even be the reason why I love writing. I decided that those words would be my gift to my father.
I called back. I told my mom to go without me and that I already created my gift. I sent the photo of the cream-colored flower to my computer and typed the poem on top of it. As I was arranging the details another poem came to mind. The poem was written by Edgar Allan Poe; my dad recited it as much as he did the other. I typed that out as well and searched online for a background to the words of it. The poem was focused around dreaming, and after searching I found the perfect picture. The image was painted with blues and greens and purples, twisting together to create the theme and wonder of a dream. As I watched both poems passing through the printer, the white paper coloring with words that shaped my childhood. I felt that this was a gift that my father would truly appreciate.
Christmas soon arrived. The minute I saw the look on my dad's face as he unwrapped those swirling black letters carefully placed in a cheap frame, I knew I had given the perfect gift.
小题1:The idea for a special gift began to form when the author was______.

A．doing shopping	B．having a debate
C．reading a message	D．leaving for Wyoming

小题2:The author's inspiration for the gift came from_____.

A．a photo of a flower	B．a story about a kid
C．a call from the mother	D．a text about Christmas

小题3:The underlined word "it" in Paragraph 3 refers to a poem by_____.

A．the father	B．the author
C．William Blake	D．Edgar Allan Poe

小题4:The author made the gift by_____.

A．searching for the poems online

B．drawing the background by hand

C．painting the letters in three colors

D．matching the words with pictures

小题5:What is the main purpose of the passage?

A．To show how to design images for gifts.

B．To suggest making gifts from one's heart.

C．To explain how computers help create gifts.

D．To describe the gifts the author has received

We all know something about Thomas Edison. He was a great American   21  .He was in school for only a short time.  22 , he had to leave the school and   23  himself at home and learned a lot. When Edison grew up, he had his own lab. He worked hard and hardly   24  to have a rest.
One day a friend of his brought a young man into his lab. He   25  the young man to Edison. He said the young man had studied in a famous university in Germany and had a lot of   26  of physics and maths. Edison was glad to work with a man like him and   27  him as a helper. A few weeks later, the young   28  about Edison’s past. He began to look down on him. Edison   29  about it, but he said   30  .
Once the young man came into the lab while Edison   31  an important experiment. He stood near the table   32  he didn’t help him. Edison stopped   33  out a bottle and said, “Go to calculate (计算)its volume(容积)and tell me the   34  in two hours.”
At first the young man thought it easy to do it. Soon he   35  it difficult. Two hours later Edison went into his office and saw a lot of paper and books on his desk. Of course he couldn’t compute the volume in the time   36  .
“Why not pour some   37  into the bottle?” said Edison. “Then you’ll   38  calculate its volume!” Having heard this, the young man’s   39  turned red, and he knew Edison was really   40 than him!

小题1:	A．doctor B．player C．writer D．inventor

小题2:	A．Soon B．After C．Later on D．Soon after

小题3:	A．teach B．play with C．study D．enjoy

小题4:	A．forgot B．remembered C．finished D．observed

小题5:	A．showed B．pushed C．introduced D．threw

小题6:	A．news B．books C．knowledge D．dictionaries

小题7:	A．employed B．asked C．made D．watched

小题8:	A．beard B．learned C．read D．told

小题9:	A．told B．was told C．said D．was said

小题10:

A．something B．everything C．nothing D．all

小题11:

A．did B．had C．was doing D．was having

小题12:

A．but B．and C．as D．while

小题13:

A．bringing B．to bring C．taking D．to take

小题14:

A．result B．way C．idea D．opinion

小题15:

A．knew B．saw C．learned D．found

小题16:

A．given B．followed C．said D．taken

小题17:

A．oil B．salt C．water D．food

小题18:

A．carefully B．slowly C．easily D．quietly

小题19:

A．head B．face C．eyes D．ears

小题20:

A．more polite B．stricter C．more kind-hearted D．cleverer

It was lunchtime and I walked into a small branch office on the West Side. I had come to   36  a checking account. The only officer on   37  was a fortyish black man, standing   38  a small counter from a young white boy who was wearing a V-necked sweater. I think I was especially   39  of the boy because he looked more like a kid from a prep school than a   40  in a West Side bank.
The boy continued to   41  my attention because of what happened next. He was holding an open savings-account book and   42  an expression of disappointment. “But I don’t understand. I opened the account myself, so why can’t I   43  any money?” the boy said, his voice breaking.
“I know it is, but those are the rules. I’ve already explained to you that a fourteen-year-old is not   44  to withdraw money without a letter from his parents,” the officer explained patiently.
Suddenly I noticed the account had a series of small deposits and withdraws. Then I questioned the officer, “How do you   45  that? Why did you let him withdraw money before, but not now?” He looked   46 . “Because the tellers were not aware of his age before and now they are. It’s really very   47 .” I turned to the boy with a shrug. “You’re really getting   48 ,” I said. “You ought to get your parents to come in here and   49 .” The boy looked destroyed.   50 , he put his savings book in a rear-pocket and walked out of the bank.
The officer turned to me. “You know,” he said, “you really shouldn’t have got   51 .” I couldn’t believe what this idiot was saying. “We were   52  this morning that some neighborhood bully has been shaking down (敲诈) this boy for more than a month. The other guy was   53  him to take money out every week and hand it over. The poor kid was   54  too scared to tell anyone. Anyway, the police are on the case and they’ll probably make a(n)  55  today."
“You mean there is no rule about being too young to withdraw money from a savings account?”
“Not that I ever heard of. Now, sir, what can we do for you?”

小题1:	A．make B．open C．buy D．choose

小题2:	A．duty B．board C．display D．show

小题3:	A．on B．after C．over D．across

小题4:	A．sure B．proud C．aware D．afraid

小题5:	A．guard B．customer C．clerk D．manager

小题6:	A．attract B．pay C．attach D．control

小题7:	A．putting B．writing C．saying D．wearing

小题8:	A．borrow B．deposit C．withdraw D．use

小题9:	A．told B．inspired C．encouraged D．allowed

小题10:

A．argue B．explain C．answer D．declare

小题11:

A．annoyed B．disappointed C．excited D．amused

小题12:

A．easy B．amazing C．fantastic D．simple

小题13:

A．arranged B．convinced C．cheated D．caught

小题14:

A．protest B．promise C．prohibit D．prepare

小题15:

A．Excitedly B．Silently C．Cheerfully D．Nervously

小题16:

A．interacted B．interrupted C．involved D．infected

小题17:

A．asked B．discovered C．suggested D．informed

小题18:

A．rushing B．forcing C．requesting D．begging

小题19:

A．hardly B．unwillingly C．apparently D．eagerly

小题20:

A．arrest B．sentence C．apology D．difference