(08·江苏D篇)

It had been some time since Jack had seen the old man. College, career, and life itself got in the way. In fact, Jack moved clear across the country in pursuit of his dreams. There,I n the rush of his busy life, Jack had little time to think about the past and often no time to spend with his wife and son. He was working on his future, and nothing could stop him.

Over the phone, his mother told him,“Mr. Belser died last night. The funeral is Wednesday.”Memories flashed through his mind like an old newsreel as he sat quietly remembering his childhood days.

“Jack, did you hear me?”

“Oh, sorry, Mom. Yes, I heard you. It’s been so long since I thought of him.

I’m sorry, but I honestly thought he died years ago,”Jack said.

“Well, he didn’t forget you. Every time I saw him he’d ask how you were doing.

He’d reminisce(回忆) about the many days you spent over ‘his side of the fence’ as he put it,”Mom told him.

“I loved that old house he lived in,”Jack said.

“You know, Jack,after your father died, Mr.Belser stepped in to make sure you had a man’s influence in your life,”she said.

“He’s the one who taught me carpentry. I wouldn’t be in this business if it weren’t for him.He spent a lot of time teaching me things he thought were important...Mom, I’ll be there for the funeral,”Jack said.

Busy as he was,he kept his word.Jack caught the next flight to his hometown.Mr.Belser’s funeral was small and uneventful.He had no children of his own,and most of his relatives had passed away.

The night before he had to return home,Jack and his Mom stopped by to see the old house next door one more time,which was exactly as he remembered.Every step held memories.Every picture,every piece of furniture...Jack stopped suddenly.

“What’s wrong,Jack?”his Mom asked.

“The box is gone,”he said.

“What box?”Mom asked.

“There was a small gold box that he kept locked on top of his desk.I must have asked him a thousand times what was inside.All he’d ever tell me was ‘the thing I value most’,”Jack said.

It was gone.Everything about the house was exactly how Jack remembered it,except for the box.He figured someone from the Belser family had taken it.

“Now I’ll never know what was so valuable to him,”Jack said sadly.

Returning to his office the next day,he found a package on his desk.The return address caught his attention.

“Mr.Harold Belser”it read.

Jack tore open the package.There inside was the gold box and an envelope.

Jack’s hands shook as he read the note inside.

“Upon my death,please forward this box and its contents to Jack Bennett.

It’s the thing I valued most in my life.”A small key was taped to the letter.His heart racing,and tears filling his eyes,Jack carefully unlocked the box.There inside he found a beautiful gold pocket watch.Running his fingers slowly over the fine cover,he opened it.

Inside he found these words carved:“Jack,thanks for your time!Harold Belser.”

“Oh,my God! This is the thing he valued most...”

Jack held the watch for a few minutes,then called his assistant and cleared his appointments for the next two days.“Why?”his assistant asked.

“I need some time to spend with my son,” he said.

66.Why did Jack think Mr.Belser died years ago?

A.College and career prevented him from remembering Mr.Belser.

B.Jack was too busy with his business and family to think about Mr.Belser.

C.Jack was too busy realizing his dreams to think about Mr.Belser.

D.His present busy life washed away his childhood memories.

67.Jack’s mother told him on the phone about Mr.Belser EXCEPT that         .

A.Mr.Belser often asked how Jack was doing

B.Mr.Belser’s funeral would take place on Wednesday

C.Mr.Belser had asked for Jack’s mailing address

D.Mr.Belser had pleasant memories of their time together

68.Why did Belser send Jack his gold watch?

A.Because he was grateful for Jack’s time with him.

B.Because he had no children or relatives.

C.Because he thought he had to keep his word.

D.Because Jack had always wanted it during his childhood.

69.Why did Jack say he needed some time to spend with his son?

A.He was very tired of his work and wanted to have a good rest.

B.He had promised to spare more time to stay with his son.

C.He had missed his son and his family for days.

D.He came to realize the importance of the time with his family.

70.Which of the following is the most suitable title for this passage?

A.The Good Old Times

B.What He Valued Most

C.An Old Gold Watch

D.The Lost Childhood Days

  

 (08·宁夏、海南、全国ⅠA篇)

Last week my youngest son and I visited my father at his new home in Tucson, Arizona．

He moved there a few years ago, and I was eager to see his new place and meet his friends．

My earliest memories of my father are of a tall, handsome, successful man devoted to his work and family, but uncomfortable with his children．As a child I loved him; as a school girl and young adult I feared him and felt bitter about him．He seemed unhappy with me unless I got straight A’s and unhappy with my boyfriends if their fathers were not as “successful” as he was．Whenever I went out with him on weekends, I used to struggle to think up things to say, feeling on guard．

       On the first day of my visit, we went out with one of my father’s friends for lunch at an outdoor café．We walked along that afternoon, did some shopping, ate on the street table, and laughed over my son’s funny facial expressions．Gone was my father’s critical (挑剔的) air and strict rules．Who was this person I knew as my father, who seemed so friendly and interesting to be around? What had held him back before?

The next day my dad pulled out his childhood pictures and told me quite a few stories about his own childhood．Although our times together became easier over the years, I never felt closer to him at that moment. After so many years, I’m at last seeing another side of my father．And in so doing, I’m delighted with my new friend. My dad, in his new home in Arizona, is back to me from where he was．

56．Why did the author feel bitter about her father when she was a young adult?

A．He was silent most of the time．          

B．He was too proud of himself．

C．He did not love his children．       

D．He expected too much of her．

57．When the author went out with her father on weekends, she would feel     ．

A．nervous                  B．sorry             C．tired                      D．safe

58．What does the author think of her father after her visit to Tucson?

A．More critical．                                           B．More talkative．

C．Gentle and friendly．                                  D．Strict and hard-working．

59．The underlined words “my new friend” in the last paragraph refer to       ．

A．the author’s son                                       B．the author’s father

C．the friend of the author’s father                 D．the café owner         

  

 (09·陕西A篇)

It was the first snow of winter — an exciting day for every child but not for most teachers. Up until now, I had been old enough to dress myself, but today would need some help. Miss Finlayson, my kindergarten teacher, had been through brst snow days many times, but I think she may still remember this one.  

I managed to get into my wool snow trousers. But I struggled won my jacket because it didn’t fit well. It was a hand-mc-down from my brother, and if made me wonder why I had to wear his ugly clothes, At least my hat and scarf were mine, and they were quite pretty. Finally it was time to have Miss Finlayson help me with my boots（靴子）.  

In her calm, motherly voice she said, “By the end of winter, you will all be able to put on your own boots.” I didn’t realize at the at the time that this was more a statement of hope than of confidence（信心）.  

I handed her my boots and stuck out my foot. Like most children, I expected grown-ups to do all the work. After much pushing, she managed to get first one into place and then, with a sigh, worked the second one on too.  

I announced, “They’re on the wrong feet.”

She struggled to get the boots off and went through the joyless task of putting them on again.  

 “They’re my brother’s boots, you know,” I said. “I hate them”.  

Somehow,  from long years of practice,  she managed to act as though I wasn’t an annoying（烦人的） little girl,  She struggle with me, she asked, “Now, where are your mittens（连指手套）？”

I looked into her eyes and said, “I didn’t want to lose them, so I hid them in the toes of my boots.  

41. The little girl was more satisfied with her_____.

A. trousers           B. jacket             C. boots             D. hat

42. Miss Finlayson had difficulty with the girl’s boots mainly because_____.

A. the girl got them from her brother          B. the girl put something in them

C. they were on the wrong feet               D. they did not fit the girl well

43. Why does the author Miss Finlayson would remember that first snow day?

A. Because the little girl was in her brother’s clothes.  

B. Because it was the most exciting day of the winter .  

C. Because the little girl played a trick on her.  

D. Because the little girl wore a pretty scarf.  

44. We can learn from the text that Miss Finlayson____.

A. was losing confidence in the little girl.  

B. gradually lost patience with the little girl.  

C. became disappointed with the little girl.  

D. was getting bored with the little girl.  

  

 (09·山东A篇)

A year ago August, Dave Fuss lost his job driving a truck for a small company in west Michigan. His wife, Gerrie, was still working in the local school cafeteria, but work for Dave was scarce, and the price of everything was rising. The Fusses were at risk of joining the millions of Americans who have lost their homes in recent years. Then Dave and Gerrie received a timely gift—＄7,000，a legacy （遗产） form their neighbors Ish and Arlene Hatch, who died in an accident . “It really made a difference when we were going under financially.” says Dave.  

But the Fusses weren’t the only folks in Alto and the neighboring town of Lowell to receive unexpected legacy from the Hatches. Doxens of other families were touched by the Hatches’ generosity. In some cases, it was a few thousand dollars ; in other, it was more than ＄100,000.  

It surprised nearly everyone that the Hatches had so much money, more than ＄3 million—they were am elderly couple who lived in an old house on what was left of the family farm .  

Children of the Great Depression, Ish and Arlene were known for their habit of saving, They thrived own （喜欢） comparison shopping and  would routinely go from store to store, checking prices before making a new purchase .  

Through the years, the Hatches paid for local children to attend summer camp when their parents couldn’t afford it. “Ish and Arlene never asked you needed anything,” says their friend Sand Van Weelden, “They could see things they could do go make you happier, and they would do them.  

Even more extraordinary was that the Hatches had their farmland distributed. It was the Hatches’ wish that their legacy—a legacy of kindness as much as one of dollars and cent —should enrich the whole community （社区） and Ish and Arlene Hatch’s story .  

Neighbors helping neighbors ——that was Ish and Arlene Hatch’s story.  

56. According to the text, the Fusses

A. were employed by a truck company         B. were in financial difficulty

C. worked in a school cafeteria               D. lost their home  

57. Which of the following is true of the Hatches?

A. They had their children during the Great Deoression

B. They left the family farm to live in an old house

C. They gave away their possessions to their neighbors

D. They helped their neighbors to find jobs  

58. Why would the Hatches routinely go from store?

A. They decided to open a store              B. They wanted to save money

C. They couldn’t afford expensive things       D. They wanted to buy gifts for local kids  

59. According to Sand Van Weelden, the Hatches were

A. understanding      B. optimistic          C. childlike           D. curious  

60.What can we learn from the text?

A. The community of Alto was poor

B. The summer camp was attractive to the parents

C. Sandy Van Weelden got a legacy form the Hatches

D. The Hatches would like the neighbors to follow their example  

  

 (09·江西A篇)

Outside her shabby cottage, old Mrs. Tailor was hanging out laundry on a wire line, unaware that some children lay hidden in the leaves of a nearby tree watching her every move. They were determined to find out if she really was a witch.

They watched as she took a broomstick to clean the dirt from her stone steps. But, much to their disappointment, she did not mount the broomstick and take flight. Suddenly, the old lady’s work was interrupted by the cackling of her hen—a signal that an egg had been laid in the warm nest on top of the haystack.

The old broomstick was put aside as she hobbled off towards the haystack followed by Sooty, a black cat she had rescued from a fox trap some time back. With only three legs, it was hard for Sooty to keep up with the old lady. The cat provided proof—the children were sure that only a witch could own a black cat with three legs.

There, standing on a wooden box, was Mrs. Tailor, stretching out to gather her precious egg. Taking the egg in one of her hands, she began to climb down when, without warning, the box broke and the old lady fell.

 “We have to got and help her,” whispered Amy.

 “What if it is a trick?” replied Ben.

 “Don’t be silly, Ben. If she were a witch, she would have turned us into frogs already,” reasoned Meg. “Come on Amy, let’s go.” The girls climbed down the tree and ran all the way to the haystack.

Approaching carefully, they could see a wound on the old lady’s face. She had knocked her head on a stone and her ankle was definitely broken. “Go and get Dad,” Amy yelled to her brother. “Tell him about the accident.”

The boys did not need another excuse to leave. They ran as fast as thy could for help, hoping that Mrs. Tailor would not wake and turn the girls into frogs.

56. Were the children hiding in the tree?

A. They wanted to watch Mrs. Tailor do her housework closely.

B. They were playing a hide-and-seek game

C. They wanted to find out if the rumors about Mrs. Tailor were true

D. They were pretending to be spies

57. Mrs. Tailor stopped sweeping when____

A. her front steps were clean            

B. she noticed the children in the tree

C. she was ready to take a flight         

D. she heard the hen cackling

58. Ben did not rush in help Mrs. Tailor because_____

A. he thought that she could be necking them

B. he knew that they could not have been in the tree

C. he did not the old lady fall down

D. he was afraid of the three-legged cat

59. Which of these old sayings best suits the story’s lesson for us?

A. Make hay while the sun shines.

B. Never judge a book by its cover.

C. People in glasshouses should not the stones.

D. A bird in the hands worth two in the bush.

  

 (09·江苏B篇)

It was the first mow of winter -- an exciting day for every, child but not for most tether. Up until now, l had been able to dress myself for recess（课间休息）, but today I would need some help. Miss Finlayson, my kindergarten teacher at Princess Elizabeth School near Hamilton, Ontario, had been through first snow days ,tony times in her long career, but I think struggled still remember this one.

I managed to get into my wool snow pants. But I straggled with my jacket because it didn’t fit well. It was a hand-me-down from my brother, and it made me wonder why I had to wear his ugly clothes. At least my hat and matching scarf were mine, and they were quite pretty. Finally it was time to have Miss Finlayson help me with my boots. In her calm, motherly voice she said, "By the end of winter, you will be able to put on own boots. “ I didn’t realize at the time that this was more a statement of hope than of confidence.

I handed her my boots and stuck out my foot. Like most children, I expected the adult to do an the work. After mush wiggling and pushing, she managed to get first one into place and then, with a sigh, worked the second one on too.

I announced，“They’re on the wrong feet．”With the grace that only experience can bring，she struggled to get the boots off and went through the joyless task of putting them on again．Then I said，“These aren’t my boots．you know．”As she pulled the offending boots from my feet，she still managed to look both helpful and interested．Once they were off．I said，“They are my brother’s boots．My mother makes me wear them，and I hate them!” Somehow，from long years of practice，she managed to act as though I wasn’t an annoying little girl．She pushed and shoved．less gently this time，and the boots were returned to their proper place on my feet．With a great sigh of relief，seeing the end of her struggle with me，she asked，“Now，where are your gloves?’’

I looked into her eyes and said．“I didn’t want to lose them．so I put them into the toes of my boots．”

60．According to the passage，the little girl got      from her brother．

A．the wool snow pants and the jacket         B．the jacket and the boots

C．the jacket and the hat                    D．the boots and the gloves

61．What made it so hard for the teacher to help the little girl put her boots on?

A．The gloves in the toes of the boots．       B．The slowness of the teacher．

C．The wrong size of the boots．             D．The unwillingness of the girl．

62．It can be inferred that before the little girl finally went out to enjoy the first snow of winter，the teacher had to help her put on her boots       ．

A．once             B．twice            C．three times        D．four times

63．Which of the following sentences from the text BEST indicates that the teacher is very considerate?

A．In her calm，motherly voice she said，“By the end of winter，…”（Paragraph 2）

B．With the grace that only experience can bring，she struggled to…（Paragraph 4）

C．…．she still managed to look both helpful and interested．（Paragraph 4）

D．…，she managed to act as though I wasn’t an annoying little girl.（Paragraph 4）

  

 (09·湖南A篇)

Eddie McKay, a once-forgotten pilot, is a subject of great interest to a group of history students in Canada.

It all started when Graham Broad, a professor at the University of Western Ontario, found McKay’s name in a footnote in a book about university history. McKay was included in a list of university alumni （校友） who had served during the First World War, but his name was unfamiliar to Broad, a specialist in military history. Out of curiosity, Broad spent hours at the local archives （档案馆） in a fruitless search for information on McKay. Tired and discouraged, he finally gave up. On his way out, Broad’s glance happened to fall on an exhibiting case showing some old newspapers. His eye was drawn to an old picture of a young man in a rugby uniform. As he read the words beside the picture, he experienced a thrilling realization. “After looking for him all day, there he was, staring up at me out of the exhibiting case,” said Broad. Excited by the find, Broad asked his students to continue his search. They combed old newspapers and other materials for clues. Gradually, a picture came into view.

Captain Alfred Edwin McKay joined the British Royal Flying Corps in 1916. He downed ten enemy planes, outlived his entire squadron （中队） as a WWI flyer, spent some time as a flying instructor in England, then returned to the front, where he was eventually shot down over Belgium and killed in December 1917. But there’s more to his story. “For a brief time in 1916 he was probably the most famous pilot in the world,” says Broad. “He was credited with downing Oswald Boelcke, the most famous German pilot at the time.” Yet, in a letter home, McKay refused to take credit, saying that Boelcke had actually crashed into another German plane.

McKay’s war records were destroyed during a World War II air bombing on London — an explanation for why he was all but forgotten.

But now, thanks to the efforts of Broad and his students, a marker in McKay’s memory was placed on the university grounds in November 2007. “I found my eyes filling with tears as I read the word ‘deceased’ （阵亡） next to his name,” said Corey Everrett, a student who found a picture of Mckay in his uniform. “This was such a simple example of the fact that he had been a student just like us, but instead of finishing his time at Western, he chose to fight and die for his country.”

56. What made Professor Broad continue his search for more information on McKay?

A. A uniform of McKay.                                    B. A footnote about McKay.

C. A book on McKay.                                        D. A picture of McKay.

57. What did the students find out about McKay?

A. He trained pilots for some time.

B. He lived longer than other pilots.

C. He died in the Second World War.

D. He was downed by the pilot Boelcke.

58. McKay’s flying documents were destroyed in        .

A. Belgium                     B. Germany                 C. Canada                  D. England

59. We can learn from the last paragraph that McKay        .

A. preferred fight to his study

B. went to war before graduation

C. left a picture for Corey Everrett

D. set an example for his fellow students

60. What is the text mainly about?

A. The research into war history.

B. The finding of a forgotten hero.

C. The pilots of the two world wars.

D. The importance of military studies.

  

 (09·宁夏、海南A篇)

I suddenly heard an elephant crying as though frightened Looking down I immediately recognized that something was wrong and ran down to the edge of the near bank There I saw Ma Shwe with her three-month-old calf struggling in the fast-rising water and it was a life-and-death struggle Her calf was floating and screaming with fear Ma Shwe was as near to the far bank as she could get, holding her whole body against the rushing water and keeping the calf pressed against her huge body . Every now and then the rushing water would sweep the calf a way.

There was a sudden rise in the water and the calf was washed clean over the mother’s body and was gone Ma Shwe turned quickly to reach it and pressed the calf with her head and trunk（象鼻）against the rocky bank Then with a huge effort she picked it up in her trunk and tried until she was able to place it on a narrow shelf of rock

Just at this moment she fell back into the river If she were carried down it would be certain death I knew as well as she did ,that there was one spot（地点）where she could get up the bank  but it was on the other side from where she had put her calf

While I was wondering what I could do next I heard the sound of a mother’s love Ma Shwe had crossed the river and got up the bank and was making her way back as fast as she could roaring（吼叫）all the time but to her calf it was music.

56．The moment the author got down to the river bank he saw______.

A．the calf was about to fall into the river

B．Ma Shwe was placing the calf on the rock

C．the calf was washed away by the rising water

D．Ma Shwe was holding the calf against the rushing water

57．How did Ma Shwe manage to save her calf from the fast-flowing water?

A．By putting it on a safe spot

B．By pressing it against her body

C．By taking it away with her

D．By carrying it on her back

58．How did the calf feel about the mother elephant’s roaring?

A．It was a great comfort                   B．It was a sign of danger

C．It was a call for help                    D．It was a musical note

59．What can be the best title for the text?

A．A Mother’s Love                       B．A Brave Act

C．A Deadly River                        D．A Matter of Life and Death

  

 (09·广东C篇)

A few years ago I had an “aha!” moment regarding handwriting.

I had in my hand a sheet of paper with handwritten instructions on it for some sort of editorial task. It occurred at first that I did not recognize the handwriting，and then I realized whose it must be. I finally became aware of the fact that I had been working with this colleague for at least a year，maybe two，and yet I did not recognize her handwriting at that point.

It was a very important event in the computerization of life—a sign that the informal. Friendly communication of people working together in an office had changed from notes in pen to instant messages and emails. There was a time when our workdays were filled with little letters，and we recognized one another's handwriting the way we knew voices or faces.

As a child visiting my father’s office，1 was pleased to recognize，in little notes on the desks of his staff，the same handwriting 1 would see at home in the notes he would leave on the fridge—except that those notes were signed “dad” instead of “RFW”.

All this has been on my mind because of the talk about The Rise and Fall of Handwriting，a book by Florey. Sire shows in her book a deep concern about the fall of handwriting and the failure of schools to teach children to write well，but many others argue that people in a digital age can’t be expected to learn to hold a pen.

I don’t buy it.

I don’t want to see anyone cut off from the expressive，personal associations that a pen still promotes better than a digital keyboard does. For many a biographer，part of really getting to know their subjects is learning to read their handwriting.

What some people advocate is teaching one of the many attractive handwritings based on the handwriting of 16^th-century Italy. That may sound impossibly grand—as if they want kids to learn to draw by copying classical paintings. However，they have worked in many school systems.

51. Why was the author surprised at not recognizing his colleague’s handwriting?

A. He had worked with his colleague long enough.

B. His colleague’s handwriting was SO beautiful.

C. His colleague’s handwriting was SO terrible.

D. He still had a 1ot of Work to do.

52. People working together in an office used to ____________.

A. talk more about handwriting

B. take more notes on workdays

C. know better one another's handwriting

D. communicate better with one another

53. The author’s father wrote notes in pen _________.

A. to both his family and his staff

B. to his family in small letters

C. to his family on the fridge

D. to his staff on the desk

54. According to the author，handwritten notes _______.

A. are harder to teach in schools

B. attract more attention

C. are used only between friends

D. carry more message

55. We can learn from the passage that the author __________.

A. thinks it impossible to teach handwriting

B. does not want to lose handwriting

C. puts the blame on the computer

D. does not agree with Florey

  

 (09·广东B篇)

We once had a poster competition in our fifth grade art class.

 “You could win prizes，’’our teacher told US as she wrote the poster information on the blackboard. She passed out sheets of construction paper while continuing，“The first prize is ten dollars. You just have to make sure that the words on the blackboard appear somewhere on your poster. ”

We studied the board critically. Some of US looked with one eye and held up certain colors against the blackboard，rocking the sheets to the fight or left while we conjured up our designs. Others twisted their hair around their fingers or chewed their erasers while deep in thought. We had plans for that ten—dollar grand prize，each and every one of US. I'm going to spend mine on candies，one hopeful would announce，while another practiced looking serious，wise and rich.

Everyone in the class made a poster. Some of us used parts of those fancy paper napkins， while others used nothing but colored construction paper. Some of US used big designs，and some of us preferred to gather our art tidily down in one comer of our poster and let the space draw the viewer's attention to it. Some of US would wander past the good students’ desks and then return to our own projects with a growing sense of hopelessness. It was yet another grown-up trick of the soil they seemed especially fond of。making all of US believe we had a fair chance，and then always—always—rewarding the same old winners.

I believe I drew a sailboat，but I can’t say that with any certainty. I made it. I admired it. I determined it to be the very best of all of the posters I had seen，and then I turned it in.

Minutes passed.

No one came along to give me the grand prize，and then someone distracted me，and I probably never would have thought about that poster again.

I was still sitting at my desk，thinking，What poster? When the teacher gave me an envelope with a ten-dollar bill in it and everyone in the class applauded for me.

46. What was the teacher's requirement for the poster?

A. It must appear in time.

B. It must be done in class.

C. It must be done on a construction sheet.

D. It must include the words on the blackboard.

47. The underlined phrase in paragraph 3 most probably means _____________.

A. formed an idea for

B. made an outline for

C. made some space for

D. chose some colors for

48. After the teacher’s words，all the students in the class _________.

A. 1ooked very serious

B. thought they would be rich

C. began to think about their designs

D. began to play games

49. After seeing the good students’ designs，some students _________.

A. 1oved their own designs more

B. thought they had a fair chance

C. put their own designs in a comer

D. thought they would not win the prize

50. We can infer from the passage that the author ______________.

A. enjoyed grown-up tricks very much

B. 1oved poster competitions very much

C. felt surprised to win the competition

D. became wise and rich after the competition