It was a quiet village in which there was a military camp. It was far from the towns and cities and there were some high mountains around. Of course it was a good place for training the new soldiers. But it was difficult for the young men to go outside. Mr. White, an officer of forty, was strict with them and he hardly let them leave the camp.
　　Once Mr. White was ill in bed. He couldn't work and a young officer, Mr. Hunt, began to train the new soldiers instead of him. He knew the young men well and let nine soldiers go to the nearest town to have a holiday. But night fell and none came back to the camp. He was worried about it and stood at the gate. It was five to twelve when Mr. Hunt decided to go to the town and see what was happening with the young men. He started the car quickly and set off. At that moment the nine soldiers came back. It seemed they were all drunk. Of course they found the officer was angry.
　　"I'm sorry, sir," said the first soldier. "I left the town on time. But something was wrong with my bus on my way here. I had to buy a horse and made it run fast. Bad luck! It died and I had to run back."
　　And the other seven soldiers said they were late for the same reasons. It was the last soldier's turn. He said, "I'm sorry, sir. I got on a bus on time, but…"
　　Having heard this, the officer became even angrier and stopped him at once. He called out, "If you say something was wrong with your bus, I'll punish you at once!"
　　"No, no, sir," said the young man. "My bus was all right, but the dead horses were in its way!"
【小题1】The military camp was built in the village to _______.

A．stop the soldiers going to towns

B．stop the soldiers meeting their friends

C．train the new soldiers

D．make the young men live quietly

【小题2】Mr. Hunt let the nine soldiers have a holiday because _______.

A．he was kind to them

B．they felt lonely

C．they had something important to do

D．they were the best of all

【小题3】The young officer was worried because _______.

A．a traffic accident had happened

B．he was afraid something happened to the nine soldiers

C．the nine soldiers didn't come back on time

D．the nine soldiers drank too much in the town

One of the best-known American writers of children's books is Alfred Strong, or Doctor Strong, as he is better known to readers everywhere. Now, an art show called "Doctor Strong From Then to Now" is travelling around the United States. The pictures and drawings show the history of Doctor Strong.
　　Doctor Strong first became famous almost fifty years ago when his first children's book was published. Since then, he has written forty-five books that have sold more than one hundred million copies around the world.
　　Doctor Strong's books are known for their easy use of words and colorful, hand-drawn pictures. These drawings bring life to his imaginary creatures. The Cat in the Hat, Horton the Elephant, The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, and hundreds of others.
　　The San Diego Museum, in California, organized the art show. It included about three hundred Doctor Strong's original(最早的) drawings and some of his writings.
　　Most of Doctor Strong's books, although written in a funny way, have serious messages. For example, in Mc Elligot's Pool, he describes the danger of pollution. He discusses the arms race in The Butter Battle Book, written in nineteen eighty-four.
　　Doctor Strong is almost eighty-four years old now. He says he never planned to write stories just for children. He says he writes stories that interest people of all ages. He says he uses easy words so that everyone, even a child, can understand.
【小题1】Alfred Strong is a famous _______ in the United States.

A．doctor

B．artist

C．writer

D．reader

【小题2】Doctor Strong first became famous in _______.

A．his eighties when an art show was travelling around the United States

B．his fifties when his drawings and writings were published

C．nineteen eighty-four when his book MeEligot's Pool was published

D．his thirties when his first book was published

【小题3】Doctor Strong's books are very popular in America because _______.

A．they are stories about animals such as cats, elephants and so on

B．they are written in easy words with colourful pictures

C．he organized the art show in California

D．they are written in a funny way

As a music teacher for twenty-seven years, I have always known that music touches the soul. It can break through all kinds of barriers(障碍) to reach students in a very special way. It can be the means for each child to find their light.
A few years ago, I was blessed with the opportunity to teach pre-school students one afternoon a week. One of my most memorable students was Vanessa. She was five years old, had difficulty walking, and could not speak. We mostly sat on the floor for our music lessons and Vanessa liked to sit on my lap. One of her favorite songs was John the Rabbit. It was a call and response song where I sang the call and the students clapped two times while singing the repeating phrase, “Oh, yes!” Vanessa liked to put her hands together with mine and clap with me. We performed that song during every class, Vanessa and I clapping together. She never said or sang a word.
One day late in the school year, when the song was finished, Vanessa turned around, looked me in the eye, clapped her tiny hands two times and said the words “Oh, yes!” I opened my mouth and could not speak. Through music, we had made a connection.
Several years later, I came across Vanessa on the street in town. I stopped my car and waved to say hello. She waved back with a big smile on her face and then clapped her hands two times, mimicking(模仿) the song we had performed in our music class. This precious little girl, through her connection with music, left an impression on me that will last forever.
Every child has the ability to learn and grow. It is up to us educators to discover the way to reach each and every one of our students. We all must find each child’s light.
【小题1】The author thinks music________.

A．can make children calm down

B．Can connect heart to heart

C．Is difficult for pre-school students

D．Is a good means to find a job

【小题2】According to the second paragraph, Vanessa________.

A．Got used to singing songs

B．Was too shy to speak

C．Was the youngest in the class

D．Enjoyed the author’s classes

【小题3】When Vanessa spoke the words “Oh, yes!”, the author felt________.

A．Surprised

B．Happy

C．Frightened

D．Satisfied

【小题4】What can we infer from the last two paragraphs?

A．The author has been in touch with Vanessa for several years.

B．Vanessa became as healthy as other children.

C．The song made a deep impression on Vanessa.

D．Being a good educator became Vanessa’s dream.

Tom was a clever boy, but his parents were poor, so he had to work in his spare time and during his holidays to pay for his education. In spite of this, he managed to get to the university, but it was so expensive to study there that during the holiday he found it necessary to get two jobs at the same time so as to make enough money to pay for his studies.
One summer he managed to get a job in a butcher’s shop(肉店)during the day-time, and another in a hospital at night. In the shop, he learnt to cut meat quite nicely, so the butcher often left him to do all the serving （服务）while he went to the back room to do the accounts(账目). In the hospital , on the other hand, he was , of course , allowed （允许）to do the simplest jobs, like helping to lift people and to carry them from one part of the hospital to another. Both at the butcher’s shop and at the hospital, Tom had to wear white clothes.
One evening at the hospital, Tom had to carry a woman from her bed to the place where she was to have an operation. The woman was already feeling frightened at the thought of the operation before he came to get her, but when she saw Tom, that finished her.
“No! No!” she cried． “Not my butcher! I won’t be operated on by my butcher!” and fainted away(昏厥).
【小题1】Tom made enough money by ________.

A．studying in the university

B．working in a butcher’s shop

C．doing two jobs

D．cutting meat well

【小题2】Tom was a student, but at the same time he was__________.

A．a butcher and a doctor

B．a manager and a doctor

C．an assistant（助手）

D．a manager

【小题3】The woman patient recognized Tom because ____________.

A．he was wearing white clothes

B．he had sold meat to her

C．he was now working in the hospital

D．he was going to operate on her

【小题4】When she saw Tom, that finished her, the sight of Tom _________.

A．plunged her into deep sorrow

B．made her decide not to have an operation

C．broke her heart

D．took all her strength and courage away

Three Boys and a Dad
Brad closed the door slowly as Sue left home to visit her mother. Expecting a whole day to relax, he was thinking whether to read the newspaper or watch his favourite TV talk show on his first day off in months. “This will be like a walk in the park,” he’d told his wife. “I’ll look after the kids, and you can go visit your mom.”
Things started well, but just after eight o’clock, his three little “good kids”—Mike, Randy, and Alex—came down the stairs in their night clothes and shouted “breakfast, daddy.” When food had not appeared within thirty seconds, Randy began using his spoon on Alex’s head as if it were a drum. Alex started to shout loudly in time to the beat（节拍）. Mike chanted “Where’s my toast, where’s my toast” in the background. Brad realized his newspaper would have to wait for a few seconds.
Life became worse after breakfast. Mike wore Randy’s underwear on his head. Randy locked himself in the bathroom, while Alex shouted again because he was going to wet his pants. Nobody could find clean socks, although they were before their very eyes. Someone named “Not Me” had spilled a whole glass of orange juice into the basket of clean clothes. Brad knew the talk show had already started.
By ten o’clock, things were out of control. Alex was wondering why the fish in the jar refused his bread and butter. Mike was trying to show off his talent by decorating the kitchen wall with his colour pencils. Randy, thankfully, appeared to be reading quietly in the family room，but closer examination showed that he was eating apple jam straight from the bottle with his hands. Brad Realized that the talk show was over and reading would be impossible.
At exactly 11:17, Brad called the daycare centre (日托所）.“I suddenly have to go into work and my wife’s away. Can I bring the boys over in a few minutes?” The answer was obviously “yes” because Brad was smiling.
【小题1】When his wife left home, Brad expected to ______            .

A．go out for a walk in the park.

B．watch TV talk show with his children.

C．enjoy his first day off work.

D．read the newspaper to his children.

【小题2】Which of the following did Randy do?

A．Drawing on the wall.	B．Eating apple jam.
C．Feeding the fish.	D．Reading in a room.

【小题3】Why did Brad ask the daycare centre for help?

A．Because he wanted to clean up his house.

B．Because he suddenly had to go to his office.

C．Because he found it hard to manage his boys home.

D．Because he had to take his wife back.

【小题4】This text is developed______       

A．by space.

B．by comparison.

C．by process.

D．by time.

Teens are more likely to behave badly if their parents expect them to，a new US study has found.
“Parents who believe they are simply being realistic might actually be having a bad effect on their children，” Christy Buchanan，a teacher at Wake Forest University and one of the authors of the study，said. “Bad expectations on the part of both parents and children predict more rebellious (叛逆的) behaviors later on.”
The finding came from a study of more than 250 sixth­ and seventh­graders and their mothers. They were examined at the start of the study and again one year later. If kids’ mothers expected them to take more risks and be more rebellious，higher chances of risky behavior were seen.This_was_also_true when kids had bad expectations of themselves.
“Sometimes parents expect more negative behavior from their children than they should based on the children’s history of behavior，” Buchanan said.Parents shouldn’t be naive (无知的) about the possibility of bad behavior，she said，but it’s also a mistake to think that children who are well­behaved will naturally become rebellious at the age of 13.
“By thinking risk­taking or rebelliousness is normal for teenagers and showing that to their children，parents might add to other messages from society that make teenagers feel that they are strange if they are not willing to take risks or break laws，” she said.“This can mean，for example，that when parents expect teens to drink before they turn 21 or to do other risky behaviors，kids are less likely to refuse to do so later in their lives.”
On the other hand，parents’ expectations that teens can exhibit good behaviors and refuse to behave badly or to take risks could help reduce the possibility of bad behavior，Buchanan said.“As a parent，you should put expectations on your children carefully.”
【小题1】The passage is centered around the topic of________.

A．parental rights

B．children’s habits

C．parental education

D．parent­children relationship

【小题2】What do we know about the study?

A．Only mothers were examined.

B．Participants were examined twice.

C．250 people were examined in the study.

D．Christy Buchanan was the only author of the study.

【小题3】What does the underlined part “This was also true” in Paragraph 3 refer to?

A．The kids were more likely to take dangerous behavior.

B．The kids would have bad expectations of their parents.

C．The kids were likely to go against their mothers.

D．Mothers expected their kids to behave badly.

【小题4】Children may be more rebellious if________.

A．they know parents think risk­taking is normal

B．parents put little expectation on them

C．they behave well before they turn 13

D．they are asked not to take risks

【小题5】What might be the most suitable title for the passage?

A．Risk­taking is normal for teens.

B．Why are my teens behaving badly?

C．Don’t expect too much from your teens.

D．Bad expectations lead to bad­behaving teens.

After a very busy afternoon，as I walked into my house，I heard the phone ringing. It was my friend Lydia，upset over an argument with her husband. My usual approach is to offer advice，but this time，exhausted from chores，I simply sat down in a chair and listened to my friend’s frustration  and sadness. Without the disturbance of judgment or the desire to comfort her，I stayed totally quiet while she talked. Eventually Lydia’s depression eased and we said our goodbyes. The next day she phoned to thank me. “I’m so grateful for the way you helped me through this，”she said.
At first I was surprised. After all，I had done nothing except be there for her. But after I had my own venting (发泄的)  experience with another friend later that evening，I realized that my focused silence had some value. In fact，most relationship experts agree that talk is cheap；it’s listening that’s rare and valuable It allows you not only to hear what the other person is saying，but also to have a clear understanding of her thoughts and feelings. And for the speaker，that level of understanding translates into concern and respect.
Unfortunately，listening isn’t as easy as it sounds. Thanks  to  schedules  filled  with  family and work，multitasking has become a barrier (障碍) to listening. My tiredness may have been the only thing stopping me from folding  laundry or checking my e­mail while Lydia talked that afternoon.
Another barrier to listening is our listening system：Most of us take in only about half of what’s being said during a conversation，according to the International Listening Association. Research shows that we speak at 125 to 150 words per minute，yet think at 500 words a minute. Therefore，because we think much more quickly than we  speak，it is easy for us to lose our concentration when  listening to speakers.
While it can be hard to focus at times，it’s a skill worth developing. With a little practice  (employing some techniques)，you can become a better listener.
【小题1】Why didn’t the author give any advice to Lydia that afternoon?

A．Because she thought her keeping silence was better for Lydia.

B．Because she didn’t know how to comfort Lydia.

C．Because she was too tired to talk to Lydia.

D．Because she couldn’t cut in while Lydia was talking.

【小题2】In Paragraph 2，the author mainly talks about________.

A．the importance of listening

B．the importance of venting anger

C．her own listening experience

D．her own venting experience

【小题3】The author uses the result of the research in Paragraph 4 to mainly show that________.

A．we think much more quickly than we speak

B．we can only understand about half of what we hear

C．there is not much thinking time available while we are listening

D．we lose our concentration easily while we are listening

【小题4】What will be discussed following the passage?

A．Why listening is valuable.

B．What we should do while listening.

C．How to become a good listener.

D．How to stop drifting off while listening.

【小题5】The first paragraph serves as a(n)________．

A．explanation	B．introduction
C．comment	D．background

My husband can plan wonderful surprise celebrations for me.Recently，however，I told him I didn’t want him to plan one for my upcoming birthday.
“Why？” he asked.
“I am embarrassed being the center of attention，”  I quickly explained.
Later，I began to think more deeply about this reason. Then I remembered the surprise celebration I had planned for my friend Nancy on her 60th birthday. We  were roommates on a three­week tour following the Silk Road on those famous steppes  (大草原)—and through the  mountains—of central Asia.
That  afternoon  we  had  arrived  at  our  hotel  in Samarkand，Uzbekistan. The young man at the hotel desk told me about a bakery about 10 minutes away. After giving me detailed directions，he added，“Your nose will let you know when you arrive there.”
The temperature was 40 ℃.Soon，my_olfaction proved to be an unfailing guide. Outside the bakery，a delicious smell greeted me.
There were several kinds of breads，cookies，and cakes on display. There were also beautiful iced cakes. I chose a cake topped with powdered sugar.
Later at the Karim Bek Restaurant，Nancy didn’t see the young waiter walk up the steps with the cake.When I began singing“Happy Birthday，”everyone at our table—except Nancy—joined in.
It took her a moment to realize what was happening. Then the grinning (咧嘴笑的)  guest of honor thanked me，blew out the candles on the cake，and ate three pieces of it.
Today，after reliving this experience in my mind，I told my husband to ignore my request.I now understand what a surprise party is about：It is not about having a surprise party but rather the delight in giving it. That is what brings the satisfying joy.
【小题1】Why did the author go to the bakery?

A．To get some bread for her journey.

B．To experience the local taste in Samarkand.

C．To buy a birthday cake for her friend.

D．To eat some iced cakes to cool herself down.

【小题2】The underlined words “my olfaction” in Paragraph 7 most probably refer to________.

A．the waiter at the hotel

B．the author’s sense of smell

C．the author’s friend

D．the author’s map

【小题3】The party held at the Karim Bek Restaurant was________.

A．very successful	B．a little simple
C．quite boring	D．too noisy

【小题4】From the last paragraph we learn that now the author________.

A．becomes less interested in surprise parties

B．thinks surprise parties are embarrassing

C．enjoys giving others surprises

D．realizes the true meaning of surprise parties

【小题5】From the passage，we can NOT infer that________.

A．the author’s birthday is coming

B．the author’s husband loves her very much

C．the author and Nancy have been roommates for three weeks

D．the author has already spent her 60th birthday

A man once said how useless it was to put advertisements in the newspaper.
“Last week, ” he said,  “my umbrella was stolen from a London church. As
it was a present,  I spent twice its worth in advertising,  but didn’t get it back. ”
“How did you write your advertisement? ” asked one of the listeners,  a merchant.
　　“Here it is, ” said the man,  taking out of his pocket a slip cut from a newspaper. The other man took it and read,  “Lost from the City Church last Sunday evening,  a black silk umbrella. The gentleman who finds it will receive ten shillings on leaving it at No. 10 Broad Street. ”
“Now, ” said the merchant,  “I often advertise,  and find that it pays me well. But the way in which an advertisement is expressed is of extreme importance. Let us try for your umbrella again,  and if it fails,  I’ll buy you a new one. ”
　　The merchant then took a slip of paper out of his pocket and wrote:  “If the man who was seen to take an umbrella from the City Church last Sunday evening doesn’t wish to get into trouble,  he will return the umbrella to No. 10 Broad Street. He is well known. ”
　　This appeared in the newspaper,  and on the following morning,  the man was astonished when he opened the front door. In the doorway lay at least twelve umbrellas of all sizes and colors,  and his own was among them. Many of them had notes fastened to them saying that they had been taken by mistake,  and begging the loser not to say anything about the matter.
【小题1】The result of the first advertisement was that＿＿＿＿ .

A．the man got his umbrella back

B．the man wasted some money advertising

C．nobody found the missing umbrella

D．the umbrella was found somewhere near the church

【小题2】The merchant suggested that the man should＿＿＿ .

A．buy a new umbrella

B．go on looking for his umbrella

C．write another and better advertisement

D．report the police

【小题3】“. . . if it fails,  I’ll buy you a new one” suggested that the merchant＿＿＿＿ .

A．was quite sure of success

B．wanted to buy him a new umbrella

C．didn’t know what to do

D．was rich enough to buy one

【小题4】The story is mainly about ＿＿＿＿＿.

A．a useless advertisement

B．how to make an effective advertisement

C．how the man lost and found his umbrella

D．what the merchant did for the umbrella owner

On May 23,1989, Stefania Follini came out from a cave at Carlsbad , New Mexico．She hadn’t seen the sun for eighteen and a half weeks ．Stefania was in a research program, and the scientists in the program were studying body rhythms （节奏）。In this experiment Stefania had spent 130 days in a cave ,30 feet in depth．
During her time in the cave, Stefania had been completely alone except for two white mice．Her living place had been very comfortable ,but there had been nothing to feel her the time ．She’d had no clock or watches , no television or radio．There had been no natural light and the temperature had always been kept at 21℃
【小题1】Stefania stayed in the cave for a long time because___________．

A．she was asked to do research on mice

B．she wanted to experience loneliness

C．she was the subject of a study

D．she needed to record her life

【小题2】What is a cause for the change of Stefania’s body clock?

A．Eating fewer hours

B．Having more hours of sleep

C．Lacking physical exercise．

D．Getting no natural light．

【小题3】Where does the text probably come from?

A．A novel．	B．A news story．
C．A pet magazine ．	D．A travel guide．