Some teachers are unforgettable. They lead by example and never lose their smile. They change lives. Eileen Madden is one of them. Her students must think she was born with an eraser and a piece of chalk in her hand.
“It’s a joy to get up early every morning to be the first one here,” say the 55-year-old Holy Ghost School third grade teacher. Madden arrives shortly after 6 am to prepare her classroom and work on the school breakfast program.
“My family all went to St. Teresa’s School,” she says. “I always said, ‘One day, I’m going to come back and get one of those big desks.’”
With a watchful eye always on the lookout for “one of those big desks”, Madden returned to St. Teresa after graduating from college and taught second grade at the Olneyville neighborhood elementary school until it was burnt in a fire in 1990 and had to be closed. Madden then went to Holy Ghost School where she started as a second-grade teacher and then moved up one grade level.
“I take care of setting up and serving breakfast,” she says. “In winter it is still dark when I arrive here.” Madden praises Holy Ghost School Principal Carol Soltys and the school’s workers for their continued support. “It’s a family,” she said.
Her class is small this year with 15 students, including some from the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, Haiti, Guatemala, Nigeria and Ghana. Madden admits that she’s encouraged by her former students, now grown-ups, who want their own children to enjoy a similar experience in a safe, good environment. “They tell others, ‘I send my child to Eileen Madden’s School, ’” she adds.
【小题1】What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 1 suggest?

A．Eileen Madden was very smart as a child.

B．Eileen Madden is a very good teacher.

C．Eileen Madden has done a lot for her students

D．Eileen Madden always has an eraser in her hand.

【小题2】We can learn from paragraph 2 that Eileen Madden __________.

A．is in her late fifties now.

B．always teaches Grade 3

C．often arrives at school very early.

D．cooks breakfast for all her students by herself.

【小题3】What does Eileen Madden most probably think of the workers of Holy Ghost School?

A．Lazy but kind

B．Careful but helpless

C．Hard to get along with

D．Kind and helpful.

【小题4】The last paragraph suggests that ______________.

A．Eileen Madden often gives lessons to small classes.

B．Eileen Madden is remembered by all her former students.

C．Eileen Madden thinks her former students think too highly of her.

D．Eileen Madden’s former students are very happy to let her teach their children.

【小题5】What is implied in the passage?

A．Holy Ghost School is a very small school.

B．St. Teresa’s School will be open again soon.

C．Eileen Madden decided to be a teacher when she was young.

D．Eileen Madden was very happy to leave St. Teresa’s School.

A farmer had a cow. He took very good care of this cow and one day when it was ill, he was very worried. He telephoned the vet.
“What’s the problem?” The vet asked him when he arrived.
“My cow’s ill,” the farmer said. “I don’t know what's the matter with her. She’s lying down and won’t eat. She’s making a strange noise.”
The vet looked over the cow. "She’s certainly ill," he said, "and she needs to take some very strong medicine."
He took a bottle out of his box, put two pills into his hand and said, "Give her these. The pills should make her better."
“How should I give them to her?” the farmer asked.
The vet gave him a tube (管子)and said, "Put this tube in her mouth, then put the pills in the tube and blow. That’ll make it."
The next day the vet came to the farm again. The farmer was sitting outside his house and looked more worried.
“How’s your cow?” the vet asked.
“No change,” the farmer said, “and I’m feeling very strange myself.”
“Oh?” the vet said, "Why?"
“I did what you said,” the farmer answered. “I put the tube in the cow’s mouth and then put two pills down it.”
“And?” the vet asked.
“The cow blew first,” the farmer said.
【小题1】In the story, the vet must be _________.

A．the farmer's friend

B．a milk factory

C．a hospital for cows

D．a doctor for animals

【小题2】The farmer asked the vet for help when his cow _______

A．couldn't lie down

B．didn't eat the pills

C．couldn't make any noise

D．was ill

【小题3】What medicine did the vet give the farmer?

A．Bottle of pills.

B．A long tube.

C．Two pills.

D．A small box.

【小题4】The vet taught the farmer how _________.

A．to blow the tube	B．to make the cow take the pills
C．to take the medicine	D．to put the tube in his mouth

【小题5】Which of the following is true?

A．The farmer ate the pills himself.

B．The cow got better after taking the medicine.

C．The vet came to help the farmer change the cow the next day.

D．The farmer waited for the vet outside his house the next day.

Tom was taken to the police station and put in a room with another thief, an older man.
The man looked at Tom and said, “Why have they brought you here, boy?” “I stole a small radio one day after lessons,” Tom said. The man laughed rudely at him, “you should steal something which is worth a lot if you want to be a thief. You ought to steal something really expensive, so that your name is put in the newspaper. Go and steal a lot of money from a bank next time!”
Tom thought for a few seconds and then said, “I can’t do that!” “Why can’t you?” said the older man. “Are you afraid?” “No,” said Tom, “I’m not afraid at all, but the banks are all closed at three o’clock, and my lessons don’t finish until four.”
【小题1】 Tom was taken to the police station ________.

A．by mistake

B．to see another thief

C．as a thief

D．on business

【小题2】Why did the older thief laugh rudely at Tom ?

A．Because Tom lied to him

B．Because Tom was only a student.

C．Because he didn’t think a small radio was worth stealing

D．Because he thought Tom was too young to be a thief.

【小题3】From what Tom said, we can draw the conclusion(得出结论) that _________.

A．He would go on stealing after he was set free.

B．He must have been taught while stealing

C．He wasn’t planning to steal from a bank

D．He would never be out of prison again

【小题4】Having heard what the older man said, Tom thought carefully about_______.

A．his lessons

B．how to be a famous man

C．stealing something worth a lot

D．the plan to steal from a bank

【小题5】. Tom couldn’t steal from a bank because ______

A．he was afraid of being put into prison

B．he wouldn’t have time to do that though he dared to

C．he wanted to be a good student

D．he did not believe in the older man

When middle-aged Alex quit his job and made up his mind to become a self-employed writer, no one could tell for sure whether he would succeed or not．He found a cold storage room in a building, set up a used typewriter and settled down to work．
After a year or so, however, Alex began to doubt himself．He found it was difficult to earn his living by selling what he wrote．But Alex determined to put his dream to the test—even though it meant living with uncertainty and fear of failure．This is the shadowland（虚幻世界）of hope, and anyone with a dream must learn to live there．
One day Alex got a call,“We need an assistant, and we're paying $ 6,000 a year．” $ 6,000 was real money in 1960．It would enable Alex to get a nice apartment, a used car and more．Besides, he could write in his spare time．As the dollars were dancing in Alex's head, something cleared his senses．He had dreamed of being a writer? Full time．“Thanks, but no,” Alex said firmly and swiftly, “I'm going to stick it out and write．”
After Alex got off the phone, he pulled out everything he had: two cans of vegetables and 18 cents．Alex put the cans and cents into a paper bag, saying to himself, “There's everything you've made of yourself so far．I'm not sure I ever felt so low.”
Finally his work was published in 1970．Instantly he had the kind of fame and success that few writers ever experienced．The shadows had turned into focus of attention．
Then one day, Alex found a box filled with things he had owned years before．Inside was a paper bag with two cans and 18 cents．Suddenly he pictured himself working in that cold storage room．It reminds Alex, and anyone with a dream, of the courage and persistence it takes to stay the course in the shadowland．
【小题1】Why did Alex give up his job?

A．Because he didn't like the working conditions．

B．Because he couldn't earn enough to make a living．

C．Because he wanted to be a full-time writer．

D．Because he felt he had no potential in his job．

【小题2】What did Alex express when he answered the call?

A．He refused the job offer．

B．He was willing to give them a hand．

C．He expected them to pay him more money．

D．He would write in his spare time．

【小题3】What kind of person is Alex?

A．Determined

B．Generous.

C．Shy

D．Brave．

【小题4】Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?

A．Look before you leap.

B．Two heads are better than one．

C．The shadowland of dreams.

D．A bird in hand is worth two in the bush．

Elizabeth Blackwell was born in England in 1821, and moved to New York City when she was ten years old. One day she decided that she wanted to become a doctor. That was nearly impossible for a woman in the middle of the nineteenth century. After writing many letters asking for admission(录取) to medical schools, she was finally accepted by a doctor in Philadelphia. She was so determined that she taught school and gave music lessons to get money for the cost of schooling.
In 1849, after graduation from medical school. she decided to further her education in Paris. She wanted to be a surgeon(外科医师) , but a serious eye problem forced her to give up the idea.
Upon returning to the United States, she found it difficult to start her own practice because she was a woman. By 1857 Elizabeth and her sister, also a doctor, along with another woman doctor, managed to open a new hospital, the first for women and children Besides being the first woman physician and founding her own hospital , she also set up the first medical school for women.
【小题1】Why couldn’t Elizabeth Blackwell realize her dream of becoming a surgeon?

A．She couldn’t get admitted to medical school

B．She decided to further her education in Paris

C．A serious eye problem stopped her

D．It was difficult for her to start a practice in the United States

【小题2】What main obstacle(障碍) almost destroyed Elizabeth’s chances for becoming for a doctor?

A．She was a woman.

B．She wrote too many letters.

C．She couldn’t graduate from medical school.

D．She couldn’t set up her hospital.

【小题3】 How many years passed between her graduation from medical school and the opening of her hospital?

A．Eight years

B．Ten years

C．Nineteen years

D．Thirty-six years

【小题4】According to the passage, all of the following are “firsts” in the life of Elizabeth Blacekwell, except that she ______.

A．became the first woman physician

B．was the first woman doctor

C．and several other women founded the first hospital for women and children

D．set up the first medical school for women

Mr. Brown worked in a factory of a small town. He had been there for twenty years before one day he was sent to the capital for important business. He was quite excited because he had never been there before. Before he set off, he asked his wife and three daughters if they wanted him to buy something for them in London. Mrs. Brown began to think it over and then she said she wished her husband would be able to buy a nice umbrella for her, and so did their three daughters. As he was afraid he would forget it, he drew an umbrella on his hand. To his regret, he lost it at the station.
On the train Mr. Brown sat opposite to an old woman. The woman’s umbrella was so nice that he carefully looked at it and said to himself not to forget to buy a few umbrellas like it. When the train arrived at the station in London, he said good-bye to the old woman, took his bag and her umbrella and was going to get off.
“Wait a minute, sir,” shouted the old woman. “That’s my umbrella!”
Now Mr. Brown noticed that he had taken her umbrella. His face turned red at once and said in a hurry,“Oh, I’m very sorry, Madam! I didn’t mean it!”
Seven days later Mr. Brown left the capital. To his surprise, he met the old woman and sat opposite to her again. Looking at the four umbrellas, the old woman was satisfied with herself. “It seems that I had a better result than the other four women.” She thought.
【小题1】We can learn from the passage that Mr. Brown was ______.

A．a conductor	B．a worker
C．a thief	D．an umbrella maker

【小题2】The underlined word “it” in the first paragraph refers to ______.

A．his ticket	B．his bag
C．his drawing	D．his umbrella

【小题3】Why did Mr. Brown take the woman’s umbrella?

A．Because he was lost in thought.

B．Because it was much like his own umbrella.

C．Because he thought the woman would not notice it.

D．Because the woman misplaced it beside Mr. Brown.

【小题4】When looking at Mr. Brown with four umbrellas, the woman felt ______.

A．surprised

B．angry

C．fortunate

D．sad

Robert Frost was one of America’s best known and most honored serious writers. But his fame came late in his life.
He was born in San Francisco, California in 1874. He lived in California during his early  childhood. He was named after the chief Southern general in America’s Civil War. The general’s name was Robert Edward Lee. The poet was named Robert Lee Frost, because his father wanted to honor the general.
Someone once asked another American writer, Ernest Hemingway, how to become a writer. The best thing, he said, was to have an unhappy childhood. If this is true, Robert Frost’s childhood was unhappy enough to make him a very good writer. Robert Frost’s father was a reporter who wanted to be a politician. He often drank too much wine and became angry. Robert was the victim (受害者) of his anger.
Robert Frost finished high school in 1891. After high school, Robert’s grandfather offered to pay his costs at Dartmouth College. But Robert left the school after a few months. He did not like it. He spent the next few years working at different jobs. At one time, he worked in a factory. Later, he repaired shoes. He was a teacher. He was a reporter. Always, he wrote poetry.
Robert Frost attended Harvard University for two years. After that, he returned to the many jobs  he held before. For a while, Frost tried to take care of a farm in the state of New Hampshire. He was not a successful farmer. And he continued to write poetry. He said that until 1930, he earned only about ten dollars a year from writing.
In 1912, he decided to try to make a new start. He took his family to Britain. The cost of living was low. In Britain, Frost found a publisher for his first book of poems. The book was called A Boy’s Will. When it appeared in 1913. Frost received high praise from British readers. Praise was something he had not received in his own country.
Ezra Pound, another American poet living in Britain, read the poems and liked them very much. He wrote a magazine article about Frost. He also helped get Frost’s second book of poems published in America. That book was called North of Boston.
【小题1】The followings are writers EXCEPT ________.

A．Robert Edward Lee	B．Robert Lee Frost
C．Ernest Hemingway	D．Ezra Pound

【小题2】The passage wrote about Hemingway in order to show that

A．he had great influence on Frost’s poetry and life

B．Frost’ s poetry style was the same as Hemingway’s

C．Frost was unhappy because he was the victim of his father

D．Frost spent his childhood unhappily

【小题3】What can we learn from the passage?

A．Once Frost’s first book was published he gained great praise in his country.

B．After leaving Harvard University, he began to learn to write poetry.

C．Frost was found lo have a gift in poetry while he studied in high school.

D．Robert Frost’s father was angry and drank a lot because he didn’t realize his dream.

【小题4】What’s the passage mainly about?

A．Robert Frost’s unhappy childhood.	B．Robert Frost’s first and second book.
C．Robert Frost’s family and jobs.	D．Robert Frost’s life and poetry.

Thomas Edison was one of ten said to be the greatest genius（天才） of his age. There are only a few men in all of the history, who have changed the lives of other men as much as the inventor of the first useful electric light. But Edison could never be happy only because someone said he was a genius.“ There is no such thing as genius,” Edison said. He said that what people called genius was mostly hard work.
But Edison was a dreamer as well as a worker. From his earliest days as a child he wondered about the secrets of nature. Nature, he often said, is full of secrets. He tried to understand them; then, he tried to learn what could usefully be done with them.
Edison enjoyed thinking. He knew that most people will do almost anything instead of the difficult work of thinking, especially if they do not think very often. But he knew, too, that thinking can give men enjoyment and pleasure.
Edison could not understand how anyone could be uninterested in life. As he loved to think, he also loved to work. On the day he became 75 years old, someone asked him what ideas he had about life. “Work,” he answered. “Discovering the secrets of nature and using them to make men happier.” He said he had enough inventions in his mind to give him another 100 years of work.
【小题1】Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

A．Edison invented the electric light.

B．Many other people have changed Edison’s life.

C．Edison has changed the life of many other people.

D．Few men in history can change other people’s life.

【小题2】Edison thought ____________.

A．he could be happy if he was a genius

B．genius plays the most important part in one’s success

C．hard work could do better than genius

D．genius could do better than hard work

【小题3】In Edison’s opinion, ____________.

A．thinking can supply people with enjoyment and pleasure as well as help

B．people’s successs lies mostly in genius

C．hard work is the second important thing in making people successful

D．there are few secrets for him to discover later

【小题4】The last sentence in the passage most probably implies(暗示） ____________.

A．life is too short for Edison to invent more for human beings

B．Edison made 100 inventions in his life

C．Edison was able to live and work for 100 years

D．People of his time were ready to give Edison another 100 years’ work

Henry was a carpenter of our village. Once I asked him to make a table for my family. A week later, Henry sent us the table and the bill as well.
My wife said to me, "It's a beautiful table, dear, isn't it?"
"I won't decide about that until I see the bill." I said.
Henry was drinking a glass of water. He laughed and gave me a piece of paper. It said,
Bill
One dining table                 June 10, 2011
Cost of wood                       17.00
Paint                               1.50
Work, 8 hours (1 an hour)             8.00
Total(总计)                         36.50
When I was looking at the bill, Henry said," It's a fine day, isn't it? Quite sunny."
"Yes," I said. "I'm glad it is only the 10th of June."
"Me too, " said Henry." You wait. It will be a bit hotter by the end of the month."
"Yes, hotter and more expensive. The table will be 20 more expensive on June 30th, won't they, Henry? " I said, "If it isn't too much trouble, please add it up again. You can forget the date."
"OK, man. You are such a guy." Henry said with a smile in his two blue eyes, and he left with the money he should get.
【小题1】The table was made of __________.

A．Wood

B．glass

C．Paper

D．chair

【小题2】The bill showed 36.50 in all because Henry __________.

A．didn’t do well in math	B．was an honest carpenter
C．added the date to the bill	D．was not a carpenter

【小题3】In Henry’s opinion the write was a __________ guy.

A．smart and careful

B．silly and lazy

C．rich and hardworking

D．stupid and rich

【小题4】 From the story we know that __________.

A．Henry got 26.5 for his work in the end

B．The table will cost 20 more on June 30

C．The writer paid 36.5 for the table

D．The writer got 36.5

The Great Fire of London started in the very early hours of September 2, 1666. In four days it destroyed more than three-quarters of the old city, where most of the houses were wooden and close together. Over one hundred people became homeless, but only a few lost their lives .
　　The fire started on Sunday morning in the house of the King’s baker（面包师）in Pudding Lane. The baker, with his wife and family, was able to get out through a window into the roof. A strong wind blew the fire from the bakery（面包房）into a small hotel next door. Then it spread quickly into Thames Street. That was the beginning.
　　By eight o’clock three hundred houses were on fire. On Monday nearly a kilometer of the city was burning along the River Thames. Tuesday was the worst day. The fire destroyed many well-known buildings, old St Paul’s and the Guildhall among them .
　　Samuel Pepys , the famous writer, writer about the fire, “People threw their things into the river. Many poor people stayed in their houses until the last moment. Birds fell out of the air because of the heat .”
　　The fire stopped only when the King finally ordered people to destroy hundreds of buildings in the path（路径） of the fire.With nothing left to burn, the fire became weak and finally died out.
　　After the fire, Christopher Wren, the architect(建筑师), wanted a city with wider streets and fine new houses of stone．In fact, the streets are still narrow, but he did build more than fifty churches, among which was the new St Paul’s
　　The fire caused great pain and loss, but after it London was a better place: a city for the future and not just of the past.
【小题1】The underlined word‘family’in the second paragraph probably means____.

A．house

B．children

C．wife and husband

D．wife and children

【小题2】It seems that the writer of the text was most sorry for the fact that　　 .

A．many people lost their lives

B．the birds in the sky were killed by the fire

C．many famous buildings were destroyed

D．the King’s bakery was burned down

【小题3】Why did the writer cite(引用)Samuel Pepys?

A．Because Pepys was among those putting out the fire.

B．Because Pepys also wrote about the fire.

C．To show that poor people suffered most.

D．To give the reader a clearer picture of the fire.

【小题4】How was the fire put out according to the text?

A．The King and his soldiers came to help.

B．All the wooden houses in the city were destroyed.

C．People managed to get enough water from the river.

D．Houses standing in the path of the fire were destroyed.