As a solo artist，Brightman has sold 26 million albums and two million DVDs in 34 countries. Her musical styles put opera, pop and jazz together. She is popular in the States but not here（Britain）—the image of her and her second husband, Andrew Lloyd Webber（he much older, she his muse) seems for ever frozen.
The 47-year-old singer talks about the new album Symphony that came out of a “very dark time”, including her decision to give up trying to have children. “People have suggested I could adopt,” Brightman says. “But work is central to my life now. And so I am going to put it to one side. After a while not having children becomes the normal and perhaps that might sound alarming, to parents especially, but I have never known anything different. I’m not hurt by not having children. My life and career are incredibly rich.”
Talking about growing up in a large family in Berkhamsted （father a property developer who later committed suicide）, she says: “I was gifted as a child, and very musical. I seemed to be good at anything to do with the arts. At 5 I understood the music I was dancing to and had an eye for costume.” She first appeared in a West End musical at 11 and hated boarding school.
Brightman led the saucy dance troupe（辣妹三人舞）Hot Gossip and had her first hit with I Lost My Heart to a Starship Trooper in 1978. At 18 she married a music manager called Andrew Graham Stewart. “I was probably in love but I can’t remember. Girls change such a lot between 18 and 22. It didn’t really work out.” In 1981 she was spotted by Lloyd Webber. She became his leading lady in Song and Dance, Requiem and Phantom of the Opera. They married in 1984.
Brightman says she felt hostility（敌意） “from the beginning. I haven’t tried to understand it. I’ve done very well everywhere else, especially the UK, where I now live. I just accept it for what it is. The more you are away from Britain, the more you appreciate it. But I don’t miss it, although I miss my family. Our profession can be uncomfortable but I enjoy what I do. I get on with it.”
小题1:The first paragraph tells us that ______.

A．Brightman is very popular around the world except in America

B．Brightman’s musical style is a mixture of opera, pop and jazz

C．the British people don’t like her for her style of music

D．Brightman is much older than Andrew Lloyd Webber

小题2:Brightman decided to give up having children because ______.

A．she could adopt one

B．her life and career were unbelievably rich without children

C．she felt it normal not to have children

D．she was too busy

小题3:The following statements are true except ______.

A．Brightman first appeared in a West End musical at 5

B．Brightman disliked life on campus

C．Brightman was very gifted when she was young

D．the saucy dance troupe made Brightman famous

小题4: The underlined word in the fourth paragraph probably means ______.

A．located

B．admired

C．followed

D．found

小题5:What does the author try to say in the last paragraph by quoting Brightman’s words?

A．Brightman has to accept the fact that she isn’t liked in Britain

B．Brightman lives in America but she loves her own country

C．The British coldness towards Brightman led to her hatred to her homeland

D．Brightman was at a loss why she was not welcome in Britain

In 1939 two brothers, Mac and Dick McDonald, started a drive-in restaurant in San Bernardino, California. They carefully chose a busy corner for their location. They had run their own businesses for years, first a theater, then a barbecue（烤肉）restaurant, then another drive-in. But in their new operation, they offered a new, shortened menu: French fries, hamburgers, and sodas. To this small selection they added one new idea: quick service，no waiters or waitresses, and no tips.
Their hamburgers were sold for fifteen cents. Cheese was another four cents. Their French fries and hamburgers had a remarkable uniformity（一致性）, for the brothers had developed a strict routine（程序）for the preparation of their food, and they insisted on their cooks’ sticking to their routine. Their new drive-in became surprisingly popular, particularly for lunch. People drove up by the hundred during the busy noontime. The self-service restaurant was so popular that the brothers had allowed ten copies of their restaurant to be opened. They were content with this modest success until they met Ray Kroc.
Kroc was a salesman who met the McDonald brothers in 1954 when he was selling milkshake-mixing machines. He quickly saw the special attraction of the brothers’ fast-food restaurants and bought the right to franchise（特许经营）other copies of their restaurants. The agreement included the right to duplicate（复制） the menu, the equipment, even their red and white buildings the golden arches（拱门）.
Today McDonald’s is really a household name. In 1976, McDonald’s had over＄1 billion in total sales. Its first twenty-two years is one of the most surprising successes in modern American business history.
小题1:This passage mainly talks about ＿＿＿.

A．the development of fast food services

B．how McDonald’s became a billion-dollar business

C．the business careers of Mac and Dick McDonald

D．Ray Kroc’s business talent

小题2:Mac and Dick managed all of the following business except ＿＿＿.

A．a drive-in	B．a theater
C．a cinema	D．a barbecue restaurant

小题3: We may infer from this passage that ＿＿＿.

A．Mac and Dick McDonald never became wealthy, for they sold their ideas to Kroc

B．the place the McDonald brothers chose was the only source of the great popularity of their drive-in

C．forty years ago there were lots of fast-food restaurants

D．Ray Kroc was a good businessman

小题4:The passage suggests that ＿＿＿.

A．creativity is an important element of business success

B．Ray Kroc was the close partner of the McDonald brothers

C．Mac and Dick McDonald became broken after they sold their ideas to Ray Kroc

D．California is the best place to go into business

小题5:Which of the following statement is NOT true?

A．Today McDonald’s is very popular in the world.

B．The first twenty-two years of McDonald’s is the most surprising success in American business history.

C．Mac and Dick McDonald were content with their business at first.

D．It is convenient to eat in a drive-in.

I am Sergey Brin! I was born in Moscow. In 1979, when I was 5, my family immigrated to the United States. I remember that on my 9th birthday I got my first computer “Commodore 64”.
Later I graduated with honors in the University of Maryland in Mathematics and IT. The main field of my science research was the technologies used to collect data from unsystematic sources as well as large quantities of texts and science data. I was the author of dozens of articles in leading American academic magazines.
The greatest event in my life happened when in 1998 I was preparing for the defense（论文答辩）of my Doctor’s degree in Stanford University. There the fate made me meet Larry Page—a young computer genius. Larry belonged to the intellectual society. Larry and I quickly became friends when we worked together.
We were searching day and night on the Internet. We were finding a lot of information but with the feeling we still couldn’t find enough of what we were looking for. Naturally the idea for a search engine that would allow specific information to be found in the endless pool of data was born like it came to us. It wasn’t our plans but we gave up the education at the university. You know the next part, maybe we managed to turn an ordinary garage in Meplo Park, California, the U. S. A. into our first office, in which Google was born. With excitement we typed the name of the thing which we created with love on September 14th 1998—www. google.com. Now, after those years we bought this garage. As a symbol it will always remind us that everything is possible.
小题1:Sergey Brin actually graduated from ＿＿＿.

A．the University of Maryland	B．the University of Moscow
C．the University of California	D．Stanford University

小题2: From the passage we know that Larry Page ______.

A．was Brin’s important partner in starting Google

B．was born in a rich merchant family

C．was once a student in the University of Maryland

D．was a professor from Stanford University

小题3: Which is the right order of what happened?
a. My family moved from Russia to the U. S. A.
b. I met Larry Page.
c. I was given a computer as a present on my 9^th birthday.
d. Google was born in an ordinary garage in California.
A. c-a-b-d          B. c-b-a-d            C. a-c-b-d            D. a-c-d-b
小题4:Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?

A．The History of Google	B．The Great Contribution of Google
C．The Great Success of Google	D．The Birth of Google

小题5: Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A．The main field of my science research was computer.

B．I wrote many articles in leading American magazines.

C．Larry is one of my classmates.

D．When I was 5, I got my first computer “Commodore 64”.

Bissel is a small village of the West Sahara. It lies next to a l.5-square-kilometer oasis（绿洲）, from where three days and nights are generally required to go out of the desert. However, before Ken Levin discovered it in 1926, none of the Bissel villagers had ever walked out of the desert. Reportedly, they were not unwilling to leave this barren land. Many had previously tried but failed, always somehow finding themselves back at the oasis after several days of trying to walk out.
When interviewed by Ken Levin, an expert at the British Royal College of Sciences, the villagers explained that no matter which direction they walked it always brought them back to the village.Why couldn’t the Bissel villagers walk out of the desert? Levin was very puzzled. He had, by himself, managed to walk north from the village and reach the nearest town in three and a half days. He decided to carry out an experiment to solve the mystery. He and a Bissel villager called Argutel, would walk out of the desert together. They prepared enough water for a half-a-month journey and two camels. But this time Ken Levin didn't bring his compass. Levin would follow Argutel.
Ten days later, they had walked for about 500 miles but were still in the desert. On the 11th morning, an oasis came into their view. They were back at Bissel. Levin now understood why the Bissel people couldn’t escape the desert. They had no knowledge of the North Star, which had for centuries provided sailors and other travelers with a point of direction. In the desert, if a person goes forward relying only on their senses, they will not be able to travel in a straight line. Rather they will travel in a very large circle and eventually track back to where they began. Levin explained to Argutel the function of the North Star and said, “As long as you rest in the daytime and walk towards the brightest star at night, you would be able to walk out of the desert.” Argutel did as he was told. Three days later, he came to the edge of the desert.
Now in the West Sahara, Bissel has become a bright pearl, where tens of thousands of tourists come every year. Argutel’s bronze statue stands in the center of the town. On its base are the words: __________________________________.
小题1:Ken Levin asked Argutel to walk to the north in order to ________.

A．prove that people could walk out of the desert see

B．how far away Bissel was to the edge of the desert

C．tell people not to walk in circles

D．show Argutel was a great person

小题2:According to the passage, Ken Levin ________.

A．knew Argutel before he came to the village

B．came to Bissel to do experiments on behalf of his college

C．became the first man to walk out of the desert from Bissel Village

D．taught Bissel villagers knowledge of the North Star when he first arrived

小题3:It can be inferred from the passage that ________.

A．Ken Levin didn’t walk south because it would take more days

B．the use of a compass was necessary to walk out of the desert

C．tourism in Bissel has been greatly developed and improved

D．Argutel became the leader of Bissel after his return

小题4:Which of the following can most probably be found at the base of Argutel’s statue?

A．A new life starts from the fixed direction.

B．Where there is a will, there is a way.

C．A long journey starts with the first step.

D．Two heads are better than one.

It was the afternoon of December 24, the day before Christmas; and as the newest doctor in our office, I had to work. The only thing that brightened my day was the beautifully decorated Christmas tree in our waiting room and a gift sent to me by a fellow I was dating — a dozen long-stemmed red roses.
As I was cleaning my office,  I was told a lady urgently needed to speak with me. As I stepped out, I noticed a young, tired-looking woman with a baby in her arms. Nervously, she explained that her husband — a prisoner in a nearby prison — was my next patient. She told me she wasn’t allowed to visit her husband in prison and that he had never seen his son. Her request was for me to let the boy’s father sit in the waiting room with her as long as possible before I called him for his appointment. Since my schedule wasn’t full, I agreed. After all, it was Christmas Eve.
A short time later, her husband arrived — with chains on his feet and hands, and two armed guards as bodyguards. The woman’s tired face lit up like our little Christmas tree when her husband took a seat beside her. I kept glancing out to watch them laugh, cry and share their child. After almost an hour, I called the prisoner back to my office. The patient seemed like a gentle and modest man. I wondered what he possibly could have done to be held under such conditions. I tried to make him as comfortable as possible.
At the end of the appointment, I wished him a Merry Christmas-a difficult thing to say to a man headed back to prison. He smiled and thanked me. He also said he felt saddened by the fact he hadn’t been able to get his wife anything for Christmas. On hearing this, I was inspired with a wonderful idea.
I’ll never forget the look on both their faces as the prisoner gave his wife the beautiful, long-stemmed roses. I’m not sure who experienced the most joy — the husband in giving, the wife in receiving, or myself in having the opportunity to share in this special moment.
小题1:What can be inferred from the first paragraph?

A．The writer was a newcomer to her office.

B．A fellow sent her a dozen red roses as Christmas present.

C．She was in low spirits because she had to work before Christmas.

D．She was at work with a light heart.

小题2:The young woman came to the writer’s office for the purpose of         .

A．having her baby examined

B．giving her husband a chance to make his escape

C．having her husband examined

D．getting a chance for her family to get together

小题3:The underlined part in paragraph 3 most probably means “        ”

A．to be sent to hospital	B．to be separated from his family
C．to be comfortable	D．to become a prisoner

小题4:What does the writer learn from the story?

A．The wife experienced the most joy in receiving

B．An act of kindness can mean a lot

C．The prisoner was treated with mercy

D．Whoever breaks the law should be punished

A boy and a girl were a couple of lovers. The girl liked feeling rain, so the boy was always holding the umbrella when it rained and most part of the umbrella was over the girl. Rain showered the boy every time but he said nothing except looked at the gift's face, which was full of silent satisfaction. He felt very happy, so did the girl.
One day they went out for a walk. They were walking hand in hand passing a building which was under construction. The girl jumped with excitement and said something. The boy seldom talked only feeling excited as she felt looking at her silently. When the girl was talking, a not big or small stone fell down from the building toward the girl's head! At that moment the boy took the girl in his arms so suddenly and so strongly that the girl let out a scream. He meant to protect the gift with his body. But the boy turned over to make his own body downward before they dropped on the ground. As a result, only the girl's hand was smashed by the stone and fractured.
The girl came back to earth and cried with pain, tears weeping up. She thought the saying that “The husband and the wife are birds in the same forest essentially, but when serious tragedy comes, they will fly separately” was really not wrong! With this, she straggled and stood up from. the boy's body keeping from the pains and slowly ran away without glancing at the boy.
At the time, the boy was calling the girl's name in a weak voice, his lips were already white. He took out his mobile phone and dialed the girl's number, but the girl didn't answer. He dialed again she didn't answer again. For several times, he gave up. But his fingers pressed something on the mobile. At that time, beside the boy, the blood spread slowly, his hand hung and the mobile phone lay in the blood, he had no strength to press the “SENT” key yet.
The next day, when the girl heard of the news that the boy was being rescued, she ran to the hospital without considering her anger. When she hurried to the hospital, the doctor had already declared his death; the cause of his death was that his lung had lost too much blood.
It was because, when the boy meant to protect the girl with his body he found that there was a steel stick under them, so he turned over to make it inset(="put" into) his own body.
The boy's mother passed the boy's mobile phone on to the gift.
The girl read the message that hadn't been sent: “Honey, I'm sorry, I still couldn't protect you and made you wound... “Upon this, the girl couldn't help crying...
Please treasure the one you love and believe his or her LOVE!
小题1:The underlined word fractured here probably means ___________.

A．shaken

B．broken

C．abandoned

D．touched

小题2:The girl didn't want to answer the boy's' call because ____________.

A．she didn't hear it	B．she was seriously hurt
C．she was angry with him	D．she had her phone broken

小题3:Which of the following words may best describe the boy’s behavior?

A．gentle and devoted	B．brave and handsome
C．rough and selfish	D．intelligent but silly

小题4:From this passage we can conclude that          .

A．love is happy and love is pain

B．trust is important between lovers

C．one should express his love in time

D．one should love a person who is brave

The other day I was talking to a stranger on the bus; he told me that he had a good   36  in Chicago and he wondered if, by any chance, I   37  to know him . For a moment, I thought he might be   38  ,but I could tell from the expression on his face that he was not. He was   39 . I felt like saying that it was ridiculous (可笑的) to   40  that out of all the millions of people in Chicago I could possibly have ever bumped into his friend. But,   41 , I just smiled and reminded him that Chicago was a very   42  city. He nodded, and I thought he was going to be content to drop the subject and talk about something else. But I was wrong. He was silent for a few minutes, and then he   43  to tell me all about his friend.
His friend’s main   44  in life seemed to be tennis. He was an excellent tennis player , and he   45   had his own tennis court. There were a lot of people with swimming   46 , yet there were only two people with private tennis court; his friend in Chicago was one of them. I told him that I knew several   47  like that, including my brother, who was a doctor in California. He   48  that maybe there were more private courts in the country than he   49  but he did not know of any others. Then he asked me   50  my brother lived in California. When I said Sacramento, he said that was a coincidence   51  his Chicago friend spent the summer in Sacramento last year and he lived next door to a   52  who had a tennis court in his backyard. I said I felt that really was a coincidence (巧合) because my next-door neighbour had gone to Sacramento last summer and had   53  the house next to my brother’s house. For a moment, we stared at each other, but we did not say anything.
“Would your friend’s name happen to be Roland Kirkwood?” I asked finally. He   54  and said, “Yes. Would your brother’s name happen to be Dr Rey Hunter?” It was my   55  to laugh. “Yes,” I replied.

小题1:	A．brother B．teacher C． friend D．neighbour

小题2:	A．happened B．managed C．tried D．wanted

小题3:	A．expecting B．lying C． talking D．joking

小题4:	A．funny B．serious C．careful D．disappointed

小题5:	A．find B．think C．realize D．see

小题6:	A．indeed B．actually C． exactly D．instead

小题7:	A．famous B．interesting C．big D．noisy

小题8:	A．began B．stopped C．refused D．failed

小题9:	A．problem B．choice C．interest D．work

小题10:

A．just B．ever C．even D．surely

小题11:

A．suit B．habit C． river D．pools

小题12:A. people            B. players        C strangers                D. friends

小题13:

A．advised B．admitted C． argued D．announced

小题14:

A．recognized B．realized C．visited D．found

小题15:

A．how B．whether C．where D．when

小题16:

A．if B．because C．then D．though

小题17:

A．doctor B．friend C．neighbour D．player

小题18:

A．visited B．hired C．designed D．sold

小题19:

A．smiled B．laughed C．cried D．nodded

小题20:

A．chance B．pleasure C． turn D．time

Every night, my mother would come to my room, lean down and push my long hair out of the way, then kiss my forehead．
I don't remember when it first started 26  me --her hands pushing my hair that way. But it did make me annoyed, for they felt work - worn and  27  against my young skin．Finally, one night, I shouted at her: “Don' t do that any more --your 28  are too rough！" She didn’t say anything in 29 ．But never again did my mother close out my day with that _30 expression of her love．
Time after time, with the  31 years, my thoughts returned to that night． I'm not a little girl any more．Mom is in her mid - seventies, and those hands I   32  thought to be so rough are still doing things for me and my 33 .
Now, my own children are  34 Mom no longer has Dad．It was late on that Thanksgiving Eve, as I went to sleep in the bedroom of my youth, a familiar hand  35  before stealing across my face to brush the   36 from  my forehead．Then a kiss, ever so _37 touched my brow．In my 38   , thousands of times, I  39  the night my young voice complained．40  Mom's hand in my hand, I said how 41  I was for that night．I thought she'd remember, as I did,_42   Mom didn't know what I was talking about．She had forgotten—and  43  —long ago．
That night, I fell asleep with a new  44  for my gentle mother and her caring hands． And the  45  I had carried around for so long was nowhere to be found．

小题1:	A．surprising B．hurting C．annoying D．amazing

小题2:	A．rough B．gentle C．smooth D．strong

小题3:	A．noises B．words C．feelings D．hands

小题4:	A．anger B．silence C．reply D．fear

小题5:	A．healthy B．familiar C．popular D．perfect

小题6:	A．coming B．remaining C．following D．passing

小题7:	A．often B．even C．never D．once

小题8:	A．family B．neighbor C．husband D．home

小题9:	A．developed B．grown C．moved D．forgotten

小题10:

A．imagined B．hesitated C．regretted D．trembled

小题11:

A．hair B．tears C．dirt D．kisses

小题12:

A．quickly B．roughly C．gently D．slowly

小题13:

A．memory B．opinion C．history D．diary

小题14:

A．chanced B．missed C．hated D．recalled

小题15:

A．Beating B．Picking C．Catching D．Stopping

小题16:

A．happy B．sorry C．annoyed D．amused

小题17:

A．and B．faded C．because D．but

小题18:

A．remembered B．while C．forgiven D．apologized

小题19:

A．hope B．appreciation C．thought D．approval

小题20:

A．guilt B．pride C．sorrow D．failure

It was January lst, the first day of the year and a holiday for me．I went to the bank to get the bank work out of the way. The bank clerk nodded and I sat in front of him．  He was busy filling up entries in his register．
I put my form and booklet in front of him．After waiting for a few more minutes, in which I showed all signs of being impatient, I asked him if my work was done． He shouted, "Nothing is done, and it will take time ! "
Just then I saw his morning cup of tea, which had been lying there for the last ten minutes, untoucheD.The tea had turned almost cold while he was doing his work．Suddenly I felt what this man must be feeling  when customers like me come always in a hurry to get their work done． We do not even feel the need to thank them for being there．
So I told him, "Sir, please have your teA.I am not in a hurry． " This man suddenly looked up at me and for the first time we had eye contact．I saw a different person there, who was as hard-pressed for time as I always am．
I saw both of us sailing in the same boat. I felt that he was also missing the small things in life like a hot cup of tea or lying in a warm bed for a few more minutes like me．He gave me a rare smile and said, "It is an everyday affair with me; you are not in a hurry but somebody else will be．
He really touched my heart with his wise words． I felt that all this time I thought of him as someone who was there for my convenience, but today I suddenly felt a strange communion with him. I vowed(郑重宣布) to be friendly with people who help me with my work and be thankful that they are there for me．
小题1:Which of the following is NOT true of the writer?

A．He works in the bank as a clerk, too．

B．He went to the bank to do some business．

C．He was touched by the untouched cup of tea．

D．He got annoyed after waiting a few minutes．

小题2:What can we learn about the bank clerk?

A．He hated to work on a holiday .

B．He didn't like his work in the bank.

C．He was under great work pressure．

D．He communicated well with his customers．

小题3:What can you learn from the underlined sentence in Paragraph 5?

A．He was sometimes in the similar situation．

B．They once sailed in the same boat．

C．They expected to sail in the same boat．

D．He's too busy to sail in a boat, too．

小题4:The writer's attitude towards the bank clerk might be that of    .

A．tolerance

B．gratitude

C．sympathy

D．satisfaction

小题5:What does the text try to tell us?

A．To be patient with your customers

B．Helping others is helping yourself

C．To be thankful to those who help you.

D．It is our duty to do things for others

There is a small shop about 200 meters from where I live that sells groceries, meat and other basic necessities. About 10 years ago, there was a beggar who would go into the shop every day and ask the owner for a    36  . The owner,   37   he would love to help, simply didn’t have any jobs available, so he kept   38   the man’s request.
This situation continued    39   for a few months, until the owner    40    to give the homeless man a job which    41  sweeping outside the shop. Every single day from 5 am, the homeless man was there doing the very    42  he could for the    43  , even though it did earn him some pennies.    44   , the owner saw how good a job the man was doing and gave him a job working    45  a cashier. He was watched closely to make sure that he didn’t    46  any of the money received from the sales. He was still homeless, after all. The homeless man did a/an    47  job as a cashier for over 2 years, and did such a good job that he was promoted to    48   the finances for the whole shop.
To my    49  , this was the arrangement up until 2 years ago, when the owner     50   . In his will, he only had one    51   , to give the whole shop to the now stable, “homeless” man. Now, I could walk into that shop and see him working as hard as   52  , with his own business that is still   53   and active 10 years after getting his job as a sweeper.
From this story, we can probably get the inspiration: work hard and give everything your best effort, even if it isn’t your    54   situation, it very well may turn out to    55  some day in the future.

小题1:	A．coin B．home C．job D．meal

小题2:	A．although B．unless C．because D．if

小题3:	A．expecting B．considering C．accepting D．refusing

小题4:	A．again B．often C．weekly D．daily

小题5:	A．allowed B．agreed C．planned D．failed

小题6:	A．meant B．involved C．included D．trained

小题7:	A．best B．least C．better D．less

小题8:	A．family B．owner C．interest D．moment

小题9:	A．Suddenly B．Accurately C．Quietly D．Eventually

小题10:

A．for B．with C．as D．like

小题11:

A．lose B．pocket C．spend D．save

小题12:

A．honest B．loyal C．fantastic D．kind

小题13:

A．guard B．raise C．provide D．manage

小题14:

A．knowledge B．mind C．scare D．joy

小题15:

A．got tired B．became old C．passed away D．gave up

小题16:

A．thought B．purpose C．request D．suggestion

小题17:

A．ever B．necessary C．expected D．required

小题18:

A．big B．new C．shabby D．popular

小题19:

A．ideal B．current C．own D．financial

小题20:

A．become B．be C．happen D．do