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

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

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

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

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

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

小题4:The author made the gift by       .

A．searching for the poems online

B．drawing the background by hand

C．painting the letters in three colors

D．matching the words with pictures

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

A．To show how to design images for gifts

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

C．To explain how computers help create gifts

D．To describe the gifts the author has received.

A long time ago，there was a tiger in the forest. He was the__26__of the animals. One day the tiger asked a little cat to see__27__his palace was built. After a few hours，the little cat__28__and said to the tiger，“My dear king，your__29__is very large，tall and beautiful.” The tiger was very__30__to hear that.Several__31__later，the tiger said to a pig，“It’s been days since the cat saw my palace. Now，you go and see it__32__.” But when the pig came back，he said to the tiger，“My dear king，I thought that your palace is beautiful，but it__33__yourself only.”
The tiger was very__34__when he heard what the pig said. “Why are the cat’s and the pig’s__35__not the same？” he said to__36__.He then asked a camel to go to have a(n)__37__.Before long the camel ran back out of breath (气喘吁吁) and said to the tiger，“Oh，your palace is too__38__for you to live in，my king.”
The king became very angry when he heard what the camel said. He said to the animals，“Maybe somebody of you tells__39__.You three have three ideas. I want to__40__you.” Just at the moment，a fox came out to__41__the tiger. He asked the tiger himself to go to see it before killing them. The tiger__42__.After he saw the palace himself，he thought that their answers were all__43__.He said to the__44__，“You should remember that to see with your own eyes is more important than only to__45__others.”

小题1:	A．brother B．friend C．king D．enemy

小题2:	A．why B．where C．when D．how

小题3:	A．got up B．came back C．paid back D．turned up

小题4:	A．station B．office C．bed D．palace

小题5:	A．sad B．crazy C．happy D．nervous

小题6:	A．years B．minutes C．days D．hours

小题7:	A．once again B．no more C．as usual D．at last

小题8:	A．protects B．suits C．covers D．helps

小题9:	A．excited B．interested C．tired D．surprised

小题10:

A．suggestions B．experiments C．answers D．excuses

小题11:

A．them B．himself C．it D．yourself

小题12:

A．look B．seat C．exam D．rest

小题13:

A．ugly B．small C．dark D．tall

小题14:

A．news B．messages C．stories D．lies

小题15:

A．teach B．leave C．kill D．hate

小题16:

A．stop B．praise C．cheat D．order

小题17:

A．shook B．agreed C．appeared D．worked

小题18:

A．strange B．different C．easy D．right

小题19:

A．plants B．servants C．animals D．soldiers

小题20:

A．feel B．hear C．taste D．smell

Another person’s enthusiasm was what set me moving toward the success I have achieved. That person was my stepmother.
I was nine years old when she entered our home in rural Virginia. My father  36  me to her with these words: “I would like you to meet the fellow who is  37  for being the worst boy in this county and will probably start throwing rocks at you no  38  than tomorrow morning.”
My stepmother walked over to me,  39  my head slightly upward, and looked me right in the eye. Then she looked at my father and replied, “ You are  40  . This is not the worst boy at all,    41  the smartest one who hasn’t yet found an outlet for his enthusiasm.”
That statement began a (n)  42  between us. No one had ever called me smart. My family and neighbors had built me up in my  43  as a bad boy. My stepmother changed all that.
She changed many things. She  44  my father to go to a dental school, from which he graduated with honors. She moved our family into the country seat, where my father’s career could be more  45  and my brothers and I could be better  46  .
When I turned fourteen, she bought me a secondhand  47  and told me that she believed that I could become a writer. I knew her enthusiasm, I  48  it, and I saw how it had already improved our lives. I accepted her  49  and began to write for local newspapers. I was doing the same kind of  50  that great day I went to interview Andrew Carnegie and received the task which became my life’s work later. I wasn’t the  51  beneficiary(受益者). My father became the  52  man in town. My brothers and stepbrothers became a physician, a dentist, a lawyer, and a college president.
What power  53  has! When that power is released to support the certainty of one’s purpose and is  54  strengthened by faith, it becomes an irresistible force which poverty and temporary defeat can never  55  .
You can communicate that power to anyone who needs it. This is probably the greatest work you can do with your enthusiasm.

小题1:	A．rushed B．introduced C．sent D．carried

小题2:	A．mistaken B．favored C．distinguished D．rewarded

小题3:	A．later B．sooner C．longer D．earlier

小题4:	A．dragged B．raised C．shook D．bent

小题5:	A．perfect B．right C．impolite D．wrong

小题6:	A．so B．but C．or D．and

小题7:	A．agreement B．gap C．friendship D．relationship

小题8:	A．opinion B．image C．mind D．expectation

小题9:	A．persuaded B．begged C．ordered D．invited

小题10:

A．meaningful B．successful C．helpful D．useful

小题11:

A．treated B．entertained C．respected D．educated

小题12:

A．camera B．radio C．typewriter D．bicycle

小题13:

A．considered B．appreciated C．ignored D．suspected

小题14:

A．criticism B．belief C．request D．description

小题15:

A．writing B．teaching C．studying D．reading

小题16:

A．only B．next C．same D．real

小题17:

A．cleverest B．strongest C．healthiest D．wealthiest

小题18:

A．fortune B．sympathy C．enthusiasm D．confidence

小题19:

A．deliberately B．constantly C．traditionally D．happily

小题20:

A．win B．reach C．match D．doubt

It was 20 years ago. I was driving home with my 4-year-old son. Traffic was light. I was singing quietly along   36  the song playing on the radio. I   37  at the intersection and looked both ways. The road was   38 . I slowly started to make a right turn when suddenly a car rounded the curve at high speed and came   39  at me. I stomped (猛踩) on the brakes of my car killing the engine in the process. The speeder zoomed (疾驰) past my dead car   40  me by inches without even slowing down.
  41  I knew it, a stream of rude words was flying from my lips,   42  after the car and its driver. I then saw my son who was staring up at me   43 . With a red face and a(an)   44  smile I started the car, pulled back onto the road, and headed home.
Later that evening I was reading a book when I heard certain   45  words coming from my son’s bedroom. He was replaying the   46   over and over in his mind. Too   47  I realized the   48  of those words that had flown from my lips in that moment of   49 . It took a lot of talks about good language and bad language with my son to undo (消除)the   50  of that incident.
That   51  , however, did teach me just how strong words   52  be. It helped me to decide to stop swearing (咒骂) in my own life and to start using words that uplift and inspire instead. I slowly realized that language is a   53  from God and should be used to make our world better but not worse. I learned    54  that a few loving words can help a hurting heart, strengthen a   55  spirit, and lighten a heavy load. I pray then that all of your words today are full of love, joy, happiness, and light.

小题1:	A．to B．by C．through D．over

小题2:	A．pushed up B．pulled up C．put up D．forced up

小题3:	A．clean B．light C．clear D．busy

小题4:	A．hard B．straight C．far D．high

小题5:	A．leaving B．missing C．knocking D．approaching

小题6:	A．When B．After C．Before D．Until

小题7:	A．chasing B．pursuing C．looking D．seeking

小题8:	A．awfully B．innocently C．bravely D．typically

小题9:	A．pleased B．embarrassed C．surprised D．worried

小题10:

A．acute B．unpleasant C．dynamic D．marvelous

小题11:

A．music B．story C．language D．incident

小题12:

A．sorry B．badly C．soon D．late

小题13:

A．power B．importance C．nature D．potential

小题14:

A．fear B．worry C．anger D．regret

小题15:

A．damage B．lesson C．image D．process

小题16:

A．mistake B．leisure C．nonsense D．mystery

小题17:

A．should B．can C．need D．would

小题18:

A．evidence B．donation C．gift D．talent

小题19:

A．or B．otherwise C．too D．whereas

小题20:

A．challenging B．struggling C．rising D．caring

For most people, graduation is an exciting day, but my graduation day was not.
I remember that weekend two years ago. Family and friends had flown in from across the country to   36  the celebration. But just like everyone else in my class, I had watched the  37   turn from bad to worse in my senior year. Almost all of us graduates had degrees, but very uncertain   38 .
The weeks ahead weren’t   39 . I knew my small university town couldn’t offer me any opportunities,   40  I packed up my car and drove to Southern California to find work. But what I thought would take a   41   dragged into two, and then four, and 100 job applications later, I found myself in the exact same   42  as I was before.
You know that feeling when you wake up in   43  ? That feeling became a constant in my life. Days felt like weeks, weeks like months, and those many months felt like everlasting   44 . And the most annoying part was no matter how much I tried, I just couldn’t seem to make any   45  .
So what did I do to keep my good sense? I decided to    46 . Something about putting words on a page made everything seem a little clearer — a little brighter. Something about writing gave me    47 . And if you want something  48 enough, sometimes a little hope is all you   49 !
I put my thoughts into a children’s book. Beyond the River was the story of an unlikely hero, a little fish, who   50  to give up his dream.
And then one day, without any sort of writing degree or contacts in the writing world — just a lot of hard work and determination —I was offered a   51  contract for my first book! After that, things slowly began to fall into   52  . I was offered a second book deal. Then, a few months later, I got an interview with the Walt Disney Company and was   53  shortly after.
Don’t give up. Even if things look   54  now, don’t give up. If you work hard, things will always get better. Often times our dreams lie in wait just a little further upstream ... all we need is the   55   to push beyond the river.

小题1:	A．hold B．attend C．prepare D．enjoy

小题2:	A．environment B．climate C．opportunity D．economy

小题3:	A．choice B．danger C．desire D．future

小题4:	A．quiet B．busy C．easy D．short

小题5:	A．so B．but C．for D．or

小题6:	A．day B．week C．month D．year

小题7:	A．town B．direction C．situation D．habit

小题8:	A．surprise B．delight C．peace D．fear

小题9:	A．pain B．complaint C．love D．glory

小题10:

A．appointment B．progress C．commitment D．decision

小题11:

A．read B．think C．write D．paint

小题12:

A．hope B．wisdom C．pleasure D．inspiration

小题13:

A．hardly B．badly C．easily D．well

小题14:

A．lack B．find C．bury D．need

小题15:

A．refused B．managed C．failed D．decided

小题16:

A．writing B．translating C．publishing D．reviewing

小题17:

A．ruin B．place C．pieces D．despair

小题18:

A．rewarded B．paid C．hired D．fired

小题19:

A．different B．unimportant C．strange D．tough

小题20:

A．courage B．chance C．time D．dream

One weekend afternoon I toured an art museum while waiting for my husband to finish a business meeting．I was looking forward to a quiet   36  of the splendid artwork．
A young  37 viewing the paintings ahead of me  38 nonstop between themselves．I watched them a moment and decided the lady was doing all the talking．I admired the man's   39  for putting up with her  40  stream of words．  41  by their noise, I moved on．
I met them several times as I moved   42  the various rooms of art．Each time I heard her continuous flow of words, I moved away  43  .
I was standing at the counter of the museum gift shop making a   44  when the couple approached the   45 ．Before they left, the man   46  into his pocket and pulled out a white object．He   47  it into a long stick and then   48  his way into the coatroom to get his wife's jacket．
"He's a   49  man, " the clerk at the counter said．" Most of us would give up if we were blinded at such a young age．During his recovery, he made a promise his life wouldn't change．So, as before, he and his wife come in   50  there is a new art show．"
"But what does he get out of the art?" I asked．"He can't see．"
"Can't see! You're   51 ．He sees a lot．More than you and I do," the clerk said．"His wife   52     each painting so he can see it in his head．"
I learned something about patience,   53  and love that day．I saw the patience of a young wife describing paintings to a person without   54  and the courage of a'' husband who would not  55  blindness to change his life．And I saw the love shared by two people as I watched this couple walk away, their arms intertwined．

小题1:	A．view B．touch C．wander D．stare

小题2:	A．lady　　 B．couple　 C．man D．clerk

小题3:	A．yelled B．argued C．screamed D．chatted

小题4:	A．attempt B．independence C．patience D．wisdom

小题5:	A．constant B．vivid C．casual D．vague

小题6:	A．Adopted B．Adapted C．Disturbed　　 D．Conducted

小题7:	A．from B．to C．towards　 D．through

小题8:	A．anxiously B．quickly C．urgently D．sensibly

小题9:	A．comment B．purchase C．decision D．profit

小题10:

A．exit B．entrance C．front　　　 D．queue

小题11:

A．plugged B．reached C．held　　　 D．bent

小题12:

A．lengthened B．made C．brought　　 D．broadened

小题13:

A．led B．found C．tapped　　 D．forced

小题14:

A．generous B．rough C．smart D．brave

小题15:

A．wherever 　 B．whatever C．whenever D．whichever

小题16:

A．unique B．silly　　 C．equal D．wrong

小题17:

A．decorates B．draws C．shoves D．describes

小题18:

A．kindness B．pride C．courage D．enthusiasm

小题19:

A．sight B．support C．expectation D．confidence

小题20:

A．get B．allow C．hope D．cause

A wise man was visiting the Ganges, a river which flows through northern India to take a bath. He found a group of family members on the   26  , shouting angrily at each other. He___27     his disciples(弟子), smiled and asked, “Why do people shout in    28    at each other ?” The disciples   29    for a while and one of them said, “ Because we   30__    our calm平静 we shout.” “But, why should you shout     31    the other person is just next to you ? You can as well tell him what you have to say in a(n)   32    manner,” asked the wise man. Some disciples gave some other answers, but none   33    the other disciples. Finally the wise man explained, “When two people are angry at each other, there is a distance between their  ___34   . To cover that distance they must shout to be able to  35    each other. The angrier they are, the louder they will have to shout to __36     that great distance. What   37_ when two people fall in love ? They don’t shout at each other but talk softly, because their hearts are very  38   . The distance between them is either nonexistent不存在的or very small.”
The wise man  39 , “When they love each other even more, they do not  _40   loudly , but only whisper私语and they get even closer to each other. Finally they   41  need not whisper. They only look at each other and that’s   42  . That’s how close people are when they love each other.”
He looked at his disciples and said, “So, when you   43  , do not let your hearts get distant. Do not say words that distance疏远each other more.   44    there will come a day when the distance is so great that you will not  45  the path to return. You may end up becoming enemies, for instance.”

小题1:	A．roof屋顶 B．platform站台 C．bank岸 D．street

小题2:	A．referred to B．attended to C．shouted to D．turned to

小题3:	A．anger B．excitement C．disappointment D．surprise

小题4:	A．thought B．relaxed C．listened D．waited

小题5:	A．control B．disturb打扰 C．lose D．enjoy

小题6:	A．as long as B．in case C．when D．unless

小题7:	A．soft B．impressive C．weak D．hard

小题8:	A．encouraged B．satisfied C．entertained D．bothered

小题9:	A．directions B．bodies C．goals D．hearts

小题10:

A．hurt B．attack C．understand D．hear

小题11:

A．keep B．measure C．cover D．shorten

小题12:

A．matters B．happens C．works D．succeeds

小题13:

A．close B．huge C．special D．open

小题14:

A．doubted B．continued C．replied D．promised

小题15:

A．pass B．cry C．care D．speak

小题16:

A．sometimes B．still C．even D．ever

小题17:

A．nothing B．all C．one D．something

小题18:

A．argue B．apologize C．criticize D．explain

小题19:

A．Worse still B．Therefore C．Or else D．Besides

小题20:

A．beat B．follow C．walk D．find

Renata Di Pietro was studying to be an opera singer. But at 23, while on a music scholarship at the University of Iowa in 1976, her sight began to fail. Soon, it became increasingly difficult to read scores and pick up hand signals from conductors, and the gifted singer was forced to drop out.
After moving to Cleveland, Georgia in 2005, Di Pietro relied on guide dogs to get around. Over the years, she became depressed when she’d lose one of the dogs, who had become her best friend, to old age or death. “It’s very painful, because you love each one,” she says.
In 2009, Di Pietro was intrigued by information from a friend that miniature horses typically live for at least 30 years and make calm and strong guides. She started with a male horse, but he was too hard to control. Angel came next, a mini white female horse Di Pietro has mostly trained herself. “Horses have the ability to avoid the things in the way,” she says. “If I am about to run into something, she slides her body in front of me.”
Di Pietro, now 59, has taught her guide horse to make some sounds with her hoof (马蹄)when she comes to stairs. “Angel can find a chair and locate the nearest door for me,” Di Pietro says. Currently, she’s training Angel to pull her wheelchair and to fetch.
Despite her disability, Di Pietro still sings, performing with her husband, musician Carl Hummer, at special events. Angel is always by her side. “I fight a battle every day to take courage to engage the world,” Di Pietro says. “Angel is my warhorse. We fight that battle together.”
小题1:Why did Di Pietro have to give up her studying in the university?

A．She disliked her major in music.

B．She failed to get high scores.

C．She couldn’t understand hand signals from conductors.

D．She found it difficult to see things clearly.

小题2:What does the underlined word “intrigued” in Paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．Puzzled.

B．Interested.

C．Satisfied.

D．Frightened.

小题3:Angel can do a lot of things for Di Pietro now EXCEPT_________.

A．supporting her in case of her falling

B．helping her find a chair to sit on

C．keeping her company every day

D．fighting with her against others

小题4:Which of the following can best describe the author?

A．Caring and strong-minded.	B．Honest and responsible.
C．Kind and helpful.	D．Ambitious and sensitive.

A long time ago, there was an emperor(皇帝). One day he told his horseman that if he could ride on his horse and  26  as much land area as he liked, he would give him the area of land he had covered.  27  enough, the horseman quickly jumped onto his horse and 28 as fast as possible to cover as much land area as he could. He  29  riding and riding, whipping the horse to go as fast as possible. Even when he was 30  or tired, he did not stop  31  he wanted to cover as much area as possible. When he at last covered a large amount of land, he was exhausted and was  32 . Then he asked himself, “Why did I33  myself so hard to cover so much land area? Now I am dying and I only  34  a very small area to  35  myself.”
The above story is  36  to the journey of our  37 . We push ourselves very hard every day to make more  38 , to gain power or recognition. We neglect(疏忽，忘记) our  39  , time with our family and to appreciate(欣赏) the surrounding 40  and the things we love to do. One day  41  we look back, we will 42  that we don’t really need that much,  43 then we cannot turn back time for what we have  44 .
Life is not about making money. Life is definitely(肯定地) not about work! Work is only 45  to keep us living so as to enjoy the beauty and pleasures of life.

小题1:	A．use B．cover C．work D．get

小题2:	A．Good B．Strange C．Sure D．Interesting

小题3:	A．rode B．ran C．expanded D．struggled

小题4:	A．kept on B．asked for C．gave up D．succeeded in

小题5:	A．sad B．excited C．confused D．hungry

小题6:	A．but B．so C．because D．if

小题7:	A．sleeping B．arguing C．dying D．smiling

小题8:	A．push B．make C．destroy D．prove

小题9:	A．need B．have C．find D．show

小题10:

A．live B．bury C．support D．sleep

小题11:

A．useful B．certain C．similar D．special

小题12:

A．future B．past C．history D．life

小题13:

A．friends B．progress C．discoveries D．money

小题14:

A．health B．career C．honor D．freedom

小题15:

A．things B．condition C．people D．beauty

小题16:

A．before B．when C．unless D．since

小题17:

A．realize B．regret C．apologize D．explain

小题18:

A．or B．until C．however D．but

小题19:

A．saved B．missed C．reduced D．won

小题20:

A．possible B．probable C．necessary D．suitable

Nick was not the kind of boy I had expected to spend my summer with. I was hoping to have a  36  this summer before my busy senior year, but my mother asked me to do her a  37. One of her colleagues needed a full-time  38 . “You planned to volunteer at the local hospital, why not volunteer to  39  to Nick instead?” Then she told me that this six-year-old boy was not a  40  child.
Nick was a lovely little boy who suffered from many disorders. Normal day-care centres would not  41  him. As a baby, he had serious ear infections which left him with equilibrium（平衡）problems.He couldn’t  42  or run properly. I was  43  if I was to take the job when my mother 44  , “Don’t you want to be a nurse in the future? I doubt if you even have the  45 .”
Then I told her I was  46  for the job.
The day started at 7:00 a.m. Nick was my wake-up call! With so much energy and very little  47  , he was quite a mix.
At the park, when he saw all the other children play on the jungle gym and swings, the boy’s face  48  up—How he wished he belonged to the group of his age! You would think it would be  49  to get a child to go down a slide. Believe me, it wasn’t! It took him a lot of time. But with patience and support. Nick took one step up the slide each day. We worked together to face his  50  and gradually he got closer to taking the slide of his life.
Halfway through the summer, he  51  it to the top of the slide. With my arms holding him tightly, we flew down the slide! I waited for his  52  . After realizing that he was safe and sound, he gave me a big 53 and asked, “May I go down again alone?”
I had never been happier in my life when I saw this little child climb the ladder and enjoy what other children  54  for granted.
This  55  child taught me that being a nurse means respect, kindness and patience.

小题1:	A．relaxation B．course C．project D．grade

小题2:	A．service B．business C．favour D．trade

小题3:	A．waitress B．nurse C．guard D．guide

小题4:	A．protect B．assist C．comfort D．attend

小题5:	A．naughty B．normal C．clever D．happy

小题6:	A．admit B．receive C．adopt D．accept

小题7:	A．walk B．play C．stand D．speak

小题8:	A．wondering B．hesitating C．questioning D．doubting

小题9:	A．suggested B．argued C．commented D．challenged

小题10:

A．energy B．faith C．courage D．time

小题11:

A．ready B．sorry C．grateful D．eager

小题12:

A．awareness B．knowledge C．balance D．control

小题13:

A．delighted B．cheered C．shut D．lit

小题14:

A．demanding B．interesting C．simple D．flexible

小题15:

A．worries B．fears C．chances D．situations

小题16:

A．made B．got C．managed D．climbed

小题17:

A．laughter B．answer C．reaction D．greeting

小题18:

A．clap B．kiss C．welcome D．surprise

小题19:

A．play B．do C．enjoy D．take

小题20:

A．special B．smart C．lucky D．miserable