There was once a farmer. His land was hilly and the soil was not the best. He had a cow that wasn’t giving much milk and he had chickens who were laying few eggs. The place looked run-down (破败的) and the barn and fences (篱笆) needed repair. The farmer and his wife felt dejected.
One stormy evening, a poorly-dressed man knocked on their door, asking if he could get shelter for the night. They shared the food that had been prepared, while they talked a great deal about the farm.
When the stranger left the following morning, he thanked the farmer and his wife and pulled a little bag of gold pieces out of his pocket. He said that maybe this would help them. He added that he’d come by next year with hopes of finding a revived farm.
After this, the farmer and his wife often talked about whether they should buy a more promising cow. Other times they considered whether they should buy chickens who laid more eggs. However, every conversation ended with the farmer trusting the farm would improve as he found himself fixing the barn and the fences, caring for the animals, preparing food for themselves and their animals.
The farmer beamed (眉开眼笑) when the stranger did come by again a year later. Everything looked so much better. The stranger asked, “What did you use the gold for?”
The farmer said, “We hid the gold under a kitchen tile (地砖) and, while we often thought of it, we never did think of anything we needed the gold for.”
Then the farmer added thoughtfully, “I do thank you, though, ever so much. You gave us what we really needed to keep going — you lifted our spirits.”
Saying that, the farmer removed the tile and cheerfully returned the gold to the stranger.
小题1:The underlined word “dejected” in Paragraph 1 probably means “_____”.

A．kind and generous

B．surprised and delighted

C．disappointed and unhappy

D．strong and fearless

小题2:One year later, the stranger visited the farmer to _____.

A．get his gold pieces back

B．see if the farm had improved

C．get shelter for the night

D．give the farmer more money

小题3:From the passage, we can conclude that what the farmer really needed was _____.

A．land rich enough to farm on

B．something to keep their spirits up

C．scientific knowledge of agriculture

D．money to improve his farm

When I received my grade on my first writing assignment, I was very disappointed．I met with Dr．Caldwell to discuss my    41 and my work．She gave me lots of _42 and allowed me to rewrite my paper．My grade improved but I was   43 not completely satisfied．Dr．Caldwell decided to help me and  44  me into a good writer, Before each paper was due, I turned in a   45 draft and she corrected it for me, Her dedication to my success was very encouraging because she 46 _ the time to personally help me time and time again．
Dr．Caldwell was behind my dedication to the learning process．Not only did she help me, but also Dr．Caldwell  47 me to become a teacher and dedicate my life to helping children who struggle through school. My most memorable   48  as a teacher was when I tutored a fourth-grade boy, Darnell, in math．He was unable to add, minus, multiply, or divide．He was far 49  his classmates and needed personal  50  to help him work at the same level．
51  we first began our sessions, Darnell was very quiet and  52 _ in learning．I was becoming annoyed and impatient because after two weeks, it seemed as if we had not   53  a thing．To my surprise, Darnell finally _54  __ up to me and began to work hard at his lessons．His progress began to show through and his teacher told me his grades in class had 55  greatly, I was very happy with the progress that we had made and． became even more dedicated to Darnell's success, We had a lot of   56   learning math; we created  many games and played them to make learning more  57  for Darnell． All that Darnell needed was the one-on-one attention that I was able to give him and once he 58   it, his improvement was evident almost  59 . I was able to work with Darnell and encourage him to learn the 60 Dr. Caldwell worked with me to become a better writer．

小题1:	A．grade B．study C．future D．essay

小题2:	A．solutions B．approaches C．assessments D．suggestions

小题3:	A．still B．also C．again D．even

小题4:	A．talk B．put C．turn D．build

小题5:	A．tough B．similar C．rough D．general

小题6:	A．spent B．took C．cost D．paid

小题7:	A．encouraged B．forced C．expected D．begged

小题8:	A．experiment B．experience C．example D．moment

小题9:	A．behind B．below C．out of D．ahead of

小题10:

A．influence B．sympathy C．comfort D．attention

小题11:

A．When B．Before C．While D．Once

小题12:

A．absorbed B．delighted C．concerned D．uninterested

小题13:

A．conveyed B．submitted C．learned D．accomplished

小题14:

A．looked B．opened C．walked D．came

小题15:

A．obtained B．raised C．improved D．decreased

小题16:

A．trouble B．patience C．fun D．difficulty

小题17:

A．difficult B．important C．reasonable D．enjoyable

小题18:

A．learned B．received C．afforded D．failed

小题19:

A．instantly B．punctually C．slowly D．gradually

小题20:

A．skill B．means C．knowledge D．way

Twenty-six years after a terrible bicycle accident left her comatose（昏迷） for two months and with permanent brain injuries, Barbara Buchan, performs many actions more slowly than others. But on September 10 in Beijing, Buchan, at 52, the oldest member of the United States Paralympic team, broke the record and won the gold medal for her disability class in the individual 3,000-meter cycling pursuit.
“You can be very upset at the world and have everyone take care of you,” Buchan said by telephone from Beijing, “or get back on your feet again.”
Buchan first dreamed of Olympic gold at age 15 while watching the 1972 Munich Games. She became a top American cyclist by July 1982, when a terrible road-race crash injured her brain and left doctors doubtful about whether she would survive. She was wearing only a soft leather helmet at the time; her accident made the rule put into practice that cyclists wear the hard-shell helmets that are now common.
Buchan recovered enough of her athletic ability to run track in the 1988 Paralympics in Seoul, where she won a silver medal in the 800 meters. Women’s cycling was not included in the Paralympics yet, so Buchan trained to the point where she raced against men in the 2000 Paralympics in Sydney, Australia — she finished 9th and 10th in two races — and then successfully fought for a separate women’s cycling program beginning in 2004 in Athens, where she did not get a medal.
Even though she was approaching her 50s, Buchan kept racing and again made the United States Paralympic team for Beijing — where she is twice the age of most of her teammates and competitors.
“Barbara’s almost the leader of our team — she’s been through it all,” said Craig Griffin, the United States cycling coach. “She’s never retired. She’s never let her body go and then come back. I don’t think age is as big of a deal as people make it out to be.”
小题1:According to the passage, after the accident,  ____________.

A．Buchan asked her friends to take care of her

B．cyclists started to wear helmets in competition

C．Buchan could not answer questions correctly

D．doctors doubted whether Buchan could come back to life

小题2:What’s the right order of the events related to Buchan?
a. She won a gold medal in Beijing.
b. She became a top American cyclist.
c. She won a silver medal in the 800 meters.
d. She suffered a terrible bicycle accident.
e. She took part in a cycling program in Athens.

A．c-d-b-a-e

B．b-c-d-a-e

C．b-d-c-e-a

D．c-b-d-e-a

小题3:What does the underlined phrase “get back on your feet” in the second paragraph mean?

A．rise to your feet	B．walk on your way
C．go beyond yourself	D．depend on yourself

小题4:Which of the following can be the best title for this passage?

A．The Making of a Hero	B．From a Loser to a Winner
C．All Roads Lead to Rome	D．Health is Better than Wealth

Helen Keller was born in America in June, 1880. Everything was all right when she was born. But when she was 19 months old, an attack of fever left her blind and deaf for the rest of her life. She was so young when she became blind that as she grew older she did not remember being able to see; and she became deaf before she had any idea of the importance of human speech. She lived in darkness and silence.
As she grew older, she, too, wanted to express her ideas and feelings. But she realized she was cut off from others. Her parents were greatly worried. How could anyone make touch with Helen’s mind and intelligence in darkness and silence without speech? Helen was nearly seven before a teacher was found. Her name was Miss Sullivan.
Miss Sullivan had a lot of difficulties in teaching Helen Keller. As the child could neither see nor hear, she had to use manual alphabet. But Helen’s energy and intelligence and strong spirit as well as Miss Sullivan’s skill and patience, overcame all the difficulties. As Helen grew up, she became an able student, passed examination and finally took a university degree in English literature. She then devoted all herself to helping the blind and the deaf. Her personal success, together with the work she had done for others, made her one of the greatest women in modern times. She wrote many books and “The Story of My Life”is a wonderful one.
小题1:Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A．Helen Keller was born blind and deaf.

B．She first became blind and then deaf.

C．She became blind and deaf in 1880.

D．She became blind and deaf sometime about January 1882.

小题2:Which of the following statements is NOT TRUE?

A．Helen became blind and deaf because she suffered from a high fever.

B．Helen became blind before she could see anything.

C．Helen became deaf before she realized how important it was to be able to hear and speak.

D．Helen, too, wanted to touch with others with speech.

小题3:Helen was finally successful mainly because of______.

A．her parents’ help

B．the manual alphabet Miss Sullivan used in teaching her

C．the help she got when she was studying for a university degree

D．her hard work, cleverness and will-power as well as Sullivan’s great efforts

小题4:Helen Keller finally became______.

A．an able student

B．a writer

C．the greatest woman in modern times

D．a student who took a university degree in English literature

小题5:Helen Keller’s parents were greatly worried because___.

A．She was growing older

B．She was cut off from others

C．she, too, wanted to express her ideas and feelings but she could not

D．she was almost seven years old and yet they were not sure whether they could find a suitable teacher for her

The Pecan Thief
When I was six years old, I was visiting my grandfather's farm in Kansas. Grandpa had sent me into the   36  to gather pecans for us to enjoy later.
Pecan picking was really   37  work and my little basket was only half full. I wasn't about to   38  Grandpa down. Just then something caught my   39  . A large brown squirrel was a few feet away.  I watched as he picked up a pecan, hurried to a tree and   40  in a large hole in the trunk. A moment later the squirrel   41  out and climbed down to the ground to pick up another nut. Once again, he took the pecan back to his hiding place.
Not so   42  anymore, I thought. I dashed over to the tree and looked into the hole. It was   43  with pecans! Golden pecans were right there for taking. This was my   44 . Handful by handful, I scooped all of those pecans into my basket. Now it was full! I was so   45  of myself. I couldn't wait to show Grandpa all the pecans.   46 , I ran back and shouted, “Look at all the pecans!” He looked into the basket and said, “Well, well, how did you find so many ? ” I told him how I'd   47  the squirrel and taken the pecans from his hiding place.
Grandpa congratulated me on how smart I'd been in observing the squirrel and his habits. Then he did something that   48  me. He handed the basket back to me and put his arm gently   49  my shoulders.
“That squirrel worked very hard to gather his winter   50  of food, ” he said. “Now that all of his pecans are gone, don't you think that little squirrel will   51  the cold winter? ”
“I didn't think about that,” I said.
“I know, ” Grandpa said. “But a good man should never take   52  of someone else's hard work.”
Suddenly I felt a bit   53 . The image of the starving squirrel wouldn't   54  my mind. There was only one thing I could do. I carried the basket back to the tree and poured all the nuts into the hole.
I didn't eat any pecans that night, but I had something much more filling—the   55  of knowing I had done just the right thing.

小题1:	A．woods B．rooms C．holes D．roads

小题2:	A．dirty B．hard C．light D．easy

小题3:	A．settle B．let C．have D．keep

小题4:	A．sweater B．basket C．hand D．eye

小题5:	A．joined B．lived C．disappeared D．discovered

小题6:	A．held B．jumped C．stood D．found

小题7:	A．secret B．strange C．anxious D．patient

小题8:	A．filled B．covered C．rebuilt D．decorated

小题9:	A．time B．choice C．achievement D．chance

小题10:

A．afraid B．ashamed C．proud D．careful

小题11:

A．Otherwise B．However C．Therefore D．Besides

小题12:

A．followed B．driven C．protected D．caught

小题13:

A．annoyed B．satisfied C．delighted D．surprised

小题14:

A．off B．beside C．around D．over

小题15:

A．cost B．supply C．support D．preparation

小题16:

A．escape B．spend C．flee D．survive

小题17:

A．place B．notice C．charge D．advantage

小题18:

A．unconfident B．guilty C．embarrassed D．nervous

小题19:

A．leave B．open C．cross D．occupy

小题20:

A．inspiration B．expectation C．satisfaction D．impression

Prince Roman was a Polish nobleman, a captain in the army of Czar Nicholas of Russia. When his young wife died, the prince left the army and returned in sorrow to his native Poland.
In time, love for his country and its people took the place of his lost love. He joined a Polish rising against the Russians. The rising was crushed, and Prince Roman was taken prisoner. His relatives and friends begged the military court to have mercy on him.
The president of the court received these appeals kindly. He was a good Russian, but he was also a good-natured man. Russian hatred of Poles was not as fierce at that time as it became later; and the Russian felt sympathetic as soon as he saw the prince's thin, tired, sun-burnt face.
The court of three officers sat in a bare room, behind a long black table. Some clerks sat at the two ends, but no one else was there when the guards brought in the prince.
Those four walls shut out from Prince Roman all sights and sounds of freedom, all hopes of the future, all comforting thoughts. How much love for Poland remained in him then? How much love of life? He stood before his judges alone, having refused their permission to sit. He answered their first formal questions — his name and so on — clearly and politely although he felt too weary to talk.
Then the president of the court seemed to suggest how the young man could best help himself. He asked questions in a way that almost put the right answers in the prisoner's mouth.
“Didn't your wife's death drive you to despair? Wasn't your mind unbalanced by that sad event ?”
Prince Roman was silent.
"You were not fully responsible for you conduct, were you?"
Prince Roman was silent.
"You made a sudden blind decision to join the rising. You didn't realize that your actions were dangerous and dishonourable. Isn't that the truth of this unfortunate matter?"
The judges looked at the prisoner hopefully. In silence the prince reached for a pen and some paper. He wrote, "I joined the rising because I believe it was just." He pushed the paper towards the president, who took it and read it in silence.
Prince Roman was sentenced to hard work for life in the Siberian salt mines. It was a sentence of delayed death.
When Czar Nicholas read the report and sentence, he added in his own handwriting, "Make sure that this prisoner walks in chains every step of the way to Siberia."
小题1:What does the passage tell us of Poland at the time?

A．Polish officers in the Russian army had to return to Poland.

B．Russia was at war with Poland, so the Poles were enemies.

C．The Russians were very cruel rulers of Poland.

D．It was ruled by Russia, and Poles served in the Russian army.

小题2:How much love for Poland remained in the prince when he stood trial?

A．Not much, probably, after the failure of the rising.

B． More than he had ever felt before.

C．As much as he had ever felt.

D．The passage doesn't suggest an answer to the question.

小题3:The questions which the president asked show that ______.

A．he was trying to find excuse for the prince's conduct

B．the court wanted the prince to admit his own guilt

C．he wanted to learn the truth about the Polish rising

D．Prince Roman was a weak person

小题4:In the trial, Prince Roman ______.

A．was afraid to be responsible for his actions

B．blamed others for his actions

C．accepted responsibility for his actions

D．admitted his guilt

小题5:According to the passage, which of the following statements is true?

A．The judges were less sympathetic than Czar Nicholas.

B．Czar Nicholas was as kind as the judges.

C．Czar Nicholas was not as sympathetic as the judges.

D．The judges were as cruel as Czar Nicholas.

When Paul was a boy growing up in Utah, he happened to live near a copper smelter(炼铜厂), and the chemicals that poured out had made a wasteland out of what used to be a beautiful forest. One day a young visitor looked at this wasteland and called it an awful area. Paul knocked him down. From then on, something happened inside him.
Years later Paul was back in the area, and he went to the smelter office. He asked if they had any plans or if they would let him try to bring the trees back. The answer from that big industry was “No.”
Paul then went to college to study the science of plants. Unfortunately, his teachers said there weren't any birds or squirrels to spread the seeds. It would be a waste of his life to try to do it. He was told everyone knew that even if he was knowledgeable as he had expected, he wouldn't get his idea accepted.
Paul later got married and had some kids. But, his dream would not die. And then one night he did what he could with what he had. Under the cover of darkness, he went secretly into the wasteland and started planting.
And every week, he made his secret journey into the wasteland and planted trees and grass. For fifteen years he did this against the plain common sense. Slowly rabbits appeared. Later, as there was legal pressure to clean up the environment, the company actually hired Paul to do what he was already doing.
Now the place is fourteen thousand acres of trees and grass and bushes, and Paul has received almost every environmental award Utah has. It took him until his hair turned white, but he managed to keep that impossible vow(誓言) he made to himself as a child.
小题1:When Paul was a boy, _________.

A．he had decided never to leave his hometown

B．the economy of Utah depended on the copper smelter

C．he had determined to stop the copper smelter polluting the area

D．no laws were made to protect the environment against pollution

小题2:Why did Paul go to college to study the science of plants?

A．He wanted to find out the best way to save the area himself.

B．He was interested in planting trees since he was young.

C．He wanted to get more knowledgeable people to help him.

D．He thought his knowledge would make his advice more persuasive.

小题3:What does the underlined phrase “the plain common sense” in paragraph 5 probably refer to?

A．That his normal work and life would be greatly affected.

B．That it was impossible for trees to grow on the wasteland.

C．That no one would like to join him in the efforts.

D．That he had to keep everything he did secret.

小题4:The message of the passage is that ___________.

A．perseverance(持之以恒) will work wonders

B．action speaks louder than words

C．God helps those who help themselves

D．many hands make light work.

Jerry stood up and looked at the crowd of people making their way through the station. He looked for the girl whose heart he knew, but whose face he    36  , the girl with the    37  . The story had begun twelve months before in a    38  . Taking a book off the shelf he found himself    39   by the notes penciled in the margin. The soft handwriting    40   a thoughtful soul and an insightful mind. In the front of the book, he discovered the    41   owner’s name, Rosanna.
During the next year the two grew to know each other through the    42   . Each letter was a seed falling on a fertile heart. The day finally came for their first    43   - 7:00 PM at the station.
A beautiful young woman was coming toward me, her    44  tall and slim. I started to walk toward her with delight, entirely forgetting to    45   that she was not wearing a rose. I    46  made one step closer to her, and then I saw Rosanna, a short and fat woman well past 40, was standing almost directly    47   the girl. The girl in the green suit was walking quickly away.
I felt   48   I was split in two, and there she stood. My fingers gripped the worn leather copy of the    49   that was to identify me to her. I knew this would not be     50  , something perhaps even better than love. I felt choked by the bitterness of my     51  . “I’m Jerry, and you must be Rosanna. I am so glad you could meet me; may I take you to    52  ?”
The woman’s face broadened into a big smile. “I don't know what this is about, son,” she answered,” but the young lady in the green suit who just    53   begged me to wear this rose on my coat. And she said    54  you were to ask me out to dinner, I should go and tell you that she is waiting for you in the big   55 across the street. She said it was some kind of test!”

小题1:	A．hadn’t B．wouldn’t C．couldn’t D．didn't

小题2:	A．rose B．flower C．book D．notes

小题3:	A．restaurant B．meeting room C．library D．station

小题4:	A．absorbed B．surrounded C．interested D．burdened

小题5:	A．reacted B．reflected C．responded D．repeated

小题6:	A．previous B．nice C．thoughtful D．beautiful

小题7:	A．phone B．telegram C．book D．e-mail

小题8:	A．dining B．meeting C．walking D．talking

小题9:	A．legs B．face C．figure D．hair

小题10:

A．observe B．conclude C．notice D．say

小题11:

A．carefully B．eagerly C．luckily D．easily

小题12:

A．behind B．past C．over D．before

小题13:

A．as long as B．even though C．no matter how D．as though

小题14:

A．newspaper B．book C．magazine D．note

小题15:

A．a meeting B．happiness C．love D．a dinner

小题16:

A．relief B．sorrow C．disappointment D．unwillingness

小题17:

A．a walk B．your home C．a party D．dinner

小题18:

A．went by B．called me C．came here D．dropped in

小题19:

A．when B．supposing C．unless D．since

小题20:

A．market B．restaurant C．building D．library

Although I love my life, it hasn’t been a lot of fun as I’ve been ill for 28 years.
Music has always been a great love of mine and, in my 20s, when my ___36___ was more manageable, I ___37___ ten years as a professional singer in restaurants, playing and singing folk songs. ___38___ that was years ago and times have changed. ___39___ I live with my mother on a country farm.
Two years ago, I decided that I would need to have some kind of extra work to ___40___ my disability pension(残疾抚恤金). ___41___ I needed to sleep in the afternoons, I was limited in my ___42___. I decided that I would consider ___43___ to singing in restaurants.
My family are all musicians, so I was ___44___ when I went into our local music store. I explained that I wanted to sing again but using recorded karaoke music. I knew that discs were very expensive and I really didn’t have a lot of ___45___ to get started. And ___46___ you find only three to four songs out of ten on a disc that you can ___47___ use.
When I told the owner of the shop about my ___48___, he gave me a long, thoughtful ___49___. “This means a lot to you, doesn’t it?” he said. “Come with me.”
He led me ___50___ the crowded shop and to a bench with a large professional karaoke box on it. He placed his large hand ___51___ on his treasure and said, “I have 800 karaoke songs in here. You can take your ___52___ and I’ll record them for you. That should get you started.”
I ___53___. Thanking him, I made a time with him to listen to all the songs and choose ___54___ that I could sing. I have come full circle with his help.
His ___55___ still warms my heart and makes me do just that bit extra, when I have the chance.

小题1:	A．sadness B．tiredness C．sickness D．loneliness

小题2:	A．enjoyed B．kept C．shared D．set

小题3:	A．Eventually B．Unfortunately C．Surprisingly D．Gladly

小题4:	A．Then B．Sometime C．Meanwhile D．Now

小题5:	A．make up for B．get rid of C．take advantage of D．add up to

小题6:	A．As B．Though C．Before D．If

小题7:	A．condition B．choices C．positions D．movement

小题8:	A．living up B．getting on C．going back D．reaching out

小题9:	A．interviewed B．found C．invited D．recognized

小题10:

A．time B．energy C．knowledge D．money

小题11:

A．once B．seldom C．often D．thus

小题12:

A．hardly B．nearly C．formerly D．actually

小题13:

A．family B．idea C．offer D．job

小题14:

A．view B．look C．sight D．face

小题15:

A．along B．towards C．through D．over

小题16:

A．lovingly B．pitifully C．gratefully D．unhappily

小题17:

A．turn B．role C．step D．pick

小题18:

A．ought to cry B．should have cried C．could have cried D．had to cry

小题19:

A．the ones B．few C．the rest D．more

小题20:

A．devotion B．kindness C．trust D．courage

It was only 5 o’clock in the morning. The house was quiet and Tim' s mother was still asleep. Only the sound of the big freezer broke the quiet. He’d dreamt of the cave last night. The purring (轻微颤动声) of the freezer had been the sea.                                         
Tim pulled on a sweater and put some apples into his schoolbag. It was too early for breakfast. He' d eat after he' d been through the cave, sitting on the rocks and staring at the sea.
He wished he had a proper pack. His schoolbag would have to do. What else? Sandwiches-but his mother might wake up if he started pulling out bread for sandwiches, she’d want to know why he had to leave so early. He settled for some biscuits, and left a note stuck to the table:
Gone to Michael’s. Back tonight, Tim.
The sky was high and soft and light outside, though the sun still wasn't up. Even the highway up the hill was quiet as he made his way down the street. The wind from the sea was fresh and sweet.
The sand hills still breathed heat from yesterday’s sun, though the top of the sand was cool. He ran down to the beach impatiently, but there was no one, just dry sand dancing in the early wind and seabirds marching up and down watching the waves.
The light changed suddenly. The first rays of sunlight stretched (延伸) across the sea. The sun was pushing its way over the edge of the world.
Over the first rocks, along to the point, Tim glanced back. The beach was still empty. The sun sailed higher in the sky.
He could see the cave now, even darker in the morning light. The sand turned silver then dark gold as the water flowed away from it. He had to force himself to go closer. Why was it so much more mysterious (神秘的) now? But it would be silly to go back now after so much trouble. He needn't go in all the way...
小题1:What did Tim do at the beginning of the story?

A．He put a sweater in his schoolbag.	B．He left the house quietly.
C．He had breakfast at home.	D．He left a note on the freezer.

小题2:"He settled for some biscuits” (in Paragraph 3 ) means that Tim_______.

A．had to take biscuits instead of sandwiches

B．liked biscuits better than sandwiches

C．had to leave the biscuits on the table

D．could only find some biscuits in the kitchen

小题3: What made it possible for Tim to see the entry to the cave?

A．The height of the first rocks.	B．The ups and downs of the waves.
C．The vast stretch of the sunlit beach.	D．The change in the position of the sun.

小题4:In the story, Tim’s mood changed from_________.

A．loneliness to craziness	B．anxiousness to excitement
C．eagerness to nervousness	D．helplessness to happiness