When I was young, my father used to grow carnations — a kind of flower that was red, pink or white. He took care of them with much love and devotion. Every day he came home from work, he would enjoy watching them. And he used to tell us, “No one should touch my flowers.”
One day, my younger sister Clemence, who loved dad very much, wanted to help him. So she cut the carnation from their stems（枝干）one by one and arranged them on the ground. She believed that dad would be very pleased to see them that way.
When mom and I realized what my sister had done, we became completely speechless. However, my sister had no idea why no one showed her any appreciation. When dad arrived, he went as usual straight to watch the flowers. Seeing his flowers lying on the ground like dead animals, he was shocked at first. He looked towards the street to see if it was any of the neighbors’ children who could have done it. Then he looked at mom in silence. Finally mom, who always taught us to tell the truth no matter what, said, “No bad neighbors did this great job, only your lovely daughter Clemence.”
Dad’s face changed into a smile and then he said, “Do I have better flower than my lovely daughter?” My younger sister smiled and hugged（拥抱）dad strongly.
小题1:How did Clemence feel when she had the carnations cut?

A．Lucky.

B．Helpful.

C．Upset.

D．Worried.

小题2:Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．No one knew what my sister had done with the carnations.

B．My younger sister told my father the truth about the carnations.

C．Dad had thought one outsider had cut the flowers from the stems.

D．Dad asked my sister to help arrange the carnations on the ground.

小题3:What caused my younger sister to smile and hug dad strongly?

A．Mom’s help.

B．Mom’s words.

C．Dad’s silence.

D．Dad’s love.

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

A．My Neighbors

B．Telling the truth

C．Growing Carnations

D．Dad’s Best Flower

One of Mark Twain’s classic novels is The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. It is   36  in a small American town in the 19th century. The people in this town are very traditional and   37 a quiet life.The story is about a boy called Tom Sawyer, who lives with his aunt Polly. He is often in  38  with his aunt. Aunt Polly is very kind,   39  Tom thinks she is always trying to control him.
Tom is different from   40  children in the town. He loves adventure. He does a lot of bad things, but he never really   41  anyone. He tries very hard not to go to school, and often jumps   42  his bedroom window at night to meet his friends. He is very clever. One day, Aunt Polly asks him to do some painting, and he   43  to get all the boys in the town to do the work for him by inventing a new   44  game. It is these little stories   45  make readers want to keep reading the novel, but it is the adventures that   46  the most important part of the book.
Tom’s best friend is Huck Finn, a boy who has no home. In one adventure, they spend the night outside, and they see a man kill another man   47 . Later in the book, Tom, Huck and another boy decide to leave the town   48  they think that life there is too boring. They __49__ to an island in the middle of a river. They   50  fires, catch fish and sleep under the stars. They also make a   51  to travel up and down the river.   52  seeing the boys for days, the people in the town think that they have died. One day, when Tom cones back to his aunt’s house to leave a letter   53  that he is not dead, he hears his aunt talking about his funeral（葬礼）.   54  Tom has an idea. On the morning of their funeral, the boys run back into town and   55  their own funeral before telling everyone that they are still alive.

小题1:	A．made B．set C．taken D．written

小题2:	A．have B．pass C．live D．own

小题3:	A．trouble B．silence C．peace D．war

小题4:	A．and B．but C．still D．as

小题5:	A．another B．others C．the others D．the other

小题6:	A．damages B．destroys C．ruins D．hurts

小题7:	A．out of B．into C．onto D．in front of

小题8:	A．tries B．fails C．manages D．struggles

小题9:	A．fighting B．painting C．touring D．sailing

小题10:

A．which B．that C．what D．where

小题11:

A．is B．was C．are D．were

小题12:

A．in charge B．in advance C．in the long term D．in the dark

小题13:

A．because B．while C．even though D．if

小题14:

A．run into B．run away C．run across D．run out of

小题15:

A．catch B．set C．make D．put

小题16:

A．bike B．boat C．camel D．cage

小题17:

A．By B．Upon C．At D．Without

小题18:

A．writing B．telling C．saying D．meaning

小题19:

A．Then B．Besides C．Also D．Lastly

小题20:

A．join B．present C．participate D．attend

Christmas roses
It was the afternoon of December 24, the day before Christmas, and as the newest doctor in our office, I   36 to wok. The only thing that brightened my day was the beautifully 37 Christmas tree in our waiting room and a gift sent to me by my  38  --- a dozen red roses.
Then a woman came in with an infant (婴儿).39  she explained that her husband was a prisoner and was my next  40  . She told me she wasn’t allowed to visit her husband in prison and that he had never seen his son. She  41  me to let the boy’s father sit in the waiting room with her as long as possible  42  I called him for his appointment. Since my schedule wasn’t full, I  43 .
A short time later, her husband  44  ---with two armed  45 as an escort ( 护卫 ). The woman’s tired face 46 up like our little Christmas tree when her husband took a 47 beside her. I kept peeking out to watch them laugh, cry and 48 with their child.
After almost an hour, I called the  49  back to the operatory. The patient seemed like a gentle and humble（谦逊的）man. I wondered what he possibly could have done to be 50 under such conditions. I tried to make him as comfortable as possible.
At the end I wished him a Merry Christmas --- a difficult thing to say to a man 51 back to prison. He smiled and thanked me. He said he felt 52 by the fact he hadn’t been able to get his wife anything for Christmas. On 53 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 54 . I’m not sure who 55 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:	A．needed B．used C．had D．ought

小题2:	A．dressed B．decorated C．cut D．planted

小题3:	A．classmate B．boss C．parent D．boyfriend

小题4:	A．Nervously B．Eagerly C．Curiously D．Carefully

小题5:	A．colleague B．patient C．student D．customer

小题6:	A．begged B．ordered C．asked D．invited

小题7:	A．when B．until C．after D．before

小题8:	A．smiled B．hesitated C．agreed D．refused

小题9:	A．escaped B．arrived C．cried D．quarreled

小题10:

A．soldiers B．judges C．lawyers D．guards

小题11:

A．went B．lit C．took D．brought

小题12:

A．seat B．rest C．ride D．look

小题13:

A．joy B．water C．food D．possessions

小题14:

A．prisoner B．nurse C．doctor D．woman

小题15:

A．awarded B．punished C．caught D．held

小题16:

A．brought B．gone C．headed D．returned

小题17:

A．saddened B．excited C．surprised D．pleased

小题18:

A．seeing B．hearing C．remembering D．learning

小题19:

A．tree B．clothes C．roses D．necklace

小题20:

A．enjoyed B．suffered C．benefited D．experienced

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 experience. 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(坚毅) it takes to stay the course(持续到底) 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．modest

C．shy

D．brave

小题4:Which of the following can summarize the passage best?

A．Look before you leap

B．Two heads are better than one.

C．Hold on to your dream, and it will come true.

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

When my twin sons, Chad and Brad, were born, I was concerned about everything. Five years later, our little girl, Becky   1  our family. I wanted everybody to be healthy and happy. I worked hard to see that they were.
As the kids grew older, I worried about headaches, throat infections and many other common childhood illnesses．I didn’t like it when the boys spent time “warming the bench (板凳)” during Little League football games. I worried about Becky when she  2   the ball while playing softball．Before long, the teen years were upon us. I stayed up late at night waiting for the boys to return home．Many times the   3   crossed my mind that I would call the police if they weren’t home on time.   4 , they always arrived home safe and sound before I had to take such   5  .
“Please don't ever call the police,” one of the boys said when I   6  him after a late arrival. The day the boys moved away to college was a(n)   7  day indeed. I worried about their being able to take care of themselves. Would they starve?
A few months after the boys left college, our   8  rang in the middle of the night. It startled (惊醒) us when we looked at the clock．It was 3 o’clock in the morning. “Something must be wrong,” I shouted to my husband, Roy, as we both jumped up．We ran to the door, opened it, and there stood a police officer.
“You need to call your sons,” he    9   announced. I picked up the telephone, but unfortunately, it was   10  . A line outside had been accidentally cut. Roy and I jumped into the car and   11  to the nearest telephone．My stomach ached．My husband was   12  so badly that he could hardly dial the number.
On the first   13 , Chad answered the telephone. “What's wrong?” Roy shouted into the receiver (听筒). “We were worried about you,” Chad told him. “We’ve been trying to call you all night, but you didn’t   14  .We called the police and asked them to go and check on you.”
For the first time in their lives, the boys were worried about us. And they were the ones who   15   had to call the police.

小题1:	A．completed B．visited C．tested D．appreciated

小题2:	A．hit B．threw C．got D．missed

小题3:	A．plan B．advice C．worry D．thought

小题4:	A．Strangely B．Probably C．Luckily D．Hopefully

小题5:	A．worries B．places C．measures D．telephones

小题6:	A．threatened B．told C．surprised D．reminded

小题7:	A．nice B．embarrassing C．happy D．sad

小题8:	A．phone B．clock C．alarm D．doorbell

小题9:	A．seriously B．carefully C．anxiously D．kindly

小题10:

A．gone B．useless C．dead D．shortened

小题11:

A．rushed B．headed C．went D．moved

小题12:

A．looking B．shaking C．suffering D．seeing

小题13:

A．night B．arrival C．try D．ring

小题14:

A．talk B．answer C．wake D．care

小题15:

A．frequently B．suddenly C．actually D．rarely

When I was twelve years old. I went with my dad to his work—a car showroom. I was 21  around carelessly and saw a poor woman with a child beside her  22 outside the showroom. I saw that she was crying and went inside to tell my  23 . He went out and  24  the woman to come into the showroom. He offered her some water and then asked her what was  25 .
The woman said that her husband had died and she didn’t have anyone else in her family who could  26   her. she did some manual(体力的) labor to earn some money to  27   her daughter but she was sick for the last three days and was  28  to go to work. Now she didn’t have a grain of food to eat. While she was telling this story to my father, she was unable to   29  her emotions（情绪）and started crying again. My father and I were deeply   30  by her story.
We got some food for her and her baby. My father then took them to the nearest hospital for her baby to be  31  as she did not seem to be very well. On the way, we 32  her a 5kg-bag of wheat from the market. My father gave her some money before we left. The lady was so   33  .
It is eight years later,  34 that event is still very  35  in my mind. My father’s   36 to this woman moved me   37  and since then, I have decided to try and walk a similar path and serve others. I’m   38  to see so many other people in this world are also ready to help others when they meet people   39 . They have  40   to walk a service path also.

小题1:	A．showing B．walking C．driving D．working

小题2:	A．reading B．joking C．reporting D．standing

小题3:	A．boss B．father C．leader D．teacher

小题4:	A．asked B．begged C．expected D．encouraged

小题5:	A．funny B．special C．wrong D．strange

小题6:	A．help B．meet C．teach D．remember

小题7:	A．get tired of B．take care of C．join in D．be fond of

小题8:	A．glad B．proud C．unable D．unwilling

小题9:	A．prove B．improve C．understand D．control

小题10:

A．moved B．frightened C．satisfied D．surprised

小题11:

A．calmed B．taught C．watched D．treated

小题12:

A．sold B．showed C．bought D．cooked

小题13:

A．grateful B．trustful C．hopeful D．successful

小题14:

A．or B．but C．unless D．so

小题15:

A．weak B．similar C．fresh D．possible

小题16:

A．promise B．suggestion C．patience D．kindness

小题17:

A．greatly B．simply C．nearly D．finally

小题18:

A．free B．foolish C．happy D．careful

小题19:

A．at present B．at peace C．in general D．in difficulty

小题20:

A．invited B．chosen C．forced D．allowed

An old farmer lived on a farm with his young grandson. Each morning Grandpa was up early to read his Bhagavat Geeta. His grandson wanted to be just like him and tried to imitate him in every way he could.
One day the grandson asked, "Grandpa! I try to read the Bhagavat Geeta just like you but I don't understand it, What good does reading the Bhagavat Geeta do?"
The Grandfather quietly turned from putting coal in the stove and replied, "Take this coal basket down to the river and bring me back a basket of water."
The boy did as he was told, but all the water leaked out (漏出) before he got back to the house. The grandfather laughed and said, "You'll have to move a little faster next time," and sent him back to the river with the basket to try again. This time the boy ran faster, but again the same took place. He told his grandfather that it was impossible to carry water with a basket.
The old man said, " You're just not trying hard enough,"  So the boy again dipped the basket into the river and ran hard, but when he reached his grandfather the basket was again empty. he said, "See Grandpa, it's useless!"
"So you think it is useless?" The old man said, "Look at the basket."
The boy looked at the basket and for the first time realized that the basket was different. It had been transformed from a dirty old coal basket into a clean one inside and outside.
"You might not understand or remember everything, but when you read it, you will be changed, inside and out. That is the work of Krishna in our lives."
小题1:We can learn from Paragraph 1 that the grandson_________.

A．was fond of reading

B．liked his grandpa very much

C．got up early to carry water every day

D．helped his grandpa on the farm

小题2:According to the grandson,___________.

A．he enjoyed reading the Bhagavat Geeta

B．learning the Bhagavat Geeta was easy

C．he was not good at remembering anything

D．reading the Bhagavat Geeta was meaningless

小题3:We can learn that by getting water with a basket, the grandson__________.

A．washed the dirt off the basket

B．kept some water for the future

C．was punished for what he had said

D．became stronger and cleverer

小题4:The grandfather gave his grandson a lesson by_________.

A．telling him an interesting story

B．having a heated discussion with him

C．asking him to carry water with a basket

D．performing an experiment for him

小题5:What would the grandson like to do in the future?

A．To help his grandpa carry water

B．To hold water with a bucket

C．To read the Bhagavat Geeta.

D．To remember everything in his life.

12-year-old John Thomas Robertson is a born train fan. "I’ve liked trains probably from the day I was born," he told Good Morning America. "When I was very little," he said, "my grandpa got me a train model. I would just watch it go round for hours and hours."
When Robertson finally had the opportunity to ride on a train, he felt great. His journey was so mind-blowing that he couldn’t keep it to himself: he decided to take all his classmates to go on a ride with him. When he found that some of his classmates couldn’t pay the fare, he collected cans (罐子) and bottles and raised more than $1,000 for them.
That trip was such a happy one that he made it a yearly action. "It never gets boring for some reason; it’s just fun," he said. "It really lets people get away from their busy life and have fun.
Every October, Robertson takes a new group of children to ride on the train —but now, he has a problem. Several disabled children were refused because the train was not accessible (可用的) to disabled people. "He was angry to think that children of his own age couldn’t ride a train," his mother said.
But he wouldn’t say no: he recently sent a letter to the train office for help. To his surprise, the leader, Ty Pennington, accepted the letter in person. He said that he and his workers would work on making a train accessible to disabled people.
小题1:The first time John Thomas Robertson took a train, ________.

A．he was frightened by it

B．he acted as a driver

C．he watched it for hours

D．he fell in love with it

小题2:The author says John Thomas Robertson is a born train fan, because he ________.

A．was greatly attracted to trains since early childhood

B．said so in Good Morning America

C．took a group of disabled children to travel by train

D．was taken to a train the day he was born

小题3:The underlined words "mind-blowing" can be replaced by ________.

A．important

B．terrible

C．amazing

D．disappointing

小题4:The disabled children were refused to get on the train because _________.

A．the trains then weren’t accessible to the disabled

B．Robertson had not saved enough money for the tickets

C．they couldn’t afford the train tickets

D．the driver would not allow them to do so

小题5:According to the last paragraph, we can see that Robertson is a ________ child.

A．helpful and crazy	B．kind and clever
C．kind but boring	D．lazy but kind

Jean is a bright young lady who comes from a rich and famous family. She goes to a good university and has everything that money can buy. Well, almost everything is good. But the problem is that Jean’s family are so busy that they can hardly find time to be with her. So Jean spends a lot of time on her QQ. She likes being anonymous(匿名), talking to people who do not know about her famous family and her rich life. She uses the name Linda on QQ and has made a lot of friends who she keeps in touch with quite often.
Last year Jean made a very special friend on QQ. His name was David and lived in San Francisco. David was full of stories and jokes. He and Jean had a common interest in rock music and modern dance. So it always took them hours to talk happily on QQ and sometimes they even forgot their time. Of course, they wanted to know more about each other. David sent a picture of himself: He was a tall, good looking young man with big, happy smile. As time went by, they became good friends and often sent cards and small things to each other.
When Jean’s father told her that he was going on a business trip to San Francisco, she asked him to let her go with him so that she could give David a surprise for his birthday. She would take him the latest DVD of their favorite rock singer. But when she knocked on David’s door in San Francisco, she found that her special friend was a twelve-year-old boy named Jim!
小题1:Jean spends a lot of her time on QQ because she is _________.

A．rich

B．young

C．lonely

D．talkative

小题2:The reason why they even forgot their time is that they _________.

A．talked in delight on QQ

B．hated study

C．fell in love with each other

D．had similar hobbies

小题3:Why did Jean leave her home for San Francisco?

A．To amaze David.

B．To be on a business trip.

C．To be invited to Jim's birthday party.

D．To send some gifts to Jim.

小题4:The following states are true about Jean EXCEPT that _________ according to the passage.

A．she is a university student

B．she was born in a wealthy family

C．she made a friend named Jim younger than her

D．she uses her family name on her QQ

小题5:We could believe that Jean was _________ when seeing Jim himself instead of David at his door.

A．delighted

B．disappointed

C．regretful

D．confused

I first met Annie Mae, a maid (女仆), at my parents-in-laws’ in 1959. She prepared and    36    meals in her quiet, gentle way and then returned to the kitchen to read her Bible (《圣经》) while we     37   . She was a devoted Christian. I found this increasingly true     38    I came to know her more by observation than by conversation.
My husband and I     39    visited his parents. Each time I saw her eating    40   , reading her Bible, I wanted to sit down with her and just talk.    41   , whites didn’t do that with blacks then, and I had to    42    the practice.
In 1965, I decided to     43    the furniture and return to my home state with my two     44    when my husband wanted a divorce (离婚).
Annie Mae asked if she could buy the boys’    45   . When I answered     46   , she asked the price. Then, she asked if she could     47    a little money each month. She was    48   , and I knew her well.
Then each month, an envelope     49    us from Annie Mae with 2 or 3 dollars. A year passed. Annie Mae’s    50    payment arrived along with the following note:
Dear Mrs. Holladay,
I am sending you my last payment of three dollars for the beds     51   . I told my two sons they could now put the beds     52    and sleep in them, for they are now paid for and rightfully    53    us.Thank you for your     54   .
Annie Mae
I read the note two or three times, my eyes filled with tears. Had I only known earlier, I would have said, “Use them now. Don’t     55    until you pay for them.”

小题1:	A．offered B．served C．gave D．showed

小题2:	A．talked B．quarreled C．ate D．watched

小题3:	A．so that B．in case C．as if D．even though

小题4:	A．often B．hardly C．never D．again

小题5:	A．angrily B．wildly C．secretly D．alone

小题6:	A．Instead B．However C．Still D．So

小题7:	A．protect B．break C．follow D．stop

小题8:	A．sell B．buy C．repair D．change

小题9:	A．parents B．sons C．brothers D．friends

小题10:

A．toys B．chairs C．desks D．beds

小题11:

A．sorry B．thanks C．no D．yes

小题12:

A．earn B．use C．send D．get

小题13:

A．clever B．honest C．simple D．kind

小题14:

A．separated B．disturbed C．reached D．kept

小题15:

A．first B．only C．double D．last

小题16:

A．in full B．in short C．in common D．in general

小题17:

A．together B．away C．on D．down

小题18:

A．depend on B．belong to C．lie in D．begin with

小题19:

A．help B．friendship C．trust D．faith

小题20:

A．wait B．leave C．return D．put