That summer an army of crickets(蟋蟀) started a war with my father. Dad didn’t care for insects much more than Mamma, but he could tolerate a few living in the basement. Mamma was a city girl and she said a cricket was just too noisy. Then to support her point she wouldn’t go to bed. She drank coffee and smoked my father’s cigarettes and paced between the sofa and the TV. Next morning she threatened to pack up and leave, so Dad drove to the store and hurried back. He sprayed poison from a jug. When he was finished he told us that was the end of it.

  For a couple of weeks we went back to find dead crickets in the laundry. He suggested that we’d all be better off to hide as many as we could from Mamma. I fed a few dozen to the cat who I didn’t like because he scratched for no reason.

  However, soon live crickets started showing up in the kitchen and bathroom. Mamma was upset because she thought they were the dead crickets coming back, but Dad said these were certainly new ones. He fetched his jug of poison and sprayed all over until the whole house smelled of poison, and then he sprayed the basement again.

  A couple of weeks later, when both live and dead crickets kept turning up, Dad emptied the basement of junk. Then he burned a lot of old newspapers and magazines which he said the crickets had turned into nests.

  While we ate supper that evening, the wind lifted some flames onto the wood pile. The only gasoline was in the lawn mower’s(割草机) fuel tank but that was enough to create an explosion big enough to reach the house. Once the roof caught, there wasn’t much anyone could do.

  After the fire trucks left, Mamma took the others to Aunt Gail’s. I helped Dad and Uncle Burt carry things out of the house and pile them by the road. We worked into the night and we didn’t talk much, while all around the noise of crickets broke our silence.

1.What do we know about the author’s mother?

A. She didn’t like insects at all.

 B. She liked insects more than his father.

 C. She cared for insects very much.

 D. She could only tolerate a few insects.

2.The author’s father drove to the store to buy _______.

A. cigarettes for himself                                                   B. some poison

C. more coffee for his wife                                              D. some gasoline

3.The author’s father burned the old newspapers and magazines because he thought ______.

A. they were no longer useful

B. the crickets were afraid of fires

C. they became the home of crickets

D. the dead crickets came back to life

4.We learn from the last paragraph that ________.

A. the author’s family lost their battle against the crickets

B. the author’s parents learned to put up with insects

C. the author’s family didn’t suffer much in the fire

D. the author’s parents got divorced

  That summer an army of crickets(蟋蟀) started a war with my father. Dad didn’t care for insects much more than Mamma, but he could tolerate a few living in the basement. Mamma was a city girl and she said a cricket was just too noisy. Then to support her point she wouldn’t go to bed. She drank coffee and smoked my father’s cigarettes and paced between the sofa and the TV. Next morning she threatened to pack up and leave, so Dad drove to the store and hurried back. He sprayed poison from a jug. When he was finished he told us that was the end of it.

  For a couple of weeks we went back to find dead crickets in the laundry. He suggested that we’d all be better off to hide as many as we could from Mamma. I fed a few dozen to the cat who I didn’t like because he scratched for no reason.

  However, soon live crickets started showing up in the kitchen and bathroom. Mamma was upset because she thought they were the dead crickets coming back, but Dad said these were certainly new ones. He fetched his jug of poison and sprayed all over until the whole house smelled of poison, and then he sprayed the basement again.

  A couple of weeks later, when both live and dead crickets kept turning up, Dad emptied the basement of junk. Then he burned a lot of old newspapers and magazines which he said the crickets had turned into nests.

  While we ate supper that evening, the wind lifted some flames onto the wood pile. The only gasoline was in the lawn mower’s(割草机) fuel tank but that was enough to create an explosion big enough to reach the house. Once the roof caught, there wasn’t much anyone could do.

  After the fire trucks left, Mamma took the others to Aunt Gail’s. I helped Dad and Uncle Burt carry things out of the house and pile them by the road. We worked into the night and we didn’t talk much, while all around the noise of crickets broke our silence.

56. What do we know about the author’s mother?

   A. She didn’t like insects at all.

   B. She liked insects more than his father.

   C. She cared for insects very much.

   D. She could only tolerate a few insects.

57. The author’s father drove to the store to buy _______.

   A. cigarettes for himself                                         B. some poison

   C. more coffee for his wife                             D. some gasoline

58. The author’s father burned the old newspapers and magazines because he thought ______.

   A. they were no longer useful

   B. the crickets were afraid of fires

   C. they became the home of crickets

   D. the dead crickets came back to life

59. We learn from the last paragraph that ________.

   A. the author’s family lost their battle against the crickets

   B. the author’s parents learned to put up with insects

   C. the author’s family didn’t suffer much in the fire

   D. the author’s parents got divorced

完形填空（共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分）

请阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从36~55各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该选项的标号涂黑。

It was December 22. The bitter wind swept the countless snowflakes(雪花) across my front yard. My dad was there sweeping the  36 . His nose was red as a cherry. With every breath he took, a white puff escaped  37  the air.

Inside, my mother was _38_the last of the boxes.  39  I entered the front door, the thought that after today I wouldn’t enter through that  40 ever again burned a hole in my stomach. I picked up my dog and sat Indian style with him in my lap on the  41 , wooden floor. I had no 42  but to sit on the floor, for there was no longer any furniture in my house. I sat there in a daze (恍惚), just 43 . There was no reason for my parents to make me, a once 44 12-year-old kid,  45. I had two best friends right across the street; I did well in school and I always kept my room clean.  46 , this was “my house”. By no means did I want a couple of  47 living here. These recurring (重复) thoughts  48  around in my mind and I couldn’t find an answer.

Out of the front window I could see the orange top of a truck pulling in along the cleaned driveway and I knew it was the other U-Haul. At once their men came  49  in through the back door like World War Ⅲ was starting.

I watched  50  as the men, my mother and my dad loaded the truck. My dog even winced (畏缩) as he stared out of the window. I wondered if he was  51  , too, or if he just wished to play outside in the snow.

My mum came in, looking solemn (凝重). She turned  52  the overhead light, put the  53  in my arms and took me out of the back door. A totally 54  feeling filled my heart. For the first time in my life, I wondered what  55  would be like to me tomorrow.

第二节：完形填空（共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分）
阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C、D）中，选出最佳选项。
Home, sweet home
It was December 22. The cold wind swept the countless snowflakes(雪花） across my front yard. My dad was there sweeping the  36  . His nose was __37___as a cherry. With every breath he took, a white puff(水气) ran into the air.
Inside, my mother was  38  the last of the boxes. As I entered the front door, the  39  that after today I wouldn’t enter through that door ever again  40  a hole in my stomach. I picked up my dog and sat Indian style with him in my arms on the  41  , wooden floor. I had no  42  but to sit on the floor, for there was no longer any furniture existing in my house. I sat there in a daze（恍惚）, just  43  . There was no reason for my parents to make me, a once  44  12-year-old kid,  45  . I had two best friends right across the street; I did well in school and I always kept my room clean.  46  , this was “my house”. By no means did I want a couple of  47  living here. These recurring（重复）thoughts  48  around in my mind and I couldn’t find an answer.
Out of the front window I could see the orange top of a truck pulling in the cleaned driveway and I knew it was the other U-Haul. Instantly three men came  49  in the back door like World War III was starting.
I watched  50  as the men, my mother and my dad carried our belongings to the truck. My dog even winced（畏缩）as he stared out of the window. I wondered if he was  51  , too, or if he just wished to play outside in the snow.
My mum came in, looking solemn（凝重）. She turned   52  the overhead light, put the  53  in my arm and took me out of the back door. A totally  54  feeling filled my heart. For the first time in my life ,I wondered what  55  would be to me tomorrow.
36. A. stairs       B. garden          C. sidewalk     D. driveway
37. A. red              B. black     C. white     D. blown
38. A. piling      B. packing      C. collecting   D. locking
39. A. wish        B. dream     C. thought      D. worry
40. A. cut              B. burned          C. shot       D. made
41. A. cold        B. wet        C. broken          D . messy
42. A. choice     B. way       C. solution      D. means
43. A. dreaming     B. thinking     C. staring          D. crying
44. A. hardworking       B. clever     C. happy     D. honest
45. A. remain     B. cry        C. suffer     D. move
46. A. However      B. Besides      C. Therefore   D. Yet
47. A. neighbours   B. strangers    C. visitors       D. elders
48. A. occurred      B. traveled      C. danced          D. flowed
49. A. running          B. laughing     C. talking          D. wispering
50. A. curiously     B. strangely    C. carefully    D. helplessly
51. A. afraid      B. angry     C. sad        D. lonely
52. A. down      B. off         C. on         D. up
53. A. box         B. dog        C. bag        D. hand
54. A. excited     B. eager     C. empty     D. angry
55. A. place       B. school    C. home    D. world