A water bearer in India had two large pots; each hung on the ends of a pole. The water bearer often carried the pole __36__ his neck. One of the pots had a crack(裂缝) in it, __37__ the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water. At the end of the long walk from the stream to the house, the cracked pot __38__ only half full. For a full two years, this went on __39__， with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water to his house.

Of course, the perfect pot was __40__ of its advantages. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and __41__ that it was able to __42__ only half of what it had been made to do. __43__ two years of what sensed to be a bitter __44__， it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream. “I am ashamed of myself, and I want to __45__ to you. I have been able to __46__ only half my load because this crack in my side __47__ water to leak out all the way back to your house. Because of my __48__， you have to do a lot of this work, and you don't get full value from your __49__，” the pot said.

The bearer said to the pot, “Did you __50__ that there were flowers only on your side of the path, __51__ not on the other pot's side? That's because I have always __52__ your fault, and I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you've __53__ them.

For two years I have been able to __54__ these beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without you being just the __55__ you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house.”

36．A.above　　 B．over　　　 C．across　　　 D．through

37．A.as　　　　　　 B．while　 　　 C．when　　　　 D．so

38．A.arrived　　　 B．realized　　　　　 C. made　 　　 　D．concluded

39．A.weekly　　 B．daily　　　 　 C．monthly　　　 D．yearly

40．A.ashamed 　　　　 B．proud　　　 C．happy　 　　　　　 D．disappointed

41．A.sad　　　　　 B．pleased　　　　 　 C．comfortable　　 D．safe

42．A.admit　　 B．achieve　　 C．reduce D．attract

43．A.Before　　　　 B. Since　　　 C．After　　　 D．By

44．A.failure　　　 B．success　　　　 C．excitement 　　 　D．satisfaction

45．A.apologize　　 　　 B. talk　　　　　 C．admit　　　 D．apply

46．A.develop B．permit　 C．depend　　　 D．deliver

47．A.takes　　　　 B．causes　　　　 C．makes　　　 D．reminds

48．A.fault　　　 B．success　　　　 C．kindness　　 D．sorrow

49．A.effects　　　 B．efforts　　　　 C．operation　　　 D．attempt

50．A.look　 　　　 B．pay　　　　 C．notice　　　　 D．watch

51．A.but　　　　　 B．and　　　　　　 C．since　　　 D．after

52. A．known about B．told about C．worried about　 D．come about

53．A.cared　　　　 B．watered　　 　　 C．planted　　　　 D．pulled

54．A.pick　　 B．buy　 C．sell D．borrow

55．A.attitude　　　　　 B．way　　　　 　　 C．measure　　　　　 D．appearance

 

For 52 years my father got up every morning at 5:30 am, except Sunday, and went to work. He returned home at 5:30 pm, for dinner at 6:00 pm. I never remember my father having a night out with his children. All he asked from me as a daughter was to hold his hammer while he repaired something, just so we could have some time to talk to each other.

For 22 years, after I left home for college, my father called me every Sunday. Nine years ago, my father, 67 years old, spent three days painting my house. He asked me to hold the paint brush for him and talk to him. But I was too busy and I could not take the time to hold the paint brush, or talk to my father.

Five years ago, my father spent five hours making a swing（秋千）for my daughter. Again, all he asked me to do was to give him a glass of tea, and talk to him. But again, I had some clothes to wash, and the house to clean.

On January 16, 1996, my father telephoned me as usual, this time from my sister’s home in Florida. I had to get to church, and I cut the conversation short.

The call came at 4:40 pm. That day, my father was in hospital in Florida. I got on an airplane immediately, and on the way, I made up my mind that when I arrived, I would make up for the lost time, and have a nice long talk with him.

I arrived in Florida at 1:00 am, but my father had passed away at 9:12 pm. This time it was he who did not have time to talk, or time to wait for me.

1.

When the author was young, her father ______.

A. was busy with his work               B. disliked his children 

C. often talked to his children         D. never cared about his children

2.

 How old was the author’s father when he made a swing for his granddaughter?

A. 45.   　　　　　　B. 67.   　　　C. 71.    　　　　　　　D. 76.

3.

When painting the house, the father asked the author to hold a paint brush because ______.

A. he wanted to make his work easy        

B. he was too old to work all by himself

C. he just wanted his daughter to help him

D. he wanted to have a talk with his daughter

4.

The underlined phrase “passed away” in the last paragraph probably means “______”.

A. arrived   　　　　B. lost    　　　C. left    　　　　D. died

 

Two teenagers who are lost at sea off the United States for six days were saved yesterday.

Driscoll, 15, and his best friend, 18-year-old Josh Long, were found on Saturday about 11 km 21 Cape Fear in North Carolina. That was six days and more than 100 miles（161 km）from where they had 22 from Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina, on April 24.

The boys had 23 a lot of water and were tired, but in pretty good 24. They set out 25 on a 4.3-metre sailboat on a 26 day when the National Weather Service had warned small boats to stay out of the water. They realized they were 27 almost immediately and tried to swim back to 28 , 　29 the boat along with them.

Within 30 , they were far out at sea.

“We 31 our fishing equipment on the second day,” Driscoll said. “So we couldn’t catch any fish.”

The boys’ hopes faded 32 each day. They stood on their boat 33 they saw another boat, 34 . One night they were woken up by 35 coming into the boat. A large ship was very close to them.

“ 36 was like some huge building in the water,” Driscoll said.

At one point, the boys thought they had gone across the Atlantic Ocean and were close to Africa. 37 , they were 179km north of their starting point. A coast guard boat set out to 38 them.

The boys got up and made some 39 . This time, they were heard.

“What we have experienced is a completely surprising story of 40 . That’s going to be studied for years to come,” said Richard Goerling, Long’s uncle. “I think the boys have a book to write.”

21. A. at　　　　　　 　　　 B. on　　　　 　　　　 C. beside　　　　　 D. off

22. A. arrived　　　　 B. set off　　　　　 C. returned　　　　 D. finished

23. A. drunk　　　　 B. lost　　　　　 　　 C. saved　　　　　 D. found

24. A. shape　　　　 B. health　　　　 　　 C. spirit　　　　　 D. energy

25. A. traveling　　　 B. racing　　　　　 　 C. fishing　　　　　 D. swimming

26. A. fine　　　　　 B. rainy　　　　　 　 C. windy　　　　　 D. snowy

27. A. in trouble　　 B. in safe　　　　　 　 C. at sea　　　　　 D. far away

28 A. shore　　　　 B. the sea　　　　　 C. an island　　　　 　 D. harbor

29. A. driving　　　 B. sailing　　　　　 　 C. pushing　　　　 D. pulling

30. A. a week　　　 　 B. hours　 　　　　　 C. minutes　　　　　 D. seconds

31. A. bought　　　 　 B. found　　　　　 C. lost　　　　　 　　　 D. repaired

32. A. by　　　　　 　 B. for　　　　　　 C. on 　　　　　　D. with

33. A. every time　 　 B. once　　　　　　 C. one day　　　　　 D. sometimes

34. A. jumping and singing　　　　　　　 　 B. waving and shouting

C. crying and speaking　　　　　　　　 　 D. screaming and whistling

35. A. a shark　　　 　 B. a mouse　　　　 　 C. water　　　　　　 D. some noise

36. A. He　　　　　 　 B. This　　　　　 　 C. That　　　　　　 D. It

37. A. Instead　　　 　 B. Therefore　　　　 C. But　　　　　　 D. So

38. A. search　　　 B. look for　　　　 C. look into　　　　 D. defend

39. A. fire　　　　 　 B. noise　　　　　 　 C. balloons　　　　 　 D. flags

40. A. voyage　　　 　 B. struggle　　　　 C. survival　　　　 　 D. sailing

—The last one　　　　　 pays the meal.?

—Agreed!?

A.arrived　　　　　　　 B.arrives?　　　　　　

C.to arrive　　　　　　 D.arriving

 

Editors of newspapers and magazines often go to extremes to provide their readers with unimportant facts and statistics. Last year a journalist had been ?????? 21 by a well-known magazine to write an article ?????? 22 the president's palace in a new African republic. When the article?????? 　23 , the editor read the first sentence and then refused to publish it. The article ??? 24: 'Hundreds of steps ?????? 25 the high wall which surrounds the president's palace'. The editor at once sent the journalist ????? 26 instructing him to find out ?????? 27 the exact number of steps and the ?????? 28 of the wall. ?????

The journalist immediately set out to obtain these ?????? 29 facts, ?????? 30 he took a long time to send them. Meanwhile, the editor was getting?????? 31 , for the magazine would ?????? 32 go to press. He sent the journalist two more faxes, but ?????? 33 no reply. He sent yet another fax informing the journalist that?????? 34 he did not reply soon he would be fired.?????? 35 the journalist again failed to reply, the editor reluctantly published the article as it had ?????? 36 been written. A week later, the editor ?????? 37 received a fax from the journalist. Not only had the poor man been ?????? 38 , but he had been sent to prison as well. However, he had at last been ?????? 39 to send a fax in which he informed the editor that the he had been arrested ?????? 40 counting the 1,084 steps leading to the fifteen-foot wall which surrounded the president's palace. 　

21. A. ordered 　　　　　 B. hoped 　　　　　 C. instructed 　　　 D. suggested

22. A. for　　 　　　　　 B. on　　 　　　　　 C. of　　　 　　　　 D. to

23. A. arrived　 　　　　　 B. received　 　　　 C. reached 　　　　 D. got

24. A. read　 　　　　　　　　　　 B. said　 　　　　　　 C. went 　　　　　　 D. began

25. A. link to 　　　　　　 B. point to 　　　　 C. lead to 　　　　　 D. connect to

26. A. a letter 　　　　　　 B. an E-mail 　　　 C. a message 　　　 D. a fax

27. A. by all means B. by no means 　C. by any means D. by means of

28. A. position　 　　　　 B. surroundings C. height　 　　　　 D. condition

29. A. important　　　 B. unimportant 　　 C. interesting　　 D. unknown

30. A. so 　　　　　　　　　 B. but 　　　　　　　　 C. otherwise 　　　 D. moreover

31.. A. impatient 　　　 B. sorry 　　　　　　 C. disappointed 　 D. sad

32. A. never 　　　　　　　　　　 B. quickly　 　　　　 C. soon 　　　　　　 D. immediately

33. A. A. received　　　　 B. accepted 　　　 C. heard from 　　 D. made

34. A. although 　　　　 B. unless 　　　　　 C. because　 　　　　　　 D. if

35. A. But　 　　　　　　　 B. So　 　　　　　　　 C. When 　　　　　 D. If

36. A. originally 　　　　 B. badly 　　　　　　 C. roughly 　　　　 D. firstly

37. A. only 　　　　　　　 B. accidently 　　 C. at last 　　　　　 D. happily

38. A. arrested 　　　　　 B. fired 　　　　　　 C. refused 　　　　 D. beaten

39. A. managed 　　　　 B. succeeded 　　 C. tried　 　　　　　 D. allowed

40. A. while 　　　　　　　 B. for 　　　　　　　 C. because 　　　　 D. because of