I had just finished high school when a disaster hit our family. It was October 1962, and 　 21　 was out of the question. So I found a job. In 1971, my employer announced only graduates(大学毕业生) would get 　22　 . My job seemed at a dead end unless I 　 23　 further. And to graduate, I had to pass the higher secondary examination first.

　　　 I 　 24　 an admission form（表格） and rode to the Human Resource（人力资源） Management office. On arriving there, I was 　 25　 ---I couldn’t find the form. It was the last day to 　 26　 the form, and no blank forms were 　27　 at the office. I was standing there, disappointed, 　 28　 an elderly gentleman asked me why I looked so 　 29　 . I told him what happened, 　 30　 , “Now I’ll have to wait another year.”

　　　 “Well,” he said, “if you’re really serious about studying further, come with me. I have a 　 31　 blank form at home.”

　　　 It was 12:30 pm. The counter（柜台） would 　 32　 at 2 pm. His home was 10 km away and I had a slight 　33 of going somewhere with a stranger. Anyway, this was my last chance. We reached his house on my bike. He advised me to remain 　 34　 , and gave me a pen and the form. When it was 　 35　 , he told me to rush back and 　　36　 carefully. I reached the office at 1:58 pm. There were two people in line, waiting for their 　37　 . Just then, the counter official announced that no more forms would be 　 38　 after mine. I breathed a sigh of 　 39　 .

　　　 I passed the exam and later got a bachelor’s degree. I also got the promotions. I 　　40　 it all to the timely help from a true gentleman whose name I forgot to ask.

21. A. education　　　　　 B. competition　　　　　　　 C. college　　　　　　　　　　 D. employment

22. A. attention　　　　　　 B. promotions　　　　　　　 C. prizes　　　　　　　　　　　 D. approval

23. A. attempted　　　　　 B. explained　　　　　　　　 C. studied　　　　　　　　　　 D. worked

24. A. filled in　　　　　　　 B. stepped onto　　　　　　 C. put down　　　　　　　　 D. looked at

25. A. ashamed　　　　　　 B. frightened　　　　　　　　 C. embarrassed　　　　　　 D. shocked

26. A. review　　　　　　　 B. submit　　　　　　　 　 C. find　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. revise

27. A. appropriate　　　　 B. available　　　　　 　 C. practical　　　　　　　　　 D. helpful

28. A. when　　　　　　　　 B. before　　　　　　　 　 C. unless　　　　　　　　　　 D. until

29. A. serious　　　　 　 B. angry　　　　　　　 　 C. troubled　　　　　　　　　 D. tired

30. A. agreeing　　　　　　 B. suggesting　　　　 　 C. responding　　　　　　　 D. adding

31. A. special　　　　　　　 B. similar　　　　　　　 　 C. private　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. spare

32. A. close　　　　　　　　 B. move　　　　　　　　　　　 C. change　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. reset

33. A. regret　　　　　　　　 B. fear　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. sadness　　　　　　　　　 D. puzzle

34. A. quiet　　　　　　　　　 B. slow　　　　　　　　　　　 C. calm　　　　　　　　　　　 D. polite

35. A. rewritten　　　　　　 B. done　　　　　　　　　　　 C. corrected　　　　　　　　 D. read

36. A. follow　　　　　　　　 B. walk　　　　　　　　　　　 C. drive　　　　　　　　　　　 D. answer

37. A. form　　　　　　　　　 B. role　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. luck　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. turn

38. A. accepted B. chosen C. recommended　　　　　 D. recognized

39. A. relief　　　　　　　　　 B. confidence　　　　　　　 C. tension　　　　　　　　　　 D. anxiety

40. A. devote　　　　　　　 B. apply　　　　　　　　　　　 C. owe　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. connect

　　People the world over tell tales of sirens and mermaids． In Germany strange, beautiful women-- only part human -- are said to sit on rocks in the Rhine River, singing sweet songs． Any man who listens to them will go out of his mind． In Italian legends, mermaids come ashore, marry men, and bear them children． But in time, these mermaid wives desert their husbands and take their children away to the depth of the ocean． The Chinese say the mermaids pass their time weaving． When they weep, their tears turn into pearls．

　　Despite all stories, no one has ever captured one of these strange beings -- alive or dead． A man once claimed to have found a mermaid． The creature he displayed did indeed look half human, half fish． But closer inspection showed that it was nothing but the head and shoulders of a dried monkey and the tail of a fish -- sewn together by the cunning faker!

1．The strange beings mentioned in the article are said to be able to live_______．

A． in oceans B． in rivers C． on land　　 D．Any of the above

2．Some tales suggest that mermaids and sirens have_________．

A．no interest in men B．harmful effects on men

C．a great fear of men D．no power over men

3．Mermaids seem to have no effect on people in the stories told by the_______．

A． Germans B． Danes C． Italians D． Chinese

4．One of the mermaid tales may have started as an attempt to explain________．

A．where pearls come from B．why children love water

C．how storms begin　　 D．why mermaids weep

5．The writer suggests that he would believe in mermaids if he_______．

A．read more stories about them　　 B．saw a picture of one

C．met a fisherman who had seen one D．None of the above

6．A man once claimed to have found__________．

A．a husband deserted by a mermaid B．a monkey swimming in the ocean

C．a dead mermaid's body　　 D． the child of a mermaid

7．The creature the man displayed was probably_________．

A． huge B． ugly C． smooth D． yellow

8．Close inspection showed that the creature was really_______．

A．a being with a human head B．parts of two creatures

C．a monkey with a fish's head D．a large sea lion

短文改错：

　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　

One cold winter in 1900, a small boy called Charles
Chaplin was walking alone the street in London.
He could not have breakfast or lunch. He wanted to
buy some breads, but he didn't have any money.	1． ________
His father dead when he was very young. His	2． ________
mother was often very sick, so she could not take	3． ________
care of Charles and his brother. All of them had to
work to help their sick mother.	4． ________
He was a small boy but his dream very big.	5． ________
He wanted to be great man in the world of films. So	6． ________
he worked very hard to sing and danced well. Then	7． ________
a man came to him and asked, “Will you work for my	8． ________
film?”“Yes, I 　　 will,” he answered. And he did best	9． ________
in it. Many people have said, “We have never seen	10． ________
such an interesting film.”