Do you know Beckham, a football star? Recently my ears are full of fine words from my friends around me, such as, "Oh, Beckham is so handsome, so cool, that I can't help loving him!" or "What perfect skills he has!" Yeah, I  16   with them to some degree, though I sometimes do want to ___17   them how much they know about Beckham, besides (除了) his   18   and how much they know about football. It seems funny that we are   19   for those things. In fact, we don't know the things well or we are not   20   about them. But we all. My friends as well as I, consider this one of life's   21   .

     We need these pleasures to make our lives brighter. But that isn't equal to craziness or rubbish. As an old saying goes: "Don't judge (评判) a book by its cover." We should not judge anything from its appearance. We should all know that it is one's good qualities and great    22   that make one a star and well-known. Therefore, we'd better say   23   about Beckham's good looks.

     If we close our eyes, falling in deep thought, and   24   it over, we can find the things that cause us to be really happy or sad have a   25   picture. From the picture, we find that the things are different. If we don't go deeper and are just satisfied with the   26   of the things, sooner or later we will find we have not really  27   anything because the pleasant outside of the things has misled (误导) us, and we'll keep doing something silly  28   we realize the facts and make some changes.

     I believe that thinking it over and going deeper is a   29   of great progress (进步). It one day we are   30  to go deeper into everything, we will finally prove how much we have grown up, mad prove how wise and mature (成熟的) we have become.

16. A. expect         B. agree         C. hope          D. think

17. A. ask           B. tell           C. teach         D. doubt

18. A. skills           B. fame          C. team          D. appearance

19. A. grateful        B. crazy         C. serious        D. famous

20. A. sure           B, happy         C. pleased        D. careful

21. A. aims           B. conclusions    C. pleasures      D. spirits

22. A. treasure         B~ success        C. looks          D. advertisement

23. A. more           B. something     C. less           D. nothing

24. A. getting         B. passing      C. turning       D. thinking

25. A. clear           B. dark          C. frightening     D. exciting

26. A. trueness        B. environment   C. outside        D. inside

27. A. believed        B. promised      C. affected       D. received

28. A. since           B. although       C. unless         D. when

29. A. sign           B. cause         C. medal         D. goal

30. A. frightened      B. willing        C. likely         D. possible

Reading comprehension. 阅读理解.

Dear sister:

　　I've been happy here in New York. But when holidays are coming near, I really feel “There's no place like home,” just like the English proverb says, “East, west, home is the best.

　　You must be doing well in English class. The letter you sent to me was written in good English.

　　Well, I want to bring my friend Diana to our home. I dare not tell Mama directly. If Dad and Mum say that will be all right, please write to me as soon as possible.

　　Diana is a poor girl whose parents died last month in a terrible accident. She has to spend the holidays alone. She wants to see China and try everything that we Chinese do. She has learned Chinese for two years and can speak a little. She has great curiosity about our family life and will ask you many questions about it. Isn't it a good chance to understand each other? I'm sure you'll learn many things from her.

　　Please give my love to our father and mother!

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 Your sister,

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　    Mei

Choose the best answer. 选择最恰当的答案, 用A, B, C或D表示, 填入括号内.

(1) Where is Mei's family?

[　　]

A．In New York.

B．In China.

C．In England.

D．In Beijing.

(2) Why does Mei write this letter to her sister?

[　　]

A．To tell her sister that she will come back for holiday.

B．To tell her family that she will not come back this holiday.

C．She wants to bring Diana home. She wants her sister to ask her parents whether they agree.

D．To tell her family that she will bring Diana home.

(3) What happened to Diana?

[　　]

A．Her parents died last month.

B．Her mother died last month.

C．She lost her grandmother last month.

D．She lost her father.

(4) Does Diana want to see China?

[　　]

A．No, she doesn't.

B．Yes, she does.

C．Yes, she is.

D．No, she isn't.

(5) How does the writer feel when she writes the letter?

[　　]

A．She misses her family.

B．She doesn't want to go back.

C．She wants to stay in New York.

D．She misses her family a little.

A soldier came home after having fought in Vietnam （越南）. He called his parents from San Francisco.

“Mom and Dad, I’m coming home, but I have a friend with me.”

“Sure,” they replied, “We’d love to meet him.”

“There’s something you should know,” the son continued, “he was hurt badly in the fighting. He lost an arm and a leg. He has nowhere else to go, and I want him to live with us.”

“I’m sorry to hear that, son. Maybe we can help him find somewhere to live.”

“No, Mom and Dad, I want him to live with us.”

“Son,” said the father. “You don’t know what you’re asking. The young man’s handicap （残疾） will create such a terrible burden that we can’t afford. We have our own lives to live, and we can’t let something like this become a part of our lives. I think you should just come home and forget about this guy. He’ll find a way to live on his own.”

At that point, the son hung up the phone. A few days later, the parents received a call from the San Francisco police. Their son had died after falling from a building. The police believed it was suicide （自杀）.

The sad parents flew to San Francisco to see the body of their son.

They recognized （认出） him, but to their surprise, they also discovered something they didn’t know before: their son had only one arm and one leg.

1. The soldier called his parents _____.

A．before going on a trip to Vietnam        B．after having fought in Vietnam

C．while serving in the army                D．on his way home from Vietnam
2. The soldier called his parents to _____.

A．tell them how he became badly hurt

B．see if they would look down upon his “friend”

C．tell them how he missed them

D．ask if everything was going well in his family

3. The son killed himself because ________.

A．he was suffering from great pain from his wound

B．he didn't want to be a burden to his family

C．he was fired from the army

D．his parents didn't like his friend

4. The expression “live on his own” in the passage means ____.

A．taking care of himself                  B．living alone and being lonely

C．living a free and happy life               D．living in a house he owns

5. Which is Not True according to the passage?

A．The soldier wanted to bring home a friend to live with his family.

B．The soldier was disappointed when his parents refused to receive the injured person.

C．The soldier was actually talking about himself.

D．The parents probably felt sad and regretful when they saw their son's body.

It was Mother’s Day. John was so busy with his work that he couldn’t go back home. When he walked by a flower shop in the evening, an idea came to his mind. “I’ll send Mum some roses (玫瑰).”
While John was picking his flowers, a young man went inside. “How many roses can I get for only five dollars, Madam?” he asked. The shop assistant told him that roses were as expensive as forty dollars a dozen (一打). Maybe he would be happy with carnations(康乃馨). She told him they were a lot cheaper than roses.
“No, I have to have red roses,” he said, “My mum was badly ill last year and I didn’t get to spend much time with her. Now I want to get something special, it has to be roses, as the rose is her favorite.”
After hearing this, John said he would pay the rest of the money for the young man. Moved by both of them, the shop assistant said, “Well, lovely young men, thirty dollars a dozen, only for you two.” Taking the roses, the young man almost jumped into the air. He thanked John, and ran out of the shop. It was well worth twenty-five dollars John paid to see the exciting moment. Then John paid for his dozen of roses and told the shop assistant to send them to his mother.
As he walked out, he felt nice. Suddenly he saw the young man crossing the street and going into a park. But soon he realized it was not a park but a cemetery (墓地). Crying, the young man carefully laid the roses, “Mum, oh, Mum, why didn’t I tell you how much I loved you? God, please help me find my mum and tell her I love her.”
Seeing this, John turned and quickly walked back to the shop. He would take the flowers home himself.
【小题1】The shop assistant tried to ask the young man to buy carnations instead of roses because _____.

A．there were not enough roses in the shop

B．carnations were much nicer than roses

C．roses were more expensive than carnations

D．carnations were special flowers for Mother’s Day

【小题2】John spent _______ in the flower shop that day.

A．$5

B．$25

C．$ 45

D．$ 55

【小题3】The young man cried at the cemetery because he _______.

A．had spent all his money on the roses

B．wasn’t able to tell his mother he loved her himself

C．felt sorry to ask John to pay for his flowers

D．hadn’t got enough money for his sick mother

【小题4】At last John decided to take the roses home himself because he wanted to _______.

A．tell his mother he loved her

B．ask his mother for more money

C．tell his mother the young man’s story

D．ask his mother if she liked roses

【小题5】The writer wrote this passage to tell us “_______”.

A．Buy roses for your mother when she is ill

B．Let your mother know how much you love her

C．Work hard to get more money for your mother

D．Send your mother flowers on Mother’s Day

 

It was Mother’s Day. John was so busy with his work that he couldn’t go back home. When he walked by a flower shop in the evening, an idea came to his mind. “I’ll send Mum some roses (玫瑰).”

While John was picking his flowers, a young man went inside. “How many roses can I get for only five dollars, Madam?” he asked. The shop assistant told him that roses were as expensive as forty dollars a dozen (一打). Maybe he would be happy with carnations(康乃馨). She told him they were a lot cheaper than roses.

“No, I have to have red roses,” he said, “My mum was badly ill last year and I didn’t get to spend much time with her. Now I want to get something special, it has to be roses, as the rose is her favorite.”

After hearing this, John said he would pay the rest of the money for the young man. Moved by both of them, the shop assistant said, “Well, lovely young men, thirty dollars a dozen, only for you two.” Taking the roses, the young man almost jumped into the air. He thanked John, and ran out of the shop. It was well worth twenty-five dollars John paid to see the exciting moment. Then John paid for his dozen of roses and told the shop assistant to send them to his mother.

As he walked out, he felt nice. Suddenly he saw the young man crossing the street and going into a park. But soon he realized it was not a park but a cemetery (墓地). Crying, the young man carefully laid the roses, “Mum, oh, Mum, why didn’t I tell you how much I loved you? God, please help me find my mum and tell her I love her.”

Seeing this, John turned and quickly walked back to the shop. He would take the flowers home himself.

1.The shop assistant tried to ask the young man to buy carnations instead of roses because _____.

A. there were not enough roses in the shop

B. carnations were much nicer than roses

C. roses were more expensive than carnations

D. carnations were special flowers for Mother’s Day

2.John spent _______ in the flower shop that day.

A. $5                  B. $25                     C. $ 45                 D. $ 55

3.The young man cried at the cemetery because he _______.

A. had spent all his money on the roses

B. wasn’t able to tell his mother he loved her himself

C. felt sorry to ask John to pay for his flowers

D. hadn’t got enough money for his sick mother

4.At last John decided to take the roses home himself because he wanted to _______.

A. tell his mother he loved her

B. ask his mother for more money

C. tell his mother the young man’s story

D. ask his mother if she liked roses

5.The writer wrote this passage to tell us “_______”.

A. Buy roses for your mother when she is ill

B. Let your mother know how much you love her

C. Work hard to get more money for your mother

D. Send your mother flowers on Mother’s Day