She looked older to us though her age was about the same as our mother’s. She was not pretty. But she was kind and good. Then she gave us a good meal. After our mother became ill, we never ate such a good one. My brothers and I liked her before we finished the meal.

Our family moved to Australia not long ago. It was difficult for us to live a good life in the new place. Soon our mother became ill and she was in bed.

Every morning father went out to the forest, and worked all day hard as he could. Of course, we tried to help our parents. I cleaned the house and cooked our meals. My older brother learned to grow vegetables.

My two younger brothers were too young to work. Sometimes we went to school. When father came home on that day, he was surprised. Our mother was sleeping peacefully in the bed cleaned by Jane, and there were some beautiful flowers on the table. He said to Jane, “I have no money. I’m sorry I can’t pay you.” Jane said, “Don’t mind, I’m glad to help you. I don’t take money from people who are not happy.”

1. Why was mother ill?　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 

A. Life was hard.

B. The weather was bad for a long time.

C. There were too many children in the family.

D. She was always ill.

2. From the passage, we can know that there are　　    children in the family. 

A. 2　　    B. 3　　   C. 4　　　　 D. 5

3. Where did they live?　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　   

A. In Australia.　　　　   B. In a city in Australia.

C. They just left Australia.  D. The writer didn’t tell us.

4. Why did Jane come to the family?　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 

A. To make money because she was poor.   

B. To help them.

C. She knew their mother very well.

D. To cook meals for the children.

5. We can learn the following from the passage except　　    .　　   

A. Jane was much younger than the writer’s mother

B. the writer’s family was not rich

C. Jane came to the family with some beautiful flowers

D. Jane helped the family for nothing

   1   to drink them because they thought coffee or tea could kill a person. Once the king of England decided to find out whether it was true   2   not.

At that time there were two brothers in prison (监狱). They would be   3   in a few days because they did wrong (犯罪). The king said, “I shall let them live but they must drink coffee or tea to the end of their   4  . One brother must drink coffee and   5   must drink tea every day.” And they   6   the king’s words.

They   7   lived many years. At last the elder brother   8   when he was eighty-three years old. The younger one died a few years   9  . After that, people   10   that coffee and tea were not bad to man.

1. A. happy    　　 　　   B.afraid    　　　　  C.strong　　 　　　　　　  D.rich

2. A. of　　　　　　　　　　    B.and　　　　　　　　    C.or　　　　　　　　　　  D.but

3. A. free　　　　　　　　　　  B.home　　　　　　　　 C.caught　　　　　　   D.killed

4. A. life　　　　　　　　　　   B.live　　　　　　　　    C.lives　　　　　　　　   D.living

5. A. one　　　　　　　　　　  B.another　　　　　　   C.other　　　　　　　　  D.the other

6. A. heard　　　　　　　　    B.listened to　　　　   C.followed　　　　　　 D.did

7. A. both　　　　　　　　　　     B.each　　　　　　　　   C.neither　　　　　　   D.all

8. A. killed　　　　　　　　    B.lived　　　　　　　　   C.died　　　　　　　　   D.dead

9. A. ago　　　　　　　　　　  B.old　　　　　　　　　　 C.later　　　　　　　　   D.before

10. A. shouted　　        B.spoke　　　　　　　　 C.kept　　　　　　　　   D.knew

完形填空（共12分，每小题1分）

阅读下面的短文，掌握其大意，然后从短文后各题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选择最佳选项

　　I had my first job at the age of thirteen, when a friend of my mother’s who owned a book shop hired（雇佣） me for six hours a week to help her in the shop. I was very 　1　 　to earn my own pocket money and my parents 　2　 　interfered（干涉）with how I spent it, even when I was spending it foolishly. They believed that by earning money, spending it, and learning from the 　3　 , I would become more mature（成熟的） and responsible about how to handle work, relationships with others, and money.

　　Like many American parents, my parents also let me and my brothers do things over which they 　4 　　a great deal. When I was sixteen, for example, after I finished high school and before I entered university, I wanted to spend the summer months traveling around Europe. My mother was against the idea of my traveling alone at such a young age, but my father felt that it would be a great 　5　 　for me. In the end, my father won the argument（争论） on the 　6　 　that I limited（限定）my traveling to France, my mother’s home, where I had many uncles, aunts and cousins spread out through the country who could 　7　 　shelter（住处）and help if I needed them.

　　Three years later, my younger brother decided to 　8　 　a year off after his first year in university and travel through the United States and the Caribbean. Again my mother was very worried and not eager to see my brother leave school, but my father encouraged him and my brother had a(n) 　9　 　year working his way on trains and ships to 　10 　　passage to different ports and cities, and discovering many fascinating places and people.

　　These kinds of experiences are probably rare（稀少的）for children in many countries but in the US they are fairly common. Most parents start 　11　 　their children at a young age to do small things by themselves. By the time they have finished high school, many American kids have already had part-time jobs, traveled around the US or other countries on their own, have selected the university they plan to attend and maybe even 　12　 　on their future career, and so on.

1.                A．anxious　　     B．content　　　   C．proud    D．hopeful

2.                A．never          B．ever　　　 　   C．always    D．even

3.                A．problems       B．mistakes        C．disappointment D．failure

4.                A．helped         B．supported       C．shared   D．worried

5.                                  A．journey　　 B．experience

C．decision　　　　                  D．possibility

6.                A．situation　      B．agreement      C．gesture   D．condition

7.                A．promise　　    B．afford          C．provide   D．serve

8.                A．set            B．put            C．take D．keep

9.                A．unusual        B．hard           C．strange   D．busy

10.               A．accept　　     B．earn           C．find  D．search

11.               A．bringing　　    B．forcing

　　              C．pushing　　　　　                 D．protecting

12.               A．worked　　     B．decided        C．carried    D．tried

完形填空（共12分，每小题1分）
阅读下面的短文，掌握其大意，然后从短文后各题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选择最佳选项
　　I had my first job at the age of thirteen, when a friend of my mother’s who owned a book shop hired（雇佣） me for six hours a week to help her in the shop. I was very 　1　 　to earn my own pocket money and my parents 　2　 　interfered（干涉）with how I spent it, even when I was spending it foolishly. They believed that by earning money, spending it, and learning from the 　3　 , I would become more mature（成熟的） and responsible about how to handle work, relationships with others, and money.
　　Like many American parents, my parents also let me and my brothers do things over which they 　4 　　a great deal. When I was sixteen, for example, after I finished high school and before I entered university, I wanted to spend the summer months traveling around Europe. My mother was against the idea of my traveling alone at such a young age, but my father felt that it would be a great 　5　 　for me. In the end, my father won the argument（争论） on the 　6　 　that I limited（限定）my traveling to France, my mother’s home, where I had many uncles, aunts and cousins spread out through the country who could 　7　 　shelter（住处）and help if I needed them.
　　Three years later, my younger brother decided to 　8　 　a year off after his first year in university and travel through the United States and the Caribbean. Again my mother was very worried and not eager to see my brother leave school, but my father encouraged him and my brother had a(n) 　9　 　year working his way on trains and ships to 　10 　　passage to different ports and cities, and discovering many fascinating places and people.
　　These kinds of experiences are probably rare（稀少的）for children in many countries but in the US they are fairly common. Most parents start 　11　 　their children at a young age to do small things by themselves. By the time they have finished high school, many American kids have already had part-time jobs, traveled around the US or other countries on their own, have selected the university they plan to attend and maybe even 　12　 　on their future career, and so on.