"This Friday we'll have the yearly Egg Drop Challenge," said our science teacher, Mr. Baker. "You can work alone or with a partner."

　 My friend, Cassie, and I smiled at each other. We always worked on projects31_.

　 The　 32　　 of the Challenge was simple—to build a protective container to keep an egg from breaking when　 33　 the stadium wall.

　 I made my sandwich that afternoon while waiting for Cassie.　 34　 the butter cream gave me an idea.

　 "I have a brilliant design for our 　35　　 container!" I said when Cassie arrived. "We can 36　 the egg with some butter cream."

　 "Why not put the egg in a basket with a parachute (降落伞)　 37　 ?" Cassie rolled

her eyes, "The parachute is better than that stupid idea."

　 I couldn't believe it. Of course we'd had our little　 38　 in the past, but she'd never called any of my ideas"　 39 "before.

　 "Then I'll build mine and you build yours!"

　 　　40　 words had been out, our friendship was challenged.

　 When Friday finally arrived, I had to　 41　 Cassie's Egg Force One looked pretty good. 42 , my Egg-cellent Egg Cream didn't look quite scientific. We kids carried our containers up three stadium steps and dropped them over the side wall. Those whose eggs broke were out; those whose eggs survived 　 43　 three more steps and dropped them again. This would go on till the last egg broke.

　 After four rounds, only Cassie and I were　　 44　 . I let go of my box. I heard someone say "ew" after seconds. Had my egg broken? I raced down the　 45　 . The sidewalk was dotted with egg shells (蛋壳) from those 　 46　 drops. Finally I found my little Egg-cellent Egg Cream.

　 "That looks like egg drop soup, Laura," Cassie said. She was holding her Egg Force One. My 47 _ raced. Had she won? I looked at her basket　 48

　 "My egg bounced 　 49 _," she explained, pointing to a broken shell.

　 "A tie （平局)," Mr. Baker said.

　 Cassie looked at me, and her glare ___50　 . I laughed. She smiled...

31. A. patiently　　 　　　　 B. silently　　　　 　　 C. together　　　 　　 D. alone

32. A. function　　 　　　　　　 B. goal　　　　　 　 C. reason　　　　 　 D. result

33. A. rolled down 　　　　 B. pushed against　 　　 C. thrown at　　　 　 D. dropped over

34. A. Spreading　 　　　 B. Boiling　　　　 　　 C. Baking　　　　 　　 D. Holding

35. A. butter　　　 　　　　　　 B. sandwich　　　 　 C. cream　　　　　 　 D. egg

36. A. protect　　 　　　　 B. replace　 　　　　 C. carry　　　　　 　 D. mix

37. A. followed　　 　　　 B. covered　　　　 　 C. attached　　　 　　 D. supported

38. A. ideas　　　 　　　 B. fights　　　　　 　 C. worries　　　　 　 D. challenges

39. A. wrong　　 　　　　 B. stupid　　　　 　　　 C. brilliant　　　 　　　 D. scientific

40. A. Since　　　 　　　　 B. While　　　　 　　 C. But　　　　　 　　 D. And

41. A. explain　　 　　　　 B. deny　　　　　 　　 C. admit　　　　 　　 D. prove

42. A. Therefore　 　　　 B. Anyway　　　 　　 C. Otherwise　　 　　 D. Besides

43. A. paced down 　　　 B. turned around　 　 C. walked up　　　 　 D. went back

44. A. left　　　　 　　　　　　 B. wanted　　　　 　 C. chosen　　　　 　 D. discovered

45. A. steps　　　 　　　 B. way　　　　　 　 C. wall　　　　　 　 D. sidewalk

46. A. intended　 　　　　 B. unexpected　　 　　 C. failed　　　　　 　 D. desired

47. A. eyes　　　 　　　　　 B. hands　　　　 　　　 C. feet　　　　　 　　 D. heart

48. A. Lost　　　 　　　　 B. Dirty　　　　 　　 C. Broken　　　 　　　 D. Empty

49. A. around　　 　　　　 B. out　　　　　　 　 C. in　　　　　　 　　 D. down

50. A. returned　　 　　　　 B. remained　　　 　 C. increased　　　 　　 D. softened

My friend Michelle is blind, but you’d never know it. She makes such good use of her other 16 , including her “sixth sense”, that she rarely gives the impression that she’s 　17 anything.

Michelle looks after her children pretty much like the rest of us, 18 that she doesn’t push too hard on them, 　19 really benefit a lot from her relaxed attitude. She knows when to clean the house, and she moves around so fast that 　20 often don't realize she's blind.

I 　21 this the first time after my six-year-old daughter, Kayla, went to play there. When Kayla came home, she was very 　22 about her day. She told me they had baked cookies, played games and done art projects. But she was 23 excited about her finger-painting project.

“Mom, guess what?” said Kayla, all smiles. “I learned how to 　24 colors today! Blue and red make purple, and yellow and blue make green! And Michelle 25 with us”.

To my great 　26 , my child had learnt about color from a blind friend! Then Kayla continued, “Michelle told me my 　27 showed joy, pride and a sense of accomplishment. She really 28 what I was doing!” Kayla said she had never known how good finger paints felt 　29 Michelle showed her how to paint without looking at her paper.

I realized Kayla didn’t know that Michelle was blind. It had just never 　30 in conversation. When I told my daughter that Michelle was blind, she was 　31 for a moment. At first, she didn’t believe me. “But Mommy, Michelle knew exactly what was in my picture!” Kayla 32 . And I knew my child was 33 because Michelle had listened to Kayla describe her art work. Michelle had also heard Kayla’s 　34 in her work.

We were silent for a minute. Then Kayla said slowly, “You know, Mommy, Michelle really did ‘see’ my picture. She just used my 　35 .”

Indeed, she uses a special type of “vision” that all mothers have.

16．A．senses　　　　　　 　 B．means　　　　　　　　　　 C．methods　　　　　　　　 D．ways

17．A．enjoyed　　　　　　　　　 B．found　　　　　　　　　　 C．missed 　　　　　　　　 D．lost

18．A．instead　　　　　　　　　 B．except　　　　　　　　　 C．since　　　　　　　 D．but

19．A．who　　　　　　　 B．it　　　　　　　　　　　　　 C．she　　　　　　　　　　　　 D．which

20．A．guests　　　　　　　　　 B．family　　　　　　　　　　 C．children　　　　　　　　 D．friends

21．A．realized 　　　　 B．heard　　　　　　　 C．recognized　　　　　　 D．witnessed

22．A．sad 　　　　　　　 B．satisfied　　　　　　　　 C．excited　　　　　　　　　 D．enjoyed

23．A．especially 　　　　　　 B．not so　　　　　　　　　　 C．a little　　　　　　　　　　 D．not at all

24．A．paint　　　　　　　 B．draw　　　　　　　 C．create　　　　　　　　　　 D．mix

25．A．stayed　　　　　　　　　 B．painted 　　　　　　　　 C．talked　　　　　　　　　　 D．played

26．A．excitement　　　　　　 B．surprise　　　 C．delight　　　　　　　　 D．encouragement

27．A．attitude　　　　　　　　　 B．color　　　　　　　 C．picture 　　　　　　　　 D．paper

28．A．touched　　　　　　　　 B．distinguished　 C．saw 　　　　　　　 D．understood

29． A．after　　　　　　　　　　 B．before　　　　　　　　　　 C．until 　　　　　　　 D．when

30．A．turned out 　 B．come up　 　 C．referred to 　　　　　　 D．talked about

31．A．curious　　　　　　　　　 B．quiet 　　　　　　　　　　 C．puzzled　　　　　　　　　 D．worried

32．A．cried　　　　　　　 B．insisted 　　　　　　　　 C．complained　　　　　　 D．informed

33．A．right 　　　　　　　　　　 B．wrong　　　　　　　　　 C．worried　　　　　　　　 D．uncertain

34．A．shortcomings　 B．difficulties　　　 C．pride 　　　　　　　　　 D．description

35．A．paper　　　　　　　 B．eyes　　　　 　　　 C．hands　　　　　　　　　　 D．pens

 (陕西省师大附中2009届高三第四次模拟考试E篇)

Engineering students are supposed to be examples of practicality and rationality, but when it comes to my college education I am an idealist and a fool. In high school I wanted to be an electrical engineer and, of course, any sensible student with my aims would have chosen a college with a large engineering department, famous reputation and lots of good labs and research equipment. But that’s not what I did.
　　I chose to study engineering at a small liberal-arts（文科）university that doesn’t even offer a major in electrical engineering. Obviously, this was not a practical choice; I came here for more noble reasons. I wanted a broad education that would provide me with flexibility and a value system to guide me in my career. I wanted to open my eyes and expand my vision by interacting with people who weren’t studying science or engineering. My parents, teachers and other adults praised me for such a sensible choice. They told me I was wise and mature beyond my 18 years, and I believed them.
　　I headed off to college sure I was going to have an advantage over those students who went to big engineering “factories” where they didn’t care if you have values or were flexible. I was going to be a complete engineer: technical genius and sensitive humanist（人文学者）all in one.
　　Now I’m not so sure. Somewhere along the way my noble ideals crashed into reality, as all noble ideals eventually do. After three years of struggling to balance math, physics and engineering courses with liberal-arts courses, I have learned there are reasons why few engineering students try to reconcile（协调）engineering with liberal-arts courses in college.
　　The reality that has blocked my path to become the typical successful student is that engineering and the liberal arts simply don’t’ mix as easily as I assumed in high school. Individually they shape a person in very different ways; together they threaten to confuse. The struggle to reconcile the two fields of study is difficult.

56. The author chose to study engineering at a small liberal-arts university because he _______.

A. wanted to be an example of practicality and rationality

B. intended to be a combination of engineer and humanist
C. wanted to coordinate engineering with liberal-arts courses in college
D. intended to be a sensible student with noble ideals.

57. According to the author, by interacting with people who study liberal arts, engineering students can _______.
A. balance engineering and the liberal arts
B. receive guidance in their careers

 C. become noble idealists
D. broaden their horizons

58. In the eyes of the author, a successful engineering student is expected     ____

A. to have an excellent academic record
B. to be wise and mature
C. to be imaginative with a value system to guide him
D. to be a technical genius with a wide vision

59. The author’s experience shows that he was _______.
　 A. creative
   B. ambitious
　 C. unrealistic
　 D. irrational

60. The word “they” in “…together they threaten to confuse.” (Line 3,  

Para.5) refers to _______
A. engineering and the liberal arts.
B. reality and noble ideals
C. flexibility and a value system
D. practicality and rationality

In our life, we have rarely expressed our gratitude to those who have lived with us these years. In fact, we do not have to 　 31　 a special time to thank the ones 　 32　 to us. If you have 　 33　 anything about giving thanks, it should be this: 　 34　 it now! Saying thanks is such a(n) 　 35　 way to add happiness to the 　 36　 .

Saying thanks not only brightens someone else’s world, but also brightens yours. If you are feeling 　 37　 or unloved, try reaching out to others. It may be just the medicine that you 　 38　 .

Of course, sometimes you cannot express gratitude 　 39　 . In that case, do not fall into 　 40 — speak up the first time you have a 　 41　 .

Once a young man, whose name was Mark Brian, was sent to a 　 42　 of India. The villagers, he had been told before, did not have a 　 43　 for “thank you”. But on arriving there, Mark Brian found that those villagers expressed their 　 44　 in other ways. Instead of saying thanks, it is their custom to 　45　 every favor with a favor of their own, and every kindness with the 　 46　 or more kindness. They did express their thanks.

I 　 47　 if we had no words in our 　 48　 for thank you”, would we do a better job of communicating our gratitude? And would we be more responsive (回应的), more 　 49　 and more caring?

Thankfulness can be transferred (传递) among people all around us—including ourselves, 　 50　 no one ever misunderstands a thankful heart.

31. A. cut down　　　　　　 B. give up　 　　 　　　 C. talk about 　　　 D. wait for

32. A. rudest　　　　　　　　 B. closest　　 　 　　　 C. similar 　 　　　 D. different

33. A. learned　　　　　　　　 B. offered　　 　 　　　 C. written　　　 　 　　　 D. doubted

34. A. carry　　　 　　　 B. change　 　　 　　　 C. give　　 　　 D. accept

35. A. fair　　　　　　　　　　 B. strange　　 　　　 C. extra　 　 　　　 D. easy

36. A. room　　　 　　 B. world　　　 　　　 C. school　　 　 D. station

37. A. left out　　　　　　　　 B. helped out 　　 　　　 C. called on　 　　 D. shown in

38. A. discover　　　　　　　 B. need　　 　　 　　　 C. invent 　 　　　 D. collect

39. A. carefully　　　　　　　 B. finally　 　　　 　　　 C. immediately　　　 D. slowly

40. A. illness　　　　　　　　 B. anger　　 　　 　　　 C. pleasure　　　　　 D. silence

41. A. suggestion　　　　　 B. condition　 　　 　　　 C. job　　 　 　　　 D. chance

42. A. village　　　　　　　　 B. hospital　 　　 　　　 C. city　　 　 　　　 D. ship

43. A. film　　　 　　　 B. play　　 　　　 　　　 C. word　　　 　 D. song

44. A. skill　　　　　　　　　　 B. gratitude　　 　　　 C. culture　　　 　 　　　 D. attitude

45. A. return　　　 　　 B. mix　　 　　　 　　　 C. follow　　 　　 D. check

46. A. public　　 　　　 B. same　　　 　 　　　 C. secret　　 　　 D. cheap

47. A. wonder　　　　　　　 B. forget　　 　　　　　　 C. promise　　　　　　 D. order

48. A. text　　　　　　　　　　 B. lesson　　 　 　　　 C. vocabulary 　　　 D. book

49. A. creative　　　　　　　 B. clever　　 　　　　　　 C. sensitive　 　　 D. beautiful

50. A. though　　　　 　　 B. unless　　 　　　 　　　 C. if 　　　 　　　 D. because