It was early spring.The sun was strong and warm.I went over the hillside fields behind my village，__1__buntings and linnets，the birds I loved most.

I turned along a bush between two fields where I had seen the birds before，but on this fine day almost the first birds that I saw were winter visitors.I was__2__not to see a bunting straightaway，but I went on，stopping occasionally to look at the black-thorn (黑刺李) flowers in the bush，and ___3___I did hear a bunting singing.Or was it? Was I not perhaps turning a note of skylark (云雀) song into that of the song I was hoping to hear?

But the bunting's song was pretty clear，and within a few minutes I was proved___4__.The song was coming from the bush，and as I approached ___5__I saw the brown bird resting in a small tree.It opened its mouth，and__6__once more.Then it flew off.It was the only one I saw that day，but at least I had found one of the birds I had__7__.

It was not until I was on my way back home that I caught sight of some ___8__.I saw five of them gathering on the ground when I was just coming back beside the ___9__where I had found the bunting.As I came nearer，they flew up，spreading their tails so that their white edges ___10___ to look like a white fan in the sky.Then，to my___11__，some big pigeons suddenly came flying and joined the linnets.

A moment later they had all__12__ — but I had fulfilled my hopes for the day.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

1．A.looking at B．looking for C．looking up D．looking after

2．A.disappointed B．dismissed C．dissatisfied　　　 D．disturbed

3．A.directly B．gradually 　C．suddenly　 D．immediately

4．A.proper　 B．right C．useful 　　 　D．true

5．A.sadly　　 B．hurriedly 　C．proudly 　 　D．quietly

6．A.danced　 B．ateC．sang D．shouted

7．A.observed B．noticed C．expected D．described

8．A.linnets B．skylarks C．pigeons　 D．buntings

9．A.bush B．road 　C．grass D．black-thorn

10．A.widened　　 B．enlarged C．lengthened D．expanded

11．A.knowledge B．pleasure C．amusement　 D．honor

12. A．gathered　　 B．lost C．missed D．gone

A

　　Columbus made four voyages to the west between 1492 and 1504 in his vain（徒劳的） search for a sea route to Asia. The mystery of why he failed to find it filled him with sadness.

　　Wherever he went to Cuba（古巴）, Puerto Rico（波多黎各）, Jamaica（牙买加）, South America, Panama（巴拿马）, down the coast of Central America—it was always the same story. Instead of golden palaces, there were grass huts and palm-leaf tents. Instead of silk-robed merchant princes, he found “Indians” who did not have so much as a shirt on their backs.

　　When Columbus explored the West Indies in 1493, he heard tales of a fierce Indian tribe（凶狠的印第安部落） who literally devoured（吞食） its defeated enemies after a battle. These people were called by many names in the area, including Calina, Canima, Carib, and Caniba. Columbus recorded the name of the American natives as Canibales in Spanish, a word which came to refer, within a few years, to any eater of human flesh（食人部落, 食人族）. In the similar fashion, the word Caribbean, a title for the sea as well as for the region, came into English.

　　At times Columbus knew that this new land was not China, not Japan, not the Spice Islands. He seemed to accept it as a part of the earth that the geographers of Europe had never heard of before. It was another world—and he called it exactly that—but Columbus also insisted until he died that land he had reached was an unknown part of Asia.

56. What is the best title for this text?

A. Sailing to Asia　　　　　　　　 B. Columbus' voyages

C. West Indies　　　　　　　　　　　　　　D. Spice Islands

57. In the course of his four voyages, Columbus succeeded in _______.

A. finding China and the Spice Islands

B. trading with many merchants

C. visiting several parts of Central and South America

D. sailing to Asia

58. According to this text, Columbus _______.

A. sailed to find new lands for the king

B. sailed to find a water route round the world

C. sailed to establish trading ports

D. named the Caribbean which literally means any eater of human flesh

59. Columbus thought that _______.

A. others had sailed to Asia before him

B. it was impossible to sail to Asia

C. the land he had found was not China or Japan

D. the geographers knew about the land he had found

60. The text implies that _______.

A. Columbus never realized the full meaning of his discovery

B. Columbus was disappointed with his voyages

C. there was no way to reach Asia from Europe at that time

D. Columbus found exactly what he had intended to

The telephone rang in the police station at Richmond， California， USA. “Police station？ A train for Santa FE collide(碰撞)with a(n)　31　at the McDonald Street Crossing. Please go there at once， with an ambulance too. A man is badly injured，” said a(n)　32　voice of a young woman.

“Just a minute， we’ll come　33　. Please stay there and wait，” answered the policeman.

Within a minute， a police car and an ambulance　34　. Soon they got to the　35　， but only to　36　everything was fine. No collision， no　37　man.

“What a dirty trick！” said the policeman　38　. “We must find out that mischievous(恶作剧的)　39　and. . . ”

They had not been able to say anything about a punishment　40　they heard the whistle of a train： the train was nearing them quickly. All　41　a sudden， a truck appeared. It came fast towards them， too. 　42　it was passing the crossing， it suddenly refused to move on. Right then and there， before the eyes of all the people present， the train collided with the truck heavily and struck it　43　meters away.

When Randolph Bruce， the driver was　44　out of the damaged truck， he was　45　hurt just　46　the young woman had foretold on the phone. As he was taken to the　47　in time， he was saved at last.

Later the policemen did　48　they could to find the woman who had telephoned them， but　49　.

It is　50　that a prophecy(预言)should coincide(巧合)with the fact so exactly.

31. A. ambulance　　　　B. truck　　　　C. car　　　　　D. bus

32. A. anxious         B. sweet             C. gentle            D. low

33. A. fast            B. ahead             C. soon              D. later

34. A. went by        B. set off             C. got there           D. came on

35. A. telephone       B. street             C. station             D. crossing

36. A. feel            B. find              C. have              D. tell

37. A. injured         B. trapped            C. frightened         D. killed

38. A. happily         B. excitedly          C. angrily            D. disappointedly

39. A. man           B. policeman          C. woman           D. boy

40. A. until           B. since              C. while             D. when

41. A. at             B. of                C. by                D. for

42. A. When          B. Where            C. That              D. Which

43. A. dozen          B. dozens            C. dozen of           D. dozens of

44. A. raised          B. helped            C. pushed            D. forced

45. A. slightly         B. clearly            C. hardly            D. badly

46. A. as             B. so                C. before            D. for

47. A. police station    B. market            C. hospital           D. sidewalk

48. A. that            B. which             C. however          D. whatever

49. A. delayed         B. worked           C. stopped            D. failed

50. A. surprised        B. surprising         C. satisfied           D. satisfying