The summer I was ten, my mother decided to bring us to the world of art. My brother and I were not very excited when we realized what my mother meant. What she meant was not that we could take drawing classes or painting classes but that we would have to spend one afternoon a week with her at the Fine Arts Museum. Before each visit to the museum, she made us read about artists and painting styles. It was almost as bad as being in school. Who wants to spend the summer thinking about artists when you could be with your friends at the swimming pool?
First we had to read about ancient Egyptians(古埃及人) and their strange way of painting faces and then go to look at them at the museum. My 12-year-old brother thought this was so funny, but I was not interested. Later we had to learn about artists in the Middle Ages who painted people wearing strange long clothing. We had to look at pictures of fat babies with wings and curly hair and with no clothes on flying around the edges of paintings. I certainly couldn't see what was so great about art.
On our last visit to the museum, something happened when I saw a painting by a woman called Mary. In it, a woman was reading to a child. The colors were soft and gentle, and you could tell by the mother’s expression how happy she was just to be with the child. I couldn't stop looking at this painting! I wanted to see every painting Mary had ever made! It was really worth looking at so many paintings to find a painter who could interest me so much.
【小题1】The aim of the mother’s plan was to _________.

第二部分：语言知识及应用（共两节，满分35分）
第一节：完形填空（共10小题；每小题2分，满分20分）
阅读下列短文，掌握其大意，然后从21—30各题所给的A, B, C和D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
I was a single parent of four small children, working at a low-paid job. Money was always tight, but we had a    21    over our head, food on the table, clothes on our backs, and if not a lot, always    22   . Not knowing we were poor, my kids just thought I was strict. I’ve always been glad about that.
It was Christmas time, and although there wasn’t money for a lot of gifts, we planned to celebrate with a family party. But the big   23   for the kids was the fun of Christmas. Fortunately, I had saved $120 for    24    to share by all five of us.
The big    25   arrived. I gave each kid a twenty – dollar bill and    26    them to look for gifts of about four dollars each. Then everyone scattered. We had two hours to shop; then we would meet back at the “Santa’s Workshop”.
Driving home, everyone was in high Christmas spirits, except my younger daughter, Ginger, who was unusually    27   . She had only one small, flat bag with a few candies － fifty – cent candies! I was so angry, but I didn’t say anything until we got home. I called her into my bedroom and closed as the door, ready to be angry again. This is what she told me.
“ I was looking around    28   of what to buy, and I stopped to read the little cards on the ‘Giving Trees’. One was for a little girl, four years old, and all she wanted for Christmas was a doll. So I took the card off the tree and    29   the doll for her. We have so much and she doesn’t have anything.”
I never felt so   30   as I did that day.
21.   A. roof    B. hat      C. sky     D. star
22.   A. little   B. less     C. enough       D. more
23.   A. improvement     B. problem     C. surprise      D. excitement
24.   A. toys    B. clothes       C. presents      D. bills
25. A. day     B. chance       C. cheque       D. tree
26.   A. forced B. reminded    C. invited       D. begged
27.   A. quiet   B. excited       C. happy D. ashamed
28. A. learning     B. thinking     C. knowing     D. telling
29.   A. made  B. searched     C. bought       D. fetched
30.   A. angry  B. rich    C. patient       D. bitter

 It’s going to rain. Xiao Feng, Will you please help me_____the clothes on the line?

When you want to go shopping, decide how much money you can spend on new clothes．Think about the kind of clothes you really need．Then look for those clothes you really need．Then look for those clothes on sale．

There are labels(标签) inside all new clothes．The labels tell you how to take care of your clothes． The label for a shirt may tell you to wash it in warm water． A sweater label may tell you to wash in cold water．The label on a coat may say “dry clean only”, for washing may ruin(毁坏) this coat．If you do as the directions (说明)on the label, you can keep your clothes looking their best for a long time．

Many clothes today must be dry cleaned．Dry cleaning is expensive．When buying new clothes, check to see if they will need to be dry cleaned．You will save money if you buy clothes that can be washed．

You can save money if you buy clothes that are well made．Well-made clothes last longer．They look good even after they have been washed many times．Clothes that cost more money are not necessarily(不一定) better made．They do not always fit better。Sometimes less expensive clothes look and fit better than more expensive clothes．

If you want to save money, you had better buy clothes that __ ．

       A．don’t fit you          B．don’t last long       

       C．need to be dry cleaned    D．can be washed

The labels inside the clothes tell you______．

       A．how to keep them looking their best     B．how to save money

       C．whether they fit you or not        D．where to get them dry cleaned

The first thing for you to do before you buy clothes is __ ．

       A．to look for well-made clothes       

       B．to see how much money you can spend on it

       C．to know how to wash them         

       D．to read the labels inside them

The best title for the passage should be __ ．

       A．Buy Less Expensive Clothes        

       B．Taking Enough Money When Shopping

       C．Being a Clever Clothes Shopper     

       D．Choosing the Labels inside New Clothes

The summer I was ten, my mother decided to bring us to the world of art. My brother and I were not very excited when we realized what my mother meant. What she meant was that we would have to spend one afternoon a week with her at the Fine Arts Museum. Before each visit to the museum, she made us read about artists and painting styles. It was almost as bad as being in school. Who wants to spend the summer thinking about artists when you could be with your friends at the swimming pool?

     First we had to read about ancient Egyptians and their strange way of painting faces and then go to look at them at the museum. My 12-year-old brother thought this was so funny, but I was not interested. Later we had to learn about artists in the Middle Ages who painted people wearing strange long clothing. We had to look at pictures of fat babies with wings and curly (鬈曲的) hair and with no clothes on flying around the edges of paintings. I certainly couldn't see what was so great about art.

     On our last visit to the museum, something happened when I saw a painting by a woman called Mary. In it, a woman was reading to a child. The colors were soft and gentle, and you could tell by the mother’s expression how happy she was just to be with the child. I couldn't stop looking at this painting! I wanted to see every painting Mary had ever made! It was really worth looking at so many paintings to find a painter who could interest me so much.

   The aim of the mother’s plan was to _______.

    A. take them to visit the museum           B. introduce them to the world of art

    C. ask them to read about artists               D. show them different painting styles

   What was the writer’s experience in the museum before the last visit?

    A. She came to feel her mother’s love.         B. She liked many paintings.

    C. She hardly enjoyed herself.             

D. She could understand the pictures of fat babies.

   What made the writer go through a change that summer?

    A. One of Mary's paintings.                 B. A strange way of painting.

    C. Artists in the Middle Ages.                  D. Her mother’s instruction.