We have so many first days in our lives. First days are milestones(里程碑) in our lives. They 36 the beginning of a new experience or journey and they are also filled with　 37　 feelings. They can be a little frightening as we step into the unknown, but they can also inspire us as they give us fresh　 38 for the future.

I want to share a 39 that perfectly shows this point. Trisha was told that 40 is the key to knowledge. She watched her older brother 41 he read his schoolbooks and could hardly 42 the day when she would learn to read.

But after Trisha 43 started school, she found that she was not able to understand words like the other boys and girls. However hard she 44 , she saw only confusion. Trisha 45 , the teacher and the other children laughing at her, and she began to believe that she was not 　46 .

By the time Trisha entered the fifth grade, she had lost the 47 in herself. That was the year when she met Mr. Falker. He was 48 . He praised Trisha’s talents, and he wouldn’t tolerate the other children laughing at her. After some time, Mr. Falker 49 that Trisha didn’t know how to read, but he knew she could 50 some help.

He found an expert, and together they 51 with Trisha after school. They 52 her to understand words 　53 one day Mr. Falker handed her a book and she could read it all by herself. She didn’t even notice the tears in his eyes.

This is a true story. The little girl is Patricia Polacco, a famous 54 , and Thank you Mr. Falker is the twenty-sixth book that she has written. Mr. Falker gave her a fresh new 55 and made a difference in her life.

【小题1】A. cause　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. mark　　　　　　　　　　　 C. describe　　　　　　　　 D. show

【小题2】A. absurd　　　　　　　　　　　 B. strange　　　　　　　　　 C. mixed　　　　　　　　　　 D. strong

【小题3】A. blood　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. evidence　　　　　　　　 C. hope　　　　　　　　　　　 D. air

【小题4】A. belief　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. story　　　　　　　　　　　 C. view　　　　　　　　　　　 D. concern

【小题5】A. reading　　　　　　　　　　　 B. speaking　　　　　　　　 C. listening　　　　　　　　 D. thinking

【小题6】A. before　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. since　　　　　　　　　　　 C. as　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. though

【小题7】A. look for　　　　　　　　　　　 B. wait for　　　　　　　　　 C. ask for　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. wish for

【小题8】A. gradually　　　　　　　　　　 　 B. mostly　　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. finally　　　　　　　　　　 D. firmly

【小题9】A. breathed　　　　　　　　　　 　 B. tried　　　　　　　　　　　 C. managed　　　　　　　 D. pressed

【小题10】A. took off　　　 　　　　　　　　　　 B. stayed up　　　　　　　 C. kept on　　　　　　　　　 D. fell behind

【小题11】A. smart　　　　　　　　　　　 B. hard-working　　　　 C. healthy　　　　　　　　　 D. easy-going

【小题12】A. memory　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. balance　　　　　　　　 C. chance　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. confidence

【小题13】A. shy　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　 B. proud　　　　　　　　　　 C. different　　　　　　　　 D. strict

【小题14】A. doubted　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. witnessed　　　　　　　 C. represented　　　　　　　　 D. realized

【小题15】A. with　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. besides　　　　　　　　　 C. including　　　　　　　　 D. within

【小题16】A. sang　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. worked　　　　　　　　　 C. danced　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. chatted

【小题17】A. helped　　　　　　　　　　 B. forced　　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. begged　　　　　　　　　 D. allowed

【小题18】A. when　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. once　　　　　　　　　　　 C. until　　　　　　　　　　　 D. whether

【小题19】A. teacher　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. writer　　　　　　　　　　 C. expert　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. guide

【小题20】A. school　　　　　　　　　　　 B. start　　　　　　　　　　　 C. home　　　　　　　　　　 D. attention

(10·四川)

Recently， I flew to Las Vegas to attend a meeting. As we were about to arrive，the pilot announced with apology that there would be a slight 2l　 　before setting down. High desert winds had 　22　 the airport to close all but one runway. He said that we would be 　23　 the city for a few minutes waiting to 　24 . We were also told to remain in our seats meanwhile with our seat belts fastened 25 there might be a few bumps(颠簸)．We11，that few minutes turned into about four—five minutes，including a ride that would make a roller coaster(过山车) 26 by comparison.

The movement was so fierce that several passengers felt 27 and had to use airsickness bags. As you might guess，that’s not good thing to have happen in a(n) 28 　space because it only 29 　to increase the discomfort of the situation.

About twenty minutes into the adventure，the entire airplane became very 30 . There was now a sense of anxiety and fear that could be 31 noticed．Every passenger simply held on for dear life …except one. A 32 was having a good time! With each bump of the33!he would let out a giggle(咯咯的笑)of delight As I observed this，I 34　 that he didn’t know he was supposed to be afraid and worried about his 　 35 He neither thought about the past nor about the future Those are what we grown—ups have learned from 36　 .He was 37 the ride because had not yet been taught to fear it. Having understood this，I took a deep breath and 38 back into my seat，pretending I was 　39 on a roller coaster. I smiled for the rest of the flight. I even 40　 to giggle once or twice ,much to the chagrin(随恼)of the man sitting next to me holding the airsickness bag.

21. A. mistake　　 B. delay　　 C. change　 D. wind

22. A. forced　　　 B. warned　　 C. swept　 D. reminded

23. A. watching　　 B. visiting　 C. circling 　D. crossing

24. A. arrive　　　 B. enter　　 C. stop　　 D. land

25. A. if　　　　　 B. though　　 C. because D. while

26. A. light　　　 B. pale　　　 C. easy　　 D. quick

27. A. sick　　　　 B. nervous　 C. angry　 D. afraid

28. A. empty　　　 B. narrow　　 C. secret　 D. open

29. A. happens　　 B. continues C. fails　 D. serves

30. A. quiet　　　　 B. hot　　　 C. dirty　 D. crowded

31. A. partly　　　　 B. gradually　　 C. shortly　　 D. clearly

32. A. pilot　　　　　 B. baby　　　　 C. guard　　 D. man

33. A. seats　　　　 B. passengers　　 C. flight　　 D. airplane

34. A. realized　　　 B. hoped　　　 C. agreed　 D. insisted

35. A. health　　　 B. safety　　　　 　C. joy　　　 D. future

36. A. teachers　　　　 B. books　　　　 C. experience　 D. practice

37. A. learning　　 B. taking　　 C. missing　　　 D. enjoying

38. A. sat　　　 B. lay　　　　　 C. went　　　　　 D. rode

39. A. nearly　　 B. finally　　 C. really　　　　 D. suddenly

40. A. attempted　 B. managed　　 C. wanted　　　 D. decided　　

Number　 sense is not the ability to count. It is the ability to recognize a 　 1　 in number. Human beings are born with this ability. 2 ，experiments show that many animals are, too. For example, many birds have good number sense. If a nest has four eggs and you remove one, the bird will not　 3 . However, if you remove two, the bird 4 leaves. This means that the bird knows the 　5　 between two and three.

Another interesting experiment showed a bird's 6 number sense. A man was trying to take a photo of a crow(乌鸦)that had a nest in a tower, but the crow always left when she saw him coming. The bird did not 7 until the man left the tower. The man had an 8 .He took another man with him to the tower. One man left and the other stayed, but they did not 9 the bird. The crow stayed away until the second man left, too. The experiment was　 10 with three men and then with four men. But the crow did not return to the nest until all the men were 11 .It was not until five men went into the tower and only four left that they were 12 able to fool the crow.

How good is a human's number sense? It's not very good. For example, babies about fourteen months old almost always notice if something is taken away from a 　13 group. But when the number goes beyond three or four, the children are 14　 fooled.

It seems that number sense is something we have in common with many animals in this world, and that our human 15 is not much better than a crow's.

1. A. rise　　　　　　　 B. pattern　　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. change　　　　　　　　　　 D. trend

2. A. Importantly　 B. Surprisingly　 C. Disappointedly D. Fortunately

3. A. survive　　　　　　　　 B. care　　　　　　　　 C. hatch　　　　 D. notice

4. A. generally 　　　　　　 B. sincerely　　 C. casually　　　　　 D. deliberately

5．A. distance 　　　　　 B. range　　　　 C. different　 　　　 D. interval

6．A. amazing 　　　　　 B. annoying　　　　　 C. satisfying　 D. disturbing

7. A. relax　　　　　　　　　 B. recover　　　　　　 C. react　　　　 D. return

8. A. appointment　　　　 B. excuse　　　　　　 C. idea　　　　　 D. explanation

9. A. fool　　　　　　　　　　 B. hurt　　　　　 C. catch　　　　 D. kill

10.A. repo　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. repeated　　 C. designed　　 D. approved

11.A. confused　　　　　　 B. gone　　　　 C. tired　　　　　 D. drunk

12.A. gradually　　　　　　 B. luckily　　　 C. strangely　 D. finally

13.　 A. single　　　　　　　 B. small　　　　 C. local　　　　 D. new

14. A. seldom　　　　　　　 B. temporarily C. merely　　　 D. often

15. A. sight　　　　　　　　　 B. nature　　　 C. ability　　　　 D. belief

The sound of his footsteps gradually 　　　　.

A.disappeared　　　　　　　　　　　　B.out of sight

C.faded　 　　　　　　　　　　　　　D.fainted

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