Think back to this time last year. What was on your mind?

Most likely, you were thinking about finals or the holidays, although in this city I’ve noticed that thinking about the holiday is a fancy way of saying how much stuff will I get.

Now reflect on your thoughts for this holiday season. Most people are still thinking about the holidays, but I say that with a grain of salt. Everybody with a functioning brain and the ability to communicate knows that this holioday season comes with a pretty large price tag: the debt of all the hardships, both domestic and foreign, that we’ve faced over the past 12months.

Let’s face it: some of us will get everything we want over the holidays. But there are others whose parents have lost their jobs or who have lost jobs themselves because of the current economic situation. As much as we try to ignore it, there is still economic unrest in the blue and gold suburb.

In this situation, we have three options. One: We ignore the situation, like we seem to do for every bad thing that happens around us, because by God, it’s the American Way! Two: We recognize that our economy is shot, feel bad about it and spend our time wishing for the good old days. Three: We recognize that our economy is shot, but instead of moping, reflect on every good thing that we have going for us. Now, which option sounds best to you?

I spent a week this summer working in and around New York City with the city’s homeless population. Or so I thought. Although a lot of the people I served were in fact homeless, a significant number of them had a job or a home or both. The truth of the importance of this situation is that they and thousands of others across the country can’t afford even the most basic things of life, even while working two jobs. Yet no one that I met complained about their hardships. Instead, they took whatever I happened to give them(which was, more often than enough, not enough) and were genuinely grateful for what they had.

Wrap your heads around that statement for a second. These people worked their butts off to stay alive with minimal results, yet were overjoyed by a flimsy(脆弱的) paper plate with donated green beans on it. Although I am ashamed to admit it( both as a girthy figure and an affluent citizen), I have taken for granted most of my meals, let alone green beans, and I know for a fact that I am not alone.

64. According to the passage when people think about holidays they care much for ____.

A. where to spend their holidays             B. how to spend their holidays 

C. what they can get for their holidays        D. who they should go to visit

65. When the author wrote the article, the economic situation in his country ____.

A. began to go bad.   B. began to improve   C. was still serious   D. was favorable for middle class.

66. The author wrote the article mainly to advise people____.

A.to be thankful in time of hardship.    B. to spend their holidays in a wise way

C. to think little about their holidays     D. to help the country to sail through the crisis

67. It can be inferred from the passage that the writer is most probably ______.

A. a homeless child    B. an old professor   C. a famous scientist  D. a young student

     Every person leaves a footprint．That’s what I learnt when I started to work as a private investigator 10 years ago．People pay restaurant bills with their bank cards，check into hotels or travel around. In every case，they leave a trace．And because of this，I’m able to track them down even when they don’t want to be found．

    The first thing I do when I want to find out where someone is staying is to go to the neighborhood where he used to live。It’s human nature to tell stories which is why neighbors will tell me all they know when I ring at their houses．Sometimes，someone even talks about his friend’s dishonesty．Then I produce a pattern of my subject’s life：if he likes to  have a holiday in Spain or in Italy, if he prefers two-or-three-star hotels and where he might hide his assets．When I’ve got this life pattern，I start my research．

    Nine times out of 10，I find the people I'm looking for．I once investigated a lorry supplier who owed￡500，000 to a subcontractor(分包商)。The subcontractor wanted to find out if it was worth bringing charges against the supplier I found out the supplier had moved assets to his son，who founded a new company offering the same product．It was all done within the law．There was no money to be got from that operation．

    However, I asked the son If I could speak to his father and he told me that his parent was on a long holiday in Spain and wouldn’t be back for a while．It didn’t take me long to find out that the father wasn’t in Spain． 

    I went back to the son and this time he told me that his father might be in Bulgaria, and I found him doing winter sport‘s in a beautiful mountain area．He was living in a big house on a  large piece of land he had bought for￡400，000．This was exactly the kind of asset my customer was looking for．

68．We learn from the text that a private investigator is one who            ．

    A．follows people and reports on what they do

    B．helps people start business

    C．gives advice to people about the law   

    D．settles arguments between businesses or companies 

69．The underlined word “assets”(in paragraph 2)most probably means         ．

    A．houses           B．family             C．identity     D．possessions

70．According to the passage，which of the following is TRUE?

    A．The author visits the place where his subject used to live in order to find out why he is dishonest．

    B．It’s human nature to share some trouble with others

    C．The author usually tracks someone’s bank card first if he wants to find out where the man is staying．

    D．The lorry supplier moved his asset’s to his son in order to prevent paying back the money he owed．

71．We may infer from the text that the subcontractor might        

    A．bring charges against the lorry supplier’s son

    B．give up hope of settling the debt

    C．get his money back

    D．sell the big house in Bulgaria

When high school started, Becky and I became best friends. We   36  many interests and quickly became inseparable. When high school ended, we both cried   37  we would attend different colleges.
Our first term of university life was   38 . Our telephone bill and e-mails were incredibly long. In the second term I found some new friends with whom I felt very   39 and I could   40  out my feelings. I was eager to share my new friends with Becky.
When Becky finally visited me at my school, we were excited. __41__, something unexpected happened when I   42  her to my new friends. Her eyes grew dark and I could see the   43  within them. My new friends tried to share their friendship, but Becky seemed   44  to accept it. I didn’t understand   45  the people I love most couldn’t love each other.
Becky   46 . I knew she was not happy. I thought long about __47__ happened. At last, I found the answer. Becky saw me with my new friends and   48  that we no longer shared the same experiences. She saw all the fun I was having   49  her and wished she could a part of it.
I wrote a letter to Becky   50  she’s always my best friend. I told her everyone had many friends, who were indeed life’s greatest   51 . Becky wrote me back soon. She was in   52  and felt sorry about what she had done.
I think Becky and I both learn an important lesson from it.   53  can influence our friendship and change the experiences we’ve shared. We are now walking on two different paths of   54 . While new friends are special and exciting, old friends are always there,   55  to share their heart and soul, no matter how far apart.

Think back to this time last year. What was on your mind?

Most likely, you were thinking about finals or the holidays, although in this city I’ve noticed that thinking about the holiday is a fancy way of saying how much stuff will I get.

Now reflect on your thoughts for this holiday season. Most people are still thinking about the holidays, but I say that with a grain of salt. Everybody with a functioning brain and the ability to communicate knows that this holioday season comes with a pretty large price tag: the debt of all the hardships, both domestic and foreign, that we’ve faced over the past 12months.

Let’s face it: some of us will get everything we want over the holidays. But there are others whose parents have lost their jobs or who have lost jobs themselves because of the current economic situation. As much as we try to ignore it, there is still economic unrest in the blue and gold suburb.

In this situation, we have three options. One: We ignore the situation, like we seem to do for every bad thing that happens around us, because by God, it’s the American Way! Two: We recognize that our economy is shot, feel bad about it and spend our time wishing for the good old days. Three: We recognize that our economy is shot, but instead of moping, reflect on every good thing that we have going for us. Now, which option sounds best to you?

I spent a week this summer working in and around New York City with the city’s homeless population. Or so I thought. Although a lot of the people I served were in fact homeless, a significant number of them had a job or a home or both. The truth of the importance of this situation is that they and thousands of others across the country can’t afford even the most basic things of life, even while working two jobs. Yet no one that I met complained about their hardships. Instead, they took whatever I happened to give them(which was, more often than enough, not enough) and were genuinely grateful for what they had.

Wrap your heads around that statement for a second. These people worked their butts off to stay alive with minimal results, yet were overjoyed by a flimsy(脆弱的) paper plate with donated green beans on it. Although I am ashamed to admit it( both as a girthy figure and an affluent citizen), I have taken for granted most of my meals, let alone green beans, and I know for a fact that I am not alone.

64. According to the passage when people think about holidays they care much for ____.

A. where to spend their holidays             B. how to spend their holidays 

C. what they can get for their holidays        D. who they should go to visit

65. When the author wrote the article, the economic situation in his country ____.

A. began to go bad.   B. began to improve   C. was still serious   D. was favorable for middle class.

66. The author wrote the article mainly to advise people____.

A.to be thankful in time of hardship.    B. to spend their holidays in a wise way

C. to think little about their holidays     D. to help the country to sail through the crisis

67. It can be inferred from the passage that the writer is most probably ______.

A. a homeless child    B. an old professor   C. a famous scientist  D. a young student

Many people influenced various aspects of my life, based on their personal characteristics, accomplishments, and values. I have been fortunate to have had numerous teachers and professors who I respect for their patience and intelligent. There are artists that have inspired me by their natural talents and original creativity. I value many political leaders, who have inspired me by their contributions to society, and their ability to change our futures. But of all the people I have known in my life, the person I admire most is my father.

         As the youngest girl in my family, I always considered myself to be “Daddy’s little girl”. While I grew up, it always made me sad to see so many of my friends and neighbors without a father or father-like figure around. This helped me appreciate how my father always takes an interest in his children’s lives. In every aspect of my life my father continuously pushes me to excel, so I could accomplish my work outstandingly among my people. Whenever I feel like giving up, or have a question or a concern, I know I can always call on him for advice. From him I have also learned that sometimes you have to put others’ needs ahead of your own, but you should make sure you are not taken advantage of by others. His strength seems to be unbreakable during hard times, and he is extremely determined to accomplish anything he sets his mind on, no matter how tiny it is. I highly respect him for how he stands up for what he believes in, and will never back down. I have always admired his open mind, compassion for people, and sense of understanding. He is a very reserved man, but to everybody’s surprise, he has a great sense of humor, and always knows how to put a smile on the faces of his wife, his children and his friends.

         Living in his affection and instruction, I am very proud of my father. He also professes how proud he is of his children, and is still there to support us in whatever we are involved in.

1. What is the best title for the passage?

A. How my father loved me

B. My father—the one who influenced me most

C. I am the apple on my father’s palm

D. My father—the person I admire most

2. Which of the following could not be used to describe the author’s father?

A. Knowledgeable and sociable

B. Affectionate and open-minded

C. Considerate and humorous

D. Energetic and helpful

3.Which of the following can best explain the underlined word “excel”?

A. Be cleverer than others.                                B. Show off.

C. Do better than others.                                                 D. Keep healthy

4.According to the underlined part, the father was telling the author to ___________.

A. try to be good to those who were worth making friends with

B. think about others and help them, but not to be made use of in a negative way

C. think about others and help them, so that she could make them serve her

D. try to take advantage of those who were friendly to her

5.What can we infer about the author?

A. She had sympathy for the fatherless.

B. She considered her father humorous and was often made to laugh by him.

C. She appreciated her father because he solved all the problems for her.

D. She was outstanding in work because her father pushed her hard