Two weeks before Christmas，Mother told me we were going to my grandmother's house for the holiday.Grandma and Uncle Henry lived on a farm some 15 miles out of town.They had no electricity or running water and__1__what I considered the “good things” in life.They__2__made no plans for Christmas.When Christmas Eve arrived，Mom told me in her “I-mean-it” voice to__3__all the decorations(装饰物)from our tree.She packed those up，__4__all the trimmings(配料)for a __5__turkey dinner.

Christmas morning__6__perfectly，with the sun shining brightly across a fresh blanket of snow.__7__I sulked(生气)silently in the backseat of the car as we made our__8__to grandma's.This was going to be the __9__Christmas ever!

Grandma was__10__to see us as we walked up to her door.“What on earth are you doing here？”she stammered.“We weren't expecting__11__.It's Christmas，and I don't even have a turkey to cook for you.”“I knew__12__.”Mom said as we set boxes of goodies on the kitchen table.“That's__13__we brought one with us.”“We__14__have a tree，”Mom insisted.“__15__，what will we do with all these decorations？”

Uncle Henry quickly caught Mom's spirit.He called me to join him，and we found a perfect Christmas tree in the woods.Soon the house __16__fresh and piney as we decorated the tree，and the day__17__a festive air.The turkey dinner was very good，too.I was actually beginning to enjoy this unusual Christmas day!

Dessert was forgotten__18__Mom came out with the final surprise—a flaming(燃烧的)pudding! “Merry Christmas，Mother，”Mom said.“Dear me！” Grandma gasped.“I haven't seen a flaming pudding since I left England before I was married.”Tears of__19__filled her eyes.

I could not keep the tears__20__my eyes，either.I knew then that Mom had also given me the best Christmas present ever—she had taught me what a beautiful thing it is to give.

1．A.prepared 　 B．lacked C．refused D．desired

2．A.also 　 B．still C．never 　 D．hardly

3．A.replace 　　 B．collect C．remove D．show

4．A.instead of B．by the side of C．along with 　 D．in spite of

5．A.normal 　　 B．complete C．fresh 　　 D．separate

6．A.dawned 　　 B．passed C．broke 　 D．happened

7．A.But 　 B．So C．And 　　 D．Then

8．A.decision 　　 B．way C．wish 　　 D．plan

9．A.last 　 B．busiest C．best 　　 D．worst

10．A.expected B．eager C．surprised 　　 D．ready

11．A.anyone 　　 B．others C．someone 　　 D．no one

12．A.you B．it C．that 　　　 D．this

13．A.how B．why C．where 　 D．when

14．A.may B．will C．can 　　　 D．must

15．A.Meanwhile 　　 B．ThereforeC．However 　　 D．Otherwise

16．A.improved B．smelled C．became D．changed

17．A.showed up 　　 B．carried on

18．A.until B．after C．because D．unless

19．A.sadness 　 B．joy C．regret 　 D．worry

20．A.inside 　　 B．back C．into 　　　 D．from

No satisfactory way exists to explain how to form a good idea. You think about a problem until you're tired, forget it, maybe sleep on it, and then flash! When you aren't thinking about it, suddenly the answer arrives as a gift from the gods.
Of course, all ideas don't occur like that but so many do, particularly the most important ones. They burst into the mind, glowing with the heat of creation. How they do it is a mystery but they must come from somewhere. Let's assume they come from the "unconscious." This is reasonable, for psychologists use this term to describe mental processes which are unknown to the individual. Creative thought depends on what was unknown becoming known.
All of us have experienced this sudden arrival of a new idea, but it is easiest to examine it in the great creative personalities, many of whom experienced it in an intensified form and have written it down in their life stories and letters. One can draw examples from genius in any field, from religion, philosophy, and literature to art and music, even in mathematics, science, and technical invention, although these are often thought to depend only on logic and experiment. All truly creative activities depend in some degree on these signals from the unconscious, and the more highly insightful the person is, the sharper and more dramatic the signals become.
A type of creative experience is illustrated by the dreams which came to Descartes at the age of twenty-three and determined his life path. Descartes had unsuccessfully searched for certainty, first in the world of books, and then in the world of men. Then in a dream on November 10, 1619, he made the significant discovery that he could only find certainty in his own thoughts, cogito ergo sum ("I think; therefore, I exist"). This dream filled him with intense religious enthusiasm.
Descartes' experience is representative of countless others in every field of culture. The unconscious is certainly the source of instinctive activity. But in creative thought the unconscious is responsible for the production of new organized forms from relatively disorganized elements.
【小题1】Good ideas come from ________according to the writer.

D

Three Central Texas men were honored with the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Director’s Award in a Tuesday morning ceremony for their heroism in saving the victims of a fiery two-car accident.

The accident occurred on March 25 when a vehicle lost control while traveling on a rain-soaked State Highway 6 near Baylor Camp Road. It ran into an oncoming vehicle, leaving the passengers trapped inside as both vehicles burst into flames.

Bonge was the first on the scene and heard children screaming. He broke through a back window and pulled Mallory Smith, 10, and her sister, Megan Smith, 9, from the wreckage.

The girls’ mother, Beckie Smith, was not with them at the time of the wreck, as they were traveling with their baby sitter, Lisa Bowbin.

Beckie Smith still remembers the sickening feeling she had upon receiving the call informing her of the wreck and the despair as she drove to the scene.

Bozeman and Clemmons arrived shortly after Bonge and helped rescue the other victims and attempted to put out the fires.

“I was nervous,” Bozeman said. “I don’t feel like I’m a hero. I was just doing what anyone should do in that situation. I hope someone would do the same for me.”

Everyone at the accident made it out alive, with the victims suffering from nonlife-threatening injuries. Mallory Smith broke both femurs(股骨), and Megan had neck and back injuries. Bowbin is still recovering from a broken pelvis(骨盆), ankle and foot.

The rescuers also were taken to the hospital and treated for cuts and smoke breathing, Bonge said.

In addition, Bozeman got to meet accident victim Anthony Russo in the hospital after the accident, where Russo presented him with a glass frame inscribed(刻;雕 )with “Thank you,” Bozeman said. Those involved in that fateful encounter on Highway 6 credited God blessing for bringing them together.

“Whatever the circumstances, Tuesday’s ceremony provided a time to be grateful for those who put their lives on the line for the lives of complete strangers,” Beckie Smith said, “We’re calling it The Miracle on Highway 6.”

53. What’s the main idea of the passage?

A. Three persons were awarded for rescuing victims in a car accident.

B. Three ordinary people were regarded as great heroes.

C. Several victims were carried to safety from the burning cars.

D. A car accident occurred on a rain-soaked State Highway 6.

54. Who saved Megan Smith from the damaged car?

A. Clemmons.           B. Anthony Russo.          C. Bozeman.      D. Bonge.

55. Which of the following can be used to describe Bozeman?

A. Kind.                  B. Modest.                           C. Excited.       D. Smart.

56. It can be inferred from what Beckie Smith said that _______.

A. she regarded the accident as a wonder

B. she was frightened by the serious accident

C. she thought highly of the rescuers

D. she called on others to learn from the rescuers

One day，while I was walking to work，I decided to bring some flowers that I had picked from my garden that morning.On the way，I ____ a stranger and presented the bunch to him with a smile card.____ by the sense of joy I felt from giving flowers to another person，and may be ____ his day，I wanted to do it again.

When I got to my office，I had the ____ of anonymously(匿名) leaving flowers around the workplace.The impersonal(无人情味的) ___ of the building where I work makes me ____.It just feels a little boring sometimes，____ it’s a nice building with great light.I __8__ lots of people might feel the same way，so why not put a little ___ there，and throw in an inspirational quote while I’m at it？____，who doesn’t like flowers?

So，for the past month，I’ve been ____ flowers in a little cup on the sink in the bathroom.Each week，I ____ the flowers and the quote.It always feels ____ for me to read quotes like Henry David Thoreau’s “If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams，he will meet with a ____ unexpected in common hours.” and Gandhi’s “The fragrance(香味) always ____ on the hand that gives the rose.” If anything，I figured，it at least makes me ____ each time I visit the bathroom.

Then today，when I walked in，I noticed ____ flowers in the cup，and a quote that someone else had written！It ____，“Be the change you wish to see in the world.”—Gandhi.

This little act ____ me that，at the end of the day，we’re all just people with hearts ____ the various roles and different hats we may wear in the workplace.

I did a little dance and I am smiling wide for the rest of the day!

1.A.picked out? B．came across

C．called up? D．pointed at

2.A.Struck? B．Informed

C．Surprised? D．Honoured

3.A.calming? B．determining

C．reflecting? D．brightening

4.A.belief? B．way

C．idea? D．aim

5.A.design? B．atmosphere

C．decoration? D．regulation

6.A.uncomfortable? B．impolite

C．impatient? D．unconscious

7.A.when? B．unless

C．because? D．though

8.A.concluded? B．considered

C．doubted? D．expected

9.A.mystery? B．adventure

C．beauty? D．courage

10.A.More or less? B．After all

C．At most? D．In no case

11.A.growing? B．watering

C．putting? D．arranging

12.A.count? B．check? C．clean? D．change

13.A.refreshing? B．interesting

C．satisfying? D．puzzling

14.A.prize? B．truth

C．success? D．miracle

15.A.holds B．attaches

C．remains? D．focuses

16.A.strong? B．happy

C．excited D．shocked

17.A.good? B．new? C．small? D．special

18.A.printed? B．asked

C．replied? D．said

19.A.introduces? B．warns

C．suggests? D．reminds

20.A.regardless of? B．in terms of

C．in addition to D．instead of

Why People Get Tattoos

Jack lay, quiet and unmoving, for thirty minutes while a stranger repeatedly stabbed （刺） him with sharp needles, causing blood to pour steadily out of his leg．Jack was getting a tattoo．His friend Tony had recently gotten a tattoo, and Jack was so impressed by it that he decided to get one too．Peer pressure, media influence, and personal expression are some of the common reasons for wearing tattoos today．

       The desire to be accepted by one’s friends or peers can have a great influence on what a person does．Sometimes, wearing a tattoo can be a sign that you belong to a certain group．Gangs often use special clothes and tattoos to identify their particular group．Some of these groups wear only brand – name clothes．Others wear tattoos．When a person’s friends are all doing something, that person is more likely to do the same thing．

       The media is another big influence behind the popularity of tattoos in North America．A wide variety of media images show tattoos－people appearing in commercials selling expensive cars, famous sports heroes with tattoos in magazines, fashion models wearing designer clothes that show their bodies tattooed with detailed and colorful patterns．These media images link tattoos to ideas of wealth, success, and status．As a result, many people decide to get a tattoo for its fashion and status value．

       Many people decide to wear tattoos in order to express their artistic nature, their beliefs, or their feelings－in other words, to show their individuality（个性）．A musician in a rock band may get a tattoo of a guitar on the arm．Some environmentalists may tattoo pictures of endangered animals on their shoulders．A tattoo can be a public sign to show what is important in a person's life．

       As you can see, there are many reasons why young North Americans get tattoos．A tattoo can be part of a group's uniform, a sign of fashion, or an expression of individuality．The decision to get a tattoo is most often a result of the influence of friends or media or the desire to express oneself．For Jack, it was a mixture of all three．

Jack has got tattoos in order to           ．

       A．show his great bravery         B．gain a special experience

       C．make himself more healthy     D．be different from others

According to the passage, media images are linked to         ．

       A．traditional lifestyle  B．social position

       C．cultural background D．public interest

We can infer from the passage that          ．

       A．some people get tattoos out of pressure  B．tattoo is related to religious belief

       C．getting tattoos costs a lot of money D．most people with tattoos are artists

Which of the following shows the structure of the passage?

CP: Central Point     P: Point      SP: Sub-Point     C: Conclusion