I was blind, but I was ashamed of it if it was known. I refused to use a white stick and  36  asking for help. After all, I was a teenage girl, and I couldn’t bear people to look at me and think I was not  37  them. I must have been a terrible danger on the roads. Coming across me wandering through the traffic, motorists probably would have to step  38  on their brakes. Apart from that, there were all sorts of disasters that used to occur on the way to and from work.
One evening, I got off the bus about halfway home where I had to change buses, and as usual I  39  something. “I’m awfully sorry,” I said and stepped forward only to run into it again. When it happened a third time, I realized I had been  40  to a lamppost. This was just one of the  41  things that constantly happened to me. So I carried on and found the bus stop, which was a request stop, where the bus wouldn’t stop  42  passengers wanted to get on or off. No one else was there and I had to try to guess if the bus had arrived.
Generally in this situation, because I hated  43   I was blind by asking for help, I tried to guess at the sound. Sometimes I would  44  a big lorry and stand there feeling stupid as it drew away. In the end, I usually managed to  45  my pride and ask someone at the stop for help.
 46  on this particular evening no one joined me at the stop; it seemed that everyone had suddenly decided not to travel by bus. Of course I heard plenty of buses pass, or I thought I did. But because I had given up stopping them  47  making a fool of myself. I let them all go by. I stood there alone for half an hour without stopping one. Then I gave up. I decided to walk on to the next stop.

Without any hesitation, he said, “I’d be better off dead.” Hearing those words come out of my best friend’s mouth tore my heart apart. He has repeated that phrase more than once, and my mind continually plays it over like a voice recording.
I met my best friend about three years ago. After knowing me for six months, he told me about his struggles with depression. Sadness was not the only emotion that came over me; I was shocked. He seemed so outgoing and happy all the time. I soon learnt that he was physically and emotionally abused as a young child, causing him to have suicidal (自杀的) thoughts.
He refuses to talk to others about his depression because he now distrusts adults, especially those in his family. In spite of this, he feels as if I understand him and that I know the right words to say. Thus, when it comes to helping him, convenience is not in my vocabulary. It doesn’t matter where I am or what I am doing, for he takes priority. Sometimes he just needs the assurance of my voice telling him that everything is going to be okay and that I will not let him down.
Many students at his school laugh at him when they notice the scars on his arms from cutting. It seems that other kids have every right to make fun of him and to look down on him. But no one holds such a right, so I encourage him to ignore the heartless kids who treat him badly. When he feels the weight of judging eyes or hateful voices, I always remind him that I care about him unconditionally. Just hearing me say I will always be his best friend seems to give him the security he needs to keep on going.
My best friend once told me that if he hadn’t had me, he wouldn’t be alive. He said that my encouraging words convinced him not to take his life. Our friendship has taught me that a single word can impact on someone’s life. With the fragility of life as it is, I believe in the necessity of encouragement.
【小题1】The author’s friend got into depression mainly because _____ .

Without any hesitation, he said, “I’d be better off dead.” Hearing those words come out of my best friend’s mouth tore my heart apart. He has repeated that phrase more than once, and my mind continually plays it over like a voice recording.

I met my best friend about three years ago. After knowing me for six months, he told me about his struggles with depression. Sadness was not the only emotion that came over me; I was shocked. He seemed so outgoing and happy all the time. I soon learnt that he was physically and emotionally abused as a young child, causing him to have suicidal (自杀的) thoughts.

He refuses to talk to others about his depression because he now distrusts adults, especially those in his family. In spite of this, he feels as if I understand him and that I know the right words to say. Thus, when it comes to helping him, convenience is not in my vocabulary. It doesn’t matter where I am or what I am doing, for he takes priority. Sometimes he just needs the assurance of my voice telling him that everything is going to be okay and that I will not let him down.

Many students at his school laugh at him when they notice the scars on his arms from cutting. It seems that other kids have every right to make fun of him and to look down on him. But no one holds such a right, so I encourage him to ignore the heartless kids who treat him badly. When he feels the weight of judging eyes or hateful voices, I always remind him that I care about him unconditionally. Just hearing me say I will always be his best friend seems to give him the security he needs to keep on going.

My best friend once told me that if he hadn’t had me, he wouldn’t be alive. He said that my encouraging words convinced him not to take his life. Our friendship has taught me that a single word can impact on someone’s life. With the fragility of life as it is, I believe in the necessity of encouragement.

1.The author’s friend got into depression mainly because _____ .

2.We know from the passage that the author’s friend_____.

3.What is the best title for the passage?

Without any hesitation, he said, “I’d be better off dead.” Hearing those words come out of my best friend’s mouth tore my heart apart. He has repeated that phrase more than once, and my mind continually plays it over like a voice recording.
I met my best friend about three years ago. After knowing me for six months, he told me about his struggles with depression. Sadness was not the only emotion that came over me; I was shocked. He seemed so outgoing and happy all the time. I soon learnt that he was physically and emotionally abused as a young child, causing him to have suicidal (自杀的) thoughts.
He refuses to talk to others about his depression because he now distrusts adults, especially those in his family. In spite of this, he feels as if I understand him and that I know the right words to say. Thus, when it comes to helping him, convenience is not in my vocabulary. It doesn’t matter where I am or what I am doing, for he takes priority. Sometimes he just needs the assurance of my voice telling him that everything is going to be okay and that I will not let him down.
Many students at his school laugh at him when they notice the scars on his arms from cutting. It seems that other kids have every right to make fun of him and to look down on him. But no one holds such a right, so I encourage him to ignore the heartless kids who treat him badly. When he feels the weight of judging eyes or hateful voices, I always remind him that I care about him unconditionally. Just hearing me say I will always be his best friend seems to give him the security he needs to keep on going.
My best friend once told me that if he hadn’t had me, he wouldn’t be alive. He said that my encouraging words convinced him not to take his life. Our friendship has taught me that a single word can impact on someone’s life. With the fragility of life as it is, I believe in the necessity of encouragement.

1. 1.

   The author’s friend got into depression mainly because _____ .

   1. A.
      he lived without his parents
   2. B.
      he had poor health
   3. C.
      he received little care at school
   4. D.
      he had a bitter childhood
2. 2.

   We know from the passage that the author’s friend_____.

   1. A.
      was better off three years ago
   2. B.
      thought little of others’ judging eyes
   3. C.
      appreciates the author’s help
   4. D.
      wants to communicate with his parents
3. 3.

   What is the best title for the passage?

   1. A.
      I believe in encouragement.
   2. B.
      I enjoy friendship.
   3. C.
      My friend and I.
   4. D.
      The story of my friend.

完形填空（共20小题；每小题1分，满分20分）

My grandmother became a widow in 1970. Shortly after that, we went to the  21  shelter to pick out a dog to keep her  22  . Grandma decided on a little dog with a reddish-brown spot above each eye.  23  these spots, the dog was named Penny.

Grandma and Penny quickly became very  24  to each other, but that attachment grew much stronger about three years later  25  Grandma had a stroke（中风）. Grandma could no longer  26  , so when she came home from the hospital, she and Penny were  27  companions.

After her stroke, it became a real  28  for Grandma to let Penny in and out because  29  was at the bottom of a flight of stairs. So a mechanism（机械装置）using a rope and pulley（滑轮）was   30  from the door to a handle at the top of the stairs. Grandma just had to pull the handle to open and close the door. If the store was   31  Penny’s favorite dog food, Grandma would make one of us  32  Penny browned beef with potatoes in it. I can remember   33  my grandmother by saying that she loved that dog better than she loved her family.

As the years passed, it was not  34  for Grandma and Penny to separate each other. If Grandma went to take her nap（打盹）, Penny stayed by her side until she  35  . As Penny aged, she could no longer jump up on the bed, so she   36  on the rug （垫子）beside the bed. If Grandma went into the   37  , Penny would walk along beside her, wait outside the door and accompany her   38  to the bed or chair. Grandma never went anywhere without her   39  companion by her side.

The time came when both my grandmother’s and Penny’s   40  were failing fast. After fifteen years of loving companionship, Grandma and Penny passed away within a few hours of each other.

1.A．animal           B．toy            C．fish           D．bird

2.A．business         B．firm           C．company        D．friend

3.A．In spite of      B．Because of     C．Instead of     D．In front of

4.A．linked           B．fastened       C．attached       D．tied

5.A．before           B．while          C．until          D．when

6.A．think            B．speak          C．work           D．study

7.A．contrary         B．content        C．confident      D．constant

8.A．problem          B．question       C．practice       D．rule

9.A．the door         B．Grandma        C．the window     D．Penny

10.A．repaired        B．fixed          C．bought         D．loaded

11.A．  out of        B．ahead of       C．away from      D．apart from

12.A．show            B．hand           C．borrow         D．cook

13.A．drawing attention to              B．making use of 

    C．breaking away from               D．making fun of

14.A．necessary       B．possible       C．important      D．convenient

15.A．recovered       B．awoke          C．slept          D．screamed

16.A．rolled          B．stood          C．waited         D．lay

17.A．reading room    B．bedroom        C．shop           D．bathroom

18.A．back            B．up             C．off            D．down

19.A．splendid        B．remote         C．faithful       D．legal

20.A．smell           B．health         C．habit          D．living