For the 17 years my life was very happy. Then the first sad thing happened. My mother became very ill. Just before she died, she asked Elizabeth and me to go to her room. She said, “Victor and Elizabeth, I’m very happy because you love each other, and because one day you’ll get married. Everyone in the family loves you, Elizabeth. Will you take my place in the family, my dear? I can die happy if you look after them when I have gone.”

My mother died and we were very sad, because we loved her so much. Elizabeth was brave and helped us; her sweet smile gave us some happiness in the unhappy days after my mother’s death. The time came for me to go to university(大学). I didn’t want to leave my sad family, but we all knew that I should go. It was hard to leave, too, because the parents of my good friend Henry would not let him go to university with me. So I had gone alone.

On my first day at university I met Professor Waldman. He gave a wonderful talk to all the students. He ended his talk by saying, “Some of you will become the greatest scientists of tomorrow. You must study hard and discover everything that you can.”

After the professor’s talk, I thought very carefully. I remembered the storm when I was 15; I remembered how the lightning had destroyed the tree. From then on, I wanted to use electricity to help people, and I wanted to discover the secrets of life. I decided to work on these two things.

I started to work the next day. I worked very hard and soon Professor Waldman and I realized that I could learn to be a very good scientist.

The professor and other important scientists helped me. I was interested in my work and I did not take one day’s holiday during the next two years. After two years, I had discovered many things and I built a scientific machine that was the best in the university. My machine would help me answer the most important question of all. How does life begin? Is it possible to put life into dead things? To answer these questions about life I had to learn first about death. I had to watch bodies from the moment when they died and the warm life left them. In the hospital and in the university, I watched the dying and the dead. Day after day, month after month, I followed death, so it was a dark and terrible time.

I built a tall mast(桅杆)about 150 metres high, which is higher than the tallest building in the city, to catch lightning and send the electricity down to my machine in the lab. I believed I could use that electricity to give life to things that were dead.

Then one day, the answer came to me. Suddenly I was sure that I knew the secret of life.

1.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．Elizabeth married shortly after Victor’s mother died.

B．Elizabeth was a brave girl who loved Victor and gave him much help.

C．Victor’s mother was very angry when she knew he loved Elizabeth.

D．Victor did not want to leave his family because his mother died not long before.

2.Victor did all the following during his research in the university EXCEPT that ______.

A．he discovered many things and built a scientific machine

B．he learnt much about death both in the hospital and in the university

C．he worked hard and took only one day’s holiday during the next two years

D．he built a tall mast to catch lightning and send the electricity down to the lab

3.According to the writer, the secret of life is to _______.

A．give life to things that were dead

B．build the best machine to learn about death

C．use electricity to help others

D．become the greatest scientist of tomorrow

4.Which is the correct order about the life of Victor?

① Victor’s mother passed away.

② Victor got help from the professor and other scientists.

③ Victor went to university and attended the professor’s talk.

④ Victor found the answer to giving life to things that were dead.

⑤ Victor experienced a storm, seeing the lightning destroying the tree.

A．①②③④⑤                           B．⑤①②④③

C．①③②⑤④                           D．⑤①③②④

 

根据短文内容及首字母提示完成短文。（每空一词）

In the morning, Mr. Martin comes i   1  his garden. He sees too m  2  snow(雪) in the garden. Mr Martin wants to t  3 his car out, s  4  he asks a cleaner(清洁工) to clean the road from his garage(车库) to the gate. He s  5  to the cleaner, “Don’t put any snow on the f  6  or on the wall. And don’t put any into the street, or(否则) the p   7  will come.” T   8  he goes out. When(当) he comes back, the road is clean. There is no snow on the flowers, on the wall or in the street. But when he o   9   the garage to get his car out, he sees it is full of snow, the snow from the road, and his car is u  10  the snow!

 

Mrs. Black was a famous musician a few years ago. She   1  music at a school and her students did well in their lessons. They liked her very much. Now the old woman stays at home with her husband. The old man looks after his wife well and she   2  worries about anything. And she is very  3 .

Just like some old people, Mrs. Black finds that her memory(记忆) is falling. Sometimes she   4  what she did or will do. It often gets her in trouble. Her   5  noticed（注意到） it and asked her to see a famous doctor. He bought two tickets   6  London and told her he put  7  into her handbag while she was playing the piano. The next morning, they got to the  8  just on time to catch the plane. Mrs. Black said,“I wish we had the   9  with us.”

“Don’t be a fool, dear!”said Mr. Black,“We are not going to a concert, but to see a  10 .”

“I know，”she said，“but I left the tickets on it!”

1.                A．loved          B．taught          C．enjoyed D．studied

 

2.                A．always         B．often           C．never    D．sometimes

 

3.                A．sorry          B．worried         C．sad  D．happy

 

4.                A．forget          B．remember      C．forgets   D．remembers

 

5.                A．husband        B．daughter        C．son  D．student

 

6.                A．to             B．in             C．from D．of

 

7.                A．it             B．them           C．this  D．that

 

8.                A．airport         B．bus stop        C．station   D．hospital

 

9.                A．money         B．music          C．tickets    D．piano

 

10.A.doctor       B.film         C.play

 

Some students, parents and teachers in Shanghai were surveyed last month. According to the result of the survey, the generation gap(代沟) between students and parents as well as teachers is becoming wider. Here is what they said.
Voice of the students:
“Our parents hold too high expectations which put us under lots of pressure. They care too much about our lives and studies,” one student said.
“It’s impolite that some students’ parents read their children’s diaries without permission!” one student said angrily.
“Some of our teachers are so serious that we can’t make friends with them at all,” another student said sadly.
Voice of the parents:
One mother said, “After school, my daughter usually locks herself into her room and spends lots of time talking with others on the phone. And I can’t stand her clothes and hairstyle!”
“I thought my son was doing very well in his studies. I didn’t realize I was being cheated by him until I got a call from his teacher,” said a father.
Voice of the teachers:
An English teacher said, “Today, the role of the teacher is to put knowledge into students’ brains. The power of teachers has kept students away from them.”
“Some parents pay too much attention to their children’s grades instead of creating a lively and colorful environment at home,” another teacher said.
“In the past, teachers and students often played games together or talked with each other. Today, only studies and grades are talked about,” said a teacher. “A school should be a place where students can learn not only knowledge, but also how to face failure and frustration bravely enough.
【小题1】What can we know from the students’ voice?

A．They hope to be free don’t want their parents to be very strict.

B．The higher expectations their parents hold, the better they will do.

C．Teachers like making friends with students now.

D．A warm and happy family isn’t expected.

【小题2】The underlined word “expectations” in the passage means “­­­­___________” in Chinese.

A．表扬

B．期望

C．梦想

D．责任

【小题3】What can we infer from the teachers who were surveyed?

A．Teachers feel what they are doing for students is good.

B．Parents, teachers and educational rules all influence students greatly.

C．Now teachers and students communicate better than before.

D．Teachers should care more about excellent students.

【小题4】Which of the following could be the best title for the passage?

A．Unhappy teenagers	B．Serious parents
C．Educational rules	D．The generation gap