Dear Laura,

I just heard you tell an old story of gift giving and unselfish love in your program. You doubted that such unselfish love would happen in today’s world. Well, I’m here to give you  1   .

I wanted to do something very   2   for my fifteen – year – old son, who has always been the perfect child. He   3   all summer to earn enough money to buy a used motorcycle. Then, he spent hours and hours on it until it looked almost new. I was so   4   of him that I bought him the shiniest helmet and a riding outfit.

I could   5   wait for him to open up his gift. In fact, I barely slept the night before. Upon awakening，I went to the kitchen to start the coffee, tea, and morning goodies. In the living room was a beautiful keyboard with a   6  : “To my wonderful mother, all my love, your son.”

I was so surprised. It had been a long – standing joke in our family that I wanted a piano so that I could take lessons. “Learn to play the piano, and I’ll get you one” was my husband’s response.

I stood there shocked, crying a river, asking myself how my son could   7   this expensive gift.

Of course, the house awoke, and my son was excited with my reaction. Many kisses were   8  , and I immediately wanted him to open my gift.

As he saw the helmet and outfit, the look on his face was not exactly what I was expecting. Then I   9   that he had sold the motorcycle to get me the keyboard.

Of course I was the proudest mother  10  on that day, and my feet never hit the ground for a month.

So I wanted you to know, that kind of love still   11    and lives even in the ever – changing world of me, me, me!

I thought you’d love to   12   this story.

Yours,

                Hilary

P.S. The next day, my husband and I bought him a new “used” already shiny motorcycle.

1．A．hope                     B．advice                 C．support               D．courage

2．A．polite                    B．similar                 C．special                D．private

3．A．played                  B．studied                C．traveled               D．worked

4．A．sure                      B．fond                    C．proud                  D．confident

5．A．perhaps                 B．really                   C．almost                 D．hardly

6．A．note                      B．notice                  C．word                  D．sign

7．A．present                 B．afford                 C．find                    D．order

8．A．exchanged             B．experienced         C．expected             D．exhibited

9．A．realized                 B．remembered         C．imagined             D．supposed

10．A．only              B．still           C．ever              D．even

11．A．works                 B．exists                  C．matters               D．counts

12．A．send                  B．publish          C．share           D．write

From age eight to eleven, I attended a small school in Bath, England. It was a small school of four classes with about twenty-five children in each class according to age. For the most part, one teacher had to teach all subjects to the children in the class. However, sometimes the headmaster, Mr. Ronald Broaches, would come in and spend an hour or so, teaching some subjects in which he was especially interested. He was a large man with a very happy nature. He had a sense of humor and would delight in telling the children small stories that would make us laugh. He was a very fair man and had a great influence on many of the children. In my own case, I found that he took great interest in me and he quickly found that I enjoyed puzzles. He would often stop me as I was going to class and take a piece of paper out of his pocket, often with a puzzle already on it. The puzzles were usually mathematical or logical. As time went on, they slowly got more difficult, but I loved them. Not only that, they made me interested in math and problem solving that stays with me to this day. They also served to show me that intellectual activity was rewarding when the correct answers were found, but perhaps more importantly it was great fun. To this day, I can remember Mr. Broaches' cheerful cry of "Well done!" whenever I got a problem right. The simple communication with a man whom I loved greatly has had a deep influence on my life. I shall forever be thankful that our paths crossed. Mr. Broaches died just two weeks after I had won the 1993 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Unluckily, I had no chance to speak to him before he died. I learnt later that he had heard of my success and I will always hope that he knew the deep influence he had made on my life.

                                                        By Richard J. Roberts

54. From the passages, we can learn that ________.

   A. the puzzles made the students laugh

   B. the students were afraid of the headmaster

   C. the puzzles made Richard enjoy math

   D. the headmaster never taught in the school

55. The writer felt sorry because ________.

   A. Mr. Broaches had passed away before he won the Nobel Prize

   B. he didn't express his thanks before Mr. Broaches died

   C. he couldn't find Mr. Broaches after he grew up

   D. Mr. Broaches didn't know his success

56. What is the best title for the passages?

   A. The Story of Mr. Broaches

   B. The Story of Richard J. Roberts

   C. My Early School Life

   D. An Important Teacher in My Life

You know what it' s like. You’ ve just arrived in Washington D. C. after a long journey and all you really want to do is lie down and relax in your hotel room. But first you have to make a few quick notes for tomorrow's meeting, check your e-mails, and perhaps print out a few- things. And you need to make a few local telephone calls, and one call to your family.
And what do you usually get? Your desk is just about big enough for a cup of coffee, and there's no desk lamp~ the stationary(办公用品) is only several pieces of paper and the only pen there doesn't work at all. If you want to print something, you have to go to the Reception(前台),and when you try to use your cell phone, you find that it won't work in the U. S. A.
Well, Harmony Hotel is different. Just tell us ahead of time what you're going to need, and we'll make sure that it's waiting for you when you arrive. There will be a printer in your room if you want one, and a cell phone that really works. All you have to pay for is the calls you make.
We can also provide a room for business meetings, even a secretary to take notes. All we ask is a few days' notice.
All of our rooms are of the same high standard and we promise not to increase prices in the next twelve months. But book now, because many people are already calling to book rooms, and we'd hate to disappoint you.
Harmony--the hotel you've always wanted, but never been able to find before.
【小题1】The advertisement is probably written for