I began working in journalism(新闻工作) when I was eight. It was my mother’s idea. She wanted me to “make something” of myself, and decided I had better start young if I was to have any chance of keeping up with the competition.
    With my load of magazines I headed toward Belleville Avenue. The crowds were there. There were two gas stations on the corner of Belleville and Union. For several hours I made myself highly visible, making sure everyone could see me and the heavy black letters on the bag that said THE SATURDAY EVENING POST. When it was supper time, I walked back home.
“How many did you sell, my boy?” my mother asked.
“None.”
“Where did you go?”
“The corner of Belleville and Union Avenues.”
“What did you do?”
“Stood on the corner waiting for somebody to buy a Saturday Evening Post.”
“You just stood there?”
“Didn’t sell a single one.”
“My God, Russell!”
    Uncle Allen put in, “Well, I’ve decided to take the Post.” I handed him a copy and he paid me a nickel(五分镍币). It was the first nickel I earned.
    Afterwards my mother taught me how to be a salesman. I would have to ring doorbells, address adults with self-confidence, and persuade them by saying that no one, no matter how poor, could afford to be without the Saturday Evening Post in the home.
    One day, I told my mother I’d changed my mind. I didn’t want to make a success in the magazine business.“If you think you can change your mind like this,” she replied, “you’ll become a good-for-nothing.” She insisted that, as soon as school was over, I should start ringing doorbells, selling magazines. Whenever I said no, she would scold me.
   My mother and I had fought this battle almost as long as I could remember. My mother, dissatisfied with my father’s plain workman’s life, determined that I would not grow up like him and his people. But never did she expect that, forty years later, such a successful journalist as me would go back to her husband’s people for true life and love.
56、 Why did the boy start his job young?

57、From the dialogue between the boy and his mother, we learn that the mother was _______.

 58、What did the mother do when the boy wanted to give up?

59、 What does the underlined phrase “this battle” refer to?

60、 What is the text mainly about?

阅读下面短文，从短文后各题的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出适合填入对应空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该选项涂黑。、
When I was in primary school, I got into a major argument with a boy named Tom in my class. I can’t remember what it was about,  21  I have never forgotten the  22  I learned that day.
I was  23  that I was right and he was wrong--and he was sure that I was wrong and he was right. The  24  decided to teach us a very important lesson. My English teacher, Ms Green  25  both of us up to the 26  of the class and  27  him on one side of her desk and me on  28 . In the middle of her desk was a large, round object. I could  29 see that it was black. She asked the boy what  30  the object was. “White,” he answered.
I couldn’t believe he said the object was white,  31  it was obviously black! Another  32  started between my classmate and me, this time about the  33  of the object.
The teacher told me to go stand where the boy was standing and told him to come stand where I had been. We changed  34  and now she asked me what the color of the object was. I  35  answer, “White.” It was an object with two  36  colored sides, and from his side it was white.  37  from my side was it black.
My teacher taught me a very important lesson that day: You must  38  in the other person’s shoes and look at the  39  through their eyes in order to  40  understand their view.

When I was small and my grandmother died, I couldn’t understand why I had no tears. But that night when my dad tried to cheer me up, my laugh turned into crying.

.   So it came as no surprise to learn that researchers believe crying and laughing come from the same part of the brain. Just as laughing has many health advantages, scientists are discovering that so, too, does crying.

Whatever it takes for us to reduce pressure is important to our emotional (情感的) health, and crying seems to study found that 85 percent of women and 73 percent of men report feeling better after crying.

Besides, tears attract help from other people. Researchers agree that when we cry, people around us become kinder and friendly and they are more ready to provide support and comfort. Tears also enable us to understand our emotions better; sometimes we don't even know we' re very sad until we cry. We learn about our emotions through Crying, and then we can deal with them.

Just as crying can be healthy, not crying ― holding back tears of anger, pain or suffering ― can be bad for physical (身体的) health, Studies have shown that too much control of emotions can lead to high blood pressure, heart problems and some other illnesses. If you have a health problem, doctors will certainly not ask you to cry. But when you feel like crying, don't fight it. It's a natural  ― and healthy ― emotional response (反应).

60．Why didn't the author cry when her grandmother died?

A．Because her father did not --ant her to feel too sad.

B．Because she did not love her grandmother.

C．Because she was too shy to cry at that time.

D．Tie author doesn’t give the explanation.

61, It car. be inferred from the text that ______.

A．there are two ways to keep healthy

B．crying does more good to health than laughing

C．crying and laughing play the same roles

D．emotional health has a close relationship to physical health

62．According to the author, which of the following statements is true?

A．Crying is the best way to get help from others.

B．Fighting back tears may cause some health problems.

C．We will never know our deep feelings unless we cry.

D．We must cry if we want to reduce pressure.

63．What might be the most suitable title for the text?

A．Power of Tears                                 B．How to Keep Healthy

C．Why We Cry                                   D．A New Scientific Discovery

For some people, music is no fun at all. About four percent of the population is what scientists call “amusic.” People who are amusic are born without the ability to recognize or reproduce musical notes (音调). Amusic people often cannot tell the difference between two-songs. Amusics can only hear the difference between two notes if they are far apart on the musical scale.

As a result, songs sound like noise to an amusic. Many amusics compare the sound of music to pieces of metal hitting each other. Life can be hard for amusics. Their ability to enjoy music sets them apart from others. It can be difficult for other people to identify with their condition. In fact, most people cannot begin to grasp what it feels like to be amusic. Just going to a restaurant or a shopping mall can be uncomfortable or even painfull. That is why many amusics intentionally stay away from places where there is music. However, this can result in withdrawal and social isolation. “I used to hate parties,” says Margaret, a seventy-year-old woman who only recently discovered that she was amusic. By studying people like Margaret, scientists arc finally learning bow to identify this unusual condition.

Scientists say that the brains of amusics are different from the brains of people who can appreciate music. The difference is complex, and it doesn’t involve defective hearing. Amusics can understand other nonmusical sounds well. They also have no problems understanding ordinary speech. Scientists compare amusics to people who just can't sec certain colors.

Many amusics are happy when their condition is finally diagnosed (诊断). For years. Margaret felt embarrassed about her problem with music. Now she knows that she is not alone. There is a name for her condition. That makes it easier for her to explain. “When people invite me to a concert I just say. “No thanks. I'm amusic,”* says Margaret. “I just wish I had learned to say that when I was seventeen and not seventy.”

65. Which of (he following is true of amusics?

A. Listening to music is far from enjoyable for them.

B. They love places where they are likely to hear music.

C. They can easily tell two different songs apart.

D. Their situation is well understood by musicians.

66. According to paragraph 3, a person with “defective hearing” is probably one who ______ .

A. dislikes listening to speeches                     B. can hear anything nonmusical

C. has a bearing problem                               D. lacks a complex hearing system

67. In the last paragraph, Margaret express that ______ .

A. her problem with music had been diagnosed earlier

B. she were seventeen years old rather than seventy

C. her problem could be easily explained

D. she were able to meet other amusics

68. What is the passage mainly concerned with?

A. Amusics’ strange behaviours.                   B. Some people’s inability to enjoy music.

C. Musical talent and brain structure.             D. Identification and treatment of amusics.

II.完形填空（共20题，每小题1分，满分20分）
The world always makes way for the dreamer.
When I was twelve years old, my father took me to see Zig Zigler. I remember sitting in that dark hall listening to Mr. Zigler  36  everyone’s spirits up to the ceiling, I  37  there feeling like I could do anything. When we got to the car, I turned to my father and said, “Dad, I want to  38  people feel like that.” My father asked me  39  I meant. “I want to be a motivational speaker just like Mr. Zigler,”  I replied. A（An） 40  was born.
Recently, I began seeking my dream of motivating others.  41  a four-year relationship with Fortune 100 Company  42  as a sales-trainer and ending as a regional sales manager, I left the company at the height of my  43 . Many people were  44  that I would leave after earning a six-figure income. And they asked  45  I would risk everything for a dream.
I made my  46  to start my own company and leave my worryingless position after  47  a regional sales meeting. The vice-president of our company delivered a  48  that changed my life. He asked us, “If a god would offer you three wishes, what would they be?” After giving us a  49  to write down the three wishes, he then asked us, “Why do you need a  50  ?” I would never forget the power I felt at that moment. I realized that  51  I had accomplished in the past had prepared me for this moment. I was ready and didn’t need a god’s help to become a motivational speaker. A motivational speaker was  52 .
Having made that decision, I was immediately  53 . One week after I gave notice, my husband was laid off from his job, and now we had no  54 . But I held fast to my dream. The wonder really began to happen. In a short time my husband found a better job. And I was able to book several  55  engagements with new customers. I discovered the incredible power of dreams.
36．A．rise                     B．blow                   C．put                     D．raise
37．A．left                     B．came                   C．arrived                D．slipped
38．A．get                     B．hope                   C．make                  D．cheer
39．A．that                    B．what                   C．which                 D．if
40．A．dream                 B．idea                    C．girl                     D．speaker
41．A．After                  B．Before                C．Because               D．While
42．A．beginning            B．working              C．acting                 D．regarding
43．A．life                     B．love                    C．income                D．career
44．A．disappointed        B．moved                C．surprised             D．delighted
45．A．when                  B．why                    C．if                        D．how
46．A．plan                    B．promise               C．decision              D．mind
47 A．attending               B．joining                C．entering              D．holding
48．A．newspaper           B．book                   C．report                 D．speech
49．A．day                     B．second                C．week                   D．moment
50．A．help                    B．job                     C．god                     D．company
51．A．everything           B．anything              C．nothing               D．something
52．A．alive                   B．dead                   C．missing               D．born
53．A．examined            B．searched              C．checked               D．tested
54．A．help                    B．harm                   C．income                D．money
55．A．selling      B．speaking   C．writing     D．listening