Bertie knew there was something in the wind. His mother had been sad in recent days, not sick, just strangely sad. The lion had just lain down beside him, his head warm on Bertie's feet when Father cleared his throat and began," You'll soon be eight, Bertie. A boy needs a proper education. We've found the right place for you, a school near Salisbury in England."

His heart filled with a terrible fear, all Bertie could think of was his white lion. "But the lion," he cried, "What about the lion?"

"I'm afraid there's something else I have to tell you," his father said. Looking across at Bertie's mother, he took a deep breath. Then he told Bertie he had met a circus(马戏团) owner from France, who was over in Africa looking for lions to buy. He would come to their farm in a few days.

"No! You can't send him to a circus!" said Bertie. "People will come to see him. He'll be shut up behind bars. I promised him he never would be. And they will laugh at him. He'd rather die. Any animal would! " But as he looked across the table at them, he knew their minds were quite made up.

Bertie felt completely betrayed. He waited until he heard his father's deep breathing next door. With his white lion at his heels, he crept downstairs in his pyjamas, took down his father's rifle from the rack and stepped out into the night. He ran and ran till his legs could run no more. As the sun came up over the grassland, he climbed to the top of a hill and sat down, his arms round the lion's neck. The time had come.

"Be wild now," he whispered. "You've got to be wild. Don't ever come home. All my life I'll think of you. I promise I will." He buried his head in the lion's neck. Then, Bertie clambered down the hill and walked away.

When he looked back, the lion was still sitting there watching him; but then he stood up, yawned, stretched, and sprang down after him. Bertie shouted at him, but he kept coming. He threw sticks. He threw stones. Nothing worked.

There was only one thing left to do. With tears filling his eyes and his mouth, he lifted the rifle to his shoulder and fired over the lion's head.

1.Bertie's mother was sad probably because she ______.

A．had been seriously ill recently

B．had decided to send Bertie to school

C．knew selling the lion would upset Bertie

D．knew Bertie would hate to go to England

2.The underlined word "they" in Para.4 probably refers to ______.

A．some audience     B．other animals       C．Bertie's parents     D．circus owners

3.In the last paragraph, the boy lifted the rifle to ______．

A．kill the lion out of fear

B．threaten the lion back to the wild

C．protect himself from the lion

D．show his anger towards his father

4.The passage intends to show that ______.

A．animal-hunting is popular in Africa

B．parents are sometimes cruel to their children

C．animals usually lead a miserable life in circuses

D．people and animals can be faithful to each other

 

Bertie knew there was something in the wind. His mother had been sad in recent days, not sick，just strangely sad. The lion had just lain down beside him，his head warm on Bertie’s feet，when Father cleared his throat and began, “You’ll soon be eight, Bertie. A boy needs a proper education. We’ve found the right place for you, a school near Salisbury in England. ”

His heart filled with a terrible fear, all Bertie could think of was his white lion. “But the lion,” he cried, “What about the lion?”

“I’m afraid there’s something else I have to tell you, ” his father said. Looking across at Bertie’s mother, he took a deep breath. Then he told Bertie he had met a circus owner from France, who was over in Africa looking for lions to buy. He would come to their farm in a few days.

“No! You can’t send him to a circus!” said Bertie. “People will come to see him. He’ll be shut up behind bars. I promised him he never would be. And they will laugh at him. He’d rather die. Any animal would! ” But as he looked across the table at them, he knew their minds were quite made up.

Bertie felt completely betrayed (出卖). He waited until he heard his father’s deep breathing next door. With his white lion at his heels，he crept (蹑手蹑脚地移动) downstairs，took down his father’s rifle (步枪) and stepped out into the night. He ran and ran till his legs could run no more. As the sun came up over the grassland, he climbed to the top of a hill and sat down, his arms round the lion’s neck. The time had come.

“Be wild now”，he whispered. “You’ve got to be wild. Don’t ever come home. All my life I’ll think of you. I promise I will. ” He buried his head in the lion’s neck. Then, Bertie climbed down the hill and walked away.

When he looked back, the lion was still sitting there watching him; but then he stood up, yawned, stretched, and sprang down after him. Bertie shouted at him, but he kept coming. He threw sticks. He threw stones. Nothing worked.

There was only one thing left to do. With tears filling his eyes and his mouth，he lifted the rifle to his shoulder and fired over the lion’s head.

1.Bertie’s mother was sad probably because she _____.

A．had been seriously ill recently

B．had decided to send Bertie to school

C．knew Bertie would hate to go to England

D．knew selling the lion would upset Bertie

2.The underlined word “they” in Para. 4 probably refers to _____.

A．other animals      B．some audience     C．Bertie’s parents   D．circus owners

3.In the last paragraph, the boy lifted the rifle to _____.

A．threaten the lion back to the wild           B．kill the lion out of fear

C．protect himself from the lion               D．show his anger towards his father

4.The passage intends to show that _____.

A．animal-hunting is popular in Africa

B．parents are sometimes cruel to their children

C．people and animals can be faithful to each other

D．animals usually lead a miserable life in circuses

 

I remember my first Christmas party with Grandma．I remember the day when my big sister dropped the bomb: “There is no Santa Claus,” she laughed．“Even dummies know that!”

　　I fled to Grandma because I knew she always told me  21 ．After I told her everything, she said “No Santa Claus? Don’t believe it. Now,  22 your coat, and let’s go.”

　　“Go? Go where?” I asked．

　　“Where” 23  to be the General Store．As we walked through its doors, Grandma   24 me ten dollars．That was a lot in those days．“Take this money and buy something for  25 needs it．I’ll wait for you in the car．”

　　The store seemed big and  26 , full of people hurrying to finish their Christmas shopping．For a few moments I just stood there, 27  , holding that bill, wondering what to buy, and who on earth to buy it for．

　　Suddenly I thought of Bobbie who sat right behind me．I remembered he didn’t have a coat．I fingered the bill with growing  28 ．I would buy Bobbie a coat．

　　“Is this a Christmas present for someone?” the lady behind the   29  asked me kindly, as I laid my ten dollars down

　　“Yes,” I replied shyly．“It’s…for Bobbie.”

　　The nice lady smiled at me．I didn’t get any  30 , but she put the coat in a bag and wished me a Merry Christmas．

　　That evening, Grandma helped me  31  the coat and wrote, “To Bobby, From Santa Claus” on it．Then she  32 me over to Bobbie’s house．

　　Grandma parked down the street from Bobbie’s house, and she and I crept 33 and hid in the  34 ．Then Grandma gave me a sign．“All right, Santa Claus, get going．”

　　I took a deep 35 , dashed for his front door, threw the present down, pounded his doorbell and flew back to the safety．Together we  36 breathlessly in the darkness for the front door to open．Finally it  37 , and there stood Bobbie．

Forty years haven’t dimmed the thrill of those  38 spent shivering, beside my grandma, in Bobbie’s bushes． 39 ,  I realized: Santa was alive and well, and we were  40  his team．

1.                A．the reason      B．many things      C．stories   D．the truth

 

2.                A．put on         B．put away        C．put up    D．put down

 

3.                A．used           B．turned out      C．found out D．turned up

 

4.                A．lent           B．took           C．paid D．handed

 

5.                A．anyone         B．whomever       C．someone who  D．those who

 

6.                A．crowded        B．varied          C．noisy D．convenient

 

7.                A．satisfied        B．confused        C．curious   D．amazed

 

8.                A．worry          B．disappointment   C．happiness D．excitement

 

9.                A．counter        B．desk           C．shelf D．goods

 

10.               A．money         B．gifts           C．change    D．encouragement

 

11.               A．make          B．wrap           C．undo D．design

 

12.               A．drove          B．took           C．led   D．asked

 

13.               A．quickly         B．painfully        C．nervously  D．noiselessly

 

14.               A．bushes         B．darkness        C．doorway   D．car

 

15.               A．courage        B．look           C．step D．breath

 

16.               A．waited         B．whispered      C．crept D．stood

 

17.               A．came          B．sounded        C．did   D．appeared

 

18.               A．moments       B．days           C．time D．people

 

19.               A．Today          B．That year       C．That night  D．Since then

 

20.               A．on            B．for            C．at    D．of

 

 

I remember my first Christmas party with Grandma．I remember the day when my big sister dropped the bomb: "There is no Santa Claus," she laughed．"Even dummies know that!"

I fled to Grandma because I knew she always told me  36  ．After I told her everything, she said "No Santa Claus? Don't believe it．Now,   37  your coat, and let's go．"

"Go? Go where?" I asked．

"Where"  38  to be the General Store．As we walked through its doors, Grandma  39  me ten dollars．That was a lot in those days．"Take this money and buy something for  40  who needs it．I'll wait for you in the car．"

The store seemed big and  41  , full of people hurrying to finish their Christmas Shopping．For a few moments I just stood there,  42  , holding that bill, wondering what to buy, and who on earth to buy it for．

Suddenly I thought of Bobbie who sat right behind me．I remembered he didn't have a coat．I fingered the bill with growing  43  ．I would buy Bobbie a coat．

"Is this a Christmas present for someone?" the lady behind the  44  asked me kindly, as I laid my ten dollars down．

"Yes," I replied shyly．"It's．．．for Bobbie．"

The nice lady smiled at me．I didn't get any  45  , but she put the coat in a bag and wished me a Merry Christmas．

That evening, Grandma helped me  46  the coat and wrote, "To Bobby, From Santa Claus" on it．Then she   47   me over to Bobbie's house．

Grandma parked down the street from Bobbie's house, and she and I crept （爬）  48  and hid in the  49  ．Then Grandma gave me a sign．"All right, Santa Claus, get going．"

I took a deep  50  , dashed for his front door, threw the present down, pounded his doorbell and flew back to the safety．Together we  51  breathlessly in the darkness for the front door to open．Finally it  52  , and there stood Bobbie．

Forty years haven't dimmed （使变暗淡） the thrill （强烈的兴奋） of those  53  spent shivering （颤抖） ,beside my grandma, in Bobbie's bushes． 54  , I realized: Santa was alive and well, and we were   55  his team．

36．A．the reason           B．many things        C．stories                D．the truth

37．A．put on                B．put away            C．put up                D．put down

38．A．used                   B．turned out           C．found out           D．turned up

39．A．lent                    B．took                   C．paid                   D．handed

40．A．anyone               B．one                    C．someone             D．anybody

41．A．crowded             B．varied                 C．noisy                  D．convenient

42．A．satisfied              B．confused            C．curious               D．amazed

43．A．worry                B．disappointment    C．happiness           D．excitement

44．A．counter              B．desk                   C．shelf                  D．goods

45．A．money                B．gifts                   C．change               D．encouragement

46．A．make                  B．wrap                  C．undo                  D．design

47．A．drove                 B．took                   C．led                     D．asked

48．A．quickly               B．painfully             C．nervously           D．noiselessly

49．A．bushes               B．darkness             C．doorway             D．car

50．A．courage              B．look                   C．step                   D．breath

51．A．waited                B．whispered           C．crept                  D．stood

52．A．came                  B．sounded              C．did                     D．appeared

53．A．moments            B．days                   C．time                   D．people

54．A．Today                B．That year            C．That night           D．Since then

55．A．on                      B．for                     C．at                       D．of