Family traditions were important in our house, and none was more appreciated than the perfect Christmas tree.

“Dad, can we watch when you trim(修剪) the tree?” My eldest son, Dan, nine, and his seven-year-old brother John, asked.

“I won’t be cutting this year,” my husband Bob said. “Dan, you and John are old enough to measure things. Do it all by yourselves. Think you boys can handle it?”

Dan and John seemed to grow six inches in their chairs at the thought of such an amazing responsibility. “We can handle it,” Dan promised. “We won’t let you down.”

A few days before Christmas, Dan and John rushed in after school. They gathered the tools they’d need and brought them out to the yard, where the tree waited. I was cooking when I heard the happy sounds as the boys carried the tree into the living room. Then I heard the sound that every mother knows is trouble: dead silence. I hurried out to them. The tree was cut too short. John crossed his arms tight across his chest. His eyes filled with angry tears.

I felt worried. The tree was central to our holiday. I didn’t want the boys to feel ashamed every time they looked at it. I couldn’t lower the ceiling, and I couldn’t raise the floor either. There was no way to undo the damage done. Suddenly, a thought came to my mind, which turned the problem into the solution.

“We can’t make the tree taller,” I said. “But we can put it on a higher position.”

Dan nodded his head sideways. “We could put it on the coffee table. It just might work! Let’s try it!”

When Bob got home and looked at the big tree on top of the coffee table, Dan and John held their breath.

“What a good idea!” he declared. “Why didn’t I ever think of such a thing?”

John broke into a grin. Dan’s chest swelled with pride.

1.The underlined part “grow six inches” (Para. 4) implies the brothers felt         .

A. proud   B. nervous         C. embarrassed          D. Scared

2.What happened after the brothers moved the Christmas tree into the living room?

A. They rushed to school.

B. They began to decorate the tree.

C. They got angry with each other.    

D. They found the tree was cut short.

3.How could the short tree be turned into a perfect one?

A. By making the tree taller.

B. By lowering the ceiling.

C. By placing it on a coffee table.

D. By raising the floor.

4.What Bob said in the last but one paragraph showed         .

A. he was a little disappointed

B. he was too stupid to think of the idea

C. he appreciated what the brothers had done

D. he should not have given them the task

Family traditions were important in our house, and none was more appreciated than the perfect Christmas tree.

“Dad, can we watch when you trim(修剪) the tree?” My eldest son, Dan, nine, and his seven-year-old brother John, asked.

“I won’t be cutting this year,” my husband Bob said. “Dan, you and John are old enough to measure things. Do it all by yourselves. Think you boys can handle it?”

Dan and John seemed to grow six inches in their chairs at the thought of such an amazing responsibility. “We can handle it,” Dan promised. “We won’t let you down.”

A few days before Christmas, Dan and John rushed in after school. They gathered the tools they’d need and brought them out to the yard, where the tree waited. I was cooking when I heard the happy sounds as the boys carried the tree into the living room. Then I heard the sound that every mother knows is trouble: dead silence. I hurried out to them. The tree was cut too short. John crossed his arms tight across his chest. His eyes filled with angry tears.

I felt worried. The tree was central to our holiday. I didn’t want the boys to feel ashamed every time they looked at it. I couldn’t lower the ceiling, and I couldn’t raise the floor either. There was no way to undo the damage done. Suddenly, a thought came to my mind, which turned the problem into the solution.

“We can’t make the tree taller,” I said. “But we can put it on a higher position.”

Dan nodded his head sideways. “We could put it on the coffee table. It just might work! Let’s try it!”

When Bob got home and looked at the big tree on top of the coffee table, Dan and John held their breath.

“What a good idea!” he declared. “Why didn’t I ever think of such a thing?”

John broke into a grin. Dan’s chest swelled with pride.

56. The underlined part “grow six inches” (Para. 4) implies the brothers felt         .

57. Who trimmed the Christmas trees this year?

58. How could the short tree be turned into a perfect one?

59. What the writer’s husband said in the end showed         .

       Family traditions were important in our house, and none was more appreciated than the perfect Christmas tree.

“Dad, can we watch when you trim (修剪) the tree?” My eldest son, Dan, nine, and his seven-year-old brother John, asked.

“I won’t be cutting this year,” my husband Bob said. “Dan, you and John are old enough to measure things. Do it all by yourselves. Think you boys can handle it?”

Dan and John seemed to grow six inches in their chairs at the thought of such an amazing responsibility. “We can handle it.” Dan promised. “We won’t let your down.”

A few years before Christmas, Dan and John rushed in after school. They gathered the tools they’d need and brought them out to the yard, where the tree waited. I was cooking when I heard the happy sounds as the boys carried the tree into the living room. Then I heard the sound that every mother knows is trouble: dead silence. I hurried out to them. The tree was cut too short. John crossed his arms tight across his chest. His eyes filled with angry tears.

I felt worried. The tree was central to our holiday. I didn’t want the boys to feel ashamed every time they looked at it. I couldn’t lower the ceiling, and I couldn’t raise the floor either. There was no way to undo the damage done. Suddenly, a thought came to my mind, which turned the problem into the solution.”

“We can’t make the tree taller,” I said. “But we can put it on a higher position.”

Dan nodded his head sideways. “We could put it on the coffee table, It just might work! Let’s try it!”

When Bob got home and looked at the big tree on top of the coffee table, Dan and John held their breath.

“What a good idea!” he declared. “Why didn’t I ever think of such a thing?”

John broke into a grin. Dan’s chest swelled with pride.

56. Who trimmed the Christmas tree this year?

A. Dan and John   B. The writer      C. Bob      D. The whole family

57. The underlined part “grow six inches (Para 4) implies the brothers felt _____,

A. scared    B. embarrassed     C. nervous      D. proud

58. What happened after the brothers moved the Christmas tree into the living room?

A. They got angry with each other.  .      B. They found the tree was cut short.

C. They rushed to school                D. They began to decorate the tree.

59. How could the short tree be turned into a perfect one?

A. By making the tree taller.          B. By lowering the ceiling.

C. By placing it on a coffee table.      D. By raising the floor.

60. What Bob said in the last but one paragraph showed_________.

A. he was too stupid to think of the idea     B. he was a little disappointed

C. he should not have given them the task    D. he appreciated what the brothers had done 

I remember my math teacher Mr. Young very well. He stood out because the kids made fun d him. He was missing one of his fingers, and always pointed at students with his middle finger.

I was not very good at English and math. No matter how hard I tried, I just could not figure out why I did not understand what all the other kids found so easy to learn.

One day, I was told that if I got one more E on my report card, I would be taken to the “big person for kids”

I tried really hard for weeks. I just couldn't understand how to make different parts of members into whole things.

The day before report cards were to come out, 1 knew that Mr. Young would give me an E, just like he always did.

I went to Mr. Young and told him that the orphanage (孤儿院) was going to send me to the big person if I got another E on my report card. He told me there was nothing he could do; it would be unfair to the other kids if he gave me a better grade than I had actually earned.

I smiled at him and said, "Mr. Young, do you know how the kids make fun of you because you’re missing your finger?" He looked at me, moved his mouth to one side and said nothing.

“They shouldn’t do that to you because you can't help having a finger, Mr. Young. Just like I can’t help not being able to learn numbers and stuff like that.” I said

The next day, when I got my report card, I tucked it into one of my books. While on the school bus, I opened it: Geography, B+; Mechanical Drawing, C-; English, D-l; History, C-; Gym, B+; Art, C; Math, D-.

That math grade was the most favorite one I ever received. Because I knew that someone in the world finally understood what it was like for me to be missing a finger inside my head.

59. From the second paragraph we can infer that the boy is _________ in some subjects.

A. mind-blowing (给人印象极深的 )         B. slow-witted (头脑迟钝的)

C. fun-loving                              D. badly- behaved

60. Where may the boy live according to the passage?

A. In an orphanage.    B. In a big prison.   C. In the school dormitory.      D. In his home.

61. What grade should the boy have got in the math test this time?

A. D-.                  B. B +               C. D.                     D. E.

62. The underlined word "tucked" in the passage most probably means “________”.

A. stuck             B. listed               C. hid                   D. copied

63. The reason why the boy remembers Mr. Young is that ________.

A. he missed one of his fingers               B. he treated his students very well

三，阅读理解(共15小题；每小题2分,满分30分)
阅读下列短文,从每小题后所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中,选出最佳选项。
During his college years, Rogers spent his summer holidays at an Idaho logging camp (伐木场). When Roy, the manager, had to leave for a few days, he put Rogers in charge. "What if the workers refuse to follow my orders?" Rogers asked. He thought of Tony, a worker who was always giving the other men a hard time. "Fire them," Roy said. Then, as if reading Rogers’ mind, he added, "I suppose you want to fire Tony if you get the chance. I’d feel bad about that. Tony is the most reliable worker I’ve ever had. I know he complains a lot, but he comes first and leaves last. There has not been an accident on the hill where he works for eight years." Rogers took over the manager’s job the next day. He went to Tony and spoke to him, "Tony, did you know that I’m in charge today?" Tony didn’t show any respect or interest. "I was going to fire you because you once gave me a hard time, but I want you to know I’m not," he told Tony, adding what Roy had said. When Rogers finished, tears streamed down Tony’s face. That day Tony worked harder than ever before —and he smiled for the first time! Rogers went back to school after that summer. Twelve years later he met Tony again. He was in charge of one of the largest logging companies in the West. Rogers asked him how he managed to become so successful. Tony replied, "If it were not for that time you spoke to me back in Idaho, I would not be myself today. That one minute changed my whole life." Have you got one minute to appreciate someone? It can make a difference for a lifetime.
1. Which of the following statements about Tony is TRUE?
A. He didn’t care about his work.
B. He never showed respect to his co-workers.
C. Nobody liked Tony because of his bad temper.
D. He worked hard but he always complained.
2. The manager’s attitude towards Tony is _____.
A. strict      B. doubtful   C. satisfied      D. negative
3. Rogers changed his mind and didn’t fire Tony because _______.
A. Tony smiled at him
B. he learned more about Tony’s work
C. Roy didn’t give him the power to fire anyone
D. Tony didn’t give him a hard time anymore
4. What can we learn from Tony’s success?
A. It’s never too late to learn.           
B. Well begun is half done.
C. It’s necessary to work with a wise boss.
D. It’s important to recognize others’ good qualities.