It was Christmas 1961. I was teaching in a small town in Ohio where my twenty seven third graders eagerly anticipated the great day of gift giving.

Each day the children made some new wonder – strings of popcorn, hand-made decorations, and German bells made from wallpaper samples, which we hung from the ceiling. Through it all she stayed indifferent(漠不关心的), watching from afar, seemingly miles away. I wondered what would happen to this quiet child, once so happy, now so suddenly unsociable. I hoped the festivities would light her up. But nothing did.

The day of gift giving finally came. We oohed and aahed over our handwork as the presents were exchanged. Through it all, she sat quietly watching. I had made a special package for her, red and green with white lace. I wanted very much to see her smile. She opened it so slowly and carefully. I waited but she turned away.

After school the children left in little groups, but she hesitated, watching them go out of the door. I sat down to catch my breath, hardly know what was happening when she came to me reaching out her hands, holding a small white box, unwrapped and slightly soiled, as though it had been held many times by unwashed, childish hands. “For me?” I asked with a weak smile. She said not a word, but nodded her head. I took the box and carefully opened it. There inside, lay a golden chain. In a flash I knew – she had made it for her mother, a mother she would never see again, a mother who would never hold her or brush her hair or share a funny story, a mother who would never again hear her childish joys or sorrows, a mother who had taken her own life just three weeks before.

I held out the chain. She took it in both her hands, reached forward, and put it on at the back of my neck. She stepped back then as if to see that all was well. I looked down at the golden chain, then back at the giver, “Maria, it is so beautiful. She would have loved it.” Neither of us could stop the tears. She threw herself into my arms and we were in tears together. And for that moment I became her mother, for she had given me the greatest gift of all: herself.

1.The underlined “anticipated” (Paragraph 1) is closest in meaning to _________.

A．prepared         B．expected          C．talked            D．kept

2.We can learn from the story that_________.

A．the beautiful chain was put inside a beautiful box

B．Maria made a golden chain of popcorn for her mother

C．the teacher made a special package for Maria so as to see her smile

D．Maria oohed and aahed over the handwork as the presents were exchanged

3.Maria became quiet and unsociable because_________.

A．she was a shy girl

B．her teacher didn’t give her any gift

C．her mother passed away three weeks ago

D．she didn’t have any friends in the class

4.The underlined sentence (Paragraph 5) mostly means_________.

A．Maria found her biological mother

B．Maria asked her teacher to be her mother

C．the teacher promised to be Maria’s mother after receiving her greatest gift

D．Maria believed in her considerate teacher and opened her heart to the teacher

5.The BEST title for the passage is _________.

A．The kid’s gift                          B．A quiet girl

C．The greatest teacher                     D．The great day of gift giving

 

It was one of those cold winter nights in the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco . I was driving an eyesore（丑陋的东西）that could only be  36  as a “ car ” by someone who was either a shameless liar or a good friend .

It was  37  to drive the car because you had to keep your fingers and toes crossed to keep the engine running . I tried to imagine I was driving a huge clumsy  38  ; that way I didn’t  39  the slow speed .

That night I must have uncrossed my fingers to scratch something . The car  40  in the middle of a four-lane stretch of Oak Street . I  41  for a place to turn off（拐弯）, but the street was lined with parked cars .

There I sat , in  42  traffic , as tons of vehicles screamed by . In my rearview mirror（后视镜）I saw a car  43  behind me . I knew what was coming . Soon the horn would start and someone would be  44  at me . But I was  45  .

A stranger got out of the car and came to my  46  . He asked , “ Do you want a  47  ?”

I was surprised but  48  . And then he  49  to his car and two teens piled out to help push my car . When I was  50  delivered to a side street , they got back into their car and rejoined the sea of  51  . I didn’t get to  52  them .

Over the years I’ve realized something about the  53  who stopped to help . I’ve noticed that every time I’m in  54  , he appears . The one true thing in this world is an unasked  55  provided by a stranger .

1.	A．heard of B．referred to C．looked down D．talked about

 

2.	A．difficult B．interesting C．funny D．special

 

3.	A．truck B．car C．bicycle D．snail

 

4.	A．realize B．feel C．mind D．notice

 

5.	A．got B．died C．slowed D．began

 

6.	A．hoped B．asked C．cared D．waited

 

7.	A．late B．fast C．busy D．local

 

8.	A．break down B．speed up C．pass by D．pull up

 

9.	A．shouting B．walking C．aiming D．rushing

 

10.	A．lucky B．wrong C．stupid D．sorry

 

11.	A．mind B．way C．window D．seat

 

12.	A．change B．ride C．lift D．push

 

13.	A．listened B．insisted C．nodded D．watched

 

14.	A．waved B．smiled C．pointed D．drove

 

15.	A．readily B．quietly C．simply D．safely

 

16.	A．teens B．traffic C．passers-by D．travelers

 

17.	A．wait B．recognize C．thank D．notice

 

18.	A．stranger B．driver C．repairman D．friend

 

19.	A．debt B．trouble C．surprise D．despair

 

20.	A．courage B．comfort C．suggestion D．kindness