Vegetable gardening is the relaxing art and science of turning a love for growing plants into a worthwhile activity.

Vegetable gardeners agree that many home-grown vegetables picked at their best are superior to those vegetables purchased from markets. From spring through late fall, a well-planned and well-kept garden can prove a supply of fresh vegetables, thus increasing the nutrition of the family diet. Freezers make it possible to keep some of the vegetables to be enjoyed at a later date. Other vegetables can be stored for a few months in a cool area.

Having vegetables in the backyard makes home gardening appealing(吸收人的) for many people. In addition, vegetable gardening provides exercise and fun for both urban and suburban families.

Although the money spent for a garden may be little, one cannot escape the fact that gardening requires hard work and time. Many of the gardening tasks must be performed at times that are most inconvenient. Not doing jobs that should be done on a regular basis may result in failure and a negative feeling toward gardening.

One should not plant a garden that is too large for him to care for. A small, well-kept garden is more enjoyable and profitable than a large neglected one. Vegetables do well in full sunlight and need at least five or six hours of sun during the middle of the day. Too much shading results in poor plants and few vegetables. If possible, the garden should be near the house so the gardener can work in it at odd moments.

Soils for vegetables should be easily broken up and porous(能渗透的) for quick water drainage and good aeration(透气). A deep, fine, sandy good quality soil is best.

Usually the hoe owner has little choice in the soil type he can choose. Fortunately, many vegetables can be grown on poor soils if the soils are properly prepared.

Home-grown vegetables ___________.

       A．can remain standing for a long time and need not be picked immediately.

       B．have to be eaten as soon as they are picked

       C．sell well in the market because of their good quality

       D．picked at the right moment are more nutritious than those bought from the market.

Vegetables gardening is appealing for many people because ___________.

       A．it requires little money

       B．it is enjoyable and profitable

       C．they can work in the vegetable garden at odd moments

       D．it provides vegetables for the family all the year round.

The author suggests that an ideal vegetable garden ___________.

       A．should be sunny             B．should be within walking distance

       C．should be large-sized       D．should consist of sandy soil

Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?

       A．Vegetable Gardening, an Escape from Boredom

       B．An Ideal Vegetable Garden

       C．Vegetable Gardening, a Worthwhile Activity

       D．The Best Soil for Growing Vegetables

Vegetable gardening is the relaxing art and science of turning a love for growing plants into a worthwhile activity.

Vegetable gardeners agree that many home-grown vegetables picked at their best are superior to those vegetables purchased from markets. From spring through late fall, a well-planned and well-kept garden can prove a supply of fresh vegetables, thus increasing the nutrition of the family diet. Freezers make it possible to keep some of the vegetables to be enjoyed at a later date. Other vegetables can be stored for a few months in a cool area.

Having vegetables in the backyard makes home gardening appealing(吸收人的) for many people. In addition, vegetable gardening provides exercise and fun for both urban and suburban families.

Although the money spent for a garden may be little, one cannot escape the fact that gardening requires hard work and time. Many of the gardening tasks must be performed at times that are most inconvenient. Not doing jobs that should be done on a regular basis may result in failure and a negative feeling toward gardening.

One should not plant a garden that is too large for him to care for. A small, well-kept garden is more enjoyable and profitable than a large neglected one. Vegetables do well in full sunlight and need at least five or six hours of sun during the middle of the day. Too much shading results in poor plants and few vegetables. If possible, the garden should be near the house so the gardener can work in it at odd moments.

Soils for vegetables should be easily broken up and porous(能渗透的) for quick water drainage and good aeration(透气). A deep, fine, sandy good quality soil is best.

Usually the hoe owner has little choice in the soil type he can choose. Fortunately, many vegetables can be grown on poor soils if the soils are properly prepared.

1.Home-grown vegetables ___________.

A．can remain standing for a long time and need not be picked immediately.

B．have to be eaten as soon as they are picked

C．sell well in the market because of their good quality

D．picked at the right moment are more nutritious than those bought from the market.

2.Vegetables gardening is appealing for many people because ___________.

A．it requires little money

B．it is enjoyable and profitable

C．they can work in the vegetable garden at odd moments

D．it provides vegetables for the family all the year round.

3.The author suggests that an ideal vegetable garden ___________.

A．should be sunny	B．should be within walking distance
C．should be large-sized	D．should consist of sandy soil

4.Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?

A．Vegetable Gardening, an Escape from Boredom

B．An Ideal Vegetable Garden

C．Vegetable Gardening, a Worthwhile Activity

D．The Best Soil for Growing Vegetables

 

Mr. Patrick was new to the school and to us. Even though he was a great teacher, he seemed rather like a character out of a horror movie. He didn’t look that bad, but somehow, he looked extremely scary to me.
Some kids began to believe that he was a murderer or a ghost; some believed he was mad and a few believed that he might have suffered a lot in his life. I was one of those ‘few’.
One day I gathered up my courage and headed towards the school garden. He was, as usual, sitting on a bench alone. I breathed heavily a few times and then walked towards him.
“How are you?” I asked with my voice crackling.

He managed to say, “Fine.”
“Well, good to know,” I tried to be happy.
“Hmmm…” was all I heard.
“What’s up with you?” then seeing a puzzled look on his face, I tried to be more formal and respectful. “I mean, why aren’t you like all other people in the school? Why are you always so quiet and sad? Why…”
“No dear, some things are better left unsaid,” he said gloomily.

“Oh no sir, nothing is better left unsaid. If you want to share your feelings with me and reduce the pain of your heart, you are free to do so. I promise I will never ever tell anyone.”
“With you? You are just a little girl; what will you understand?”
I was somehow offended but still I managed to persuade him, “So what, Sir? You see, if you tell me your problem, you will have a light heart and you will have the feeling that someone somewhere cares about you.”
“Oh okay, that was a very nice belief indeed; let’s take a walk and I will let you know everything.”
Soon after our little talk, there was a visible change on his face. Later that day in the class, there was a smile on his face.
【小题1】From the text, we can know about Mr. Patrick that he       .

A．once acted a character in a horror movie

B．scared his students with his looks

C．often punished the students for bad marks

D．did better in teaching than others in the school

【小题2】Mr. Patrick was thought by the author to       .

A．be a murderer or a ghost	B．be mad
C．have suffered a lot	D．have a special personality

【小题3】While walking towards Mr. Patrick in the school garden, the author felt       .

A．excited

B．nervous

C．worried

D．happy

  Directions: Read the following passage. Answer the questions according to the information given in the passage and the required words limit. Write your answers on your answer sheet.

Like fine food, good writing is something we approach with pleasure and enjoy from the first taste to the last. And good writers，good cooks，do not suddenly appear full-blown. Quite the contrary, just as the cook has to undergo an intensive and hard-working training, mastering the skills of his trade, the writer must sit at his desk and devote long hours to achieving a style in his writing, whatever its purpose－schoolwork, matters of business,or purely social communication. You may be sure that the more painstaking the effort，the more effective the writing and the more rewarding.

    There are still some remote places in the world where you might find a public scribe(抄写员) to do his / her business or social writing for a fee. There are a few managers who are lucky enough to have the service of that rare kind of secretary who can take care of all sorts of letter writing with no more than a quick note . But for most of us, if there is any writing to be done, we have to do it ourselves.

We have to write school papers, business papers or home papers. We are constantly called on to put words to paper. It would be difficult to count the number of such words，messages，letters，and reports put into the mails or delivered by hand，but the daily figure must be enormous. What is more，everyone who writes expects，or at least hopes, that his writing will be read.  We want to arouse and hold the interest of the readers. We want whatever we write to be read， from first word to last, not just thrown into some "letters－to－be－read" file （档案）or into a wastepaper basket. This is the reason we make our efforts toward learning and practicing the skills of interesting, effective writing.

71. What is good writing compared to in this passage and why? ( No more than 10 words.)

_________________________________________________________.

72. Find in the passage a word closest in meaning to the underlined word “painstaking”.

_________________________________________________________.

73. According to the passage, why don’t some managers have to do any letter writing? ( No more than 15 words.)

__________________________________________________________.

74. According to the author, if your letter is thrown into some “ letter-to-be-read” file, what will be likely to happen?   (No more than 6 words.)

__________________________________________________________.

75. What is the author’s purpose in writing this passage?  (No more than 15 words.)

_________________________________________________________.

Vegetable gardening is the relaxing art and science of turning a love for growing plants into a worthwhile activity.
Vegetable gardeners agree that many home-grown vegetables picked at their best are superior to those vegetables purchased from markets. From spring through late fall, a well-planned and well-kept garden can prove a supply of fresh vegetables, thus increasing the nutrition of the family diet. Freezers make it possible to keep some of the vegetables to be enjoyed at a later date. Other vegetables can be stored for a few months in a cool area.
Having vegetables in the backyard makes home gardening appealing(吸收人的) for many people. In addition, vegetable gardening provides exercise and fun for both urban and suburban families.
Although the money spent for a garden may be little, one cannot escape the fact that gardening requires hard work and time. Many of the gardening tasks must be performed at times that are most inconvenient. Not doing jobs that should be done on a regular basis may result in failure and a negative feeling toward gardening.
One should not plant a garden that is too large for him to care for. A small, well-kept garden is more enjoyable and profitable than a large neglected one. Vegetables do well in full sunlight and need at least five or six hours of sun during the middle of the day. Too much shading results in poor plants and few vegetables. If possible, the garden should be near the house so the gardener can work in it at odd moments.
Soils for vegetables should be easily broken up and porous(能渗透的) for quick water drainage and good aeration(透气). A deep, fine, sandy good quality soil is best.
Usually the hoe owner has little choice in the soil type he can choose. Fortunately, many vegetables can be grown on poor soils if the soils are properly prepared.
【小题1】Home-grown vegetables ___________.

A．can remain standing for a long time and need not be picked immediately.

B．have to be eaten as soon as they are picked

C．sell well in the market because of their good quality

D．picked at the right moment are more nutritious than those bought from the market.

【小题2】Vegetables gardening is appealing for many people because ___________.

A．it requires little money

B．it is enjoyable and profitable

C．they can work in the vegetable garden at odd moments

D．it provides vegetables for the family all the year round.

【小题3】The author suggests that an ideal vegetable garden ___________.

A．should be sunny	B．should be within walking distance
C．should be large-sized	D．should consist of sandy soil

【小题4】Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?

A．Vegetable Gardening, an Escape from Boredom

B．An Ideal Vegetable Garden

C．Vegetable Gardening, a Worthwhile Activity

D．The Best Soil for Growing Vegetables