4．Years ago I worked at a factory in a small town．Every day I got up early and often did lots of extra work at night．I was so tired．My whole life seemed hopeless．Then one day I read the following article from a magazine．
A woman went to live with her husband in camp in the Mojave Desert．She simply hated the place：the heat was almost unendurable--up to 52℃in the shade（陰涼處），the wind never stopped，and there was sand everywhere．Finally，feeling hopeless，she wrote to her parents in Ohio，said that she couldn't stand it another minute and was coming home．
Quickly came the reply by airmail from her father--just two lines：
"Two men looked out from prison bars（監(jiān)獄鐵柵）"．One saw the mud，and the other saw stars．
The daughter did some real thinking，not only with her head but also with her heart．She decided to stay there with her husband．
She made friends with the natives，learned to love the place，and finally wrote a book about it．
The desert hadn't changed，but her attitude had．Because she listened with her heart to the words her father sent to her，a whole new world opened up to her．
A change of attitude could change everything．
After reading the article，I was deep in thought…

56．What can we learn from the first paragraph？C
A．The writer's life was interesting．
B．The writer's life was surprising．
C．The writer was unhappy with his life      
D．The writer enjoyed his life very much
57．The underlined word"unendurable"in Paragraph 2means"C"in Chinese．
A．難以理解的      
B．無(wú)法實(shí)現(xiàn)的      
C．難以忍受的     
D．無(wú)法抵達(dá)的
58．From the woman's father's reply，we can learn thatB．
A．the two men got on well with each other
B．the father wanted his daughter to live positively
C．one man was in prison，and the other was out of prison
D．the father wanted his daughter to come back quickly
59．After she received her father's reply，the womanC．
A．wrote a book about her father           
B．tried to help the natives
C．decided to stay in the desert             
D．decided to go back home
60．The main idea of this passage is thatD．
A．a(chǎn) woman should support her husband
B．it's lucky for one to have a good father．
C．if one wants to succeed，he has to work hard
D．a(chǎn) change of attitude could change everything．

3．Ken and Anthony were childhood friends．They went to elementary and high school together．They went to college in different states，and then they lost touch．That was twenty years ago．
One morning Ken was reading the newspaper with his morning coffee．Inside he saw an announcement for a poetry reading at a nearby bookstore．He was surprised to find that the featured poet was none other than his friend Anthony．Ken decided to see what his old pal was up to．
Ken sat in the last row of the area set up inside the bookstore．When Anthony was introduced and came up the podium，Ken hardly recognized him．Anthony was almost completely bald and had a little potbelly （大肚子）．When Anthony was in high school，he was very handsome．What Anthony had lost in looks was made up for in talent．Anthony's poetry was quite good．
Anthony recognized Ken sitting in the back row．When the reading was over，Ken stood in line with the others waiting for Anthony to sign a copy of his book．When it was Ken's turn，Anthony stood up and hugged his long lost friend．Anthony invited Ken to stay until he had finished signing books．Ken did，and the two men grab bed a cup of coffee at a nearby café．
Even though so many years had passed since the two had seen each other，both men had a lot in common．Both graduated from college with degrees in comparative literature （比較文學(xué)）．Both went to graduate school．Anthony got his Master's of Fine Art in writing．Ken went to law school．Both men married Mexican women．Both men also had sons that were only a year apart．Ken and Anthony decided not to lose touch again．They planned to meet once a month for breakfast on Saturdays．

29．Ken found his long lost friend from theD．
A．radio              
B．TV              
C．magazine        
D．newspaper
30．How did Ken probably feel while seeing Anthony at the bookstore？B
A．Worried．
B．Amazed．
C．Frightened．
D．Relaxed．
31．What Anthony had lost in looks was made up for in talent．What is the meaning of the sentence in Paragraph 3？A
A．Although Anthony was out of shape，he became wise and talented．
B．Anthony had changed a lot，for writing poetry needed lots of energy．
C．Although Anthony was bald and a little fat，he was still very handsome．
D．Anthony looked wise beca use he was completely bald and had a little potbelly．
32．What can be the best title for the passage？A
A．Childhood friends                   
B．Childhood memories
C．Changes of friends                   
D．Ways to get friends back．

2．Going green seems to be fad（時(shí)尚） for a lot of people these days．Whether that is good or bad，we can't really say，but for the two of us，going green is not a fad but a lifestyle．
    On April 22，2011，we decided to go green every day for a whole year．This meant doing 365 different green things，and it also meant challenging our selves to go green beyond easy things．Rather than recycle and reduce our energy，we had to think of 365 different green things to do and this was no easy task．
    With the idea of going green every day for a year，Our Green Year started．My wife and I decided to educate people about how they could go green in their lives and hoped we could show people all the green things that could be done to help the environment．We wanted others to know that every little bit helps．
    Over the course of Our Green Year，we completely changed our lifestyle．We now shop at organic（有機(jī)的） stores．We eat less meat and choose green food．We have greatly reduced our buying we don't need．We have given away half of what we owned through websites．Our home is kept clean by vinegar（醋） and lemon juice，with no chemical cleaners（化學(xué)清潔劑）．We make our own butter，enjoying the smell of home-made fresh bread．In our home，anyone caught doing something ungreen might be punished．
    Our minds have been changed by Our Green Year．We are thankful for the chance to have been able to go green and educate others．We believe that we do have the power to change things and help our planet．

38．What might be the best title for the passage？D
A．Celebrating Our Green Year．
B．Protecting the Planet．
C．Keeping Open-Minded                    
D．Going Green．
39．It was difficult for the couple to live a green life for the whole year becauseA．
A．they needed to complete unusual green tasks
B．they didn't know how to educate other people
C．they were unwilling to reduce their energy
D．they were expected to follow the green fad
40．What did the couple do during Our Green Year？D  
A．They sold their home-made food．
B．They paid no attention to others'ungreen actions．
C．They chose better chemical cleaners．
D．They tried to get out of their ungreen habits．
41．What can we infer from the last paragraph？A
A．The couple may continue their project in the future．
B．The government will give support to the green people．
C．Some people don't agree with the couple's green ideas．
D．Most people in their country are interested in Our Green Year．

1．One afternoon last week，I saw three tearful children from my son's school being comforted by teachers．That morning，my 11-year-old had stomachaches．Talking to other mothers later，I heard about other children with stomachache or difficult sleeping the night before．
    What caused so much pain？Sports day!Sports day might be necessary at some schools，but not at a village primary school．For the children who can fly like the wind，sports day causes no problem．For those who are overweight or just not good at sport，it is nightmare（噩夢(mèng)）．Even for those who enjoy running but fall behind in front of so many students and their parents，it can prove a disaster．
    Why do we put our children through the painful and difficult event every year？Some may say competition is helpful to build character； or it's taking part，not winning，that's important； or that's a tradition of school life．I just felt great pity for those children in pain．
    Team games at the end of sports day produced some close races，wild enthusiasm（熱情），lots of shouting-and were fun to watch．More importantly，the children who were not so fast or quick were hidden a little from everyone's eyes．
    I wish that sports day could be given up or replaced（代替） with some other events．Perhaps an afternoon of team games，with a few races for those who want them，would be less stressful for the children and a lot more fun to watch．

35．What can we learn about the writer's son from Paragraph 1？B
A．He talked with some mothers．
B．Something was wrong with his stomach．
C．He had difficulty in sleeping．
D．He comforted his classmates．
36．Sports day is still a yearly event in this school probably becauseD．
A．this is a competitive city school        
B．children enjoy watching sports
C．it helps children lose weight             
D．it is a tradition of the school
37．What does the writer think about team games？D
A．They should include more stressful races．
B．They are less fun for those who love running．
C．They should be given up at primary school．
D．They are acceptable only to some children．

20．Last week my youngest son and I visited my father at his new home in Tucson，Arizona．He moved there a few years ago，and I couldn't wait to see his new house and meet his friends．
     My earliest memories of my father are a tall，handsome，successful man devoted to his work and his family，but uncomfortable with his children．As a child I loved him．He seemed unhappy with me if I didn't get A's in my exams and unhappy with my friends if their fathers were not as"successful"as he was．Whenever I went out with him on weekends，I used to try hard to think out things to say，feeling on guard．
     On the first day of my visit，we went out with one of my father's friends for lunch at an outdoor cafe．We walked along that afternoon，did some shopping，ate on the street table，and laughed over my son's funny facial expressions．Gone was my father's critical（挑剔的） air and strict rules．Who was this friendly and interesting person now？What had made him so critical before？
     The next day dad pulled out his childhood pictures and told me quite a few stories about his own childhood．Although our times together became easier over the years，I never felt closer to him at that moment．After so many years，I'm at last seeing another side of my father．And I'm happy to be with my new friend．My dad，in his new home in Arizona，is back to me from where he was．

31．Why did the writer feel bitter（痛苦） about her father when she was young？C
A．He was silent most of the time．
B．He was too proud of himself．
C．He expected too much of her．
D．He didn't love his children．
32．When the writer went out with her father on weekends，she would feelD．
A．safe                  
B．sorry               
C．tired                       
D．nervous 
33．What does the writer think of her father after her visit to Tucson？B
A．More critical．
B．Easy-going and friendly．
C．More humorous．
D．Strict and hard-wor king．
34．The underlined words in the last paragraph refer toB．
A．the writer's son                                     
B．the writer's father 
C．the friend of the writer's father        
D．the cafe owner．

19．I loved my mother's desk since I was just tall enough to see above the top of it when mother sat doing letters．Looking at the ink bottle，pens and white paper，I decided that the act of writing must be the most wonderful thing in the world．
    Years later，during her final illness，mother kept different things for my sister and brother，"But the desk，"she said again，"is for Elizabeth．"
    I never saw her get angry，and never saw her cry．I knew she loved me，and she showed it in action．But as a young girl，I wanted heart-to-heart talks between mother and daughter．
    They never happened and a gulf opened between us．I was"too emotional （易動(dòng)感情的）"，but she lived"on the surface"．
    As years went by and I had my own family．I loved my mother and thanked her for our happy family．I wrote to her in  careful words and asked her to let me know in any way that she did forgive （原諒） me．
    I posted the letter and waited for her answer．It didn't come．
    It seemed that nothing happened．I couldn't be sure that the letter had even got to her．
    I only knew that I had written it，and I could stop trying to make her into someone she was not．
    Now the present of her desk told me that she was pleased that writing was my chosen work，though she had never been able to．I cleaned the desk carefully and found some papers inside…a photo of my father and a one-paper letter．Folded （折疊） and refolded many times．
    Give me an answer，my letter asks，in any way you choose．Mother，you always chose the act that speaks louder than words．

62．The writer began to love her mother's deskB．
A．a(chǎn)fter mother died     
B．when she was a child
C．before she became a writer    
D．when mother gave it to her
63．The passage shows that motherB．
A．was too serious about everything her daughter had done
B．was cold on the surface but kind in her heart to her daughter
C．cared much about her daughter in words
D．wrote to her daughter in careful words
64．The word"gulf"in the 4th paragraph meansD．
A．deep understanding between the old and the young
B．part of the sea going far in land
C．free talks between mother and daughter
D．different ideas between mother and daughter
65．What's the best title of the passage？C
A．My Letter to Mother    
B．Mother and Children
C．My Mother's Desk     
D．Talks Between Mother and Me．

18．A father was sitting at his desk and looking at his bills when his young son rushed in and said，"Dad，because today is your birthday and you're 40 years old，I'm going to give you 40 kisses，one for each year!"When the boy started kissing，the father shouted，"Oh，Andrew，don't do it now．I'm too busy!"
The boy soon became silent as tears fell down from his big blue eyes．Feeling sorry，the father said，"You can finish the kisses later．"
The boy said nothing but quietly walked away．That evening the father said，"Come and finish the kisses now，Andrew!"But the boy didn't．
Unfortunately，a few days later，the boy had an acc ident and died．His sad father wrote，"If only I could tell him how sorry I am for my thoughtless words，and how much my heart is hurting．"
Love is a two-way street．We must warmly accept any loving act，or others will take it as a"No"and it may leave a scar（傷痕）．If we don't receive love，our life will lose its true meaning．
Any loving act must be warmly accepted，or it will be taken as rejection and can leave a scar．If we are too busy to give and receive love，we are too silly!Nothing is more important than accepting love from those who are and dear to us．

59．On his father's birthday，the boy wanted toB    
A．help his father write the bills．
B．give kisses to his father．
C．buy a gift for his father．
D．talk with his father．
60．Which of the following is NOT true？B
A．Andrew's father was busy looking at his bills on his birthday．
B．Andrew was killed in an accident on his father's birthday．
C．Andrew's father asked him to give him the kisses later．
D．Andrew's father felt sorry after the accident happened．
61..We can know from the passage thatD．
A．love keeps one busy all the time．
B．love can make people happy and unhappy．
C．it is important to love people around us 
D．we should learn to give and receive love．

17．When I was in the eighth grade，my teacher asked us to write an article about what we would like to do when we grew up．All I could think of was one sentence I want to help other people!Over the years，I met many difficulties and failures（失敗）．But I never thought of giving up．I realized that to help other people I have to help myself first．I encouraged myself after I experienced failures，and I cheered for myself when I did well．
Finally，my dream really came true．I found a part-time job in a charity．I began to spend my days doing things for people in need．I have a happy life．That doesn't mean that this kind of life is easy，or that my work is always enjoyable．I am happy because I am doing what I want to do．
Wha t do you want to do？Write it down now．If you don't know，you can ask yourself，"What would I do if this was the last day of my life？"Then write down the first thing that comes to your mind，no matter how silly or how impossible it is．Once you have an answer，you will know what your dream is．
 
56．Which article did his teacher probably ask them to write？B．
A．My favorite sport．
B．My dream   
C．My hobby 
D．My teacher
57．What did he do whenever he experienced failures？C．
A．He gave up．
B．He found a part-time job．
C．He encouraged himself．
D．He turned his parents．
58．The writer says"I have a happy life"becauseA．
A．he was doing what he wanted to do
B．his work was always enjoyable
C．his part-time job was easy
D．he finished his work．

16．Do you love holidays but hate the increase of weight that follows？You are not alone．Holidays are happy days with pleasure and delicious foods．Many people，however，are worried about the weight that comes along with these delicious foods．
With proper planning，though，it is possible to control your weight．The idea is to enjoy the holidays but not to eat too much．You don't have to turn away from the foods that you enjoy．The following suggestions may be of some help to you．
●Do not miss meals．Before you leave home for a big dinner，have small，low fat foods．This may help to keep you from getting too excited before delicious foods．
●Begin with clear soup and fruit or vegetables．A large glass of water before you eat may help you feel full．Use a small plate（盤子）； a large plate will encourage you to have more than enough．
●Better not have high fat foods．Dishes that look oily have much fat in them．
●Fill your plate with salad and green vegetables．
●If you have a sweet tooth，try some fruits．They don't have as much fat as cream（奶油）and chocolate．
●Don't let exercise take a break during the holidays．A 20minutes'walk after a meal can help burn off calories （卡路里）．

84．The writer gives usCsuggestions about controlling weight during holidays．
A．four 
B．five
C．six   
D．seven
85．Before we leave for a big dinner，we should eat someD．
A．high fat foods 
B．cream and chocolate
C．oily dishes    
D．small and low fat foods
86．Which of the following is a good way to stop us putting on weight during holidays？C
A．Don't take exercise and have a rest．
B．Just have clear soup and fruit or vegetables．
C．Drink a large glass of water before eating．
D．Use a big plate and fill it with beef and chicken．
87．From the passage we know that holidays may bring us pleasure andA．
A．bring weight problems    
B．make us hate delicious food
C．force us to eat less fruit
D．encourage us to have more food．

15．Mr．Clinton and his 13-year-old son Tony are baseball fans．Last October 10th was Tony's birthday，so Mr．Clinton decided to drive him to New York，for the first game of the World Series （世界職業(yè)棒球大賽）．They had no ticket but hoped to buy a pair from others．
After they arrived，they walked in the street for two hours，carrying a sign，"We need two tickets．"Then they found the cheapest ticket was 200．They were about to leave when suddenly a man stopped them．He took out two tickets and handed them to Mr．Clinton．
"How much do you want？"
"Just a present．"said the man，"Enjoy the game．"
Mr．Clinton wouldn't accept，so the man explained，"I'm Jackson．Hans is my boss．He and his wife haven't missed a World Series in 18years．But he is ill and can't watch the game this time．So he told me to give the two tickets to people who would actually enjoy the game．Then I saw you and I followed you for a while．You seemed very sad．You made me think of my dad and me when I was a child．I dreamed of going to a World Series game with my father．But my dream never came true．"
How do you suppose this made Mr．Clinton and his son feel？Here is what Mr．Clinton said："This is the most wonderful thing that ever happened to us．My boy and I must have turned to each other over 30times and said，‘I can't believe this．'We still never forget Jackson and Hans．"

71．Mr．Clinton took his son Tony to watch the first game of the World Series becauseC．
A．he got two tickets for the game    
B．they both liked watching games
C．it was a birthday present for Tony    
D．he had enough time and money
72．The two tickets from Jackson saved Mr．Clinton at leastD．
A.100
B.200    
C.300    
D.400
73．From the passage we can know that Hans and his wife oftenA．
A．watched the World Series     
B．gave a hand to the poor
C．sold the tickets for World Series    
D．missed the wonderful game
74．Which of the following sentence is TRUE according to the passage？B
A．Mr．Clinton hoped to buy the tickets at the ticket office．
B．Mr．Clinton and his son were very thankful after getting the tickets．
C．Jackson's dream of going to a World Series game came true in the end．
D．Jackson was ill in hospital and couldn't watch the World Series game．
75．What's the best title for this passage？A
A．A special present．
B．A helpful boss．
C．A wonderful game．
D．An excellent dream．