We were travelling in Italy recently and what really made our trip memorable are the encounters (邂逅) with Italian grandmas. I just ___1___ a busy road in Rome. A grandma right next to me sprinted (飛奔) across and came back with my baby’s missing shoe. I hadn’t even ___2___ and she thought it would be easier to run twice than try to communicate with me through our language ___3___.
Another time, I was looking for Fontana de Trevis (許愿池) and ___4___ off in the name of looking at this and that. Out came a ___5___ from a small café and she at once knew I was ___6___. She took me by the hand and asked where I was heading for. Then she ___7___ me  to the fountain and three minutes later, I was standing in front of the masterpiece.
On the last day of our ___8__, we were in the local Metro train and a very old grandma got on. The train was ___9__ and many of us offered our seats to her. She accepted my ___10__ and a couple of stops later, I found myself ___11___ again, right next to her. We ___12__, she in Italian and me in English. When she ___13__ my husband and I were heading for Tivoli, she took out her return ___14__ for the expensive inter-city bus and put them into my hand.
I’ve lost count of the grandmas that played with our baby as if he was their own. But the ___15__ of all those grandmas is very hard to forget.

小題1:	A．crossed B．chose C．visited D．found

小題2:	A．left B．cried C．noticed D．a(chǎn)rrived

小題3:	A．translation B．study C．skill D．barrier

小題4:	A．called B．ran C．wandered D．set

小題5:	A．waitress B．customer C．foreigner D．grandma

小題6:	A．optimistic B．honest C．lost D．sick

小題7:	A．led B．told C．put D．pointed

小題8:	A．conference B．trip C．term D．show

小題9:	A．full B．empty C．fast D．new

小題10:

A．department B．gift C．offer D．opinion

小題11:

A．standing B．sitting C．thinking D．sleeping

小題12:

A．sang B．chatted C．wrote D．quarreled

小題13:

A．said B．remember C．forgot D．learnt

小題14:

A．map B．tickets C．money D．plans

小題15:

A．warmth B．experience C．heart D．trip

One day a few years ago we had a guest of the uninvited variety. In fact, this uninvited guest was a bird--- a(n) __1__, to be more precise(精確地).
“What’s that?” I asked when I first heard the thump(重?fù)袈?. “It sounds like Joe is outside playing basketball,” my wife, Anita, said. She paused and __2__ more devotedly. “It’s coming from the __3__.” she said. “Maybe it’s one of the little __4__”.
We rushed out the door. Jonathan, our youngest, was easy to make __5__. “If he’s making holes in the wall again…” I said as I searched there. No children at all. But there was that __6_ again, coming from right up there.
And that’s when I __7__ the sparrow. It was flying __8__ just inches below the ceiling. It was clearly trying to __9__, but couldn’t see that the way out wasn’t up, but down and out through the open _10__. So the bird continued beating its wings and hitting its head against the __11__.
“Poor thing,” Anita said. “It must be __12__.”
“Well, maybe it’s because of me,” I said as I moved toward it. I tried to show the bird how to glide (滑翔) down a few feet so it could get outside, __13__ that only seemed to frighten it more.
“Why don’t we just __14__?” Anita suggested. “I’m sure he’ll __15__ eventually.”
So we went back into the house, where we continued to hear the ongoing struggle. Then suddenly, it was __16__. We looked into the garage, and our uninvited guest was __17__.
“See?” Anita said. “I told you he would make it.”
“Yeah,” I said. “But how many knocks on the head did it __18__ him?”
I’ve thought about that little sparrow through the years. Just like that sparrow, we often meet situations we don’t know how to __19__. Born to go upward, we don’t __20__ consider the possibility that something good might happen if we stop flapping(拍打) around and just glide down a little bit.

小題1:	A．swallow B．eagle C．sparrow D．pigeon

小題2:	A．searched B．listened C．studied D．thought

小題3:	A．basement B．kitchen C．garage D．yard

小題4:	A．kids B．cats C．birds D．dogs

小題5:	A．trouble B．fun C．sense D．effort

小題6:	A．cry B．a(chǎn)ttack C．knock D．sound

小題7:	A．recalled B．realized C．spotted D．caught

小題8:	A．bravely B．a(chǎn)nxiously C．patiently D．happily

小題9:	A．come up B．come down C．get in D．get out

小題10:

A．car B．hole C．door D．roof

小題11:

A．wall B．floor C．window D．ceiling

小題12:

A．terrified B．tired C．stupid D．mad

小題13:

A．since B．if C．but D．so

小題14:

A．leave B．wait C．flee D．escape

小題15:

A．a(chǎn)ttempt B．recognize C．understand D．succeed

小題16:

A．strange B．silent C．busy D．noisy

小題17:

A．injured B．a(chǎn)wesome C．gone D．dead

小題18:

A．cost B．offer C．earn D．owe

小題19:

A．stand B．deal with C．comfort D．face

小題20:

A．still B．ever C．a(chǎn)lso D．even

Years ago, there was a very wealthy man who, with his devoted young son, shared a passion for art collecting. Together, they traveled around the world, adding only the   36  art treasures to their collection.
One year, as winter approached,   37  engulfed (吞沒(méi)) the nation, and the young man left to  38  his country. After only a few short weeks, his father received a telegram. His beloved son was   39  in action. The art collector   40  awaited more news,  41  he would never see his son again. Within days, his fears were   42  . The young man had died while rushing a fellow soldier to a doctor.
Upset and   43  , the old man faced the coming Christmas holidays with sadness. On Christmas morning, a knock on the door awakened the   44  old man. As he opened the door, he was greeted by a   45  with a large package in his hands.
He introduced himself to the old man by saying,“ I was a   46  of your son. I was the one he was 47  when he died. May I come in for a few moments? I have something to show you.”
As the two began to   48  , the soldier told of how the man's son had told everyone of his, not to mention his father's   49  of fine art. “I am no   50  ,” said the soldier, “but I want to give you this.”
As the old man unwrapped the package, he saw a portrait his son. Though the world would   51 consider it the work of a genius, the painting featured the young man's face   52  striking detail.
Overcome with emotion, the man   53  the soldier. After the soldier had left, the old man put the painting above the fireplace, pushing   54  thousands of dollars worth of art. His task completed, the old man sat in his chair and spent Christmas gazing at the   55  he had been given.

小題1:	A．latest B．richest C．cheapest D．finest

小題2:	A．war B．fire C．storm D．flood

小題3:	A．save B．serve C．help D．build

小題4:	A．fighting B．a(chǎn)cting C．missing D．dying

小題5:	A．a(chǎn)nxiously B．calmly C．quietly D．secretly

小題6:	A．wondering B．doubting C．fearing D．expecting

小題7:	A．comp1eted B．doubled C．removed D．confirmed

小題8:	A．lonely B．tired C．nervous D．frightened

小題9:	A．sad B．puzzled C．a(chǎn)ngry D．worried

小題10:

A．farmer B．soldier C．painter D．seller

小題11:

A．friend B．photographer C．partner D．guard

小題12:

A．rescuing B．carrying C．guarding D．hiding

小題13:

A．a(chǎn)rgue B．move C．talk D．eat

小題14:

A．description B．love C．sense D．understanding

小題15:

A．reporter B．businessman C．hero D．a(chǎn)rtist

小題16:

A．sometimes B．often C．never D．still

小題17:

A．for B．in C．of D．on

小題18:

A．treated B．questioned C．welcomed D．thanked

小題19:

A．own B．a(chǎn)side C．up D．off

小題20:

A．treasure B．souvenir C．gift D．Package

“Confidence” is probably one of the most noticeable traits (品質(zhì)) in the Americans. They show confidence in the way they talk, the way they smile, the way they dress and the way they walk. Living and competing with all these confident American students, I find it extremely important to be confident as an international student and instructor. As a student, being confident means you should never hesitate to raise your hand whenever a question or a point comes to your mind. Don't mind if it sounds simple or silly. Otherwise you will never get a chance to speak in class at all. What's worse, the professors may think you are not prepared for the discussion or you do not have your own opinion on the issue—this is the last comment any graduate would like to receive.
Being confident for me as a foreign instructor means calmly asking the student to repeat what he or she has said if I did not get it. Pretending to understand what you actually did not may just bring yourself embarrassment or even disgrace. But the time I most need to be confident is when my students come to my office and bargain about the grades I have given for their speeches. (The course I'm teaching here is Public speaking). Modesty is a trait highly valued in China, but it won't be of much help here if you want to survive and succeed in a good American graduate program.
小題1:To compete with American students it's very important to     .

A．be quite confident

B．be polite and friendly

C．have more discussions with them

D．understand what they think about

小題2:A professor will have the worst opinion of a student who     .

A．gives a silly or simple answer

B．tries to seize any chance to speak in class

C．shows no interest in the course

D．is considered to have no opinion of his own

小題3:The author is most likely to feel embarrassed if       .

A．he asks a student to repeat what he has said

B．the students bargain with him

C．he pretends to know what he doesn't

D．he has to give a speech

小題4:We learn from the second paragraph that       .

A．we should also remain modest in America

B．modesty doesn't help you much in America

C．Americans also like modest people

D．modesty can help you through an American graduate program

小題5:What can we infer from the passage?

A．American students are ready to accept the grades from the teacher.

B．The writer teaches in Europe for a living.

C．Students are encouraged to present simple questions.

D．One’s ignorance will give away in time.

The world is filled with smart, talented, educated and gifted people. We meet them every day. A few days ago, my car was not running well. I pulled it into a garage and the young mechanic had it fixed in just a few minutes. He knew what was wrong by simply listening to the engine. I was amazed. The sad truth is, great talent is not enough.
I am constantly shocked at how little talented people earn. I heard the other day that less than 5 percent of Americans earn more than $100, 000 a year. A business consultant who specializes in the medical trade was telling me how many doctors and dentists struggle financially. It was this business consultant who gave me the phrase, “They are one skill away from great wealth.”
There is an old saying that goes, “Job means‘ just over broke (破產(chǎn))' ”. And unfortunately, I would say that the saying applies to millions of people. Because school does not think financial intelligence is intelligence, most workers“ live within their means”. They work and they pay the bills. Instead I recommend to young people to seek work for what they will learn, more than what they will earn.
When I ask the classes I teach, “How many of you can cook a better hamburger than McDonald's?” almost all the students raise their hands. I then ask, “So if most of you can cook a better hamburger, how come McDonald's makes more money than you?” The answer is obvious: McDonald's is excellent at business systems. The reason so many talented people are poor is because they focus on bui1ding a better hamburger and know little or nothing about business systems. The world is filled with talented poor people. They focus on perfecting their skills at building a better hamburger rather than the skills of selling and delivering the hamburger.
小題1:The author mentions the mechanic in the first paragraph to show that     .

A．he is just one of the talented people

B．he is ready to help others

C．he has a sharp sense of hearing

D．he knows little about car repairing

小題2:The underlined part in the third paragraph can be best replaced by       .

A．spend more than they can afford

B．do in their own way

C．live in their own circle

D．live within what they earn

小題3:Why do talented people earn so little according to the author?

A．They don't work hard enough.

B．They lack financial intelligence.

C．They don't make full use of their talents.

D．They have no specialized skills.

小題4:The success of McDonald's lies in its       .

A．skills at making hamburgers.	B．good business systems
C．talented workers	D．excellent service

小題5:The main purpose of the author is to tell us       .

A．how young people can find a satisfactory job

B．what schools should teach students

C．why so many talented people are poor

D．how McDonald's makes much money

When I was a boy, every holiday that I had seemed wonderful. My  ( 1 )  took me by train or by car to a hotel by the (  2 ) . All day, I seem to remember, I  ( 3)   on the sands with strange   (4 )  children. We made houses and gardens, and  ( 5)   the tide destroy them. When the tide went out, we  (6)   over the rocks and looked down at the fish in the rock-pools.
In those days the  ( 7 )  seemed to shine always brightly （ 8 ）  the water was always warm. Sometimes we left beach and walked in the country,（ 9 ）  ruined houses and dark woods and climbing trees. There were （ 10 ）  in one’s pockets or good places where one could （ 11 ）  ice creams. Each day seemed a lifetime.
Although I am now thirty-five years old, my idea of a good （  12 ） is much the same as it was. I （ 13 ）  like the sun and warm sand and the sound of （ 14 ）  beating the rocks. I no longer wish to （ 15 ）  any sand house or sand garden, and I dislike sweets. （ 16 ） , I love the sea and often feel sand running through my fingers.
Sometimes I （  17 ） what my ideal (理想的) holiday will be like when I am （ 18 ） . All I want to do then, perhaps, will be to lie in bed, reading books about （ 19 ）  who make houses and gardens with sands, who watch the incoming tide, who make themselves （ 20 ）  on too many ices…

小題1:	A．teacher B．parents C．nurse D．younger sister

小題2:	A．sea B．lake C．mountain D．river

小題3:	A．played B．slept C．sat D．stood

小題4:	A．moving B．exciting C．a(chǎn)nxious D．nervous

小題5:	A．made B．brought C．watched D．heard

小題6:	A．rolled B．jumped C．turned D．climbed

小題7:	A．light B．sun C．moon D．lamp

小題8:	A．a(chǎn)nd B．yet C．but D．or

小題9:	A．exploring B．examining C．repairing D．measuring

小題10:

A．sweets B．sand C．ice-creams D．money

小題11:

A．make B．sell C．buy D．offer

小題12:

A．house B．holiday C．garden D．tide

小題13:

A．hardly B．a(chǎn)lmost C．still D．perhaps

小題14:

A．waves B．tides C．hands D．feet

小題15:

A．destroy B．fix C．use D．build

小題16:

A．But B．However C．Otherwise D．Besides

小題17:

A．wonder B．feel C．understand D．believe

小題18:

A．strong B．weak C．young D．old

小題19:

A．children B．boys C．girls D．grown-ups

小題20:

A．happy B．tired C．sad D．sick

I can honestly say it was the best of times and the worst of times. I was joyfully expecting my first child at the same time that my mother was   1  her battle with a brain tumor(瘤). For ten years, my fiercely independent and   2  mother had fought, but none of the treatments had been successful.   3 , she never lost her ability to smile. But now, finally, she became totally   4 —unable to speak, walk, eat or dress on her own.
As she grew closer and closer to death, my  5  grew closer and closer to life inside me. My biggest   6  was that their lives would never connect. I was sad not only at the   7  loss of my mother, but that she and my baby would never know each other. Her doctor did not   8  any hope; they told us her time was up.
We brought Mother   9  to her own bed in her own house. As   10  as I could, I sat beside her and talked to her about the baby moving inside me.
On February 3, 1989, at about the same time my labor(分娩)   11 , Mother opened her eyes. When they told me this at the   12 , I called her home, “Mom, listen. The baby is coming! You’re going to have a new grandchild!”
“Yes! Yes! I know!”
Four beautiful words! The first  13  words she’d spoken in months!
When I   14  again an hour later, the nurse at her house told the  15 message: Mom sat up, smiling, with her oxygen tubes removed. When I brought Jacob home. Mom was sitting in her chair and 15  to welcome him. Tears of joy blocked my vision(視野) as I  17 my son in her arms and she clucked (發(fā)出咯咯聲) at him. They   18  .
Then she quietly clipped back into a coma (昏迷) and   19  peacefully. Memories of my son’s birth will always be bittersweet(甜中帶苦的) for me, but it was then that I learned love has the   20   to overcome any worries and any sorrow. And love can last forever.

小題1:	A．a(chǎn)ttending B．losing C．quitting D．defeating

小題2:	A．brave B．interesting C．funny D．lucky

小題3:	A．So B．Again C．Instead D．Still

小題4:	A．outstanding B．blind C．disabled D．troublesome

小題5:	A．sorrow B．love C．baby D．body

小題6:	A．problem B．dream C．surprise D．fear

小題7:	A．coming B．disappearing C．falling D．greeting

小題8:	A．a(chǎn)dmit B．hold C．drop D．permit

小題9:	A．up B．a(chǎn)way C．a(chǎn)bout D．home

小題10:

A．soon B．fast C．early D．often

小題11:

A．started B．failed C．ended D．continued

小題12:

A．office B．hospital C．house D．station

小題13:

A．common B．caring C．clear D．correct

小題14:

A．got up B．woke up C．called up D．looked up

小題15:

A．impossible B．possible C．necessary D．terrible

小題16:

A．likely B．ready C．free D．nervous

小題17:

A．hugged B．threw C．took D．laid

小題18:

A．joined B．knew C．nodded D．cried

小題19:

A．passed away B．turned over C．settled down D．gave out

小題20:

A．depth B．description C．power D．mask

Two traveling angels(天使) stopped to spend the night in the home of a wealthy family. The family was rude and refused to let the angels stay in the guest room. Instead the angels were given a space in the cold basement. As they made their bed on the hard floor, the older angel saw a hole in the wall and repaired it. When the younger angel asked why, the older angel replied: “Things aren’t always what they seem.”
The next night the pair came to rest at the house of a very poor but very hospitable(好客的) farmer and his wife. After sharing what little food they had, the couple let the angels sleep in their bed where they could have a good night’s rest. When the sun came up the next morning, the angels found the farmer and his wife in tears. Their only cow, whose milk had been their only income, lay dead in the field.
The younger angel was very angry and asked the older angel, “How could this happen?” Why did you not watch out for the cow? The first man had everything, yet you watched over his house,” she accused. “The second family had little but was willing to share everything, and you did not help.”
“Things aren’t always what they seem,” the older angel replied. “When we stayed in the basement, I noticed there was gold stored in that hole in the wall. Since the owner was so greedy and unwilling to share his good fortune, I asked God if I could seal(封口) the wall so he couldn’t find it. Then last night as we slept in the farmer’s bed, the angel of death came for his wife. I asked God if the angel could take the cow instead. Things aren’t always what they seem.”
小題1:Why did the older angel repair the hole for the rich family?

A．Because she didn’t like the greedy owner.

B．Because she wanted to save the gold for the poor.

C．Because the basement was too cold to stay in.

D．Because she believed that one should always be ready to offer help.

小題2:In paragraph two, “the pair” refers to_____________.

A．The poor couple	B．the rich couple
C．the guests	D．the angels

小題3:The story tries to tell the reader that_________________.

A．a(chǎn)ngels are always ready to help the poor

B．sometimes things are not what they seem

C．a(chǎn)ngels are always ready to help the rich

D．the young should always learn from the old.

Once upon a time, there was a scholar who wanted to gain more knowledge each day even though he had already gained enough knowledge. One day, he came to visit a saint and wanted to be his student. The saint provided some tea. He slowly filled the scholar’s cup: the cup was full, yet he kept pouring and pouring. The scholar burst out, “Stop! You can’t add anything to something that’s already full!” The saint set down the teapot and replied, “Exactly.”
Whether it’s the silence between notes in music, or some open time in your schedule, you need space to act effectively. Yet most of us, myself included, tend to stuff as much as possible into whatever room is available－closets, schedules, budgets, relationships, and even the mind itself.
However, some people know how to avoid overstuffing their life. For example, in Australia, it seemed that most people there operated at about 85% of their capacity（能力），unlike Americans pushing as close to 100% as possible. So when you run into Australians you know in the street, they have time to hang out and talk with you.
Remember the cup: its value is in the space, the emptiness it holds. How to empty your “cup”?
Be mindful of the element of space, openness , and emptiness  in your life. This includes room in a drawer, the volume of air in a kitchen, and open-mindedness in a friend. Sometimes you’re just stuck with a big bucket of tasks yet to do. But at least empty the bucket faster than you fill it with new tasks. Put some space between finishing one thing and staring another. For example, after sending one email, take a breath before replying to another one. Drop the stuff you can no longer afford to lug around. At sea level, you can run with a brick in your backpack, but if you’re hiking on a mountain, that brick has got to go.
小題1:By pouring water into the cup, the saint most probably wanted the scholar to know that     .

A．he should pay attention to details

B．he should keep learning every day

C．he had already gained enough knowledge

D．he should be very careful in order to succeed

小題2:We learn that compared to Americans, Australians      .

A．work much harder

B．know less about their capacity

C．spare more time for themselves

D．spend less time with their friends

小題3:The underlined word“l(fā)ug”in the last paragraph probably means“     ”.

A．reach

B．carry

C．see

D．show

小題4:What’s  the structure of the passage?

A．Example →advice→ conclusion →story.

B．Topic→ example →advice→ story.

C．Story→topic →example→advice.

D．Reason →topic →advice →example.

小題5:What would be the best title for the passage?

A．The art of life.	B．Value every minute
C．The art of drinking tea	D．Empty your“cup”at times

There was a man who had a little boy that he loved very much．Every day after work the man would come home and 36  with the little boy．He would always  37 all of his extra time with the little boy．
One night, while the man was at work, he  38 that he had extra work to do for the evening, and that he wouldn't be able to play with his little boy．39 he wanted to be able to give the boy something to keep him  40．So, looking around his office, he saw a magazine with a large  41 of the world on the cover．He got a（n） 42 ．He removed the map, and then patiently tore it up into small pieces．Then he put all the 43 in his coat pocket．
When he got home, the little boy came 44 to him and was ready to play. The man 45 that he had extra work to do and couldn't play just now．He 46 the little boy into the dining room, and 47 all the pieces of the map．He spread them on the table．He explained that it was a map of the world, and that by the time he could 48 together, his extra work would be 49_, and they could both play．Surely this would keep the child busy for hours, he thought．
About half an hour later the boy came to the man and said, "Okay, it's finished. Can we play now?" The man was50, saying, "That's impossible．Let's have a look" And 51 enough, there was the picture of the world, all put together every piece in its 52 ．The man said, “That’s amazing! How did you do that?” The boy said, “It's 53．On the 54 of the page is a（n）55 of a man．When I put the man together the whole world fell into place.”

小題1:	A．enjoy B．watch C．share D．play

小題2:	A．take B．spend C．spare D．have

小題3:	A．recognized B．told C．realized D．expected

小題4:	A．However B．Or C．For D．But

小題5:	A．happy B．busy C．excited D．silent

小題6:	A．map B．picture C．figure D．image

小題7:	A．information B．chance C．idea D．a(chǎn)dvice

小題8:	A．world B．pieces C．paper D．magazine

小題9:	A．running B．expecting C．shouting D．meeting

小題10:

A．explained B．persuaded C．shouted D．discussed

小題11:

A．a(chǎn)sked B．ordered C．led D．showed

小題12:

A．did up B．dealt with C．put out D．took out

小題13:

A．look it up B．get it around C．put it back D．turn it over

小題14:

A．finished B．wasted C．delivered D．filled

小題15:

A．shocked B．surprised C．satisfied D．tired

小題16:

A．beautiful B．sure C．right D．quite

小題17:

A．way B．position C．side D．place

小題18:

A．funny B．difficult C．simple D．interesting

小題19:

A．back B．cover C．top D．front

小題20:

A．picture B．impression C．sculpture D．shade