--- I can’t repair these until tomorrow, I’m afraid．

       --- That’s OK, there’s ____________．

       A．no question      B．no wonder       C．no doubt   D．no worry

Since his works earned him quite a reputation in Liverpool, he has stayed there most of his life, ___________ the occasional visit to his hometown.

A. apart from             B. but for              C. instead of         D. regardless of

This is one of the happiest days ____ spent in my life.

A have ever been                 B that has never been

C which was ever                 D we have

A man heard that a certain government wanted a clerk, so wrote and asked for the position. But while he was waiting for an answer, a friend of his introduced him to the head of the department, who gave him the job. Several months later, while the man was working in the department, he got a letter that had been sent to him from the place he used to live in. This letter said,

“Dear sir,

We are sorry to have to tell you that we cannot offer work in this department because we do not think that you would be able to do the work successfully.

                                             Your faithfully.”

The man laughed, but when he looked at the letter more carefully, he saw that he had signed it himself.

At the beginning of the story the man wanted ____.

   A. to be a clerk in a certain government   B. his friend to introduce him job

   C. to visit the head of the department     D. to get an answer from the department

The first paragraph mainly tells us ____.

   A. how the man knew the news that a clerk was needed

   B. how the man got a job with the help of his friend

   C. how the man wrote to the department to get the job

   D. how he was waiting for the answer from the department

He got a letter that had been sent to him, which means ____.

   A. he himself received the letter   

B. someone else got it and then didn’t bring it to him

   C. someone else got it and then brought it to him    

D. the government sent it to him

What do you think of the man?

   A. He was too careless.       B. He was very honest.

   C. He was very clever.        D. He was rather stupid.

Choose the right order of the events given in the passage.

   a. He got a letter one day   b. He got a job in the department.

   c. The letter told him he was unfit for the job.

   d. His friend introduced him to the head.

   e. He found he signed the letter himself.

   f. He wanted to get a job in the government department.

  A. a,b,c,d,e,f     B. c,b,d,a,f,e     C. f,d,b,a,c,e     D. f,b,a,e,c,f

—Well, Dick, I’m sorry but I have to leave.

—______. I hope to hear from you soon.

A. Enjoy yourself  B. Keep in touch  C. Don’t be so sad   D. So am I

Can you tell me ______ with him?

A. what is the matter               B. what the matter is     

C. what was the matter               D. what the matter was

Let us suppose that we _____him about it, what would have happened?

   A. had not told    B. did not tell    C. will not tell     D. don’t tell

Which do you enjoy _______ your summer holiday, doing some part-time job or staying at home?

   A. spending           B. being spent         C. to spend            D. spend

Every American family has its own traditions on Thanksgiving Day, and mine is no different. Once the national holiday arrives, my mom rises early to make the meal. She puts a turkey in the oven, chops carrots and bakes pies. I’m sorry to say that the men in the family – my dad, my younger brother and myself – rarely pitch in to help. Our job is to wash the mountain of dirty dishes after the meal is over.

Around 2 pm every Thanksgiving Day, family members seat themselves around the kitchen table. Plates of turkey, vegetables, salad, rolls and pies cover it. At this point, we can hardly keep ourselves from drooling (流口水) all over our fancy clothes, but it’s not yet time to eat.

First, we must bow our heads, close our eyes and say a prayer of thanks aloud to God for giving us everything we have. Under normal circumstances, I would have no problem making a list of things I am thankful for. I grew up in a loving family. My parents, who aren’t wealthy, took out loans to help me pay for university.

But, the funny thing is, every time I sit down for Thanksgiving dinner and try to say a prayer of thanks, my mind usually goes blank. I think it has something to do with my growling (咕咕叫) stomach and all of that food sitting right there under my nose.

Eventually, though, we all finish our short prayers and dig in. To be sure, the day includes other highlights – visiting with family and watching football. But usually around 6 pm we are all ourselves stuffed like turkeys and thankful to have a nice warm bed to sleep in.

The purpose of the text is to ________.

A. tell what the family do for Thanksgiving Day

B. tell how the family spends Thanksgiving Day

C. introduce foods served on Thanksgiving Day

D. introduce the American Thanksgiving Day

On Thanksgiving Day the author’s family do the following except ________.

A. watching a movie                   B. making visits

C. having a big meal                   D. watching football

Why does the author’s mind usually “go blank” when saying a prayer of thanks?

A. He is too thankful to say a word.

B. His mind is on the food before him.

C. He feels too excited to speak.

D. He is shy to speak in public.

The underlined phrase “dig in” in the last paragraph is closest in meaning to “________”.

A. chat with others                   B. make a hole

C. mix things up                     D. start eating

What can we conclude from the text?

A. On Thanksgiving Day, men do nothing but eat.

B. The author is a middle school student.

C. The author’s family is not rich, but it’s a loving one.

D. Thanksgiving Day falls on Thursday of December.

Stepfamilies are commonplace in the United States and their number continues to grow．While stepfamilies differ widely in their make-up， they all consist of a parenting couple and children， one or more of whom is of a previous union．Such combinations of his kids， her kids， and then， possibly， kids of the new union make for complicated and often trying difficulties， more challenging than those of traditional families．

       Since stepfamilies involve more people and， consequently， more potential problems from the start than do childless new marriage， it is wise for the couple to do some careful planning prior to （＝before） marriage．Not only do the prospective（預(yù)期的） marital partners need agreement about their own carriers， life goals， finance and special interests， they must also prepare for new relationship with their children and attempt to accommodate their individual needs and feelings．Furthermore， there are often the rights of other relatives to consider．

       As for any family， the basic ingredient（成分） of a successful stepfamily are affection， kindness and mutual（相互的） respect．However， love alone is not enough．Certainly love is the cornerstone upon which the foundation of any family is built， but there are also many other important ingredients involved in building a successful stepfamily．

       Surveys reveal that successful families regard the ability to communicate openly as the most important factor in their success．Communication is what keeps families on track and functioning as a unit．Although healthy communication is easier for some people than for others， this skill can be learned and improved．Healthy communication involves speaking clearly and listening carefully．

       By their very nature， stepfamilies often are complicated by past events that give rise to ambivalent（矛盾的） loyalties， lingering（持久的） hurts， fears， feelings of guilt and unrealistic dreams．The difficulties that arise within the stepfamilies are human and understandable．However， there are ways to confront（面臨） and resolve them．For example， support groups and professional counselors（法律顧問） are available in most communities to provide help and guidance when communications stopped and problems seem overwhelming（壓倒性的）．

       Planning and building a stepfamily is not a responsibility to take lightly．It can be a very trying and， at times， seemingly impossible effort．Many potential troubles can arise and threaten to destroy the stepfamily．Nevertheless， meeting and mastering these special challenges can bring unexpected satisfactions and rewarding depths of family closeness and affection．

According to the passage， there are 　　　　 in the United States．

       A．no stepfamilies                       B．more stepfamilies than ever before

       C．fewer stepfamilies than ever before      D．fewer stepfamilies than traditional ones

Which of the following can help avoid the potential problems arising in a stepfamily？

       A．The pursuit of the same careers．        B．Professional interventions（干涉）．

       C．The development of special interests．   D．Careful planning before the marriage．

Many people believe that 　　　　 contributes most to the building of a successful stepfamily．

       A．everlasting loyalties              B．open communication

       C．kindness and mutual respect        D．persistent（持久穩(wěn)固的） affection

It is natural for a stepfamily to be 　　　�。�

       A．unrealistic     B．complicated          C．a(chǎn)mbivalent           D．guilty

According to the author， planning and building a stepfamily is 　　　�。�

       A．impossible                             B．satisfying and rewarding

       C．discouraging and frustrating                 D．a(chǎn) difficult and trying experience