We have two daughters: Kristen is seven years old and Kelly is four. Last Sunday evening, we invited some people home for dinner. I dressed them nicely for the party, and told them that their job was to join Mommy in answering the door when the bell rang. Mommy would introduce them to the guests, and then they would take the guests’ coats upstairs and put them on the bed in the second bedroom.

The guests arrived. I introduced my two daughters to each of them. The adults were nice and kind and said how lucky we were to have such good kids.

Each of the guests made a particular fuss over Kelly, the younger one, admiring her dress, her hair and her smile. They said she was a remarkable girl to be carrying coats upstairs at her age.

I thought to myself that we adults usually make a big “to do” over the younger one because she’s the one who seems more easily hurt. We do it with the best of intentions.

But we seldom think of how it might affect the other child. I was a little worried that Kristen would feel she was being outshined. I was about to serve dinner when I realized that she had been missing for twenty minutes. I ran upstairs and found her in the bedroom, crying.

I said, “What are you doing, my dear?”

She turned to me with a sad expression and said, “Mommy, why don’t people like me the way they like my sister? Is it because I’m not pretty? Is that why they don’t say nice things about me as much?”

I tried to explain to her, kissing and hugging her to make her feel better.

Now, whenever I visit a friend’s home, I make it a point to speak to the elder child first.

The underlined expression make a big to do over (paragraph 4) means _____.

A. show much concern about              B. have a special effect on

    C. list jobs to be done for                 D. do good things for

   The guests praised Kelly for carrying coats upstairs because of her _____.

   A. beautiful hair                           B. pretty clothes

   C. lovely smile                         D. young age

Kristen felt sad and cried because _____.

the guest gave her more coats to carry

she didn’t look as pretty as Kelly

the guests praised her sister more than her

her mother didn’t introduce her to the guests

   We can conclude from the passage that _____.

parents should pay more attention to the elder children

the younger children are usually more easily hurt

people usually like the younger children more

adults should treat children equally

Charlie was a rich boy who had more toys than you could imagine. His family had a lot of money, and   1  he liked something, they would buy it for him. Then, he had no idea what things cost, and wouldn't   2  to take care of what he had. Nor did he realise how difficult it was for other children to get toys like the ones he had.

A time came, though, when he was   3  used to all his toys and various stuff that he began to want something   4 . One of his uncles found a fine horse and he gave it to Charlie. Charlie was very   5  at having a horse. He had never got something like that before.

However, he   6  the horse just as badly as he did all his other toys, and it soon started looking   7 . For the first time in his life Charlie became truly   8 . He loved the horse, and the fact that his family had offered to exchange it for a new one meant nothing to him. One day, while in the countryside, he saw a girl with a horse. The girl looked very poor, but the horse seemed happy and looked great.

Wondering how she had   9  this, Charlie secretly followed her, watching everything she did. First he followed them through the forest, where he saw that she never used the whip, and never   10  the horse. Then they came to the stable, and   11  they arrived the girl fed and watered the horse. Then she carefully groomed (照顧) it. Charlie was surprised. This was the   12  of what Charlie had done to his horse.

Charlie wanted to   13  and become like the girl. As no one had shown him how to do this, he 14   to her and asked her to teach him how to look after his horse. After her initial surprise, she happily  15 . With her he learned how to   16  care and effort into things. He learned that he could be much   17  with only a few special things that you truly   18  , than with thousands of toys that were only good for a short time and were then   19  aside. When the horse finally   20  all its strength and health, Charlie was happy that his effort had been worthwhile.

1.                A．whichever      B．whenever       C．whatever D．however

 

2.                A．refuse         B．bother         C．obey D．hesitate

 

3.                A．so             B．a(chǎn)s             C．quite D．very

 

4.                A．usual          B．different        C．right D．expensive

 

5.                A．excited         B．interested       C．a(chǎn)nnoyed  D．hopeful

 

6.                A．operated       B．commanded     C．trained   D．treated

 

7.                A．tired           B．puzzled         C．grateful   D．sick

 

8.                A．worried        B．patient         C．a(chǎn)shamed  D．doubtful

 

9.                A．controlled      B．learned         C．managed  D．prepared

 

10.               A．scratched       B．hit            C．broke D．damaged

 

11.               A．even if         B．every time      C．now that   D．soon after

 

12.               A．glory          B．devotion        C．opposite   D．a(chǎn)ssumption

 

13.               A．change         B．continue        C．inspect    D．overcome

 

14.               A．got over        B．turned over     C．took over  D．went over

 

15.               A．a(chǎn)greed         B．received        C．a(chǎn)dopted   D．responded

 

16.               A．give           B．put            C．spend D．take

 

17.               A．stringer        B．higher         C．happier   D．smarter

 

18.               A．cared for       B．cut down       C．poured into    D．looked up

 

19.               A．picked         B．dropped        C．passed    D．thrown

 

20.               A．relieved        B．recovered      C．lost   D．grasped

 

 

When I was a teenager I volunteered to work at the water station at a 10,000m race. My job was to 36 water to the runners, I remember being so 37 to see all the different kinds of people who passed by and grabbed a cup of water. Some ran past, some walked past and a few wheeled past. I saw so many types of people doing it. I thought maybe I could do it too! So the next year I 38 up for the race.

That first 10,000m race was quite an 39 . I jogged, I walked, I jogged and I walked. 40 , I didn’t know if I could finish. Then came a defining(起決定性作用的) 41 .

At one point near the end, a 70-year-old man ran past me, very, very fast, and I felt 42 because I was 15 years old, younger than him but I couldn’t even keep up with him. I felt 43 for a second.

But then I 44 something. He was running his race and I was running mine. He had 45 abilities, experience, training and goals for himself. I had mine. Remember my 46 was only to finish.

After a minute, it 47 me that this was a lesson I could draw from. I learned something about myself at that moment. I turned my embarrassment into 48 .

I 49 that I would not give up running races. In fact, I would run even more races and I would learn how to train and prepare 50 and one day I would be one of those 70-year-old persons who were still running. As I crossed the finish line, I was proud of my 51 .

In life we all have those moments when we 52 ourselves with others. It’s only 53 . Don’t allow those moments to 54 you. Turn them into motivation and let them inspire you. With the proper preparation and training, you can improve your result to 55 anything you want in life.

1.                A．bring out       B．pass out         C．take out  D．pick out

 

2.                A．excited         B．worried         C．concerned    D．a(chǎn)nxious

 

3.A gave B. made    C. signed       D. dressed

4.                A．a(chǎn)chievement    B．encouragement  C．interest   D．experience

 

5.                A．At times        B．In time         C．In all D．At all

 

6.                A．victory         B．decision        C．moment  D．conclusion

 

7.                A．embarrassed    B．a(chǎn)nnoyed        C．moved   D．thrilled

 

8.                A．relaxed         B．defeated        C．puzzled   D．inspired

 

9.                A．realized        B．lost            C．noticed   D．remembered

 

10.               A．necessary       B．evident         C．common   D．different

 

11.               A．motto          B．plan           C．goal  D．direction

 

12.               A．worried        B．hit            C．reached   D．hurt

 

13.               A．a(chǎn)ttraction       B．devotion        C．inspiration D．expectation

 

14.               A．hoped         B．promised       C．decided   D．suggested

 

15.               A．slightly         B．hardly          C．clearly    D．properly

 

16.               A．excitement      B．a(chǎn)ccomplishment  C．movement D．judgement

 

17.               A．introduce       B．relate          C．present   D．compare

 

18.               A．important       B．natural         C．strange    D．ridiculous

 

19.               A．weaken        B．wound         C．a(chǎn)muse D．cheer

 

20.               A．prevent        B．deliver         C．a(chǎn)chieve   D．a(chǎn)bandon

 

 

WASHINGTON—Laura Straub is a very worried woman. Her job is to find families for French teenagers who expect to live with American families in the summer.

It is not easy, even hopeless.

“We have many children left to place—40 out of 75,” said Straub, who works for a Paris-based foreigner-exchange program started 50 years ago. Family life was more than accommodating (提供膳宿). For one thing, more mothers stayed at home. But now, increasing numbers of women work outside the home. Exchange-student programs have struggled in recent years to sign up host (主人) families for the 30 000 teenagers who every year come from abroad to spend a school year in the United States, as well as the thousands more who take part in summer programs.

School systems in many parts of the U.S., unhappy about accepting non-taxpaying students, have also strictly limited the number of exchange students they accepted. At the same time, the idea of hosting foreign students is becoming less exotic.

In search for host families, who usually receive no pay, exchange programs are increasingly broadening their requests to include everyone from young couples to retirees.

 “We are open to many different types of families,” said Vickie Weiner, eastern area director for ASSE, a 25-year-old program that sends about 30 000 teenagers on school-year exchange programs worldwide.

For elderly people, exchange students “keep us young—they really do”, said Jen Foster, who is hosting 16-year-old Nina Post from Denmark.

The underlined word “exotic” means _________.

A. difficult       B. wonderful        C. exciting         D. accommodating

According to the text, why was it easier for Laura Straub to find American families for foreign students?

A. More mothers wasn’t working outside and was able to afford to look after children .

B. American school systems were better than now.

C. Foreign students paid hosting families a lot of money.

D. The government was happy because it could gain tax.

Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?

A. All the families can host foreign students.

B. Only young couples can host foreign students.

C. Only those who were retired can host foreign students.

D. Exchange programs are open to many different types of families including everyone from young couples to retirees.

Which of the following is the best title of this passage?

A. U.S. Struggle to Find host Families

B. Idea of Hosting Students is Different

C. Foreign-exchange Program Is Going on

D. Exchange Students Keep Old People Young

When someone takes shoes to a shop to be mended, he is given a ticket with a number on it. Then,  21 his shoes are ready, he goes back to the shop, gives the ticket to the shoemaker, gets his shoes and  22  for them.

One day Mrs. Smith gave her husband a  23 of her shoes which needed mending and asked him to  24 them to the shop. Mr. Smith did so, and put the  25 for them in his pocket.

He went back four days  26 to get the shoes,  27 when he went into the shop, he was not able to find his ticket  28 ,and the shoemaker did not want to give him the  29 until he got the ticket.

“How do I know that the shoes are  30 unless you give me the ticket?” he said. “If I give them to you now, somebody  31 may come into my shop with the ticket tomorrow, and then I shall not be able to give him the shoes.”

Mrs. Smith needed the shoes very much, so her husband  32 for a moment and then went out to his  33 , which was at the side of the road   34 the shop. He  35 the door, and whistled（耳語）to his wife’s small  36 , which was sitting on the back seat. Then he went back into the shop and  37 it, “Get the shoes!” The dog began to  38 around the shop, and soon it found Mrs. Smith’s shoes and brought them to Mr. Smith one after the  39 .

“That should prove（證明）that they are my wife’s.” Mr. Smith said.

The shoemaker  40  and then he gave the shoes to Mr. Smith.

1.                A．before         B．when          C．since D．unless

 

2.                A．cares          B．looks           C．pays D．waits

 

3.                A．pair           B．set            C．kind D．piece

 

4.                A．show          B．change         C．lead D．take

 

5.                A．bill            B．paper          C．ticket D．list

 

6.                A．late            B．later           C．a(chǎn)go  D．long

 

7.                A．but            B．because        C．a(chǎn)nd  D．or

 

8.                A．everywhere     B．a(chǎn)nywhere       C．nowhere  D．somewhere

 

9.                A．return         B．idea            C．shoes    D．a(chǎn)nswer

 

10.               A．what           B．whose         C．where D．yours

 

11.               A．else           B．some          C．every D．a(chǎn)ll

 

12.               A．worried        B．cried          C．thought   D．hoped

 

13.               A．train           B．bus            C．boat  D．car

 

14.               A．inside          B．outside         C．up   D．round

 

15.               A．opened        B．closed         C．broke D．built

 

16.               A．clock          B．dog            C．cat   D．hen

 

17.               A．said to         B．replied         C．a(chǎn)nswered  D．talked

 

18.               A．hear           B．taste           C．smell D．see

 

19.               A．each           B．once           C．a(chǎn)ny   D．other

 

20.               A．surprised       B．frightened      C．cried out  D．laughed