The annual marathon in my town usually took place in summer. My job was to 21 behind the runners in an ambulance 22 any of them needed medical attention. The driver and I were in an air-conditioned ambulance behind nearly one hundred athletes 23 to hear the sharp crack of the starting gun.
“We’re supposed to stay behind the 24 runner, so take it slowly ,” I said to the driver , Doug , as we began to creep 
forward .
“Let’s just hope all the runners are fast!” he laughed.
As they began to pace themselves, the front runners started to 25 . It was then that my 26 were drawn to the woman in blue silk running shorts and a baggy white T-shirt.
“Doug, look!”
We knew we were already watching our “last runner”. Her feet were turned in, but her left knee was turned out. Her legs were so crippled and bent that it seemed impossible for her to be able to walk , let alone run a marathon .
Doug and I watched in 27 as she slowly moved forward. We didn’t say a thing. We would move forward a little bit, then stop and wait for her to gain some distance. Then we’d slowly move forward a little bit more.
Finally, she was the 28 runner left in sight. Tears streamed down my face as I sat on the edge of my seat and watched with amazement and even respect as she 29 forward with strong determination through the last miles.
When the 30 line came into sight, rubbishes lay everywhere and
the cheering crowds had already gone home. 31 , a man waited proudly there. He was 32 one end of a ribbon (带子) tied to a post. 33 slowly crossed through, leaving both ends of the ribbon fluttering behind her.
I do not know this woman’s name, but that day she became a part of my life –a part I often depend on. For her, it wasn’t about 34 the other runners or winning a competition, it was about 
finishing what she had set out to do, no matter 35 . When I think things are too difficult or too time-consuming, I think of the last runner. Then I realize how easy the task before me really is.
A．interview B．watch C．follow D．fall
A．when B．since C．because D．in case
A．searching B．sitting C．wishing D．waiting
A．slow B．last C．wounded D．helpless
A．run B．miss C．disappear D．lose
A．attention B．mind C．eyes D．sight
A．happiness B．silence C．disappointment D．hope
A．single B．only C．last D．careful
A．pushed B．fought C．pulled D．jumped
A．close B．end C．match D．finish
A．Yet B．But C．Thus D．Therefore
A．catching B．handing C．holding D．bringing
A．He B．She C．I D．They
A．winning B．competing C．beating D．fighting
A．what B．where C．when D．why
A 16 thing happened 17 me last Sunday. It was such a beautiful day 18 I drove to go for a look in the country.
On the way back home, my 19 stopped. It was out of gas on a 20 road far from a town! I decided to walk 21 I found someone who could sell some gas. I had walked almost a mile 22 I finally found a house near the 23 . I was glad to see it because it was getting dark.
I knocked at the door and a little old lady with long white hair 24 She said, “I’ve been 25 for you here for a long time. Come in. 26 is almost ready.”
“But I only came for some gas,” I answered. I couldn’t 27 what she was talking about.
“Oh, Alfred! Gas? You 28 tea,” said she.
I quickly 29 that my car was out of 30 , but she didn’t seem to listen to me. She just kept 31 me Alfred and talking about how long it had been 32 she had seen me. She was acting very strangely and I was 33 to leave. As soon as she went to get tea, I went out of the house as fast as I could.
Fortunately, there was another house down the road and I was able to buy the gas I needed. When I told the man about my 34 , he said, “Oh, that’s Miss Emily. She lives by herself in that big house. She’s strange, but she wouldn’t 35 anybody. She is still waiting for the man she was going to marry thirty years ago. The day before their wedding he left home and never came back because of the war.”
A．happy B．strange C．common D．bad
A．on B．in C．upon D．to
A．and B．so C．but D．that
A．car B．bus C．bike D．truck
A．narrow B．lonely C．crowded D．busy
A．when B．so that C．until D．because
A．before B．after C．while D．as
A．street B．path C．way D．road
A．came B．answered C．opened D．appeared
A．asking B．looking C．calling D．waiting
A．Gas B．Coffee C．Tea D．Lunch
A．consider B．understand C．accept D．think
A．like B．liked C．used to like D．liking
A．answered B．explained C．refused D．promised
A．gas B．tea C．strength D．energy
A．calling B．call C．to call D．called
A．until B．before C．since D．when
A．anxious B．interested C．glad D．ready
A．accident B．incident C．experience D．surprise
A．wound B．injury C．hurt D．frighten
The new principal decided that he’d better first take a secret __36___ before doing something about Class 5A , which was the worst class in Hill Valley High School．He didn’t need to be informed ___37___ the class was , for ___38__were leading the way．
The door was shut from inside．The lock it had was missing , __39__ knocked off , just leaving a ___40___ for the principal．
Though the principal had __41___badly behaved classes before , what appeared through the _42____ was till a shock for him．It was a scene that was ___43__ seen in action films．But he knew what to do．He ___44__ go into the classroom , take hold of the ___45__ boy and punished him．This would be an example to the others．
He took a deep breath and then ___46__ open the classroom door．He had been prepared for the scene that there should be a shock of __47____ , but few treated him as an important ___48__ , and some even paid little attention to his existence．
“ Silence ! ” he shouted at the top of his voice．This time it was really __49____．They stopped what they were doing and stared at him．Quickly he walked up to the __50__ boy in the room , who he __51____had been playing an important part and also had been shouting at the others at the top of his voice．
He seized the boy by the ear and ___52__ him to the front of the class．
“ I’m going to punish you as an example to the rest , ” he said．“ Now go to my office and wait for me．”
Then he turned to the class and ___53__them about how to behave in school．
To __54___ his speech , he said , “ Does anyone have any questions ? ”
One of the students put up her hand．“ Yes , sir．I have．When can you free my __55__ back to continue his class ? ”
A．watch B．inspection C．look D．examination
A．where B．how C．what D．when
A．school guides B．class titles C．terrible noise D．some teachers
A．other than B．or rather C．worse still D．rather than
A．problem B．fault C．reason D．lookout
A．experienced B．heard C．seen D．punished
A．window B．door C．gap D．hole
A．seldom B．hardly C．never D．often
A．might B．should C．would D．could
A．noisiest B．biggest C．smallest D．youngest
A．pushed B．kicked C．forced D．knocked
A．silence B．surprise C．cries D．paleness
A．teacher B．principal C．role D．person
A．heard B．working C．shouted D．surprising
A．oldest-looking B．ordinary-looking C．funny-looking D．ill-looking
A．believed B．supposed C．guessed D．recognized
A．pushed B．pulled C．ordered D．got
A．announced B．said C．declared D．lectured
A．add to B．carry on C．end up D．show off
A．teacher B．brother C．monitor D．desk-mate
Nicola’s Love for Her Violin
Can love between partners with a 237-year age gap (差距) lead to the perfect match (绝配)? Nicola Benedetti thinks so. The 18-year-old 36 and her “partner, a 255-year-old Italian violin, 37 to China for the first time last weekend. She 38in Beijing on September 15 and also performed in Hangzhou and Shanghai.
Nicola is from Scotland and 39 playing the violin when she was four years old. 40 , it was not something her parents 41 her do. She went with her sister to violin lessons and 42 it and improved very quickly.
“There are so many different things I am fond of about the43 ,” she said. “I can’t really 44 it but I love giving live performances, I like the feeling of playing and communicating with the 45 . I love the feeling of the violin under my chin (下巴).”
However, playing violin six hours a day is not a/an 46 job. “I usually 47in an upstairs bedroom when I’m at home.” she said. “But sometimes, when it’s 48 outside, it can be upset. The house is right on the 49 and I can see others having fun 50 I’m on my own.”
Although practising is sometimes lonely, Nicola 51 felt she was lucky. “You can’t have52 . I am really lucky to do what I love doing,” she said. Her 53 paid off (终有回报). Nicola won BBC Young Musician of the Year in 2004 at 16.
54 her performing and recording activities, Nicola is a/an 55 of UNICEF (联合国儿童基金会). She said that she would travel to Lesotho in southern Africa at the end of this year to help poor kids there.
A．singer B．writer C．pianist D．violinist
A．came B．turned C．ran D．moved
A．checked B．played C．visited D．remained
A．stopped B．requested C．started D．ignored
A．So B．And C．But D．However
A．made B．persuaded C．wanted D．got
A．noticed B．concerned C．minded D．loved
A．lessons B．violin C．performances D．show
A．explain B．imagine C．determine D．refuse
A．foreigners B．friends C．audience D．teenagers
A．boring B．easy C．wonderful D．tiring
A．work B．rest C．stay D．practise
A．cool B．sunny C．windy D．cloudy
A．river B．hill C．farm D．beach
A．while B．as C．so D．for
A．even B．still C．ever D．almost
A．anything B．something C．everything D．nothing
A．time B．music C．efforts D．action
A．Because of B．Besides C．Instead of D．Thanks to
A．adviser B．manager C．organizer D．supporter
阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从1-15各题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。
Several factors make a good newspaper story. First， 1 ，it must be new. But since TV can react to events so quickly, this is often a problem for 2 . They usually respond 3 it in one of three ways.
One by providing 4 detail, comment or background information.
One by finding a new 5 on the day’s major stories.
One by printing completely different stories which 6 doesn’t broadcast.
What else? Well—it also has to be 7 . People don’t want to read about 8 , everyday life. Because of this, many stories 9 some kind of conflict or danger. This is one reason why so much news seems to be 10 news , “ Plane lands safely—no-one hurt ”doesn’t sell newspapers. “Plane 11 —200 feared dead !” does .
Next, there’s human interest. People are interested in other 12 —particularly in the rich, famous and powerful. Stories about the private lives of pop singers, actors, models, politicians, 13 , all appear regularly in certain newspapers .
Finally, for many editors, 14 is an important factor, too. They prefer stories about people, places and events which their readers know. That’s 15 the stories in Tokyo’s newspapers are often very different from the stories printed in Paris, Cairo, New York or Buenos Aires.
A．gradually B．extremely C．obviously D．precisely
A．newspapers B．publications C．reporters D．broadcasters
A．with B．on C．of D．to
A．extra B．available C．reliable D．memorable
A．direction B．look C．angle D．section
A．TV B．internet C．newspaper D．radio
A．conventional B．dramatic C．professional D．sensitive
A．common B．usual C．ordinary D．special
A．urge B．neglect C．increase D．involve
A．good B．bad C．exciting D．informative
A．crashes B．bumps C．strikes D．drops
A．places B．people C．things D．news
A．in addition B．in any case C．for example D．after all
A．personality B．similarity C．tolerance D．familiarity
A．that B．why C．because D．what
阅读下面的短文，从短文后各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C、D）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
In the early 1800’s, a boy named John lived in an orphanage (孤儿院) with several other children．Every day was 36 working and Christmas was the one day of the year 37 the children did not work and received a gift — an orange．The children 38 it so much that they kept it for weeks, and even 39 — smelling it, 40 it and loving it．Usually they tried to preserve it for so 41 that it often went bad before they ate it.
This year John knew he would soon be 42 enough to leave．He would save the orange until his birthday in July．If he preserved it 43 , he might be able to eat it on his birthday．
Christmas day finally came．The children were so 44 as they entered the dining hall．In his excitement, John knocked over something, causing a big 45 ．Immediately the master shouted, “John, leave the hall and there will be no orange for you.” John's heart 46 ．He turned and ran back to the 47 room so that the children wouldn’t see his tears．
Then he heard the door open and the children entered．Little Elizabeth with a 48 on her face held out her small hands．“Here John,” she said, “this is for you.” As John 49 his head, he saw a big juicy 50 all peeled and quartered … Each child had sacrificed(舍弃) their own orange by 51a quarter and had created a big, beautiful orange for him．
John never forgot the sharing, love and personal 52 his friends had shown him that Christmas day． 53 that day, after he became rich, every year he 54 send oranges all over the world to children everywhere．His 55 was that no child would ever spend Christmas without a special Christmas fruit!
A．forced B．wasted C．taken D．spent
A．that B．when C．while D．which
A．needed B．wanted C．valued D．liked
A．months B．days C．years D．seasons
A．tasting B．watching C．pressing D．touching
A．much B．soon C．long D．far
A．old B．strong C．tall D．experienced
A．seriously B．carefully C．secretly D．softly
A．nervous B．excited C．pleasant D．eager
A．cry B．disappointment C．surprise D．noise
A．jumped B．stopped C．broke D．settled
A．cold B．small C．old D．lonely
A．look B．tear C．surprise D．smile
A．shook B．lifted C．put D．turned
A．gift B．surprise C．orange D．wonder
A．sharing B．breaking C．eating D．taking
A．feelings B．affairs C．relation D．sacrifice
A．In return for B．In case of C．In memory of D．In search of
A．must B．would C．might D．should
A．desire B．idea C．care D．thought