O. Henry was a pen name used by an American writer for short stories. His 36 name was William Sydney Porter. He was born in North Carolina in 1862. As a young boy he lived an exciting life. He did not go to school for very long, 37 he managed to 38 himself everything he needed to know. When he was about 20 years old, O. Henry 39 to Texas, where he tried different 40. He first worked on a newspaper, and then had a job in a bank. When some money went missing from the bank, O. Henry was believed to have 41 it. Because of that, he was sent to 42. During the three years in prison, he learned to 43 short stories. After he got out of prison, he went to New York and 44 writing. He wrote mostly about New York and the life of the poor there.
Most of O. Henry's 45 are set in his own time, the early years of the 20th century. Many take place in New York City, and deal for the most part with ordinary 46: clerks, policemen, waitresses. O. Henry's short stories are well known 47 their wit, wordplay, warm characterization and clever twist endings. And his stories were 48 more playful and optimistic. People like his stories, 49 simple as the tales were, they would finish with a sudden change at the 50, to the reader's surprise.
A．real B．middle C．first D．last
A．or B．and C．for D．but
A．learn B．teach C．allow D．turn
A．went B．lived C．stayed D．left
A．stories B．books C．banks D．jobs
A．defended B．stolen C．preserved D．reacted
B．homeland C．neighbourhood D．jungle
A．read B．write C．tell D．take
A．liked B．believed C．continued D．stopped
A．families B．stories C．fantasies D．deeds
A．things B．writers C．people D．readers
A．like B．as C．to D．for
A．very B．less C．so D．much
A．when B．how C．because D．so
A．end B．last C．first D．beginning
Many years ago there lived a young couple in a small town. The husband was out of job for a long time and the wife 36 make a living by sewing for others. They were so poor that there was almost nothing in the house but a jar under a37 table, in38 was a little rice 39 from their neighbor for the coming New Year. 40 New Year’s Eve, the wife had already fallen asleep, but the husband was41 in bed, worrying about the life. Suddenly he heard something. In the darkness he saw a man breaking into the room.
“It42 be a thief.” He thought, “but it43 matter, there is nothing that can be 44 .” So he 45 to be asleep and kept watching over the thief.
The thief began to 46 the room. At last he found the rice in the jar.
“But47 can I take it away?” the thief thought hard. Then he had an idea. He 48 his coat and spread it on the ground between the bed and the table. After that he turned round to take the jar.
Now the husband realized what the thief 49 . He picked up the coat quickly and 50 himself with it while the thief was turning around.
The thief 51 the jar, poured the rice out on the place where he had just spread his coat and squatted (蹲) down to feel it. But to his surprise, his coat had52 .
“Hey”, he couldn’t help 53 out. The 54 woke up the wife. She asked her husband, “Did you hear any sound? Maybe there is a thief in the room.”
“ Nonsense(胡说)!” replied her husband. “Go back to sleep. There is no thief in the room.”
“No, that’s 55 ,” the thief shouted loudly. “If there isn’t a thief, then, where’s my coat?”
A．was able to B．wanted to C．had to D．would
A．good B．old C．nice D．broken
A．it B．which C．where D．that
A．borrowed B．asked C．lent D．taken
A．During B．At C．In D．On
A．working B．sewing C．lying D．thinking
A．will B．must C．can D．may
A．isn’t B．wasn’t C．doesn’t D．didn’t
A．lost B．carried C．destroyed D．stolen
A．pretended B．tried C．decided D．started
A．look into B．search C．discover D．examine
A．what B．when C．why D．how
A．used B．took off C．put on D．brought
A．had done B．did C．would do D．could do
A．hung B．covered C．studied D．dressed
A．shook B．laid C．lifted D．touched
A．lost B．missed C．left D．disappeared
A．to cry B．crying C．to jump D．jumping
A．sound B．voice C．noise D．saying
A．right B．all right C．nothing D．impossible
I did very badly at school. My headmaster thought I was 36 and when I was 14 he said, “You’re never going to be 37 but a failure.” After five years of 38 jobs, I fell in love with a very nice middle-class girl. It was the beatific 39 that could have happened to me. I 40 I wanted to do something positive (积极地) with my life because I wanted to prove to 41 that what people said about me was 42 . Especially her mother, who had said to me, “Let’s 43 it, you’ve failed at everything you’ve ever done.” So I tried hard with my 44 and went to college. My first novel 45 while I was at college. After college I taught during the 46 in high schools and attended evening classes at London University, where I got a 47in history. I became a lecturer at a college and was thinking of 48 that job to write full time 49 I was offered a part-time job at Leeds University. I began to feel proud of myself — 50 was a working-class boy who’d 51 school early, now teaching at the university. My writing career (职业) took off when I discovered my own style. Now I’m rich and 52 , have been on TV, and met lots of film stars. 53 what does it mean? I 54 wish all the people that have put me down had 55 : “I believe in you. You’ll succeed.”
A．bright B．useless C．simple D．hopeful
A．something B．anything C．everything D．nothing
A．low B．good C．poor D．useful
A．support B．happiness C．surprise D．thing
A．admitted B．decided C．planned D．told
A．me B．them C．her D．it
A．stupid B．right C．wrong D．faulty
A．see B．know C．understand D．face
A．experiment B．practice C．writing D．composition
A．came on B．came in C．came back D．came out
A．day B．night C．month D．year
A．graduation B．pass C．degree D．success
A．giving in B．giving back C．giving out D．giving up
A．while B．if C．or D．when
A．there B．it C．here D．that
A．left B．attended C．changed D．graduated
A．tired B．calm C．nervous . D．famous
A．And B．But C．However D．Well
A．so B．exactly C．just D．very
A．said B．praised C．answered D．advised
One sunny afternoon, a seven-year-old girl went for a walk. She crossed a large area of grassland into the woods 21 she realized that she was lost.
Sitting on a rock and 22 what to do, she began crying. After a while. She 23 to walk along a wide path lined with tall trees and thick bushes. 24 it was getting dark, she saw a small, dark wooden house. She opened the door and 25 stepped in. Suddenly, she heard a strange noise, and she ran out the door and back to the 26 . Cold and tired, she fell asleep near a 27 .
The girl’s parents were out and her dog, Laddy, was at home. Laddy 28 that his mistrees（女主人）was in danger. He jumped 29a window, breaking the glass. He looked in the fields. But he couldn’t find his mistress anywhere. However, from the ground came a 30 scent (气味) as he lowered his head. He 31 the scent and walked across the grassland. Barking 32 into the air, the dog 33 through the woods until he found the 34 . But the girl was not there, so he headed back to the woods. Much to his
35 , he saw his mistress’ blue shirt in the distance. He 36 over some bushes and saw the little stream, where the girl was 37 .
When she opened her eyes and 38 her dog standing beside her, the girl said, “you
39 me, Laddy,” and she kissed him several times. Seeing their daughter and dog coming back, the parents burst into tears of 40 That night Laddy had a heror’s supper: a huge meal of steak
A．since B．before C．while D．as
A．remembering B．forgetting C．wondering D．regretting
A．preferred B．expected C．decided D．failed
A．If B．Until C．When D．Because
A．cautiously B．carelessly C．hopelessly D．unwillingly
A．trees B．bushes C．grasses D． woods
A．rock B．stream C．tree D．house
A．sensed B．found C．heard D．smelt
A．at B．in C．through D．onto
A．terrible B．familiar C．pleasant D．strange
A．followed B．discovered C．missed D．ignored
A．calmly B．gently C．merrily D．loudly
A．looked B．wandered C．searched D．travelled
A．window B．girl C．hero D．house
A．delight B．disappointment C．embarrassment D．satisfaction
A．climbed B．jumped C．walked D．flew
A．awake B．abandoned C．asleep D．available
A．spotted B．saw C．observed D．watched
A．rescued B．comforted C．disturbed D．scared
A．relief B．shock C．sorrow D．pain
A farmer found a wounded eagle (鹰) in his field. He was so 26 that he took it home and cleaned its wounds. After that he placed it 27 in the yard, in the hope that it 28 recover soon.
Strangely enough, the eagle soon got used to the 29 of all the chickens in the yard. It learned to 30 from side to side like chickens, and eat happily from a trough (食槽). For many years, the eagle 31 his new life on the farm.
Then one day, one of the farmer’s friends pointed to the playing 32 and asked, “33 is that eagle acting like a chicken?” The farmer told him what had34 , and the friend felt quite35 .
“I can’t believe that!” said the friend. “It should fly in the 36 , not live here!” He picked up the eagle, and37 it into the air. The eagle was38 , and cried loudly. Then it just fell down on the ground.
That night, the friend could39 sleep as he remembered the chicken-like eagle. The next morning, he headed back to the farm for another40 . This time he carried the eagle to the41 of a nearby mountain.
When he stood at the highest place of the mountain, he looked into its eyes and shouted, “Don’t you42 ? You weren’t made to live like a chicken!” As he43 the eagle up, he made sure it was facing into the bright44 of the rising sun. Then he 45 tossed (抛) the bird into the sky. This time the eagle opened his wings, and disappeared into the clouds.
A．polite B．brave C．kind D．proud
A．forward B．outside C．inside D．backward
A．would B．should C．must D．need
A．food B．sounds C．water D．habits
A．walk B．sleep C．talk D．drink
A．wasted B．forgot C．lost D．enjoyed
A．chicken B．eagle C．farmer D．plane
A．When B．How C．Why D．What
A．suffered B．experienced C．happened D．found
A．pleased B．surprised C．worried D．satisfied
A．sky B．sea C．land D．lake
A．pulled B．moved C．took D．threw
A．afraid B．interested C．excited D．angry
A．hardly B．exactly C．actually D．finally
A．drink B．meeting C．rest D．try
A．top B．foot C．center D．side
A．believe B．cry C．understand D．work
A．held B．put C．filled D．tied
A．sight B．light C．space D．shape
A．easily B．softly C．quickly D．powerfully
Life became hard when I was 14. My mother and I moved to New York to 36 my father, who’d moved there to find 37 work when I was three years old. He had a job at a restaurant and only visited us 38 every couple of years.
Before I moved, I knew that people in the US spoke English. But honestly, I didn’t stop to analyze the 39 when I was 40 to leave. Just like I assumed I could easily become a doctor or a lawyer. I assumed that I had the skills to learn English in a few weeks.
When I 41 in the US and started 8th grade at Ditmas Middle School in Brooklyn, everyone was speaking a(n) 42 language I couldn’t understand. I 43 that life had subtitles, like in foreign movies. School was such a serious place here. Sometimes I felt like I was in a geek（呆子） class. The teachers were always 44 my moves so I couldn’t even throw a paper ball at a classmate’s head. And the worst thing was having to read 45
46 after almost seven months of complaining about everything, I realized that complaining didn’t change things. 47 just made my life worse. If I was going to 48in this new concrete jungle, I had to 49 . I began to learn English by reading newspapers on my own 50 school. After about four months, I started enjoying reading the crime and sports stories. After six months of studying, my teachers 51 my improvement and moved me into a more 52 English class. I could go to the store and ask for things that I wanted to buy without 53 frustration. For the first time I felt like I was living on earth again 54 .I didn’t hear foreign talk. I 55 understand people.
A．find B．join C．see D．help
A．good-looking B．well-dressed C．better-paying D．highly-thought
A．once B．other C．each D．only
A．case B．condition C．situation D．state
A．packing B．trying C．managing D．arranging
A．reached B．entered C．got D．arrived
A．strange B．unusual C．standard D．foreign
A．hoped B．wished C．expected D．demanded
A．staring B．looking C．checking D．watching
A．texts B．newspapers C．English D．poems
A．Although B．Even if C．But D．Since
A．It B．They C．I D．Things
A．live B．study C．survive D．continue
A．adapt B．adopt C．adore D．admire
A．for B．in C．after D．at
A．made B．noticed C．concerned D．remember
A．modern B．advanced C．difficult D．convenient
A．even B．ever C．some D．any
A．if B．though C．ever D．because
A．could B．should C．would D．might