Ever since I was little, my favorite season was winter. I loved to play in the snow and enjoy the hot chocolate.
____36_____, winter never gave me the special gift of snow on my birthday. I would ask my grandmother ____37____ it didn’t snow on my birthday. She would laugh and tell me I asked too many questions. ___38____one day, she promised that she would make it snow on my next birthday.
That year, ____39____ my birthday, my grandmother died. I was sad but angry because she had promised to make it snow. The day of my sixth birthday, I woke up and ran to the window, hoping to see just one snowflake. But there was no snow. I felt mad at my grandmother. She had broken a promise.
But my sixteenth birthday, I had lost all hope of getting my snow, even though I still wished for ___40____. During my party, I stayed with my friends and family and was truly happy. I ___41___ the best time ever! Then I saw the white snow ____42___down all around. I was so excited that I ran around screaming and laughing. My friends all laughed ____43___me, but I didn’t care.
When I ___44____home, my grandpa said he had a gift for me. I was ___45___ because he had given me a gift. It was a small white box, which looked old. I opened it. There was a crystal snowflake(水晶雪花) with a card that said, “Happy Birthday.”
How could this be? My grandpa said it was my grandmother’s final ___46____ on my “sweet sixteenth”. I cried.
I was ___47_____ that my smiling grandmother angel was and had been watching over me.
A．Certainly B．Unfortunately C．Importantly D．Luckily
A．when B．how C．whether D．why
A．But B．Or C．Then D．So
A．on B．after C．before D．in
A．it B．her C．him D．me
A．had B．was C．played D．feared
A．fell B．to fall C．fallen D．falling
A．with B．at C．from D．off
A．arrived at B．remained C．got D．entered
A．excited B．confused C．pleased D．frustrated
A．order B．mistake C．wish D．decision
A．certain B．angry C．sad D．anxious
The Johnson family from England believe they are lucky to be alive after surviving an incredible incident off the coast of Australia. The Johnsons had been ____ that they might see some whales when they were ____ a yacht—a large expensive boat for a 10-day sailing ____ around the Whitsunday Islands. ____, they had no clue just how ____ their viewing would be. Two hours into their journey a nine-meter-long humpback whale ____ out of the ocean and crashed into their boat before returning to the water.
Mark Johnson，the eldest son，was sailing the yacht when he heard an immense bang and a thud (重击声). He ____ thought the yacht had hit a rock. But when he looked up, he saw the whale ____ down the deck of the boat. He told the reporters, “We were staring into its right eye. It was a very ____ moment. The eye was about the ____ of a dinner plate. It was huge!”
____ for the Johnson family, no one was hurt, but the yacht suffered ____ damage. The whale had ruined the mast and rigging—the pole and ropes which hold the ____ —and so the family was left with no way at sea, 10 miles from the shore. The ____ equipment was also damaged, but fortunately they had a cell phone and were able to call for help.
Why the whale jumped onto the yacht is a ____，but the family thinks that maybe the boat had not ____ sailed between the whale and its baby calf. Perhaps the whale was trying to ____ its calf when it jumped, and hit the yacht by accident.
____ the reason, people are completely ____ that this incident happened. There is over 135 million square miles of ocean, so what are the ____ of a whale jumping onto a 30-foot-long yacht? The possibility of something like this happening is extremely small, but it just shows that life is full of surprises.
A．explained B．learned C．told D．taught
A．taking B．driving C．hiring D．running
A．competition B．game C．training D．trip
A．Moreover B．Thus C．Meanwhile D．However
A．exciting B．close C．vivid D．tense
A．swam B．leapt C．slipped D．stretched
A．suddenly B．occasionally C．immediately D．casually
A．drifting B．jumping C．falling D．sliding
A．surprising B．annoying C．frightening D．astonishing
A．size B．sample C．range D．form
A．Certainly B．Luckily C．Definitely D．Possibly
A．severe B．extreme C．actual D．special
A．boat B．beach C．sail D．journey
A．radio B．craft C．guide D．compass
A．problem B．mystery C．suspect D．question
A．carefully B．surely C．deliberately D．simply
A．see B．touch C．tend D．reach
A．Whenever B．Wherever C．Whoever D．Whatever
A．amazed B．worried C．interested D．touched
A．wonders B．chances C．predictions D．consequences
A daughter complained to her father about her life and how things were so hard for her. She was of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved a new one appeared.
Her father, a cook, took her to the . He filled three pots with and placed each on a high fire. In one he placed carrots, in the second , and in the last ground(磨碎的) coffee beans.
The daughter waited, wondering what he was doing. In about twenty minutes he the fire. He fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. He the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then he poured the out and placed it in a cup. to her he asked, "Darling, what do you see?"
"Carrots, eggs, and coffee." she replied.
He brought her closer and asked her to the carrots. She did and said that they were . He then asked her to take an egg and it. After pulling off the , she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, he asked her to drink the coffee. She smiled, as she its rich aroma(芳香).
"What does it , Father?" she asked.
He explained that each of them had the same adversity(逆境), boiling water, but each reacted . The carrot went in strong and hard but then it turned softened and weak. The egg had been fragile(易碎的), but at last its inside became . The ground coffee beans were unique, however, after they were in the boiling water, they had the water.
"Which are you?" he asked his daughter.
When adversity knocks on your door, how do you ? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?
A．tired B．ashamed C．fond D．proud
A．hall B．kitchen C．living room D．bathroom
A．milk B．sugar C．water D．powder
A．rice B．eggs C．apples D．potatoes
A．impolitely B．carelessly C．vengefully D．impatiently
A．put on B．put off C．turned on D．turned off
A．wiped B．pulled C．cleaned D．washed
A．wine B．pot C．beans D．coffee
A．Lying B．Talking C．Turning D．Devoting
A．cut B．buy C．feel D．cook
A．soft B．hard C．cold D．dirty
A．sell B．boil C．hold D．break
A．plug B．shell C．road D．program
A．made B．tasted C．served D．observed
A．mean B．cost C．matter D．contain
A．faced B．studied C．provided D．recognized
A．finally B．equally C．differently D．successfully
A．upset B．hardened C．effective D．accustomed
A．wasted B．skimmed C．polluted D．changed
A．find B．know C．respond D．practise
Most glasses help people see better, but a new invention from Japan may soon improve language skills and language barriers instead.
High-tech Company NEC has a device that it says will users to communicate with people of different.
Shaped like a pair of eyeglasses without the lenses(镜片), the computer-assisted Tele Scouter would a picture-forming device to present almost real-time translations directly onto the retina（视网膜）. The text, provided instantly voice recognition and programs, would effectively provide movie-like “subtitles” （字幕） during a conversation between two people the glasses.
“You can keep the flowing,” NEC market development official Takayuki Omino told reporters at Tokyo exposition (展览会) the device was on display. “This could also be used for talks with secret information,” says Omino, stating that there would be no for translators.
Each user’s words would be by microphone, translated, and be instantly for conversation partners in visual text and as audio delivered through headphones.
Users can still see their conversation partner’s face because the text is onto only part of the retina—the first time such technology is used in a commercial product, according to NEC.
The company plans to put the Tele Scouter in Japan in November next year, at the beginning without the translation mode.
A．cut off B．cut down C．cut in D．cut up
A．come up with B．come across C．come through D．come down
A．force B．promise C．allow D．leave
A．backgrounds B．cultures C．customs D．languages
A．so B．but C．or D．while
A．adopt B．admit C．agree D．adapt
A．designer’s B．translator’s C．user’s D．producer’s
A．through B．during C．within D．beyond
A．inventiong B．invitation C．preparation D．translation
A．bearing B．wearing C．carrying D．taking
A．discussion B．argument C．conversation D．translation
A．which B．where C．why D．how
A．connected B．satisfied C．joined D．covered
A．hope B．doubt C．need D．wonder
A．expected B．imagined C．written D．spoken
A．picked up B．made up C．turned up D．brought up
A．agreeable B．acceptable C．believable D．available
A．either B．neither C．both D．none
A．placed B．passed C．got D．knocked
A．therefore B．while C．however D．although
阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的四个选项A、B、C和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。
When I was fifteen, I announced to my English class that I was going to write my own books. Half the students sneered（冷笑）, the nearly fell out of their chairs laughing. “Don’t be silly, only can become writers, ” the English teacher said, “And you are getting a D this term. ” I was so that I burst into tears.
That night I wrote a short poem about broken dreams and mailed it to the newspaper. To my , they published it and sent me two dollars. I was a published and writer. I showed my teacher and fellow students. They . “Just plain dumb luck. ” the teacher said. I tasted and I’d sold the first thing I’d ever written. That was more than any of them had done and if it was just dumb luck, that was with me.
During the next two years I sold dozens of , letters, jokes and recipes. By the time I from high school, with a C minus average, I had scrapbooks（剪贴簿） filled with my published works. I mentioned my writing to my teachers, friends or my family again. They were dream killers and people must choose between their friends and their dreams, they must always choose their .
I had four children at the time, and the oldest was only four. I wrote what I felt. It nine months, just like a pregnant woman. I mailed it without a self addressed stamped and without making a copy of the manuscript(原稿).
A month later I received a（n） , and a request to start working on another book. The worst year I earned two dollars. In my best year I earned 36, 000 dollars. years I earned between five thousand and ten thousand. No, it isn’t enough to live , but it’s still more than I’d make working part time. People ask what college I , what degrees I had and what qualifications I have to be a writer. The answer is： “None. ” I just write. I’m not a genius.
A．whole B．other C．most D．rest
A．generals B．statesmen C．geniuses D．spies
A．delighted B．anxious C．ashamed D．upset
A．sad B．innocent C．disappointing D．puzzled
A．delight B．astonishment C．comfort D．happiness
A．borrowed B．lent C．paid D．cost
A．cried B．agreed C．swore D．laughed
A．failure B．success C．coldness D．squeeze
A．fine B．mixed C．compared D．full
A．books B．poets C．novels D．poems
A．dropped out B．left C．graduated D．laid off
A．ever B．never C．seldom D．even
A．if B．unless C．until D．before
A．teachers B．family C．friends D．dreams
A．spent B．cost C．took D．wasted
A．letter B．envelope C．writer D．cover
A．agreement B．edition C．trade D．patent
A．Recent B．Memorable C．Most D．Several
A．with B．on C．by D．in
A．deserved B．introduced C．founded D．attended
I sat next to my close friend，Tina，in my history class．Our teacher，Miss Turner announced a new ．We were to create a about cultures．As required，we wrote the names of two friends we wanted in our group．Miss Turner informed us that she would our choices and let us know the result．I had no that I would work with Tina because I knew we had chosen each other．
The next day，I waited anxiously when Miss Turner started to call out ．When she reached group three，Tina was called． ，my name was not included．“There must have been some ！"I thought to myself．
Than I heard .The last group with Mauro and Karina! How ! How could I face being in that group—the boy who hardly spoke English and the girl who wore clothes a11 the time?
I went to Miss Turner to I should be in a “good” group．She gently placed a hand on my shoulder．“I know what you want，Rachael，”she said，but your group you more．Only you can help them get an ideal ．Will you help them?"
I walked to where the others in my group sat. Halfway through the week, I myself enjoying working with my partners．There was no need to —I grew sincerely interested in learning something about then. Mauro, I found out, was with English after he came to this country. Karina wanted to be a fashion designer and she had a lot of ideas．They were the ones no one cared enough about to try to understand—except Miss Turner．
Miss Turner gave us an A on that newspaper. But I think she is the one who truly it. I really that Miss Turner gave me a chance to see other people in a new light.
A．plan B．subject C．project D．lesson
A．story B．group C．test D．newspaper
A．make use of B．pay attention to C．put into practice D．take into consideration
A．idea B．doubt C．intention D．promise
A．names B．numbers C．students D．topics
A．Besides B．However C．Thus D．Finally
A．mistake B．coincidence C．problem D．reason
A．her B．it C．them D．him
A．interesting B．amusing C．annoying D．disappointing
A．dirty B．plain C．strange D．formal
A．warn B．remind C．request D．inform
A．needs B．refuses C．misses D．ignores
A．design B．job C．chance D．grade
A．slowly B．swiftly C．suddenly D．bravely
A．found B．kept C．had D．set
A．speak B．pretend C．refuse D．panic
A．dealing B．helping C．beginning D．struggling
A．funny B．general C．bright D．new
A．offered B．deserved C．neglected D．proved
A．believed B．appreciated C．admitted D．agreed