Four years ago my sweet mom went to be with her Lord．She did it her way．
I got the call at work, and I headed home quickly．Mom and Dad lived on a small farm that they had owned since I was seven．I hated going there every weekend．There was nothing for a young girl to do but watch the one station on the old TV set, if the weather allowed reception．
My mom, on the other hand, loved the peace and quiet of the land and loved to work in the garden among her flowers and vegetables．The place was rustic, with no indoor plumbing or heat．We had a big wood stove in the kitchen that did its best to heat the little farmhouse, but it always seemed cold and too quiet to me．
In the evenings, my mom and I would sit for hours singing in the little kitchen．I sang the melody and Mom harmonized．Her favorite song was "Moon River" and we sang it over and over．Mom told me stories about how when I was a little girl, I could sing before I could talk．She loved to tell how my playpen（婴儿圈栏）sat in the kitchen next to the radio and there was one song I particularly loved called "Ivory Tower"．
As time passed, I had my own children and went to visit every week or two．The kids loved the farm and the tractor rides with my dad．Me, well, I still hated the silence of the farm．While my mom loved to sit at her kitchen table and look out at her garden and flowers and retell all the old stories, I missed the hustle and bustle（喧闹）of my life at home．But I sat there listening quietly as she reminisced．
Now, I sat back in the silence and the silence was deafening so I finally leaned over to turn on an old radio．Music always comforted me．
My heart skipped a beat．"Moon River" was playing on the radio．I sat there stunned, with a tear running down my cheek, as I listened to every familiar note．
Then the radio announcer of this oldie station came on．"Here's one we haven't heard in a while," and an unfamiliar song began．I began to cry harder as I heard the words sung over the airwaves．"Come down, come down from your Ivory Tower．．．．"The writer didn’t like staying on the farm for the following reasons Except that ________．
| A．it was too cold and quiet |
| B．she could only sing one song on the small farm |
| C．there was nothing more that could make her excited |
| D．The place was rustic, with no indoor plumbing or heat |
From the first paragraph, we know that the writer’s mother ________．
| A．passed away four years ago | B．left the small farm with Lord |
| C．left for Lord to live her own way | D．preferred to be with Lord |
The underlined word reminisced in the fifth paragraph probably means ________．
| A．recalled | B．comforted | C．shouted | D．sighed |
Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage _______．
| A．The writer was able to sing before she could speak． |
| B．The writer preferred to live a busy life in the city． |
| C．The writer was still quite familiar with the song "Ivory Tower"． |
| D．The writer treasured all her childhood memories in the small farmhouse． |
Which of the following would be the best title for this passage? _______
| A．Cherish life | B．My happy childhood |
| C．Our small farmhouse | D．Mom’s music |
Hire charges
What’s included:
1)Unlimited mileage (英里数).
2)Expenses on oil , maintenance (保养)and repairs, which will be repaired on production of invoices(发票).
3)Full insurance except personal accident (see below) and contents.
What’s not included:
1)Personal accident insurance.
2)Garaging, petrol, parking and traffic fines
Conditions of Hire
lThe shortest rental period at these special low prices is three days. For prices for periods of one or two days you only see our representative (代理人)at the hotel.
lCar hire must be booked six weeks or more before arrival in London to guarantee(保证) a car.But if you have been unable to make a booking in advance, please see our representative at the hotel who may still be able to help you.
lThe car types on the sheet are examples of the types of cars in each price range, but a particular car cannot be guaranteed.
lUpon delivery the driver(s) will be asked to sign the car hire company” Conditions of Hire.
lIf you decide to hire a car , just fill in the Booking Form and return it to us . A booking fee of ￡12 as part of the car hire cost is required.
lShould you be forced to cancel (取消)your car hire booking after payment in full (two weeks before the date of hire), a cancellation charge of ￡12 will be made.from the advertisement we can see a car hirer will pay extra money for_____.
| A．insurance against damage to the car | B．insurance against injury to the driver |
| C．the cost of maintenance of the car | D．the cost of repairs to the car |
Which of the following conditions , you have to accept when hiring a car?
| A．When you hire a car from the company, the driver will go together with you |
| B．It’s unnecessary for you to give invoices if you want to be repaid for repairs |
| C．If you have paid a booking fee , you don’t have to fill in the Booking Form. |
| D．You have to accept the terms of car hire company’s Conditions of Hire |
If you change your mind after paying the whole cost of hiring , the ￡12
Booking fee is_____.
| A．partly returned | B．doubtly paid |
| C．not returned at all | D．returned within six weeks |
The prices for car hire are especially low when _____.
| A．it is booked for at least three days | B．it is booked two weeks in advance |
| C．it is booked for two days | D．the booking is made in London |
When my first wartime Christmas came, I was in basic training in New Jersey and not sure if I would make it home for the holidays. Only on the afternoon of December 23 was the list of men who would have the three-day holiday posted. I was one of the lucky soldiers. It was Christmas Eve when I arrived home, and a little snow had fallen. Mother opened the front door. I could see beyond her, into the corner of the living room where the tree had always stood. There were lights, all colors, and ornaments (饰品) shining against the green of a pine.
"Where did it come from?" I asked.
"I asked the Gates boy to cut it," my mother said. "I wouldn't have had one just for myself, but when in great need... such a rush! He just brought it in this afternoon."
The pine reached to the proper height, almost to the ceiling, and the Tree Top Crystal（水晶） Star was in its place. A few green branches reached out a little awkwardly（难看） at the side, I thought, and there was a bit of bare trunk showing in the middle. But the tree filled the room with warm light and the whole house with the pleasant smell of Christmas.
"It's not like the one you used to find," my mother went on. "Yours were always in good shape. I suppose the Gates boy didn't know where to look for a better one. But I couldn't be fussy(挑剔的)."
"Don't worry," I told her. "It's perfect."
It wasn't, of course, but at the moment I realized something for the first time: All Christmas trees are perfect. What did his mother's Christmas tree look like?
From the passage we can infer (推断) that______.
| A．all the soldiers had the three-day holiday |
| B．the writer could not go home for Christmas |
| C．the writer spent his first Christmas during the war |
| D．not all the soldiers went home for Christmas during the war |
From the passage, we can conclude that ______ .
| A．his mother didn't like Christmas trees |
| B．the writer didn't like the tree cut by someone else |
| C．the writer used to cut very beautiful Christmas trees |
| D．his mother didn't want to have a Christmas tree during wartime |
The best title for this passage would be ______.
| A．The Perfect Christmas Tree |
| B．How to Choose a Christmas Tree |
| C．How Soldiers Spent Their Christmas |
| D．A Christmas with an Ugly Christmas Tree |
What does the writer mean by saying “All Christmas trees are perfect”?
| A．Nothing is as perfect as Christmas. |
| B．Once at home, everything is so nice. |
| C．During the war, trees are hard to find. |
| D．All Christmas trees are the most beautiful. |
Martha was busy with her job. She believed she had to work harder because she loved her father who was sick with cancer. She had to provide for his expensive medicines. Her brothers and sisters meanwhile stayed with their father most of the time. They bathed him, sang for him, spoon-fed(用匙喂) him or simply kept him company.
One day Martha was hurt. She overheard(无意中听到) her father telling her mother, "All our children love me except Martha."
"How can this be?" Martha thought. "Am I not the one killing myself in my work to have money to pay for his medicines? My brothers and sisters do not even provide their share in the expenses."
One night, as Martha was as usual late in going home, she saw her father was lying awake. She walked close to his bedsides. Her father held her hands and said, "I miss you. I don't have much time. Stay with me." And she stayed with her father holding his hand the whole night.
The next morning Martha said to everybody, "I have taken a leave of absence. I would like to be with father. I will bathe him and sing for him from now on." Her father had a beautiful smile. He knew Martha loved him, too.
As children, we need the presence of our loved ones. Adults need no less. I have observed my mother’s orchids(兰花). When she is away for a long time, they are unhealthy and many of them wither(干枯). But when she is around , they bloom with beautiful flowers. My mother does nothing special . She just spends her time looking after them.Before Martha heard her parents’ talk ,she thought her father _____.
| A．was satisfied with her love for him |
| B．disliked her brothers and sisters |
| C．was proud of her |
| D．would recover from the disease |
After staying with her father for one night, Martha _____.
| A．decided to give up her job |
| B．understood what her father really needed |
| C．realized her father loved her most |
| D．loved her father more than before |
By telling Matha’s story, what does the author try to express?
| A．Nothing is more important than the company of loved ones. |
| B．Money and a successful career don’t always bring happiness |
| C．Adults need the presence of their loved ones more than children do. |
| D．Plants like orchids do have feelings. |
About ten years ago when I was an undergraduate in college. I was working as a practice student at my University's Museum of Natural History. One day while working at the cash register in the gift shop, I saw an elderly couple come in with a little girl in a wheelchair.
As I looked closer at this girl, I saw that she was kind of set on her chair. I then realized she had no arms or legs, just a head, neck and main body. She was wearing a little white dress with red dots.
As the couple wheeled her up to me, I was looking down at the register. I turned my head toward the girl and gave her a wink(眨眼). As I took the money from her grandparents, I looked back at the girl, who was giving me the cutest(可爱的), largest smile I have ever seen.
All of a sudden her handicap (残疾)was gone and all I saw was this beautiful girl, whose smile just melted me and gave me a completely new sense of what life is all about. She took me from a poor, unhappy college student and brought me into her world--- a world of smiles, love and warmth.
That was ten years ago. I'm a successful business person now and whenever I feel down and think about the troubles of the world, I think about that little girl and the remarkable lesson about life that she taught me.What do we know about the author?
| A．He graduated from Natural History University. |
| B．He majored in Natural History at university . |
| C．He ran a gift shop in the university |
| D．He is a successful businessman |
When the author looked again, he saw that the little girl____.
| A．was wearing a beautiful red dress |
| B．wasn’t able to move in the wheelchair |
| C．was badly injured |
| D．was only able to smile |
In the author’s opinion, the little girl was not disabled at all because ______.
| A．she told everyone how to live a good life |
| B．she offered him suppport in his business |
| C．she could take good care of herself |
| D．she had a strong spirit |
What would be the best title for his passage?
| A．World of smiles | B．Love of a girl |
| C．A badly disabled girl | D．Secret of a businessman |
On 27th February 2008, something very unusual happened in the UK; there was a rather large earthquake. It was the biggest earthquake in 25 years in the UK. There have been very small tremors in the past but they pale into insignificance compared to this one.
It was felt in a large area across the country too, from as far north as Edinburgh in Scotland to as far south as Plymouth on the south coast of England.
The epicenter of the earthquake was in a small town in Lincolnshire, which is an area about two and a half to three hours north of London by car. A magnitude of 5.2 was registered on the Richter scale.
There were lots of reports in the news from people who felt the earth move. One man said, "We had loads of vibrating and wall shaking and stuff, noise coming off the roof. I came outside – the chimney's on the floor!"
A collapsed chimney was the cause of what was probably the worst injury from the earthquake; a man broke his pelvis when the chimney fell on him.
Another man who spoke to the BBC described the moment the earthquake occurred, "Everything was shaking. As soon as it happened we all went outside and saw everyone else down the street, coming out and just realized it was an earthquake."
The huge rumble, which was felt by a lot of people, surprisingly caused very little structural damage to property.
Most British people would be surprised to learn that there are 200-300 earthquakes in Britain every year, but most of them are so small, they go unnoticed. The magnitude of this earthquake is fairly small in comparison to some other natural disasters that have made international news, but for the people affected, it certainly came as quite a surprise.
60. Before this earthquake _______.
A. there was no signs of any shakings at all.
B. people did not feel anything unusual.
C. many people realized there would be a bigger one to come.
D. some small quakes were only too small to be ignored.
61. From this passage we know ______ is in the south of Great Britain.
A. LincolnshireB. Edinburgh
C. Plymouth D. Scotland
62. This earthquake _____.
A. hardly caused any damages to the people’s belongings..
B. brought down many buildings in England.
C. scared many people to death.
D. made the world greatly surprised.
63. After reading this passage we can infer_______.
A. people in England faced the earthquake bravely.
B. this earthquake seemed to be felt all over Great Britain.
C. this earthquake is the biggest one in history.
D. the chimneys in Britain are the most poorly built parts of the houses.