阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
I hear a lot of people talking about New Year’s resolutions(新年计划). Some say, “I can’t keep them and I never make resolutions.” Perhaps the real is that we have trouble changing. We get in our way of life and even if things aren’t good, they are familiar.
As the years go by, our resolutions seem to lose some . In spite of the fact that my own eagerness seems to , I still like the idea of making resolutions. It is the of not giving up that is important.
I think of the year like a carpet of new fallen snow that has not yet been by footprints or marks of any kind. It before us so perfect and beautiful, but it won’t remain that way for long. we know it, we must get out in the snow and make our own marks and tracks. Soon, we will see all kinds of and paths in the snow. We will see everything from , icy mud to the prints of snow angels made by children at play.
It’s all part of our . As we close out the old year, a new set of months lies ahead of us and we think, “Maybe, just maybe I can do .” Perhaps, this time, we can lose those pounds, a bad habit, improve our behavior, build a better relationship. Even though there are situations in our lives that can get us , we can look forward to beginning again and doing what we can do to our lives according to how we are able.
As the New Year comes around, what kind of marks will you make in the ?
A．plan B．idea C．puzzle D．problem
A．comfortable B．curious C．serious D．painful
A．at most B．at last C．at least D．at first
A．faith B．enthusiasm C．sense D．confidence
A．increase B．exist C．decline D．disappear
A．spirit B．rule C．challenge D．decision
A．behind B．between C．around D．ahead
A．discovered B．noticed C．damaged D．cleared
A．stands B．lies C．comes D．occurs
A．Although B．Before C．Until D．If
A．prints B．stones C．plants D．pictures
A．tidy B．soft C．dry D．dirty
A．quality B．attitude C．belief D．wisdom
A．better B．worse C．easier D．harder
A．exact B．final C．extra D．former
A．pick out B．call off C．cut down D．give up
A．and B．or C．so D．for
A．over B．across C．down D．away
A．save B．experience C．start D．improve
A．snow B．mud C．carpet D．ice
Books which give instructions on how to do things are very popular in the USA today. Thousands of books __1__this begin with __2__ that start with the words "how to". Many of "how to " books __3__ advice on careers. They tell you how to __4__ a career and how to __5__ it. If you fail, __6__, you can buy a book called How to Turn Failure into Success. If you never make any money __7__, you need a book called How to Live on Nothing.
One of the most popular types of books is one that __8__ you with personal problems. If you are unhappy with your __9__, you can read How to Love Every Minute of Your Life. If you are tired of books on __10__, you may prefer a book called How to Make Yourself Sad.
Many of these books help people use their __11__ time better. Some people __12__ books which will give them __13__ information about sports, hobbies and travel. __14__ people use their free time to make __15__ and improvements on their homes. They like books which given __16__ instructions on how to repair things.
__17__ have "how to" books become so __18__? Probably because life has become so complex. Today people have far more problems to __19__. "How to" books help people __20__ modern life.
1.A. as B. like C. of D. about
2.A. books B. sentences C. words D. titles
3.A. give B. take C. follow D. suggest
4.A. pick B. search C. find D. choose
5.A. get into B. take part into C. succeed in D. fail in
6.A. however B. but C. besides D. otherwise
7.A. for all B. in all C. at all D. all too
8.A. gets B. helps C. does D. deals
9.A. book B. study C. work D. life
10.A. sadness B. happiness C. anger D. violence
11.A. free B. busy C. working D. meaningful
12.A. lose B. sell C. use D. want
13.A. little B. much C. useful D. useless
14.A. Other B. Others C. The other D. The others
15.A. money B. fun C. cleaning D. repairs
16.A. one-by one B. step-by-step C. little-by-little D. day-by-day
17.A. Why B. How C. When D. Where
18.A. good B. little C. popular D. bad
19.A. answer B. do C. work out D. solve
20.A. go away with B. deal with C. take with D. fight with
Back in my country, when I was a child, I used to go to “market day” with my mother. One day each week, farmers used to ___1___ their fruit and vegetables into the city. They ___2___ one street to all cars, and the farmers set up tables for their ___3___. This outdoor market was a great place to ___4___. Everything was fresher than produce in grocery stores because the farmers brought it in ___5___ after the harvest. My mother and I always got there early in the morning to get the ___6___ produce.
The outdoor market was a wonderful adventure for a small child, ___7___ was like a festival — full of colors and ___8___. There are red tomatoes, yellow lemons, green lettuce, peppers, grapes, onions. The farmers did their own ___9___. They all shouted loudly for ___10___ to buy their produce. “Come and buy my beautiful oranges! They’re juicy and delicious and full of vitamins to ___11___ your children healthy and strong!”
Everyone used to ___12___ with the farmers over the ___13___ of their produce. It was like a wonderful drama in a theatre; the buyers and sellers were the “___14___” in this drama. My mother was an ___15___ at this. First, she picked the freshest, most attractive tomatoes, for example. Then she asked the price. The seller told her.
“What?” she said. She looked very surprised. “ So ___16___?”
The seller looked terribly ___17___. “My dear lady!” he replied. “I’m a poor, ___18___ farmer. These are the cheapest tomatoes on the market!”
They always argued for several minutes before agreeing ___19___ a price. My mother took her tomatoes and left. Both buyer and seller were ___20___. The drama was over.
1. A. carry B. take C. bring D. fetch
2. A. opened B. closed C. started D. stopped
3. A. produce B. goods C. food D. product
4. A. buy B. sell C. bargain D. shop
5. A. hurriedly B. immediately C. directly D. straightly
6. A. best B. finest C. freshest D. cheapest
7. A. who B. that C. which D. what
8. A. voices B. noises C. sounds D. accent
9. A. shopping B. business C. shouting D. advertising
10. A. customers B. producers C. themselves D. sellers
11. A. keep B. let C. except D. make
12. A. argue B. talk C. discuss D. speak
13. A. order B. price C. quality D. form
14. A. viewers B. listeners C. actors D. directors
15. A. actress B. inventor C. advancer D. expert
16. A. wonderful B. exciting C. cheap D. expensive
17. A. injured B. hurt C. damaged D. wounded
18. A. excellent B. fair C. honest D. easy
19. A. with B. to C. in D. on
20. A. disappointed B. encouraged C. satisfied D. tired
Though different educational systems have different purposes, one thing is certain: all students should take part in examinations.
___1___ the English educational system, students take ___2___ very important ___3___. The first is the eleven-plus, which is taken at the age of eleven ___4___ past. At one time the ability ___5___ on the eleven-plus would have determined ___6___ a child stayed in school. ___7___, however, all children continue in “comprehensive”(综合性的) schools, and the eleven-plus determines which courses of study the child will follow. At the age of fifteen or sixteen, the students are tested for the Ordinary Level of the General Certificate(证书) of Education. This examination covers a wide ___8___ of subjects; once students have passed this exam, they are ___9___ to specialize, so that two-thirds or ___10___ of their courses will be ___11___ physics, chemistry, classical language, or ___12___ they wish to study ___13___. The ___14___ examination, at eighteen, covers only the ___15___ of the special subjects. ___16___ the universities, students study only in their concentrated area, and ___17___ students ever venture(冒险) outside ___18___ subject again; ___19___, the English boy or girl is a specialist ___20___ the age of fifteen.
1. A. On B. In C. To D. For
2. A. four B. three C. two D. one
3. A. subjects B. languages C. courses D. examinations
4. A. somewhat B. or else C. or so D. or rather
5. A. seen B. heard C. shown D. known
6. A. when B. if C. that D. how
7. A. But B. Then C. So D. Now
8. A. number B. part C. range D. collection
9. A. allowed B. passed C. forbidden D. admit
10. A. much B. many C. more D. most
11. A. in B. of C. with D. on
12. A. whenever B.however C.whatever D. wherever
13. A. at all costs B. at the same time C. at the least D. at great length
14. A. late B. later C. early D. final
15. A. context B. content C. book D. lesson
16. A. Even so B. Even if C. Even then D. Even at
17. A. few B. no C. some D. any
18. A. that B. their C. its D. which
19. A. in any case B. in all C. in a sense D. in the end
20. A. of B. from C. at D. under
Dorothy Brown was very happy as she sat in the theatre listening to the music. Today her little daughter Lauren was giving her ___1___ concert. She had been waiting for this ___2___ for years and years. “Now it is here at last,” she thought. “How beautiful her ___3___ is.”
The song made her ___4___ to the days when she was Lauren’s ___5___. As a young ___6___, Dorothy wanted to be a concert singer. She studied ___7___ in France, Italy and in the United States. “You can become a fine ___8___ in the future,” her teachers told her. “But you must be ___9___ to study hard and work for many years. There will be ___10___ time for anything but music in your life.”
Dorothy was ___11___ at that time and she was ___12___ that music was all she wanted or needed to ___13___ her life. For almost a year Dorothy ___14___ of nothing else. Then she ___15___ David, a young engineer travelling Europe. They soon fell in ___16___. David asked her to be his ___17___. Dorothy also wanted to marry David. But she loved ___18___, too. She didn’t know what to do. David was against her being a singer. He said, “If you want to be a singer, you must forget about getting married. You can’t ___19___ do both.” Thus her days were gone and would never return.
Now Lauren became a singer instead of her, which was her ___20___.
1. A. sorry B. successful C. first D. wonderful
2. A. dance B. moment C. show D. party
3. A. voice B. face C. dress D. life
4. A. think of B. bring back C. go back D. come back
5. A. age B. friend C. mother D. teacher
6. A. musician B. pop star C. lady D. girl
7. A. French B. music C. piano D. dance
8. A. actress B. student C. singer D. dancer
9. A. prepared B. learning C. driven D. waiting
10. A. some B. any C. no D. enough
11. A. eight B. eighteen C. eighty D. eighty-eight
12. A. lucky B. sure C. afraid D. fond
13. A. fill B. live C. lead D. take
14. A. heard B. knew C. talked D. thought
15. A. saw off B. learned from C. heard of D. met with
16. A. love B. feeling C. music D. touch
17. A. assistant B. teacher C. wife D. student
18. A. him B. engineering C. herself D. music
19. A. certainly B. possibly C. only D. mainly
20. A. thoughtB. hope C. purpose D. will
One day, a poor boy who was trying to pay his way through school by selling goods from door to door found that he only had one dime left. He was hungry so he decided to 36 for a meal at the next house.
However, he lost his nerve37a lovely young woman opened the door. Instead of a meal he asked for a drink of water. She thought he looked 38 so she brought him a large glass of milk. He drank it39 , and then asked, “How much do I owe you?”
“You don’t owe me anything,” she 40 . “Mother has taught me never to accept pay for a __41 .” He said, “Then I thank you from the bottom of my heart.” As Howard Kelly left that house, he not only felt stronger 42 , but it also increased his faith in God and human race. He was about to give up and quit before this point.
Years later the young woman became critically ill. The local doctors were baffled. They finally sent her to the big city, where specialists can be called43 to study her rare disease. Dr. Howard Kelly, now 44 , was called in for the consultation. When he heard the name of the town she came from, a strange light 45 his eyes. Immediately, he 46 and went down through the hospital hall into her room.
47in his doctor’s gown he went in to see her. He48 her at once. He went back to the consultation room and49 to do his best to save her life. From that day on, he gave 50__attention to her case.
After a long51 the battle was won. Dr. Kelly 52 the business office to pass the final bill to him for approval. He looked at it and then wrote something on the side. The bill was sent to her room. She was afraid to open it because she was 53 that it would take the rest of her life to pay it off. Finally she looked, and the note on the side of the bill caught her 54 . She read thesewords…
“Paid in full with a glass of milk.”
(Signed) Dr. Howard Kelly
Tears of joy flooded her eyes as she 55 silently. “Thank you, God. Your love has spread through human hearts and hands.”
36．A．call B．make C．beg D．prepare
37．A．while B．when C．though D．unless
38．A．thirsty B．lazy C．tired D．hungry
39．A．slowly B．unexpectedly C．steadily D．hurriedly
40．A．announced B．shook C．replied D．doubted
41．A．reward B．kindness C．hand D．value
42．A．physically B．mentally C．normally D．properly
43．A．up B．for C．on D．in
44．A．rich B．famous C．observant D．vivid
45．A．fixed B．consulted C．filled D．concentrated
46．A．rose B．raised C．got D．left
47．A．Worn B．Having C．putting D．Dressed
48．A．recognized B．knew C．spared D．regained
49．A．desired B．declared C．determined D．declined
50．A．special B．ordinary C．normal D．no
51．A．decision B．preparation C．struggle D．debate
52．A．ordered B．requested C．confused D．compressed
53．A．negative B．uncertain C．positive D．obvious
54．A．presentation B．preference C．attention D．arrangement
55．A．praised B．pretended C．pressed D．prayed