It was the Year from Hell-September 1993 to September 1994-the dog died, my marriage of 24 years ended, and my house burned down. I had moved into a new rented house with my youngest son, after my husband and I split up. We'd been in the house just six weeks. I went to a dinner party one night, and as I drove home, I saw helicopters hovering in the general vicinity of my new home. Smoke was billowing into the sky, and sirens were wailing. As I got closer, I thought, Wouldn't it be awful if that was my house? Then I turned the corner, and sure enough, it was my house.
I was devastated. It had been such a horrible year, and now everything I owned had gone up in smoke. Mementos, baby pictures, family keepsakes, clothes, furniture-everything was destroyed. My marriage was gone, my dog was gone, my home was gone, and all my worldly possessions, except my car and the clothes on my back, were gone too.
My son and I stayed with a friend for a couple of nights. Then my friend Gail heard about the fire, called me up, and said, "Come move into my house. I have seven bedrooms and five bathrooms-plenty of space for you and your son." It was a sprawling ranch house on a double lot in La Jolla, with an ocean view, to boot. Gail had three kids at home, but there was still plenty of room for me and my son, Sutton. Her offer was a godsend. Little did I know that her offer of a temporary place to stay would turn into a living arrangement that lasted two and a half years.
Gail and I had a lot in common. We had both been raised Catholic and our unconscious minds had been programmed the same way-we saw ourselves as good little Catholic girls who were gonna stay married forever. But both of our husbands decided they didn't want to be married anymore, and so here we were, two single mothers, dazed, confused, and in a fog. We had followed the rules... why were we not happy? Gail and I spent the next couple of years sorting out a lot of things together.
After we moved in, I soon began to look for a permanent place to live. After a few weeks, Gail said, "Please don't leave. I've never had so much freedom!" Having me in the house meant someone to help take care of her kids, someone to share cooking and gardening, and someone to share day-to-day life. She loved having me there, and I loved being there. So we stayed.
It was an important chapter in my life. Gail and I gardened together, talking back and forth as we worked in the soil. We both needed time to heal from our divorces, time to sort out the confusion, time to get some clarity on the past and some focus on the future. It was a time of deeper insight and spiritual growth for both of us. Over time, I grew to realize how strong I really was, how even-tempered, and how I really could get my act together and go on with my life.
Gail's generosity was more than anyone could ever ask or expect from a friend. She gave me a safe haven in which to mourn and heal and grow into the next chapter of my life. She showed her love in countless ways. I am eternally grateful to have a friend like Gail.
I'm also grateful for the lessons I learned from the fire and the other losses that came so suddenly, so fast. Much to my surprise, I found gratitude among the ashes. I was tested sorely-literally trial by fire. But, like a phoenix, I rose from the ashes strong and whole. I would not be the person I am today if not for that Year from Hell.Why did the writer say Sep 1993 to Sep 1994 was the Year from Hell?
| A．She got divorced from her husband |
| B．Both of her houses were burned down |
| C．She met some misfortune one after another |
| D．Her dog was killed in the big fire |
What did the writer and Gail have in common?
| A．Both of them had one son |
| B．Both of them believed in the same faith |
| C．Both of them lost the home |
| D．Both of them decided to divorce |
How did the writer spend the days with Gail?
| A．She looked after the 4 kids alone |
| B．She planted some flowers with Gail |
| C．She shared the same bedroom with Gail |
| D．They did some cleaning together |
which is the right order of the following events?
①、She wanted to find a permanent house
②、She shared cooking with Gail
③、She went to a dinner party one night
④、She stayed with a friend for a couple of days
⑤、She lost her dog
| A．③⑤④①② | B．④①⑤③② | C．③④②⑤① | D．①③⑤④② |
What is the best title for the text?
| A．Generosity from a friend |
| B．Recover from the pain |
| C．The Year from Hell |
| D．Gratitude among the ashes |
Ted doesn’t like cars. He wants people to stop driving because cars make the air dirty. Ted had an idea. He said,“I’m going to cycle around North America. I want to show everyone that cycling is a fun way to get around. If more people ride bikes, the air will be cleaner.”
He left his hometown with $160 in his pocket. When he got to San Diego, he met another cyclist. The cyclist invited Ted to speak at a big meeting about the environment. He said,“We’ll pay your airfare to Texas and we’ll pay you to talk about your cycling trip.”Two hours later, Ted was on a plane to the environmental conference and to a big surprise!
While he was at the conference, he met Deanna. It was love at first sight! They talked for six hours straight.
The next day, Ted called Deanna and asked her to finish the trip with him. Deanna said yes, sold everything in her apartment, gave her notice at work, and was on the road with Ted 20 days later!
“It was difficult at first,”said Deanna. “Ted got up every morning at 6:00 a.m., but I wanted to sleep until noon.”After a few days, they started having fun. As they cycled from Florida to Montreal and then back to Vancouver, every day was an adventure. People paid for their food in restaurants and gave them extra money. Some people gave them $50 or $100. They slept in people’s backyards and drank beer with motorcycle gangs.
On their way back to Vancouver, they stopped in Edmonton to visit Ted’s relatives. During the stopover, they got married. People tied a “Just Married”sign and tin cans to the backs of their bikes. They now want to write a book about their trip. “We want people to know that you can be an environmentalist and still have fun, ”Ted said. Ted got paid for ______.
| A．giving a talk about his cycling trip | B．cycling throughout North America |
| C．traveling around North America by air | D．attending conferences on cycling |
The “big surprise” he had at the conference was that _______ .
| A．he met another cyclist who wanted to join him | B．he fell in love with a girl there |
| C．he gave a long talk lasting 6 hours | D．he had a lot of fun talking about his cycling trip |
The underlined part “gave her notice at work” probably means __________ .
| A．Deanna was fired by her boss for not going to work |
| B．Deanna asked for a long leave from work to join Ted in his trip |
| C．Deanna told people beforehand that she would leave her job |
| D．Deanna handed in the notice that she were asked to finish before |
During the trip, Ted and Deanne ___________.
| A．found it hard to get up early | B．were attacked by motorcycle gangs |
| C．never pay for their meals in restaurants | D．got married |
Few people would ever think of beginning a career at the age of 76, but one American most famous artist did just that. Anna Mary Robertson, better known as “Grandma Moses”, turned to painting because she could no longer take an active part in the funning of her farm. As she searched for something to do, she discovered painting--- an activity she had loved as a child.
Grandma Moses painted in primitive style, and her works are simple and basic — almost childlike in their composition. She first painted only for her own pleasure, and then began to sell her works for small sums of money.
In 1939, an art collector named Louis Caldor chanced to see several of Granma Moses’ works hanging in a store. He liked them, bought them at once, and set out to look for more. Caldor held a show to introduce the works of Grandma Moses to the art world.
Grandma Moses passed away on December 13,1961, at the age of 101, who had enjoyed a second career that lasted a quarter of a century.Before becoming an artist, Grandma Moses _______ .
| A．wrote several good books | B．managed a farm | C．was a housewife | D．worked as a nurse |
Grandma Moses’ art career lasted ______ .
| A．101 years | B．76 years | C．25 years | D．22 years |
Even if no one had bought her paintings, Grandma Moses probably would have ________.
| A．continued to paint anyway | B．gone back to farming |
| C．given up painting | D．spent the rest of her life in peace |
The story is mainly about_______ .
| A．pictures in primitive style | B．a successful art collector |
| C．a great American artist | D．the secret of living longer |
Rescue workers at the San Jose gold and copper mine in northern Chile had reason to sing this week．A small hole drilled into the earth became a passage（通道） to freedom for thirty-three trapped miners．They spent sixty-nine days underground．"Never have people been trapped for so long so deeply," says a doctor at NASA, the American space agency, which helped in the rescue．
But the chief medical officer for the miners said most are in good enough health to leave the hospital within a day or so．The first three were released from the hospital Thursday night．
For much of the day the miners relaxed with Chilean President Sebastian Pinera．The thirty-two Chileans and one Bolivian still wore special sunglasses to protect their eyes．
A partial mine collapse（坍塌） on 5th of August trapped them more than half a kilometer underground．They had to stretch a two-day food supply．For two weeks no one knew if they were alive or dead．
Later, they received supplies（供给） and a video link lowered through drill holes．That link was how Ariel Ticona watched his wife give birth to their daughter．
The miners have apparently agreed to share the money they earn from selling their story．
They have already received gifts of money and travel offers．Edison Pena has been invited to the New York City Marathon and to Graceland, the home of Elvis Presley in Memphis, Tennessee．Mr．Pena described how he ran in the mine tunnels to ease the stress．And he led the miners in singing Elvis songs．
The first miner rescued on Wednesday was Florencio Avalos．The second was Mario Sepulveda, who talked about how the experience tested his faith．He said: "I was with God and I was with the devil, they fought me, but God won．He took me by my best hand, the hand of God．"
The last miner up was Luis Urzua．He was the shift leader when his crew became trapped．
Rescuers used a metal cage to pull the miners to safety in less than twenty-four hours -- faster than expected．The rescue capsule was a half-meter wide and known as the Phoenix．How many miners had been rescued according to the report?
| A．Three | B．Sixty-nine | C．Thirty-three | D．Thirty-two |
According to the passage, when the miners were trapped, some of them did the followings except ________．
| A．sharing money | B．Running to ease stress |
| C．Watching a video showing his wife giving birth | D．Singing songs |
Edison Pena was invited to Graceland probably because ________________．
| A．he ran in the mine tunnel． | B．he prayed to God． |
| C．he led the miners in singing Elvis songs． | D．he was the shift leader． |
From the passage, we can infer the followings EXCEPT that _______________．
| A．Rescue workers were happy about their rescue work． |
| B．People felt surprised to find the miners safe and sound． |
| C．People might have been quite worried about the miners’ safety． |
| D．The trapped miners drilled a small hole themselves to escape． |
What would be the best title for the report?
| A．A mining accident | B．Miners saved, safe and sound |
| C．A difficult rescue | D．Miners trapped deep underground |
Garden building is considered an important part of Chinese culture. Some people say that if you have never walked through a Chinese garden, you cannot say that you have really visited China.
Traditional Chinese gardens are located(位于)in North China in such places as Beihai Park, the Summer Palace, the Forbidden City. In larger imperial gardens, the main buildings are connected by an imaginary（虚构的） line in the middle of the garden on the north-south axis(轴). Other features (特征)of imperial gardens are colored-paintings, man-made hills and lakes.
Most private gardens are found in the south, especially in cities south of the Yangtze River. Private gardens were mostly built at one side or at the back of the houses. Around the beautiful scene are small open areas with beautiful shaped-doors through which visitors can enjoy the sights. They are open on all sides and are often near the water so that the whole scene can be enjoyed. Suzhou, known as the home of gardens, displays the most and the best Chinese traditional private gardens. Different parts of it are examples of the garden style of the Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties.[
The landscape garden contains a number of pleasant natural scenes and some fairy tales. The ancient Chinese used to call the garden landscape “Jing” , which means “scene” in English. Good examples include the ten West Lake Scenes in Hangzhou, the twenty-four slim West Lake in Yangzhou and the eight Daming Lake Scenes in Jinan. The passage tells mainly about ________.
| A．an important part of Chinese culture |
| B．the characteristics (特征) of different style of Chinese garden building |
| C．where foreigners can find Chinese gardens |
| D．how to appreciate Chinese gardens |
Which of the following is NOT a feature of the imperial garden?
| A．There is a north-south axis in the center of garden |
| B．There are man-made hills and lakes in the gardens. |
| C．They were built because of some fairy tales. |
| D．They have colored-paintings. |
In the third paragraph, the underlined word “They” refer to ______.
| A．private gardens | B．beautiful scenes |
| C．the houses | D．rivers and lakes |
According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?
| A．Chinese people often invite foreigners to visit a Chinese garden. |
| B．The landscape garden reflects different styles of the Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties. |
| C．All three kinds of gardens make up the important part of Chinese culture which is appreciated by the people all over the world. |
| D．People enjoy the private gardens more than other two styles. |
The garden landscape “Jing” which the ancient Chinese used to call actually means in English _________.
| A． well | B．tight | C．garden | D．scene |
The whole morning we just checked our own things. We were looking for items to give away. We thought of blankets, food and clothing. Our aim was not to find things we no longer wanted, but things we use every day and would be useful to others.
We made up boxes with the things and added some small toys. Inside the boxes a simple letter was placed, reading:
“Please take these items and know that your life is important. Times are difficult but they will pass. We share what we have, believing it will matter. Use the blanket to stay warm. Be safe and know that the human spirit can overcome（战胜） anything. Don’t hold your head down. Someday please do the same when you can. How you do it and when, your heart will tell you.
This kind act was not because the phone rang or for any reason. It was simply because it was the right time to do. We have often seen homeless people at the park where we left the belongings. The city would say that it isn’t a problem but I see the lives walking to and from it.
I noticed that my wife had put her favorite green coat into one of the boxes. I asked if she was sure about it and she simply replied that it had a hood (风帽). She liked the coat but knew the hood could shelter (遮挡)someone from the rain.
We don’t know where these gifts of compassion（同情）will go. We never go back and see what happens. It’s unimportant. The right things will find the right people and that is all that counts. On the way my wife started to cry. When I asked why, she said because some things felt so right. What can we learn from the first paragraph about the couple？
| A．They had deep feelings of their work |
| B．They often threw the useless daily items away |
| C．They liked helping others by sharing their things |
| D．They often gave away the daily items they didn’t use |
The couple placed the letter inside the box mainly to_______________.
| A．help the poor go through the difficulties |
| B．let the poor know who gave away the things |
| C．tell the poor how to use the items correctly |
| D．tell the poor to pass on the spirit to others |
Why did the author ask his wife if she was sure about giving away her green coat? _________.
| A．Because he thought the coat was very valuable |
| B．Because he thought the coat was of a very high price |
| C．Because he thought he liked the coat very much himself |
| D．Because he thought she liked the coat very much herself |
The couple liked this kind act because _______.
| A．they thought it was the right thing to do |
| B．they had a good habit of saving things |
| C．they often received telephone calls for help |
| D．they hated being troubled by homeless people |
What’s the best title for this passage?
| A．Boxes filled with compassion | B．Good behavior leading to happiness |
| C．The most important thing in our life | D．Happiness coming from sharing things |