Long ago there was a poor farmer in Russia. He had been very with everything he had. However, when he found his elder brother was than him, he felt disappointed. So he hard about how he could also be richer. Finally he got an idea. He started to spend less money on food and clothes to some money to buy more land. Once he had enough money, he started for land.
He that on the neighboring land, there were some nomads (游牧民) living there. He bought some gifts and went to their head. He presented the gifts to the head and told him the of his visit. The head welcomed him, accepted the gifts and agreed to his to get the land. The head told him that he could have the land giving him anything. He can take as much land as he could by walking through the land before sunset (日落). He should start in the morning and whatever distance he could travel during the , he could have it.
The farmer became very when he heard this offer. Now he could have lots of without paying anything. He came the next morning and started running, not walking, he could cover the largest area. To reach his goal, he neither ate food, nor drank water, nor had any rest. He just continued . Without eating, or drinking, or resting, he just got very . When he came back to the head in the evening, he right on the spot. Sadly his son buried him in a piece of land about 6 x 4 feet.
Don’t be greedy (贪婪的) or you will everything finally.
A.careful B.bored C.busy D.pleased
A.richer B.healthier C.stronger D.cleverer
A.thought B.learned C.tried D.worked
A.borrow B.spend C.save D.make
A.looking B.waiting C.preparing D.caring
A.explained B.hoped C.guessed D.found
A.follow B.visit C.help D.cheat
A.chance B.result C.condition D.purpose
A.promise B.wish C.suggestion D.order
A.for B.without C.by D.before
A.farm B.buy C.cover D.have
A.year B.month C.day D.week
A.interested B.sad C.happy D.calm
A.crop B.experience C.knowledge D.land
A.quietly B.early C.finally D.suddenly
A.so that B.even if C.because D.whether
A.dreaming B.walking C.speaking D.running
A.nervous B.excited C.tired D.worried
A.refused B.died C.appeared D.rested
A.lose B.face C.change D.defeat
Some myths are stories told since ancient times to explain the causes for natural happenings. The Greek myth that explains why there are changes of ___36___ is about Demeter, the goddess of the harvest. She had a daughter, Persephone, whom she loved very much. Hades, god of the underworld, fell in love with Persephone, and he asked Zeus, the ___37___ of the gods, to give Persephone to him as his ___38___. Zeus did not want either to disappoint Hades or to upset Demeter, so he said he would not agree to the marriage, but neither would he ___39___ it. Hades, therefore, decided to take the girl without ___40___. When Persephone was picking flowers in the garden, he seized her and took her to the underworld. When Demeter ___41___ what happened to Persephone, she became so ___42___ that she caused all plants to ___43___ People were in ___44___ of starving. But Demeter was determined not to let crops grow ___45___ her daughter, Persephone, was returned to her. ___46___, still not wanting to disappoint Hades, decided upon a condition for Persephone’s ___47___. She could go back to her mother if she had not ___48___ anything while she was in the underworld. Demeter ___49___ it because she did not know that Persephone had eaten several pomegranate(石榴) seeds in the underworld. When Zeus ___50___ this, he agreed that Persephone could spend part of the year with her ___51___, but he added that since she had eaten the seeds, she must spend part of the year in the underworld. And so it ___52___ that when Persephone is in the underworld, Demeter is sad and therefore ___53___ not let the crops grow. That is ___54___ we have winter when plants do not grow. When Persephone returns, Demeter is ___55___, it is spring, and plants begin to grow again.
36. A. periods B. seasons C. time D. age
37. A. winner B. ruler C. advisor D. fighter
38. A. wife B. lover C. partner D. daughter
39. A. forbid B. forgive C. admit D. accept
40. A. arrangement B. warning C. reason D. permission
41. A. let out B. worked out C. thought out D. found out
42. A. excited B. tired C. angry D. serious
43. A. grow fast B. start growing C. stop growing D. grow slowly
44. A. danger B. hope C. turn D. case
45. A. since B. until C. after D. when
46. A. Persephone B. Zeus C. Demeter D. Hades
47. A. return B. change C. marriage D. journey
48. A. stolen B. found C. eaten D. heard
49. A. understood B. refused C. doubted D. accepted
50. A. discovered B. studied C. forgot D. prepared
51. A. daughter B. mother C. god D. ruler
52. A. works B. remains C. happens D. starts
53. A. should B. can C. dare D. will
54. A. where B. because C. why D. how
55. A. nice B. friendly C. fresh D. happy
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 best ___39___ that could have happened to me. I ___40___ I wanted to do something positive (积极的) 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 (小说) ___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 ___47___ in 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.”
36. A. bright B. uselessC. simpleD. hopeful
37. A. anything B. somethingC. everythingD. nothing
38. A. low B. poorC. goodD. useful
39. A. support B. happinessC. surpriseD. thing
40. A. admitted B. decidedC. plannedD. told
41. A. me B. themC. herD. it
42. A. wrong B. rightC. stupidD. faulty
43. A. see B. knowC. understandD. face
44. A. experiment B. practiceC. writingD. composition
45. A. came on B. came inC. came outD. came back
46. A. day B. nightC. monthD. year
47. A. graduation B. passC. degreeD. success
48. A. giving in B. giving backC. giving outD. giving up
49. A. while B. ifC. whenD. or
50. A. there B. hereC. itD. that
51. A. left B. attended C. changed D. graduated
52. A. tired B. calmC. nervousD. famous
53. A. And B. ButC. HoweverD. Well
54. A. just B. exactlyC. soD. very
55. A. praised B. saidC. answeredD. advised
Since my family were not going to be helpful, I decided I would look for one all by myself and not tell them about it till I’d got one.
I had seen an agency (中介机构) advertised in a local newspaper. I rushed out of the __36___in search of it. I was wildly excited, and as ___37___as if I were going on the stage. Finding the___38___quite easily, I ran breathlessly through a door which said “Enter without knocking, if you please. ”
The simple atmosphere of the office___39___me. The woman looked carefully at me __40___through her glasses, and then___41___me in a low voice. I answered softly. All of a sudden I started to feel rather___42___ She wondered why I was looking for this sort of___43___ I felt even more helpless when she told me that it would be___44___to get a job without___45___I wondered whether I ought to leave, ___46___the telephone on her desk rang. I heard her say:
“___47___, I’ve got someone in the___48___at this very moment who might___49___. ” She wrote down a __50___, and held it out to me, saying: “Ring up this lady. She wants a___51___immediately. In fact, you would have to start tomorrow by cooking a dinner for ten people. ”
“Oh yes,” said I —___52___having cooked for more than four in my life. I___53___her again and again, and rushed out to the___54___telephone box. I collected my thoughts, took a deep breath, and rang the number. I said confidently that I was just what she was looking for.
I spent the next few hours___55___cook books.
36. A. bed B house C. agency D. office
37. A. proud B. please C. nervous D. worried
38. A. family B. door C. place D. stage
39. A. calmed B. excited C. frightened D. disturbed
40. A. as usual B. for a while C. in a minute D. once again
41. A. advised B. examined C. informed D. questioned
42. A. encouraged B. dissatisfied C. hopeless D. pleased
43. A. place B. job C. advice D. help
44. A. difficult B. helpless C. possible D. unusual
45. A. ability B. experience C. knowledge D. study
46. A. after B. since C. until D. when
47. A. Above all B. As a matter of fact C. As a result D. In spite of that
48. A. family B. house C. office D. restaurant
49. A. hire B. accept C. suit D. offer
50. A. letter B. name C. note D. number
51. A. cook B. help C. teacher D. secretary
52. A. almost B. never C. nearly D. really
53. A. answered B. promised C. thanked D. told
54. A. outside B. local C. closest D. nearest
55. A. borrowing B. buying C. reading D. writing
I grew up in a community called Estepona. I was 16 when one morning, Dad told me I could drive him into a___36___ village called Mijas, on condition that I took the car in to be ___37___ at a nearby garage. I readily accepted. I drove Dad into Mijas, and ___38___ to pick him up at 4 pm, then dropped off the car at the ___39___. With several hours to spare, I went to a theater. ___40___, when the last movie finished, it was six. I was two hours late!
I knew Dad would be angry if he ___41___ I’d been watching movies. So I decided not to tell him the truth. When I ___42___ there I apologized for being late, and told him I’d ___43___ as quickly as I could, but that the car had needed a major repairs. I’ll never forget the ___44___ he gave me. “I’m disappointed you ___45___ you have to lie to me, Jason. ” Dad looked at me again. “When you didn’t ___46___, I called the garage to ask if there were any ___47___, and they told me you hadn’t yet picked up the car. ” I felt ___48___ as I weakly told him the real reason. A ___49___ passed through Dad as he listened attentively. “I’m angry with ___50___. I realize I’ve failed as a father. I’m going to walk home now and think seriously about ___51___ I’ve gone wrong all these years. ” “But Dad, it’s 18 miles!” My protests and apologies were ___52___. Dad walked home that day. I drove behind him, ___53___ him all the way, but he walked silently.
Seeing Dad in so much ___54___and emotional pain was my most painful experience. However, it was ___55___ the most successful lesson. I have never lied since.
36. A. lonely B. small C. distant D. familiar
37. A. kept B. washed C. watched D. serviced
38. A. agreed B. planned C. determined D. promised
39. A. village B. community C. garage D. theater
40. A. However B. Then C. Therefore D. Still
41. A. realized B. found out C. thought D. figured out
42. A. went B. ran C. walked D. hurried
43. A. started B. left C. arrived D. come
44. A. word B. face C. look D. appearance
45. A. find B. decide C. believe D. feel
46. A. turn up B. drive out C. go away D. come out
47. A. questions B. problems C. mistakes D. faults
48. A. ashamed B. frightened C. nervous D. surprised
49. A. nervousness B. sadness C. silence D. thought
50. A. you B. myself C. me D. yourself
51. A. where B. how C. why D. when
52. A. meaningless B. useless C. helpless D. worthless
53. A. asking B. persuading C. begging D. following
54. A. physical B. practical C. personal D. natural
55. A. indeed B. always C. also D. almost
A little boy invited his mother to attend his school’s first teacher-parent meeting. To the little boy’s ___36___, she said she would go. This ___37___ be the first time that his classmates and teacher ___38___ his mother and he felt ___39___ of her appearance. Although she was a beautiful woman, there was a severe scar(疤痕) that. ___40___nearly the entire right side of her face. The boy never wanted to ___41___ why or how she got the scar.
At the meeting, the people were ___42___ by the kindness and natural beauty of his mother ___43___ the car, but the little boy was still embarrassed(尴尬) and ___44___ himself from everyone. He did, however, get within ___45___ of a conversation between his mother and his teacher.
The teacher asked ___46___,”How did you get the scar on your face?”
The mother replied, “___47___ my son was a baby, he was in a room that caught fire. Everyone was ___48___ afraid to go in because the fire was ___49___ so I went in. As I was running toward his bed, I saw a long piece of wood coming down and I placed myself over him trying to protect him. I was knocked ___50___ but fortunately, a fireman came in and saved both of us.
She ___51___ the burned side of her face. “This scar will be ___52___, but to this day, I have never ___53___ what I did. ”
At this point, the little boy came out running toward his mother with tears in his eyes. He held her in his arms and felt a great ___54___ of the sacrifice(牺牲) that his mother had made for him. He held her hand ___55___for the rest of the day.
36. A. enjoyment B. disappointment C. surprise D. excitement
37. A. would B. could C. should D. must
38. A. noticed B. greeted C. accepted D. met
39. A. sick B. ashamed C. afraid D. tired
40. A. included B. passed C. covered D. shaded
41. A. talk about B. think about C. care about D. hear about
42. A. impressed B. surprised C. excited D. comforted
43. A. in sight of B. by means of C. by way of D. in spite of
44. A. hid B. protected C. separated D. escaped
45. A. understanding B. reminding C. hearing D. learning
46. A. carefully B. seriously C. nervously D. anxiously
47. A. As B. When C. Since D. While
48. A. so B. much C. quite D. too
49. A. out of control B. under control C. in control D. over control
50. A. helpless B. hopeless C. senseless D. useless
51. A. pointed B. showed C. wiped D. touched
52. A. ugly B. lasting C. serious D. frightening
53. A. forgot B. recognized C. considered D. regretted
54. A. honor B. sense C. happiness D. pride
55. A. quietly B. slightly C. tightly D. suddenly