It was a bright spring afternoon when Freda told me she wouldn’t need me any more. I had just finished my four-hour work up and down the stairs of her three-storey home, cleaning the floor and washing the dishes. She was jeans and a sweater, sitting at the table I had just . A pile of papers spread around her. Her husband’s was going to be reduced by thirty percent. And they were trying to live as if it had happened. I felt sorry for her, but I also felt a sense of .
I had been cleaning Freda’s house for five years and had an unexpected relationship with the family. It was not just I had become an expert at scraping(刮掉) dirt stuck to their wooden floor, that I had learned exactly how to place toys on the girls’ beds. It was than that, for I felt I had become a part of their .
Freda stayed at home with the kids, I would often see her in the morning them to school. And I’d be there when they home at lunch for sandwiches and piano practice. I had them grow up. Now I was fired, but the thing was that I still wanted to keep scraping away the dirt and dust for the family.
I left Freda’s house that day, wondering about the of my relationship with my clients(主顾). Who am I them? As a matter of fact, I’m an employee—the lowest kind of employee. But I’m also a trusted of the family. I can’t help worrying about what happens around me.
A．stepping B．coming C．jumping D．moving
A．hanging B．making C．wearing D．changing
A．cleaned B．washed C．swept D．brushed
A．duty B．money C．work D．pay
A．already B．seldom C．never D．yet
A．regret B．surprise C．fear D．loss
A．started B．developed C．improved D．broken
A．why B．what C．that D．which
A．but B．and C．or D．for
A．less B．least C．more D．most
A．life B．story C．activity D．experience
A．as B．so C．since D．however
A．taking B．bringing C．meeting D．calling
A．left B．returned C．went D．marched
A．found B．noticed C．watched D．realized
A．possible B．great C．proper D．strange
A．meaning B．nature C．result D．importance
A．for B．to C．with D．at
A．hardly B．certainly C．probably D．merely
A．member B．person C．relative D．companion
The question of whether war is inevitable is one which has concerned many of the world’s great writers. Before 36 this question, it will be useful to introduce some 37concepts. Conflict, 38 as opposition among social units-or individuals-directed against one another, is 39from competition, which 40 opposition among social units 41seeking to obtain something which is 42 inadequate supply. Competitors may not know about one another, which those who 43in a conflict do. Conflict and competition are both 44 of opposition. The meaning of opposition has been stated as a process by which social unit function in the disservice of one another, opposition is 45contrasted to cooperation, a 46 by which social units function in the service of one another. These47are necessary because it is important to emphasize that competition between individuals or groups is inevitable in a world of limited 48 , but conflict isn’t . Conflict, nevertheless, is very likely to occur and is probably an essential and desirable 49of human societies.
Many authors have 50 their arguments that war cannot be avoided on the idea that in the struggle for existence among groups of animals, only those which are best 51 remain alive. In general, however, this struggle in nature is competition, not conflict. Those who fail in this competition 52 starve
to death or are 53 by other types of animals. This struggle for 54 is not similar to human war, but is like the competition of 55 for jobs, markets, and materials. The most important quality of this struggle is the competition for the necessities of life that are not enough to satisfy all.
36.A.considering B.solving C.answering D.saying
37.A.related B.used C.translated D.sacred
38.A.specified B.remarked C.defined D.claimed
39.A.variable B.distinguished C.various D.isolated
40.A.acknowledged B.denies C.assumes D.means
41.A.critically B.approximately C.independently D.costly
42.A.on B.for C.with D.in
43.A.enter B.participate C.fall D.involve
44.A.formations B.classes C.terms D.reactions
45.A.nevertheless B.however C.thus D.maybe
46.A.procession B.standard C.process D.measurement
47.A.accounts B.definitions C.descriptions D.explanations
48.A.resources B.origins C.sources D.materials
49.A.matter B.element C.event D.coincidence
50.A.concentrated B.fixed C.centered D.based
51.A.encouraged B.accepted C.adapted D.adopted
52.A.not only B.either C.neither D.both
53.A.killed B.raised C.fired D.surrounded
54.A.resistence B.privilege C.favour D.employment
55.A.workers B.officials C.individuals D.residents
Hidden passengers traveling in ships, trams, or even cars can be a terrible trouble— especially when they are insects. As for this, there is a great ___36___ between human beings; and insects. The former ___37___ every possible effort to avoid being discovered, while the latter quickly ___38___ attention to themselves.
We can only show mercy to the ___39___ man who had to slop his car soon after ___40___ from a country village to drive to London. Hearing a strange noise from the ___41___of the car, he naturally got out to ___42___ the wheels carefully, but he found nothing wrong, so he ___43___ his way. Again the noise began, ___44___ and became even louder. Quickly ___45___ his head, the man saw what appeared to be a great ___46___ cloud following the car. When he stopped at a village further on, he was told that a queen bee must be hidden in his car as there were thousands of bees ___47___.
On learning this, the man drove away .as quickly as possible. After an hour’s ___48___ driving, he arrived safely in London, where he parked his car outside a ___49___ and went in- It was not long ___50___ a customer who had seen him arrive ___51___ in to inform him that his car was ___52___ with bees. The poor driver was ___53___ that the best way should be to call a ___54___. In a short time the man arrived. He found the unwelcome passenger hidden near the wheels at the back. of the car. Very thankful to the driver for this ___55___ gift, the bee-keeper took the queen and her thousand of followers home in a large box.
36. A. connection B. differenceC. communicationD. similarity
37. A, doB. takeC. makeD. try
38. A. give B. keep C. pay D. draw
39. A. unfortunate B. carelessC. unpleasantD. hopeless
40. A. passing by B. leaving out C. setting outD. getting up
41. A. front B. back C. left D. right
42. A. clean B. changeC. test D. examine
43. A. drove B. continued C. pushed D. forced
44. A. normally B. gentlyC. actuallyD. immediately
45. A. hiding B. turningC. shakingD. raising
46. A. black B. beautifulC. whiteD. colorful
47. A. below B. aheadC. nearbyD. behind
48. A. boring B. carefulC. excitingD. hard
49. A. hotel B. museumC. hospitalD. school
50. A. when B. afterC. untilD. before
51. A. broke B. movedC. hurriedD. dropped
52. A. crowded B. coveredC. filledD. equipped
53. A. advised B. requiredC. orderedD. requested
54. A. bee-keeper B. policeman C. waiterD. repairman
55. A. unfamiliar B. unknownC. unexpectedD. uncertain
In the summer vacation of 1997, I was fixed with a job. I worked as a(n) ___36___ at Mr. Breen’s fruit shop. The fruit shop did ___37___ business. Most of the trade came from the housewives who lived in the neighbourhood, ___38___ he also had regular customers who arrived outside the shop in cars. Mr Breen ___39___ them all by name and they sometimes even had their order already made up, always ___40___ me to carry it out to their car. They were clearly long-standing customers, and I ___41___ they must have stayed faithful to him ___42___ he had promised to sell good quality ___43___. He had a way with them—I had to ___44___ that. He called every woman “madam” for a start, ___45___ those who clearly were not, but when he ___46___ it, it did not sound like flattery (奉承). It just sounded ___47___ in an old-fashioned way. He was a great chatter ___48___. If he did not know them, he would greet them with a few ___49___ about the weather, ___50___ he did, he would ask about their families or make ___51___, always cutting his cloth ___52___ his customers. Whatever their bills came to, be ___53___ gave them back the few odd pence (零钱), and I am sure they thought he was very generous (慷慨). But I thought he was the opposite. He never ___54___ anything away. He was always looking for ___55___ for nothing.
36. A. operator B. assistant C. waiter D. secretary
37. A. good B. poor C. big D. usual
38. A. so B. when C. therefore D. but
39. A. sold B. knew C. gave D. sent
40. A. making B. letting C. getting D. keeping
41. A. wish B. insist C. declare D. suppose
42. A. when B. if C. because D. though
43. A. food B. fruit C. vegetables D. drink
44. A. admit B. expect C. announce D. promise
45. A. yet B. only C. just D. even
46. A. told B. said C. spoke D. talked
47. A. serious B. strange C. polite D. familiar
48. A. as well B. as usual C. either D. also
49. A. sayings B. questions C. words D. speeches
50. A. and then B. and so C. even if D. but if
51. A. preparations B. jokes C. repairs D. friends
52. A. according to B. due to C. instead of D. up to
53. A. never B. ever C. seldom D. always
54. A. took B. moved C. threw D. turned.
55. A. something B. anything C. somebody D. anybody
When I was thirteen, my family moved from Boston to Tucson, Arizona. ___36___ the move, my father ___37___ us in the living-room on a freezing January night. My sisters and I sat around the fire, not ___38___ that the universe would suddenly change its course. “In May, we’re ___39___to Arizona.”
The words, so small, didn’t seem ___40___ enough to hold my new life. But the world changed and I awoke on a tram moving across the country. I watched the ___41___ change from green trees to flat dusty plains to high mountains as I saw strange new plants that ___42___ mysteries(奥秘) yet to come. Finally, we arrived and ___43___ into own new home.
___44___ my older sisters were sad at the loss of friends, I ___45___ explored(探索) our new surroundings.
One afternoon, I was out exploring ___46___ and saw a new kind of cactus(仙人掌). I crouched (蹲) down for a closer look. “You’d better not ___47___ that.”
I turned around to see an old woman.
“Are you new lo this neighborhood?” I explained that I was, ___48___, new to the entire state.
“My name is Ina Thorne. Have you got used to life in the ___49___? It must be quite a ___50___ after living in Boston.”
How could I explain how I ___51___ the desert? I couldn’t seem to find the right words.
“It’s vastness,” she offered. “That vastness ___52___ you stand on the mountains overlooking the desert — you can ___53___ how little you are in comparison with the world. ___54___, you feel that the possibilities are limitless.”
That was it. That was the feeling I’d bad ever since I’d first seen the mountains of my new home. Again, my ___55___ would change with just a few simple words.
“Would you like to come to my home tomorrow? Someone should teach you which plant you should and shouldn’t touch.”
36. A. During B. Until C. Upon D. Before
37. A. gathered B. warned C. organized D. comforted
38. A. hoping B. admitting C. realizing D. believing
39. A. going B. moving C. driving D. flying
40. A. good B. simple C. big D. proper
41. A. picture B. ground C. sense D. area
42. A. suggested B. solved C. discovered D. explained
43. A. settled B. walked C. hurried D. stepped
44. A. If B. After C. once D. While
45. A. bitterly B. easily C. proudly D. eagerly
46. A as well B. as usual C. fight away D. on time
47. A. move B. dig C. pull D. touch
48. A. of course B. in fact C. after all D. at least
49. A. desert B. city C. state D. country
50. A. luck B. doubt C. shock D. danger
51. A. found B. examined C. watched D. reached
52. A. why B. when C. how D. where
53. A. prove B. guess C. sense D. expect
54. A. However B. Otherwise C. Therefore D. Meanwhile
55. A. idea B. life C. home D. family
You are near the front line of a battle. Around you shells are exploding; people are shooting from a house behind you. What are you doing there? You aren’t a soldier. You aren’t ___36___carrying a gun. You’re standing in front of a ___37___and you’re telling the TV ___38___what is happening.
It’s all in a day’s work for a war reporter, and it can be very ___39___. In the first two years of the ___40___ in former Yugoslavia(前南斯拉夫), 28 reporters and photographers were killed. Hundreds more were ___41___. What kind of people put themselves in danger to ___42___ pictures to our TV screens and ___43___ to our newspapers? Why do they do it?
“I think it’s every young journalist’s ___44___to be a foreign reporter,” says Michael Nicholson, “that’s ___45___ you find the excitement. So when the first opportunity comes, you take it ___46___ it is a war.”
But there are moments of ___47___. Jeremy Bowen says, “Yes, when you’re lying on the ground and bullet(子弹) are flying ___48___ your ears, you think: ‘What am I doing here? I’m not going to do this again.’ But that feeling ___49___ after a while and when the next war starts, you’ll be ___50___.”
“None of us believes that we’re going to ___51___,” adds Michael. But he always ___52___ a lucky charm(护身符) with him. It was given to him by his wife for his first war. It’s a card which says “Take care of yourself.” Does he ever think about dying? “Oh, ___53___, and every time it happens you look to the sky and say to God, ‘If you get me out of this, I ___54___ I’ll never do it again.’ You can almost hear God ___55___, because you know he doesn’t believe you.”
36. A. simply B. really C. merely D. even
37. A. crowd B. house C. battlefield D. camera
38. A. producers B. viewers C. directors D. actors
39. A. dangerous B. exciting C. normal D. disappointing
40. A. stay B. fight C. war D. life
41. A. injured B. buried C. defeated D. saved
42. A. bring B. show C. take D. make
43. A. scenes B. passages C. stories D. contents
44. A. belief B. dream C. duty D. faith
45. A. why B. what C. how D. where
46. A. even so B. ever since C. as if D. even if
47. A. fear B. surprise C. shame D. sadness
48. A. into B. around C. past D. through
49. A. returns B. goes C. continues D. occurs
50. A. there B. away C. out D. home
51. A. leave B. escape C. die D. remain
52. A. hangs B. wears C. holds D. carries
53. A. never B. many times C. some time D. seldom
54. A. consider B. accept C. promise D. guess
55. A. whispering B. laughing C. screaming D. crying