Crazy is our new normal. With two teenage boys and three little boys, our family is restless- to the baseball field, track field (田径场) and piano lessons. Even though we've limited（限制） each boy's activities and try our best to spare some time for the family, it seems that we're always in a hurry.
"Accept it. Roll with it," my husband, Lonny, says, "It's going to be like this for a while."
He is right. It's likely that life will continue to go forward before it slows down. But I remembered the peaceful, quiet days that our family used to enjoy. I missed long walks through the park when we held the boys' little hands. I wished for lazy Saturday afternoons under the tree in our backyard. I wanted to go back a few years, when busyness was the exception and not the rule（惯例）．
One night, after a particularly ful day and evening games, our family gathered on the porch (门廊) for ice cream. Two parents, two teens, and three small boys sat on one old swing and a couple of rocking chairs. We were together, in one place, for a short period of time.
The moon was full. The Mississippi River, flowing past our home, was smooth as glass. I put my own arms around the son who sat on my lap and breathed in deeply his little-boy smell -dirt and sweat. My heart was peaceful and satisfied.
I realized that though crazy is our new normal, happiness is as usual. They may look different from before, but they are still there - even if they're in the form of a single moment on the porch. Maybe I just need the eyes to see.
小题1:What does the writer mainly talk about?

A．Her tiredness of her busy life.

B．Her family's struggle for a better life.

C．Her new feelings about the present life.

D．The pleasure of staying with her children.

小题2:Which of the following could best describe the writer's present life?

A．Busy and boring.	B．Busy but happy.
C．Crazy and terrible.	D．Normal but exciting.

小题3:Which of the following is NOT true?

A．The writer has five sons.

B．There is at least one child learning to play the piano.

C．The husband likes the present life.

D．The writer used to live a peaceful and quiet life.

小题4:Which of the following might the writer agree to?

A．Happiness is everywhere, but we have to discover it.

B．Life is nothing but sadness, busyness and hurry.

C．Parents should do more for their kids' better life.

D．Life in the countryside is attractive, wonderful, and sweet.

I watched quietly as my little brother was caught in the act. He sat in the corner of the living room, a   1 in one hand and my father's new book in the other.
  2  my father walked into the room, my brother cowered (畏缩) slowly. He sensed that he had done something   3  . From a distance I could see that he had   4 my father's new book and scribbled (乱画) in it. Now, looking at my father in  5  , he and I both waited for his punishment.
My father   6  up his prized book, looked at it carefully, and then sat down, without saying a word. Books were   7  to him. He was a clergyman（牧师） and for him, books were   8  .What he did next was unbelievable. Instead of   9  my brother, he sat down, took the pen from   10 , and then wrote in the book himself, alongside the scribbles John had made:
John s work, 1959, age 2. How many times have I looked into your beautiful face and into your warm, alert (警觉的) eyes looking up at me? And how many times have I  11 God for the one who has now scribbled in my new book?
"Wow," I thought, "This is punishment?" The years and the books came and went. Our family experienced what all families go through and perhaps a little bit more: happiness and   12  , laughter and tears. We always knew our parents   13  us and that one of the proofs (证明) of their love was the book. From time to time we would   14 it, look at the scribbles, read my father's expression of love, and feel   15  .

小题1:	A．book B．pen C．paper D．ruler

小题2:	A．Because B．Since C．As D．Though

小题3:	A．interesting B．wrong C．useless D．important

小题4:	A．dropped B．read C．borrowed D．opened

小题5:	A．surprise B．excitement C．sadness D．fear

小题6:	A．picked B．put C．gave D．checked

小题7:	A．enjoyable B．valuable C．useless D．attractive

小题8:	A．courage B．money C．health D．knowledge

小题9:	A．beating B．hurting C．punishing D．forgiving

小题10:

A．the corner B．the floor C．the table D．my brother's hand

小题11:

A．thanked B．asked C．provided D．reminded

小题12:

A．sadness B．excitement C．pride D．envy

小题13:

A．needed B．loved C．preferred D．encouraged

小题14:

A．open B．use C．read D．explain

小题15:

A．jealous B．relaxed C．confident D．proud

A saint (圣人) found a group of family members shouting angrily at each other on a river bank. He asked his disciples(信徒), “  1  do people shout when they are angry with each other?” The disciples 2  for a while and one of them said, “Because they lose their calm.”
“But why should they shout when the other persons are just 3  them? They can tell them what they have to say in a  4  manner.” Asked the saint.
The disciples gave some other answers but  5 made the saint pleased. Finally the saint  6  , “When two people are angry with each other, their hearts distance a lot. To cover that distance they must shout in order to  7 each other. The angrier they are, the 8 they will have to shout to cover that great distance. What happens when two people fall in love? They don’t shout at each other but talk softly, because their hearts are very close. The distance 9 them is very small or doesn’t exist(存在).”
The saint looked at his disciples and continued, “So when you argue with other people, do not say words that distance each other, or else there will come a day when the distance is so great that you will not find the  10  to return.

小题1:	A．What B．When C．Where D．Why

小题2:	A．thought B．laughed C．cried D．rested

小题3:	A．far from B．next to C．across from D．in the front of

小题4:	A．hard B．lively C．soft D．bad

小题5:	A．everyone B．anyone C．someone D．none

小题6:	A．explained B．answered C．replied D．asked

小题7:	A．see B．watch C．hear D．listen to

小题8:	A．softer B．louder C．larger D．higher

小题9:	A．by B．near C．among D．between

小题10:

A．way B．answer C．home D．person

My now 7-year-old grandson, who lives 100 miles away, has kept my phone number in his mind since he was 4. Since then, he has been  1  me every night before he goes to bed to tell me about his day or just to say “Good night, Grandma.”
He also often calls me at other times during the day just to  2  a happy or sad moment. Many times he’s playing a basketball with one hand, or laughing with a friend about something that I  3  quite understand, or crying about something he may or may not want to talk about while I’m on the other end of the phone. I just listen and empathize (同情) or laugh with him—just share his current (当前的)  4 . I always let him control the  5  , and the time he’s on the phone with me. Many times I just listen to him play, or play games we’ve made up together that we can play over the   6  .   
The only time I take control of the  7  is when he’s ready to say goodbye at night. Often there are four special   8  I say to him every night. One night I thought maybe he was tired to hear those, so I didn’t say them. He  9  called me back and told me that I forgot to say those sentences! I haven’t missed saying them since then!
My friends all know that he is the most important for me.  10  I’m in church(教堂), or some place where I really can’t take his call, I always politely excuse myself and talk to him, even if it’s just for a minute to tell him I’ll call him back in a few minutes.
He knows that he takes first place in my heart.

小题1:	A．troubling B．seeing C．promising D．calling

小题2:	A．spend B．enjoy C．share D．experience

小题3:	A．never B．ever C．nearly D．fully

小题4:	A．secret B．problem C．plan D．feeling

小题5:	A．action B．result C．topic D．team

小题6:	A．experience B．letter C．Internet D．phone

小题7:	A．work B．talk C．game D．voice

小题8:	A．words B．messages C．sentences D．rules

小题9:	A．immediately B．usually C．probably D．especially

小题10:

A．Since B．Unless C．Before D．As

Dear Miss Li,
I’d like to thank you for sending money    1   “Animal Helpers”, an organization set up to help disabled people. You see, you have helped    2   it possible for me to have “Lucky”. My life    3  pleasure because of him now. Let me tell you my story.
Being blind, deaf, unable to walk or use your hands    4   is something that most people cannot imagine. But there are many people who face these challenges, and I am one of them. Because I can’t use my arms or legs well, things like answering the telephone, opening and   5
doors or carrying things have always been difficult for me. Then one day last year, a friend of mine said that she would like to    6  . She said she would talk to “Animal Helpers” to see   
  7    it would be possible for me to get a trained dog. She also thought a dog might cheer me up. I told her that I love animals and that I’d love to have a dog.
   8   six months of training with a dog at “Animal Helpers”, I was able to   9   him
home. My dog’s name is “Lucky” – a good name for him    10   I feel very lucky to have him. You see, I’m only able to have a “dog-helper” because of your kind donation!
  11  , you might ask? Well, he has been trained to    12   different instructions. For example, I say, “Lucky! Fetch my book,” and he does it at once. He is very clever and understands many English words, even some difficult    13   like “upstairs”.
Lucky is an    14   dog. I’ll send you a photo of him if you like, and I could show you how he helps me too one day. And so I thank you again for supporting “Animal Helpers”. It is very important that this organization does not run out of money. Your donation   15   and the money is well used to help disabled people like me.
Best wishes,
Liz Smith

小题1:	A．of B．to C．from D．away

小题2:	A．make B．made C．become D．making

小题3:	A．filled with B．is full of C．is fill with D．is full with

小题4:	A．carefully B．quick C．easily D．easy

小题5:	A．moving B．close C．shutting D．shut

小题6:	A．help me over B．give me out C．dress me up D．help me out

小题7:	A．who B．if C．why D．that

小题8:	A．After B．During C．In D．Since

小题9:	A．carry B．took C．bring D．fetch

小题10:

A．because B．according to C．depend on D．in this way

小题11:

A．What do I say B．Where is Lucky C．What do I think of Lucky D．How does Lucky help me

小题12:

A．tell B．understand C．listen D．see

小题13:

A．thing B．word C．ones D．one

小题14:

A．amazing B．surprising C．clever D．annoying

小题15:

A．great appreciate B．greatly appreciate C．is great appreciated D．is greatly appreciated

Elena jogged (慢跑) with her dad in some empty lots (小块地). These out-of-the-way lots were good places to jog. But the lots were full of rocks and rubbish.
One day, Elena saw a sign on the lots. It said, “New City Park”. Elena was excited. Maybe the park would have a jogging trail (路径)! Elena told her parents about the sign.
“I read about the park in the newspaper,” said Elena’s father. “The city wants volunteers to help clean the area. Then the city will build a soccer field and a playground. But the paper didn’t mention a jogging trail.”
“Well, perhaps if I help clean up the lots, they’ll put in a jogging trail,” said Elena.
On Saturday Elena went to the lots. Many adults were working there. Some were picking up rubbish. Some were moving rocks. Elena looked around. She could carry rubbish, and she could move rocks. So she went to the area every week to do volunteer work. She told everyone she was glad to help build the park. She explained that she hoped the park would have a jogging trail. Then everyone knew her and her jogging trail.
Soon the volunteers cleared the lots. The city could start building. The mayor (市长) gave a speech. He showed a drawing of the new park. He told them about the soccer field. There would be picnic tables. There would be a playground. The park would even have basketball courts. But there was no sign of a jogging trail.
The mayor thanked the volunteers. Then he asked if they had any suggestions. The volunteers said they wanted to build a jogging trail around the park. They told the mayor how helpful Elena had been and how she wanted a jogging trail. The mayor then said, “A jogging trail won’t be hard to build. Let’s do it!”
Everyone clapped and cheered.
小题1:How did Elena know the city needed volunteers to help clean the lots?

A．She read it in the newspaper.	B．She learned it from a sign.
C．She was told by other volunteers.	D．Her father told her about it.

小题2:Why did Elena want to help clean the lots?

A．Because she wanted to play on the playground.

B．Because she wanted her name in the newspaper.

C．Because she wanted the city to build a jogging trail.

D．Because she wanted to work with other volunteers.

小题3:Who suggested the mayor to build a jogging trail?

A．The volunteers.

B．Elena herself.

C．Elena’s father.

D．Nobody.

小题4:What can be the best title for the story?

A．Elena and a Mayor	B．Elena and a Jogging Trail
C．Elena and Some Volunteers	D．Elena’s Family

An American writer, Mr Green once(曾经) said, “Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it.” It is true that everybody talks about the weather. Many people begin their talks by saying, “Isn’t it a nice day?” “Do you think it will rain?” “I think it’s going to snow.”
Many people think they can tell what the weather is going to be like. But sometimes they don’t agree with each other. One man may say, “Do you see how cloudy it is in the east? It’s going to rain tomorrow.” Another man will say, “No, it’s going to be fine tomorrow.”
People often look for the weather they want. When a farmer needs water, he looks for something to tell him it’s going to rain, and he doesn’t look for anything else. When friends have a picnic, they hope the weather is going to be fine and they can sit eating their lunch under the blue sky.
Almost everyone listens to what the weatherman says. But he doesn’t always tell us what we want, and sometimes he makes a mistake. Still, he is right most of the time.
小题1:People often begin their talk by ______.

A．saying hello to each other	B．Drinking tea
C．Looking for good weather	D．saying something about the weather

小题2:People sometimes have different ideas about ______.

A．what the weather is going to be like	B．what we should do about the weather
C．how to begin a talk	D．how to have fine weather

小题3: ______, they always hope the weather is going to be fine.

A．When people talk about weather	B．When people stay at home
C．When the farmers need water	D．When people have a picnic

小题4:According to the passage, which is NOT RIGHT?

A．Almost everyone listens to what the weatherman says.

B．People often look for the weather they want.

C．The weatherman never makes a mistake.

D．Many people begin their talks by talking about the weather.

小题5:What is the best title for the passage?

A．Weather Report	B．Story About a Weatherman
C．About Weather	D．How to Begin a Talk

People often complain they face too many problems. Every day and everywhere there are problems. Many times we find it hard to stay happy. When one problem is solved, another one comes up.
People have money problems, work problems, family problems, health problems..... the list goes on. And we usually think that people who are happy and successful are having fewer problems than us. Look at the successful people we often mention. They have money they need, they have jobs they love, they have good friends, they have obedient(孝顺的) kids, they have the successful business, they have loving families etc. Everything goes well with them. That is why they are happy and successful. But in fact, the more successful you are, the more problems you have to face. More success means more challenges they have to face, and more success means more risks they have to take.
Young and old, rich and poor, successful and unsuccessful, educated and uneducated, all have problems. The difference is that their problems are different from each other.  Rich and successful have big problems. Poor and unsuccessful have small problems. Still they all have problems which they can face. Successful people are successful just because they are ready to face challenges larger than ordinary people.
Winning the US elections(选举) makes Obama very happy. As a new US president, he has to face bigger challenges. He has to be more careful about his work he does, or he will lose his position(位置). Looking at him, we may say he is lucky, happy and successful. But, I think, as the US president, he has more pressure than an ordinary person.
小题1:You will be a/an ______ person if you are afraid to face more challenges.

A．ordinary

B．successful

C．famous

D．educated

小题2:From this article we know that President Obama ______.

A．has fewer problems	B．was born in a rich family
C．takes more risks	D．is a successful businessman

小题3:The main idea of this article is _______.

A．why poor people are always poor

B．how many problems people usually have to face

C．how lucky and happy President Obama is

D．how to deal with problems in life

I learned about life from an ant farm. When I was seven years old, my family created one. First, we put clean sand in a thin glass box and put the ants into it. Soon they got to work making tunnels. I was amazed that each one knew exactly what to do. With my mom’s help, I kept a record of what happened each day and named the ants.
One day when I had put my face close to the structure (building), accidentally I knocked it over, and all the tunnels fell in. Although the ants survived their earthquake, one by one they began to die. I was frightened as I watched them give up their tunnel-building to carry the bodies to a corner of the farm. My mother reported that the ants were dying of “frustration (挫折)”. They simply could not stand the reality that their tunnels had been destroyed.
Although much time has passed, I still think of that ant farm. Over the years, I came to realize the ants have the spirit of teamwork. Working together, they were able to create an amazing world for themselves. I also learned that they should be admired for their hard work. Day in and day out, each worked at their task. The ant farm showed that teamwork and perseverance (毅力) are indeed the keys to success. But there was an even larger lesson that I did not realize until recently —Adversity (逆境) is a natural part of life, and must be accepted. Unlike the ants, humans cannot give up when they face disappointment.
So I try to live my life like those hardworking ants. But, unlike them, I try not to let frustration defeat (击败) me. I will have to keep building my tunnels.
小题1:The family created an ant farm in a glass box because it was easy _________.

A．for the ants to live in	B．to get sunlight in
C．to keep the sand clean	D．for the boy to watch

小题2:Which of the following is NOT the lesson from the ant farm?

A．The ants have the spirit of teamwork.

B．The ants give up when they face frustration.

C．The ants should be admired for their hard work.

D．Teamwork and perseverance are indeed the keys to success.

小题3:What’s the writer’s purpose of writing the passage?

A．To share a personal experience.

B．To tell readers a story about ants.

C．To warn readers not to build an ant farm.

D．To call on readers to learn from the ants.

小题4: What did the writer think of the ants?

A．Persistent (执着) and friendly.

B．Selfish and foolish.

C．Clumsy (愚笨的) and lazy.

D．Hard-working but pessimistic (悲观).

Who taught you to walk when you were little? Who worries the most when you are   1  ? Who makes you dinner? It’s   2  mother. No matter what happens, she’ll   3 the love for you.
Do you know how    4   Day came into being（产生）? It began in the US in 1907 when an American girl   5   Anna Jarivs started a campaign to honor（给…荣誉）mothers. She believed that mothers could    6  people to get over the pain of the war and to strengthen（加强）the relationship inside families.
On Mother’s Day, children usually help their mothers do   7  . In western countries, bringing mothers   8  in bed is common. A mother will get up late   9 her children make her favorite breakfast. Children also make their own Mother’s Day card  10 a thank-you note. Or they buy gifts and flowers for their mothers.
小题1:A. lazy    B. ill  C. sleepy
小题2:A. his B. your C. her
小题3:A. continue    B. stop C. start
小题4:A. Children’s B. Women’s C. Mother’s
小题5:A. named   B. names    C. name
小题6:A. help    B. ask  C. order
小题7:A. homework    B. housework    C. sports
小题8:A. flowers B. clothes  C. breakfast
小题9:A. how B. while    C. as
小题10:A. with   B. for  C. from