Bill Trew worked on the night shift in an old mine called Park Deep. Day and night 180 miners   1   underground there, more than 6,000 feet down. They all took their   2   of night work, but Bill always worked at night. He said he   3   it.

One day he came home as   4   at half past seven in the morning. He had his “supper”, as he   5   it, and went to bed. An unusual dream troubled his sleep. Afterwards, the   6   thing he remembered about was – a throbbing (跳动) blue light.

Bill got up in the afternoon as usual. It was as   7   getting up – because he could   8   see the blue light in front of his eyes. As the evening grew   9  , the light grew stronger. Bill got   10   for the night shift. But by eight o’clock the blue light was so bright that he could   11   see anything else. He and his wife were very   12  . Bill had never been sick before.

“Don’t go to work,” Mrs. Trew said. “If it isn’t   13   by tomorrow, I’ll have to sent for the doctor.”

Bill didn’t go to work. He sat in an armchair,  14   but with closed eyes. Even then the blueness was like a living thing. It   15   him, silent, throbbing. The family went to bed but Bill wasn’t tired: he stayed in his armchair.

At eleven o’clock a long, loud explosion   16   the ground. Bill opened his eyes and jumped to his   17 . The blue light was gone! He rushed outside. Someone shouted, “Gas! Gas in Park Deep! Oh,   18   the night shift!”

The gas explosion killed 179 men in Park Deep. The mine was destroyed for   19  .The bodies remain to this day in their grave. And Bill has never stopped   20  .That blue light: why did it make him the only man unfit for work that night?

1．A．gathered                B．stayed                 C．had to                 D．worked

3．A．loved                    B．disliked                C．preferred             D．hated

4．A．rule                      B．order                   C．ago                     D．usual

5．A．described              B．said                     C．called                  D．liked

6．A．great                     B．funny                  C．big                      D．only

7．A．good                     B．strange                C．late                     D．bad

8．A．still                       B．only                    C．hardly                 D．clearly

9．A．bigger                   B．later                    C．darker                 D．blacker

10．A．up                      B．well                    C．prepared              D．ready

11．A．seldom                B．merely                 C．hardly                 D．barely

12．A．confused             B．puzzled                C．wondered            D．frightened

13．A．good                   B．normal                C．better                  D．fine

14．A．awake                 B．sleeping               C．surprising            D．resting

15．A．feared                 B．surrounded          C．wakened             D．brightened

16．A．hit                      B．broke                  C．shook                 D．crashed

17．A．feet                     B．chair                   C．shoes                  D．door

18．A．bad                     B．misery                 C．pity                     D．die

19．A．that                     B．all                       C．everything           D．good

20．A．thinking             B．wondering           C．working             D．sympathizing

  Some kids may assume that college is very much like their strict high school. But actually there is lots of freedom at college; There’s much more free space in choosing courses to take, and students can focus primarily on subjects that interest them. Their schedule will vary widely, too. Some days they may have no courses until noon. Most courses may only meet three times a week. These are interesting details that not every youngster is aware of.

In addition, students will meet many, many new friends. They’ll be in a community where almost everyone is toughly the same age. Colleges typically feature scores of clubs, sports, and other activities and thus students aren’t likely to be bored. Instead of being out in the working world, they’ll be among new friends, taking many courses that interest them and enjoying a rich social life.

Another overpowering point is financial. From the table below, one will see how much difference a college education will make to one’s earning power. Obviously a good job today requires at least a college education.

The Earning Power of Education

(median earnings, source: U.S. Bureau of the Census) (from English Salon January 2007)

1．How many characters of a university have been described in the passage?

      A．Two.                  B．Three.                 C．Four.                  D．Five.

2．In a university the most attractive one for the young students is that they could         

according to the passage.

       A．choose courses they would take            B．make more new friends

       C．share their opinions more often             D．gain more income in future

3．If Tom gets a Ph. D in 2008 and you get bachelor’s degree in the same year, how many dollars does Tom earn more than you in ten years?

       A．28,581                B．285,810               C．27,348                D．273,480

4．The best title for the passage may be            .

      A．Why do People Love College?               B．What can People Learn in a University?

       C．Why do People Go to College?       D．What can People Do in a University?

United States: Air crews searched through Thursday night for missing US adventurer Steve Fossett on a task they compared to looking for a needle in a haystack in the vast Nevada desert. Four days after Fossett’s plane disappeared, authorities dramatically (戏剧般的) increased the search area to 26,000 sq km from on an original 1,600 sq km. But they said it could take two weeks or more to find the 63 – year – old millionaire and aviation record – setter who disappeared on Monday., Thursday’s search turned up on trace of Fossett and no locater signals nor emergency beacons (求救灯) from him or his small single – engine plane, authorities said. Two planes with infra – red (红外线) technology will fly through the night in hopes of finding him, they said.

Major Cynthia Ryan of the Nevada Civil Air Patrol said daytime ground patrols (巡逻队) of the mountains and a search of western Nevada’s Walker Lake have been added, and the air search was extended into California’s mountain border. “Trying to make that needle stand out in a haystack that big is going to be a real challenge and is going to be discouraging for people who were hoping for results early on,” Ryan told a news conference. “Searches of this nature very typically can go on two weeks and longer. So four days into it, we are still scratching the surface,” she said. “We can’t always guarantee the result that everyone would like, but I do guarantee results,” Ryan added.

Fossett’s Citabria Super Decathlon disappeared while he was out searching dry lake beds for a planned attempt to set a land speed record. Nothing has been heard from a fine watch that Fossett is known to wear that is designed to let pilots signal their location in an emergency.

More than 12 planes took off at dawn on Thursday to scour the Nevada desert, whose mountains rise up to 3,000 meters and are buffeted by heavy cross winds. Searchers are using several types of planes, including some with imaging technology that quickly distinguishes man – made objects, including air – craft wreckage, from natural objects.

(from September 8 – 9 2007 China Daily)

1．Who is the man named Steve Fossett in the passage?

       A．A rich young man who like to risk.        B．A young millionaire that love to venture.

       C．An old man that enjoys walking.            D．An old adventurer who is rich.

2．We can infer from the underlined part looking for a needle in a haystack in the first paragraph that           .

       A．it is difficult to find Steve Fossett         

       B．it is easy to find Steve Fosset

       C．it is not clear whether they could find Fossett                        

       D．it is obvious that they could find Fossett

3．The reason why Fossett disappeared was that           .

       A．the plane he was on for business fell down from the sky

       B．he forced the pilot of the plane to fall down to the ground

       C．he wanted to set a record of landing by driving a plane

       D．he was not careful enough in piloting his own plane

4．The underlined word “buffeted” may have the closest meaning to            .

      A．attacked violently                                 B．beaten softly

       C．flowed quickly        D．blown normally

One of my fondest memories as a child is going by the river and sitting lazily on the bank. There I would enjoy the peace and quiet, watch the water rush downstream and listen to the chirps of birds and the rustling of leaves in the trees. I would also watch the bamboo trees bend under pressure from the wind and watch them return gracefully to their original position after the wind had died down.

When I think about the bamboo tree’s ability to bounce back or return to its original position, the word “resilience” comes to mind. When used in reference to a person this word means the ability to readily recover from shock, depression or any other situation that stretches the limits of a person’ s emotions.

Have you ever felt like you are about to break down? Have you ever felt like you are at your breaking point? Thankfully, you have survived the experience to live to talk about it.

During the experience you probably felt a mix of emotions that threatened your health. You felt emotionally emptied, mentally exhausted and you most likely endured unpleasant physical symptoms (症状).

Life is a mixture of good times and bad times, happy moments and unhappy moments. The next time you are experiencing one of those bad times or unhappy moments that take you close to your breaking point, bend, but don’t break. Try your best not to let the situation get the best of you.

A measure of hope will take you through the unpleasant painful experience. With hope for a better tomorrow or a better situation, things may not be as bad as they seem to be. The unpleasant painful experience may be easier to deal with if the end result is worth having.

If the going get tough and you are at your breaking point, show resilience. Like the bamboo tree, bend, but don’t break! (from You Can Be Uncommon The most Beautiful English)

1．The first paragraph is used by author to            .

       A．show his happy childhood                    B．lead the readers to the topic

       C．show off his writing talent                    D．recall his interesting childhood 

2．In author’s opinion, what we need to do when in trouble is           .

       A．to break and bend                                B．to be happy but satisfied

       C．to bend but not to break                       D．to give up but not to give in

3．According to the passage, “Try you best not to let the situation get the best of you” is the same in meaning as            .

       A．do you best not to be broken down by the surroundings

       B．find a way not to yourself lose something good of yours

       C．try to make the situation bring out your best quality

       D．try your best to make good use of the surroundings

4．“             ”may be the suitable title of the passage.

       A．The lesson from the bamboo trees         B．Bamboo trees’ characters

       C．The Bamboo trees and childhood    D．The most interesting days

With just a few notes, she’s made some of the most effective men and women in America stop in their tracks to find her, and meet her. She possesses a rare talent that has talk show hosts, celebrities and audiences throughout the United States. Her name is JoJo.

In the outskirts of Boston JoJo grew up in a home filled with songs, since her mother was a church soloist (独唱演员) and trained musical theater performer. JoJo’s first big break came when she went to an audition (试唱) for a kid’s show of CBS – TV. Her passion left the producers speechless and she was immediately given a spot to perform. Once JoJo hit the stage, Bill Cosby, the show’s host, asked her to sing a little something. JoJo’s Respect earned her an defeating response from the audience. A phone call from The Oprah Winfrey Show followed soon after, inviting the young girl to appear on the show. “When it came to performing, I just had no fear.” says JoJo.

All at once things began to happen. Calls from talk show producers and music festival organizers began to pour in. JoJo did them all. While appearing on the TV show, America’s Most Talented Kids, JoJo was noticed by a man in the audience who introduced her to Vincent Herbert, famed producer and owner of Da Family Entertainment. JoJo was signed to Da Family and offered two recording agreements before finding her perfect match with Barry Hankerson and his label (唱片公司) Blackground Records.

After being signed to Blackground, JoJo spent the next four months recording tracks for her self – titled appearance. The album showcases JoJo’s talent, not only as a singer, but as a songwriter as well. The final product is an album filled with assured, confident music tones that speak way beyond JoJo’s tender years. Her music strikes the perfect balance between attitude and innocence (纯真) – which is exactly what JoJo is all about. (from February 2007 English salon)

1．What is the most outstanding character of JoJo in author’s opinion?

       A．She is young.                                      B．She has special gift.

       C．She is fearless.                                    D．She is talkative.

2．The surroundings from JoJo’s family may             .

       A．make her have less chance to her success in her career

       B．help her be successful in her career directly

       C．make her have more possibility in her career

       D．help her keep away from succeeding in her career

3．What we can infer from the passage is that a person’s talent is            。

       A．also important on his way to success

       B．absolutely the most important factor to success

       C．not so important on his way to success

       D．not so important as his effort on his way to success

4．The most suitable title for the passage is “             ”.

       A．A Person’s Smooth Way to Success      B．Despite of Young Girl, But So Mature

       C．JoJo – beyond Her Tender Age       D．A Girl Whom We Should Look Up to

Life is full of challenges. School has to be the most challenging difficulty in the lives of youth today.

Elementary school brings about a few challenges characteristic of those years spent there. There’s the challenge of coloring in lines, a very real problem to any youngster. Or how about the challenge of remembering to raise one’s hand before one speaks? There are hundreds of rules and regulations that govern these children. The one thing that keeps these children in line is the hope of reward. Yes, this is the brass ring. The reward for a clean desk is an extra five minutes of rest! The prize for having all homework done, a shiny – new pencil topper! These small wonders keep small people in line. They make the children love challenge.

Middle school is not so easy. It is not easy for the students, and it also isn’t easy for the teachers. The challenge of staying out of trouble, or writing that research paper – these are the new challenging of an older, wiser group. This group has outgrown the rest and pencil – topper tricks. They know that their efforts have to bring them something really useful, so daybreak and pop are pulled onto the scene. How does five, ten dollars for each “A” sound? Or, how about no telephone if one doesn’t do good in school? Need I say more?

By the time high school arrives a student’s place in educational excellence or else their unlikelihood to even graduate has been founded. Little can be done now to make life’s challenges seem interesting, especially where school comes in. The lazy are rewarded with a nice job at a gas station, and a fifteen – year – old Ford. The diligent are rewarded with an SAT score of over 1100, acceptance into Yale University, and a ticket to life. By meeting the challenges of school, sticking it out, and pulling through, they are given their greatest reward: success. (from Creating Miracles by Yourself, The Most Beautiful English)

1．Which of the following is NOT correct according to the passage?

       A．Some small wonders may make the students in primary school like challenge.

       B．Reading research paper would make the students in middle school upset.

       C．Hard – working students may be admitted to one of the top universities.

       D．Success could be the reward to a senior student pulled through challenge.

2．According to the writer,           is the most testing for the young.

       A．society                B．life                      C．school                 D．desire

3．A student rewarded with a fifteen – year – old Ford shows           .

       A．he is a good student                             B．he studies hard

       C．he is bright                                          D．he is lazy

4．What we can make out from the passage is             .

       A．that everyone was forced to fight with others for their social position at school

       B．that you couldn’t find a better job in society if you don’t beat others at school

       C．that school is so cruel that we don’t need to break our wonderful friendship

       D．that school is the battlefield for they young because it makes us fail or succeed

短文改错.

Successful films and TV programs make a large amounts of        1．       

money, and so are performers who appear in them. A few big               2．       

show can make a rock musician, a millionaire in a very short                3．       

time. High art, however, has seriously financial                                   4．       

problems. It cost much to pub on an opera,                                        5．       

concert and ballet than the sales of tickets can                                    6．       

bring in. Men and women who interested in high art are                       7．       

always being ask to give money to make future                                  8．       

performances possible. Small government subsidies (津贴)                  9．       

have also helped supporting the art in the last few years.                     10．       

一位中学生在自己班级就校服问题进行了调查，下面是调查结果。请参照下表写一篇题

为Report on the Survey about Our School Uniform 的报告。

 注意：1、报告须包括调查表中的主要内容，可以适当增加细节，使内容连贯。

2、词数：100左右。

 生词：follow the fashion赶时髦；fashionable 时髦的

Sit on the edge of _____ bed _____ minute before putting your feet on the floor.

A．/；a 　　       B．the；the 　　        C．the；a 　　         D．/；the

The police have ________anyone with information to come forward and talk to them.

A．admitted to           B．appealed to           C．allowed for          D．called for