(09·广东A篇)

Lisa was running late. Lisa，25，had a lot to do at work，plus visitors on the way: her parents were coming in for Thanksgiving from her hometown. But as she hurried down the subway stairs， she started to feel uncomfortably warn. By the time she got to the platform，Lisa felt weak and tired--maybe it hadn’t been a good idea to give blood the night before，she thought. She rested herself against a post close to the tracks.

Several yards away，Frank，43，and his girlfriend，Jennifer，found a spot close to where the front of the train would stop. They were deep in discussion about a house they were thinking of buying.

But when he heard the scream，followed by someone yelling，“Oh，my God，she fell in!” Frank didn’t hesitate. He jumped down to the tracks and ran some 40 feet toward the body lying on the rails. “No! Not you! ”his girlfriend screamed after him.

She was right to be alarmed. By the time Frank reached Lisa，he could feel the tracks shaking and see the light coming. The train was about 20 seconds from the station.

It was hard to lift her. She was just out. But he managed to raise her the four feet to the platform so that bystanders could hold her by the grins and drag her away from the edge. That was where Lisa briefly regained consciousness，felt herself being pulled along the ground，and saw someone else holding her purse.

Lisa thought she’d been robbed. A woman held her hand and a man gave his shirt to help stop the blood pouring from her head. And she tried to talk but she couldn’t，and that was when she realized how much pain she was in.

Police and fire officials soon arrived，and Frank told the story to an officer. Jennifer said her boyfriend was calm on their 40一minute train ride downtown—just as he had been seconds after the rescue，which made her think about her reaction at the time. “I saw the train coming and 1 was thinking he was going to die，”she explained.

41. What was the most probable cause for Lisa’s weakness?

A. She had run a long way.

B. She felt hot in the subway.

C. She had done a 1ot of work.

D. She had donated blood the night before.

42. Why did Jennifer try to stop her boyfriend?

A. Because they would miss their train.

B. Because he didn’t see the train coming.

C. Because she was sure Lisa was hard to lift.

D. Because she was afraid the train would kill him.

43. How did Frank save Lisa?

A. By lifting her to the platform.

B. By helping her rise to her feet.

C. By pulling her along the ground.

D. By dragging her away from the edge.

44. When did Lisa become conscious again?

A. When the train was leaving.

B. After she was back on the platform.

C. After the police and fire officials came.

D. When a man was cleaning the blood from her head.

45. The passage is intended to _____________

A. warn us of the danger in the subway

B. show US how to save people in the subway

C. tell US about a subway rescue

D. report a traffic accident

 (09·重庆A篇)

I was waiting for a phone call from my agent. He had left a message the night before, telling me that my show was to be cancelled. I called him several times, but each time his secretary told me that he was in a meeting and that he would call me later. So I waited and waited, but there was still no call. Three hours passing by, I became more and more impatient. I was certain that my agent didn’t care about my work, and he didn’t care about me. I was overcome with that thought. I started to shout at the phone, “Let me wait, will you? Who do you think you are?”

At that time I didn’t realize my wife was looking on. Without showing her surprise, she rushed in, seized the phone, tore off the wires, and shouted at the phone, “Yeah! Who do you think you are? Bad telephone! Bad telephone! ” And she swept it into the wastebasket.

I stood watching her, speechless .What on earth?

She stepped to the doorway and shouted at the rest of the house, “Now hear this! All objects in this room-if you do anything to upset my husband , out you go!”

Then she turned to me, kissed me, and said calmly, “Honey, you just have to learn how to take control.” With that, she left the room.

After watching a crazy woman rushing in and out, shouting at everything in sight, I noticed that something in my mood（情绪）had changed. I was laughing. How could I have trouble with that phone? Her antics helped me realize I had been driven crazy by small things. Twenty minutes later my agent did call. I was able to listen to him and talk to him calmly.

56. Why did the author shout at the telephone?

A. He was mad at the telephone.

B. He was angry with his agent.

C. He was anxious about his wife.

D. He was impatient with the secretary.

57. What did the author’s wife do after she heard his shouting?

A. She said nothing.

B. She shouted at him.

C. She called the agent.

D. She threw the phone away.

58. What made the author laugh?

A. His own behavior.

B. His wife’s suggestion.

C. His changeable feelings.

D. His wife’s sweet kiss.

59. What does the underlined word “antics” refer to?

A. Smart words.

B. Unusual actions.

C. Surprising looks.

D. Anxious feelings.

 (09·浙江A篇)

I was in a rush as always, but this time it was for an important date I just couldn’t be late for! I found myself at a checkout counter behind an elderly woman seemingly in no hurry as she paid for her groceries. A PhD student with not a lot of money, I had hurried into the store to pick up some flowers. I was in a huge rush, thinking of my upcoming evening. I did not want to be late for this date.

We were in Boston, a place not always known for small conversation between strangers. The woman stopped unloading her basket and looked up at me. She smiled. It was a nice smile –warm and reassuring –and I returned her gift by smiling back.

“Must be a special lady, whoever it is that will be getting those beautiful flowers,” she said.

    “Yes, she’s special,” I said, and then to my embarrassment, the words kept coming out.

“It’s only our second date, but somehow I am just having the feeling she’s ‘the one’. Jokingly, I added, “The only problem is that I can’t figure out why she’d want to date a guy like me.”

“Well, I think she’s very lucky to have a boyfriend who brings her such lovely flowers and who is obviously in love with her,” the woman said.” “My husband used to bring me flowers every week –even when times were tough and we didn’t have much money. Those were incredible days; he was very romantic and – of course – I miss him since he’s passed away.”

I paid for my flowers as she was gathering up her groceries. There was no doubt in my mind as I walked up to her. I touched her on the shoulder and said, “You were right, you know. These flowers are indeed for a very special lady.” I handed her the flowers and thanked her for such a nice conversation.

It took her a moment to realize that I was giving her the flowers I had just purchased. “You have a wonderful evening,” I said. I left her with a big smile and my heart warmed as I saw her smelling the beautiful flowers.

I remember being slightly late for my date that night and telling my girlfriend the above story. A couple of years later, when I finally worked up the courage to ask her to marry me, she told me that this story had helped to seal it for her –that was the night that I won her heart.

41．Why was the writer in a hurry that day?

A．He was to meet his girlfriend.            B．He had to go back to school soon.

C．He was delayed by an elderly lady.        D．He had to pick up some groceries.

42．What does the underlined phrase “her gift”(Paragraph 2) refer to?

A．Her words.        B．Her smile.        C．Her flowers.      D．her politeness.

43．Why did the writer give his flowers to the elderly lady?

A．She told him a nice story.                B．She allowed him to pay first.

C．She gave him encouragement.            D．She liked flowers very much.

44．What is the message conveyed in the story?

A．Flowers are important for a date.          B．Small talk is helpful.

C．Love and kindness are rewarding.         D．Elderly people deserve respecting.

 (09·四川B篇)

July 21^st.  2007 was a typical English summer’s day — it rained for 24 hours ! As usual, I rushed home from work at midday to check on the house. Nothing was amiss. By the time I left work at 5pm.  However, the road into our village was flooded. Our house had never been flooded but, as I opened the front door.  a wave of waters greeted me. Thank God the kids weren’t wish me, because the house was 5 feet deep in water. We lost everything downstairs. And the plaster had to be torn off the wall’s ceilings pulled down.   

At first we tried to push on through. We didn’t want to move the children out of home.  so we camped upstairs. We put a sheet of plastic across the floor to protect us from the damp. But after three months, we felt very sick, so we move to a wooden house in a park. The house was small.  but at first we were all just delighted to be in a new place. Unfortunately, things took longer than expected and we were there for 10 months. The life there was inconvenient. What surprised me most was how much I missed being part of a community（社区）. We had lived in a friendly village with good neighbors, and I’d never thought how much I，I’d miss that. 

Although our situation was very bad, it’s difficult to feel too sorry for yourself when you look at what’s happening elsewhere. I watched a news report about floods in Northern India and thought.  “We didn’t have a straw hut（茅草房）that was for Christmas. But I can’t wait — I’m going to throw a party for our friends in the village to say thanks for their support. This year, I won’t need any gifts — living away from home for months has made me realize how little we actually need or miss all our possessions. Although we are replacing things, there’s really no rush — we have our home back.  and that’s the main thing.   

45. What does the underlined word “amiss” in the first paragraph mean ？ 

A. Wrong.            B. Missing.          C. Right.             D. Found 

46. It can be inferred from the text that the author        . 

A. was sick of staying upstairs 

B. cared much about her children   

C. could not stand living in a wooden house 

D．did not deal well with her family affairs during the flood 

47. Why does the author say that they were lucky in the third paragraph ? 

A. Because her situation was not serious. 

B. Because many other paces were flooded. 

C. Because she had been to Northern India. 

D. Because some others suffered even more. 

48. What does the author mainly want to express by telling her story? 

A. She valued human feelings more than before. 

B. She realized she almost didn’t need possession. 

C. She found Christmas gifts no longer badly needed. 

D. She thought her own home was the most important. 

 (09·湖北A篇)

My grandfather came from Hungary and was the only one in his family who settled down in the United States. The rest of his family remained in Europe. When World War I broke out, he seemed to have become another man, downhearted. Such obvious change was not born out of his welfare, but out of fear: if his only son, my uncle, had to go to war, it would be cousin fighting against cousin.  

One day in 1918, my Uncle Milton received his draft notice. My grandparents were very upset. But my mother, at the age of 10, felt on top of the world about her soldier brother going off to war. Realizing how he was regarded by his little sister and all of her friends, my uncle bought them all service pins, which meant that they had a loved one in the service. All the little girls were delighted.  

The moment came when my uncle and the other soldiers, without any training but all in uniforms, boarded the train. The band played and the crowd cheered. Although no one noticed, I’m sure my grandmother had a tear in her eye for the only son. The train slowly pulled out, but not about a thousand yards when it suddenly paused. Everyone stared in wonder as the train slowly returned to the station. There was a dead silence before the doors opened and the men started to step out. Someone shouted,” The war is over. ”For a moment, nobody moved, but then the people heard someone bark orders at the soldiers. The men lined up in two lines, walked down the steps, and with the band playing, marched down the street, as returning heroes, to be welcomed home. My mother said it was great day, but she was just a little disappointed that it didn’t last a tiny bit longer.  

51. What the grandfather was most worried about was           .  

A. the spread of the world war

B. the safety of his living two cousins

C. a drop in his living standards

D. his relatives killing each other

52. The underlined phrase “draft notice” means “        “

A. order for army service

B. train ticket for Europe

C. letter of rejection

D. note of warning

53. What did the “service pins”（in Para. 2）stand for in the dyes of the little girls?

A. Strength.  

B. Courage.  

C. Victory.  

D. Honor.  

54. Which of the following words can best describe the ending of the story?

A. Disappointing.  

B. Unexpected.  

C. Uncertain.  

D. Inspiring.  

 (09·北京A篇)

How I Turned to Be Optimistic

I began to grow up that winter night when my parents and I were returning from my aunt＇s house, and my mother said that we might soon be leaving for America. We were on the bus then. I was crying, and some people　on the bus were turning around to look at me. I remember that I could not bear the thought of never hearing again the radio program for school children to which I listened every morning.

I do not remember myself crying for this reason again. In fact, I think I cried very little when I was saying goodbye to my friends and relatives. When we were leaving I thought about all the places I was going to see—the strange and magical places I had known only from books and pictures. The country I was leaving never to come back was hardly in my head then.

The four years that followed taught me the importance of optimism, but the idea did not come to me at once. For the first two years in New York I was really lost—having to study in three schools as a result of family moves. I did not quite know what I was or what I should be. Mother remarried, and things became even more complex for me. Some time passed before my stepfather and I got used to each other. I was often sad, and saw no end to “the hard times. ”

My responsibilities in the family increased a lot since I knew English better than everyone else at home. I wrote letters, filled out forms, translated at interviews with Immigration officers, took my grandparents to the doctor and translated there, and even discussed telephone bills with company representatives.

From my experiences I have learned one important rule: Almost all common troubles eventually go away! Something good is certain to happen in the end when you do not give up, and just wait a little! I believe that my life will turn out all right, even though it will not be that easy.

56. How did the author get to know America?

A. From her relatives                       B. From her mother

C. From Books and pictures                 D. From radio programs

57. Upon leaving for America the author felt        .

A. confused          B. excited            C. worried            D. amazed

58. For the first two years in New York, the author        .

A. often lost her way                       B. did not think about her future

C. studied in three different schools           D. got on well with her stepfather

59. What can we learn about the author from Paragraph 4?

A. She worked as a translator

B. She attended a lot of job interviews

C. She paid telephone bills for her family

D. She helped her family with her English

60. The author believes that       .

A. her future will be free from troubles

B. it is difficult to learn to become patient

C. there are more good things than bad things

D. good things will happen if one keeps trying

 (09·上海A篇)

Even at school there had been an unhealthy competition between George and Richard.

 “I’ll be the first millionaire in Coleford!” Richard used to boast.

 “And you’ll be sorry you knew me,” George would reply “because I’ll be the best lawyer in town!”

George never did become a lawyer and Richard never made any money. Instead both men opened bookshops on opposite sides of Coleford High Street. It was hard to make money from books, which made the competition between them worse.

Now with only one bookshop in town, business was better for George. But sometimes he sat in his narrow , old kitchen and gazed out of the dirty window , thinking about his former rival （竞争对手）。Perhaps he missed him?

George was very interested in old dictionaries, He’d recently found a collector in Australia who was selling a rare first edition. When the parcel arrived, the book was in perfect condition and George was delighted. But while he was having lunch, George glanced at the photo in the newspaper that the book had been wrapped in. He was astonished—the smiling face was older than he remembered but unmistakable! Trembling, George started reading.

 “Bookends have bought ten bookstores from their rivals Dylans. The company, owned by multi-millionaire Richard Pike, is now the largest bookseller in Australia. ”

65. George and Rivhard were      at school.

A. roommates         B. good friends        C. competitors        D. booksellers

66. How did George feel about Richard after his disappearance?

A. He envied Richard’s marriage.           

B. He thought of Richard from time to time.

C. He felt lucky with no rival in town.       

D. He was guilty of Richard’s death.

67. George got information about Richard from         .

A. a dictionary collector in Australia  

B. the latter’s rivals Dylans

C. a rare first edition of a dictionary  

D. the wrapping paper of a book

68. What happened to George and Richard in the end?

A. Both George and Richard became millionaires.

B. Both of them realized their original ambitions.

C. George established a successful business white Richard was missing.

D. Richard became a millionaire while George had no great success.

 (10·重庆A篇)

One morning more than thirty years ago, I entered the Track Kitchen, a restaurant where everyone from the humblest(卑微的) to the most powerful came for breakfast. I noticed an empty chair next to an elderly, unshaven man, who looked somewhat disheveled. He was wearing a worn-out hat and was alone. I asked if I might join him. He agreed quietly and I sat down to have my breakfast.

We cautiously began a conversation and spoke about a wide rang of things. We never introduced ourselves. I was concerned that he might have no money and not be able to afford something to eat. So as I rose to go back to the counter and buy a second cup of coffee, I asked,

“My I get you something ?”

“A coffee would be nice.”

Then I bought him a cup of coffee, We talked more, and he accepted another cup of coffee, Finally, I rose to leave, wished him well, and headed for the exit. At the door I met one of my friends. He asked,

“How did you get to know Mr. Galbreath?”

“Who?”

“The man you were sitting with. He is chairman of the Board of Churchill Downs.”

I could hardly believe it. I was buying, offering a free breakfast, and feeling pity for one of the world’s richest and most powerful men!

My few minutes with Mr. Galbreath changed my life. Now I try to treat everyone with respect, no matter who I think they are, and no matter another human being with kindness and sincerity.

56. What does the underlined word “disheveled” mean?

A. Unfriendly.         B. Untidy.         C. Gentle.         D. Kind.

57. The author bought coffee for the old man because     

A. he thought the old man was poor

B. he wanted to start a conversation

C. he intended to show his politeness

D. he would like to thank the old man

58. How did the author probably feel after he talked with his friend?

A. Proud.         B. Pitiful.          C. Surprised.          D. Regretful

59. What is the message mainly expressed in the story?

A. We should learn to be generous.

B. It is honorable to help those in need.

C. People in high positions are not like what we expect.

D. We should avoid judging people by their appearances.

 (10·浙江E篇)

I needed to buy a digital camera, one that was simply good at taking good snaps (快照), maybe occasionally for magazines. Being the cautious type, I fancied a reliable brand. So I went on the net, spent 15 minutes reading product reviews on good websites, wrote down the names of three top recommendations and headed for my nearest big friendly camera store. There in the cupboard was one of the cameras on my list. And it was on special offer. Oh joy. I pointed at it and asked an assistant, “Can I have one of those?”  He looked perturbed (不安). “Do you want to try it first?” he said. It didn’t quite sound like a question. “Do I need to?” I replied ,“There is nothing wrong with it？” This made him look a bit insulted and I started to feel bad. “No, no. But you should try it,” he said encouragingly. “Compare it with the others.”

 I looked across at the others: shelves of similar cameras placed along the wall, offering a wide range of slightly different prices and discounts, with each company selling a range of models based around the same basic box. With so many models to choose from, it seemed that I would have to spend hours weighing X against Y, always trying to take Z and possibly H into account at the same time. But when I had finished, I would still have only the same two certainties that I had entered the store with: first, soon after I carried my new camera out of the shop, it would be worth half what I paid for it; and second, my wonderful camera would very quickly be replaced by a new model.

But something in the human soul whispers that you can beat these traps by making the right choice, the clever choice, the wise choice. In the end, I agreed to try the model I had chosen. The assistant seemed a sincere man. So I let him take out of my chosen camera from cupboard, show how it took excellent pictures of my fellow shoppers… and when he started to introduce the special features, I interrupted to ask whether I needed to buy a carry-case and a memory card as well.

Why do we think that new options(选择) still offer us anything new? Perhaps it is because they offer an opportunity to avoid facing the fact that our real choices in this culture are far more limited than we would like to imagine.

57.The shop assistant insisted that the writer should               

A. try the camera to see if there was anything wrong with it.

B. compare the camera he had chosen with the others.

C. get more information about different companies.

D. trust him and stop asking questions.

58. What does the writer mean by “it would be worth half what I paid for it ”(paragraph 2)

A. He should get a 50% discount.

B. The price of the camera was unreasonably high.

C. The quality of the camera was not good.

D. The camera would soon fall in value.

59. The writer decided to try the model he had chosen because he                  

A. knew very little about it.

B. didn’t trust the shop assistant.

C. wanted to make sure the one he chose would be the best.

D. had a special interest in taking pictures of his fellow shoppers.

60. I t can be inferred from the passage that in the writer’s opinion,            .

A. people waste too much money on cameras

B. cameras have become an important part of our daily life

C. we don’t actually need so many choices when buying a product

D. famous companies care more about profit than quality

 (10·浙江A篇)

When you are little, the whole world feels like a big playground. I was living in Conyers, Georgia the summer it all happened. I was a second grader, but my best friend Stephanie was only in the first grade. Both of our parents were at work and most of the time they let us go our own way.

It was a hot afternoon and we decided to have an adventure in Stephanie’s basement. As I opened the basement door, before us lay the biggest room, full of amazing things like guns, dolls, and old clothes. I ran downstairs, and spotted red steel can. It was paint. I looked beyond it and there lay even more paint in bright colors like purple, orange, blue and green.

“Stephanie, I just found us a project for the day. Get some paintbrushes. We are fixing to paint.” She screamed with excitement as I told her of my secret plans and immediately we got to work. We gathered all the brushes we could find and moved all of our materials to my yard. There on the road in front of my house, we painted bit stripes (条纹) of colors across the pavement (人行道). Stripe by stripe, our colors turned into a beautiful rainbow. It was fantastic!

The sun was starting to sink. I saw a car in the distance and jumped up as I recognized the car. It was my mother. I couldn’t wait to show her my masterpiece. The car pulled slowly into the driveway and from the look on my mother’s face, I could tell that I was in deep trouble.

My mother shut the car door and walked towards me. Her eyes glaring, she shouted, “What in the world were you thinking? I understood when you made castles out of leaves, and climbed the neighbors’ trees, but this! Come inside right now!” I stood there glaring hack at her for a minute, angry because she had insulted (侮辱) my art. 

“Now go clean it up!” Mother and I began cleaning the road. Tears ran down my cheeks as I saw my beautiful rainbow turn into black cement.  

Though years have now passed, I still wonder where my rainbow has gone. I wonder if, maybe when I get older, I can find my rainbow and never have to brush it away. I guess we all need sort of rainbow to brighten our lives from time to time and to keep our hopes and dreams colorful.

41. What did the writer want to do when his mother came home?

      A. To introduce Stephanie to her.           

B. To prevent her from seeing his painting. 

      C. To put the materials back in the yard.      

D. To show his artwork to her.

42. In his mother’s eyes, the writer_______.

      A. was a born artist                       

B. always caused trouble

      C. was a problem solver                   

D. worked very hard

43. The underlined word “rainbow” in the last paragraph refers to ______.

      A. the rainbow in the sky                  

B. the stripes on the pavement

      C. something imaginative and fun          

D. important lessons learned in childhood

44. It can be learned from the passage that parents should ________.

      A. encourage children to paint             

 B. value friendship among children

      C. discover the hidden talent in children 

D. protect rather than destroy children’s dreams