Some say everyday miracles(奇迹) are predestined(注定的)----the right time for the appointed

meeting. And it can happen anywhere.

In 2001, 11-year-old Kevin Stephan was a bat boy for his younger brother's Little League team in

Lancaster, New York. It was an early evening in late July. Kevin was standing on the grass away from the plate, where another youngster was warming up for the next game. Swinging his bat back and forth, giving it all the power an elementary school kid could give. The boy brought the bat back hard and hit Kevin in the chest. His heart stopped.

When Kevin fell to the ground, the mother of one of the players rushed out of the stands to his aid.

Penny Brown hadn't planned to be there that day, but at the last minute, her shift(换班)at the hospital had been changed to see her son’s performance. She was given the night off. Penny bent over the senseless boy, his face already starting to turn blue, and giving CPR, breathing into his mouth and giving chest compressions. And he revived in the end.

After his recovery, he became a volunteer junior firefighter, learning some of the emergency first-aid

techniques that had saved his life. He studied hard in school and was saving money for college by working as a dishwasher in a local restaurant in his spare time.

Kevin, now 18, was working in the kitchen when he heard people screaming, customers in confusion,

employees rushing toward a table. He hurried into the main room and saw a woman there, her face turning blue, her hands at her throat. She was choking.

Quickly Kevin stepped behind her, wrapped his arms around her and clasped his hands. Then, using

skills he'd first learned in Scouts. The food that was trapped in the woman's throat was freed. The color began to return to her face.

"The food was stuck. I couldn't breathe," she said. She thought she was dying. "I was very frightened."

Who was the woman?

Penny Brown.

(    )59. The author wrote the passage to show us that_______.

A. miracles are predestined and they can happen anywhere

B. whoever helps you in trouble will get a reward one day

C. God will help those who give others a helping hand

D. miracles won’t come without any difficulty sometimes

(    )60 Which of the following statements is True of Kevin Stephan?

A. He was hit on the face by a boy and almost lost his life

B. He was a volunteer junior firefighter, teaching the players first-aid skills

C. He worked part-time in a local restaurant to save money for college

D. He saved Penny Brown though he didn’t really know how to deal with food choke

(    )61. Why did Penny Brown change her shift and was given the night off that night?

A. She was invited to give the players directions

B. She volunteered to give medical services

C. She was a little worried about his son’s safety

D. She came to watch her son’s game and cheered him

(    )62. The underlined word “revived”(paragraph3) most likely means______.

A. came back to life      B. became worse     C. failed      D. moved

(    )63. When Kevin knew the woman was Penny Brown, probably he first felt _____.

A. happy        B. surprised         C. sad       D. worried

Every night for a year, Neil Simons quietly went out of his house. He wanted to “talk” to an owl (猫头鹰)settling for the night at the end of his garden. He made owl cries like a real wild owl and was happy to hear the bird “hooting (大声叫嚣)” back to him.

Last year Fred Cornes moved in next door. He heard an owl hooting and answered back. For 12 months the neighbors got into the back gardens of their homes, thinking they were talking with nature. Mr. Simmons kept a diary of all his talks with his bird friend. They would both be out again tonight if it wasn’t for a chance talk between their wives.

Mr. Simmons said. “My wife Kim was telling Fred’s wife Wendy about my owl watching and described how I got the birds to boot back. She said, ‘That’s funny — that’s just what Fred has been doing.’ Then the penny dropped, I felt such a fool when I found out. The trouble is that owl calls aren’t exactly the same and it’s easy to make a mistake.”

Mr. Cornes said, “I’m really flattered (过奖). I didn’t know I sounded so real. I love nature and I couldn’t resist hooting at the owls. I was very excited when they hooted back. I’m sorry that I was fooling my neighbor who was fooling me.” w*w^w.k&s#5@u.c~o*m

(    )64. After the talk between the wives, the two men would probably _________ .

A. stop observing owls                      B. not stay up hooting again

C. not enter the back garden again          D. make no mistakes about wild owl cries

(    )65. “Then the penny dropped.” most probably means “Then __________.”

A. I understood                       B. everybody knew about it

        C. I heard the noise                        D. no money was paid

(    )66. Mr. Simmons felt upset about the whole thing because __________.

A. all his efforts seemed to be meaningless   B. his wife let out his secret by chance

C. garden owls hooted so differently       D. Fred had been doing the same

(    )67. The text suggests that __________.

A. Nail seldom heard natural owl calls      B. the owl never hooted back to Neil

C. Fred was always good at pleasing owls   D. owl watching is no longer interesting to Fred

There is an endless supply of stories about sleepwalkers (梦游者). People have been said to climb on roofs, solve mathematical problems, write music, walk through windows, and do murder in their sleep.

       In Revere, Massachusetts, a hundred policemen searched for a lost boy who left his home in his sleep and woke up five hours later on a strange sofa in a strange living room, with no idea how he had got there.

       At the University of Lowa, WWW.K**S*858$$U.COMa student was reported to have the habit of getting up in the middle of the night and walking three-quarters of a mile to the Lowa River. He would take a swim and then go back to his room to bed.

       An American expert on sleep claims (声称) that he has never seen a sleepwalker. He is said to know more about sleep than any other living man, and during the last thirty-five years he has lost a lot of sleep watching people sleep. He says, “Of course, I know that there are sleepwalkers because I have read about them in the newspapers. But none of my sleepers ever walked, and if I were to advertise for sleepwalkers for an experiment, I doubt whether I would get many takers (应征者).”

       Sleepwalking, however, is a scientific reality. It is one of those strange things that sometimes look quite fantastic (怪诞的). Doctors say that sleepwalking is much more common than is generally supposed. Many sleepwalkers do not try to find help and their sleepwalking is never recorded.

61. Generally speaking, sleepwalkers are people who ________.

      A. climb on roofs                                B. walk through windows

       C. do fantastic things during their sleep                      D. walk in a half-awake state

62. It was reported that a boy ________.

      A. was found on a strange sofa, telling how he had got there

       B. slept in his own room but woke up in a strange room

       C. lost his way five hours after he left home

       D. was searched for by policemen when he lost his way

63. There was a college student who got into the habit of ________.

      A. getting up in the middle of the night and walking down to the river

       B. walking three-quarters of a mile every day

       C. swimming in the Lowa River before going to bed

       D. walking about before he went to bed

64. Why do people think sleepwalking is nothing but a fantastic thing which doesn’t have any explanation?

      A. It is so common that it needn’t be recorded.

       B. Scientists take no interest in it.

       C. Most sleepwalkers do not seek help for their problem.

       D. No records about it have been made.

“So, Mr. Banks, you’re going on holiday with your family to Bournemouth,” said the police officer. “You left Brandford early this morning and came down the motorway. Then you left the motorway near Tewkesbury and stopped to buy a paper at a little place called Stanway. It was 11 o’clock. Then you stopped about fifteen minutes later here, in Stow, and went into the back of your Somna—Mobile (家庭旅游车), but your wife wasn’t there.”

“That’s right, officer.”

“Perhaps she got off at Stanway,” the policeman said.

“We didn’t hear mum,” Vicki said, “I think …”

“I want my mum,” Eddie said. He began to cry.

“We’ll find her, sonny(宝贝)” the policeman said kindly.

※                ※                  ※             ※

“So, Mrs. Banks,” the man said, “Your husband stopped here, in Stanway, about fifteen minutes ago and you went into the supermarket to get some coffee. Your husband didn’t know you weren’t in the back of the Somna and …”

“Perhaps he knew she wasn’t there,” the woman said.

“Quiet, Matilde. He didn’t know and must have driven away. Then we stopped and our Somna is exactly the same as yours. So you got in and made coffee.”

“I’ve lost my husband and my children,” Fay said.

“Don’t worry, Mrs. Banks,” the man said kindly. “We’ll find them. I suppose they are traveling south”.

67. How many people took park in the conversations?

      A. Eight  B. Seven C. Six     D. Five

68. Which of the following statements is true?

       A. Matilde lost her husband and children.

       B. Mr. Banks dropped his wife halfway to Brandford.

       C. Mr. Banks lost his wife halfway to Bournemouth and he went to the police for help.

       D. The police officer knew where Mrs. Banks was.

69. Fay was now        .

       A. in Matilde and her husband’s Somna          B. at the supermarket

       C. in the police station   D. in a bar

70. What mistake did Fay make to cause the trouble?

      A. She went to the supermarket during the trip.

       B. She got in another Somna without telling her husband.

       C. She got in a wrong Somna.

       D. She shouldn’t have bought the coffee.

I still remember the day when my mom said, “Let’s get you some new clothes.” You can imagine that to any little girl that would mean the world, but to me it meant the universe, because we were not very rich. After she said that, all I could think about was what kinds of clothes I would choose. To my surprise, my mom allowed me to pick out three dresses: a pink one, a blue one and a yellow one. The yellow one was my favorite.

I had a best friend named Seema, whose family was even poorer than ours. We played and studied together, and spent the best days of our childhood laughing at the silly stories we made up. I was excited to show her my three beautiful new dresses. She loved them all and was happy for me, but tearfully explained to me that her father could only afford to buy her clothes for her birthday. I felt sorry, and then did something that surprised even myself: I asked her to pick out one of my dresses for herself. To my disappointment, she picked up my favorite—the yellow one. Please remember, I was only seven years. My heart almost popped out (跳出) of my chest. But as she held it against her body, and I saw how brightly she smiled, I stopped feeling any hurt. I told her it looked lovely on her.

I’ll always remember Seema’s smile, and how at that moment nothing mattered more. When you value your friendships, nothing else matters! We’re still best friends today.

56. Why did the new clothes mean the universe to the author?

A. She loved dressing up more than anything else.

B. She thought they would make her more beautiful.

C. Her family was poor, and new clothes were very rare.

D. Her mother only bought her new clothes for her birthday.

57. The author let Seema pick out one of her dresses because she wanted to _______.

A. show her pity for Seema’s family          B. show off her family’s wealth

C. make Seema become her best friend        D. exchange it with Seema’s dress

58. When Seema chose the yellow dress, the author was disappointed because ________.

A. she was not generous           B. she didn’t expert to lose her favorite dress

C. Seema chose her favorite dress on purpose   D. Seema was careless about her feelings

59. What can we conclude from the passage?

A. Getting a best friend means losing other things. B. Being generous is not easy.

C. Children like sharing their favorite things.     D. Friendship is precious (珍贵的).

It is love that makes the world go round. And it is also love that has such power to overcome all difficulties. So we say: “Love will find a way.” As smile is a facial expression showing pleasure, affection, and friendliness, it is the commonest way to show our good will perfectly without saying anything. A Chinese saying runs: “never hit a person who is smiling at you.” It is a time-proven fact that the smile is a language all its own— a universal language—understood by the people of every nation in the world. We may not speak the same tongue as our foreign neighbors, but we smile in the same tongue. We need no interpreter for thus expressing love, happiness, or good will.

One day while shopping in a small town in southern California, it was my misfortune to be approached by a clerk whose personality contradicted mine. He seemed most unfriendly and not at all concerned about my intended purchase. I bought nothing, and marched angrily out of the store. My anger toward that grew with each step. Outside, standing at the corner, was a dark-complexion young man in his early twenties. His expressive brown eyes met and held mine, and in the next instant a beautiful, dazzling smile covered his face. I gave in immediately. The magnetic power of that shining smile drove away all bitterness within me, and I found the muscles in my own face happily responding. “Beautiful day, isn’t it?” I remarked, in passing. The, suddenly something inside me sent me turning back. “I really owe you a debt of gratitude,” I said softly. His smile deepened, but he made no attempt to answer. A Mexican woman and two men were standing nearby. The woman stepped forward and eyed me inquiringly. “Carlos, he no speak English,” she volunteered. “You want I should tell him something?” In that moment I felt transformed. Carlos’ smile had made a big person of me. My friendliness and good will to ward all mankind stood ten feet tall. “Yes,” my reply was enthusiastic and sincere, “tell him I said ‘Thank you!’” “Thank you?” The woman seemed slightly puzzled. I gave her arm a friendly pat as I turned to leave. “Just tell him that,” I insisted. “He’ll understand. I am sure!” Oh, what a smile can do! Although I have never seen that young man again, I shall never forget the lesson he taught me that morning.

    From that day on, I became smile – conscious, and I practice the diligently, anywhere and everywhere, with everybody. When I got excited in traffic, taking the right – of – way (公路用地) from the other car with my stupid mistake, I’d smile and shrug my shoulders apologetically. This action on my part would always draw a good – natured smile in return. If the other fellow was at fault – and if I could remember my resolution in time! – he’d get a broad smile of understanding. This took a bit of doing at first. I’ll admit it wasn’t always easy, but it was fun. The results were sometimes amazing. Many times, a broad, friendly smile would completely turn aside ill – feeling and tension. I’m wondering now how many tragic add dents could be avoided on our overcrowded highways, if every driver remembered to smile!

67. The author got angry while shopping one day because         .

A. of the clerk’s unfriendliness and lack of concern

B. of her misfortune

C. she failed to purchase what she intended

D. a dark – complexion young man laughed at her

68. From the conversation between the author and the Mexican woman, we can infer that the woman         .

A. was well – educated but unwilling to help others

B. was able to speak English

C. knew some English and was ready to help others

D. was familiar with the young man

69. In the author’s opinion, if all people remembered to smile when driving,         .

A. many traffic accidents could be avoided

B. they would receive a good natural smile in return

C. they could get a broad smile of understanding

D. they wouldn’t feel any tension

70. The best title for this passage could be          .

A. The Art of Smiling    B. The Universal Language

C. The Power of Love    D. The Magic Power of Friendship

A man walks into a doctor’s office. He has a cucumber (黄瓜) up his nose, a carrot in his left ear and a banana in his right ear. “What's the matter with me?” he asks the doctor. The doctor replies, “You’re not eating properly.”

This is a popular joke among British school children. It shows Britain's famous dry and satirical (讽刺的) way of seeing the funny side of life. People say this unique sense of humor is one of Britain's national characteristics.

The British sense of humor is different from other countries because it is often more negative. When it comes to making the British laugh, there is nothing that works better than a socially inappropriate (不恰当的) joke. It reflects the culture where mocking (嘲弄) is part of everyday life.

While most Britons don’t take these jokes too seriously, foreigners often don’t understand them. A recent survey found that most foreigners who visited Britain think the British are “unfriendly and have almost no sense of humor”.

Are the British just not as funny as they think they are? Leo McKinstry, a British journalist, thinks the British are funny. “Accusing the British of having no sense of humor is like telling Rolls-Royce (劳斯莱斯) that its cars are cheap and not good in quality,” he says.

56. What does the doctor actually mean by the remark “You’re not eating properly”?

A. What you have had is the cause of these problems.   B. You are not having the right food.

C. You don’t eat the way people usually do.           D. You eat with the wrong cutlery. ( 餐具 )

57. The word “dry” in Paragraph 2 means ________.

A. without water or liquid inside                  B. special and popular among school children

C. dull and meaningless                         D. funny and clever while seeming to be serious

58. Why do most visitors, who once visited Britain, think that the British are unfriendly?

A. Because the British always take things seriously.

B. Because the British have no sense of humor.

C. Because the British are cold and difficult to get along with.

D. Because the British have a different sense of humor.

59. Which of the following is NOT the characteristics of British humor?

A. dry and satirical                              B. negative and mocking

C. encouraging and gentle                         D. clever and witty

If you feel at present that you don’t have enough friends in your life, one reason may be that you have let yourself become too busy to make time for the relationships you already have. Starting and keeping friendship requires effort and commitment.

Many of us let our lives become so busy with work and other commitments that we don’t get around to scheduling time for pleasure and renewal（叙旧）with the friends, relatives and acquaintances we already have.

Making the effort to call your friends more regularly and to accept more of the invitations you receive from others can improve your social life in a hurry!

Are there any people you could call right now and be assured of a pleasant welcome? Are there people that you could count on to help you in time of difficulty? Can you have close talks with them? Do you have fun when you are together? Are you happy to have them in your life?

If you haven’t seen much of them lately, is it because you have become too busy? Have you grown apart? Was there an argument?

If the main reason you haven’t been getting together with the people you already know is that you have got too busy, take a good look at how you spend your time. Compare it with your real values and priorities（优先考虑的事）in life. Is your busy lifestyle really bringing you the quality of life that you want?

If you have become too busy for friends, why has this happened? Are you seeking material toys in your life at the expense of relationships with other human beings? Have you allowed your time to be over-committed because you never say “No” to anyone? Do you insist on doing things yourself that could be appointed to others? If so, why? Do you believe that everything depends on you?

Examine whether the way you are now spending your time accurately reflects your deepest values and priorities. Make sure that you schedule adequate time for the things that are truly most important to you.

If you really want to keep friends in your life, make a space in your schedule, and a space in your heart for them.

In this passage the author mainly discusses ____.

A. how to balance friendship and work

B. how to spend our spare time

C. whether we should keep friendship

D. whether we should invite friends to dinner

69. Which of the following doesn’t indicate a good relationship?

A. You have someone to count on when you are in trouble.

B. You have someone to have close talks with.

C. You have fun when you are with someone.

D. You feel depressed with others in life.

70 .The reason why you have become too busy for friends may be the following EXCEPT that ____.

A. you spend too much time seeking material toys in your life

B. you feel it difficult to keep friendship

C. you stick to doing everything all by yourself

D. you never refuse whatever other people ask you to do

It was a winter morning, just a couple of weeks before Christmas 2009. While most people were warming up their cars, Trevor, my husband, had to get up early to ride his bike four kilometers away from home to work. On arrival, he parked his bike outside the back door as he usually does. After putting in 10 hours of labor, he returned to find his bike gone.

The bike, a black Kona 18 speed, was our only transport. Trevor used it to get to work, putting in 60-hour weeks to support his young family. And the bike was also used to get groceries(食品杂货),saving us from having to walk long distances from where we live.

 I was so sad that someone would steal our bike that I wrote to the newspaper and told them our story. Shortly after that, several people in our area offered to help. One wonderful stranger even bought a bike, then called my husband to pick it up. Once again my husband had a way to get to and from his job. It really is an honor that a complete stranger would go out of their way for someone they have never met before.

People say that a smile can be passed from one person to another, but acts of kindness from strangers are even more so. This experience has had a spreading effect in our lives because it strengthened our faith in humanity(人性)as a whole. And it has influenced us to be more mindful of ways we, too, can share with others. No matter how big or how small, an act of kindness shows that someone cares. And the results can be everlasting.

56. Why was the bike so important to the couple

A. The man's job was bike racing.     B. It was their only possession.

   C. It was a nice Kona 18 speed.       D. They used it for work and daily life.

57. We can infer from the text that ____________.

A. the couple worked 60 hours a week.     B. people were busy before Christmas

C. the stranger brought over the bike       D. life was hard for the young family.

58. How did people get to know the couple's problem

A. From radio broadcasts.              B. From a newspaper.

C. From TV news.                    D. From a stranger.

59. What do the couple learn from their experience

A. Strangers are usually of little help.      B. One should take care of their bike.

   C. News reports make people famous.      D. An act of kindness can mean a lot.

I don’t like getting up too early unless I have to. When you’re filming, you’ve got make-up on, which doesn’t happen often. As I’m not filming at present I’ll get up at 8.30.

Work normally means Matt coming over to my house about 10 am. We’re writing at the moment. We’ll chat for a bit before going to my study. One of us will have an idea for a sketch (梗概), we’ll talk about the characters and when we feel we have enough we’ll start writing.

Matt and I met at the National Youth Theatre in 1990 and started doing shows together in ’95, at the Edinburgh Fringe festival. We know we’re onto something if we’ve made each other laugh, and that’s a really special moment. It’s not always like that, but we’re comfortable enough with each other that we can be honest and go. Some days you’re not in the mood to be funny—like writing when my dad was dying of cancer, or when Matt was separating from his partner.

We stop for lunch and sometimes go to Wagamama in Camden, but the last time we were followed by paparazzi (狗仔队), which gets you down—who wants to be pictured eating noodles?

When I’m not writing with Matt I work on other projects. My second children’s book comes out later in the year. It’s called Mr. Stink. The first one I dedicated to my three-year-old nephew, Eddie. Both books have been illustrated by Quentin Blake; it’s been a thrill to work with him—like 20 years ago reading a Roald Dahl book and looking at those drawings, then one day that person illustrates your work… magical.

At 5 I go swimming in Soho. My trainer makes me do horrible exercises, but I always feel better after.

Being in all day, I like to go out in the evening and look smart, but not like I’ve come out of the City. I’m a tall, broad guy and well-dressed.

For dinner I’ll meet friends. When you’re a single guy it’s great to have some good female friends. Or I might take my mum to the theatre, as I know she really appreciates it. I like watching TV comedy shows to see what everyone’s doing. When you see something impressive it makes you work harder. I also love Larkin’s poems: they don’t try to transcend (超越) the commonplace; they’re much more straightforward.

Poetry is great to dip into before going to bed, rather than falling asleep reading a novel and being confused over what you’ve read or not. I haven’t had a good night’s sleep in seven years; unfortunately, I rely on pills. I’ve tried everything. If I could wish anything for myself, I’d wish I could sleep better.

67. It can be inferred from the passage that _______.

A. the author spends much time with his friends

B. the author and Matt are both famous in the district

C. the author doesn’t care much about what to wear

D. the author works at home and seldom goes out every day

68. Where does the passage most likely appear?

A. In a travel diary.                          B. In a news column.

C. In an online diary.                    D. In a research paper.

69. Why does the author read some poetry before going to bed?

A. Because poetry can often bring him some funny ideas.

B. Because poetry is much easier to understand than novels.

C. Because poetry is very abstract and reflects unusual things.

D. Because poetry can be of some help for him to kill time.

70. What might be the best title for the passage?

A. A day’s work with Matt                 B. A new life-style 

C. A life in the day                       D. A good way to write