The back door of the ambulance was suddenly shut and the driver ran to the front, jumped into his seat, and started the engine. Inside were the　　41 　 parents, Mr and Mrs Green, holding their baby daughter, Ally. The little girl had some food　 42 　 in her throat and could　　43　 breathe.

The driver, Mr White, turned on the siren(汽笛) and flashing light, and started speeding towards the　 44　 hospital, fighting against time. The cars ahead of him pulled out of the way　 45 　 he drove through the busy traffic. From the back of the car the parents were shouting at him to hurry, since Ally had almost stopped　 46 　 . In front of him he saw the traffic　 47　 , with the red "STOP" light shining. Mr White knew that he had　 48 　 time to lose, so he drove straight past the traffic lights, looking to his left and right as he did so.

Coming towards him from his right was a taxi. The driver had the windows　　49　 since the car was air-conditioned, and he was playing his radio. He did not　 50　 the ambulance. The lights were green, so he drove straight on, only to be　　51　 way of the ambulance.

Mr White tried to stop his ambulance but it was too　 52 　 . It hit the taxi.　 53 　 was shaken but no one was hurt. Mr White looked to see　　54 　 little Ally was. He was astonished to see relief instead of　 55 　 on the faces of the parents.

"Look!" cried Mr Green. "She is breathing again."

"It　　56　 have been the crash," said her husband. "It 　 57 　 the food out of her throat."

The baby's color was turning to　 58 　 and she was crying in a loud　　59 　 healthy voice. They were all joyful, and quite forgot about the accident, the taxi and the lines of　　60 　 all around them.

41. A. worried B. angry C. young D. surprised

42. A. return B. stuck C. eaten D. wounded

43. A. never B. almost C. hardly D. simply

44. A. modern B. biggest C. children's D. nearest

45. A. that B. as C. if D. where

46. A. breathing B. seeing C. crying D. talking

47. A. signs B. policemen C. lights D. marks

48. A. no B. some C. much D. more

49. A. open B. cleaned C. up D. down

50. A. hear B. observe C. find D. find out

51. A. in a B. in the C. on the D. by the

52. A. dangerous B. late C. careless D. quick

53. A. The driver B. Someone C. No one D. Everyone

54. A. how B. what C. where D. who

55. A. pleasure B. anger C. fear D. surprise

56. A. may B. can C. should D. must

57. A. took B. picked C. knocked D. made

58. A. common B. normal C. usual D. ordinary

59. A. or B. with C. but D. and

60. A. people B. policemen C. lights D. cars

　　　 The custom of visiting friends, relatives and neighbors on New Year’s Day is one of the Old World traditions that has taken on a new form in the USA. It is called the Open House.
　　　 Officially started by George Washington during his first term as President, it is now as much a part of New Year’s Day as floral parades and football games. On January 1, 1789, President Washington first opened the doors of his official residence, then in Philadelphia, to all who wished to come. Then, when the capital was moved to Washington D.C. in 1800, the White House became the scene of the annual Open House. Over the years the occasion grew increasingly elaborate(复杂的). The vice-president and his wife and the Cabinet(内阁) members and their wives were added to the receiving line, and the impressive food and patriotic（爱国的） music created an atmosphere（气氛） of happiness. This White House tradition came to an end with the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt, whose physical disability prevented him from standing, but the Open House is still a very popular way for clubs, civic organizations and individuals(个人) to celebrate the holiday.
　 　　On New Year’s Day most of the USA is blanketed in cold winter weather, but in California and the southern states January is generally fair and mild. The warm weather invites outdoor amusements. The famous New Year’s parades and football games now have grown up in this atmosphere.
63. Which of the following statements is NOT true?
　　 A. The Open House was started by George Washington.
　　 B. The Open House in the White House ended with the presidency of
　　　 Franklin D. Roosevelt.
　　 C. During the Open House, the vice-president and his wife also came to
　　　 President’s official residence.
　　 D. The Open House is now an important part of New
　　　 Year’s Day in America.
64. What does the underlined word “mild” in the last
　　 paragraph mean?
　　 A. Hot.　　 　B. Cold.　　
　　 C. Not too cold or wet. D. Rainy or windy.
65. The passage is mainly about ________.
　　 A. how to celebrate New Year’s Day
　　 B. celebrations of New Year’s Day in America
　　 C. George Washington
　　 D. the Open House in the USA

The last five minutes
　　   This is really a very fast game, the fastest I have seen so far this year. Both sides are fighting for the ball all the time. The crowd is loving every minute of it. They are shouting at the top of their voices.
　　   Willis has the ball now. This is only his third game for Scotland, but he’s playing so well that it won’t be his last, I’m quite sure.
　　   Willis passes the ball to Cotton. Cotton kicks it over the heads of the waiting Frenchmen, towards the goalmouth(球门). But he’s too far away, Dupond picks it up easily, and throws it to Patou, out on the left.
　　   France and Scotland still have one goal each, and there are only two minutes left of the game. But in that time, anything can happen. Patou kicks the ball across to Crozat. It’s a beautiful kick, but Steven jumps and just stops the ball with side of his head. But Meunier is there, he passes to Crozat, and Crozat, without waiting a second, puts the ball into the back of the goal. It takes everybody by surprise. I’ve never seen a goal like it.
59. The crowd enjoys every minute of the game because
     _______.
     A. it’s very fast and exciting
     B. it’s very fast but not exciting
     C. neither side plays hard or fast all the time
     D. both sides fight hard and shout loud all the time
60. Cotton cannot kick the ball into the goalmouth because
     _______.
     A. the Frenchmen stop the ball with their heads
     B. he is too far away
     C. Patou picks the ball up easily
     D. Willis is too far away from him
61. ________ are in the same team.
     A. Crozat, Patou, Meunier and Dupond
     B. Cotton, Patou, Willis and Dupond
     C. Steven, Cotton, Meunier and Crozat
     D. Steven, Patou, Meunier and Crozat
62. The underlined sentence “But in that time, anything
     can happen.” in the last paragraph means “_______”.
     A. Nothing more will happen to change the game
     B. There is time for another goal
     C. The game is nearly over
     D. Anything can happen after the game     

Dear Betty,
    My roommate’s family wants me to celebrate Thanksgiving Day with them in their home. I accepted the invitation, and I’m excited about going, but I’m a little nervous about it, too. The social customs in my country are different from those here, so I’m a little worried about making mistakes.
    Should I bring a gift, such as candy or flowers? Should I arrive on time or a little late?  At the dinner table, how can I know which fork or knife to use? How can I let the family know that I’m thankful for their kindness?
                                                           Yours,
                                                           Knowing Nothing
Dear Knowing Nothing,
     It’s a good idea to bring a gift when you go to a dinner party. Flowers are always welcome, or you can bring a bottle of wine if you know the family drink it.
     You should arrive on time or five to ten minutes late. Don’t get there early. If you are going to be more than fifteen minutes late, you should call and tell them.
     Try to relax at the dinner table. If you don’t know how to use the right fork, knife or spoon, just watch the other guests, and follow them. If you still have no idea of what to do, don’t be shy about asking the person next to you; it’s better to ask them than to be silently uncomfortable and nervous.
     If you like the food, say so. Of course, you’ll thank the host and hostess for the meal and for their kindness. It’s also a good idea to send a card to thank them the day after.
                                                        Yours,
                                                        Betty
56. Knowing Nothing wrote a letter to Betty to _____.
     A. tell Betty some good news               
     B. ask for some advice
     C. answer some questions 
     D. invite her to dinner
57. If you go to a dinner party, _____.
     A. you can only bring some flowers      
     B. you can’t bring wine with you
     C. you should arrive on time or five to ten minutes late
     D. you should arrive twenty minutes late
58. Betty does NOT advise Knowing Nothing to _____.
     A. relax at the dinner table 
     B. watch the other guests
     C. ask the person beside him
     D. keep silent at table

With a heavy heart Sally arrived early on the morning of the auction(拍卖). It was almost a year since her dear grandmother passed away in this house. （ 36 ） the family business had failed and left them with heavy debts（债务）. So the bank had （ 37 ） the family to have an auction sale to repay their debts.
 　 （　38 ） the past several weeks, she had managed to save $450 in order to bid(出价)on the（  39 ）. Surely this would be enough, she had thought. Now the （ 40 ） moment arrived. Looking around, Sally was surprised to see so many people had （ 41 ）.
　　 As the auction began, Sally waited. Finally, the time came to bid on the quilt(被子). She held her （ 42 ） tightly and listened. The first bid was $45. She was（  43 ）. It was so high. Quickly other people bid and soon the bidding （ 44） $85. Sally cried out “$450!” For a moment there was silence. Hope （ 45 ） her. She glanced again at the quilt, thinking how （ 46 ） her grandmother would have been with her at this moment.
　　 Just then, from the back, another person shouted “$475!” She lost her （ 47 ）. Suddenly she couldn’t help wondering why so many people（  48 ） be interested in that old, dirty quilt. The quilt was sold for $500 to a complete（  49 ）.
　　 After the sale, she went to the counter to pay for the few items that were now hers. The woman at the cash desk handed her the quilt. “There must be some　（ 50 ）. Someone else got it.” she said. A hand-written （ 51 ） was pinned（别住） to the quilt, which （ 52 ）:
　　 Dear Madam,
　　 I noticed you admiring the quilt. Clearly, it was（  53 ） to you. Please accept this quilt as my（  54 ）. I don’ t expect repayment from you, but do a （ 55 ） favor（帮忙）in the future for a stranger who happens to cross your path.
                                                        Yours,
                                                                                               A stranger
36. A. Naturally　　    B. Unfortunately　　    C. Luckily　　　      D. Probably

37. A. hoped    B. waited C. expected D. forced

38. A. With    B. At  C. By  D. Over

39. A. house    B. present C. furniture  D. quilt

40. A. amazing          B. necessary C. big         D. sad

41. A. turned out    B. turned up     C. turned back   D. turned on

42. A. purse    B. picture C. book       D. quilt

43. A. excited    B. frightened C. worried            D. shocked

44. A. rose    B. climbed C. reached    D. raised

45. A. told    B. helped C. filled  D. gave

46. A. pleased    B. anxious C. angry  D. familiar

47. A. thought    B. chance C. way  D. faith

48. A. could    B. might C. must  D. would

49. A. relative    B. customer C. friend  D. stranger

50. A. reason    B. secret C. mistake            D. fun

51. A. check    B. wallet C. address    D. note

52. A. read    B. wrote C. spoke  D. showed

53. A. wonderful        B. basic C. pretty     D. important

54. A. honor    B. respect C. gift        D. thank

55. A. particular       B. common C. major     D. similar

What makes a good school? Many people would agree that a good school is one that gets the best out of its pupils. Yet not every pupil can do well in his or her exams. What is most important is the individual development of the child and not the general academic success of the school. Yet how can this be measured and improvements made? This question has been at the heart of my work for the last 20 years. All the facts shows that the quality of an individual school can make a significant difference to its pupils' prospects (前途) in life. My definition (定义) of a good school is one in which students progress further than might be expected considering their social background. Inner-city school, for example, despite receiving many socially-disadvantaged pupils, can still be successful in encouraging their students to progress.

We should recognize that the effectiveness of a school can only be considered in relation to its typical intake. Researchers have discovered a number of factors commonly connected with good schools. There are few surprises among a collection which includes professional leadership, high expectations, and a concentration on teaching and learning. Recognition of the importance of pupils' rights and responsibilities and parental involvement is also important.

8. The underlined words "this question" refers to a search for ________.

A. what qualities make a good school

B. why we have to get the best out of pupils

C. the way to make a school the most academically outstanding

D. how to measure school effectiveness

9. According to the writer, a good school ________.

A. makes a significant difference to pupils' prospects

B. helps to encourage socially-disadvantaged students to progress

C. helps pupils to achieve their academic success

D. helps pupils progress beyond their natural abilities

10. The fact that some schools are less successful academically than others may be due in part to their ________.

A. complexity (复杂) of structure

B. mixture of policies

C. intake of less able students

D. poor standard of school staff(员工)

Surfing-the art of riding a wave on a pointed board-is the wildest, fastest natural water sport known to man. In recent years, it has developed into a major sport around the world, from Australia to South Africa. Australians challenge man-eating sharks to ride the green waves in Australia; Hawaiian experts risk their lives on huge, thirty-foot swells(巨浪)against the wind of Oahu; Californians of all ages go out all the year round. In the winter, surf-riders put on life-suits to ride grave waves so cold that their flesh turns blue.

Surfing is no sport for weak persons. Swimming a quarter of a mile or more, and pushing a surfboard out to where the swells are just right for riding, can be real work. Then, at exactly the right moment, you climb up the wave and go fast across the face of a powerful swell with the white water jumping at your feet. The huge wave bites at your shoulder, threatening (威胁)at any moment to smash you flat. In the next several seconds, a cool head and lightning-quick action back to the pressure of the attacking wave will bring your board under control for that great ride down the back of the great, green mountain of water. Once on the beach, you know why surfing is growing in popularity as an international sport, and you're glad to be a member of this new water world.

5. The first paragraph mainly tells us ________ .

A. people around the world go surfing all the year round

B. the definition (定义) of the sport

C. how to surf in the sea

D. where to surf around the would

6. The author believes that surfing________.

A. is not an easy sport

B. can be done by anyone

C. should be done by everyone

D. does not require courage

7. In order to experience what real surfing is, ________.

A. you must first swim a quarter of a mile to warm your body

B. you will first ride on a board to reach the beach

C. you must first put on warm clothes before doing surfing

D. you must first swim to the swells with your board

A higher reading rate, with no loss of comprehension, will help you in other subjects as well as in English, and the general principles apply to any language. Naturally, you will not read every book at the same speed. You would expect to read a newspaper, for example, much more rapidly than a physics or economics textbook-but you can raise your average reading speed over the whole range of materials you wish to cover so that the percentage gained will be the same whatever kind of reading you are concerned with.

The reading passages which follow are all of an average level of difficulty for your stage of instruction. They are all about five hundred words long. They are about topics of general interest which do not require a great deal of specialized knowledge. Thus they fall between the kind of reading you might find in your textbooks and the much less demanding kind you will find in a newspaper or light novel. If you read this kind of English, with understanding at four hundred words per minute, you might skim (浏览) through a newspaper at perhaps 650-700, while with a difficult textbook you might drop to two hundred or two hundred and fifty.

Perhaps you would like to know what reading speeds are common among native English-speaking university students and how those speeds can be improved. Tests in Minnesota, USA, for example, have shown that students without special training can read English of average difficulty, for example, Tolstoy's War and Peace in translation, at speeds of between 240 and 250 words per minute with about seventy percent comprehension. Students in Minnesota claim that after twelve half-hour lessons, once a week, the reading speed can be increased, with no loss of comprehension, to around five hundred words per minute.

1. According to the passage, the purpose of effective reading with higher speed is most likely to help you ________.

A. only in your reading of a physics textbook

B. improve your understanding of an economics textbook

C. not only in your language study but also in other subjects

D. choose the suitable materials to read

2. Which of the following does not describe the types of reading materials mentioned in the second paragraph?

A. Those beyond one's reading comprehension.

B. Those concerned with common knowledge.

C. Those without much demand for specialized knowledge.

D. Those with the length of about five hundred words.

3. The average speed of untrained native speakers in the University of Minnesota is ________.

A. about 300 words per minute

B. about 245 words per minute

C. about 650-700 words per minute

D. about 500 words per minute

4. According to the passage, how fast can you expect to read after you have attended twelve half-hour lessons in the University of Minnesota?

A. You can increase your reading speed by three times.

B. No real increase in reading speed can be achieved.

C. Yon can increase your reading speed by four times.

D. You can double your reading speed.

I take the firm position that parents do not owe their children a　 1 　 education. If they can 　 2　 it, they can　　3　 send them to the best universities. But they must not feel guilty if they can't. If the children really want to go, they'll find a 　 4　 . There are plenty of loans(贷款)and scholarships for the bright and　　5　 ones who can't afford to pay.

When children grow up and want to 　 6　 , their parents do not owe them a down payment on a house. They do not have the　　7　 to baby-sit their grandchildren. If they want to do it, it must be considered a 　 8　 , not an obligation(责任;义务).

Do parents owe their children anything? Yes, they owe them a great deal.

One of their obligations is to give their children a personal　 9　 . A child who is constantly made to feel stupid and unworthy, constantly　 10 　 to brighter brothers, sisters, or cousins will become so　 11　 , so afraid of failing that he(or she)won't try at all. Of course they should be　　12 　 corrected when they do wrong, but it's often better to let children learn their mistakes by themselves　　13　 . What the parents should do is to trust them, respect them, tolerate(宽容)them and give them chances to try and fail. They must learn to stand　 14　 . When criticisms(批评)are really needed, they should be　 15　 with praises, with a smile and a kiss. That is the way children learn.

Parents owe their children a set of solid values around　　16 　 to build their lives. This means teaching them to　 17 　 the rights and opinions of others; it means being respectful to elders, to teachers, and to the law. The best way to teach such values is by　 18 　. A child who is lied to will lie. A child who sees no laughter and no love in the home will have　　19　 laughing and loving.

No child asks to be　　20 　. If you bring a life into the world, you owe the child something.

1. A. college B. formal C. usual D. foreign

2. A. find B. get C. afford D. receive

3. A. gradually B. certainly C. hardly D. finally

4. A. supply B. help C. hand D. way

5. A. handsome B. rich C. eager D. wealthy

6. A. get married B. get a job C. go abroad D. live alone

7. A. time B. right C. duty D. energy

8. A. favor B. job C. habit D. service

9. A. worth B. affair C. belief D. respect

10. A. brought B. compared C. forced D. taken

11. A. unsure B. unusual C. unknown D. unfair

12. A. properly B. gently C. nearly D. possibly

13. A. now and then B. in time C. earlier D. ahead of time

14. A. failure B. honor C. progress D. test

15. A. mixed B. satisfied C. shared D. balanced

16. A. it B. which C. whom D. what

17. A. consider B. refuse C. respect D. know

18. A. meal B. time C. word D. deed

19. A. pleasure B. difficulty C. fun D. freedom

20. A. praised B. alone C. born D. poor

Ever since man has gone down to the sea in ships, he has been puzzled and fascinated by the phenomenon called "fiery waters" or "the burning of the seas". At night, whole areas of the sea light up with an unusual glow. Strange as it may look, there is nothing supernatural about this light. It is caused by simple one-celled organisms. This production of light by living organisms is called bioluminescence(生物发光).

Most of these single-celled forms make light whenever they are irritated by something around them. Some kinds, however, produce light only at night.

There are about forty main kinds of organisms that produce bioluminescence. Of all these, the fireflies, or lightning bugs, are the best known. Fireflies can control the blinking of their lights so that they serve as signals between males and females. Other insects, such as the cucujo beetle and the lantern fly found in tropical forests, produce a very intense light. An army surgeon once performed a successful operation under the light of a bottleful of cucujo beetles.

Another interesting luminescent animal is the water flea found in the seas of Orient. This small animal, which lives in the sand, comes out at night. As it moves about, it secretes(分泌) a luminous substance. The light that it produces is unusual in that it is blue. Most luminescent creatures produce a white or yellow light.

9. At night, the sea lights up because _________ .

A. a strange light lights up the sea

B. two-celled organisms can produce light

C. there's a phenomenon of "fiery waters"

D. there's something supernatural about this light

10. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A. All the organisms can give light when they are irritated.

B. None of these organisms can produce light of itself.

C. Most of these single-celled forms produce light whenever they are irritated.

D. All the organisms can make light both in the daytime and at night.