What makes a gift special? Is it the price you see on the gift receipt? Or is it the look on the recipient’s face when they receive it that determines the true value? What gift is worth the most?

This Christmas I was debating what to give my father. My dad is a hard person to buy for because he never wants anything. I pulled out my phone to read a text message from my mom saying that we were leaving for Christmas shopping for him when I came across a message on my phone that I had locked. The message was from my father. My eyes fell on a photo of a flower taken in Wyoming, and underneath a poem by William Blake. The flower, alone dandelion （蒲公英） standing against the bright blue sky, inspired me. My dad had been reciting those words to me since I was a kid. That may even be the reason why I love writing. I decided that those words would be my gift to my father.

I called back. I told my mom to go without me and that I already created my gift. I sent the photo of the cream-colored flower to my computer and typed the poem on top of it. As I was arranging the details another poem came to mind. The poem was written by Edgar Allan Poe;  my dad recited it as much as he did the other. I typed that out as well and searched online for a background to the words of it. The poem was focused around dreaming, and after searching I found the perfect picture. The image was painted with blues and greens and purples, twisting together to create the theme and wonder of a dream. As I watched both passing through the printer, the white paper coloring with words that shaped my childhood, I felt that this was a gift that my father would truly appreciate.

Christmas soon arrived. The minute I saw the look on my dad’s face as he unwrapped those swirling （旋涡纹状的） black letters carefully placed in a cheap frame（框架）, I knew I had given the perfect gift.

59．The idea for a special gift began to form when the author was ______.

A．reading a message                                   B．having a debate

C．doing shopping                                     D．leaving for Wyoming

60．The author’s inspiration for the gift came from _______.

A．a photo of a flower                               B．a story about a kid

C．a call from the mother                             D．a text about Christmas

61．The author made the gift by _______.

A．searching for the poems online                  B．matching the words with pictures

C．painting the letters in three colors                D．drawing the background by hand

62．What is the main purpose of the passage?

A．To show how to design images for gifts.      

B．To suggest making gifts from one’s heart.

C．To explain how computers help create gifts. 

D．To describe the gifts the author has received.

Grown-ups are often surprised by how well they remember something they learned as children but have never practiced ever since. A man who has not had a chance to go swimming for years can still swim as well as ever when he gets back in the water. He can get on a bicycle after many years and still ride away. He can play catch and hit a ball as well as his son. A mother who has not thought about the words for years can teach her daughter the poem that begins “Twinkle, twinkle, little star” or remember the story of Cinderella or Goldilocks and the Three Bears.

One explanation is the law of overlearning, which can be stated as follows: Once we have learned something, additional learning trials increase the length of time we will remember it.

In childhood we usually continue to practice such skills as swimming, bicycle riding, and playing baseball long after we have learned them. We continue to listen to and remind ourselves of words such as “Twinkle, twinkle, little star” and childhood tales such as Cinderella and Goldilocks. We not only learn but overlearn.

The multiplication tables（乘法口诀表）are an exception to the general rule that we forget rather quickly the things that we learn in school, because they are another of the things we overlearn in childhood.

The law of overlearning explains why cramming（突击学习）for an examination, though it may result in a passing grade, is not a satisfactory way to learn a college course. By cramming, a student may learn the subject well enough to get by on the examination, but he is likely soon to forget almost everything he learned. A little overlearning, on the other hand, is really necessary for one’s future development.

55．What is the main idea of Paragraph 1?

A．People remember well what they learned in childhood.

B．Children have a better memory than grown-ups.

C．Poem reading is a good way to learn words.

D．Stories for children are easy to remember.

56．The author explains the law of overlearning by_________.

A．presenting research finding                B．setting down general rules

C．making a comparison                        D．using examples

57．What does the underlined word “they” in Paragraph 4 refer to?

A．The multiplication tables.                     B．Commonly accepted rules.

C．Things easily forgotten.                   D．School subjects.

58．What is the author’s opinion on cramming?

A．It leads to failure in college exams.       B．It’s possible to result in poor memory.

C．It’s helpful only in a limited way.         D．It increases students’ learning interest.

Why is pink or purple a color for girls and blue or brown for boys?

The answer depends largely on cultural values as well as personal experiences. To the Egyptians, green was a color that represented the hope and joy of spring, while for Muslims, it means heaven. Red is a symbol of good luck in many cultures. In China, children are given money in a red envelope to bring good fortune in the New Year. For many nations, blue is a symbol of protection and religious beliefs. Greek people often wear a blue necklace hoping to protect themselves against evils（灾祸）.

People’s choice of colors is also influenced by their bodies’ reactions toward them. Green is said to be the most restful color. It has the ability to reduce pain and relax people both mentally（精神上）and physically. People who work in green environment have been found to have fewer stomachaches.

Red can cause a person’s blood pressure to rise and increase people’s appetites（食欲）. Many decorators will include different shades of red in the restaurant. Similarly, many commercial（商业的）websites will have a red “Buy Now” button because red is a color that easily catches a person’s eye.

Blue is another calming color. Unlike red, blue can cause people to lose appetite. So if you want to eat less, some suggest that eating from blue plates can help.

The next time you are deciding on what to wear or what color to decorate your room, think about the color carefully.

51．Muslims regard green as a symbol of heaven mainly because of their ________.

A．personal experiences                  B．commercial purposes

C．cultural values                        D．physical reactions to the color

52．Why will many commercial websites have a red “Buy Now” button?

A．To relax people physically.             B．To encourage people to buy goods.

C．To increase people’s appetites.             D．To cause a person’s blood pressure to rise.

53．What color might help lose weight according to the text?

A．Red          B．Green.             C．Blue.              D．Purple.

54．Which of the following would be the most proper title for the text?

A．The Meaning and Function of Color   B．The Cultural Meaning of Color

C．Colors and Personal Experiences      D．Colors and Human Beings

阅读下面短文，从短文后所给各题的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

Whenever we hear about “the homeless”, most of us think of the Developing World. But the 　31 　is that homelessness is everywhere. For example, how many of us would expect to see people living on the streets of a 　32 　country like Germany?

Kurt Muller and his wife Rita have spent eleven years making 　33 　for the homeless of Berlin, Germany’s capital. They first 　34 one long hot summer when most Germans were 　35 on holiday. Kurt and his wife stayed at home, made sandwiches, 　36 a table in the street and gave food to the homeless.

The Mullers soon realized that food and clothing weren’t 　37　 . “What these people also need is warmth and 　38 ,” says RitA．The Mullers didn’t 　39 to give their phone number to the street people and told them to phone anytime. Rita 　40 there was somebody at home to answer the phone and their home was always 　41 to anyone who couldn’t face another night on the street.

The couple were soon　 42 all their time and money, so Kurt visited food and clothing companies to 　43 donations. Today, over thirty companies 　44 donate food and other goods to the cause and volunteers help to 　45 them to the homeless. The public also give clothes and money and a shoe producer　 46 new shoes.

Kurt and Rita receive no 　47 for their hard work. “We feel like parents,” says Rita, “and parents shouldn’t 　48 money for helping their children. The love we get on the streets is our salary.” Though Rita admits she often gets 　49 , she says she will continue with her work because she likes the feeling of having made a 　50 in the world.

31．A．result　 　　　　　　　 B．truth　 　　　　　　　 C．reason　 　　 D．idea

32．A．traditional　 　　　　 B．developing　 　　　　 C．violent　 　　　 D．wealthy

33．A．preparations　 　　　 B．houses　 　　　　　　　 C．meals　 　　　　 D．suggestions

34．A．began　　 　　　　　 B．met　 　　　　　　　　 C．called　 　　　 D．left

35．A．asleep　 　　　　　　 B．alone　 　　　　　　　 C．across　 　　 D．away

36．A．brought up　　 　　 B．set up　　 　　　　　 C．cheer up　 　　 D．gave away

37．A．enough 　　　　　　　 B．necessary　 　　　　 C．helpful　 　　 D．worthwhile

38．A．fame　 　　　　　　　 B．freedom　 　　　　　 C．courage 　　　 D．caring

39．A．hesitate（犹豫） B．agree　 　　　　　　　　 C．pretend　　 　 D．argued

40．A．went ahead　 　　 B．found out　 　　　　 C．made sure　 　 D．worked out

41．A．open　 　　　　　　 B．crowded　 　　　　　 C．noisy　 　　　 D．broad

42．A．costing　 　　　　　　 B．wasting　 　　　　　　 C．taking　 　　　　 D．spending

43．A．pay for　 　　　　　　 B．ask for 　　　　　　　 C．account for　 D．carry on

44．A．completely　 　　　　 B．calmly　 　　　　　　　 C．regularly　 　　 D．roughly

45．A．advertise 　　　　　　 B．sell　 　　　　　　　　 C．deliver　 　　 D．lend

46．A．donates　 　　　　　　 B．produces　 　　　　　 C．designs　 　　　 D．collects

47．A．permission　 　　　 B．payment　 　　　　　 C．direction　 　 D．support

48．A．multiply　 　　　　　　 B．raise　 　　　　　　　 C．save　 　　　　 D．expect

49．A．surprised　 　　　　 B．excited　 　　　　　　 C．tired　　 　　　　　　 D．pleased

50．A．discovery　　 　　　 B．difference　 　　　　 C．decision　　 D．rule

When you are walking in wild woods, you have to ______ snakes and some other dangerous animals.

A．look down upon                                         B．spy on 

C．catch sight of                                                   D．watch out for

A fire suddenly _____ at midnight at the National Exhibition in London, and at least ten priceless paintings were completely destroyed.

A．burst out            B．broke out                   C．broke up            D．blocked out

The young actress is very ______ about her success； she says it’s as much the result of good luck as of her own talent.

A．considerate           B．modest                 C．energetic              D．religious

There has been a（an） ______ of sadness in the factory since it was announced that it would be closed down.

A．scene                   B．condition              C．appearance           D．atmosphere

It is wrong to sell products that are ______to customers, for they are bad for people’s health.

A．sensitive                B．expensive              C．harmful                 D．beneficial

I advised you to buy Oxford Advanced Learner’s English-Chinese Dictionary, which is ______ for students in senior high.

A．intended               B．devoted                C．inspired                D．expanded