Sandra Cisneros was born in Chicago in 1954 to a Mexican American family. As the only girl in a family of seven children, she often felt like she had “seven fathers,” because her six brothers, as well as her father, tried to control her. Feeling shy and unimportant, she retreated(躲避) into books. Despite her love of reading, she did not do well in elementary school because she was too shy to participate.
In high school, with the encouragement of one particular teacher, Cisneros improved her grades and worked for the school literary magazine. Her father encouraged her to go to college because he thought it would be a good way for her to find a husband. Cisneros did attend college, but instead of searching for a husband, she found a teacher who helped her join the famous graduate writing program at the University of Iowa. At the university’s Writers’ Workshop, however, she felt lonely----a Mexican American from a poor neighborhood among students from wealthy families. The feeling of being so different helped Cisneros find her “Creative voice.”
“It was not until this moment when I considered myself truly different that my writing acquired a voice. I knew I was a Mexican woman, but I didn’t think it had anything to do with why I felt so much imbalance in my life, but it had everything to do with it! That’s when I decided I would write about something my classmates couldn’t write about.”
Cisneros published her first work, The House on Mango Street, when she was twenty-nine. The book tells about a young Mexican American girl growing up in a Spanish-speaking area in Chicago, much like the neighborhoods in which Cisneros lived as a child. The book won an award in 1985 and has been used in classes from high school through graduate school level. Since then, Cisneros has published several books of poetry, a children’s book, and a short-story collection.
【小题1】Which of the following is TRUE about Cisneros in her childhood?

A．She had seven brothers.	B．She felt herself a nobody.
C．She was too shy to go to school.	D．She did not have any good teachers.

【小题2】The graduate program gave Cisneros a chance to _____.

A．develop her writing style	B．run away from her family
C．make a lot of friends	D．work for a school magazine

【小题3】According to Cisneros, what played the decisive role in her success?

A．Her early years in college.	B．Her training in the Workshop.
C．Her childhood experience	D．Her feeling of being different.

【小题4】What do we learn about The House on Mango Street?

A．It wasn’t success as it was written in Spanish.

B．It is the only book ever written by Cisneros.

C．It is quite popular among students.

D．It won an award when Cisneros was twenty-nine.

A businessman lost his wallet. There was plenty of money in it. So he made a promise, "If someone finds my wallet and returns it to me, I'll give half the money to him."
A dustman found the wallet in a dustbin. He sent it back to the loser. But the businessman changed his mind.
"There was still a diamond ring in my wallet," said the loser, "I won't give half the money in my wallet to you until you return it to me!"
"I've never seen a diamond ring in the wallet," said the dustman.
They began to quarrel. The businessman refused to do what he had said. The dustman became angry and took him before a judge.
After the judge heard what had happened to them, he said to the businessman, "I'm sure you are an honest man. It's true that you have lost a wallet in which there was a diamond ring. But it's also clear that there is only a lot of money in this wallet. I don't think it's yours. Wait for some time. Perhaps someone will be able to return your wallet to you!"
Then the judge turned to the dustman and said, "Take the wallet home. If the loser doesn't go to get it back in three days, it will belong to you!"
【小题1】The wallet the businessman lost ________.

A．was found in a shop

B．was sent to the judge

C．was found in a dustbin

D．was never to be found

【小题2】The businessman was eager to get back the wallet because _________.

A．there was the address of an important judge in it

B．there was a lot of money in it

C．he put in it a diamond ring he had just bought

D．it was a very expensive one

【小题3】Having heard what had happened, the judge _________ .

A．took the side of the businessman

B．made a wise decision

C．took pity on the loser

D．did not know what to do

【小题4】Where do you think was the diamond ring?

A．The businessman hid it.

B．The dustman kept it

C．The judge stole it.

D．The story of the ring was nothing but a lie.

Victor’s hobby was collecting stamps. He had stamps from many countries, like England, Canada and China. On his birthday, can you guess what people gave him? That’s right---stamps.
Victor’s favourite stamps came from France. He had almost every stamp from 1954 to 2004. He only needed one. That was a 1974 special edition*. It was very hard to find.
He looked for it everywhere. He asked his friends and relatives to help him. But nobody could find the stamp. It made Victor very sad.
“Don’t worry. Never give up,” his father said to him. “If you have enough patience, you’ll find it one day.”
“I hope so,” Victor said.
Victor also liked writing. He had a penfriend in France. They wrote to each other every month. Victor’s penfriend, Phillip, usually used new stamps to send letters. Sometimes, his mother gave him stamps to use. Once Phillip’s mother gave him a big, green stamp. It looked old. When Victor received the letter, he was very surprised. On the envelope, he looked carefully at the stamp. It was the 1974 special edition stamp. Victor was so happy. He told his sister, his mother and his father.                                                   
“ You see,” his father said. “ You did find your stamp. So, it’s good to have two things in life.”
“What are they?” Victor asked.
“ Friends and patience.” He answered.
【小题1】It was very difficult for Victor to find a special French stamp of _________.

A．1954

B．1974

C．1994

D．2004

【小题2】What does the underlined word “patience” mean?

A．勇气

B．知识

C．耐心

D．目标

【小题3】Who owned the special edition stamp at the very beginning?

A．Phillip.

B．Phillip’s mother.

C．Victor.

D．Victor’s father.

【小题4】The passage mainly tells us that ________ is(are) important to people.

A．a happy family	B．a good hobby
C．relatives and friendship	D．friends and patience

Greg Woodburn, a student at the University of Southern California, spends a lot of time cleaning sneakers he collected. But soon the shoes will be sent to poor children in the United States and 20 other countries, thanks to Woodburn’s Share our soles (S.O.S) charity.
A high school track star in the town of Ventura, California, Woodburn was treated in hospital for months with foot injuries.
“I started thinking about the health benefits, the friendship and the confidence I got from running,” he says, “And I realized there are children who don’t even have shoes”.
Woodburn gathered up his old sneakers, and then asked his friends to donate. His goal was to have 100 pairs by Christmas 2006. When he collected more than 500 pairs, he decided to turn the shoe drive into a year-round effort.
Back then, the sneakers came from donation boxes and the local sporting goods store and from door-to-door pickups. Woodburn has now set up collection boxes at two high schools, city gym and recreation center. So far, S.O.S has collected and donated more than 3,000 pairs.
Woodburn has cleaned all the shoes. After sorting the shoes by size, Woodburn selects the good shoes for the washing machine and the worn-out ones for recycling.
For many recipients, the shoes represent opportunity. Two young boys in Southern California attended school every other day because they shared a pair of shoes. They were too big for one boy and too small for the other. Thanks to S.O.S, each brother received his own pair of shoes. The boys now attend school daily and enjoy their learning. When they graduate, they say, they will help a stranger, just as Woodburn helped them.
【小题1】The text is mainly about    .

A．the attempts to collect sneakers	B．the school track star, Woodburn
C．Woodburn and his Share Our Soles	D．the recycling of the worn sneakers

【小题2】What caused Greg Woodburn to donate old shoes for poor children?

A．News about some poor children.	B．The benefits from playing sports.
C．His memory of school life.	D．The medical treatment he received.

【小题3】When collecting more sneakers than expected. Woodburn decided to      .

A．collect shoes throughout the year	B．set up branches in different cities
C．put out a call to his friends	D．make his effort in the whole city

【小题4】From the fifth paragraph we can learn that       .

A．Woodburn has changed his business

B．Few students are interested in his suggestion

C．Few people supported his career

D．Woodburn succeeded in this charity

【小题5】Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A．The two brothers would like to share a pair of shoes.

B．The shoes will protect poor children from injuries.

C．Woodburn gets tired of cleaning the old sneakers.

D．The shoes from S.O.S make a big difference to the two brothers.

What if you could fly like a bird just by thinking happy thoughts? Or you could disappear to a faraway land, never grow old and fight pirates every day? For Peter Pan and his friends, the Lost Boys, these dreams come true.
More than 100 years after this playful boy was “born”, Peter Pan and his friends are to continue their adventure in a sequel(续集)to J.M. Barrie’s original novel. “Peter Pan in Scarlet”(重返梦幻岛),written by British author Geraldine McCaughrean, was published earlier this month.
The sequel brings all the original characters back. Peter Pan’s friends, the Lost Boys, are now grown up and live in the real world. What’s more, at the end of the first book, Peter Pan thinks he has killed his enemy, Captain Hook. But ,new readers discover he is not so dead at all.
For those who are unfamiliar with the original story, Peter Pan lives in faraway Neverland with a group of orphans. But they are eager for a real mother and Peter Pan flies to London with a fairy(仙女), Tinkerbell, to find one. They visit a young girl, Wendy, who loves to read stories, and bring her and her two brothers back to Neverland to live with them. In Neverland, children never have to grow up, and there are no parents to tell them what to do.
Many teenagers dream of a world where they don’t have to grow old and take responsibility. But, the author explains such a world is not the paradise(乐园)when it first appears: adventures can be scary and often dangerous, and, though we all sometimes dream of running away, we all need someone to love and look after us too.
【小题1】 The passage is written to ________.

A．tell you about an unrealistic dream

B．introduce novels about Peter Pan

C．analyze the difficulties of growing up

D．explain why Peter Pan can’t grow old

【小题2】“Peter Pan in Scarlet” is about _________.

A．how some children fought against the pirate–Captain Hook

B．the care–free life the children led in Neverland

C．how peter Pan looked for a real mother for the Lost Boys

D．how the Lost Boys return to Neverland for more adventures

【小题3】The stories of Peter Pan and the Lost Boys reflect that those at their age ________.

A．are ready to shoulder responsibility

B．choose adventures in faraway places

C．long for independence but also need someone to love them

D．can’t wait to grow up

【小题4】 The place Peter Pan and his friend stay is named Neverland probably because    .

A．they never have to grow up

B．they don’t have parents

C．they never have troubles

D．they never need to worry

【小题5】Peter Pan flies to London _________.

A．to find a fairy

B．to visit a young girl

C．to find a real mother

D．to earn money

It was Monday. Mrs. Smith's dog was hungry, but there was not any meat in the house.
　　Considering that there was no better way. Mrs. Smith took a piece of paper, and wrote the following words on it：“Give my dog half a pound of meat.” Then she gave the paper to her dog and said gently：“Take this to the butcher（* person whose job is selling meat）and he's going to give you your lunch today.”
　　Holding the piece of paper in its mouth, the dog ran to the butcher's. It gave the paper to the butcher. The butcher read it carefully, recognized that it was really the lady's handwriting and soon did it as he was asked to. The dog was very happy, and ate the meat up at once.
　　At noon, the dog came to the shop again. It gave the butcher a piece of paper again. After reading it, he gave it half a pound of meat once more.
　　The next day, the dog came again exactly at noon. And as usual, it brought a piece of paper in the mouth. This time, the butcher did not take a look at paper, and gave the dog its meat, for he had regarded the dog as one of his customers（*people who buy sth. from a shop）.
　　But, the dog came again at four o'clock. And the same thing happened once again. To the butcher's more surprise, it came for the third time at six o'clock, and brought with it a third piece of paper. The butcher felt a bit puzzled. He  said to himself, “This is a small dog. Why does Mrs. Smith give it so much meat to eat today?”
Looking at the piece of paper, he found that there were not any words on it！
【小题1】 It seemed that the dog knew well that the paper Mrs. Smith gave it ______ .

A．might do it much harm	B．could do it much good
C．would help the butcher	D．was worth many pounds

【小题2】The butcher did not give any meat to the dog __________ .

A．before he felt sure that the words were really written by Mrs. Smith

B．when he found that the words on the paper were not clear

C．because he had sold out all the meat in his shop

D．until he was paid enough by Mrs. Smith

【小题3】From its experience, the dog found that ________.

A．only the paper with Mrs. Smith's words in it could bring it meat

B．the butcher would give the meat to it whenever he saw it

C．Mrs. Smith would pay for the meat it got from the butcher

D．a piece of paper could bring it half a pound of meat

【小题4】At the end of the story, you'll find that _______.

A．the dog was clever enough to write on the paper

B．the dog dared not go to the butcher's any more

C．the butcher was told not to give any meat to the dog

D．the butcher found himself cheated by the clever animal

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 （未剃须的）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 range 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,
“May 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.
【小题1】What does the underlined word “disheveled” mean?

A．Unfriendly.

B．Untidy.

C．Gentle.

D．Kind.

【小题2】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

【小题3】How did the author probably feel after he talked with his friend?

A．Proud.

B．Pitiful.

C．Surprised.

D．Regretful

【小题4】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.

While watching the Olympics the other night, I came across an unbelievable sight. It was not a gold medal, or a world record broken, but a show of courage.
The event was swimming and started with only three men on the blocks. For one reason or another, two of them false started, so they were disqualified. That left only one to compete. It would have been difficult enough, not having anyone to race against, even though the time on the clock is important.
I watched the man dive off the block and knew right away that something was wrong. I’m not an expert swimmer, but I can tell a good dive from a poor one, and this was not exactly medal quality. When he resurfaced, it was evident that the man was not out for gold – his arms were waving in an attempt at freestyle. The crowd started to laugh. Clearly this man was not a medal competitor.
I listened to the crowd begin to laugh at this poor man who was clearly having a hard time. Finally he made his turn to start back. It was pitiful. He made a few desperate strokes and you could tell he was worn out.
But in those few awful strokes, the crowd had changed.
No longer were they laughing, but beginning to cheer. Some even began to stand and shout “Come on, you can do it!” and he did.
A clear minute past the average swimmer, this young man finally finished his race. The crowd went wild. You would have thought that he had won the gold, and he should have. Even though he recorded one of the slowest times in Olympic history, this man gave more heart than any of the other competitors.
Just a short year ago, he had never even swum, let alone race. His country had been invited to Sydney.
In a competition where athletes remove their silver medals feeling they have somehow been cheated out of gold, or when they act so proudly in front of their competitors, it is nice to watch an underdog.
【小题1】From the passage we can learn that the young man         .

A．made his turn to start back pitifully	B．was skillful in freestyle in the game
C．swam faster than the average swimmer	D．was not capable enough to win the medal

【小题2】The crowd changed their attitudes because          .

A．they felt sorry for the young man	B．they were moved by the young man’s courage
C．they wanted to show their sympathy	D．they meant to please the young man

【小题3】According to the passage, “it is nice to watch an underdog” probably means          .

A．it’s amazing to watch an ordinary man challenging himself

B．it’s amusing to watch a man with awful swimming skills

C．it’s cheerful for athletes to act proudly before their competitors

D．it’s brave enough for some athletes to remove the silver medals

【小题4】Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

A．The event started with three men, two of whom were disqualified later.

B．The crowd started to laugh at the athlete’s arms waving in an attempt at freestyle.

C．The athlete, as well as the author, is an expert swimmer.

D．The swimming event is a show of courage rather than a fierce competition.

【小题5】What’s the best title for the passage?

A．Compete for Gold!	B．Try again!
C．Break a Record!	D．Go for it!

A jobless man applied for the position of “office boy” at Microsoft. The HR manager interviewed him and then watched him cleaning the floor as a test.
“You are employed,” he said. “Give me your e-mail address and I’ll send you the application to fill in, as well as date when you may start. ”The man replied, “But I don’t have a computer, neither an e-mail. ”
“I’m sorry,” said the HR manager. “If you don’t have an e-mail, that means you do not exist. And who doesn’t exist cannot have the job. ”
The man left with no hope at all. He didn’t know what to do, with only ten dollars in his pocket. He then decided to go to the supermarket and buy 10kg tomatoes. He then sold the tomatoes from door to door. In less than two hours, he succeeded to double his capital. He repeated the operation three times, and returned home happily with 60 dollars.
The man realized that he can survive in this way, and started to go every day earlier, and return late. Thus, his money doubled or tripled every day. Shortly, he bought a cart, then a truck, and then he had his own fleet of delivery vehicles. Five years later, the man is one of the biggest food retailers in the US.
He started to plan his family’s future and decided to have a life insurance. He called an insurance broker and chose a protection plan.
When the conversation was concluded the broker asked him his e-mail. The man replied, “I don’t have an e-mail. ”
The broker answered curiously, “You don’t have an e-mail, and yet have succeeded to build an empire. Can you imagine what you could have been if you had an e-mail?” The man thought for a while and replied, “Yes, I’d be an office boy at Microsoft!”
【小题1】Why can’t the man have the job at Microsoft?

A．Because he was lazy.	B．Because he didn’t pass the test.
C．Because he didn’t have an e-mail.	D．Because he didn’t have a computer.

【小题2】The underlined word “triple” can be replaced by ______.

A．become large	B．become 3 times
C．increase quickly	D．decrease quickly

【小题3】According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?

A．The man is one of the biggest food retailers in the world.

B．The man didn’t give up though he failed the interview.

C．He started his career by selling tomatoes in the supermarket.

D．Those who have e-mails can work at Microsoft.

【小题4】The man can be described as _______.

A．helpful and considerate	B．positive and generous
C．smart and hardworking	D．stubborn and unselfish

【小题5】Which proverb can best describe the story?

A．Misfortune may be an actual blessing.	B．Where there is a will, there is a way.
C．Accidents will happen.	D．No pains, no gains.

Dr. Martinez put on a false smile (假笑) as she entered Janet Eslin’s hospital room. She couldn’t let Janet see that she was worried. Yet she had been searching for the cause of Janet’s illness and hadn’t found a clue（线索）.
“How are you feeling today?” Dr. Martinez asked her patient. Janet replied that she felt about the same----terribly uncomfortable.
The doctor tried to get Janet’s mind off her health by talking about Janet’s vacation at Lake Winnow. But Dr. Martinez couldn’t keep her own mind on the conversation. She kept wondering what could be wrong with her patient.
Suddenly Janet’s words interrupted Dr. Martinez’s thoughts: “… the vacation was really perfect, except for the food. The last meal I ate was especially terrible.”
Dr. Martinez quickly snapped back into the conversation, “Janet, when did you eat that meal?” Janet said that it had been the day before yesterday.
“I think we’ve discovered your problem,” Dr. Martinez said as she left. Several hours later, Dr. Martinez was back with the answer. “Janet, the food you ate made you ill. You’re suffering from food poisoning. Now that we know what’s wrong, we can take care of your problem.”
【小题1】What made Janet sick?

A．an insect bite	B．bad food
C．bad water	D．cold weather

【小题2】What is the main idea of the story?
A doctor discovers what made Janet sick.
Dr. Martinez becomes ill.
Janet goes on vacation.
A doctor talks to Janet in the hospital.
【小题3】Where did Janet go on her vacation?
A. She took a trip to the city.
B. She went camping in the mountains.
C. She spent a week at the seashore.
She took a trip to a lake.
【小题4】What does the underlined word “interrupted” mean?

A．talked about

B．told over again

C．broke in while someone was talking

D．never stopped listening to the other person