As I sat beside the window of our classroom that afternoon, my heart sank further with each passing car. This was a day I’d looked forward to for weeks: Miss Pace’s fourth-grade, end-of-the-year party. I had happily volunteered my mother when Miss Pace looked for cookie volunteers. Mom’s chocolate chips were well-known, and I knew they’d be a hit with my classmates. But two o’clock passed, and there was no sign of her. Most of the other mothers had already come and gone, dropping off their sweet offerings. The three o’clock bell soon took me away from my thoughts and I took my book bag from my desk. I decided I would slam the front door, and refuse to return her hug.
But when I arrived, she wasn’t at home. I was lying face-down on my bed upstairs when I heard her come through the front door. “Robbie,” she called out a bit urgently. “Where are you?” I could then hear her rushing anxiously from room to room, wondering where I could be. I remained silent. Coming through the door, she said: “I’m so sorry, honey,” she said. “I just forgot. I got busy and forgot.” Then my mother did something completely unexpected. She began to laugh! How could she laugh at a time like this? I rolled over and faced her, ready to let her see my rage (愤怒). But my mother wasn’t laughing at all. She was crying. “I’m so sorry,” she said. “I let you down. I let my little boy down.”
I was moved by her tears. I tried to remember her kind words from times past when I’d skinned knees or cut myself, times when she knew just the right thing to say. “It’s okay, Mom. We didn’t even need those cookies. There was plenty of stuff to eat. Don’t cry. It’s all right. Really.” We didn’t say another word. We just held each other. When we came to the point where I would usually pull away, I decided that, this time, I could hold on, perhaps, just a little bit longer.
【小题1】The author was pretty down because ________.

A．he couldn’t go to the party he had been looking forward to

B．his mother didn’t turn up at the party as she had promised

C．his mother had refused to make chocolate chips for the party

D．the cookies his mom made was not popular at the party

【小题2】When the author returned home, ________.

A．he was so angry that he slammed the front door.

B．he was silent and refused to return his mother’s hug.

C．he rushed from room to room looking for his mother.

D．he was so disappointed that he couldn’t express his anger to his mother.

【小题3】We can tell from the story that _______.

A．the mother didn’t get to the party because of the traffic jam

B．the mother was sorry for her absence and laughed at herself

C．the author was a caring and thoughtful boy

D．the author was overcome with anger

【小题4】The article conveys the message that _______.

A．it is silly to be angry with your family

B．everybody should keep his or her promises

C．true love is based on understanding

D．understanding how to comfort people in low spirits is a true skill

Loch Ness, the largest freshwater lake in the British Isles, is twenty four miles long and, at one point, one mile wide. It has an average depth of four hundred and fifty feet and at times drops close to a thousand. It is cold and murky (混沌的), with dangerous currents. In short, it is the perfect place to hide a monster from even the sharpest eyes of science.
The Loch Ness Monster, also called Nessie, is supposedly living in this area. The earliest recorded sighting of the Loch Ness Monster was in the biography of Life of St. Columba by Adamnan in the year AD 565. The monster apparently attacked a man who was swimming in the River Ness.
The monster didn’t make headlines again until August 27, 1930, when 3 fishermen reported seeing a creature with 20 feet long approaching their boat, throwing water in the air. In 1933, after a new road was built along the edge of the Loch, the number of reports rose suddenly. Early in 1934, Author Grant, a young student, was out on his motorcycle one evening when he almost ran into the monster as it crossed the road. Grant’s description of the thing – small head, long thin neck and tail with a big body, seemed to match the appearance of the plesiosaur (蛇颈龙), an aquatic (水生的) type of dinosaur that has been extinct (已灭绝的) for 65 million years.
The Loch Ness Investigation Bureau was formed in 1962 to act as a research organization for information about the creature. Even now, efforts have continued to find the monster. A great deal of information was discovered about the Loch, but there isn’t any yet to produce any specific evidence of a monster.
Skeptics (怀疑论者) argue that the water in the Loch is too cold for a plesiosaur to live in. They also argue that an air-breathing animal, like a whale or seal, would spend much more time on the surface than the creature seems to, and would be spotted more often.
Some scientists have wondered if the sightings might be caused by an underwater wave which is known to sometimes occur in deep, long, and cold lakes, like Loch Ness. Such a wave might push debris (废弃物) to the surface that might look like a strange animal.
However, none of these is identified.
【小题1】According to the skeptics, which of the following is TRUE?

A．It is impossible for a monster to live in cold water.

B．The Loch Ness Monster often stays under the water.

C．The Loch Ness Monster is an air-breathing animal.

D．There is no so-called monster in Loch Ness.

【小题2】Which of the following is the correct order for the things that happened in the passage?
a. A young student met with a monster crossing the road.
b. A swimmer was attacked by a monster in Loch Ness.
c. A new road was built along the edge of the Loch.
d. The Loch Ness Investigation Bureau was set up.
e. Three fishermen saw a creature swimming towards their boat.

A．b, e, c, a, d	B．a, b, e, d, c
C．b, d, a, c, e	D．d, c, e, b, a

【小题3】What does this passage mainly talk about?

A．The natural scenery of Loch Ness.

B．The Nessie.

C．Skeptics’ opinions on Loch Ness Monster.

D．The Loch Ness Investigation Bureau’s research results.

Most people know that Marie Curie was the first woman to win the Nobel Prize, and the first person to win it twice. However, few people know that she was also the mother of a Nobel Prize winner.
Born in September, 1897, Irene Curies was the first of the Curies’ two daughters. Along with nine other children whose parents were also famous scholars, Irene studied in their own school, and her mother was one of the teachers. She finished her high school education at the College of Sevigne in Paris.
Irene entered the University of Paris in 1914 to prepare for a degree in mathematics and physics. When World War I began, Irene went to help her mother, who was using X-ray facilities (设备) to help save the lives of wounded soldiers. Irene continued the work by developing X-ray facilities in military hospitals in France and Belgium. Her services were recognized in the form of a Military Medal by the French government.
In 1918, Irene became her mother’s assistant at the Curie Institute. In December 1924, Frederic Joliot joined the Institute, and Irene taught him the techniques required for his work. They soon fell in love and were married in 1926. Their daughter Helene was born in 1927 and their son Pierre five years later.
Like her mother, Irene combined family and career. Like her mother, Irene was awarded a Nobel Prize, along with her husband, in 1935. Unfortunately, also like her mother, she developed leukemia because of her work with radioactivity (辐射能). Irene Joliot-Curie died from leukemia on March 17, 1956.
【小题1】Why was Irene Curie awarded a Military Medal?

A．Because she received a degree in mathematics.

B．Because she contributed to saving the wounded.

C．Because she won the Nobel Prize with Frederic

D．Because she worked as a helper to her mother.

【小题2】Where did Irene Curie meet her husband Frederic Joliot?

A．At the Curie Institute.	B．At the University of Paris.
C．At a military hospital.	D．At the College of Sevigne.

【小题3】When was the second child of Irene Curie and Frederic Joliot born?

A．In 1932.

B．In 1927.

C．In 1897.

D．In 1926.

【小题4】In which of the following aspects（方面）was Irene Curie different from her mother?

A．Irene worked with radioactivity.

B．Irene combined family and career.

C．Irene won the Nobel Prize once.

D．Irene died from leukemia.

“Last week,” Dr. P said “I was invited to a doctors’ meeting at the R. Hospital. In one of the rooms a patient, an old man, got up from his bed and moved slowly towards me. I could see that he hadn’t long to live, but he came up to me and placed his right foot close to mine on the floor.”
“Frank!” I cried with surprise. He couldn’t answer as I knew, but he tried to smile, all the time keeping his foot close to mine.
My thoughts raced back more than thirty years—to the dark days of 1941, when I was a student in London. The scene was an air-raid shelter (防空洞), in which I and about a hundred other people slept every night. Among them were Mrs. West and her son Frank, who lived nearby. Sharing wartime problems, we got to know each other very well. Frank interested me because he was not normal (正常的). He had never been normal, ever since he was born. His mother told me he was 37 then, but he had less of a mind than a baby has. Mrs. West, then about 75, was a strong, able woman, as she had to be of course, because Frank depended on her completely. He needed all the attention of a baby.
One night a policeman came into our shelter and told Mrs. West that her house had been all destroyed. That wasn’t quite true, because the West went on living there for quite some time. But they certainly lost nearly everything they owned.
When that kind of thing happened, the rest of us helped the unlucky ones. So before we separated (分别) that morning, I stood beside Frank and measured my right foot against his.
They were about the same size. That night, then, I took a spare pair of shoes to the shelter for Frank. As soon as he saw me, he came running—and placed his right foot against mine. After that, he always greeted (问候) me in the same way.
【小题1】How did Dr P know that the patient was Frank?

A．He was told that Frank was in the hospital.

B．He was invited to study Frank’s illness.

C．Frank greeted him in a special way.

D．Frank’s name was written on the door.

【小题2】When and where did Dr. P first meet Frank?

A．At the R Hospital about ten days before.

B．In an air-raid shelter during the war.

C．In Mrs. West’s house in 1941.

D．In London after the West’s’ house was destroyed.

【小题3】The unlucky ones mentioned by the doctor were __________.

A．those who suffered from illness.

B．those who were killed during the war

C．those who slept in the air-raid shelter.

D．those whose homes were destroyed in air-raids

【小题4】Dr. P placed his foot against Fran’s before he left the shelter.

A．to find out if Frank could put on his shoes

B．to be friendly towards Frank

C．to see if Frank’s feet were normal

D．to teach Frank to greet people in a special way

【小题5】Why did Dr P say that Mrs West had to be a strong, able woman?

A．She was over 75.

B．She needed all the attention of a baby.

C．She had to give care and thought to her son as to a baby.

D．She lost nearly everything in the war.

Long ago in a small town, there was a place known as the House of 1,000 Mirrors. A small, happy little dog learned of this place and decided to visit.
When he arrived, he bounced(跳) happily up the stairs to the doorway of the house. He looked through the doorway with his ears lifted high and his tail wagging as fast as it could. To his great surprise, he found himself staring at 1,000 other happy little dogs with their tails wagging just as his. He smiled a great smile, and was answered with 1,000 great smiles just as warm and friendly. As he left the house, he thought to himself, “ This is a wonderful place. I will come back and visit often.”
In this same village, another little dog, who was not quite as happy as the first one, decided to visit the house. He slowly climbed the stairs and hung his head low as he looked into the door. When he saw the 1,000 unfriendly looking dogs staring back at him, he growled at them and was horrified to see 1,000 little dogs growling back at him. As he left, he thought to himself, “This is a horrible place, and I will never go back there again.”
All the faces in the world are mirrors. What kind of reflections do you see on the faces of the people you meet?
【小题1】Why was the first dog surprised when he entered the house?

A．Because he didn’t expect to see so many happy dogs.

B．Because he didn’t know there were 1,000 mirrors in the house.

C．Because he was always in a mixed mood.

D．Because he saw so many dogs smiling at him.

【小题2】Why did the first dog like the house?

A．Because there were 1,000 mirrors in the house.

B．Because he thought he could keep himself warm in the house.

C．Because he liked everything presented to him.

D．Because he felt he was welcome here.

【小题3】The underlined word “ growl” probably means ______.

A．make an unfriendly noise

B．smile

C．say hello

D．stare

【小题4】Which of the following is the most suitable title for the passage?

A．A Small happy Little Dog	B．The House of 1,000 Mirrors
C．The Wonderful Place and the Horrible Place.	D．Two Little Dogs

I was in a strange city and I didn't know the city at all and what is more，I could not speak a word of the language. After having spent my first day in the town-centre，I decided to lose my way on my second day, since I believed that this was the simplest way of getting to know the strange city.
I got on the first bus that passed, rode on it for several stops then got it off and walked on. The first two hours passed pleasantly enough. Then I decided to turn back to my hotel for lunch. After walking about for some time, I decided I had better ask the way. The trouble was that the only word I knew of the language was the name of the street in which I lived and even then I pronounced it badly.
I stopped to ask a friendly-looking newspaper-seller. He smiled and handed me a paper. I shook my head and repeated the name of the street and he put the paper into my hands. I had to give him some money and went on my way. The next person I asked was a policeman. The policeman listened to me carefully, smiled and gently took me by the arm. There was a strange look in his eyes as he pointed left and right and left again. I thanked him politely and began walking in the direction he pointed.
About an hour passed and I noticed that the houses were getting fewer and fewer and green fields were appearing on either side of me. I had come all the way into the countryside.
The only thing left for me to do was to find the nearest railway station,
【小题1】The writer believed that if you wanted to get to know a strange city         .

A．you should go everywhere on foot

B．you should have a map

C．you should ask people the way

D．you should get lost

【小题2】The newspaper-seller ________

A．could understand what he said

B．didn't know what he said

C．laughed at him

D．didn't want to take the money

【小题3】The writer's real trouble was that            .

A．he couldn't speak the language

B．he followed the policeman's direction

C．he took the wrong bus

D．he left the town-centre

【小题4】The policeman        .

A．didn't help him

B．pointed at him

C．didn't understand what he really meant

D．didn’t know the way

Ben Olsen had great careers as professional players. His story tells a lot about the past, present and future of professional soccer in America.
Ben Olsen was an important part of D.C. United's early success. He was the top new player, or rookie of the year, in 1998. His young professional career reached a high point the next season. D.C. United won the M.L.S. Cup, the league championship（锦标赛）, on the strength（力量） of a Most Valuable Player performance by Olsen. He scored one of two goals for his team in the win against the Los Angeles Galaxy.
Ben Olsen looks back on his score in that championship as his most memorable. "I'd lost a lot of championships before that year, so that was a special game." said Ben Olsen.
Like many top American soccer players, Olsen played overseas. He joined the club Nottingham Forest in Britain. He says different leagues have different styles of play. "Some teams are very fast and athletic. Some teams are a little bit more low pressure on the ball and more skillful players. England has always been known to be a fast and physical league."
Olsen was also a part of the United States World Cup team of 2006. He says playing for his country was something he will never forget. 
Ben Olsen has had five operations for severe ankle（脚踝） injuries. Still, he had one of his best years in 2007. He scored seven goals including a "hat trick"-- three in one game.
Ben Olsen celebrates his third goal in one game against the New York Red Bull in June of 2007
He was recognized for his outstanding play with an M.L.S. Best Eleven award. He accepted the award in a wheelchair after a minor operation became major ankle surgery（外科手术）. Ben Olsen retired after the 2009 season. Today he is an assistant coach with D.C. United.
【小题1】When did Ben Olsen begin to win championship?

A． In 1998

B．Next season

C．In 1999

D．In 2006

【小题2】What does the underlined word ‘rookie’ mean in this sentence?

A．Success

B．New player

C．professional career

D．championship

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

A．Ben Olsen has a deep love for his country

B．Ben Olsen scored three goals in 1999

C．Top American soccer players never played oversea

D．He scored ten goals in 2007

【小题4】What do you think is the best title for the passage?
A. Ben Olsen—the best soccer player
B. Ben Olsen’s professional career
C. Ben Olsen and D.C. United
D. An introduction to Ben Olsen

Years ago a farmer owned land along the Atlantic. He constantly advertised for hired hands. Most people were not willing to work on farms along the Atlantic because they worried about the terrible storms that destroy buildings and crops. The farmer received a steady stream of refusals at the interview for a farmhand
Finally, a short, thin man approached the farmer. “Are you a good farmhand?” the farmer asked him.
^“Well, I can sleep when the wind blows. ” answered the little man.
Although puzzled by this answer ，the farmer, desperate for help, hired him. The little man worked well around the farm ，busy from dawn to dusk, and the farmer felt satisfied with the man's work.
Then one night the wind howled loudly from offshore. Jumping out of bed，the farmer grabbed a lantern and rushed next door to the hired hand’s sleeping quarters. He shook the little man and yelled， “ Get up! A storm is coming! Tie things down before they are blown away! ”
The little man rolled over in bed and said firmly, “No sir. I told you, I can sleep when the wind blows. ”
Enraged (激怒）by the response, the farmer was tempted to fire  him on the spot ,Instead, he hurried outside to prepare for the storm. To his amazement，he discovered that all of the hay had been covered. The cows were in the bam，the chickens were in the coops，and the doors were barred The shutters were tightly secured. Everything was tied down, Nothing could be blown away.
The farmer then understood what his hired hand meant, so he also returned to his bed to sleep while the wind was still blowing.
【小题1】Why did the farmer constantly advertise for hired hands?

A．Because he needed hired hands all. the year round.

B．Because there was too much work to do on the farm.

C．Because he could hardly hire a farmhand.

D．Because he offered poor conditions for the hired hands.

【小题2】The farmer felt amazed because _______

A．the Little man was sleeping	B．everything was in safety
C．the wind was too strong	D．he could not open the doors

【小题3】What did the man mean by saying “I can sleep when the wind blows. ” ?

A．He needed much sleep after working hard on the farm.

B．He was very brave and not afraid of wind

C．He enjoyed sleeping when the wind blew.

D．He would get everything done before the wind blew.

【小题4】Which of the following  statements about the Little man is TRUE?

A．He was not afraid of storms.

B．He was a heavy sleeper under any condition

C．He was hard-working and devoted to his work.

D．He was fired shortly after he tied everything down.

I want to tell you a story that changed my life many years ago. We were living in College Station, Texas and my wife and I were on our way home from Houston, Texas one Saturday morning. We decided to stop at a local restaurant to get something to eat since we had enough time. When we finished, we got back into our car and before I started it, we noticed a homeless man standing in front of the building. His clothes were worn and it looked as though he didn’t have any money. It was cold and I was sure he wanted something warm to drink; however, it was not this that I remember, because that is not what "moved" me. A dog was also walking up to the front of the building. Being a dog owner, I knew that the dog was a mother, and that she had just had some pups (小狗). She was hungry and weak and I felt bad for her. I knew if she didn’t eat soon, she and her pups would not live. People walking by didn’t even notice her. She was not as pretty and clean as most dogs, but she still deserved (值得) better. We still did not do anything, but someone else did. The homeless man, who I thought could not afford anything to eat, went into the store and bought dog food with all the money he had.
【小题1】Where did the story happen?

A．In front of the local restaurant.

B．In front of a building.

C．In the car parking lot.

D．Near the author’s house.

【小题2】What do we know about the dog?

A．The author wanted to help the dog, but he was un-able to.

B．The dog and her pups were in danger of dying from hunger.

C．The dog was not cute enough to be loved.

D．The author didn’t like dogs.

【小题3】Which of the following moved the author?

A．The homeless man had no money to buy food for himself.

B．The homeless man wore worn clothes on cold days.

C．The homeless man bought food for a dog with all his money.

D．Most people walking by the dog didn’t notice her.

【小题4】What can we conclude(得出结论) from the passage?

A．The author was so hungry that he went into the local restaurant to eat.

B．The author didn’t understand what the homeless man did.

C．The dog shouldn’t be taken care of carefully because it looked ugly.

D．Things are not always what they seem.

【小题5】Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?

A．My Memory	B．A Poor Dog
C．The Homeless Person	D．A Mother Dog

Frank Woolworth was born in Rodman, New York., in 1852. His family were very poor farmers, and there was never enough to eat. Frank decided he did not want to be farmer. He took a short business course, and went to work as a salesman in a large city.
Woolworth realized he had a natural skill for showing goods to attract people’s interest, but he soon learned something more important. One day his boss told him to sell some odds and ends (小商品) for as much as he could get. Frank put all these things on one table with a sign which said FIVE CENTS EACH. People fought and pushed to buy the things and the table was soon cleared.
Soon afterwards, Woolworth opened his own store, selling goods at five and ten cents. But he had another lesson to learn before he became successful. That is, if you want to make money by selling low-price goods, you have to buy them in large quantities directly form the factories. Once, for example, Woolworth went to Germany and placed an order for knives. The order was so large that the factory had to keep running 24 hours a day for a whole year. In this way, the price of the knives was cut down by half.
By 1919, Woolworth had over 1000 stores in the US and Canada, and opened his first store in London. He made many millions and his name became famous throughout the world. He always run his business according to strict rules, of which the most important was: “ THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT.”
【小题1】Frank took a short business course in order to ____________.

A．earn more money for his family

B．learn something from a salesman

C．get away from the farm

D．get enough to eat.

【小题2】Frank sold the odds and ends quickly because _____________.

A．he knew how to get people to buy his goods.

B．he cut down the price by half

C．he had put the goods on a table in a very nice way.

D．the sign he put on the table was well designed.

【小题3】The price of the knives was cut down by half because ______________.

A．the factory workers worked 24 hours a day.

B．knives were ordered in large quantities directly from the factory.

C．the knives were made in Germany, where labor (劳动力) was cheap.

D．the knives were produced in one factory.

【小题4】_____________make Woolworth a world-famous man.

A．His business skills and his wealth.

B．The low price of the goods he sold.

C．His trip to Germany and his huge order of knives.

D．His natural skill for showing things.

【小题5】The belief that : “ The customer is always right” suggests that _______________.

A．whenever there is a quarrel between the customer and shop assistant, the customers are always right.

B．If you want to succeed, the rule is the only way.

C．stores must always follow the customer’s orders if they want to make more money.

D．stores should do their best to meet the customer’s needs if they want to be successful.