It’s just a small, white envelope stuck among the branches of our Christmas tree. No name, no address. It has peeked through the branches of our tree for the past 10 years.
It all began because my husband Mike hated Christmas. He didn’t hate the true meaning of Christmas, but the commercial aspects of it; overspending, running around at the last minute to get a tie for Uncle Harry and powder for Grandma…
Knowing he felt this way, I decided one year to bypass the usual shirts, sweaters, ties and so forth. I reached for something special for Mike. The inspiration came in an unusual way.
Our son Kevin, at 12 that year, was wrestling at the junior level at the school he attended and before Christmas, there was a non-league match against a team sponsored by an inner-city church, mostly black.
As the match began, I was alarmed to see that the other team was wrestling without headgear to protect a wrestler’s ears. They obviously could not afford.
Mike shook his head sadly, “I wish just one of them could have won,” he said. “They have a lot of potential, but losing like this could take the heart right out of them.”
Mike loved kids—all kids—and he knew them, having coached little league football, baseball and lacrosse. That’s when the idea for his present came.
That afternoon, I went to a local sporting goods store and bought an assortment of wrestling headgear and shoes and sent them anonymously to the inner-city church.
On Christmas Eve, I placed the envelope on the tree, the note inside telling Mike what I had done and that this was his gift from me. His smile was the brightest thing about Christmas that year. For each Christmas, I followed the tradition.
The envelope became the highlight of our Christmas. It was always the last thing opened on Christmas morning and our children, ignoring their new toys, would stand with wide-eyed anticipation as their dad lifted the envelope from the tree to reveal its contents.
The tradition has grown and someday will expand even further with our grandchildren standing around the tree with wide-eyed anticipation watching as their fathers take down the envelope. Mike’s spirit, like the Christmas spirit, will always be with us.
【小题1】Which of the following is the best title for the passage?

A．Precious Present	B．Christmas Gift
C．The Small White Envelope	D．The Good Old Tradition

【小题2】Why did Mike hate Christmas according to the passage?

A．He didn’t like the true meaning of Christmas

B．He didn’t like people spending too much money on presents

C．He hated buying presents for Uncle Harry and Grandma

D．He didn’t want to receive gifts like shirts, sweaters or ties.

【小题3】Which is the closest meaning to the underlined phrase “take the heart right out of them”?

A．make them excited

B．make them inspired

C．make them lose confidence

D．make them kill themselves

【小题4】Why was his smile the brightest thing about Christmas that year? ( paragraph 9)

A．He received some sporting goods

B．He found a potential wrestling team

C．His son won the wrestling match

D．His wife sent presents to those poor kids

【小题5】What can we infer from the passage?

A．The tradition of sending presents will pass from generation to generation.

B．The children were eager to get their new toys ignoring the envelope.

C．With the presents, the poor kids will surely win the match one day.

D．Mike’s spirit, like the Christmas spirit, will always be with us.

Dana Cummings was in his thirties before he first went surfing. But, even more interesting is that Dana Cummings chose to learn the sport after losing a leg in a car accident. Now, nine years later, he helps other disabled (伤残的) people learn how to ride the waves in AmpSurf.
On the coast of Maine, he is working with 27-year-old Matthew Fish, who is partly blind. Cummings takes hold of Fish and leads him into the ocean. The surfboard floats next to them. Fish lies on the surfboard. He tries to stand up on it. After a few attempts (尝试) he is up and riding all the way back to land. “That was exciting,” Fish says.
A car accident in 2002 took Dana Cummings’ leg. He says the crash changed him more than just physically. “Losing my leg made me realize how precious (珍贵的) life is and get off the couch and start living. I do more things now than I ever did before. Next week I am going to compete in a contest in Hawaii,” Dana says.
One year later Dana Cummings formed AmpSurf. AmpSurf is a group that volunteers to hold surfing classes and events for people with all kinds of disabilities.
Recently, AmpSurf took its training programs to the East Coast. Eleven students attended the class in Maine. They came from all over the northeastern United States.
Dana Cummings thinks AmpSurf can change the way a disabled person thinks. “Most people with disabilities consider himself or herself unlucky and useless, but we want them to see what they can do. Who cares you lose your leg or you are blind, whatever? Have fun. Just enjoy life. Take the most advantage of it you can,” Dana says.
【小题1】Matthew Fish thinks learning to ride the waves is _____.

A．boring

B．easy

C．interesting

D．difficult

【小题2】When did Dana Cummings set up AmpSurf according to the text?

A．In 2002.

B．In 2003.

C．In 2008.

D．In 2011.

【小题3】According to Dana Cummings, AmpSurf can _____.

A．ease the physical pain of the disabled

B．help the disabled learn to get used to their life

C．change the attitude of the disabled towards life

D．make the disabled pay more attention to their disabilities

【小题4】the underlined word “it” in the last paragraph refers to ________.

A．your leg

B．your eye

C．life

D．change

【小题5】What is the best title for the text?

A．Dana Cummings — a great surfer

B．AmpSurf — a training group

C．How to learn to live with disabilities

D．Disabled surfers ride the waves

William Butler Yeats, a most famous Irish writer, was born in Dublin on June 13, 1865. His childhood lacked the harmony that was typical of a happy family. Later, Yeats shocked his family by saying that he remembered "little of childhood but its pain". In fact, he inherited (继承) excellent taste in art from his family — both his father and his brother were painters. But he finally settled on literature, particularly drama and poetry. 
Yeats had strong faith in the coming of new artistic movements. He set himself the fresh task in founding an Irish national theatre in the late 1890s. His early theatrical experiments, however, were not received favorably at the beginning. He didn't lose heart, and finally enjoyed success in his poetical drama. 
Compared with his dramatic works, Yeats's poems attract much admiring notice. The subject matter includes love, nature, history, time and aging. Though Yeats generally relied on very traditional forms, he brought modern sensibility to them. As his literary life progressed, his poetry grew finer and richer, which led him to worldwide recognition. 
He had not enjoyed a major public life since winning the Nobel Prize in 1923. Yet, he continued writing almost to the end of his life. Had Yeats stopped writing at age 40, he would probably now be valued as a minor poet, for there is no other example in literary history of a poet who produces his greatest works between the ages of 50 and 75. After Yeats's Death in 1939, W. H. Auden wrote, among others, the following lines: 
Earth, receive an honoured guest:
        William Yeats is laid to rest. 
        Let the Irish vessel (船) lie
        Emptied of its poetry.
【小题1】Which of the following can describe Yeats's family?

A．It filled Yeats's childhood with laughter.

B．It was shocked by Yeats's choice.

C．It was a typically wealthy family.

D．It had an artistic atmosphere.

【小题2】According to the passage, what do we know about Yeats's life?

A．Yeats founded the first Irish theater.

B．Yeats stuck to modern forms in his poetry.

C．Yeats began to produce his best works from the 1910s.

D．Yeats was not favored by the public until the 1923 Noble Prize.

【小题3】What kind of feeling is expressed in W. H. Auden's lines?

A．Envy

B．Sympathy

C．Emptiness

D．Admiration

【小题4】What is the passage mainly about?

A．Yeats's literary achievements	B．Yeats's historical influence
C．Yeats's artistic ambition	D．Yeats's national honor

Before I started school, people felt that 1 was not going to be successful．At the age of four I started speech lessons because basically I could not speak well enough for anyone to understand me．The story goes downhill from here．
The first grade was a struggle．I not only had difficulty speaking, but also felt nervous about the fact that I was expected to learn to read and I just couldn't do it．The second grade was not much better．I still struggled with the inability to read．It was in the third grade that the school district built a new school close to my home．I remember going there with my parents and helping to get the school ready so that we could move to the new one．However, things were still not much better as far as my schooling was concerned and did not get better for the next two years．
It was in the fifth grade．Mrs．Wakefield was my teacher, and if ever there was a teacher that deserved a gold star, it was her．She did not make me feel defeated．On the contrary, she did her best to let me know that I could be whatever I wanted to be．And that is just what I did．
For the past 22 years, I have been a fifth grade teacher．Because of Mrs．Wakefield's influence on my life, I am now encouraging students who have had difficulties in their lives to believe that they can overcome any difficulty and become someone．I have won numerous awards up to now, such as Teacher of the Year．I owe it all to one fifth grade teacher who believed in me and challenged me to be all that I could be．
【小题1】The writer ______ when he was in the third grade．

A．did better in reading	B．began speech lessons
C．went to a new school	D．received a high award

【小题2】We can learn from the passage that the writer ______．

A．is a very successful teacher now

B．thinks teaching is a challenging job

C．has solved problems with his own effort

D．works in the same school with Mrs．Wakefield

【小题3】What is the writer's purpose in writing the passage?

A．To express his devotion to his work．

B．To show his respect to a special teacher．

C．To share his teaching experience with us．

D．To tell us his story of overcoming difficulties．

Today, I felt terrible. My head was full of problems, burdens and confusion. I decided to take a walk even though I didn’t know where I would go.
The most extraordinarything happened when I was out on this walk. I saw an old man sitting on a chair. He was a seller of second-hand shoes. He looked at least 70 years old. He seemed so tired and nobody bought his shoes. I wanted to give him something but I had not brought anything with me.
Then, a little girl came toward him. I heard the child say, “Grandpa, may I polish your shoes?” That old man took pity on her and he gave her a shoe to polish. The girl said, “I polish the shoe because I need money to buy my brother a new school uniform.”
I heard this and tears filled my eyes. The old man answered, “Oh, little girl. Just stop doing this. Come with me and I will buy you a uniform.” Then they walked to a market and I followed close behind them. There he bought her a uniform. The girl said, “Thank you so much for doing this. May God bless you.” Then she left, leaving the old man smiling.
The old man walked away from the market, but I stopped him. I whispered in his ear, “You are a hero! Thank you for your kindness!” As I walked away, I glanced back and I could see him still smiling.
My own sadness had disappeared, chased away by the light of this kind act. I began realizing that I have a lot to be thankful for. I hope, some day, I can show my appreciation of what I have by following the example of the old man who only had a little, but shared it happily with someone who had nothing.
【小题1】The author decided to take a walk in order to    .

A．build himself up

B．lighten his mood

C．enjoy the scenery nearby

D．find out something special

【小题2】When seeing the old shoe seller, the author felt   .

A．happy

B．sympathetic

C．regretful

D．disappointed

【小题3】Why did the girl offer to polish shoes for the old man?

A．She took pity on him.

B．She intended to take care of him.

C．She meant to be friendly to him.

D．She wanted to earn some money.

【小题4】By sharing the story, the author conveys a message that    .

A．a kind act can cheer us up

B．old men often set us examples

C．people value what they don’t have

D．helping others means helping ourselves

【小题5】What would be the best title for the passage?

A．A clever little girl	B．A pair of old shoes
C．A kind shoe seller	D．A girl’s new uniform

Last December, I performed 30 shows in 11 days. I knew it would be a tiring tour before I set off, but I just wanted to be there to support our men and women.
From the minute I walked onstage the afternoon I arrived at the army, the soldiers were cheering, singing along at the top of their voices. I had done hundreds of concerts, but it was my first time to perform for troops. Looking at the smiling faces of these soldiers --- some of them only teenagers --- I felt great joy moving through me. They were the loveliest fans I had ever met. Then, from out of nowhere, words came into my head. “I want to play you something new … a song just came in my head minutes ago. It’s called Here with Me,” I told them. Cheers rang out. As I sang, I could see the tears in some of soldiers’ eyes. I finished to thunderous applause.
At the autograph(亲笔签名)part afterward, one of the soldiers took out a picture of a high school student. “This is my girl. You know, I miss her so much,” he said. “That new song you sang … it meant so much to me. Those were the words I’ve always wanted to tell her.
I realized that the song wasn’t about me and that it was, in fact, a gift for these men and women. I played it in every concert after that, always with the same unbelievable reaction.
On the long plane ride home I kept thinking about the soldiers I’d met. They risked their lives every day to defend our country, yet they were grateful for a simple concert. I decided to record the new song to thank our men and women           in uniform(制服).
【小题1】Which of the following words can best take the place of the word “troops” in the second paragraph?

A．officials

B．teenagers

C．soldiers

D．students

【小题2】When the author performed on the stage, he felt _____.

A．pleased

B．nervous

C．confident

D．worried

【小题3】What might be the topic of the new song?

A．The tiring army life

B．The danger of being a soldier

C．The excitement of going to a concert

D．The family one misses

【小题4】From the text, we can infer that the author _____.

A．served in the army before

B．received many gifts during shows

C．was impressed by the soldiers

D．always cared for the soldiers

【小题5】The passage is most probably written by a(n) _____.

A．dancer

B．teacher

C．singer

D．official leader

Have you listened to music on an iPod? Used a computer at home? Those are just two of the ways your life was touched by the work of Steve Jobs.
Jobs, one founder of Apple Computers, died on Wednesday, October 5, 2011 at the age of 56. He had been fighting with cancer since 2004.
Steven Jobs was born in Los Altos, California. He and his childhood friend, Steve Wozniak, designed and built the first Apple computer in his parents’ garage in the 1970s. The Apple II, built when Jobs was just 21 years old, was the first personal computer to be widely sold to the public.
Steven Jobs didn’t stop there. He went on to invent more devices (设备) that allowed people to bring their own creativity to computing: the Macintosh, the iPod, the iPhone, the iPad. People found his products beautiful and easy to use.
Jobs also changed the music and film industries. He started Pixar, a film production company in 1986. Toy Story was the world’s first computer-animated feature film (电脑动画电影).
“Steve was among the greatest of American innovators — brave enough to think differently, confident enough to believe he could change the world, and clever enough to do it,” said President Barack Obama. “By making computers personal and putting the Internet in our pockets, he made the information revolution not only easy to reach, but fun ... And there may be no greater praise to Steve’s success than the fact that much of the world learned of his death on a device he invented.”
All around the world, people are talking about the effects that Jobs’ creations have had. By creating products that surprised people, he changed the way people worked and lived their everyday lives.
【小题1】Which of the following about Steve Jobs is NOT true?

A．He was born in California in 1955.

B．He built the Apple II in 1970.

C．He set up a film production company at 31.

D．He was found to suffer from cancer at 49.

【小题2】The underlined word “innovators” in Paragraph 6 could best be replaced by _____.

A．inventors

B．businessmen

C．producers

D．founders

【小题3】According to Barack Obama, the highest praise for Steve Jobs is that _____.

A．his products are widely used all over the world

B．his products are thought to be beautiful and easy to use

C．people all over the world are sad at his death

D．people learned about his death from his products

【小题4】Jobs changed the way we work and live by _____.

A．building the first personal computer

B．making computer-animated feature films

C．developing the music industry

D．creating surprising products

Dana Cummings was in his thirties before he first went surfing. But, even more interesting is that Dana Cummings chose to learn the sport after losing a leg in a car accident. Now, nine years later, he helps other disabled (伤残的) people learn how to ride the waves in AmpSurf.
On the coast of Maine, he is working with 27-year-old Matthew Fish, who is partly blind. Cummings takes hold of Fish and leads him into the ocean. The surfboard floats next to them. Fish lies on the surfboard. He tries to stand up on it. After a few attempts (尝试) he is up and riding all the way back to land. “That was exciting,” Fish says.
A car accident in 2002 took Dana Cummings’ leg. He says the crash changed him more than just physically. “Losing my leg made me realize how precious (珍贵的) life is and get off the couch and start living. I do more things now than I ever did before. Next week I am going to compete in a contest in Hawaii,” Dana says.
One year later Dana Cummings formed AmpSurf. AmpSurf is a group that volunteers to hold surfing classes and events for people with all kinds of disabilities.
Recently, AmpSurf took its training programs to the East Coast. Eleven students attended the class in Maine. They came from all over the northeastern United States.
Dana Cummings thinks AmpSurf can change the way a disabled person thinks. “Most people with disabilities consider himself or herself unlucky and useless, but we want them to see what they can do. Who cares you lose your leg or you are blind, whatever? Have fun. Just enjoy life. Take the most advantage of it you can,” Dana says.
【小题1】Matthew Fish thinks learning to ride the waves is _____.

A．boring

B．easy

C．interesting

D．difficult

【小题2】When did Dana Cummings set up AmpSurf according to the text?

A．In 2002.

B．In 2003.

C．In 2008.

D．In 2011.

【小题3】According to Dana Cummings, AmpSurf can _____.

A．ease the physical pain of the disabled

B．help the disabled learn to get used to their life

C．change the attitude of the disabled towards life

D．make the disabled pay more attention to their disabilities

【小题4】What is the best title for the text?

A．Dana Cummings — a great surfer

B．AmpSurf — a training group

C．How to learn to live with disabilities

D．Disabled surfers ride the waves

A 16-year-old South Dakota boy who became lost while hunting and spent 16 hours alone in the Black Hills National Forest says he was scared but still managed to make a survival plan.
Austin DuVall, of Rapid City, became lost on Nov.3 while hunting with his father. He ran after a deer, and soon found himself alone. “I ran after a deer, but I didn’t get it,” he said. “Then I was really lost.”
He had only his hunting rifle(步枪) and the clothes he was wearing. He had no food or water and had nothing that could help him find his way to safety. “I knew that no one could hear me. I decided to just sleep and get up in the morning and find safety,” he said.
Austin climbed up on a rock and slept through the night. Then he awoke and relied on skills he learned in a hunter safety course. He followed a stream to an occupied cabin. The couple there called his parents and cooked him a breakfast. “ It’s probably one meal I’ll never forget for the rest of my life,” he said.
After DuVall’s disappearance, a lot of emergency officials and more than 100 volunteers went searching for him. “He wasn’t sitting there waiting for someone to come and find him,” said his father, Steve DuVall. “We didn’t find him; he found himself.”
Mike Kintigh, regional supervisor for the Game, Fish & Parks Department, said one or two hunters will go missing each year, but rarely for more than 24 hours. “We’re a little bit unique in the Black Hills as it’s hard to get lost for a very long time. That’s because we’ve got so many roads here compared to the Rocky Mountains,” Kintigh said. “You can certainly spend a very uncomfortable night in the woods like Austin did.”
【小题1】After Austin realized he lost his way, he ___.

A．was very nervous but excited

B．cried aloud for help

C．tried to find a safe place

D．decided to sleep in the wild

【小题2】 Who saved Austin according to his father?

A．The couple in the cabin.

B．Emergency officials.

C．Volunteers.

D．Himself.

【小题3】From what Mike Kintigh said, we learn that _______.

A．if someone gets lost in the Rocky Mountains, it is hard to find a way out

B．too many people go missing in the Black Hills every year

C．the rescue team is skillful enough to find the lost people in less than 24 hours

D．people who are lost in the Black Hills have to spend a night in the woods

I live in a very over populated beach area in the Los Angeles, and I love the beautiful scenery! But because of many people, lots of things are easy to be out of order, and sometimes it’s also easy to lose your cool. Today was a day I wish I did not get out of bed. I mean that if I did not have to wake up and deal with all the things that I deal with on a daily basis, it would have been wonderful.
I had a cup of coffee this morning and that was my meal for breakfast, not healthy I know. Anyway, my stomach was sounding like a truck. So, I jumped in my car and decided to buy some food.
I was in line at Taco Bell (一家墨西哥速食店) and the line was like a long snake! Finally I got to place my order, but a young girl in nice clothes pulled in and was stuck in such a way that unless I moved for her, she wouldn’t be able to get out. So I backed up and waved her into my place in the front of the line.
To my surprise, this young girl did not say thanks. I was cool with it because I thought that I had done something nice for a change. After the girl received her food and pulled away, I pulled into the ordering spot, not mad, but hungry, and the employee said, “Hi, that girl just paid for your food.”
That food was the most satisfying nourishment (营养品) my body had ever taken! If just by chance you are that person who bought my food, I should say “Thank you!”
【小题1】The underlined part in the first paragraph probably means “_____”.

A．be friendly to others	B．become angry
C．get warmer	D．remain calm

【小题2】What happened to the author according to the passage?

A．He remained lying in bed all the morning.

B．He didn’t feel well after drinking a cup of coffee.

C．He made room for a girl who jumped the queue.

D．He had a quarrel with a girl who didn’t stand in line.

【小题3】How did the young girl show her thanks to the author?

A．She got out of her car and said thanks.

B．She drove away with her own food.

C．She received her food and waved goodbye.

D．She paid for the author’s food without him knowing.

【小题4】The best title for the passage might be _____.

A．Kindness is spreading

B．Being patient wins respect

C．Being calm is important in accidents

D．Being polite can change the world