Mrs Smith's husband went off on a business trip to Australia. He wanted to catch the 3:30 plane to Darwin. She was very surprised when he telephoned her at 5 o'clock and said that he was still at the airport.
"What happened?" asked Mrs Smith.
"Well," said Mr Smith, "everything was going fine. I got my ticket, checked my luggage and waited in line at the gate. I walked across the runway to the airplane and I saw my friend Jack Scott. Jack was an airplane engineer. I shouted to him and a policeman caught me."
"Why did he catch you?"
"I don't know," said Mr Smith," All I said was ‘Hi, Jack! '"
The word "hijack" means "to take control of a plane by force".
【小题1】Why did Mr Smith want to fly to Australia? Because____________.

A．he was an Australian businessman

B．he was leaving for Australia on business

C．his wife wanted him to

D．he wanted" to see his wife

【小题2】Mrs Smith was very surprised because

A．Mr Smith didn't arrive in Darwin	B．Mr Smith telephoned her later
C．Mr Smith didn't leave the airport	D．Mr Smith was in Darwin

【小题3】Mr Smith couldn't get on the plane because

A．he met with his friend Jack

B．he didn't get the ticket

C．there was something wrong with the airplane engine

D．he was stopped by a policeman

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

A．The police didn't know Mr Smith was Jack Scott's friend.

B．Jack Scott worked as an airplane engineer.

C．The policeman misunderstood Mr Smith.

D．Mr Smith knew why the policeman caught him.

【小题5】Why was Mr Smith caught by the policeman?

A．Because he didn't keep silence at the airport.

B．Because he greeted an airport engineer named Jack.

C．Because the pronunciation of "Hi, Jack" has another frightful meaning.

D．Because the policeman didn't know English.

It was a warm April day when a big fat envelope came in the mail from the only college I had ever imagined attending. I tore open the packet. My eyes were fixed on the word “congratulations. ”I don’t remember ever smiling so wide.
Then I looked at my financial（财政的）package.
The cost of Dream School’s tuition（学费）, room and board was around $ 40,000- an impossible sum! How could I afford to attend? What good reasons did I have to go there when three other fine colleges were offering me free tuition? My other choices were good, solid schools even if they weren’t as famous as my first choice.
In my mind, attending my dream university would be the only way to realize my dream of becoming a world-class writer. My parents understood how I felt. They told me that even though it would be a financial problem, I could go wherever I would be happiest. But as I was always careful with money, I wasn’t sure what to do.
One of the schools that offered me a full ride had an informational dinner one night in the spring. Considering my parents’ financial difficulties, I decided to drive the 45 minutes and attend. At first, all I had planned to do was to smile politely, eat free food, listen quietly. But I surprised myself.
At dinner the president of the university talked about the wonderful activities on campus （校园）including guest lectures and social gatherings. He also made it perfectly clear that free food would be offered at all future events. He continued with explanations of professors, class sizes, activities, and sporting events on campus. As he spoke, I began to realize that this school, though not as good as my first choice, might be the best one for me. It seemed small yet with many great programs. It seemed challenging yet caring.
As the president ended his speech, we clapped politely and pushed back our chairs. As I walked out that door, a feeling of comfort washed over me. Looking at the campus that night, I realized that I would be spending the next four years right there.
In all honesty, my university is not as well-known as my “dream”university. However, it turned out to be the right choice of schools for me.
【小题1】How did the author feel when he started to read the letter?

A．He was lost in his dream.

B．He was full of joy.

C．He was worried about the money.

D．He was uncertain which school to go to.

【小题2】We can learn from the passage that the parents were _________.

A．honest

B．supportive

C．strict

D．decisive

【小题3】In Paragraph 5, “offered me a full ride”can be replaced by “_______”.

A．would charge me nothing for tuition	B．would pay for transport to the school
C．would show me around the campus	D．would offer free meals at all events

【小题4】What does the author mainly want to say?

A．You should consider comfort in your choice of schools.

B．You should try your best to attend your dream school.

C．Your second-choice college may actually be your best fit.

D．Your choice of schools should be based on their fame.

Gwendolyn Brooks wrote hundreds of poems during her lifetime. She was known around the world for using poetry to increase understanding of black culture in America.
During the 1940’s and the 1950’s, Gwendolyn Brooks used her poems to describe conditions among the poor, racial (种族的) inequality and drug use in the black community. She also wrote poems about the struggles of black women.
But her skill was more than her ability to write about struggling black people. She combined traditional European poetry styles with the African American experience.
Gwendolyn Brooks once said that she wrote about what she saw and heard in the street. She said she found most of her materials through looking out of the window of her second-floor apartment in Chicago, Illinois.
In her early poetry, Gwendolyn Brooks wrote about the South Side of Chicago, where many black people live. In her poems, the South Side is called Bronzeville. It was “A Street in Bronzeville” that gained the attention of literary experts in 1945. Critics praised her poetic skills and her powerful descriptions about the black experience during the time. The Bronzeville poems were her first published collection.
In 1950, Gwendolyn Brooks became the first African American to win the Pulitzer Prize for Literature. She won the prize for her second book of poems called “Annie Allen”. “Annie Allen” is a collection of poetry about a Bronzeville girl as a daughter, a wife and a mother. She experiences loneliness, loss, death and poverty (贫穷).
Gwendolyn Brooks said that winning the prize changed her life.
Her next work was a novel written in 1953 called “Maud Martha”. “Maud Martha” attracted little attention when it was first published. But now it is considered an important work by some critics. Its main ideas about the difficult lives of many women are popular among female writers today.                                                      
【小题1】Gwendolyn Brooks became world-famous because     .

A．she was an expert on the language of poetry

B．she introduced black culture by writing poems

C．she fought for black rights by writing poems

D．her poems showed the lives of black women

【小题2】Which of the following can we learn from the text?

A．Gwendolyn Brooks’ poems focused on black people in Africa.

B．Winning the Pulitzer Prize for Literature was important to Brooks.

C．Gwendolyn Brooks used to suffer a lot from drugs.

D．Gwendolyn Brooks was very strict with herself.

【小题3】How did Gwendolyn Brooks get ideas for most of her poems?

A．By observing life.	B．By having talks.
C．By reading widely.	D．By traveling.

【小题4】We can infer that the book “Annie Allen” mainly deals with      .

A．family life

B．inequality

C．adventure

D．failure

There is an old Chinese tale about a woman whose only son died. Sadly, she went to the holy man and asked, “What magical things do you have to bring my son back to life?”
Instead of sending her away or reasoning with her, he said to her, “Fetch me a mustard (芥菜) seed from a home that has never known sadness. We will use it to drive the sadness out of your life.” The woman happily went off at once in search of that magical mustard seed.
She first came to a splendid house, knocked at the door and said, “I am looking for a home that has never known sadness. Is it such a place? It is very important to me.”
They told her “You’ve certainly come to the wrong place” and began to describe all the tragic things that had happened to them recently.
The woman said to herself, “I have had misfortune of my own. Who is able to help these poor, unfortunate people?” She stayed to comfort them, and then went on in search of a home that had never known sadness. But wherever she went, she found one tale after another of sadness and misfortune. She became so involved in other people’s sorrow that finally she forgot about her search for the magical mustard seed, never realizing that it had, in fact, driven the sadness out of her life.
【小题1】Which of the following does the story lead us to believe?

A．Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.

B．Time passed cannot be called back again.

C．You can’t feel happy unless compared with others.

D．You can’t expect to know the result until you have tried.

【小题2】Instead of sending the woman away, the holy man      .

A．asked her to help him first

B．tried to comfort her with kind words

C．asked her to look for a thing that didn’t exist at all

D．tried to encourage her by talking with her

【小题3】Leaving the holy man, the woman      .

A．was full of hope	B．was filled with sadness
C．was determined to try again	D．became discouraged

【小题4】The best title for the text would be “     ”.

A．A woman’s misfortune	B．A nice surprise
C．The holy man’s faith	D．Cure for sadness

We spent a day in the country, picking wild flowers. With the car full of flowers we were going home. On our way back my wife noticed a cupboard outside a furniture shop. It was tall and narrow. “Buy it,” my wife said at once. “We’ll carry it home on the roof rack(行李架), I’ve always wanted one like that.”
What could I do? Ten minutes later I was 20 pounds poorer, and the cupboard was tied onto the roof rack. It was six inches long and eighteen inches square, quite heavy too.
In the gathering darkness I drove slowly. Other drivers seemed unusually polite that evening. The police even stopped traffic to let us through. Carrying furniture was a good idea.
After a time my wife said, “There’s a long line of cars behind. Why don’t they overtake, I wonder?”
In fact a police car did overtake. The two officers inside looked at us seriously as they passed. But then, with great kindness, they led us through the rush-hour traffic. The police car stopped at our village church. One of the officers came to me.
“Right, sir,” he said. “Do you need any more help?”
I was a bit puzzled. “Thanks, officer,” I said. “You have been very kind. I live just on the road.”
He was staring at our car: first at the flowers, and then at the cupboard. “Well, well,” he said, laughing. “It’s a cupboard you’ve got there! We thought it was, something else.”
My wife began to laugh. Then the truth hit me like a stone between the eyes. I smiled at the officer. “Yes, it’s a cupboard, but thanks again.” I drove home as fast as I could.
【小题1】It can be inferred from the passage that______.

A．other drivers let the couple go first, because the husband did not drive fast

B．the cupboard cost less than 20 pounds

C．the husband, in fact, would rather not buy the cupboard

D．all the cars followed the couple’s

【小题2】The police will be more polite to those who are______.

A．in great sorrow	B．driving in the gathering darkness
C．driving with wild flowers in the car	D．carrying furniture

【小题3】What did the police officer think of the cupboard?

A．It was so expensive that it needed their help

B．It was a box for a dead person to be buried in.

C．There might be something stolen in it.

D．It was a big box with some bomb in it.

【小题4】What did the husband think of the whole matter?

A．It was very strange.	B．He took great pride in it.
C．He was puzzled at it	D．He felt embarrassed.

In his lowest days when few people bought his records, Taiwan singer Steve Chou lived alone in Canada and did little. One day, he passed by a local CD store and heard a song that greatly attracted him.
“My heart tells me that music is the thing I truly want to do, not for fame or money,” Chou said. That’s how we luckily have such a music genius, who has since then composed lots of hits for the pop music charts (排行榜). 
“Sometimes we need to get close to nature to look deeply into our souls and see what we really want to follow,” he said.
Recently he has made public his latest work Lovers Genesis. In this album he explores human relationships in the Internet age.“Technology itself is a good thing, but it depends on how you’re going to use it,”is Chou’s advice to teenagers.
Chou often gets his music ideas from trips. He has traveled to many places around the world and believes that learning a country’s language is the fastest way of experiencing the culture behind it.
Chou has worked hard on learning English to push forward his music career. He has flown to the UK to attend months-long English training schools three times. There he lives with local families and practices daily conversations.
“So I could easily read the English instructions on recording machines and communicate with the local music producers,” said Chou, “The music reviews of the US or British singers that I appreciate could help me learn and grow with them.”
【小题1】Which of the following about Steve Chou is the correct order?
a. He made public his work Lovers Genesis.
b. He passed by a local CD store and heard a song that greatly attracted him.
c. He composed lots of hits for the pop music charts.
d. Few people bought his records.

A．abcd

B．dbca

C．acbd

D．dacb

【小题2】Why has Chou flown to the UK to learn English?

A．Because he wants to live in the UK.

B．Because his record company asks him to.

C．Because he wants to sell his album in the UK.

D．Because he thinks it will be helpful for his music career.

【小题3】Steve Chou may agree with the following except that __________.

A．taking trips gives him some ideas of music

B．what we really want to follow is the most important

C．music is a thing that can bring him fame and money

D．in International age, technology itself is not a bad thing

【小题4】What is Steve Chou like according to the passage?

A．Kind and helpful.	B．Proud and confident.
C．Active and hard-working.	D．Calm and disappointed.

Few people ever took notice of Mr. Jimmy Tan whenever he entered a room. He was a shy, quiet and simple man who preferred to keep to himself in public. On the other hand, Mr. Thomas Kim, a fellow scientist, was a man everyone would notice on the streets. He wore bright outfits with huge flower prints, spoke with a booming voice, and his laughter could be heard from all corners of a room. In addition to the differences in their characters, Mr. Kim and Mr. Tan were also great rivals at work in the Institute of Future Science.
On Christmas Eve, everyone left work early to celebrate the special occasion, except for Mr. Tan and Mr. Kim. They were in their laboratory analyzing the results of their latest experiments. Mr. Tan realized that something special was taking place in his experiment —the bacteria he had cultured were growing extremely quickly under high pressure and at a very low temperature. After noting down the findings in his notebook, he left the room to prepare for another round of tests. Shortly after, Mr. Kim entered.
“Hey Jimmy,” Mr. Kim called out, “do you have an extra copy of the laboratory booking form?”
There was no reply, so Mr. Kim looked through Mr. Tan’s things. He soon found Mr. Tan's notebook and was horrified to see that Mr. Tan had managed to make one of the most important discoveries in modern science. He then looked into the deep-freeze cupboard where a dish containing the bacteria was kept. He put them into his pocket and returned to his own laboratory.
Mr. Tan came back an hour later to find his notebook and the dish missing. He knew that Mr. Kim had taken them and went to Mr. Kim's laboratory to find out. When he opened the door, he found Mr. Kim lying on the floor motionless. His face was pale and his skin had turned black. The deadly bacteria had been handled improperly. He shook his head and left.
【小题1】From the first paragraph we know Mr. Kim was a quite    person.

A．famous	B．hardworking
C．wealthy	D．outgoing

【小题2】The underlined word "rivals" in the first paragraph is closest in meaning to   .

A．enemies	B．colleagues
C．competitors	D．friends

【小题3】What does the underlined word “them” refer to in the 4th paragraph?

A．the most important discoveries

B．the notebook and the dish

C．the cupboard and the bacteria

D．the dish and the bacteria

【小题4】Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A．Mr. Kim was afraid Mr. Tan might succeed ahead of him.

B．Mr. Tan's bacteria grew very fast in a warm container.

C．Mr. Tan worked much harder than Mr. Kim.

D．Mr. Kim was so tired that he fell down into sleep.

【小题5】What happened to Mr. Kim in the end?

A．He died on Christmas Eve.

B．He was arrested by the police.

C．He shared the success with Mr. Tan.

D．He succeeded ahead of Mr. Tan.

There lived a king who liked art. One day an artist offered to paint the most
beautiful picture in the world on the wall of his palace.
So the king said, “All right, you may work on one of the walls in the new hall.” Just then, another artist said, “ Please allow me to work on the opposite wall. I shall make exactly what that man will make on the opposite wall. Moreover, I shall do so without looking at his work. I would even request you to have a thick curtain put up between the two walls so the either of us cann’t see the other.”
Everyone in the king’s court, including the king and the first artist was surprised. So the king decided to give the man a chance.
The following day a thick curtain was put into place and both the artists got to work. The first artist brought in a regular supply of paint, oil and water. But the second one would come with a cloth and a bucket of water every day.
A month later the first artist said that his work was completed and invited the king to come.
So the king sent the message to the second artist, saying he was coming to see their works that evening.
After seeing the first artist’s wall, the king was very impressed with the painting and gave him a huge sum of money as a reward. He then asked for the curtain to be opened up.
The same painting was seen on the opposite wall too! It was exactly like the one on the first wall. But this man had not seen what was going on, on the other side of the curtain.
The man said simply, “It’s very easy I just polished the wall every day!”
It was a wall made of white marble. The fellow polished it till it shone like a mirror.  
The reflection of the painting across the room showed up in it!
【小题1】A thick curtain was put up between the two walls in order to _____________.

A．help them concentrate on their work.

B．keep the first artist’s painting a secret.

C．prevent their painting from being seen.

D．make it hare for them exchange ideas.

【小题2】Why did the first artist receive a large sum of money from the king?

A．His painting satisfied the king.

B．His painting was the best the king has ever seen.

C．He painted better than the second artist.

D．The king promised to give him a reward.

【小题3】How was the king feeling when he saw second wall?

A．Surprised and excited.	B．Fascinated and doubtful.
C．Satisfied and curious.	D．The paintings on the wall.

【小题4】What would be the best title of the text? _____________

A．A king who loved art.	B．Two artists and the king.
C．Whose painting is better?	D．The painting on the wall.

When first entered, Vanak Restaurant does not look like much of a restaurant, but once the pleasant smells of kabob （烤肉串）hit the senses, you are incapable of calling it anything less.
Owned by a local couple, this Persian restaurant has an inviting, homelike atmosphere that many restaurants lack.
The space is small with only a few dining tables and nearly no decoration, but the environment is truly charming.
Lying in a hardly noticeable street corner, the restaurant still attracts all customer especially those experienced in the delights of Middle Easrern cooking.
A common sight is that of old Persian men sitting in the corner talking loudly about world topics, watching news events on TV, drinking a black tea known as Persian chai, an reading local Persian newspapers all the while trying to finish off their plates piled wit food.
The variety of food at the restaurant is limited, but the amount of each dish is fairly large. Most of the meals can serve two people and are under $10, so not only is it affordably but practical as well.
The food, especially appeals to health-conscious eaters because each dish is very healthy, made with limited fat and oil and served straight off the grill（烤肉架）.
The main dish that the restaurant is popular for is its kabobs, which are different style of grilled meat.
One delicious and extremely healthy dish is the Jooieh Kabob, which is made of grille chicken picccs served with either rice or bread. Another great kabob is the Chelo Kabob, kabob consisting of grilled beef.
Although the restaurant is small, the atmosphere and the food is delicious. It is a plan that should not be overlooked.
【小题1】When first entering the restaurant ,one can find that it       .

A．is splendidly decorated.	B．has pleasant smells of kabobs.
C．is crowded with dining table.	D．looks like a common restaurant.

【小题2】What activity is also mentioned apart from dining in the restaurant?

A．Watching news events on TV.	B．Drinking a kind of black coffee.
C．Reading local English newspaper.	D．Discussing world topics in loe voices.

【小题3】The food of the restaurant       .

A．is served in small amounts.	B．is rather expensive.
C．is rich in verity.	D．is very healthy

【小题4】What is the dish Joojeh Kabob mainly made of？

A．Rice

B．Chicken

C．Bread

D．Beef

【小题5】It can be inferred from the passage that restaurant        .

A．occupies

B．owns a favorable location

C．is popular for its special food

D．has a quiet environment inside

I went into Harrods in London (a huge department store I am sure you have heard of) to buy some Minton china plates for a wedding anniversary which was to be a group gift from friends to other friends in Geneva.
Having only 30 minutes between meeting. I whizzed there in a taxi from the office and battled through the milling people on the 2nd day of the sales on the ground floor up to the 5th to the china department. There was a man standing there who was obviously a sales person who I rushed up to and asked if he had this particular china in stock and if it would take long to wrap, etc. He was amazing. He got the plates in seconds, wrapped them up and asked me if I wanted a store card, to which I replied no, because I lived in Switzerland, to which he replied asking if, as I lived abroad, would like a tax rebate form(退税表). After that he showed me what to do, produced a map of the store and told me where I should go for the formalities(程序). That was fabulous! I thanked him and said what wonderful service he had given me. I even asked if he gave this to everyone, to which he answered: “I’m just doing what is required at Harrods”. With that, a tall man in a gray suit approached me and offered his hand to shake mine saying, “Can I introduce myself? I am the Chief Executive of Harrods and what an interesting conversation I have just heard…” He had been wandering through the store (as you should do as a hands-on CEO) and had overheard me thanking this salesman, whose face, I can hardly describe, was frozen in a mixture of delight awe and astonishment!
Can you imagine the salesman going home to his family and friends recounting what the CEO spoke to him after overhearing him being praised by a customer?
【小题1】The writer went to Harrods to __________.

A．kill time

B．buy some gifts

C．go sightseeing

D．shop for her wedding

【小题2】What does the underlined word “whiz” in Paragraph 2 most probably mean?

A．drive

B．arrive

C．rush

D．leave

【小题3】Which of the following sentences can best replace “I’m just doing what is required at Harrods” in the second paragraph?

A．“I’m an honest man.”

B．“I must obey the rules.”

C．“Harrods is strict with its employees.”

D．“Anybody will receive our good service.”

【小题4】As soon as she bought what she wanted, the writer________.

A．went to a meeting.	B．flew back to Geneva
C．visited one of her friends	D．attended a wedding ceremony

【小题5】The writer wrote the above passage because she thought what she had experience was so ____.

A．pleasant

B．strange

C．exciting

D．amusing