O．Henry，born in Greensboro，North Carolina，was the pen name of William Sydney Porter.His father，Algernon Sidney Porter，was a physician.When William was three years old，his mother died，and he was raised by his grandmother and aunt.William was a good reader，but at the age of fifteen he left school，and worked in a drug store and later on a Texas farm.After that，he moved to Houston，where he had a number of jobs，including that of bank clerk.After moving to Austin，Texas，in 1882，he married.

In 1884 he started a humorous weekly The  Rolling Stone.When the weekly failed，he joined The  Houston Post as a reporter and columnist(专栏作家)．In 1897 he was put into prison over some financial(财务的)dealings.While in prison，William started to write short stories to earn money to support his daughter Margaret.His first work，Whistling Dick’s Christmas Stocking(1899)，appeared in McClure’s Magazine.After serving three years of the five years’ sentence，he changed his name to O．Henry，hoping to forget his bitter past.

O．Henry moved to New York City in 1902 and from December 1903 to January 1906 he wrote a story a week for the New York World，and also published the stories in other magazines.His first collection，Cabbages and Kings，appeared in 1904.Many other works quickly followed，such as The Gift of the Magi and The Furnished Room.O.Henry’s best known work is The Ransom of Red Chief.His stories always have surprising endings.He published 10 collections and over 600 short stories during his lifetime.

O．Henry’s last years were shadowed by drinking，ill health，and financial problems.In 1907，he experienced a failed marriage.In 1910，O.Henry died after an illness.

1.What’s the passage mainly about?

A．A brief introduction to O．Henry.

B．O.Henry’s career and marriage.

C．How O．Henry became a well­known writer.

D．O.Henry’s best known works.

2.It can be inferred from the passage that O．Henry ________.

A．didn’t like to study during his childhood

B．had little parental love as a child

C．was very interested in medicine and farming

D．took up only one job after he moved to Houston

3.Which is the right time order for the following events in O．Henry’s life?

①He moved to New York City.

②He joined The Houston Post.

③Whistling Dick’s Christmas Stocking came out.

④The Furnished Room came out.

⑤Cabbages and Kings appeared.

A．①②③④⑤  B．②①③⑤④    C．③②①④⑤  D．②③①⑤④

4.Which of the following works of O. Henry’s is the most popular according to the passage?

A．Cabbages and Kings.

B．The Gift of the Magi.

C．The Furnished Room.

D．The Ransom of Red Chief.

O．Henry，born in Greensboro，North Carolina，was the pen name of William Sydney Porter.His father，Algernon Sidney Porter，was a physician.When William was three years old，his mother died，and he was raised by his grandmother and aunt.William was a good reader，but at the age of fifteen he left school，and worked in a drug store and later on a Texas farm.After that，he moved to Houston，where he had a number of jobs，including that of bank clerk.After moving to Austin，Texas，in 1882，he married.
In 1884 he started a humorous weekly The  Rolling Stone.When the weekly failed，he joined The  Houston Post as a reporter and columnist(专栏作家)．In 1897 he was put into prison over some financial(财务的)dealings.While in prison，William started to write short stories to earn money to support his daughter Margaret.His first work，Whistling Dick’s Christmas Stocking(1899)，appeared in McClure’s Magazine.After serving three years of the five years’ sentence，he changed his name to O．Henry，hoping to forget his bitter past.
O．Henry moved to New York City in 1902 and from December 1903 to January 1906 he wrote a story a week for the New York World，and also published the stories in other magazines.His first collection，Cabbages and Kings，appeared in 1904.Many other works quickly followed，such as The Gift of the Magi and The Furnished Room.O.Henry’s best known work is The Ransom of Red Chief.His stories always have surprising endings.He published 10 collections and over 600 short stories during his lifetime.
O．Henry’s last years were shadowed by drinking，ill health，and financial problems.In 1907，he experienced a failed marriage.In 1910，O.Henry died after an illness.
【小题1】What’s the passage mainly about?

八、完形填空

　　James was a famous writer. Once he wrote a play for a television about a family who came to England from Pakistan, and the problem they had was 1 down in England.

　　The play was 2 and it was bought by an American TV company. And James was invited to go to New York to 3 the production. He lived in Oulwich, 4 is an hour’ s journey 5 Heathrow(an air port in London).The flight was to leave at 8:30 a.m., 6 he had to be a the airport about 7:30 in the morning.

　　He ordered a taxi for 6:30, 7 his alarm clock for 5:45 and went to bed. 8 he forgot to wind the clock,and it stopped shortly after midnight. Also the taxi-driver had to work very late that night and overslept.

　　James woke with the terrible feeling that 9 was wrong.He looked at his alarm clock.It. 10 there there silently with the hands 11 to ten past twelve.He turned on the radio and discovered 12 .He swore（咒骂）quietly and switched on the electric kettle（电壶）.

　　He was just 13 the boiling water into the teapot 14 the nine o’clock pips(报时声) sounded on the radio. The announcer began to read the news.“...reports are coming in o a crash（坠毁）near Heathrow Airport. A Boeing 707 left for New York crashed shortly after after taking 15 this morning. Flight number 2234...” James turned pale.

　　“My flight.”he said out loud. “If I hadn’t overslept, I would have been on that plane.”

1.A.settling B. visiting C. getting D. moving

2.A. surprising success B. surprisingly successful

C. successfully surprising D. successful surprise

3.A. carry out B. help out C. bring out D. help with

4.A. that B. which C. it D. as

5.A. out of B. far from C. away from D. away off

6.A. for B. so C. because D. since

7.A. sets B. being set C. set D. setting

8.A. fortunately B. Luckily C. Unfortunately D. Happily

9.A. he B. it C. anything D. something

10.A. went B. stopped C. struck D. looked

11.A. pointing B. going C. set D. raised

12.A. that it was, in fact, ten o’ clock 

　 B. it was in fact that ten o’ clock

   C. hat it was ,in fact ,ten to nine 

   D. in fact ,that was ten to nine

13.A. putting B. sending C. pouring D. entering

14.A. while B. as C. during D. when

15.A. off B. down C. away D. out

　　　 touching in O Henry’s stories is the gallantry with which ordinary people struggle to maintain their dignity.?

A.Most is　　　　 B.It mostly is

C.Is it most　　 D.What is most