The Story of the Farmer and His Donkey (驴子)
One day a farmer’s donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried pitifully for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway and it just wasn’t worth to save the donkey. So, he decided to bury（埋） it!
He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They all took shovel（铲子）and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly, then slowly he quieted down till nothing more was heard.
A few shovels later, the farmer finally looked down into the well, and was surprised at what he saw. With every shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something wonderful—he would shake it off and take a step up!
As the farmer’s neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was surprised as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and went off quickly!
Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a stepping stone. We can get out of the deepest wells by not stopping, never giving up, shaking it off, and taking a step up!
1. The donkey quieted down, because ________.
A. it was dead                           B. it was tired
　C. it had given up trying                   D. it had a good way to survive
2. We know from the story that ________.
A. all the donkeys in the world are clever         
B. it is easy for donkeys to fall into a well
C. the neighbors helped bury the donkey
D. the owner pushed the donkey into the well
3. The writer of the passage is most probably ________.
A. an optimistic person                  B. a pet lover
C. an animal protector                   D. a cold-hearted man
4. The writer wants to tell us “________”.
A. A cat has 9 lives                　  B. Facing difficulties, never give up
C. A friend in need is a friend indeed       D. No pains, no gains

— Do you like a house with no garden?

　 —________. But anyhow, it's better to have one than none.

完形填空（共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分）
阅读下面短文，从短文后所给各题的四个选项（A、B、C和Ｄ）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
I used to be ashamed of my grandma. I know that's a　 31　 thing to say, but it was true until today, so I have to　 32　 it.  
The　 33　 started when my friend Katy found Grandma's false teeth floating in a glass on the bathroom sink. I was so used to seeing them that I　 34　 took notice of them. But Katy shouted, laughing and　35　 to talk to them. I  had to get down on my knees and　36　 her to shut up so my grandma wouldn't　37　 and get hurt.  
After that happened, I　38　 there were a million things about Grandma that were embarrassing（令人窘迫）.  
Once she took Jill and me out to Burger King.　39　 ordering our hamburgers well-done, she told the person behind the counter, "They'll have two Whoppers (巨无霸) well-to-do. " Jill burst out laughing, but I almost　 40　.
After a while, I started wishing I could　 41　 Grandma in a closet. I even complained to my parents. Both my parents said I had to be careful not to make Grandma feel　 42　 in our home.
Then last Wednesday, something happened that 43　 everything completely. My teacher told us to help find interesting old people and 44　 them about their　45　 for a big Oral History project. I was trying to think of someone when Angie pushed me gently.  
"Volunteer your grandmother," she whispered. "She's 46　 and rich in experience."
That was the last thing I ever thought Angie would say about my grandma.
This is how I ended up on　47　 today interviewing my own grandmother before the whole school assembly (集合). All my friends and teachers were listening to her　48　 she was a great heroine. I was　49　 of my grandma and hoped she would 50　 know that I had been ashamed of her.
31. A. funny      B. common       C. terrible         D. clear
32. A. admit     B. receive         C. refuse  D. show
33. A. quarrel  B. accident       C. trouble         D. adventure
34. A. already  B. always C. simply  D. hardly
35. A. enjoying          B. pretending  C. imagining　 D. continuing
36. A. warn      B. demand        C. advise  D. beg
37. A. mind       B. hear     C. see       D. fall
38. A. expected        B. declared       C. realized　　　D. doubted
39. A. Because of     B. Except for    C. Such as 　　 D. Instead of
40. A. died        B. cheered        C. disappeared　　D. suffered
41. A. meet      B. avoid    C. arrange 　　　D. hide
42. A. independent  B. inconvenient        C. unwelcome　D. unfamiliar
43. A. changed         B. finished        C. stopped　　　D. Prepared
44. A. interview        B. report  C. tell        D. write
45. A. news      B. lives     C. advantages  D. achievements
46. A. free        B. popular         C. interesting    D. embarrassing
47. A. show     B. stage   C. duty　　　　　 D. time
48. A. and then         B. even if C. so that　　　　 D. as if
49. A. sure        B. proud   C. ashamed　　　 D. afraid
50. A. never     B. even     C. still　　　　　 D. once

I’m a pig, and my son is a rabbit. I have snakes for daughters, and my wife, believe it or not, is a dragon! Do I live in a zoo? No, of course not! I am talking about Chinese zodiac signs. Depending on the year of your birth, each person has an animal for a sign. That’s why I am a pig and my wife is a dragon. If you, like me, were born in the year of the pig, then you are brave, thoughtful and loyal. The year of the pig is filled with good fortune.
　　Now let’s take a closer look at this interesting animal.
　　Pigs were first raised by man about 9,000 years ago, and are still a very common farm animal in many parts of the world. We don’t just use pigs for their meat — almost every part of the animal is used. The hair is used for artists’ brushes. The fat is used to make floor wax, rubber and plastics.
　　Pigs have also been important in the world of entertainment. In 1995 the film ‘Babe’ starred a loveable talking pig as its main character. The film won an Oscar and was nominated for 6 more. In England you can even go to watch pig racing. A farmer, Rob Shepherd, has been raising money for charity by holding pig races on his farm. The events have been very successful. People don’t just want to eat pigs, it seems!
　　Pigs also play an important role in the English language. For example, if someone says that he will travel to the sun one day, you can say “pigs might fly!” to him. Hungry? Well then, you can “pig out” and eat lots of food. And what if someone rescues you? Well, you can say that they “saved your bacon”.
63. The writer wrote the first paragraph in a ______ tone.
A. sad　　　　　　B. confused　　　　　C. serious　　　　 D. humorous
64. We may know from the passage that ______.
A. people in England like pigs more than other animals
B. pigs are more useful than ordinary people imagine
C. pigs are the first animals raised by man
D. more people don’t want to eat pigs now
65. The underlined sentence “pigs might fly! ” in the fifth paragraph means ______.
A. What you have just said is impossible
B. Pigs are great animals
C. I don’t understand your words
D. I can’t agree with you more
66. Which diagram shows the structure of the passage?
　　　　　　　　
　　　　　A 　　　　　　　　B 　　　　　　　C　　　　　　　　　 D

All the classmates were _______my suggestion that we read English every day.

A．in case of 　　 B. in favor of     C．in honor of         D．in order of