Directions: For each blank in the following passage there are four words or phrases marked A, B, C and D. Fill in each blank with the word or phrase that best fits the context.

　 It was the second day of a winter holiday in Queenstown, New Zealand, three years ago. When we decided to explore the beautiful scenery, our landlady 　36 us,“Make sure you are well wrapped up today. The weather is 　37 . Head back when you see snowfall.”

　 The day was bright and sunny, and I started to wonder if she was being too cautious. When snow began to fall at 6:00 pm, I was not worried, thinking we’d have no 　38 in catching a taxi back. However, we waited for a while, and all the drivers shook their heads when told of our 　39 .

　 The first driver passed by and gave me a card with a number for me to 　40 help. I was filled with 　41 , but I had no choice but to lead my three sisters to a nearby place to make the 　42 . Then a taxi drew up and we climbed in. The driver did not appear very friendly. Then the light streaming from his headlights showed very 　43 why no taxi wanted to take us to our hotel. And I began to understand the driver’s apparently unfriendly silence — he was worried. The steep incline (斜坡) ahead was 　44 with snow. The taxi slowly made its way up the hill. Suddenly, we came to a dead stop, and the driver turned to us. “Look! It is very 　 45 to go forward. You have to get out and walk. If I drive any further, the taxi will slide back,” he said. “Er ... can you keep your headlight on and help my elder sister? The rest of us will follow you up,” I said. The driver 　46 .

　 We made it safely back to our hotel. Even though it 　47 　for the rest of the days, we could see the silver lining in the cloud(一线希望): the generous soul who helped us.

36. A. protected　　　　　 B. guarded　　　 C. helped　　　　　　　 　 D. warned

37. A. hateful　 　　　　　 B. colorful　　　 C. changeable 　　　　　　 D. unforgettable

38. A. reason　 　　　　　 B. time　　　　 C. trouble 　　　　　　 　　 D. opportunity

39. A. situation 　　　　 B. destination　　 C. background　 　　D. information

40. A. call for　　　　 　 B. wait for　　　 C. give up　　　　　 　 D. look up

41. A. confidence　　　　 B. pride 　　　　C. doubt　　　　　　　 　 D. joy

42. A. appointment　　　 B. call　　　　　 C. way 　　　　　　　 　　D. invitation

43. A. clearly　 　　　　 B. weakly 　　　　　　 C. unwillingly　　　　 　 D. quietly

44. A. charged　　　　　　　　　　 B. covered 　　　 C. crowded　　　　　　　　 D. provided

45. A. dangerous 　　　　 B. possible 　　　C. limited　　　　　　　　　 D. unacceptable

46. A. agreed　　　　　　　 B. admitted　　　 C. admired　　　　　　　　　 D. applied

47. A. shone　 　　　　　 B. blew　　　　 C. rained 　　　　　　 　　 D. snowed

　　WASHINGTON—Laura Straub is a very worried woman.Her job is to find families for French teenagers who expect to live with American families in the summer.

　　It's not easy,even desperate(希望渺小).

　　“We have many children left to place:40 out of 75,”said Straub,who works for a Paris-based foreign-exchange programme called LEC.

　　 When the exchange programme started 50 years ago,family life was more accommodating.For one thing,more mothers stayed home.

　　 But now,increasing numbers of women work outside home.Exchange-student programmes have struggled in recent years to sign up host families for the 30 000 teenagers who annually come from abroad to spend an academic year in the United States,as well as the thousands more who participate in summer programmes.

　　 School systems in many parts of the US,unhappy about accepting non-taxpaying students,have also strictly limited the number of exchange students they accept.At the same time,the idea of hosting foreign students is becoming less exotic(异国情调的).

　　In searching for host families,she usually receives no pay.Exchange programmes are increasingly broadening their appeals(呼吁)to include everyone from young couples to retirees.

　　“We are open to many different types of families,”said Vickie Weiner,eastern regional director for ASSE.A 25-year-old programme that sends about 30 000 teenagers on academic-year exchange programme worldwide.

　　 For elderly people and exchange students,“Keep us young—they really do,”said Jean Foster,who is hosting 16-year-old Nina Porst Denmark.

1.In the past,Straub's job was easy,because________.

A.American families needed more money to live

B.American families had fewer children to support

C.American families had spare rooms to rent

D.American families were not as busy as now

2.The underlined word“accommodating”in the 4th paragraph means ________.

A.simple and interesting

B.colourful but poor

C.hard to deal with

D.eager or willing to help others

3.To deal with the problem in recent years,Straub and her workmates have to ________.

A.ask different kinds of families to help

B.limit the number of the exchange students

C.borrow much money to pay for the costs

D.force some families to accept students

4.How many facts can you find that may have caused difficulty for the exchange programmes?

A.None.　　　　　　　　B.One.　　　　　　　　 C.Two.　　　　　　　　 D.Three.

--May I have a talk with one of your sports reporters?　--Sorry, but all of them are out to______the main events of the day.

　 A. get 　 B. find  C. cover 　 D. search

—The police have caught the murderer.

　　   —Yes, and he admitted ________ his boss on a rainy night seven years ago.

　　A. to kill                     B. to have killed           C. having killed     D. have been killing

This church is as old as, if _____ than, that one.?

　　A. no older    B. not older   C. no old    D. not old?