The school year has fallen by nearly six weeks, from 197 days in 1964 to 156days in 1994,   1   the National Association of Scholars.   2  , most American kindergarten, elementary (初等的) and high school students are   3  to spend 180 days a year in their schools. The   4  of the average class period also has   5   , from more than 57minutes to less than 54,the Association reports.

    “The   6  has to be that students are simply   7  less,” said the director of the Association. “If you count the actual    8  of contact hours, you'll find they are   9   four years in college getting an education that would have taken about    10  years in 1964.”

The universities argue (认为) that they are simply teaching more  11　　 “The traditional idea that learning   12  in the classroom and   13  reading and writing   14  based on seat time is out of date,” said a spokesman for the American Council on Education. “  15  than attending lectures, students now   16  their professors on their computers or use other types of   17  technology, allowing for a shorter school year,” he said. It is very   18  .that, in many schools, they are going to spend   19  time   20  than they used to.

1. A. according to　　  　　  B. by the accordance of  　　 C. following  　　     D. followed

2. A. By comparison  　　　　  B. In particular 　　　　    　　C. Strangely enough  D. As a result

3. A. intended   　　　　  　　B. required 　　　　   　　　　C. requested   　　  D. inquired

4. A. long    　　　　　　　　　　 　　B. length　　　　 　　   　　C. time   　　  　　  D. period

5. A. fallen   　　    　　　　B. declined 　　　　   　　　　C. oppressed   　　  D. lowered

6. A. reason　　 　　　　 　　B. cause    　　　　 　　　　C. conclusion 　　   　　  D. condition

7. A. playing   　　　　    　　B. learning  　　　　  　　　　C. working　　 　　  D. paying

8. A. number　　 　　　　B. times  　　  　　　　　　C. need  　　　　　　    D. arrangement

9. A. spending      　　　　B. given  　　  　　　　　　C. living  　　　　  D. asked

10. A. five　　    　　  　　B. two   　　  　　　　　　C. three 　　   　　  D. six

11. A. quickly   　　　　  　　B. thoroughly  　　　　　　　　   C. wisely   　　　　    D. efficiently

12. A. came　　   　　  　　B. took place　　　　  　　    C. started 　　  　　  D. appeared

13. A. through    　　    　　B. across   　　　　  　　　　C. by the way of     D. with

14. A. questions        　　B. books   　　　　  　　　　C. assignments       D. texts

15. A. Rather  　　  　　　　B. More　　  　　  　　　　C. Less   　　 　　  D. Easier

16. A. chat with    　　 　　B. argue with  　　　　　　 　　C. speak       　　  D. tell

17. A. knowledge  　　   　　B. information   　　　　  　　C. message  　　      D. intelligence

18. A. possibly     　　　　B. probably  　　    　　　　C. lovely      　　  D. likely

19. A. less　　     　　　　B. little　　 　　　　  　　　　C. more　　 　　      D. much more

20. A. at home　　　　    B. in the laboratory 　　　　     C. in the classroom  D. on computer

We were the only family with children in the restaurant. I sat Eric in a high chair and noticed everyone was quietly eating and talking. Suddenly, Eric screamed with 36 and said, “Hi there.” His fat baby hands hit the high chair tray, and his eyes were wide with excitement.

I looked around and saw the 37 of his enjoyment. It was an old man with a worn and oily coat. And his hair was uncombed and unwashed. I was sure he 　38 . His hand waved. “Hi there, baby; I see ya,” the man said to Eric.

My husband and I 39 　looks. Eric continued to laugh and answer, “Hi, there.” Everyone in the restaurant noticed this. My husband and I were embarrassed.

We finally got through the meal and 　40 　 the door. My husband went to pay the check and told me to meet him in the parking lot. The old man sat between me and the door. “Lord, just let me out of here before he speaks to me or Eric,” I prayed. As I drew closer to the man, I turned my back trying to sidestep him and avoid any air he might be 41 . As I did so, Eric leaned over my arm, reaching with both arms in a baby's “pick-me-up” position. Before I could stop him, he had 　42 himself to the man's arms．Eric, in an act of total 43 , and love, laid his tiny head upon the man's torn shoulder.

His 　44 　hands full of dirt, pain and hard labor gently, so gently, cradled my baby's waist and patted his back. I stood amazed. After a while, he pushed Eric from his chest 45 as though he were in pain, saying “God bless you, ma'am. You've given me the best Christmas gift.”

I had just witnessed a genuine (pure or true) love shown through the innocence of a tiny child who saw no sin, who made no 46 . The ragged old man, unknowingly, had reminded me that a genuine love is one in which the true meaning of love is 47 .

36. A. surprise　　　 B. delight　　　 C. anger　　　　 　　 D. nerve

37. A. source　　　　 　　　 B. reason　　　 C. effect　　　　　 　 D. resource

38. A. smiled　　　 　 B. mopped　　 C. smelled　　　　　 D. wiped

39. A. consulted　　 B. exchanged　 C. separated　　　　 D. replaced

40. A. ran for　　　 B. headed for　 　 C. sent for　　　　 D. accounted for

41. A. breathing　　 B. fighting　　 　 C. creating　　　　 D. holding

42. A. thrown　　　 　 B. devoted　　 　 C. driven　　　　　 　 D. jumped

43. A. independence 　　 B. desire　　　 C. trust　　　　　　 D. dignity

44. A. allergic　　　 B. strong　　　 　 C. smart　　　　　 　D. aged

45. A. eagerly　　　 B. violently　　 C. gladly　　　　 　　　 D. unwillingly

46. A. judgment　　 　 B. decision　　 C. conclusion　　　 　 D. choice

47. A. sharpened　　 　 B refreshed　　 　 C. realized　　　　 　　 D. learned

People do not analyze every problem they meet. Sometimes they try to remember a solution from the last time they had a 36 problem. They often accept the opinions or ideas of other people. Other times they begin to act without 37 ; they try to find a solution by trial and error(反复试验). 　38 , when all of these methods 39 , the person with a problem has to start analyzing. There are six 40 in analyzing a problem.

41 ，the person must recognize that there is a problem. For example, Sam’s bicycle is broken, and he cannot ride it to class as he usually does. Sam must 42 that there is a problem with the bicycle.

Next, the person must find out the problem. Before Sam can repair his bicycle, he must know why it does not work. For example, he must 43 the parts that are wrong.

Now the person must look for 44 that will make the problem clearer and lead to 45 solutions. For example, suppose Sam decides that his bicycle does not work because there is something wrong with the brakes. 　46 , he can look into his bicycle repair book and read about brakes, talk to his friends at the bike shop, or look at his brakes carefully.

After 47 the problem, the person should have 48 suggestions for a possible solution. Take Sam as an example 49 , his suggestions might be: tighten or loosen the brakes; buy new brakes and change the old ones.

In the end, one 50 seems to be the solution to the problem. Sometimes the

51 idea comes quite 52 because the thinker suddenly sees something new or sees something in a different way. Sam, for example, suddenly sees there is a piece of chewing gum (口香糖) stuck to a brake. He 53 hits on the solution to his problem: he must 54 the brake.

Finally the solution is 55 . Sam does it and finds his bicycle works perfectly. In short he has solved the problem.

36. A. serious 　　　　　　 B. usual　　　　　　　　 C. similar　　　　　　　　　　 D. common

37. A. searching　　　　　 B. thinking　　　　　　 C. finding　　　　　　　　　　 D. looking

38. A. Besides　　　　　　　B. Instead　　　　　　　C. Otherwise　　　　　　　 D. However

39. A. fail　　　　　　　　　　 B. work　　　　　　　　 C. change　　　　　　　　　　D. develop

40. A. ways　　　　　　　　　B. conditions　　　　 C. stages　　　　　　　　　　　D. orders

41. A. First　　　　　　　　　 B. Usually　　　　　　 C. In general　　　　　　　　 D. Most importantly

42. A. explain　　　　　　　 B. prove　　　　　　　 C. show　　　　　　　　　　　　D. see

43. A. check　　　　　　　　 B. determine　　　　 C. correct　　　　　　　　　　 D. recover

44. A. answers　　　　　　　B. skills　　　　　　　　 C. explanation　　　　　　 D. information

45. A. possible　　　　　　　 B. exact　　　　　　　　 C. real　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. special

46. A. In other words　　 B. Once in a while C. First of all　　　　　　　D. At this time

47. A. discussing　　　　　　 B. settling down　　　C. comparing with　　　D. studying

48. A. extra　　　　　　　　　　 B. enough　　　　　　　 C. several　　　　　　　　　D. countless

49. A. secondly　　　　　　 B. again　　　　　　　　　 C. also　　　　　　　　　　　D. alone

50. A. suggestion　　　　　　 B. conclusion　　　　　 C. decision　　　　　　　　D. discovery

51. A. next　　　　　　　　　　　B. clear　　　　　　　　　 C. final　　　　　　　　　　　D. new

52. A. unexpectedly　　　　 B. late　　　　　　　　　　 C. clearly　　　　　　　　　D. often

53. A. fortunately　　　　　　 B. easily　　　　　　　　　 C. clearly　　　　　　　　 D. immediately

54. A. clean　　　　　　　　　 B. separate　　　　　　　　C. loosen　　　　　　　　 D. remove

55. A. recorded　　　　　　　B. completed　　　　　　 C. tested　　　　　　　　　 D. accepted

One summer evening I was sitting by the open window, reading a good but rather frightening mystery story. After a time it was too dark for me to read easily, so I put my book down and turned on the light.
I was just about to draw the   36  as well when I heard a loud cry “Help! Help! ” It 37  to come from the trees at the end of the garden. I looked out but it was too 38  to see anything clearly. So I decided to go out and have a look in the garden, just 39  someone was in   40  . I took the torch and picked up a strong walking stick,   41  that this might come to be useful, too.   42   with these, I went out into the garden.   43   I heard the cry. There was no    44  that it came from the trees at the end of the garden.
“Who’s there?” I   45  as I walked, rather 46  , down the path that   47   to the trees. But there was no  48  . With the help of my torch I   49  the whole of that part of the garden and the lower  50   of the trees. There was no sign of anybody or anything. I came to the ___51___ that someone was playing a rather silly joke on me.
___52   feeling rather puzzled, I went back to the house and   53   away the torch and the stick. I had just sat down when I was startled by the cry of “ Help! Help! ”, this time from  54  my shoulder. I dropped my book and climbed up. There, sitting    55  of the mantelpiece ( 壁炉 ), was a parrot!

The members of the club discussed the problem for a whole morning，not reaching any________.

A．decision　　                                       B．conclusion　　

C．balance　　                                         D．understanding