Everyone knows the smart black-and-white dog that sits on top of a red doghouse with his best friend ---- a bird called Woodstock.
Created by the American cartoonist Charles Schulz in 1950, the clever dog is loved by generations of kids and adults. He speaks more than 20 languages and appears daily in 26,000 newspapers around the world.
When Snoopy first appeared, he was no different from other pet dogs. But two years later, he had begun to speak in thought bubbles with simple words and sounds. By 1957 he could walk on two legs and was going to school with his master, Charlie Brown, who fails at just about everything. Later he learned to use the typewriter.
Snoopy has done lots of jobs. He has been a bow-tie wearing lawyer, a tennis player, an Olympic figure skater, a world famous grocery checkout clerk, a pilot and even the first astronaut on the moon.
However, Snoopy has always dreamed of being a famous writer. The beginning of his story is always, “It was a dark and stormy night…” Unfortunately for him no one has ever wanted to publish the story.
In love, Snoopy is as much of a failure as Charlie Brown is at baseball. He easily falls in love but always has his heart broken. He eats to forget, but it never works.
Snoopy is an insightful(有洞察力的), feel-good and sometimes sad dog. If you think a little about his words, you might find them full of life lessons. Among his most famous lines are “To live is to dance, to dance is to live.” And “Yesterday I was a dog. Today I’m a dog. Tomorrow I’ll probably still be a dog. Sigh! There’s so little hope for advancement.”
60. From the passage, we can learn that ________.
A. Snoopy is always a sad dog
B. Snoopy can't speak in the beginning
C. Snoopy often dreams of true love       
D. Snoopy is a real smart pet dog
61. Snoopy has done all the following jobs EXCEPT ________.
A. a lawyer               B. a player                    C. a clerk                            D. a writer
62. It can be inferred that Snoopy ________.
A. has many bird friends and relatives             B. is a well-known writer and clerk
C. has been unfortunate since it was born        D. is very popular in the whole world
63. The underlined word “advancement” in the last paragraph probably means ________.
A. success                 B. progress                   C. growth                     D. popularity

It was the first snow of winter – an exciting day for every child but not for most teachers. Up until now, I had been old enough to dress myself, but today I would need some help. Miss Finlayson, my kindergarten teacher, had been through first snow days many times, but I think she may still remember this one.

    I managed to get into my wool snow trousers. But I struggled with my jacket because it didn’t fit well. It was a hand-me-down from my brother, and it made me wonder why I had to wear his ugly clothes. At least my hat and scarf were mine, and they were quite pretty. Finally it was time to have Miss Finlayson help me with my boots.

    In her calm, motherly voice she said, “By the end of winter, you will all be able to put on your own boots.” I didn’t realize at the time that this was more a statement of hope than of confidence.

    I handed her my boots and stuck out my foot. Like most children, I expected grown-ups to do all the work. After much pushing, she managed to get the first one into place and then, with a sigh, worked the second one on too.

    I announced, “They’re on the wrong feet.”

    She struggled to get the boots off and went through the joyless task of putting them on again.

   “They’re my brother’s boots, you know,” I said. “I hate them!”

    Somehow, from long years of practice, she managed to act as though I wasn’t an annoying little girl, She pushed and pushed, less gently this time. With a greater sigh, seeing the end of her struggle with me, she asked, “Now, where are your mittens（连指手套）?”

    I looked into her eyes and said, “I didn’t want to lose them, so I hid them in the toes of my boots.”

1.The little girl was more satisfied with her__________-.

A．trousers      B．jacket       C．boots       D．hat

2.Miss Finlayson had difficulty with the girl’s second boot mainly because_____.

A．the girl got them from her brother B．the girl put something in them

C．they were on the wrong feet     D．they did not fit the girl well

3.Why does the author say Miss Finlayson would remember that first snow day?

A．Because the little girl was in her brother’s clothes.

B．Because it was the most exciting day of the winter.

C．Because the little girl played a trick on her.

D．Because the little girl wore a pretty scarf.

PART THREE READING COMPREHENSION（30分）

Directions: Read the following three passages．Each passage is followed by several questions or unfinished statements．For each of them there are 4 choices marked A,B,C and D．Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage．

Short reader – submitted stories – for the woman you should think of today!

——Compiled by Amy Zerello

Great Minds Reminded of Mom

After a long, exhausting day, a friend of mine, Allen, headed home. On the road, he passed an elderly woman who was standing by a car with a flat tire. If that were his mother, he thought, he would want someone to help her. With a tired sigh, he turned around and drove back.

Just as he reached the stranded woman, a truck pulled up and a burly farmer got out. "Kindof reminds you of your mom, too?" the man asked as the two of them pitched in together to change the tire for the woman.

-- Contributed by Katherine L. Houge

Your Biggest Fan

While waiting in a bookstore for a guest author to sign her latest book, I leafed through some of the Civil War novels she had written. The woman in line behind me commented, "Those are the best books I've ever read. I couldn't put them down." Before I could reply, the author frowning, looked over and said, "Oh, come on, Mom!"

-- Contributed by Marilyn Kopp

Head of the Household

My husband, Jeff, and I came across several problems while assembling our new computer system, so we called the help desk. The man on the phone started to talk to Jeff in computer jargon(行业术语), which confused us even more.

"Sir," my husband politely said, "please explain what I should do as if I were a four-year-old."

"Okay," the computer technician replied. "Sweetie, could you please put your mommy on the phone?"

-- Contributed by Lena Worth

How does it feel to tickle your mom’s funny bone?

Now send your own funny story to us! You could earn up to $ 300!

56．Who would the burly man be in the first joke?

A．Another kind helper.       B．The old lady’s son.

C．Allen’s friend.         D．A policeman.

57．What was the guest author’s mom trying to do in the second story?

A．Push hard to get her daughter’s signature.

B．Promote her daughter’s books by pretending to be a fan.

C．Show her pride in her daughter’s achievement.

D．Persuade Marilyn Kopp to buy her daughter’s book.

58．The computer technician on the phone in the third story________.

A．actually could find no way to solve Jeff’s problems

B．teased Jeff about his poor knowledge of computer jargon

C．wanted to talk to Lena instead

D．believed that Jeff’s mom would know more computer jargon

59．What is the main purpose of the jokes?

A．To make fun of moms.    B．To honor moms.

C．To educate moms.           D．To amuse moms.

60．The passage is most possibly found________.

A．in a storybook         B．in a commercial ad

C．in a magazine          D．in a student’s textbook

As an experienced photojournalist in Nashville, Tennessee, I was hired by USA Today newspaper to photograph a spinal bifida (脊柱畸形) corrective surgical procedure. It was to be performed on a twenty-one week old fetus（胎儿）in uterus（子宫）at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. At that time, in 1999, twenty-one weeks in uterus was the earliest that the surgical team would consider for surgery. The worst possible outcome would be that the surgery would cause premature delivery, and no child born earlier than twenty-three weeks had survived.

The tension could be felt in the operating room as the surgery began. A typical C-section cut was made to access the uterus, which was then lifted out and laid at the junction of the mother’s thighs（大腿）. The entire procedure would take place within the uterus, and no part of the child was to breach the surgical opening. During the procedure, the position of the fetus was adjusted by gently moving the outside of the uterus. The entire surgical procedure on the child was completed in one hour and thirteen minutes. When it was over, the surgical team breathed a sigh of relief, as did I.

As a doctor asked me what speed of film I was using, out of the corner of my eye I saw the uterus shake, but no one’s hands were near it. It was shaking from within. Suddenly, an entire arm thrust out of the opening, then pulled back until just a little hand was showing. The doctor reached over and lifted the hand, which reacted and squeezed the doctor’s finger. As if testing for strength, the doctor shook the tiny fist. Samuel held firm. I took the picture! Wow! It happened so fast that the nurse standing next to me asked, “What happened?” “The child reached out,” I said. “Oh. They do that all the time,” she responded.

The surgical opening to the uterus was closed and the uterus was then put back into the mother and the C-section opening was closed.

It was ten days before I knew if the picture was even in focus(对焦). To ensure no digital manipulation(篡改) of images before they see them, USA Today requires that film be submitted unprocessed. When the photo editor finally phoned me he said, “It’s the most incredible picture I’ve ever seen.”

1.What may be the best title for the passage?

A. An Amazing Moment                                          B. A Pitiful Fetus

C. An Honorable Job as a Photographer              D. An Impressive Surgeon

2.In 1999, people believed that it was ________.

A. possible for a fetus 21 weeks born to survive

B. likely for a fetus born 21 weeks to become abnormal

C. right time for a fetus born 21 weeks to receive an operation

D. risky for a fetus 21 weeks in uterus to receive an operation

3.From the second paragraph, we can see that the surgery was ________.

A. challenging but successful                                 B. demanding and unsuccessful

C. simple and short                                                  D. long-lasting and difficult

4.The underlined “It” in paragraph 3 refers to ________.

A. the uterus              B. the arm of the fetus

C. the picture             D. the head of the fetus

5.From what the editor said in the last paragraph, we know he was very ________.

A. disappointed                   B. satisfied                                   C. confident                D. depressed

阅读理解                     

   The easy way out isn't always easiest . I learned that lesson when I decided to treat Doug , my husband of one month , to a special meal . I glanced through my cookbook and chose a menu(菜谱) which included homemade bread . Knowing the bread would take time , I started on it as soon as Doug left for work . As I was not experienced in cooking , I thought if a dozen was good , two dozens would be better , so I doubled（加倍）everything . As Doug loved oranges , I also opened a can of orange and poured it all into the bowl . Soon there was a sticky dough (面团) covered with ugly yellowish marks . Realizing I had been defeated , I put the dough in the rubbish bin outside so I wouldn't have to face Doug laughing at my work , I went on preparing the rest of the meal , and , when Doug got home , we sat down to eat Cornish chicken with rice . He tried to enjoy the meal but seemed disturbed . Twice he got up and went outside , saying he thought he heard a noise . The third time he left , I went to the windows to see what he was doing . Looking out , I saw Doug standing about three feet from the rubbish bin , holding the lid up with a stick and looking into the container . When I came out of the house , he dropped the stick and explained that there was something alive in our rubbish bin . Picking up the stick again , he held the lid up enough for me to see . I felt cold . But I stepped closer and looked harder . Without doubt it was my work . The hot sun had caused the dough to double in size and the fermenting yeast (酵母)made the surface shake and sigh as though it were breathing .It looked like some unknown being from outer space. I could see why Doug was so shaken. I had to admit what the 'living thing” was and why it was there . I don't know who was more embarrassed(尴尬)by the whole thing － Doug or me.

1.The writer's purpose in writing this story is ___________

A．to tell an interesting experience

B．to show the easiest way out of a difficulty

C．to describe the trouble facing a newly married woman

D．to explain the difficulty of learning to cook from books

2.Why did the woman's attempt at making the bread turn out to be unsuccessful?

A．The canned orange had gone bad.

B．She didn't use the right kind of flour.

C．The cookbook was hard to understand.

D．She did not follow the directions closely.

3.Why did the woman put the dough in the rubbish bin?

A．She didn't see the use of keeping it

B．She meant to joke with her husband.

C．She didn't want her husband to see it .

D．She hoped it would soon dry in the sun.

4.What made the dough in the rubbish bin look frightening?

A．The rising and falling movement.

B．The strange-looking marks.

C．Its shape.

D．Its size.

5.When Doug went out the third time , the woman looked out of the window because she was ______________.

A．surprised at his being interested in the bin

B．afraid that he would discover her secret

C．unhappy that he didn't enjoy the meal

D．curious to know what disturbed him