The winter holidays are a special time at the White House. Each year, about 44,000 people come to see the holiday decorations or to attend holiday parties at the President’s home in Washington, D.C.

I was able to attend a press preview of the holiday decorations recently, which was hosted by First Lady Laura Bush. This year’s theme for the decorations is “All Things Bright and Beautiful.” The decorations are all made of fresh flowers, garlands(花环), and fruits. The flowers will have to be changed every few days to keep the look fresh.

The main Christmas tree is in the Blue Room. It’s an 18-foot fir tree—tall enough that the chan-delier(吊灯) had to be removed to make room for it. Fresh white lilies(百合), crystal garlands, and white lights decorate the White House Christmas tree. The room smells of pine and lilies.

Mrs. Bush was asked whether she called the tree a holiday tree or a Christmas tree. “We know that Americans celebrate the season in a lot of different ways,” she said. “We’ll have a party and a reception here at the White House later during the month. But I think we’ve always called this the White House Christmas tree.”

Another centerpiece of the decorations each year is the gingerbread house(姜饼屋), made by chief Thaddeus Dubois.“This is his second gingerbread house,” Mrs. Bush said. “And this year Dubois painstakingly(辛苦地，辛勤地) made it special.” The gingerbread house was made with 100 pounds of gingerbread, 150 pounds of white and dark chocolate, and clear, poured sugar windows. A strand of white lights inside the Gingerbread White House made it glow.

40. Mrs. Bush chose “All Things Bright and Beautiful”as the theme for the decorations to ______.              .

A. highlight nature’s beauty           B. show the great wealth of the family

C. express her love of the country     D. differ from other people’s ideas

41. Which of the following can probably be used to describe the White House after the decorations?

 A. New and clean.                B. Elegant(高贵的) and beautiful.

C. Smelly and shaky.               D. Luxurious(豪华的) and serious.

42. The passage is mainly about ______.             .

 A. how Americans observe Christmas       

B. decorating the White House for holidays

C. the differences between a holiday tree and a Christmas tree

D. how to select a present for the White House

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，选出最佳选项。

    Each of us fails from time to time. If we are wise, we accept these failures as a   36  part of

the learning process. But all too often as parents and teachers we disallow this  37  right to our

children.

    When I see a child  38  to this kind of pressure, I think of Donnie.

    Donnie was my youngest third grader. His   39  of failure kept him from classroom games

that other children enjoyed. He   40  answered questions—he might be wrong.

I tried my best to build his    41    .But nothing changed until midterm , when Mary Anne , a student teacher , was assigned（安排） to our classroom .

She was young and pretty , and she loved children . My pupils , Donnie included , all   42     her.

One morning , we were working on math problems at the chalkboard . Donnie had    43    the problems with pains-taking tidiness . Pleased with his progress , I     44   the children with Mary Anne and went for art materials . When I returned , Donnie was in    45    . He’d missed the third problem .

My student teacher looked at me in despair . Suddenly her face   46     . From the desk we shared , she got a container filled with pencils .

“Look , Donnie,” she said, kneeling beside him and gently   47     the tear-stained face from his arms . “I’ve got something to    48    you.” She removed the pencils , one at a time , and placed them on his desk .

“See these   49     , Donnie,” she continued . “They belong to Mrs . Lindstrom and me . See how the erasers are    50    ? That’s because we make mistakes too . But we erase the mistakes and try again . That’s what you    51    learn to do , too.”

She kissed him and stood up . “Here”, she said , I’ll leave one of these pencils on  52      desk so you’ll remember that everybody makes mistakes,   53    teachers.” Donnie looked up with love in his eyes and a smile .

The pencil became Donnie’s   54  possession . That, together with Mary Anne’s frequent encouragement, gradually    55    him that it’s all right to make mistakes—as long as you erase them and try again .

A．small     B．basic        C．necessary        D．large

A．correct B．same C．important  D．natural

A．suffering       B．object      C．fall    D．subject

A．fear      B．lesson      C．chance      D．sense

A．always B．often       C．never       D．seldom

A．self protection B．self improvement C．self confidence D．self learning

A．respected      B．disliked    C．avoided    D．minded

A．worked out B．copied  C．gone over        D．learned

A．left       B．offered    C．missed     D．parted

A．surprise      B．astonishment    C．anger       D．tears

A．darkened     B．brightened       C．pulled      D．loosened

A．lifting        B．picking    C．holding    D．pushing

A．help    B．show       C．reward     D．promise

A．pencils       B．mistakes   C．marks      D．containers

A．used    B．built        C．worn       D．damaged

A．may    B．must        C．will   D．can

A．my      B．someone’s       C．the teacher’s    D．your

A．still      B．also C．even        D．not

A．prized  B．own C．kept  D．expected

A．warned       B．informed C．persuaded        D．reminded

Linda Evans was my best friend—like the sister I never had. We did everything together: piano lessons, movies, swimming, horseback riding.
When I was 13, my family moved away. Linda and I kept in touch through letters, and we saw each other on special times—like my wedding and Linda's. Soon we were busy with children and moving to new homes, and we wrote less often. One day a card that I sent came back, stamped "Address Unknown" I had no idea about how to find Linda.
Over the years, I missed Linda very much. I wanted to share(分享) happiness of my children and then grandchildren. And I needed to share my sadness when my brother and then mother died. There was an empty place in my heart that only a friend like Linda could fill.
One day, I was reading a newspaper when I noticed a photo of a young woman who looked very much like Linda and whose last name was Wagman—Linda's married name. "There must be thousands of Wagmans."I thought, but I still wrote to her.
She called as soon as she got my letter. "Mrs. Tobin!" she said excitedly, "Linda Evans Wagman is my mother."
Minutes later I heard a voice that I knew very much, even after 40 years, laughed and cried and caught up on each other's lives. Now the empty place in my heart is filled. And there's one thing that Linda and I know for sure: We won't lose each other again!
【小题1】The writer went to piano lessons with Linda Evans ________.

A．at the age of 13

B．before the writer’s family moved away

C．after they moved to new homes

D．before she got married

【小题2】They didn't often write to each other because they ________.

A．got married

B．didn't like writing letters

C．had little time to do so

D．could see each other on special time

【小题3】There was an empty place in the writer’s heart because she ________.

A．was in trouble

B．didn't know Linda’s address

C．received the card that she sent

D．didn't have a friend like Linda to share her happiness and sadness

The day before Father's Day, Mrs. Berry asked her students to make a card for their fathers. She passed out paper and pieces of cloth. Elizabeth looked for a while at the blue cloth and began to cut it. Then she  21  her paper in half and began writing. When Elizabeth finally looked at the message the teacher gave on the paper, she noticed something else. She felt her  22  grow hot -- she hadn't heard that anyone who didn't have a father could make one for a grandfather or an uncle. As her teacher walked to her, Elizabeth tried  23  her card with her arm, but Mrs. Berry gently  24  it so that she could read it. Elizabeth sat  25 ,  waiting for her to say something, but she saw a 26  roll down Mrs. Berry's face. She had never made Mrs. Berry so upset.

When school was over, Elizabeth  27  until all the other kids left so that she could  28  . "I'm sorry for not listening. I'll make another card  29  you want. I'll do it  30  and bring it tomorrow."

"  31  are you talking about?" asked Mrs. Berry.

"My Father's Day card. I know you're upset because I didn't do it  32  ."

"Elizabeth, that was the  33  card in the whole class. It was so  34  that it made me cry."

Elizabeth was so  35  that she ran out of the classroom. When her mom came home from work that night, Elizabeth  36  to give her the card early. On the front of the card was a  37  of Elizabeth's mom, with a blue piece of cloth cut like her hair. Inside the card she had written:                                                                              

Dear Mom,

I know you work really hard to be both a mommy and a（n） 38 . I want to thank you and 39  you a happy Father’s Day.                        

                                                                                           Love,

                                                                                           Elizabeth             

When her mom read the card she started  40  , just like Mrs. Berry did.

A. close       B. open      C. spread         D. folded

A. heart       B. face       C. eyes           D. feet

A. covering           B. holding      C. doing        D. making

A. caught      B. left        C. lifted         D. put

A. alone       B. still        C. up           D. down

A. tear        B. smile        C. hair          D. sweat

A. worked            B. waited       C. stood         D. studied

A. apologize   B. stop             C. understand    D. stay

A. because      B. until         C. unless        D. if

A. just here    B. at once      C. at home       D. at school

A. Who              B. Whose        C. Which        D. What

A. carefully    B. quickly       C. wrong         D. right

A. worst      B. best          C. favorite        D. simplest

A. wild       B. ugly           C. sweet                D. hard

A. happy             B. regretful      C. brave                D. rude

A. seemed     B. decided       C. refused        D. promised

A. address     B. phone number C. drawing      D. writing

A. brother            B. sister        C. daddy         D. aunt

A. wish       B. hope            C. want          D. congratulate

A. laughing           B. joking     C. worrying         D. crying

第二节完形填空(共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分)

阅读下面的短文，掌握其大意，然后从36～55各题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

“Hi, Mommy, what are you doing?” asked Susie, who was only six years old. “I’m making a casserole(炖锅菜) for Mrs. Smith next door, __36__ Mrs. Smith is very sad. She lost her daughter and has a __37__ heart. We need to take care of her a little while.” Said her mother. “ Why, Mommy?” 

“You see, Susie, when someone is very, very sad, they have __38__ doing the little things like making dinner or other housework. Because we’re __39__ of a community and Mrs. Smith won’t ever be able to talk with her daughter or hug(拥抱) her. You are a very __40__ girl, Susie; maybe you’ll think of __41__ way to help take care of Mrs. Smith.”

Susie thought __42__ about this challenge and how she could do her __43__ on caring for Mrs. Smith. A few minutes later, Susie knocked on her door. After a few moments, Mrs. Smith __44__ the knock with a “Hi, Susie.”

Susie noticed that Mrs. Smith didn’t have that familiar musical __45__ about her voice when she __46__ someone.

“What can I do for you, Susie?” asked Mrs. Smith.

“My mommy says that you lost your daughter and you’re very, very sad with a broken heart.” Susie __47__ her hand out shyly. In it was a Band-Aid. “This is for your broken heart.” Mrs. Smith knelt down and hugged Susie. Through her __48__ she said, “Thank you, darling girl, this will __49__ a lot.”

Mrs. Smith __50__ Susie’s act of kindness and took it one step __51__. She bought a small key ring with a picture frame(框架) ---- the ones __52__ to carry keys and display a family __53__ at the same time. Mrs. Smith placed Susie’s Band-Aid in the frame to __54__ her to heal a little every time she sees it. It has become her symbol(象征) for healing, while not __55__ the joy and love she experienced with her daughter.

36. A. although      B. because      C. when D. so

37. A. broken  B. absent C. sick    D. gentle

38. A. trouble B. time    C. interest       D. danger

39. A. owners        B. whole C. part    D. relatives

40. A. naughty       B. little   C. pretty  D. smart

41. A. the other      B. the very     C. our     D. some

42. A. seriously      B. deeply C. much        D. little

43. A. job       B. work   C. part    D. deed

44. A. replied  B. answered to      C. greeted       D. responded

45. A. sound   B. quality       C. gift     D. note

46. A. praised B. helped C. greeted       D. saw

47. A. gave     B. set      C. took    D. held

48. A. tears     B. sadness       C. excitement  D. glasses

49. A. do B. care    C. mean  D. help

50. A. refused B. accepted     C. received     D. took

51. A. more    B. forward      C. further       D. ahead

52. A. made    B. bought       C. invented     D. designed

53. A. photo   B. scene  C. gathering   D. life

54. A. force    B. remind       C. get      D. advise

55. A. forgetting    B. missing      C. losing D. remembering