Old age，I decided，is a gift．The other day a young person asked me how l felt about being old．I was taken aback．for I do not think of myself as old．Upon seeing my reaction．he was immediately embarrassed（尴尬的），but I explained that it was an interesting question，and I would think it over，and let him know．

      Old age is a gift．I am now，probably for the first time in my life，the person I have always wanted to be．As I’ve aged．I’ve become kinder to myself, and less critical of myself．I don’t scold myself for eating that extra cookie，or for not making my bed…I am entitled to overeat，to be messy．I have seen too many dear friends leave this world too soon before they understood the great freedom that comes with aging．

      I will walk along the beach in a swimming suit that is stretched over my fat body．and will dive into the waves freely if I choose to，in spite of the pitying glances from the bikini sets．They，too，will get old．

      Sure，over the years my heart has been broken．How can your heart not break when you lose a loved one，or when a child suffers，or even when a beloved pet is hit by a car? But broken hearts are what give us strength，understanding and sympathy．A heart never broken will never know the joy of being imperfect．

      So，to answer your question, I like being old．It has set me flee．I like the person I have become．I am not going to live forever．but while I am still here．1 will not waste time feeling sorry for what could have been，or worrying about what will be．And I shall eat dessert every single day．

1．Which of the following may be the title of the text?

      A．The Aged．                                            B．Old age is a gift．

      C．Are you getting older?                                 D．Don’t be afraid of aging．

2．Why did the author like being old?

      A．Because he is actually not old．

      B．Because he becomes the person he really wanted to be．

      C．Because he can do everything now．

      D．Because being old can make him enjoy many special rights．

3．According to the text，he likes to do the following except __________．

      A．eat extra cookie if he likes                         B．dive into the waves freely

      C．leave things as he likes                                D．do what others like him to do

4．According to the text，we know that ___________．

      A．imperfection is never a good thing

      B．being forgetful will always cause trouble

      C．becoming aging is miserable

      D．aging sometimes means freedom

5．What does the underlined phrase refer to in the third paragraph?

    A．beautiful swimming suits                          B．short clothes used for swimming

    C．some younger persons                                D．couples of swimming lovers

假如你是李华，在美国留学。你母亲今天下午要从国内来看你，但你凑巧要去做个讲座，故给你的朋友Peter留下字条请他下午三点半去机场接你母亲。因Peter未见过你母亲，请根据下表在字条中描述你母亲的特征以便他辨认。

age	around sixty
appearance	fat, short, gray hair, a long face
clothes	a white blouse, brown trousers
luggage	a yellow suitcase

注意：1．开头已给出，不计入总词数； 2．词数：100左右。

         Sunday

Peter,

       I am very glad that my mother is coming this afternoon by air ...

                                                                   Yours,

Lihua

The influence of America is increasing in my country. Spanish people drink Coca Cola, wear blue jeans, watch Hollywood movies, listen to American music, and eat fast food, and they do these things every day.
I think that American movies are a good way to spread American culture because people are often influenced by what they see in the movies. Most of the programs and documentaries (纪录片) we watch on TV are from America, and most of the movies we go to see are made in Hollywood.
In the last few years, the government has tried to protect the Spanish movies. Now, in our cinemas, at least twenty percent of the movies which are shown must be from Spain or from other countries in Europe.
American culture is a part of Spanish life now. It’s certain that many things from America are as much a part of people’s lives as Spanish things. For example, Coca Cola is as familiar to everybody as any typical Spanish product. I’ve known about Coca Cola for my whole life.
However, it’s different with Western fast food. For example, I don’t think McDonald’s is as successful in Spain as it is in other countries. In my opinion, one of the reasons may be the lifestyle of the Spanish people. The Spanish people normally eat at home.
On the other hand, maybe McDonald’s hamburgers will eventually replace the famous Spanish tapas. It’s true that in every city in Spain you can find a McDonald’s, and it is more popular among the Spanish children than among the adults. In any case, it’s obvious that American culture is becoming more and more a part of our lives every day.
【小题1】From the first paragraph we can know that ____.

A．the influence of America on Spain can be found everywhere

B．most Spanish people don’t like to listen to their own music

C．fast food spreads from Spain to the United States

D．some Spanish actors go to America to improve their acting skills

【小题2】Why did the government set some rules for the films shown in Spain?
_________.

A．To protect foreign culture in Spain.

B．To earn more money from Spanish films.

C．To limit the number of foreign movies.

D．To unite the European Community.

【小题3】Why does the author think that McDonald’s is not as successful as it is in other countries? ______

A．Its fast food contains too much fat.

B．He thinks it is unhealthy.

C．Spanish people seldom eat out.

D．Spanish adults don’t like its fast food.

I was walking along the deserted main street of a small seaside town in the north of England looking somewhere to make a phone call. My car had broken down outside the town and I wanted to get in touch with the Automobile Association .Low gray clouds were drifting across the sky and there was a cold damp wind blowing off the sea. It had rained in the night and water was dripping from the bare trees that lined the street. I was glad that I was wearing a thick coat.
There was no sign of a call box, nor was there anyone at that early hour I could ask. I had thought I might find a shop selling the Sunday papers or a milkman doing his job, but the town was completely dead.
Then suddenly I found what I was looking for. There was a small post office, and almost hidden from sight in a dark narrow street next to it was the town’s only public call box, which badly needed a coat of paint, I hurried forward but stopped in astonishment when I saw through the dirty glass that there was a man inside. He was very fat, and was wearing a cheap blue plastic raincoat and rubber boots. I could not see his face - he was bending forward over the phone with his back pressed against the glass and didn’t even raise his head at the sound of my coming nearer and nearer. Carefully and surprisedly, I remained standing a few feet away and lit a cigarette to wait my turn. It was when I threw the dead match on the ground that I noticed something bright red trickling from under the call box door.
【小题1】The author was walking through the small seaside town__________.

A．late morning	B．early morning
C．before midnight	D．late evening

【小题2】The weather of the day was ____, when the story happened.

A．windy, cold and cloudy	B．stormy, damp and clear
C．rainy, cold and clear	D．rainy, windy and cold

【小题3】 Why was the author astonished when he saw that there was a man in the call box? Because____.

A．the man inside was still wearing a raincoat

B．he didn’t expect it to be taken up

C．the man had his back with him

D．the man did not seem to be moving

【小题4】The author waited, standing a few feet away from the box because____.

A．it was not safe to be close to the box

B．the man didn’t notice his coming

C．he wanted to have a cigarette to calm himself down

D．it was bad manners to overhear other’s phone calls

【小题5】 What do you suppose happened to the man in the call box?

A．He slept.

B．He had most probably been killed.

C．He was lost in his important phone call.

D．He was too fat to move around.

Enid's wedding(婚礼) dress arrived at five o'clock in the evening, just seventeen  36 before her marriage!

“I must try it on Mother!” she cried, as she ran   37 .Three minutes later Enid's cries brought her   38 up.The dress was much   39   for her. It was like a bag in the front, and the neckline looked all  40  . Enid was in   41 .

“Take it back to the dressmaker's,” Mrs Bale said.“She must   42  it tonight. Hurry now. Take it off and go.” The dressmaker's shop was closed.“Closed for One Week's Holiday,” said a   43 on the door. Fresh tears rose to Enid's eyes. She ran home again to her mother.

“This is unlucky,”Mrs Bale said.” But what are we going to do? 44  I ask Mrs. Peters to help? She was a dressmaker once. I'm sure she could change it for you.” Mrs. Peters was   45 in and began to work. She could see  46 was wrong. She had to   47 it narrower at the front, and that was a big job. Then she changed the neckline. In fact she made it again. At ten o'clock the work was finished, and Enid tried the dress on. It fitted her beautifully.

The three women were having a cup of tea   48  the doorbell rang .Mrs. Bale answered it and   49­­  into the worried eyes of a   50  woman. The woman was carrying a large flat   51 .“Does Miss Enid Bale   52  here?" she asked breathlessly. “Yes, she's my daughter.” “Oh, I am   53  I've found you! There's been a  54  .Your daughter has my wedding dress, and I've got   55  . And I'm getting married tomorrow!” She held out the box to Mrs. Bale.

1.                A．weeks          B．minutes         C．days D．hours

 

2.                A．upstairs        B．outside         C．back home    D．about

 

3.                A．husband        B．daughter        C．mother   D．neighbour

 

4.                A．smaller         B．shorter         C．too big   D．too long

 

5.                A．wrong          B．pleased         C．right D．waste

 

6.                A．love           B．tears           C．surprise  D．danger

 

7.                A．measure        B．make           C．repair    D．change

 

8.                A．voice          B．sound          C．notice    D．saying

 

9.                A．Will           B．Would          C．Shall D．Should

 

10.               A．sent           B．brought        C．pushed    D．taken

 

11.               A．neckline        B．all             C．nothing   D．what

 

12.               A．make          B．keep           C．change    D．take

 

13.               A．then           B．until           C．when D．while

 

14.               A．came          B．got            C．saw  D．looked

 

15.               A．short pretty     B．fat young       C．slim old   D．little quiet

 

16.               A．cup           B．dress          C．bag   D．box

 

17.               A．live            B．work           C．stay  D．wait

 

18.               A．delightful       B．sorry          C．angry D．glad

 

19.               A．dress          B．change         C．mistake   D．wish

 

20.               A．yours          B．hers           C．the other  D．others