My stutter（口吃）had always been much of a problem. I'd had so many specialists for my______35________ over the years. As l walked down the hallway to meet a new one, memories popped in my head of how painful（痛苦的）being a kid who stutters had been. It______36________ hurt.

    “Hello! I'm Mrs. Claussen. I hear you're from Texas!"

    “Ye-Ye-Ye-Yes m-m-m-m-m-m-m-aam I am…”My heart felt like it was pounding through my chest and my hands were dripping wet. I really blew that

______37________ .

    “Well," she said with a ______38________Smile. 161've always liked Texas."

    She turned out to be the best speech specialist I've ever had, not like those who

    told me to clap my hands while speaking. She was______39________.She spent the first several weeks just talking to me - asking me all kinds of questions about myself, especially my feelings. And she______40________ . She then began to teach me about the speech. Not just about my speech, but about everybody's.

       I______41________ in my old school and was a pretty good tenor（男高音）, but I learned that the new school's singing group was all filled up. It was such bad news, for I thought that was the one thing I could really do well - and I could do it

______42________ stuttering. Somehow Mrs. Claussen finally got me in the group. I felt like she really cared about me as a person, not just a speech student.

     During the next two years, my speech didn't get much better - except with her. When I was in college, things got worse. I once even wondered if I would ever be able to______43________ ! It was a very depressing time, and I often felt alone. When I was feeling really sorry for myself, I remembered Mrs. Claussen had told me whether I could______44________ my speech was all up to me. She had told me not to fight for perfect speech, just better speech. She was right about that. I finally improved my speech greatly.

     Many years have passed, but I think of her from time to time, wondering if she had as much______45________  0n her other students as she had on me. I like to think that she did. Her name was Mrs. Claussen... and she______46_______ . I'II never forget her.

1.A. speech                     B. study                  C. dream                 D. fear

2.A. maybe                      B. even                            C. still                              D. never

3.A. instruction                 B. description                    C. introduction                   D. presentation

4.A. shy                           B. cold                              C. weak                   D. kind

5.A. silent                                 B. simple                 C. direct                            D. different

6.A. cried                        B. listened                C. waited                 D. stopped

7.A. sang                          B. spoke                            C. played                 D. clapped

8.A. against                      B. besides                   C. beyond                D. without

9.A. practise                    B. communicate                 C. report                           D. reply

10.A. train                               B. share                  C. change                D. follow

11.A. advice                    B. influence             C. dependence                  D. action

12.A. continued               B. taught                           C. agreed                D. cared

A     Xia Chimei, 51, has become both classmate and granny of kids at Xiping Primary School in Xuan’en county, Hubei Province．By far the oldest student at the school enrolled(人学)in first grade earlier this year．She is now learning pinyin with children just six and seven years of age．Her husband and children encouraged her to go to school when the new term began early this year．She had never been to school in her life．

B     A dog owner in Dalian, Liaoning Province, was very surprised when his 4-year-old dog picked up a 5-yuan note and gave it to him on Monday on their way to a market．

Days earlier, Mr. Ye had dropped a 10-yuan note on his sofa and let the dog pick it up for him．He then showed the pet other notes and told it how to use money．He did that just for fun．But he never thought the animal would take to(喜欢) dealing with money so naturally．

C     Wang Xiaoyan, a farmer in Duanjiawan village, Shaanxi Province, has carried his daughter, who suffers from polio(小儿麻痹症), to school every day over the past lo years．

Wang’s daughter, Wang Dan, lost the use of her legs after catching polio in 1995, at the age of three．Three years later when it was time for Wang Dan to go to school, Wang Xiaoyan decided he would carry her．The girl has repaid him by her excellent studies．

1．How old did Xia Chimei begin her study in Passage A?

A．6．                     B．7                         C．15．                   D．51．

2．What’s the best title for Passage A?

A．Practice makes perfect．                                   B．It’s never too old to learn．

C．Clothes don’t make the man．                            D．The early bird catches the worm．

3．In which province did the story happen in passage B?

A．Liaoning．           B．Hubei．               C．Fujian．                 D．Shaanxi．

4．What does the underlined word “repaid” mean in Passage C?

A．付款                   B．赔偿                    C．报答                   D．贷款

5．Which of the following is TRUE according to the passages above?

A．Xia Chimei came to school with her husband and son．

B．The dog was so clever that it taught itself to borrow money．

C．Wang Dan lost the use of her legs because of polio when she was three．

D．Mr. Ye picked up a 5-yuan note and gave it to the dog on the way home．

1. What’s the best title for Passage A?

A．Practice makes perfect                                                         B．Clothes don’t make the man.

C．The early bird catches the worm.                D．It’s never too late to learn. 

2. In which province did the story happen in Passage B?

A．Liaoning.                    B．Hubei.                C．Fujian.            D．Hebei.

3. What does the underlined word repaid mean in Passage C?

A．付款                          B．赔偿                  C．报答              D．贷款 

4. Which of the following is true is TRUE according to the passages above?

A．Xia Chimei came to school with her husband and son

B．The dog was so clever that it taught itself to borrow money.

C．Wang Dan lost the use of her legs because of polio when she was three.

D．Mr. Ye picked up a 5-yuan note and give it to the dog on the way home