One day while Father was in his office downtown, Auntie Gussie and Cousin Flossie arrived. Mother immediately began planning to take them to dine at the Waldorf, a much – talked – of new hotel at Fifth Avenue and Thirty – third Street, which she very much wanted so see. She knew Father mightn’t like the idea, but he would enjoy himself after he got there, and she thought she could manage him. When he came in, she went to his bedroom to break the good news to him. Whenever she was planning to manage him, the very tone of her voice put him on guard; it had an impatient note, as though really the only plan she could think of was to wish he was manageable. So on this occasion, when she tried to get him in a good mood, he instantly got in a bad one. He looked suspiciously （怀疑地） at Mother and said, “I don’t feel well.”

But Mother was fully prepared to see that he would take it hard at the start. She said brightly that the Waldorf was lovely and that it would do him good to go out. There was no dinner at home for him anyway, so what else was there to do?

When Father took in the situation, he undressed and put on his nightshirt. He shouted angrily at Mother that he had a sick headache. It made no difference to him whether there was any dinner or not. What he needed was rest. After walking around, he put his clothes away and darkened his room. He climbed into bed. Pulling up the sheets, he let out his breath in deep groans （呻吟）.

Mother had got tired of scolding Father and trying to make him get out of bed, and had made up her mind to dine at the Waldorf without him. She and Auntie Gussie and Flossie marched off by themselves. But they had to come back almost immediately because Mother didn’t have enough money, and when she rushed into Father’s sickroom and lit the gas again and made him get up and give her ten dollars, his roars （咆哮） of pain were terrific.

1．Mother wants to dine at the Waldorf probably because           .

       A．she has not prepared dinner

       B．she feels Father needs a change

       C．she’s curious to know what the new hotel is like

       D．Auntie Gussie and Gousin Flossie have come to visit

2．From the underlined sentence “he would take it hard”, we learn that Father would          .

       A．talk with Mother seriously                    B．face Mother with difficulty

       C．feel very upset about the idea                D．accept the idea unwillingly

3．We can infer from the passage that          .

       A．Father has a poor appetite

       B．Father pretends to be sick

       C．Father has the final say in the family

       D．Father thinks dining out a waste of time

4．What is the author’s attitude?

      A．He stands by Mother.                           B．He takes Father’s side.

       C．He is ashamed of his parents.                D．He is just reporting the story.

On Christmas Day, a young man, tall and thin with dark hair, was making his way south on Interstatete（洲际的） 85 just below High Point, North Carolina，trying to hitch_a_ride.

He hadn't been home for two years: his family not had heard nothing from him. He and his mother had fight before, and he set off across the country，going from town to town, from one job another. However, now he was ready to return home.

A ride was hard to find. For half a day no car was seen to have run past him. “Mom，” he said to himself, “I'm tired and hungry, but I'm coming home.” The cold wind blew and then he heard a voice call his name. “Mike! Hey，Mike，come here！”

To his surprise, his father was waving, calling him from his truck. Mike ran across the highway. “Get in, son. We're going home.” Mike put his bag into the back of the truck and hugged his father. “Dad，” he said，“how did you happen to be here？I didn’t call.”

“Your mother sent me here. Last night，she had a dream that you were coming home and that you were on Interstate 85 just below High Point. She asked me to come here to pick you up.”

For a moment, the two men looked at each other without saying a word. Then the father started the motor and said “She's waiting for you，son.”

56．Why did the young man leave his family?

　　 A．He wanted to find a job somewhere else.　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

　　　 B．He didn’t want to be with his parents.

　　　 C．He has a fight with his mother.

　　　 D．He wanted to learn how to make a living.

57．The underlined phrase “hitch a ride” in Paragraph 1 probably means “________ ”．

　　　 A．wait for somebody to pick one up　　　　

　　　 B．ask the police to help one go home

　　　 C．wait for the bus to take one to one’s destination

　　　 D．get a free ride in someone else’s car

58．According to the text, Mike’s father got to Interstate 85 just below High Point　　　　 .

　　　 A．on purpose　　　　 B．by chance C．by mistake　　　　　 D．on his regular visit

59．What can we conclude from the passage?

　　 A．The young man had called his mother the day before.

　　　 B．The young man’s mother was very worried about him.

　　　 C．The young man had written a letter to his mother.

　　　 D．The young man’s father has super powers.

Nothing is more refreshing on a warm summer day than watching someone else work.

Right now, I’m sitting on my porch and watching young Beth baling（打捆）the big field on top of the hill. She’s been haying that field for over ten years. I know: I put her on the tractor when she was just twelve years old.

She picked a great day for baling. It’s not too hot, and there’s a nice breeze. On Monday, when she cut the field, it was so hot I thought the corn would start popping in the field. Didn’t stop her, though. She just stuck that big hat on her head, wrapped a wet handkerchief around her neck, and set to work. I remember when I would have done the same thing.

While I’m here sucking a lemonade, Beth is driving the “hay(干草) train,” a tractor pulling a baler and an old wagon. You’d think someone her size would never be able to see over the tractor. But somehow she manages. When she’s finished, her tracks are very straight.

The whole time she’s haying, that dog of hers is working just as hard, running along beside her like he’s afraid she’ll drive away without him. Beth sure knew what she was doing when she trained him.

The way the machine works is pure poetry. Each row is pushed into shape. When just enough hay is in a bale, it is wrapped up and fastened together. A second or so later, the bale comes flying out and into the old wagon. The person who invented that machine sure was some kind of genius.

That’s not to say it works perfectly. Every once in a while a bale misses the mark, especially when you are turning the machine at the end of a row. That means, of course, that you have to go back and pick up those bales and throw them into the wagon.

I can remember when Beth’s mother was her age. She looked an awful lot like Beth does now. Makes a man proud to see his daughter and granddaughter taking such good care of themselves.

Well, I suppose I should get up and fill this glass again. Not much fun sitting here with an empty glass.

63. We can learn from the passage that at some time in the past the author ______.

　 A. bought the tractor for Beth　　 　　　　　　　　　　 B. forced Beth to work at an early age

　 C. worked in the field like Beth　　　　　　 D. trained the dog to help Beth work

64. In the eyes of the author, the sight of Beth baling hay is _______.

　 A. uncommon　　　 B. beautiful　　　　 C. unforgettable　　　 D. changeable　　　

65 Before thrown into the wagon, the hay must be _______.

A. tied up　　　　　 B. dried up　　　　　 C. cut up　　　　　　 D. lined up　

66. Who do you think is telling this story?

A. Beth’s mother. B. Beth’s father.　　　

C. Beth’s grandmother.　 D.Beth’s grandfather.

“Can I see my baby?” asked the happy new mother. The bundle （婴儿包）was placed in her arms and when she moved the fold of cloth to look upon his tiny face, she gasped—the baby had been born without ears. Time, however, proved that the baby’s hearing was perfect except his appearance.

One day when he rushed home from school and threw himself into his mother’s arms, he cried out bitterly, “A boy, a big boy … called me — a f-…freak.” She sighed, knowing that his life was to be endless of heartbreaks.

He grew up, handsome for his misfortune. A favorite with his fellow students, he might have been class president, but for that. He developed a gift for literature and music.

The boy’s father had a talk with the family doctor. Could nothing be done? “I believe we could graft（移植）on a pair of outer ears, if they could be donated,” the doctor decided. So the search began for a person who would make such a sacrifice for a young man. Two years went by. Then, “You’re going to the hospital, son. Mother and I have someone who will donate the ears you need. But it’s a secret.” said the father.

The operation was a brilliant success. His talents blossomed into genius. School and college became a series of successes. Later he married and entered the diplomatic service. “But I must know!” he urged his father. “Who gave so much for me? I could never do enough for him.” “I do not believe you could,” said the father, “but the agreement was that you are not to know … not yet.” The years kept the secret, but the day did come … one of the darkest days that ever pass through a son. He stood with his father over his mother’s casket（棺材）. Slowly and tenderly, the father stretched forth a hand and raised the thick, reddish-brown hair to let out the secret.

The story is mainly about _______.

A. how a boy had new ears through an operation

B. what a devoted parent privately did for the child

C. how a disabled boy turned into a useful person

D. why a donator made a sacrifice to a bright boy

The underlined word “freak” in Paragraph 2 is the closest in meaning to “_______”.

A. slow-acting person          B. good-looking child

C. badly-behaved student       D. strangely-shaped creature

What can be inferred from the passage?

A. The agreement was between the donator and the family.

B. The boy was so popular that he was made class president.

C. Finally the boy came to know who the donator was.

D. The mother donated her ears to her son after she died.

What moral lesson can we draw from this reading?

A. Real love lies in what is done unknown rather than what is done known.

B. It is up to parents to help their children heart and soul.

C. True beauty lies only in the heart not in appearance.

D. It is a virtue（美德）for young generations to learn to be grateful.

 “Can I see my baby?” asked the happy new mother. The bundle （婴儿包）was placed in her arms and when she moved the fold of cloth to look upon his tiny face, she gasped—the baby had been born without ears. Time, however, proved that the baby’s hearing was perfect except his appearance.

One day when he rushed home from school and threw himself into his mother’s arms, he cried out bitterly, “A boy, a big boy … called me — a f-…freak.” She sighed, knowing that his life was to be endless of heartbreaks.

He grew up, handsome for his misfortune. A favorite with his fellow students, he might have been class president, but for that. He developed a gift for literature and music.

The boy’s father had a talk with the family doctor. Could nothing be done? “I believe we could graft（移植）on a pair of outer ears, if they could be donated,” the doctor decided. So the search began for a person who would make such a sacrifice for a young man. Two years went by. Then, “You’re going to the hospital, son. Mother and I have someone who will donate the ears you need. But it’s a secret.” said the father.

The operation was a brilliant success. His talents blossomed into genius. School and college became a series of successes. Later he married and entered the diplomatic service. “But I must know!” he urged his father. “Who gave so much for me? I could never do enough for him.” “I do not believe you could,” said the father, “but the agreement was that you are not to know … not yet.” The years kept the secret, but the day did come … one of the darkest days that ever pass through a son. He stood with his father over his mother’s casket（棺材）. Slowly and tenderly, the father stretched forth a hand and raised the thick, reddish-brown hair to let out the secret.

1.The story is mainly about _______.

A. how a boy had new ears through an operation

B. what a devoted parent privately did for the child

C. how a disabled boy turned into a useful person

D. why a donator made a sacrifice to a bright boy

2.The underlined word “freak” in Paragraph 2 is the closest in meaning to “_______”.

A. slow-acting person          B. good-looking child

C. badly-behaved student       D. strangely-shaped creature

3.What can be inferred from the passage?

A. The agreement was between the donator and the family.

B. The boy was so popular that he was made class president.

C. Finally the boy came to know who the donator was.

D. The mother donated her ears to her son after she died.

4.What moral lesson can we draw from this reading?

A. Real love lies in what is done unknown rather than what is done known.

B. It is up to parents to help their children heart and soul.

C. True beauty lies only in the heart not in appearance.

D. It is a virtue（美德）for young generations to learn to be grateful.