Mark Twain was a great writer. He was from the USA. He was born in 1835. He was also a famous speaker. He was famous for his sense of humour. Many people liked to listen to him talk because he liked to tell some interesting stories to make people laugh all the time.

　　One day Mark Twain was going to a small town because of his writing. Before he was going to leave, one of his friends said to him that there were always a lot of mosquitoes(蚊子) in the town and told him that he’d better not go there. Mark Twain waved (摇动) his hand and said, “It doesn’t matter. The mosquitoes are no relatives of mine. I don’t think they will come to visit me.”

After he arrived at the town, Mark Twain stayed in a small hotel near the station. He went into his room, but when he was just about to have a rest, quite a few mosquitoes flew about him. The waiters felt very sorry about that. “I’m very sorry, Mr. Mark Twain. There are too many mosquitoes in our town.” One of them said to him.

Mark Twain, however, made a joke, saying to the waiter, “The mosquitoes are very clever. They know my room number. They didn’t come into the wrong room.” What he said made all the people present laugh heartily.

But that night Mark Twain slept well. Do you know why? That was because all the waiters in the hotel were driving the mosquitoes away for him during the whole night.

1.Many people liked Mark Twain because________.

A．he was famous

B．he liked to talk

C．he was humourous

D．he was a writer

2.That day Mark Twain went to the town _____.

A．to see one of his friends

B．because he wanted to do something there for his writing

C．because he was told there were a lot of mosquitoes there

D．to see one of his relatives

3.The waiters felt sorry because _____.

A．they did something wrong to Mark Twain

B．their hotel was too small

C．the room was not very clean

D．there were quite a few mosquitoes in Mark Twain’s room

4.All the people present laughed heartily because _____.

A．the mosquitoes were very clever and they didn’t come into the wrong room

B．the mosquitoes knew Mark Twain’s room number

C．Mark Twain gave the waiters some nice presents

D．Mark Twain made a joke

5.From the story we know _____.

A．no mosquitoes troubled Mark Twain in the night

B．the owner of the hotel told the waiters to look after Mark Twain well at night

C．Mark Twain didn’t have a good rest that night

D．there were not mosquitoes in the hotel any longer

 

When I was young, I went looking for gold in California. I never found enough to make a rich strike. But I did discover a beautiful part of the country called Stanislau. Like Heaven on Earth, it had bright green hills and deep forests where soft winds touched the trees. By the time I arrived, the charming paradise had been deserted because miners’ good luck didn’t last.

Then, I realized I was not alone after all.

A man was smiling at me as he stood in front of his little house. Its front yard was full of blue and yellow flowers. White curtains hung from the windows and floated in the soft summer wind.

Still smiling, the man invited me inside. My spirit seemed to come to life again. I saw a bright rug on the shining wooden floor. And on little tables there were seashells, books and china vases full of flowers. A woman had made this house into a home. The delight in my heart showed on my face. The man read my thoughts. “All her work.” He said affectionately, “Nothing here hasn’t felt the touch of her hand.”

One picture on the wall was not hanging straight. He went to fix it. He stepped back several times to make sure the picture was straight. Then he gave it a gentle touch. “She always does that,” he explained, “It is like the finishing pat a mother gives her child’s hair after she has brushed it. I don’t know why I do it. I just do it.”

As he talked, I went to a little black-walnut shelf that held a small picture of the most beautiful creature I had ever seen. There was a sweetness and softness in the woman’s expression. The man stared at the picture. “Nineteen her last birthday. That was the day we married. When you see her...ah, just wait until you meet her!” “Where is she now?” I asked. “Oh, she is away visiting her parents. This is Wednesday,” he said slowly. “She will be back on Saturday, in the evening.”

That night, I stayed. The man told me his name was Henry.

Thursday evening we had two visitors, Tom and Joe. “We just drop over to ask when little madam is coming home. Any news from her?” “Oh yes,” the man replied. “A letter.” He took a yellowed letter out of his wallet and read it. It was full of loving messages. While reading, he glimpsed his friends and cried out, “Oh no, you are doing it again, Tom! Take your hands away and let me see your eyes. I’m going to tell her this time!” “No, you mustn’t do that, Henry,” the grey-haired miner said. “I am getting old. And any little sorrow makes me cry. Lord, we miss her so.”

Saturday finally came.

I was glad to see his two friends, Tom and Joe, with guitars, coming down the road as the sun began to set. They put the flowers they brought in vases and began to play some fast and lively songs.

Henry’s friends kept giving him glasses of whiskey. When I reached for one of the two remaining glasses, Tom stopped my arm. “Drop that! Take the other.” he whispered. I did so. Henry was served last. He had hardly swallowed his drink when the clock struck midnight. His face grew pale and paler. “Boys,” he said, “I am sick with fear. Help! I want to lie down.” Henry was asleep almost before the words were out of his mouth.

In a moment, those handy men had his clothes off and tucked him into his bed. They seemed to be getting ready to leave. So I said, “Please don’t go, gentlemen. She won’t know me. I am a stranger.” They glanced at each other. Then Joe said, “She? Poor thing, she’s been dead nineteen years!” “Dead?” I whispered. “That or worse.” he said.

“She went to see her folks half a year after she got married. On her way back, on a Saturday evening in June, when she was almost here, the Indians captured her. She’s never been heard of since. Henry went insane. But he only gets bad when that time of year comes round. Then we drop in here, three days before she’s due, to encourage him up and listen to him read the letter. Saturday we all come and get everything ready for a dance. We’ve done it for nineteen years. The first Saturday there were twenty-seven of us, but only two now. We drug him to sleep through the night. Then he’s all right for another year.”

The two old men opened the door and disappeared into the darkness of Stanislau.

1.You can sense the existence of a woman from the following sentences EXCEPT “______”.

A. Soft winds touched the trees in Stanislau.

B. There was a bright rug on the shining wooden floor.

C. There were seashells, books and china vases full of flowers.

D. A little black shelf held a small picture of a woman.

2.Tom cried when Henry read the yellowed letter, because ______.

A. he was getting older and older

B. he was moved by the loving messages in the letter

C. he felt sad at the thought of Henry’s wife

D. he was disappointed that Henry’s wife would arrive so late

3.Tom stopped my reaching for whiskey because ______.

A. there was not enough whiskey for Henry                B. he didn’t want me to get drunk

C. that glass of whiskey was drugged                    D. it was for Henry’s wife

4.The underlined word “insane” probably means “______”.

A. depressed                   B. disappointed            C. mad                 D. sick

5.It can be inferred from the passage that ______.

A. Henry’s wife was 38 when she was last seen

B. Tom and Joe have heard the letter many times

C. the author stayed in Henry’s house because he was lost

D. the two miners came on Saturday to share past memories

6.The story is mainly about ______.

A. ever-lasting love                                                      B. lifelong friendship

C. an unforgettable experience                                               D. charming Stanislau

 

School was over and I felt quite tired. I sat at the very   36   of the crowded bus because of my anxiety(焦虑) to go home. Sitting there makes me  37   like a shiny coin in a pile of dull pennies.

Janie, the   38  , tried to break the uncomfortable   39    by starting a conversation. I tried to mind my manners and politely   40   her, but usually I am too busy thinking about my day. On this day,   41 , her conversation was worth listening to.

“My father’s sick,” she said to no one in   42  , I could see the anxiety and fear in her eyes. “What’s wrong with him?” I asked. With her eyes wet and her voice tight from fighting the tears, she       43  , “Heart trouble.” Her eyes lowered as she continued. “I’ve   44   lost my mum, so I don’t think I can stand losing him.”

I was shocked. My   45   ached for her. And this reminded me of the great   46   my own mother was thrown into when her father   47  . I saw how hard it was, and still is, for her. I wouldn’t like anyone to   48   that.

Suddenly I   49   Janie wasn’t only a bus driver. That was just her job. She had a whole world of   50   and concerns, too. I suddenly felt very selfish(自私). I realized I had only thought of people as far as what their purposes were in my life. I paid no   51   to Janie   52   she was a bus driver. I had judged(评价) her by her   53   and brushed her off as unimportant.

For all I know, I’m just another person in   54   else’s world, and may not even be   55  . I should not have been so selfish and self-centered. Everyone has places to go to, people to see and appointment to keep. Understanding people is an art.

1.A. front                 B. end             C. side                 D. middle

2.A. stand for             B. stand up            C. stand out          D. stand by

3.A. doctor               B. driver               C. teacher        D. classmate

4.A. mood                 B. condition           C. atmosphere    D. occasion

5.A. listen to             B. argue with         C. explain to         D. talk to

6.A. however              B. instead            C. therefore          D. otherwise

7.A. surprise           B. particular          C. purpose              D. silence

8.A. replied                B. shouted            C. cried                    D. spoke

9.A. totally                 B. already             C. completely         D. heavily

10.A. leg              B. stomach           C. heart                 D. head

11.A. pain              B. respect         C. happiness         D. disappointment

12.A. was lost            B. was away           C. died                D. was sick

13.A. go against                B. go for             C. go by                  D. go through

14.A. realized           B. recognized      C. argued                       D. explained

15.A. family            B. school          C. friend             D. job

16.A. money              B. attention      C. respect           D. time

17.A. unless            B. though            C. because               D. while

18.A. voice               B. job           C. family                D. look

19.A. anyone           B. someone          C. everyone        D. nobody

20.A. happy            B. smart         C. important       D. useful

 

Many parents have learned the hard way that what sounds like open communication is often the very thing that closes a youngster’s ears and mouth. One common mistake is the Lecture, the long monologue that often starts with “When I was your age….” Eighteen-year-old Kelly calls lectures “long, one-side discussions in which I don’t say much.”

Kids reflexively（条件反射地） shut down in the face of a lecture. Their eyes glaze over, and they don’t register any incoming information. Listen to 13-year-old Sarah describe her least favorite times with her mom and dad. “First, they scream. Then comes the ‘We’re so disappointed’ speech. Then the ‘I never did that to my parents’ lecture begins. After that, even if they realize how ridiculous they sound, they never take it back.”

Lines like “When you have children of your own, you’ll understand” have been seriously said by parents since time immemorial. But many of our expert parents, like Bobby, a registered nurse and mother of three, feel that by falling back on clichés（陈词滥调）to justify our actions, we weaken our position.

Since kids are creatures of here and now, the far-off future has no relevance to them. Therefore, good communicators like Bobby suggest, “Give specific reasons for your actions in present language: ‘I’m not letting you go to the party because I don’t think there will be enough adult supervisions（监护）.’”

Betty, who lives in Missiouri, uses an indirect approach. “I find that warnings are accepted more readily if I discuss a news article on a subject I am concerned about. My husband and I talk about it while our children absorb the information. Then they never think I’m preaching(布道).”

This really helped when Betty’s kids began driving. Instead of constantly repeating “Don’t drink; don’t speed,” she would talk about articles in the paper and express sympathy for the victims of a car crash. Betty made no special effort to draw her kids into the conversation. She depended on a teenager’s strong desire to put in his opinions---especially if he thinks he isn’t being asked for them.

1.The purpose of the passage is to _________.

A．compare two ways of parents` communicating with their kids

B．explain why kids won’t listen to their parents

C．give parents advice on how to communicate with their kids

D．introduce kids` reaction to the communication between them and their parents

2.Which of the following statements is NOT right?

A．Kids won’t listen to their parents because they think what their parents say is boring.

B．Kids don’t like any discussion at all.

C．Some kids think their parents should apologize when they are wrong.

D．Many kids think they have no right to express their own opinions.

3. What does the underlined word in the first paragraph mean?

A．讨论             B．对话             C．插话             D．独白

4.Which of the following topic may appeal to kids?

A．Something related to kids’ present life

B．Kids possible life in the future

C．Parents` own experience

D．What parents have done to their own parents.

5.In order to make kids follow their advice, parents should______.

A．tell their kids to listen carefully

B．arouse kids’ desire to express themselves.

C．list out as many examples as possible

D．set out their warnings directly

 

Four brothers left home for college, and they became successful doctors and lawyers. Some years later, they  16  after having dinner together. They discussed the  17  they gave their elderly mother who lived far away in another city. The first said, “I had a  18  house built for Mama.” The second said, “I had my Mercedes-Benz dealer（经销商）send a  19  to her.” The third said, “I built a beautiful   20  for Mama.” The fourth said, “You know   21  Mama loved reading poems and you know she can’t read anymore because she can’t   22  very well. I met a   23  who had a parrot（鹦鹉）that can recite many poems. It took him 12 years to   24  it to speak and he earns his living by renting it out. I had to pay him $100,000 a year for twenty years,  25  it is worth it.” On hearing that, the other brothers were   26  by his good thought.

After the holidays their mother   27  her thank-you notes, which read:

“Milton, the house you built is so huge. I only live in one room, but I have to 28  the whole house. It’s a tiring job. Thanks anyway.”

“Marvin, I am too old to   29 . I stay home and have my foods delivered, so I’ll 30  use the car. The   31  was good, although not practical. Thanks.”

“Michael, you gave me an expensive building for 50 people to  32  plays or watch movies in it, but all my friends are dead. I’ve almost   33  my hearing and I’m nearly blind. I won’t use it. Thank you all the same.”

“Dearest Melvin, you were the   34  son to have the good sense to give a little thought to your gift. The chicken tasted so   35  . I liked it very much. Thank you.”

1.                A．fought         B．talked          C．studied   D．slept

 

2.                A．gifts           B．chances        C．wishes   D．challenges

 

3.                A．warm          B．big            C．safe D．lonely

 

4.                A．book           B．bike           C．car  D．bag

 

5.                A．station         B．museum        C．library    D．theater

 

6.                A．what           B．how           C．why D．when

 

7.                A．listen          B．feel            C．see D．walk

 

8.                A．nurse          B．writer          C．businessman   D．lawyer

 

9.                A．protect         B．beat           C．raise D．teach

 

10.               A．but            B．so             C．unless D．although

 

11.               A．treated         B．impressed       C．threatened D．hurt

 

12.               A．sent out        B．put up         C．took out   D．picked up

 

13.               A．sell            B．borrow         C．clean D．visit

 

14.               A．learn          B．work           C．exercise   D．travel

 

15.               A．never          B．often          C．regularly  D．sometimes

 

16.               A．future         B．hobby          C．idea  D．program

 

17.               A．create         B．enjoy          C．bring D．record

 

18.               A．lost            B．admired        C．remained  D．discovered

 

19.               A．same          B．last            C．next  D．only

 

20.               A．strange         B．unpleasant      C．bitter D．delicious