Margaret, married with two small children, has been working for the last seven years as a night cleaner, cleaning offices in a big building.

She trained as a nurse, but had to give it up when her elder child became seriously ill. “I would have liked to go back to it, but the shifts（工作班次） are all wrong for me, as I have to be home to get the children up and off to school.”

So she works as a cleaner instead, from 9 a.m. till 6 a.m. five nights a week for just ￡90, before tax and insurance. “It’s  better than it was  last year, but I still think that people who work ‘unsocial hours’ should get a bit extra.”

The hours she’ s chosen to work meant that she sees plenty of the children, but very little of her husband. However, she doesn’t think that puts any pressure on their relationship.

Her work isn’t physically very hard, but it’s not exactly pleasant, either. “I do get angry with people who leave their offices like a place for raising pigs. If they realized people like me have to do it, perhaps they’d be a bit more careful.”

The fact that she’s working all night doesn’t worry Margaret at all. Unlike some dark buildings at night, the building where she works is fully lit, and the women work in groups of three. “Since I’ve got to be here, I try to enjoy myself——and I usually do, because of the other girls. We all have a good laugh, so the time never drags.”

Another challenge Margaret has to face is the reaction of other people when she tells them what she does for a living. “They think you’re a cleaner because you don’t know how to read and write,” said Margaret. “I used to think what my parents would say if they knew what I’d been doing, but I don’t think that way any more. I don’t dislike the work though I can’t say I’m mad about it.”

Margaret quit her job as a nurse because _______

A. she wanted to earn more money to support her family

B. she had suffered a lot of mental pressure

C. she needed the right time to look after her children

D. she felt tired of taking care of patients

Margaret gets angry with people who work in the office because Margaret _______.

A. they never clean their offices

B. they look down upon cleaners

C. they never do their work carefully

D. they always make a mess in their offices

When at work, Margaret feels _______.

A. light-hearted because of her fellow workers

B. happy because the building is fully lit

C. tired because of the heavy workload

D. bored because time passed slowly

The underlined part in the last paragraph implies that Margaret’s parents would _______．

A. help care for her children

B. regret what they had said

C. show sympathy for her

D. feel disappointed in her

Before I started school, people felt that I was not going to be successful．At the age of four I started speech lessons because basically I could not speak well enough for anyone to understand me．The story goes downhill from here．

    The first grade was a struggle．I not only had difficulty speaking, but also felt nervous about the fact that I was expected to learn to read and I just couldn't do it．The second grade was not much better．I still struggled with the inability to read．It was in the third grade that the school district built a new school close to my home．I remember going there with my parents and helping to get the school ready so that we could move to the new one．However, things were still not much better as far as my schooling was concerned and did not get better for the next two years．

       It was in the fifth grade．Mrs．Wakefield was my teacher, and if ever there was a teacher that deserved a gold star, it was her．She did not make me feel defeated．On the contrary, she did her best to let me know that I could be whatever I wanted to be．And that is just what I did．

       For the past 22 years, I have been a fifth grade teacher．Because of Mrs．Wakefield's influence on my life, I am now encouraging students who have had difficulties in their lives to believe that they can overcome any difficulty and become someone．I have won numerous awards up to now, such as Teacher of the Year．I owe it all to one fifth grade teacher who believed in me and challenged me to be all that I could be．

The writer ______ when he was in the third grade．

  A. did better in reading                   B. began speech lessons

  C. went to a new school                     D. received a high award

We can learn from the passage that the writer ______．

  A. is a very successful teacher now        

B. thinks teaching is a challenging job

  C, has solved problems with his own effort  

D. works in the same school with Mrs. Wakefield

What is the writer's purpose in writing the passage?

  A. To express his devotion to his work．    

B. To show his respect to a special teacher．

  C. To share his leaching experience with us．

D. To tell us his story of overcoming difficulties．

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，选出能填入相应空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

   A young man was getting ready to graduate from college.For many months he had ___36__a beautiful sports car in a dealer’s showroom,and__37__his father could well__38__it,he told him that was all he wanted.

  On the morning of his graduation day his father called him into his own study and told him how__39__he was to have such a fine son.He handed his son a beautiful gift box.__40__but slightly disappoited,the young man__41__the box and found a lovely book.__42__,he raised his voice at his father and said: “__43__all your money you give me a book?”And rushed out of the house__44__the book in the study.He did not contact his father for a whole year__45__one day he saw in the street an old man who looked like his father.He__46__he had to go back home and see his father.

When he arrived at his father’s house,he was told that his father had been in hospital for a week.The moment he was about to__47__the hospital,he saw on the desk the__48__new book,just as he had left it one__49__ago.He opened it and began to__50__the pages.Suddendly ,a car key__51__from an envelope taped behind the book.It had a lag with dealer’s name,the__52__dealer who had the sports car he had__53__.On the tag was the__54__of his graduation,and the__55__PAID IN FULL.

A.expected       B.enjoyed       C.admired     D.owned

A.finding        B.proving       C.deciding     D.knowing

A. afford         B.offer         C.keep        D.like

A.encouraged     B.comfortable    C.proud       D.moved

A.Nervous        B.Serious       C.Careful      D.Curious

A.packed         B.opened        C.picked up    D.put aside

A.Angrily         B.Eagerly       C.Calmly      D.Anxiously

A.At             B.From         C.With        D.To

A.toasting         B.putting       C.forgetting     D.leaving

A.until           B.as           C.before       D.unless

A.learned         B.realized      C.recognized    D.admitted

A.get to          B.search for     C.turn to       D.leave for

A.much           B.still         C.hardly       D.quite

A.year            B.month       C.week        D.day

A.clean           B.read         C.turn         D.count

A.lost            B.came          C.appeared     D.dropped

A.old             B.same         C.special       D.new

A.remembered      B.desired       C.found        D.met

A.picture          B.place         C.date         D.photo

A.word           B.information    C.news         D.card

Several years ago, while attending a communication course, I experienced a most unusual process. The instructor asked us to list ___1___ in our past that we felt ___2___ of, regretted, or incomplete about and read our lists aloud.

This seemed like a very ___3___ process, but there’ s always some ___4___soul in the crowd who will volunteer. The instructor then ___5___ that we find ways to ___6___ people, or take some action to right any wrong doings. I was seriously wondering how this could ever ___7___ my communication.

Then the man next to me raised his hand and volunteered this story: “Making my ___8___, I remembered an incident from high school. I grew up in a small town. There was a Sheriff ___9___ of us kids liked. One night, my two buddies and I decided to play a ___10___ on him.

After drinking a few beers, we climbed the tall water tank in the middle of the town, and wrote on the tank in bright red paint: Sheriff Brown is a sob(畜生). The next day, almost the whole town saw our glorious ___11___. Within two hours, Sheriff Brown had us in his office. My friends told the truth but I lied. No one ___12___ found out.”

“Nearly 20 years later, Sheriff Brown’s name ___13___ on my list. I didn’t even know if he was still ___14___. Last weekend, I dialed the information in my hometown and found there was a Roger Brown still listed. I tried his number. After a few ___15___, I heard, “Hello?” I said, “Sheriff Brown?” Paused. “Yes.” “Well, this is Jimmy Calkins.”

“And I want you to know that I did it？”Paused. “I knew it!” he yelled back. We had a good laugh and a ___16___ discussion. His closing words were: “Jimmy, I always felt bad for you ___17___ your buddies got it off their chest, but you were carrying it ___18___ all these years. I want to thank you for calling me...for your sake.”

Jimmy inspired me to ___19___ all 101 items on my list within two years, and I always remember what I learned from the course: It’s never too late to ___20___the past wrongdoings.

1. A. something              B. anything           C. somebody         D. anybody

2. A. ashamed             B. afraid            C. sure                  D. proud

3. A. private                B. secret            C. interesting         D. funny

4. A. foolish                B. polite             C. simple           D. brave

5. A. expected             B. suggested         C. ordered          D. demanded

6. A. connect with                B. depend on         C. make apologize to D. get along with

7. A. improve               B. continue            C. realize          D. keep

8. A. notes                  B. list                C. plan            D. stories

9. A. any                 B. most             C. none              D. all

10. A. part                  B. game             C. trick                  D. record

11. A. view                 B. sign               C. attention          D. remark

12. A. also                  B. even               C. still              D. ever

13. A. appears             B. considers            C. presents        D. remembers

14. A. angry                B. happy             C. doubtful          D. alive

15. A. words               B. rings               C. repeats              D. calls

16. A. cold                  B. plain                C. nervous         D. lively

17. A. in case              B. so long as           C. unless        D. because

18. A. around              B. out                  C. on             D. away

19. A. build up                   B. make up             C. clear up         D. give up

20. A. regret               B. forgive               C. right          D. punish

    Some people think that as more and more people have televisions in their homes, fewer and fewer people will buy books and newspapers. Why read an article in the newspaper, when the TV news can bring you the information in a few minutes and with pictures? Why read the life story of a famous man, when a short television program can tell you all that you want to know?

   Television has not killed reading, however. Today, newspapers sell in very large numbers. And books of every kind are sold more than ever before. Books are still a cheap way to get information and enjoyment. Although some books with hard covers are expensive, many books are printed today as paperbooks (平装本), which are quite cheap. A paperback collection of short stories, for example, is always cheaper than an evening at the cinema or the theater, and you can keep a book for ever and read it many times.

   Books are a wonderful provider of knowledge and pleasure and some types of books should be in every home. Every home should have a good dictionary. A good encyclopedia (百科全书), though expensive, is useful, too, because you can find information on any subject. Besides, you can have such books as history books., science textbook, cookbooks, and collections of stories and poems. Then from time to time you can take a book of poems off your shelves and read the thoughts and feelings of your favorite poets.

It can be inferred from the passage that ________.

   A. TV programs are a chief provider of knowledge

   B. cinemas are the best choice in getting information

   C. reading is a cheap way of learning and having fun

    D. newspapers are an expensive way to enjoy oneself

What does the sentences “Television has not killed reading, however ” underlined in the second paragraph suggest?

   A. People only need reading, though.         B. Reading is still necessary today.

   C. Reading is more fun than television.        D. Watching television doesn’t help reading.

What can we learn from the passage?

   A. Fewer and fewer people will buy books.

   B. A good dictionary should be kept in every home.

   C. Books with hard covers sell better than paperbooks.

   D. More people like TV programs about famous men.

What can we learn from the passage?

A. Fewer and fewer people will buy books.

B. A good dictionary should be kept in every home.

C. Books with hard covers sell better than paperbooks.

D. More people like TV programs about famous men.