When Dunstan Cass left the cottage, Silas Marner was only a hundred meters away. He was walking home from the village, where he had 21 to buy what he needed 22 　his next day's work. His legs were tired, but he felt almost happy. He was looking forward to 23 ,when he would bring out his gold. Tonight he had an extra reason to hurry home. He was going to eat hot meat, which was 24 　for him. And it would 25 　him nothing, because someone had given him a piece of meat as a present. He left it 26 over the fire. The door key was needed to hold it safe in place, but Cass was not at all 27 about leaving his gold in the cottage with the door 28 . He could not imagine that a thief would 29 his way through the mist, rain and darkness to the little cottage by the quarry (釆石场).

When he reached his cottage and opened the door, he did not notice 30 anything was different. He 31 his wet coat, and pushed the meat 32 the fire. 33 he was warm again, he began to think about his gold. It seemed a long time to wait until after super, when he usually brought out coins to look at. 34 he decided to bring out his gold immediately, while the meat was still cooking.

But when he 35 the floorboards near the loom (会只布机)，and saw the 36 　hole ,he did not understand 37 . His heart beat violently as his trembling hands felt all round the hole. There was 38 ！ He put his hands to his head and tried to think. Had he put his gold in a different place, and forgotten about it? He 39 every corner of this small cottage, until he could not pretend to himself any more. He had to accept the truth 一 his gold had been 40 ！

21. A. arrived　　　　　　 B. been　　　　　　　　　　　 C. left　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. gone

22. A. to　　　　　　　　　　 B. in　　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. for　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. with

23. A. holiday　　　　　　 .B. home　　　　　　　　 C. supper-time　　　　　　 D. meat

24. A. ordinary　　　　　 B. unusual　　　　　　　　　 C. normal　　　　　　　　　 D. common

25. A. pay　　　　　　　　　 B.spend　　　　　　　　　　　 C take　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. cost

26. A. boiling　　　　　　　 B. cooking　　　　　　　　　 C. smoking　　　　　　　　 D. making

27. A. interesting　　　　 B. worried　　　　　　　　　 C. interested　　　　　　　　 D. worrying

28. A. unlocked　　　　　 B. uncovered　　　　　　　 C. discovered　　　　　　　 D. locked

29. A. go　　　　　　　　　 B. lead　　　　　　　　　　　 C. find　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. lose

30. A. whether　　　　　 B. that　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. because　　　　　　　　　 D. as

31. A. turned off　　　　 B. threw into　　　　　　　 C. threw off　　　　　　　　 D. got off

32. A. away from　　　 B. farther on　　　　　　　 C. on to　　　　　　　　　　　 D. closer to

33. A. As soon as　　　 B. As well as　　　　　　　 C. No sooner　　　　　　　 D. As long as

34. A. But　　　　　　　　　 B. As　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. So　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. For

35. A. took down　　　　 B. took after　　　　　　　　　 C. took over　　　　　　 D. took up

36. A. dark　　　　　　　　 B. empty　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. small　　　　　　　　　 D. deep

37. A. at last　　　　　　　 B. at once　　　　　　　　　　　 C. at most　　　　　　　 D. at least

38. A. everything　　　　 B. something　　　　　　　　　 C. nothing　　　　　　　 D. anything

39. A. searched　　　　　 B. searched for　　　　　　　 C. looked into　　　　　 D. found

40. A. gone　　　　　　　　 B. missed　　　　　　　　　　　 C. lost　　　　　　　　　　 D. stolen

I take the train to work every morning from a train station near my house. I can get to the station quite  _36__ because there’s a short cut（捷径）to the station. But in the summer, it can get quite smelly because of all the   37. So I always try to   38   through it. Today I was trying to do so as usual __39__ something made me stop for a moment. I saw the most beautiful __40__ by an old woman walking in front of me with the help of a white __41__.
She was short and   42   and had white hair. She was walking __43__ as each step took some effort. I hadn’t specially noticed her   44 , until she stopped near a rubbish bin（垃圾箱）.
She slowly placed her walking stick ___45__ the rubbish bin. Then she leaned （斜倚着） on it with her right hand. She bent down and _46__ the rubbish. She clearly found it  _47___ and it took her a while. She _48__ some rubbish with her left hand and slowly straightened herself up again. All the while she used the rubbish bin to __49   herself. She threw the rubbish inside the bin and then   50  walking. It all took her great effort.
There’s no much rubbish and no one ever does ___51__ about it. I was moved to _52__ this old woman make such a great effort to keep even a small part of it __53__! I haven’t been able to __54__ thinking about that all day.
I want to follow her example. I’ve decided to pick up rubbish of the __55__ if I meet from now on. I hope people will do the same as I do.

I take the train to work every morning from a train station near my house. I can get to the station quite  _36__ because there’s a short cut（捷径）to the station. But in the summer, it can get quite smelly because of all the   37. So I always try to   38   through it. Today I was trying to do so as usual __39__ something made me stop for a moment. I saw the most beautiful __40__ by an old woman walking in front of me with the help of a white __41__.

She was short and   42   and had white hair. She was walking __43__ as each step took some effort. I hadn’t specially noticed her   44 , until she stopped near a rubbish bin（垃圾箱）.

She slowly placed her walking stick ___45__ the rubbish bin. Then she leaned （斜倚着） on it with her right hand. She bent down and _46__ the rubbish. She clearly found it  _47___ and it took her a while. She _48__ some rubbish with her left hand and slowly straightened herself up again. All the while she used the rubbish bin to __49   herself. She threw the rubbish inside the bin and then   50  walking. It all took her great effort.

There’s no much rubbish and no one ever does ___51__ about it. I was moved to _52__ this old woman make such a great effort to keep even a small part of it __53__! I haven’t been able to __54__ thinking about that all day.

I want to follow her example. I’ve decided to pick up rubbish of the __55__ if I meet from now on. I hope people will do the same as I do.

This was my grandmother’s first Christmas without grandfather. When we reached her house, it did seem a little 36 without grandfather.

Grandfather had always said the Christmas  37 was the most important. So we set to work assembling（组装）the beautiful  38 tree that was stored in grandfather’s closet（储藏室）. After we finished, we stepped back to  39 our work. It looked wonderful. But something was  40 .

“Where’s the star?” I asked. It was my grandmother’s  41 . As we emptied box after box and found no star, my grandmother’s eyes  42 with tears. Grandfather had given it to Grandmother fifty years ago. Now, on her first Christmas without  43 , the star was gone, too.

“Let’s  44 in the closet where the tree was,” my sister Donna said. We  45 under beds and over shelves, inside and outside  46 we had exhausted every possibility. We could see Grandmother was  47 , although she tried not to show it. By now, it was  48 outside, and time for bed, as Santa would soon be here.

The next morning, my sisters and I  49 early to see what Santa had left under the tree. After breakfast, the family sat together to  50 presents. “The last gift is to Grandmother from Grandfather.” Father said, in a puzzled voice.

“From who?” There was  51  in my grandmother’s voice.

“I found that  52 in the closet when we got the tree down,” Mother explained.

My grandmother opened it. Her face lit up when she pulled out a(n)  53  golden star. There was a note attached. Her voice trembled（颤抖）as she read it:

Don’t be  54  with me, dear. I broke your star while putting away the tree. Thought it was time for a new one, I hope it brings you as much  55  as the first one. Merry Christmas.

1.                A．empty          B．cold           C．slow D．absent

2.                A．wish           B．tree           C．spirit D．work

3.                A．unique         B．artificial         C．widespread    D．alive

4.                A．follow          B．show           C．judge D．admire

5.                A．losing          B．happening       C．missing   D．falling

6.                A．doubt          B．reward         C．honour   D．treasure

7.                A．filled           B．covered        C．put  D．removed

8.                A．them          B．it              C．her  D．him

9.                A．stop           B．move          C．start D．stay

10.               A．hid            B．searched       C．lay   D．found

11.               A．as             B．until           C．because   D．though

12.               A．disappointed    B．amazed         C．excited    D．shocked

13.               A．snowing        B．raining         C．blowing   D．darkening

14.               A．cheered up     B．picked up       C．woke up   D．took up

15.               A．pack           B．open          C．pick  D．exchange

16.               A．happiness       B．fright          C．surprise   D．hope

17.               A．gift            B．book           C．note  D．letter

18.               A．big            B．old            C．shining    D．broken

19.               A．generous       B．angry          C．strict D．important

20.               A．sadness        B．concern        C．peace D．joy