______ about wild plants that they decided to make a trip to Madagascar for further research.

　　A. So curious the couple was

　　B. So curious were the couple

　　C. How curious the couple were

　　D. The couple was such curious

The young couple had another quarrel. They were sitting silently when the landlady came in and asked, “You don’t   31  the house any more?” He kept silent and she   32  shook her head.
The landlady began   33  the house. After looking around, the landlady screamed, “See how you have   34  my house? The walls are full of nails! How could I rent it to others?”
She began looking around her   35 room. Four years ago on the wedding night, he felt deeply   36  to her, saying, “I feel so sorry to you for   37  you live in this small room. In the future I will buy our own big house.”
This tiny room has two nails on the wall next to the door, one for her bag and the other   38  . At that time, she threw all her stuff such as her bag and umbrella on the   39  once she entered the room, staring at the whole   40  and feeling terribly upset. Then he began   41  more nails into the wall. There were three nails on the left, on which   42  his clothes yesterday and four on the right used to   43  their wedding photo frame.
The landlady started to pull the nails out with a tool. After the nails were   44 , the walls were left with countless holes. Suddenly, she felt heartbroken as if she were   45  nonstop through these holes.
　　She   46  to her feet and exclaimed, “Stop removing the nails! We will rent the house   47  we buy our own!” He gazed at her surprised, and then turned round, tears over his cheek.
She   48 realized that marriage was like a wall and that all   49  and “cold wars” were like the nails on the wall.  50 , when they were removed, only a wall with holes would remain. But if all the nails were still in their own places, the wall was still complete and reliable.

The young couple had another quarrel. They were sitting silently when the landlady came in and asked, “You don’t   31   the house any more?” He kept silent and she   32   shook her head.

The landlady began   33   the house. After looking around, the landlady screamed, “See how you have   34   my house? The walls are full of nails! How could I rent it to others?”

She began looking around her   35  room. Four years ago on the wedding night, he felt deeply   36   to her, saying, “I feel so sorry to you for   37   you live in this small room. In the future I will buy our own big house.”

This tiny room has two nails on the wall next to the door, one for her bag and the other   38  . At that time, she threw all her stuff such as her bag and umbrella on the   39   once she entered the room, staring at the whole   40   and feeling terribly upset. Then he began   41   more nails into the wall. There were three nails on the left, on which   42   his clothes yesterday and four on the right used to   43   their wedding photo frame.

 The landlady started to pull the nails out with a tool. After the nails were   44  , the walls were left with countless holes. Suddenly, she felt heartbroken as if she were   45   nonstop through these holes.

　　She   46   to her feet and exclaimed, “Stop removing the nails! We will rent the house   47   we buy our own!” He gazed at her surprised, and then turned round, tears over his cheek.

She   48  realized that marriage was like a wall and that all   49   and “cold wars” were like the nails on the wall.  50  , when they were removed, only a wall with holes would remain. But if all the nails were still in their own places, the wall was still complete and reliable.

1.A. like                   B. clean                C. rent                 D. keep

2.A. simply                B. barely          C. coldly               D. proudly

3.A. observing             B. examining       C. watching             D. spotting

4.A. shared                 B. ruined               C. kept                 D. decorated

5.A. familiar              B. dirty                C. empty            D. bright

6.A. devoted                B. attached             C. optimistic      D. guilty

7.A. leaving               B. having          C. asking           D. getting

8. A. clothes                   B. pictures             C. umbrellas       D. hats

9. A. floor                     B. wall            C. ceiling              D. door

10.A. trouble                   B. mess             C. confusion            D. order

11.A. putting                   B. striking             C. driving              D. beating

12.A. hung                 B. fastened        C. dropped         D. swung

13.A. connect                   B. fix                  C. hang            D. put

14. A. replaced                 B. separated       C. unfastened           D. removed 

15.A. crying                    B. aching           C. bleeding        D. disturbing

16.A. jumped               B. held             C. stuck           D. got

17.A. if                   B. unless          C. as              D. until

18. A. especially               B. eventually      C. fortunately          D. sadly

19.A. chaos                B. troubles             C. quarrels             D. challenges

20.A. Therefore                 B. Besides         C. Thus            D. However

Norah has a cottage on a cliff above a big bay. In winter it could be very nasty because of strong winds and sea spray. In fact, when a gale was blowing, Norah and her husband got used to sleeping in a small room downstairs, because their bedroom upstairs, which faced the gales, had a very big window, and they were afraid that an extra violent gust might break it and blow pieces of broken glass over them.

Also, the salt spray from the sea put an end to many of the colorful plants Norah planted in the garden. She tried putting up a fence to protect them, but the wind just hit it, went up over the top and then down the other side, so in the end she filled the garden with trees and bushes that liked salt.

But most of the summer Norah enjoyed her cottage and garden very much. At weekends she could sit out-of-doors in the sun, looking at the beautiful view, with interesting ships and boats passing by, and she could very easily cycle down to the sea for a swim.

Now, Norah and her husband had plenty of friends and relations. In the summer most of them used to come to enjoy the beautiful place, and in the end it really became quite annoying for Norah and her husband. When they were at home, they found friends and relations arriving, expecting to be given unlimited drinks and meals, and to sit in the sun for hours, talking as if Norah and her husband had nothing else to do but entertain and listen to them.

This went on for several years. Norah did not wish to appear rude by refusing to let her friends and relations in, but on the other hand, she was getting tired every summer.

Then one day Norah was complaining about this to her hairdresser while she was doing her hair. “You’re disturbed by too many uninvited guests, are you?” said the hairdresser. “Why don’t you try my way of escaping?”

“What’s that?” asked Norah.

“Well,” the hairdresser answered, “when the bell rings, I put on my coat and take my shopping bag. If it’s someone I don’t want to see, I say innocently, ‘I’m sorry, but I’ve got to go out. But…’”

1.In paragraph one the underlined word “spray” probably means 　　　. 

A. wastes produced by some birds living near the sea

B. great waves caused by strong wind

C. plants floating on the surface of the sea

D. very small drops of sea water sent through the air by something

2.We can infer that 　　　. 

A. a lot of friends came to visit them in winter

B. few friends came to visit them in winter.

C. Friends came to visit them only for drinks and meals

D. Norah was a good cook

3.The best title for the passage might be 　　　. 

A. A Good Place of Enjoying the Sea

B. A Warm-hearted Couple

C. A Clever Way of Escaping

D. A Visit to Norah

4.What the hairdresser is likely to continue to say in the end is “　　　” 

A. If I am tired, I say, ‘Sorry, can you come next time?’

B. If it’s someone I like to see, I say, ‘How lucky! I’ve just come in!’

C. If it’s someone I like to see, I say, ‘How happy to see you! I was going shopping, but now I’ve changed my mind.’

D. If it is fine that day, I say, ‘I am tired, but I’ll show you around the place, anyhow.’

The young couple had another quarrel. They were sitting silently when the landlady came in and asked, “You don’t   31  the house any more?” He kept silent and she   32  shook her head.
The landlady began   33  the house. After looking around, the landlady screamed, “See how you have   34  my house? The walls are full of nails! How could I rent it to others?”
She began looking around her   35 room. Four years ago on the wedding night, he felt deeply   36  to her, saying, “I feel so sorry to you for   37  you live in this small room. In the future I will buy our own big house.”
This tiny room has two nails on the wall next to the door, one for her bag and the other   38  . At that time, she threw all her stuff such as her bag and umbrella on the   39  once she entered the room, staring at the whole   40  and feeling terribly upset. Then he began   41  more nails into the wall. There were three nails on the left, on which   42  his clothes yesterday and four on the right used to   43  their wedding photo frame.
The landlady started to pull the nails out with a tool. After the nails were   44 , the walls were left with countless holes. Suddenly, she felt heartbroken as if she were   45  nonstop through these holes.
　　She   46  to her feet and exclaimed, “Stop removing the nails! We will rent the house   47  we buy our own!” He gazed at her surprised, and then turned round, tears over his cheek.
She   48 realized that marriage was like a wall and that all   49  and “cold wars” were like the nails on the wall.  50 , when they were removed, only a wall with holes would remain. But if all the nails were still in their own places, the wall was still complete and reliable.