Zigfried, a little mouse, blew his breath on the frosty window of the farmhouse and rubbed it to see the outside. Still nobody came. Maybe today, he thought   31 .It was only a few days before Christmas and he was watching for a miracle (奇迹).

　　This farmhouse had been   32   too long. It needed a family. Zigfried’s　　33   made a noise. He realized that he hadn’t eaten anything since yesterday. He jumped from the windowsill (窗沿), grabbed a   34   from his home, and went next door to Farmer Mike’s.

　　Farmer Mike’s house had been a great place for the little mouse   35   the farmer married a wife who had a cat. Zigfried   36   when he thought of it. He looked around cautiously as he   37   into the room where grain was stored and was quite   38   as he filled his bag with wheat. He was turning to leave when suddenly he   39   a hot breath about his ear. His heart beat   40  , and without thinking he started to run and luckily   41   the cat’s paws (爪子).

　　The next afternoon Zigfried heard some good news: a   42   family would be moving into the farmhouse soon. Zigfried’s granny would arrive on Christmas Eve to　　43   with him. He hoped that the family would come before his granny came. Before long, a car came   44   the road leading to the house, with butter sandwiches, cheese and chocolate.

　　Zigfried’s Christmas miracle did arrive!

　　The house came   45   the next few days. Zigfried   46   every single hour of them.   47, the day before Christmas when he was drinking hot chocolate with a   48   smile at the door of his home, he heard the   49   of the children of the family about what they might get for Christmas. What? A cat ? The   50   froze on his face; his mouth fell wide open. After a long while, he at last found his voice: “Hey! Whose Christmas miracle is this?”

　　31. A. carefully    B. excitedly                 C. hopefully                D. proudly

　　32. A. shabby      B. noisy               C. messy             D. empty

　　33. A. mouth       B. nose               C. stomach                 D. throat

　　34. A. bag           B. stick                C. bowl                D. coat

　　35. A. although          B. until                 C. whereas                 D. unless

　　36. A. leapt                B. sniffed             C. trembled                D. withdrew

　　37. A. broke               B. marched          C. paced                     D. stole

　　38. A. curious      B. nervous          C. pitiful               D. sensible

　　39. A. took                 B. released                C. felt                  D. drew

　　40. A. strongly     B. irregularly               C. slowly              D. wildly

　　41. A. escaped    B. seized                     C. rubbed            D. scratched

　　42. A. close                B. happy             C. new                 D. young

　　43. A. celebrate   B. communicate   C. compete          D. compromise

　　44. A. across              B. from                       C. off                   D. up

　　45. A. alive           B. loose               C. open                D. still

　　46. A. counted    B. enjoyed           C. missed            D. wasted

　　47. A. However    B. Instead            C. Moreover               D. Therefore

　　48. A. bitter          B. forced                     C. polite                      D. satisfied

　　49. A. introduction B. discussion            C. comment         D. debate

　　50. A. blood               B. smile               C. tear                 D. sweat

Now that I am no longer young, I have friends whose mothers have passed away. I have heard these sons and daughters say they never fully appreciated their mothers ___36___ it was too late to tell them. I am blessed with the dear mother who is still alive. I ___37___ her more each day. My mother does not change, but I ___38___. As I grow older and wiser, I realize ___39___ an exceptional person she is. How ___40___ that I am unable to speak these words in her ___41___, but they flow easily from my pen.
　　How does a daughter begin to thank her mother for life itself? For the love, patience and just ___42___ hard work that go into ___43___ a child? For running after a toddler (学走步的小孩), for understanding a ___44___ teenager, for tolerating (忍受;容忍) a college student who knows ___45___ ? For waiting for the day when a daughter ___46___ how wise her mother really is?
　　How does a ___47___ woman thank a mother for ___48___ to be a mother? For being ready ___49___ advice (when asked) or remaining ___50____ when it is most appreciated? For not saying, “I told you so,” when she could have uttered these words ___51___? For being ___52___ herself-loving, thoughtful, patient, and forgiving?
I don’t know how, dear God, except to ask you to bless her as richly as she ___53___ and to help me live up to the example she has ___54___. I pray that I will look as good in the eyes of my children as my mother ___55___ in mine.

阅读理解

　　Language is a way to communicate with each other. We started to learn language when we were born. However, people are used to speaking their native languages, so immigrants(移民)are having many problems between the first generation and the second generation because they don't have the same native language. Also, the second generation is losing their identity. Especially in America, there are many immigrants that came from different countries to succeed in the States. Because they suffer in lots of areas such as getting a job and trying to speak English, they want their children to speak English, not only at school, but also at home in order to be more successful. Because of this situation, their children are losing their ethnic(民族的)identity and, even more, they are ignoring their parents whose English is not very good.

　　For example, my aunt, who has been living in Chicago for fifteen years, has three children and they were all born in the States. The eighteen-year-old daughter speaks English as a native language and she speaks Korean very well too. She has no problems talking with her parents, but she still doesn't under stand Korean jokes, and there are sometimes misunderstandings. The second daughter is fourteen years old, and she doesn't want to speak Korean. My aunt often gets upset with her because she is very Americanized and they cannot understand each other. Even when my aunt punishes her, this daughter does not understand what my aunt is talking about. I felt sympathy(同情)for my aunt whenever my fourteen-year-old cousin said,“Mom, what is your problem?”The third child is a twelve-year-old son.

　　He speaks English to his parents and my aunt speaks Korean to him as she does to the second daughter.

　　He also has a problem communicating with his parents. My aunt is trying to teach him to speak both languages very well, but it is very hard for him because he speaks English all day and does not understand why he should learn to speak Korean.

　　I think most immigrants are trying to preserve(保持)their native language in their new country, but this doesn't help very much in getting a good job. My aunt didn't teach Korean to her children in order to help them succeed in the US; she did so, hopefully, to help them establish a Korean identity. Though the second generation is born in the new country, they often get confused about their identity because they look different from others, and also, if they visit their parents' country, they will probably feel different from other people there too. They could even feel it just strolling around the street because they wore different clothes and walked differently.

　　We must realize that languages is important and valuable for many reasons. Immigrants should make an effort not to be ignored by their children and to make their children understand their heritages(文化遗产) by teaching them the parents' native language. This is very important, not only for the harmony of the family, but also in helping the second generation establish their identity.

1．This passage is mainly about _____.

[　　]

A．how to learn a second language

B．how to become American citizens

C．language and its effect on the identity of immigrants

D．schools attended by immigrants to the US

2．Which of these statements is NOT true according to the first paragraph?

[　　]

A．Second generation immigrants are usually eager to learn their parents' native language.

B．It is often hard for first and second generation family members to communicate with each other.

C．Foreigners in America want their children to speak English so that they can achieve great success.

D．Sometimes second generation immigrant children ignore their parents because of language differences.

3．Which is NOT a reason that the 14-year-old daughter has problems with her mother?

[　　]

A．She doesn't want to speak Korean.

B．she doesn't love her mother.

C．She is very Americanized.

D．She does not understand her mother when she gets punished.

4．The author's aunt tries to teach her children to speak Korean to help them _____.

[　　]

A．succeed in the US

B．find a good job

C．establish a Korean identity

D．improve their Korean language skills

 Ahead of me I saw a woman _____ I thought was my aunt.

　 A. who 　 B. whom  C. of whom 　 D. whose

Miss Gorgers taught physics in a New York school. Last month she explained to one of her classes about sound, and she decided to test them to see how successful she had been in her explanation. She said to them, “Now I have a brother in Los Angeles. If I was calling him on the phone and at the same time you were 75 feet away, listening to me from the street, which of you would hear what I said earlier, my brother or you and for what reason?”

Tom at once answered, “Your brother. Because electricity travels faster than sound waves.” “That’s very good.” Miss Gorgers answered, but then one of the girls raised her hand, and Miss Gorgers said, “Yes? Kate.”

“I disagree. Your brother would hear you earlier because when it’s 11 o’clock here and it’s only 8 o’clock in Los Angeles.” Kate said.

1.

 Miss Gorgers was teaching her class         .

A. how to telephone     B. about electricity   C. about time zone   D. about sound

2.

Miss Gorgers raised this question because she wanted to know whether         .

A. it was easy to phone to Los Angeles

B. her student could hear her from 75 feet away

C. her students had understood her lesson 

D. sound waves were slower than electricity

3.

Kate thought Tom was wrong because         .

A. clocks in Los Angeles showed a different time from those in New York

B. electricity was slower than sound waves

C. Tom was not good at physics at all

D. Tom’s answer had nothing to do with sound waves

4.

Whose answer do you think is correct according to the laws of physics?

A. Tom’s.   　 　 B. Kate’s.        C. Both A and B. 　  　D. Neither A nor B.