The hardworking blacksmith Jones used to work all day in his shop and so hard-working was he that at times he would make the sparks(火星) fly from his hammer.

     The son of Mr.Smith, a rich neighbour, used to come to see the blacksmith every day and for hours and hours he would enjoy himself watching how the tradesman worked.

     “ Young man, why don’t you try your hand to learn to make shoe tacks (钉) , even if it is only to pass the time ? ” said the blacksmith. “ Who knows, one day, it may be of use to you .”

     The lazy boy began to see what he could do. But after a little practice he found that he was becoming very skilled and soon he was making some of the finest tacks.

     Old Mr. Smith died and the son on account of the war lost all his goods. He had to leave home and was forced to live in another country. It so happened that in this village there were many shoemakers who were spending a lot of money buying tacks for their shoes and even at times when they paid high prices they were not always able to get what they wanted, because in that part of the country there was a high demand for soldiers’ shoes.

     Our young Mr. Smith, who was finding it difficult to earn his daily bread, remembered that once upon a time he had learned the art of making tacks and had the sudden idea of making a bargain with the shoemakers. He told them that he would make the tacks if they would help to get him settled in the workshop. The shoemakers were only too glad of the offer. And after a while, Mr. Smith found that he was soon making the finest tacks in the village.

     “ How funny it seems, ” he used to say, “ even making tacks can make money. My trade is more useful to me than all my former riches.”

1.The young man learnt to make shoe tacks because ___________.

   A. his father told him to             B. he wanted to learn a skill

   C. Jones encouraged him to          D. he just wanted to pass his time

2.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage ?

   A. Old Mr. Smith enjoyed making the shoe tacks.

   B. The blacksmith had predicted the young man would be in need of the skill.

   C. The higher prices they paid, the more tacks the shoemakers would get.

   D. The young man earned his living by his skills learnt when he was young.

3.What can we learn from the story ?

   A. Practice makes perfect.        

 B. Skill makes life easy.

   C. A good beginning makes good ending.

   D. Every man has his gift.

第三节：完形填空（共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分）
阅读下面短文，从16-35各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项并在答题卡上将其涂黑。
Cats have no emotions . At least, that's what my husband once claimed. I   21   that my two cats experience emotions. They feel anger, fear, and   22  . He agreed with me, but   23  his opinion that cats don't feel love.  24  , my tuxedo cat, Sebastian, would teach him otherwise.
When my next-door neighbour moved in, he had a she cat named Juliet. She was an indoor lady, always watching   25   through the window.
Then one day when I   26   my cat to the backyard for his playtime, Sebastian   27   Juliet gazing at him behind the window. It soon became   28  that they were attracted by each other. So every day thereafter, whenever I let Sebastian out, he would rush   29__to the backyard next-door and they would sit gazing   30   at each other through the screen, she inside, and he outside. Even my husband watched   31 , and he would murmur, "But cats can't feel love... can they?"
Five months later, my neighbour had to   32   because of work. My heart sank. I wondered how Sebastian would   33   to Juliet's leaving.
For months after Juliet moved away and the new neighbour moved in, I often   34   Sebastian sitting by Juliet's window, looking into the apartment   35   his lady. The new neighbour didn't mind having the "Peeping Sebastian" after I   36  his reason for being there.
Sebastian   37   the small area outside that window as his territory.  Other male cats were allowed in the   38  , but not near Juliet's window, which he guarded until his   39 .
Even now, when my husband and I walk through the backyard and see that window, he   40   me of the lesson Sebastian taught him... that cats do indeed fall in love.
21. A. argued                B. quarreled                  C. suggested                 D. discussed
22. A. energy                B. power                  C. strength                    D. happiness
23. A. referred to          B. prepared for                C. stuck to                    D. approved of
24. A. Therefore           B. However                  C. Besides                    D. Meanwhile
25. A. the environment  B. the sky                        C. her owner                 D. her boyfriend
26. A. forbade               B. prevented                 C. accompanied             D. left
27. A. called attention to       B. caught sight of       C. took charge of          D. paid a visit to
28. A. ambitious            B. doubtful                   C. skeptical                   D. obvious
29. A. secretly               B. straight                    C. quietly                            D. worriedly
30. A. lovingly                 B. angrily                            C. hungrily                   D. greedily
31. A. in trouble            B. in sorrow                 C. in amazement           D. in horror
32. A. settle                  B. travel                       C. apologize                 D. move
33. A. react                   B. reply                        C. reduce                      D. replace
34 A. took                    B. caught                      C. met                          D. sensed
35. A. in place of          B. on the basis of          C. in search of                     D. on account of
36. A. explained            B. requested                  C. blamed                     D. asked
37. A. discovered          B. reformed                  C. preserved                 D. marked
38. A. street                  B. backyard                  C. window                    D. village
39. A. birthday                     B. departure                  C. death                       D. arrival
40. A. reminds                     B. informs                    C. tells                         D. Accuses

______ the traffic jam, he didn’t catch his plane, which was reported to have crashed soon after it took off.

A. Because of    B. On account of    C. Due to    D. Thanks to

______ his knowledge of the mountainous country, John Smith was appointed as our guide.

A. In spite of    B. On account of       Regardless of     D. Instead of

. Our residential district is a newly-built one, so there isn’t much around here _____ entertainment.

   A. in the matter of               B in the event of

   C. on behalf of                   D. on account of