Walking around the corner and into the hall at three in the morning, lost in thought and dragging a mop bucket, I raised my eyes to the front counter in indifference. A man, looking to be in his mid 40’s, stood in a pink dress. A wide-edged hat stuck out over his massive frame resembling an umbrella that was a little too shabby and worn-out, making him look like a woman. The shock at seeing such a strong proud man in a cheap disgusting dress broke my heart, as well as frightened me.

  Dropping my mop on the floor in surprise and picking up my face that had temporarily fallen off, I confidently walked over to the desk.

  “I’m sorry,” I began to say but was confused on whether sir or madam was appropriate. “Can I help you?”

  “I need a room,” he said in a gruff (粗哑的) powerful voice.

  “Sure thing,” I said bringing up the registry. “Can I get your last name?”

  “Hurgan,” he said briefly.

  “And your first name?”

  “Amanda.”

  Suddenly I had to direct all of my concentration on holding back a smile. A ten second pause of silence passed while I tried to stay calm.

  “Okay,” I said getting back to the job, “can I get your phone number, Amanda?”

All of the information was acquired and stored and Amanda received her room key for the night. All was well as I returned to the neglected mop bucket. Suddenly a low throaty cough drew me out of my temporary mental disorder. Looking over at the desk where Amanda stood touching her thick biceps (二头肌) I once again dropped the mop in shock.

  “I’m sorry about that,” I said coming around to the desk. Amanda stared with unease twisting her sleeve with her right index finger.

  “I have a cat,” she said in a low voice.

  “I’m sorry you what?” I asked leaning in closer. She drew back a bit as if I was some kind of threat.

  “I have a cat.”

  Looking up into her tall frame, I replied, “That’s fine. We just need to add an extra $10 fee.” She handed me her credit card once again. I swiped it, returned it, and grabbed the printing receipt.

  “You just need to sign here,” I said handing over the pen. She hesitantly grabbed it from my hand and signed. As she began to return it, my hand came a bit too close to connecting with hers. Scared and possibly a little disgusted she dropped the pen, causing it to bounce off the counter and onto the floor.

  “Sorry,” she said, looking down. “I have to go get my cat.”

  While Amanda was getting her cat, an unpleasant thought was circling around my head. Here I was just doing my job and this, this WO-MAN was acting as if I was the monster! He was wearing a pink dress! And I was the monster? Was he even still a man? The sliding doors opened and in came Amanda passing the front desk without even giving me a polite nod. 

The story most probably happened at a ________.

A. pub              B. hotel                C. hospital         D. shop

We can conclude that the author’s attitude towards the man is _______.

A. objective            B. indifferent          C. critical             D. considerate

Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?

A. The author was on the edge of smiling when he heard the man’s first name.

B. When the man checked in, he tipped the author $10.

C. After signing, the man grasped the author’s hand and thanked him.

D. The man gave the author a friendly nod while going toward his room.

What might be the best title of this passage?

A. A disgusting cat                         B. A considerate waiter

C. A fierce monster                         D. A strange-looking WO-MAN

The Lantern Festival first evolved along the banks of the Yellow River during the peak of freezing winter conditions. The celebration held on the night of the first full noon of the lunar new year is often referred to as the “Little New Year”.
The festival’s origin has been argued by historians. Some say the festival was set up in relation to New Year Buddhist ceremonies. Lanterns were used to praise Buddha and request his protection for the coming year. However, Taoists insist that the Martial Emperor Wu Ti (141 B.C.~86 B.C.) began the festival a century earlier in an effort to gain eternal life.
In the huge courtyard of his palace, he ordered lanterns to be hung on the night of the first full moon until the entire courtyard was lit as bright as the day.
After a Chinese eunuch (太监) invented paper in 105 A.D., people of all classes began to enjoy the beauty of inexpensive paper lanterns. Today, the lantern has experienced further revolution and paper has been replaced by plastic animated characters lit by battery operated light bulbs. In Taiwan, this development has extended to the creation of extravagant, enormous and highly technical lanterns representing the zodiac animals. Even still, many of the old ways remain mixed with the new.
73. According to the article, which of the following statement is true?
A. Historians are troubled by different opinions.
B. Wu Ti ordered an eunuch to make lanterns using inexpensive paper.
C. The weather conditions under which the first lantern festival was held were extreme.
D. Buddhists believe that Wu Ti began the Lantern Festival.
74. Wu Ti is believed to have established the Lantern Festival in his vain effort to ______.
A. change night into day.                    B. live forever.
C. make the greatest of offering to Buddha.    D. celebrate the “Little New Year”.
75. The invention of paper in 105 A.D. ______.
A. helped to invent paper lanterns.               
B. replaced paper lanterns with plastic animated characters.
C. lit up the sky.
D. increased the popularity of lanterns.

Walking around the corner and into the hall at three in the morning, lost in thought and dragging a mop bucket, I raised my eyes to the front counter in indifference. A man, looking to be in his mid 40’s, stood in a pink dress. A wide-edged hat stuck out over his massive frame resembling an umbrella that was a little too shabby and worn-out, making him look like a woman. The shock at seeing such a strong proud man in a cheap disgusting dress broke my heart, as well as frightened me.

  Dropping my mop on the floor in surprise and picking up my face that had temporarily fallen off, I confidently walked over to the desk.

  “I’m sorry,” I began to say but was confused on whether sir or madam was appropriate. “Can I help you?”

  “I need a room,” he said in a gruff (粗哑的) powerful voice.

  “Sure thing,” I said bringing up the registry. “Can I get your last name?”

  “Hurgan,” he said briefly.

  “And your first name?”

  “Amanda.”

  Suddenly I had to direct all of my concentration on holding back a smile. A ten second pause of silence passed while I tried to stay calm.

  “Okay,” I said getting back to the job, “can I get your phone number, Amanda?”

All of the information was acquired and stored and Amanda received her room key for the night. All was well as I returned to the neglected mop bucket. Suddenly a low throaty cough drew me out of my temporary mental disorder. Looking over at the desk where Amanda stood touching her thick biceps (二头肌) I once again dropped the mop in shock.

  “I’m sorry about that,” I said coming around to the desk. Amanda stared with unease twisting her sleeve with her right index finger.

  “I have a cat,” she said in a low voice.

  “I’m sorry you what?” I asked leaning in closer. She drew back a bit as if I was some kind of threat.

  “I have a cat.”

  Looking up into her tall frame, I replied, “That’s fine. We just need to add an extra $10 fee.” She handed me her credit card once again. I swiped it, returned it, and grabbed the printing receipt.

  “You just need to sign here,” I said handing over the pen. She hesitantly grabbed it from my hand and signed. As she began to return it, my hand came a bit too close to connecting with hers. Scared and possibly a little disgusted she dropped the pen, causing it to bounce off the counter and onto the floor.

  “Sorry,” she said, looking down. “I have to go get my cat.”

  While Amanda was getting her cat, an unpleasant thought was circling around my head. Here I was just doing my job and this, this WO-MAN was acting as if I was the monster! He was wearing a pink dress! And I was the monster? Was he even still a man? The sliding doors opened and in came Amanda passing the front desk without even giving me a polite nod. 

1. The story most probably happened at a ________.

A. pub              B. hotel                C. hospital         D. shop

2.We can conclude that the author’s attitude towards the man is _______.

A. objective            B. indifferent          C. critical             D. considerate

3. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?

A. The author was on the edge of smiling when he heard the man’s first name.

B. When the man checked in, he tipped the author $10.

C. After signing, the man grasped the author’s hand and thanked him.

D. The man gave the author a friendly nod while going toward his room.

4. What might be the best title of this passage?

A. A disgusting cat                         B. A considerate waiter

C. A fierce monster                         D. A strange-looking WO-MAN

Tears slid down Ken's cheeks. Their newbom baby        was removed from life supprt, taken back to her and her  , Charlie. who held their baby. Austin was bom at 12:17 p.m. three months   than he should have been. The length of a school ruler. he weighed one pound. nine ounces. Doctors tried   that technology and medicine could offer at the      baby, but Austin did not respond well. Austin's lung tissue (组织) had probably   　 developing four weeks before. even still     . his mother, because of an accident Zero chance of     . It was time to let him go, and let him leave in his mother's arms － at peace and in no pain.

     In the next few hours, Charlie's parents, and Ken's mother came to meet and say    Austin. Charlie and Keri        their eyes on the baby as he snuggled(依偎) into Keri's chest. The end, they believed. was coming 　 . Nurse Melissa walked in every so often to check Austin's         . If it was time for him t0       . his heart rate would begin to slow. After four hours,     , Austin was still breathing. His heart thumped(跳动) at a healthy 120 beats per       . He moved his head and wrapped his fingers and toes around the fingers of his          . Four hours became five, then six. Austin and his parents remained still     . Word about this baby had spread out. Everyone was talking about him. As the minutes and hours ticked away, Austin was going strong The tests showed a(n)      level of carbon dioxide in his blood. which meant he was        enough oxygen into his body. The clock passed midnight. Austin had        the next day. Miracle. a life miracle!

1.A. Melissa        B. Charlie           C. Austin              D. Keri

2.A. husband       B. nurse             C. doctor              D. wife

3.A. sooner        B. faster             C. later                D. earlier

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

5.A. young        B. tiny               C. big                D. sick

6.A. started       B. stopped             C. delayed            D. continued

7.A. inside       B. outside             C. beside              D. with

8.A. arrival       B. approval            C. death               D. survival

9.A. hello to      B. sorry to            C. goodbye to           D. yes to

10.A. put         B. focused            C. took                D. had

11.A. steadily     B. fast               C. slowly               D. soon

12.A. heartbeat    B. mouth             C. blood                D. temperature

13.A. wash       B. live               C. die                  D. eat

14.A. however    B. therefore           C. meanwhile           D. otherwise

15.A. second          B. minute              C. hour               D. day

16.A. friends         B. sisters               C. relatives            D. parents

17.A. crying          B. waiting              C. sitting              D. sleeping

18.A. unsatisfied      B. unacceptable          C. normal             D. excellent

19.A. losing         B. getting               C. making              D. pouring

20.A. lived into      B. waked up             C. waited for            D. suffered from

Walking around the corner and into the hall at three in the morning, lost in thought and dragging a mop bucket, I raised my eyes to the front counter in indifference. A man, looking to be in his mid 40’s, stood in a pink dress. A wide-edged hat stuck out over his massive frame resembling an umbrella that was a little too shabby and worn-out, making him look like a woman. The shock at seeing such a strong proud man in a cheap disgusting dress broke my heart, as well as frightened me.
Dropping my mop on the floor in surprise and picking up my face that had temporarily fallen off, I confidently walked over to the desk.
“I’m sorry,” I began to say but was confused on whether sir or madam was appropriate. “Can I help you?”
“I need a room,” he said in a gruff (粗哑的) powerful voice.
“Sure thing,” I said bringing up the registry. “Can I get your last name?”
“Hurgan,” he said briefly.
“And your first name?”
“Amanda.”
Suddenly I had to direct all of my concentration on holding back a smile. A ten second pause of silence passed while I tried to stay calm.
“Okay,” I said getting back to the job, “can I get your phone number, Amanda?”
All of the information was acquired and stored and Amanda received her room key for the night. All was well as I returned to the neglected mop bucket. Suddenly a low throaty cough drew me out of my temporary mental disorder. Looking over at the desk where Amanda stood touching her thick biceps (二头肌) I once again dropped the mop in shock.
“I’m sorry about that,” I said coming around to the desk. Amanda stared with unease twisting her sleeve with her right index finger.
“I have a cat,” she said in a low voice.
“I’m sorry you what?” I asked leaning in closer. She drew back a bit as if I was some kind of threat.
“I have a cat.”
Looking up into her tall frame, I replied, “That’s fine. We just need to add an extra $10 fee.” She handed me her credit card once again. I swiped it, returned it, and grabbed the printing receipt.
“You just need to sign here,” I said handing over the pen. She hesitantly grabbed it from my hand and signed. As she began to return it, my hand came a bit too close to connecting with hers. Scared and possibly a little disgusted she dropped the pen, causing it to bounce off the counter and onto the floor.
“Sorry,” she said, looking down. “I have to go get my cat.”
While Amanda was getting her cat, an unpleasant thought was circling around my head. Here I was just doing my job and this, this WO-MAN was acting as if I was the monster! He was wearing a pink dress! And I was the monster? Was he even still a man? The sliding doors opened and in came Amanda passing the front desk without even giving me a polite nod. 
【小题1】 The story most probably happened at a ________.