“It’s the best…uhh…What? You don’t want it?...,”the inexpertienced young man uttered,his hope dashed.

“Again,you disappointed me,Andrew.When are you going to learn? You have to be sure and confident. And think how best to make him part with his money. Apply yourself, Son. All your college education will not help if you don’t put your mind to selling. Think on your feet. Use psychology,” Andrew spoke with diffidence overwhelmed by his father’s criticism.

“You’ve been in this shop for six months and you haven’t succeeded in selling a single computer. I tell you what. I’ll give you one more chance. I’ll give you another three more weeks. If you still can’t make one sale, I’ll call in your elder brother to replace you. He will also take over the shop when I retire. There. I’ll just give you one last chance to prove yourself,” said Mr. Whitely, his patience wearing thin.

Andrew’s heart missed a beat. This time he would have to do it. Do or Die! A sense of urgency gripped him. Somehow he must prove himself to his father.

It was now the end of the day and the shop was being closed. The assistant employed by his father, called Mike, chuckled and put his arms round poor Andrew to comfort him,“ Sort it out yourself. It’s gotta come from yourself.” he said.

The shop was located in a bustling shopping center. Andrew left the shop and walked round the complex aimlessly and by chance entered a large bookstore. He glanced at the books and was about to leave when his eyes caught some interesting titles:‘ How to increase your confidence,’‘ The art of communication,’‘How to sell well’amongst others.

The next minute he was out of the store with the shopping bag bugling with books. In his apartment (for he loves separately from his parents and little sister),he settled himself in his easy chair and devoured the contents of the books, one by one. His keen intelligence enabled him to focus the details that matter and pick out the ideas and techniques expounded.In a week his image underwent a transformation. Gone was the stubble that used to give him an untidy image likened to a heroin addict.He was also smartly dressed now. Instead of his usual slurred speech and incoherence ,he spoke with clarity, purpose and forcefulness.He was more convincing and persuasive. Above all, confidence flowed from his being and he seemed to have learned a few tricks of the selling trade. He worked hard at his sales pitch and one day he succeeded in selling a computer. His first sale. He had finally achieved the quota of one sale within the given time frame of three weeks. The job, the shop, was his. He had to thank Mike for it. And now he had to go beyond his first successs and score, consistently and persistently. Nevertheless he had proved himself at last and the future looked bright and promising.

1.

We learn from the story that at the beginning Andrew’s father_________.

  A.holds the view that Andrew is hopeless

  B.has lost his patience with Andrew

  C.has given the shop to Andrew

  D.still hopes Andrew will improve

2.

We learn from the story that Andrew_________.

  A.has turned himself into an experienced sales manager

  B.has tried in vain to get his job done in six months

  C.has let his father down in the end

  D.has done well with the help of Mike

3.

What’s the most significant change of character in Andrew?

  A.He’s more convincing.                   B.He’s more hard-working.

  C.He is more confident.                   D.He is more intelligence.

4.

What conclusion can we draw from the story?

  A.Success depends on hard work,talent,and willingnesss to make changes.

  B.However hard you try, you won’t achieve success without others’ help

  C.It takes time to succeed, you have to try again and again and never give up

  D.It’s good communication skills and some tricks that result in big business.

O. Henry was a pen name used by an American writer for short stories. His 36 name was William Sydney Porter. He was born in North Carolina in 1862. As a young boy he lived an exciting life. He did not go to school for very long, 37 he managed to 38 himself everything he needed to know. When he was about 20 years old, O. Henry 39 to Texas, where he tried different 40. He first worked on a newspaper, and then had a job in a bank. When some money went missing from the bank, O. Henry was believed to have 41 it. Because of that, he was sent to 42. During the three years in prison, he learned to 43 short stories. After he got out of prison, he went to New York and 44 writing. He wrote mostly about New York and the life of the poor there.

 Most of O. Henry's 45 are set in his own time, the early years of the 20th century. Many take place in New York City, and deal for the most part with ordinary 46: clerks, policemen, waitresses. O. Henry's short stories are well known 47 their wit, wordplay, warm characterization and clever twist endings. And his stories were 48 more playful and optimistic. People like his stories, 49 simple as the tales were, they would finish with a sudden change at the 50, to the reader's surprise.

1.  

A. real            B. middle           C. first               D.last

2.

 A. or             B.and               C. for                 D. but

3.

 A. learn          B.teach             C. allow               D. turn

4.

A. went            B. lived             C. stayed             D.left

5.

 A. stories         B. books             C. banks              D. jobs

6.

A. defended        B. stolen             C. preserved         D. reacted

7.  

A.prison           B.homeland         C. neighbourhood        D. jungle

8.

 A.read            B. write              C. tell                 D.take

9.

A. liked           B. believed          C. continued            D.stopped

10.

A. families        B.stories             C.fantasies             D. deeds

11.  

A.things           B. writers            C. people              D. readers

12.  

A. like            B. as                 C. to                  D. for

13.  

A.very             B.less                C. so                  D. much

14.

A. when            B. how                C.because             D. so

15.

A. end             B. last               C. first               D. beginning

Valencia is in the east part of Spain(西班牙). It has a port on the sea, two miles away on the coast. It is the capital of a province that is also named Valencia.

The city is a market centre for what is produced by the land around the city. Most of the city’s money is made from farming. It is also a busy business city, with ships, railways, clothes and machine factories.

Valencia has an old part with white buildings, colored roofs, and narrow streets. The modern part has long, wide streets and new buildings. Valencia is well known for its parks and gardens. It has many old churches and museums. The University in the centre of the city was built in the 13th century.

The city of Valencia has been known since the 2nd century. In the 8th century it was the capital of Spain. There is also an important city in Venezuela(委内瑞拉)named Valencia.

1.From the text, how many places have the name Valencia?

A．One.　　         B．Two.              C．Three.　　　　　   D．Four.

2.What is the main difference between the two parts of the city?

A．The color of the buildings.                 B．The length of the streets.　

C．The age of the buildings.                  D．The color of the roofs.

3.When was Valencia the most important city in Spain?

A．2nd century.       B．8th century.        C．13th century.       D．20th century.

4.What is Valencia famous for?

A．Its seaport.                            B．Its University.

C．Its churches and museums.                D．Its parks and gardens.

5.The main income of the city of Valencia is from its_____.

A．markets.          B．business.          C．factories.          D．farming.

第三部分：阅读理解（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分）
阅读下列短文，从每题材所给的四个选项A、B、C、D、中，选出最佳选项
A few weeks after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf coast, the Texas school where I teach collected furniture and other household items for a family from Louisiana that had lost everything. I thought of how sad it would be to lose all of the things that held so many priceless memories. Nothing could ever really replace a memory. I prayed I would be able to help the family in some ways , and at least give them practical things they could use.
I had a couple of old chairs in the house, and went into the spare bedroom to dig them out. Then I saw the wooden rocking chair(摇椅) in the corner. Deep brown , with a unique pattern of fruits and leaves edged in gold on the back. I’d never seen another like it. I used to rock my son to sleep in it when he was a baby. Talking about memories, I could never bear to part with that rocker.  http://wx.jtyjy.com/
But a feeling suddenly swept over me. Give it away. “Do you really want to do this?” my husband asked. I said firmly, “Yes!” He helped me load the rocking chair into my car. “Doesn’t it hold sentimental(情感的)value for you?” I couldn’t explain it. I took the rocker to the school the next day. The woman in charge of the donations(捐赠品)for the Louisiana family loaded it into the back of her truck.
The very next day at school, the woman in charge came rushing into my classroom. “Angie, I have to tell you a story about that rocking chair!” she said.
The family was grateful for every single item we’d donated, they told her. Then they saw the rocker. Everyone stopped and stared. Then the granddaughter cried out, “Grandma, look! It’s your rocking chair!”  http://wx.jtyjy.com/
My rocking chair was exactly like the one they had lost in the hurricane, the one that held their sweetest memories.
56. Why did the author feel sympathy for the family that had lost everything?
A. They met Hurricane Katrina.
B. They had no furniture and other items to use.
C. They lost the things holding memories.
D. They had to rebuild their house.
57. When thinking of having used the rocking chair the author     .
A. decided to give it away                          B. asked her husband for advice
C. liked it more than before                        D. hated to part with it
58. We can infer from the passage that the author’s husband      .
A. didn’t support the author’s social work    B. didn’t agree to donate the chair
C. thought the rocking chair valuable          D. could understand what she thought then
59. What’s the best title for this passage?
A. A good deed for a homeless family                B. Comfort a family with a gift of memories
C. A piece of furniture donated to a family          D. We all need the rocking chair

A well-dressed man entered a famous jewelry shop. He explained that he wished to buy a pearl for his wife’s birthday. The price didn’t matter. Since business had been very good for him that year. After examining a nice black one that cost $5000, he paid for the pearl in cash, shook hands with the jeweler, and left.

A few days later the man returned and said that his wife liked the pearl so much that she wanted another one just like it. It had to be exactly the same size and quality, as she wanted a pair of earrings made, “Can you give me any advice on how to get such a pearl?” said the man. The jeweler regretfully replied, “I would say it’s exactly impossible to find one exactly like that pearl.”

The rich man insisted that the jeweler advertise in the newspapers, offering $ 25,000 for the matching pearl. Many people answered the advertisement but nobody had a pearl that was just right.

Just when the jeweler had given up hope, a little old lady came into his store. To his great surprise, she pulled the perfect pearl from her purse. “I don’t like to part with it,” she said sadly, “I inherited it from my mother, and my mother inherited it from hers. But I really need the money.”

The jeweler was quick to pay her before she changed her mind. Then he called the rich man’s hotel to tell him the good news. The man, however, was nowhere to be found.

1.The man said he wanted to buy a pearl for ______.

A. his wife             B. his mother-in–law 

C. his own mother       D. no one

2.He paid $ 5,000 for the black pearl without bargaining because ______.

A. he was very rich      B. he wanted to make the jeweler believe him

C. he was anxious to get it   D. his business had been successful

3.He told the jeweler to get him another pearl that must be ______.

A. exactly the same size as the black one

B. exactly the same quality as the black one

C. worth no more than $ 25,000

D. exactly as big and nice as the black one

4.Many people answered the advertisement because they wanted _______.

A. to see the perfect pearl

B. to buy some beautiful pearls too

C. to get in touch with the rich man

D. to sell their own pearl at a high price

5.The jeweler couldn’t find the man anywhere because ______.

A. he died suddenly.

B. He happened to be out

C. He got $ 20,000 by cheating and had run away with the money.

D. He wouldn’t show up until the jeweler called him a second time.