When I was young, I belonged to a club that did community service work. There was one specific__16_ that was unusual for me. I spent three or four hours handing out warm dinner to the homeless out in the streets. After that I went to a homeless shelter not far from the Bay Bridge.
I was in high school and at the time my sister was too young to  17  . She wanted to help, 18  she made four or five dozen chocolate chip cookies for me to  19  and hand out to people. When _20_ to the homeless shelter, I passed out the _21_ meals. I began making sandwiches and   22   them with the crowd. I had the containers with my  23  cookies in them and began to  24  , offering them to anyone near me.
I  25  an old gentleman and said, “ Sir, would you like a cookie?” He stopped and turned around, looked at me rightly and said, “ What did you say? Did you call me sir?” I told him I __26_, and his eyes   27   a little bit and said,  “ No one has  28   called me sir.’ So he was completely moved.
It __29_  me.
I explained I had been raised that  30  color and social status, everyone deserved(应得) respect. It   31   me to think that just because he was homeless, no one  32   him the honor. It broke my heart. I just didn’t understand   33 no one ever called him sir? I had never thought that anyone was below me because I wasn’t raised that way. Every   34   person deserves to be treated with respect. Years later, I still carry that memory and the __35__ it taught me. Sometimes, what we take for granted can really make a difference in someone’s life.
How have you made a difference to others? How have others made a difference to you?

( B )
In communities north of Denver, residents are pitching in to help teachers and administrators as the Vrain school District tries to solve a $13.8 million budget shortage blamed on mismanagement. “We’re worried about our teachers and principals, and we really don’t want to lose them because of this,” one parent said. “If we can help ease their financial burden, we will.”
Teachers are grateful, but I know it may be years before the district is solvent(有综合能力的). They feel really good about the parent support, but they realize it’s impossible for them to solve this problem.
The 22,000-student district discovered the shortage last month. “It’s extraordinary. Nobody would have imagined something happening like this at this level,” said State Treasurer Mike Coffman.
Coffman and district officials last week agreed on a state emergency plan freeing up a $9.8 million loan that enabled the payroll(工资单) to be met for 2,700 teachers and staff in time for the holidays.
District officials also took $1.7 million from student-activity accounts of its 38 schools.
At Coffman’s request, the District Attorney has begun investigating the district’s finances. Coffman says he wants to know whether district officials hid the budget shortage until after the November election, when voters approved a $212 million bond issue for schools.
In Frederick, students’ parents are buying classroom supplies and offering to pay for groceries and utilities to keep first-year teachers and principals in their jobs.
Some $36,000 has been raised in donations from Safeway. A Chevrolet dealership donated $10,000 and forgave the district’s $10,750 bill for renting the driver educating cars. IBM contributed 4,500 packs of paper.
“We employ thousands of people in this community,” said Mitch Carson, a hospital chief executive, who helped raise funds. “We have children in the school, and we see how they could be affected.”
At Creek High School, three students started a website that displays newspaper articles, district information and an email forum. “Rumors about what’s happening to the district are moving at lighting speed,” said a student. “We wanted to know the truth, and spread that around instead.”
46. What has happened to the Vrain School District?
A. A huge financial problem has arisen.
B. Many schools there are mismanaged.
C. Lots of teachers in the district are planning to quit.
D. Many administrative personnel have been laid off.
47. How did the residents in the Vrain School District respond to the budget shortage?
A. They felt somewhat helpless about it.
B. They accused those responsible for it.
C. They made their efforts to help solve it.
D. They demanded a thorough investigation.
48. In the view of State Treasurer Mike Coffman, the educational budget shortage is ________.
A. unavoidable       B. unbelievable       C. insolvable        D. invisible
49. Why did Coffman request an investigation?
A. To see if the financial problem was covered up on purpose
B. To find out how serious the consequence of the case would be.
C. To make sure that the school principals were innocent.
D. To stop the voters approving the $212 million bond issue.
50. Three high school students started a website in order to ________.
A. attract greater public attention to their needs
B. appeal to the public for contributions and donations
C. expose officials who neglected their duties
D. keep people properly informed of the crisis

A man wanted to make an investment. An idea struck him: “Why don’t I plant a small mango tree and enjoy the benefits when it grows into a big one?” So he went to the    , bought a small tree and took it home. To the pride of his family, he     it in the center of his     .

He read everything about      a mango tree. He got up early every morning, for he was determined to supply the tree with all the necessary nutrients. He watered it,      it with manure（粪肥），and took good care of its leaves by removing those      ones. He made sure the tree received enough care.

Many times he sat and      the beauty of the growing tree while dreaming about the      mangos that the tree would     . His mind was always filled with the wish to taste the first fruit of the tree.

Years went by     …Now, he had a big tree with its leaves shining and healthy, its bark（树皮）healthy and hard. It was a big attraction      it decorated his whole garden.

Then one day he noticed a small bud（花蕾）,which in a couple of days grew into a beautiful     .Now he could hardly wait for the fruit, so he started to      his supply of nutrients and care. Then one day the tree let out its first product—a small green fruit. The man was so     .

He waited for a few more weeks till the fruit grew in     .The day came when he decided to      the first fruit of the tree. He      the tree, picked the fruit and then came his     .The fruit was not like what he expected. It was hard, big and round. He was puzzled. He was sad.

Seeing this, his      came and asked him what happened. He told them that the fruit from his tree was not what he wanted. When the neighbors heard this, they did not know whether to      or comfort him, for what he planted years ago was not a mango tree. We can only reap（收获）what we plant.

1.A．city  B．farm    C．market         D．shop

2.A．grew         B．moved         C．planted        D．threw

3.A．garden     B．house C．village D．yard

4.A．buying      B．improving   C．keeping       D．raising

5.A．decorated        B．equipped    C．served         D．supplied

6.A．green       B．red      C．white  D．yellow

7.A．admired   B．drew   C．greeted       D．operated

8.A．beneficial         B．expensive   C．healthy        D．tasty

9.A．bear         B．burst   C．deserve       D．make

10.A．immediately   B．quickly         C．narrowly     D．suddenly

11.A．because          B．if          C．though         D．when

12.A．flower    B．fruit    C．leaf     D．nut

13.A．rise         B．increase      C．decrease     D．decline

14.A．greedy   B．happy C．nervous       D．sad

15.A．age         B．length C．size     D．width

16.A．observe B．sell      C．steal    D．taste

17.A．climbed B．cut      C．hid      D．killed

18.A．anxiety  B．cheer C．disappointment   D．opinion

19.A．children          B．friends         C．neighbors   D．relatives

20.A．complain        B．laugh  C．motivate      D．support

When high school started, Becky and I became best friends. We   36  many interests and quickly became inseparable. When high school ended, we both cried   37  we would attend different colleges.

Our first term of university life was   38 . Our telephone bill and e-mails were incredibly long. In the second term I found some new friends with whom I felt very   39 and I could   40  out my feelings. I was eager to share my new friends with Becky.

When Becky finally visited me at my school, we were excited. __41__, something unexpected happened when I   42  her to my new friends. Her eyes grew dark and I could see the   43  within them. My new friends tried to share their friendship, but Becky seemed   44  to accept it. I didn’t understand   45  the people I love most couldn’t love each other.

Becky   46 . I knew she was not happy. I thought long about __47__ happened. At last, I found the answer. Becky saw me with my new friends and   48  that we no longer shared the same experiences. She saw all the fun I was having   49  her and wished she could a part of it.

I wrote a letter to Becky   50  she’s always my best friend. I told her everyone had many friends, who were indeed life’s greatest   51 . Becky wrote me back soon. She was in   52  and felt sorry about what she had done.

I think Becky and I both learn an important lesson from it.   53  can influence our friendship and change the experiences we’ve shared. We are now walking on two different paths of   54 . While new friends are special and exciting, old friends are always there,   55  to share their heart and soul, no matter how far apart.

1.                A．shared         B．developed      C．protected D．showed

2.                A．while          B．unless          C．although  D．because

3.                A．explicit         B．striking         C．tough    D．normal

4.                A．anxious         B．strange         C．familiar   D．comfortable

5.                A．figure          B．pour           C．pick D．hold

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

7.                A．admitted        B．mentioned      C．introduced    D．referred

8.                A．concern        B．hurt           C．curiosity  D．doubt

9.                A．unwilling        B．cautious        C．ashamed  D．thrilled

10.               A．how           B．whether        C．that  D．why

11.               A．started         B．left            C．remained  D．stared

12.               A．that           B．how           C．what  D．Which

13.               A．wondered      B．regretted       C．promised  D．proved

14.               A．for            B．from           C．across D．without

15.               A．recognized      B．predicting       C．explaining D．assuming

16.               A．achievement    B．spirit           C．gift   D．sign

17.               A．sympathy       B．surprise        C．agreement D．disappointment

18.               A．Nothing        B．Anything        C．Something D．Everything

19.               A．happiness       B．life            C．research  D．success

20.               A．choosing       B．demanding      C．planning   D．waiting

When we read books we seem to enter a new world. This new world can be similar to the one we are living in, or it can be very  31  .Some stories are told 32 they were true. Real people who live in a 33 world do real things; in other words, the stories are about people just like us doing what we do. Other stories, such as the Harry Potter books, are not  34 . They are characters and creatures that are very different from us and do things that would be 35 for us.

But there is more to books and writing than this. If we think about it, even realistic writing is only 36 . How can we tell the difference between what is real and what is not real? For example, when we read about Harry Potter ,we  37 seem to learn something about the real world. And when Harry studies magic at Hogwarts, he also learns more about his real life than  38 . Reading, like writing, is an action. It is a way of  39 . When we read or write something ,we do much more than simple look at words on a page. We use our 40--which is real—and our imagination—which is real in a different way --- to make the words come to life in our minds.

Both realism and fantasy(幻想) 41  the imagination and the “magic” of reading and writing to make us think. When we read 42  realistic, we have to imagine that the people we are reading about are just like us, even though we  43 that we are real and they are  44 . It sounds 45 ,but it works. When we read, we fill in missing information and  46 about the causes and effects of what a character does. We help the writer by  47 that what we read is like real life. In a way, we are writing the book, too.

Most of us probably don’t think about what is going on in our 48 when we are reading. We pick up a book and lose  49  in a good story, eager to find out what will happen next. Knowing how we feel  50  we read can help us become better readers, and it will help us discover more about the real magic of books.

1.                A．possible        B．easy           C．new D．different

2.                A．that           B．what           C．whether  D．as if

3.                A．usual          B．normal         C．certain   D．common

4.                A．realistic        B．reasonable      C．moral    D．instructive

5.                A．difficult         B．impossible       C．important D．necessary

6.                A．thinkable       B．designed        C．imagined  D．planned

7.                A．do            B．make           C．have D．are

8.                A．lessons         B．dreams         C．experience    D．magic

9.                A．working        B．thinking         C．living D．understanding

10.               A．knowledge      B．skill            C．words D．grammar

11.               A．make          B．get            C．use   D．have

12.               A．a newspaper    B．something      C．everything D．a story

13.               A．find           B．learn          C．know D．hope

14.               A．too            B．not            C．all    D．so

15.               A．dangerous      B．serious         C．strange    D．terrible

16.               A．talk            B．learn          C．read  D．think

17.               A．telling          B．pretending      C．promising  D．guessing

18.               A．mind          B．life            C．world D．society

19.               A．heart          B．time           C．money    D．ourselves

20.               A．what           B．how           C．when D．why