Dear Cassy,

Thanks for reminding me by e-mail that you want to baby-sit our children. In spite of the fact that you are only 15 years old, my wife and I would be willing to consider your application if you can meet a few modest requirements:

1. Submit three letters from teachers who will prove that you have never failed to follow directions perfectly in class and never failed to hand in the homework on time.

2. Submit a note from two doctors which says that you are in perfect health, have never been sick, and never will be sick.

3. Submit a document (文件) from your physical education teacher or team coach that proves that you can do each of the following: Run two miles in less than nine minutes, climb an oily rope to a height of twenty feet in thirty seconds while balancing a glass of water on your nose, and walk in bare feet over hot coals and broken glass without complaint or injury.

4. Submit letters from at least two mental health experts saying that you have never had a bad thought towards any living being or not living object.

5. Play and defeat five expert chess players with your eyes covered after going without sleep for 48 hours.

6. Wait patiently for two years while we make sure that all your documents are true.

                                            Your loving and trusting friends,

                                                    The Smiths

1.From the letter we can know that ______.

   A. Cassy wrote to the Smiths twice               B. Cassy loves children very much

   C. Cassy will be in perfect health          D. Cassy does very well in her studies

2. Which of the following can most probably replace the underlined word “submit”?

   A. write            B. report            C. hand in       D. recommend (推荐)

3.What can we infer from this text?

   A. Their children are hard to baby-sit.        B. Their children are well educated.

   C. Cassy is good at doing many things.       D. Cassy won't get the job as a baby-sitter.

4. Which of the following words can best describe the Smiths?

   A. Humorous.     B. Patient.              C. Honest.        D. Kind-hearted.

Many of us already know about several American superstitions（迷信）. Having a black cat cross your path, walking under a ladder, and breaking a mirror are all bad luck. In addition, there are many other superstitions that are worth knowing. Understanding them will keep you safe from evil spirits —if you believe in such things —and impress your American friends when you mention them.

Like the superstitions in other cultures, American superstitions often involve the things important in daily life, such as health, numbers, and marriage. For example, have you ever had a cough that would not go away? According to one American superstition, you should take a piece of your hair and put it between two slices of buttered bread. Next, feed this hair sandwich to a dog and say, “Eat well, you hound, may you be sick and I be sound.” This will trick the evil spirits and help your cough. It will also raise some eyebrows if you try it.

In American superstitions, the number three is very important. Often, Americas will say, “All things come in threes.” Three is lucky because it represents the traditional family: mother, father, and child. Therefore, gifts, letters, and guests will often arrive at your home in groups of three. However, it is also possible for bad events, like accidents and funerals, to come in threes as well.

Another time people pay attention to superstitions is when they get married. During a wedding, brides must wear or carry “something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue”. The old and borrowed things will bring luck to the person who gives them to the bride. The new and blue things will bring good fortune to the bride herself. The next time someone you know is getting married, be sure to recite this phrase.

As it would be unlucky to discuss one more superstition, we will wind things up here. Keep your fingers crossed, and stay lucky!

The passage is most probably entitled        .

    A. American’s Bad Luck                 B. Cross-culture and Superstitions

    C. American Superstitions               D. Daily Life in Superstitions

The underlined sentence in the second paragraph “It will also raise some eyebrows if you try it.” means        .

    A. when you try it, the dog will raise its eyebrows.

    B. you will make people surprised when you try this trick

    C. only if you raise your eyebrows can the trick work

    D. you will believe in the trick after you try it

In American’s view, the number three is a(n)         number.

    A. lucky                B. unlucky          C. special              D. ordinary

On the wedding, the bride often uses old and borrowed things so as to          .

    A. save some money for the wedding         

B. bring good luck to the people who give them to the bride

    C. give the good luck to the bride herself

    D. pass the bad luck to others

After reading the passage, we may feel it is written in a         tone.

    A. formal               B. serious          C. humorous         D. critical

B
Piercings（穿洞）have moved up on the trend list in recent Tattoos（纹身）and body years. Around Western schools lots of teens are sporting new holes and flesh ink. Like all other subjects, we’ll surely be faced with such situation. To get a better view of what has happened in the West, let’s sit down and hear what they say.
Kerstin Otto from Washington:
The hotter it gets and the more layers of clothing disappear, the more tattoos and piercings appear on various places of the human body, I wouldn’t be caught dead with a snake tattooed on my ankle or with a piece of metal stuck in my belly button.
Tiara from Indiana:
I personally think body piercing is sickening. If there were supposed to be holes in your body, you would have been born with them. I do, however, think that ear piercing, is not wrong.  There is a difference between ear piercing and belly button piercing. Ear piercing is not nearly as dangerous. I would be sick if someone stuck a needle in my belly button.
Lee from Illinois:
Hi! I live in Illinois. I am 23. I have 12 tattoos and three piercings. I love my tattoos
and consider myself an art collector. You would be surprised at who has given me the thumbs-up on my art work. People on the street stop me to look at that on my leg. Most of them don’t know what it is. They just think the work itself is great.
Nagib from Washington:
I wanted an earring. My friends had them and it looked like a cool thing. I wanted to get a nose ring, but my mum wouldn’t let me. Now I’m glad I didn’t get it. I just wanted a little stud, but I wouldn’t have looked good with it.
Jackson from Ohio:
I don’t think it’s wrong, but when people do it all over the place like their face and everything —I think that’s ridiculous. People who get the big dragons that cover your whole body—I don’t think that’s necessary. When I see naked chicks on guys, I think. “You have no respect for women.”
Brittney from New York:
You don’t want to do stuff to your body. You don t need to do that because you were made perfect. You don’t need to add piercings. If it will make you feel beautiful and you really feel like you need to do it for yourself, then okay. If it really makes a big difference impacting your self-esteem and how you are towards others, then do it. But otherwise, don’t mess with what you got. Maybe you should try something more substantial（充实的）to find beauty in yourself.
60. Who is wholeheartedly lost in tattoos and piercing?
A. Tiara           B. Kerstin           C. Nagib.           D. Lee.
61. Who doesn’t think tattoos and piercing are beautiful?
A. Jackson.          B. Brittney.           C. Tiara.           D. Nagib.
62. We can conclude that ________.
A. tattoos and piercing are a new kind of elegant art
B. all the teachers in the West are in favor of tattoos and piercing
C. everything is changeable with time going on
D. it is necessary to live with all different views of beauty
63. The best title for this passage is probably _________.
A. Body Art or Damage                    B. Damage to the Youth’s Body
C. Young People’s Different Curiosities       D. A Great Anxiety About Young People

Two men, both seriously ill, were in the same hospital room. One man was allowed to 46 in his bed for an hour each afternoon for treatment. His 47 was next to the room's only window. The other man 48 spend all his time flat on his back. Every 49 when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he 50 pass the time by describing(描述) to his 51 all the things he could see outside the window. The window overlooked（远眺） a 52 with a lovely lake. Ducks played on the water while children 53 their model boats. Young lovers walked 54 among flowers. As the man by the window described all this beautifully, the other man would close his eyes and 55 the scene.

One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the 56 body of the man by the window, who had died 57 in his sleep. She was sad and 58 the hospital attendants (服务员) to take the body away. 59 it seemed appropriate (合适的), the other man asked if he could 60 next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch（调换）, and after 61 he was comfortable, she left him alone. Slowly and painfully, he sat up to take his 62 look at the world outside. Finally, he would have the 63 of seeing it for himself. He strained (紧张地) to slowly turn to 64 the window beside the bed. It faced a blank wall.

The man asked the nurse what could have forced his dead roommate to 65 those wonderful things outside this window. The nurse answered that the man was blind and could not even see the wall. She said, “Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you.”

1.                A．stand up        B．lie down        C．sit up D．sit down

2.                A．room          B．table           C．seat D．bed

3.                A．had to          B．would rather     C．prefer to  D．rather than

4.                A．morning        B．evening         C．afternoon D．dawn

5.                A．will            B．would          C．should   D．might

6.                A．nurse          B．workmate       C．roommate D．doctor

7.                A．park           B．street          C．farm D．field

8.                A．played         B．made          C．started   D．sailed

9.                A．face to face     B．shoulder to shoulder  C．arm in arm D．back to back

10.               A．describe        B．tell            C．hear  D．imagine

11.               A．strong         B．warm          C．sick  D．lifeless

12.               A．peacefully      B．sadly           C．secretly   D．completely

13.               A．looked         B．found          C．called D．saw

14.               A．Before         B．As soon as      C．Although  D．As far as

15.               A．changed        B．sit             C．be moved  D．be taken

16.               A．making sure     B．depending on    C．making up D．accounting for

17.               A．next           B．first           C．last   D．another

18.               A．surprise        B．feeling         C．try   D．joy

19.               A．look out        B．look at         C．glare at    D．stare at

20.               A．remember      B．describe        C．write D．talk

阅读下面短文，从短文后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，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

    I didn’t cry when I learned I was the parent of a mentally handicapped (弱智的) child.

“Go ahead and cry，”the doctor __1__ kindly. But I couldn’t cry then nor during the months that followed.

    We sent her to a kindergarten in our neighborhood at age seven. I worried that she was the “__2__” child among twenty five­year­olds.

    __3__，positive things began to happen to Kristi in her school，and to her schoolmates，too. When talking big of their own accomplishments，Kristi’s classmates always took __4__ to praise her as well，“Kristi got all her spelling words right today.” No one would say that her spelling list was easier than anyone else’s.

    During Kristi’s second year in school，she __5__ a very special challenge. The big public event of the term was a __6_ based on the final outcome of the year’s music and physical education activities. Kristi was __7__ in both. My husband and I felt __8__ about the day as well.

    On the day of the program，Kristi _9__ to be sick. Desperately I wanted to keep her home. Why let Kristi fail in a gymnasium __10__ with parents，students and teachers？What a simple __11__！But I finally got her onto the school bus.

    Just as I had forced my daughter to go to school，now I forced myself to go，too. Then I knew Kristi’s __12__.Her class was divided into relay（接力） teams. With her slow and clumsy reactions，she would surely _13__ her team.

    But as Kristi’s turn to __14_ neared，a change took place in her team. The tallest boy in the line stepped __15__ Kristi and placed his hands on her waist. Two other boys stood a little ahead of her. The __16_ the player in front of Kristi stepped from the sack(bag)，the two boys seized it and held it open while the tall boy __17__Kristi and dropped her neatly into the sack. A girl ahead took her hand and supported her until she gained her __18__.Then off Kristi hopped (跳跃)，smiling and proud.

    At the cheers of the crowd，I slipped out to thank Heaven for the warm and considerate people making it possible for my __19__daughter to be like her fellow human beings. Then I finally __20_.

1．A. demanded  B．requested        C．advised                 D．joked

2．A. common     B．different         C．excellent                D．casual

3．A. but             B．Therefore       C．Eventually             D．However

4．A. pains          B．time               C．efforts                  D．measures

5．A. failed          B．accepted         C．faced                    D．shared

6．A. competition        B．conclusion      C．conference            D．ceremony

7．A. stupid                B．slow              C．serious                  D．awkward

8．A. annoyed     B．anxious          C．guilty                    D．tough

9．A. wanted              B．happened        C．pretended              D．proved

10．A. filled                B．jammed          C．covered                 D．burdened

11．A. approach         B．method           C．key                           D．solution

12．A. worry              B．disaster          C．choice                   D．error

13．A. hold on     B．hold out          C．hold over               D．hold up

14．A. participate        B．operate           C．practise                 D．show

15．A. around      B．off                 C．behind                   D．beside

16．A. interval     B．moment  C．chance                  D．point

17．A. caught      B．lifted              C．protected               D．hid

18．A. access             B．position          C．speed                    D．balance

19．A. nervous    B．slim               C．disabled                 D．delicate

20．A. recovered        B．cried         C．prayed           D．applauded