That had made me ___1___ my childhood. I, too, had ___2___ a violin, but we didn't have the money. Even though life was ___3__ then, I couldn't wait any longer to ask, “Daddy, ___4__ I have a violin of my own?” Daddy looked sad. But a few weeks later, Daddy came home with a case, saying, “Mary, I found this ___5___ violin for seven dollars.”

　　The day I carried my ____6___ to school for my first lesson, no one could know the bursting in my ____7__. I practised, joined the school orchestra and gave ___8__ Several years seemed to pass more quickly then and I found ___9___ in the first violin chair. More years passed. My violin made every move with me, and was carefully put ___10__.

　　Now here I am ___11___ the newspaper want ad. I took out my violin and put it on the table. Then I picked up the ___12__, walked to the telephone and dialed the number 8432526.

　　Later, in the day, a man in his thirties knocked on the door. “I've been ___13___ someone would ___14___ my ad. My daughter wants a violin so badly,” he said, ___15___ my violin. “How much are you ____16__?”

　　Any music store, I knew, would offer me a higher pay. But now I heard my voice answer, “Seven dollars.”

　　“Are you ____17___?” he asked and caused me to think so much of my ___18___.“Seven dollars,” I ___19___ and added, “I hope your little girl will ___20___ it as I did.”

　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　

(1) A．look 　　 back	B．dream 　　 of
C．think 　　 of	D．remind 　　 of
(2) A．had	B．wanted
C．bought	D．owned
(3) A．hard	B．happy
C．easy	D．comfortable
(4) A．must	B．should
C．may	D．shall
(5) A．second-hand	B．beautiful
C．expensive	D．new
(6) A．instruments	B．books
C．schoolbag	D．violin
(7) A．head	B．mind
C．heart	D．body
(8) A．performances	B．concerts
C．shows	D．plays
(9) A．my 　　 instruments	B．it
C．me	D．myself
(10) A．away	B．side
C．down	D．up
(11) A．in	B．on
C．for	D．with
(12) A．photo	B．violin
C．newspaper	D．case
(13) A．expecting	B．telling
C．asking	D．paying
(14) A．like	B．know
C．see	D．answer
(15) A．seeing	B．fixing
C．examining	D．playing
(16) A．selling	B．asking
C．paying	D．costing
(17) A．reading	B．sorry
C．willing	D．sure
(18) A．story	B．violin
C．father	D．childhood
(19) A．answered	B．repeated
C．replied	D．agreed
(20) A．play	B．enjoy
C．have	D．do

　　That had made me ___1___ my childhood. I, too, had ___2___ a violin, but we didn't have the money. Even though life was ___3__ then, I couldn't wait any longer to ask, “Daddy, ___4__ I have a violin of my own?” Daddy looked sad. But a few weeks later, Daddy came home with a case, saying, “Mary, I found this ___5___ violin for seven dollars.”

　　The day I carried my ____6___ to school for my first lesson, no one could know the bursting in my ____7__. I practised, joined the school orchestra and gave ___8__ Several years seemed to pass more quickly then and I found ___9___ in the first violin chair. More years passed. My violin made every move with me, and was carefully put ___10__.

　　Now here I am ___11___ the newspaper want ad. I took out my violin and put it on the table. Then I picked up the ___12__, walked to the telephone and dialed the number 8432526.

　　Later, in the day, a man in his thirties knocked on the door. “I've been ___13___ someone would ___14___ my ad. My daughter wants a violin so badly,” he said, ___15___ my violin. “How much are you ____16__?”

　　Any music store, I knew, would offer me a higher pay. But now I heard my voice answer, “Seven dollars.”

　　“Are you ____17___?” he asked and caused me to think so much of my ___18___.“Seven dollars,” I ___19___ and added, “I hope your little girl will ___20___ it as I did.”

　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　

(1) A．look 　　 back	B．dream 　　 of
C．think 　　 of	D．remind 　　 of
(2) A．had	B．wanted
C．bought	D．owned
(3) A．hard	B．happy
C．easy	D．comfortable
(4) A．must	B．should
C．may	D．shall
(5) A．second-hand	B．beautiful
C．expensive	D．new
(6) A．instruments	B．books
C．schoolbag	D．violin
(7) A．head	B．mind
C．heart	D．body
(8) A．performances	B．concerts
C．shows	D．plays
(9) A．my 　　 instruments	B．it
C．me	D．myself
(10) A．away	B．side
C．down	D．up
(11) A．in	B．on
C．for	D．with
(12) A．photo	B．violin
C．newspaper	D．case
(13) A．expecting	B．telling
C．asking	D．paying
(14) A．like	B．know
C．see	D．answer
(15) A．seeing	B．fixing
C．examining	D．playing
(16) A．selling	B．asking
C．paying	D．costing
(17) A．reading	B．sorry
C．willing	D．sure
(18) A．story	B．violin
C．father	D．childhood
(19) A．answered	B．repeated
C．replied	D．agreed
(20) A．play	B．enjoy
C．have	D．do

The day was warm and the sun shone down like a new beginning on my life. I was waving goodbye to my son, the last one of my fledglings （刚会飞的鸟）to leave home and go to new woods, "University actually" . I felt so lighthearted after spending many years looking after my four children-cooking, washing, ironing, teaching them how to look after themselves and manage their finances-that I actually thought “At long last, freedom".

But, as I watched my last one leave, although it was a joyous occasion, I realized I had not really prepared for this day, I was too tied up with bringing up these adults of the future to realize that they would all leave the nest and lives independently.

At first I didn't know what "I" wanted to do. I tried a part time job, which ended in me running out in tears. I started a business making soft furnishings, but that didn't work either.  I grew my own veggies and fruit, which lasted 3 years, until I was advised by my doctor that my feet couldn't take any more "tools” driven through them. 

I began wondering if I had a future of my own. I cried for the life I was used to, and hadn't known or wanted anything different.

Then one day I saw an ad. For foster parents, I discussed it with my husband who was always behind everything I tried and with great disturbance, I rang up the number.

I now laugh and sing with my 14-year-old foster daughter, even when my cooker is a mess and my bathroom is a disaster area. I now know, 8 years later, what “I” was meant to be doing with all the spare hours, days, and weeks I had on my hands when my last fledgling flew the nest. The sun shines once again in my home.

1.How did the mother first feel when her last child went off to university?

A．Lonely.

B．Anxious.

C．Relieved.

D．Annoyed.

2.The underlined phrase “was tied up with” in the second paragraph means “        ”.

A．was occupied in	B．was associated with
C．was tired of	D．was addicted to

3.In the third paragraph, the poor mother did all the things just to         .

A．live a greener and healthier life

B．earn more money for her kids’ education

C．shift her attention and ease her anxiety

D．start her own decorating business

4.What did the empty-nested mother think of her husband?

A．Skilled

B．Supportive

C．Stubborn

D．Open-minded

5.Thanks to the foster daughter, the author         .

A．got rid of her busy work	B．forgot her other children
C．found a suitable job	D．knew what she really wanted

 

F. Scott Fitzgerald, born on September 24,1896, an American novelist, was once a student of St. Paul Academy, the Newman School and attended Princeton. University for a short while. In 1917 he joined the army and was posted in Alabama, where he met his future wife Zelda Sayre. Then he had to make some money to impress her.

His life with her was full of great happiness, as he wrote in his diary : “ My own happiness in the past often approached such joy that I could share it even with the person dearest to me but had to walk it away in quiet streets and take down parts of it in my diary. ”
This side of paradise, his first novel, was published in 1920. encouraged by its success, Fitzgerald began to devote more time to his writing. Then he continued with the novel the Beautiful and Damned (1922), a collection of short stories Thales of the Jazz Age (1922), and a play The Vegetable (1923). But his greatest success was The Great Gatsby, published in 1925,which quick brought him praise from the literary world. Yet it failed to give him the needed financial security. Then, in 1926, he published another collection lf short stories All the Sad Young Men.
However, Fitzgerald’s problems with his wife Zelda affected his writing. During the 1920s he tried to reorder his life, but failed. By 1930, his wife had her first breakdown and went to a Swiss clinic. During this period he completed novels Tender Is the Night in 1934 and The love of the last Tycoon in 1940.While his wife was in hospital in the United States, he got totally addicted to alcohol. Sheila Graham, his dear friend, helped him fight his alcoholism.
【小题1】 How many novels written by Fitzgerald are mentioned in the passage ?

A．5

B．6

C．7

D．8

【小题2】Which of the following is the correct order to describe Fitzgerald’s life according to the passage?
a. He became addicted to drinking.
b. He studied at St. Paul Academy.
c. He published his first novel This Side of Paradise.
d. The Great Gatsby won high praise. 
e. He failed to reorder his life.
f. He joined the army and met Zelda.

A．f-c-e-a-b-d	B．b-e-a-f-c-d
C．f-d-e-c-b-a	D．b-f-c-d-e-a

【小题3】We can infer from the passage that Fitzgerald           .

A．had made some money when he met Zelda in Alabama.

B．was well educated and well off before he served in the army

C．would have completed more works if his wife hadn’t broken down

D．helped his friend get rid of drinking while his wife was in hospital

【小题4】The passage is probably followed by a concluding paragraph about_______  .

A．Zelda’s personal life

B．Zelda’s illness and treatment

C．Fitzgerald’s friendship with Graham

D．Fitzgerald’s contributions to the literary (文学的)world

A well-dressed man came into a famous jeweler shop. He explained that he wished to buy a pearl (珍珠) for his wife's birthday and that the price didn't matter since business had been very good for him that year. After examining a number of beautiful and valuable pearls, he chose a nice black one that cost $ 5,000. He paid for the pearl, shook hands with the jeweler and left.

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

    The rich man asked the jeweler to advertise(登广告) in the newspapers, and offered $25,000 for the  matching pearl. Many people answered the ad(广告), but nobody had a pearl that was just right. Just when the jeweler had given up hope, a little old lady came in. To his surprise, she pulled the wonderful pearl from her handbag. "I don't like to sell it," she said sadly. "I inherited(继承) it from my mother, and my mother inherited from hers. But now 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 rich man, however, was nowhere to be found.

He paid$ 5,000 for the pearl without bargaining(讨价还价)______________.

A. because he loved his wife very much  

B. in order to get it as quickly as possible

C. since his business had been successful           

D. so as to make the jeweler believe him

Which of the following is true?

A. The people who answered the ad wanted to sell their pearls at a high price.

B. The woman was the well-dressed man's wife.

C. The jeweler was lucky enough to buy the little old lady's pearl.

D. The rich man didn't know the little old lady.

The jeweler could not find the rich man anywhere because he__________.

A. had moved to another hotel    B. was busy doing business with others

C. had escaped with $ 20,000     D. had told the wrong telephone number