D

For John and Amy Cervantes, birthdays have always been a big deal — a welcome excuse to celebrate life. When their eldest son, Alex, turned three, in 2005, they invited 20 friends to a nearby park and hired a clown to paint faces and make balloon animals.

Not long after that, the couple were brainstorming ways to teach Alex about giving to others. “That’ s when a spark went off,” says Amy. “We wanted to do something that would have a strong effect on our community, that wasn’t already being  done, and that our young children could participate in. I started wondering what less fortunate kids do on their birthdays. The next day, we called a local shelter.” What they learned is that homeless children typically don’t do anything to celebrate. No cake. No gifts. No party.

Several weeks later, the family threw a party at the shelter for the children who had birthdays that month. They decorated, served cake, and led 50 kids in the uncertain situation. Alex helped fill and pass out goody bags and presents. Since that first party, the couple have turned their simple idea into Birthday Blessings, a nonprofit that hosts monthly parties at ten shelters in and around Charlotte, North Carolina. The group also delivers baby supplies to new moms in the shelters. And it considerately sends treats to elementary schools so homeless kids can celebrate their birthdays with friends.

To date, Birthday Blessings has thrown more than 500 parties and handed out over 22,000 favors to nearly 4,000 homeless children. The idea is spreading fast, with additional chapters set to start in Atlanta, Cincinnati, and northeast Indiana. Birthday Blessings is operated entirely by volunteers with Amy, a stay-at-home mom, in charge. John attempts his career as an investment adviser while setting up the group’s similar network and running its capital campaign. The charity will take almost anything — toys, baby items — as long as it’s not used. “These kids never get anything new,” John says. “It makes a big difference to them psychologically.”

Being part of this“labor of love,” as Amy puts it, is already making an impression on the boys. When Alex turned seven, his grandparents sent a birthday check. “The first thing he said when he opened it,” Amy recalls, “was that he wanted to give half to the birthday kids.”

63. “a spark went off,” in Para 2 is closest in meaning to_______ .

A. Something was burning        B. there was a little hope

C. they were excited.            D. some good idea flashed into their mind.

64. The couple held a party at the shelter because_____ .

A. The children had birthdays that month

B. They felt sympathy for the homeless children

C. They wanted to make good impression on the children

D. They wanted to show that they were generous and kind

65. From the passage we can learn_______ .

A. The homeless children typically receive gifts and eat cakes on their birthdays

B. The group carefully sends treats to all the children in elementary schools

C. Birthday Blessings has performed different activities to aid the homeless children.

D. The couple are responsible for their own community in North Carolina

66. Which would be the best title for the passage?

A. Labor of Love                B. Nonprofit Organization 

C. Warm-hearted Volunteers.      D. Fortunate Children

 

B

When I asked my daughter which item she would keep; the phone, the car, the cooker, the computer, the TV, or her boyfriend, she said “the phone”. Personally, I couldn’t do without the phone entirely, which makes me unusual, Because the telephone is changing our lives more than any other piece of technology.

Point 1 The telephone creates the need to communicate, in the same way that more roads create more traffic. My daughter comes home from school at 4:00 pm and then spends an hour on the phone talking to the very people she has been with at school all day. If the phone did not exist, would she have anything to talk about?

Point 2 The mobile phone means that we are never alone. “The mobile saved my life,” says Crystal Johnstone. She had an accident in her Volvo on the A45 between Otley and Skipton. Trapped inside, she managed to make the call that brought the ambulance to her rescue.

Point 3 The mobile removes our secret. It allows marketing manager of Haba Deutsch, Carl Nicolaisen, to ring his sales staff all round the world at any time of day to ask where they are , where they are going, and how their last meeting went.

Point 4 The telephone separates us. Antonella Bramante in Rome says, “We worked in separate offices but I could see him through the window. It was easy to get his number. We were so near——but we didn’t meet for the first two weeks!”

Point 5 The telephone allows us to reach out beyond our own lives. Today we can talk to several complete strangers simultaneously (同时地) on chat lines (at least my daughter does. I wouldn’t know what to talk about). We can talk across the world. We can even talk to astronauts (if you know any) while they’re space-walking. And, with the phone line hooked up to the computer, we can access the Internet, the biggest library on Earth.

45．How do you understand ‘Point 1 —The telephone creates the need to communicate,…’？

       A．People don’t communicate without telephone. 

B．People communicate because of the creating of the telephone.

       C．People communicate more since telephone has been created.

 D．People communicate more because of more traffic.

46．Which points do you think support the idea that phones improve people’s life?

a．Point 1．  b．Point2．   c．Point3．   d．Point 4．   e．Point 5．

A．c, d B．a, e   C．a, c   D．b, e

47．It is possible to talk to several complete strangers simultaneously through        .

       A．the TV screen               B．a fax machine     

       C．the phone line hooked up to the computer     D．a microphone

48．The best heading for the passage is .

       A．Phone Power                  B．Kinds of Phone 

C． How to Use Phones           D．Advantage of Phones

A while ago my family and I went sledding（滑雪橇）and as I watched my children climbing up the slope I started thinking.

Many people are   1   that most of today’s social problems are because of the “me” generation. Youngsters are just out for themselves and pay no   2   to others or their needs. Indeed, a common belief is that today’s youngsters won’t do anything   3  there is something in it for them.

Yet, while sledding, I saw a   4   side. I watched my two oldest children （then five and four） take my youngest （then two years old） by the hand to help her up the slippery slope   5   they went up. They would have been   6  without her, but not once did they try to sneak by her without helping. And when the sled  7   my two daughters was aimed toward the edge, it was my five year old son who ran to them to   8   them falling and hurting themselves.

These children sometimes  9  among themselves and, on occasion, behave horribly. But I can   10   them shopping and know that they won’t ask for anything, I can talk to them about tsunami or hurricane victims and know that they will offer to   11   some of their own money to the cause, and I can ask them to play with those children   12   on the sideline （作为旁观者）and know that they will befriend them.

Perhaps, therefore, the “me” generation is to blame   13   much of society’s problems – not the youngsters who want everything,   14   the adults who have taught them to selfishly   15   only of themselves.

Most adults have been   16   at some time or another, sadly, many   17   that disappointment down to their children. Then the children learn to put themselves first!

Most young children want to help. We can   18  that feeling by teaching the lesson my children learned while sledding: Life is a slippery slope with   19   of bumps （撞伤） and bruises （擦伤）, but we can all make it to the   20  if we remember to help those who need it.

1．A．convinced             B．confirmed            C．informed             D．approved

2．A．thought                 B．attention              C．permission           D．pleasure

3．A．if                          B．as                       C．while                  D．unless

4．A．same                    B．different              C．strange                D．moral

5．A．some time             B．any time              C．each time            D．the time

6．A．faster                    B．slower                 C．easier                  D．lighter

7．A．containing             B．loading                C．driving                D．carrying

8．A．keep                     B．stop                    C．help                    D．warn

9．A．cry                       B．cooperate            C．assist                  D．fight

10．A．take                    B．drive                   C．accompany          D．guide

11．A．lend                    B．send                    C．collect                 D．pay

12．A．forgotten             B．missed                C．left                     D．ignored

13．A．of                       B．within                 C．on                      D．for

14．A．and                     B．but                      C．thus                    D．though

15．A．consider              B．speak                  C．sacrifice              D．think

16．A．depressed            B．awkward             C．disappointed        D．embarrassed

17．A．extend                 B．transfer               C．pass                    D．spread

18．A．encourage           B．prohibit               C．discourage           D．approach

19．A．opportunities        B．occasions            C．promises             D．fates

20．A．top                     B．bottom                C．middle                 D．tip

D

For John and Amy Cervantes, birthdays have always been a big deal — a welcome excuse to celebrate life. When their eldest son, Alex, turned three, in 2005, they invited 20 friends to a nearby park and hired a clown to paint faces and make balloon animals.

    Not long after that, the couple were brainstorming ways to teach Alex about giving to others. “That’ s when a spark went off,” says Amy. “We wanted to do something that would have a strong effect on our community, that wasn’t already being  done, and that our young children could participate in. I started wondering what less fortunate kids do on their birthdays. The next day, we called a local shelter.” What they learned is that homeless children typically don’t do anything to celebrate. No cake. No gifts. No party.

    Several weeks later, the family threw a party at the shelter for the children who had birthdays that month. They decorated, served cake, and led 50 kids in the uncertain situation. Alex helped fill and pass out goody bags and presents. Since that first party, the couple have turned their simple idea into Birthday Blessings, a nonprofit that hosts monthly parties at ten shelters in and around Charlotte, North Carolina. The group also delivers baby supplies to new moms in the shelters. And it considerately sends treats to elementary schools so homeless kids can celebrate their birthdays with friends.

To date, Birthday Blessings has thrown more than 500 parties and handed out over 22,000 favors to nearly 4,000 homeless children. The idea is spreading fast, with additional chapters set to start in Atlanta, Cincinnati, and northeast Indiana. Birthday Blessings is operated entirely by volunteers with Amy, a stay-at-home mom, in charge. John attempts his career as an investment adviser while setting up the group’s similar network and running its capital campaign. The charity will take almost anything — toys, baby items — as long as it’s not used. “These kids never get anything new,” John says. “It makes a big difference to them psychologically.”

Being part of this“labor of love,” as Amy puts it, is already making an impression on the boys. When Alex turned seven, his grandparents sent a birthday check. “The first thing he said when he opened it,” Amy recalls, “was that he wanted to give half to the birthday kids.”

63. “a spark went off,” in Para 2 is closest in meaning to_______ .

A. Something was burning        B. there was a little hope

C. they were excited.             D. some good idea flashed into their mind.

64. The couple held a party at the shelter because_____ .

A. The children had birthdays that month

B. They felt sympathy for the homeless children

C. They wanted to make good impression on the children

D. They wanted to show that they were generous and kind

65. From the passage we can learn_______ .

A. The homeless children typically receive gifts and eat cakes on their birthdays

B. The group carefully sends treats to all the children in elementary schools

C. Birthday Blessings has performed different activities to aid the homeless children.

D. The couple are responsible for their own community in North Carolina

66. Which would be the best title for the passage?

A. Labor of Love                B. Nonprofit Organization 

C. Warm-hearted Volunteers.       D. Fortunate Children

When the great library of Alexandria burned, the story goes, one book was saved. But it was not a valuable book; and so a poor man, who could read a little, bought it for a few coppers（铜钱）.The book wasn’t very interesting, but between its pages there was something very interesting indeed. It was a thin strip（条）of vellum（牛皮纸）on which was written the secret of the “Touchstone”!

The touchstone was a small pebble（小园石）that could turn any common metal into pure gold. The writing explained that it was lying among thousands and thousands of other pebbles that looked exactly like it. But the secret was this: The real stone would feel warm, while ordinary pebbles are cold.

So the man sold his few belongings, bought some simple supplies, camped on the seashore, and began testing pebbles. He knew that if he picked up ordinary pebbles and threw them down again because they were cold, he might pick up the same pebble hundreds of times. So, when he felt one that was cold, he threw it into the sea. He spent a whole day doing this but none of them was the touchstone. Yet he went on and on this way. Pick up a pebble. Cold-throw it into the sea. Pick up another. Throw it into the sea.

The days stretched into weeks and the weeks into months. One day, however, about mid-afternoon, he picked up a pebble and it was warm. He threw it into the sea before he realized what he had done. He had formed such a strong habit of throwing each pebble into the sea that when the one he wanted came along, he still threw it away.

So it is with opportunity. Unless we are vigilant（警惕的）, it’s easy to fail to recognize an opportunity when it is in hand and it’s just as easy to throw it away.

The book was special to the man because ______.

         A. it was made of vellum

         B. it was the only book that survived the great fire

         C. it was a story about how to tell the touchstone from ordinary stones

         D. it included the secret of the touchstone

He threw pebbles into the sea ______.

         A. to test how far he could throw

         B. to practice throwing pebbles

         C. to avoid picking up the same pebble once again

         D. to express his disappointment at failing to find the touchstone

What message does the story want to convey?

         A. Careful habits can lead to success.

         B. Habits can benefit you but also hold you back.

         C. Never judge a person or a thing by appearances.

         D. Opportunity only visits the ready and watchful mind