There has been an outpouring of love for, a 23-year-old disabled woman whose dog was killed in front of her while a groomer(美容师) tried to trim(修剪) its claws.
Calls and e-mails came from as far away as the Upper Peninsula and Arizona as well as Oakland and Macomb counties, offering Laurie Crouch, who uses a wheelchair because of multiple sclerosis(硬化症), everything from dogs to money, such as that from Jason Daly of Roseville who said, “ I would like to buy her a new dog.”
A story about the death of Crouch’s pet, Gooch, was printed on the front page of Macomb Daily. Crouch said a man sat on the dog to trim its nails. Gooch died after one claw was trimmed.
Crouch yelled at the groomer to stop when she saw Gooch was struggling to breathe, but she said she was ignored. “If I could have walked, I would have put my hands on her and pulled her off my dog and physically stopped her, but I can’t do that.” Gooch was not a trained service animal, but naturally helped Crouch by picking up things for her.
“This case is absolute animal abuse(虐待),” Larry Obrecht, division manager of the Oakland County Animal Shelter in Auburn Hills, said.
People who read the story contacted Oakland Press to offer help. A message, from Rebecca Amett of Giggles N Wiggles Puppy Rescue, in Roseville, said, “We have puppies to donate … and want to help the young woman who lost her service dog.”
“When Gooch was with me, I was happy,” Crouch said, “I think I can be happy again but no animal can replace Gooch. There’s never going to be another Gooch out there but I think I will find a dog that can bring me joy again.”
【小题1】What does the passage mainly tell us?

A．A disabled woman’s service dog.

B．A cruel groomer killed a disabled woman’s dog.

C．People’s love for a disabled woman who lost her dog.

D．Disabled woman loves to have the dog as company.

【小题2】People called and emailed to             .

A．offer help and care to Laurie Crouch.

B．give their angry voice to the groomer.

C．offer a cure for Crouch’s disease.

D．tell Crouch how to punish the groomer.

【小题3】Gooch died mainly because           .

A．the groomer was careless.

B．the groomer sat on the dog with another man.

C．the dog was wearing a collar.

D．the groomer didn’t know how to trim the dog’s nails

【小题4】We can infer from the passage that          .

A．Crouch refused to take another dog.

B．Crouch must be sad after losing her dog.

C．Crouch has accepted another dog from a stranger.

D．Crouch can live well without a dog’s company.

Tens of thousands of theatre tickets will be given away to young people next year as part of a government campaign to inspire a lifelong love for theatre.

The plan to offer free seats to people aged between 18 to 26—funded with ??2.5 million of taxpayers’ money—was announced yesterday by Andy Burnham, the Culture Secretary. It received a cautious welcome from some in the arts world, who expressed concern that the tickets may not reach the most underprivileged.

The plan comes as West End theatres are enjoying record audiences, thanks largely to musicals teaming up with television talent shows. Attendances reached. 13.6 million in 2007, up 10 percent on 2006, itself a record year. Total sales were up 18 percent on 2006 to almost ??470 million.

One theatre source criticised the Government’s priorities(优先考虑的事) in funding free tickets when pensioners were struggling to buy food and fuel, saying: “I don’t know why the Government’s wasting money on this. The Yong Vic, as The Times reported today, offers excellent performances at cheap prices.”

There was praise for the Government’s plan from Dominic Cooke of the Royal Court Theatre, who said: “I support any move to get young people into theatre, and especially one that aims to do it all over England, not just in London.”

Ninety-five publicly funded theatres could apply for funding under the two-year plan. In return, they will offer free tickets on at least one day each week to 18 to 26-year-olds, first-come, first-served. It is likely to be on Mondays, traditionally a quiet night for the theatre.

Mr. Burnham said: “A young person attending the theatre can find it an exciting experience, and be inspired to explore a new world. But sometimes people miss out on it because they fear it’s ‘not for them’. It’s time to change this perception.”

Jeremy Hunt, the Shadow Culture Secretary, said: “The real issue is not getting enthusiastic children into the theatre, but improving arts education so that more young people want to go in the first place. For too many children theatres are a no-go area.”

Critics of the plan argued that ______.

    A. the theatres would be overcrowded

    B. it would be a waste of money

    C. pensioners wouldn’t get free tickets

    D. the government wouldn’t be able to afford it

According to the supporters, the plan should ______.

    A. benefit the television industry

    B. focus on producing better plays

    C. help increase the sales of tickets

    D. involve all the young people in England

Which of the following is TRUE about the plan?

    A. Ninety-five theatres have received funding.

    B. Everyone will get at least one free ticket.

    C. It may not benefit all the young people.

    D. Free tickets are offered once every day.

We can infer from the passage that in England ______.

A. many plays are not for young people

 B. many young people don’t like theatre

    C. people know little about the plan

    D. children used to receive good arts education

According to the passage, the issue to offer free tickets to young people seems ______.

A. controversial      B. inspiring      C. exciting      D. unreasonable

Today, I felt terrible. My head was full of problems, burdens and confusion. I decided to take a walk even though I didn’t know where I would go.
The most extraordinarything happened when I was out on this walk. I saw an old man sitting on a chair. He was a seller of second-hand shoes. He looked at least 70 years old. He seemed so tired and nobody bought his shoes. I wanted to give him something but I had not brought anything with me.
Then, a little girl came toward him. I heard the child say, “Grandpa, may I polish your shoes?” That old man took pity on her and he gave her a shoe to polish. The girl said, “I polish the shoe because I need money to buy my brother a new school uniform.”
I heard this and tears filled my eyes. The old man answered, “Oh, little girl. Just stop doing this. Come with me and I will buy you a uniform.” Then they walked to a market and I followed close behind them. There he bought her a uniform. The girl said, “Thank you so much for doing this. May God bless you.” Then she left, leaving the old man smiling.
The old man walked away from the market, but I stopped him. I whispered in his ear, “You are a hero! Thank you for your kindness!” As I walked away, I glanced back and I could see him still smiling.
My own sadness had disappeared, chased away by the light of this kind act. I began realizing that I have a lot to be thankful for. I hope, some day, I can show my appreciation of what I have by following the example of the old man who only had a little, but shared it happily with someone who had nothing.
【小题1】The author decided to take a walk in order to    .

A．build himself up

B．lighten his mood

C．enjoy the scenery nearby

D．find out something special

【小题2】When seeing the old shoe seller, the author felt   .

A．happy

B．sympathetic

C．regretful

D．disappointed

【小题3】Why did the girl offer to polish shoes for the old man?

A．She took pity on him.

B．She intended to take care of him.

C．She meant to be friendly to him.

D．She wanted to earn some money.

【小题4】By sharing the story, the author conveys a message that    .

A．a kind act can cheer us up

B．old men often set us examples

C．people value what they don’t have

D．helping others means helping ourselves

【小题5】What would be the best title for the passage?

A．A clever little girl	B．A pair of old shoes
C．A kind shoe seller	D．A girl’s new uniform

September 21, 2050----At a press conference today it was announced that the first tourist heading for Mars will be the 38-year-old US businessman Patrick Clifford. He will leave the earth in the  launching window of June 2052 and set his foot on the surface of Mars in November, together with the other 6 astronauts assigned for the mission to further explore the planet.

Patrick has now two years of training ahead of him to get ready for the trip. Not only will he spend five months in getting to Mars, but another 600 days there before he can go back home.  Patrick was of course very excited, “ This has been my dream since I was four, and seeing the first man on Mars 20 years ago made me realize that it was possible.”

To be able to pay the $ 1. 3 billion for his ticket for the trip Patrick sold his majority stake (股份) in the company his father had built. “I know that my father would have been proud of me if he had still been alive today, he knew what this means to me”, says Patrick. There is no risk though that you will find Patrick begging in your street corner when he comes back, but it is said that he was paid twice as much for his part of the company.

So, how is he going to spend his 600 days on the red planet? “Well, since I don’t have a job when I get back after selling the company, I have plenty of time to come up with a new business idea”, he says and laughs. If he brings a shovel（铁锹）he can start building the first hotel there, but maybe he shouldn’t expect too many guests until someone can offer a cheaper ticket.

1.How long will Patrick Clifford be away before he comes back?

A．About five months   B．About two years    C．About 600 days     D．About 750 days

2.The underlined part in Paragraph 3 means that          .

A．the trip will turn Patrick into a beggar

B．Patrick will get much money from the trip

C．we needn’t worry about Patrick’s economic condition

D．it’s likely that Patrick will be very poor after he comes back

3.What can be inferred from the passage?

A．Patrick is an optimistic man

B．A total of six people will go to Mars

C．Patrick’s father felt excited at the news

D．Patrick will spend all his money on the trip

 

The letter was a great disappointment to me. It was from Holy Cross, the only school I really wanted to  41  . I scanned the page, “…. We had a great applicant pool this year. …We can’t offer spaces to   42   … and place you on our waiting list.”

“What does it say, honey?” my dad asked, his voice full of   43   for me.

“I didn’t get in, but I’m on the waiting list.”

“Well, at least it isn’t   44  ,” he said brightly.

“Yeah, but   45  , I don’t want to be on the waiting list; I want to be   46  . No one gets in off the waiting list. It’s a way of saying ‘Thanks for   47  ’.”

“Then let’s go out there and tell them so.”

“That sounds   48  , dad.” I said sadly, “It doesn’t work.”

Upset and annoyed, I   49   myself in my room. However，my father’s advice kept   50   in my head. I thought about it for a few days, finally coming to the   51   that he was right. And the next day I seated myself across from Mr. Luis Soto, my admissions officer.

“What can I do for you, Nacie?” he asked pleasantly.

“Well, sir, I am here to tell you that I love this school and would love a   52   to be here. I just wanted to tell you how much going here would   53   to me—it is my only dream college— and that I would use my time here to the best   54  . I wanted to let you know that if you gave me a chance and reconsidered my application, you wouldn’t   55   it.” The words had poured out  56  I could stop them or check their desperate tone.

Mr. Soto looked me over for a minute before he smiled broadly.

“OK, that is the kind of thing we love to hear. Congratulations, you’re in.”

It was so   57   and I asked, “I’m sorry?”

“We want people in the class who want to be here, who will   58   the best of this education. I’m glad you came to talk   59   to me. I’m happy to offer you a position in the Class of 2009.”

The whole experience taught me a lesson: if you truly want something, never, ever   60  .

1.A. attend                   B. study                       C. admit                      D. visit

2.A. everyone          B. anyone                  C. someone        D. no one

3.A. trust             B. pity                    C. anxiety          D. curiosity

4.A. admission          B. imagination             C. restriction        D. rejection  

5.A. ever              B. again                 C. also              D. still

6.A. recognized          B. received                 C. accepted          D. permitted

7.A. writing            B. trying                   C. replying           D. waiting

8.A. lame             B. reasonable               C. painful         D. practical 

9.A. enjoyed            B. comforted            C. stayed             D. buried 

10.A. saying         B. ringing               C. showing          D. reminding

11.A. point            B. conclusion              C. agreement         D. arrangement

12.A. chance                B. motivation         C. degree         D. change  

13.A. refer            B. turn                    C. mean            D. stick

14. A. contribution      B. condition                       C. advantage        D. result 

15.A. suspect                   B. disappoint               C. refuse              D. regret

16.A. as             B. when                 C. until           D. before    

17.A. unbelievable       B. unforgettable           C. unbearable     D. favorable

18.A. take                    B. get                          C. make                D. receive

19.A. patiently                 B. openly                     C. carefully           D. calmly

20.A. get through          B. give up                 C. keep on            D. try out