(08·北京)

When I entered Berkeley, I hoped to earn a scholarship. Having been a Straight-A student, I believed I could   36   tough subjects and really learn something. One such course was World Literature given by Professor Jayne. I was extremely interested in the ideas he  37  in class.

When I took the first exam, I was   38   to find a 77, C-plus, on my test paper,   39   English was my best subject. I went to Professor Jayne, who listened to my arguments but remained_ 40   .

I decided to try harder, although I didn’t know what that   41   because school had always been easy for me. I read the books more carefully, but got another 77. Again, I   42   with Professor Jayne. Again, he listened patiently but wouldn’t change his  43  .

One more test before the final exam. One more  44  to improve my grade. So I redoubled my efforts and, for the first time,  45  the meaning of the word “thorough”. But my  46__    did no good and everything  47   as before.

The last hurdle(障碍) was the final. No matter what   48   I got, it wouldn’t cancel three C-pluses. I might as well kiss the   49   goodbye.

I stopped working hard. I felt I knew the course material as well as I ever would. The night before the final, I even  50  myself to a movie. The next day I decided for once I’d have 51__with a test.

A week later, I was surprised to find I got an A. I hurried into Professor Jayne’s office. He  52__ to be expecting me. “If I gave you the As you  53  , you wouldn’t continue to work as hard.”

I stared at him,  54  that his analysis and strategy(策略) were correct. I had worked my head   55  , as I had never done before.

I was speechless when my course grade arrived: A-plus. It was the only A-plus given. The next year I received my scholarship. I’ve always remembered Professor Jayne’s lesson: you alone must set your own standard of excellence.

36.  A. take                  B. discuss                C. cover                       D. get

37.  A. sought                B. presented               C. exchanged                   D. obtained

38.  A. shocked              B. worried                C. scared                D. anxious

39.  A. but                   B. so                    C. for                         D. or

40.  A. unchanged            B. unpleasant              C. unfriendly             D. unmoved

41.  A. reflected              B. meant                 C. improved              D. affected

42.  A. quarreled              B. reasoned               C. bargained              D. chatted

43.  A. attitude               B. mind                  C. plan                  D. view

44. A. choice                B. step                   C. chance                D. measure

45.  A. memorized                  B. considered              C. accepted              D. learned

46.  A. ambition             B. confidence             C. effort                       D. method

47.  A. stayed               B. went                  C. worked               D. changed

48.  A. grade               B. answer                C. lesson                D. comment

49.  A. scholarship          B. course                 C. degree                D. subject

50.  A. helped              B. favored                 C. treated                D. relaxed

51.  A. fun                B. luck                    C. problems                    D. tricks

52.  A. happened           B. proved                  C. pretended             D. seemed

53.  A. valued              B. imagined                C. expected               D. welcomed

54.  A. remembering        B. guessing                C. supposing              D. realizing

55.  A. out                B. over                    C. on                   D. off

 (08·北京A篇)

Twenty years ago, I drove a taxi for a living. One night I went to pick up a passenger at 2:30 AM. When I arrived to collect, I found the building was dark except for a single light in a ground floor window.

I walked to the door and knocked. “Just a minute,” answered a weak, elderly voice.

After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her eighties stood before me. By her side was a small suitcase.

I took the suitcase to the car, and then returned to help the woman. She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the car.

She kept thanking me for my kindness. “It’s nothing,” I told her. “I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated.”

“Oh, you’re such a good man,”she said. When we got into the taxi, she gave me an address, and then asked, “Could you drive through downtown?”

“It’s not the shortest way,” I answered quickly.

“Oh, I’m in no hurry,” she said. “I’m on my way to a hospice(临终医院). I don’t have any family left. The doctor says I don’t have very long.”

I quietly reached over and shut off the meter(计价器).

For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked, the neighborhood where she had lived, and the furniture shop that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.

Sometimes she’d ask me to slow down in front of a particular building and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.

At dawn, she suddenly said,“I’m tired. Let’s go now.”

We drove in silence to the address she had given me.

“How much do I owe you?” she asked.

“Nothing,” I said.

“You have to make a living,” she answered. “Oh, there are other passengers,” I answered.

Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly. Our hug ended with her remark, “You gave an old woman a little moment of joy.”

56. The old woman chose to ride through the city in order to ______.

A. show she was familiar with the city

B. see some places for the last time

C. let the driver earn more money

D. reach the destination on time

57. The taxi driver did not charge the old woman because he ______.

A. wanted to do her a favor                            B. shut off the meter by mistake

C. had received her payment in advance          D. was in a hurry to take other passengers

58. What can we learn from the story?

A. Giving is always a pleasure.

B. People should respect each other.

C. An act of kindness can bring people great joy.                                                 

D. People should learn to appreciate others’ concern.

阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从小题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。

When I was young,my parents ran a snack bar in our small town.

One evening in early April,my mother told me to fill in at the snack bar   1a worker who had the flu.I told her I would mess it up,  2I had never worked at the bar before.I   3

that instead of making money,I would end up owing it.

“You can do it,”said my mother.“   4,you won’t get much business until lunch.”

“But I’ll never remember the orders,and I’m no good ___5money.Please,Mom,don’t

6me.”

“Then I’ll help you,”she said.

I shrugged my shoulders.I thought my mother’s     7was a bad one,but I      8.

When I got to the bar the next day,I found my mother was   9.Because the weather that day was rainy and cold,people wanted hot snacks and drinks.   10,I was really slow at taking the orders and making change.The line of people grew,and everybody seemed   11.I was so nervous that my hands shook,and I    12a cup into pieces.What a mess!Then my mother came to   13me,and she also showed me how to make   14.If someone gave me $5 for something that cost $3.25,I handed over   15quarters and a dollar and said,“75 cents makes four dollars,plus one dollar makes five.”Things went more   16after that.

By the end of the day,I could remember orders,   17the bill,and make change quickly with a smile.I was even a little   18when the sun came out and dried up business.My mother said she was proud of me,and when she   19that I work at the snack bar again next year,I did not even shrug.I was too busy   20the restaurant I would open one day.

1.A.to              B.for           C.after             D.over

2.A.because         B.though            C.until             D.while

3.A.promised            B.noticed           C.worried           D.hoped

4.A.Therefore       B.However       C.Besides           D.Yet

5.A.of              B.on                C.about             D.with

6.A.blame           B.fool          C.frighten          D.make

7.A.idea                B.bar           C.day               D.answer

8.A.guessed         B.obeyed            C.begged                D.admitted

9.A.angry           B.sad           C.wrong             D.ashamed

10.A.At least           B.At last           C.At most           D.At first

11.A.surprised          B.impolite      C.pleased               D.impatient

12.A.damaged            B.destroyed     C.broke             D.ruined

13.A.scold          B.help          C.beat              D.save

14.A.money          B.lunch         C.coffee                D.change

15.A.two                B.three         C.four              D.five

16.A.smoothly           B.fairly            C.simply                D.conveniently

17.A.turn in            B.count out     C.take over         D.add up

18.A.discouraged        B.disturbed     C.disappointed      D.distrusted

19.A.thought            B.stated            C.announced         D.suggested

20.A.imagining      B.preparing     C.examining         D.describing

阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从16~35各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。
My friends and I had just finished lunch at a hotel when it started to pour heavily. When it became lighter. I decided to  16  the rain to get my car. which was parked at my office three streets away.
My friends  17  that I shouldn't go,  18  I was seven months pregnant (怀孕的) then. I told them that I'd be very  19 . One of them wanted to come with me but I  20  that she should stay with another friend who needed  21  with her baby.
I walked out of the hotel and started making my  22  to the car. At the traffic junction (交叉路口), a car  23  and the passenger got off with an umbrella.  24  I knew what was happening, he walked right beside me and told me he'd accompany me to my  25 . I was very embarrassed and  26 , but he was very persistent (坚持的).
During our walk, he kept telling me to walk  27 , as the ground was wet. When we got to the car park. I thanked him and we  28 . I did not get his name and may not even  29  him now. Did he purposely stop for me? I'll never know.
So how did I pay it  30 ? I was at home when I  31  two Indian construction workers walking in the heavy rain. They were probably on their way to the construction site near my home, which was a long walk. I went out and  32  them an umbrella. The two men were wet through. They were  33   by my gesture, and I told them they should take the umbrella and keep it. They were very  34  and like me, probably wondered why a stranger was  35  such kindness.

(2013·高考北京卷)I have an appointment________Dr.Smith，but I need to change it.

A．to? B．off

C．with? D．from