My daughter Kelsey was born with cerebral palsy (腦癱). Because of her cerebral palsy, Kelsey has very
little use of the fingers on her left hand. When she was four, she wanted to learn to tie her shoes just as her
best friend had done. I didn't know what to do. If I couldn't tie a shoe single-handedly, how was I going to
teach her? However, after three and a half years of practice, Kelsey finally did it!
     When she was six, she wanted to take ballet lessons. I'm embarrassed to admit how much this frightened
me. I wasn't just afraid for her body, but for her feelings. I worried about the teasing she might get from the
rest of the dance class. But I didn't know how to tell Kelsey all of this, and she wouldn't let up, so I enrolled
her in a ballet school.
     Kelsey danced with abandon, completely unaffected by what she couldn't do. The joy of dancing was
enough. Every person who saw Kelsey dance came away with something special. She danced for four years.
When she quit, it was only to announce that she wanted to take horseback riding lessons instead.
     In fifth grade, Kelsey excitedly brought home a registration from for school basketball. Now this was
going to be a major challenge for her. She could run only slowly, she's short, and she still had the use of only
one hand. Warning bells were off inside my head again, but I had learned to ignore them. The excitement in
her eyes cancelled out all the drawbacks (缺陷), and we signed her up.
     After the first practice the coach said that he was afraid to let her play in a game. When he explained how
she might get hurt, I could see scenes lawsuits (官司) dancing in his head. But every child who plays sports
takes risks, I reasoned with him. After a few discussions and a little more encouragement, he decided to let
her play.
     For two years, Kelsey played harder than any girl in the league. And while she never made a basket during
a game, she brought other gifts that were more valuable to her teammates. In two years, I never once saw a
player treat her as anything other than treasures.

1. Kelsey stopped dancing because _____.

A. her mother didn't support her
B. she wanted to learn horse riding
C. her health condition wasn't suitable to dance
D. she couldn't bear the teasing from her classmates

2. The author says "I had learned to ignore them" (in Para. 4) because she _____.

A. was capable of dealing with. any incident
B. was able to take good care of her daughter
C. was confident in her daughter's health condition
D. was sure her daughter could overcome all the obstacles  

3. During the stay in the basketball league, Kelsey _____.

A. often sent her teammates gifts
B. was treated as a great inspiration to the league
C. was often looked down upon by her teammates
D. often made her coach worry about a possible lawsuit

4. What is the theme of the story?

A. Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.
B. Activities provide happiness for the disabled.
C. Nothing is difficult if you set your mind to it.
D. Exercises are vital for the recovery of patients.

     A man was driving at 70 miles in a 40-mile-zone, when a police car came behind him with the light on.
1.____
     As the policeman came to him, he said, "Hi, officer, I guess you caught me a little bit over the limit. I was
in a rush to get home, to be with my wife and kids, you know my younger son wasn't feeling too well when
I left home this morning.
     The policeman said, "Well, I guess so," and started writing something in his notebook. 2.____ Afew
moments later, the policeman came to his window and handed him a paper, and returned to his car without
saying a single word. The man started to wonder, how much this ticket was going to be as he began to look
at the paper. 3.____
     "I had a daughter who was killed by a speeding car at the age of six, by a speeding driver like you. He got
a fine, a few months in prison, and was free, free to hug two other daughters. 4.____ I have tried to forgive
that man a thousand times, and I thought I had. Maybe I really did forgive him, but I have to do it again, even
right now. 5.____
     The man was very surprised and could not move for the next few minutes. When finally he did, he drove
slowly, even a few miles under the speed limit, praying for forgiveness.

A. So pray for you, and be careful when you drive again, your daughter is all you have left.
B. I only had one, and now I have to wait I go to heaven before I can hug her again.
C. Right away the man started thinking of excuse to give.
D. He was surprised it was not a ticket as he began to look at.
E. So pray for me, and be careful when you drive again, my son is all I have left.
F. As minutes went by, he hadn't asked for his driver's license.
G. He was surprised it was not a ticket as he began to read.

     We always celebrated Dad's November birthday on Thanksgiving Day, even after he entered a nursing
home. As years went on, these events took on a double meaning for me-a traditional birthday party for Dad,
and a personal thanking for all he had been to me in my life.
     When we knew that it might be his last birthday, the whole family decided to prepare for a huge Grandpa
Simon birthday celebration at the nursing home. It was a crowded party with lots of noise and food.
     During a quiet moment, I announced that it was now Dad's turn to listen to some stories for a change. I
wanted everyone to tell Grandpa Simon what we loved about him. The room became still, and even Dad was
quiet as his family crowded around him. One after another, people told stories from their hearts, while Dad
listened with wet, flashing blue eyes. People recalled all kinds of lost memories-stories about when they were
little, stories about when Dad was young, stories that are shared family treasures. The stories flowed. Each
one seemed to trigger the memory of two more. Even the littlest grandchildren couldn't wait to tell Dad why
they loved him. For a man who had been kind to so many hundreds of people in his life, here was our chance
to celebrate him.
     A few months later, at Dad's memorial service, we more fully realized what we had given Dad that night.
Those were the stories people normally tell at a burial service, after a loved one is no longer around to hear the
words. They are told, then, full of tears, with the hope that the person who passed away will somehow hear
the outpouring of love. But we had given those loving memories to Dad in life, told through laughter, with hugs
and joy. He had them to hold and roll over in his mind during his last months and days.

1. Why did they organize a special birthday party for Dad?

A. Because he enjoyed crowded and noisy parties most.
B. Because he was badly ill, perhaps unable to live long.
C. Because they would like to share the loving memories.
D. Because they were eager to show how they loved him.

2. While listening to their stories, Dad was ____.

A. moved
B. angry
C. worried
D. surprised

3. The underlined word "trigger" in Paragraph 3 probably means ____.

A. destroy
B. lose
C. result from
D. bring back

4. We can learn from the text that ____.

A. words are sometimes very useful
B. we need to express thanks secretly to the ones we love
C. to celebrate others' birthdays is the way to give back love
D. each parent's birthday party should be specially designed

     "I swear, I didn't steal anything!" I shouted over the alarm. Obviously the security guard didn't believe me
because he seized the shopping bag right out of my hand.
     "Do you have a receipt for this?" he asked doubtfully, putting any new back-to-school outfit (全套設備)
onto the dusty floor near the mall entrance.
     "Of course I do," I replied, fishing my wallet out of my coat pocket. Elsie and Monica, my two best friends,
stood beside me. They were laughing their heads off!
     I almost tore my wallet apart for the receipt, but it had disappeared. "Let me look again," I said nervously.
Then I looked again, and again, and again! My face was getting butter by the minute, and my heart was beating
like a racehorse.
     Finally, I looked back at the guard and whispered, "It's not here." The guard picked up my clothes and said,
"You'll have to come with me, Miss."
     When he opened the office door, I saw a man sitting behind a big metal desk. It was the manager. Then I
had an idea.
     "May I say something?" I asked. "I can prove I didn't steal this thing." "Then I explained all about the
cashier (出納員). She said that she had bought the exact same outfit as a birthday present for her little sister."
"We'll just see about that," the manager said and went off to find her. Ten minutes later, I was free!
     It was terrible to be unfairly accused of something! Then I remembered shouting at my sister that very
morning for taking my new hair clips.
     Had she really taken them? I made a promise that day never to accuse someone of something without
proof, and I haven't. At last something good came out of my terrible experience.

1. Why didn't the security guard believe the author?

A. Because she looked nervous at that time.
B. Because she had no money in her wallet.
C. Because she didn't have a receipt for the outfit.
D. Because her face turned red after being caught.

2. That the author's two friends laughed their heads off showed _____.

A. they didn't believe the author
B. they laughed at the author who stole things.
C. they expected the author to be caught.
D. they played a trick on the author.

3. We can infer the author was very _____ from the underlined part in Paragraph 4.

A. careful
B. nervous
C. frightened
D. excited

4. Who proved that the author hadn't stolen anything?

A. The manager.
B. The cashier.
C. The author's friends
D. The security guard.

5. From her experience, the author learned that _____.

A. you should believe in yourself in face of difficulty
B. it is a terrible thing to be suspected by friends
C. you should ask for a receipt for whatever you buy
D. you should not doubt others if you can't prove it

     Robert was born in a small town in England. His father has a farm and can supply him enough money to
finish university where he is studying law. The young man studies hard and hopes to be a famous lawyer.
     Last Monday their term was over. Robert said to his father on the telephone that he was going to travel in
a small country during his summer holiday. His father agreed to his plan and posted some money to him. So
he started four days ago. Their plane landed at the only airport of the country safely. He took a taxi and got to
a hotel in the center of the capital. He felt hungry and tired. So he had a dinner and then a good sleep. This
morning he was all right and was going to visit some places of interest. He met an English visitor while he was
having breakfast and the man told him to be careful of thieves.
     Robert thanked the man and left. But he thought he was smart and strong and he decided to have a try. He
brought a piece of paper and wrote on it, "A pig has stolen my wallet!" Then he put the note into his empty
wallet. After that he put the wallet into a pocket and set off. He did all carefully and hoped to find out who
would steal it.
     "Everything went well, "Robert thought to himself after he had returned to the hotel. He brought out his
wallet and put his money into it again. He had a look at the note. To his surprise, it was rewritten. It said,
"Your uncle has touched your wallet!"

1. Robert can study in the university because            .

A. he wants to be a lawyer
B. his father is a rich farmer
C. he's smart and strong
D. he keeps his wallet well

2. Robert went to the small country to            .

A. make fun of the thieves
B. catch some thieves
C. visit the places of interest
D. have a nice meal and a good sleep

3. The English visitor thought            .

A. there were a lot of thieves in the city
B. Robert could deal with the thieves
C. it was dangerous to travel in the city
D. Robert had to take good care of himself

     I suddenly heard an elephant crying as though frightened. Looking down, I immediately recognized that
something was wrong, and ran down to the edge of the near bank. There I saw Ma Shwe with her three-
month-old calf struggling in the fast-rising water and it was a life-and-death struggle. Her calf was floating
and screaming with fear. Ma Shwe was as near to the far bank as she could get, holding her whole body
against the rushing water and keeping the calf pressed against her huge body. Every now and then the rushing
water would sweep the calf a way.
     There was a sudden rise in the water and the calf was washed clean over the mother's body and was
gone. Ma Shwe turned quickly to reach it and pressed the calf with her head and trunk (象鼻) against the
rocky bank. Then with a huge effort she picked it up in her trunk and tried until she was able to place it on
a narrow shelf of rock
     Just at this moment she fell back into the river. If she were carried down, it would be certain death. I
knew as well as she did, that there was one spot (地點) where she could get up the bank, but it was on the
other side from where she had put her calf
     While I was wondering what I could do next, I heard the sound of a mother's love. Ma Shwe had crossed
the river and got up the bank and was making her way back as fast as she could roaring (吼叫) all the time
but to her calf it was music.

1. The moment the author got down to the river bank he saw ____.

A. the calf was about to fall into the river
B. Ma Shwe was placing the calf on the rock
C. the calf was washed away by the rising water
D. Ma Shwe was holding the calf against the rushing water

2. How did Ma Shwe manage to save her calf from the fast-flowing water?

A. By putting it on a safe spot
B. By pressing it against her body
C. By taking it away with her
D. By carrying it on her back

3. How did the calf feel about the mother elephant's roaring?

A. It was a great comfort
B. It was a sign of danger
C. It was a call for help
D. It was a musical note

4. What can be the best title for the text?

A. A Mother's Love
B. A Brave Act
C. A Deadly River
D. A Matter of Life and Death