The old man walked with a cane (拐杖) slowly into the restaurant. His poor jacket patched (打補(bǔ)丁)
trousers and worn-out shoes made him stand out from the usual Saturday morning breakfast crowd.
Unforgettable were his pale blue eyes that sparkled like diamonds, large rosy cheeks, and thin lips held in
a steady smile.
     He walked towards a table by the window. A young waitress watched him and ran over to him, saying,
"Here, Sir. Let me give you a hand with that chair"
     Without a word, he smiled and nodded a thank you. She pulled the chair away from the table. Steadying
him with one arm, she helped him move in front of the chair, and get comfortably seated. Then she pushed
the table up close to him, and learned his cane against the table where he could reach it.
     In a soft, clear voice he said, "Thank you, Miss"
     "You are welcome, Sir." she replied, "My name is Mary. I'll be back in a moment. If you need anything,
just wave at me."
     After he had finished a hearty meal of pancakes, bacon, and hot lemon tea, Mary brought him the change,
helping him up from his chair and out from behind the table. She handed him his cane, and walked with him
to the front door. Holding the door open for him, she said, "Come back and see us,Sir."
     He nodded a thank you and said softly with a smile, "You are very kind!"
     When Mary went to clean his table, she was shocked. Under his plate she found a business card and
a  note written on the napkin, under which was a 100$ bill.
     The note on the napkin read, "Dear Mary, I respect you very much, and you respect yourself, too. It
shows by the way you treat others. You have found the secret of happiness. Your kind gestures will shine
through those who meet you."
     The man she had served was the owner of the restaurant. This was the first time that she, or any of his
employees, had seen him in person.

1. Mary ran over to the old man because _____.

A. the old man was the boss of the restaurant
B. she saw the old man had some difficulty moving and taking a seat
C. she was worried that the old man might cause trouble to the restaurant
D. the old man had asked her wait on him

2. The old man came to the restaurant to _____.

A. have breakfast
B. find out how his restaurant was working
C. see his employees
D. see how Mary served customers

3. The words the man left on the napkin indicates that _____.

A. serving others is a respectable job
B. Mary would get a rise as a result of her kindness
C. respecting others means respecting oneself
D. Mary' s kind service would bring in more money for her

4. Based on the passage, all of the following words can be used to describe Mary EXCEPT _____.

A. kind
B. considerate
C. calm
D. helpful

     One day, while a woodcutter was cutting a branch of a tree above a river, his axe fell into the river. When
he began to cry, God appeared and asked him, "Why are you crying?"
     The woodcutter told him that he had dropped his axe into water. God went into the river and reappeared
with a gold axe.
     "Is this your axe?" God asked.
     The woodcutter said "No".
     God again went down and came up with a silver axe. "Is this your axe?" God asked.
     The woodcutter said "No".
     God again went down and came up with an iron axe. "Is this your axe?" God asked.
     The woodcutter said "Yes".
     God was pleased with the man's honesty and gave him all the three axes. The woodcutter went home
happily. One day while he was walking with his wife along the river, his wife fell into the river. When began
crying, God appeared and asked him, "Why are you crying?"
     "My wife has fallen into water." God again went down and came up with Avril Lavigne. "Is this your wife?" 
     "Yes"the woodcutter said.
     God was furious, "YOU CHEAT! Now I am going to curse you". 
     The woodcutter quickly said, "Forgive me, My Lord. It is a misunderstanding. If I say NO to Avril Lavigne,
you'll came up with Taylor Swift. If I also say NO to her, you will finally came up with my wife and I will say
YES. Then you will give all the three to me, I am a poor man. I will not be able to look after all the three. So
that is why I said 'YES'".

1. Which of the following best describe the author's tone in telling the story?

A. pessimistic
B. Objective
C. Subjective
D. Humoristic

2. The impression that the woodcutter makes on you is that he is _____.

A. foolish but honest
B. foolish and honest
C. smart and honest
D. smart but dishonest

3. What can you infer about Avril Lavigne and Taylor Swift?

A. They are the secret lovers of the woodcutter.
B. They are both popular women,much worthy than his wife.
C. They are both rich women with a lot of gold and silver.
D. They look much like the woodcutter's wife.

     A man was tired of living in his old house in the country and wanted to sell it and buy a better one. He tried
to sell it for a long time, but was not successful, so at last he decided to solve the problem by using a real estate
agent. (房地產(chǎn)) The agent decided at once to advertise the house, and a few days later, the owner saw a very
attractive photograph of it, with a wonderful description of its gardens, in an expensive magazine. After the
house owner had read the advertisement through, he hurriedly telephoned the real estate agent and said to him,
"I'm sorry, Mr. Jones, but I've decided not to sell my house after all. After reading your advertisement in that
magazine, I can see that it's just the kind of house I've wanted to live in all my life."

1. What problem did the man have?

A. He couldn't find his house.
B. He was unsuccessful at selling his house.
C. He was unsuccessful at buying a house.
D. He was unsuccessful at finding a real estate agent.

2. It's easier to sell house through agents because _____.

A. they have a magazine
B. they are better at writing articles
C. they are good at better advertising
D. they are better looking

3. Which of the following best states the main idea?

A. You don't know what you have until you have lost it.
B. It's hard to sell a house.
C. No one likes to live in the country.
D. There is no place like home.

4. In the passage the word "attractive" most nearly means _____.

A. perfect
B. complete
C. modern
D. pleasant to look at

     I came to study in the United States a year ago. Yet, I did not know the real American society until I was
injured in a car accident because after the car accident I had to see a doctor-and go to court (法庭).
     After the accident, my roommate called a doctor for me. I was very grateful and determined to repay him
one day. But the next day, he asked me to pay him $200 for what he had done. I was astonished. He had good
reason to charge me, he said. And if I wanted to collect money from the person who was responsible for my
injury, I'd have to have a good lawyer. And only a good doctor can help me get a good lawyer. Now that he
had help me find a good doctor, it was only fair that I should pay him.
     But every time I want to see doctor, I had to wait about 50 minutes. He would see two or three patients at
the same time, and often stop treating one so as to see another. Yet he charged me $115 each time. The final
examination report consisted of ten lines and it cost me $215.
     My lawyer was all smiles the first time we met. But after that he avoided seeing me at all. He knew very
well the other party was responsible for the accident, yet he hardly did anything. He simply waited to collect
his money. He was so irresponsible that I decided to dismiss him. And he made me pay him $770.
     Now I had to act as my own lawyer. Due to my inexperience, I told the insurance (保險(xiǎn)) company the date
I was leaving American. Knowing that, they played for time and I left without getting a cent.
     My experience taught me two things about America: firstly, in a country like America money is everything.
It is more important than friendship, honor or professional morality (道德). Secondly, foreigners are still being
treated unfairly. So when we talk about America, we should see both its good and bad sides.

1. The author's roommate offered to help him because _____.

A. he felt sorry for the author
B. he thought it was a chance to make some money
C. he knew the doctor was a very good one
D. he wanted the author to have a good lawyer

2. A good doctor is essential for the author to _____.

A. to be properly treated
B. talk with the person responsible for the accident
C. recover before he leave America
D. eventually get the responsible party to pay for his injury

3. Both the doctor and the lawyer in the passage are very _____.

A. friendly
B. greedy
C. professional
D. busy

4. What conclusion can you draw from the story?

A. Going to court is something very common in America.
B. One must very careful while driving a car.
C. There are more bad sides in America than good sides.
D. Money is more important than other things in America.

     The accident at Lake Sherwood was in our backyard. An SUV (運(yùn)動(dòng)型多用途車(chē)) had gone off the road,
down a hill, and collided with a tree. When we heard the wreck, I remembered to say "call 199". My family
was the first on the scene. Nick, my son, was on the cell phone with 911. He saw a friend who was a victim
in the crash who was a 15 years old girl who was badly disfigured and had died instantly. It was a terrible
scene.
     There had been six people in the truck, all between 15 and 17 years old. My husband and I checked all the
victims, and I picked one who was conscious and stayed with him. I talked with him and had him lay on the
ground. When I asked him if he was hurt, he said he was sore all over. When help arrived, they asked me to
stay and continue working with them. I did as Debbie Romine,.my instructor, said in class, and did what they
wanted. They even said thank you before they left.
     The sheriff deputies came by Saturday night to get our statements and play the 911 tape back, so Nick
could identify all the voices in the background. They said over and over that the way he handled the call was
the best they had heard in a long time. He was calm and worked with them even when he saw his friend who
had died. The Sheriff's Department is sending some people over to help us work through our emotions.
     The first aid and CPR course I took in January really helped me. I just didn't expect to put it to good use
so soon. 
                                                                                                 Pennyd. Miller
                                                                                                Kansas State Dept of Education, Topeka

1. According to the passage, in case of an emergence, people should dial _____.

A. 110
B. 120
C. 800
D. 911

2. Who died immediately after the accident?

A. A girl.
B. The writer.
C. Debbie Romine.
D. Nick.

3. Why did the Sheriff deputies come by Saturday night?

A. To arrest the offender.
B. To offer them help.
C. To get their statements.
D. To help them.

4. According to the passage, which of the following statements is true?

A. The writer is a doctor.
B. All the people in the car were killed in the accident.
C. Debbie Romine offered much help to the victims.
D. The writer took a first aid and CPR course in January.

5. We can infer from the passage that _____.

A. The first aid and CPR course in January really helped the writer
B. The writer's family were affected emotionally by the accident
C. The victims were all conscious after the accident
D. The police arrived long after the accident

     It was Thanksgiving morning and in the crowded kitchen of my small home I was busy preparing the
traditional Thanksgiving turkey when the doorbell rang. I opened the front door and saw two small children
in rags huddling together inside the storm door on the top step.
     "Any old papers, lady?" asked one of them.
     I was busy. I wanted to say "no" until I looked down at their feet. They were wearing thin little sandals,
wet with heavy snow. 
     "Come in and I'll make you a cup of hot cocoa."
     They walked over and sat down at the table. Their wet sandals left marks upon the floor. I served them
cocoa and bread with jam to fight against the cold outside. Then I went back to the kitchen and started again
on my household budget.
     The silence in the front room struck me. I looked in. The girl held the empty cup in her hands, looking at
it. The boy asked in a flat voice, "Lady, are you rich?"
     I looked at my shabby slipcovers. The girl put her cup back in its saucer carefully and said, "Your cups
match your saucers." Her voice was hungry with a need that no amount of food could supply. They left after
that, holding their bundles of papers against the wind. They hadn't said "Thank you." They didn't need to.
They had reminded me that I had so much for which to be grateful. Plain blue china cups and saucers were
only worth five pence. But they matched.
     I tasted the potatoes and stirred the meat soup. Potatoes and brown meat soup, a roof over our heads, my
man with a good steady job-these matched, too.
     I moved the chairs back from the fire and cleaned the living room. The muddy prints of small sandals were
still wet upon my floor. Let them be for a while, I thought, just in case I should begin to forget how rich I am.

1. Two children came to the writer's front door because _____.

A. it was Thanksgiving Day
B. they were beggars
C. they wanted old papers
D. they wanted a cup of cocoa

2. Why did the writer let the children in?

A. She showed great pity on them
B. She had old papers to sell
C. She wanted to invite them to her Thanksgiving feast
D. She wanted them to see how rich she was

3. The girl thought the writer was rich perhaps because _____.

A. she saw that the lady's room was comfortable
B. she saw the cups matched the saucers
C. the writer's slipcovers were very new
D. the writer was preparing a big meal while she was too hungry.

4. From the passage, we can infer that whether you are rich depends on _____.

A. how much money you have had
B. how you feel about your life
C. how you have helped others
D. what job your husband is doing

5. The writer left the muddy prints of small sandals on the floor for a while to _____.

A. show her husband that someone had come
B. remind her that she had helped two children
C. remind her that she was very rich in the neighborhood
D. remind her how life should be

     One day I got a duck from a friend who lived two miles south of my house. I brought the duck home in
a bag. It was obvious that the duck missed his family very much upon his arrival. Left to himself, he would
at once turn his head homeward. I tried to shut him together with other ducks for several days, but with no
use at all. There seemed to be but one thought in the mind of him, and that was home.
     So I decided to let him out, but I kept about fifty yards behind him. I followed, thinking he would soon
lose his way and came back. But he seemed to have an exact map of the country in his mind. Soon he met
a dog. He paused and looked at the animal for a moment, and then turned to the right along a road which led
to a railroad station. He had now gone about half the distance, and was getting tired. A little pool of water by
the roadside caught his eye. Into it he bathed, drank, and rested for a few moments, and then started homeward
again. For a while, he realized that he had got into the wrong direction, and turned his face southward again.
Finally we came in sight of the home path, which led up to the farmhouse.
     It was now nearly night and I had no time to watch the experiment further. But as he neared the path he
seemed suddenly to see some familiar things, and rushed at the top of his speed. I followed close behind. Into
the house yard he rushed with uplifted wings as if he was eagerly telling his partners the story of his adventures.

1. What does the author think about the duck?

A. Interesting and careful.
B. Curious and enthusiastic.
C. Intelligent and determined.
D. Brave and experienced.

2. As soon as the duck arrived at a new place, he seemed _____.

A. glad
B. nervous
C. tired
D. homesick

3. The underlined part “the experiment” in the last paragraph refers to "_____".

A. if the duck had the ability to get on well with other ducks.
B. if the duck was born with a good sense of direction.
C. if the duck could discover the author.
D. if the duck could find his way home.

4. What's the purpose of the writer's writing the text?

A. To share us a duck's interesting trip.
B. To present his opinions about a duck's remarkable experience.
C. To express his curiosity about a duck's interesting trip.
D. To examine why a duck would like to rush on it's own.

     I was a freshman in college when I met the Whites. They were completely different from my own family,
yet I felt at home with them immediately. Jane White and I became friends at school, and her family welcomed
me like a long-lost cousin.
     In my family, it was always important to place blame when anything bad happened.
     "Who did this?" my mother would scream about a dirty kitchen.
     "This is all your fault, Katharine," my father would insist when the cat got out or the dishwasher broke. 
     From the time we were little, my sister, brothers and I told on each other. We set a place for blame at the
dinner table.
     But the Whites didn't worry about who had done what. They picked up the pieces and moved on with their
lives. The beauty of this was driven home to me the summer Jane died.
     In July, the White sisters and I decided to take a car trip from their home in Florida to New York. The two
older sisters, Sarah and Jane, were college students, and the youngest, Amy, had recently turned sixteen. Proud
of having a new driver's license (駕照), Amy was excited about practicing her driving on the trip. She showed
off her license to everyone she met.
     The big sisters shared the driving of Sarah's new car during the first part of the trip, but when they reached
less crowded areas, they let Amy take over. Somewhere in South Carolina, we pulled off the highway to eat.
After lunch, Amy got behind the wheel. She came to a crossroads with a stop sign. Whether she was nervous
or just didn't see the sign no one would ever know, but Amy continued into the crossroads without stopping.
The driver of a large truck, unable to stop in time, ran into our car.
     Jane was killed immediately.
     I was slightly injured. The most difficult thing that I've ever done was to call the Whites to tell them about
the accident and that Jane had died. Painful as it was for me to lose a good friend, I knew that it was far worse
for them to lose a child.
     When Mr. and Mrs. White arrived at the hospital, they found their two daughters sharing a room. Sarah had
a few cuts on the head; Amy's leg was broken. They hugged us all and cried tears of sadness and of joy at
seeing their daughters. They wiped away the girls' tears and made a few jokes at Amy as she learned to use her
crutches (拐杖).
     To both of their daughters, and especially to Amy, over and over they simply said, "We're so glad that you're
alive."
     I was astonished. No blame. No accusations.
     Later, I asked the Whites why they never talked about the fact that Amy was driving and had run a stop
sign.
     Mrs. White said, "Jane's gone, and we miss her terribly. Nothing we say or do will ever bring her back.
But Amy has her whole life ahead of her. How can she lead a full and happy life if she feels we blame her for
her sister's death?"
     They were right. Amy graduated from the University of California and got married several years ago. She
works as a teacher of learning-disabled students. She's also a mother of two little girls of her own, the oldest
named Jane.

1. The author of the passage is _____.

A. Mrs. White's niece
B. Jane's school friend
C. The Whites' cousin
D. Sarah's friend from college

2. How did the accident occur?

A. Amy didn't stop at a crossroads and a truck hit their car.
B. Amy didn't know what to do when she saw the stop sign.
C. Amy didn't slow down so their car ran into a truck.
D. Amy didn't get off the highway at a crossroads.

3. The Whites did not blame Amy for Jane's death because _____.

A. they didn't want Amy to feel ashamed and sorry for the rest of her life
B. Amy was badly injured herself and they didn't want to add to her pain
C. they didn't want to blame their children in front of others
D. Amy was their youngest daughter and they loved her best

4. From the passage we can learn that _____.

A. Amy has never recovered from the shock
B. Amy changed her job after the accident
C. Amy lost her memory after the accident
D. Amy has lived quite a normal life