In 1971 a young man who grew up very poor was traveling across the country, trying to make a new start for himself. Along the way he had completely run out of money and was forced to spend the night in his car. This continued until one morning, after a week of sleeping in his car, he walked nervously into a restaurant and ordered a big breakfast.
After eating his first good meal in weeks, he found himself lying to the waiter, telling him he had lost his wallet. The waiter, who was also the owner, walked behind the chair where the young man had been sitting. He bent down, and came up with a $20 bill that looked as if it had fallen on the floor and said, “Son, you must have dropped this,” the owner said. The young man couldn’t believe his luck! He quickly paid for the breakfast, left a tip, bought gas with the change, and headed West.
On the way out of town, he began to understand what that fellow did. Maybe nobody dropped the money at all. “Maybe that fellow just knew I was in trouble and he helped me in a way that didn’t embarrass(使困窘) me. So I just made a promise to help other people if I can.”
Later, he worked very hard and became a rich man. Now he lives near Kansas City. Each year he gives away thousands of dollars. He is known as the “Secret Santa” because at Christmas time each year, he personally hands money out to those on the street and at restaurants. Last year, he gave more than $50,000 away in Kansas City.
【小題1】The underlined word “this” in the second paragraph refers to         .

A．a(chǎn) wallet

B．his luck

C．the $20 bill

D．his tip

【小題2】On the way out of town, the young man got to know that         .

A．it was very honest of the owner to return his money

B．a(chǎn)nother man who had breakfast in the restaurant lost the money

C．he could probably find himself a job in the restaurant

D．the owner helped him in a way that didn’t hurt his feelings.

【小題3】The best title for this text may be         .

A．Secret Santa of Kansas City	B．The key to Success
C．A Kind Waiter in the Restaurant	D．Never Give Up

Sometimes, something that is considered to be negative turns out to be an advantage on the job. Though he is only l8 years old and blind, Suleyman Gokyigit is among the top computer technicians and programmers at InteliData Technologies Corp., a large software company with several offices across the United States.
"After our company united with another one last October, two different computer networks were driving us crazy," recalls Douglas Braun, the InteliData president. "We couldn't even send e-mail to each other.” In three weeks Mr Gokyigit created the software needed to connect the two networks. "None of the company's 350 other employees could have done the job in three months," says Mr. Braun. " Suleyman can 'see' into the heart of the computer.”
Mr. Gokyigfi's gift, as Mr. Braun calls it, is an unusual ability to form an idea of the inside of a machine. "The computer permits me to reach out into the world and do almost anything I want to do," says Mr. Gokyigit
The young programmer is at home with hardware as well, thanks partly to a highly developed sense of touch. Mitzi Nowakowski, an office manager at InteliData, remembers how he easily disconnected and reconnected their computer systems during a move last year. "Through feel, Suleyman can find the position of connectors, pins and wires much faster than most other people with sight," he says.
Much of the student programmer's speed comes from his ability not to be interrupted while at the computer. When typing, he listens carefully to the synthesizer （合成器）. His long, thin fingers fly over the keyboard. "Nothing seems to shake his attention," says Mrs. Nowakowski, his boss.
Mr. Gokyigit is the only company employee who is available 24 hours a day. "We consider him our top problem solver." says Mr. Braun.
【小題1】According to Mr. Braun, Suleyman ________________.

A．can work wonders on computer

B．is the best technician in the world

C．has done a hard job in three months

D．has united InteliData Technologies Corp. with another computer company

【小題2】The underlined part "is at home with hardware" ( paragraph 4 ） means _________.

A．is good at dealing with computer hardware

B．is fond of computer hardware

C．works with computer hardware at home

D．feels comfortable when working with computer hardware

【小題3】Suleyman was quick while at the computer mostly because of ______.

A．his blindness	B．his attention on the synthesizer
C．his long, thin fingers	D．his ability not to be interrupted

【小題4】What does the text mainly tell us?

A．Computer technicians are more likely to be gifted.

B．One's disadvantages may prove to be advantages.

C．The disabled can also play an important role in society.

D．Top computer scientists have unusual abilities to form ideas of computers.

O. Henry was a pen name used by an American writer of short stories. His real name was William Sydney Porter. He was born in North Carolina in 1862. As a young boy he lived an exciting life. He did not go to school for very long, but he managed to teach himself everything he needed to know. When he was about 20 years old, O. Henry went to Texas, where he tried different jobs. He first worked on a newspaper, and then had a job in a bank, when some money went missing from the bank O. Henry was believed to have stolen it. Because of that, he was sent to prison. During the three years in prison, he learned to write short stories. After he got out of prison, he went to New York and continued writing. He wrote mostly about New York and the life of the poor there. People liked his stories, because simple as the tales were, they would finish with a sudden change at the end, to the reader’s surprise.
【小題1】People enjoyed reading O. Henry’s stories because___________.

A．they had surprise endings	B．they were easy to understand
C．they showed his love for the poor	D．they were about New York City

【小題2】O. Henry went to prison because ____________.       .

A．people thought he had stolen money from the newspaper

B．he broke the law by not using his own name

C．he wanted to write stories about prisoners

D．people thought he had taken money that was not his

【小題3】Where did O. Henry get most material for his short stories?

A．His life inside the prison.	B．The newspaper articles he wrote.
C．The city and people of New York.	D．His exciting early life as a boy.

In 1971 a young man who grew up very poor was traveling across the country, trying to make a new start for himself. Along the way he had completely run out of money and was forced to spend the night in his car. This continued until one morning, after a week of sleeping in his car, he walked nervously into a restaurant and ordered a big breakfast.
After eating his first good meal in weeks, he found himself lying to the waiter, telling him he had lost his wallet. The waiter, who was also the owner, walked behind the chair where the young man had been sitting. He bent down, and came up with a $20 bill that looked as if it had fallen on the floor and said, “Son, you must have dropped this,” the owner said. The young man couldn’t believe his luck! He quickly paid for the breakfast, left a tip, bought gas with the change, and headed West.
On the way out of town, he began to understand what that fellow did. Maybe nobody dropped the money at all. “Maybe that fellow just knew I was in trouble and he helped me in a way that didn’t embarrass(使困窘) me. So I just made a promise to help other people if I can.”
Later, he worked very hard and became a rich man. Now he lives near Kansas City. Each year he gives away thousands of dollars. He is known as the “Secret Santa” because at Christmas time each year, he personally hands money out to those on the street and at restaurants. Last year, he gave more than $50,000 away in Kansas City.
【小題1】The underlined word “this” in the second paragraph refers to         .

A．a(chǎn) wallet

B．his luck

C．the $20 bill

D．his tip

【小題2】On the way out of town, the young man got to know that         .

A．it was very honest of the owner to return his money

B．a(chǎn)nother man who had breakfast in the restaurant lost the money

C．he could probably find himself a job in the restaurant

D．the owner helped him in a way that didn’t hurt his feelings.

【小題3】The best title for this text may be         .

A．Secret Santa of Kansas City	B．The key to Success
C．A Kind Waiter in the Restaurant	D．Never Give Up

Ammie was only 18 months old when she had an accident that scarred her for life. While her mother was away for a moment , the curious baby reached up to a hot kettle in the kitchen and poured boiling water all over her body.
An ambulance was called and rushed the baby to nearby hospital . About 20 percent of Ammie’s body had been burned and all of her burns were third degree. The doctors could tell immediately that Ammie’s best chance of survival was specialized burns unit some miles away at Glasgow Royal hospital.
There , using tissue taken from unburned areas of Ammie’s body, surgeons performed complex skin grafts（植皮手術(shù)）to close her wounds and control her injuries , an operation that took about six hours. Over the next 16 years, Ammie underwent（經(jīng)歷）12 more operations to repair her body.
When she started school at the age of 4 , other pupils made cruel comments or simply wouldn’t play with her . “I was the only burned child in the street , the class and the school,” she recalls, “Some children refused to become friends with me because of that.”
Today , age 17 , Ammie can only ever remember being a burned person with scars ; pain is a permanent part of her life, she is still awaiting two further operations. Yet she is a confident, outgoing teenager who offers inspiration and hope to other young burnt victims.
Ammie’s parents have been a great support to her. “They told me of people had a problem with my burns, the problem with my burns, the problem was theirs not mine,” says Ammie. “They taught me to cope with other people’s reactions and constantly reminded me I was valued and loved.” Ammie’s positive attitude to life means she is often contacted by burns charities（慈善機(jī)構(gòu)）, helping younger patients build their self-respect to live with permanent scars.
Now she is a member the Scottish Burned Children’s Club. “Ammie provides so much encouragement for the younger ones. She is optimistic and outgoing and a perfect role model for them , ” say Donald Todd, chairman of the club.
This month , Ammie will join some younger children on a summer camp. “I’ll show them how to shrug off  unkind stares from others , ” she says. Ammie loves wearing fashionable sleeveless tops（無(wú)袖上衣）, and she plans to show the children at the summer camp that they can too. “I don’t go to great lengths to hide my scars , ” she says . “I gave up wondering how other people would react years ago.”
【小題1】Ammie was taken to Glasgow Royal hospital because      .

A．it was the nearest hospital to her home

B．it was the only hospital curing her burns

C．surgeons there were skilled at performing skin grafts

D．it was a local hospital excellent at treating burns

【小題2】How many operations will Ammie have to receive altogether ?

A．12

B．13

C．14

D．15

【小題3】The underlined phrase “shrug off” in the last paragraph is closet in meaning to      .

A．ignore

B．a(chǎn)void

C．a(chǎn)ccept

D．tolerate

【小題4】Which of the following best describes Ammie ?

A．Shy, pessimistic and discouraged.

B．Strong-minded , optimistic and helpful.

C．Fashionable , sensitive and easygoing.

D．Careful , confident and intelligent.

【小題5】What is the main idea of the passage?

A．Ammie had an accidents and had to do many operations.

B．Ammie was a brave gire after the accident.

C．Ammie helped many younger patients.

D．Ammie has a positive life through many operations.

Whitney Houston, who died on February 11, 2012 in Beverly Hills, California, is being remembered across the globe as a trailblazer（開拓者）. Among all of Houston’s outstanding achievements, including a total of more than 400 career a wards , her most significant achievement was her record-setting string of seven Number One singles on the Billboard Hot 100 chart . It broke the previous record of six set by The Bee Gees and The Beatles. The string began on October 26 , 1985 with her Grammy-winning hit “Saving All My Love For You,” and ended on April 23, 1988 with her R＆B ballad “Where Do Broken Hearts Go.” It was the fourth single from her album“Whitney”to go to Number One, also a record for a female artist. She sold more than 170 million albums worldwide and co-produced and recorded songs for one of the best-selling soundtracks（聲帶）of all time, The Bodyguard.
Whitney Houston was born the daughter of famed gospel（福音）singer Cissy Houston in Newak , New Jersey. Dionne Warwick was her cousin and Aretha Franklin her godmother. She began as a gospel singer and pianist in her mother’s church and sometimes performed alongside her in nightclubs. At age 15 , Whitney sang backup on Chaka Khan’s “I’m Every Woman,” a tune she later performed on The Bodyguard soundtrack.
Whitney signed with Arista in 1983 and released her self-titied debut album two years later. The New York Times called her first effort, “an impressive, musically conservative showcase（展示）for an exceptional vocal talent（聲樂(lè)天才）.” She continued to achieve similar praise for subsequent albums, while her fast-growing fan base put her into the world-class entertainer. In 1998, she released her most musically-diverse album to date, “My Love Is Your Love.” The title track became her third best-selling single ever.
The past 10 years were filled with highs and lows. While Whitney’s contract at Arista Records was renewed for ＄100 million, album sales began to slide. Her 14-year marriage to singer Bobby Brown ended in 2007 , she canceled concerts and interviews , and accusation arose of drug abuse. Her final album “I Look To you,” sold more than two million copies and reached the Number One spot in 2009.
【小題1】What’s Whitney Houston’s most outstanding achievements?

A．Selling more than 170 million albums worldwide.

B．Her 400 career awards.

C．Her vocal talent.

D．Her record-setting string of seven Number One singles.

【小題2】According to the text, Houston      .

A．was born in a gospel singer family

B．released her famous album at the age of 15

C．sold the most of the albums worldwide

D．Whitney first signed with Arista in 1985

【小題3】What was Houston accused of ?

A．Her divorce with Bobby Brown.	B．Her conflict with her former husband.
C．The canceled concerts and interviews.	D．Drug abuse.

【小題4】When did Whitney release her first self-titled album?

A．In 1983.

B．In 1985.

C．In 1989.

D．In 1987.

【小題5】What is the main idea of the first paragraph?

A．Whitney’s success.	B．Whitney’s achievements.
C．Whitney’s best singles.	D．Whitney’s music talents.

Like any good mother，when Karen found out that another baby was on the way，she did what she could to help her 3-year-old son，Michael，prepare for a new baby．They find out that the new baby is going to be a girl，and day after day，night after night，Michael sings to his sister in Mommy's stomach．
Finally，Michael's little sister is born．But she is in serious condition．With alarm in the night，the ambulance rushes the infant to the neonatal(初生的)intensive care unit at St． Mary's Hospital，Knoxville，Tennessee．The days go by．The little girl gets worse．The pediatric(兒科的)specialist tells the parents，“There is very little hope．Be prepared for the worst.”
Karen and her husband contact a local cemetery about a burial plot．They have fixed up a special room in their home for the new baby，but now they plan a funeral．Michael，keeps begging his parents to let him see his sister，“I want to sing to her，”he says．
Karen makes up her mind．She will take Michael whether they like it or not．If he doesn't see his sister now，he may never see her alive．
She dresses him in an oversized suit and marches him into ICU．He looks like a walking laundry basket，but the head nurse recognizes him as a child and shouts，“Get that kid out of here now! No children are allowed．Never disturb patients here．”The mother rises up strongly and said，“He is not leaving until he sings to his sister!”
Karen leads Michael to his sister's bedside．He gazes at the tiny infant losing the battle to live．And he begins to sing．In the pure hearted voice of a 3-year-old，Michael sings：“You are my sunshine，my only sunshine，you make me happy when skies are gray．．．”Instantly the baby girl responds．The pulse rate becomes calm and steady．
The next day，the very next day，the little girl is well enough to go home! Woman's Day magazine called it“the miracle of a brother's song．”The medical staff just called it a miracle．Karen called it a miracle of God's love!
Never give up on the people you love．
【小題1】What may the underlined words“the infant”refer to?

A．The baby．

B．Karen．

C．Mary．

D．Michael．

【小題2】What do we know about the little sister after she was born?

A．She was driven to St．Mary's shop．

B．A doctor came to see her in her house．

C．She was very thin and couldn't speak．

D．She was in great danger．

【小題3】Why did Karen firmly let little Michael see his sister in ICU?

A．Because he could make his sister alive．

B．Because his sister would be sent to a far hospital．

C．Because his sister was going to die soon.

D．Because his father wanted to take him away．

【小題4】What do we know about the head nurse?

A．The head nurse was careful．	B．The bead nurse was rude．
C．The head nurse was responsible．	D．The head nurse had no sympathy．

【小題5】What is the general idea of the text?

A．A boy's singing saved his sister's life．

B．The little girl is well enough to go home．

C．Michael's little sister is born with a serious disease．

D．No children are allowed to enter the intensive care unit．

A woman whose sports car was stolen with her dog in it put up notices all over the area that made it clear getting back her pet was more important than her car．
“Whoever did this can keep my car. Please let Benjerman come home,” the notice said．
It is not known whether the thief showed any pity, but almost 30 hours after the 1 pm theft Friday, Kimberly Atkins of Dover and Benjerman, a 12-year-old black retriever (獵犬), were reunited after police located them in Barrington.
“He’s hungry, he’s dirty, but he’s very happy to be home,” Atkins said．
The car was found at about 5 pm Saturday off Route 125 in a swampy (沼澤地) area frequented by off-the-road cars and dirt bikes. However, the police couldn’t control Benjerman, and they had to call Atkins to come and get him.
Atkins said the thief cared for Benjerman a little by providing him with some dry cat food. She believed Benjerman ended up drinking some muddy water in the area. She said they have been together for nearly 11 years after she took him back from a society shelter in Dallas, Texas.
Before Benjelman was found, Atkins and several friends put up notices all over the city and in Somersworth. They also contacted animal shelters，throughout southern New Hampshire and Massachusetts.
The notice stated there was a reward, and also that the dog needed medication. Any caller could remain anonymous (匿名的).
Atkins had parked the car outside a hardware store with the keys inside and gone in to rent a carpet cleaner. “It was l0 minutes and I came out and my car was gone along with Benjerman in broad daylight,” Atkins said. The car thief threw Atkins’ wallet and other personal items out of the car before escaping from the scene.
【小題1】What would be the best title for the passage?

A．A car with a dog was stolen

B．Lucky dog was returned to his owner

C．Stealing cars: a most important social problem

D．Woman wants dog back more than stolen car

【小題2】Which of the following shows the correct order of what happened?
a. Notices were put up saying there was a reward．
b. Atkins saw Benjerman again．
c. Police found Atkins’ car．
d. Atkins took Benjerman back from a society shelter．
e. Atkins hired a carpet cleaner in a hardware store．

A．d, e, a, b, c

B．d, e, a, c, b

C．e, a, d, b, c

D．e, a, c, d, b

【小題3】We can infer from the passage _________.

A．the dog was treated extremely badly by the thief

B．car stolen accidents happen frequently nowadays

C．the dog was found because of the reward

D．the thief stole the car easily

【小題4】Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．Benjerman was sent back immediately after Atkins put up the notices.

B．Atkins and her friends made a great effort to look for Benierman.

C．The thief gave the dog back but kept the sports car.

D．The dog was back at 1 pm on a Friday.

I’ve loved my mother’s desk since I was just tall enough to see above the top
of it as mother sat doing letters. Standing by her chair, looking at the ink bottle, pens and white paper, I decided that the act of writing must be the most wonderful thing in the world.
Years later, during her final illness, mother kept different things for my sister and brother. “But the desk,” she said again, “is for Elizabeth.”
I never saw her angry, never saw her cry. I knew she loved me; she showed it in action. But as a young girl, I wanted heart-to-heart talks between mother and daughter.
They never happened. And a gulf opened between us. I was “too emotional(易動(dòng)感情的)”. But she lived “on the surface”.
As years passed and I had my own family. I loved my mother and thanked her for our happy family. I wrote to her in careful words and asked her to let me know in any way she chose that she did forgive me.
I posted the letter and waited for her answer, none came.
My hope turned to disappointment, then little interest and, finally, peace it seemed that nothing happened. I couldn’t be sure that the letter had even got to Mother. I only knew that I had written it, and I could stop trying to make her into someone she was not.
Now the present of her desk told me, as she’d never been able to, that she was pleased that writing was my chosen work. I cleaned the desk carefully and found some papers inside — a photo of my father and a one-page letter, folded(折疊) and refolded many times.
Give me an answer, my letter asks, in any way you choose, Mother, you always chose the act that speaks louder than words.
【小題1】The writer began to love her mother’s desk _______.

A．a(chǎn)fter Mother died	B．before she became a writer
C．when she was a child	D．when mother gave it to her

【小題2】The passage shows that _______.

A．Mother was cold on the surface but kind in her heart to her daughter

B．Mother was too serious about everything her daughter had done

C．Mother cared much about her daughter in words

D．Mother wrote to her daughter in careful words.

【小題3】The world “gulf” in the passage means _______.

A．deep understanding between the old and the young.

B．different ideas between the mother and the daughter.

C．free talks between mother and daughter.

D．part of the sea going far in land.

【小題4】What did Mother do with her daughter’s letter asking for forgiveness?

A．She had never received the letter.

B．For years, she often talked about the letter.

C．She didn’t forgive her daughter at all in all her life.

D．She read the letter again and again till she died.

【小題5】What’s the best title of the passage?

A．My letter to Mother	B．Mother and Children
C．My Mother’s Desk	D．Talks between Mother and me.

Many years ago, when I was fresh out of school and working in Denver, I was driving to my parents' home in Missouri for Christmas. I stopped at a gas station(加油站)about 50 miles from Oklahoma City, where I was planning to stop and visit a friend. While I was standing in line at the cash register(收款臺(tái)), I said hello to an older couple who were also paying for gas.
I took off, but had gone only a few miles when black smoke poured from the back of my car. I stopped and wondered what I should do. A car pulled up behind me. It was the couple I had spoken to at the gas station. They said they would take me to my friend's We chatted on the way into the city, and when I got out of the car, the husband gave me his business card.
I wrote him and his wife a thank-you note for helping me. Soon afterward, I received a Christmas present from them. Their note that came with it said that helping me had made their holidays meaningful.
Years later, I drove to a meeting in a nearby town in the morning. In late afternoon I returned to my car and found that I'd left the lights on all day, and the battery(電池)was dead. Then I noticed that the Friendly Ford dealership - a shop selling cars - was right next door. I walked over and found two salesmen in the showroom.
"Just how friendly is Friendly Ford?" I asked and explained my trouble. They quickly drove a pickup truck to my car and started it. They would accept no payment, so when I got home, I wrote them a note to say thanks. I received a letter back from one of the salesmen. No one had ever taken the time to write him and say thank you, and it meant a lot, he said.
"Thank you" - two powerful words. They're easy to say and mean so much.
【小題1】The author planned to stop at Oklahoma City_________.

A．to visit a friend

B．to see his parents

C．to pay at the cash register

D．to have more gas for his car

【小題2】What happened when the author found smoke coming out of his car?

A．He had it pulled back to the gas station.

B．The couple sent him a business card.

C．The couple offered to help him.

D．He called his friend for help.

【小題3】The battery of the author’s car was dead because_______.

A．something went wrong with the lights

B．the meeting lasted a whole day

C．he forgot to turn off the lights

D．he drove too long a distance

【小題4】By telling his own experiences, the author tries to show______.

A．how to write a thank-you letter

B．how to deal with car problems

C．the kind-heartedness of older people

D．the importance of expressing thanks