Hank Viscardi was born without legs. He had—not legs but stumps(殘肢) that could be fitted with a kind of special boots, People stared at him with cruel interest. Children laughed at him and called him ‘Ape Man’ (猿人) because his arms practically dragged on the ground.
Hank went to school like other boys. His grades were good and he needed only eight years to finish his schooling instead of the usual twelve. After graduating from school, he worked his way through college. He swept floors, waited on table, or worked in one of the college offices. During all this busy life, he had been moving around on his stumps. But one day the doctor told him even the stumps were not going to last much longer. He would soon have to use a wheel chair.
Hank felt himself get cold all over. However, the doctor said there was a chance that he could be fitted with artificial legs(假腿). Finally a leg maker was found and the day came when Hank stood up before the mirror. For the first time he saw himself as he has always wanted to be—a full five feet eight inches tall. By this time he was already 26 years old.
Hank had to learn to use his new legs. Again and again he marched the length of the room , and marched back again. There were times when he fell down on the floor, but he pulled himself up and went back to the endless marching. He went out on the street. He climbed stairs and learned to dance. He built a boat and learned to sail it.
When World War II came , he talked the Red Cross into giving him a job. He took the regular training. He marched and drilled along with the other soldiers. Few knew that he was legless. This was the true story of Hank Viscardi, a man without legs.
【小題1】Children laughed at Hank and called him ‘Ape Man’ because ______.

A．he didn’t talk to them

B．he kept away from them

C．his arms touched the ground when he moved

D．he couldn’t use his arms

【小題2】It can be inferred from the story that five feet eight inches tall is ______.

A．a(chǎn)n average height for a fully grown person

B．too tall for an average person

C．too short for an average person

D．none of the above

【小題3】When Hank marched and drilled along with the other soldiers, he ______.

A．did everything the other soldiers did

B．did nothing the other soldiers did

C．did some of the things the other soldiers did

D．took some special training

【小題4】The writer suggests that Hank Viscardi _______.

A．had no friends

B．never saw himself as different from others

C．was very shy

D．was too proud to accept help from others

I knew I was all right now. Nobody else would come a­hunting after me. I got my traps out of the canoe and made me a nice camp in the thick woods. I made a tent out of my blankets to put my things under so the rain couldn't get at them. I caught a catfish and towards sundown I started my camp fire and had supper.
When it was dark I sat by my camp fire, feeling pretty satisfied; but by and by it got sort of lonesome, so I went and sat on the bank and listened to the current crashing along, and counted the stars and drift logs and rafts that came down, and then went to bed; there was no better way to put in time when you are lonesome; you can't stay so, and you soon get it over.
And so for three days and nights. No difference—just the same thing. But the next day I went exploring around the island. I was boss of it; it all belonged to me, and I wanted to know all about it; but mainly I wanted to spend the time. I found plenty of strawberries and green summer grapes; and the green blackberries were just beginning to show.
Well, I went fooling along in the deep woods till I judged I wasn't far from the foot of the island. I had my gun along, but I had shot nothing; it was for protection. About this time I almost stepped on a good­sized snake, and it moved quietly and smoothly through the grass and flowers, and I was after it, trying to get a shot at it. I clipped along, and all of a sudden I bounded right on to the ashes of a camp fire that was still smoking.
My heart jumped up among my lungs. I never waited to look further, but unlocked my gun and went sneaking back on my tiptoes as fast as I could. Every now and then I stopped a second among the thick leaves and listened, but my breath came so hard that I couldn't hear anything else. I moved quietly along another piece further, then listened again; and so on. If I saw a stump(樹樁), I took it for a man; if I stepped on a stick and broke it, it made me feel that a person had cut one of my breaths in two and I only got half, and the short half, too.
【小題1】The underlined part “put in time” in the second paragraph probably means _____.

A．take the time	B．kill the time
C．employ the time	D．waste the time

【小題2】Why did the boy always carry his gun with him wherever he went?

A．To show off his gun.

B．To protect himself.

C．To hunt some animals for food.

D．To play with it for fun.

【小題3】How did the boy feel when he saw the ashes of a camp fire that was still smoking?

A．Surprised.

B．Excited.

C．Frightened.

D．Puzzled.

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

A．The boy felt a bit lonely on the island.

B．The boy brought with himself a tent.

C．The boy was surely the only person on the island at that time.

D．The boy might be bitten by some animal when the story happened.

Barack Obama was born on August 4, 1961 in Honolulu, Hawaii. His father came to America from Kenya, which is a country in Africa. His parents, Ann and Barack, met when they were students at the University of Hawaii. Since Barack had the same name as his father, young Barack went by the nickname “Barry”.
In 1979, after he finished high school, Barry went to Occidental College in Los Angeles, California. There, he started to learn about his African roots and decided to use his African name, Barack. After two years in L.A., he went to Columbia University in New York City to study politics.
After college, he moved to Chicago, Illinois, where he worked to help poor people in his city. He traveled to Africa to meet his grandmother and cousins for the first time. He went back many times over the years to visit with his family and learn about where he came from. At work, he met a lawyer named Michelle Robinson. They worked together in a big law firm. Then he left Chicago to go to Harvard Law School in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He did very well in law school.
After he was done with school, Barack moved back to Chicago and in 1992 he married Michelle. He worked as a lawyer, devoted to helping poor people for free who had been treated unfairly. He worked hard to get the people he helped to vote(投票).
He made many people believe that their votes were important, and helped them feel like they could make a difference.
【小題1】Barack Obama’s father was probably born in _________.

A．Hawaii

B．California

C．Illinois

D．Kenya

【小題2】Which of the following is the right order according to the text?
①Getting married to Michelle.
②Travelling to Africa to meet his grandmother
③Going to Harvard Law School
④Going to Columbia University
⑤Working in a big law firm.

A．④②⑤③①

B．④③②⑤①

C．③④①⑤②

D．②①⑤④③

【小題3】How did Obama get people to vote?

A．By cheating them to do so.

B．By making a difference to people.

C．By showing them the importance of their votes.

D．By helping poor people who treat others unfairly.

【小題4】According to the text, which of the following words can best describe Barack Obama?

A．Humorous

B．Polite

C．Brave

D．Kind-hearted

On August 16, 1977, Elvis Presley saved me.
The previous afternoon, I played with my six-year-old peers in Heather Peters’ backyard. I was enjoying my cake, when Heather asked me where my sleeping bag was. Only then did I know this party was a sleepover. The word “sleep-over” to a six-year-old bed-wetter is like what “cancer” means to an adult. But what if I told them I was a bed-wetter? At least with cancer, people gather at your bedside instead of running from it.
I thought of a way to escape. I would explain that I needed my mother’s permission to spend the nights. But as I called my Mom, Heather stood beside me to listen. She granted permission! Then I would be sleeping in the same living room as the other girls. I didn't bring my own nightdress, so Mrs. Peters offered me Heather's nightdress.
As the other girls drifted into their sweet dreams, I tried to stay awake. “Do I need to go again? I’ll stay up to go one more time...”. Of course, I finally fell asleep.
The next morning, I was the first to wake up. I was warm! I lay in panic for what seemed like hours before the other girls started to wake up. I did the only thing I could do—I pretended that the bed-wetting didn't happen. I got up, took off Heather's nightdress and changed into my clothes like the other girls.
Mrs. Peters walked into the room, and before she could say anything, she stepped right onto the pile of my wet nightdress. My heart stopped as I watched her face burn red. “WHO DID THIS?” She screamed, with a look so scary. Should I answer? And that was when it happened—Mr. Peters came in and grabbed his wife, “Elvis Presley died!”
The news of the King’s death overtook Mrs. Peters, and I was narrowly excused. Then, we left Peters’ together but without the other girls knowing what had happened.
【小題1】The author had to spend the night at Peters’ because ________.

A．they had fun together and played too late

B．she was offered the nightdress

C．the famous singer Elvis Presley died that night

D．she and her friends were having a sleepover party

【小題2】Mrs. Peters got angry because ________.

A．she found the nightdress wet

B．Elvis Presley died that morning

C．her husband grabbed her

D．not all the girls behaved themselves

【小題3】From the story, we know Mrs. Peters was ________.

A．a(chǎn) crazy and strict woman

B．a(chǎn) devoted fan of Elvis Presley

C．a(chǎn) woman for perfection

D．a(chǎn) woman with a strong fear of getting dirty

【小題4】What is the main idea of the passage?

A．How I escaped Mrs. Peters’ punishment.

B．How Elvis Presley saved my life.

C．An embarrassing escape in my life.

D．An unforgettable party in my memory.

My wife passed away seven and a half years ago, and I went through a huge depression (消沉), the worst time in my life. I even wanted to end my life. I continued to work as a small-town doctor at my medical clinic in Kilauea, Hawaii. My kids had gone to live on the mainland, and I was alone. On a family trip, we turned on the TV and saw the second plane crash into the World Trade Center. I said to my kids, “I’m going to Afghanistan.” International Medical Corps sent me to set up 20 clinics in some provinces where people had no health care. Eventually, the clinics were serving 27,000 patients a month. I had such a sense of accomplishment, a sense of purpose. My depression went completely away.
I go wherever disasters strike: Indonesia after the tsunami, Pakistan after the earthquake. I was just in Kenya. After their presidential election, at least a thousand people were killed and hundreds of thousands were forced out. We set up mobile clinics in an area with 19,000 refugees (難民). Measles broke out, one of the biggest killers of kids in refugee camps, and it spread like wildfire. Water and medical equipment were also problems.
When my wife passed away, I thought my life was done. But really, it was just getting started. At the end of her life, my wife fell into a coma (昏迷). I held her head in my hands and told her of all the places we would visit, the exciting adventures we would have. I think about this moment many times during my “adventures”. I did not know then how prophetic (先知的) those words would be. She is with me still.
【小題1】The first country where the author provided people with medical care is _____

A．Indonesia

B．Pakistan

C．Kenya

D．Afghanistan

【小題2】The underlined word “Measles” in Paragraph 2 probably refers to ____

A．a(chǎn) kind of fire

B．a(chǎn) kind of polluted water

C．a(chǎn) kind of medicine

D．a(chǎn) kind of disease

【小題3】The author and his wife ______.

A．experienced a lot of exciting adventures

B．loved each other very much

C．lived on the mainland

D．would travel to many places together

【小題4】From this passage we know that the author _____

A．is a famous doctor	B．got over his wife’s death
C．is always in depression	D．experienced many disasters

【小題5】Which of the following word can best describe the story in this passage?

A．Sad.

B．Exciting.

C．Inspiring.

D．Disastrous.

(2013·高考福建卷，A)When I was 12，all I wanted was a signet (圖章) ring.They were the “in” thing and it seemed every girl except me had one.On my 13th birthday，my Mum gave me a signet ring with my initials(姓名首字母) carved into it.I was in heaven.
What made it even more special was that it was about the only thing that wasn’t being “replaced”．We’d been burnt out in fires that swept through our area earlier that year and had lost everything—so most of the “new” stuff (東西) we got was really just to replace what we’d lost.But not my ring.My ring was new.
Then，only one month later，I lost it.I took it off before bed and it was missing in the morning.I was sad and searched everywhere for it.But it seemed to have disappeared.Eventually，I gave up and stopped looking for it.And two years later，we sold the house and moved away.
Years passed，and a couple of moves later，I was visiting my parents’ when Mum told me that she had something for me.It wasn’t my birthday，nor was it Easter or Christmas or any other gift­giving occasion.Mum noticed my questioning look.“You’ll recognize this one，”she said，smiling.
Then she handed me a small ring box.I took it from her and opened it to find my beautiful signet ring inside.
The family who had bought our house 13 years earlier had recently decided to do some redecorations，which included replacing the carpets.When they pulled the carpet up in my old bedroom，they found the ring.As it had my initials carved into it，they realized who owned the ring.They’d had it professionally cleaned up by a jeweler before sending it to my mother.
And it still fits me.
【小題1】The underlined word “in” in the first paragraph probably means“________”．

A．fashionable	B．a(chǎn)vailable
C．practical	D．renewable

【小題2】When she got the ring back，the writer was about ________.

A．13 years old	B．15 years old
C．26 years old	D．28 years old

【小題3】Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．The writer’s family moved several times.

B．The writer never stopped looking for her ring.

C．The writer’s ring was cleaned up by the new house owner.

D．The writer lost her ring in the morning when she took it off.

【小題4】What would be the best title for the passage?

A．My New Ring	B．Lost and Found
C．Lost and Replaced	D．An Expensive Ring

(2013·高考山東卷，D)Sparrow is a fast­food chain with 200 restaurants.Some years ago，the group to which Sparrow belonged was taken over by another company.Although Sparrow showed no sign of declining，the chain was generally in an unhealthy state.With more and more fast­food concepts reaching the market，the Sparrow menu had to struggle for attention.And to make matters worse，its new owner had no plans to give it the funds it required.
Sparrow failed to grow for another two years，until a new CEO，Carl Pearson，decided to build up its market share.He did a survey，which showed that consumers who already used Sparrow restaurants were extremely positive about the chain，while customers of other fast­food chains were unwilling to turn away from them.Sparrow had to develop a new promotional campaign.
Pearson faced a battle over the future of the Sparrow brand.The chain’s owner now favored rebranding Sparrow as Marcy’s restaurants.Pearson resisted，arguing for an advertising campaign designed to convince customers that visits to Sparrow restaurants were fun.Such an attempt to establish a positive relationship between a company and the general public was unusual for that time.Pearson strongly believed that numbers were the key to success，rather than customers’ spending power.Finally，the owner accepted his idea.
The campaign itself changed the traditional advertising style of the fast­food industry.The TV ads of Sparrow focused on entertainment and featured original songs performed by a variety of stars.Instead of showing the superiority of a specific product，the intention was to put Sparrow in the hearts of potential customers.
Pearson also made other decisions which he believed would contribute to the new Sparrow image.For example，he offered to lower the rent of any restaurants which achieved a certain increase in their turnover(營(yíng)業(yè)額)．
These efforts paid off，and Sparrow soon became one of the most successful fast­food chains in the regions where it operated.
【小題1】Which was one of the problems Sparrow faced before Pearson became CEO?

A．The number of its customers was declining.

B．Its customers found the food unhealthy.

C．It was in need of financial support.

D．Most of its restaurants were closed.

【小題2】What does the underlined word“them”in Paragraph 2 refer to?

A．Customers of Sparrow restaurants.

B．Sparrow restaurants.

C．Customers of other fast­food chains.

D．Other fast­food chains.

【小題3】For what purpose did Pearson start the advertising campaign?

A．To build a good relationship with the public.

B．To stress the unusual tradition of Sparrow.

C．To learn about customers’spending power.

D．To meet the challenge from Marcy’s restaurants.

【小題4】The TV ads of Sparrow ________.

A．changed people’s views on pop stars

B．a(chǎn)mused the public with original songs

C．focused on the superiority of its products

D．influenced the eating habits of the audience

【小題5】What was Pearson’s achievement as a CEO?

A．He managed to pay off Sparrow’s debts.

B．He made Sparrow much more competitive.

C．He helped Sparrow take over a company.

D．He improved the welfare of Sparrow employees.

(2013·高考重慶卷，D)Not all bodies of water are so evidently alive as the Atlantic Ocean，an S­shaped body of water covering 33 million square miles.The Atlantic has，in a sense，replaced the Mediterranean as the inland sea of Western civilization.Unlike real inland seas，which seem strangely still，the Atlantic is rich in oceanic liveliness.It is perhaps not surprising that its vitality has been much written about by ancient poets.
“Storm at Sea”，a short poem written around 700，is generally regarded as one of mankind’s earliest artistic representations of the Atlantic.
When the wind is from the west
All the waves that cannot rest
To the east must thunder on
Where the bright tree of the sun
Is rooted in the ocean’s breast.
As the poem suggests，the Atlantic is never dead and dull.It is an ocean that moves，impressively and endlessly.It makes all kinds of noise—it is forever thundering，boiling，crashing，and whistling.
It is easy to imagine the Atlantic trying to draw breath－perhaps not so noticeably out in mid­ocean，but where it meets land，its waters bathing up and down a sandy beach.It mimics(模仿)nearly perfectly the steady breathing of a living creature.It is filled with symbiotic existences，too：unimaginable quantities of creatures，little and large alike，mix within its depths in a kind of oceanic harmony，giving to the waters a feeling of heartbeat，a kind of sub­ocean vitality.And it has a psychology.It has personalities：sometimes peaceful and pleasant，on rare occasions rough and wild; always it is strong and striking.
【小題1】Unlike real inland seas，the Atlantic Ocean is________.

A．a(chǎn)lways energetic

B．lacking in liveliness

C．shaped like a square

D．favored by ancient poets

【小題2】What is the purpose of using the poem “Storm at Sea” in the passage?

A．To describe the movement of the waves.

B．To show the strength of the storm.

C．To represent the power of the ocean.

D．To prove the vastness of the sea.

【小題3】What does the underlined word “symbiotic” mean?

A．Living together.

B．Growing fast.

C．Moving harmoniously.

D．Breathing peacefully.

【小題4】In the last paragraph，the Atlantic is compared to________.

A．a(chǎn) beautiful and poetic place

B．a(chǎn) flesh and blood person

C．a(chǎn) wonderful world

D．a(chǎn) lovely animal

(2013·高考廣東卷，C)One day，when I was working as a psychologist in England，an adolescent boy showed up in my office.It was David.He kept walking up and down restlessly，his face pale，and his hands shaking slightly.His head teacher had referred him to me.“This boy has lost his family，”he wrote.“He is understandably very sad and refuses to talk to others，and I’m very worried about him.Can you help？”
I looked at David and showed him to a chair.How could I help him? There are problems psychology doesn’t have the answer to，and which no words can describe.Sometimes the best thing one can do is to listen openly and sympathetically.
The first two times we met，David didn’t say a word.He sat there，only looking up to look at the children’s drawings on the wall behind me.I suggested we play a game of chess.He nodded.After that he played chess with me every Wednesday afternoon—in complete silence and without looking at me.It’s not easy to cheat in chess，but I admit I made sure David won once or twice.
Usually，he arrived earlier than agreed，took the chess board and pieces from the shelf and began setting them up before I even got a chance to sit down.It seemed as if he enjoyed my company.But why did he never look at me?
“Perhaps he simply needs someone to share his pain with，”I thought.“Perhaps he senses that I respect his suffering.”Some months later，when we were playing chess，he looked up at me suddenly.
“It’s your turn，”he said.
After that day，David started talking.He got friends in school and joined a bicycle club.He wrote to me a few times，about his biking with some friends，and about his plan to get into university.Now he had really started to live his own life.
Maybe I gave David something.But I also learned that one—without any words—can reach out to another person.All it takes is a hug，a shoulder to cry on，a friendly touch，and an ear that listens.
【小題1】When he first met the author，David________.

A．felt a little excited

B．walked energetically

C．looked a little nervous

D．showed up with his teacher

【小題2】As a psychologist，the author________.

A．was ready to listen to David

B．was skeptical about psychology

C．was able to describe David’s problem

D．was sure of handling David’s problem

【小題3】David enjoyed being with the author because he________.

A．wanted to ask the author for advice

B．needed to share sorrow with the author

C．liked the children’s drawings in the office

D．beat the author many times in the chess game

【小題4】What can be inferred about David?

A．He recovered after months of treatment.

B．He liked biking before he lost his family.

C．He went into university soon after starting to talk.

D．He got friends in school before he met the author.

【小題5】What made David change?

A．His teacher’s help.

B．The author’s friendship.

C．His exchange of letters with the author.

D．The author’s silent communication with him.

(2013·高考浙江卷，D)In 1974，after filling out fifty applications，going through four interviews，and winning one offer，I took what I could get—a teaching job at what I considered a distant wild area：western New Jersey.My characteristic optimism was alive only when I reminded myself that I would be doing what I had wanted to do since I was fourteen—teaching English.
School started，but I felt more and more as if I were in a foreign country.Was this rural area really New Jersey？My students took a week off when hunting season began.I was told they were also frequently absent in late October to help their fathers make hay on the farms.I was a young woman from New York City，who thought that“Make hay while the sun shines” just meant to have a good time.
But，still，I was teaching English.I worked hard，taking time off only to eat and sleep.And then there was my sixth­grade class—seventeen boys and five girls who were only six years younger than me.I had a problem long before I knew it.I was struggling in my work as a young idealistic teacher.I wanted to make literature come alive and to promote a love of the written word.The students wanted to throw spitballs and whisper dirty words in the back of the room.
In college I had been taught that a successful educator should ignore bad behavior.So I did，confident that，as the textbook had said，the bad behavior would disappear as I gave my students positive attention.It sounds reasonable，but the text evidently ignored the fact that humans，particularly teenagers，rarely seem reasonable.By the time my boss，who was also my taskmaster，known to be the strictest，most demanding，most quick to fire inexperienced teachers，came into the classroom to observe me，the students exhibited very little good behavior to praise.
My boss sat in the back of the room.The boys in the class were making animal noises，hitting each other while the girls filed their nails or read magazines.I just pretended it all wasn’t happening，and went on lecturing and tried to ask some inspiring questions.My boss，sitting in the back of room，seemed to be growing bigger and bigger.After twenty minutes he left，silently.Visions of unemployment marched before my eyes.
I felt mildly victorious that I got through the rest of class without crying，but at my next free period I had to face him.I wondered if he would let me finish out the day.I walked to his office，took a deep breath，and opened the door.
He was sitting in his chair，and he looked at me long and hard.I said nothing.All I could think of was that I was not an English teacher；I had been lying to myself，pretending that everything was fine.
When he spoke，he said simply，without accusation，“You had nothing to say to them.”
“You had nothing to say to them.”he repeated.“No wonder they’re bored.Why not get to the meat of the literature and stop talking about symbolism.Talk with them，not at them.And more important，why do you ignore their bad behavior？”We talked.He named my problems and offered solutions.We role­played.He was the bad student，and I was the forceful，yet，warm，teacher.
As the year progressed，we spent many hours discussing literature and ideas about human beings and their motivations.He helped me identify my weaknesses and my strengths.In short，he made a teacher of me by teaching me the reality of Emerson’s words：“The secret to education lies in respecting the pupil.”
Fifteen years later I still drive that same winding road to the same school.Thanks to the help I received that difficult first year，the school is my home now.
【小題1】It can be inferred from the story that in 1974________.

A．the writer became an optimistic person

B．the writer was very happy about her new job

C．it was rather difficult to get a job in the USA

D．it was easy to get a teaching job in New Jersey

【小題2】According to the passage，which of the following is most probably the writer’s problem as a new teacher?

A．She had blind trust in what she learnt at college.

B．She didn’t ask experienced teachers for advice.

C．She took too much time off to eat and sleep.

D．She didn’t like teaching English literature.

【小題3】What is the writer’s biggest worry after her taskmaster’s observation of her class?

A．She might lose her teaching job.

B．She might lose her students’ respect.

C．She couldn’t teach the same class any more.

D．She couldn’t ignore her students’ bad behavior any more.

【小題4】Which of the following gives the writer a sense of mild victory?

A．Her talk about symbolism sounded convincing.

B．Her students behaved a little better than usual.

C．She managed to finish the class without crying.

D．She was invited for a talk by her boss after class.

【小題5】The students behaved badly in the writer’s classes because________.

A．they were eager to embarrass her

B．she didn’t really understand them

C．they didn’t regard her as a good teacher

D．she didn’t have a good command of English

【小題6】The taskmaster’s attitude towards the writer after his observation of her class can be best described as ________.

A．cruel but encouraging

B．fierce but forgiving

C．sincere and supportive

D．a(chǎn)ngry and aggressive