That warm day was the only day of the week without rain．I opened the door,took a seat and began to enjoy the wonderful sunshine．Suddenly,I noticed that the house near mine had been sold．An elderly lady was in front of the door,with some beautiful flowers beside her．I walked to her．She looked to be in her early eighties and had the prettiest white hair．
“Hi！My name is Karmen,”I said smiling brightly at the old lady．She smiled back and said,“Hello,Karmen．I ’m Henrietta．”Her voice was very strong for someone at her age．Later，I learned she was alone and had no family or relatives to help her．From that day on,I often visited her and helped her with her housework and sometimes she gave me some delicious food．A year passed,and I considered Henrietta to be one of my best friends．學科網(wǎng)
One day,I walked over for my morning visit and knocked on the door,but there was no answer．I knocked again,and she still didn’t turn up．So I let myself in,using the key she had given me．I checked her living room and then her kitchen．I finally went into her bedroom,and she was lying peacefully on her bed．Beside her there were two notes．One was her will（遺囑）,which said all that she had would be given to me．The other was a thank-you note．I went to her bedside and cried sadly．
Though several years have gone by,I still miss her deeply．Whenever I look at the beautiful flowers in front of her house,I remember the wonderful friendship we had．
【小題1】The writer came out of the house to ______．

A．look at an old lady	B．enjoy some flowers
C．enjoy the sunshine	D．clean the house nearby

【小題2】Through visiting the old lady,the writer learnt that the old lady ______．

A．disliked all her relatives

B．had no one to look after her

C．didn’t want to live with her family

D．was looking for someone to look after her

【小題3】What can we learn from the passage?

A．The old lady was not kind．

B．The writer didn’t have any good friends．

C．The old lady didn’t know how to make food．

D．The writer got along very well with the old lady．

【小題4】What does the underlined part “turn up”in Paragraph 3 mean?

A．Appear

B．Leave

C．Try

D．Change

Moving can bring out the best and the worst in people, I’m finding. And I’ve discovered where a very generous spirit lives: Defiance, Ohio.
After suffering through many months of unemployment, my wife and I had to move this week from Colorado to Ohio, where she would work as a sales assistant. Not knowing a person there, we were pretty concerned about all the work, including how we’d get all the things unloaded without killing ourselves.
We decided to pay a couple of college students to help with all the heavy lifting once we got there. But one neighbor after another stopped by and joined in. “What? Have we moved to some other country? Maybe we’ve died and gone to heaven!” I thought.
Unloading actually became fun as we connected with so many wonderful new friends as we worked. The more people that helped, the easier the work became. A job we were afraid might take days for the two of us alone was done in just a few hours. Many total strangers would either walk by or drive by to ask us if we were moving in. Many were delighted that this fine old house that had sat empty for so long was coming to life again. We were invited to an outdoor meal yesterday by neighbors on the same street.
All the while, my brain was on this new sense of hope that people could be outgoing and kind to strangers. Among all the conversations were lots of offers to be of help to one another in a variety of ways. It’s wonderful to live in such a kind little town. I feel so grateful to be here, and wish the rest of the world could see how an entire society can be a model for what it’s like to look out for one another. I used to stay away from friendships with strangers, but now I live in Defiance!
【小題1】The author and his wife moved to Defiance because ________.

A．they thought moving often brought out the best

B．a(chǎn) couple of students had promised to help them

C．they liked this little town

D．his wife had found a job

【小題2】When offered help, the author at first felt________.

A．grateful

B．surprised

C．embarrassed

D．excited

【小題3】The neighbors did all of the following EXCEPT________.

A．help them unload	B．invite them to a dinner
C．offer to drive them around	D．welcome their coming

【小題4】What can we know about the author’s past life?

A．He hated to live in a little town.

B．He liked to make friends with strangers.

C．He usually offered some help to others.

D．He refused to make friends with strangers.

【小題5】The author mainly wants to tell us ________.

A．we don’t know what is good until we have lost it

B．kindness is the sunshine of social life

C．where there is a will, there is a way

D．there is no place like home

I felt excited, curious and nervous at the same time. I was excited because I would be skipping(跳級)two grades. I was curious because I didn't know how high school students were taught. However, I was most nervous at the idea that I would be doing high school homework.
I had just walked into the class when the bell rang. This wasn't a good start. But the kid in front of me looked very friendly. Luckily, since it was the first day of school, my teacher talked for about half of the period and  we just had the rest of the period to start the class. I didn't know what he was saying at first, but when I saw the problems on the paper, I knew what to do.
The next day, the kid said hi and I said hi back. We got into a conversation. It seemed that whenever I was talking to my friend, everyone stopped staring at (盯著看)me. Then the class started. It was easy. But I was still uncomfortable because I couldn't look around without meeting others’eyes, so I just kept my eyes on the whiteboard and on my textbook.
However, my friend didn't show up the next day, and the eighth graders just kept on staring at me. I didn't know why.
The next day everything changed. My friend was back to school. I was praised for my homework. Everyone stared at me less. Some started to be a little friendlier towards me. I felt at home at last here. My teachers also seemed pretty nice.
【小題1】If the author didn't skip, he should study in _________ .

A．the fourth grade	B．the sixth grade
C．the seventh grade	D．the eighth grade

【小題2】What may make the author curious?

A．What his old friends are doing.

B．How high school students study.

C．How he will do his high school homework.

D．What the eighth graders' homework is.

【小題3】Why did the author always keep his eyes on the whiteboard and the textbook?

A．To pay attention to his teachers.

B．To attract his teachers' attention.

C．To follow his teachers' teaching.

D．To avoid meeting others' eyes.

【小題4】According to the passage, we know that the author ___________ .

A．got along well with his new class very soon

B．felt sorry about having skipped two grades

C．had one friend in his class all the time

D．got used to others' stares in the classroom

Two good friends, Sam and Jason, met with a car accident on their way home one night. The next morning, Sam woke up blind. His legs were broken. The doctor, Mr Lee was standing by his bed, looking at him with a thoughtful expression. When he saw Sam awake, he asked, “How are you feeling, Sam?” Sam smiled and said, “Not bad, Doctor. Thank you for doing the operation (手術(shù)).” Mr Lee was moved by Sam. When he was leaving, Sam said, “Please don’t tell Jason about it.” “...  OK.” Mr Lee replied.
Months later when Jason’s wounds (傷) healed, Sam was still very sick. Neither could he see or walk. What he could do was just stay in his wheelchair all day long. At first, Jason stayed with him for a few days. But days later, Jason felt very discouraged and embarrassed to spend time staying with a disabled man like Sam. So he went to see Sam less and less. He made new friends. From then on, he didn’t go to visit Sam any more. Sam didn’t have any family or friends other than Jason. He felt very sad.
Things went from bad to worse. Sam died a year later. When Jason came, Mr Lee gave a letter to him. It was from Sam. In the letter Sam said, “Dear Jason, I am disabled. But I want you to be a healthy man. So I gave my eyes to you so that you can enjoy life as a healthy man. Now you have new friends. I’m glad to see that you are as healthy and happy as usual. I’m glad you live a happy life. You are always my best friend ... ... Sam”. When he finished reading the letter Mr Lee said, “I have promised that I will keep this a secret until Sam is gone. Now you know it.” Jason stood there. Tears ran down his face.
【小題1】 The reason why Sam thanked Mr Lee was that ____. 

A．Mr Lee was very kind and friendly to him

B．Mr Lee came to see him early in the morning

C．Mr Lee did the operation according to his wish

D．Mr Lee saved both his and Jason’s lives

【小題2】 Which of the following happened according to the order of time?
a. Jason made new friends.                      b. Sam gave his eyes to Jason.
c. Sam and Jason were caught in a car accident.     d. Sam became disabled and needed friends.
e. Sam died and Jason knew the truth.

A．dacbe

B．dcbea

C．cbdae

D．cdbea

【小題3】We can infer from the passage that ____.

A．Sam drove too badly and caused the car accident

B．the unsuccessful operation led to Sam’s blindness

C．Jason knew how Sam helped him before Sam died

D．it was Jason that was made blind in the car accident

【小題4】Sam was a man who ____.

A．thought friendship was very important

B．was unfriendly to his friends

C．felt hopeless after the car accident happened

D．a(chǎn)lways listened to his friends

【小題5】The underlined word “healed” in the second paragraph may mean “____”.

A．was sleepy after working for a long time

B．became healthy again (after being ill)

C．felt surprised when hearing bad news

D．ran away when something bad happened

I will be the first to say that I am not materialistic. My friends regard me as a goody-goody; my parents say I am conservative and modest when it comes to clothes. None of my skirts or shorts end above my knees.
So why, why did I feel so invited? My family and I were in Target, and there it was, waiting. A skirt, specifically designed not to cover anything. It looked like something that one of those modern schoolgirls would wear.
I checked my purse. The skirt cost $10. I had the money. I could buy it. I imagined walking into school and my friends’ jaws (下巴) dropping. Guys would ask me out, and I would be happy. I could buy it, no, — I should buy it.
I showed my mother. She was surprised but said it was my decision. My sister looked on enviously.
I went into the dressing room to try it on. So sure was I that this skirt would change me, somehow make me not what I am but what I wished to be. I slid my jeans off and put it on. I looked in the mirror. There I was — a terrible girl in a Superman T-shirt and sneakers. My glasses fogged up as I started to cry. www.zxxk.com
The skirt did not change me. Though it fit well and might make me look good in the eyes of today’s world, it was not me. I am not a girl who wears cool clothes to fit in.
I took the thing off and slid back into the ­comfort of modesty. My mom knocked on the door. “Emily, are you okay?”
I wiped away my tears. “I’m fine.” I looked in the ­mirror again and saw a slim girl with funny ­glasses. I saw myself.
【小題1】In the author’s eyes the skirt that interested her was ______.

A．not modern	B．very short
C．too expensive	D．poorly designed

【小題2】The author thought if she went to school in this skirt her schoolmates would be ______.

A．shocked

B．hurt

C．confused

D．happier

【小題3】The underlined sentence in the 3^rd paragraph indicates the author ______.

A．hesitated about buying the skirt

B．made up her mind to buy the skirt

C．was able to afford to buy the skirt

D．worried about others’ opinion on the skirt

【小題4】The author cried because ______.

A．she found that she looked ugly in the skirt

B．she was aware the skirt didn’t fit her well

C．she realized it’s a wrong decision to make a change

D．she was disappointed the skirt failed to change her

I made a pledge(發(fā)誓) to myself on the way down to the vacation beach cottage. For two weeks I would try to be a loving husband and father. 
The idea had come to me as I listened to a talk on my car radio. The speaker was quoting a Biblical (圣經(jīng)的) passage about husbands being thoughtful of their wives. Then he went on to say, “Love is an act of will. A person can choose to love.” To myself, I had to admit that I had been a selfish husband. Well, for two weeks that would change.
And it did. Right from the moment I kissed Evelyn at the door and said, “That new yellow sweater looks great on you.”
“Oh, Tom, you noticed,” she said, surprised and pleased. Maybe a little puzzled.
After the long drive, I wanted to sit and read. Evelyn suggested a walk on the beach. I started to refuse, but then I thought, “Evelyn’s been alone here with kids all week and now she wants to be alone with me.” We walked on the beach while the children flew the kites.
So it went. Two weeks of not calling the Wall Street firm where I am a director; a visit to the shell museum though I usually hate museums. Relaxed and happy, that’s how the whole vacation passed. I made a new pledge to keep on remembering to choose love.
There was one thing that went wrong with my experiment, however. Evelyn and I still laugh about it today. On the last night at our cottage, preparing for bed, Evelyn stared at me with the saddest expression. “What’s the matter?” I asked her.
“Tom, ” she said in a voice filled with sadness, “do you know something I don’t?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well…..that checkup(體檢) I had several weeks ago….. our doctor ….. did he tell you something about me? Tom, you’ve been so good to me….. am I dying ?”
It took a moment for it all to sink in. Then I burst out laughing.
“No, honey,” I said, wrapping her in my arms. “You’re not dying; I’m just start to live.”
【小題1】The writer thought he was a _______ husband in the past.

A．lovely

B．loyal

C．strict

D．selfish

【小題2】 From the story we may infer that Tom drove to the beach cottage _______.

A．with his family

B．with Evelyn

C．a(chǎn)lone

D．with his children

【小題3】 The underlined words “one thing” in the text refer to the fact that _______.

A．he praised her sweater, which puzzled her

B．she insisted on visiting a museum, which he hated

C．he knew something about her illness but didn’t tell her

D．he was so good to her that she thought she must be dying

In the fall of 1985, I was a bright-eyed girl heading off to Howard University, aiming at a legal career and dreaming of sitting on a Supreme Court bench somewhere. Twenty-one years later I am still a bright-eyed dreamer and one with quite a different tale to tell.
My grandma, an amazing woman, graduated from college at the age of 65. She was the first in our family to reach that goal. But one year after I started college, she developed cancer. I made the choice to withdraw from college to care for her. It meant that school and my personal dream would have to wait.
Then I got married with another dream: building my family with a combination of adopt and biological children. In 1999, we adopted our first son. To lay eyes on him was fantastic---and very emotional. A year later came our second adopted boy. Then followed son No. 3. In 2003, I gave birth to another boy.
You can imagine how fully occupied I became, raising four boys under the age of 18. Our home was a complete zoo---a joyous zoo. Not surprising, I never did make it back to college full-time. But I never gave up the dream either. I had only one choice: to find a way. That meant taking as few as one class each semester.
The hardest part was feeling guilty about the time I spent away from the boys. They often wanted me to stay home with them. There certainly were times I wanted to quit, But I knew I should set an example for them to follow through the rest of their lives.
In 2007, I graduated from the University of North Carolina. It took me over 21 years to get my college degree!
I am not special, just single-minded. It always struck me that when you’re looking at a big challenge from the outside it looks huge, but when you’re in the midst of it, it just seems normal. Everything you want won’t arrive in your life on one day.
It’s a process. Remember: Little steps add up to big dreams..
【小題1】 When the author went to Howard University, her dream was to be________

A．a(chǎn) writer

B．a(chǎn) teacher

C．a(chǎn) doctor

D．a(chǎn) judge

【小題2】 Why did the author quit school in her second year of college?

A．She wanted to study by herself.

B．She decided to look after her grandma.

C．She suffered from a serious illness.

D．She fell in love and got married.

【小題3】 What can we learn about the author from Paragraphs 4 and 5?
A. She ignored her guilty feeling for her sons.
B. She was busy yet happy with her family life.
C. She wanted to remain a full-time housewife.
She was too confused to make a correct choice.
【小題4】 What does the author mostly want to tell us in the last paragraph?

A．Failure is the mother of success.

B．Every coin has two sides.

C．Little by little, one goes far.

D．Well begun, half done.

【小題5】 Which of the following can best describe the author?

A．Caring and determined.

B．Honest and responsible.

C．Ambitious and sensitive.

D．Innocent and single-minded.

Children today are crazy about roller skating（溜冰）, for it's easy and fun. After supper on week days, anytime on weekends and especially any day in school holidays, so many roller skaters flow into streets, squares, parks and playgrounds. What a beautiful sight!
But a long time ago, roller skating was a different story. Before 1750, the idea of skating didn't exist. That changed because of a man named Joseph Merlin，whose work was making musical instruments. In his spare time he liked playing the violin. Merlin was a man of ideas and dreams. People called him a dreamer.
One day Merlin received an invitation to attend a fancy dress ball. Very pleased and a little excited, he accepted it. As the day of the party came near, Merlin began to think hard how to make an impressive entrance at the party. A strange idea struck him one day—he would get a lot of attention if he could skate into the room.
He tried different ways to make himself roll. Finally, he decided to put two wheels under each shoe. These were the first roller skates. Very proud of his invention, he couldn't wait for the special day to come, when he would arrive at the party on wheels while playing the violin.
On the night of the party Merlin did as he had planned, rolling into the room playing his violin. Quite astonished，all present cast their eyes over him. Then, unexpectedly, came one problem. Merlin had no way to stop his roller skates. He rolled on and on. Suddenly, he ran into a huge mirror that was hanging on the wall. Down fell the mirror, breaking to pieces. Nobody forgot Merlin's grand entrance for a long time!
【小題1】Merlin was considered a dreamer because he ________.

A．a(chǎn)lways dreamed while sleeping

B．had very rich imagination

C．often gave others surprises

D．invented the roller skates

【小題2】Merlin roller skated into the room in order to ________.

A．a(chǎn)rrive at the party on time

B．impress the party guests

C．test his new roller skates

D．make the host satisfied

【小題3】The main point the writer tries to make in the last paragraph is ________.

A．the party guests laughed at Merlin

B．the roller skates needed improving

C．Merlin got himself into great trouble

D．Merlin succeeded beyond expectation

【小題4】The text is mainly about ________.

A．a(chǎn)n unusual party	B．a(chǎn) funny musician
C．the origin of roller skating	D．the great joy Merlin brought

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 gift-giving 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．practical

B．a(chǎn)vailable

C．fashionable

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

D．The writer's ring was cleaned up by the new house owner.

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

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

They are the sort of friends who are so close they trust each other with their lives. If one falls, the other is there to catch him.
They are Wellman, whose legs were permanently injured nine years ago in a rock-climbing accident, and Corbett, an experienced rock climber. Together, they climbed up Half Dome, the famous 2,000-foot rock in the Yosemite National Park, through one of the most difficult routes(路線).
During the climb, Corbett took the lead, hit in the metal spikes（尖狀物）that guided the ropes and climbed up. Then, after Wellman pulled himself up the rope, Corbett went down to remove the spikes and climbed up again. This process was repeated time and again, inch by inch, for 13 days. Wellman’s job was not easy either. He got himself up the rope through upper body strength alone. In all, Wellman figured that he had done 5,000 pull-ups up the rope on the climb.
However, when the two men first met, they never talked about climbing. “He knew that was how I got injured.” Wellman said. Until one day Wellman decided that he wanted to climb again and they started training.
Their climb of Half Dome was not all smooth. At one point, pieces of rock gave way, and Corbett dropped down quickly. Wellman locked their rope in place, stopping the fall at 20 feet. His quick action probably saved his friend’s life.
“Your partner can save your life — you can save your partner’s life,” Wellman said as the pair received congratulations from friends. “There are real close ties.”
【小題1】Why did the two men never talk about climbing when they first met?

A．Corbett was poorly trained.

B．Wellman had lost interest in climbing.

C．Corbett didn’t want to hurt Wellman.

D．Wellman hadn’t decided whether to climb again.

【小題2】What do we know about Wellman?

A．He climbed Half Dome by himself.

B．He was disabled in a traffic accident.

C．He stopped rock-climbing for some time.

D．He was saved by Corbett during the climb.

【小題3】Which of the following was a challenge for Corbett in climbing Half Dome?

A．To climb up to remove the spikes.

B．To climb it again after falling down

C．To do 5,000 pull-ups up the rope.

D．To lock the rope in place.

【小題4】The main idea of the text is that _______ .

A．two heads are better than one

B．friendship is precious in life

C．the disabled should never give up

D．a(chǎn) man can be destroyed but cannot be defeated