Among the more colorful characters of Leadville’s golden age were H. A. W. Tabor and his wife, Elizabeth McCourt, better known as “Baby Doe”. Their history is fast becoming one of the legends of the Old West.
Horace Austin Warner Tabor was a school teacher in Vermont. Then he moved west to the small Colorado mining camp known as California Gulch, which he later renamed Leadville when he became its leading citizen. “Great deposits of lead are sure to be found here.” he said.
As it turned out, it was silver, not lead, that was to make Leadville’s fortune and wealth. Tabor knew little about mining himself, so he opened a general store, which sold everything from boots to salt, flour, and tobacco. It was his custom to “grubstake” prospective miners, in other words, to supply them with food and supplies, or “grub”, while they looked for ore（礦石）, in return for which he would get a share in the mine if one was discovered. He did this for a number of years, but no one that he aided ever found anything of value.
Finally one day in the year 1878, so the story goes, two miners came in and asked for “grub”. Tabor had decided to quit supplying it because he had lost too much money that way. These were persistent, however, and Tabor was too busy to argue with them. “Oh help yourself. One more time won’t make any difference,” He said and went on selling shoes and hats to other customers. The two miners took $17 worth of supplies, in return for which they gave Tabor a one-third interest in their findings. They picked a barren place on the mountain side and began to dig. After nine days they struck a rich vein of silver. Tabor bought the shares of the other two men, and so the mine belonged to him alone. This mine, known as the “Pittsburgh Mine,” made $1,300,000 for Tabor in return for his $17 investment.
Later Tabor bought the Matchless Mine on another barren hillside just outside the town for $117,000. This turned out to be even more fabulous than the Pittsburgh, yielding $35,000 worth of silver per day at one time. Leadville grew. Tabor became its first mayor, and later became lieutenant governor of the state.
【小題1】Leadville got its name for the following reasons EXCEPT that

A．Tabor became its leading citizen.

B．great deposits of lead is expected to be found there.

C．it could bring good fortune to Tabor

D．it was renamed

【小題2】The underlined word “grubstake” in Paragraph 3 means

A．to supply miners with food and supplies

B．to open a general stores

C．to do one's contribution to the development of the mine

D．to supply miners with food and supplies and in return get a share in the mine, if one was discovered

【小題3】We can infer that Tabor’s life career is.

A．purely lucky

B．based on his managing theory of “grubstake’

C．through the help from his wife

D．because he planned well and accomplished targets step by step

【小題4】Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?

A．Tabor’s Life.	B．A legend of the Old West
C．Lead Makes Leadville’s Fortune	D．The Best Investment

Like any good mother, when Karen found out that another baby was on the way, she did what she could to help her three-year-old son, Michael, prepare for a new sibling. 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 tummy.
The pregnancy progresses normally for Karen. But complications arise during delivery. Finally, Michael's little sister is born. But she is in serious condition. With siren howling in the night, the ambulance rushes the infant to the intensive care unit at St. Mary's Hospital.
The little girl gets worse. The doctor tells the parents, "There is very little hope. Be prepared for the worst." Karen and her husband have fixed up a special room in their home for the new baby — now they plan a funeral.
Michael, keeps begging his parents to let him see his sister, "I want to sing to her," he says. But kids are never allowed in Intensive Care. However, 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 scrub suit and marches him into ICU. The head nurse recognizes him as a child and bellows, "Get that kid out of here now! " The mother, the usually mild-mannered lady glares steel-eyed into the head nurse's face, her lips a firm line. "He is not leaving until he sings to his sister!" Karen tows Michael to his sister's bedside. He gazes at the tiny infant losing the battle to live. And he begins to sing.
"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.
"You never know, dear, how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away "
The ragged, strained breathing becomes as smooth as a kitten's purr.
Keep on singing, Michael. Tears conquer the face of the bossy head nurse as well as Karen.
Funeral plans are scrapped. The next, day — the very next day — the little girl is well enough to go home!     
NEVER GIVE UP THE ONE WE LOVE!
【小題1】How did Michal’s feel when he knew that he was going to have a sister?

A．indifferent.	B．worried
C．expectant.	D．disappointed.

【小題2】The doctor recommended the family ___________.

A．get ready for the worst result.

B．wait for the hope in the near future.

C．prepare much more money for the infant.

D．prepare for another chance in other hospitals.

【小題3】Which word can best replace the underlined word in Paragraph 4?

A．pointed.

B．yelled.

C．whispered.

D．ignored.

【小題4】What happened when Michael sang to his little sister?

A．The little baby responded to his song and woke up immediately.

B．The baby heard the song and burst into tears.

C．The baby’s physical signs disappeared eventually.

D．The baby recovered from the dangerous state of coma gradually.

【小題5】What could be the best title of the article?

A．An unexpected gift.	B．A miracle of love
C．A iron-mother.	D．A medical success.

As a boy growing up in India, I had longed to travel abroad. I used to listen to the stories my father would tell me about his stay in Canada and tours to Europe in the 1970s, with great interest.
My big moment finally came in the summer of 1998 when I was able to accompany my parents to Europe, where my father was to attend a meeting. We planned to travel to Belgium, Netherlands and West Germany.
I have clear memories even today of going to Mumbai airport at night all excited about finally going abroad. I had heard several great things about Lufthansa till then but now I finally got to experience them first hand, during the flight to Frankfurt. We flew business class and even today I can remember the excellent service by the Lufthansa crew （工作人員）. The flight was really smooth and thoroughly enjoyable, even for someone like me, who is especially afraid of flying.
After spending almost two weeks in Europe, we took the Lufthansa airport express from Dusseldorf to Frankfurt airport, for our return flight. What a journey that was! All along the Rhine (萊茵河), it was simply an unforgettable experience. I had a sombre feeling on the flight back to Mumbai as it marked the end of a wonderful vacation, but the Lufthansa crew members were able to change it into a most enjoyable experience yet again, with the quality of their service.
Being the first airline to take me abroad, Lufthansa will always hold a special place in my heart. Even today，I continue to enjoy flights on Lufthansa and simply cannot dream of choosing any other airline. Flying, in general，for me，has always been a terrible and painful experience．Flying on Lufthansa，however, is something I always have and always will look forward to. 
【小題1】Which country does the author live in now? ________.

A．India.

B．Canada.

C．Belgium.

D．Germany.

【小題2】What made the author so interested in traveling abroad? ________.

A．Growing up in India.

B．Once staying in Canada.

C．Once traveling to Canada with his father.

D．His father's stories about his traveling experiences.

【小題3】Which of the following is true about the author's trip to Europe in 1998? _________.

A．The author traveled with one of his parents.

B．Both their going and return were by air.

C．They traveled in spring that year.

D．They stayed in Europe for nearly two months.

【小題4】It can be inferred from the passage that Lufthansa is ________.

A．a(chǎn) city in India	B．a(chǎn) city in Europe
C．a(chǎn)n airline company	D．a(chǎn) travel agency

【小題5】he underlined word “somber” in the 4th paragraph probably means “________”.

A．happy

B．sad

C．a(chǎn)ngry

D．enjoyable

Renata Di Pietro was studying to be an opera singer. But at 23, while on a music scholarship at the University of Iowa in 1976, her sight began to fail. Soon, it became increasingly difficult to read scores and pick up hand signals from conductors, and the gifted singer was forced to drop out.
After moving to Cleveland, Georgia in 2005, Di Pietro relied on guide dogs to get around. Over the years, she became depressed when she’d lose one of the dogs, who had become her best friend, to old age or death. “It’s very painful, because you love each one,” she says.
In 2009, Di Pietro was intrigued by information from a friend that miniature horses typically live for at least 30 years and make calm and strong guides. She started with a male horse, but he was too hard to control. Angel came next, a mini white female horse Di Pietro has mostly trained herself. “Horses have the ability to avoid the things in the way,” she says. “If I am about to run into something, she slides her body in front of me.”
Di Pietro, now 59, has taught her guide horse to make some sounds with her hoof (馬蹄)when she comes to stairs. “Angel can find a chair and locate the nearest door for me,” Di Pietro says. Currently, she’s training Angel to pull her wheelchair and to fetch.
Despite her disability, Di Pietro still sings, performing with her husband, musician Carl Hummer, at special events. Angel is always by her side. “I fight a battle every day to take courage to engage the world,” Di Pietro says. “Angel is my warhorse. We fight that battle together.”
【小題1】Why did Di Pietro have to give up her studying in the university?

A．She disliked her major in music.

B．She failed to get high scores.

C．She couldn’t understand hand signals from conductors.

D．She found it difficult to see things clearly.

【小題2】What does the underlined word “intrigued” in Paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．Puzzled.

B．Interested.

C．Satisfied.

D．Frightened.

【小題3】Angel can do a lot of things for Di Pietro now EXCEPT_________.

A．supporting her in case of her falling

B．helping her find a chair to sit on

C．keeping her company every day

D．fighting with her against others

【小題4】Which of the following can best describe the author?

A．Caring and strong-minded.	B．Honest and responsible.
C．Kind and helpful.	D．Ambitious and sensitive.

The writer Margaret Mitchell is best known for writing Gone with the Wind, first published in 1936. Her book and the movie based on it, tell a story of love and survival during the American Civil War. Visitors to the Margaret Mitchell House in Atlanta, Georgia, can go where she lived when she started composing the story and learn more about her life.
Our first stop at the Margaret Mitchell House is an exhibit area telling about the writer’s life. She was born in Atlanta in 1900. She started writing stories when she was a child. She started working as a reporter for the Atlanta Journal newspaper in 1922. One photograph of Ms. Mitchell, called Peggy, shows her talking to a group of young college boys. She was only about one and a half meters tall. The young men tower over her, but she seems very happy and sure of herself. The tour guide explains: “Now in this picture Peggy is interviewing some boys from Georgia Tech, asking them such questions as ‘Would you really marry a woman who works?’ And today it’d be ‘Would you marry one who doesn’t?’ ”
The Margaret Mitchell House is a building that once contained several apartments. Now we enter the first floor apartment where Ms. Mitchell lived with her husband, John Marsh. They made fun of the small apartment by calling it “The Dump ” .
Around 1926, Margaret Mitchell had stopped working as a reporter and was at home healing after an injury. Her husband brought her books to read from the library. She read so many books that he bought her a typewriter and said it was time for her to write her own book. Our guide says Gone with the Wind became a huge success. Margaret Mitchell received the Pulitzer Prize for the book. In 1939 the film version was released. It won ten Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
【小題1】 The book Gone with the Wind was _________.

A．first published on a newspaper

B．a(chǎn)warded ten Academy Awards

C．written in “The Dump”

D．a(chǎn)dapted from a movie

【小題2】The underlined phrase “tower over” in Paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to_________.

A．be very pleased with

B．show great respect for

C．be much taller than

D．show little interest in

【小題3】Why did Ms. Mitchell stop working as a reporter according to the passage?

A．Because she was rich enough.

B．Because she was injured then.

C．Because her husband didn’t like it.

D．Because she wanted to write books.

【小題4】Which is the best title for the passage?

A．Gone with the Wind: A Huge Success.

B．Margaret Mitchell: A Great Female Writer.

C．An Introduction of the Margaret Mitchell House.

D．A Trip to Know Margaret Mitchell.

In 1859，during the Gold Rush，a twenty- year-old immigrant（移民）from Bavaria named Levi Strauss stepped off the boat in San Francisco. He had with him a special cloth called Serge de Nimes that was later called denim in America. Levi Strauss hoped to sell the denim as material to make tents and covers for wagons to the men who were going to the goldfields to look for gold.
“You should have brought trousers to sell. In the goldfields we need strong trousers that don‘t wear out，”one young miner advised Strauss. So Levi Strauss took some of his denim to the nearest tailor and had him make the miner a pair of trousers. The miner was so pleased that he told other miners about the wonderful newcomer，Levi，and soon Levi Strauss had to open a shop，producing enough trousers for the miners. The miners wanted trousers that were comfortable to ride in and were low cut so that they could bend over easily to pick up the gold from under their feet. Besides they wanted the trousers to have big useful pockets. One miner complained that the gold in his pockets kept tearing them. So Levi put metal corners in the pockets to make them stronger. Very soon，miners and cowboys from all over came to get fitted up with Levi‘s trousers. Today more than a hundred years later， Levi’s trousers walk the world a Levi‘s blue jeans（牛仔褲）。
【小題1】The denim cloth was originally（起初）meant for____.

A．making tent covers and wagons

B．making tents for wagons

C．making trousers for the miners

D．making wagon covers and tents

【小題2】What kind of material do you think is denim？

A．A strong type of cloth that is not torn by strong wears.

B．A special type of cloth that cannot be washed away by rain.

C．A smooth type of cloth that is for underwear.

D．A wonderful type of cloth that is as good as metal.

【小題3】A miner advised Strauss to sell trousers because ____.

A．the miners didn‘t have enough trousers

B．the miner‘s trousers had not been strong enough

C．the miner‘s trousers did not wear out easily

D．the tailor on the goldfield could not make trousers

【小題4】Why did the miners need strong pockets in the trousers？

A．Their pockets kept tearing the gold.

B．Their pockets were not made of metal.

C．The gold they found was too sharp and heavy to tear their pockets.

D．The gold they collected easily tore their pockets.

Midas was a powerful king, both rich and greedy. Once he did a great favor for Bacchus, the god of wine. Bacchus offered Midas his choice of a reward. Midas answered at once. He asked that whatever he touched be turned into gold. Bacchus agreed, though he was sorry that Midas had not made a wiser choice.
Midas was eager to put his newly gained power to the test. He pulled a branch from a tree. The branch became gold in his hand. He picked up a stone; it turned to gold. He touched the grass, it, too, turned to gold.
Midas was overjoyed. Returning home, he ordered his servants to prepare a magnificent meal. But when he picked up some bread, it turned to gold. He lifted a glass of wine to his lips. But before he could taste it, it turned to gold.
Midas wished to free himself of his power. He hated the gift he had so recently hoped for. He raised his arms and begged and prayed for Bacchus to take away his deadly gift.
Bacchus showed pity. “Go,” he said. “to the River  Pactolus. There dip yourself in. Wash away your greed and its punishment. ”Midas did so. Hardly had he touched the waters, before the gold-making powers passed into them. The river sands changed into gold. And they remain golden to this day.
【小題1】What is the moral of this story?

A．There is more to life than riches.	B．Gold is more important than food.
C．You can’t trust your friends.	D．You must make a wiser choice.

【小題2】When everything he touched turned to gold, Midas felt ______

A．happy and joyful	B．sad and disappointed
C．excited and angry	D．powerful and satisfied

【小題3】What was Midas’ wish after he could have nothing to eat?

A．To have a big meal.	B．To gain power to turn things to gold.
C．To have his power taken away.	D．To wash himself in the water.

【小題4】Today when we say that a person has the “Midas Touch”, we mean that ______

A．the person is very poor

B．gold is the most important thing to that person

C．everything that the person does makes money

D．the person has the power to do everything

Sam, a dog, was left behind in Colorado while his owners, Mr. And Mrs. Green moved to Southern California. They did not give the dog up. They found him a very nice home before they moved. They would have let Sam accompany them, but they were afraid the dog’s presence would make it difficult for them to rent a house when they reached their destination.
The Green family lived in Colorado for less than a year. Before that, they had lived in the same neighborhood in California to which they returned. So Sam had been there before, but only for a short time when he was young.
Several months after the Greens left Colorado, after they were comfortably settled back in California, they heard a scratch at the door. They couldn’t imagine who might be there. It never occurred to them that it might be Sam, because they were sure he was happily set up with his new family back in Colorado. When they opened the door, the Greens saw a dirty, tired dog with very hurting feet. The animal looked a little bit like Sam, but no one could believe that Sam could have walked 840 miles on his own. The tired dog spent the night under the family car. The next day, when he was more rested, he performed some of his old tricks. The Greens knew they had their own dog back.
【小題1】The story suggests that _______ .

A．dog owners have trouble renting

B．many people treat their pets badly

C．keeping a dog is easy

D．dogs are too much trouble

【小題2】Which is the right order of the following events according to the passage?
a. Sam walked to California.
b. The Greens moved to Colorado.
c. The Greens left Sam.
d. The Greens returned to California.
e. Sam spent the night under the family car.

A．b, d, c, e, a	B．b, c, d, a, e
C．a(chǎn), c, b, e, d	D．c, e, d, a, b

【小題3】 The underlined word “destination” in the first paragraph means _________.

A．the cost of living	B．the country of one’s birth
C．the damage to oneself	D．the place to which one is going

【小題4】The Greens knew the dog was Sam ________.

A．because of his hurting feet	B．from the color and the markings
C．by the way he walked	D．a(chǎn)fter he did some tricks

The Doll and the White Rose
I was walking around in a mall, when I saw a cashier hand this little boy some money back．The cashier said, "I'm sorry, but you don't have enough money to buy this doll．”The little boy seemed very disappointed．
I walked toward him and asked him who he wished to give this doll to. "It's the doll that my sister wanted so much for Christmas．She was sure that Santa Claus would bring it to her. But Santa Claus can't bring it to her where she is now. I have to give the doll to my mommy so that she can give it to my sister when she goes there．"His eyes were so sad．"My sister has gone to be with God．Daddy says that Mommy is going to see God very soon too, so I thought that she could take the doll with her to give it to my sister."
My heart nearly stopped．The little boy looked up at me and continued, "I told Daddy to tell Mommy not to go yet. I need her to wait until I come back from the mall."
I quickly reached for my wallet and said," Suppose we check again, just in case you do have enough money for the doll．"
"OK, I hope I do have enough," he said．I put some of my money with his without him seeing and we started to count it. There was enough for the doll and even some spare money．
Surprisingly, the little boy cried, "Thank you God for giving me enough money!" Then he looked at me and added, "I asked last night before I went to sleep for God to make sure I had enough money to buy this doll, so that Mommy could give it to my sister. He heard me! I also wanted to have enough money to buy a white rose for my mommy, but I didn't dare to ask God for too much．But he gave me enough to buy the doll and a white rose ! "
Then I remembered two days before a local newspaper reported an accident in which a woman and a little girl were badly injured．The little girl died right away, and the mother was left in a critical state．Was this the family of the little boy?
Two days after I met the little boy, I read in the newspaper that the woman had passed away．I couldn't stop myself from going to the funeral. Teary-eyed, I felt that my life had been changed forever．
【小題1】The boy wanted to buy the doll because____________．

A．he had always been eager for such a doll

B．Santa Claus didn't give him any Christmas gift

C．he would give it to his mother as a birthday surprise

D．he wanted to turn his sister's Christmas wish into reality

【小題2】We can learn from the story that__________．

A．the boy's sister died after staying in hospital for two weeks

B．the boy's family were all seriously injured in a car accident

C．the author gave the boy some extra money without his notice

D．the boy's mother always wished to receive a white rose on Christmas

【小題3】The story most probably conveys the message that ．

A．a(chǎn) kind act can bring joy and hope to others

B．a(chǎn) gift is a perfect way to express love for others

C．losing a family member is a heavy blow to children

D．a(chǎn) religiou s belief can help one solve problems in his life

Back in the fifteenth century, in a tiny village near Nuremberg, lived a family with eighteen children．In spite of the hopeless condition, two of the children, Albrecht Durer and Albert, had a dream．They both wanted to pursue their talent for art．After many long discussions, the two boys finally worked out an agreement．They would toss a coin．The loser would go down into the nearby mines and, with his earnings, support his brother who attended the academy．Then, when that brother who won the toss completed his studies, in four years, he would support the other brother at the academy．
Tossing a coin, Albrecht Durer won and went off to Nuremberg．Albert went down into the dangerous mines and, for the next four years, supported his brother, whose work at the academy was almost an immediate sensation（轟動）．By the time he graduated, he had earned considerable fees for his outstanding works．
When the young artist returned to his village, the Durer family held a festive dinner to celebrate Albrecht’s triumphant（勝利的）homecoming．Albrecht drank a toast to his beloved brother for the years of sacrifice that had enabled him to complete his dream．“And now, Albert, blessed brother of mine, now it is your turn．Now you can go to Nuremberg to look for your dream, and I will take care of you．”
Tears streaming down his pale face, Albert sobbed, “No．．．no．．．It is too late for me．Look．．．look at what four years in the mines have done to my hands！The bones in every finger have been broken at least once, and lately I have been suffering from arthritis（關(guān)節(jié)炎）so badly in my right hand that I cannot even hold a glass to return your toast, much less draw delicate lines with a pen or a brush．”
To show thanks to Albert for all that he had sacrificed, Albrecht Durer painstakingly drew his brother’s injured hands with palms together and thin fingers stretched skyward．He called his powerful drawing simply “Hands”, but the entire world almost immediately opened their hearts to his great masterpiece and renamed it “The Praying Hands”．The next time you see a copy of that touching creation, let it be your reminder—no one ever makes any success alone！
【小題1】Why did the two brothers work out the agreement？

A．They were so curious as to make a joke．

B．Their family couldn’t afford the academy．

C．One of the brothers was supposed to go into mines．

D．They wanted to support the other sisters and brothers．

【小題2】The underlined word “whose” in Para．2 refers to _____ ．

A．the Durer family’s	B．the miners
C．Albert’s	D．Albrecht’s

【小題3】Which of the following statements is NOT true about Albrecht Durer？

A．He began to earn his living after graduation

B．He did perfectly well at the academy

C．He wanted his brother to go to the academy

D．He created great masterpieces

【小題4】Which of the following is the correct order of the story？
a．Albrecht went to Nuremberg
b．Albert supported his brother
c．The Durer family held a festive dinner
d．Albrecht drew his brother’s injured hands
e．The brothers tossed a coin．

A．b, a, c, d, e	B．a(chǎn), e, c, d, b
C．e, a, c, b, d	D．e, a, b, c, d

【小題5】What can we learn from the story？

A．One can achieve success simply on his own

B．Any success requires the help of others．

C．It’s other people who contribute to one’s success

D．Nobody could succeed without good guidance