Now，perhaps，more than ever before，people are wondering what life is all about，and what it is for.Seeking material success is beginning to　26　large numbers of people around the world.They feel that the long-hour work culture to make more money to buy more things is　27　up their lives，leaving them very little   28   or energy for family or hobbies.Many are turning to   29 　ways of living and downshifting is one of them.

Six percent of the workers in Britain took the decision to　30　last year.One couple who downshifted are Daniel and Liz.They　31　to work in central London.He was a newspaper reporter and she worked for an international bank.They　32　go to work by train every day from their large house in the suburbs，　33　their two children with a nanny.Nearly twice a month Daniel had to　34　New York for meetings.They both earned a large amount of  money　35　began to feel that life was passing them by.

Nowadays，they run　36　in the mountains of Wales.“I always wanted to have one here，”says Daniel，“and we took almost a year to　37　to downshift.It’s taken some time getting used to，but it’s been　38　it.We have to think　39　now about spending money on car repairs and we no longer have any　40　.However，I think it’s made us stronger as a family，and the children are a lot　41　.”

Liz，however，is not quite sure.“I used to enjoy my job，　 42　it was hard work and long hours.I’m not really a country girl，but I suppose I’m　43　getting used to looking after the animals.One thing I do　44　，though，is being able to see more of my children.My advice for other people wanting to do the　45　is not to think about it too much or you might not do it at all.”

26.A.trouble                 B.attract                       C.encourage                  D.frighten

27.A.putting                 B.looking                            C.building                    D.eating

28.A.money                  B.material                    C.spirit                         D.time

29.A.other                    B.simple                       C.free                          D.many

30.A.retire                    B.downshift                  C.rest                           D.travel

31.A.wanted                 B.liked                         C.used                          D.planned

32.A.should                  B.would                       C.might                        D.could

33.A.keeping                B.sending                     C.letting                       D.leaving

34.A.fly                       B.walk                         C.move                        D.run

35.A.and                      B.so                             C.but                           D.however

36.A.company                     B.farm                         C.house                        D.school

37.A.discuss                 B.study                        C.have                         D.make

38.A.worthy                 B.worth                        C.worthless                   D.worthwhile

39.A.once                     B.twice                        C.hardly                       D.worriedly

40.A.money                  B.holidays                    C.friends                      D.difficulties

41.A.more bored          B.more worried             C.happier                            D.cleverer

42.A.even though          B.when                        C.as if                          D.unless

43.A.directly                B.particularly                C.especially                  D.gradually

44.A.doubt                   B.admire                      C.like                           D.admit

45.A.job                       B.research                    C.experiment                D.same

Any housewife who went to the new supermarket wished to be the lucky customer who did not have to pay for her shopping. This was what the 　21　just inside the entrance 　22　.It said: “Remember,　23　,one of our customers gets 　24　goods. THIS MAY BE YOUR LUCKY DAY!” For quite a long time Mrs. Edwards　25, like many of her  26, to be the lucky customer. Unlike her friends, she never　27　hoping. The 　28　in the kitchen was full of things which she did not need. Her husband tried to advise her 　29　buying so many things but failed. She 　30　dreamed of the DAY when the manager of the supermarket would come up to her and say, “Madam, THIS IS YOUR LUCKY DAY. Everything in your 　31　doesn’t need to be paid!” One Friday afternoon Mrs. Edwards shopped  32　.But she was not the lucky customer. No sooner had she just put the things inside her 　33　than she found that she had forgotten to 　34　tea. She dashed back to the 　35　, got some tea and went towards the　36　.As she did so, she saw the 　37　came.　38　his hand he said, “I want to 　39　you. You are our LUCKY CUSTOMER this week! Everything you have in your basket　40　 !”

For most of the day construction worker Sidney Smith and his brother – in – law Joseph Chambers had been   21   along the banks of Lake Waco with little   22  . Chambers suggested they go home, but Smith 　33　　that there were still several hours of daylight 　24　　and there was one other place they might try a bit longer before 　25　.

Smith drove his pickup（小貨車）a couple of miles along the　26　road to get to the other side of the lake. This road, in the truest sense, was a path wagging in the heavy 　27　area. Even with the sun still high in the cloudless sky, the 　28　of trees formed a leafy　29　over the road and it suddenly seemed 　30　in the evening.

“A guy could get lost and nobody would ever find him,” said Chambers.

Smith smiled, “We’re 　31　there.” He said. A few seconds later, the smile was 　32　　from his face.

“What the hell is that?”

　　He braked to a stop. Less than twenty feet away was what appeared to be a  33  .

　　For several minutes the two men sat in the pickup 　34　to decide whether they had happened to 　35　someone’s bad practical joke or something far more serious. Smith with his brother-in-law got out of the pickup and 　36　walked towards that thing some distance before them.

It was a young man who was already dead. They had got to tell 　37　. Back into the pickup, Smith backed the pickup down the road 　38　he could turn around, then 　39　back. With the dead young man still on his mind, Smith felt as if he was going to be sick. God, how he　40　　they had given up fishing and gone home early.

A．playing　   B．boating　　     C．fishing　　　　      D．walking

A．failure　       B．success　  C．disappointment D．interest

A．quarreled　 B．a(chǎn)rgued　      C．reasoned　      D．shouted

A．remaining　 B．staying　　     C．keeping　　    D．leaving

A．starting off　B．running out　   C．sending away　       D．giving up

A．winding 　 B．widening　       C．leading　　　  D．blocking

A．grassed 　　B．wooded　　　 C．iced　　　　   D．snowed

A．trunks　　　B．shadow　　     C．shade　　　　 D．shape

A．hat　　　　B．umbrella　 C．sheet　　　     D．overcoat

A．foggy　　 B．late　 　  C．early　　 D．rainy

A．a(chǎn)lmost 　　B．a(chǎn)lready　　     C．only　　　      D．fairly

A．escaped　　B．lost　 　　　C．gone　　　       D．missed

A．body　　　B．trap　 　　　 C．pile　　　　   D．stream

A．talking 　　B．hoping 　　 C．wanting　　    D．trying

A．come across B．turn out　　  C．bring about　   D．make up

A．loudly　　　B．quietly　　  C．quickly　　　  D．slowly

A．everybody　 B．somebody　　C．a(chǎn)nybody　　　 D．nobody

A．until　　　 B．before　　　  C．a(chǎn)fter　　　    D．when

A．turned 　　 B．ran　　　　　C．headed　　　 D．walked

A．expected　　B．hoped 　　 　C．wished　　　  D．prayed

第二節(jié)：完形填空（共20小題；每小題1.5分，滿分30分）

     閱讀下面短文，掌握其大意，然后從16-35各題所給的A、B、C、D四個(gè)選項(xiàng)中，選出最佳選項(xiàng)。

The Price of a Dream

　　I grew up poor—living with my wonderful mother. We had little money, but plenty of love and attention. I was 　16　 and energetic. I understood that no matter how poor a person was, he could still 　17　 a dream.

My dream was 　18　. By the time I was sixteen, I started playing baseball. I could throw a ninety-mile-per-hour fastball and 　19　 anything that moved on the football field.

I was also  20　. My high school coach was John, who not only believed in me, but also taught me 　21　 to believe in myself. He 　22　 me the difference between having a dream and remaining true to that dream. One particular 　23　 with Coach John changed my life forever.

　　A friend recommended me for a summer job. This meant a chance for money in my pocket—money for a new bike, new clothes and the 　24　 of savings for a house for my mother. Then I realized I would have to 　25　 up summer baseball to handle the work schedule, and that meant I would have to tell John I wouldn’t be playing.

　　When I told John, he was 　26　 as I expected him to be. “You have your whole life to work,” He shouted. “Your 　27　 days are limited. You can’t afford to waste them.” I stood before him with my head 　28　, trying to think of the right　29　 　that would explain to him why my dream of buying my mom a house and having money in my pocket was worth facing his 　30　 in me.

　　“How much are you going to make at this job, son?” He asked. “3.5 dollars an hour,” I replied.

　　“Well,” he asked, “is $ 3.5 an hour the price of a dream?”

　　That simple question made  31    for me the difference between  32 　something at once and having a 　33　. I decided myself to play sports that summer and the ___34    year after I finished high school, I was hired by the Pittsburgh Pirates to play baseball, and was 　35　 a $ 20,000 contract. Finally, I bought my mother the house of my dream!

16. A. happy                       B. polite　                    C. shy　                                 D. honest

17. A. live                            B. have　　　           C. make　　　              D. need

18. A. athletics                      B. music　　　      C. business　　                   D. money

19. A. kick                            B. play                            C. pass　　　　                 D. hit

20. A. right                          B. popular　　            C. lucky　　　                   D. honest

21. A. how                           B. why　　　            C. when　　　              D. whether

22. A. gave                          B. taught　　　      C. brought　　　              D. asked

23. A. accident                       B. matter　　                 C. problem　　                  D. experience

24. A. aim　　　　        B. idea　　　         C. start　　　　              D. purpose

25. A. keep　　　         B. end　　　          C. give　　　　               D. pick

26. A. mad　　　　        B. mournful　         C. frightened　                D. shameful

27. A. living　　　          B. playing　　              C. working　　                 D. dreaming

28. A. moving　　          B. nodding　　            C. shaking　　                 D. hanging

29. A. answers　　        B. excuses　　            C. words　　　                D. ways

30. A. sadness　　     B. regret　                 C. hopelessness              D. disappointment

31. A. direct　　　　    B. clear　　                C. straight　　　       D. bare

32. A. wanting　　　     B. changing　　           C. dreaming　　              D. enjoying

33. A. wish　　　　　   B. goal　　　              C. score　　　　       D. desire

34. A. following　　　    B. same　　               C. previous　　                D. very

35. A. charged　　　　B. got　　　　             C. offered　　           D. presented

　　Some time ago ,I discovered that one of my chairs had a broken leg. I didn’t think there would be any difficulty in getting it mended ,as there are a whole lot of antique（古董）shops near my home. So I left home one morning carrying the chair with me. I went into the first shop expecting a friendly reception（接待）. I was quite wrong. The man wouldn't oven look at my chair.

　　The second shop, though slightly more polite, was just the same, and the third and the fourth - so I decided that my approach must be wrong.

　　I went into the fifth shop with a plan in my mind. I placed the chair on the floor and said to the shopkeeper,“ Would you like to buy a chair?” He looked it over carefully and said,“ Yes, not a bad chair. How much do you want for it, sir?” “Twenty pounds,”I said. “OK, ”he said, “I’ll give you twenty pounds. ”“It ‘s got a slightly broken leg,”I said. “Yes, I saw that, it's nothing.”

　　Everything was going according to plan and I was getting excited. “What will you do with it?”I asked. “Oh, it will be easy to sell once the repair is done. ”“I'll buy it,”I said. “What do you mean？ You’ve just sold it to me,”he said. “Yes, I know but I’ve changed my mind. I'm sorry, I'll give you twenty -seven pounds for it. ”“ Your must be crazy, ”he said. Then, suddenly the penny dropped. “I know what you want. You want me to repair your chair. ”“ You’re right, ”I said. “And what would you have done if I had walked in and said,’Would you mend this chair for me　I wouldn't have agreed to do it,” he said. “We don’t do repairs, not enough money in it and too much trouble. But I’ll mend this for you, shall we say for a fiver?”He was a very nice man and was greatly amused（感到有趣）by the whole thing.

　　We can learn from the text that in the first shop the writer ________.

　　A. was rather impolite

　　B. was warmly received

　　C. asked the shopkeeper to buy his chair

　　D. asked the shopkeeper to repair his chair

　　The expression “the penny dropped” in the last paragraph means the shopkeeper ________.

　　A. changed his mind　　　　　　　 B. accepted the offer

　　C. saw the writer’s purpose　　　　　D. decided to help the writer

　　How much did the writer pay?

　　A. ￡ 5.　　　　B. ￡ 7.　　　　 C. ￡ 20.　　　　D. ￡ 27.

　　From the text, we can learn that the writer was ________

　　A. hanest　　　　B. careful　　　　C. smart　　　　 D. funny