Kincaid looked at his watch: eight-seventeen. The truck started on the second try, and he backed out, shifted gears, and moved slowly down the alley under hazy sun. Through the streets of Bellingham he went, heading south on Washington 11, running along the coast of Puget Sound for a few miles, then following the highway as it swung east a little before meeting U.S Route 20.

Turning into the sun, he began the long, winding drive through the Cascades. He liked this country and felt unpressed stopping now and then to make notes about interesting possibilities for future expeditions or to shoot what he called “memory snapshots.” The purpose of these causal photographs was to remind him of places he might want to visit again and approach more seriously. In later afternoon he turned north at Spokane, picking up U.S Route 2, which would take him halfway across the northern United States to Duluth, Minnesota.

He wished for the thousandth time in his life that he had a dog, a golden retriever, maybe, for travels like this and to keep him company at home. But he was frequently away; overseas much of the time and it would not be fair to the animal. Still, he thought about it anyway. In a few years he would be getting too old for the hard fieldwork. “I must get a dog then.” He said to himself.

Drives like this always put him into a sentimental mood. The dog was part of it. Robert Kincaid was alone as it’s possible to be – an only child, parents both dead, distant relatives who had lost track of him and he of them, no close friends.

He thought about Marian. She had left him nine years ago after five years of marriage. He was fifty–two now, that would make her just under forty. Marian had dreams of becoming a musician, a folksinger. She knew all of the Weavers’ songs and sang them pretty well in the coffeehouse of Seattle. When he was home in the old days, he drove her to the shows and sat in the audience while she sang.

His long absences – two or three months sometimes – were hard on the marriage. He knew that. She was aware of what he did when they decided to get married, and both of them had a vague (not clear) sense that it could all be handled somehow. It couldn’t when he came from photographing a story in Iceland and, she was gone. The note read, “Robert, it didn’t work out, I left you the Harmony guitar. Stay in touch.”

He didn’t stay in touch. Neither did she. He signed the divorce papers when they arrived a year later and caught a plane for Australia the next day. She had asked for nothing except her freedom.

Which route is the right one taken by Kincaid?

A. Bellingham – Washington 11 – Puget Sound – U.S Route 20 – U.S Route 2 – Duluth

B. U.S. Route 2 – Bellingham – Washington 11 – Puget Sound – U.S Route 20 – Duluth

C. U.S. Route 2 – U.S Route 20 – Duluth – Bellingham – Washington 11

D. Bellingham – Washington 11 –U.S. Route 2 –U.S Route 20 –Duluth

Which statement is true according to the passage?

A. Kincaid’s parents were dead and he only kept in touch with some distant relatives.

B. Kincaid would have had a dog if he hadn’t been away from home too much.

C. Kincaid used to have a golden retriever.

D. Kincaid needed a dog in doing his hard fieldwork.

Why did Kincaid stop to take photos while driving?

A. To write “memory snapshots”.

B. To remind himself of places he might want to visit again.

C. To avoid forgetting the way back.

D. To shoot beautiful scenery along the road.

What can you know about Marian?

A. She died after five years of marriage.

B. She was older than Kincaid.

C. She could sing very well and earned big money.

D. She was not a professional pop singer.

We can draw a conclusion from the passage that _____

A. Marian knew what would happen before she married Kincaid.

B. Kincaid thought his absence would be a problem when he married Marian.

C. It turned out that Marian could not stand Kincaid’s absence and left him.

D. After Marian left him, they still kept in touch with each other.

Kincaid looked at his watch: eight-seventeen. The truck started on the second try, and he backed out, shifted gears, and moved slowly down the alley under hazy sun. Through the streets of Bellingham he went, heading south on Washington 11, running along the coast of Puget Sound for a few miles, then following the highway as it swung east a little before meeting U.S Route 20.
Turning into the sun, he began the long, winding drive through the Cascades. He liked this country and felt unpressed stopping now and then to make notes about interesting possibilities for future expeditions or to shoot what he called “memory snapshots.” The purpose of these causal photographs was to remind him of places he might want to visit again and approach more seriously. In later afternoon he turned north at Spokane, picking up U.S Route 2, which would take him halfway across the northern United States to Duluth, Minnesota.
He wished for the thousandth time in his life that he had a dog, a golden retriever, maybe, for travels like this and to keep him company at home. But he was frequently away; overseas much of the time and it would not be fair to the animal. Still, he thought about it anyway. In a few years he would be getting too old for the hard fieldwork. “I must get a dog then.” He said to himself.
Drives like this always put him into a sentimental mood. The dog was part of it. Robert Kincaid was alone as it’s possible to be – an only child, parents both dead, distant relatives who had lost track of him and he of them, no close friends.
He thought about Marian. She had left him nine years ago after five years of marriage. He was fifty–two now, that would make her just under forty. Marian had dreams of becoming a musician, a folksinger. She knew all of the Weavers’ songs and sang them pretty well in the coffeehouse of Seattle. When he was home in the old days, he drove her to the shows and sat in the audience while she sang.
His long absences – two or three months sometimes – were hard on the marriage. He knew that. She was aware of what he did when they decided to get married, and both of them had a vague (not clear) sense that it could all be handled somehow. It couldn’t when he came from photographing a story in Iceland and, she was gone. The note read, “Robert, it didn’t work out, I left you the Harmony guitar. Stay in touch.”
He didn’t stay in touch. Neither did she. He signed the divorce papers when they arrived a year later and caught a plane for Australia the next day. She had asked for nothing except her freedom.
【小题1】Which route is the right one taken by Kincaid?

A.Bellingham – Washington 11 – Puget Sound – U.S Route 20 – U.S Route 2 – Duluth
B.U.S. Route 2 – Bellingham – Washington 11 – Puget Sound – U.S Route 20 – Duluth
C.U.S. Route 2 – U.S Route 20 – Duluth – Bellingham – Washington 11
D.Bellingham – Washington 11 –U.S. Route 2 –U.S Route 20 –Duluth
【小题2】 Which statement is true according to the passage?
A.Kincaid’s parents were dead and he only kept in touch with some distant relatives.
B.Kincaid would have had a dog if he hadn’t been away from home too much.
C.Kincaid used to have a golden retriever.
D.Kincaid needed a dog in doing his hard fieldwork.
【小题3】Why did Kincaid stop to take photos while driving?
A.To write “memory snapshots”.
B.To remind himself of places he might want to visit again.
C.To avoid forgetting the way back.
D.To shoot beautiful scenery along the road.
【小题4】What can you know about Marian?
A.She died after five years of marriage.
B.She was older than Kincaid.
C.She could sing very well and earned big money.
D.She was not a professional pop singer.
【小题5】We can draw a conclusion from the passage that _____
A.Marian knew what would happen before she married Kincaid.
B.Kincaid thought his absence would be a problem when he married Marian.
C.It turned out that Marian could not stand Kincaid’s absence and left him.
D.After Marian left him, they still kept in touch with each other.

A morning rarely began so perfect. I took in the fresh air and felt my heart run into an enthusiastic rhythm. Though cool, the sun warmed my back as it rose over the horse from not far from my house. The slightest wind danced on my skin. Just enough to keep a runner form overheating. My ever-faithful jogging partner, a black dog named Nika pulled my leg with her mouth, mirroring my eagerness to start our run.
We raced forward with determination, ready to leap tall buildings and race against speeding trains. We pushed harder and ran faster, demonstration our skill and impressing passing motorists and neighbors.
We kept on running until we hit the Beast, a name for a very difficult, nearly two-mile long steep climb.
Only a few paces into the Beast, I gasped for air. Far short of superhero status, my enthusiasm and active steps were lost somewhere at the base of the hill. A vision of the newspaper and a cup of coffee waiting in my kitchen appeared, attracting me to turn back toward home.
With a glance I noticed Nika wasn’t doing any better. She continued to faithfully follow me, putting one paw in front of the other, but without her former eagerness. Her tiredness touched me. And in that moment, I felt a sudden spark of renewed determination to press on. I couldn’t allow this mountain to get the better of us. To improve both our spirits, I managed to shout, “Good girl, Nika! Keep going…you can do it!”
“I’m encouraging a dog, for heaven’s sake!’’ I needed to pull myself together. With a few simple words, I changed our course. One moment we were on the edge of quitting. The next, our feet picked up the pace and we continued. Though tired and discouraged myself, with a few kind words I impacted a dog’s ability to go further. I’m sure I could have completed the opposite with ill-chosen comments and an unpleasant tone. Instead, the Beast was defeated and we flew like heroes the rest of the way home.
Life is full of beasts to conquer. For some, it is the seemingly impossible climb of cancer. For others, their beast takes the shape of parenting a child or a teenager. Uphill climbs come in all shapes and sizes, common only in their ability to defeat, discourage and tempt tired travelers to quit. Sometimes all that’s needed is a few spoken, well-timed words of encouragement from a fellow runner – someone who sees the struggle, dares to jogs alongside, and cares enough to say, “Keep going! You can do it! You’re not alone. I believe in you!”
【小题1】 The writer starts the text by describing________.

A.the beautiful scene of the morning
B.his or her preparations for a jogging
C.a lively dog named Nika
D.the growth of crops at the farm
【小题2】 The writer mentioned the newspaper and coffee to suggest that he or she _______.
A.liked reading newspapers while drinking coffee
B.had an intention to give up running
C.would treat himself or herself to coffee after running
D.might appear on the newspaper for the long running
【小题3】 The writer decided to continue running _______.
A.after he or she found the dog was still energetic
B.because they came near the top of the hill
C.when he or she noticed the tired dog
D.before they arrived at the bottom of the hill
【小题4】 What does the writer expect to show by telling the story?
A.Words are powerful than deeds.
B.Beasts in life aren’t easily to conquer.
C.Dogs are the best friend of humans.
D.Try it one more time before giving up.

A primary school teacher who left a class of 25 pupils in tears after she told them Santa Claus did not exist has been fired. When excited youngsters became rowdy as they talked about Santa, the supply teacher said out suddenly, "It's your parents who leave out presents on Christmas Day."
The class of seven-year-olds at Blackshaw Lane Primary School, Royton, Greater Manchester burst into tears and told their parents when they arrived home. Mothers and fathers then complained about the incident and were sent a letter by the school saying the teacher, who only worked at the school for one day last week, has been punished.
The school has now said it will not hire her again.
One father said, "My son came home and said that his teacher had told the class that Santa doesn't exist and it’s their mum and dad that put out presents for them. Obviously, they were all talking about Christmas and being a bit rowdy. She just came straight out with it. "
"My son was in tears and so was everyone else in the class — especially as it was so close to Christmas. I thought it was wrong. He was crazy about it. He’s only seven-year-old and it's part of the magic of Christmas to him. "
"We told him that she did not believe in Father Christmas because of her religion and he's fine now."
"The father described the incident as ' shocking' and believed it was done with malicious intent (恶意地). A lot of parents were angry and complained to the school. The teacher, who was supplied by Rochdale and Oldham Supply Agency, is still listed and will work with other schools," the agency said.
However, the head teacher in Angela McCormick refused to comment on the incident.
【小题1】 Who felt the angriest about the incident?

A.The teacher who was fired.B.The parents whose children cried.
C.The pupils who were in tears.D.Santa Claus the teacher talked about.
【小题2】 We can infer from the passage that       .
A.the teacher was fired and couldn't continue her career in teaching
B.the parents complained about the discipline of the school
C.the little pupils felt disappointed after hearing the words said by the teacher
D.in reality, Santa Claus exists and gives out presents once a year
【小题3】 What’s the meaning of the underlined word "rowdy"?
A.surprised.B.noisy.C.discouraged.D.annoyed.

The drug store was closing for the night and Alfred Higgins was about to go home when his new boss approached him.
“Empty your pockets please, Alfred,” Sam Carr demanded in a firm voice.
Alfred pretended to be shocked but he knew he’d been caught. From his coat he withdrew a make-up kit, a lipstick and two tubes of toothpaste.
“I’m disappointed in you, Alfred!” said the little gray-haired man.
“Sorry, sir. Please forgive me. It’s the first time I’ve ever done such a thing,” Alfred lied, hoping to gain the old man’s sympathy.
Mr Carr’s brow furrowed as he reached for the phone, “Do you take me for a fool? Let’s see what the police have to say. But first I’ll call your mother and let her know her son is heading to jail.”
“Do whatever you want,” Alfred shot back, trying to sound big. But deep down he felt like a child. He imagined his mother rushing in, eyes burning with anger, maybe in tears. Yet he wanted her to come quickly before Mr. Carr called the police.
Mr. Carr was surprised when Mrs Higgins finally arrived. She was very calm, quiet and friendly. “Is Alfred in trouble?” she asked.
“He’s been stealing from the store,” the old man coolly replied.
Mrs. Higgins put out her hand and touched Mr. Carr’s arm with great gentleness as if she knew just how he felt. She spoke as if she did not want to cause him any more trouble. “What do you want to do, Mr. Carr?”
The woman’s calm and gentle manner disarmed the once-angry store-owner. “I was going to get a cop. But I don’t want to be cruel. Tell your son not to come back here again, and I’ll let it go.” Then he warmly shook Mrs. Higgins’s hand.
Mrs. Higgins thanked the old man for his kindness, then mother and son left. They walked along the street in silence. When they arrived home his mother simply said, “Go to bed, you fool.”
In his bedroom, Alfred heard his mother in the kitchen. He felt no shame, only pride in his mother’s actions. “She was smooth!” he thought. He went to the kitchen to tell her how great she was, but was shocked by what he saw.
His mother’s face looked frightened, broken. Not the cool, bright face he saw earlier. Her lips moved nervously. She looked very old. There were tears in her eyes.
This picture of his mother made him want to cry. He felt his youth ending. He saw all the troubles he brought her and the deep lines of worry in her grey face. It seemed to him that this was the first time he had ever really seen his mother.
【小题1】Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A.It was the first time Alfred had stolen anything.
B.Alfred tried to sound big to hide his fear.
C.Mr. Carr set a trap to catch Alfred stealing.
D.Mr. Carr had planned to forgive Alfred from the beginning.
【小题2】 What does the underlined word “disarmed” probably mean?
A.annoyedB.made less angry
C.convincedD.got over
【小题3】What was the mother’s attitude toward Alfred?
A.She felt disappointed with him.
B.She was very strict with him.
C.She was supportive of him.
D.She was afraid of him.
【小题4】What impressed Alfred most about his mother at the drugstore was ________.
A.how angry she was
B.that she didn’t cry
C.that she was able to save him
D.how effectively she handled Mr. Carr
【小题5】 From the last paragraph, we know that Alfred ________.
A.was no longer a youth
B.felt proud of his mother
C.wanted his mother to be happy
D.felt guilty and regretful for his deed

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