An old man had been working for many years for a town. His job was to clear away natural waste from the pool water in the hills, which made up the lovely river flowing through the town nearby. Quietly and   36 , the old man guarded the hills,  37   the leaves and branches, and cleaned up the dirt that would have   38  and polluted the fresh flow of water . The town soon became a popular attraction for tourists. Elegant swans (天鹅) floated along the clear river and the view was so beautiful   39     words.
Years passed. One evening the town    40   met. As they reviewed the budget, one man’s  41____caught sight of the salary   42   being paid to the seldom seen keeper of the river. He asked , “Who is the old man? Why do we    43  to employ him? No one in town ever  44 him. For all we know, the strange keeper of the hills isn’t doing his job. His position isn’t   45   any longer.” Then they voted to   46  the man.
For several weeks, nothing changed….
By early autumn, the trees began to  47 their leaves. Small branches broke off and fell into the pools of the hills,  48   the flow of the shining water. One afternoon, someone noticed a slight yellowish-brown   49  in the river. A few days later, the water was much   50  . Within another week, an oily something covered some sections of the water along the banks, and a terrible   51   was soon sensed. Swans left and so did the 52   . The only thing that was now visiting the village was disease and sickness.
Quickly, the   53   town committee called a special meeting. Realizing their huge error in  54  , they rehired the old keeper of the river again, and within a few weeks, the river began to clear up. Swans and tourists came back again and new life returned to the small town in the Alps.
Never ignore the seeming smallness of a task, job or life. They may all make a  55   .

【小题1】
A.regularly B.suddenly C.naturally D.actually
【小题2】
A.cutB.burnedC.removedD.selected
【小题3】
A.carried B.pouredC.changedD.blocked
【小题4】
A.beyondB.withC.inD.after
【小题5】
A.officeB.association C.department D.committee
【小题6】
A.eyeB.careC.handD.mind
【小题7】
A.list B.form C.figureD.account
【小题8】
A.promise B.continue C.stopD.tend
【小题9】
A.visits B.hires C.tells D.sees
【小题10】
A.powerful B.important C.necessary D.suitable
【小题11】
A.find B.fire C.supportD.forgot
【小题12】
A.lose B.miss C.fall D.grow
【小题13】
A.pulling B.speeding C.slowing D.pushing
【小题14】
A.fish B.color C.flower D.leaf
【小题15】
A.deeperB.cooler C.warmer D.darker
【小题16】
A.sound B.smell C.waveD.taste
【小题17】
A.managersB.passengers C.villagers D.tourists
【小题18】
A.embarrassedB.annoyedC.discouraged D.diappointed
【小题19】
A.arrangementB.assignmentC.judgement D.amusement
【小题20】
A.suggestionB.differenceC.progress D.decision

I was in a rush as always, but this time it was for an important date I just couldn’t be late for! I found myself at a checkout counter behind an elderly woman seemingly in no hurry as she paid for her groceries. A PhD student with not a lot of money, I had hurried into the store to pick up some flowers. I was in a huge rush, thinking of my upcoming evening. I did not want to be late for this date.
We were in Boston, a place not always known for small conversation between strangers. The woman stopped unloading her basket and looked up at me. She smiled. It was a nice smile –warm and reassuring—and I returned her gift by smiling back.
“Must be a special lady, whoever it is that will be getting those beautiful flowers,” she said.
“Yes, she’s special,” I said, and then to my embarrassment, the words kept coming out.
“It’s only our second date, but somehow I am just having the feeling she’s ‘the one’. Jokingly, I added, “The only problem is that I can’t figure out why she’d want to date a guy like me.”
“Well, I think she’s very lucky to have a boyfriend who brings her such lovely flowers and who is obviously in love with her,” the woman said.” “My husband used to bring me flowers every week –even when times were tough and we didn’t have much money. Those were incredible days; he was very romantic and – of course – I miss him since he’s passed away.”
I paid for my flowers as she was gathering up her groceries. There was no doubt in my mind as I walked up to her. I touched her on the shoulder and said, “You were right, you know. These flowers are indeed for a very special lady.” I handed her the flowers and thanked her for such a nice conversation.
It took her a moment to realize that I was giving her the flowers I had just purchased. “You have a wonderful evening,” I said. I left her with a big smile and my heart warmed as I saw her smelling the beautiful flowers.
I remember being slightly late for my date that night and telling my girlfriend the above story. A couple of years later, when I finally worked up the courage to ask her to marry me, she told me that this story had helped to seal it for her –that was the night that I won her heart.
【小题1】Why was the writer in a hurry that day?

A.He was to meet his girlfriend.B.He had to go back to school soon.
C.He was delayed by an elderly lady.D.He had to pick up some groceries.
【小题2】What does the underlined phrase “her gift”(Paragraph 2) refer to?
A.Her words.B.Her smile.C.Her flowers.D.her politeness.
【小题3】Why did the writer give his flowers to the elderly lady?
A.She told him a nice story.B.She allowed him to pay first.
C.She gave him encouragement.D.She liked flowers very much.
【小题4】What is the message conveyed in the story?
A.Flowers are important for a date.B.Small talk is helpful.
C.Love and kindness are rewarding.D.Elderly people deserve respecting.


B
Canadian scientists have found that the more emotional or mental challenges a person faces in a day, the less determined they become to work out physically.
However, the findings should not stop us from keeping fit. Experts believe that willpower (意志力)is like a muscle , and needs to be exercised to help one avoid the temptation (诱惑)spending a night on the couch instead.
Kathleen Martin 一 Ginis, a professor of kinesiology 一 the science of movement 一 who led the study, says everyone has a limited amount of willpower, and that it will be reduced by stress. Miss Martin 一 Ginis, of Canada' s McMaster University, explains, "Cognitive (认知的)tasks, as well as tasks such as regulating (调整)one' s emotions, can reduce one' s capacity to force oneself to exercise."
Her team of scientists performed a so — called " Stroop" test on volunteers to reach their conclusions. The experiment involved showing participants words associated with colors but printed in different colors - for example , the word " blue " written in red ink . ' Participants were divided into two groups. One group was asked to name the color of the ink , instead to say the printed word , while the other wasn't Martin ― Ginis says , " After we used this cognitive task to use up their self 一 regulatory capacity, the participants didn't exercise as hard as those who had not performed the task. ,, The more people concentrated on the cognitive task , the more likely they were to skip exer­cise sessions (活动时间)over the next eight week. You only have so much willpower .
However, there are ways to strengthen willpower. The study found the listening to music before going to the gym can help, as well as making a commitment to work out with friends. It also concluded that willpower can be stretched by constantly cake , or forcing oneself to study an extra hour each night.
Martin - Ginis adds, "There are strategies people can use to help revitalize (使恢复活动) themselves after they’ve used up their self 一 regulation. Willpower is like a muscle : it needs to be used to stay strong.
61.According to the experts, human willpower    .
A.can be exercised through muscle movement
B.can regulate itself to resist temptations
C.is weakened by stressful cognitive or emotional tasks
D.is reduced by lack of physical exercise.
62.We learn from Paragraph 4 that the experiment      .
A.made use of the Stroop test
B.asked one group of participants to name the words
C.required researchers to write the word "blue" in red ink to make it easily recognizable.
D.showed that those who hadn't performed the task were smarter than those who had
63.All the following are ways to strengthen one's willpower EXCEPT________
A.listening to music before doing exercise
B.promising to work out with friends
C.training oneself repeatedly to resist temptations
D.forcing oneself to do the same thing each day
64.Which of the following is in agreement with Miss Martin ― Ginis' idea?
A.Human's willpower is limited to a certain level
B.The cognitive tasks could make people ignore exercise
C.Challenging tasks could make people ignore exercise
D.Exercise is an important way to strengthen one's willpower.
65.What can we infer from the passage?
A.Willpower can be challenged to become powerful.
B.McMaster University is famous for its kinesiology.
C.Effective ways to resist temptations have been found.
D.the study has an impact on the science of movement.

Explore the State of California
California is one of the most interesting states of America that offers a lot of wonderful sceneries and fun attractions. It is also the most populated state and the third largest in land area. Anyone who has been to California would agree that it is indeed a place that offers a lot to tourists of all ages. Here are some top picks of the best places to visit in California State.
San Francisco Bay Area - Witness the famous San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge which is one of the city's landmarks; and enjoy the beauty of Fisherman's Wharf that offers a lot of seafood restaurants. You should not miss the city's world-famous Cable Car System which is by far the only manually operated cable car system in the whole world.
Yosemite National Park - This is one of the very first wilderness parks in the whole of America. It is known for its natural beauty and breathtaking sceneries. It offers a breath of fresh air away from the city life. Major places to visit include the Yosemite Falls, Sentinel Dome, El Capitan, Mariposa Grove and Glacier Point among many others.
Los Angeles - Explore the home of the L.A. Lakers and do not fail to visit the Disneyland which is one of the major attractions of the city. The warm weather in Los Angeles makes it possible to do a lot of outdoor activities especially during the summer months. It is a family-friendly place that offers a wonderful shopping and dining experience. For those who particularly love the city and night life, L.A. can offer the best of almost everything.
Napa Valley - With over a million visitors every year, Napa Valley is indeed a place you should not miss if you are in California. It is California's most popular wine growing region. You can also experience the Wine Train and hot air balloon ride over the valley.
【小题1】 From the first paragraph, we know that_____.

A.the State of California has the largest population in the US
B.California offers a lot to tourists of young people
C.California is also the largest in land area
D.California is the most interesting state of America
【小题2】. According to the passage, if you want to breathe the fresh air, you’ll go to _____.
A.San Francisco Bay Area
B.Yosemite National Park
C.Los Angeles
D.Napa Valley
【小题3】. The underlined word “region” in the last paragraph may probably mean _____.
A.companyB.valleyC.factoryD.area
【小题4】. Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A.Napa Valley will bring us a wonderful shopping and dining experience.
B.San Francisco Bay Area is California's most popular wine growing region.
C.Los Angeles allows us to visit the Disneyland and enjoy almost everything.
D.In Yosemite National Park, we can see the Yosemite Falls, Golden Gate Bridge.

Once upon a time, there was a beautiful bird, which was very curious about hell. When she was little, her mother always told her that if she didn’t master the flying skills, she would go to hell. She was so curious about hell that she always asked others what hell looked like, but no one was sure, because none of them had ever been there. Some said hell was a place full of water, and others told her that hell was full of burning fire. However, the bird knew they were lying. She wanted to find out what hell was.
When other birds were learning flying skills, she always hid herself and watched them. She thought in this way she could go to hell and see what hell looked like. However, she spent so little time learning flying skills that one day she was caught by a little boy. The little boy gave her to his grandpa in the countryside as a gift. The old man liked her very much. He made a delicate cage and put her in it. The bird was very worried because she thought she couldn’t find out what hell was like staying in this small cage. However, she couldn’t escape. Day after day, she just stayed in the cage, watching other birds flying. She lost her freedom and she became sadder and sadder. At last, she became ill. The old man finally opened the cage, but she was too weak to fly. Lying no the ground, she thought of the question that she ever asked all the time.
“What does hell look like?”
“Hell is a small well-decorated cage.” Before she closed her eyes forever, she finally answered that question herself.
【小题1】What does the underlined word “master” in the first paragraph mean?

A.Miss.B.Finish.C.Follow.D.Learn well.
【小题2】Why did the bird hide herself when other birds were learning flying skills?
A.Because she was lazy.
B.Because she didn’t like learning flying skills.
C.Because she thought she could go to hell by doing this.
D.Because she thought she didn’t have to learn flying skills.
【小题3】According to the passage, the bird at last found that     .
A.hell was a place full of water.B.hell was a place full of burning fire
C.there was no hellD.hell was a small well-decorated cage

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