In October 1961 at Crowley Field in Cincinnati Ohio an old deaf gentleman named William E. Hoy stood up to throw the first ball of the World Series. Most people at Crowley Field on that day probably did not remember Hoy because he had retired(退休) from professional baseball 58 years earlier in 1903. However he had been an outstanding player and the deaf people still talk about him and his years in baseball.

William E. Hoy was born in Houckstown Ohio on May 23, 1862. He became deaf when he was two years old. He attended the Columbus Ohio School for the deaf. After graduation he started playing baseball while working as a shoemaker.

Hoy began playing professional baseball in 1886 for Oshkosh(Wisconsin) of the Northwestern League. In 1888 he started as an outfielder(外场手) with the old Washington Senators. His small figure and speed made him an outstanding base runner. He was very good at stealing bases during his career. In the 1888 major league season he stole 82 bases. He was also the Senators’ leading hitter in 1888. Hoy was clever and he threw right-handed and batted left-handed. On June 19,1889 he threw out three batters(击球手) at the plate from his outfield position.

The arm signals used by judges today to show balls and strikes began because of Hoy. The judge lifted his right arm to show that the pitch was a strike and his left arm to signal that it was a ball.

For many years people talked about Hoy’s last ball game in 1903. He was playing for Los Angeles of the Pacific Coast Winter League. It was a memorable game because Hoy hit a wonderful ball which won the game. It was a very foggy day and therefore very hard to see the ball. In the ninth inning(棒球的一局) with two men out, Hoy managed to catch a fly ball to make the third out in spite of the fog. Los Angeles defeated their opposition and won the game.

After he retired Hoy stayed busy. He ran a dairy farm near Cincinnati for 20 years. He also became a public speaker and traveled giving speeches. Until a few years before his death he took 4-10 mile walks several mornings a week. On December 15, 1961 William Hoy died at the age of 99.

In which order did the following things happen in Hoy’s life?

a. Hoy worked as a shoemaker.

b. Hoy began to run a diary farm.

c. Hoy played a memorable game in the heavy fog.

d. Hoy threw the first ball of the World Series.

e. Hoy became deaf.

A. d e a c b            B. e a c b d            C. d a e c b            D. e a b c d

We can infer from the last paragraph that Hoy _______ in his late years.

A. became famous                       B. led a relaxed life

C. traveled around the world        D. was in good physical condition

This passage is mainly about _______.

A. a deaf player devoted to the game of baseball

B. baseball game rules and important players

C. the rise in the social position of the deaf people

D. where the baseball judge hand signals came from

What can be inferred from this passage?

A. Hoy was the greatest baseball player in his time.

B. Speaking and listening are not necessary in baseball games.

C. The judge had to study the hand signals very seriously.

D. Hoy’s family encouraged him to become a baseball player.

It’s just a small, white envelope stuck among the branches of our Christmas tree. No name, no address. It has peeked through the branches of our tree for the past 10 years.
It all began because my husband Mike hated Christmas. He didn’t hate the true meaning of Christmas, but the commercial aspects of it; overspending, running around at the last minute to get a tie for Uncle Harry and powder for Grandma…
Knowing he felt this way, I decided one year to bypass the usual shirts, sweaters, ties and so forth. I reached for something special for Mike. The inspiration came in an unusual way.
Our son Kevin, at 12 that year, was wrestling at the junior level at the school he attended and before Christmas, there was a non-league match against a team sponsored by an inner-city church, mostly black.
As the match began, I was alarmed to see that the other team was wrestling without headgear to protect a wrestler’s ears. They obviously could not afford.
Mike shook his head sadly, “I wish just one of them could have won,” he said. “They have a lot of potential, but losing like this could take the heart right out of them.”
Mike loved kids—all kids—and he knew them, having coached little league football, baseball and lacrosse. That’s when the idea for his present came.
That afternoon, I went to a local sporting goods store and bought an assortment of wrestling headgear and shoes and sent them anonymously to the inner-city church.
On Christmas Eve, I placed the envelope on the tree, the note inside telling Mike what I had done and that this was his gift from me. His smile was the brightest thing about Christmas that year. For each Christmas, I followed the tradition.
The envelope became the highlight of our Christmas. It was always the last thing opened on Christmas morning and our children, ignoring their new toys, would stand with wide-eyed anticipation as their dad lifted the envelope from the tree to reveal its contents.
The tradition has grown and someday will expand even further with our grandchildren standing around the tree with wide-eyed anticipation watching as their fathers take down the envelope. Mike’s spirit, like the Christmas spirit, will always be with us.
【小题1】Which of the following is the best title for the passage?

A.Precious PresentB.Christmas Gift
C.The Small White EnvelopeD.The Good Old Tradition
【小题2】Why did Mike hate Christmas according to the passage?
A.He didn’t like the true meaning of Christmas
B.He didn’t like people spending too much money on presents
C.He hated buying presents for Uncle Harry and Grandma
D.He didn’t want to receive gifts like shirts, sweaters or ties.
【小题3】Which is the closest meaning to the underlined phrase “take the heart right out of them”?
A.make them excited
B.make them inspired
C.make them lose confidence
D.make them kill themselves
【小题4】Why was his smile the brightest thing about Christmas that year? ( paragraph 9)
A.He received some sporting goods
B.He found a potential wrestling team
C.His son won the wrestling match
D.His wife sent presents to those poor kids
【小题5】What can we infer from the passage?
A.The tradition of sending presents will pass from generation to generation.
B.The children were eager to get their new toys ignoring the envelope.
C.With the presents, the poor kids will surely win the match one day.
D.Mike’s spirit, like the Christmas spirit, will always be with us.

A new report says only about half of all students in the main school systems of America’s largest cities finish high school. The report notes higher rates of graduation — over 70% —in areas surrounding the cities. Researchers studied high school graduation rates from the 2003, 2004 school year. They also identified the nation’s fifty largest cities. The largest, New York City, had a population of more than eight million. The smallest city was Wichita, Kansas. It had about three hundred and sixty thousand people.
Researchers used a system of measurement called the cumulative promotion index to find graduation rates. School officials in many of the cities studied said the resulting numbers were too low. That is because different areas use different methods to find graduation rates. Critics say many methods do not give a true picture of the number of students who leave high school before finishing.
Other studies have put the national graduation rate at about 70%. But experts agree that too many students are not completing high school. They estimate the number at more than one million each year. The report was prepared for America’s Promise Alliance. The private group aims to help children receive services they need to succeed.
General Colin Powell was chairman of America’s Promise Alliance when it was formed in 1997. He attended the press conference Tuesday where the report was released. He said studies have shown that the US must do more to educate the leaders and work force of the future.
Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings also spoke. She said the government will propose that states use the same methods when reporting graduation rates. Alliance officials also announced the start of a nationwide campaign to improve graduation rates. It is to include a series of meetings to be held in every state over the next two years. The meetings will bring together elected leaders, business owners, students, parents and education officials. They will develop plans to increase the number of Americans who finish high school.
【小题1】The author wants to tell us ___________.

A.too many Americans do not finish high school
B.different methods to find graduation rates
C.services American children need to receive
D.the increase of the number of Americans who finish their high school
【小题2】 From Paragraph 1 we can infer that __________.
A.there are 8,360,000 people in the US’ fifty largest cities
B.Wichita in Kansas is the smallest city in the US
C.50% of the people in the US don’t finish their high school education
D.high school graduation rates in or near the biggest cities are higher
【小题3】The underlined word “picture” probably can be replaced by “_______”.
A.situation
B.scene
C.image
D.mood
【小题4】From the last paragraph, we can draw a conclusion that _______-.
A.secretary of Education Margaret Spellings didn’t believe that number from the report
B.the government will stop using the cumulative promotion index to find graduation rates
C.secretary of Education Margaret Spellings announced the start of a nationwide campaign to improve graduation rates
D.the low graduation rates should be paid attention to by the government and the society

Medalists of the 1948 London Olympic Games look back on their summer of victory.
SAMMY Lee, 91, U.S.
GOLD AND BRONZE, DIVING
I first had my Olympic dream at 12, when they held the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles. My father and I were at a grocery store, and I asked, “What are all the flags doing here?” He said, “We are having the Olympic Games. That’s where they honor the greatest athletes in the world.” I said, “Papa, someday I’m going to be an Olympic champ.”
Walking up the 10-meter platform, I thought to myself, “I’ve waited 16 years for this moment. Am I going to win?” So I prayed to God that I was most deserving of winning the Games.
DAVID BOND, 90, BRITAIN
GOLD, SAILING
During the war, I spent six years in Royal Air Force. I think in general, the 1948 Olympics meant very little to most people. We were too busy after the war to be worried about sport very much anyway.
Our team had about six weeks before the Olympics down at Torquay and we went out sailing every day.
Winning gold was quite something. It was nice to stand on the platform with lots of people cheering. We celebrated by going to a big dance.
MICHAEL LAPAGE, 88, BRITAIN
SILVER, ROWING
I started rowing when I was 14. I joined the navy in 1942. In 1945 the war came to an end and I started rowing again.
In 1948 we were still on rations (配给供应): 4 oz. of red meat a week. But the United States had all the meat they wanted. They were the favorites to win.
On the day of the final, we led the Americans at the start, but their stronger staying power took them through to win. There were no ribbons on the medals, so we just showed them round the family.
THOMAS GODWIN, 91, BRITAIN
BRONZE, CYCLING
At 14 I left school and got a job delivering groceries on a bicycle, which excited my interest in cycling. When the war broke out, I volunteered but was held back, so I continued riding.
After my team won our bronze medals, we went home just round the corner and had a sit-down and a chat and a laugh. It was a different world. Money was never, never thought about.
【小题1】 According to the passage, Sammy Lee ___________.

A.was 28 when he attended the 1948 Olympics
B.never thought he could win medals in diving
C.found that he has a talent for sports at age 12
D.prepared for the 1948 Olympics for 16 years
【小题2】 Michael Lapage blamed his team’s loss of the gold medal on their ___________.
A.weak willB.poor skill
C.poor nutritionD.hurried preparation
【小题3】 What did David Bond and Thomas Godwin have in common?
A.They both took part in a team event.
B.A lot of money was awarded to them.
C.The 1948 Olympics meant little to them.
D.They both served in the army during World War II.
【小题4】What would be the best title for the passage?
A.Long-lived medalistsB.The 1948 Olympics
C.Famous athletesD.Great in 1948

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