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!”

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

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

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

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.

When I was young,my parents ran a snack bar in our small town.

One evening in early April,my mother told me to fill in at the snack bar 36　 a worker who had the flu.I told her I would mess it up, 37 I had never worked at the bar before.I 　38　

that instead of making money,I would end up owing it.

“You can do it,”said my mother.“　 39　 ,you won’t get much business until lunch.”

“But I’ll never remember the orders,and I’m no good ___40_ money.Please,Mom,don’t

　 41　 me.”

“Then I’ll help you,”she said.

I shrugged my shoulders.I thought my mother’s　　 42　　 was a bad one,but I 　　 43　　 .

When I got to the bar the next day,I found my mother was　 44　 .Because the weather that day was rainy and cold,people wanted hot snacks and drinks.　 45　 ,I was really slow at taking the orders and making change.The line of people grew,and everybody seemed　 46　 .I was so nervous that my hands shook,and I 　 47 a cup into pieces.What a mess!Then my mother came to　 48 me,and she also showed me how to make　 49　 .If someone gave me $5 for something that cost $3.25,I handed over　 50　 quarters and a dollar and said,“75 cents makes four dollars,plus one dollar makes five.”Things went more　 51　 after that.

By the end of the day,I could remember orders,　 52　 the bill,and make change quickly with a smile.I was even a little　 53　 when the sun came out and dried up business.My mother said she was proud of me,and when she　 54　 that I work at the snack bar again next year,I did not even shrug.I was too busy　 55　 the restaurant I would open one day.

36.A.to　　　　　　　　　　　　 B.for　　　　　　　　　　 C.after　　　　　　　　　　　　 D.over

37.A.because　　　　　　　 B.though　　　　　　　 C.until　　　　　　　　　　　　 D.while

38.A.promised　　　　　　　　　　 B.noticed　　　　　　　 C.worried　　　　　　　　　　 D.hoped

39.A.Therefore　　　　　　 B.However　　　　　 C.Besides　　　　　　　　　　 D.Yet

40.A.of　　　　　　　　　　　 B.on　　　　　　　　　　 C.about　　　　　　　　　　　 D.with

41.A.blame　　　　　　　　　 B.fool　　　　　　　　　 C.frighten　　　　　　　　　　 D.make

42.A.idea　　　　　　　　　　 B.bar　　　　　　　　　　 C.day　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D.answer

43.A.guessed　　　　　　　 B.obeyed　　　　　　　 C.begged　　　　　　　　　　 D.admitted

44.A.angry　　　　　　　　　 B.sad　　　　　　　　　 C.wrong　　　　　　　　　　　 D.ashamed

45.A.At least　　　　　　　　 B.At last　　　　　　　 C.At most　　　　　　　　　　 D.At first

46.A.surprised　　　　　　　　　　 B.impolite　　　　　　 C.pleased　　　　　　　　　　 D.impatient

47.A.damaged　　　　　　　 B.destroyed　　　　　 C.broke　　　　　　　　　　　 D.ruined

48.A.scold　　　　　　　　　 B.help　　　　　　　　　 C.beat　　　　　　　　　　　　 D.save

49.A.money　　　　　　　　 B.lunch　　　　　　　　 C.coffee　　　　　　　　　　　 D.change

50.A.two　　　　　　　　　　 B.three　　　　　　　　 C.four　　　　　　　　　　　　 D.five

51.A.smoothly　　　　　　　　　　 B.fairly　　　　　　　　 C.simply　　　　　　　　　　　 D.conveniently

52.A.turn in　　　　　　　　 B.count out　　　　　 C.take over　　　　　　　　　 D.add up

53.A.discouraged　　　　 B.disturbed　　　　　 C.disappointed　　　　　　 D.distrusted

54.A.thought　　　　　　　　 B.stated　　　　　　　　 C.announced　　　　　　　　 D.suggested

55.A.imagining　　　　　　 B.preparing　　　　　 C.examining　　　　　　　　 D.describing

When the world was a simpler place ,the rich were fat ,the poor were thin ,and right-thinking people worried about how to feed the hungry .Now ,in much of the world ,the rich are thin ,the poor are fat ,and right-thinking people are worrying about fatness.?
Evolution（进化）is mostly to blame. It has designed mankind to deal with lack ,not plenty .People are perfectly fit to store energy in good years to see them through lean ones. But when bad time never comes ,they are stuck with that energy ,stored around their expanding bellies.?
Thanks to rising agricultural productivity ,lean years are rarer all over the globe .According to the UN ,the number of people short of food fell from 920 m in 1980 to 799 m 20 years later ,even though the world's population increased by 1.6 billion over the period .This is mostly a cause for celebration .Mankind has won what was ,for most of his time on this planet ,his biggest battle：to ensure that he and his offspring had enough to eat. But every silver lining has a cloud ,and the result of prosperity is a new trouble.?
Fatness is the world's biggest public-health topic today—the main cause of heart disease ,which kills more ?people? these days than AIDS ,malaria（疟疾）,war; the major risk factor in diabetes（糖尿病）；heavily connected with cancer and other diseases .Since the World Health Organization labeled fatness an “epidemic（流行病）”in 2000,?reports? on its fearful results have come thick and fast.?
Will public-health warnings ,combined with media pressure ,persuade people to get thinner ,just as they ?finally? put them off tobacco? Possibly .In the rich world ,sales of healthier foods are booming and new figures suggest that over the past year Americans got very slightly thinner for the first time in recorded history .But even if Americans are losing a few ounces ,it will be many years before the country solves the health problems caused by half a century's dining to overload .And ,everywhere else in the world ,people are still piling on the pounds .That's why there is now an agreement among doctors that governments should do something to stop them.?
1.What's the main idea the writer intends to tell us in this passage??
A.It's harmful to have enough to eat.?
B.It's better to be thin than fat.?
C.Fatness is the greatest danger in the world.?
D.Fatness has become a great health problem.
2.It can be inferred from the passage that the biggest problem in history is_______.
A.people were thin?
B.people smoked heavily?
C.there was not enough food to eat?
D.people stored energy in good years
3.Why does the author compare smoking with the fat problem in this passage??
A.Because they are both difficult problems to be settled.?
B.Because they both lead to the same diseases.?
C.Because they are both bad habits.?
D.Because they are both harmful to health.
4.Which of the following is TRUE according to this passage??
A.Man has got rid of lean years by increasing agricultural productivity.?
B.Though fatness is a difficult problem ,man may break away from it.? C.Fatness may cause many diseases such as heart disease ,AIDS and cancer.?
D.The fat problem won't be settled until governments take measures.

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________.

When I was 18, I had a motorbike accident that put me in a coma for three months. The doctors said there was little chance of my coming out of it, but my identical twin, Marcus, didn’t believe them and carried on talking to me. My first words when I came to myself were, “Hello, Marcus. ”Even though I had no memory of my own name, or that the woman crying at my bedside was my mother, I knew Marcus immediately; it was like a genetic(遗传的)memory. just felt close to him.
As weeks went by, I still could remember nothing before the accident. Marcus was the only person I could relate to.
I had to relearn everything, and Marcus helped me. Because of my twin I wasn’t scared of having lost my memory; I believed everything he said. He became my memory, telling me about my school, friends, previous girlfriends and holidays, showing me family photographs, and telling me how perfect I was.
With his encouragement I slowly recovered and tried to become the person everyone around me loved. Then years later, when my memories flooded back, I learned that I was anything but perfect—I was troublesome, selfish, and now very angry with Marcus for having lied to me.
But finally I understood. Out of love, Marcus had chosen not to tell me about my dark side. He wanted me to have a fresh start—and in fact I had one. Thanks to him, I was able to get married and have kids. I’m 46 now, and feel as if I’m in the third stage of my life. I know all there is to know, and wouldn’t want it any other way.
【小题1】Which of the following words best describes Marcus?