"I’ve changed my mind. I wanted to have a telescope, but now I want my dad back." Lucien Lawence’s letter to Father Christmas written after his father had been knifed to death outside his school gate, must have touched every heart. Lucien went on to say that without his father he couldn’t see the stars in the sky. When those whom we love depart from us, we cannot see the stars for a while.

　　But Lucien, the stars are still there, and one day, when you are older and your tears have gone, you will see them again. And, in a strange way, I expect that you will find your father is there too, in your mind and in your heart. I find that my parents, long dead now, still figure in many of my dreams and that I think of them perhaps more than I ever did when they were alive. I still live to please them and I’m still surprised by their reactions. I remember that when I became a professor, I was so proud, or rather so pleased with myself, that I couldn’t wait to cable my parents. The reply was a long time in coming, but when it did, all mother said was, "I hope this means that now you will have more time for the children.” I haven’t forgotten. The values of my parents still live on.

　　It makes me pause and think about how I will live on in the hearts and minds of my children and of those for whom I care. Would I have been as ready as Philip Lawrence have been to face the aggressors (挑衅者),and to lay down my life for those in my care? How many people would want me back for Christmas? It’s a serious thought, one to give me pause.

　　I pray silently, sometimes, in the dead of night, that ancient cry of a poet "Deliver my soul from the sword, and my darling from the power of the dog." Yet I know the death comes to us all, and sometimes comes suddenly. We must therefore plan to live forever, but live as if we will die tomor-row. We live on, in the lives of those we loved, and therefore we ought to have a care for what they will remember and what they will treasure. If more parents knew this in their hearts to be true, there might be fewer knives on our streets today.

　　16. according to the whole text we can see that the first paragraph ________.

　　A. puts forward the subject of the text

　　B. shows the author’s pity on the kid

　　C. acts as an introduction to the discussion

　　D. makes a clear statement of the author’s views

　　17. In the second paragraph the author mainly wants to explain to us ________.

　　A. how much he misses his parents now

　　B. why his parents often appear in his dreams

　　C. when Lucien will get over all his sadness

　　D. how proud he was when he succeeded in life

　　18. What feeling did the author’s mother express in her reply?

　　A. Proud.          B. Happy.          C. Disappointed.       D. Worried.

　　19. In the author’s opinion, the value of a person’s life is ________.

　　A. to leave behind a precious memory to the people related

　　B. to have a high sense of duty to the whole society

　　C. to care what others will remember and treasure

　　D. to share happiness and sadness with his family

　　20. What does the writer mean by the sentence taken from an old poem?

　　A. Call on criminals and murderers to lay down their guns.

　　B. Advise parents stay with their children safely at home.

　　C. Spend every day meaningfully in memory of the death.

　　D. Try to keep violence and murder far away from society.

If you asked high school girls to name their favorite sports, most would probably say basketball or volleyball. I happen to be one of the few girls who would 　36　:surfing. But isn’t that a boy thing? Some people 　37　.Most certainly not.?

I started surfing about five years ago and　38　in love with the sport on the very first day. Riding that first 　39　 was the best feeling I had ever experienced.?

When I try to 　40　 surfing with other things, I find it very difficult because, in my ___41_　,there’s nothing like it. It involves body,　42　,and soul. There’s sand between my toes and cool, salt water all 　43　 us. The feeling I get when I’m surfing across that 　44　,becoming one with the 　45　,is like I’m weightless.?

The one thing I can 　46　 from surfing and not any other sport is endless challenge. You can never be the “best surfer” because the ocean 　47　 an uncountable variety of waves that nobody can ever master. The variations of surfing styles are wonderful. Some surfers are free and flowing; others are very aggressive and 　48　.All of these things attract me to surfing and make it ?　49　 ? from any other sport.?

I’ve 　50　 to tell every girl I know to do something that people don’t think girls can do. It’s part of being human to advance to new 　51　,so shouldn’t it be expected that girls should step up and start 　52　 the limits of things boys and men used to dominate??

There’re women 　53　 side by side with the President of our country, so why not side by side with the boys 　54　 the football team or out in the water surfing? Give girls a chance to __55　, and they will.?

The True Story of Treasure Island

It was always thought that Treasure Island was the product of Robert Louis Stevenson’s imagination. ___1___，recent research has found the true story of this exciting work.

Stevenson, a Scotsman, had lived　 2　 for many years in 1881 he returned to Scotland for a　 3　 . With him were his American wife Fanny and his son　 4　　 .

Each morning Stevenson would take them out for a long　 5　 over the hills. They had been　 6　 this for several days before the weather suddenly took a turn for the worse, Kept indoors by the heavy rain. Lloyd felt the days　 7　 . To keep the boy happy Robert asked the boy to do some　 8　 .

One morning, the boy came to Robert with a beautiful map of an island. Robert　 9　 that the boy had drawn a large cross in the middle of　 10　 . “What’s that?” he asked “That’s the　 11　 treasure “said the boy Robert suddenly　 12　 something of an adventure story in the boy’s　 13　 While the rain was pouring, Robert sat down by the fire to write a story. He would make the　 14　 a twelve-year-old boy just like Lloyd. But who would he the pirate（海盗）?

Robert had a good friend named Henley, who walked around with the　 15　 of a wooden leg. Robert had always wanted to　 16　 such a man in a story 17　 Long John Silver the pirate with a wooden leg, was　 18　 .

So thanks to a　 19　 .September in Scotland a friend with a wooden leg and the imagination of a twelve-year-old boy we have one of the greatest　 20　 stories in the English language.

难易度：难

1．A．However B．Therefore C．Besides D．Finally

2．A．alone　 B．next door C．at home D．abroad

3．A．meeting B．story　 C．holiday D．jib

4．A．Lloyd　 B．Robert C．Henley D．John

5．A．talk B．rest　 C．walk　 D．game

6．A．attempting B．missing C．planning　 D．enjoying

7．A．quiet　 B．dull　 C．busy　 D．cold

8．A．cleaning B．writing C．drawing D．exercising

9．A．doubted B．noticed C．decided D．recognized

10．A．the sea B．the house C．Scotland　 D．the island

11．A．forgotten B．buried C．discovered D．unexpected

12．A．saw B．drew　 C．made　 D．learned

13．A．book　 B．reply　 C．picture D．mind

14．A．star　 B．hero　 C．writer D．child

15．A．help　 B．problem C．use D．bottom

16．A．praise B．produce C．include D．accept

17．A．Yet B．Also　 C．But D．Thus

18．A．read　 B．born　 C．hired　 D．written

19．A．rainy B．sunny　 C．cool　 D．windy

20．A．news　 B．love　 C．real-life D．adventure

Surfing: It’s Not Just for Boys Any More