阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。

　 One of Mark Twain’s classic novels is The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. It is 　36 in a small American town in the 19 th century. The people in this town are very traditional and 　37 a quiet life.The story is about a boy called Tom Sawyer, who lives with his aunt Polly. He is often in 38 with his aunt. Aunt Polly is very kind, 　39 Tom thinks she is always trying to control him.

　 Tom is different from 　40 children in the town. He loves adventure. He does a lot of bad things, but he never really 　41 anyone. He tries very hard not to go to school, and often jumps 　42 his bedroom window at night to meet his friends. He is very clever. One day, Aunt Polly asks him to do some painting, and he 　43 to get all the boys in the town to do the work for him by inventing a new 　44 game. It is these little stories 　45 make readers want to keep reading the novel, but it is the adventures that 　46 the most important part of the book.

　 Tom’s best friend is Huck Finn, a boy who has no home. In one adventure, they spend the night outside, and they see a man kill another man 　47 . Later in the book, Tom, Huck and another boy decide to leave the town 　48 they think that life there is too boring. They __49__ to an island in the middle of a river. They 　50 fires, catch fish and sleep under the stars. They also make a 　51 to travel up and down the river. 　52 seeing the boys for days, the people in the town think that they have died. One day, when Tom cones back to his aunt’s house to leave a letter 　53 that he is not dead, he hears his aunt talking about his funeral（葬礼）. 　54 Tom has an idea. On the morning of their funeral, the boys run back into town and 　55 their own funeral before telling everyone that they are still alive.

36. A. made　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. set　　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. taken　　　　　　　 D. written

37. A. have　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. pass　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. live　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. own

38. A. trouble　　　　　　　　　　　 B. silence　　　　　　　　　　 C. peace　　　　　　　 D. war

39. A. and　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. but　　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. still　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. as

40. A. another　　　　　　　　　　 B. others　　　　　　　 C. the others　 D. the other

41. A. damages　　　　　　　　　 B. destroys　　　　　　　　　 C. ruins　　　　　　　　　　　 D. hurts

42. A. out of　　　　　　　　　　　 B. into　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. onto　　　　　　　　 D. in front of

43. A. tries　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. fails　　　　　　　　 C. manages　　 D. struggles

44. A. fighting　　　　　　　　　　 B. painting　　　　　　　　　 C. touring　　　　　　　　　　 D. sailing

45. A. which　　　　　　　　　　　 B. that　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. what　　　　　　　　　　　 D. where

46. A. is　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. was　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. are　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. were

47. A. in charge　　　　　　 B. in advance C. in the long term　　　　 D. in the dark

48. A. because 　　　　　　　　　 B. while　　　　　　　　　　　 C. even though　　　　　　 D. if

49. A. run into　　　　　　　 B. run away　　　　　　　　 C. run across　　　　 D. run out of

50. A. catch　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. set　　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. make　　　　　　　　　　　 D. put

51. A. bike　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. boat　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. camel　　　　　　　　　　　 D. cage

52. A. By　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. Upon　　　　　　　　　　　 C. At　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. Without

53. A. writing　　　　　　　　　　　 B. telling　　　　　　　　　　　 C. saying　　　 D. meaning

54. A. Then　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. Besides　　　　　　　　　　 C. Also　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. Lastly

55. A. join　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. present　　　　　　　　　　 C. participate　　　　　　　 D. attend

When I was growing up, I had an old neighbor named Dr. Gibbs. He didn’t look like any doctor I’d ever known. He never yelled at us for playing in his yard. I remember him as someone who was a lot nicer than most of the adults in our community.
　　When Dr. Gibbs wasn’t saving lives, he was planting trees. His house sat on ten acres, and his life’s goal was to make it a forest.
　　The good doctor had some interesting theories concerning plant care and growth. He never watered his new trees, which flew in the face of conventional wisdom. Once I asked why. He said that watering plants spoiled them so that each successive tree generation would grow weaker and weaker. So you have to make things rough for them and weed out(淘汰) the weaker trees early on.
He talked about how watering trees made for shallow roots, and how trees that weren’t watered had to grow deep roots in search of moisture. I took him to mean that deep roots were to be treasured.
　　So he never watered his trees. He planted an oak and, instead of watering it every morning, he’d beat it with a rolled-up newspaper. Smack! Slap! Pow! I asked him why he did that, and he said it was to get the tree’s attention.
Dr. Gibbs passed away a couple of years after I left home. Every now and again, I walked by his house and looked at the trees that I’d watched him plant some twenty-five years ago. They’re extremely tall, big and robust since they have deep roots now. However, the trees in my garden trembled in a cold wind although I had watered them for several years.
It seems that adversity(逆境) and suffering benefit these trees in ways comfort and ease never could. I stood there deep in thought.
　　Every night before I go to bed, I check on my two sons. I stand over them and watch their little bodies, the rising and falling of life within. I often pray for them. Mostly I pray that their lives will be easy. But I think it’s time to change my prayer(祷词) because now I know my children are going to encounter hardship..
【小题1】According to Dr. Gibbs’ theories, trees will become weaker if they______

What I Want for You and Every Child in America

　　　　　 　　　　　　　　　 by President-Elect Barack Obama

Dear Malia and Sasha,

I know that you’ve both had a lot of 　1 these last two years during the campaign, going to picnics and parades and state fairs, eating all sorts of junk food your mother and I probably shouldn’t have let you have. But I also know that it hasn’t always been easy for you and Mom, and that although you are both excited about that new puppy(幼犬), it doesn’t 2 for all the time we’ve been apart. I know 3 I’ve missed these past two years, and today I want to tell you a little more about why I decided to take our family on this journey.

When I was a young man, I thought life was all about me--about how I’d 4 my way in the world, become successful, and get the things I want. But then the two of you came into my 5 　with all your curiosity and mischief （捣乱） and those smiles that never 6 to fill my heart and light up my day. I soon found that the greatest joy in my life was the joy I saw in yours. That’s why I ran for President: because of what I want for you and for every child in this nation.

I want all our children to go to schools 7 of their potential---schools that challenge them, inspire them, and instill （灌输） in them a sense of 8 about the world around them. I want them to have the chance to go to college 9 their parents aren’t rich. And I want them to get good jobs: jobs that pay well and give them benefits like health care, jobs that let them have time to spend time with their own 10 .

I want us to 11 back the boundaries(界限) of discovery so that you’ll live to see new technologies and inventions that improve our lives and make our planet cleaner and safer. And I want us to push our own human boundaries to reach 12 the divides(分水岭) of race and region, gender and religion that 13 us from seeing the best in each other.

That was the 14 your grandmother tried to teach me when I was your age, reading me the opening lines of the Declaration of Independence and telling me about the men and women who marched for 15 because they believed those words put to paper two centuries ago should mean 16 .

She helped me understand that America is great not because it is perfect but because it can always be made better and that the 17 work of perfecting our union falls to each of us. It’s a duty we pass on to our children.

These are the things I want for you--- to 18 in a world with no limits on your dreams and no achievements beyond your reach. And I want every child to have the same 19 to learn and dream and grow that you girls have. That’s why I’ve taken our family on this great adventure.

I am so proud of both of you. I love you 20 you can ever know. And I am grateful every day for your patience, confidence, grace, and humor as we prepare to start our new life together in the White House.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 Love, Dad

1. A. play　　　　　　 B. fun　　　　　　 C. pain　　　　　　 D. gain

2. A. take up　　　　　 B. pick up　　　　 C. make up　　　　　 D. put up

3. A. how much　　　 B. how many　　　 C. how soon　　　　 D. how long

4. A. lose　　　　　　 B. make　　　　　 C. take　　　　　　　 D. walk

5. A. world 　　　　　 B. family　　　　 C. position　　　　　 D. place

6. A. succeed　　　　 B. come　　　　　 C. tend　　　　　　　 D. fail

7. A. worth　　　　　 B. worthless　　　　 C. worthwhile　　　　 D. worthy

8. A. humor　　　　　 B. hatred　　　　　 C. wonder　　　　　 D. sadness

9. A. even if　　　　 B. as if　　　　　　 C. as long as　　　　 D. if

10. A. friends　　　　 B. kids　　　　　　 C. boys　　　　　　 D. girls

11. A. rush　　　　　 B. catch　　　　　 C. push　　　　　　 D. pull

12. A. to　 　　　　 B. in　　　　　　 C. into　　　　　　　 D. beyond

13. A. keep　　　　　 B. let　　　　　　 C. make　　　　　　 D. warn

14. A. way　　　　　 B. method　　　　　 C. means　　　　　 D. lesson

15. A. quantity　　　 B. quality　　　　　 C. equality　　　　　 D. quarter

16. A. everything　　 B. something　　　 C. anything　　　　　 D. nothing

17. A. unfinished　　 B. finished　　　　 C. unfinishing　　　　 D. finishing

18. A. wake up　　　 B. grow up　　　　 C. come up　　　　　 D. get up

19. A. difficulty　　　 B. barriers　　　　 C. anxiety　　　　　 D. chances

20. A. rather than　　 B. other than　　　　 C. less than　　　　 D. more than