We have so many first days in our lives. First days are milestones(里程碑) in our lives. They 36 the beginning of a new experience or journey and they are also filled with　 37　 feelings. They can be a little frightening as we step into the unknown, but they can also inspire us as they give us fresh　 38 for the future.

I want to share a 39 that perfectly shows this point. Trisha was told that 40 is the key to knowledge. She watched her older brother 41 he read his schoolbooks and could hardly 42 the day when she would learn to read.

But after Trisha 43 started school, she found that she was not able to understand words like the other boys and girls. However hard she 44 , she saw only confusion. Trisha 45 , the teacher and the other children laughing at her, and she began to believe that she was not 　46 .

By the time Trisha entered the fifth grade, she had lost the 47 in herself. That was the year when she met Mr. Falker. He was 48 . He praised Trisha’s talents, and he wouldn’t tolerate the other children laughing at her. After some time, Mr. Falker 49 that Trisha didn’t know how to read, but he knew she could 50 some help.

He found an expert, and together they 51 with Trisha after school. They 52 her to understand words 　53 one day Mr. Falker handed her a book and she could read it all by herself. She didn’t even notice the tears in his eyes.

This is a true story. The little girl is Patricia Polacco, a famous 54 , and Thank you Mr. Falker is the twenty-sixth book that she has written. Mr. Falker gave her a fresh new 55 and made a difference in her life.

【小题1】A. cause　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. mark　　　　　　　　　　　 C. describe　　　　　　　　 D. show

【小题2】A. absurd　　　　　　　　　　　 B. strange　　　　　　　　　 C. mixed　　　　　　　　　　 D. strong

【小题3】A. blood　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. evidence　　　　　　　　 C. hope　　　　　　　　　　　 D. air

【小题4】A. belief　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. story　　　　　　　　　　　 C. view　　　　　　　　　　　 D. concern

【小题5】A. reading　　　　　　　　　　　 B. speaking　　　　　　　　 C. listening　　　　　　　　 D. thinking

【小题6】A. before　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. since　　　　　　　　　　　 C. as　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. though

【小题7】A. look for　　　　　　　　　　　 B. wait for　　　　　　　　　 C. ask for　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. wish for

【小题8】A. gradually　　　　　　　　　　 　 B. mostly　　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. finally　　　　　　　　　　 D. firmly

【小题9】A. breathed　　　　　　　　　　 　 B. tried　　　　　　　　　　　 C. managed　　　　　　　 D. pressed

【小题10】A. took off　　　 　　　　　　　　　　 B. stayed up　　　　　　　 C. kept on　　　　　　　　　 D. fell behind

【小题11】A. smart　　　　　　　　　　　 B. hard-working　　　　 C. healthy　　　　　　　　　 D. easy-going

【小题12】A. memory　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. balance　　　　　　　　 C. chance　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. confidence

【小题13】A. shy　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　 B. proud　　　　　　　　　　 C. different　　　　　　　　 D. strict

【小题14】A. doubted　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. witnessed　　　　　　　 C. represented　　　　　　　　 D. realized

【小题15】A. with　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. besides　　　　　　　　　 C. including　　　　　　　　 D. within

【小题16】A. sang　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. worked　　　　　　　　　 C. danced　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. chatted

【小题17】A. helped　　　　　　　　　　 B. forced　　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. begged　　　　　　　　　 D. allowed

【小题18】A. when　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. once　　　　　　　　　　　 C. until　　　　　　　　　　　 D. whether

【小题19】A. teacher　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. writer　　　　　　　　　　 C. expert　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. guide

【小题20】A. school　　　　　　　　　　　 B. start　　　　　　　　　　　 C. home　　　　　　　　　　 D. attention

完形填空（共20小题；每小题1分，满分20分）

     One day a young man was standing in the middle of the town proclaiming that he had the most beautiful heart in the whole valley. A large crowd gathered．and they all admired his heart for it was 　41　. There was not a scar in it. Suddenly, an old man appeared and said, “Why, your heart is not nearly as beautiful as 　42　.”

　　The crowd and the young man looked at the old man’s 　43　. It was full of scars, it had places 　44　 pieces had been removed and other pieces 45　 in, but they didn’t fit quite right, and there were several 　46　 edges. In fact, in some places there were deep gaps where whole pieces were missing.

　　The young man laughed. “ 　47　 your heart with mine, mine is perfect and yours is a mess of scars.”

　　“Yes,” said the old man, “Yours  48　 perfect but I would never trade with you. You see, every　49　 represents a person 　50　 I have given my love. I tear out a piece of my heart and give it to them, and often they 51　 me a piece of their heart that fits into the  52　 place in my heart. But because the pieces aren’t exact, I have some rough edges, which I cherish, because they remind me of the love we 　53　.

　　“Sometimes I have given pieces of my heart 　54　, and the other person hasn’t returned a 　55　 of his or her heart to me. These are the empty gaps—giving love is 　56　 a chance. Although these gaps are painful, they 　57　 open, reminding me of the love I have for those people too, and I hope someday they may return and fill the space I have been waiting. So now do you see what true beauty is?’’

　　The young man walked up to the old man, 　58　 his perfect heart, and tipped a piece out. He 　59　 it to the old man.

　　The old man placed it in his heart, then took a piece from his old scarred heart and placed it in the wound in the young man’s heart. It 　60　, but not perfectly, as there were some jagged edges.

　　The young man looked at his heart, not perfect anymore but more beautiful than ever, since love from the old man’s heart flowed into his.

　　They embraced and walked away side by side.

A．ugly　　　　　B．perfect　　　　　 C．beautiful　　　　D．hurt

A．mine　　　　 B．his　　　　　　　 C．theirs　　　　　D．ours

A．coat　　　　　B．appearance　　　　C．face　　　　　 D．heart

A．that　　　　　B．which　　　　　　C．where　　　　　D．whose

A．cut　　　　　 B．set　　　　　　　C．put　　　　　　 D．brought

A．smooth　　　 B．rough　　　　　　C．broken　　　　　D．pretty

A.Comparing　　　B．Compared　　　　C．Compare　　　 D．Compares

A．looks　　　　 B．seems　　　　　　C．is　　　　　　　D．fits

A．one　　　　　 B．heart　　　　　　 C．piece　　　　　 D．scar

A．on whom　　 B．in whom　　　　　C．with whom　　  D．to whom

A．take　　　　 B．give　　　　　　　C．lend　　　　　　D．pass

A．empty　　　 B．full　　　　　　　 C．original　　　　 D．first

A．had　　　　  B．gave　　　　　　 C．shared　　　　　D．owned

A．in　　　　　 B．away　　　　　　 C．off　　　　　　D．up

A．lot　　　　　 B．sheet　　　　　　 C．piece　　　　　D．pile

A．making　　　 B．taking　　　　　　C．keeping　　　　D．bringing

A．keep　　　　　B．cut　　　　　　　C．come　　　　　D．stay

A．carried away　　B．reached into　　　C．took out　　　 D．brought up

A．offered　　　　B．took　　　　　　C．passed　　　　　D．served

A．fit　　　　　　B．hit　　　　　　　C．beat　　　　　　D．set

完形填空（共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分）

阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从36-55各题所给的四个选项（A，B，C和D）中，选出最佳选项。

Trudy, an American girl, tried swimming across the English Channel. That was August 6, 1962. Her father had　 36　 her two things. One was not to pull her out of the water　 37　 she asked. The other was to give her a red sports　 38　 if she made it.

In gay spirits Trudy　 39　 out , swimming strongly. All the swimmers started at 7：09 in the morning. His father and the trainer were going along in a boat beside her.

At ten o’clock, rain began falling.　 40　 , Trudy trod （踩）water while drinking and eating a chicken leg. Then she started swimming　 41　 The wind was　 42　 and the sea became rougher.

Late　 43　 the wind became even worse. The trainer　 44　 it was useless trying to finish. He called to Trudy to　 45　 .

“No human being could do it in this weather, ” he said, “It’s　 46　 to go on.

However, her father shouted, “Don’t grab her. Let her　 47　 ”

At seven o’clock the tides（潮水）turned　 48　 her. It was more difficult to move ahead. But Trudy still swam on. She　 49　 victory was possible now, for the English coast was in　 50　 .

It was getting dark. A sound could be heard　 51　 the wind; hundreds of car horns （喇叭）were cheering her on. With　 52　 strength, she finished the last 200 yards.

At 9：35 p.m. Trudy got out of water. She had swum some 35 miles in　 53　 the 21 - mile - wide - Channel　 54　 a strong storm. But she had made it in 14 hours and 30 minutes.

“Well, Pop, ”she said to her father. “I　 55　 I get my car this time, don’t I”

36．A. given                  B. refused              C. allowed             D. promised

37．A. as                    B. unless               C. even if              D. when

38．A. suit                    B. shoe                C. hat                 D. car

39．A. rushed                 B. left                 C. started               D. worked

40．A. At midday              B. In the morning          C. In the evening    D. In the late afternoon

41．A. faster                  B. better               C. again               D. across

42．A. stopping　              B. rising               C. changing            D. increasing

43．A. morning               B  afternoon           C. evening             D. night

44．A. thought                B. considered           C. decided             D. felt

45．A. keep up                B. slow down          C. give up              D. take a rest

46．A. difficult                        B. stupid               C. impossible           D. unnecessary

47．A. go                    B. decide              C. come out            D. go on

48．A. towards                B. with                C. at                  D. against

49．A. realized                 B. noticed              C. found out            D. thought

50．A. the distance                     B. reach               C. sight                D. hand

51．A. over                  B. in                  C. with                D. from

52．A. fresh                  B. greater              C. weakening           D. remaining

53．A. flying                  B. swimming          C. crossing             D. passing

54．A. in spite of                B. because of            C. against              D. during

55．A. demand               B. am afraid            C. hope               D. guess

完形填空（共20小题，每小题1.5分，满分30分）
When Wilson got to the airport, 36 flight was already being called 37 the loudspeakers. The day before he had given up his 38 for a morning flight and had booked（预定）an afternoon 39 instead. He had to go to the reservations（预定）desk to collect his 40ticket.
　　He apologized for being 41.The reservations clerk（预订票的职员）smiled and began to look through the reservations in front of her. Then her 42 disappeared and 43 began to look 44 .
　　“Your ticket doesn’t seem to be here, ” she said. “Let me check it with the computer. ”The　45 clicked（滴答声）and whirred（飕飕声）and 46 began to flash 47 , his flight was called a second time. Wilson became very 48 .  49 the girl looked 50 .
　　“There’s been a mistake. Your new ticket was sent to you by post. That’s why it isn’t here”, she said. 51 took her only a 52 time to write 53 a new one. Wilson managed to catch the plane just before it took 54 . “What a way to start a 55 !” he thought.

A young man was one day taking a walk with a professor. As they went along, they saw   36  in the path a pair of old shoes. They guessed the shoes belonged to a poor man who had   37  finished his day’s work in a field close by.
　　The student   38  the professor, saying, “Let’s play the man a(n)   39 : we will hide his shoes, and we stay behind those bushes to see his   40  when he cannot find them.”
　　“My young friend,” answered the professor, “we should never   41  ourselves in that way. You are   42 , and may give yourself a greater pleasure by helping the poor man. Perhaps we put a   43  into each shoe, and watch his reaction.”
　　The student did so, and they both   44  themselves behind the bushes. The poor man soon finished his work, and came   45  the field to the path where he had left his coat and shoes. While   46  his coat he slipped his foot into one of his shoes; but feeling something   47 , he bent down to feel what it was, and found the coin.
He was   48 , and looked at the coin again and again. He then looked around   49  on all sides, but no person was to be seen. He now put the money into his pocket, and began to put on the other shoe; but his surprise was   50  on finding the other coin.
　　His feelings overcame him; he fell upon his   51 , looked up to heaven and preyed, He spoke of his wife, sick and   52 , and his children without bread. The timely giving, from some unknown hand, would   53  from dying.
　　The student was moved and his eyes filled with tears. “Now,” said the professor, “are you not much better pleased than if you had played your   54  trick?”
The youth replied, “Thank you! Sir! I feel now the   55  of those words, which I never understood before: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’

【小题18】

A．support B．learn C．treat D．save