I am a music store owner. One day, when I was cleaning the instruments in my store, I saw an old man come in. His short steps dragged on the carpet. “Is 77 too old to learn the banjo (班卓琴)?”  he asked.
“You can learn to play it well,” I replied, holding back my doubts. My mind told me I was giving false encouragement. I reached the instructor’s schedule and gave the rates, the available time and the additional information that he would need. To my surprise and delight, the old man, Carl, began banjo lessons three days later with my most patient teacher.
With nothing to do at home but practice, Carl made surprising progress. After breakfast he practiced for his required half hour. While waiting for lunch he picked up his banjo again for just a couple of minutes. Since TV was difficult for him to see and hear, he often played the banjo in the evenings. Carl was always early for lessons so it was a surprise that he didn’t arrive one Tuesday.
The next morning I listened to the answering machine with sadness. “Carl’s in hospital,” the voice recorded.
Two months later, I shared the newspaper obituary with the banjo teacher. We both shed tears for a surprisingly clever banjo student.
Several months later, a woman came into the store carrying a plant. “This is for Carl’s banjo teacher,” she said. “I’m his wife, Mary.”
“Why did Carl want to play the banjo?” I asked. Mary took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Carl was at some show when he was 10 years old. He came close to the stage to watch the performers. When they were packing up their instruments, the banjo player said to Carl, ‘You want to see this up close?’ Carl climbed up on the stage and from then on he wanted to play the banjo.” Carl had waited 67 years to realize a dream! Mary gave the plant to me. “Thank you for the best six months of his life,” she said.
68. In Paragraph 2, the author’s reaction to Carl’s question showed that he ______.
A. was willing to help                   
B. didn’t want to encourage Carl
C. didn’t want to give him false encouragement 
D. encouraged Carl though he had doubts
69. How did Carl learn to play the banjo well?
A. By working hard.                    B. By taking short cuts.
C. By asking his wife to help him.        D. By finding the best teacher.
70. The underlined word “obituary” in Para.5 means a notice that _______.
A. announces somebody has died    B. announces somebody is needed
C. announces a good piece of news  D. announces a gift for somebody

I am a music store owner. One day, when I was cleaning the instruments in my store, I saw an old man come in. His short steps dragged on the carpet. “Is 77 too old to learn the banjo (班卓琴)?”  he asked.

   “You can learn to play it well,” I replied, holding back my doubts. My mind told me I was giving false encouragement. I reached the instructor’s schedule and gave the rates, the available time and the additional information that he would need. To my surprise and delight, the old man, Carl, began banjo lessons three days later with my most patient teacher.

    With nothing to do at home but practice, Carl made surprising progress. After breakfast he practiced for his required half hour. While waiting for lunch he picked up his banjo again for just a couple of minutes. Since TV was difficult for him to see and hear, he often played the banjo in the evenings. Carl was always early for lessons so it was a surprise that he didn’t arrive one Tuesday.

   The next morning I listened to the answering machine with sadness. “Carl’s in hospital,” the voice recorded.

   Two months later, I shared the newspaper obituary with the banjo teacher. We both shed tears for a surprisingly clever banjo student.

   Several months later, a woman came into the store carrying a plant. “This is for Carl’s banjo teacher,” she said. “I’m his wife, Mary.”

   “Why did Carl want to play the banjo?” I asked. Mary took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Carl was at some show when he was 10 years old. He came close to the stage to watch the performers. When they were packing up their instruments, the banjo player said to Carl, ‘You want to see this up close?’ Carl climbed up on the stage and from then on he wanted to play the banjo.” Carl had waited 67 years to realize a dream! Mary gave the plant to me. “Thank you for the best six months of his life,” she said.

68. In Paragraph 2, the author’s reaction to Carl’s question showed that he ______.

    A. was willing to help                   

B. didn’t want to encourage Carl

    C. didn’t want to give him false encouragement 

D. encouraged Carl though he had doubts

69. How did Carl learn to play the banjo well?

  A. By working hard.                     B. By taking short cuts.

  C. By asking his wife to help him.          D. By finding the best teacher.

70. The underlined word “obituary” in Para.5 means a notice that _______.

  A. announces somebody has died     B. announces somebody is needed

  C. announces a good piece of news   D. announces a gift for somebody

One morning Raman, a true master of the art of archery (箭术), invited his favorite student to watch a display of his skill. The student had 36 this more than a
hundred times before, but he still obeyed his 37.
Together, they went into a nearby wood and reached a tall 38. Raman picked a rose flower and 39 it on one of the branches of the tree. He 40 opened his bag and took out three objects: his 41, an arrow and a white handkerchief.
Raman stood one hundred paces from the spot where he had placed the 42. Facing his target, he 43 his student to blindfold (蒙住眼睛) him with the handkerchief. The student did as his teacher 44.
“How often have you seen me practice the sport of archery?” Raman asked him 45.
“Every day,” replied his student. “And you have 46 managed to hit the rose from three hundred paces away.”
With his eyes covered by the 47, Raman placed his feet firmly on the ground and 48 the bowstring (弓弦) with all his strength. Aiming at the rose on the 49, he let the arrow fly. The arrow whistled through the air, 50 it did not even hit the tree, missing the target by a few meters.
“Did I 51 it?” said Raman, removing the handkerchief from his eyes.
“No, you missed 52,” replied the student. “I thought you were going to 53 me the power of thought and your ability to perform magic.”
“I have 54 taught you the most important lesson about the power of thought.” replied Raman. “When you 55 something, concentrate only on that: No one will ever hit a target they cannot see.”

One morning Raman, a true master of the art of archery(箭术), invited his favorite student to watch a display of his skill. The student had  36 this more than a hundred times before, but he still obeyed his  37 .
Together, they went into a nearby wood and reached a tall  38 . Raman picked a rose flower and   39 it on one of the branches of the tree. He  40 opened his bag and took out three objects: his   41 , an arrow and a white handkerchief.
Raman stood one hundred paces from the spot where he had placed the  42 . Facing his target, he  43 his student to blindfold(蒙住眼睛) him with the handkerchief. The student did as his teacher   44 .
“How often have you seen me practice the sport of archery?” Raman asked him  45 .
“Every day,” replied his student. “And you have  46 managed to hit the rose from three hundred paces away.”
With his eyes covered by the  47 , Raman placed his feet firmly on the ground and  48 the bowstring(弓弦) with all his strength. Aiming at the rose on the  49 , he let the arrow fly. The arrow whistled through the air,   50 it did not even hit the tree, missing the target by a few meters.
“Did I  51 it?” said Raman, removing the handkerchief from his eyes.
“No, you missed   52 ,” replied the student. “I thought you were going to  53 me the power of thought and your ability to perform magic.”
“I have  54 taught you the most important lesson about the power of thought.” replied Raman. “When you  55 something, concentrate only on that: No one will ever hit a target they cannot see.”

I had offered to watch my 3-year –old daughter, so that my wife could go out with a friend. I was getting some work done in my study while she __1__to be having a good time in the other room. No problem, I figured. But then it got a little too ___2____and I shouted, “What are you doing?” No response, I_ 3____ my question and heard her say, “oh…nothing.” Nothing?

_8_____, she turned toward me. In her hand was what was left of my wife’s new lipstick. And every square inch of her face was ___9_____with bright red! As she looked up at me with fearful eyes, I heard___10____voice that had been shouted to me as a child. “How could you…You should know…How many times have you been____11_____… What a bad thing to do…” It was just a matter of my picking out which old _____12_____I was going to use on her so that she would know what a bad girl she had been. But ____13___ I could let loose, I looked ____14___at the sweater on her. In big ___15_____it said, “I’M A PERFECT LITTLE ANGEL(天使)!” I looked back up into her tearful eyes and, __16____seeing a bad girl who didn’t listen, I saw a little angel full of ___17____that I had come dangerously close to ___18_____. “Sweetheart, let’s take a picture so Mommy can see how ___19____you look.” I took the picture and thanked God that I didn’t ____20____the chance to prove what a perfect little angel he had given me.

1. A. happened　　　　    B. liked　　　　   C. appeared　　　　   D. pretended

2.A. long　　　　　　　　 B. quiet　　　　   C. calm　　　　　　  D. strange

3.A. asked　　　　　　    B. answered　　   C. raised　　　　　　 D. repeated

4.A. into　　　　　　　　 B. of　　　　　　  C. from　　　　　　  D. for

5.A. way　　　　　　　　 B. turn　　　　    C. change    　　　　D. progress

6.A. followed　　　　　　 B. scolded　　　　 C. cornered　　　　  D. fooled

7.A. laughed　　　　　　  B. listened　　　　 C. agreed　　　　    D .refused

8.A. Slowly　　　　　　   B. Eagerly　　　　 C. Angrily　　　　   D. Unfortunately

9.A. filled　　　　　　    B. marked　　　　  C. printed　　　　   D. covered

10.A. every　　　　　　    B. such　　　　    C. any　　　　　　  D. one

11.A. told　　　　　　　　 B. beaten　　　　   C. frightened　　　　 D. forbidden

12.A. reports　　    　　  B. notice　　　　    C. advice　　　　   D. words

13.A. as　　　　　　　　  B. when　　　　　　 C. since　　　　    D. before

14.A. up　　　　　　　　  B. down　　　　    C. in　　　　　　   D. on

15.A. signs　　　　　　   B. letters　　　　　　  C. messages　　　　 D. figures

16.A. because of　　　　   B .instead of　　　　  C. in spite of　　　　 D. as a result of

17.A. value　　　　　　   B. sadness　　　　    C. pities　　　　　　 D. tricks

18.A. preventing　　　　   B. getting rid of　　   C. destroying　　　　 D. doing wrong on

19.A. dirty　　　　　　    B. ugly　　　　　　  C. special　　　　    D. silly

20.A. have　　　　　　    B. get　　　　　　   C. take　　　　　　  D. miss