Nick was not the kind of boy I had expected to spend my summer with. I was hoping to     have a   21   the summer before my busy senior year, but my mother asked me to do her a   22  . One of her colleagues needed a full-time   23  . “You planned to volunteer at the local hospital, why not volunteer to   24   Nick instead?” Then she told me that this six-year-old boy was not a   25   child.

Nick was a lovely little boy who suffered from many disorders. Normal day-care centres would not   26   him. As a baby, he had serious ear infections which left him with equilibrium (平衡) problems. He couldn’t   27   or run properly. I was hesitating (犹豫)   28   I was to take the job when my mother   29  , “Don’t you want to be a nurse in the future? I doubt if you even have the   30  .”

Then I told her I was   31   for the job.

The day started at 7:00 a.m. Nick was my wake-up call! With so much energy and very little   32  , he was quite a mix.

In the park, when he saw all the other children play on the jungle gym and swings (秋千)， the boy’s face   33   up — how he wished he belonged to the group of his age! You would think it would be   34   to get a child to go down a slide (滑梯). Believe me, it wasn’t! It took time, a lot of time. But with patience and support, Nick took one step up the slide each day. We worked together to face his   35   and gradually he got closer to taking the slide of his life.

Halfway through the summer, he   36   it to the top of the slide. With my arms   37   him tightly, we flew down the slide! I waited for his reaction. After realizing that he was safe and sound, he gave me a big   38   and asked, “May I go down again, alone?” I had never been happier in my life when I saw this little child climb the ladder and enjoy what other children   39   for granted.  This   40   child taught me that being a nurse means respect, kindness and patience.

1.A. grade      B. course          C. project        D. relaxation

2.A. service    B. favour      C. business        D. trade

3.A. nurse      B. waitress      C. guard        D. guide

4.A. protect    B. defend       C. attend        D. comfort

5.A. normal     B. naughty      C. clever        D. happy

6.A. admit      B. receive     C. accept          D. adopt

7.A. speak      B. play        C. stand          D. walk

8.A. if        B. what         C. why                D. where

9.A. suggested  B. argued     C. challenged         D. commented

10.A. energy     B. courage      C. faith                 D. time

11.A. eager      B. sorry        C. grateful        D. ready

12.A. awareness  B. balance      C. knowledge      D. control

13.A. delighted  B. cheered      C. lit                 D. shut

14.A. difficult  B. simple        C. interesting       D. terrible

15.A. fears      B. worries     C. chances        D. situations

16.A. climbed    B. got        C. managed        D. made

17.A. taking     B. holding    C. bringing        D. greeting

18.A. kiss       B. clap        C. welcome          D. surprise

19.A. play       B. do                     C. take                  D. enjoy

20.A. miserable  B. smart       C. brave           D. special

How often do you change your hairstyle or ask for new dresses? You may be   16  to follow trends（潮流）in Western countries, but young people in the United States don’t care as much about   17  as you do.

A recent survey among high school   18  in China, Japan, South Korea and the US found that   19  teenagers care more about their appearance than young people in the US.

This survey was held in 156 high schools in the four countries. More than 7,000 teenagers were  20  about their views on life and the world. South Koreans, at 83 per cent, cared most about their looks. They were   21  by the Chinese and Japanese, while US students showed the least interest in fashion at only 33 per cent.

“The different results show   22  of cultural background,” said Sun Yunxiao from the China Youth and Children Research Centre. He explained that in the US there are many different   23  of beauty, so teens are more   24  to be confident about their appearance.

US teenagers’ high self-confidence is displayed in the   25 . About 85 per cent are happy with themselves. The percentage of self-confident Chinese students stands at only 30 per cent.

What’s   26 , US students showed more individuality, with 88 per cent   27  that “people should follow their own interests rather than   28 of others”. This is much   29  than South Korea’s 69 per cent, China’s 49 and Japan’s 48.

Japanese students, at 52 per cent, are most dissatisfied with modern society. Chinese and Koreans follow at second and   30  most dissatisfied.

“  31  to the survey, Chinese students are happy and disciplined. They have a strong wish to make a difference.   32  Chinese students need to be more independent and learn how to relax,” said Sun.

The students have different   33  backgrounds. But home and places where friends gather are the favorite places all teens seek happiness.

Exams and worries about life after graduation cause much   34  among most of the teens  35  for the survey.

About a year ago, I went to stay at a Detroit hotel. I didn’t want to  21  too much money with me, so I asked the desk clerk to put a hundred-dollar bill in the safe for me.
The next morning, 22 , the clerk said that he knew nothing about my money. I didn’t have any proof 23  I had given the man the money. There was clearly nothing left to do but go to the 24 lawyer.
The lawyer 25 me to return to the hotel with him and give another hundred dollar bill to the desk. So we did. An hour later, I went 26 to the desk and asked for my money.  27 I had the lawyer as an eyewitness to the 28 hundred dollar bill, the clerk could not say he  29  nothing about it.
Another hour later, I put the second part of the lawyer’s 30 into action. This time both the lawyer and I went to the hotel to 31 for the hundred-dollar bill once again, and  32  the clerk insisted that he had given  33  to me, I said it was not true. The lawyer said to him, “ I  34  this gentleman give you a hundred-dollar bill. If you don’t hand it 35  immediately, I will be forced to call the  36 ”. The clerk realized he had been 37 , so he gave me back the first hundred-dollar bill.
“ I don’t know  38  to thank you enough for  39  my money back.” I said to the lawyer. And what do you suppose he answered? He said, “ Oh, don’t  40  me. That will be one hundred dollars, please.”

Halloween

History experts say Halloween goes back more than two thousand years to the Celts(凯尔特人) of ancient Britain.October 31 was the Celtic Day of the autumn feast(宗教节日).On that day,priests(牧师) of the Celtic religion(宗教) prayed that the spirits of the dead would return to their homes for a few hours.The Celts built huge fires to frighten away evil spirits released with the dead on that night.

Hundreds of years later,the Roman Catholic(天主教的) Church made November first a day to honor Christian Saints.It was called All Saints Day or All Hallows Day.The day before was called Hallow Eve or Halloween.The name came from the church.But the traditions were closer to the old Celtic beliefs.

People from Scotland and Ireland brought these traditions to America.Many people still believed spirits played tricks on people on the last night of October.

In the late 19th century,American boys helped the spirits with tricks of their own.On Halloween,they would do things like change street signs or put a wagon on top of a house.

American children continue to celebrate Halloween today.Many adults enjoy the holiday as well.They go to holiday parties dressed as ghosts,monsters or famous people from history.

Children continue these Halloween traditions by going out to “Trick or Treat”.They dress as frightening creatures or characters from popular movies.They go from house to house asking for candy.They may also ask for money for the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund(联合国国际儿童急救基金会).They send the money to UNICEF to help needy children around the world.

1.Who believed that the dead spirits would return home on Halloween?

A.The Celts.　　　　　　　　　　　　 B.American boys.

C.People from Italy.　　　　　　　　 D.People from Rome.

2.Who gave the name of Halloween?

A.The Celts.　　　　　　　　　　　　 B.American boys.

C.People from Scotland.　　　　　　　　　 D.Roman Catholic Church.

3.”Trick or Treat”means 　　　.

A.give us bananas or we’ll not leave

B.give us candy or we’ll make trouble

C.give us apples or we’ll go into your kitchen

D.give us oranges or we’ll cry here

4.On Halloween children go from house to house asking money 　　　.

A.to buy their candy

B.to buy their pens

C.to send to their parents

D.to help the poor children in the world

阅读下面短文，从短文后所给各题的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

When I was in the 8^th grade in Ohio, a girl named Helen in my class had a terrible accident. As she was  31   to the bus in order not to miss it, she slipped on the ice and fell under the back wheels of the bus. She 32  the accident but was paralyzed from the waist down. I went to see her, in my 13-year-old 33  thinking that she wouldn’t live 34  from then on.

Over the years, I  35  and didn’t think much about Helen after that. Three years ago ,in Florida, my oldest son was hit by a car while riding his bike, 36  a terrible brain injury. While I was looking after my son, a lady who said she was the hospital’s social worker called. It was a(an)  37  trying(难受的)day. I burst into tears for no reason and rang 38  .

A short time later, a beautiful woman, in a wheelchair, 39  into my son’s room with a box of  40  .After 16 years, I still 41  Helen. She smiled, handed me the tissues and hugged me. I told her who I was, and after we both went through the shock of that, she began to tell me about 42  since we last saw each other. She married, had children and got her degree so that she  43 the path for those people who were less 44 than her. She told me that if there was anything she could give me, it would be  45 .

Looking at this wonderful, giving person, I felt  46  .But I also felt the first hope I had since learning that my son was  47  .From this person that I thought would have no  48 of life, I learned that where there is life, there is hope. My son miraculously(神奇的)  49 and we moved north, but I owe Helen 50  that I can never repay.