Living in South Africa, I had always taken the wildlife pretty much for granted. Not to say that we were surrounded by it, but the accessibility of game parks and wildlife sanctuaries（避难所，庇护所） always made it seem like a natural part of the environment. For this reason, I suppose that the way my European friends used to talk to me, wasn’t so strange after all. They would ask me what I thought at the time were really silly questions which got on my nerves. They’d say things like ‘Do you have a pet baboon?’ or ‘Do you travel to school by elephant?’.

When Amanda, a friend of mine who was visiting from England, invited me to join her and a group of friends on a wildlife expedition, I was not filled with enthusiasm. However, from the moment we entered the gates of the Zaluzi game reserve, I knew that this was not going to be anything like I had expected. We had been traveling along the National Road when, suddenly, we turned onto a dirt track which seemed to be hidden in the middle of nowhere. Amazingly, the scenery changed dramatically. The civilized environment took on a wild, chaotic（混沌的；一片混乱的） aspect and continued to do so as we walked deeper into the bush.

After having a good night’s sleep at one of the reserve’s bungalows, we were woken at the crack of dawn. After a quick breakfast we piled into a jeep and set off. Our guide assured us that the early start was necessary in order to have the best chance of seeing what was really worthwhile. Armed with just a thermos of coffee, we set out towards the shore of a small lake where it was expected that we could see that animals that used it as their morning watering hole.

On the way to our destination, we topped a hill and there, against the emerging morning light, were a group of animals.  It was a stunning sight. As we moved closer, the animals did not appear to be alarmed by our presence. Pet baboons aside, I had never before come within such close range of a pride of lions. It did cross my mind, however, that we might be in a certain amount of danger. When I asked Timothy, our game ranger, if we were actually in any danger, he replied straightforwardly that one is never entirely safe in the bush, but his knowledge and experience allowed him to anticipate any danger with reasonable accuracy.

However, the following day there was some cause for alarm. Not having started out so early, we missed the sightings of the day before. We decided to drive around for a while, hoping to come across something of interest. Suddenly our tracker perched up on the back of our vehicle, signaled to the driver to halt and at the same moment I realized that this time we had stumbled right into a pride of lions. The driver promptly turned off the engine and in a low voice warned us to remain seated and not to make any abrupt movements. The lions were picking at what looked like the remains of a zebra. Timothy, later told us how much to our advantage this was. Had their bellies not been full, their reaction to us would surely have been otherwise. As the nearest lion was less than three meters away from the jeep, I considered that we had been very lucky indeed.

All in all, it was a wonderful trip. Our near miss with the lions was without a doubt the highlight, but what it taught me yet again was how easy it is to be indifferent to our surroundings and not to have a full appreciation of the beauty around us.

1.How did the writer feel about the questions her European friends asked?

A. ridiculous      B. annoyed       C. strange     D. embarrassed

2.When did the writer’s attitude change about the expedition?

A. When she was traveling along the dirt track.

B. When she received her invitation.

C. When she arrived at the game reserve.

D. When her friend arrived from England.

3.What does the underlined word ‘It’ (in the fourth paragraph) refer to?

A. the pride of lions     B. the destination

C. the top of the hill     D. the morning light

4.Timothy’s experience as a game ranger was valuable because he ______________

A. could supply a straightforward answer to any question.

B. knew how to frighten the animals.

C. knew the game reserve well.

D. could identify trouble in advance.

5.What does the writer mean by the underlined sentence ‘we had been very lucky indeed’ in the fifth paragraph?

A. They had seen the lions up close.    B. They hadn’t been attacked.

C. They had a good guide with them.   D. They had gone on a trip.

6.What conclusion does the writer of the text come to?

A. We often do not realize how attractive our environment really is.

B. It is not clever to unnecessarily put ourselves in dangerous situations.

C. We don’t respect wild animals enough.

D. We should protect our surroundings.

Today I was at the mall waiting for friends, when a lady wearing a knit hat and a sweater came up to me and, shivering, said, “I’m homeless. Would you mind buying me some food?”

    In that split second, everything I’d learned since kindergarten flashed through my mind. Don’t talk to strangers … Be a good citizen … People will take ­advantage of you … Treat others as you wish to be treated … The greatest thing you’ll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return … I guess love won the debate. “Sure,” I said. “What would you like?”

    She thought and then said, “I’d like to get Chinese food.” We headed upstairs. On the way she told me about when she was a teenager. She remembers taking pictures for the yearbook with her best friend. She was in the band and played basketball. She got good grades and was a good student.

    She ordered soup, an egg roll, white rice, and pepper chicken. I would normally think that was a lot, but she had probably barely eaten in the last few days. I got my usual – lo mein and General Tso’s chicken.

    As we ate, we got to know each other. She asked if I played any instruments. I replied that I played the violin, cello, and guitar. She told me she played the flute, piano, guitar, and violin. In the middle of our meal, I realized something. And she thought of it at exactly the same time.

    “So, what’s your name?” she asked.

    “I’m Claire,” I said, startled at our exact same thought. “What’s yours?”

    “Joyce,” she said with a smile.

    We continued talking, and she asked my favorite subjects in school and if I wanted to go to college. “Hopefully,” I replied. “I’m interested in nursing.”

    “I went to college for nursing,” she said.

    I was taken aback. How could we have so much in common? Was she pretending so I’d feel sympathy for her? But her eyes were genuine as she said this.

    Meanwhile I was eating my lo mein, picking around the cabbage and the other vegetables. Joyce said, “If you don’t like it you can take it back.” I told her that I liked it, but was not fond of the vegetables. She broke into a big grin. “You don’t like vegetables, huh? Neither did I. But now I do.” I immediately felt guilty. How could I be picking at my food across from someone who barely gets to eat at all?

    I tried my best to finish, but she seemed to sense my guilt and said, “You don’t have to eat it if you don’t want it.” How could she know what I was feeling? I told her the dish was my favorite, but I just eat slowly.

    She replied, “I used to like lo mein, but pepper chicken was my dad’s favorite, so I get that now.” Noticing that she used the word “was,” I assumed her dad had passed away. I found it sweet that she gave up her favorite in order to honor her dad.

    She asked why I was at the mall.

    “I’m waiting for friends. We’re going to see ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,’” I replied, stumbling over the words a bit.

    “‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,’” she echoed in awe. “What’s that about?” I realized that she didn’t see commercials for movies.

    I explained the basic plot and she chuckled. “A man who is born 80 years old and ages backwards! That sounds interesting.”

    She got up to get a to-go box. “Would you like one?” she asked, but I refused. I realized that this food would probably last her for a few days, and I was glad she had ordered a lot.

    “Would you like these?” I asked, gesturing at the food I had left untouched. “Oh, no, thank you,” she said. “This is enough.” I got up to throw my tray away, feeling guilty about wasting so much.

    “I need to meet my friends now,” I explained. “It was so nice to meet you, Joyce.”

    “You too, Claire,” she replied with a smile. “Thank you.”

    I headed to the theater, and she went back downstairs. It sounds like a perfect coincidence, but I can’t help but think that some force compelled us to meet. I kept puzzling, Why is Joyce homeless? It seems so unfair. She shouldn’t need people to buy her dinner. She was a nurse. She got good grades. She took pictures for her yearbook. She was the person I hope to be in the future. What went wrong? How could such a good life be rewarded with horrible luck?

    I feel lucky to have run into Joyce. She changed my outlook. She is still a wonderful person, despite what the world has done to her. I wish her the best, and can only hope that the force that brought us together will help her find what she deserves in life.

1.From the second paragraph we know that the writer _________.

   A. debated with the girl over moral issues

B. hates having to make a quick decision

   C. hesitated before she decided to reach out

D. fell in love with the girl at the first sight

2.The writer felt guilty for a moment because ________.

   A. she was particular about food and also wasted so much

   B. she was a strict vegetarian who ate very little

   C. she didn’t order enough food for the girl

   D. she urged the girl to take her share of food

3.Why did Joyce end up unemployed and homeless?

   A. She was a victim of high education

B. She actually had some kind of mental disorder

   C. She graduated with average grades

D. The reason is not yet given.

4.Which detail doesn’t show the coincidence in the story?

   A. They both took interest in nursing.

   B. They were about to ask names of each other at the same time.

   C. When Claire headed to the theater, Joyce went back downstairs.

   D. They were both musical lovers.

5.The writer was very happy to have met Joyce because______.

   A. she didn’t know what she was going to be until then.

   B. this chance meeting changed her attitudes towards life in a way.

   C. she was glad to be able to pay for someone in need.

   D. hopefully the force that brought them together may bring good luck to Joyce.

6.The passage is intended to _______.

   A. arouse readers’ curiosity

B. explore social problems

   C. teach readers a lesson

D. share a sweet personal story

Today I was at the mall waiting for friends, when a lady wearing a knit hat and a sweater came up to me and, shivering, said, “I’m homeless. Would you mind buying me some food?”
In that split second, everything I’d learned since kindergarten flashed through my mind. Don’t talk to strangers … Be a good citizen … People will take ­advantage of you … Treat others as you wish to be treated … The greatest thing you’ll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return … I guess love won the debate. “Sure,” I said. “What would you like?”
She thought and then said, “I’d like to get Chinese food.” We headed upstairs. On the way she told me about when she was a teenager. She remembers taking pictures for the yearbook with her best friend. She was in the band and played basketball. She got good grades and was a good student.
She ordered soup, an egg roll, white rice, and pepper chicken. I would normally think that was a lot, but she had probably barely eaten in the last few days. I got my usual – lo mein and General Tso’s chicken.
As we ate, we got to know each other. She asked if I played any instruments. I replied that I played the violin, cello, and guitar. She told me she played the flute, piano, guitar, and violin. In the middle of our meal, I realized something. And she thought of it at exactly the same time.
“So, what’s your name?” she asked.
“I’m Claire,” I said, startled at our exact same thought. “What’s yours?”
“Joyce,” she said with a smile.
We continued talking, and she asked my favorite subjects in school and if I wanted to go to college. “Hopefully,” I replied. “I’m interested in nursing.”
“I went to college for nursing,” she said.
I was taken aback. How could we have so much in common? Was she pretending so I’d feel sympathy for her? But her eyes were genuine as she said this.
Meanwhile I was eating my lo mein, picking around the cabbage and the other vegetables. Joyce said, “If you don’t like it you can take it back.” I told her that I liked it, but was not fond of the vegetables. She broke into a big grin. “You don’t like vegetables, huh? Neither did I. But now I do.” I immediately felt guilty. How could I be picking at my food across from someone who barely gets to eat at all?
I tried my best to finish, but she seemed to sense my guilt and said, “You don’t have to eat it if you don’t want it.” How could she know what I was feeling? I told her the dish was my favorite, but I just eat slowly.
She replied, “I used to like lo mein, but pepper chicken was my dad’s favorite, so I get that now.” Noticing that she used the word “was,” I assumed her dad had passed away. I found it sweet that she gave up her favorite in order to honor her dad.
She asked why I was at the mall.
“I’m waiting for friends. We’re going to see ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,’” I replied, stumbling over the words a bit.
“‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,’” she echoed in awe. “What’s that about?” I realized that she didn’t see commercials for movies.
I explained the basic plot and she chuckled. “A man who is born 80 years old and ages backwards! That sounds interesting.”
She got up to get a to-go box. “Would you like one?” she asked, but I refused. I realized that this food would probably last her for a few days, and I was glad she had ordered a lot.
“Would you like these?” I asked, gesturing at the food I had left untouched. “Oh, no, thank you,” she said. “This is enough.” I got up to throw my tray away, feeling guilty about wasting so much.
“I need to meet my friends now,” I explained. “It was so nice to meet you, Joyce.”
“You too, Claire,” she replied with a smile. “Thank you.”
I headed to the theater, and she went back downstairs. It sounds like a perfect coincidence, but I can’t help but think that some force compelled us to meet. I kept puzzling, Why is Joyce homeless? It seems so unfair. She shouldn’t need people to buy her dinner. She was a nurse. She got good grades. She took pictures for her yearbook. She was the person I hope to be in the future. What went wrong? How could such a good life be rewarded with horrible luck?
I feel lucky to have run into Joyce. She changed my outlook. She is still a wonderful person, despite what the world has done to her. I wish her the best, and can only hope that the force that brought us together will help her find what she deserves in life.

1. 1.

   From the second paragraph we know that the writer _________.

   1. A.
      debated with the girl over moral issues
   2. B.
      hates having to make a quick decision
   3. C.
      hesitated before she decided to reach out
   4. D.
      fell in love with the girl at the first sight
2. 2.

   The writer felt guilty for a moment because ________.

   1. A.
      she was particular about food and also wasted so much
   2. B.
      she was a strict vegetarian who ate very little
   3. C.
      she didn’t order enough food for the girl
   4. D.
      she urged the girl to take her share of food
3. 3.

   Why did Joyce end up unemployed and homeless?

   1. A.
      She was a victim of high education
   2. B.
      She actually had some kind of mental disorder
   3. C.
      She graduated with average grades
   4. D.
      The reason is not yet given.
4. 4.

   Which detail doesn’t show the coincidence in the story?

   1. A.
      They both took interest in nursing.
   2. B.
      They were about to ask names of each other at the same time.
   3. C.
      When Claire headed to the theater, Joyce went back downstairs.
   4. D.
      They were both musical lovers.
5. 5.

   The writer was very happy to have met Joyce because______.

   1. A.
      she didn’t know what she was going to be until then.
   2. B.
      this chance meeting changed her attitudes towards life in a way.
   3. C.
      she was glad to be able to pay for someone in need.
   4. D.
      hopefully the force that brought them together may bring good luck to Joyce.
6. 6.

   The passage is intended to _______.

   1. A.
      arouse readers’ curiosity
   2. B.
      explore social problems
   3. C.
      teach readers a lesson
   4. D.
      share a sweet personal story

While watching the Olympics the other night, I came across an incredible(难以置信的) sight. The  36  was swimming and started with only three men. For one reason or another, two of them had a 37 start, so they were disqualified. That would have been difficult enough, not having anyone to  38 against.

I watched the man  39  off the blocks and knew immediately that something was wrong. Now I’m not an expert  40  but I do know a good dive 41 a poor one, and this was not exactly medal  42  . I listened to the crowd begin to  43 this poor man that was clearly having a  44  time. Finally he made his turn to start back. It was 45  he made a few desperate(拼命的) stroke(划水) and you could tell he was exhausted.

But in those few  46 strokes, the crowd had changed. No longer were they laughing, but beginning to  47 . Some even began to  48  things like, “Come on, you can do it!” and he 49  finished his race. The crowd went  50 . Even though he recorded one of the  51 times in Olympic history, this man gave more heart than any of the other 52 .

In a competition where athletes remove their silver medals, feeling they have  53 been cheated out of gold, or when they act so  54  in front of their competitors, it is nice to watch an underdog(败者), a man that gave his all --- knowing that he had no chance, but competed because of his  55  and the spirit of the games.

1.                A．view           B．event          C．game D．match

2.                A．false           B．nervous        C．strange   D．violent

3.                A．fight           B．struggle         C．defend   D．race

4.                A．set            B．bounce         C．dive D．fall

5.                A．swimmer       B．coach          C．judge D．adviser

6.                A．from           B．in             C．beyond   D．between

7.                A．feature         B．quality          C．example  D．sign

8.                A．break off       B．stand by        C．laugh at   D．focus on

9.                A．happy          B．wonderful       C．satisfying  D．tough

10.               A．hopeful        B．pitiful          C．boring D．skillful

11.               A．intellectual      B．smart          C．awkward  D．excellent

12.               A．support        B．quit           C．cheer D．hesitate

13.               A．speak          B．present        C．conclude  D．yell

14.               A．eventually      B．hardly          C．successful D．nearly

15.               A．wild           B．angry          C．sad   D．grey

16.               A．fastest         B．luckiest         C．worst D．slowest

17.               A．companion      B．competitors     C．volunteers D．partners

18.               A．somehow       B．already         C．even D．anyway

19.               A．poorly         B．carelessly       C．sharply    D．proudly

20.               A．advantage      B．independence   C．determination  D．principle