One of my most unforgettable experiences is the day I finished my tough rowing and keep myself free of loneliness.

As the youngest female ever to row alone across the Atlantic Ocean, I was often asked the same question: How did you, a only 20-year old youngster row a 18-foot boat for 70 days through those strong winds and violent waves and survive?

Frankly speaking, for me, the physical challenge was not the greatest one. Before I made my mind to row across the Atlantic, I had already cycled 3,300 miles, run all by myself across the Mojave Desert, and swum the 325-mile length of the Allegheny River. No, the hardest part would be mental: How would I cope with the terrible loneliness and the boredom on the vast sea for such a long time?

I set out on January 1 and my first object was to swim past the quarter-way mark, which would take about 20 days. I made it on January 20, a gray and cloudy day. I had thought to do something to celebrate my first goal such as treating myself to a chocolate bar or something else. But I didn’t. I was suffering from unbearable boredom and loneliness of the long sea journey. I hadn’t seen any landing at least more than two weeks. It seemed to feel the same every day. Eating, rowing, sleeping, staring at the sky, watching the ocean.

Then that day came! It was around dusk, I noticed something move on the horizon. Yes, some dolphins! They approached me and circled my boat. Suddenly I felt so blessed. They had arrived to accompany me and helped to celebrate, just when I needed them so badly! For the next 15 minutes, I did row at full speed with all my strength with those lovely dolphins around. By the time they were to leave me and we went our separate ways, I was no longer lonely.

After 70 days and five hours at sea, I finally reached my final destination. I was proud that I made it, all 2,817 miles, which helped to raise $70,000 for the Blue Planet Run Foundation, an organization for funding drinking water. I’ve been told some athletes struggled to get through just by imagining the end during the whole process. But for me, what makes miracle is to focus your mind on the moment, where you experience the personal growth—those moments of awareness of being connected to the sun, the weather, and the waves. And, on the best day of my life, I had to admit those dolphins really freed myself from terrible loneliness.

1.Which of the following belongs to part of preparation for the row?

    A. Answering the same question raised by people

    B. Swimming the 325-mile length of the river

    C. Running 3,300 miles cross-country

    D. Biking across the Mojave Desert

2.The underlined part means ___________.

A. I wasn’t in the mood to celebrate my first goal

B. I didn’t have any chocolate bar for energy

C. It’s a pity not to celebrate my passing the quarter

D. It’s a pity not to treat myself to a chocolate bar

3.What can be implied from the last two paragraphs?

A. The Blue Planet Run Foundation helped me a lot.

B. The dolphins accompanied me to reach my destination

C. The unexpected dolphins swept away my loneliness

D. Imagination was a useful way to help me get through

4.Which can be the best title of the passage?

A. The only challenge for a 20-year old

B. Tips on handling loneliness at sea.

C. How to row alone across the Atlantic

D. The day I stopped being lonely

On the Iraq­Syria border，a pack of wild dogs circled American soldiers for food．The leader of the pack was a gray­and­white dog．The soldiers called him Nubs．Nubs was shaking and __36__ able to stand．Marine major Brian Dennis looked closer and saw that there was a knife wound __37__ his chest．

Dennis couldn’t stand seeing the dog __38__．He and his men immediately treated the wound，and gave Nubs medicine．Nubs__39__but was still in pain．The next day，the team had to__40__．Ten days later，Dennis’s unit was back，and so was Nubs．He was still___41__，but the men fed him and played with him．

Before long the unit once again__42__an outpost (前哨) 70 miles away．Nubs，slowly but determinedly，__43__them far into the trackless wasteland until the men lost__44__of him．Two days later，beyond Dennis’s__45__，he saw Nubs just outside the outpost．The dog had tracked him across 70 miles of frozen desert to__46__with the friend who had saved his life．From then on Nubs and the men slept in the same place，and ran around in the same ruins．

Until an order came down from above that they were not__47__to have pets. Dennis__48__to make sure the dog would continue to live the__49__life．So he quickly raised $4,000 from his family and friends to fly Nubs to__50__．

A month later，when Dennis and the dog were__51__in California，at first Nubs didn’t recognize the guy．__52__within minutes，the dog jumped into Dennis’s arms，jumping up again and again to__53__ his friend’s face．

A little__54__and concern in the middle of war will not save a violent world．But small stories，like the story of a soldier and a dog，hold a promise of a(n) __55__world．

1.                A．mostly         B．certainly        C．hardly    D．never

2.                A．in             B．on             C．at   D．behind

3.                A．stand          B．starve          C．bleed    D．suffer

4.                A．pulled through   B．fell asleep       C．woke up  D．fell down

5.                A．leave          B．rest            C．pass D．remain

6.                A．hungry         B．tired           C．dirty D．weak

7.                A．took up         B．took over       C．left for   D．returned from

8.                A．watched        B．followed        C．accompanied  D．barked

9.                A．touch          B．sight           C．footprint  D．smell

10.               A．ability          B．surprise        C．imagination D．understanding

11.               A．part           B．fight           C．meet D．break

12.               A．asked          B．suggested       C．required  D．allowed

13.               A．decided        B．agreed         C．accepted  D．proposed

14.               A．moving         B．good           C．numb D．interesting

15.               A．London        B．America        C．Iraq  D．Syria

16.               A．found          B．interviewed     C．linked D．reunited

17.               A．So            B．And           C．But   D．Though

18.               A．lick            B．touch          C．bite  D．clean

19.               A．pity           B．mercy          C．care  D．contribution

20.               A．equal          B．harmonious     C．prosperous D．amazing

On the Iraq-Syria border, a pack of wild dogs circled a group of American soldiers for food. The 1 of the pack was a gray-and-white dog. The soldiers 2 him Nubs. Nubs was shaking and 3  able to stand. Marine major Brian Dennis looked closer and saw that there was a knife wound 4 his chest.

      Dennis couldn’t 5 seeing the dog suffer. He and his men immediately treated the wound, and gave Nubs oral medicine. Nubs pulled through but was still 6. The next day, the team had to leave. Ten days later, Dennis’s unit was back and so was Nubs. He was still 7, but the men fed him and played with him.

   Before long the unit once again 8 an outpost (前哨) 70 miles away. Nubs, slowly but 9 tracked them far into the trackless wasteland until the men lost 10 of him. Two days later, beyond Dennis’s 11, he saw Nubs just outside the outpost. The dog had 12 him across 70 miles of frozen desert to meet the friend who had saved his life. From then on Nubs and the men slept in the same place, and ran around in the same ruins.

   Until a(n) 13 came down from above that they should not be allowed to have pets, Dennis decided to make sure the dog 14 continue to live the good life. So he quickly 15 $4,000 from his family and friends to fly Nubs to 16.

   A month later, when Dennis and the dog were 17 in California, at first Nubs didn’t recognize the guy. 18 within seconds , the dog flew into Dennis’s arms, 19 up again and again to lick his friend’s face.

   A little care and concern in the middle of war will not save a 20 world. But small stories, like the story of a soldier and a dog, hold a promise of a harmonious world.

1.A. guider                           B. leader                              C. major                               D. helper

2.A. called          B. said              C. told.              D. spoke

3.A. mostly                           B. certainly                           C. barely                               D. clearly

4.A. in                                   B. on                                      C. at                                       D. behind

5.A. help                     B. stand                                 C. admit                                D. avoid

6.A. in vain                           B. in danger                         C. in surprise                       D. in pain

7.A. weak               B. sad                                   C. alive                                  D. alone

8.A. made up              B. returned from                C. left for                              D. took over

9.A. aimlessly             B. determinedly                  C. unhappily                         D. carefully

10.A. touch                          B. footprint                          C. sight                                  D. control

11.A. imagination                B. ability                               C. understanding                D. power

12.A. saved                          B. shown                               C. found                               D. followed

13.A. signal                          B. project                             C. plan                                   D. order

14.A. need                           B. would                               C. might                                D. should

15.A. rose                                 B. arose                                  C. raised                               D. aroused

16.A. Britain                         B. America                           C. Iraq                                   D. Syria

17.A. reunited                     B. recalled                            C. restored                           D. reminded

18.A. So                                B. And                                   C. But                                    D. Then

19.A. jumping                 B. climbing                   C. cheering                          D. bringing

20.A. peaceful               B. competitive                      C. fantastic                           D. violent

On the Iraq­Syria border，a pack of wild dogs circled American soldiers for food．The leader of the pack was a gray­and­white dog．The soldiers called him Nubs．Nubs was shaking and __36__ able to stand．Marine major Brian Dennis looked closer and saw that there was a knife wound __37__ his chest．
Dennis couldn’t stand seeing the dog __38__．He and his men immediately treated the wound，and gave Nubs medicine．Nubs__39__but was still in pain．The next day，the team had to__40__．Ten days later，Dennis’s unit was back，and so was Nubs．He was still___41__，but the men fed him and played with him．
Before long the unit once again__42__an outpost (前哨) 70 miles away．Nubs，slowly but determinedly，__43__them far into the trackless wasteland until the men lost__44__of him．Two days later，beyond Dennis’s__45__，he saw Nubs just outside the outpost．The dog had tracked him across 70 miles of frozen desert to__46__with the friend who had saved his life．From then on Nubs and the men slept in the same place，and ran around in the same ruins．
Until an order came down from above that they were not__47__to have pets. Dennis__48__to make sure the dog would continue to live the__49__life．So he quickly raised $4,000 from his family and friends to fly Nubs to__50__．
A month later，when Dennis and the dog were__51__in California，at first Nubs didn’t recognize the guy．__52__within minutes，the dog jumped into Dennis’s arms，jumping up again and again to__53__ his friend’s face．
A little__54__and concern in the middle of war will not save a violent world．But small stories，like the story of a soldier and a dog，hold a promise of a(n) __55__world．

课文填空（每空填一个词，满分15分）

Imagine this: You are twenty-one years old and a __________ graduate student at one top of the top universities in the world.

One day, your doctor tells you that you have an __________ disease and may not have more than twelve months to live.

Nor______ he let the disease stop him from living the kind of life he had always dreamt of.

Finally, the scientists test the theory to see if it matches what they have seen and if it can _________ future events.

If what they are observing can be tested in a __________ way, scientists will use experiments.

____________ editors and reporters make informed decisions about what events to report and how to report them.

The editor’s job is to keep the newspaper ____________ and interesting to the readers.

A reporter begins by __________ the people to be interviewed and then prepares questions.

The media can often help solve problems and draw attention to situations _________ help is needed.

The result is a better understanding of the world on all sides, leading to a future world where people from all countries are respected and different views and opinions are __________.

When you look around at buildings, streets, squares and parks, you will find them __________, planned and built in different styles.

Modernism was invented in the 1920s by a group of architects who wanted to change society with buildings that went ________ people’s feeling of ________.

_________ the fact that he used traditional materials, Gaudi was a modern architect.

Seen from the top, it looks as if the stadium is covered by a gray net of steel, and it looks just like a bird’s nest made of tree _________.