I am my mother’s third child. When I was born, the doctor gently explained to my mother that my left arm was     36   , below the elbow (肘). Then he gave her some     37   , “Don’t treat her any     38    from the other girls. Demand more.” And she     39   !

  My mother had to work to     40    my family. There were five girls in our family and we all had to     41   . Once when I was about seven, I came out of the     42   , “Mom, I can’t peel (削……皮) potatoes. I only have one hand.”

  “You get back to peel those potatoes, and don’t ever use that as a(n)     43    for anything again!”

  Of course I could peel potatoes — with my good hand, while holding them down with my __44    arm. There was always a     45   , and Mom knew it. “If you try hard    46   ,” she said, “you can do anything.”

  Once in the second grade, our teacher had each of us race across the monkey bars (攀爬架). When it was my turn, I     47    my head. Some kids     48   . I went home crying.

  After work the next afternoon, Mom     49    me back to the school playground.

  “Now,     50    up with your right arm,” she advised. She stood by     51    I practiced, and she     52    me when I made progress.

    I’ll never forget the     53    time I was crossing the bars. The kids were standing there with their mouths open.

    It was the way with everything. When I     54    I can’t handle (处理) things, I see Mom’s smile again. She had the heart to     55    anything. And she taught me I could, too.

A. missing                 B. broken                     C. cut                           D. short

A. warning               B. medicine           C. help                         D. advice

A. badly                    B. differently         C. well                         D. normally

A. did                      B. refused              C. cried                        D. had

A. care                      B. help                  C. support                    D. live

A. find out                 B. work out           C. carry out                  D. help out

A. kitchen                  B. bedroom           C. house                    D. school

A. idea                      B. change                     C. excuse                   D. tool

A. lost                       B. other                 C. next                         D. longer

A. chance                   B. way                  C. time                         D. success

A. enough                  B. too                   C. again                       D. often

A. hurt                      B. nodded              C. shook                    D. turned

A. cheered                 B. whispered          C. joked                       D. laughed

A. drove                    B. took                  C. sent                         D. carried

A. pull                       B. jump                 C. stand                        D. rise

A. before                   B. as                     C. after                        D. until

A. helped                   B. raised                C. praised                     D. protected

A. first                      B. last                   C. wonderful             D. next

A. admit                    B. fear                  C. find                         D. realize

A. face                      B. teach                 C. learn                        D. solve

Adults usually do not remember most of the things that are taught by their teachers at school. But this story is one such lesson that I will never forget. Every time I drift off course, I think of this story.
It was a normal Monday morning, and my teacher was teaching us on important things in life and about devoting ourselves to what is important to us. This is how the story went:
An old man lived in a certain part of London, and he would wake up every morning and go to the subway. He would get onto the train right to Central London, and then sit at the street corner and beg. He would do this every single day of his life. He sat at the same street corner and begged for almost 20 years.
His house was dirty, and a stench (恶臭) came out of the house and it smelled terrible. The neighbors could not stand the smell any more, so they called for the police officers to clear the place. The officers knocked down the door and cleaned the house. There were small bags of money all over the house that he had collected over the years.
The police counted the money, and they soon realized that the old man was a millionaire (百万富翁). They waited outside his house expecting to share the good news with him. When the old man arrived home that evening, one of the officers told him that there was no need for him to beg any more as he was a rich man now, a millionaire.
But the old man said nothing at all; he went into his house and locked the door. The next morning he woke up as usual, went to the subway, sat at the street corner and continued to beg.
Clearly, this old man had no great plans, dreams or anything significant (有意义的) for his life. We learn nothing from this story other than staying focused on the things we enjoy doing.
【小题1】The neighbor called the police because ______.

We often hear people talking about a generation gap (代沟). The name is new,but the idea is old. Young people and their parents don’t understand each other. The world has always kept changing. During the second century after Christ a wise man said, “Bury me on my face because in a little while everything will be turned upside down.”  There has always been a gap between generations, but more people talk about it now. Old Mr. Ellis thinks he understands what has happened. “When I was a boy, I thought the world was a beautiful place. My life was very pleasant. But when I was older, I learned about people who were treated badly, people who didn’t have enough to eat. I wanted to help them, and I married a girl who wanted to help them, too. We went to meetings and talked a lot, but it didn’t seem to make much difference. ”“Our children grew up in a world at war. They didn’t know when the fighting would stop. They wanted their children to have nice clothes and toys. They didn’t want to think about the future. They thought nothing could be done about it.” “Now I have grandchildren, and they have their own ideas. They are trying to make the world better. They are trying to help other people. They’re making people listen to them. I am proud of their generation.”

1. The wise man mentioned in the text told people to bury him on his face so   that when everything is turned upside down he will _____.

A. lie on his stomach       B. lie on his back

C. stand quietly           D. sit in peace

2.Which generation did NOT want to do anything to make the world a better one?

A. Mr. Ellis’ generation             B. His children’s generation

C. His grandchildren’s generation     D. None of the above.

3. What is the writer’s attitude towards the generation gap?

A. Unacceptable. B. Awful.  C. Funny. D. Common.

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k+s-5#u 

When I passed boys who were playing basketball, I always stopped to silently watch them. I really envied them. __36__ as a girl, I once thought that I could never play basketball.

    I am __37__ playing basketball though I don’t play it well. I've had a basketball since I was a child. At first, I could play freely because no one __38__ when I was just a kid. But as I grew up it seemed harder and harder for me to enjoy basketball.

At school, __39__ was always the boys who played basketball during PE classes. The girls were only allowed to play volleyball or badminton.

My parents did not __40__ me play basketball at home. "Basketball is not fit for girls," they said. Even I went to play basketball with my friends, boys__41__ at me on the __42__ as if I were an alien.

I was feeling __43__ and had lost hope of playing basketball. __44__, something changed the first day of high school. I made some friends who also __45__ playing basketball. They encouraged me to get back on the court.

One of them told me with a smile, "Go your own __46__, let others talk." This girl would always play basketball with me. Even the boy who sat next to me in class talked about __47__   with me almost every day.

I was inspired by them. Confidence and passion __48__ to my heart. I am ready to stand up and play. I will play as well as I can, and for me, even the sky is boundless （无垠的）.

Basketball has become an important part of my __49__. I am interested in it. I watch matches and enjoy playing almost every day. Through basketball, not only __50__happy and confident, but also __51__ a lot.

I've heard the NBA star Tracy McGrady say, "Nothing is impossible." It is from an advertisement on TV. I have __52__ to realize that life is just like playing basketball. You __53__ have an aim. After that, just be confident and __54__ going. Never give up and you'll make it sooner or later.

I love the motto of the NBA．It can __55__ my strong feelings for basketball, "I love this game!"

36．A．Therefore B．So     C．But   D．And

37．A．into           B．onto           C．out of              D．for

38．A．complained          B．cared        C．enjoyed    D．explained

39．A．they          B．this            C．that                D．it k+s-5#u 

40．A．encourage             B．forbid               C．let                     D．permit     

41．A．looked        B．glared       C．glanced        D．stared             

42．A．field                       B．court               C．course                    D．campus

43．A．up                   B．down        C．excited             D．satisfied

44．A．Unexpectedly        B．Naturally            C．Unluckily               D．Clearly

45．A．disliked  B．minded      C．enjoyed             D．hated

46．A．effort         B．way         C．business         D．direction

47．A．basketball             B．sports               C．interests                    D．dreams    

48．A．stuck          B．referred      C．turned     D．returned

49．A．dream               B．life                      C．work               D．study

50．A．I feel B．I felt C．do I feel   D．did I feel

51．A．experience      B．grow        C．learn            D．play

52．A．come          B．turned              C．refused             D．happened

53．A．may           B．should         C．will                D．can  

54．A, insist                B．remain         C．keep             D．last  

55．A．inform         B．express         C．ignore       D．connect   

The job of raising children is a tough one. Children don’t come with an instruction manual(说明书). And each child is 36 . So parents sometimes pull their hair out in frustration(挫折), not  37

what to do. But in raising children—as in all of life—what we do is  38  by our culture. Naturally then, American parents teach their children basic American  39 . To Americans, the goal of parents is to help children   40  on their own two feet. From  41  each child may get his or her own room. As children grow, they get more  42  to make their own choices.  43  choose their own forms of entertainment, as well as the friends to  44  them with. When they  45  young adulthood, they choose their own jobs and marriage  46  . Of course, many young adults still  47

their parents’ advice and approval for the choices they make. But once they “leave the  48  ” at around 18 to 21 years old, they want to be on their own , not  49  to their mother’s apron strings (围裙带). The relationship between parents and children in America is very informal. American parents try to  50  their children as individuals—not as extensions of themselves. They allow them to achieve their own   51  . Americans praise and encourage their children to give them the  52  

to succeed. When children become adults, their relationship with their parents becomes more like a (an)  53  among equals.  But  54  to popular belief, most adult Americans don’t make their parents pay for room and board when they come to  55  . Even as adult, they respect and honor their parents.

A. strange           B. different             C. new                 D. unlike

A. noticing         B. remember                    C. knowing            D. deciding

A. influenced          B. made             C. controlled             D. changed

A. services         B. standards                  C. rules                D. values

A. sit                    B. get                C. stand                     D. rise

A. adulthood            B. girlhood                C. boyhood                D. childhood

A. freedom              B. space                 C. time                     D. money

A. Adults          B. Teenagers               C. Americans                     D. Parents

A. help               B. join              C. share                   D. provide

A. gain               B. pass                 C. become                D. reach

A. wives              B. partners            C. husbands               D. couples

A. seek                 B. invite               C. try                    D. choose

A. room               B. house               C. nest                   D. place

A. connected           B. held                 C. stuck                D. tied

A. serve                 B. treat                C. describe                     D. recognize

A. jobs                B. plans             C. dreams                D. hopes

A. dependence          B. trust              C. belief                  D. confidence

A. friendship            B. companion         C. membership         D. association

A. known             B. similar            C. contrary            D. due

A. travel             B. visit              C. see               D. live