Hans was an honest fellow with a funny round good-humored face. Living alone, every day he worked in his garden. In all the countryside there was no garden so lovely as his. All sorts of flowers grew there, blooming in their proper order as the months went by, one flower taking another flower’s place, so that there were always beautiful things to see, and pleasant odors to smell.

Hans had many friends, the most devoted being the Miller. So devoted was the rich Miller to Hans that he’d never go by his garden without plucking a large bunch of flowers or a handful of sweet herbs, or filling his pockets with fruits. The Miller used to talk about noble ideas, and Hans nodded and smiled, feeling proud of having such a friend.

The neighbors thought it strange that the rich Miller never gave Hans anything in return, though he had hundreds of sacks of flour, many cows and sheep, but Hans never troubled his head about these, and nothing gave him greater pleasure than to listen to all the wonderful things about the unselfishness of true friendship.

In spring, summer, and autumn Hans was very happy, but when winter came, and he had no fruit or flowers to sell, he suffered from cold and hunger. Though extremely lonely, the Miller never came to see him then.

“There’s no good in going to see Hans while the snow lasts.” The Miller said to his wife, “When people are in trouble they shouldn’t be bothered. So I’ll wait till the spring comes when he’s happy to give me flowers.”

“You’re certainly very thoughtful,” answered his wife, “It’s quite a treat to hear you talk about friendship.”

“Couldn’t we ask Hans up here?” said their son. “I’ll give him half my meal, and show him my white rabbits.”

“How silly you are!” cried the Miller. “I really don’t know what’s the use of sending you to school. If Hans came up here, and saw our warm fire, our good supper, and our red wine, he might get envious, and envy is a most terrible thing, and would spoil anybody’s nature. I am his best friend, and I’ll always watch over him, and see that he’s not led into any temptation. Besides, if Hans came here, he might ask me for some flour. Flour is one thing, and friendship is another, and they shouldn’t be confused. The words are spelt differently, and mean quite different things. Everybody can see that.” He looked seriously at his son, who felt so ashamed that he hung his head down, and grew quite scared, and began to cry into his tea.

Spring coming, the Miller went down to see Hans. Again he talked about friendship. “Hans, friendship never forgets. I’m afraid you don’t understand the poetry of life. See, how lovely your roses are!”

Hans said he wanted to sell them in the market to buy back his things which were sold during the hard time of the winter.

“I’ll give you many good things. I think being generous is the base of friendship.” said the Miller. “And now, as I’ll give you many good things, I’m sure you’d like to give me some flowers in return. Here’s the basket, and fill it quite full.”

Poor Hans was afraid to say anything. He ran and plucked all his pretty roses, and filled the Miller’s basket, imagining the many good things promised by the Miller.

The next day he heard the Miller calling: “Hans, would you mind carrying this sack of flour for me to market?”

“I’m sorry, but I am really very busy today.”

“Well,” said the Miller, “considering that I’m going to give you my things, it’s rather unfriendly of you to refuse. Upon my word, you mustn’t mind my speaking quite plainly to you.”

Poor Hans was driven by his friendship theory to work hard for his best friend, leaving his garden dry and wasted.

One evening Hans was sitting by fire when the Miller came.

“Hans,” cried the Miller, “My little boy has fallen off a ladder and hurt himself, and I’m going for the Doctor. But he lives so far away, and it’s such a bad windy night. It has just occurred to me that you can go instead of me. You know I’m going to give you my good things, so you should do something for me in return.”

“Certainly,” cried Hans. He struggled into the stormy night, and got the doctor to ride a horse to the Miller’s house in time to save the boy. However, Hans got lost in the darkness, and wandered off into a deep pool, drowned.

At Hans’ funeral, the Miller said, “I was his best friend. I should walk at the head of the procession.” Every now and then he wiped his eyes with a handkerchief.

1.From the passage, we can learn that Hans ___________.

A．was extremely wise and noble

B．was highly valued by the Miller

C．admired the Miller very much

D．had a strong desire for fortune

2.“Flour is one thing, and friendship is another” can be understood as ___________.

A．“Different words may mean quite different things.”

B．“Interest is long-lasting while friendship is flexible.”

C．“I’m afraid you don’t understand the poetry of life.”

D．“I think being generous is the base of friendship.”

3.From the Miller’s talk at home, we can see he was ___________.

A．serious but kind

B．helpful and generous

C．caring but strict

D．selfish and cold-hearted

4.What’s the main cause of Hans’ tragedy?

A．True friendship between them.

B．A lack of formal education.

C．A sudden change of weather.

D．Blind devotion to a friend.

5.The author described the Miller’s behavior in order to ___________.

A．entertain the readers with an incredible joking tale

B．show the friendship between Hans and the Miller

C．warn the readers about the danger of a false friend

D．persuade people to be as intelligent as the Miller

Amy returned to her small apartment at midnight, tired. Her worst fears raced through her mind. Would the court tell her she couldn’t care for her family anymore? Would the kids go through the sadness once more of being split up and sent away? She was so young, almost a child herself, and yet Amy knew everything depended on her. At that moment, she wondered if she would ever find the strength to see it through.

From earliest childhood, Amy took care of her younger brothers. Jan, their mother, only added to the family disorder and confusion because of her drug addict. Sometimes they lived in apartments, sometimes in shelters.

One afternoon Amy was called to the high school, where a social worker was waiting for her. “We’re going to have to put you guys in foster（收养) care.” the social worker said. “No! Don’t spilt us up!” the girl cried out. “Can’t you just leave it the way it is?” The social worker shook his head. Amy’s voice then rose like the howl of a lion protecting her babies: “Why can’t I take them? I take care of them all the time anyway.” The social worker hesitated, and then said, “Maybe. Once you’re 18, you could apply to become their relative caretaker. Then you’d be their foster mother until we find a home where all of you can be together.” “I’ll do it,” Amy said.

One month later, Amy was named guardian of her brothers for a six-month trial period. It was a remarkable victory for an 18-year-old girl. Her brothers didn’t make her task any easier in the months ahead. However，Amy’s efforts were rewarded when the court allowed her to continue as guardian. Amy’s relief at remaining the kids’ guardian was at risk of being taken away by the pressure she always

felt to measure up. Social workers still looked regularly over her shoulder and asked the boys shameful

questions: “Does she feed you? Does she ever try to harm you?” Then one day a visiting social worker

came over. “We’d like to get the boys adopted into homes,” she said. Sensing that the family was about to be split apart yet again, Amy replied, “Fine, then. Call it adoption if you want, but they’re not going anywhere.” To her surprise, the social worker took her remark seriously. She explained that if Amy were to adopt the boys, they would become like any other family.

That night at dinner Amy told the boys about the idea. “Cool!” Joey said. He threw a piece of corn at Adam. His brother flicked it back, and pretty soon corn was flying. Amy rolled her eyes. They didn’t have far to go to be like any other family. As the proceedings（程序）ended, Amy thanked everyone. “No,” the judge responded, “Thank you. You saved three kids. Not many family members would do what you’re doing, especially for this many children. I’m very proud of you.” 

On a lazy spring day, in a modest suburban neighborhood, Amy stood in front of a neatly kept one-story house. She watched her brothers playing basketball, and heard the playful bark of their dog, Tahoe. The young lady had made good on her promise: they had rented a home, a real home, and the boys had gotten their dog. Amy continues to raise her family alone, but has begun taking courses in business management at a nearby community college. Eventually, she hopes to become a child psychologist.

1. Which of the following best describes Amy?

A．Crazy and tough                        B．Firm and stubborn

C．Enthusiastic and generous                 D．Abnormal and aggressive.

2.From Paragraph 3, we can learn that __________.

A．The social worker gave in to Amy.

B．The social worker tried to adopt Amy’s brothers.

C．Amy tried to apply for the guardian of the brothers

D．Amy had no idea how to face her family being separated up.

3.By saying “They didn’t have far to go to be like any other family”, the writer means________.

A．they will live in the same area as other families

B．they made a deep impression on the neighborhood

C．Amy is able to take good care of the family

D．Amy and her brothers would be already just like a family

4.The best title for this text would be___________. 

A．Standing On Two Feet                    B．Growing Up Alone

C．A Lifelong Fight                         D．A Teen Hero

5.What does  the underlined word guardian in paragraph 4 mean?

A．保护者           B．监护人           C．收养人           D．引导人

There was an American writer who often told such a story to his friends and readers:

It was an exhibition of the artists’ works organized by the Red Cross. I was invited as a special guest to take part in the exhibition. During this period, two cute girls of 16 or 17 years old came to me and asked for my signature(签名).

“I haven’t brought my pen. Is the pencil okay?” I asked. In fact I knew they wouldn’t refuse. I just wanted to show a well-known writer’s good manners to the common readers.

“Certainly,” the young girls readily agreed. I could see they were very excited. Of course, their excitement also made me more pleased with myself. One of the girls handed her notebook to me. I took out my pencil, wrote a few words of encouragement, and signed my name. The girl read my signature, frowned(皱眉), looked at me carefully and asked, “Aren’t you Robert Charboss?”

“NO,”I told her proudly, “I’m the author of Alice Adams, the winner of two Pulitzer Prizes.”

The young girl turned to another one, and said, “Mary, lend your eraser to me.”

At the moment, all my pride turned into a bubble (泡沫) immediately. Since then, I always warn(告诫)myself：Don’t think too highly of yourself even though you are so outstanding（杰出的）.

1.The writer went to the exhibition because he      .

2.We can infer that the two girls were the fans of   .        

3.The underlined sentence “all my pride turned into a bubble immediately” means that the writer     .

4.This story teaches us to be a(an)    person.

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。

Sometimes I really doubt whether there is love between my parents．They are very busy working to __36_ the family．They don’t act in the _37__ ways that I read in books or I see on TV．__38__ flowers to each other on Valentine’s Day is even more __39__．

One day，my mother was sewing a quilt．I __40__ sat down beside her and looked at her．“Mom，is there love between you and Dad?” I asked her in a __41__ voice.

My mother stopped and raised her head with __42 _ in her eyes．She didn’t answer immediately．Then she __43__ her head and continued to sew the quilt．At last my mother said:

“Susan,” she said，“Look at this thread．Sometimes it appears，but most of it __44__ in the quilt．The thread really makes the quilt strong and __45__．If life is a quilt，then love should be a __46__．It can hardly be seen anywhere or anytime，but it’s really there．Love is __47__.”

The next spring，my father suddenly got sick seriously．When they returned from the hospital，mother looked rather pale and it seemed __48__ of them had had a serious illness．Every day in the morning and dusk，my mother helped my father __49__ slowly on the country road．My father had never been so __50__．Along the country road，there were many beautiful flowers，green grass and trees．The sun gently glistened through the leaves．All of these __51__ the most beautiful picture in the world.

“Dad，how are you feeling now?” I asked him one day.

He said gently．“__52__，I just like walking with your mom．I like this kind of life.” __53__ his eyes，I know he loves my mother deeply.

__54__ I thought love meant flowers，gifts and sweet kisses．But from this __55__，I understand that love is just a thread in the quilt of our life．Love is inside，making life strong and warm.

1.．

2.．

3.．

4.．

5.．

6.．

7.．

8.．

9.．A．lost          B．turned out      C disappeared       D．came up

10.．

11.．A．needle            B．cloth                C  thread         D．sheet

12.．

13.．

14.．

15.．

16.．

17.．

18.．A．Seeing        B．Reading       C  Watching       D．Observing

19.．

20.．A．process           B．way                 C matter              D．experience

Ban the Band（乐队）?

    Every year, our school has a dance for all the students. It’s a little funny seeing friends in clean shoes and trousers or colorful　　36　　, instead of the usual school uniform.

     Most of us think the dance is great　　37　　－even the teachers enjoy being there. 　　38　　, two weeks ago someone said that there would be no　　39　　band this year only CDs.

     “I don’t　　40　　it!” Amy cried out during the lunch break.

     “Someone said the school couldn’t　　41　　a band, and they think it’s too noisy anyway,” added Daniel.

     “Well, I don’t think it’s　　42　　enough without a band!” declared Angela, “and I’m going to see what can be done.”

      Angela was as good as her　　43　　. In the afternoon she went to see the school headmaster who agreed to give the　　44　　some more thought. And he suggested that one　　45　　for having a band was to increase the price of each ticket from $5 to $10. Angela had to　　46　　out whether the students would like to do that.

     “I need all of you to help me,” she　　47　　to our group before school the next day. “Mr. Berry gave me a list of all the names, and suggested we ask each one their 　　48　　about the band and the extra cost.”

      　　49　　the day we asked around as Angela suggested, and wrote down people’s feelings about the band and the cost. We were amazed how much　　50　　there was for the band and everyone agreed to pay the extra $5.

      “I’m surprised,” smiled Mr. Berry, when we gave him the　　51　　. “I really thought that only a few people　　52　　their band and that the cost would be too high. OK, Angela, your next　　53　　is to find a good band and line them up for the dance.”

Angela was all smiles and　　54　　the news to Amy and Daniel. “You’re　　55　　,” smiled Daniel to Angela as he thought how close they came to having a less than perfect dance.

36.A. shapes                B. dresses                    C. flowers                    D. pictures

37.A. fun                    B. work                       C. effort                      D. progress

38.A. Besides              B. Otherwise                C. However                 D. Therefore

39.A. new                    B. live                         C. foreign                    D. marching

40.A. mean                 B. need                        C. accept                     D. believe

41.A. lead                    B. serve                       C. afford                     D. form

42.A. good                  B. clear                       C. useful                      D. easy

43. A.look                   B. behavior                  C. mind                      D. word

44.A. schedule             B. situation                  C. view                       D. action

45.A. possibility           B. concern                   C. decision                  D. chance

46.A. call                    B. find                        C. carry                      D. point

47.A. admitted             B. replied                    C. apologized              D. announced

48.A. knowledge   B. instruction              C. opinion                   D. information

49.A. On                    B. For                         C. By                          D. During

50.A. trust                   B. money                     C. support                    D. care

51.A. results                B. notices              C. questions                 D. examples

52.A. welcomed          B. wanted                    C. defended                 D. invited

53.A. task                    B. business                   C. exercise                  D. duty

54.A. showed               B. wrote                      C. broke                      D. read

55.A. amusing       B. interesting          C. exciting                D. amazing