It was a cool October evening. Excitement and family members __1__ the hall. I was only a 7-year-old girl, but I was the center of __2__. Finally, after weeks of preparation, I would show off all my hard work in a dance of performance. Everything would be __3__ —so I thought. I waited backstage all dressed up in my black tights with a golden belt. In a loud and clear voice, the master of ceremonies __4__ that my class was next.

My dance class was doing a routine on wooden boxes two feet by two feet, facing the __5__. All I had to do in the next move was put one foot on the box next to mine and keep my other foot on my box. It really was an __6__ move. I was concentrating so much __7__ the huge smile on my face and holding my head up that I did not look where I was going. I missed my partner’s box altogether and __8__. There I was standing on the stage floor when my classmates were on top of their boxes. I could hear giggles (咯咯笑) coming from the audience, and I felt the __9__ rush to my face. I remembered my dance teacher had told us, “If you make a mistake, keep smiling so the audience will not __10__.”I did my best to follow her __11__ as I continued with the routine.

When the curtain dropped, so did my __12__ for the evening. I __13__ bitterly, tasting the salt from the tears that streamed down my face. I ran backstage, but no one could __14__ me down.

Recently I realized I had been a star that night. I was __15__, but I fought the urge to run off the stage. Instead, I finished the routine with a smile on my face. Now when friends and family laugh about the time I slipped during a dance performance, I can laugh too.

A. filled               B. visited               C. attended        D. decorated

A. pressure     B. impression            C. debate          D. attention

A. reasonable   B. suitable       C. obvious       D. perfect

A. suggested    B. explained       C. announced      D. predicted

A. music               B. audience             C. curtain         D. stage

A. easy                B. active                C. adventurous     D. extra

A. containing         B. hiding               C. sharing       D. keeping

A. wandered            B. slipped         C. waved        D. skipped

A. blood                    B. pleasure        C. pride         D. tear

A. leave                B. cheer         C. believe         D. notice

A. gesture              B. example              C. advice          D. plan

A. doubts              B. hopes          C. voice          D. patience

A. argued              B. shouted       C. begged             D. sobbed

A. turn                B. calm         C. let             D. put

A. satisfied            B. moved               C. embarrassed           D. confused

My mind went blank when I saw the gun pointing against the car window as we pulled out of the garage. This can't be happening to me. Then I felt the gun, cold, against my head, and I heard my friend Jeremy saying，“What do you want? Take my wallet，” but at the time I thought of nothing.

I remember being a little annoyed when the gunman pulled me from the car by the hair. I remember the walk to the house—Jeremy, me, the two men with two guns. I remember the fear and anger in the gunmen's voices because Jeremy was being slow, and I remember wondering why he was being slow. I did not realize that Jeremy had thrown the keys into the bush. But I remember that sound of the gun hitting Jeremy's head and the feeling as the man who had hold of my hair released me. And I remember the split second when I realized he was looking at Jeremy，and I remember wondering how far I could run before he pulled the trigger. But I was already running, and upon reaching the car across the street, I didn't crouch (蹲伏) behind it but screamed instead.

I remember thinking there was something ridiculous and illogical about screaming “Help, help！” at eight o'clock on a Tuesday evening in December and changing my plea(恳求) to the? more specific “Help, let me in, please let me in！” But the houses were cold, closed, unfriendly, and I ran on until I heard Jeremy's screams behind me announcing that our attackers had fled.

The neighbors who had not opened their doors to us came out with baseball bats and helped Jeremy find his glasses and keys. In a group they were very brave. We waited for the police to? come until someone said to someone else that the noodles were getting cold, and I said politely，“Please go and eat. We're OK.”

I was happy to see them go. They had been talking of stricter sentences for criminals, of? bringing back the death penalty(处罚) and how the President is going to clean up the country. I? was thinking, they could be saying all of this over my dead body, and I still feel that stiffer? sentences wouldn't change a thing. In a rush all the anger I should have felt for my attackers was? directed against these contented people standing in front of their warm, comfortable homes? talking about all the guns they were going to buy. What good would guns have been to Jeremy? and me?

People all over the neighborhood had called to report our screams, and the police turned out? in force twenty minutes later. They were ill?tempered about what was, to them, much trouble? about nothing.? After all, Jeremy was hardly hurt, and we were hopeless when it came to? describing the gunmen. “Typical，” said one policeman when we couldn't even agree on how tall? the men were.? Both of us were able to describe the guns in horrifying detail, but the two? policemen who stayed to make the report didn't think that would be much help.

The policemen were matter?of?fact about the whole thing. The thin one said，“That was a? stupid thing to do, throwing away the keys. When a man has a gun against your head you do? what you're told.” Jeremy looked properly embarrassed.

Then the fat policeman came up and the thin one went to look around the outside of the? house. “That was the best thing you could have done, throwing away the keys，” he said. “If you? had gone into the house with them...” His voice became weaker. “They would have hurt her” ——he twisted his head toward me——“and killed you both.” Jeremy looked happier. “Look，” said the fat policeman kindly, “ there's no right or wrong in the situation. There's just luck.”

All that sleepless night I replayed the moment those black gloves came up to the car? window. How long did the whole thing last? Three minutes, five, eight? No matter how many? hours of my life I may spend reliving it, I know there is no way to prepare for the next time—no? intelligent response to a gun. The fat cop was right. There's only luck. The next time I might end up dead.

And I’m sure there will be a next time.? It can happen anywhere, anytime, to anyone.Security is an illusion(幻觉); there is no safety in locks or in guns. Guns make some people feel safe and some people feel strong, but they're fooling themselves.

1.When the writer saw the gun pointing against the car window，________.

A．she felt very annoyed

B．she lost consciousness

C．she felt very much nervous

D．she lost the power of thinking

2.What most possibly drove the two gunmen away?

A．Jeremy's fighting.

B．The author's screaming.

C．Their neighbour's brave action.

D．The police's arrival.

3.When the author called for help, the neighbors didn't come out immediately because________.

A．they were much too frightened

B．they were busy preparing dinners

C．they needed time to find baseball bats

D．they thought someone was playing a trick

4.What the author wants to tell us is that________.

A．neighbors are not helpful in moments of difficulty

B．the police are not reliable when one is in trouble

C．security is impossible as long as people can have guns

D．preventing robbers entering your house is the best choice

When I was a teenager I volunteered to work at the water station at a 10,000m race. My job was to__36__ water to the runners, I remember being so __37__ to see all the different kinds of people who passed by and grabbed a cup of water. Some ran past, some walked past and a few wheeled past. I saw so many types of people doing it. I thought maybe I could do it too! So the next year I __38__ up for the race.

That first 10,000m race was quite an __39 _. I jogged, I walked, I jogged and I walked. __40__ , I didn’t know if I could finish. Then came a defining(起决定性作用的)__ 41__ .

At one point near the end, a 70-year-old man ran past me, very, very fast, and I felt __42__ because I was 15 years old, younger than him but I couldn’t even keep up with him. I felt __43_ for a second.

But then I __44__ something. He was running his race and I was running mine. He had__45_ abilities, experience, training and goals for himself. I had mine. Remember my _46_ was only to finish.

After a minute, it_47__ me that this was a lesson I could draw from. I learned something about myself at that moment. I turned my embarrassment into __48__ .

I __49__ that I would not give up running races. In fact, I would run even more races and I would learn how to train and prepare __50__ and one day I would be one of those 70-year-old persons who were still running. As I crossed the finish line, I was proud of my __51 __.

In life we all have those moments when we __52__ ourselves with others. It’s only__53 .__ Don’t allow those moments to __54___ you. Turn them into motivation and let them inspire you. With the proper preparation and training, you can improve your result to __55__ anything you want in life.

1.                A．bring out       B．pass out         C．take out  D．pick out

2.                A．excited         B．worried         C．concerned    D．anxious

3.A gave B. made    C. signed          D. dressed

4.                A．achievement    B．encouragement  C．interest   D．experience

5.                A．At times        B．In time         C．In all D．At all

6.                A．victory         B．decision        C．moment  D．conclusion

7.                A．embarrassed    B．annoyed        C．moved   D．thrilled

8.                A．relaxed         B．defeated        C．puzzled   D．inspired

9.                A．realized        B．lost            C．noticed   D．remembered

10.               A．necessary       B．evident         C．common   D．different

11.               A．motto          B．plan           C．goal  D．direction

12.               A．worried        B．hit            C．reached   D．hurt

13.               A．attraction       B．devotion        C．expectation    D．inspiration

14.               A．hoped         B．promised       C．decided   D．suggested

15.               A．slightly         B．hardly          C．clearly    D．properly

16.               A．excitement      B．accomplishment C．movement D．judgment

17.               A．introduce       B．relate          C．present   D．compare

18.               A．important       B．natural         C．strange    D．ridiculous

19.               A．weaken        B．wound         C．amuse D．cheer

20.               A．prevent        B．deliver         C．achieve   D．abandon

China is embarrassed by such a fact: Chinese visitors______ rubbish on the Great Wall, followed by a foreigner picking up the litter.

A. will drop                           B. would drop                      C. are dropping                  D. had dropped

　　A few days ago I asked my sons’ governess（女家庭教师）Julia to come into my study. “Be seated, Julia, ”I said, “Let’s settle our accounts. I guess you most likely need some money, but maybe you’re too polite to mention it. Now then, we agreed on thirty dollars a month...”

　　“Forty.”

　　“No, thirty. I made a note of it. I always pay our governess thirty. Well, um, you’ve been here two months, so...”

　　“Two months and five days.”

　　“Exactly two months. I made a special note of it. That means you have sixty dollars coming to you. Take off nine Sundays... you know you didn’t work with Tom on Sundays, you only took walks. And three holidays... ”Julia was biting her finger nail nervously, her face red, but - not a word.

　　“Three holidays, therefore take off twelve dollars. Four days Tom was sick and there were no lessons, as you were occupied only with Dick. Three days you had a toothache and my wife gave you permission not to work after lunch. Twelve and seven - nineteen. Take nineteen off ... that leaves. hmm.... forty one dollars. Correct？”

　　Julia’s left eye reddened with tears welling up. Her chin trembled; she coughed nervously and blew her nose, but - still not a word.

　　“Around New Year’s Day you broke a teacup and a saucer; take off two dollars. The cup cost more, it was a treasure of the family, but- forget it. When didn’t I take a loss! Then, due to your neglect （疏忽）, Tom climbed a tree and tore his jacket; take away ten. Also due to your carelessness the maid stole Dick’s shoes. You ought to watch everything! You get paid for it. So, that means five more dollars off. The tenth of January I gave ten dollars.”

　　“You didn’t. ”sobbed Julia.

　　“But I made a note of it.”

　　“Well... if you say so.”

　　“Take twenty seven from forty one -that leaves fourteen.”

　　Both her eyes were filled with tears. Beads of sweat stood on the thin pretty little nose. Poor girl!

　　“Only once was I given any money,” she whispered, her voice trembling, “and that was by your wife. Three dollars, nothing more.”

　　“Really? You see now, and I didn’t know that! Take three from fourteen.. leaves eleven. Here’s your money, my dear. Three, three, three, one and one. Here it is !”

　　I handed her eleven dollars. She took them and pocketed them.

　　“Merci （法语: 谢谢）,”she whispered.

　　I jumped to my feet and started pacing the room. I was overcome with anger. “For what, this - ‘merci’?” I asked.

　　“For the money. ”

　　“But you know I’ve cheated you - robbed you ! I have actually stolen from you ! Why this‘merci’？”

　　“In my other places they didn’t give me anything at all.”

　　“They didn’t give you anything? No wonder! I played a little joke on you, a cruel lesson, just to teach you... I m going to give you all the eighty dollars! Here they are in the envelope all ready for you... Is it really possible to be so spineless （懦弱）?Why didn’t you protest? Why were you silent? Is it possible in this world to be without teeth and claws（爪）—to be such a fool?”

　　Embarrassed, she smiled. And I could read her expression,“It is possible.”

　　I asked her pardon for the cruel lesson and, to her great surprise, gave her the eighty dollars. She murmured her little“merci”several times and went out. I looked after her and thought,“How easy it is to crush the weak in this world !”

　　While talking to Julia, the wrier expected from her ________.

　　A. a protest　　　　　　　　　　　B. gratitude

　　C. obedience　　　　　　　　　　 D. an explanation

　　What shocked the writer was Julia’s ________.

　　A. nervousness in front of her boss

　　B. acceptance of injustice

　　C. shyness when talking about money

　　D. reluctance to express herself

　　The writer said, “Is it possible in this world to be without teeth and claws?” He was actually telling the governess ________.

　　A. to be more aggressive

　　B. to be more careful in her work

　　C. to protect her right

　　D. to live independently

　　At the end of the story, the writer said,“ How easy it is to crush the weak in this world!”to show ________.

　　A. his understanding of Julia’s anxiety

　　B. his worry about Julia’s future

　　C. his concern on the living condition of working - class people

　　D. his sympathy for the mental state of those exploited