Life became hard when I was 14. My mother and I moved to New York to 36 my father, who’d moved there to find 37 work when I was three years old. He had a job at a restaurant and only visited us 38 every couple of years.

　　Before I moved, I knew that people in the US spoke English. But honestly, I didn’t stop to analyze the 39 when I was 40 to leave. Just like I assumed I could easily become a doctor or a lawyer. I assumed that I had the skills to learn English in a few weeks. 

When I 41 in the US and started 8th grade at Ditmas Middle School in Brooklyn, everyone was speaking a(n)  42  language I couldn’t understand. I  43  that life had subtitles, like in foreign movies. School was such a serious place here. Sometimes I felt like I was in a geek（呆子） class. The teachers were always  44  my moves so I couldn’t even throw a paper ball at a classmate’s head. And the worst thing was having to read 45 .

46  after almost seven months of complaining about everything, I realized that complaining didn’t change things.  47 just made my life worse. If I was going to 48   in this new concrete jungle, I had to 49 . I began to learn English by reading newspapers on my own  50  school. After about four months, I started enjoying reading the crime and sports stories. After six months of studying, my teachers 51  my improvement and moved me into a more  52  English class. I could go to the store and ask for things that I wanted to buy without 53 frustration. For the first time I felt like I was living on earth again, 54  I didn’t hear foreign talk. I 55 understand people.

1.                A．find           B．join            C．see  D．help

2.                A．good-looking    B．well-dressed     C．better-paying  D．highly-thought

3.                A．once           B．other          C．each D．only

4.                A．case           B．condition       C．situation  D．state

5.                A．packing         B．trying          C．managing D．arranging

6.                A．reached        B．entered        C．got  D．arrived

7.                A．strange         B．unusual         C．standard  D．foreign

8.                A．hoped         B．wished         C．expected D．demanded

9.                A．staring         B．looking         C．checking  D．watching

10.               A．texts           B．newspapers     C．English    D．poems

11.               A．Although       B．Even if         C．But   D．Since

12.               A．It             B．They           C．I D．Things

13.               A．live            B．study          C．survive    D．continue

14.               A．adapt          B．adopt          C．adore D．admire

15.               A．for            B．in             C．after  D．at

16.               A．made          B．noticed         C．concerned D．remember

17.               A．modern        B．advanced       C．difficult   D．convenient

18.               A．even          B．ever           C．some D．any

19.               A．if             B．though         C．ever  D．because

20.               A．could          B．should         C．would D．might

The easy way out isn’t always easiest. I learned that lesson when I decided to treat Doug, my husband of one month, to a special meal. I glanced through my cookbook and chose a menu which included homemade bread. Knowing the bread would take time, I started on it as soon as Doug left for work. As I was not experienced in cooking, I thought if a dozen was good, two dozen would be better, so I doubled everything. As Doug loved oranges, I also opened a can of orange and poured it all into the bowl. Soon there was a sticky dough (面团) covered with ugly yellowish marks. Realizing I had been defeated, I put the dough in the rubbish bin outside so I wouldn't have to face Doug laughing at my work, I went on preparing the rest of the meal, and, when Doug got home, we sat down to Cornish chicken with rice. He tried to enjoy the meal but seemed disturbed. Twice he got up and went outside, saying he thought he heard a noise. The third time he left, I went to the windows to see what he was doing. Looking out, I saw Doug standing about three feet from the rubbish bin, holding the lid up with a stick and looking into the container. When I came out of the house, he dropped the stick and explained that there was something alive in our rubbish bin. Picking up the stick again, he held the lid up enough for me to see. I felt cold. But I stepped closer and looked harder. Without doubt it was my work. The hot sun had caused the dough to double in size and the fermenting yeast (酵母) made the surface shake and sigh as though it were breathing. I had to admit what the ‘living thing’ was and why it was there. I don’t know who was more embarrassed by the whole thing, Doug or me.　　

The writer’s purpose in writing this story is ________.

　　A. to tell an interesting experience

　　B. to show the easiest way out of a difficulty

　　C. to describe the trouble facing a newly married woman

　　D. to explain the difficulty of learning to cook from books

Why did the woman’s attempt at making the bread turn out to be unsuccessful?

　　A. The canned orange had gone bad.

　　B. She didn’t use the right kind of flour.

　　C. The cookbook was hard to understand.

　　D. She did not follow the directions closely.

Why did the woman put the dough in the rubbish bin?

　　A. She didn’t see the use of keeping it

　　B. She meant to joke with her husband.

　　C. She didn’t want her husband to see it.

　　D. She hoped it would soon dry in the sun.

What made the dough in the rubbish bin look frightening?

　　A. The rising and falling movement.

　　B. The strange-looking marks.

　　C. Its shape.

　　D. Its size.

When Doug went out the third time, the woman looked out of the window because she was  ________.

　　A. surprised at his being interested in the bin

　　B. afraid that he would discover her secret

　　C. unhappy that he didn't enjoy the meal

　　D. curious to know what disturbed him

阅读下面短文，从短文后所给各题的四个选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项．

　　I was six when I joined my father and two elder brothers at sunrise in the fields of Eufaula, Okla. ___1___ the time I was eight I was helping dad fix up old furniture. He gave me a cent for every nail I ___2___ out of old boards.

　　I got my frist ___3__ job, at JM's Restaurant in town, when I was 12. My main responsibilities（职责）were ___4___ tables and washing dishes, ___5___ sometimes I helped cook.

　　Every day after school I would ___6___ to JM's and work until ten. Even on Saturdays I ___7___ from two until eleven. At that age it was difficult going to work and ___8___ my friends run off to swim or play. I didn't necessarily like work, but I loved what working ___9___ me to have. Because of my ___10___ I was always the one buying when my friends and I went to the local Tastee Freez. This made me ___11___.

　　Word that I was trustworthy and hard-working ___12___ around town. A local clothing store offered me credit（赊账） ___13___ I was only in seventh grade. I immediately ___14___ a $ 68 sports coat and a $ 22 pair of shoes. I was ___15___ only 63 cents an hour, and I already owed the storekeeper $ 90! So I learned ___16___ the danger of easy credit. I paid it ___17___ as soon as I could.

　　My first job taught me self-control, responsibility and brought me a___18___of personal satisfaction few of my friends had experienced. As my father, ___19___ worked three jobs, once told me,“If you ___20___ sacrifice（奉献）and responsibility, there are not many things in life you can't have.” How right he was.

I was 16 and I grew up in a community called Estepona. One morning, Dad told me I could drive him into a ___31___ village called Mijas, on condition that I took the car in to be ___32___ at a nearby garage. I readily accepted. I drove Dad into Mijas, and ___33____ to pick him up at 4 pm, then dropped off the car at the ___34___. With several hours to spare, I went to a theater. ___35___, when the last movie finished, it was six. I was two hours late!
　　 I knew Dad would be angry if he ___36___ I'd been watching movies. So I decided not to tell him the truth. When I ____37____ there I apologized for being late, and told him I'd ___38__ as quickly as I could, but that the car had needed some major repairs. I'll never forget the ___39___ he gave me. "I'm disappointed you ___40___ you have to lie to me, Jason." Dad looked at me again. "When you didn't ___41___, I called the garage to ask if there were any ___42___, and they told me you hadn't yet picked up the car." I felt ____43___ as I weakly told him the real reason. A___44___passed through Dad as he listened attentively." I'm angry with ___45___. I realize I've failed as a father. I'm going to walk home now and think seriously about___46___ I've gone wrong all these years." "But Dad, it's 18 miles!" My protests and apologies(道歉) were __47___. Dad walked home that day.I drove behind him, ___48___ him all the way, but he walked silently.
　　 Seeing Dad in so much ___49___ and emotional(情感的) pain was my most painful experience. However, it was ___50__­__ the most successful lesson. I have never lied since.

When I was young, I really doubted whether there was love between my parents．Every day they were busy earning money so that they could   36 the high tuition my brother and I needed．They didn’t   37 in the romantic ways that I read in books or saw on TV．
One day, Mom was sewing a quilt（被子）．I  38 sat down beside her．“Mom, I have a　39 here,” I said after a while．“Is there love between you and Dad?” I asked her in a very 　40 voice．
Mom stopped her work and raised her head with   41 in her eyes．She didn’t answer immediately．She bent her head and continued to sew the quilt．I was   42 if I had hurt her．I was in great embarrassment and I was at a loss what to do．But at last she said, very   43  , “Susan, look at this   44 ．Sometimes it appears, but most of it disappears in the quilt．The thread really makes the quilt strong and lasting．If   45 is a quilt, then love should be a thread．It can hardly be seen, but it’s really there． 46 is inside．”
I listened carefully but I couldn’t understand her until years later．
One day, Dad accidentally got  47 while on duty．Ever since then he could no longer  48
properly．Every morning and dusk Mom would help Dad walk slowly on the country road．Along the country road, there were beautiful flowers, green grass and trees．The leaves were gently glistening   49 the sun shining upon them．All of these made up the most beautiful   50 in the world．
“Dad, how are you feeling now?”” I asked him one day． “Susan, don’t worry shout me,” he said gently． “I just like walking with your mom．I like this kind of life．” Looking into his eyes, I  51 　　what they meant．
The doctor had said Dad would   52  in two months．But that day never came．He   53 away in peace．
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, which makes life strong and warm…