A few years ago, I moved into a new house in Los Angeles. Soon after, a family moved in next door. It wasn’t the best of times for me. I had just divorced(离婚) from my second wife, and I wasn’t working. I’d come home each day and sit by myself in the backyard. One night, I heard someone from the yard next door, “Tom ! How are you, Tom? ” 
I couldn’t see anybody through the trees, but I answered, “I’ m good.”
“Good!” said the voice.
“What’s your name?” I asked.
“Eric.” Then I heard someone say, “Eric, don’t bother him.”
“Okay!” Eric said. “Talk to you tomorrow!”                                                                           
Months later, on Halloween, we finally met face to face. Eric came to the door dressed like a rap star. We became friends. We’d hang out in our yards, and Eric, who was almost 17 at the time and look liked a 13-year-old, would tell me his ideas and dreams. Eric’s dad, Alec Gores, is a billionaire(亿万富翁), the head of Gores Technology Group.
One day, Alec called me and said, “I know you are an actor. My son’s an actor, too. And he’s very good. I want you to write a movie for him. He wants to do something like True lies.” That’s the movie I made in 1994. His father has given Eric the great gif of confidence. He believes he can do anything he wants. He also offered to fund the movie. And that’s how The Kid & I, which opens in November, began.
Well, I really have to say that opportunity(机会)lies anywhere.
【小题1】What do we learn about the writer when he had just moved into his new house in Los Angele?

A poor boy , named Howard Kelly , was trying to pay his way through school by selling goods door to door . He was hungry ,  36  he decided to beg something to eat .

When a young woman opened the door , instead of a  37  he asked for a drink of water . Thinking he looked  38  she brought him a large glass of milk . He drank it and then asked , “How much do I  39  you ? ”

“No , you don’t owe me anything , ” she replied . “Mother has taught me  40  to accept pay for a kindness . ” Leaving that house , he not only felt stronger  41  , but it also increased his faith in God and the human race . He was about to  42  before this point .

 43  later the young woman became seriously ill . The local doctors couldn’t cure her illness . They sent her to the big city , where specialists can be  44  to study her disease . Dr . Howard Kelly , now  45  , came for the consultation (会诊) . When he heard the name of the town where she came from , a strange light filled his eyes .  46  , he went into her room .

47  in his doctor’s gown (罩衣) he went in to see her . He  48  her at once . He went back to the  49  and determined to do his best to save her life . From that day on , he gave special attention to her case .

Finally , the battle was won . Dr . Kelly asked a nurse to  50  the bill to her room . She was afraid to open it  51  she knew that it would  52  the rest of her life to pay it off . Finally she looked and read these words on the side of the bill :

“Paid in full with a glass of  53  . ” (Signed ) Dr . Howard Kelly .

Tears of  54  flooded her eyes as she  55  silently : “Thank you , God . Your love has spread through human hearts and hands. ”

A young Scottish lady, like a lot of teens today, got tired of home. The daughter objected to her family’s 　1.　lifestyle and said, “I don’t want your God. I am leaving!” She left home. Before long, she was disappointed and unable to find a job, so she took to the streets to do everything she could to 　2.　. Many years passed by, her father died, her mother grew 　3.　, and the daughter became more and more stubborn in her way of life.

No  4. was made between mother and daughter during these years. The mother, having 　 heard of her daughter’s whereabouts, went to the poor part of the city in 　5.　of her daughter. She stopped at 　6.　of the rescue missions(收容所) with a simple speech. “Would you allow me to 　7.　this picture?” It was a picture of the smiling, gray-haired mother with a handwritten 　8.　at the bottom: “I love you still … come home!”

One day the daughter wandered into a rescue mission for a hot meal. She sat 　9.　listening to the service, all the while letting her 　10.　wander over to the bulletin board. There she saw the picture and thought, could that be my mother?

She couldn’t 　11.　until the service was over. She stood and went to look. It was her mother, and there were those words, “I love you still … come home!”　12.　she stood in front of the picture, she wept. It was too 　13.　to be true.

It was night, but she was so 　14.　by the message that she started walking home.　15.　the time she arrived it was early in the morning. She was afraid and 　16.　her way timidly. As she knocked, the door 　17.　open on its own. She thought someone must broken into the house. Concerned for her mother’s 　18.　, the young girl ran to the bedroom and shook her mother awake and said, “It’s me! It’s me! I’m home!”

The mother couldn’t believe her eyes. They fell into each other’s 　19.　. The daughter said, “I was so worried and thought someone had broken in.” The mother replied gently, “No, dear. From the day you left, that door has never been 　20.　.”

C

You may have heard the term "the American Dream". In 1848, James W. Marshall found gold in California and people began having golden dreams. That 19th century "American Dream" motivated (激发起) the Gold Rush and gave California its nickname of the "Golden State".

The American Dream drove not only 1800s gold-rush prospectors but also waves of immigrants throughout that century and the next. People from Europe, and a large number of Chinese, arrived in the US in the 19th century hoping that in America they would find gold in the streets. But most, instead, worked as railroad labourers. They created the oldest Chinatown, in San Francisco, and gave the city a Chinese name "the old gold hill".

In the 20th century, some critics said that it was no longer possible to become prosperous through determination and hard work. Unfair education for students from poor families and racial discrimination almost made the American Dream a nightmare.

Then, in the 1990s, California saw a new wave of dreamers in Silicon Valley. People poured their energy into the Internet. This new chapter of the American Dream attracted many business people and young talents from China and India to form start-ups and seek fortunes in America.

Better pay, a nice house, and a rising standard of living will always be attractive. However, the new American Dream is no longer just about money. It encourages Americans to consume wisely to protect the environment, improve the quality of life, and promote social justice.

The Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, has become the model of the new American Dream. After years of hard work, he grew from a poor young man from Austria into a movie superstar and then governor. Many people hope his story can save the American Dream and give California a brighter future.

1. It can be inferred that _____.

A. America’s golden dream could never be realized

B. America’s golden dream had bought great fortunes to Chinese immigrants

C. each period of time has its own taste of the American dream

D. determination and hard work are the best way to realize the American dream

2. Why did most of the early immigrants work as railroad laborers?

A. Because they could earn more money as railroad laborers.

B. Because they had to make a living by working as railroad laborers.

C. Because they thought railroad was the first step to find gold.

D. Because railroad laborers were greatly honored at that time.

3. The underlined sentence “his story can save the American Dream” (in the last paragraph) indicates that _____.

A. the dream of seeking fortunate in America is easy to realize

B. most of the immigrants to America don’t reach their previous goal

C. the success of Arnold Schwarzenegger is among the common examples of the immigrants

D. the immigrants have made great contributions to California

4. What’s the best title of the passage?

A. Wave of Immigrants to America            B. Make Fortunes Abroad

C. Hard Work Leads to Success                  D. Changes of America’s Golden Dream

A young Scottish lady, like a lot of teens today, got tired of home．The daughter objected to her family’s 　1　lifestyle and said, “I don’t want your God．I am leaving!” She left home．Before long, she was disappointed and unable to find a job, so she took to the streets to do everything she could to 　2　．Many years passed by, her father died, her mother grew 　3　, and the daughter became more and more stubborn in her way of life．

       No  4  was made between mother and daughter during these years．The mother, having heard of her daughter’s whereabouts, went to the poor part of the city in 　5　of her daughter．She stopped at 　6　of the rescue missions（收容所） with a simple speech．“Would you allow me to 7　this picture?” It was a picture of the smiling, gray-haired mother with a handwritten 　8　at the bottom: “I love you still … come home!”

       One day the daughter wandered into a rescue mission for a hot meal．She sat 　9　listening to the service, all the while letting her 　10　wander over to the bulletin board．There she saw the picture and thought, could that be my mother?

       She couldn’t 　11　until the service was over．She stood and went to look．It was her mother, and there were those words, “I love you still … come home!”　12　she stood in front of the picture, she wept．It was too 　13　to be true．

       It was night, but she was so 　14　by the message that she started walking home．　15　the time she arrived it was early in the morning．She was afraid and 　16　her way timidly．As she knocked, the door 　17　open on its own．She thought someone must broken into the house．Concerned for her mother’s 　18　, the young girl ran to the bedroom and shook her mother awake and said, “It’s me! It’s me! I’m home!”

       The mother couldn’t believe her eyes．They fell into each other’s 　19　．The daughter said, “I was so worried and thought someone had broken in．” The mother replied gently, “No, dear．From the day you left, that door has never been 　20　．”

1．A．modern                 B．religious              C．awful                  D．simple

2．A．earn money           B．help others           C．get free               D．become famous

3．A．lonelier                  B．slower                 C．angrier                D．older

4．A．contract                B．contact                C．link                     D．difference

5．A．sight                     B．charge                 C．search                 D．need

6．A．each                     B．both                    C．none                   D．every

7．A．print out                B．look at                 C．give off               D．put up

8．A．record                  B．advice                 C．message              D．notice

9．A．sensitively             B．absent-mindedly   C．devotedly            D．carefully

10．A．eyes                    B．hands                  C．thoughts              D．imaginations

11．A．help                    B．move                  C．wait                    D．listen

12．A．After                   B．Since                  C．Until                   D．As

13．A．lucky                  B．good                   C．happy                 D．certain

14．A．astonished           B．touched               C．interested            D．ashamed

15．A．By                      B．At                       C．During                D．Before

16．A．had                     B．led                      C．made                  D．held

17．A．seemed               B．blew                   C．proved                D．flew

18．A．safety                 B．health                  C．danger                D．life

19．A．backs                  B．hearts                  C．shoulders            D．arms

20．A．pushed           B．opened          C．locked            D．fixed