(2010年南通二模)—How much of the foreign expert’s speech have you understood?

—Next to nothing.I wish I________harder at English.

A．worked                        B．had worked

C．would work                  D．were working

I keep a two dollar bill in my wallet that was given to me by my mother when I was six years old.

The  31  goes with me wherever I go. My mother gave it to me so that  32  would follow me. She looked at me and said, “I want you to carry this two dollar bill for extra good luck.”

“Thanks, mom,” I replied, “I will keep it  33  to me always.”

My mother passed away when I was seven years old. I remember I took out my two dollar bill and held it in my hand for the longest time, knowing that she would  34  me the rest of my life.

Each time I felt I had a crisis, I would  35  for my two dollar bill and set it on the table. I would  36  at it for several hours and could always  37  a solution. When I applied for my first job, I was thirty years old and very shy. The thought of being interviewed for a job was  38  but I had to work. I saw one of the interviewers well dressed with  39  purse and shoes. I also knew the chance of being chosen was  40  when looking at the length of others’ resumes.

“What makes you feel you are  41  for this job?” The well－dressed woman asked. “I really need this job and there is nothing I can not do” I responded. She then asked me a series of questions and the interview was over. As I left, I  42  and said “Please give me a chance. I learn quickly and can be a very  43  member of your team.”

I went home,  44 . That evening I received a phone call. “Gina” she said, “we decided to give you a chance to  45  yourself.” “Thank you, you will not regret this decision.” I  46  the phone and yelled. At that instant, I remember my mom once said to us “You are  47  in my mind. Don’t  48  failure. It is a way to get us to try harder.”

How  49  this gift from Mom! It had built up  50  in me.

1.                A．money         B．check          C．bill  D．paper

2.                A．luck           B．happiness       C．wealth   D．wisdom

3.                A．close          B．near           C．hard D．firm

4.                A．look out for     B．watch over      C．see to    D．come across

5.                A．get            B．stretch         C．hold D．reach

6.                A．stare           B．glance          C．observe  D．glare

7.                A．come up with    B．put forward      C．set up    D．pull through

8.                A．exciting        B．amazing         C．nervous  D．scary

9.                A．suitable        B．matching        C．fancy D．exaggerating（夸张的）

10.               A．slim           B．terrible         C．few  D．abundant

11.               A．born           B．qualified        C．stable D．grateful

12.               A．turned around   B．turned back     C．put up D．raise up

13.               A．productive      B．additional       C．concise（简洁）    D．effective

14.               A．terrified        B．exhausted      C．sound D．cautious

15.               A．test           B．challenge       C．prove D．strengthen

16.               A．hung up        B．got through     C．set aside   D．got off

17.               A．brilliant        B．awesome       C．careful    D．unbelievable

18.               A．stand          B．bend          C．fear  D．ruin

19.               A．rare           B．special         C．relative   D．primary

20.               A．confidence      B．perseverance    C．model D．intelligence

Everyone knows what a needle is. Of course there are needles and needles: Needles for sewing machines, needles for injection(注射), you name it. But few people think of the wonder : a needle works in the hands of those who practice acupuncture(针刺疗法).

During the past ten years or so, I have been suffering from terrible headache. It seems to be getting from bad to worse these days . Last night I got a sudden pain in my head. It was so terrible that I could hardly bear(忍受)it. Although I swallowed all kinds of pain-killers(止痛药), I didn’t feel any better, It seemed that there was nothing I could do but phone for a doctor.

One of our neighbours happened to be with us. He was not a doctor, but he timidly(胆怯地) offered his help, saying “Do you mind if I tried acupuncture on you? These needles may possibly do you some good.” I agreed. In a moment, he had taken out a few needles from his purse. Without a moment’s delay, he fixed a few needles into the skin on my head here and there, Before long, I felt thoroughly relieved(缓解疼痛).

Just then, the doctor sped through my house and said, “Where is our patient?”

 “Sorry, Doctor, You are too late, It’s killed!” I answered in delight.

It’s miracle , isn’t it?

The underlined phrase from bad to worse in the second paragraph refers to the man’s   . 

A. character         B. life          C. headache          D. health

Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?

A. the neighbour fixed needles on his own head

B. The neighbour is a kind-hearted person.

C. The man’s pain was killed before the doctor arrived

D. Soon after the acupuncture, the man was completely recovered.

The sentences” You are too late. It’s killed .” mean that    .

A. the pain was killed because the doctor came late

B. the man was killed because the doctor came too late

C. before the doctor came the man’s headache was already cured

D. it was too late and the man had gone away

The passage tells us that     .

A. everyone knows that acupuncture is a miracle

B. the neighbour wanted to use acupuncture on every patient

C. the effect of acupuncture on the man was unbelievable

D. the patient did not believe in acupuncture

B
About a year ago, I went to stay at a Detroit hotel. I didn’t want to carry too much money with me, so I asked the desk clerk to put a hundred- dollar bill in the safe for me.
The next morning, however, the clerk said he knew nothing about my money. I didn’t have any proof that I had given the man the money. There was nothing I could do but go to the nearest lawyer.
The lawyer advised me to return to the hotel with him and give another hundred-dollar bill to the clerk. This I did. An hour later, I went back to the desk and asked for my money. Since I had the lawyer as an eyewitness to the second hundred-dollar bill, the clerk could not say he knew nothing about it.
Another hour later, I put the second part of the lawyer’s plan into action. This time both the lawyer and I went to the hotel. I asked for the hundred-dollar bill once again, and when the clerk insisted he had already given it to me, I denied（否认）it. The lawyer said to him, “I saw this gentleman give you a hundred dollars. If you don’t hand it over immediately, I’ll be forced to call the police.”
The clerk realized he had been tricked, so he gave me back the first hundred-dollar bill.
“I don’t know how to thank you enough for getting my money back,” I said to the lawyer. And what you suppose he answered?
He said, “Oh, don’t thank me. That will be a hundred dollars, please.”
60. The man went to a Detroit hotel one day to___________.
A. get his money back                    B. put a hundred-dollar bill in the safe
C. ask to be a desk clerk             D. stay for the night
61. The hotel clerk at last returned the first hundred-dollar bill to the man because _________.
A. he knew the lawyer’s plan very well  
B. he found the lawyer tricking him
C. he didn’t want to get into trouble with the police  
D. he wanted to give the man a surprise
62. Which of the following statements is true?
A. The man didn’t get his 200 dollars back.
B. The lawyer was happy that the man got both his bills back.
C. The lawyer asked for 100 dollars.
D. The man thanked the lawyer by paying him some money.
63．The man was _______.
A. wise             B. foolish          C. happy           D. sad

Twenty years ago, I drove a taxi for a living. One night I went to pick up a passenger at 2:30 a.m. When I arrived to collect, I found the building was dark exvept for a single light in a ground floor window.

I walked to the door and knocked, “Just a minute,” answered a weak, elderly voice.

After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her eighties stood before me. By her side was a small suitcase.

I took the suitcase to the car, and then returned to help the woman. She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the car.

She kept thanking me for my kindness. “It’s nothing,” I told her. “I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated. ”

“Oh, you’re such a good man.”  She said. When we got into the taxi, she gave me an address, and then asked, “ Could you drive through downtown?”

“It’s not the shortest way,” I answered quickly.

“ Oh, I’m in no hurry.” She said, “I’m on my way to a hospice (临终医院)。 I don’t have any family left. The doctor says I don’t have very long.”

I quietly reached over and shut off the meter(计价器)

For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked, the neighborhood where she had lived, and the furniture shop that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.

Sometimes she’d ask me to slow down in front of a particular building and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.

At down, she suddenly said, “I’m tired. Let’s go now.”

We drove in silence to the address she had given me.

“How much do I owe you?” She asked.

“Nothing.” I said.

“You have to make a living,” she answered. “Oh, there are other passengers,” I answered.

Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly. Our hug ended with her remark, “You gave an old woman a little moment joy.”

1.The old woman chose to ride through the city in order to           .

   A. Show she was familiar with the city

   B. reach the destination on time

   C. let the driver earn more money

   D. see some places for the last time.

2.The taxi driver did not charge the old woman because he             

   A. wanted to do her a favor

   B. shut off the meter by mistake

   C. had received her payment in advance

   D. was in a hurry to take other passenhers

3.What can we learn from the story?

   A. Giving is always a pleasure

   B. People should respect each other

   C. An act of kindness can bring people great joy.

   D. People should learn to appreciate others’ concern.