Each of us fails from time to time. If we are wise, we accept these failures as a necessary part of the learning process. But all too often we __41__ to our children either by words or by actions that failure is something to be ashamed of, that nothing but top performance meets our __42__.

Donnie was my youngest student. His fear of failure kept him from classroom games that other children played excitedly. He __43__ answered questions―he might be wrong. I tried my best to build his self-confidence. But nothing changed until midterm, when Mary Anne, a student teacher, was assigned to our classroom. She was young and pretty, and she loved children. My pupils, Donnie included, __44__ her. But even enthusiastic, loving Mary was __45__ by this little boy who feared he might make a mistake.

Then one morning we were working math problems. I left the children with Mary. But when I returned, Donnie was in tears. He’d missed the third problem. Mary looked at me in despair. Suddenly her face __46__. From the desk we shared, she got a canister(小筒) filled with pencils. She removed the pencils and placed them on his desk. “See these pencils, Donnie?” she said, “They belong to Mrs Lindstrom and me. See how the erasers are worn? That’s because we make __47__ too. But we erase the mistakes and try again.” She kissed him and continued, “I’ll leave one of these pencils on your desk so you’ll remember that everybody makes mistakes, even teachers.” Donnie looked up with love in his eyes and just a glimmer of a smile.

The pencil became Donnie’s prized possession. That, together with Mary Anne’s __48__ encouragement and praise for even Donnie’s small successes, __49__ persuaded him that it’s all right to make mistakes―as long as you erase them and try again.

Once upon a time there was a great man who married the woman of his dreams. With their love, they created a little girl. She was a bright and cheerful little girl and the great man loved her very much.
When the little girl was growing up, the great man would hug her and tell her, “ I love you, little girl.” The little girl would shout and say, “ I’m not a little girls anymore.” Then the man would laugh and say, “ But to me, you’ll always be my little girl.”
The little girl who- was- not- little- anymore left her home and went into the world. As she learned more about herself, she learned more about the man. She saw that he truly was great and strong, for now she recognized his strengths. One of his strengths was his ability to express his love to his family. It didn’t matter where she went in the world, the man would call her and say, “ I love you, little girl.”
The day came when the little girl who-was- not- little-anymore received a phone call. The great man was damaged. He had had a stroke(中风 ). He couldn’t talk anymore and they weren’t sure that he could understand the words spoken to him.
And so she went to the side of the great man. When she walked into the room and saw him, he looked small and not strong at all. He looked at her and tried to speak, but he could not.
The little girl did the only thing she could do. She climbed up on the bed next to the great man. Tears ran from both of their eyes and she drew her arms around the useless shoulders of her father.
Her head on his chest, she thought of many things. She remembered the wonderful times together and how she has always felt protected. And then she heard from within the man, the beat of his heart. The heart where the musid and the words had always lived. The heart beat on, steadily unconcerned about damage to the rest of the body. And while she rested there, the magic happened. She heard what she needed to hear.
His hear beat out the words that his mouth could no longer say…
I love you
I love you
I love you
Little girl
Little girl
Little girl
And she was comforted.
【小题1】 In the 2^nd paragraph, the little girl showed her ____ by pouting.

A．The daughter left her home because she had a fight with her father.

B．The girl returned home when she got a letter from his father about his illness.

C．The father recovered as if by magic soon after the daughter’s return.

D．From the father’s example, the daughter learned how to express her love.

There was a story many years ago of a school teacher--- Mrs. Thompson. She told the children on the first day that she loved them all the same. But that was a lie. There in the front row was a little boy named Teddy Stoddard. He didn’t play well with the other children and he always needed a bath. She did not like him.

     Then Mrs. Thompson got to know that Teddy was actually a very good boy before the death of his mother. Mrs. Thompson was ashamed of herself. She felt even worse when, like all her other students, Teddy brought her a Christmas present too. It was his mother’s perfume(香水)。

     Teddy said, “Mrs. Thompson, today you smell just like my Mom used to.” After the children left she cried for at least an hour. On that very day, she stopped teaching reading, writing and math. Instead, she began to teach children.

     Mrs. Thompson paid particular attention to Teddy. The boy’s mind seemed to come alive. The more she encourage him, the faster he improved. By the end of the sixth grade, Teddy had become one of the smartest children in the class.

     Six years went by before she got a note from Teddy. He wrote that he had finished high school, third in his class, and she was still the best teacher he ever had in his whole lift. He went to college. Mrs. Thompson got two more letters from him with the last one signed, Theodore F. Stoddard, M. D.(医学博士).

     The story doesn’t end there. On his wedding day, Dr. Stoddard whispered in Mrs. Thompson’s ear, “Thank you, Mrs. Thompson, for believing in me. You made me feel important and showed me that I could make a difference.”

  Mrs. Thompson, with tears in her eyes, whispered back, “Teddy, you have it all wrong. You were the one who taught me that I could make a difference. I didn’t know how to teach until I met you.”

What did Mrs. Thompson do on the first day of school?

A. She made Teddy feel ashamed.      B. She asked the children to play with Teddy.

C. She changed Teddy’s seat to the front row.

D. She told the class something untrue about herself.

What did Mrs. Thompson find out about Teddy?

A. He often told lies.              B. He was good at math. 

C. He needed motherly care.        D. He enjoyed playing with others.

In what way did Mrs. Thompson change?

   A. She taught fewer school subjects.        B. She became stricter with her students.

   C. She no longer liked her job as a teacher.     D. She cared more about educating students.

Why did Teddy thank Mrs. Thompson at his wedding?

   A. She had kept in touch with him.            B. She had given him encouragement.

   C. She had sent him Christmas presents.      D. She had taught him how to judge people.

Despite the great progress in medical science, human beings are constantly attacked by cancer, which means death. A woman named Bonnie suffered a   36  of discomforts caused by the treatment of cancer. She didn’t regard cancer as a   37  disease, but a laughing matter. She treated it in a humorous way. To put it in   38  way, she is teaching people that even though cancer isn't   39 , we can treat it in a humorous way.

Her second child was going to be born three months away   40  she was diagnosed with cancer. Suddenly, a   41  mother turned into a helpless woman afraid for her own   42 . It was after she had had her baby   43  that she had an operation.   44  came chemo（化疗）and her life seemed to be made up of fears and   45 . But the   46  moment in her life came after she lost all her hair and a free wig(假发) arrived. She   47  it on as her older son Kyler watched.

“That was when I decided how to   48  it: crying over this bad wig or laughing about it.   49  way would make   50  remember it.” Bonnie said. She spent a lot of time looking for anything funny from cancer patients. She got a lot out of collecting   51  stories. She started laughing a lot, finding it the perfect medicine. Using herself as a bald (光头) model, Bonnie   52   to design her own greeting cards and calendars, making fun of the sufferings of chemo.

"To have joy, we badly   53  to laugh," she said.

Clearly, you can increase your confidence to   54  over any disease and trouble   55   laughing.

1.                A．set            B．way            C．series    D．pack

2.                A．deadly         B．seriously        C．terribly   D．fearfully

3.                A．the other       B．another         C．other D．others

4.                A．serious         B．painful         C．fierce    D．fun

5.                A．before         B．when          C．while D．until

6.                A．happy          B．sad            C．fortunate D．sick

7.                A．son            B．illness          C．life D．operation

8.                A．made          B．delivered       C．attended  D．opened

9.                A．Here           B．Later           C．Thus D．Then

10.               A．failures         B．loneliness       C．tears D．wonders

11.               A．highest         B．lowest         C．great D．ugly

12.               A．wore          B．carried         C．fastened   D．tried

13.               A．deal with       B．do with         C．go with    D．meet with

14.               A．All            B．Any           C．Either D．Both

15.               A．myself         B．my son         C．everyone  D．my husband

16.A. detective  B romantic  C. humorous      D. different  

17.               A．set out         B．get down       C．set about  D．set down

18.               A．need          B．ought          C．want  D．long

19.               A．think          B．get            C．run   D．take

20.

A．in terms of                            B．by the way of

C．through the method of                   D．by means of

In the office of the German Chancellor Angela Merkel, there is a picture of Catherine the Great, the legendary Russian Empress. When asked why she has the picture, Merkel says, “She was a strong woman”. Many say the same of Merkel.

The most powerful woman in the world, according to US Forbes magazine, was in China last week. She came to discuss trade and environmental issues with China’s top leaders. Germany’s first woman leader is known as a brave and practical statesman(政治家). Even since her time at school, she had the habit of getting everything in order. Every day before doing her homework she would clean the desk and think about what to do next. “I prefer a long time for full preparations to make my decision. But once I decide, I will stand up for what I believe,” Merkel said.

Perhaps it was good habits that helped her do well in her studies. At 32, she got a doctorate (博士学位) in physics and then she worked as a researcher.

However, the life of a scholar couldn’t put off her love of politics. While working in labs, Merkel took time off to read political books and at last joined a political party. “Her calmness helped her stand out in the party. She could always find a way out while others felt hopeless,” said one of her old friends.

In her first big political job as Minister for the Environment in 1994, her scientific background proved very useful. In 2005 she became Germany’s youngest chancellor since the second World War.

Now half way through her four-year term, the 53-year-old woman has made a name for herself both in Germany and abroad. At the EU summit in 2005 when France quarreled with Britain over the EU budget(预算), some people believed the EU was close to breaking down. But Merkel didn’t give up. She shuttled(穿梭) between the heads of the two powers and had them reached an agreement.

“Strength comes from composure(镇定) and courage. Many people say I am a strong woman. But I would rather say I have perseverance,” said Merkel.

1. Why does Merkel put a picture of Catherine the Great on the wall of her office?

A. Because Catherine the Great is beautiful.

B. Because Merkel wants to be a strong woman too.

C. Because Merkel likes the drawing skill of it.

D. Because it is very expensive.

2.What is the correct order of the following events?

a. became the German Chancellor

b. got a doctorate in physics and then she worked as a researcher

c. join a political party

d. visit China

e. take part in the EU summit

f. as Minister for the Environment

A. bcafde         B. cbfdae          C. bcfaed           D. cbfaed

3.Which statement is NOT true according to the passage?

A. Merkel usually is hurry to make a decision when facing difficulties.

B. At the EU summit in 2005, the relationship between French and Britain was in tension.

C. Merkel is a well-known leader all over the world.

D. She is outstanding because of her calmness.

4. What is the best title for the passage?

A. An excellent lecturer                     B. Germany’s iron lady

C. The change of a scholar                D. The youngest chancellor