A couple of years ago, I went to a lady’s house to buy some vitamins. Upon entering the house, I 　 31　 that there was an electronic keyboard on a stand, leaning　 32　 the wall. Being a piano music lover and 　 33 , I asked, if the woman played. She nodded and added that she had been 　34　 lessons—at age 54! I told her that it was very　 35　 that she was pursuing （追求） her passion（热情） to play the piano.

　 Then she asked me　 36　 question.

　 “I have been playing for 8 years now, ” I answered.

　 “Then you must play a song for me before you leave, ” she　 37 . I thought she was joking and I simply smiled. At the end of the deal of the vitamins, she　 38　 me of our musical “ 39　 ”. She then showed me to an old upright piano in the living room, 40 asked me to play a song for her. I thought　 41　 and decided to play David Lanz’s “Return to the Heart”, since she had so much passion for　 42　 , and it was my soul-searching song.

　 I played the song to the best of my ability, and with my emotions　 43　 into it as possible. She loved it. 　 44　 I was about to step out of the door, I heard a weak voice calling out, “Young man! ”

　 I turned around. And there was an old lady　 45　 one little step at a time with the help of another woman. “I wanted to come out to　 46　 you for the beautiful song that you played. I have been very sick, and it’s very hard for me to　 47　 my bed, but your music made me feel good, ”she said. With that, she turned around and walked　 48　 back to her room.

　 I was deeply　 49　 by her appreciation and felt a deeper understanding for the song. It served its purpose beautifully, returning to one’s　 50　 for peace and joy.

31. A. observed 　　　B. watched

C. noticed 　　　　　D. caught

32. A. on 　　　B. at

C. over 　　　 D. against

33. A. player 　　　B. teacher

C. composer 　　　D. starter

34. A. giving 　　　B. attending

C. teaching 　　　 D. reviewing

35. A. interesting 　　　B. wonderful

C. moved 　　　　　　D. impressive

36. A. another 　　　B. a different

C. the same 　　　　D. other

37. A. advised 　　　B. ordered

C. demanded 　　　D. requested

38. A. warned 　　　B. reminded

C. asked 　　　　　D. required

39. A. course 　　　B. task

C. discussion 　　　D. deal

40. A. and 　　　　 B. but

C. as a result 　　　D. what’s more

41. A. for the moment 　　　B. at the moment

C. for a moment 　　　　　D. at a moment

42. A. music 　　　B. songs

C. the piano 　　　D. vitamins

43. A. dropping 　　　B. falling

C. pouring 　　　　　D. running

44. A. Since 　　　B. As

C. While 　　　　 D. Because

45. A. taking 　　　B. making

C. having 　　　　 D. moving

46. A. thank 　　　B. praise

C. admire 　　　　D. owe

47. A. get on 　　　B. get up

C. get off 　　　　 D. get down

48. A. quietly 　　　B. calmly

C. happily 　　　　 D. slowly

49. A. shocked 　　　B. touched

C. delighted 　　　　D. disturbed

50. A. world 　　　B. heart

C. brains 　　　　 D. dreams

B

45. If you want to have a guitar lesson, you may ________ .

A. call Susan at 7328059                                 　　B. surf the website:www.music.com.au

C. telephone Mr. White at 5132683                       D. e-mail sdgt@yahoo.cn

46. Who is the owner of the lost dog?

   A. Mr. White                         B. Larry                                C. Susan                     D. David

47. If you want the job as a taxi driver, you should ________.

A. master at least three languages                                      B. know the city very well              

C. be an experienced driver                                            D. both B and C

48. Which information about the apartment is not mentioned in the table?

A. It has a beautiful view.                                               B. It has hot water in the daytime.

C. It has three floors.                                                    D. It has a kitchen.

A house in Clarktown caught fire on Christmas Eve,1982. The    1    who lived in the house was already in    2   .Being in poor health, she had trouble in    3    even when things were fine.    4    her house burning down around her, she was not able to go    5   .The smoke    6   her choke(窒息) .The fire was very hot. Without quick help she would have   7   .

Fire fighters    8    the house. They started to put the fire out. They did not know the old woman was still    9   .The people    10   her crying for help. The fire was still very hot    11    there was lots of smoke.

A man    12    like Santa Claus(圣诞老人) was passing by. He was on his way to give gifts to poor families.   13    had he heard the old woman’s cry when he ran into the    14    

house. After a while he rushed out with the old woman on his back and came to her safety. Then, as

   15    as he had done that, the man left. No one knew the real name of the hero who had saved the old woman’s life.

The man went on and took the gifts to the poor children. He did not return home    16   it was dark. He told his   17    what had happened. She decided that she did not    18    to keep the story a secret. She told people that Santa Claus was    19    David Rodriguez, her husband. Mr. Rodriguez is a music teacher    20    he is not playing Santa Claus.

1. A. hero　　　　 　　 B. woman　　　　　　　　　　 C. child　　   　　　　    D. man

2. A. the eighty　　   B. eighties 　　　　　　　　   C. her eightieth　　    D. her eighties

3. A. walking　　　　 B. speaking 　　　　　　　　 C. thinking　　　　     D. laughing

4. A. Because　　　　 B. For　　　　　　　　　　　　  C. With　　　　  　　   D. During

5. A. everywhere　　  　　   B. nowhere 　　　　　　　　 C. anywhere　　　　 D. somewhere

6. A. suffered　　      B. broke 　　　　　　　　　　　　    C. forced　　    　　    D. made

7. A. lived　　　　 　　 B. died　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. left　　　　  　　　　 D. stayed

8. A. looked for　　   B. searched through 　　 C. got to　　　　 　　　　　　  D. set up

9. A. out of doors　　 B. in the open air　　　　   C. outside　　　　 　　 D. inside

10. A. heard　　　　  　　   B. stopped 　　　　　　　　  C. felt　　　　  　　　　 D. kept

11. A. but　　　　 　　  B. and　　　　　　　　　　　　  C. or　　　　 　　　　    D. though

12. A. dressed  　　   B. chosen 　　　　　　　　  C. looked　　　　      D. acted

13. A. Only　　    　　 B. Hardly 　　　　　　　　    C. Never　　　　  　　 D. Badly

14. A. empty　　　　  B. crowded 　　　　　　    C. burnt　　　　  　　  D. burning

15. A. bravely　　　　 B. carefully　　　　　　　　  C. quickly　　　　 　　 D. proudly

16. A. until　　    　　  B. unless　　　　　　　　　　  C. while　　    　　　　 D. or

17. A. friend　　       B. son 　　　　　　　　　　    C. daughter　　　　  D. wife

18. A. want　　    　　 B. like　　　　　　　　　　　　  C. refuse　　　　  　　 D. need

19. A. nearly　　　　 B. really 　　　　　　　　　　  C. impossibly　　　　 D. probably

20. A. so that  　　　　B. even if 　　　　　　　　  C. when　　　　  　　  D. since

Nineteenth-century writers in the United States, whether they wrote novels, short stories, poems or plays, were powerfully drawn to the railroad in its golden years. In fact, writers responded to the railroads as soon as the first were built in the 1830’s. By the 1850’s, the railroad was a major presence in the life of the nation. Writers such as Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David saw the railroad both as a boon(要求) to democracy(民主国家) and as an object of suspicion. The railroad could be and was a despoiler(掠夺者) of nature, furthermore, in its manifestation of speed and noise. It might be a despoiler of human nature as well. By the 1850’s and 1860’s, there was a great distrust among writer and intellectuals of the rapid industrialization of which the railroad was a leading force. Deeply philosophical historians such as Henry Adams lamented the role that the new frenzy for business was playing in eroding traditional values. A distrust of industry and business continued among writers throughout the rest of the nineteenth century and into the twentieth.

　 For the most part, the literature in which the railroad plays and important role belong to popular culture rather than to the realm of serious art. One thinks of melodramas, boys’ books, thrillers, romances, and the like rather than novels of the first rank. In the railroads’ prime years, between 1890 and 1920, there were a few individuals in the United States, most of them with solid railroading experience behind them, who made a profession of writing about railroading—works offering the ambience of stations, yards, and locomotive cabs. These writers, who can genuinely be said to have created a genre, the “railroad novel”, are now mostly forgotten, their names having faded from memory. But anyone who takes the time to consult their fertile writings will still find a treasure trove of information about the place of the railroad in the life of the United States.

1.The underlined word “it” in the passage refers to______.

　　A. railroad 　　B. manifestation　　 C. speed 　　D. nature

2.In the first paragraph, the author implies that writers’ reactions to the development of railroads were______.

　　A. highly enthusiastic 　 B. both positive and negative　  C. unchanging　 　D. Disinterested

3. According to the passage, the railroad played a significant role in literature in all of the following kinds of books except_______.　

A. thrillers 　 B. boys’ books　　C. romances　　D. important novels

4. The phrase “first rank” in the second paragraph is closest in meaning to______.

A. largest category(类别) 　B. highest quality　  C. earliest writers 　D. most difficult language

5. Which of the following topics is the main idea of passage?

A. The role of the railroad in the economy of the USA　

B. Major nineteenth century writers

C. The conflict between expanding industry and preserving nature

D. The railroad as a subject for literature