The speaker, a teacher from a community college, addressed a sympathetic(赞同的) audience. Heads nodded in agreement when he said, “High school English teachers are not doing their jobs.” He described the inadequacies of his students, all high school graduates who can use language only at a grade 9 level. I was unable to determine from his answers to my questions how this grade 9 level had been established.

My topic is not standards nor its decline(降低). What the speaker was really saying is that he is no longer young; he has been teaching for sixteen years, and is able to think and speak like a mature adult.

　　My point is that the frequent complaint of one generation about the one immediately following it is inevitable. It is also human nature to look for the reasons for our dissatisfaction. Before English became a school subject in the late nineteenth century, it was difficult to find the target of the blame for language deficiencies (缺陷). But since then, English teachers have been under constant attack.

　　The complainers think they have hit upon an original idea. As their own command of the language improves, they notice that young people do not have this same ability. Unaware that their own ability has developed through the years, they assume the new generation of young people must be hopeless in this respect. To the eyes and ears of sensitive adults the language of the young always seems inadequate.

Since this concern about the decline and fall of the English language is not perceived(察觉) as a generational phenomenon but rather as something new and peculiar(特有的) to today’s          young people, it naturally follows that today’s English teachers cannot be doing their jobs. Otherwise, young people would not commit offenses against the language.

The speaker the author mentioned in the passage believed that _____.

A. the language of the younger generation is usually inferior(差的) to that of the older     

generation

B. the students had a poor command of English because they didn’t work hard enough

C. he was an excellent language teacher because he had been teaching English for sixteen  

years

D. English teachers should be held responsible for the students’ poor command of English

In the author’s opinion, the speaker ______.

A. gave a correct judgment of the English level of the students

B. had exaggerated(夸大) the language problems of the students

C. was right in saying that English teachers were not doing their jobs

D. could think and speak intelligently

The author’s attitude towards the speaker’s remarks is ______.

A. neutral                    B. positive                   C. critical             D. compromising

It can be concluded from the passage that ______.

A. it is justifiable(有理由的) to include English as a school subject

B. the author disagrees with the speaker over the standard of English at Grade 9 level

C. English language teaching is by no means an easy job

D. language improvement needs time and effort

In the passage the author argues that ______.

A. it is unfair to blame the English teachers for the language deficiencies of the students

B. young people would not commit offences against the language if the teachers did their 

jobs properly

C. to eliminate(消除) language deficiencies one must have sensitive eyes and ears

D. to improve the standard of English requires the effort of several generations

"How did you do it, Dad? How have you managed not to take a drink for almost 20 years?" It took me almost 20 years to have the　　1　　to even ask my father this very personal question. When Dad first 　 2　 drinking, the whole family was on　　3　 and needles every time he got into a 　 4　 that, in the past, would have 　 5　 him drinking again. For a few years we were 　 6　 to bring it up 　 7　 that the drinking would begin again.

"I had this little poem that I would recite to myself at least four to five times a day." That was Dad's　　8　 to my 18-year-old unasked question. "The words were a constant (经常的)　 9　 to me that things were　　10　 so hard that I could not deal with them," Dad said. Then he 　 11　 the poem with me. The poem's 　 12　 , yet profound(深刻的)words immediately became 　 13　 of my daily routine(日常事务) as well.

About a month after this talk with my father, I received a gift in the mail from a friend of mine. It was a book of daily sayings of wisdom with one 　 14　 for each day of the year.

It has been my experience that when you get something with days of the year on it, you naturally turn to the page that lists your own 　 15　 .

I 　 16　 opened the book to November 10 to see 　 17　 words of wisdom this book had in store for me. The moment I glanced at the page, tears of　　18　 and appreciation　　19　 down my face. There, on my birthday, was the exact same poem that had 　 20　 my father for all these years! It is called the Serenity (平静) Prayer:God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

1. A. chance B. courage C. ability D. right

2. A. gave up B. took up C. started D. continued

3. A. thread B. duty C. fire D. pins

4. A. situation B. habit C. condition D. house

5. A. stopped B. made C. started D. asked

6. A. sure B. uncertain C. afraid D. eager

7. A. on condition B. for fear C. in case D. providing

8. A. reply B. words C. excuse D. explanation

9. A. fear B. imagination C. thought D. reminder

10. A. never B. seldom C. always D. ever

11. A. discussed B. shared C. offered D. talked

12. A. simple B. long C. wonderful D. boring

13. A. all B. that C. any D. part

14. A. listed B. included C. read D. said

15. A. character B. birthday C. qualities D. favorites

16. A. doubtfully B. carefully C. happily D. hurriedly

17. A. where B. whether C. what D. how

18. A. disbelief B. anger C. sorrow D. regret

19. A. hung B. pulled C. rolled D. pushed

20. A. troubled B. disturbed C. pleased D. helped

My mother asked me to go to several garage sales  (宅前旧货出售) with her one cool morning.

We finally__36__at a pleasant house in the woods.The elderly__37__told me that he and his wife were retired (退休的) teachers.As we were searching，I heard the gentleman’s wife say her__38__to someone，and I immediately__39__who she was.She looked at me and said，“You’re Lisa Miller.” I looked at her__40__，for it had been nearly thirty__41__since I had been in her class.

My mother immediately said sorry to her for any__42__I might have made.She did that again after learning that I wasn’t the sweet little child.She thought that if this woman__43__me after so many years，I must have done something__44__.My teacher looked at my mother and__45__said，“Oh，no，she was very good.”

My teacher__46__that during the last week of school，I__47__her a plant from my mother’s garden.It was a lamb’s  ear.She took us to her garden where she planted the lamb’s ear.Over the years it__48__.As I looked down her driveway  (车道) with lamb’s ears on both sides，she said，“Every day when I leave my house and drive up the driveway，I think of you.And when I come home they__49__me，I think of you.”  Tears__50__my eyes.There at her home was a piece of my  life that she had raised.

At that moment，she taught me more about__51__than I  could imagine.We give pieces of ourselves every day__52__thought.We seldom imagine the effects (影响) that we have  on others’ lives.That piece may grow and spread，becoming  a(n)__53__part of a life.In the end it isn’t the big things that  matter，__54__the small things that make all the__55__in the  world.

36．A.started　　　                                B．searched　　　 

C．stopped　　　                                   D．left

37.A.worker                                           B．owner    

C．buyer                                              D．player

  38.A.price                                         B．address   

C．name                                              D．age

  39.A.realized                                       B．forgot    

C．learned                                             D．guessed

  40.A.surprised                                      B．worried   

C．bored                                              D．tired

  41.A.months                                       B．years     

C．days                                                  D．weeks

   42.A.future                                       B．fight  

C．excuse                                             D．trouble

   43.A.considered                                 B．saw 

C．remembered                                      D．found

   44.A.terrible                                       B．lucky   

C．friendly                                              D．special

   45.A.loudly                                        B．silently  

C．angrily                                               D．softly

   46.A.explained                                    B．reported 

C．warned                                              D．ignored

   47.A.stole                                           B．bought    

C．chose                                                D．brought

   48.A.disappeared                                B．died 

C．fell                                                     D．spread

   49.A.accept                                        B．send   

C．greet                                                 D．help

   50.A.gave up                                      B．came into

C．turned to                                             D．took away

   51.A.life                                             B．garden  

C．plants                                                D．lessons

   52.A.with                                           B．by  

C．without                                             D．through

   53.A.necessary                                   B．unimportant 

C．large                                                  D．whole

   54.A.though                                       B．but   

C．because                                             D．so

   55.A.effort                                          B．way   

C．decision                                           D．difference 

The ship struggled in the storm and　　 radio signals for help.

A. gave off B. gave out C. gave up D. gave in

My mother asked me to go to several garage sales  (宅前旧货出售) with her one cool morning.

We finally__26__at a pleasant house in the woods.The elderly__27__told me that he and his wife were retired (退休的) teachers.As we were searching，I heard the gentleman’s wife say her__28__to someone，and I immediately__29__who she was.She looked at me and said，“You’re Lisa Miller.” I looked at her__30__，for it had been nearly thirty__31__since I had been in her class.

My mother immediately said sorry to her for any__32__I might have made.She did that again after learning that I wasn’t the sweet little child.She thought that if this woman__33__me after so many years，I must have done something__34__.My teacher looked at my mother and__35__said，“Oh，no，she was very good.”

My teacher__36__that during the last week of school，I__37__her a plant from my mother’s garden.It was a lamb’s  ear.She took us to her garden where she planted the lamb’s ear.Over the years it__38__.As I looked down her driveway  (车道) with lamb’s ears on both sides，she said，“Every day when I leave my house and drive up the driveway，I think of you.And when I come home they__39__me，I think of you.”  Tears__40__my eyes.There at her home was a piece of my  life that she had raised.

At that moment，she taught me more about__41__than I  could imagine.We give pieces of ourselves every day__42__thought.We seldom imagine the effects (影响) that we have  on others’ lives.That piece may grow and spread，becoming  a(n)__43__part of a life.In the end it isn’t the big things that  matter，__44__the small things that make all the__45__in the  world.

26．A.started　　　                                B．searched　　　 

C．stopped　　　                                   D．left

  27.A.worker                                        B．owner   

C．buyer                                              D．player

  28.A.price                                         B．address   

C．name                                              D．age

  29.A.realized                                       B．forgot    

C．learned                                              D．guessed

  30.A.surprised                                      B．worried   

C．bored                                              D．tired

  31.A.months                                       B．years     

C．days                                               D．weeks

   32.A.future                                       B．fight      

C．excuse                                             D．trouble

   33.A.considered                                 B．saw 

C．remembered                                      D．found

   34.A.terrible                                       B．lucky   

C．friendly                                              D．special

   35.A.loudly                                       B．reported 

C．warned                                              D．ignored

   37.A.stole                                             B．bought    

C．chose                                                D．brought

   38.A.disappeared                                B．died 

C．fell                                                     D．spread

   39.A.accept                                        B．send   

C．greet                                                 D．help

   40.A.gave up                                      B．came into 

C．turned to                                            D．took away

   41.A.life                                             B．garden  

C．plants                                                D．lessons

   42.A.with                                           B．by  

C．without                                             D．through

   43.A.necessary                                   B．unimportant 

C．large                                                  D．whole

   44.A.though                                       B．but   

C．because                                             D．so

   45.A.effort                                          B．way   

C．decision                                           D．difference