It’s interesting that the arrival of snow has effect on people in different countries. For some countries it is an important happening to celebrate each year, while for others a catastrophe(灾害) or even a wonder.

　　But there are countries between these two kinds that normally expect snow some time over the winter months, but never receive snow regularly or in the same quantities every year. Britain is one of them, for which the arrival of snow quite simply causes problems. Within hours of the first snowfalls, however light, roads are blocked, trains and buses have to stop in the middle of the way. Normal communication is affected as well: telephone calls become difficult and the post immediately takes more time than usual. And almost within hours, there are also certain shortages----bread, vegetables and other things-----not because all these things can no longer be produced or sent to shops, but mainly because people are frightened and go out and store up with food and so on…just for fear that something bad should happen.

　　But why does snow have this effect? After all, the Swiss, the Austrians and the Canadians don‘t have such problems. It is simple because there is not enough planning and preparation. We need money to buy equipment to deal with snow and ice. To keep the roads clear, for example, requires snow-ploughs(扫雪机) and machines to spread salt. The reason why a country like Britain does not buy snow-ploughs is that they are used for a few days in any one year, and the money could be more useful in other things such as hospital, education, helping the old and so on..

　1.According to the writer, Britain is a country ________.

　　2.After a few hours’ snowing there are often some shortages of food because ______.

　　A. shops have closed down B. people buy as much as they can

　　B. farmers cannot produce any more D. people eat more vegetables in winter

　　3.The words "two kinds" in the passage mean the countries ______.

This is my third story. When I was 17，I read a quote that 1 something like，“If you live each day 2 it was your last，someday you'll most certainly be right.”Since then，for the past thirty?three years，I've looked 3 the mirror every morning and asked myself：“If today were the last day of my life，would I want to do what I am about to do today？”And whenever the answer has been“No”for too many days in a 4 ，I know I need to change something.

　 About a year ago I was 　5 with cancer. The doctors told me this was almost certainly a type of cancer that is incurable，and that I should 　6 to live no longer than three to six months. They advised me to go home and get my 7 in order，which is doctors' code for“prepare to 8 ”. Later that evening when the doctors 　9 the cells taken from my pancreas(胰腺)under a microscope，they started crying because it turned out to be a very rare form of pancreatic cancer that is 　10 with surgery. I had the surgery and，11 ，I'm fine now.

　 This was the closest I've been to facing death，and I hope it's the closest I get for a few more decades. Death is the 12 we all share. No one has 　13 escaped it. And that is 14 it should be，because death is very likely the single 15 invention of life. It's life's change agent. It clears out the old to make 　16 for the new. Your time is 　17 ，so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma(信条)—which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of 　18 opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most importantly，have the courage to 　19 your heart and intuition(直觉). They 20 already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

（1）A. said　 　　 B. described　 C. went　 　　 D. expressed

（2）A. unless 　　 B. as if　　 　 C. even if 　　 D. as long as

（3）A. in　　 　　　B. at　　　　 C. through 　　 D. On

（4）A. row　 　　 B. minute　　　 C. sense　 　　D. word

（5）A. connected 　B. infected　　 C. affected　 D. diagnosed

（6）A. want　 　　B. dream　　　 C. expect 　　D. imagine

（7）A. duties 　　 B. businesses C. affairs 　　D. life

（8）A. work　 　　B. start　　　 　C. talk　 　　D. die

（9）A. looked 　　B. viewed　　 C. realized 　　D. noticed

（10）A. curable 　　B. possible　 　 C. acceptable D. suitable

（11）A. carefully 　B. thankfully　　 C. anxiously 　D. hopefully

（12）A. possession B. destination　 C. expectation D. position

（13）A. ever　 　　 B. even　　 　 C. never　 　　D. still

（14）A. when　 　 B. while　　 　　C. as　　 　　 D. since

（15）A. better 　　B. worst　　 　　C. worse　 　　D. best

（16）A. use　 　 B. a difference　 C. sense　 　　 D. way

（17）A. endless 　B. repeated　　 C. countless 　　D. limited

（18）A. others' 　 B. others　　　 C. anyone's　 　 D. some others

（19）A. listen 　　B. follow　 　　 C. take　　 　　 D. accept

（20）A. however B.whatever 　C.somehow　 D.Somewhat

Banks are not ordinarily prepared to pay out all accounts(账，账户); they rely on depositors (储户) not to demand payment all at the same time. If depositors should come to fear that a bank is not safe, that it cannot pay off all its depositors, then that fear might cause all the depositors to appear on the same day. If they did, the bank could not pay all accounts. However, if they did not all appear at once, then there would always be enough money to pay those who wanted their money when they wanted it. Mrs. Elsie Vaught has told us of a terrifying bank run that she experienced. One day in December of 1925 several banks failed to open in a city where Mrs. Vaught lived. The other banks expected a run the next day, and so the officers of the bank in which Mrs Vaught worked as a teller had enough money on hand to pay off their depositors. The officers simply told the tellers to pay on demand. The next morning a crowd gathered in the bank and on the sidewalk outside. The length of the line made many think that the bank could not possibly pay off everyone. People began to push and then to fight for places near the tellers’ windows. The power of the panic atmosphere was such that two tellers, though they knew that the bank was quite all right and could pay all depositors, drew their own money from the bank. Mrs Vaught says that she had difficulty keeping herself from doing the same.

1.A bank run happens when _______.

　　 A. too many depositors try to draw out their money at one time　　

     B. a bank is closed for one or more days

　   C. there is  enough money to pay all its depositors at one time

　　 D. tellers of a bank take their own money from the bank　

2.The tellers in Mrs. Vaught’s bank were told to ________.

　　A. explain why they could not pay out all accounts

　　B. pay out accounts as requested

　　C. make the depositors believe that the bank was stand

　　D. pay out money as slowly as possible

3. According to the passage, the actions of the depositors of Mrs. Vaught’s bank were affected            mainly by the _______.

　A.　ease with which they could get their money

　B.　confidence  that Mrs. Vaught showed

　C.　confidence shown by other depositors of the bank

　D. failure of several other banks to open

Professor Martin's report says that children who attend a number of different schools, because their parents have to move around the country, probably make slow progress in their studies. There are also signs, says Professor Martin, that an unusually large number of such children are mentally affected.

　　The professor says, "It's true, my personal feeling is that children should stay in one school. However, our findings are based on research and not on any personal feelings that I or my assistants may have on the subject."

　　Captain Thomas James, an Army lecturer for the past 20 years and him self a father of two, said," I've never heard such rubbish. Taking me for ex ample, no harm is done to the education of my children who change schools regularly－if they keep to the same system, as in our army schools. In my experience, I've known quite a few of them－Army children are as well－adjusted（调整）as any others, if not more so. What the professor doesn't appear to appreciate is the fact that in such situations children will adapt（适应）much better than grown-ups."

　　When this was put to Professor Martin, he said that at no time had his team suggested that all such children were backward or mentally affected in some way, but simply that in their experience there was a clear tendency（倾向）.

　　"Our findings show that while the very bright child can deal with regular changes without harming his or her general progress in studies, the majority of children suffer from constantly having to enter a new learning situation."

　　1．According to this passage, Professor Martin's personal feeling_______.

　　　　A. is the opposite of what his report has shown

　　　　B. is in a way supported by his research

　　　　C. has played a big part in his research

　　　　D. is based on his own experience as a child

　　2．From the passage, we can conclude that Captain James's children_________.

　　　　A. have been affected by changing schools

　　　　B. go to ordinary State schools

　　　　C. can get used to the Army school education

　　　　D. discuss their education regularly with their father

　　3.About children and grown-ups, Captain James says that children______.

　　　　A. are generally well-adjusted

　　　　B. are usually less experienced

　　　　C. can adapt much more easily

　　　　D. can deal with changes quickly

　　4．According to Professor Martin, _________ suffer from changing schools regularly.

　　　　A. Army children

　　　　B. quite a few children

　　　　C. bright children

　　　　D. few children