It was a normal Monday morning at a meeting, and the old headmaster was addressing the students on important things in life and about   36   ourselves to what is important to us. This is how the story went.

An old man lived in a certain part of London, and he would wake up every morning and go to

the   37    He would get the train right to Central London, and then sit at the street comer and __38  . He would do this every single day of his life. He sat at the same street comer and begged for almost 20 years.

    His house was dirty, and a stench(臭气) came out of the house and it smelled   39  . The neighbors could not  40   the smell anymore, so they called the police officers to   41  the place. The officers   42   down the door and cleaned the house. There were small bags of  43  all over the house that he had   44   over the years.

The police counted the money, and they soon realized that the old man was a   45  . They waited outside his house in anticipation (预料) to   46   the good news with him. When he arrived home that evening, he was met by one of the officers who told him that there was no   47 for him to beg any more as he was a rich man now, a millionaire.

    He said   48   at all; he went into his house and locked the door. The next morning he woke up as usual, went to the street and continued to beg.

      49  , this old man had no great plans, dreams or anything   50   for his life. We learn nothing from this story other than staying  51   the things we enjoy doing: commitment(信奉).

    We should remain true to our course, which may mean devoting yourselves to things that people around you would   52   disapprove of. Let nothing distract us from being happy, let nothing else determine our fate, but   53   .

    What makes us happy is   54   matters in the end…not what we acquire (获得).

This particular story is one such lesson that I will never forget. Every time I don’t concentrate on course, I get reminded   55   this story.

It was a normal Monday morning at a meeting, and the old headmaster was addressing the

students on important things in life and about   36  ourselves to what is important to us. This is how the story went:

    An old man lived in a certain part of London, and he would wake up every morning and go to the   37    He would get the train right to Central London, and then sit at the street comer and __38  . He would do this every single day of his life. He sat at the same street comer and begged for almost 20 years.

    His house was dirty, and a stench came out of the house and it smelled   39  . The neighbors could not  40   the smell anymore, so they called the police officers to   41   the place. The officers   42   down the door and cleaned the house. There were small bags of  43  all over the house that he had   44   over the years.

The police counted the money, and they soon realized that the old man was a   45  . They waited outside his house in anticipation (预料) to   46   the good news with him. When he arrived home that evening, he was met by one of the officers who told him that there was no   47 for him to beg any more as he was a rich man now, a millionaire.

    He said   48   at all; he went into his house and locked the door. The next morning he woke up as usual, went to the street and continued to beg.

      49  , this old man had no great plans, dreams or anything   50   for his life. We learn nothing from this story other than staying  51   the things we enjoy doing: commitment(信奉).

    We should remain true to our course, which may mean devoting yourselves to things that people around you would   52   disapprove of. Let nothing distract us from being happy, let nothing else determine our fate, but   53.

    What makes us happy is   54   matters in the end…not what we acquire (获得).

This particular story is one such lesson that I will never forget. Every time I don't concentrate on course, I get reminded   55   this story.

Mary Cassatt is one of the first great women American painters. At first her father did not want her to become an artist. But she followed her dreams and became an artist.She was born on

May 22, 1844, and lived in Europe for several years as a child.

   Her family returned to the United States and, at age 16, Mary attended the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. Four years later she decided she couldn't learn anything fresh and practical in Philadelphia, so she returned to Europe. There she studied the skills of the masters in Rome, Seville, Antwerp, and Paris.

   Mary received the chance of a lifetime at the age of 33 when the famous French painter, Edgar Degas, asked her to join a group of painters that included now-famous artists like Manet and Renoir. Their style of painting is called Impressionism. They used primary colors and short brush strokes(笔画) in their work. They recognized Mary 's spirit and powerful talent and invited her to exhibit in the Impressionist art shows.

   Mary painted what she saw: gardens, and paintings of persons , especially of mothers and children involved in everyday living. One of her paintings, "Young Mother and Two Children," was given to the White House in 1954 where it hangs today.

   Mary never married and, in 1877, her parents and sister moved to Europe to join her. Mary devoted much of her time to them for the next 18 years to their care. Mary painted until 1914 when her failing eyesight made it impossible to continue. She spent the later years of her life in Paris. She died in 1926 at the age of 82. Unfortunately,all her life, she refused to accept students.

Mary left Pennsylvania for Europe at age 20 mainly because_____.

   A. she wanted to learn another style of paintings

   B. she didn’t learn anything in Pennsylvania

   C. her desire for the learning wasn’t satisfied well

   D. her father didin’t want her to learn painting again

Which year was the most critical to her career and life?

   A. 1860   B. 1864   C. 1877    D. 1914

Which of the statements about Mary Cassatt is supported by the passage?

   A. Her father had a decisive effect on her painting

   B. Her painting featured scenes of everyday living

   C. She used various colors and long lines in her works

   D. She studied the paintings of the masters in U.S.A

Mary Cassatt stopping painting because of_____.

   A. her poor eyesight     B. her old age     C.lack of interest   D. her family

It can be inferred from the passage that _____.

   A. during the last ten year of life, she painted nothing.

   B. the paintings of Edgar Degas belong to realism

   C. her works were controversial though highly recognized

   D. her students showed great respect for her

Mary Cassatt is one of the first great women American painters. At first her father did not want her to become an artist. But she followed her dreams and became an artist. She was born on May 22, 1844, and lived in Europe for several years as a child.    
Her family returned to the United States and, at age 16, Mary attended the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. Four years later she decided she couldn't learn anything fresh and practical in Philadelphia, so she returned to Europe. There she studied the skills of the masters in Rome, Seville, Antwerp, and Paris.   
Mary received the chance of a lifetime at the age of 33 when the famous Frenchpainter, Edgar Degas, asked her to join a group of painters that included now-famous artists like Manet and Renoir. Their style of painting is called Impressionism. They used primary colors and short brush strokes in their work. They recognized Mary’s spirit and powerful talent and invited her to exhibit in the Impressionist art shows.    
Mary painted what she saw: gardens and paintings of persons, especially of mothers and children involved in everyday living. One of her paintings, "Young Mother and Two Children," was given to the White House in 1954 where it hangs today.    
Mary never married and, in 1877, her parents and sister moved to Europe to join her. Mary devoted much of her time to them for the next 18 years to their care. Mary painted until 1914 when her failing eyesight made it impossible to continue. She spent the later years of her life in Paris. She died in 1926 at the age of 82. Unfortunately, all her life, she refused to accept students.  
【小题1】Which year was the most vital to her career and life?

Heroes come in different forms. They are the people who save lives and the people who can stand 36   times. My hero is my mother. When she was diagnosed（诊断）with breast cancer, I was 37  . I didn’t understand how she could appear so healthy 38   a deadly disease existed inside.

My mother went 39  a mastectomy（乳房切除手术）to remove the cancerous cells. For a month after her surgery (外科手术) she was unable to do anything.

It was after this surgery that my mother 40  me the most. Her inactivity really made her  frustrated (沮丧), but she never 41  . She is a strong woman. Unlike some, she never 42  why she had got cancer. Instead, she 43  it and remained optimistic(乐观的).

44   my mother’s illness, I had to step in to do the housework. Previously I would have 45  not to, but I knew this was my 46  .

Those weeks passed slowly but in the end I had a new 47  for my mom. I had never 48  all the things she does on a regular basis. Simple things like cleaning, cooking, laundry and bills really started to become great 49   .

During this special period, I saw the amazing supportive group we have. My parents’ friends couldn’t have done 50   .They stopped by on a regular basis, cooked meals, and supplied us with anything we 51  .They let me know that we will always be there 52   each other.

My mother is healthier now and back to her 53   activities. Our lives are busy but I am a little more willing to 54  around the house. I   55 my mother’s ability to stay optimistic and I only hope that some day I can be lucky enough to be like her.

1.                A．present         B．short           C．boring    D．hard

2.                A．shocked        B．discouraged     C．disappointed   D．hurt

3.                A．but            B．though         C．while D．since

4.                A．up            B．through         C．away     D．off

5.                A．worried        B．impressed       C．benefited from D．depended on

6.                A．complained     B．minded         C．moved   D．spoke

7.                A．questioned      B．explained       C．understood    D．learned

8.                A．welcomed      B．received        C．changed  D．accepted

9.                A．As well as       B．Because of      C．In case   D．As a result

10.               A．begged         B．refused        C．decided   D．pretended

11.               A．chance         B．turn           C．luck  D．responsibility

12.               A．respect        B．opinion         C．gift   D．job

13.               A．thought        B．known         C．realized   D．understood

14.               A．lessons         B．pleasures       C．troubles   D．experiences

15.               A．all             B．nothing         C．less  D．more

16.               A．dreamed       B．knew          C．needed   D．borrowed

17.               A．from           B．for            C．against    D．without

18.               A．interesting      B．often          C．busy  D．normal

19.               A．work out       B．set out         C．look about D．help out

20.               A．treasure        B．respect         C．admire    D．admit