I used to watch her from my kitchen window. She seemed so small as she muscled her way through the crowd of boys on the playground. The school was across the street from our home and I would often watch the kids as they played during break. I remember the first day I saw her playing basketball. I watched in wonder as she ran circles around the other kids. She managed to shoot jump shots just over their heads and into the net. The boys always tried to stop her but no one could. I began to notice her at other times, basketball in hand, playing alone.

One day I asked her why she practiced so much. Without a moment of hesitation she said, “I want to go to college. The only way I can go is to get a scholarship. I am going to play college basketball. I want to be the best. My Daddy told me if the dream is big enough, the facts don’t count.” Well, I had to give it to her—she was determined. I watched her through those junior high years and into high school. Every week, she led her school team to victory.

One day in her senior year, I saw her sitting in the grass, head in her arms. I walked across the street and sat down in the cool grass beside her. Quietly I asked what was wrong. “Oh, nothing,” came a soft reply, “I am just too short.” The coach told her that at 5’5” she would probably never get to play for a top ranked team—much less offered a scholarship—so she should stop dreaming about college. She was heartbroken and I felt my own throat tighten as I sensed her disappointment. I asked her if she had talked to her dad about it yet. She told me that her father said those coaches were wrong. They just did not understand the power of a dream. He told her that if she truly wanted a scholarship and that nothing could stop her except one thing — her own attitude.

The next year, as she and her team went to the Northern California Championship game, she was offered a scholarship and on the college team. She was going to get the college education that she had dreamed of.

The author was probably the girl’s        .

A．neighbor       B．friend              C．mother       D．teacher

Why was the girl heartbroken?

A．She was considered too short to be a top player.

B．Her coach stopped her training because of her height.

C．She couldn’t be on a college basketball team.   

D．She wouldn’t be admitted by an ideal college.

We can learn from the passage that        .

A．her family wouldn’t like to pay her college fee  

B．her father forced her to play basketball in collage

C．being a top basketball player can win you a scholarship for college

D．she wouldn’t like to turn to his father for help when in difficulty

Which word can best describe her father?

A．Encouraging.      B．Optimistic.        C．Stubborn.       D．Cruel.

Which proverb best matches the story?

A．Practice makes perfect.                     B．Rome was not built in a day.

C．Where there is a will, there is a way.           D．Pride comes before a fall.

I used to believe in the American dream that meant a job, credit, success．I wanted it and worked toward it like everyone else, all of us separately chasing the same thing．

One year, through a series of unhappy events, it all fell apart．I found myself homeless and alone．I had my truck and $56．I searched the countryside for some place I could rent for the cheapest possible amount．I came upon a deserted cottage in a small remote valley．I hadn't been alone for 25 years．I was scared, but I hoped the hard work would distract and heal me．

I found the owner and rented the place for $50 a month．The locals knew nothing about me．But slowly they started teaching me the art of being a neighbor．They dropped off blankets, tools and canned deer meat and began sticking around to chat．They would ask if I wanted to meet cousin Albie or go fishing．They started to teach me a belief in a different American dream, not the one of individual achievement but of neighborliness．Men would stop by with wild berries, ice cream, truck parts to see if I was up for courting．I wasn't, but they were civil anyway．The women on that mountain worked harder than any I'd ever met．They taught me how to store food in the stream and keep it cold and safe．I learned to keep enough for an extra plate for company．

What I had believed in, all those things I thought were necessary for a civilized life, were non-existent in this place．Up on the mountain, my most valuable possessions were my relationships with my neighbors．

After four years in that valley, I moved back into town．I saw a lot of people were having a really hard time, losing their jobs and homes．With the help of a real estate broker （房地产经纪人） I chatted up at the grocery store, I managed to rent a big enough house to take in a handful of people．It's four of us now, but over time I've had nine come in and move on to other places from here．We'd all be in shelters if we hadn't banded together．

The American dream I believe in now is a shared one．It's not so much about what I can get for myself; it's about how we can all get by together．

Before a series of unhappy events happened, the writer ____．

       A．had a well-paid job

       B．worked hard for his American dream

       C．worked hard and liked to share

       D．felt hopeless about his American dream

What does the underlined sentence "I learned to．．．" in Paragraph 3 most probably mean?

       A．The writer learned to run a company．

       B．The writer learned to share with others．

       C．The writer learned to keep enough plates．

       D．The writer learned to save money for his company．

Why did the writer rent a big house?

       A．To make some money．                B．To show off his wealth．

       C．To share with those people in need．     D．To make friends with his neighbors．

The writer mainly tells us about ____．

       A．his unhappy experiences                B．the friendly people in the valley

       C．the change of his living conditions     D．his new idea of the American dream

I used to be a very self-centered person, but in the past two years I have really changed. I have started to think about other people__36__I think about myself. I am happy that I am becoming a__37__person.
I think my __38__started when I was at Palomar College. At first, I just wanted to get my__39__and be left alone. I thought I was smarter than everyone else, so I hardly ever__40__ to anyone in my classes. By the end of my first semester, I was really__41__. It seemed as if everyone but me had made friends and was having fun. So tried a(n)  __42__. I started asking people around me how they were doing, and if they were having trouble I__43__ to help. That was really a big__44__for me. By the end of the year, I had several new friends, and two of__45__are still my best friends today. 
A bigger cause of my new__46__, however, came when I took a part-time job at a Vista Nursing Home. One old lady there who had Alzheimer’s disease became my__47__ . Every time I came into her room, she was so __48__  because she thought I was her daughter. Her real daughter never__49__her, so I took her place. She let me __50__that making others feel good made me feel good, too. When she died, I was__51__, but I was very grateful to her.
I think I am a much__52__ person today than I used to be, and I hope I will not__53__ these experiences. They have __54__ me to care about other people more than about myself. I __55__who I am today, and I could not say that a few years ago.

It used to be that Christmas, with a little help from Blue Peter, was about adding the personal touch. We'd sit there for hours making cards and gifts for family and friends, knowing that the thought put into them would be properly appreciated.
Nowadays, time is against us, but there is still one easy way for you to make someone's Christmas this year — a personalised card from M＆S’ new website. To celebrate their new site, M＆S is offering Times readers two-for-one on all cards. Simply choose one of the 300 exclusive（独家的）Christmas designs — starting from￡1. 99, personalise it by changing the name and writing a message or uploading a photo. Then, add the receiver’s address and the card will be sent for you. Order by 2pm and it will be posted the same day.
In all, there are l,500 card designs to choose from, covering all kinds of special occasions. So if you want to get ahead of yourself for 2010, you know where to visit. You can even choose to be reminded of those important dates every year.
To claim your two-for-one on M＆S personalized cards, simply visit marksandspencer-personalised.com. Remember to enter the code ‘TIMESFRI’ on the payment page.  This code is available for two days.  
TERMS AND CONDITIONS：M＆S PERSONALISED CARDS
1. The product given for free must be of equal or lower value.
2. Payment of postage is required.
3. Marks ＆ Spencer reserves the right to take back this offer without prior（预先）notice.
64. What does the underlined part “two-for-one”（in Paragraph 3）mean in the ad？
A. Two paid cards and one free card.
B. One paid card and two free cards.
C. Your name and a message on one card.
D. Your photo and the receiver’s on one card.
65. From the ad we can know that M＆S is most probably           .
A. a website selling Christmas cards only
B. an agency of the newspaper Times
C. a company promoting the sales of cards
D. an advertising agency of card producers
66. To order the product for your friends now, you should           .
A. enter a code on the payment page of M＆S’ website
B. always order it before two o’clock in the afternoon
C. put into the card your own date of birth and address
D. spend time making cards with the help of Blue Peter
67. According to the ad, if you order the Christmas cards,          .
A. they can be delivered free of charge
B. you can enjoy the special offer all the year round
C. their value may be lower than that of a free card
D. you can get a favor of at least ￡1. 99

I used to believe in the American dream that meant a job，credit and success. I wanted it and worked toward it like everyone else, all of us separately chasing the same thing.
One year, through a series of unhappy events, it all fell apart. I found myself homeless and alone. I had my truck and $ 56. I searched the countryside for some place I could rent for the cheapest possible amount. I came upon a deserted cottage in a small remote valley.I hadn't been alone for 25 years. I was scared, but I hoped the hard work would distract and heal me.
I found the owner and rented the place for$ 50 a month.The locals knew nothing about me.  But slowly they started teaching me the art of being a neighbor. They dropped off blankets,  tools and canned deer meat and began sticking around to chat. They would ask if I wanted to meet cousin Albie or go fishing. They started to teach me a belief in a different American dream, not the one of individual achievement but of neighborliness. Men would stop by with wild berries, ice cream or truck parts to see if I was up for courting. I wasn't, but they were civil anyway.The woman on that mountain worked harder than any I'd ever met. They taught me how to store food in the stream and keep it cold and safe._I_learned_to_keep_enough_for_an_extra_plate_for_company.
What I had believed in, all those things I thought were necessary for a civilized life, were non­existent in this place.Up on the mountain, my most valuable possessions were my relationships with my neighbors.
After four years in that valley, I moved back into town. I saw a lot of people were having a really hard time, losing their jobs and homes. With the help of a real estate broker (房地产经纪人) I chatted up at the grocery store, I managed to rent a big enough house to take in a handful of people. It's four of us now，but over time I've had nine come in and move on to other places from here. We'd all be in shelters if we hadn't banded together.
The American dream I believe in now is a shared one. It's not so much about what I can get for myself; it's about how we can all get by together.
【小题1】Before a series of unhappy events happened, the writer________.