“I Went Skydiving at 84!”

As a young girl growing up in the 1930s, I always wanted to fly a plane, but back then it was almost unheard of a woman to do that. I got a taste of that dream in 2011,when my husband arranged for me me ride in a hot air balloon for my birthday. But the experience turned out to be very dull. Around that time ,I told my husband that I wanted to skydive. So when our retirement community（社区）announced that they were having an essay competition and the topic was an experience of a lifetime that you wanted to have, I decided to write about my dream.

In the essay, I wrote about my desire to skydive, stating George Brush Sr. did it at age 80. Why not me? I was just 84 and in pretty good health. A year went by and I heard nothing. But then at a community party in late April 2009, they announced that I was one of the winners. I just couldn’t believe it.

One june 11, 2009, nearly 40 of my family and friends gathered in the area close to where I would land while I headed up in the airplane. My instructor, Jay, guided me through the experience. The plane was the noisiest one I had ever been in, but I wasn’t frightened—I was really just looking forward to the experience. When we reachen 13,000 feet, Jay instructed me to throw myself out of the plane. When we first hit the air, the wind was so strong that I could hardly breathe. For a second I thought, “What have I gotten myself into?” But then everything got calmer. We were in a free fall for about a minute before Jay opened the parachute（降落伞）, then we just floated downward fo zhout five minutes. Being up in the clouds and looking at the view below was unlike anything I have ever felt—much better than the hot air ballon. I was just enjoying it.

Skydiving was really one of the greatest experiences of my life. I hope other people will look at me and realize that you don’t stop living just because you are 84 years old. If there’s something you want to experience, look into it. If it’s something that is possible, make it happen.

1.

What happened to the auther in 2001?

A. She flew an airplane

B. She entered a competition

C. She went on a hot air balloon ride

D. She moved into a retirement community

2.

 The author mentioned George Bush Sr. in her essay to       .

A. build up her own reputation

B. show her admiration for him

C. compare their health conditon

D. make her argument persuasive

3.

How did the authou feel immediately after she jumped out of the plane?

A. Excited    B. Scared    C. Nervous    D. Regretful

4.

 What did the author enjoy most when she was skydiving?

A.The beautiful clouds     B. The wonderful view

C. The company of Jay     D. The one-minute free fall

“I Went Skydiving at 84!”
As a young girl growing up in the 1930s, I always wanted to fly a plane, but back then it was almost unheard of a woman to do that. I got a taste of that dream in 2011,when my husband arranged for me me ride in a hot air balloon for my birthday. But the experience turned out to be very dull. Around that time ,I told my husband that I wanted to skydive. So when our retirement community（社区）announced that they were having an essay competition and the topic was an experience of a lifetime that you wanted to have, I decided to write about my dream.
In the essay, I wrote about my desire to skydive, stating George Brush Sr. did it at age 80. Why not me? I was just 84 and in pretty good health. A year went by and I heard nothing. But then at a community party in late April 2009, they announced that I was one of the winners. I just couldn’t believe it.
One june 11, 2009, nearly 40 of my family and friends gathered in the area close to where I would land while I headed up in the airplane. My instructor, Jay, guided me through the experience. The plane was the noisiest one I had ever been in, but I wasn’t frightened—I was really just looking forward to the experience. When we reachen 13,000 feet, Jay instructed me to throw myself out of the plane. When we first hit the air, the wind was so strong that I could hardly breathe. For a second I thought, “What have I gotten myself into?” But then everything got calmer. We were in a free fall for about a minute before Jay opened the parachute（降落伞）, then we just floated downward fo zhout five minutes. Being up in the clouds and looking at the view below was unlike anything I have ever felt—much better than the hot air ballon. I was just enjoying it.
Skydiving was really one of the greatest experiences of my life. I hope other people will look at me and realize that you don’t stop living just because you are 84 years old. If there’s something you want to experience, look into it. If it’s something that is possible, make it happen.
【小题1】
What happened to the auther in 2001?

“I Went Skydiving at 84!”
As a young girl growing up in the 1930s, I always wanted to fly a plane, but back then it was almost unheard of a woman to do that. I got a taste of that dream in 2011,when my husband arranged for me me ride in a hot air balloon for my birthday. But the experience turned out to be very dull. Around that time ,I told my husband that I wanted to skydive. So when our retirement community（社区）announced that they were having an essay competition and the topic was an experience of a lifetime that you wanted to have, I decided to write about my dream.
In the essay, I wrote about my desire to skydive, stating George Brush Sr. did it at age 80. Why not me? I was just 84 and in pretty good health. A year went by and I heard nothing. But then at a community party in late April 2009, they announced that I was one of the winners. I just couldn’t believe it.
One june 11, 2009, nearly 40 of my family and friends gathered in the area close to where I would land while I headed up in the airplane. My instructor, Jay, guided me through the experience. The plane was the noisiest one I had ever been in, but I wasn’t frightened—I was really just looking forward to the experience. When we reachen 13,000 feet, Jay instructed me to throw myself out of the plane. When we first hit the air, the wind was so strong that I could hardly breathe. For a second I thought, “What have I gotten myself into?” But then everything got calmer. We were in a free fall for about a minute before Jay opened the parachute（降落伞）, then we just floated downward fo zhout five minutes. Being up in the clouds and looking at the view below was unlike anything I have ever felt—much better than the hot air ballon. I was just enjoying it.
Skydiving was really one of the greatest experiences of my life. I hope other people will look at me and realize that you don’t stop living just because you are 84 years old. If there’s something you want to experience, look into it. If it’s something that is possible, make it happen

1. 1.

   What happened to the auther in 2001?

   1. A.
      She flew an airplane
   2. B.
      She entered a competition
   3. C.
      She went on a hot air balloon ride
   4. D.
      She moved into a retirement community
2. 2.

   The author mentioned George Bush Sr. in her essay to       

   1. A.
      build up her own reputation
   2. B.
      show her admiration for him
   3. C.
      compare their health conditon
   4. D.
      make her argument persuasive
3. 3.

   How did the authou feel immediately after she jumped out of the plane?

   1. A.
      Excited
   2. B.
      Scared
   3. C.
      Nervous
   4. D.
      Regretful
4. 4.

   What did the author enjoy most when she was skydiving?

   1. A.
      The beautiful clouds
   2. B.
      The wonderful view
   3. C.
      The company of Jay
   4. D.
      The one-minute free fall

请阅读下面短文，选择最佳答案，将其标号在答题卡上涂黑。

There are many kinds of friends. Some are always        you, but don't understand you. Some say only a few words to you, but understand you. Many people will step in your life, but only        friends leave footprints.

I shall always recall the autumn and the girl with the        . I know she will always be my best friend. I could see the yellow leaves         in the cool wind. In such a        , I liked walking alone in the leaves,         to the sound of them. Autumn is a harvest season. However,         is uninteresting. The free days always get me      . But one day, the sound of a violin       into my ears like a stream flowing in the mountains. A young girl, standing in the wind, was        in playing her violin.  I had        seen her before. The music was so nice that I listened quietly. Lost in the music, I didn't know that I had been     _  there for so long but my existence(存在) did not seem to disturb（打扰）her.

Every day she played the violin in the corner of the building        I went downstairs to watch her performance. The autumn seemed no longer lonely and life became       . Though we didn't know each other, I thought we were already good       .

One day, when I was listening carefully, the sound suddenly       . To my surprise, the girl came over to me. “You must like violin，” she said. “Yes. And you play very well. Why did you stop?” I asked. Suddenly, a        expression appeared on her face and I could feel something unusual. “I came here to see my grandmother, but now I must leave, I once played very badly. It was your listening every day that       me,” she said. “In fact, it was your playing        gave me a meaningful autumn，” I answered, “Let's be friends.” The girl smiled, and so did I.

I never heard her play again in my life. But I will always remember the fine figure(身影) of the girl. She is like a       －so short, so bright, like a shooting star giving off much light that makes the autumn beautiful.

1.A. with                      B．for               C．against                        D．to

2.A. good                      B．true              C．reliable                      D．stubborn

3.A. sound                    B．song             C．partner                      D．violin

4.A. shaking              B．hanging      C．rising                           D．floating

5.A. season               B．situation     C．day                                  D．weather

6.A. watching                     B．listening     C．seeing                        D．hearing

7.A. journey             B．work                     C．life                                        D．view

8.A. bored                   B．determined   C．excited                  D．concerned

9.A. flowed               B．grew                     C．entered                     D．ran

10.A .lost                            B．active                   C．busy                                D．interested

11.A. once                   B．never             C．frequently                 D．usually

12.A. waiting            B．stopping     C．standing                         D．hearing

13.A. because                   B．but              C．when                          D．before

14.A. interesting                B．moving       C．boring                        D．tiring

15.A. partner                     B．listeners     C．players                       D．friends

16.A. stopped                    B．began                   C．gone                               D．changed

17.A. happy                  B．sad                C．strange                       D．calm

18.A. surprised                 B．excited       C．encouraged              D．interested

19.A. that                           B．which                   C．it                                  D．who

20.A. song                     B．dream          C．wind                               D．sister

Yesterday, I entered the website “ Topic for today”, I feel ____1____ (interest) in the report on middle school students’ using cellphones on campus. In fact, many students now come to school ____2____ cellphones. My schoolmates have different opinions. Some think ____3___it is convenient to get in touch with others with the cellphone, which also ____4____(let) you feel safe especially in time of trouble. Besides, it is nice to enjoy various functions of different cellphones. ____5____ think differently. First, the cellphone is not a must in school, as ___6_____ are some IC phones in the school _____7___(make) it easy to call others. Second, many students often play e-games and send e-messages with their cellphones, even in class, ___8____ will surely have bad effects on their study. What’s more, it will result in a great waste of time. In my opinion, the cellphone is _____9___ useful tool in our daily life. But it doesn’t mean we can use it ____10____(free) in school.