“A lot of learning comes through play,” says Mardy McGarry, 52, who has been a special education teacher for 28 years. But her students were too often left out. She had seen the wood chips and sand of traditional playgrounds stop wheelchairs dead in their tracks. When she wanted to build a playground for children with special needs，she knew it wouldn’t take long to develop interest in it around the small fishing village. But she never expected that 2,800 people — a third of the town—would all be willing to make a great effort to bring her vision to life.

McGarry started doing some research into play equipment and contacting design companies and she also found a piece of land available. When the city council(市议会) agreed to set aside an area for a playground, she also asked physical and professional therapists(治疗专家) for their investment. And she turned to her friend, Sue, for help. “Neither of us is good at maths, which is why $450,000 didn’t sound like a lot of money,” McGarry says of the initial estimate.

Her Kiwanis Club came through with $7,000，and that’s when the grassroots movement really got started. One woman gave $25,000 and had her company match it. Soon, smaller businesses were joining in. There was a silent effort to collect money. The local Pieper Family Foundation offered to donate half of the remaining $170,000. All McGarry needed was 500 volunteers to work six 12-hour days.

On September 16, 2008, the first day of construction, they came. Two women heard about the project on the way to work and took the day off to help. A couple in their 80s operated their tractors. Ten-year-olds cleared up the mess. “None of them was paid. It was truly an amazing week,” says McGarry. Only three building managers were paid. Volunteers with “building experience” became coordinators(协调人); those who could operate power tools formed a separate group. One team served meals donated from local restaurants and churches, and another organized activities for the children of volunteers.

Today, Possibility Playground is one of the most popular destinations in Ozaukee County. All children, including the ones with special needs, play shoulder to shoulder. “Some playgrounds have special equipment in a different section. Here, you see all the kids in the same playground, all having fun.”

It’s exactly what McGarry imagined. “People used to ask, ‘Why do you want to build a playground just for children with disabilities?” She says, “It’s only when you build a playground for children with disabilities that you build one for all children.”

It didn’t occur to Mardy McGarry that __________.

A. her plan would soon draw the interest of people in the small village

B. so many people would volunteer to help her realize her dream

C. she would meet with so many difficulties in raising funds

D. the playground would be the most popular destination in Ozaukee County

We can learn from the fourth paragraph that __________.

A. the playground was finished in September 2008

B. everything was well prepared, apart from the volunteers

C. everyone worked unpaid, except for three building managers

D. the playground is so popular that it is overcrowded all the time

It can be inferred from the text that __________.

A. Mardy McGarry is a famous architect in the small town

B. Sue was forced to join in the project because of her son

C. people always ignore the real needs of disabled children

D. Mardy McGarry’s vision has been successfully accomplished at last

What would be the best title for this text?

A. Mardy McGarry: A Woman with Great Determination.

B. Cooperation: The Greatest Power in Overcoming Any Difficulty.

C. Show Real Concern for Poor Disabled Children.

D. Make it Matter to Build a Playground for Disabled Children.

One day, a young man was cleaning out his late grandfather’s belongings when he came across a bright red envelope. Written on the front were the words, "To my grandson." Recognizing his grandfather's handwriting ,the young man opened the enbelope. A letter inside read:

Dear Ronny, 

    Years ago you came to me for help .You said, "Grandpa, how is it that you've accomplished so much in your life? You're still full of energy, and I'm already tired of struggling. How can I get that same enthusiasm that you've got?"

    I didn't know what to say to you then. But knowing my days are numbered, I figure that I owe you an answer. So here is what I believe.

    I think a lot of it has to do with how a person looks at things. I call it "keeping your eyes wide open."

    First ,realize that life is filled with surprises, but many are good ones .If you don't keep watching for them, you'll miss half the excitement. Expect to be thrilled once in a while ,and you will be.

    When you meet up with challenges, welcome them. They'll leave you wiser ,stronger, and more capable than you were the day before .when you make a mistake ,be grateful for the things it taught you .Resolve to use that lesson to help you reach your goals.

    And always follow the rules. Even the little ones. When you follow the rules, life works. If you think you ever really get by with breaking the rules, you're only fooling yourself.

    It's also important to decide exactly what you want. Then keep your ming focused on it, and be prepared to receive it.

    But be ready to end up in some new places too ,As you grow with the years, you'll be given bigger shoes to fill. So be ready for endings as well as challenging beginnings.

    Sometimes we have to be brave enough to move from the familiar to the unfamiliar .Life isn't just reaching peaks, Part of it is moving from one peak to the next .If you rest too long in between, you might be tempted to quit .Leave the past in the past .Climb the next mountain and enjoy the view.

    Dump things that weigh you down emotionally and spiritually. When an old resentment, belief, or attitude becomes heavy ,lighten your load. Shed those hurtful attitudes that slow you down and drain your energy.

    Remember that your choices will create your successes and your failures. So consider all the pathways ahead, and decide which ones to follow. Then believe in yourself, get up, and get going.

    And be sure to take breaks once in a while .They'll give you a renewed commitment to your dreams and a cheerful, healthy perception of the things that matter the most to you .

    Most important of all. never give up on yourself. The person that ends up a winner is the once who resolves to win. Give life everything you've got, and life will give its best back to you.

 Love always,

Grandpa

The underlined part “But knowing my days are numbered” implies that        .

       A．his grandpa could count days  B．his grandpa’s cach day was important

       C．his grandpa knew he was dying      D．his grandpa was eager to tell the young man

Why did the young man’s grandpa write this letter? Because       .

       A．he wanted to recall his whole life

       B．he wanted to tell his grandson how great he was

       C．he wanted to explain how to keep energy

       D．he wanted to show how to succeed

The young man’s grandpa may agree      .

       A．how a person looks at things has nothing to do with one’s future

       B．we should be thankful for what mistakes teach us

       C．successful life is just reaching peaks

       D．It’s not so important to decide exactly what you want

According to the passage,          .

       A．learning to give up is very important     B．we’d better stay in the familiar

       C．obeying little rules doesn’t matter   D．taking breaks once in a while is good to us

    A recent announcement by scientists that they have successfully cloned the first human embryo has caused much debate and has shocked many people around the world. On the one hand，some scientists point out that if you clone an embryo，you can produce valuable tissues(组织）and organs that could be used to save human lives. On the other hand，many people，including some scientists, disagree and fear that if mankind interferes with（干涉）nature in this way，they may be on their way to producing a real-life Frankenstein’s monster.

    Cloning is producing an exact copy of a plant or an animal using its cells. The first mammal to be cloned successfully from an adult cell was Dolly the sheep. She was born in 1996 and died in early 2003，at a much younger age than normal. When she was born，many people were angry because they thought cloning would create more disease in the animal world. However，in general the scientists were praised for their wonderful scientific breakthrough.

    The Scottish scientist who created Dolly，Ian Wilmut，is shocked that some scientists are now considering cloning human beings. Although he researches cloning，his intention has never been to create copies of humans. Instead，he thinks research efforts should concentrate on creating new tissues and organs that could eventually be used to cure diseases like cancer. However，some people consider that cloning human embryos with the intention of destroying them shows no respect for human life.

    While cloning human embryos is illegal in many countries，some scientists are already pushing ahead with research so as to deliver a cloned human baby. Severino Antinori，an Italian doctor，is one of the leaders in this kind of research. He has declared that he wants to be the first to clone a human being.

    In China，scientists have focused their efforts on cloning animals，as well as stern cells to be used in medical research. China has succeeded in producing clones of cows and goats，and continues to research ways in which cloning can benefit mankind.

51. Which of the following statements about cloning is TRUE according to the passage?

A. Cloning technology can only be applied to animals.

B. A cloned animal can live longer than a normal one.

C. People all over the world are happy about the birth of Dolly.

D. Cloning can produce valuable tissues and organs to cure human diseases.

52. The reasons why people are anti-cloning include the following EXCEPT that_______.

A. cloning may produce a real-life Frankenstein’s monster

B. cloning might create more disease in the animal world

C. cloning can’t help those who want to clone their dead children

D. cloning human embryos shows no respect for human life

53. Who is in favor of cloning human beings?

A. Ian Wilmut.        B. Severino Antinori.

C. The author.        D. The Chinese scientists.

54. What can be inferred from the last two paragraphs?

A. If we interfere with nature, we will change the world to be what we want.

B. It is impossible to clone babies for women who cannot have ones.

C. Cloning human beings is illegal in many countries，so no scientists want to do so.

D. Whether cloning human embryos is legal or not remains a matter of debate.

A few weeks after my first wife, Georgia, was called to heaven, I was cooking dinner for my son and myself. For a   16 , I had decided on frozen peas. As I was cutting open the bag, it   17  from my hand and crashed to the floor. The peas, like marbles,   18  everywhere. I tried to use a broom,   19  with each swipe they just rolled across the kitchen．
For the next week, every time I was in the   20 , I found a pea---in a corner, or behind a table leg. They kept   21 . Eight months later I pulled out the refrigerator to clean behind it, and   22  12 frozen peas hidden underneath．
At the time I found those few remaining   23 , I was in a new relationship with a wonderful   24  I’d met in a support group. After we married, I was reminded 25  those peas under the refrigerator, and realized that my   26  had been like that bag of frozen peas. It had shattered（破碎. My wife had died; I was in a new city with a busy job, and with a son having trouble   27  his new surroundings and the  28  of his mother. I was a bag of spilled frozen peas; my life had come apart and scattered．
When life gets you   29 , when everything you know comes apart, and when you think you’ll never  30 , remember that it’s just a bag of scattered frozen peas. The peas can be  31 , and life will move on. You’ll find all the peas   32 , including the ones that are hardest to find. And when you’ve got them   33  you’ll start to feel whole again．
The life you know can break apart at any time. But you’ll have to   34 , and how fast you collect your peas depends on you. Will you keep scattering them around with a broom,  35  will you pick them up one by one and put your life back together?

A hug is a wonderful thing and it is a great gift to share with people. For some people, a hug is considered to be a great way to say “I care.” A hug communicates support, affection(喜爱), unity and belonging. A hug shows a strong feeling of sympathy. A hug brings happiness. A hug also touches the soul.
Hugs are healthy. Hugs can ease pain, reduce stress, cure depression and refresh the heart, yet they have no side effects…No wonder, it is a true miracle medicine.
A hug can say “I love you”…A hug can say “I hate to see you go”. A hug can say “ It’s good to have you back”. A hug can say “It’s great to see you’. A hug can say “I feel your pain”. A hug can also say “Let me share your burden”.
No matter whether you’re the giver or the receiver, hugs touch the inner being. From friends, to families, to loved ones, to those in need, a hug warms the heart.
A hug is truly amazing. It brings generosity(慷慨) to the giver and happiness to the receiver. It brings blessings to those who give and joy to those who receive.
Hugs are one of the reasons why God gave us arms. So, stretch out your arms to someone today. Reach out to those you love. It will warm the heart of the giver and give light to the soul of the receiver.
Reach out to your neighbor. It will show that you care. Reach out to one in need. It will show that you are responsible. Reach out to the world. It will show God that you care for his creation.
【小题1】What is the best title of the passage?