My husband Jeff and I moved into our new home in Scottsbluff last year just before Christmas. I did not have the 1 or energy to carry out my traditional Christmas decorating and baking activities. What was the point, anyway? It was going to be a 2 Christmas after all.

__3__, the neighborly nature of west Nebraska residents started to trickle (陆续来临) in.

There was a 4 on the door one evening. It was Jeff’s new colleague, John Smith, and his wife, Phyllis. The Smiths had stopped by to 5 us to town with a loaf of homemade bread. They pointed out a 6 on the porch (门廊). Apparently the doorbell wasn’t working in the cold snowy weather and we had 7 a visit from the Browns, our across-the-street neighbors, who brought us a Christmas card and more Christmas cookies.

The 8 feelings brought by these thoughtful gestures lasted longer than the food.

As Jeff and I were clearing pre-Christmas 9 from our driveway, Ernie Guzman came over from next door to 10 us to dig out.

Then, we received an invitation to 11 a Christmas Eve meal with our neighbors, Ernie and Nancy Sommer, and their 12 — a 90-year-old lady, who also had no family in the immediate area with whom to spend the holiday.

Our Christmas Eve was quite merry, thanks to our 13 . Our Christmas morning 14 was special, thanks to the Smiths’ gift of bread. I was so 15 for these gestures of welcome, especially during the holidays.

This year, we were again unable to be with our families for Christmas. The 16 and work schedules just made things too difficult. 17 that sense of Christmas isolation (孤立) all too well, we decided to try to round up some other folks who were 18 in the holidays.

Lonely people are all around us, but most of us 19 notice them. Just take a look around you. Sometimes, the smallest 20 gesture can make a world of difference.

1. A. chance　　　　　　 B. time　　　　　　 C. anxiety　　　　 D. ability

2. A. merry　　　　　　 B. free　　　　　　 C. lonely　　　　　 D. usual

3. A. Therefore　　　　　 B. Meanwhile　　　 C. Somehow　　　 D. However

4. A. card 　　　　　　 B. sign　　　　　　 C. knock　　　　　 D. note

5. A. welcome　　　　　 B. invite　　　　　　 C. drive　　　　　 D. send

6. A. tree　　　　　　　 B. package　　　　　 C. mail　　　　　　 D. flower

7. A. forgot　　　　　　 B. arranged　　　　 　C. received　　　　 D. missed

8. A. deep　　　　　　 B. true　　　　　　　 C. warm　　　　　 D. mixed

9. A. snow　　　　　　 B. rubbish　　　　　 C. dust　　　　　 D. leaves

10. A. teach　　　　　　 B. help　　　　　　　 C. urge　　　　　 D. forbid

11. A. share　　　　　　 B. prepare　　　　　 C. taste　　　　　 D. exchange

12. A. aunt　　　　　　 B. guest　　　　　　 C. maid　　　　　 D. partner

13. A. folks　　　　　　 B. relatives　　　　　 C. colleagues　　 D. neighbors

14. A. call　　　　 　　B. greeting　　　　　 C. breakfast　　　 D. meeting

15. A. sorry　　　　　　 B. eager　　　　　　 C. ready　　　　　 D. grateful

16. A. distance　　　　 B. expense　　　　　 C. season　　　　　 D. situation

17. A. Studying　　　　 B. Showing　　 　　C. Knowing　　　　 D. Discovering

18. A. alone　　　　　 B. busy　　　　　　 C. happy　　　　　 D. active

19. A. always　　　　　 B. seldom　　　　　　 C. finally　　　　　 D. usually

20. A. careful　　　　　 B. patient　　　　　　 C. vague　　　　 　D. kind

阅读下面短文，从短文所给各题的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。

My husband Jeff and I moved into our new home in Scottsbluff last year just before Christmas. I did not have the 　1 or energy to carry out my traditional Christmas decorating and baking activities. What was the point, anyway? It was going to be a 2 Christmas after all.

3 , the neighborly nature of west Nebraska residents started to trickle (陆续来临) in.

There was a 4 on the door one evening. It was Jeff’s new colleague, John Smith, and his wife, Phyllis. The Smiths had stopped by to 5 us to town with a loaf of homemade bread. They pointed out a 　6 on the porch (门廊). Apparently the doorbell wasn’t working in the cold snowy weather and we had 7 a visit from the Browns, our across-the-street neighbors, who brought us a Christmas card and more Christmas cookies.

The 8 feelings brought by these thoughtful gestures lasted longer than the food.

As Jeff and I were clearing pre-Christmas 　9 from our driveway, Ernie Guzman came over from next door to 　10 us to dig out.

Then, we received an invitation to 　11 a Christmas Eve meal with our neighbors, Ernie and Nancy Sommer, and their 　12 —a 90-year-old lady, who also had no family in the immediate area with whom to spend the holiday.

Our Christmas Eve was quite merry, thanks to our 13 . Our Christmas morning 　14 was special, thanks to the Smiths’ gift of bread. I was so 15 for these gestures of welcome, especially during the holidays.

This year, we were again unable to be with our families for Christmas. The 　16 and work schedules just made things too difficult. 17 that sense of Christmas isolation (孤立) all too well, we decided to try to round up some other folks who were 18 in the holidays.

Lonely people are all around us, but most of us 19 notice them. Just take a look around you. Sometimes, the smallest 20 gesture can make a world of difference.

1. A. chance　　　　 B. time 　　　　 C. anxiety 　　　　 D. ability

2. A. merry　　　　　　 B. free　　　　　　 C. lonely 　　　　　 D. usual

3. A. Therefore　　　　 B. Meanwhile　　　　 C. Somehow 　　　　 D. However

4. A. card 　　　　　　 B. sign　　　　　　 C. knock　　　　　　 D. note

5. A. welcome　　　 B. invite　　　　　 C. drive　　　　　　 D. send

6. A. tree 　　　　　　 B. package 　　　　 C. mail 　　　　 　 D. flower

7. A. forgot　　　　　 B. arranged　　　　 C. received 　　　　 D. missed

8. A. deep 　　　　 B. true 　　　　 C. warm 　　　　 D. mixed

9. A. snow 　　　　 B. rubbish　 　　 C. dust　 　　　　　 D. leaves

10. A. teach　 　　　　 B. help　 　　　 C. urge　 　　　 D. forbid

11. A. share　 　　　　 B. prepare 　　 C. taste　 　　　　 D. exchange

12. A. aunt　 　　　　 B. guest　 　　　　 C. maid　　　　　　 D. partner

13 A. folks　 　　　　 B. relatives　 　　 C. colleagues　　 　 D. neighbors

14. A. call 　　　　　　 B. greeting 　　　 C. breakfast 　 D. meeting

15. A. sorry 　　　　　 B. eager　 　　　 　　C. ready 　　　 D. grateful

16 A. distance 　　　　 B. expense 　　　　 C. season　 　　　　 D. situation　

17. A. Studying 　　　　 B. Showing　 　　 C. Knowing　 　D. Discovering

18. A. alone 　　　　 B. busy　 　　　 C. happy 　　　 D. active

19. A. always　 　　　　 B. seldom 　　　 C. finally　 　　 　　D. usually

20. A. careful　 　　　 B. patient　 　　　 C. vague 　　　　　 D. kind

阅读理解

　　The dog, called Prince, was an intelligent animal and a slave to Williams. From morning till night, when Williams was at home, Prince never left his sight, practically (几乎) ignoring all other members of the family. The dog had a number of clearly defined duties, for which Williams had patiently trained him and, like the good pupil he was, Prince lived for the chance to demonstrate (举出实例证明) his abilities. When Williams wanted to put on his boots, he would murmur “Boots” and within seconds the dog would drop them at his feet. At nine every morning ran off to the general store in the village, returning shortly not only with Williams's daily paper but with a half- ounce packet of Williams's favorite tobacco. John Rhiney's Mixed, a gun-dog by breed (牲畜等的种), Prince possessed a large soft mouth specially evolved (进化) for the safe carrying of hunted creatures, so the paper and tobacco came to no harm, never even showing a tooth mark.

　　Williams was a railway man, an engine driver, and he wore a blue uniform smelled of oil and oil fuel. He had to work at odd (临时的) times棥—days” or “nights”. Over the years Prince got to know these periods of work and rest, knew when his master would leave the house and return, and the dog did not waste this knowledge. If Williams overslept, as he often did, Prince barked (狗叫) at the bedroom door until he woke, much to the annoyance (恼怒) of the family. On his return, Willams's slippers were brought to him, the paper and tobacco too if previously undelivered.

　　A curious thing happened to Williams during the snow and ice of last winter. One evening he slipped and fell on the icy pavement (人行道) somewhere between the village and his home. He was so badly shaken that he stayed in bed for three days; and not until he got up and dressed again did he discover that he had lost his wallet containing over fifty pounds. The house was turned upside down in the search, but the wallet was not found. However, two days later-that was five days after the fall Prince dropped the wallet into Williams' hand. Very muddy, stained and wet through, the little case still contained fifty-three pounds, Williams's driving license and a few other papers. Where the dog had found it no one could tell, but he had found it and recognized it probably by the faint oil smell on the worn leather.

1．Which of the following is true about Prince?

[　　]

A．The dog had few chances to do his duties

B．The dog protected Williams from the others in the family.

C．Prince behaved as he did through fear of Williams.

D．The dog would de anything for Williams.

2．It can be learned from the passage that gun-dogs ________.

[　　]

A．are the fastest runners of all dogs

B．dogs whose teeth are removed when they are young

C．can carry birds, etc. without hurting them

D．breed well, producing many young dogs

3．It upset Williams's wife and family when ________.

[　　]

A．Williams had to go to work at night

B．the dog tried to wake up Williams.

C．Williams made them all get up early

D．the dog would not let them see the newspaper

4．Williams did not realize his loss for several days because ________.

[　　]

A．he trusted the dog to find the wallet

B．he was unconscious all that time

C．he thought the wallet was in the house

D．he had no occasion to feel in his pockets

5．The dog thought it was Williams's wallet because ________.

[　　]

A．he found it where Williams had fallen

B．he had seen it before and recognized it

C．of the mud that was on it

D．the scent of it was familiar to him