I am a music store owner. One day, when I was cleaning the instruments in my store, I saw an old man come in. His short steps dragged on the carpet. “Is 77 too old to learn the banjo (班卓琴)?”  he asked.
“You can learn to play it well,” I replied, holding back my doubts. My mind told me I was giving false encouragement. I reached the instructor’s schedule and gave the rates, the available time and the additional information that he would need. To my surprise and delight, the old man, Carl, began banjo lessons three days later with my most patient teacher.
With nothing to do at home but practice, Carl made surprising progress. After breakfast he practiced for his required half hour. While waiting for lunch he picked up his banjo again for just a couple of minutes. Since TV was difficult for him to see and hear, he often played the banjo in the evenings. Carl was always early for lessons so it was a surprise that he didn’t arrive one Tuesday.
The next morning I listened to the answering machine with sadness. “Carl’s in hospital,” the voice recorded.
Two months later, I shared the newspaper obituary with the banjo teacher. We both shed tears for a surprisingly clever banjo student.
Several months later, a woman came into the store carrying a plant. “This is for Carl’s banjo teacher,” she said. “I’m his wife, Mary.”
“Why did Carl want to play the banjo?” I asked. Mary took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Carl was at some show when he was 10 years old. He came close to the stage to watch the performers. When they were packing up their instruments, the banjo player said to Carl, ‘You want to see this up close?’ Carl climbed up on the stage and from then on he wanted to play the banjo.” Carl had waited 67 years to realize a dream! Mary gave the plant to me. “Thank you for the best six months of his life,” she said.
68. In Paragraph 2, the author’s reaction to Carl’s question showed that he ______.
A. was willing to help                   
B. didn’t want to encourage Carl
C. didn’t want to give him false encouragement 
D. encouraged Carl though he had doubts
69. How did Carl learn to play the banjo well?
A. By working hard.                    B. By taking short cuts.
C. By asking his wife to help him.        D. By finding the best teacher.
70. The underlined word “obituary” in Para.5 means a notice that _______.
A. announces somebody has died    B. announces somebody is needed
C. announces a good piece of news  D. announces a gift for somebody

第三部分  阅读理解（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分）

第一节（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分）

       阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

 “It’s my own fault．” Carl Fenter pulled his jacket closer against the cold morning wind．“The rest of the family is home, where it’s warm．”

Just another one of his brilliant ideas—a big tamale （玉米粉蒸肉） feast after tonight’s Christmas Eve service at church—and look where it landed him: waiting in a line of 50 people．

As Carl knew, every tamale shop in the city had sold out their tamales the day before Christmas, though he’d been driving all over El Paso that morning．Determined to bring home the tamales, Carl tried one last shop out in Canutillo．

When he arrived, a fresh batch （一批） would be ready off the steamer in 45 minutes．Taking his place at the end of the snaking line, he watched the woman in front of him remove her jacket to cover her shaking youngster．It wasn’t long before she, too, trembled in the chilly wind．Without hesitation, Carl took off his own jacket and offered it to the grateful mother．

They cheered when the line crept forward at last．Finally, Carl got inside the door and inched his way closer to the counter, the woman now first in line．“Sorry folks,” the clerk announced, “that’s the last of the tamales．” “No way!” Carl cried out．“But,” stressed the man, “we’ll have a final batch ready in, oh, about two hours．”

Defeated, Carl backed away, but the young mother grabbed his arm．“You’re leaving?” “I have to,” Carl glanced at his watch．“I promised to put up decorations at my church．” “I’ll get your order of tamales and bring them to your house．” Carl frowned．“I couldn’t ask you to do that．” “But it’s the least I can do．You lent me your coat．Just give me your address．” She and her little girl settled in for the long wait．

And at exactly noon on Christmas Eve, they delivered four dozen fragrant tamales—along with Carl’s brown jacket—to his home．

56．Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

       A．When Carl arrived at the shop, no fresh tamale was for sale．

       B．Carl had to offer his jacket to the mother in front of him．

       C．Carl was unable to buy tamale by himself finally．

       D．Carl couldn’t wait because he had to go back to the church．

57．The mother offered to help Carl buy tamale mainly because ________．

       A．she felt sorry for her buying the last tamale

       B．she was very thankful to Carl for his kindness

       C．Carl asked her to buy tamale for him

       D．Carl promised his family to take tamale back home

58．Which is the correct order of the following events?

a．Carl went back to the church．

b．The mother delivered tamales to Carl’s home．

c．Carl waited in line for the tamales．

d．Carl offered his jacket to the mother．

e．The clerk told Carl there was no tamale left then．

       A．c, d, e, a, b         B．c, d, a, e, b      C．a, d, e, c, b      D．c, d, e, b, a

59．What is the best title for the passage?

       A．No Pains, No Gains         B．A Man of Good Will

       C．Virtue Is Its Own Reward         D．A Mother of Her Word

“It’s my own fault．” Carl Fenter pulled his jacket closer against the abnormal bite of cold morning wind．“The rest of the family is home, where it’s   1  ．”

       Just another on of his   2   ideas – a big tamale（玉米粉蒸肉）feast after tonight’s Christmas Eve service at church – and look where it landed him: waiting in a line 50 people deep．

       Who would have guessed that every tamale shop in the city would be sold out the day before Christmas? But they   3  , as Carl knew．He had been driving all over El Paso that morning．

  4  to bring home the tamales, Carl tried one last shop, an old favorite out in Canutillo．

       When he arrived, a fresh batch（一炉）was   5   off the steamer in 45 minutes．  6   at the end of the snaking line of tamale seekers, he watched the woman in front of him   7   her jacket to cover her shivering youngster．It wasn’t long before she, too,   8   in the biting wind．After only a moment’s   9  , Carl took off his own jacket and offered it to the   10   mother．

       Together, they   11   when the line slowly moved forward at last, and smiling people exited the shop carrying steamy bags．  12  , Carl got inside the door and  13   closer to the counter, the woman now first in line．“   14  !” Carl groaned（抱怨）with everyone else   15   behind him．

    “   16  ,” stressed the man at the counter, “we’ll have a final batch ready   17  , oh, about two hours．”

       Defeated, Carl backed away, but the young mother grabbed his arm．

    ‘You’re leaving?”

       “I   18  , ” Carl glanced at his watch．“I promised to put up luminarias（传统圣诞灯）at my church．”

       “I’ll get your order of tamales and bring them to your house．”

       Carl’s brow furrowed（皱眉） “I couldn’t ask you to do that．”

       “But it’s  19   I can do．You lent me your coat．” Her smile overrode（推翻）his objections．“Just give me your address．” She and her little girl settled in for the long wait．

       And at   20   noon on Christmas Eve, they delivered four dozen fragrant tamales – along with Carl’s brown jacket – to his home．

1．A．harmonious           B．warm                  C．happy                 D．pleasant

2．A．brilliant                 B．bad                     C．stupid                 D．common

3．A．were                     B．did                      C．could                  D．had

4．A．Decided                B．Determined          C．Wanted               D．Expected

5．A．ready                    B．prepared              C．soon                   D．due

6．A．Finding his way     B．Taking his road    C．Taking his place   D．Finding his place

7．A．move                    B．reject                  C．abandon              D．remove

8．A．waved                  B．froze                   C．shook                 D．shocked

9．A．assumption            B．appreciation         C．hesitation             D．attention

10．A．grateful               B．respectful            C．hopeless              D．shameful

11．A．cheered               B．congratulated       C．shouted               D．screamed

12．A．Immediately         B．Hopefully             C．Lastly                 D．Finally

13．A．shouldered his way                              B．forced his way

C．felt his way                                         D．inched his way

14．A．No problem         B．No way               C．No doubt             D．No wonder

15．A．lined up               B．held up                C．looked up            D．waited up

16．A．So                     B．But                     C．Then                   D．Besides

17．A．before                 B．for                      C．in                       D．after

18．A．plan to                B．intend to              C．have to                D．ought to

19．A．the least              B．the most              C．the last                D．the best

20．A．just                     B．exactly                C．accurately           D．right