The easy way out isn’t always easiest. I learned that lesson when I decided to treat Doug, my husband of one month, to a special meal. I glanced through my cookbook and chose a menu which included homemade bread. Knowing the bread would take time, I started on it as soon as Doug left for work. As I was not experienced in cooking, I thought if a dozen was good, two dozen would be better, so I doubled everything. As Doug loved oranges, I also opened a can of orange and poured it all into the bowl. Soon there was a sticky dough (面团) covered with ugly yellowish marks. Realizing I had been defeated, I put the dough in the rubbish bin outside so I wouldn't have to face Doug laughing at my work, I went on preparing the rest of the meal, and, when Doug got home, we sat down to Cornish chicken with rice. He tried to enjoy the meal but seemed disturbed. Twice he got up and went outside, saying he thought he heard a noise. The third time he left, I went to the windows to see what he was doing. Looking out, I saw Doug standing about three feet from the rubbish bin, holding the lid up with a stick and looking into the container. When I came out of the house, he dropped the stick and explained that there was something alive in our rubbish bin. Picking up the stick again, he held the lid up enough for me to see. I felt cold. But I stepped closer and looked harder. Without doubt it was my work. The hot sun had caused the dough to double in size and the fermenting yeast (酵母) made the surface shake and sigh as though it were breathing. I had to admit what the ‘living thing’ was and why it was there. I don’t know who was more embarrassed by the whole thing, Doug or me.　　

The writer’s purpose in writing this story is ________.

　　A. to tell an interesting experience

　　B. to show the easiest way out of a difficulty

　　C. to describe the trouble facing a newly married woman

　　D. to explain the difficulty of learning to cook from books

Why did the woman’s attempt at making the bread turn out to be unsuccessful?

　　A. The canned orange had gone bad.

　　B. She didn’t use the right kind of flour.

　　C. The cookbook was hard to understand.

　　D. She did not follow the directions closely.

Why did the woman put the dough in the rubbish bin?

　　A. She didn’t see the use of keeping it

　　B. She meant to joke with her husband.

　　C. She didn’t want her husband to see it.

　　D. She hoped it would soon dry in the sun.

What made the dough in the rubbish bin look frightening?

　　A. The rising and falling movement.

　　B. The strange-looking marks.

　　C. Its shape.

　　D. Its size.

When Doug went out the third time, the woman looked out of the window because she was  ________.

　　A. surprised at his being interested in the bin

　　B. afraid that he would discover her secret

　　C. unhappy that he didn't enjoy the meal

　　D. curious to know what disturbed him

完形填空 （共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分）

Michel is a young girl who works for the police  16  a handwriting expert. She has helped 17  many criminals(罪犯) by using her special talents (天才).

　　When she was fourteen, Michel was already  18   interested in the differences in her friends'  19  that she would spend hours  20  them. After  21  college she went to France for a   22  two-year class in handwriting at the School of Police Science.

　　Michel says that it is  23   for people at hide their handwriting. She can discover  24  of what she needs to know simply  25  looking at the writing with her own eyes,  26   she also has machines   27  help her make  28  different kinds of paper and ink. This knowledge is often  29  great help to the police.

　　Michel believes that handwriting is a good  30  of what kind of person the  31  is. "I wouldn't go out with a fellow  32  I didn't like his handwriting. " She says. But she  33  she fell in love with her future husband, a young policeman  34  she studied his handwriting. It is later proved to be  35  , however.

1. 　A. with 　　　　B. by 　　　       C. like 　　    D. as

2.　A. search　　 　B. follow 　　  C. catch 　　  D. extra

3. 　A. so　　　　　    B. too 　　　　 C. quite 　　   D. extra

4.　A. books　　    B. letter　　　     C. tongues 　  D. handwriting

5.　A.writing 　　　B. studying　       C. settling 　 D. uncovering

6. 　A.attending　　    B. finishing    C. starting D. stepping into

7. 　A. powerful 　　B. natural 　　    C. special　  　    D. common

8.　 A.main 　　　  B. safe 　　　  C. easy 　      D.impossible

9.　A. most 　　　 B. nothing　　  C. little 　　      D. sight

10.　A. with 　　　     B. by 　　　　 C. of　　　     D. about

11.　A. so 　　　　     B. for 　　　　     C. thus 　　 　 D. but

12. 　A. they 　　　    B. in which 　      C. that 　　  　    D. those

13.　A. up 　　　　 B. out 　　　　 C. for 　　  　 D. into

14.　A. of 　　　　 B. to　　　　 　    C. with 　　　 D. for

15.　A. test 　　　  B. sign(标记)　    C. means 　 　  D. habit

16.A. thief 　　 　B. criminal　  　    C. writer 　　 D. policeman

17.　A. whether 　　B. unless 　　      C. if 　　　　 D. after

18. A. adds 　　　 B. tells 　　　     C. repeats 　  D. cries

19.　A. before 　 　 B. after 　　 　   C. shyly 　　       D. and

20.　A.necessary　 　B. all right  C.important 　  D. quite easy

America is growing older. Fifty - eight years ago, only 4 out of every 100 people in the United States were 65 or older. To day, 10 out of every 100 Americans are over 65. The aging of the population will affect（影响）American society in many ways—education, medicine, and business. Quietly, the graying of America has made us a very different society—one in which people have a quite different idea of what kind of behavior（行为） is suitable（合适）at various , ages.

　　A person s age no longer tells you anything about his/her social position, marriage or health. There’s no longer a particular year in which one goes to school or goes to work or gets married or starts a family. The social clock that kept us on time and told us when to go to school, get a job, or stop working isn’t as strong as it used to be. It doesn’t surprise us to hear of a 29 - year - old university president or a 35 - year -old grandmother, or a 70 year - old man who has become a father for the first time. Public ideas are changing.

　　Many people say, “I am much younger than my mother— or my father— was at my age. ”No one says“Act your age” any more. We’ve stopped looking with surprise at older people who act in youthful ways.

　　67．It can be learnt from the text that the aging of the population in America ________ .

　　A. has made people feel younger

　　B. has changed people’s social position

　　C. has changed people’s understanding of age

　　D. has slowed down the country’s social development

　　68．The underlined word “one” refers to ________ .

　　A. a society　　　　　　　　　　　B. America

　　C. a place　　　　　　　　　　　　D. population

　　69．“Act your age” means people should ________ .

　　A. be active when they are old

　　B. do the right thing at the right age

　　C. show respect for their parents young or old

　　D. take more physical exercise suitable to their age

　　70．If a 25 - year - old man becomes general manager of a big firm, the writer of the text would most probably consider it ________ .

　　A. normal　　　　　　　　　　　　B. wonderful

C. unbelievable　　　　　　　　　　D. unreasonable

One summer evening I was sitting by the open window, reading a good but rather frightening mystery story. After a time it was too dark for me to read easily, so I put my book down and turned on the light.
I was just about to draw the   36  as well when I heard a loud cry “Help! Help! ” It 37  to come from the trees at the end of the garden. I looked out but it was too 38  to see anything clearly. So I decided to go out and have a look in the garden, just 39  someone was in   40  . I took the torch and picked up a strong walking stick,   41  that this might come to be useful, too.   42   with these, I went out into the garden.   43   I heard the cry. There was no    44  that it came from the trees at the end of the garden.
“Who’s there?” I   45  as I walked, rather 46  , down the path that   47   to the trees. But there was no  48  . With the help of my torch I   49  the whole of that part of the garden and the lower  50   of the trees. There was no sign of anybody or anything. I came to the ___51___ that someone was playing a rather silly joke on me.
___52   feeling rather puzzled, I went back to the house and   53   away the torch and the stick. I had just sat down when I was startled by the cry of “ Help! Help! ”, this time from  54  my shoulder. I dropped my book and climbed up. There, sitting    55  of the mantelpiece ( 壁炉 ), was a parrot!

A lesson in caring
It was a cold evening. My daughter and I were walking up Broadway. I didn’t notice a guy sitting inside a cardboard box. But Nora    36    . She wasn’t even four, but she   37    at my coat and said, “That man’s cold. Daddy, can we take him home?”
I don’t remember my   38    . But I do remember a sudden   39    feeling inside me. I had always been delighted at how much my daughter noticed in her   40     , whether it was     41    flying or children playing. But now she was noticing   42    and beggary.
A few days later, I saw an article in the newspaper about volunteers who picked up a food package from a nearby school on a Sunday morning and   43     it to an elderly person. It was quick and easy. I signed us up. Nora was   44    about it. She could understand the importance of food, so she could easily see how   45    our job was. When Sunday came, she was ready, but I had to    46    myself to leave the house to fetch the food package. On my way to the school, I fought an urge (强烈愿望) to turn    47    . The Sunday paper and coffee were waiting for me at home. Why do this?   48    , we phoned the elderly person we’d been appointed. She   49    us right over.
The building was in a bad state. Facing us was a silver-haired woman in an old dress. She took the package and asked us to come in. Nora ran inside. I unwillingly followed.   50     inside, I saw that the department belonged to someone poor. Our hostess showed us some photos. Nora played and when it came time to say goodbye, we three hugged. I walked home    51    .
Professionals call such a(n)   52    “a volunteer opportunity”. They are opportunities and I’ve come to see. Where else but as volunteers do you have the opportunity to do something    53     that’s good for others as well as for yourself? Nora and I regularly serve meals to needy people and   54     clothes for the homeless. Yet, as I’ve    55     her grow over these past four years, I still wonder—which of us has benefited more?