A while ago my family and I went sledding（滑雪橇）and as I watched my children climbing up the slope I started thinking.

Many people are   1   that most of today’s social problems are because of the “me” generation. Youngsters are just out for themselves and pay no   2   to others or their needs. Indeed, a common belief is that today’s youngsters won’t do anything   3  there is something in it for them.

Yet, while sledding, I saw a   4   side. I watched my two oldest children （then five and four） take my youngest （then two years old） by the hand to help her up the slippery slope   5   they went up. They would have been   6  without her, but not once did they try to sneak by her without helping. And when the sled  7   my two daughters was aimed toward the edge, it was my five year old son who ran to them to   8   them falling and hurting themselves.

These children sometimes  9  among themselves and, on occasion, behave horribly. But I can   10   them shopping and know that they won’t ask for anything, I can talk to them about tsunami or hurricane victims and know that they will offer to   11   some of their own money to the cause, and I can ask them to play with those children   12   on the sideline （作为旁观者）and know that they will befriend them.

Perhaps, therefore, the “me” generation is to blame   13   much of society’s problems – not the youngsters who want everything,   14   the adults who have taught them to selfishly   15   only of themselves.

Most adults have been   16   at some time or another, sadly, many   17   that disappointment down to their children. Then the children learn to put themselves first!

Most young children want to help. We can   18  that feeling by teaching the lesson my children learned while sledding: Life is a slippery slope with   19   of bumps （撞伤） and bruises （擦伤）, but we can all make it to the   20  if we remember to help those who need it.

1．A．convinced             B．confirmed            C．informed             D．approved

2．A．thought                 B．attention              C．permission           D．pleasure

3．A．if                          B．as                       C．while                  D．unless

4．A．same                    B．different              C．strange                D．moral

5．A．some time             B．any time              C．each time            D．the time

6．A．faster                    B．slower                 C．easier                  D．lighter

7．A．containing             B．loading                C．driving                D．carrying

8．A．keep                     B．stop                    C．help                    D．warn

9．A．cry                       B．cooperate            C．assist                  D．fight

10．A．take                    B．drive                   C．accompany          D．guide

11．A．lend                    B．send                    C．collect                 D．pay

12．A．forgotten             B．missed                C．left                     D．ignored

13．A．of                       B．within                 C．on                      D．for

14．A．and                     B．but                      C．thus                    D．though

15．A．consider              B．speak                  C．sacrifice              D．think

16．A．depressed            B．awkward             C．disappointed        D．embarrassed

17．A．extend                 B．transfer               C．pass                    D．spread

18．A．encourage           B．prohibit               C．discourage           D．approach

19．A．opportunities        B．occasions            C．promises             D．fates

20．A．top                     B．bottom                C．middle                 D．tip

Once a young man was in deep love with a girl. This man folded 1,000 pieces of paper cranes (纸鹤) as a gift to his girl. Although he was a small branch manager in a company, and his __1__ didn’t seem too bright, they were very __2__ together until one day, his girl told him she was going to Paris and would never come back. She also told him that she couldn’t see any future for both of them, “so let’s go our own __3__ from now on…” The young man was __4__, but he agreed.

When he regained his __5__, he worked hard day and night, just to make something out of himself. Finally with all the _6__ work, this man set up his own __7__.

One rainy day, while this man was __8__, he saw an elderly couple sharing an umbrella in the rain, walking to somewhere. He __9__ that they were his ex-girlfriend’s (前女友)parents, so he drove slowly beside the couple, wanting them to find him in his expensive car and to know that he had his own company, car, etc.

To the man’s surprise, the couple were walking towards a cemetery (墓地). He got out of his car and followed them. And there he saw his ex-girlfriend —a photograph of her  __10__   as sweetly as ever at him from her tombstone, and those precious paper cranes in a glass bottle! He walked over and asked the couple why this had happened. They explained that __11__ she did not leave for France at all. She fell ill with cancer. In her heart, she had believed that he would __12_ some day. She didn’t want her __13__ to be his barrier(障碍). Therefore, she chose to leave him. She asked her __14__ to put his paper cranes beside her, because if the day comes when fate brings him to her again he can take some of those back with him.

The man just cried __15__. He was heartbroken once again.

1.                A．appearance     B．salary          C．future    D．apartment

2.                A．worried        B．regret          C．happy    D．sensitive

3.                A．futures         B．ways           C．goals D．courses

4.                A．excited         B．mad           C．puzzling  D．heartbroken

5.                A．confidence      B．position         C．independence D．freedom

6.                A．main           B．beautiful        C．hard D．heavy

7.                A．office          B．family          C．studio    D．company

8.                A．running        B．driving         C．walking   D．wandering

9.                A．recognized      B．noticed         C．understood    D．memorized

10.               A．glaring         B．talking         C．smiling    D．crying

11.               A．fortunately      B．recently        C．difficultly  D．actually

12.               A．come          B．make          C．succeed   D．suffer

13.               A．illness          B．heart          C．cranes    D．sadness

14.               A．husband        B．parents         C．friends    D．son

15.               A．heatedly        B．hardly          C．excitedly  D．sadly

D

Mr. Frank shot well and once he had come in fourth in a competition.

Then he went to a big city on business. There he joined the local rifle club. The club had a very good team, which used to take part in a lot of important shooting competitions. One of these took place while Frank was with them. But one of the members of the club's team suddenly fell ill just before the match. The captain had heard of Mr. Frank. He therefore invited Mr. Frank to take the sick man's place.

Mr. Frank felt greatly happy to be asked to shoot for such a good team, but he also felt very nervous, because he was afraid of making a fool of himself.

In fact, he was so nervous that he could not keep his hands from trembling while he was shooting, with the result that he did very badly in the competition. When he took his score card to his captain, he said:" After seeing my score, I want to go outside and shoot myself. " The captain looked at the card for a few seconds and then said, "Well, you'd better take two bullets with you if you want to do that. "

53. Mr. Frank once__________-in a competition.

A. joined the fourth team            B. took the fourth place

C. was the fourth to start shooting     D. shot with the other three

54. Why did Mr. Frank feel nervous to be asked to shoot for the team? Because_______.

A. actually he was not good at shooting

B. he thought the captain and the other members would fool him

C. he was afraid of losing face before so many good shooters

D. he would lose a lot of money if he should fail

55. When Frank said, "After seeing my score, I want to go outside and shoot myself", he meant to say that___________

A. he wants to practice shooting all by himself

B. he wanted to find out the reason for his failure

C. he was too shamed of himself to remain inside and face the captain and the other members

D. he wanted to kill himself with the rifle

56. By saying "You had better take two bullets with you if you want to do that", the captain actually meant to say

A. "We haven't got so many bullets for you to practice shooting."

B. "You can't improve your shooting with only one bullet."

C. "I don't believe you can keep your hands from shaking this time."

D. "you are such a bad shooter that one bullet is certainly not enough to end you life with."

57. According to this passage, which of the following is wrong?

A. He fired several shots and they all missed the target.

B. The captain wasn't satisfied with Frank and laughed at him.

C. In the big city Frank was admitted to the local rifle club.

D. Frank could have done better in the competition.

                                  D

Mr. Frank shot well and once he had come in fourth in a competition.

     Then he went to a big city on business. There he joined the local rifle club. The club had a very good team, which used to take part in a lot of important shooting competitions. One of these took place while Frank was with them. But one of the members of the club's team suddenly fell ill just before the match. The captain had heard of Mr. Frank. He therefore invited Mr. Frank to take the sick man's place.

    Mr. Frank felt greatly happy to be asked to shoot for such a good team, but he also felt very nervous, because he was afraid of making a fool of himself.

    In fact, he was so nervous that he could not keep his hands from trembling while he was shooting, with the result that he did very badly in the competition. When he took his score card to his captain, he said:" After seeing my score, I want to go outside and shoot myself. " The captain looked at the card for a few seconds and then said, "Well, you'd better take two bullets with you if you want to do that. "

53. Mr. Frank once__________-in a competition.

  A. joined the fourth team             B. took the fourth place

  C. was the fourth to start shooting      D. shot with the other three

54. Why did Mr. Frank feel nervous to be asked to shoot for the team? Because_______.

   A. actually he was not good at shooting

   B. he thought the captain and the other members would fool him

   C. he was afraid of losing face before so many good shooters

   D. he would lose a lot of money if he should fail

55. When Frank said, "After seeing my score, I want to go outside and shoot myself", he meant to say that___________

A. he wants to practice shooting all by himself

B. he wanted to find out the reason for his failure

C. he was too shamed of himself to remain inside and face the captain and the other members

D. he wanted to kill himself with the rifle

56. By saying "You had better take two bullets with you if you want to do that", the captain actually meant to say

  A. "We haven't got so many bullets for you to practice shooting."

  B. "You can't improve your shooting with only one bullet."

  C. "I don't believe you can keep your hands from shaking this time."

  D. "you are such a bad shooter that one bullet is certainly not enough to end you life with."

57. According to this passage, which of the following is wrong?

  A. He fired several shots and they all missed the target.

  B. The captain wasn't satisfied with Frank and laughed at him.

  C. In the big city Frank was admitted to the local rifle club.

  D. Frank could have done better in the competition.

There once was a very honest shopkeeper whose business was to provide goods to the local people. He would open his shop at 8:00 a.m. after having his breakfast and at 1:00 p.m. he would go for lunch. In the evening at 8:30 p.m. he closed his shop to complete his daily routine.
However, to get time for lunch was really difficult be-cause he didn’t have anybody to help him at that time. Therefore, it was his daily practice that whichever customer was shopping at 1:00 p.m. would be asked to oversee (看管) the shop until the shopkeeper returned from lunch.
One day, a group of four thieves planned to steal from his shop while he was gone for lunch. One of the thieves went at 1:00 p.m. to be the customer that would be asked to oversee the shop.
The thief, pretending to be a customer, went in at 1:00 p.m. and started buying several items. As planned, the shop-keeper asked the thief to sit on his chair for thirty minutes until he returned from lunch.
Then, the other three thieves quickly came and told the pretend customer to help, but something had changed within him and he knew deeply in his heart that if he was given responsibility for the shop, he should not perform any dishonest acts during that time. His friends did not agree. As the now honest man tried to stop them, they resisted (抵抗) and a fight started. And at the same time the shopkeeper returned and asked why there was a fighting. The now honest man explained the entire plan.
The shopkeeper had been searching for an honest man who could take ownership of the shop and run it. The shop-keeper felt that he had found the right man.
【小题1】What is the problem for the shopkeeper?