Some years ago I was offered a writing assignment that would require three months of travel through Europe. I had been abroad a couple of times，but I could hardly claim to know my way around the continent. Moreover, my knowledge of foreign languages was limited to a little college French.
I hesitated. How would I, unable to speak the language, totally unfamiliar with local geography or transportation systems, set up interviews and do research? It seemed impossible, and with considerable regret. I sat down to write a letter begging off. Halfway through, a thought ran through my mind： you can't learn if you don't try. So I accepted the assignment.
There were some bad moments. But by the time I had finished the trip I was an experienced traveler. And ever since，I have never hesitated to head for even the most remote of places，without guides or even advanced bookings, confident that somehow I will manage.
The point is that the new, the different, is almost scary by definition. But each time you try something, you learn, and as the learning piles up, the world opens to you.
I've learned to ski at 40, and flown up the Rhine River in a balloon. And I know I'll go on doing such things. It's not because I'm braver or more daring than others. I'm not. But I'll accept anxiety as another name for challenge and I believe I can accomplish wonders.
【小题1】The author accepted the assignment because _____

Today, in many high schools, teaching is now a technical miracle of computer labs, digital cameras.  DVD players and laptops. Teachers can e-mail parents, post messages for students on online bulletin(公告，告示) boards, and take attendance with a quick movement of a mouse.

Even though we are now living in the digital age, the basic and most important element of education has not changed. Most students still need that one-on-one, teacher-student relationship to learn and to succeed. Teenagers need instruction in English, math or history, but they also want personal advice and encouragement. Kids talk with me about their families, their weekend plans, their favorite TV shows and their relationship problems. In my English and journalism class, we talk about Shakespeare and persuasive(富有哲理的) essays, but we also discuss college basketball, the war in Iraq and career choices. Students show me pictures of their rebuilt cars, their family vacations, and their newborn baby brothers. This personal connection is the necessary link between teachers and students that no amount of technology can improve upon or replace.

A few years ago I had a student in sophomore English who was struggling with my class and with school in general. Although he was a humorous young man who liked to joke around, I knew his family life was far from ideal. Whenever I approached him about missing homework or low test grades, he always had the same reply: “It doesn’t matter because I’m quitting school anyway.” Even though he always said this in a half-teasing way, I knew he needed to hear my different opinion and my “value of a high school education” lecture. He needed to hear this speech from me. After he left my class, he struggled through the next two years of school. But, he did finally graduate because we kept telling him to hang in there. We’d cared about him finishing school.

Recently, I saw this former student working at a local Italian restaurant. I told him again how proud I was of him. He said that he was hoping to go back to school to become a certified electrician. I encouraged him to get that training.

Students rely on compassionate teachers to guide, to tutor, to listen, to laugh and to cry with them. Teachers provide the most important link in the educational process — the human one.

The first paragraph mainly discusses _______.

    A．the variety of modern teaching methods

    B．the wide use of modern technology in education

    C．the importance of teacher-parent relationship

    D．the importance of using modern technology

The underlined word “compassionate” in Para 5 means          .

    A．ambitious    B．knowledgeable    C．sympathetic  D．generous

According to the text, the most important element in education is         .

    A．teacher’s good instruction  B．advanced technology

    C．teachers’ encouragement D．personal connection

The author states his view of education by         .

    A．example  B．description  C．figure   D．comparison

Some years ago I was offered a writing assignment that would require three months of travel through Europe. I had been abroad a couple of times，but I could hardly claim to know my way around the continent. Moreover, my knowledge of foreign languages was limited to a little college French.

I hesitated. How would I, unable to speak the language, totally unfamiliar with local geography or transportation systems, set up interviews and do research? It seemed impossible, and with considerable regret. I sat down to write a letter begging off. Halfway through, a thought ran through my mind： you can't learn if you don't try. So I accepted the assignment.

There were some bad moments. But by the time I had finished the trip I was an experienced traveler. And ever since，I have never hesitated to head for even the most remote of places，without guides or even advanced bookings, confident that somehow I will manage.

The point is that the new, the different, is almost scary by definition. But each time you try something, you learn, and as the learning piles up, the world opens to you.

I've learned to ski at 40, and flown up the Rhine River in a balloon. And I know I'll go on doing such things. It's not because I'm braver or more daring than others. I'm not. But I'll accept anxiety as another name for challenge and I believe I can accomplish wonders.

1.The author accepted the assignment because _____

2.Which of the following statements is TRUE?

3.We can infer from the text that the author is  _____.

4.What's the best title of the text?

第三部分： 完形填空（共20小题；每小题1分，满分20分）
My Teacher in the School of Life
I spent the opening day of school this year at DeMatha Catholic High School in much the same way I spent the first day of classes   36   30 years ago; I sat in Dr Charles E. Offutt’s British literature class, listening to him   37   what his seniors would learn and get them excited about the journey they would  38  . I’m the principal (校长) of the school now , but for a few minutes I was back in 1975,   39  what the future held.
I have been learning from Dr Offutt for 30 of the 51 years he had been teaching at DeMatha. He not only taught me to think, he   40  me, as much by example as  41  , that it was my moral duty to do so and to serve   42   .
Neither of us could know how our  43  would develop over the years. When I first came back to DeMatha to teach English. I worked for Dr Offutt, the then department chair. After several years, I was  44  department chair, and our relationship changed   45  . I thought that it might be  46  chairing the department, since all of my former English teachers were still there, but Dr Offutt   47  me throughout. He knew when to give me   48   about curriculum, texts and personnel, and when to let me design my own course.
In 1997, I needed his advice about leaving DeMatha to become principal at another school. If he had asked me to stay at DeMatha, I might have.   49   , he encouraged me to seize the new     50  .
Five years ago, I became the   51   of DeMatha. Once again, Dr Offutt was there for me, letting me know that I could   52  on him as I tried to fill such big shoes. I’ve learned from him that great teachers have a (n)   53   wealth of lessons to teach.   54  his students don’t know it yet, I know how   55   they are; I’m still one of them.
36．A．mostly         B．exactly   C．only           D．simply
37．A．explain    B．predict   C．speak         D．teach
38．A．keep            B．achieve  C．choose    D．take
39．A．preparing    B．discovering  C．wondering   D．realizing
40．A．assisted    B．reminded       C．advised   D．convinced
41．A．words   B．action       C．explanation  D．models
42．A．the others        B．everyone       C．others          D．anyone
43．A．relationship  B．position     C．situation   D．condition
44．A．pointed      B．named       C．given          D．taken
45．A．already      B．yet   C．still          D．again
46．A．foolish     B．surprising        C．uncertain  D．challenging
47．A．promoted        B．accepted   C．supported  D．welcomed
48．A．advice       B．information       C．notice          D．thought
49．A．Otherwise       B．Therefore        C．Furthermore  D．Instead
50．A．choice    B．opportunity     C．occupation   D．possibility
51．A．teacher    B．principal  C．officer   D．clerk
52．A．live      B．look            C．depend   D．take
53．A．rich     B．little            C．valuable        D．endless
54．A．Once          B．Even if    C．Unless    D．Until
55．A．fortunate B．curious       C．innocent   D．satisfied

To this day,I still remember the first day of classes exactly 30 years ago. I  _16_ in Dr Charles E. Offutt’s British literature class，listening to him _17_ what his seniors would learn and get them excited about the journey they would __18__ .I’m the principal(校长) of the school now，but for a few minutes I was back in 1975，__19__ what the future held.
I have been learning from Dr Offutt for 30 of the 51 years he has been teaching at DeMatha. he not only taught me to think，he _20_ me，as much by example as _21__，that it was my moral duty to do so and to serve __22_ .
Neither of us could know how our _23_ would develop over the years. When I first came back to DeMatha to teach English，I worked for Dr Offutt，then the department chair. After several years，I was _24__ department chair，and our relationship changed __25__. I thought that it might be __26__chairing the department，since all of my former English teachers were still there，but Dr Offutt _27__ me throughout. he knew when to give me _28__ about curriculum(课程)，texts and personnel，and when to let me design my own course.
In 1997，I needed his advice about leaving DeMatha to become principal at another school. If he had asked me to stay at DeMatha，I might have. _29_，he encouraged me to seize the new __30_ .
Five years ago,I became the__31_  of DeMatha. Once again, Dr Offutt was there for me,Letting me know that I could__32_ on him as I tried to fill such big shoes.I’ve learned that great teachers have a (an)___33__wealth of lessons to teach __34_ his students don’t know it yet.I know how __35_ they are.I’m still one of them.