I really love my job because I enjoy working with small children and like the challenges and awards from the job. I also think my work is important. There was a time when I thought I would never have that sort of career.
I wasn’t an excellent student because I didn’t do much schoolwork. In my final term I started thinking what I might do and found I didn’t have much to offer. I just accepted that I wasn’t the type to have a career.
I then found myself a job, looking after two little girls. It wasn’t too bad at first. But the problems began when I agreed to live in, so that I would be there if my boss had to go out for business in the evening. We agreed that if I had to work extra hours one week, she’d give me time off the next. But unfortunately, it didn’t often work out. I was getting extremely tired and fed up, because I had too many late nights and early mornings with the children.
One Sunday, I was in the park with the children, and met Megan who used to go to school with me. I told her about my situation. She suggested that I should do a course and get a qualification if I wanted to work with children. I didn’t think I would be accepted because I didn’t take many exams in school. She persuaded me to phone the local college and they were really helpful. My experience counted for a lot and I got on a part-time course. I had to leave my job with the family, and got work helping out at a kindergarten.
Now I’ve got a full-time job there. I shall always be thankful to Megan. I wish I had known earlier that you could have a career, even if you aren’t top of the class at school.
【小题1】What is the author’s present job?

About ten years ago, I was on a plane going west, and a young woman boarded and sat across the aisle (过道) from me. I ___41____ her for two reasons. She was very attractive, and she was holding a teddy bear about half her ____42____. I teased her by asking if she had a ___43___ for the bear. She laughed and said no.

About halfway through the flight she ___44____ over and told me she was going to Tucson to enter rehab (进行康复治疗). She ___45___ to share her life story with me. She had been working as a dancer in a nightclub. That ___46____ had led her down a dark ____47____ to drugs and alcohol. As I listened to her story. I was ____48____ at all she had gone through. I listened to all she shared and told her I was sure she was going to ____49___ it. At the end of the flight, she ___50____ me for listening to her.

A few years later, I got a ___51____ in the mail saying, “Wow, it’s been years since we met on that plane. It is ___52____ how you touched my life.” She went on to tell me that she had ____53____ to stay away from drugs, and had been working for a radio station. She felt she had achieved things she could not have ____54___ that day on the plane. We agreed to set up a time to get ___55___.

When I saw her, she was ____56____ the attractive young woman I remembered. She told me that that little ___57___ we had had turned her life around. She had boarded the plane ___58___ anything would work in her life, and my affirmation (肯定) of her as a person and of her ___59___ had given her the last bit of ___60___ she needed to work through her problems.

The young woman taught me it’s never too late to make a new start in life.

---- When did you last hear _____Jay?

---- He phoned me this morning, and we agreed _____ a time and place to meet.

My grandson, Daniel, and I have always been very close. When Daniel’s father remarried after a divorce, Daniel, who was eleven, and his little sister, Kristie, came to live with us. My husband and I were more than happy to have kids in the house again.

    Things were going along just fine until the diabetes (糖尿病) I’ve lived with most of my adult life started affecting my eyes, and then more seriously, my kidneys (肾). Then everything seemed to fall apart.

    Three times a week, I had to go to the hospital to be hooked up to a dialysis machine (透析机). I was living, but I couldn’t really call it a life — it was an existence. I had no energy. I dragged myself through daily chores and slept as much as I could. My sense of humor seemed to disappear.

    Daniel, seventeen by then, was really affected by the change in me. He tried as hard as he could to make me laugh, to bring back the grandma who loved to clown around (开玩笑) with him. Even in my sorry state, Daniel could still bring a smile to my face.

    But things were not improving. After a year on dialysis, my condition was deteriorating (恶化) and the doctors felt that if I didn’t receive a kidney transplant within six months, I would surely die. No one told Daniel this, but he knew — he said all he had to do was look after me. To top it off, as my condition worsened, there was a chance that I would become too weak to have the transplant surgery at all, and then there would be nothing they could do for me. So we started the tense and desperate wait for a kidney.

    I was adamant (坚决的) that I didn’t want a kidney from anyone I knew. I would wait until an appropriate kidney became available, or I would literally die waiting. But Daniel had other plans. The time that he took me to my dialysis appointments, he did a little secret research on his own. Then he announced his intention to me.

    “Grandma, I’m giving you one of my kidneys. I’m young and I’m healthy …” He paused. He could see I wasn’t at all happy with his offer. He continued, almost in whisper, “And most of all, I couldn’t stand it if you weren’t around.” His face wore an expression of appeal mixed with determination. He can be as stubborn as a mule (驴) once he decides on something — but I’ve been told many times that I can out-stubborn any mule!

    We argued. I couldn’t let him do it. We both knew that if he gave up his kidney, he would also give up his life’s dream; to play football. It was all he ever talked about. And he was good, too. Daniel was co-captain and star defensive tackle (防守阻截队员) of his high school team; he expected to apply for a football scholarship and was looking forward to playing college football. He just loved the sport.

    “How can I let you throw away the thing that means the most to you?” I pleaded with him.

    “Grandma,” he said softly, “compared to your life, football means nothing to me.”

    After that, I couldn’t argue anymore. So we agreed to see if he was a good donor (捐赠者) match, and then we’d discuss it further. When the tests came back, they showed Daniel was a perfect match. That was it. I knew I wasn’t going to win that argument, so we scheduled the transplant.

    Both surgeries went smoothly. As soon as I came out of the anesthesia (麻醉) , I could tell things were different. I felt great! The nurses in the intensive care unit had to keep telling me to lie back and be quiet — I wasn’t supposed to be that lively! I was afraid to go to sleep, for fear I would break the spell (魔法) and wake up the way I had been before. But the good feeling didn’t go away, and I spent the evening joking and laughing with anyone who would listen. It was so wonderful to feel alive again.

    The next day they moved me out of ICU and onto the floor where Daniel was recuperating (复原) three doors away. His grandfather helped him walk down to see me as soon as I was moved into my room. When we saw each other, we did not know what to say. Holding hands, we just sat there and looked at each other for a long time, overwhelmed by the deep feeling of love that connected us.

    Finally, he spoke, “Was it worthwhile, grandma?”

    I laughed a little ruefully (懊悔). “It was for me! But was it for you?” I asked him.

    He nodded and smiled at me. “I’ve got my grandma back.”

    And I have my life back. It still amazes me. Every morning, when I wake up, I thank God —and Daniel — for this miracle. A miracle born of the purest love.

1.Grandma’s diabetes brought about all the following EXCEPT that _______.

A. her eyes and her kidneys were affected

B. grandma became quite a different person

C. Daniel had to be sent back to his father

D. everything was thrown into confusion

2.When grandma was at her lowest, what did Daniel do to bring her back to her usual life?

A. He tried his best to make her laugh.     

B. He helped her with the daily chores.

C. He gave up his dream of going to college.     

D. He searched desperately for a good donor match.

3.How did grandma feel when Daniel announced his intention to give her one of his kidneys?

A. She was moved by his selfless decision.

B. She wasn’t at all happy with his offer.

C. She felt relieved that an appropriate kidney was available.

D. She was enthusiastic about having a kidney of someone she loved.

4.What would giving up a kidney mean to Daniel, according to the passage?

A. He wouldn’t be young and healthy thereafter.

B. He didn’t have to search for a good match any more.

C. He could apply for a full scholarship to a college he desired.

D. He would also give up his life’s dream: to play football.

5.How was grandma when she came out of the anesthesia after the surgery?

A. She was feeling low.                B. She was full of life.

C. She was exhausted.                D. She was the way she had been before.

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

A. Grandma got her life back thanks to Daniel’s selfless donation.

B. Grandma thought her returning to life was a miracle of pure love.

C. Daniel agreed with grandma that the transplant was worthwhile for her, not for him.

D. Much as he loved football, grandma’s life meant the most to Daniel.

三、完形填空（每小题1分，共20分）
In the clinic, I asked if Michael could be retested, so the specialist tested him again. To my
36   , it was the same score.
Later that evening, I    37    told Frank what I had learned that day. After talking it over, we agreed that we knew our    38    much better than an IQ test. We    39    that Michael’s score must have been a    40    and we should treat him    41    as usual.
We moved to Indiana in 1962, and Michael studied at Concordia High School in the same year. He got    42    grades in the school, especially    43   biology and chemistry, which was a great comfort.
Michael    44    Indiana University in 1965 as a premedical student. Soon afterwards, his teacher permitted him to take more courses than    45   . In 1968, he was accepted by the School of medicine, Yale University.
On graduation day in 1972, Frank and I    46    the ceremony at Yale. After the ceremony, we told Michael about the    47    IQ score he got when he was six. Since that day, Michael sometimes would look at us and say    48   . “My dear mom and dad never told me that I couldn’t be a doctor, not until after I graduated from medical school! ” It is his special way of thanking us for the     49     we had in him.
Interestingly, Michael then    50   another IQ test. We went to the same clinic where he had    51    the test eighteen years before. This time Michael scored 126, an increase of 36 points. A result like that was supposed to be     52   .
Children often do as    53    as what adults, particularly parents and teachers,   54 
of them. That is, tell a child he is “   55   ”,  and he may play the role of a foolish child.
36.  A. joy                         B. surprise                    C. dislike               D. disappointment
37.  A. tearfully                  B. fearfully                   C. cheerfully          D. hopefully
38.  A. student                    B. son                          C. friend               D. doctor
39.  A. argued                    B. realized                    C. decided             D. understood
40.  A. joke                        B. mistake                    C. warning            D. wonder
41.  A. specially                 B. strictly                            C. naturally           D. carefully
42.  A. poor                       B. good                        C. average             D. standard
43.  A. in                           B. about                       C. of                     D. for
44.  A. visited                    B. chose                       C. passed               D. entered
45.  A. allowed                   B. described                  C. required            D. offered
46.  A. missed                    B. held                         C. delayed             D. attended
47.  A. high                       B. same                        C. low                   D. different
48.  A. curiously                 B. eagerly                     C. calmly                     D. jokingly
49.  A. faith                       B. interest                     C. pride                 D. delight
50.  A. looked for               B. asked for                  C. waited for         D. prepared for
51.  A. received                  B. accepted                   C. organized          D. discussed
52.  A. imperfect                B. impossible                C. uncertain           D. unsatisfactory
53.  A. honestly                  B. much                       C. well                  D. bravely
54.  A. hear                        B. learn                        C. expect               D. speak
55.  A. wise                       B. rude                         C. shy                   D. stupid