It was at least two months before Christmas when nine-year-old Almie Rose told her father and me that she wanted a new bicycle. As Christmas drew nearer, her desire for a bicycle seemed to fade（消退）, or so we thought. We bought her a lovely doll, and a doll house. Then, much to our surprise, on December 23rd, she said that she “really wanted a bike more than anything else.” But it was just too late. With such a lot of preparations to do for the Christmas dinner we did not have the time to buy our little girl a bike. So, here we were Christmas Eve around 9:00 p.m., with Almie and her six-year-old brother, Dylan, sleeping in their beds. Now we could only think of the bicycle and the disappointment of our child. “What if I make a little bicycle out of clay (泥) and write a note that she could trade（交易，交换 ） the clay bike in for a real bike?” her dad asked. So he spent the next four hours making a tiny clay bike. On Christmas morning, we were excited for Almie to open the little gift box with the beautiful red and white clay bike and the note. Finally, she opened it and read the note aloud. “Does this mean that I can trade in this bike that Daddy made me for a real one?”  I said, “Yes.” Almie had tears in her eyes when she replied, “I could never trade in this beautiful bicycle that Daddy made me. I'd rather keep this than get a real bike.” At that moment, we would have moved heaven and earth to buy her every bicycle in the world!

1.Choose the right time order of the following events.

a. The girl asked for a new bike.

b. The girl opened the little gift box.

c. The parents bought the girl a modern and popular doll.

d. The father made the girl a bike with clay.

e. The girl would rather keep the clay bike than get a real one .

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

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

2.Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?

A．The parents wanted the girl to have the clay bike for ever.

B．Tears were in the girl's eyes because she didn't like the present at all.

C．The girl never lost her desire for a bike.

D．The parents paid little attention to the daughter's desire for a bike.

3.Why did Dad make the clay bicycle?

A．He wanted his daughter to buy a real one .  B．He didn't want to disappoint his daughter.

C．He thought his daughter would like it .       D．He wanted to give his daughter a surprise.

4.What can we know from the last sentence?

A．The parents were sad and encouraged.

B．The parents felt neverous and shy.

C．The parents were moved and felt proud of the girl

D．The parents felt unhappy for the girl.

5. Which do you think is the best title （标题）for the story?

   A. A lovely little girl　　　　　　　　B. A great and serious father

C. A clay bike　　　　　　　　　　　D. Christmas shopping

Robert Moody, 52, is an experienced police officer. Much of his work involves dealing with __1__，an gang (团伙)problems in the schools of his community. Knowing that many kids often __2__ trouble, he decided to do something about it. So in 1991 he began to invite small groups of kids to go fishing with him on his day __3__.

Those fun trips had a(n) __4__ impact. A chance encounter in 2000 proved that. One day, __5__ working security at a school basketball game, Moody noticed two young guys __6__. He sensed trouble between them. __7__ one of them headed toward Moody and gave him a hug.“I __8__ you. You took me __9__  when I was  in fifth grade. That was one of the __10__ days of my life.”

Deeply touched by the boy's word, Moody decided to create a foundation(基金会)that __11__ teenagers to the basics of fishing in camping programs. “As a policeman, I saw __12__  there was violence, drugs were always behind it. They have a damaging __13__ on the kids，” says Moody.

By turning kids on to fishing, he __14__ to present an alternative way of life, “When you're sitting there waiting for a __15__，”he says, “you can't help but talk to each other, and such __16__ can be pretty deep.”

“Talking about drugs helped prepare me for the peer(同龄人)pressures in high school，” says Michelle,17, who __17__ the first program. “And I was able to help my little brother __18__ drugs.”

Moody faces __19__in three years, when he hopes to run the foundation full－time.“I'm living a happy life and I have a responsibility to my __20__ to give back，” Moody says.“If I teach a kid to fish today, he can teach his brother to fish tomorrow.”

1. A. drinking　     B. drug　 　   C. security　　      D. smoking

2. A. ran into        B. got over     C. left behind         D. looked into

3. A．ahead         B. away        C. off           D. out

4. A．immediate     B. damaging    C. limited         D. lasting

5. A．once         B. while               C. since         D. until

6. A．quarreling      B. complaining

C. talking         D. cheering

7. A．Slowly      B. Suddenly     C. Finally         D. Secretly

8. A．understand      B. hear      C.  see         D. remember

9. A．fishing       B. sailing       C. boating        D.  swimming

10. A．quietest       B. longest     C. best          D. busiest

11. A．connects      B. introduces     C. reduces     D. commits

12. A．where       B. unless       C. as           D. whether

13. A．impression     B. burden       C. decision       D. impact

14. A．asked         B. intended     C. pretended        D. agreed

15. A．solution         B. change       C. bite           D. surprise

16. A. concerns          B. interests  

C. conversations       D. emotions

17. A. participated in     B. worked out

C.  approved of     D. made up

18. A. misuse           B. avoid          C.  tolerate      D. test

19. A. unemployment    B. challenge

C.  competition     D. retirement

20. A. team          B. school  C. family         D. community

My boss was very resistant to my proposal at first but she finally_____and accepted my idea.

A. slowed down　　　　 B. put down　　　　 C. got down　　　　 D. broke down

Today, roller skating is easy and fun. But a long time ago, it wasn't easy at all. Before 1750, the idea of skating didn't exist. That changed because of a man named Joseph Merlin. Merlin's work was making musical instruments. In his spare time he liked to play the violin. Joseph Merlin was a man of ideas and dreams. People called him a dreamer.

　　One day Merlin received an invitation to attend a fancy dress ball. He was very pleased and a little excited. As the day of the party came near, Merlin began to think how to make a grand entrance at the party. He had an idea. He thought he would get a lot of attention if he could skate into the room.

　　Merlin tried different ways to make himself roll. Finally, he decided to put two wheels under each shoe. These were the first roller skates. Merlin was very proud of his invention and dreamed of arriving at the party on wheels while playing the violin.

　　On the night of the party Merlin rolled into the room playing his violin. Everyone was astonished to see him. There was just one problem. Merlin had no way to stop his roller skates. He rolled on and on. Suddenly, he ran into a huge mirror that was hanging on the wall. Down fell the mirror, breaking to pieces. Nobody forgot Merlin's grand entrance for a long time!

1.The text is mainly about_________.

A．a strange man                          B．how roller skating began

C．an unusual party                        D．how people enjoyed themselves in the 18th century

2.People thought Merlin was a dreamer because he________.

A．often gave others surprises　　　　        B．was a gifted musician

C．was full of imagination　　 　　           D．invented the roller skates

3.Merlin put wheels under his shoes in order to_______.

A．test his invention　　　　　　            B．arrive at the party sooner

C．impress the party guests                  D．show his skill in walking on wheels

4.What is the main point the writer is trying to make in the last paragraph?

A．Merlin succeeded beyond expectation.

B．The party guests took Merlin for a fool.

C．The roller skates needed further improvement.

D．Merlin regretted what he had done

LEEDS， England ─ A Leeds University psychology professor is teaching a course to help dozens of Britons forgive their enemies.

“The hatred we hold within us is a cancer，” Professor Ken Hart said， adding that holding in anger can lead to problems such as high blood pressure and heart disease.

More than 70 people have become members in Hart’s first 20-week workshop in  London ─a course he says is the first of its kind in the world.

These are people who are sick and tired of living with a memory. They realize their bitterness is a poison they think they can pour out， but they end up drinking it themselves， said Canadian-born Hart.

The students meet in groups of eight to ten for a two-hour workshop with an adviser every fortnight.

The course， ending in July， is expected to get rid of the cancer of hatred in these people. “People have lots of negative attitudes towards forgiveness，” he said， “People confuse forgiveness with  forgetting. Forgiveness means changing from a negative attitude to a positive one.”

Hart and his team have created instructions to provide the training needed.

“The main idea is to give you guidelines on how to look at various kinds of angers and how they affect you， and how to change your attitudes towards the person you are angry with，” said Norman Claringbull， a senior expert on the forgiveness project.

Hart said he believes forgiveness is a skill that can be taught， as these people “want to get free of the past”.

1. From this passage we know that 　　　　.

A. high blood pressure and heart disease are caused by hatred

B. high blood pressure can only be cured by psychology professors

C. without hatred， people will have less trouble connected with blood pressure and heart disease

D .people who suffer from high blood pressure and heart disease must have many enemies

2. People going to Hart’s first 20-week workshop 　　　　.

A. enjoy the professor’s speech

B .learn how to quarrel with others 

C .are aware that their hatred is a poison that could finally end up harming themselves

D .meet in groups of eight to ten for a two-hour workshop every night and learn how to relax 

3.. According to Professor Ken Hart， 　　　　.

A. most people are living with hatred

B. people should attend his courses to forget the past

C. forgiveness means forgetting the bitterness

D. people with a bitter memory can learn to have a positive attitude towards the past

4.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage？

A. Hatred means living a positive life.

B. People will be taught how to look at various kinds of angers in the workshop.

C. Hart and his team enjoys high popularity among Londoners these days.

D. People who are sick of living with a bitter memory have to pay a lot to Hart’s course.

5.. Which could be the best title for the passage？

A. Britons learn to forgive  B. Hart and his team

C .Forgive and forget  D. Hatred， a poison to you