1 

   I used to hate being called upon in class mainly because I didn’t like attention drawn to myself. And   36    assigned（指定）a seat by the teacher, I always   37  to sit at the back of the classroom.

All this   38  after I joined a sports team. It began when a teacher suggested I try out for the basketball team. At first I thought it was a crazy  39   because I didn’t have a good sense of balance, nor did I have the  40   to keep pace with the others on the team and they would tease me. But for the teacher who kept insisting on my “  41  for it”, I wouldn’t have decided to give a try.

   Getting up the courage to go to the tryouts was only the   42   of it! When I first started  43    the practice sessions（练习赛）, I didn’t even know the rules of the game, much   44  what I was doing. Sometimes I’d get    45   and take a shot at the wrong direction—which made me feel really stupid.   46   , I wasn’t the only one “new” at the game, so I decided to   47   on learning the game, do my best at each practice session, and not be too hard on myself for the things I didn’t    48  “just yet”. 

The child of today owes much of its pleasant school life to the work of Maria Montessori and others who felt as she did.

Maria Montessori was born in 1870 in northern Italy.Both her parents were well educated.

While Maria was a student，she took great interest in the study of the particular nature of the child’s mind.It came to her that small children should have freedom to learn.

Maria became a doctor and professor at Rome University.In 1907，after working with backward students，she was given a chance to try out her ideas on children.There were sixty children，aged three to six，in the Children’s House.The rooms were bright and colourful.Maria let the children make their own choice of what they wanted to do and work with their own speed.They became busy，peaceful and happy.

Maria Montessori was one of the world’s greatest teachers.She traveled in Europe，America and Far East.She thought that true education，providing for the real needs of the child，would produce wise and happy grown­ups and therefore a peaceful world.Her original way of education has changed our whole idea of what childhood is.

Maria Montessori died in Holland at the age of eighty­two.

41．The short passage is mainly about________.

A．the education of backward students

B．a new idea of education

C．the importance of proper education

D．the life of Maria Montessori

42．Maria traveled a lot in the world to________.

A．teach the backward students

B．enjoy her life in real nature

C．spread her ideas of teaching

D．study the situation of education

43．In what way did Maria teach the children in the Children’s House?

A．She taught them the best way of learning well.

B．She let them learn in a very pleasant way.

C．She taught them by showing them how to do things.

D．She just let them choose the most interesting subjects.

44．We learn from the passage that________.

A．Maria left her homeland in order to study abroad

B．Maria didn’t get married

C．Maria’s own parents were her teachers

D．Maria fully understood the child’s mind

45．Which of the following best explains why Maria was one of the world’s greatest teachers?

A．She created a new way in teaching，which changed the old idea of children’s education

B．She taught the backward students very successfully and produced a peaceful world.

C．She showed great love for the children and trained them in a new way.

D．She taught backward students in many different countries and let them learn freely.

I used to hate being called upon in class mainly because I didn’t like attention drawn to myself. And   36   otherwise assignen（指定）a seat by the teacher, I always    37  to sit at the back of the classroom.
All this    38   after I joined a sports team. It began when a teacher suggested I try out for the basketball team. At first I thought it was a crazy   39   because I didn’t have a good sense of balance, nor did I have the   40  to keep pace with the others on the team and they would tease me. But for the teacher who kept insisting on my “   41  for  it”, I wouldn’t have decided to give a try.
Getting up t he courage to go to the tryouts was only the    42  of it! When I first started  43   
the practice sessions, I didn’t even know the rules of the game, much    44 what I was doing. Sometimes I’d get     45   and take a shot at the wrong direction—which made me feel really stupid.   46   , I wasn’t the only one “new” at the game, so I decided to    47    on learning the game, do my best at each prctice session, and not be too hard on myself for the things I didn’t    48  “just yet”.
I practiced and practiced. Soon I knew the   49  and the “moves”. Being part of a team was fun and moticating. Very soon the competitive   50  in me was winning over my lack of confidence. With time, I learned how to play and made friends in the   51    — friends who respect my efforts to work hard and be a team player. I never had so much fun!
With my    52   self-confidence comes more praise from teachers and classmates. I have gone from   “53”  in the back of the classroom and not wanting to call attention to myself,   54  
raising my hand — even when I sometimes wasn’t and not 100 percent   55  I had the right answer. Now I have more self-confidence in myself.
【小题1】  

The letter was a great disappointment to me. It was from Holy Cross, the only school I really wanted to  41  . I scanned the page, “…. We had a great applicant pool this year. …We can’t offer spaces to   42   … and place you on our waiting list.”

“What does it say, honey?” my dad asked, his voice full of   43   for me.

“I didn’t get in, but I’m on the waiting list.”

“Well, at least it isn’t   44  ,” he said brightly.

“Yeah, but   45  , I don’t want to be on the waiting list; I want to be   46  . No one gets in off the waiting list. It’s a way of saying ‘Thanks for   47  ’.”

“Then let’s go out there and tell them so.”

“That sounds   48  , dad.” I said sadly, “It doesn’t work.”

Upset and annoyed, I   49   myself in my room. However，my father’s advice kept   50   in my head. I thought about it for a few days, finally coming to the   51   that he was right. And the next day I seated myself across from Mr. Luis Soto, my admissions officer.

“What can I do for you, Nacie?” he asked pleasantly.

“Well, sir, I am here to tell you that I love this school and would love a   52   to be here. I just wanted to tell you how much going here would   53   to me—it is my only dream college— and that I would use my time here to the best   54  . I wanted to let you know that if you gave me a chance and reconsidered my application, you wouldn’t   55   it.” The words had poured out  56  I could stop them or check their desperate tone.

Mr. Soto looked me over for a minute before he smiled broadly.

“OK, that is the kind of thing we love to hear. Congratulations, you’re in.”

It was so   57   and I asked, “I’m sorry?”

“We want people in the class who want to be here, who will   58   the best of this education. I’m glad you came to talk   59   to me. I’m happy to offer you a position in the Class of 2009.”

The whole experience taught me a lesson: if you truly want something, never, ever   60  .

A. attend                   B. study                       C. admit                      D. visit

A. everyone          B. anyone                  C. someone        D. no one

A. trust              B. pity                    C. anxiety          D. curiosity

A. admission          B. imagination             C. restriction        D. rejection  

A. ever               B. again                 C. also              D. still

A. recognized          B. received                 C. accepted          D. permitted

A. writing            B. trying                   C. replying           D. waiting

A. lame             B. reasonable               C. painful         D. practical 

A. enjoyed             B. comforted            C. stayed             D. buried 

A. saying            B. ringing               C. showing          D. reminding

A. point             B. conclusion              C. agreement         D. arrangement

A. chance          B. motivation         C. degree         D. change  

A. refer              B. turn                    C. mean            D. stick

A. contribution       B. condition                       C. advantage        D. result 

A. suspect              B. disappoint               C. refuse              D. regret

A. as                B. when                 C. until           D. before    

A. unbelievable         B. unforgettable           C. unbearable     D. favorable

A. take                      B. get                          C. make                D. receive

A. patiently            B. openly                     C. carefully           D. calmly

A. get through            B. give up                 C. keep on            D. try out

Here is a picture where we can see grass growing in stones strongly． This picture    36  me of my father, a most determined man． He was born in a very    37 black family in the country, and both of my grandparents were   38  ．My father began to work in the cotton(棉花) fields when he was seven years old． He had a strong desire to change his own fate（命运） ever since he was a little boy． He   39 himself how to read and write in the evening． Later with his parents'    40    he managed to go to school where he studied computer science at Yale University． He later became a professor of Stanford University and was an expert in programming． He could   41  programs (程序) for supermarkets, restaurants, hotels, parks and bookstores all by himself． I'm    42  of my father   43   of his determination.
The best way to know a strong man, I think, is to let him   44   a severe test． Whenever we want to test a man's character, we should find out whether he can   45   __ adversity （逆境）, because adversity can always prove the   46  character of a man．Only when we make up our own mind can we overcome any    47  ． Some people would give up halfway． Such men can hardly expect to succeed． If we do not give up hope, nothing is impossible．