Though I have traveled in hundreds of trains, few unusual things have ever happened to me. But one day in a train something did happen. I do not mean that I was hurt: no one was hurt.

I do my work in a hot country far away from England. Every September I go there to do my business, and every July I come back to England to have a rest. So every September I go to Paris and take a train from the great French city to Mendova, and at Mendova I catch my ship.

There is one very fast train from Paris to Mendova, and it suits me well. It goes as far as Endoran, but it stops at Mendova for a few minutes to let travelers get out or in. It is called The Flying Bluebird. It reaches Mendova at seven minutes past nine in the morning, and it is never late.

A ship leaves Mendova at half past eleven, and so you will understand that The Flying Bluebird suits me very well. I always travel by it, and I have nearly two and a half hours at Mendova to go from the station to the ship. That is more than enough time.

Well, one September night, I took my place in The Flying Bluebird as usual. The train leaves Paris at nine o’clock every night, and I was in my place soon after half past eight. There were three or four people there with me, but very soon a lot of others got into the train. When no more people could sit down, they began to stand up near us and also in the corridor（走廊）. In a short time the corridor was full too, and it was impossible for any more travelers to get into the train.

I could see a lot of other people outside the corridor windows, but they could not get in, and the train left Paris without them. The man sitting next to me started to ask all kinds of questions: “Where do you work? How long does it take you to get there? Are you married? How many children do you have? How much money do they pay you every year? How much do you have in the bank? How much do you spend every month?”

He asked questions for about twenty minutes but I did not give him any clear answers, and at last he stopped and began to read the paper.

I usually sleep quite well in the train, but this time I slept only a little. There were too many people, and there were too many things: small bags, large bags, coats, hats, boxes, newspapers and food. As usual, we got angry about the window. Most people wanted it shut, and two of us wanted it open. But that always happens. It was shut all night, as usual.

When I awoke in the early morning I felt hot and dirty, and glad that the journey was reaching its end. At seven minutes past nine The Flying Bluebird stopped. We were at Mendova, and I stood up thankfully. I took my two suitcases, held one in each hand, and tried to move towards the door into the corridor. In order to get out of the train, I had to pass down the corridor to the door at the far end. There was no other way out.

I could not even into the corridor. There was a suitcase on the floor by my feet, and three men were standing in my way. I felt a touch of fear. I had to get out, you see; I had to catch my ship, which left at half past eleven. And the train did not stop again until it reached Endoran, two hundred miles away.

“I must get out!” I cried. Everyone there understood me, but no one could move.

At last I was able to put one foot over the suitcase on the floor, and I nearly reached the door into the corridor. But then, very slowly, the train began to move. It was taking me away!

“Stop!” I cried. “I want to get out!” But no one outside the train could hear me, and the people inside did not care much. The train moved a little faster. What could I do? I was not even in the corridor.

Fear made me think quickly. In front of my eyes, just, above the door, was a notice that told everyone how to stop the train. I had to pull an iron thing near the notice. I did not waste time. I pulled it.

Well, a noise started above our heads. That was to show everyone that there was something wrong. It was not a small sound. Possibly the men in my ship two miles away could hear it. Then the train stopped.

No one likes to stop a train if there is no need. But I had to catch my ship. That was the only thought in my mind: to get out and catch my ship.

1.The purpose of the author writing the first paragraph is to __________.

2.What do we know about the author and the man sitting next to him?

3.On this journey on The Flying Bluebird, the author felt uncomfortable because ___________.

4.It can be learned from Para. 10 that the author was afraid that ____________.

5.The noise in the underlined sentence “a noise started above our heads”（Para.15）was made by __________.

6.What would be the best title for the text?

Love, success, happiness, family and freedom----how important are these values to you? Here is one interview which explores the fundamental questions in life．

       Question: Could you introduce yourself first?

       Answer: My name is Misbah, 27 years old．I was born in a war-torn area．Right now I’m a web designer．

       Q: What are your great memories?

       A: My parents used to take us to hunt birds, climb trees, and play in the fields．For me it was like a holiday because we were going to have fun all day long．Those are my great memories．

       Q: Does your childhood mean a lot to you?

       A: Yes．As life was very hard, I used to work to help bring money in for the family．I spent my childhood working, with responsibilities beyond my age．However, it taught me to deal with problems all alone．I learnt to be independent．

       Q: What changes would you like to make in your life?

       A: If I could change something in my life, I’d change it so that my childhood could have taken place in another area．I would have loved to live with my family in freedom．Who cares whether we have much money, or whether we have a beautiful house? It doesn’t matter as long as I can live with my family and we are safe．

       Q: How do your get along with your parents?

       A: My parents supported me until I came of age．I want to give back what I’ve got．That’s our way．But I am working in another city．My only contact with my parents now is through the phone, but I hate using it．It filters（过滤） out your emotion and leaves your voice only．My deepest feelings should be passed through sight, hearing and touch．

1.In Misbah’s childhood,      ．

       A．he was free from worry

       B．he liked living in the countryside

       C．he was fond of getting close to nature

       D．he often spent holidays with his family

2.What did Misbah desire most in his childhood?

       A．Peace and freedom               B．A beautiful house．

       C．．A colorful life．                 D．Money for his family．

3.How would Misbah prefer to communicate with his parents?

       A．By chatting on the Internet．       B．By calling them sometimes．

       C．By paying weekly visits．         D．By writing them letters．

4.If there were only one question left, what would it most probably be?

       A．What was your childhood dream?   B．What is your biggest achievement?

       C．What is your parents’ view of you? D．What was your hardest experience in the war?

Though he wore his whiskers (颊须) only four years, today we can hardly think of Abraham Lincoln without them. He often talked about the little girl in Westfield, New York, who suggested in a letter that he grow the famous whiskers. And he would add, “Sometimes a small thing can change our lives!”

Grace Bedell sat in her room looking at a picture of Lincoln. Her little lamp threw shadows on the picture. A frame (框) of small shadows lay around the thin face and covered the hollow cheeks (面颊). “Whiskers!” she thought.

“How nice!” she said to herself. “There will be more people to elect him President if he lets his whiskers grow. Somebody ought to tell him.” She reached for a pen and began to write the letter.

On February 16 of the following year a special train carried the newly elected President Lincoln to the White House. The train stopped briefly at a station near Grace’s town. At the station Lincoln was speaking to a large crowd, among whom were the Bedell family.

Lincoln continued his speech, “I have a little friend in this place,” he said. “That little lady told me how to improve my appearance, and I want to thank her. If she is present, I would like to speak to her. Her name is Grace Bedell.”

Grace’s father led her forward to Lincoln. She looked and laughed happily, for up there on his face were the whiskers.

If you visit Springfield, Illinois, today you will see the house in which Abraham Lincoln used to live. On the wall of a room hangs a piece of paper covered with a child’s handwriting: “Dear sir...”

1.Which of the following is the best title for this passage?

   A. Why Lincoln Grew Whiskers

B. A Little Girl’s Letter to Lincoln

    C. How Lincoln Becamse President of the U. S.

D. Lincoln’s Great Kindness to Children

2.Grace suggested Lincoln growing whiskers because she supposed ______.

    A. he looked terrible without whiskers around his face

    B. he would look better with whiskers around his thin face

    C. no one would elect him President if he had no whiskers

    D. he would be famous with whiskers around his thin face

3.Grace’s idea that Lincoln should grow whiskers came from ______.

   A. the lamp        B. Lincoln’s hollow cheeks

   C. the picture of Lincoln           D. the shadows on the picture

4.When Lincoln said “Sometimes a small thing can change our lives”, what he really meant was that ______.

    A. his whiskers had helped him to become President of the U. S.

    B. one should pay attention to small things in one’s life

    C. a little child’s advice had helped to improve his appearance

    D. a child could play an important part in politics

5.Which of the following did Grace most likely tell Lincoln in her letter?

   A. Her school.     B. Her problems.                      C. Her age.      D. Her friends.

Like any good mother, when Karen found out that another baby was on the way, she did what she could to help her three-year-old son, Michael, prepare for a new baby. They found out that it was going to be a girl, and day after day, night after night, Michael 21._____ to his sister in Mommy's tummy.

   The pregnancy progressed 22._____for Karen. Then the labor pains came. Every five minutes ... every minute. But complications   23.__  during delivery. Finally, Michael's little sister was born. But she was in serious 24._____. With siren （警报）howling in the night, the ambulance 25.____ the infant to the Intensive Care unit at St. Mary's Hospital in Knoxville, Tennessee.

  26.______ inch by. The little girl got worse. The doctors told the parents, "There is very little hope. " Karen and her husband contacted a local cemetery (墓地) about a burial plot. They had 27.______ a special room in their home for the new baby — now they planned a funeral.

   Week two in Intensive Care. It looked as if a funeral would come 28 _____the week was over. Michael, kept begging his parents to let him see his sister, "I want to sing to her," he said. Kids were never 29______in Intensive Care. But Karen made up her mind. She would take Michael 30._______they liked it or not.

   She 31.______ him in an oversized scrub suit and 32.____ him into ICU. He looked like a walking laundry basket, but the head nurse33. _____him as a child, "Get that kid out of here now! " The usually 34._____ lady glared into the head nurse's face, her lips a 35.____ line. "He is not leaving until he sings to his sister!" Karen towed Michael to his sister's bedside. He gazed at the tiny baby 36.____ the battle to live. And he began to sing 37._____ the pure hearted voice of a 3-year-old, Michael sang:

   "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy when skies are gray"

   38. ______ the baby girl responded. The pulse rate became 39._____ and steady.

   Keep on singing, Michael. "You never know, dear, how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away — " The breathing became as smooth as a kitten's purr.

   Keep on singing, Michael. "The other night, dear, as I lay sleeping,… " Michael's little sister relaxed as rest.

Funeral plans were 40______. The next day — the very next day — the little girl was well enough to go home!

The medical staff just called it a miracle. Karen called it a miracle of God's love!

1.A. talked      B sang          C. played        D whispered

2. A. quietly      B peacefully     C hopefully      D normally

3. A. arose        B. raised       C rose           D aroused

4. A situation      B condition     C place          D position

5.A took         B sent          C carried         D rushed

6.A The years     B The months    C The weeks     D The days

7.A fixed up      B made up       C built up        D set up

8. A until         B before         C after          D when

9.A asked        B allowed        C admitted       D acquired

10. A no matter      B even if        C whether       D as if

11.A put          B dressed         C wore           D fit

12. A marched        B forced         C hid           D followed

13.A required        B replied         C recognized      D regarded

14. A   warm-hearted                B well-managed

   C   mild-mannered               D cold-blooded

15. A firm           B strong       C hard           D tough

16. A losing         B lost          C to lose         D having lost

17.A in            B on           C at             D with

18.A Finally        B Instantly       C Patiently       D Interestingly

19.A calm          B quiet          C slow          D fast

20. A put off        B put away       C put up         D put down

When Callie Rogers won almost 1.9 million pounds on the lottery(彩票)at l6，she hoped it would help her put her troubles behind her．The teenager came from a broken home,had dropped out of school and was living in lotal authority care．

Rogers, from Cumbria, England, won the National Lottery in 2003. Then she went on a massive spending spree, splashing out on four homes for her family, flash cars, designer clothes, partying and breast implants. A fortnight after her win she married and had two children. But then she spent 250,000 pounds on cocaine and suffered depression. Earlier this year she lost custody of her children because of her mental state.

She became addicted to drugs and attempted suicide three times as her life unraveled. She says the money brought her only misery - and now she is down to her last 100,000 pounds, she has never been happier.

Now 22, she said: “Just a few months ago I was taking too many drugs and hated myself. I simply did not want to live any more. But now I have a new man and am finally becoming the woman I want to be.”

“I need to get my act together and make my kids proud, and for the first time I really do think that's possible.” She credits her new boyfriend with giving her the stable home life she has always craved, and she now hopes to go to college and eventually become a counselor. “After all I've endured, I think I have a lot of advice to offer,” she said.

1.Why was Rogers not allowed to look after her children?

    A．She was in a bad mental state．    B．Her children hated her．

    C． She was not responsible for them． D．She was too poor to support them．

2.What can we learn about Rogers from Paragraph 3?

    A．Being addicted to drugs cost her everything．

    B．Money didn’t bring her happiness as expected．

    C．Rogers felt sad with her money gone．

    D．Too much money allowed her to do what she wanted．

3.What caused Rogers to change and start a new life?

    A．The loss of money．        B．Her bitter past．

C．Her husband and children． D．Her new boyfriend．