As a young girl growing up in the 1930s, I always wanted to fly a plane, but back then it was almost unheard of for a woman to do that. I got a taste of that dream in 2001, when my husband arranged for me to ride in a hot air balloon for my birthday. But the experience turned out to be very dull. Around that time, I told my husband that I wanted to skydive. So when our retirement community announced that they were having an essay competition and the topic was an experience of a lifetime that you wanted to have, I decided to write about my dream.
In the essay, I wrote about my desire to skydive, stating George Brush Sr. did it at age 80. Why not me? I was just 84 and in pretty good health. A year went by and I heard nothing. But then at a community party in late April 2009, they announced that I was one of the winners. I just couldn’t believe it. Inspired by this, I decided to realize my dream, even though some of my family members and my doctor were against it.
On June 11, 2009, nearly 40 of my family and friends gathered in the area close to where I would land while I headed up in the airplane. My instructor, Jay, guided me through the experience. The plane was the noisiest one I had ever been in, but I wasn’t frightened—I was really just looking forward to the experience. When we reached 13,000 feet, Jay instructed me to throw myself out of the plane. When we first hit the air, the wind was so strong that I could hardly breathe. For a second I thought, “What have I gotten myself into?” But then everything got calmer. We were in a free fall for about a minute before Jay opened the parachute（降落伞）, then we just floated downward for about five minutes. Being up in the clouds and looking at the view below was unlike anything I have ever felt—much better than the hot air balloon. I was just enjoying it.
Skydiving was really one of the greatest experiences of my life. I hope other people will look at me and realize that you don’t stop living just because you are 84 years old. If there’s something you want to experience, look into it. If it’s something that is possible, make it happen.
【小题1】What happened to the author in 2001?
A. She flew an airplane.
B. She entered a competition.
C. She went on a hot air balloon ride.
【小题2】The author mentioned George Bush Sr. in her essay to       .

As a young girl growing up in the 1930s, I always wanted to fly a plane, but back then it was almost unheard of for a woman to do that. I got a taste of that dream in 2001, when my husband arranged for me to ride in a hot air balloon for my birthday. But the experience turned out to be very dull. Around that time, I told my husband that I wanted to skydive. So when our retirement community announced that they were having an essay competition and the topic was an experience of a lifetime that you wanted to have, I decided to write about my dream.

In the essay, I wrote about my desire to skydive, stating George Brush Sr. did it at age 80. Why not me? I was just 84 and in pretty good health. A year went by and I heard nothing. But then at a community party in late April 2009, they announced that I was one of the winners. I just couldn’t believe it. Inspired by this, I decided to realize my dream, even though some of my family members and my doctor were against it.

On June 11, 2009, nearly 40 of my family and friends gathered in the area close to where I would land while I headed up in the airplane. My instructor, Jay, guided me through the experience. The plane was the noisiest one I had ever been in, but I wasn’t frightened—I was really just looking forward to the experience. When we reached 13,000 feet, Jay instructed me to throw myself out of the plane. When we first hit the air, the wind was so strong that I could hardly breathe. For a second I thought, “What have I gotten myself into?” But then everything got calmer. We were in a free fall for about a minute before Jay opened the parachute（降落伞）, then we just floated downward for about five minutes. Being up in the clouds and looking at the view below was unlike anything I have ever felt—much better than the hot air balloon. I was just enjoying it.

 Skydiving was really one of the greatest experiences of my life. I hope other people will look at me and realize that you don’t stop living just because you are 84 years old. If there’s something you want to experience, look into it. If it’s something that is possible, make it happen.

1.What happened to the author in 2001?

A. She flew an airplane.

B. She entered a competition.

C. She went on a hot air balloon ride.

2.The author mentioned George Bush Sr. in her essay to       .

A. make her argument persuasive

B. show her admiration for him

C. compare their health condition

D. build up her own reputation

3. How did the author feel immediately after she jumped out of the plane?

A. Excited.         B. Regretful.           C. Nervous.         D. Scared.

4.What did the author enjoy most when she was skydiving?

A. The beautiful clouds.                    B. The wonderful view.

C. The company of Jay.                      D. The one-minute free fall.

5.What is the best title of the passage?

    A. Impossible is nothing.                   B. A dream made come true.

    C. An unforgettable skydiving.              D. I Went Skydiving at 84!

As a young girl growing up in the 1930s, I always wanted to fly a plane, but back then it was almost unheard of for a woman to do that. I got a taste of that dream in 2001, when my husband arranged for me to ride in a hot air balloon for my birthday. But the experience turned out to be very dull. Around that time, I told my husband that I wanted to skydive. So when our retirement community announced that they were having an essay competition and the topic was an experience of a lifetime that you wanted to have, I decided to write about my dream.

In the essay, I wrote about my desire to skydive, stating George Brush Sr. did it at age 80. Why not me? I was just 84 and in pretty good health. A year went by and I heard nothing. But then at a community party in late April 2009, they announced that I was one of the winners. I just couldn’t believe it. Inspired by this, I decided to realize my dream, even though some of my family members and my doctor were against it.

On June 11, 2009, nearly 40 of my family and friends gathered in the area close to where I would land while I headed up in the airplane. My instructor, Jay, guided me through the experience. The plane was the noisiest one I had ever been in, but I wasn’t frightened—I was really just looking forward to the experience. When we reached 13,000 feet, Jay instructed me to throw myself out of the plane. When we first hit the air, the wind was so strong that I could hardly breathe. For a second I thought, “What have I gotten myself into?” But then everything got calmer. We were in a free fall for about a minute before Jay opened the parachute（降落伞）, then we just floated downward for about five minutes. Being up in the clouds and looking at the view below was unlike anything I have ever felt—much better than the hot air balloon. I was just enjoying it.

Skydiving was really one of the greatest experiences of my life. I hope other people will look at me and realize that you don’t stop living just because you are 84 years old. If there’s something you want to experience, look into it. If it’s something that is possible, make it happen.

31. What happened to the author in 2001?

A. She flew an airplane.

B. She entered a competition.

C. She went on a hot air balloon ride.

D. She moved into a retirement community.

32. The author mentioned George Bush Sr. in her essay to       .

A. make her argument persuasive

B. show her admiration for him

C. compare their health condition

D. build up her own reputation

33. How did the author feel immediately after she jumped out of the plane?

A. Excited.             B. Regretful.            C. Nervous.            D. Scared.

34. What did the author enjoy most when she was skydiving?

A. The beautiful clouds.                            B. The wonderful view.

C. The company of Jay.                                   D. The one-minute free fall.

35. What is the best title of the passage?

       A. Impossible is nothing.                                B. A dream made come true.

       C. An unforgettable skydiving.                         D. I Went Skydiving at 84!

Nowadays, people have a heated discussion on whether the pressure on international sports players kills the essence (真谛) of sport —the pursuit of personal excellence. Children kick a football around for fun. When they get older and play for local school teams, they become competitive but they still enjoy playing. The individual representing his country cannot afford to think about enjoying himself; he has to think only about winning. He is responsible for the entire nation’s hopes, dreams and reputation.

A good example is the football Word Cup. Football is the world’s most important sport. Winning the World Cup is perhaps the summit of international sporting success. Mention Argentina (阿根廷) to someone and the chances are that he’ll think of football. In a sense, winning the World Cup put Argentina on the map.

Sports fans and supporters get quite irrational about the World Cup. People in England felt that their country was somehow important after they won in 1966. Last year thousands of Scots sold their cars, and even their houses, and spent all their money traveling to Argentina, where the finals were played.

So, am I arguing that international competition kills the idea of sport? Certainly not! Do the Argentineans really believe that because eleven of their men proved the most skillful at football, their nation is in every way better than all others? Not really, But it’s nice to know that you won and that in one way at least your country is the best.

64. According to the passage, if a sportsman only thinks about winning, he will_____.　　 .

A. fail to succeed　　 　B. be successful　　 C. lose enjoyment D. be unreasonable

65. The main idea of the first paragraph is that ______.　　 .

A. children take part in all kinds of sports because sports activities give them pleasure.

　 B. competitions between different school teams make sports no longer a personal act for fun.

C. Some people believe that international competition makes sports a task, a responsibility, for the individuals.

D. some people think international competition is in a way opposite to the pursuit of personal　　 excellence.

66. What does the speaker mean when he says “In a sense, winning the World Cup put Argentina on the map”?

A. Winning the World Cup makes Argentina a football power in the world.

B. Winning the World Cup gives weight to Argentina’s position in the world.

C. Argentina is not important before it wins the World Cup.

D. Argentina is world-famous for its football because of its obvious position on the map.

67. The word “irrational” in the third paragraph means _____.　　 .

A. passionate　　 　　　　 B. happy　　　　 C. angry　　　 　 D. unreasonable

Try It a Different Way

Bobby Moresco grew up in New York's Hell's Kitchen, a tough working－class neighborhood on Manhattan's West Side. By tradition he __1__ have been, like his father or like most of his childhood pals, a construction worker or a policeman. But he wanted __2__. Attracted by the bright lights from the time Bobby was a teen, he tried to act. “I wasn't a __3__ actor,  but I had a driving need to do something __4__ with my life，” he says.

He moved to Hollywood, promising to find his __5__. But he didn't make __6__. For almost 10 years, he drove a taxi and worked as a waiter, __7__ at an actors' workshop that he opened in Hollywood. But Moresco kept working at his __8__ career.

In 1983 his younger brother was murdered in a mob－linked killing. Moresco moved back to his __9__ neighborhood. In 1988 he finally wrote a play that was __10__ to his life. Called Half－Deserted Streets, it was based on his brother's __11__ and staged at a small theater. A Hollywood producer __12__ to see it and asked him to work on a screenplay.

His __13__ grew, and he got enough assignments to move back to Hollywood. However, it was never easy. By 2003, he was __14__ out of work and out of cash __15__ he got a call from Paul Haggis, a director who had befriended him. The two worked on the script but every studio __16__  it down. Moresco believed so __17__ in the script that he borrowed money, and sold his house. At last the writers found an independent film producer who would take a chance.

The movie, Crash, __18__ into the theaters in May 2005, and quietly became both a hit and a critical success. It won three Academy Awards—Best Picture, Best Film Editing and Best Writing.

At the age of 54, Bobby Moresco became an __19__ success. “If you have something you want to do in life, don't think about the problems，” he says, “think about the __20__ to get it done. ”

1. A. must            B. should               C. can          D. need

2. A. over             B. far                    C. out                 D. up

3. A. simple       B. strict          C. firm      D. good

4. A. different     B. impressive      C. effective   D. special

5. A. occasion     B. treasure        C. fortune    D. possibility

6. A. it           B. one           C. this       D. that

7. A. communicating          B. entertaining

C. practicing               D. volunteering

8. A. afforded     B. chosen        C. respected   D. offered

9. A. early        B. worn          C. old       D. passed

10. A. turned     B. pointed         C. belonged  D. related

11. A. arresting    B. injuring        C. killing    D. shooting

12. A. advised    B. happened       C. intended  D. planned

13. A. influence  B. ambition         C. success  D. reputation

14. A. again     B. even           C. finally     D. still

15. A. before    B. when          C. since       D. while

16. A. let       B. looked         C. took       D. turned

17. A. strongly   B. hardly         C. deeply      D. bravely

18. A. moved    B. slipped        C. fell        D. put

19. A. effortless        B. enjoyable

C. overnight        D. optimistic

20. A. ways      B. lines    C. manners        D. actions