It was very cold and I had been watching a homeless man make himself comfortable in a “shelter” on the river bank. His “shelter” was a tarpaulin(油布)tied to rocks to keep the wind from blowing it away . He had been living there for over a month .I never saw him with warm clothing or food . I knew what I wanted to do .

When I told my parents what I wanted to do they were alarmed . They said l could be putting myself at risk ,  taking a box to a homeless person at night ! But I knew , in my deep heart ,that I would be safe .

I got a box .My parents watched as I added warm gloves , a heavy blanket…into the box until it was full ! Then , I put a Christmas card on top . It said," Even though we hardly know each other , I want to wish you a merry Christmas !” I put ten one-dollar bills inside it as well.

My father insisted he went there with me as it was 10 pm on Christmas Eve. I said he could drive me but he had to stay in the car. He agreed .

I took the box and walked towards his “house” . I called ,"Sir, I have a Christmas box for you !” 

“Go away !” he shouted.

“Sir,” I repeated .

“Go away !” he shouted.

“Why ?” I asked him .

He walked over and I expected to see an angry face .Instead I saw two of the most beautiful , gentle, blue eyes I have ever seen.

“Merry Christmas!” I said.

“Why are you doing this?” he asked .

“Because you matter to me” I said . With that I gave him the box .

Tears came to his eyes and he thanked me .I got back to the car and watched him carry the box like it was filled with gold . I didn't want to embarrass(使困窘) him by watching him any more so Dad and I left .

56. The underlined word “alarmed” can best replaced by _____ .

A. pleased               B. worried

C. disappointed           D. surprised

57. Why did the author ask his father to stay in the car ?

A  Because he wanted to prove he was brave .

B  Because he believed the homeless man was bad .

C. Because he wanted to protect his father from being hurt .

D. Because he didn't want the homeless man to feel bad.

58. when the homeless man saw the author first , he was _____.

A. quite angry      B. very excited

C .quite puzzled    D. very curious

59. The author’s purpose in writing the text is to tell readers that____.

A. it is easier said than done

B. poverty is the mother of health

C. where there is a will , there is a way

D. a willing helper does not wait until he is asked

He says the problem with teachers is, “What will a kid learn from someone who chose to become a teacher?” He reminds the other dinner guests that it’s true what they say about teachers: Those who can , do; those who can’t teach.

　 I decide to bite my tongue instead of biting his and stop myself from reminding the other dinner guests that it’s also true what they say about lawyers—that they make money from the misfortune of others.

　 “I mean, you’re a teacher, Taylor,” he says to me. “Be honest. What do you make?”

　 I wish he hadn’t asked me to be honest, because now I have to teach him a lesson.

　 You want to know what I make?

　 I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could.

　 I can make a C⁺ feel like a great achievement

　 and an A^－ feel like a failure.

　 How dare you waste my time with anything less than your very best?

　 I make parents tremble in fear when I call them:

　 I hope I haven’t called at a bad time,

　 I just wanted to talk to you about something Billy said today.

　 Billy said, “Leave the kid alone. I still cry sometimes, don’t you?”

　 And it was the bravest act I have ever seen.

　 I make parents see their children for who they are and what they can be.

　 You want to know what I make?

　 I make kids wonder.

　 I make them question.

　 I make them criticise.

　 I make them think.

　 I make them apologies and mean it.

　 I make them write, write, write.

　 And then I make them read.

　 I teach them to solve math problems

　 that they once thought impossible.

　 I make them understand that if you have brains then you follow your heart

　 and if someone ever tries to judge you by what you make, you teach them a lesson.

　 Let me make this simple for you, so you know what I say is true;

　 I make a great difference! What about you?

1．What do we know about the man that the author is speaking to?

　 A．He is respectful to teachers.　　　　　　　 B．He is in the author’s home.

　 C．He is actually a lawyer.　　 D．He dislikes lawyers.

2．The underlined phrase “bite my tongue” in Paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to　　 .

　 A．say something which is wrong B．speak out honestly but carelessly

　 C．keep silent about myself　　 D．stop myself saying what I really think

3．The author called Billy’s parents to　　 .

　 A．let them tremble in fear　　 B．ask why Billy cried that day

　 C．praise what Billy did that day　　　　　　 D．advise them to leave Billy alone

4．What is the tone of the passage?

　 A．Angry and proud.　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B．Upset and disappointed.

　 C．Humourous and light-hearted. D．Cheerful and positive.

5．What’s the best title of this passage?

　 A．An Argument between Two Guests　　　　　　 B．What Teachers Make

　 C．Requirements of a Good Teacher　　　　　　 D．A Dinner Conversation

September 28, 2006

Dear Jenny,

　　We have been talking to each other mostly through e-mails. This time, I choose to write a letter instead, as I feel like writing English with a pen. When I write with a pen, it seems easier for me to express my thoughts and feelings.

　　It is almost a month since school started. I really like being in high school. It's exciting. There are so many new things to do and so many new friends to meet.

　　High school students in China live a busy but colourful life. We have to work hard for the National College Entrance Examinations, which will take place in less than three years.

　　Now I have a large group of friends. We take all of our classes together in the same classroom. It's good to have friends to study with because we can help each other. I'm pretty good at English, so many guys ask me for help with their English. I don't mind. After school we usually go to play sports for a little while. Sometimes we take a walk down the river or visit some bookstores. We have to be back for evening class by 7:30.

　　Among my classmates, there is one guy named Dazhi, whom I like most. I met him on the sports ground one afternoon. He was sitting alone, deep in thought. I went up to him and introduced myself. I learned from our talk that he is from the countryside some two hundred kilometers away from Shijiazhuang. Dazhi's fascinating life attracts me very much, because it has been very different from mine. As time goes on, I find we have many similar interests and hobbies. I think I can learn a lot from him. Being friends means learning from each other. Don't you think so?

　　I have invited Dazhi to come to my home for dinner this Sunday. I think we will have a good time together. We will have lots of things to share（分享）with each other. I am quite happy with this growing friendship. It has opened a door to many new experiences.

　　I must go back to class now.

　　Best wishes!

Yours friendly,

Li Ming

(1)In the passage, the author mainly wants to tell _________.

[　　]

A．the new things he has learned in high school

B．why he writes this letter with a pen

C．friends should learn from each other

D．his school life and how he developed a friendship with Dazhi

(2)Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

[　　]

A．The writer can express his ideas more freely with a pen than through e-mails.

B．The writer is willing to help others with their English.

C．The writer shares some interests and hobbies with Dazhi.

D．The writer got to know Dazhi through e-mails.

(3)The underlined word“fascinating”(in Paragraph 5) probably means _________.

[　　]

(4)From the passage we can know that the author __________.

[　　]

A．is sure to pass the National College Entrance Examinations

B．will experience a lot of new things in this school

C．is quite used to the life in the countryside

D．only works hard at his lessons all day long