Some people may say a hero is someone older than you, someone you personally know, someone who has done something everyone knows about, etc. I don’t think a hero necessarily has to be an older person or a close friend or a family member. My hero is younger than me, but we are related. His name is Marcus. He is my cousin. He isn’t necessarily a wise person or someone who does something great every day, but he has taught me to appreciate some of the simple things in life.

   I am now in 11th grade. When I was in 8th grade, Marcus had a brain tumor (脑瘤) which had to be removed. Thankfully the tumor was benign (良性的). When the doctors removed it Marcus lost his sight. He felt down only once. Ever since then, he has been an extremely happy second-grader. He is very typical of a nine-year-old. He likes to tell jokes, play new games, and he likes to play tricks on people, just like children at his age. I love spending time with him. We go to movies whenever there is a good one and look after him every chance I get.

   I say that Marcus helps to appreciate the simple thing in life. He doesn’t have his sight and that causes me to realize how lucky I am to be able to see, to walk, and to talk. I can do everything I need to. If everyone could see how happy and satisfied Marcus is and how much he makes everyone around him happy, then they might just be able to better appreciate the simple things in life.

59. It can be inferred that the author has_______________.

  A. the same idea about heroes as others

  B. a different idea about heroes from others

  C. the idea that a hero must be older

  D. the idea that a hero must be a close friend

60. Why does the author consider his cousin as a hero?

  A. Because his cousin is a very wise person..

  B. Because his cousin does great things every day.

  C. Because his cousin teaches him how to enjoy a simple life.

  D. Because his cousin teaches him to live a rich life.

61. What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 2 mean?

  A. Marcus looks older than his age.

  B. Marcus isn’t nine years old at all.

  C. Marcus is different from the other students.

  D. Marcus is the same as the other children at his age.

62. What makes the author think himself lucky?

  A. Marcus’ simple life.         B. Marcus’ serious illness.

  C. Marcus’ blindness.          D. Marcus’ recovery.

________ I get , ________ I seem to feel.

1. A.
   The older, the strong
2. B.
   The elder , the strong
3. C.
   The old , the strong
4. D.
   The older , the stronger

Memory, they say, is a matter of practice and exercise. If you have the wish and really made a conscious（自觉的）effort, then you can quite easily improve your ability to remember things. But even if you are successful, there are times when your memory seems to play tricks on you.
Sometimes you remember things that really did not happen. One morning last week, for example, I got up and found that I had left the front door unlocked all night, yet I clearly remember locking it carefully the night before.
Memory “trick” work the other way as well. Once in a while you remember not doing something, and then find out that you did. One day last month, for example, I was sitting in a barber（理发师）shop waiting for my turn to get a haircut, and suddenly I realized that I had got a haircut two days before at the barber shop across the street from my office.
We always seem to find something funny and amusing（有趣的）in incidents caused by people’s forgetfulness or absent-mindedness. Stories about absent-minded professors have been told for years, and we never got tired of hearing new ones. Unfortunately, however, absent-mindedness is not always funny. There are times when “trick” of our memory can cause us great trouble.
【小题1】If you want to have a good memory, .

My parents were in a huge argument, and I was really upset about it. I didn’t know who I should talk with about how I was feeling. So I asked Mom to allow me to stay the night at my best friend’s house. Though I knew I wouldn’t tell her about my parents’ situation, I was looking forward to getting out of the house. I was in the middle of packing up my things when suddenly the power went out in the neighborhood. Mom came to tell me that I should stay with my grandpa until the power came back on.
I was really disappointed because I felt that we did not have much to talk about. But I knew he would be frightened alone in the dark. I went to his room and told him that I’d stay with him until the power was restored. He was quite happy and said, “Great opportunity(机会)”
“ What is ?” I asked.
“ To talk, you and I,” he said. “To hold a private little meeting about what we’re going to do with your mom and dad, and what we’re going to do with ourselves now that we’re in the situation we are in.”
“But we can’t do anything about it, Grandpa,” I said, surprised that here was someone with whom I could share my feelings and someone who was in the same “boat” as I was.
And that’s how the most unbelievable friendship between my grandfather and me started. Sitting there in the dark, we talked about our feelings and fears of life—from how fast things change, to how they sometimes don’t change fast enough. That night, because the power went out, I found a new friend, with whom I could safely talk about all my fears and pains, whatever they may be.
Suddenly, the lights all came back on. “Well,” he said, “ I guess that means you’ll want to go now. I really like our talk. I hope the power will go out every few nights!”
【小题1】 I wished to get out of the house because ______________