Knowing how much her own children loved presents at Christmas, Ann Sutton, a social worker, always tried to seek help for one or two poor families. This year, Kinzie, Ann’s seven-year-old daughter, was  31  that Santa Claus would make a special visit to a young mother named Ashley who worked in a factory and was  32  her 12-month-old son, Evan, and her 12-year-old brother, Kenny, by herself.

At a  33  dinner, the phone rang. A representative from a local charity was calling to say that the  34  Ann had requested for Ashley had been cancelled. No Santa Claus, no presents, nothing. Ann saw the cheer fade away from her children's faces at the news. Without a word, she  35  down from her chair and ran from the room. Now, it didn't feel much  36  Christmas anymore. Kinzie returned, her face set with determination. She had opened up her piggy  37 , and now she counted out the coins and broken dollar  38  , one by one, onto the dining table: $3.30. Everything she had.

“Mom,” she told Ann, “I know it's not much.  39  maybe this will buy a present for the baby.”

Then  40  everyone was reaching into pockets and purses. Adding to Kinzie's gift became a game, with everyone  41  for loose change. By the time the search ended, there was a small mountain of bills and a neat pile of coins. The  42 : $130, plenty for a Christmas for three. “God multiplied your gift,” Ann said to Kinzie.

That evening, Kinzie went with her mother and sister to  43  the money.

On Christmas Eve, Ann  44  through the pouring rain to the small cottage where the family lived. When Ashley opened the door, Ann stood under her umbrella and  45  the astonished woman a merry Christmas. Then she began to  46  the gifts from the car, handing them to Ashley one by one. Ashley laughed in disbelief, and still the presents came. Ann abandoned the umbrella, and the young woman joined her in the rain, passing gifts  47  to Kenny. “Please, can I open up just one tonight?” he begged. Soon both women were  48  to the skin, and surprise had turned to something  49  , the kind of joy that brought them close to tears.

Reflecting on a little girl's generosity, Ashley says she hopes she'll one day be able to do something similar for someone else in  50  . “Kinzie could have used that money for herself, but she gave it away,” Ashley says. “She's the type of kid I'd like my son to grow up to be.”

A. disappointed          B. pleased                     C. surprised                  D. puzzled

A. raising                   B. teaching                   C. helping                    D. protecting

A. sorrowful                  B. joyful                      C. pitiful                      D. grateful

A. reward                  B. job                          C. aid                           D. prize

A. knelt                         B. fell                          C. rolled                       D. slipped

A. like                    B. at                                   C. over                         D. for

A. pocket                   B. case                         C. basket                      D. bank

A. checks                   B. bills                         C. receipts                    D. signs

A. So                        B. And                         C. But                          D. or

A. hopefully            B. luckily                            C. obviously                 D. suddenly

A. hunting                 B. struggling                 C. rushing                    D. trading

A. goal                   B. budget                            C. total                         D. maximum

A. spend                    B. save                         C. distribute                  D. collect

A. looked                   B. drove                       C. wandered                 D. walked

A. owed                     B. offered                     C. brought                    D. wished

A. unload                   B. separate                    C. divide                      D. choose

A. out                        B. inside                       C. down                       D. up

A. wet                    B. excited                     C. close                        D. familiar

A. sadder                   B. heavier                     C. wilder                      D. deeper

A. vain                   B. store                        C. need                        D. touch

      The house was quiet at 5 a.m.and Tim' s mother was asleep. Only the sound of the big freezer broke the quiet. He' d dreamt of the cave last night. The purring (轻微颤动声) of the freezer had been the sea.

      Tim pulled on a sweater and put some apples into his schoolbag. It was too early for breakfast. He' d eat after he' d been through the cave, sitting on the rocks and staring at the sea.

     He wished he had a proper pack. His schoolbag would have to do. What else? Sandwiches-but his mother might wake up if he started pulling out bread for sandwiches, she' d want to know why he had to leave so early. He settled for some biscuits, and left a note stuck to the table:

     Gone to Michael' s. Back tonight, Tim.

     The sky was high and soft and light outside, though the sun still wasn't up. Even the highway up the hill was quiet as he made his way down the street. The wind from the sea was fresh and sweet.

     The sandhills still breathed heat from yesterday' s sun, though the top of the sand was cool. He ran down to the beach impatiently, but there was no one, just dry sand dancing in the early wind and seabirds marching up and down watching the waves.

     The light changed suddenly. The first rays of sunlight stretched (延伸) across the sea. The sun was pushing its way over the edge of the world.

     Over the first rocks, along to the point. Tim glanced back. The beach was still empty. The sun sailed higher in the sky.

     He could see the cave now, even darker in the morning light. The sand turned silver then dark gold as the water flowed away from it. He had to force himself to go closer. Why was it so much more mysterious (神秘的) now? But it would be silly to go back now after so much trouble. He needn't go in all the way...

43. What did Tim do at the beginning of the story?

A. He left the house quietly.                              B. He had breakfast at home.

C. He left a note on the freezer.                         D. He put a sweater in his schoolbag.

44. "He settled for some biscuits” ( in Paragraph 3 ) means that Tim_______.

A. had to leave the biscuits on the table              B. liked biscuits better than sandwiches

C. had to take biscuits instead of sandwiches       D. could only find some biscuits in the kitchen

45. What made it possible for Tim to see the entry to the cave?

A. The height of the first rocks.                         B. The ups and downs of the waves.

C. The change in the position of the sun.             D. The vast stretch of the sunlit beach.

46. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the story?

A. The sea looked like a piece of gold.               B. Seabirds flew away when Tim arrived.

C. Tim was the only person on the beach.           D. The sky got dark as Tim reached the cave.

47.In the story, Tim' s mood (心情) changed from_________.

A. loneliness to craziness                                   B. anxiousness to excitement

C. helplessness to happiness                               D. eagerness to nervousness

Children start out as natural scientists, eager to look into the world around them. Helping them enjoy science can be easy; there’s no need for a lot of scientific terms or expensive lab equipment. You only have to share your children’s curiosity(好奇). Firstly, listen to their questions. I once visited a classroom of seven-year-olds to talk about science as a job. The children asked me “textbook questions” about schooling, salary(薪水) and whether I liked my job. When I finished answering, we sat facing one another in silence. Finally I said, “Now that we’re finished with your lists, do you have questions of your own about science?”

After a long pause, a boy raised his hand, “Have you ever seen a grasshopper(蚱蜢) eat? When I try eating leaves like that, I get a stomachache. Why?”

This began a set of questions that lasted nearly two hours.

Secondly, give them time to think. Studies over the past 30 years have shown that, after asking a question, adults typically wait only one second or less for an answer, no time for a child to think. When adults increase their “wait time” to three seconds or more, children give more logical(符合逻辑的), complete and creative answers.

Thirdly, watch your language. Once you have a child involved in a science discussion, don’t jump in with “That’s right” or “Very good”. These words work well when it comes to encouraging good behavior(行为). But in talking about science, quick praise can signal that discussion is over. Instead, keep things going by saying “That’s interesting” or “I’d never thought of it that way before”, or coming up with more questions or ideas.

Never push a child to “Think”. It doesn’t make sense, children are always thinking, without your telling them to. What’s more, this can turn a conversation into a performance. The child will try to find the answer you want, in as few words as possible, so that he will be a smaller target(目标) for your disagreement.

Lastly, show; don’t tell. Real-life impressions of nature are far more impressive than any lesson children can learn from a book or a television program. Let children look at their fingertips through a magnifying glass(放大镜), and they’ll understand why you want them to wash before dinner. Rather than saying that water evaporates(蒸发), set a pot of water to boil and let them watch the water level drop.

1. According to the passage, children are natural scientists, and to raise their interest, the most important thing for adults to do is _______.

A. to let them see the world around

B. to share the children’s curiosity

C. to explain difficult phrases about science

D. to supply the children with lab equipment

2. In the last sentence of the first paragraph, the word “lists” could best be replaced by ______.

A. any questions                          B. any problems

C. questions from textbooks         D. any number of questions

3. According to the passage, children can answer questions in a more logical, complete and creative way if adults ________.

A. ask them to answer quickly

B. wait for one or two seconds after a question

C. tell them to answer the next day

D. wait at least for three seconds after a question

4. In which of the following paragraph(s) does the author tell us what to say to encourage children in a science discussion?

A. The second and third.

B. The fourth and fifth.

C. The fifth and sixth.

D. The seventh.

5. The author mentions all of the following techniques for adults to share with their children’s curiosity except that adults should ________.

A. tell their children stories instead of reciting(背诵) facts

B. offer their children chances to see things for themselves

C. be patient enough when their children answer questions

D. encourage their children to ask questions of their own

(1—5 BCDCA)

Dior was born in Normandy in 1905, and his family’s original plans for him included a career in the diplomatic service, but by the time he was twenty-three, with his parents’ money , he opened a small art gallery in Paris．By 1931, the money had been used up．Dior’s friends in the art gallery, asked him to draw and he took his first step at designing and drawing．His first job was with Lucien Lelong from whom Dior learned his craft（手艺）．

       In February,1947, Dior started the New Look in his first major Paris collection．He was backed by a famous textile producer, Boussac, who looked after the dollars, while Dior looked after the fashions．Dior knew nothing about cutting and sewing, but he was good at fashion design．

       The New Look started an entirely different look to costume, with a tiny waist, a rounded shoulder and a shapely bust（胸围）, usually with a low-cut neckline and a long full skirt．To women who had lived through the war years, the femaleness of the New look was a great success, for people were tired of tile extremely plain, wartime restrictive fashions．

       It is said that dresses by Dior were “constructed like buildings”, but young people were attracted to his design, and all over the western world, manufacturers plunged（投入） into the production of his new style．Dior’s revolutionary designs lighted up a whole cycle of fashion, rounded, gentle, feminine, a delight in elegance．A New Look House of Dior opened in 1948, followed by one in London．Considered as King of Couture（women’s clothing）for years, the Dior empire grew until it covered every country in the western world, and included furs, hosiery, jewelry, perfumes, men’s wear and on and on．More than 1,000 people worked at the Paris headquarters then．

       His sudden death in 1957 when he was 53 years old did not stop the growth of the House of Dior．Even now, so many years after his death, his name is closely connected with fashion throughout the world, and indeed is one of the most recognized names in the world, His first, great New Look, with its long skirts was an expression of freedom in the late 1940s．

Which of the following designs is close to Dior’s?

       A．                   B．                   C．           D．

According to the passage．in Dior’s life, he did NOT___________．

       A．make creative fashion designs 

      B．work in a diplomatic service

       C．1earn craft as his first job

       D．open a New Look House

We can infer from the passage that _________．

       A．Dior and his supporter had different interests in business

       B．Dior’s New Look had little influence on people then

       C．Dior is only a brand of women’s fashion

       D．Dior’s fashion was not accepted at first

What is probably the best title for the passage?         ．

       A．The History of the New Look       

       B．The Growth of the Dior Empire

       C．An Expression of Freedom—Dior       

D．The Founder of the New Look—Dior

A 10-year-old boy fatally shot his father Friday, striking him several times as he sat in the front seat of a SUV to pick up the boy from his mother’s home for a weekend visit.

The incident happened about 3:45 p.m. on a cul-de-sac (死胡同) in the 1700 block of Cedar Cove Court, said Sgt. B. E. Williams of the Harris County Sheriff’s Department.

An investigation found that Rick James Lohstroh, 41, was shot by his son, who was sitting in the back seat of the man’s Toyota 4-Runner, said Sgt. B. E. Williams of the Harris County Sheriff’s Department. The shooting took place outside the home of Lohstroh’s ex-wife, where the boy lives with his mother and a 7-year-old brother.

“We’re not certain of anything until we finish our investigation,” Williams said. “The information we have at this time is that the 10-year-old did fire the weapon.”

The mother and the 7-year-old were inside the house when the shooting occurred, said Williams.

Williams said the gun belonged to the boy’s mother. After firing shots through the back seat, the boy exited(退出) the back of the vehicle and continued to fire at the car.

The man died on the way to Memorial Herman Hospital. Lohstroh was a doctor at the University of Texas Medical Branch. The man and woman shared custody（监护）of the children. Williams said the mother and the boy were still in the home talking to investigators Friday night.

Neighbors described the family as being quiet and keeping to themselves.

Justin Gray, 17, was walking in the neighborhood when he heard gunshots. “We’ve had a suicide（自杀）in this neighborhood once, but never anything like this,” Gray said.

The best title for the news should be         .

A. A Boy Shot His Father                    B. Shooting Kill a Father

C. An Unbelievable Tragedy  D. A Ten-Year-Old Boy’s Cruelty

Which of the following is TRUE according to the news?

A. The father is not responsible for the boy.

B. The family don’t like associating with their neighbours.

C. The boy lives with Rick James Lohstroh.

D. The boy has no brothers or sisters.

What can we infer from the report?

A. The tragedy happened because the boy had seen too many films showing violence.

B. The boy killed his father after he quarreled with his father.

C. Such things often occurred in this neighbourhood.

D. The boy’s parents got divorced (离婚).

The reason why the boy shot his father       .

A. is clear  B. can’t be made out  C. is not known             D. is quite simple