A

    Adrian’s “Amazing Race” started early when his parents realized that he, as a baby, couldn’t hear a thing, not even loud noises. In a special school for the hearing-impaired (听觉受损的)，he learned sign language and got to mix with other disabled children. However, the sight of all the disabled children communicating with one another upset his mother. She wanted him to lead a normal life. So after speaking to an advisor, she sent him to private classes where he learned to read lips and pronounce words.

     Later on, Adrian’s parents decided to send him to a regular school. But the headmaster tried to prevent them from doing so, saying regular school couldn’t take care of a special needs students. His parents were determined to take the risk and push him hard to go through his work everyday because they wanted to prove that, given the opportunity, he could do anything. Adrian made the grade and got accepted. It was a big challenge. The pace （节奏）was faster so he had to sit at the front of the class and really pay attention to the teacher, which wasn’t always easy. But he stuck to it and did a lot of extra work after school.

    The efforts made by Adrian and his parents paid off. Adrian graduated with good grades and got into a top high school. He also achieved a lot in life outside school. He developed a love for the outdoors and went to Nepal to climb mountains. He even entered the World Yacht Race 05/06--- being the first hearing-impaired Asian to do so.

But none of these achievements would have been possible without one of the most important lessons from his mother.” “If you believe in yourself and work hard, you can achieve great results.” She often said.

How did Adrian communicate with other children in the special school?

A. By speaking.            B. By using sign language

C. By reading lips           D. By making loud noises

Adrian’s parents decided to send him to a regular school because          .

A. they wanted him to live a normal life

B. they wanted to prove the headmaster wrong

C. he wouldn’t mix with other disabled children

D. he wasn’t taken good care of in the special school

How did Adrian finally succeed in his study?

A. He did a lot of outdoor activities.

B. He was pushed hard to study every day.

C. He attended private classes after school.

D. He worked very hard both in and after class

Why is Adrian’s life described as an “Amazing Race”?

A. He did very well in his study

B. He succeeded in entering a regular school

C. He reached his goals in spite of his disability

D. He took part in the World Yacht Race 05/06

A
Adrian’s “Amazing Race” started early when his parents realized that he, as a baby, couldn’t hear a thing, not even loud noises. In a special school for the hearing-impaired (听觉受损的)，he learned sign language and got to mix with other disabled children. However, the sight of all the disabled children communicating with one another upset his mother. She wanted him to lead a normal life. So after speaking to an advisor, she sent him to private classes where he learned to read lips and pronounce words.
Later on, Adrian’s parents decided to send him to a regular school. But the headmaster tried to prevent them from doing so, saying regular school couldn’t take care of a special needs students. His parents were determined to take the risk and push him hard to go through his work everyday because they wanted to prove that, given the opportunity, he could do anything. Adrian made the grade and got accepted. It was a big challenge. The pace （节奏）was faster so he had to sit at the front of the class and really pay attention to the teacher, which wasn’t always easy. But he stuck to it and did a lot of extra work after school.
The efforts made by Adrian and his parents paid off. Adrian graduated with good grades and got into a top high school. He also achieved a lot in life outside school. He developed a love for the outdoors and went to Nepal to climb mountains. He even entered the World Yacht Race 05/06--- being the first hearing-impaired Asian to do so.
But none of these achievements would have been possible without one of the most important lessons from his mother.” “If you believe in yourself and work hard, you can achieve great results.” She often said.
【小题1】How did Adrian communicate with other children in the special school?

C
　　Several years ago I worked in an office, which I had a locust tree growing outside the window. It had grown into a tall tree and must have been there for a long time. The tree blocked the view and made the office seem dull, unfortunately this happened to be the room assigned to me and I was depressed by it for quite some time.
　　When the first spring came, everything was green except the locust tree. Secretly, I was very happy because I had thought it had died.
　　One morning when I opened the window for fresh air, I unexpectedly smelt a familiar sweet scent floating into my office but I couldn’t name it. Suddenly, I realized it was the locust tree! The tree that I thought dead was blossoming in full glory.
　　From then on, I usually came to the office very early to see dew forming on the locust tree blossoms and every year was eager to see spring again.
　　During summer, the green leaves provided shade protecting me from the harsh sunlight, but allowing enough light in to make it pleasant. In autumn, the leaves turned into many different colors. Its beauty touched my soul. Many times I thought to take photos but never did. Then I had to leave in a hurry. Later in life it became a great regret that I had not done so.
　　Actually, many times in our lives, we think we own something, therefore we don’t cherish it. We don’t feel regretful until we lose it one day! Moreover, sometimes, we have to accept the things we don’t want and need to discover the hidden beauty to find unexpected joy!
59．The author of the passage employed a writing way ________.
A．of holding and releasing            B．that released first, then held
C．that held first, then released         D．that was not holding or releasing
60．What the author wanted to tell us is that ________.
A．not being delighted for what you have got and not feeling pity on the lost
B．think twice before you leap
C．treat everything calmly
D．cherish what you’ve owned
61．The reason the author came to the office early is ________.
A．to enjoy the dew                 B．to finish her work early
C．to do some cleaning              D．to avoid the burning sun
62．The underlined word “so” in the fifth paragraph perhaps refers to ________.
A．that I couldn’t see the tree any longer    B．that I should have taken some photos
C．that I had to leave                   D．that the tree died

C

　　Several years ago I worked in an office, which I had a locust tree growing outside the window. It had grown into a tall tree and must have been there for a long time. The tree blocked the view and made the office seem dull, unfortunately this happened to be the room assigned to me and I was depressed by it for quite some time.

　　When the first spring came, everything was green except the locust tree. Secretly, I was very happy because I had thought it had died.

　　One morning when I opened the window for fresh air, I unexpectedly smelt a familiar sweet scent floating into my office but I couldn’t name it. Suddenly, I realized it was the locust tree! The tree that I thought dead was blossoming in full glory.

　　From then on, I usually came to the office very early to see dew forming on the locust tree blossoms and every year was eager to see spring again.

　　During summer, the green leaves provided shade protecting me from the harsh sunlight, but allowing enough light in to make it pleasant. In autumn, the leaves turned into many different colors. Its beauty touched my soul. Many times I thought to take photos but never did. Then I had to leave in a hurry. Later in life it became a great regret that I had not done so.

　　Actually, many times in our lives, we think we own something, therefore we don’t cherish it. We don’t feel regretful until we lose it one day! Moreover, sometimes, we have to accept the things we don’t want and need to discover the hidden beauty to find unexpected joy!

59．The author of the passage employed a writing way ________.

A．of holding and releasing            B．that released first, then held

C．that held first, then released         D．that was not holding or releasing

60．What the author wanted to tell us is that ________.

A．not being delighted for what you have got and not feeling pity on the lost

B．think twice before you leap

C．treat everything calmly

D．cherish what you’ve owned

61．The reason the author came to the office early is ________.

A．to enjoy the dew                 B．to finish her work early

C．to do some cleaning              D．to avoid the burning sun

62．The underlined word “so” in the fifth paragraph perhaps refers to ________.

A．that I couldn’t see the tree any longer    B．that I should have taken some photos

C．that I had to leave                   D．that the tree died

C

You may have heard the term "the American Dream". In 1848, James W. Marshall found gold in California and people began having golden dreams. That 19th century "American Dream" motivated (激发起) the Gold Rush and gave California its nickname of the "Golden State".

The American Dream drove not only 1800s gold-rush prospectors but also waves of immigrants throughout that century and the next. People from Europe, and a large number of Chinese, arrived in the US in the 19th century hoping that in America they would find gold in the streets. But most, instead, worked as railroad labourers. They created the oldest Chinatown, in San Francisco, and gave the city a Chinese name "the old gold hill".

In the 20th century, some critics said that it was no longer possible to become prosperous through determination and hard work. Unfair education for students from poor families and racial discrimination almost made the American Dream a nightmare.

Then, in the 1990s, California saw a new wave of dreamers in Silicon Valley. People poured their energy into the Internet. This new chapter of the American Dream attracted many business people and young talents from China and India to form start-ups and seek fortunes in America.

Better pay, a nice house, and a rising standard of living will always be attractive. However, the new American Dream is no longer just about money. It encourages Americans to consume wisely to protect the environment, improve the quality of life, and promote social justice.

The Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, has become the model of the new American Dream. After years of hard work, he grew from a poor young man from Austria into a movie superstar and then governor. Many people hope his story can save the American Dream and give California a brighter future.

1. It can be inferred that _____.

A. America’s golden dream could never be realized

B. America’s golden dream had bought great fortunes to Chinese immigrants

C. each period of time has its own taste of the American dream

D. determination and hard work are the best way to realize the American dream

2. Why did most of the early immigrants work as railroad laborers?

A. Because they could earn more money as railroad laborers.

B. Because they had to make a living by working as railroad laborers.

C. Because they thought railroad was the first step to find gold.

D. Because railroad laborers were greatly honored at that time.

3. The underlined sentence “his story can save the American Dream” (in the last paragraph) indicates that _____.

A. the dream of seeking fortunate in America is easy to realize

B. most of the immigrants to America don’t reach their previous goal

C. the success of Arnold Schwarzenegger is among the common examples of the immigrants

D. the immigrants have made great contributions to California

4. What’s the best title of the passage?

A. Wave of Immigrants to America            B. Make Fortunes Abroad

C. Hard Work Leads to Success                  D. Changes of America’s Golden Dream