When I was fourteen, I earned money in the summer by cutting lawns（草坪）, and within a few weeks I had built up a body of customers. I got to know people by the flowers they planted that I had to remember not to cut down, by the things they lost in the grass or struck in the ground on purpose. I reached the point with most of them when I knew in advance what complaint was about to be spoken, which request was most important. And I learned something about the measure of my neighbors by their preferred method of payment: by the job, by the month—or not at all.

Mr. Ballou fell into the last category, and he always had a reason why. On one day, he had no change for a fifty, on another he was flat out of checks, on another, he was simply out when I knocked on his door. Still, except for the money apart, he was a nice enough guy, always waving or tipping his hat when he’d seen me from a distance. I figured him for a thin retirement check, maybe a work-related injury that kept him from doing his own yard work. Sure, I kept track of the total, but I didn’t worry about the amount too much. Grass was grass, and the little that Mr. Ballou’s property comprised didn’t take long to trim (修剪).

Then, one late afternoon in mid-July, the hottest time of the year, I was walking by his house and he opened the door, mentioned me to come inside. The hall was cool, shaded, and it took my eyes a minute to adjust to the dim light. 

“I owe you,” Mr Ballou said, “but…”

I thought I’d save him the trouble of thinking of a new excuse. “No problem. Don’t worry about it.”

“The bank made a mistake in my account,” he continued, ignoring my words. “It will be cleared up in a day or two. But in the meantime I thought perhaps you could choose one or two volumes for a down payment.

He gestured toward the walls and I saw that books were stacked (堆放) everywhere. It was like a library, except with no order to the arrangement.

“Take your time,” Mr. Ballou encouraged. “Read, borrow, keep, or find something you like. What do you read?”

“I don’t know.” And I didn’t. I generally read what was in front of me, what I could get from the paperback stack at the drugstore, what I found at the library, magazines, the back of cereal boxes, comics. The idea of consciously seeking out a special title was new to me, but, I realized, not without appeal--- so I started to look through the piles of books.

“You actually read all of these?”

“This isn’t much,” Mr. Ballou said. “This is nothing, just what I’ve kept, the ones worth looking at a second time.”

“Pick for me, then.”

He raised his eyebrows, cocked his head, and regarded me as though measuring me for a suit. After a moment, he nodded, searched through a stack, and handed me a dark red hardbound book, fairly thick.

“The Last of the Just,” I read. “By Andre Schwarz-Bart. What’s it about?”

“You tell me,” he said. “Next week.”

I started after supper, sitting outdoors on an uncomfortable kitchen chair. Within a few pages, the yard, the summer, disappeared, and I was plunged into the aching tragedy of the Holocaust, the extraordinary clash of good, represented by one decent man, and evil. Translated from French, the language was elegant, simple, impossible to resist. When the evening light finally failed I moved inside, read all through the night.

To this day, thirty years later, I vividly remember the experience. It was my first voluntary encounter with world literature, and I was amazed by the concentrated power a novel could contain. I lacked the vocabulary, however, to translate my feelings into words, so the next week. When Mr. Ballou asked, “Well?” I only replied, “It was good?”

“Keep it, then,” he said. “Shall I suggest another?”

I nodded, and was presented with the paperback edition of Margaret Mead’s Coming of Age in Samoa (a very important book on the study of the social and cultural development of peoples—anthropology (人类学) ).

To make two long stories short, Mr. Ballou never paid me a cent for cutting his grass that year or the next, but for fifteen years I taught anthropology at Dartmouth College. Summer reading was not the innocent entertainment I had assumed it to be, not a light-hearted, instantly forgettable escape in a hammock (吊床) (though I have since enjoyed many of those, too). A book, if it arrives before you at the right moment, in the proper season, at an internal in the daily business of things, will change the course of all that follows.

1.Before his encounter with Mr. Ballou, the author used to read _____________.

A．anything and everything                  B．only what was given to him

C．only serious novels                      D．nothing in the summer

2.The author found the first book Mr. Ballou gave him _____________.

A．light-hearted and enjoyable               B．dull but well written

C．impossible to put down                   D．difficult to understand

3.From what he said to the author we can guess that Mr. Ballou _______________.

A．read all books twice                     B．did not do much reading

C．read more books than he kept             D．preferred to read hardbound books

4.The following year the author _______________.

A．started studying anthropology at college

B．continued to cut Mr. Ballou’s lawn

C．spent most of his time lazing away in a hammock

D．had forgotten what he had read the summer before

5.The author’s main point is that _____________.

A．summer jobs are really good for young people

B．you should insist on being paid before you do a job

C．a good book can change the direction of your life

D．books are human beings’ best friends

The first time Luca heard the Island of Inventions, he was very young, but the wonders he heard about sounded so unbelievable to him that they were forever kept in his memory. Since then, he never stopped searching clues which might lead him to that place of wonder. He read widely to collect information.

   Taking a little from here and there, he got quite a clear idea of what the Island was really like. It was a secret place, where all the great men learn and invent together. To be able to join that select club, you had to have created great inventions. Only then could you receive the invitation.

   To get a chance, Luca spend the years studying and inventing. Every new idea he got, he made it into an invention, and if there were anything he didn’t understand, he would seek help. Soon he met other brilliant inventors too, and he told them of the secrets of the Island. These young inventors would likewise dream of being sent “the letter”.

   As time passed, the disappointment of not being sent the letter gave rise to even greater cooperation and help between them. Their inventions soon became known throughout the world.

   But no invention came.

   They didn’t lose heart. They continued learning and inventing, trying to come up with better ideas. Fresh talent was added to their group. One day, Luca, already very old, was speaking with a brilliant young man who had written to join their group. Luca told the young man the secrets of the Island, and of how he was sure that they would receive an invitation. Surprised, the young inventor said: “What? You mean this isn’t really the Island of Inventions?”

   It inspired Luca and he realized that his dream had become true.

Luca read widely to ________.

   A. get information about the great inventions

   B. get clear ideas about the island for vacations

   C. seek massages about the secret club of inventions

   D. get more knowledge for the benefit of his inventions

Luca and other brilliant inventors around him shared a dream of _______.

   A. being great inventors of worldwide fame

   B. being accepted as members of the Island of Inventions

   C. being inventors envied by members of the Island of Inventions

   D. being remembered for the contribution to scientific development

What is the effect of their not being given “the letter”?

   A. They were disappointed, while it encouraged them to work harder.

   B. They became desperate and decided to have another way of living.

   C. They changed their strategy and promote their inventions publicly.

   D. They gave up their dream while continued their inventions together.

The first time Luca heard the Island of Inventions, he was very young, but the wonders he heard about sounded so unbelievable to him that they were forever kept in his memory. Since then, he never stopped searching clues which might lead him to that place of wonder. He read widely to collect information.
Taking a little from here and there, he got quite a clear idea of what the Island was really like. It was a secret place, where all the great men learn and invent together. To be able to join that select club, you had to have created great inventions. Only then could you receive the invitation.
To get a chance, Luca spend the years studying and inventing. Every new idea he got, he made it into an invention, and if there were anything he didn’t understand, he would seek help. Soon he met other brilliant inventors too, and he told them of the secrets of the Island. These young inventors would likewise dream of being sent “the letter”.
As time passed, the disappointment of not being sent the letter gave rise to even greater cooperation and help between them. Their inventions soon became known throughout the world.
But no invention came.
They didn’t lose heart. They continued learning and inventing, trying to come up with better ideas. Fresh talent was added to their group. One day, Luca, already very old, was speaking with a brilliant young man who had written to join their group. Luca told the young man the secrets of the Island, and of how he was sure that they would receive an invitation. Surprised, the young inventor said: “What? You mean this isn’t really the Island of Inventions?”
It inspired Luca and he realized that his dream had become true.
【小题1】Luca read widely to ________.

The first time Luca heard the Island of Inventions, he was very young, but the wonders he heard about sounded so unbelievable to him that they were forever kept in his memory. Since then, he never stopped searching clues which might lead him to that place of wonder. He read widely to collect information.

   Taking a little from here and there, he got quite a clear idea of what the Island was really like. It was a secret place, where all the great men learn and invent together. To be able to join that select club, you had to have created great inventions. Only then could you receive the invitation.

   To get a chance, Luca spend the years studying and inventing. Every new idea he got, he made it into an invention, and if there were anything he didn’t understand, he would seek help. Soon he met other brilliant inventors too, and he told them of the secrets of the Island. These young inventors would likewise dream of being sent “the letter”.

   As time passed, the disappointment of not being sent the letter gave rise to even greater cooperation and help between them. Their inventions soon became known throughout the world.

   But no invention came.

   They didn’t lose heart. They continued learning and inventing, trying to come up with better ideas. Fresh talent was added to their group. One day, Luca, already very old, was speaking with a brilliant young man who had written to join their group. Luca told the young man the secrets of the Island, and of how he was sure that they would receive an invitation. Surprised, the young inventor said: “What? You mean this isn’t really the Island of Inventions?”

   It inspired Luca and he realized that his dream had become true.

1.Luca read widely to ________.

   A. get information about the great inventions

   B. get clear ideas about the island for vacations

   C. seek massages about the secret club of inventions

   D. get more knowledge for the benefit of his inventions

2.Luca and other brilliant inventors around him shared a dream of _______.

   A. being great inventors of worldwide fame

   B. being accepted as members of the Island of Inventions

   C. being inventors envied by members of the Island of Inventions

   D. being remembered for the contribution to scientific development

3.What is the effect of their not being given “the letter”?

   A. They were disappointed, while it encouraged them to work harder.

   B. They became desperate and decided to have another way of living.

   C. They changed their strategy and promote their inventions publicly.

   D. They gave up their dream while continued their inventions together.

第三节：完形填空（共20小题，每小题1.5分，满分30分）

   阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。

 He must have been completely lost in something he was reading because I had to tap on the windshield to get his attention.

“Is your taxi  21  ?” I asked when he finally looked  22  at me. He nodded, then said  23  as I settled into the back seat, “I'm sorry, but I was reading a  24  .” He  25  as if he had a cold .

“I am not in a hurry,” I told him. “Go ahead and finish your letter.” He  26  his head. “I've read it several times already. I guess I  27  know it by heart.”

“Letters from home always mean a lot,” I said. “From a child?”

“This isn't  28  ,” he replied. “Although it  29  just as well have been family. Old Ed was my oldest friend. In fact, we used to call each other 'Old Friend' when we'd meet. I'm not much good at  30 .”

“I don't think any of us keep  31  our correspondence (通信) too well,” I said. “I know I don't. But I take it he's someone you've  32  quite a while?”

“All my life. We were kids together, went to school together and all the  33  through high school.”

“There are not too many people who've had such a long friendship,” I said.

“ 34 ,” the driver went on, “I hadn't seen him more than once or twice a year over the past 25 or 30 years because I  35  away from the old neighbourhood and you kind of lose touch  36  you never forget.”

“You said 'was'. Does that mean….?” He nodded. “ 37  a couple of weeks ago.”

“I'm sorry,” I said. “It's no fun to lose any friend—and losing a real old one is  38  tougher.”

He didn't  39  to that, and we rode on in silence for a few minutes. But I realized  that Old Ed was still on his mind when he spoke again, almost more to himself than to me: “I should have kept in touch.”

“Well,” I agreed, “we should all keep in touch with old friends more than we do. But things  40  and we just don't seem to find the time.”

When I got to my hotel room I didn't unpack right away. First I had to write a letter and mail it.

21. A.available           B.acceptable            C.beneficial        D.occupied

22. A.down               B.up                   C. to                       D. off

23. A.unexpectedly       B. curiously               C. apologetically    D.  definitely

24. A.booklet            B. novel              C.    book            D. letter

25. A.sounded           B. spoke             C.seemed          D. continued

26. A.hung             B.nodded           C. shook          D. kept

27. A.anyhow           B.hardly             C.almost           D. really

28. A.friendship           B.family             C.leadership       D. colleague

29. A.could               B. might             C.maybe           D. would

30. A.writing            B.reading            C.talking          D. earning

31. A.up                B.with             C.on                    D. in

32. A.found              B.written            C.known          D. seen

33. A.curriculum          B.coincidence        C.life              D. way

34. A.Eventually          B.Actually          C.Additionally            D. Besides

35. A.removed                 B.left               C.headed          D. moved

36. A.even though        B.as though         C.when            D. whereas

37. A.Died                B. Suffered         C.Choked            D. Survived

38. A.ever                B.even             C.fairly            D. quite

39. A.appeal            B.reply                   C.adapt            D. talk

40.A.take up            B.pick up           C.come up        D. break up