This is my third story. When I was 17，I read a quote that 1 something like，“If you live each day 2 it was your last，someday you'll most certainly be right.”Since then，for the past thirty?three years，I've looked 3 the mirror every morning and asked myself：“If today were the last day of my life，would I want to do what I am about to do today？”And whenever the answer has been“No”for too many days in a 4 ，I know I need to change something.

　 About a year ago I was 　5 with cancer. The doctors told me this was almost certainly a type of cancer that is incurable，and that I should 　6 to live no longer than three to six months. They advised me to go home and get my 7 in order，which is doctors' code for“prepare to 8 ”. Later that evening when the doctors 　9 the cells taken from my pancreas(胰腺)under a microscope，they started crying because it turned out to be a very rare form of pancreatic cancer that is 　10 with surgery. I had the surgery and，11 ，I'm fine now.

　 This was the closest I've been to facing death，and I hope it's the closest I get for a few more decades. Death is the 12 we all share. No one has 　13 escaped it. And that is 14 it should be，because death is very likely the single 15 invention of life. It's life's change agent. It clears out the old to make 　16 for the new. Your time is 　17 ，so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma(信条)—which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of 　18 opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most importantly，have the courage to 　19 your heart and intuition(直觉). They 20 already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

（1）A. said　 　　 B. described　 C. went　 　　 D. expressed

（2）A. unless 　　 B. as if　　 　 C. even if 　　 D. as long as

（3）A. in　　 　　　B. at　　　　 C. through 　　 D. On

（4）A. row　 　　 B. minute　　　 C. sense　 　　D. word

（5）A. connected 　B. infected　　 C. affected　 D. diagnosed

（6）A. want　 　　B. dream　　　 C. expect 　　D. imagine

（7）A. duties 　　 B. businesses C. affairs 　　D. life

（8）A. work　 　　B. start　　　 　C. talk　 　　D. die

（9）A. looked 　　B. viewed　　 C. realized 　　D. noticed

（10）A. curable 　　B. possible　 　 C. acceptable D. suitable

（11）A. carefully 　B. thankfully　　 C. anxiously 　D. hopefully

（12）A. possession B. destination　 C. expectation D. position

（13）A. ever　 　　 B. even　　 　 C. never　 　　D. still

（14）A. when　 　 B. while　　 　　C. as　　 　　 D. since

（15）A. better 　　B. worst　　 　　C. worse　 　　D. best

（16）A. use　 　 B. a difference　 C. sense　 　　 D. way

（17）A. endless 　B. repeated　　 C. countless 　　D. limited

（18）A. others' 　 B. others　　　 C. anyone's　 　 D. some others

（19）A. listen 　　B. follow　 　　 C. take　　 　　 D. accept

（20）A. however B.whatever 　C.somehow　 D.Somewhat

A lesson in caring

It was a cold evening. My daughter and I were walking up Broadway. I didn’t notice a guy sitting inside a cardboard box. But Nora    36    . She wasn’t even four, but she   37    at my coat and said, “That man’s cold. Daddy, can we take him home?”

    I don’t remember my   38    . But I do remember a sudden   39    feeling inside me. I had always been delighted at how much my daughter noticed in her   40     , whether it was     41    flying or children playing. But now she was noticing   42    and beggary.

    A few days later, I saw an article in the newspaper about volunteers who picked up a food package from a nearby school on a Sunday morning and   43     it to an elderly person. It was quick and easy. I signed us up. Nora was   44    about it. She could understand the importance of food, so she could easily see how   45    our job was. When Sunday came, she was ready, but I had to    46    myself to leave the house to fetch the food package. On my way to the school, I fought an urge (强烈愿望) to turn    47    . The Sunday paper and coffee were waiting for me at home. Why do this?   48    , we phoned the elderly person we’d been appointed. She   49    us right over.

    The building was in a bad state. Facing us was a silver-haired woman in an old dress. She took the package and asked us to come in. Nora ran inside. I unwillingly followed.   50     inside, I saw that the department belonged to someone poor. Our hostess showed us some photos. Nora played and when it came time to say goodbye, we three hugged. I walked home    51    .

Professionals call such a(n)   52    “a volunteer opportunity”. They are opportunities and I’ve come to see. Where else but as volunteers do you have the opportunity to do something    53     that’s good for others as well as for yourself? Nora and I regularly serve meals to needy people and   54     clothes for the homeless. Yet, as I’ve    55     her grow over these past four years, I still wonder—which of us has benefited more?

A. did                     B. was                          C. has            D. had

A. pulled　　　　     B. replaced                   C. waved        D. aimed

A. debate                   B. reply                        C. explanation D. expression

A. general　　　　    B. funny                       C. heavy         D. magical

A. web　　　　　    B. dream　　　　　    C. castle         D. world

A. insects                   B. animals　　　　      C. plants　　　D. birds

A. coldness 　　　    B. illness 　　　       C. suffering　　D. appearance

A. sent  　　           B. returned　　　      C. devoted　　 D. posted

A. concerned              B. sorry　　　　         C. worried      　D. excited

A. creative　　　      B. valuable　　　      C. shocking　　D. simple

A. warn　　　　　    B. stop　　　　  　    C. allow 　　　D. push

A. back 　　　　      B. away　　　　          C. up　　　　 D. out

A. Therefore　　　    B. But     　　          C. Anyhow　　D. Also

A. requested 　　    B. promised　　　      C. invited 　　 D. helped

A. Although            B. Once　　　　　      C. Because 　　D. Though

A. in tears                  B. in surprise                C. in reality      D. in disappointment

A. stay                    B. visit 　　　　         C. reception　　D. challenge

A. fair                    B. famous　　　　       C. difficult　　 D. enjoyable

A. collect                   B. make　　　　　      C. order 　　　D. design

A. let                         B. made　　　　　      C. watched 　　D. affected

Stepping into a pool of water is common enough, but who could ever imagine stepping into a pool of fish? In February of 1974, Bill Tapp, an Australian farmer, saw a rain of fish that covered his farm. How surprised he must have been when he heard many fish hitting against his roof!

　　 What caused this strange occurrence? This is a question that had long puzzled people who study fish. The answer turned out to be a combination of wind and storm.

　　When it is spring in the northern part of the world, it is fall in Australia. Throughout the autumn season, terrible storms arise and rains flood the land. The strong winds sweep over Australia like huge vacuum cleaners, collecting seaweed, pieces of wood, and even schools of fish. Strong winds may carry these bits of nature for many miles before dropping them on fields, houses, and astonished people.

　　Although they seem unusual, fish-falls occur quite frequently in Australia. When Bill Tapp was asked to describe the scene of fish, he remarked, “They look like millions of dead birds falling down.” His statement is not surprising. The wonders of the natural world are as common as rain. Nature, with its infinite wonders, can create waterfalls that flow upward and fish that fall out of the sky.

　　56. What is this passage about?

　　A. A sad story. 　　　　　　　　　　　　B. A rain of fish.

　　C. Australia’s northern part.　　　　　D. The damage done by floods.

　　57. Fish-falls occur in Australia_________ .

　　A. quite often 　　　　　　B. on large farms

　　C. only in winter　　　　　D. when the air is calm

　　58. It is a known fact that ________.

　　A. one should watch where one steps

　　B. Bill Tapp is a scientist who studies farming

　　C. the natural world can never create waterfalls that fall upward

　　D. the seasons in the southern part are different from those in the northern part

 　59. The word “infinite” is closest in meaning to _________.

　　A. easy 　　　B. difficult 　　　C. countless 　　　D. dangerous

The train was already half an hour late. I had to arrive in Vienna at 7:15 in time to catch the 7:20 train to Paris, but there was no hope of that now. I told my problem to the conductor (列车员). He advised me to get off two stops before Vienna Station and take a taxi. When the time came, he even helped with my bag. He wished me good luck as I jumped off. A few minutes later I was racing towards the center of the city in a taxi. It was almost 7:25 when we stopped outside the station. I paid the driver quickly, picked up my bag and hurried inside. “Paris train?” was all I had time to say to the official I saw. You can see how I felt when he pointed to a train that was just moving out of the station.

The writer couldn’t arrive in Paris in time because       .

A. he didn’t pay the driver           B. he took the wrong train

C. the train was late                D. the conductor advised him to get off early

The conductor advised the writer to get off before Vienna and take a taxi       .

A. as soon as the train stopped       B. after he heard the writer’s explanation

C. after he was passing the writer     D. when the train arrived in Vienna at 7:15

Which of the following did the conductor do to help the writer?

A. The conductor advised him to get off two stops before Vienna.

B. The conductor took him to the center of the city in a taxi.

C. The conductor carried the bag for him.

D. The conductor showed him out of the station and called a taxi.

When the writer saw that the train was just moving, he felt        .

A. happy         B. angry    　　 C. disappointed    　   D. sorry

Which of the following is TRUE?

A. The writer was lucky to catch the train.　

B. The driver helped the writer catch the train.

C. The writer paid the bus driver quickly.  　

D. The conductor was very kind to the writer.