The Best Holiday

　　I was unbelievably proud of my nine-year-old daughter, Emily.　1　to buy a mountain bike, she’d been saving her pocket money all year, as well as doing small jobs to earn extra money.

　　By Thanksgiving, she had collected only $49. I said, “You　2　have your pick from my bicycle　 3　.” “Thanks, Daddy. But your bikes are so old.” She was right. All my girls’ bikes were 1950s models, not the kind a kid today would　4　choose.

　　As Christmas　5　near, Emily and I went bike shopping. As we left one store, she 　6　a Salvation Army volunteer standing next to a big pot.

“Can we give something, Daddy?” she asked.

“Sorry, Em , I’m out of change.” I said.

　　Throughout December, Emily continued to 　7　hard. Then one day, she made a 　8　announcement. “You know all the money I’ve been saving?” she said hesitantly. “I’m going to give it to the poor people.” So one cold morning before Christmas, Emily handed her total savings of $58 to a volunteer who was really very　 9　.

    　10　by Emily’s selflessness, I decided to contribute　11　of my old bicycles to a car dealer who was collecting used bikes for poor children.　12　I selected a shiny model from my collection, however, it seemed as if a second bike took on a glow（发光）.Should I contribute two? No, one would be enough. But I couldn’t 　13　the feeling that I should give a second bike. When I later　 14　the bikes, the car dealer said, “You’re making two kids very　 15　, sir. Here are your tickets. For each bicycle contributed, we’re　16　away one chance to win a girls’ mountain bike.”

　　Why wasn’t I surprised when that second ticket proved to be the  17  ? I like to think it was God’s way of  18  a little girl for a sacrifice  19　her years― while giving her dad a lesson in the  20　.

1．A．Promised               B．Amazed              C．Determined          D．Organized

2．A．need                      B．should　　　      C．must                   D．can

3．A．collection               B．contribution　　  C．shop                   D．club　

4．A．seldom                  B．likely 　　　　   C．slightly                D．merely

5．A．drew                     B．became　　　    C．went                   D．pulled

6．A．observed                B．sensed　　         C．watched              D．noticed

7．A．study                     B．try                      C．listen                   D．work

8．A．disappointing　　   B．surprising　　　 C．formal                 D．public

9．A．agreeable               B．hopeful　　　　 C．thankful              D．pitiful

10．A．Moved　　　      B．Shocked　　　   C．Persuaded           D．Demanded

11．A．one                      B．some　　　　    C．two                    D．any

12．A．While　　　　     B．As                      C．Because              D．Though

13．A．express                B．describe　　　   C．explain                D．shake

14．A．returned　　　　 B．delivered　　      C．chose                  D．shared

15．A．sweet                  B．healthy　　　　  C．happy                 D．fair

16．A．putting                 B．giving                 C．storing                D．signing

17．A．present                B．harvest　　　　 C．winner                D．chance

18．A．greeting               B．praising　　　    C．sheltering            D．rewarding

19．A．under                   B．before　　　　   C．beyond                D．within

20．A．process                B．project                C．struggle               D．communication

阅读下面短文, 掌握其大意, 然后从1￣20各题所给的四个选项中, 选出一　　 个最佳答案。

    Suppose you are reading a book. Suppose, too, you suddenly 1 your　　 eyes. Can you 2 see the book? "Of course not," you will say. But can　　 you tell why? You would probably say, "When I close my eyes, my　　 eyesight cannot 3 my eyes to get to the book." But this explanation is　　 4.

    You cannot see any object 5 light from that object gets into your　　 eyes. Some of the things you see give off light of their own. The sun,　　 the stars, a lighted lamp are examples that can be seen 6 their own　　 light. Such things are luminous (发光的). Most of the 7 you see are　　 not giving off light of their own. They are 8 reflecting (反射的)　　 light that falls on them from the sun or some other luminous body. The　　 moon, for example, does not give off any light of 9 own. It is　　 non-luminous. You see it because sunlight falls on it and some of it　　 reflects 10 your direction. So moon light is 11 second-hand sunlight.

    When you 12 a book, it sends to your eyes some of the light which　　 falls on it, and you see the book. If light 13 out from where you are　　 so that there 14 no light for the book 15, then you could not see the　　 book even with your eyes wide open.

    Light travels so fast that the time 16 it travels from the book　　 you are reading to your eyes is so short 17 there were no 18 at all.　　 Light 19 us from the moon, which is about 380,000 kilometers away, 20　　 only a little more than a second.

    (1)A. shut to　　　　  B. open 　　   C. close　　　　　　D. close to　　　　　　　　　　 ［　　］ 　　(2)A. yet　　　　　　  B. even 　　   C. already　　　　  D. still　　　　　　　　　　　　［　　］  　　(3)A. get out　　　　  B. get into 　　   C. get through to   D. get out of　　　　　　　　   ［　　］ 　　(4)A. misunderstand　　B. no fact 　　   C. mistake　　　　  D. wrong　　　　　　　　　　　　［　　］ 　　(5)A. when　　　　　　 B. if 　　   C. unless　　　　   D. as　　　　　　　　　　　　   ［　　］     (6)A. at　　　　　　   B. by 　　   C. in　　　　　　   D. of　　　　　　　　　　　　   ［　　］     (7)A. things　　　　   B. object 　　   C. body　　　　　　 D. matter　　　　　　　　　　   ［　　］ 　　(8)A. simply　　　　   B. difficultly 　　   C. differently　　  D. probably　　　　　　　　　　 ［　　］ 　　(9)A. it　　　　　　   B. its 　　   C. it's　　　　　　 D. his　　　　　　　　　　　　  ［　　］     (10)A. in　　　　　　   B. at 　　   C. on　　　　　　   D. with　　　　　　　　　　　　 ［　　］    (11)A. simple　　　　   B. only 　　   C. certain　　　　  D. like　　　　　　　　　　　　 ［　　］    (12)A. see　　　　　　  B. look 　　   C. look at　　　　  D. watch　　　　　　　　　　　　［　　］    (13)A. could be kept　　B. could keep 　　   C. will be kept　　 D. will keep　　　　　　　　　　［　　］    (14)A. would　　　　　　B. would be 　　   C. will be　　　　  D. should be　　　　　　　　　　［　　］    (15)A. to reflect　　   B. reflect 　　   C. reflecting　　   D. reflected　　　　　　　　　　［　　］    (16)A. on which　　　　 B. which 　　   C. in which　　　　 D. in that　　　　　　　　　　  ［　　］    (17)A. as　　　　　　   B. like 　　   C. if　　　　　　   D. as if　　　　　　　　　　　　［　　］    (18)A. distance　　　　 B. time 　　   C. place　　　　　　D. room　　　　　　　　　　　　 ［　　］       (19)A. reaches at　　   B. reaches to 　　   C. reaches　　　　  D. gets through to　　　　　　  ［　　］    (20)A. as　　　　　　   B. during 　　   C. on　　　　　　   D. in　　　　　　　　　　　　   ［　　］

Starry Night

Have you ever seen a real night sky that looks like Van Gogh’s Starry Night? I hope not! So, why would an artist paint the sky this way? Perhaps I can answer that with another question. When you’re happy, why do you sing instead of speaking? Or when you’re in love, why do you speak of roses and honey? When we do these things, we, too are artists. We’re using something that goes beyond a mere scientific description in order to communicate our feelings more powerfully than straightforward words can. So consider for a moment that Van Gogh might not have been hallucinating (产生幻觉的) on the night he painted this. Maybe he felt something so powerful that he had to go beyond the familiar to express it.

I hope I’m reminding you of something you already know as I describe the experience of being outside at night under a crystal clear sky that makes everything seem clean and refreshing. So you look up. And suddenly you see the sky that you’ve seldom seen before. It’s not just the same old dark night sky tonight. Instead, the blackness is a deep, rich blue that is more bottomless than any ocean. The stars are not spots of light but brilliant, magical diamonds that dance like tiny angels. In just this special moment, the sky is somehow alive, and it seems to speak to you silently about the meaning of infinity (无限).

Now look at the painting again. Can you see something of what makes this such a famous and well-loved image? But there’s more here than that. Van Gogh painted this while he was quite struck down by a mental disease. It is natural to imagine that he frequently battled the fear that he would never escape his prison to true freedom. It is natural for us to imagine this because each of us has faced our own personal prison, whether it be disease, the loss of a loved one, serious financial problems … In such moments it is tempting to give up to despair (绝望) and collapse in hopelessness.

Looking at this painting, I imagine Van Gogh in just such a moment of despair, when he is struck by the memory of one of those amazing night skies. He recalls the sense that he is not alone, that there is a living, infinite world with rich colorful creatures and scenes all around.

And so the sky flows across the canvas (画布) full of vitality (活力) and power. The stars don’t just sparkle; they explode. Looking closer, we notice that the earth itself seems to respond to the movement in the sky, forming its own living waves in the mountain and rolling trees. In the sleepy village, the windows of the houses glow (发光) with the same light that brightens the universe. The giant trees at the left seem to capture the joy by stretching upwards toward the sky.

What a tremendous message of hope there is in this masterpiece! Even if our troubles persist, the world around us assures us that life is worth living. That’s what the angels sing about. Doesn’t it make you want to sing, too?

72. Looking at the painting Starry Night, we can see all the following except________.

A. the sparkling stars　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. the giant trees

C. the sleepy village　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. The singing angels

73. Van Gogh does NOT describe a feeling of _______ through the Starry Night.

　 A. happiness　　　　　 B. vitality　　　 C. power　　　　　　　 D. despair

74. The underlined word “prison” in the 3rd paragraph probably means _______.

　 A. mental illness 　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　B. trouble in one’s life　

　 C. control from the authority　　　　　　　　 D. a place where criminals are kept

75. What is the main purpose of this passage?

　 A. To tell us how to appreciate the Starry Night.

　 B. To explain how Van Gogh painted the Starry Night.

　 C. To prove Van Gogh was in a hallucinating state of mind while painting the picture.

　 D. To show us the beauty of the sky on a starry night.

Madonna Expresses Herself