For a long time, a boy wondered why his next-desk-pal was always the first in the class, whereas he could only rank the 21st. At home, he asked his mom, “Am I more stupid than other kids? How come I always lag behind? I just can’t come up with an answer.” Mom was aware that her son’s self-respect had been damaged by the ranking system, but she didn’t know what to say to help.

    She was tempted (想要) to say that intelligence differs and that yes, her son’s friend really was the smarter boy. But that would have so upset her son. Thank goodness she resisted the temptation to say it.

Her son and his friend went on to high school that year, but despite trying as hard as he could, her son’s friend still outdid him. But she was proud of her boy for his hard work, sincerely proud. It was around this time she decided to take him on a trip to the seaside. On the trip, she at last found an answer for him.

    Today her son no longer cares about rankings. He doesn’t have to, for he himself is now the top of the class – at the top national university he attends. Invited to speak to his old high school, he mentioned a valuable childhood experience: “Once, on a trip to the sea, my mother and I were lying on the beach. She pointed to the sea and said to me: ‘Do you see the seabirds fighting for food out there? When a wave comes near, the little birds rise quickly. The “clumsy” seagulls (海鸥) are far less agile (灵活的) and have to struggle to get away from the wave. But these “clumsy” birds prove to have the biggest, strongest wings, which open the widest and allow the bird to travel the furthest. When the season changes, they leave for foreign shores, leaving the little birds behind. Son, I have a feeling that you are one of those seagulls.”

1. From the first paragraph, we could conclude the mother ______.

   A. knew her son was not bright enough

   B. saw the negative effects of the ranking system

   C. decided to help with her son’s school work

D. was troubled by her son’s low rankings

2.The mom was glad she didn’t give an answer at first because ______.

   A. she knew her son would forget his rankings soon

   B. she felt intelligence doesn’t mean everything

   C. she knew he was not strong enough for the truth

   D. she wanted to avoid another blow to her son’s self-respect

3.The story conveys the message that ______.

   a. only rankings show intelligence

   b. hard work and confidence can lead to a change in rankings

   c. parents should see children’s strengths and encourage them

   d. competition between students is good for society

   A. bc                B. cd               C. abc              D. bcd

4. Which of the following would be the best title for the story?

   A. How important are rankings?

   B. Little birds and seagulls

   C. The answer Mom gave

   D. Hard work pays off!

第二节完形填空 (共20小题；每小题1分，满分20分)
For long, a question disturbed a little boy. He couldn’t understand why his next-desk-pal(同伴)could rank lst whenever he wanted to , while he himself   21   to .
At home, he asked his Mom, “Mom, am I more   22  than others? I feel I study as hard as him, but why do I  23  fall behind?” Staring at him, she went   24  , not knowing how to explain.
She felt an impulse (冲动)to say , “you are too   25  .You are not really as hard-working as others…”but she stopped   26   she knew her son was suffering from the pains of   27   grades and rankings. She thought it   28  to add any additional burden to his son and was trying to find out a(n)   29   answer.
Time went by quickly, the son finished primary school.   30   studying harder and harder, he was still unable to   31   his pal. To show her pride of him, Mom decided to take him to the sea. During the trip, she   32   to give out an answer.
Now, the son no longer   33   his rankings, because, with the lst ranking, he was   34   by Harvard University .
Back home in winter vacation, he was invited to   35   the students and parents in high school. In the speech, he mentioned a(n)  36   experience in his childhood:…When my mother and I were lying on the beach, she pointed to the front and said ,“Do you see the seabirds fiying for food over there? When the   37   comes near, little birds can escape quickly   38   ‘clumsy’ seagulls (笨拙的海鸥)would take more time to complete the   39  . However, have you noticed birds that   40   fly across the endless ocean are none other than ‘clumsy’seagulls?”
21.A.refused                        B.decided                     C.failed                        D.afforded
22.A.troublesome                 B.stupid                       C.naughty                     D.careless
23.A.always                        B.never                        C.hardly                       D.even
24.A.wrong                         B.worried                     C.crazy                        D.wordless
25.A.young                         B.lazy                  C.clever               D.old
26.A.although             B.before              C.beacuse              D.unless
27.A.worrying                        B.surprising            C.doubting                   D.unsatisfying
28.A.cruel                B.unnecessary          C.important             D.impossible
29.A.natural             B.harmonious          C.perfect              D.ordinary
30.A.Besides              B.Despite             C.Beyond               D.Without
31.A.get through         B.come across          C.compare with         D.keep up with
32.A.managed            B.hesitated            C.determined        D.remembered
33.A.cares about         B.doubts about         C.wonders about     D.worries about
34.A.invited                       B.accepted                    C.welcomed                  D.dismissed
35.A.visit                               B.contact                 C.address              D.meet
36.A.private                        B.valuable                    C.interesting                 D.unexpected
37.A.wave                           B.food                         C.wind                         D.time
38.A.and                         B.since                         C.until                         D.while
39.A.game                          B.fun                           C.match                       D.process
40.A.suddenly                  B.immediately             C.finally                       D.gradually

 —Your composition is full of mistakes.

   —I wish I        more careful.    

    A．would have been  B．had been         C．would be         D．were

 If only I _______ more confidence in the English speech contest held last week!

    A． would have      B． had             C． had had         D． have