Barditch High School decided to hold an All-School Reunion. Over 450 people came to the event. There were tours of the old school building and a picnic at Confederate Park. Several former teachers were on hands to tell stories about the old days. Ms. Mabel Yates, the English teacher for fifty years, was wheeled to the Park.

Some eyes rolled and there were a few low groans(嘟囔声)when Ms.Yates was about to speak. Many started looking at their watches and coming up with excuses to be anywhere instead of preparing to listen to a lecture from an old woman who had few kind words for her students and made them work harder than all the other teachers combined.

Then Ms. Yates started to speak:

“I can’t tell you how pleased I am to be here. I haven’t seen many of you since your graduation, but I have followed your careers and enjoyed your victories as well as crying for your tragedies. I have a large collection of newspaper photographs of my students. Although I haven’t appeared in person, I have attended your college graduations, weddings and even the birth your children, in my imagination.”

Ms. Yates paused and started crying a bit. Then she continued:

“It was my belief that if I pushed you as hard as I could, some of you would succeed to please me and others would succeed to annoy me. Regardless of our motives, I can see that you have all been successful in you chosen path.”

“There is no greater comfort for an educator than to see the end result of his or her years of work. You have all been a great source of pleasure and pride for me and I want you to know I love you all from the bottom of my heart.”

There was a silence over the crowd for a few seconds and then someone started clapping. The clapping turned into cheering, then into a deafening roar(呼喊). Lawyers, truck drivers, bankers and models were rubbing their eyes or crying openly with no shame all because of the words from a long forgotten English teacher from their hometown.

1.What activity was organized for the school reunion?

2.What can be inferred from Paragraph 2? 

3.We can learn from Ms. Yates’ speech that she _____________.

4.What was Ms.Yates’ belief in teaching teenagers?

Calvin Coolidge (1872 – 1933) was the thirtieth president of the United States. He looked down on a person as being unworthy of respect who was too fond of talking about the details of others people’s actions and private lives because he had no time for small talks. The following two incidents clearly show how Collidge treasured silence.
When he was vice president, Coolidge had plenty of opportunities to participate (参加) in Washington’s social life, especially the many dinner parties. As be ignored the art of conversation, he couldn’t exactly make himself dear to his hostesses. One lady felt she could solve this problem. She placed him next to Alice Roosevelt Longworth, daughter of the former President Roosevelt. Mrs. Longworth, a very brilliant conversationalist (谈话者), began to talk in her usual charming manner, but all attempts to a wake the interest on the part of the vice president were unproductive. Finally, being shamed into anger, she said, “I’m sure that going to as many dinners as you do, you must get terribly bored.”
Without lifting his eyes from his plate, Coolidge said not very clearly, “Well, a man has to eat somewhere.”
Later, when he was president and once again at a dinner party, Collidge was seated next to an outstanding society woman, one of those busybodies, who seemed to take delight in trying to change the lives of everyone they met. “Oh, Mr. President,” she spoke with too much enthusiasm, “you are always so quiet. I made a bet (打赌) today that I could get more than two words out of you.”
【小题1】President Collidge considered those people as being unworthy of respect          .

A．Mr. Coolidge didn’t want to talk with Mrs. Longworth at all

B．Mr. Coolidge had really got tired of so many social dinners

C．Mr. Coolidge was unhappy with the dinner he was eating that day

D．Mr. Coolidge was really hungry and had to find something to eat

Paula Radcliffe, chasing (角逐) a third London marathon title(冠军), says she has became a stronger person after her terrible experience at the 2004 Athens Gaines.

   Radcliffe, who failed to complete the Olympic marathon and the 10,000m last August, said: "Athens made me a stronger person and it made me care less about criticism (批评)"

   "In the past I wanted to please everyone, but now I am going to listen even more to the people around me."

   She didn't care about criticism made at the weekend by Liz McColgan, who felt Radcliffe should have rested and let her body recover after her failure in Athens.

   "Liz is someone I look up to but she hasn't spoken to me since last year and if she really eared for me, I'm sure she would have contacted (联系) me."

   Instead Radcliffe won the New York City marathon just 11 weeks after Athens.

   "In New York I wasn't in my best state but I did know I was good enough to win the      Radcliffe insisted her only goal in Sunday's race would be winning a third title and not chasing world records.

   However, RadcIiffe has not ruled out(排除) m the future chasing her "final" world record time and questioned sayings that marathon runners have the ability in their career to produce only four or five world-class times.

   "I don't think that -- although I can't put a number on it," said. RadcLiffe. "That changes from person to person."

   Radcliffe is sure she can better her winning London 2003 performance at some point in the future. Following a successful three-month training period in the United States, the 31-year-old will chase a third title on Sunday after her first victory in 2O02 and again 12 months later.

Radcliffe clocked a time of 2:18:56 in her first 42.2-kdnmetre race three years ago.

   Afterwards she set a "mixed course" mark of 2:17:18 five months later In Chicago before lowering that to a time of 2:15:25 m the 2003 London event.

63. Radcliffe's failure in Athens made her ________

     A. develop respect for Liz    B. love people around her more

     C. rest for five months       D. face criticism calmly                    

64. Which of the following is true according to the passage?

     A. Radcliffe broke the world record in the New York City marathon.

     B. Radcliffe didn't fully recover before the New York City marathon.

     C. Radcliffe won her first marathon title in the New York City marathon.

     D. Radcliffe had a 3-month training before the New York City marathon.    

65. By saying "I can't put a number on it," Radcliffe means she's not sure _____ .

     A. if she has the ability to set a new world record

     B. if she can win another race though she has won many tunes

     C. how many times a marathon runner can set the world record

     D. if she has the ability to produce four or five world-class times           

66. According to the text, Redcliffc bas won ____ London marathon title(s).

      A. four         B. three         C. two         D. one             [C]

67. What can we learn from Radcliffe's story?

     A. Practice makes perfect.           B. Well begun is half done.

Maggie was very glad that James was not a frequent visitor to the house. So far as the children were concerned, they had a mystery about him that stirred their imagination. He stirred Maggie’s anger, however, so that she often said to her husband, “It’s mercy that brother of yours doesn’t come oftener.”

In fact James came once a year, unexpectedly, around eight o’clock in the evening, and he stayed for six hours of close discussion with his brother. His arrival was a signal to the children that their bedtime would be delayed. Not that he ever spoke to them or played with them. He took no notice of them, as if he was unable to see children, at least until the time came for him to go. Instead, after his first greeting and a careless kiss, James took no notice of Maggie either, except to add, “You’ll be getting on with the supper, Maggie.” Such was his regard for her.

Maggie paid him back in her own way. She kept the children up, the four of them, to keep her company, she said, but of course they sang and made a noise and broke the endless sound of James’s voice. Very late, they dropped off to sleep in their chairs. Then, when James was about to go, Maggie woke them up and so more or less forced him to part with four shillings before he left. That gave her some satisfaction, for James, though rich, was mean. He always went home by the last train, just after two o’clock.

Maggie’s children secretly stared at their uncle. They could not forget that he had, in their mother’s words, “lost two wives and taken a third, ” They wondered about those two unfortunate lost ladies. They asked each other what their fate had been, and if neither could ever be found again. James never brought his third wife with him nor ever mentioned her. The children decided that he must be so frightened of losing her that he never allowed her outside the door.

1.The underlined word “mercy” in the text most probably means _______.

A. loss           B. wonder    C. lucky thing          D. terrible thing

2. Maggie never prepared anything special for James because _______.

A. he was a man difficult to please

B. she never knew when he was coming

C. she was too busy looking after her children

D. he never stayed long enough for a meal

3.What do we know about James’ behavior?

A. He was a kind man, with love for the family.

B. He was generous, especially towards his brother.

C. He was anxious to please the family, especially the kids.

D. He was rude to his sister-in-law.

4.Maggie felt pleased when _______.

A. she paid James the money that she owed him

B. James gave some money to the children

C. she had to wake James up to catch his train

D. James thanked her for the nice supper

One fine day, an old couple around the age of 70, walks into a lawyer's office. Apparently, they are there to file a divorce. Lawyer was very puzzled, after having a chat with them, he got their story.
This couple had been quarreling all their 40 years of marriage nothing ever seems to go right.
They hang on because of their children, afraid that it might affect their up-bringing. Now, all their children have already grown up, have their own family, there's nothing else the old couple have to worry about, all they wanted is to lead their own life free from all these years of unhappiness from their marriage, so both agree on a divorce.
While they were signing the papers, the wife told the husband. “I really love you, but I really can't carry on anymore, I'm sorry.”
"It's OK, I understand." said the husband.
Little did she know that, over the years, the husband has been trying all ways to please her, little did she know that drumsticks were the husband's favorite.
Little did he know that she never thought he understands her at all, little did he know that she hates drumsticks even though all he wants is the best for her.
That night, both of them couldn't sleep, toss and turn, toss and turn. After hours, the old man couldn't take it anymore, he knows that he still loves her, and he can't carry on life without her, he wants her back, he wants to tell her, he is sorry, he wants to tell her, "I love you."
He picked up the phone, started dialing her number. Ringing never stops. He never stops dialing.
On the other side, she was sad, she couldn't understand how come after all these years, he still doesn't understand her at all, she loves him a lot, but she just can't take it any more. Phone's ringing, she refuses to answer knowing that it's him. "I want to keep it this way, if not I will lose face. "She thought. Phone is still ringing. She has decided to pull out the cord.
Little did she remember, he had heart problems.
The next day, she received news that he had passed away. She rushed down to his apartment, saw his body, lying on the couch still holding on to the phone. He had a heart attack when he was still trying to get through (接通) her phone line.
【小题1】The old couple wanted to file a divorce because __________.