I really like reading and writing short stories. My favourite collection of short stories is a book called The Story Giant by Britain Patten , in which a giant , alone in a crumbling (将倒塌的) castle , knows all the stories in the world except one. He gets four children from different parts of the world to tell him stories in the hope that he will find the last story so he can stay alive. Do you think he finds the last story ?

　 I also like reading novels. One of my favourite novels is called Life of Pi . It is written by a Canadian called Yann Martel and is about an Indian boy who spends a long time at sea after a shipwreck (海难) alone with nobody but a tiger .

Not many people read plays these days but many people still enjoy watching them at the theatre or on television. As for me , I read scripts much more often than I go to see live theatre. I like plays which are either about great people and great events or about something from everyday life which is funny .

Perhaps the least popular form of literature is poetry. This is because many poems are very difficult to understand and often seem to be written by very clever people to be read by very clever people too. In my native England though there is a poet called Roger McGough who writes very funny and interesting poems which anybody can understand. Most of them are about everyday events and ordinary people. I wish I could write poems like him.

1. In writing this passage , the author probably intends to ___ .

A. develop students’ interest in books

B. recommend some excellent books

C. express his / her love for literature

D. streets the importance of reading

2. According to Paragraph 1, what will happen if the last story can’t be found ?

A.The story giant will die.　　 B. The kids will be killed .

C. The castle will disappear . D. There will be a shipwreck .

3. According to the author , which of the following have the smallest number of readers ?

A. Short stories.　 B. Novels . C. Plays .　 D. Poems

4. From the passage , we can know that the author was born in ____ .

A. Canada　 B. Britain　 C. India D. the US

(10·四川)

Recently， I flew to Las Vegas to attend a meeting. As we were about to arrive，the pilot announced with apology that there would be a slight 2l　 　before setting down. High desert winds had 　22　 the airport to close all but one runway. He said that we would be 　23　 the city for a few minutes waiting to 　24 . We were also told to remain in our seats meanwhile with our seat belts fastened 25 there might be a few bumps(颠簸)．We11，that few minutes turned into about four—five minutes，including a ride that would make a roller coaster(过山车) 26 by comparison.

The movement was so fierce that several passengers felt 27 and had to use airsickness bags. As you might guess，that’s not good thing to have happen in a(n) 28 　space because it only 29 　to increase the discomfort of the situation.

About twenty minutes into the adventure，the entire airplane became very 30 . There was now a sense of anxiety and fear that could be 31 noticed．Every passenger simply held on for dear life …except one. A 32 was having a good time! With each bump of the33!he would let out a giggle(咯咯的笑)of delight As I observed this，I 34　 that he didn’t know he was supposed to be afraid and worried about his 　 35 He neither thought about the past nor about the future Those are what we grown—ups have learned from 36　 .He was 37 the ride because had not yet been taught to fear it. Having understood this，I took a deep breath and 38 back into my seat，pretending I was 　39 on a roller coaster. I smiled for the rest of the flight. I even 40　 to giggle once or twice ,much to the chagrin(随恼)of the man sitting next to me holding the airsickness bag.

21. A. mistake　　 B. delay　　 C. change　 D. wind

22. A. forced　　　 B. warned　　 C. swept　 D. reminded

23. A. watching　　 B. visiting　 C. circling 　D. crossing

24. A. arrive　　　 B. enter　　 C. stop　　 D. land

25. A. if　　　　　 B. though　　 C. because D. while

26. A. light　　　 B. pale　　　 C. easy　　 D. quick

27. A. sick　　　　 B. nervous　 C. angry　 D. afraid

28. A. empty　　　 B. narrow　　 C. secret　 D. open

29. A. happens　　 B. continues C. fails　 D. serves

30. A. quiet　　　　 B. hot　　　 C. dirty　 D. crowded

31. A. partly　　　　 B. gradually　　 C. shortly　　 D. clearly

32. A. pilot　　　　　 B. baby　　　　 C. guard　　 D. man

33. A. seats　　　　 B. passengers　　 C. flight　　 D. airplane

34. A. realized　　　 B. hoped　　　 C. agreed　 D. insisted

35. A. health　　　 B. safety　　　　 　C. joy　　　 D. future

36. A. teachers　　　　 B. books　　　　 C. experience　 D. practice

37. A. learning　　 B. taking　　 C. missing　　　 D. enjoying

38. A. sat　　　 B. lay　　　　　 C. went　　　　　 D. rode

39. A. nearly　　 B. finally　　 C. really　　　　 D. suddenly

40. A. attempted　 B. managed　　 C. wanted　　　 D. decided　　

People do not analyze every problem they meet. Sometimes they try to remember a solution from the last time they had a 36 problem. They often accept the opinions or ideas of other people. Other times they begin to act without 37 ; they try to find a solution by trial and error(反复试验). 　38 , when all of these methods 39 , the person with a problem has to start analyzing. There are six 40 in analyzing a problem.

41 ，the person must recognize that there is a problem. For example, Sam’s bicycle is broken, and he cannot ride it to class as he usually does. Sam must 42 that there is a problem with the bicycle.

Next, the person must find out the problem. Before Sam can repair his bicycle, he must know why it does not work. For example, he must 43 the parts that are wrong.

Now the person must look for 44 that will make the problem clearer and lead to 45 solutions. For example, suppose Sam decides that his bicycle does not work because there is something wrong with the brakes. 　46 , he can look into his bicycle repair book and read about brakes, talk to his friends at the bike shop, or look at his brakes carefully.

After 47 the problem, the person should have 48 suggestions for a possible solution. Take Sam as an example 49 , his suggestions might be: tighten or loosen the brakes; buy new brakes and change the old ones.

In the end, one 50 seems to be the solution to the problem. Sometimes the

51 idea comes quite 52 because the thinker suddenly sees something new or sees something in a different way. Sam, for example, suddenly sees there is a piece of chewing gum (口香糖) stuck to a brake. He 53 hits on the solution to his problem: he must 54 the brake.

Finally the solution is 55 . Sam does it and finds his bicycle works perfectly. In short he has solved the problem.

36. A. serious 　　　　　　 B. usual　　　　　　　　 C. similar　　　　　　　　　　 D. common

37. A. searching　　　　　 B. thinking　　　　　　 C. finding　　　　　　　　　　 D. looking

38. A. Besides　　　　　　　B. Instead　　　　　　　C. Otherwise　　　　　　　 D. However

39. A. fail　　　　　　　　　　 B. work　　　　　　　　 C. change　　　　　　　　　　D. develop

40. A. ways　　　　　　　　　B. conditions　　　　 C. stages　　　　　　　　　　　D. orders

41. A. First　　　　　　　　　 B. Usually　　　　　　 C. In general　　　　　　　　 D. Most importantly

42. A. explain　　　　　　　 B. prove　　　　　　　 C. show　　　　　　　　　　　　D. see

43. A. check　　　　　　　　 B. determine　　　　 C. correct　　　　　　　　　　 D. recover

44. A. answers　　　　　　　B. skills　　　　　　　　 C. explanation　　　　　　 D. information

45. A. possible　　　　　　　 B. exact　　　　　　　　 C. real　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. special

46. A. In other words　　 B. Once in a while C. First of all　　　　　　　D. At this time

47. A. discussing　　　　　　 B. settling down　　　C. comparing with　　　D. studying

48. A. extra　　　　　　　　　　 B. enough　　　　　　　 C. several　　　　　　　　　D. countless

49. A. secondly　　　　　　 B. again　　　　　　　　　 C. also　　　　　　　　　　　D. alone

50. A. suggestion　　　　　　 B. conclusion　　　　　 C. decision　　　　　　　　D. discovery

51. A. next　　　　　　　　　　　B. clear　　　　　　　　　 C. final　　　　　　　　　　　D. new

52. A. unexpectedly　　　　 B. late　　　　　　　　　　 C. clearly　　　　　　　　　D. often

53. A. fortunately　　　　　　 B. easily　　　　　　　　　 C. clearly　　　　　　　　 D. immediately

54. A. clean　　　　　　　　　 B. separate　　　　　　　　C. loosen　　　　　　　　 D. remove

55. A. recorded　　　　　　　B. completed　　　　　　 C. tested　　　　　　　　　 D. accepted

—My foot hurts terrible,doctor.

—Well,I wonder 　　　 it has been like this.

A.since when　　　　　B.how　　　　　C.where　　　　　D.when

Back in my country, when I was a child, I used to go to “market day” with my mother. One day each week, farmers used to ___1___ their fruit and vegetables into the city. They ___2___ one street to all cars, and the farmers set up tables for their ___3___. This outdoor market was a great place to ___4___. Everything was fresher than produce in grocery stores because the farmers brought it in ___5___ after the harvest. My mother and I always got there early in the morning to get the ___6___ produce.

The outdoor market was a wonderful adventure for a small child, ___7___ was like a festival — full of colors and ___8___. There are red tomatoes, yellow lemons, green lettuce, peppers, grapes, onions. The farmers did their own ___9___. They all shouted loudly for ___10___ to buy their produce. “Come and buy my beautiful oranges! They’re juicy and delicious and full of vitamins to ___11___ your children healthy and strong!”

Everyone used to ___12___ with the farmers over the ___13___ of their produce. It was like a wonderful drama in a theatre; the buyers and sellers were the “___14___” in this drama. My mother was an ___15___ at this. First, she picked the freshest, most attractive tomatoes, for example. Then she asked the price. The seller told her.

“What?” she said. She looked very surprised. “ So ___16___?”

The seller looked terribly ___17___. “My dear lady!” he replied. “I’m a poor, ___18___ farmer. These are the cheapest tomatoes on the market!”

They always argued for several minutes before agreeing ___19___ a price. My mother took her tomatoes and left. Both buyer and seller were ___20___. The drama was over.

1. A. carry            B. take　        C. bring             D. fetch

2. A. opened　         B. closed　　     C. started　　             D. stopped

3. A. produce　       B. goods　　     C. food　　         D. product

4. A. buy           B. sell　　    C. bargain　　         D. shop

5. A. hurriedly       B. immediately    C. directly            D. straightly

6. A. best　　       B. finest　　     C. freshest            D. cheapest

7. A. who　          B. that　　　     C. which　　       D. what

8. A. voices          B. noises　　     C. sounds　　              D. accent

9. A. shopping       B. business　     C. shouting　        D. advertising

10. A. customers      B. producers　   C. themselves        D. sellers

11. A. keep              B. let　　      C. expect              D. make

12. A. argue          B. talk　　　     C. discuss　　          D. speak

13. A. order          B. price　　　   C. quality　　         D. form

14. A. viewers       B. listeners　      C. actors             D. directors

15. A. actress　       B. inventor　      C. advancer　         D. expert

16. A. wonderful      B. exciting       C. cheap　　　         D. expensive

17. A. injured　        B. hurt　　      C. damaged　         D. wounded

18. A. excellent        B. fair　　　     C. honest　　           D. easy

19. A. with           B. to　　　           C. in　　　　               D. on

20. A. disappointed　B. encouraged  C. satisfied　　　      D. tired