A strange woman comes to my door one day in early March.It’s a rich area so we often have people selling things door to door，dusters，make?up，frozen foods—but she doesn’t look like a professional saleswoman.She hasn’t got the patter(喋喋不休) either.She just smiles shyly and puts a card in my hand：“Amy Turner.Pet Portraits Undertaken.”

I run my fingernail along the cheap gold edge of the card and look at her，waiting for an explanation.

“I’ll paint any animal in the comfort of your own home.”Amy Turner says.“Wouldn’t you like a nice picture of your loved one？I’ve had experience of dogs，cats，parrots，prize bulls...”

“Prize bulls！”I can’t help looking up and down our street.The thought of any of my neighbours keeping bulls in their back gardens makes me smile.

“I don’t have any animals，”I say as we look past each other.She must be wishing some little cat or dog would come running down the hall to give the game away and it is the first chance I’ve had to smell the air outside.It is one of those spring mornings when you wake up and find winter’s gone.Even the camellia in the garden opposite has flowered overnight，pink blossoms which look shocking against the quiet greens and greys.

“Why are you still in your dressing gown？”Amy says，turning her attention back to me.“It’s nearly lunchtime.Are you ill？”

“I’m fine，”I lie.I’m not going to tell a stranger I’ve just been sick in the toilet upstairs and would still be sticking my fingers down my throat if the doorbell hadn’t rung.But now I’m not sure what to do next.Amy is still standing there.She_doesn’t_seem_to_think_that_not_having_a_pet_is

_a_good_enough_excuse.

“I’m starving.”she says and I smile politely，nodding the way you do before you say goodbye.

“No，”she puts her foot in the door.“I’m really starving.I’ve had nothing to eat for two days and no one has any pets for me to paint.I need some food or I’ll faint，right here on your doorstep.”

I stand to one side and let her in.

1．According to the text，what does a professional saleswoman usually do?

A．Sells things door to door with her cards.

B．Never puts a card into people’s hands.

C．Tries to talk people into buying her things.

D．Smiles，hands her cards and walks away.

2．What does the underlined word “one” in the third paragraph stand for?

A．Dog. 　　　　B．Child.　　　　　 C．Pet. 　　　　　D．Cat.

3．From the text we know that Amy is a ________.

A．young baby?sitter 　 B．poor beggar　 C．professional salesgirl D．poor painter

4．What does the writer mean by saying “She doesn’t seem to think that not having a pet is a good enough excuse.”？

A．It seems that she doesn’t want to leave.

B．She wants the writer to give another excuse.

C．She is sure there is a pet in the house.

D．She thinks that not having a pet is a bad thing.

The back door of the ambulance (救护车) was suddenly shut and the driver ran to the front, jumped into the seat, and started the engine. Inside were the 　36　 parents, Mr. and Mrs. Green, the mother holding their baby daughter, Ally. The little girl had some food stuck in her 　37　and could hardly 　38　.?
The driver, Mr. White, 　39　 his siren (警报器) and flashing light, and started speeding toward the 　40　 hospital, fighting against 　41　. The cars ahead of him pulled out of way 　42　 he drove through the busy traffic. From the back of the ambulance the parents were shouting at him to 　43　, since Ally almost stopped breathing. In front of him he saw some traffic 　44　, with the red “stop” light shining. Mr. White knew he had no time to lose, so he drove straight past the traffic lights, looking 　45　 his left and right as he did so.
Coming towards him from his right was a 　46　. The driver had the windows 　47　, since the car was air-conditioned, and he was playing his radio. He did not hear the ambulance.
The lights were 　48　, so he drove straight 　49　 into the path of the ambulance. Mr. White tried to stop his ambulance, but it was too late. It hit the taxi. Everyone was shaken but no one was hurt. Mr. White looked back to see 　50　 little Ally was. He was 　51 to see relief instead of fear in the face of the parents.
“Look!” cried Mrs. Green. “She is 　52　 again.”?
“It must have been the crash (撞击),” said her husband. “It 　53　 the food out of her throat.” The baby’s color was turning normal, and she was crying in a loud 　54　 healthy voice.
They were all joyful, and quite forgot about the 　55　, the taxi, and the lines of cars all around them.

The back door of the ambulance (救护车) was suddenly shut and the driver ran to the front, jumped into the seat, and started the engine. Inside were the 　36　 parents, Mr. and Mrs. Green, the mother holding their baby daughter, Ally. The little girl had some food stuck in her 　37　and could hardly 　38　.?

    The driver, Mr. White, 　39　 his siren (警报器) and flashing light, and started speeding toward the 　40　 hospital, fighting against 　41　. The cars ahead of him pulled out of way 　42　 he drove through the busy traffic. From the back of the ambulance the parents were shouting at him to 　43　, since Ally almost stopped breathing. In front of him he saw some traffic 　44　, with the red “stop” light shining. Mr. White knew he had no time to lose, so he drove straight past the traffic lights, looking 　45　 his left and right as he did so.

    Coming towards him from his right was a 　46　. The driver had the windows 　47　, since the car was air-conditioned, and he was playing his radio. He did not hear the ambulance.

    The lights were 　48　, so he drove straight 　49　 into the path of the ambulance. Mr. White tried to stop his ambulance, but it was too late. It hit the taxi. Everyone was shaken but no one was hurt. Mr. White looked back to see 　50　 little Ally was. He was 　51  to see relief instead of fear in the face of the parents.

    “Look!” cried Mrs. Green. “She is 　52　 again.”?

    “It must have been the crash (撞击),” said her husband. “It 　53　 the food out of her throat.” The baby’s color was turning normal, and she was crying in a loud 　54　 healthy voice.

They were all joyful, and quite forgot about the 　55　, the taxi, and the lines of cars all around them.

1.A. worried            B. excited      C. angry            D. surprised

2.A. mouth             B. nose      C. throat           D. ear

3.A. talk　            B. breathe       C. cry                  D. hear

4.A. turned on         B. opened on　   C. turned off       D. sped up

5.A. best              B. biggest　     C. first            D. nearest

6.A. time              B. cars          C. policemen    D. speed

7.A. that              B. as            C. there        D. if

8.A. stop              B. slow down C. hurry            D. keep safe

9.A. lights            B. signs         C. policemen    D. marks

10.A. at                   B. to                C. down     D. forward

11.A. taxi             B. car           C. truck        D. train

12.A. up               B. down          C. open         D. covered

13.A. red              B. green         C. yellow       D. out

14.A. out　            B. away          C. on           D. off

15.A. who              B. what          C. where        D. how

16.A. lucky　          B. astonished        C. worried      D. happy

17.A. crying              B. breathing      C. smiling      D. talking

18.A. made             B. let           C. knocked      D. pulled

19.A. and              B. with          C. or　             D. but

20.A. driver               B. accident      C. girl         D. reporters

　 My first performance in front of an audience was coming up soon.

　 I tried as hard as I could to remain 36　 , but I had an empty feeling in my stomach. I stared down at my sweat-covered, 37　 hands.

　 I looked up again at the audience, realizing that these were 　38 people. They were not just my mum and dad, who 　39 say, "Good job!" even if I messed up the entire piece.

　 What if I had the wrong music? What if I played the wrong notes?

　 As it 　40 , I was never able to answer these questions because the spotlight was 　41 for me. I grasped my hands tightly together, drying off the sweat.

　 Slowly I walked to the mulberry piano in the 42 of the room. It contained 88 demanding keys, which were waiting impatiently to be played．I swallowed the golfball-sized lump（隆起的） in my throat and sat down. 43 , I opened the music. Next, I rested my still shaking hands on the ivory keys.

　 As my fingers played across the keys, I was becoming more 　44 of my preparation for this moment. But the memory of my year of training came flooding back. I knew that I had practiced this piece 　45 that I could play it backwards if 　46 .

　 Although at one point I accidentally played two keys　 47　 the intended one, I continued to move my fingers automatically. My eyes burned holes into the page in front of me.

　 There was no　 48　 that I was going to lose my concentration. To keep this promise to myself, I leaned　 49 and focused carefully on the music.　 50 1 came to the end of the page, a warning 　51 inside my head: DON' T MAKE A MISTAKE WHEN YOU TURN THE PAGE!

　 Needless to say, I 52　 myself with all my heart and mind. And, proud of my "page- turning" feat (技艺), I finished the 53　 of the piece without making a single mistake.

After the final note died away, a celebration went into action 54　 my head. I had finished. I had mastered the　 55 .

36．　 A．unknown 　　　　 B．still 　　　　　　 C．calm 　　　　　　　　　　　 D．quiet

37．　 A．shaking　　 　　 B．moving　 　　 C．waving 　　　　　　　　 D．wandering

38．　 A．true　 　　　　　　 B．real　 　　　 C．young　 　　　　　　　　 D．old

39．　 A．will 　　　　　　　　 B．can　　 　　 C．could　 　　　　　　　　　 D．would

40．　 A．turned out 　　　 B．turned up 　　 C．turned back 　　　　　　 D．turned down

41．　 A．looking　 　　　 B．searching 　　 C．expecting 　　　　　　　 D．waiting

42．　 A．corner　　 　　 B．cross 　　　　　 C．center　 　　　　　　　　 D．passage

43．　 A．Slowly　 　　　 B．Happily　 　　 C．Quickly 　　　　　　　　　 D．Suddenly

44．　 A．sure 　　　　　　　　 B．unsure 　　　　 C．certain 　　　　　　　　　 D．confident

45．　 A．so much time　　 B．so hardly 　　 C．such a lot of time　　　 D．so many times

46．　 A．requested　 　　 B．told　　 　　 C．demanded 　　　　　　 D．ordered

47．　 A．in spite of 　　　　 B．instead of 　　 C．in the way of 　　　　　 D．in the shape of

48．　 A．way 　　　　　　　　 B．need　 　　　　 C．use 　　　　　　　　　　　　 D．sense

49．　 A．backward　　　　　 B．forward　　　　 C．upward　　　　　　　　　　 D．downward

50．　 A．Then　　　　　　　　 B．Next　　 　　 C．When　 　　　　　　　　 D．While

51．　 A．appeared 　　　　 B．had　 　　　　 C．raised　　　 　　　　 D．went

52．　 A．told　 　　　　　　 B．asked　　 　 C．obeyed 　　　　　　　　　 D．refused

53．　 A．other　 　　　　　 B．part　　 　　 C．left 　　　　　　　　　　　　 D．rest

54．　 A．inside 　　　　　　　 B．outside 　　　　 C．out of 　　　　　　　　　　 D．on

55．　 A．musical 　　　　　　 B．piece 　　　　　 C．impossible　　　　　　　　 D．possible