Tim Richter and his wife, Linda, had taught for over 30 years near Buffalo, New York--he in computers, she in special education. "Teaching means everything to us," Tim would say. In April1998, he learned he would need a heart operation. It was the kind of news that leads to some serious thinking about life's purpose.

      Not long after the surgery, Tim saw a brochure describing Imagination Library, a program started by Dolly Parton' s foundation (基金会) that mailed a book every month to children from birth to age five in the singer's home town of Sevier, Tennessee.“I thought, maybe Linda and I could do something like this when we retire," Tim recalls.  He placed the brochure on his desk, "as a reminder."

      Five years later, now retired and with that brochure still on the desk, Tim clicked on imagination library .com. The program had been opened up to partners who could take advantage of book and postage discounts.

The quality of the books was of great concern to the Richters. Rather than sign up online, they went to Dollywood for a look-see. “We didn’t want to give the children rubbish,” says Linda. The books-reviewed each year by teachers, literacy specialists and Dollywood board members-included classics such as Ezra Jack Keats’s The Snowy Day and newer books like Anna Dewdney’s Llama Llama series.

     Satisfied, the couple set up the Richter Family Foundation and got to work. Since 2004, they have shipped more than 12,200 books to preschoolers in their in their area. Megan Williams, a mother of four, is more than appreciative: “This program introduces us to books I’ve never heard of .”

  The Richters spend about ＄400 a month sending books to 200 children. “Some people sit there and wait to die,” says Tim. “Others get as busy as they can in the time they have left.”

1.

What led Tim to think seriously about the meaning of life?

A. His health problem.                       B .His love for teaching.

C.The influence of his wife.                   D .The news from the Web.

2.

What did Tim want to do after learning about Imagination Library?

A.Give out brochures.                        B .Do something similar.

C. Write books for children                    D. Retire from being a teacher.

3.

According to the text, Dollly Parton is           .

A. a well-known surgeon                     B. a mother of a four-year-old

C. a singer born in Tennessee                  D .a computer programmer

4.

Why did the Richters go to Dollywood?

A. To avoid signing up online.

B. To meet Dollywood board members.

C. To make sure the books were the newest.

D. To see if the books were of good quality.

5.

What can we learn from Tim’s words in the last paragraph?

A. He needs more money to help the children.

B. He wonders why some people are so busy.

C. He tries to save those waiting to die.

D. Hconsiders his efforts worthwhile.

从对话后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项，选项中有两项为多余选项。

(Tim and Alan are looking at some pictures of a holiday.)

Tim:  Alan, do you want to see the pictures of my holiday in Italy?

Alan;  _1._.

Tim:  Ah, the holiday was great! The food was great! The wine was great! __2.__

Alan:  Why was that?

Tim:  Those Italians are crazy drivers! I don’t want to think about it.

Alan:  OK. _3.__.

Tim:  Yes, so here’s a picture of the Leaning Tower of Pisa!

Alan:  Incredible!

Tim:  __4.__. We climbed to the top!

Alan:  How is your Italian?

Tim:  Not very good. But many Italians speak English very well. I was impressed! Oh, this is a land of fashion, too. __5.__.

Alan:  Well, I’m so jealous(嫉妒)…

       A. I’d recommend Italy anytime!

       B. It was raining that day, but it was still wonderful.

       C. But the traffic was horrible!

       D. Oh, these ones are nice.

       E. Sure, what was it like?

       F. Let’s return to the good parts.

       G. That’s an old bridge in Florence.

The house was quiet at 5 am and Tim’s mother was asleep. Only the sound of the big freezer broke the quiet. He’d dreamt of the cave last night. The purring（轻微颤动声）of the freezer had been the sea.                                         
Tim pulled on a sweater and put some apples into his schoolbag. It was too early for breakfast. He’d eat after he’d been through the cave, sitting on the rocks and staring at the sea.
He wished he had a proper pack. His schoolbag would have to do. What else? Sandwiches—but his mother might wake up if he started pulling out bread for sandwiches. She’d want to know why he had to leave so early. He settled for some biscuits, and left a note stuck to the table:
Gone to Michael’s. Back tonight, Tim.
The sky was high and soft and light outside, though the sun still wasn’t up. Even the highway up the hill was quiet as he made his way down the street. The wind from the sea was fresh and sweet.
The sand hills still breathed heat from yesterday’s sun, though the top of the sand was cool. He ran down to the beach impatiently, but there was no one, just dry sand dancing in the early wind and seabirds marching up and down watching the waves.
The light changed suddenly. The first rays of sunlight stretched (延伸) across the sea. The sun was pushing its way over the edge of the world.
Over the first rocks, along to the point, Tim glanced back. The beach was still empty. The sun sailed higher in the sky.
He could see the cave now, even darker in the morning light. The sand turned silver then dark gold as the water flowed away from it. He had to force himself to go closer. Why was it so much more mysterious now? But it would be silly to go back now after so much trouble. He needn’t go in all the way...
【小题1】What did Tim do at the beginning of the story?

The house was quiet at 5 a.m. and Tim’s mother was asleep. Only the sound of the big freezer broke the quiet. He dreamt of the cave last night. The purring (轻微颤动声) of the freezer had been the sea.

  Tim pulled on a sweater and put some apples into his schoolbag. It was too early for breakfast. He’d eat after he’d been through the cave, sitting on the rocks and staring at the sea.

  He wished he had a proper pack. His schoolbag would have to do. What else? Sandwiches—but his mother might wake up if he started pulling out bread for sandwiches, she’d want to know why he had to leave so early. He settled for some biscuits, and left a note stuck to the table:

  Gone to Michael’s. Back tonight. Tim.

  The sky was high and soft and light outside, though the sun still wasn’t up. Even the highway up the hill was quiet as he made his way down the street. The wind from the sea was fresh and sweet.

  The sand hills still breathed heat from yesterday’s sun, though the top of the sand was cool. He ran down to the beach impatiently, but there was no one, just dry sand dancing in the early wind and seabirds marching up and down watching the waves. The light changed suddenly. The first rays of sunlight stretched across the sea. The sun was pushing its way over the edge of the world.

  Over the first rocks, along to the point, Tim glanced back. The beach was still empty. The sun sailed higher in the sky.

  He could see the cave now, even darker in the morning light. The sand turned silver then dark gold as the water flowed away from it. He had to force himself to go closer. Why was it so much more mysterious now? But it would be silly to go back now after so much trouble. He needn’t go in all the way...

1..  What did Tim do at the beginning of the story?

   A. He left the house quietly.                    B. He had breakfast at home

   C. He left a note on the freezer.                D. He put a sweater in his schoolbag.

2..  “He settled for some biscuits” in paragraph 3 means that Tim ___.

   A. had to leave the biscuits on the table        B. liked biscuits better than sandwiches

   C. had to take biscuits instead of sandwiches    D. could only find some biscuits in the kitchen

3..  What made it possible for Tim to see the entry to the cave?

   A. The height of the first rocks             B. The ups and downs of the waves

   C. The change in the position of the sun.        D. The vast stretch of the sunlit beach

4..  Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the story?

   A. The sea looked like a piece of gold.          B. Seabirds flew away when Tim arrived.

   C. Tim was the only person on the beach.     D. The sky got dark as Tim reached the cave.

5... In the story, Tim’s mood changed from ___.

   A. loneliness to craziness                   B. anxiousness to excitement

   C. helplessness to happiness                 D. eagerness to nervousness

Tim Richter and his wife, Linda, had taught for over 30 years near Buffalo, New York--he in computers, she in special education. "Teaching means everything to us," Tim would say. In April1998, he learned he would need a heart operation. It was the kind of news that leads to some serious thinking about life's purpose.
Not long after the surgery, Tim saw a brochure describing Imagination Library, a program started by Dolly Parton' s foundation (基金会) that mailed a book every month to children from birth to age five in the singer's home town of Sevier, Tennessee.“I thought, maybe Linda and I could do something like this when we retire," Tim recalls.  He placed the brochure on his desk, "as a reminder."
Five years later, now retired and with that brochure still on the desk, Tim clicked on imagination library .com. The program had been opened up to partners who could take advantage of book and postage discounts.
The quality of the books was of great concern to the Richters. Rather than sign up online, they went to Dollywood for a look-see. “We didn’t want to give the children rubbish,” says Linda. The books-reviewed each year by teachers, literacy specialists and Dollywood board members-included classics such as Ezra Jack Keats’s The Snowy Day and newer books like Anna Dewdney’s Llama Llama series.
Satisfied, the couple set up the Richter Family Foundation and got to work. Since 2004, they have shipped more than 12,200 books to preschoolers in their in their area. Megan Williams, a mother of four, is more than appreciative: “This program introduces us to books I’ve never heard of .”
The Richters spend about ＄400 a month sending books to 200 children. “Some people sit there and wait to die,” says Tim. “Others get as busy as they can in the time they have left.”
【小题1】
What led Tim to think seriously about the meaning of life?