In the doorway of my home, I looked closely at my 23-year-old son, Daniel. In a few hours he would be flying to France to    36   a different life. It was a transitional（过渡的）time in Daniel's life. I wanted to    37   him some words of significance. But nothing came from my lips, and this was not the    38   time I had let such moments pass.

When Daniel was five, I took him to the bus stop on his first day of kindergarten. He asked, “What is it going to be like, Dad? Can I do it?” Then he walked   39   the steps of the bus and disappeared inside. The bus drove away and I said nothing. A decade later, a similar  40  played itself out. I drove him to college. As I started to leave, I tried to think of something to say to give him   41   and confidence as he started this new stage of life. Again, words   42   me.

Now, as I stood before him, I thought of those   43   opportunities. How many times have I let such moments   44  ? I don't find a quiet moment to tell him what they have   45   to me. Or what he might   46   to face in the years ahead. Maybe I thought it was not necessary to say anything.

What does it matter in the course of a lifetime if a father never tells a son what he really thinks of him?    47   as I stood before Daniel, I knew that it did matter. My father and I loved each other. Yet, I always     48   never hearing him put his   49   into words. Now I could feel my palms sweat and my throat tighten. Why is it so    50   to tell a son something from the heart?

My mouth turned dry, and I knew I would be able to get out only a few words clearly. “Daniel,” I said, “If I could have picked, I would have picked you.” That's all I could say. He hugged me. For a moment, the world    51  , and there were just Daniel and me. He was saying something, but tears misted my eyes, and I couldn't understand what he was saying. All I was  52 

of was the stubble（短须）on his chin as his face pressed   53   mine. What I had said to Daniel was    54   . It was nothing. And yet, it was   55   .

1.A. experience         B. spend            C. enjoy           D. shape

2.A. show               B. make             C. leave                D. instruct

3.A. last               B. first                C. very                 D. next

4.A. upward             B. into            C. down            D. up

5.A. sign               B. scene           C. scenery         D. sight

6.A. interest           B. benefit              C. courage         D. measure

7.A. failed                 B. discouraged     C. struck          D. troubled

8.A. future             B. embarrassing    C. obvious              D. lost

9.A. last               B. pass            C. fly                  D. remain

10.A. counted          B. meant            C. valued               D. existed

11.A. think             B. want             C. expect               D. wish

12.A. But               B. And              C. Instead              D. So

13.A. wondered          B. regretted            C. minded               D. tried

14.A. views             B. actions         C. feelings             D. attitudes

15.A. important         B. necessary            C. hard            D. complex

16.A. disappeared           B. changed         C. progressed           D. advanced

17.A. pleased               B. convinced            C. aware            D. tired

18.A. by                B. against              C. on              D. with

19.A. clumsy            B. gentle               C. violent              D. moving

20.A. none              B. all             C. anything             D. everything

B

Mary went out at night. She never forgot the night when she met a robber many years ago.

That evening, she was invited to a birthday party which lasted until two o’clock in the ?morning. Without company Mary walked along the quiet street.

Suddenly from the shadow of a dark building a tall man with a sharp knife in his right hand ran out at her. “Good evening, lady,” the man said in a low voice, “I don’t think you wish to die here.”

“What do you want?” Mary asked.

“Your earrings （耳环）.Take them off!” Slowly Mary’s eyes looked down. She tried to cover her necklace with the collar（领子）of her overcoat while she used the other hand to take off both of her earrings, and then she quickly threw them on the ground.

“Take them and let me go.” she said. The robber looked at her only feeling uncertain. He saw the girl didn’t care for the earrings at all, only trying to protect the necklace. He realized the necklace would cost more. So he said, “Give me your necklace.”

“Oh, sir. It’s not worth much. Please let me keep it.”

“Stop rubbish. Quick!”

With shaky hands, Mary took off her necklace. As soon as the robber disappeared, she picked up her earrings and ran as fast as she could to one of her friends.

The earrings cost 480 pounds and the necklace the robber had taken away cost only six pounds ten shillings.

44. Mary never forgot that night because ___________.

A. she was robbed of her necklace                      B. she was robbed, but she fooled the robber

C. she had a good time at the party              D. she lost her earrings

45. The party ___________.

A. didn’t end at two      B. ended before two     C. lasted two hours      D. was over at two

46. She tried to protect the necklace because ___________.

A. she didn’t want to lose it                        B. it was more important           

C. she liked it better than earrings                     D. she would rather have the necklace lost

47. The story tells us that she was a ___________girl.

A. clever and brave     B. clever and beautiful    C. brave and careful      D. clever and careful

Mary went out at night. She never forgot the night when she met a robber many years ago.

That evening, she was invited to a birthday party which lasted until two o’clock in the ?morning. Without company Mary walked along the quiet street.

Suddenly from the shadow of a dark building a tall man with a sharp knife in his right hand ran out at her. “Good evening, lady,” the man said in a low voice, “I don’t think you wish to die here.”

“What do you want?” Mary asked.

“Your earrings （耳环）.Take them off!” Slowly Mary’s eyes looked down. She tried to cover her necklace with the collar（领子）of her overcoat while she used the other hand to take off both of her earrings, and then she quickly threw them on the ground.[

“Take them and let me go.” she said. The robber looked at her only feeling uncertain. He saw the girl didn’t care for the earrings at all, only trying to protect the necklace. He realized the necklace would cost more. So he said, “Give me your necklace.”

“Oh, sir. It’s not worth much. Please let me keep it.”

“Stop rubbish. Quick!”

With shaky hands, Mary took off her necklace. As soon as the robber disappeared, she picked up her earrings and ran as fast as she could to one of her friends.

The earrings cost 480 pounds and the necklace the robber had taken away cost only six pounds ten shillings.

44. Mary never forgot that night because ___________.
A. she was robbed of her necklace                                           B. she was robbed, but she fooled the robber
C. she had a good time at the party                                   D. she lost her earrings
45. The party ___________.
A. didn’t end at two             B. ended before two             C. lasted two hours               D. was over at two
46. She tried to protect the necklace because ___________.
A. she didn’t want to lose it                                             B. it was more important             

C. she liked it better than earrings                                          D. she would rather have the necklace lost
47. The story tells us that she was a ___________girl.
A. clever and brave              B. clever and beautiful          C. brave and careful             D. clever and careful

When my son, Justin, was four, he found a caterpillar (毛虫) and put it in a jar. Each day he fed it with fresh grass and leaves. In a few weeks we discovered it 　36　 in a cocoon (茧).

Justin was excited. He knew a moth (蛾) or butterfly was about to be 　37　, but he didn’t know what kind. He was　 38　 to know what gift nature was about to give him.

“Dad!” shouted the boy while running to me one day. “Something’s 　39　. Come see!”

He led me to his room. The cocoon had become half transparent and we could 　40　 the wings of the unborn. Soon, a moth broke free from the cocoon, and laid eggs completing the life 　41　 of the little caterpillar.

The next day, I convinced Justin it was time to set the moth free. He took it 　42 , opened the jar, and the little moth flew out. It 　43　 the yard twice, came back, and landed on Justin’s arm. He picked it up, tossed it in the air, and the moth repeated its　 44　 pattern. He tried over and over, but each time it would 　45　 to his arm.

Justin　 46 _. He put his little pet back to the jar. The next day he attempted to set it free again, and after a few repetitions of the same behavior, the moth　 47　 flew off into the grass.

Like a 　48　, I believe the moth was afraid to leave what it was comfortable with. It wanted to stay with something　 49　, scared to move on and experience something unknown.

I was once that little moth. My cocoon was my mother’s 　50 , in which I was comfortable. Like the moth, I didn’t want to fly too far away from it. I was　 51　 when my first job required me to move to a new city. What would I find there? I liked　 52　 I was.

Humans are creatures of 　53　. We resist change. However, if I hadn’t moved, I would not have experienced many　 54　 and wonderful things or met many of my friends. So each move gave me the 　55　 to learn and experience, but best of all, I met friends.

36. A. trapped B. wrapped C. developed D. protected

37. A. born B. changed C. raised D. created

38. A. upset B. content C. lucky D. curious　　　　

39. A. disappearing B. happening C. spreading D. cracking 　

40. A. identify B. feel C. count D. imagine

41. A. plan B. task C. cycle D. project

42. A. back B. down C. aside D. outside

43. A. explored B. searched C. circled D. abandoned

44. A. flight B. game C. adventure D. communication

45. A. stick B. cater C. turn D. return

46. A. kept up B. gave up C. looked around　　　　　 D. turned around

47. A. carelessly B. successfully C. finally D. hesitatingly　

48. A. human B. butterfly C. caterpillar D. pet

49. A. friendly B. similar 　　　　　　　　　 C. pleasant D. familiar

50. A. love B. instruction C. requirement D. expectation

51. A. thrilled B. crazy C. afraid D. annoyed　　

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

53. A. emotion B. conscience C. habit D. ambition

54. A. odd B. new C. funny D. vital　　　　

55. A. courage B. pleasure　　　　　　　　　 C. motivation D. opportunity

The young boy saw me, or rather, he saw the car and quickly ran up to me, eager to sell his hunches (串) of bananas and bags of peanuts．Though he appeared to be about twelve, he seemed to have already known the bitterness of life．“Banana 300 naira．Peanuts 200 naira.” He said in a low voice．I bargained him down to 200 total for the fruit and nuts．When he agreed, I handed him a 500 naira bill．He didn’t have change, so I told him not to worry．He said thanks and smiled a row of perfect teeth.

When, two weeks later, I saw the boy again, I was more aware of my position in a society where it’s not that uncommon to see a little boy who should be in school standing on the corner selling fruit in the burning sun．My parents had raised me to be aware of the advantage we had been afforded and the responsibility it brought to us. I pulled over and rolled down my window．He had a bunch of bananas and a bag of peanuts ready．I waved them away．“What’s up?” I asked him．“I … I don’t have money to buy books for school.” I reached into my pocket and handed him two fresh 500 naira bills．“Will this help?” I asked．He looked around nervously before taking the money．One thousand naira was a lot of money to someone whose family probably made about 5,000 naira or less each year．“Thank you, sir,” he said．“Thank you very much!”

When driving home, I wondered if my little friend actually used the money for schoolbooks．What if he’s a swindler (骗子)? And then I wondered why I did it．Did I do it to make myself feel better? Was I using him? Later, I realized that I didn’t know his name or the least bit about him, nor did I think to ask.

Over the next six months, I was busy working in a news agency in northern Nigeria．Sometime after I returned, I went out for a drive．When I was about to pull over, the boy suddenly appeared by my window with a big smile ready on his face.

“Oh, gosh! Long time.”

“Are you in school now?” I asked. He nodded. “That’s good,” I said．A silence fell as we looked at each other, and then I realized what he wanted．“Here,” I held out a 500 naira bill．“Take this.” He shook his head and stepped back as if hurt．“What’s wrong?” I asked．“It’s a gift.” He shook his head again and brought his hand from behind his back．His face shone with sweat (汗水)．He dropped a bunch of bananas and a bag of peanuts in the front seat before he said, “I’ve been waiting to give these to you.”

46．What was the author’s first impression of the boy?

       A．He seemed to be poor and greedy．B．He seemed to have suffered a lot.

       C．He seemed younger than his age     D．He seemed good at bargaining.

47．The second time the author met the boy, the boy _____.

       A．told him his purpose of selling fruit and nuts 

       B．wanted to express his thanks

       C．asked him for money for his schoolbooks    

       D．tried to take advantage of him

48．Why did the author give his money to the boy?

       A．Because he had enough money to do that.

       B．Because he had learnt to help others since childhood.

       C．Because he held a higher position in the society.

       D．Because he had been asked by the news agency to do so.

49．Which of the following best describes the boy?

       A．Brave and polite．                 B．Kind and smart.

       C．Honest and thankful．            D．Shy and nervous.