原创（十）【原创精品】
During the years of depression(萧条), food and money were very hard to find and people had to trade things with each other.
One day I was   36  some potatoes from Mr Miller. I noticed a small poor boy hungrily   37   a full basket of   38   green peas. Then I was  39  to see that Mr Miller sold the boy a bag of peas   for just a marble (弹球).
Mrs Miller, who had been standing nearby,   40  and told me that Mr Miller loved to trade with the three boys in the village for peas, tomatoes, and other things  41  he didn’t really need any marbles. I left the stand, smiling to myself,   42   by this man.
Several years went by. One day I learned that Mr Miller had died. I took part in the funeral(葬礼),  43   three young men . They came over to Mrs Miller, hugged her, kissed her on the cheek, spoke with her and moved on,   44  their eyes.
Our 45  came to meet Mrs Miller. I mentioned 46   she had told me about the 47 . She told me,“Those three young men above were the boys I told you about. They just told me   48  they appreciated the things Jim‘traded’with them. Now, at last, they came to pay their debt.”
“We’ve 49  had a great deal of the wealth in this world,” she added, “but right now, Jim would consider himself to be the  50   man.”
Then she gently lifted the   51   fingers of her husband. Resting underneath were three red marbles.
At that time I realized that we would not be  52   by our words, but by our kind  53  . It is said that it takes a minute to find a    54  person, an hour to appreciate him, a day to love him, but an entire life to  55  him.
James Barry
36.A.buying                 B. selling                      C.borrowing                 D. hunting
37.A.glaring at              B. glanced at                 C. staring at                  D.watched at
38. A. picking fresh      B.freshly picked            C. picked freshly           D.fresh dried
39. A. astonished          B. amazed                   C. annoyed                   D.worried
40.A.turned over           B.going over                 C. came over                D.coming over
41.A.but                       B. otherwise                 C. or                               D. although
42.A.suspected              B.impressed                  C.regretted                   D.embarrassed
43.A.saw                      B.discovering                C.finding                  D.seeing
44.A.closing                 B.wiped                       C.cleaning                    D.wiping
45.A. time                   B. chance                       C. turn                         D. decision
46.A. the story                 B. the proverb           C. the legend                D. the joke
47.A. marbles               B. men                         C. debt                         D. life
48.A.why                        B. how                         C. when                       D. what
49.A. ever                    B. always                       C. never                       D.seldom
50.A. honest                 B. happiest                   C. coldest                        D. richest
51.A. lifeless                B. regretless                  C. useless                        D. hopeless
52.A. thought               B. touched                    C. remembered             D. affected
53.A.deeds                   B. things                      C. remarks                    D.rewards
54.A. strict                   B. honest                      C. special                            D. learned
55.A.ignore                  B. forget                      C. recognize                 D.remind

Most schools forbid chewing gum, but in a few years they might consider changing that rule. Why? Scientists are finding evidence that gum chewing may be good for your health. It may even help improve your test scores.
This exciting research is just beginning. And in the meantime, companies are also experimenting with adding vitamins, minerals, medicines, and other substances that could give gum the power to cure headaches and fight everything from serious diseases to bad breath.
Other researchers are finding that gum might work better than a pill to deliver medicines and other substances into the bloodstream. That’s because the lining (膜) of our cheeks can absorb certain substances more quickly than our stomachs and intestines (肠) can.
That discovery could help other researchers develop medicine-containing gums that fight colds, ease headaches, battle nervousness, and more. Scientists might even create antimicrobial (抗菌的) gums that cure bad breath.
Those projects may take years, but gum scientists have already had at least one recent success: They’ve created a gum that could help us stay awake.
Researchers have produced a gum called Stay Alert. Each stick has as much caffeine as a cup of coffee. It can take an hour for the caffeine in coffee to have its full effect, but the caffeine in Stay Alert hits in just a few minutes.
The gum is easy to transport and it’s stable in cold and hot climates. Unlike a pill, it doesn’t require water to swallow. Those qualities make it easy for soldiers to use.
For now, Stay Alert is available only to the military (军队). The manufacturer may one day offer it for sale to the public. People who work at night, such as truck drivers and medical personnel who ride in ambulances, might benefit from a product like Stay Alert.
【小题1】 The passage mainly talks about _____.

完型填空（共20小题；每小题1分，满分20分）
阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。
"Hey, Tahlia! How's the model?"
I had just taken a bite of my hot dog __21__ I heard a familiar voice yelling at me from across the crowded school yard. I saw a group of popular girls who were all __22__.
"What kind of __23_ are you going to do? An ad for a Frankenstein movie?" More laughter. My stomach twisted into a tight knot. How could they humiliate (羞辱) me like this, __24__ the entire school? As I walked into the cafeteria, I __25__ the dark scars on my right hand.
At 9 months old, I knocked over a tea pot and dumped boiling water allover my hands and stomach. My parents __26__ me to the hospital, but I had to have skin graft (移植) operation. I was in so much pain! But what __27__ me most were the cruel things people said about how I looked, __28__ that day at lunch.
The girls were being supermean to me because they'd heard I was considering doing some modeling. A close friend had suggested that I shouldn't let my scars limit me and that I might __29__ a good model.
But after that __30__ at school, I was sure I'd made a huge mistake. Upon arriving home, I covered the mirror with a blanket, fell on my bed and sobbed.
The next day, I __31__ myself to go to school. At lunch my best friend Jesse tried to encourage me: "You can't __32_ forever, Tahlia. So what if you have a few scars? Just go outside and show them that you're just as good as they are." Although I knew he was right, I couldn’t __33__ standing up for myself like that.
However, that night as I sat on the bed, my friend's words replayed in my mind. I'm __34__ hiding from myself, I thought. How stupid! Slowly, I stood up, walked over to the __35__, and tossed the blanket aside. There, in the mirror I saw a slim, dark-haired, blue-eyed girl, looking just fine, __36__ with a few scars.
The next day I wore a comfortable T-shirt to school. What's more, I had lunch outside the cafeteria, __37__ beside those mean girls. They were shocked that I should dare to walk into their territory. I felt __38_ too—free and happy.
Sometimes people still look at me strangely. They __39_ and stare, but I don't let it get to me. I have applied to several modeling companies, and at least one company is considering me for jobs. Maybe I'll never __40_ posing on the runway, but I do know one thing: I'm done.

【小题7】

A．hurt B．beat C．disappointed D．puzzled

I have learnt a lot about Chinese life and culture while teaching in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province and found them very interesting．
First, family life is quite   36  in China． In the USA, many young people   37  home after they finish their education and start working． However, in China, it is   38  for people to live with their parents until they get married．   39 , many of my Chinese friends told me that their  40  lived with them and helped take care of them when they were children． It seems that Americans think independence is more important   41  the Chinese think family relationships are more important．
Bargaining is another   42  that I have tried to learn． In the USA, prices are   43  and you can’t ask for a lower price． However in some small Chinese stores and tourist places, you are   44  to bargain． My Chinese friends taught me to ask for 40 percent or 50 percent   45  the original price． If the salesperson doesn’t agree to my price, I should   46  to leave and he might let me come back and sell me the item． It is a skill that you have to   47  if you live in China．
Tipping hasn’t been easier to   48 ． In the USA, many people in the service   49  want to get   50  money for serving customers． Tipping is not a part of Chinese culture．   51  I tried to tip a taxi driver． He looked a little   52  and refused to take the money．
In dinners, perhaps what surprises an American visitor most is that some of the Chinese hosts like to put food into the plates of their   53 ． Actually, this is a   54  of true friendship and politeness． My Chinese friend told me if I didn’t want to eat it, I should just   55  the food in the plate．

At a certain time in our lives we consider every place as the possible sites(地点) for a house. I have thus searched the country within a dozen miles of where I live. In imagination I have bought all the farms, one after another, and I knew their prices.
The nearest thing that I came to actual ownership was when I bought the Hollowell place. But before the owner completed the sale with me, his wife changed her mind and wished to keep it, and he offered me additional dollars to return the farm to him. However, I let him keep the additional dollars and sold him the farm for just what I gave for it.
The real attractiong of the Hollowell farm to me were its position, being about two miles from the village, half a mile from the nearest neighbor, bounded(相邻) on one side by the river, and separated from the highway by a wide field. The poor condition fo the house and fences showed that it hadn’t been used for some time. I remembered from my earliest trip up the river that the house used to be hidden behind a forest area, and I was in a hurry to buy it before the owner finished getting out some rocks, cutting down the apples trees, and clearing away some young trees which had grown up in the fields. I wanted to buy it before he made any more of his improvements. But it turned out as I have said.
I was not really troubled by the loss. I had always had a garden, but I don’t thing I was ready for a large farm. I believe that as long as possible it is better to live free and uncommitted (无牵挂的). It makes but little difference whether you own a farm or not.
【小题1】What do we know about the author?