Just how popular was Mini? Very. Every year her classmates voted(推举) her the favorite student. The friends she had were much more than those of anyone else.

One day Mini was caught yakkety-yakking(大声说笑) and ordered to stay back as punishment(惩罚). Staying back meant doing something “useful”, like helping in the library after school.

Now Mini’s school had a rule. Once a month, if you had something else to do the day you were punished, you could ask a friend to stand in for you.

Unluckily, her aunt was visiting Mini that day. That afternoon was the only chance Mini had of seeing her for another five years.
　 Mini needed someone to stand in for her. She asked Betty, her “best” friend. “Oh, no, Mini, I can’t,” Betty said. “I must help my brother do his homework.”

“Tony, will you stay back for me?” Mini asked another friend. “I wish you’d told me earlier. I have to go to a relative’s house with my father,” he said.

Now, Mini was beginning to doubt(怀疑) if even one of her friends would agree to stay. But she tried again. She asked three more friends and each one refused.

　 So, after school Mini stayed to help the librarian. And, when she found Mini crying after everyone had left, it was she who surprised Mini by allowing her to leave to meet her aunt. “I may have many friends,” Mini said to herself, “but in reality I have none.”

51. What does staying back mean in Mini’s school?

A. It means you have to do more homework.

B. It means you must study harder.

C. It means you have to do something “useful”.

D. It means you should ask a friend for help.

52. How many friends did Mini ask for help?

A. Two.　　 B. Three.　　 C. Four.　 D. Five.

53. Who helped Mini in the end?

A. The teacher. 　 B. Tony. 　 C. The librarian. 　D. Nobody.

54. What is the meaning of the underlined phrase “in reality”?

A. 最后　 B. 事实上　 C. 终于 　　D. 首先

55. Which of the following can describe Mini’s feeling?

A. Happy. 　 B. Excited.　　 C. Sad. 　　D. Bored.

Peter’s job was to examine cars when they crossed the frontier（国境） to make sure that they were not smuggling(走私) anything into the country. Every evening he would see a factory worker coming   41   the hill towards the frontier, pushing a bike with a pile of goods(货物) of old straw on it. When the bike   42   the frontier, Peter would stop the man and   43   him take the straw off and untie（解开） it. Then he would examine the straw very   44   to see   45   he could find anything, then he would look in all the man’s pockets   46   he let him tie the straw again. The man would then put it on his bike and go off down the hill with it. Although Peter was always   47   to find gold or other valuable things hidden in the straw, he never found anything. He was sure the man was   48   something, but he was not   49   to think out what it could be.

Then one evening, after he had looked through the straw and emptied the worker’s pockets   50   usual, he   51   to him, “Listen, I know you are smuggling things   52   this frontier. Won’t you tell me what it is? I’m an old man, and today is my   53  day on the job. Tomorrow I’m going to retire(退休). I promise I shall not tell  54   if you tell me what you’ve been smuggling.” The worker did not say anything for   55  . Then he smiled, turned to Peter and said quietly, “Bikes.”

41. A. towards             B. down                       C. to                          D. up
42. A. arrived               B. appeared            C. came              D. reached
43. A. ask                    B. order                        C. make              D. call
44. A. carefully             B. quickly                     C. silently            D. horribly
45. A. that                    B. where                       C. how               D. if

46. A. before                B. after                         C. first                D. so
47. A. lucky                 B. hoping                      C. thinking          D. wondering
48. A. taking                       B. smuggling          C. stealing           D. pushing
49. A. possible                     B. strong                      C. able                D. clever

50. A. like                           B. more                        C. then               D. as
51. A. told                           B. cried                        C. ordered           D. said
52. A. cross                        B. past                          C. across            D. into
53. A. last                    B. first                   C. newest                  D. second
54. A. everyone            B. anyone              C. no one              D. someone
55. A. moment                    B. long time                  C. sometime        D. some time

On Christmas Eve a few days ago, an English couple, the Hardens, got a very special call. It was only a 20-second call but it was very 　46 . The Hardens’ 15-year-old daughter has gone 　47 　six months before. On Christmas Eve she rang them. “I’m phoning to wish you a happy Christmas, ”she said, “I love you.”

　 Ronals and Edwine Harden were so 　48 that they started a special telephone service（服务）called“Alive and Well”. The service helps 　49 to get in touch with children who have run away from home.

　 Young people can phone“Alive and Well”and leave a message for their parents. The telephone are answered by answering machines. So 　50 can speak to the child or make him return home. Parents of runaway children who are 51 　eighteen can ask the police to bring their children home. So children do not want to tell their parents where they are. Through “Alive and Well”they can telephone their parents and they do not 52 about this or giving out their addresses.

　 The Hardens and their helpers 　53 the telephone messages and connect（联系）the addresses given. About 30,000 British teenagers have left home and many of them are probably in 　54 . For only two pence（便士）they can go into a telephone coin box and call their parents. They can dial 5675339 and 55 a parent worry: Is he dead or alive?

46. A. interesting　　　　　　　　 B. important　　　　　　　　 C. difficult　　　　　　　　　 D. exciting

47. A. away　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. out　　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. back　　　　　　　　　　　 D. along

48. A. angry　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. happy　　　　　　　　　　　 C. sad　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. kind

49. A. teachers B. people　　　　　　　　　　 C. parents D. friends

50 A. someone　　　　　　　　　　 B. anyone　　　　　　　　　　 C. everyone　　　　　　　　 D. no one

51. A. at　　　　　　　　　　　 　　　 B. above　　　　　　　　　　　 C. over　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. under

52. A. think　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. worry　　　　　　　　　　 C. talk　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. hear

53. A. ask for B. listen to C. look up　　　　　　　　　 D. write down

54. A. Pairs B. Tokyo C. London　　　　　　　　　 D. New York

55. A. stop B. make C. feel　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. leave