That warm day was the only day of the week without rain. I opened the door, took a seat and began to enjoy the wonderful sunshine. Suddenly, I noticed that the house near mine had been sold. An elderly lady was in front of the door, with some beautiful flowers beside her. I walked to her. She looked to be in her early eighties and had the prettiest white hair.
“Hi! My name is Karmen,” I said smiling brightly at the old lady. She smiled back and said, “Hello, Karmen. I’m Henrietta.” Her voice was very strong for someone at her age. Later, I learned she was alone and had no family or relatives to help her. From that day on, I often visited her and helped her with her housework and sometimes she gave me some delicious food. A year passed, and I considered Henrietta to be one of my best friends.
One day, I walked over for my morning visit and knocked on the door, but there was no answer. I knocked again, and she still didn’ t turn up. So I let myself in, using the key she had given me. I checked her living room and then her kitchen. I finally went into her bedroom, and she was lying peacefully on her bed. Beside her there were two notes. One was her will, which said all that she had would be given to me. The other was a thank-you note. I went to her bedside and cried sadly.
Though several years have gone by, I still miss her deeply. Whenever I look at the beautiful flowers in front of her house, I remember the wonderful friendship we had.
【小题1】Through visiting the old lady, the writer learnt that the old lady __________.

Sixteen years ago a boy gave me an important gift. It was a smile.
It was the early autumn of my first year at a middle school, and my old school was far away. As a result, no one knew who I was. I was very lonely, and afraid to speak to anyone.
Every time I heard the other students talking and laughing, I felt my heart break. I couldn’t talk with anyone about my problems.
Then one day, when my classmates were talking happily with their friends, I was sitting at my desk unhappily as usual. At that moment, a boy entered the classroom. I didn’t know who he was. He passed by me and then turned back. He looked at me, with a smile.
Suddenly, I felt the touch of something bright and friendly. It made me feel happy and warm. That smile changed my life. I started to talk with other students and made friends. Day by day, I became closer to everyone in my class. The boy with the lucky smile has become my best friend now.
One day I asked him why he had smiled, but he couldn’t remember doing so!
It doesn’t matter because all the dark days have gone. I believe that the world is what you think it is. If you think it is lonely, you might always be alone. So smile at the world and it will smile back.
【小题1】When did the writer get the gift?

Four years ago my sweet mom went to be with her Lord. She did it her way.

 I got the call at work, and I headed home quickly. Mom and Dad lived on a small farm that they had owned since I was seven. I hated going there every weekend. There was nothing for a young girl to do but watch the one station on the old TV set, if the weather allowed reception（接收）.

 My mom, on the other hand, loved the peace and quiet of the land and loved to work in the garden among her flowers and vegetables. The place was simple, with no indoor plumbing or heat. We had a big wood stove in the kitchen that did its best to heat the little farmhouse, but it always seemed cold and too quiet to me.

 In the evenings, my mom and I would sit for hours singing in the little kitchen. I sang the melody and Mom harmonized. Her favorite song was "Moon River" and we sang it over and over. Mom told me stories about how when I was a little girl, I could sing before I could talk. She loved to tell how my playpen（婴儿圈栏）sat in the kitchen next to the radio and there was one song I particularly loved called "Ivory Tower".

As time passed, I had my own children and went to visit the farm every week or two. The kids loved the farm and the tractor rides with my dad. Me, well, I still hated the silence of the farm. While my mom loved to sit at her kitchen table and look out at her garden and flowers and retell all the old stories, I missed the hustle and bustle（喧闹）of my life at home. But I sat there listening quietly as she reminisced.

Now, I sat back in the silence and the silence was deafening so I finally leaned over to turn on an old radio. Music always comforted me.

My heart skipped a beat. "Moon River" was playing on the radio. I sat there stunned, with a tear running down my cheek, as I listened to every familiar note.

Then the radio announcer of this oldie station came on. "Here's one we haven't heard in a while," and an unfamiliar song began. I began to cry harder as I heard the words sung over the airwaves. “Come down, come down from your Ivory Tower...”.

1.The writer didn’t like staying in the farm for the following reasons EXCEPT that

    ________.

A. it was too cold and quiet

B. she could only sing one song on the small farm

C. there was nothing more that could make her excited

D. The place was simple, with no indoor plumbing or heat

2.From the first paragraph, we know that the writer’s mother ________.

    A. passed away four years ago

 B. left the small farm with Lord

C. left for Lord to live her own way

    D. preferred to be with Lord

3.The underlined word reminisced in the fifth paragraph probably means ________.

A. recalled       B. comforted       C. shouted        D. sighed

4.Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage _______.

A. The writer was able to sing before she could speak.

B. The writer preferred to live a busy life in the city.

C. The writer was still quite familiar with the song "Ivory Tower".

D. The writer treasured all her childhood memories in the small farmhouse.

5.Which of the following would be the best title for this passage? _______

A. Cherish life                      B. My happy childhood

C. Our small farmhouse               D. Mom’s music

In my life, I have received many gifts from my mother. The most important was my life. However, there’s another special gift I will never forget.
When I grew up, I left home and got a job in South America. One day , a call came from my brother, “Something is wrong with Mom. She’s forgetful (健忘). She thinks we’re hiding (藏) you from her…”
I got back home at once. It was clear that she would not be able to stay in the house alone.
For nearly 4 years I stayed with my mother and we had fun. We even planted some vegetables together in the garden. It was not easy for me. I had to stop working. When I had to leave , I had to ask someone to look after her or drive her to my brother’s.
When it became clear that she was near the end, family memebers were called to come to say their good byes. For 3 weeks my sister and I just sat with Mom, took long walks and spent some real time with each other. My sister and I were both with Mom when she was passing away (去世), holding her hands and telling her how much we loved her. At the end of life, my mother gave me the gift of time with my sister in a way we would never have given ourselves.
【小题1】The writer knew there was something wrong with her mother________.

My life suffered a lot in a summer five years ago. My father died in a car accident, leaving my mother, my two younger brothers and I alone. At that time, I was a senior high school student. After my father’s funeral (葬礼), I had no choice but to drop out of school and work in a factory.

I really wanted to return to school and wanted to go to college, but I couldn’t. I only hoped to bring up my two younger brothers. Life was not easy for me, for I can’t afford their tuition (学费) even if I worked from day to night without stopping. Without my father’s protection, I thought I was a slave (奴隶) to the fate.

Later on, something changed my life. I still remember that it was a rainy day. I put myself in the rain and walked slowly in the street.

Suddenly the rain stopped! I raised my head and found “the sky” was in fact a dark blue umbrella. Then I noticed a middle-aged man with one leg on crutch (拐杖) standing behind me. He said to me, “Why not run without an umbrella? If you didn’t run, you would get drenched.”

The man told me that he was promoter (推销员). He once dreamed of being a policeman, but an accident ruined (毁灭) his dream. Though his present job was not suitable for his legs, it was wonderful start to him. He was very happy that he didn’t lose heart and still “ran” on the road of life…

I was encouraged by the man’s words. I went to a big city and I became an assurance representative (保险代理人). After two years’ running, I did well and my family condition turned better little by little. Later I returned to school and succeeded in my entrance to university.

Life is like this. When you are in rainy days in your life, if you couldn’t find a way to prevent you from being wet, you would be overwhelmed (被制服). But if you decide to get rid of it, you’ll discover that the rainy days last not so long as you imagine.

1.What happened to the writer at the beginning of the story? 

    A. His father died in a car accident six years ago.

    B. He didn’t have money to hold the funeral for his father.

    C. He had to drop out of school to look after his sick mother.

    D. He couldn’t afford his two brothers’ tuition even if he worked from day to night.

2.About the middle-aged man with one leg on crutch, which of the following is NOT true?

    A. He lost one leg in an accident.

    B. He had dreamed of being a policeman.

C. He became a promoter after an accident.

    D. He had a good job which was suitable for him very well.

3.What does the underlined word “drenched” mean in Chinese?

    A. 干燥的       B. 湿透的      C. 紧张的      D.舒服的

4.What’s the main idea of the sixth paragraph?

   A. The writer learned from the man and the situation soon got better.

B. The writer didn’t want to listen to the man and left without any word.

   C. The writer had to give up his dream and became a promoter as the man.

   D. The writer made friends with the man and they got on well with each other.

5.Which is the best title for the passage?

   A. Try to Be Independent.

B. Care for the Disabled Person.

   C. Run out of the Rainy Season of Your Life.

D. Get to Know More About Middle-aged People