Watching some children trying to catch butterflies one August afternoon,I was reminded of an incident in my own childhood. When I was a boy of twelve in South Carolina,something happened to me that made me never put any wild creature        (living thing) in a cage (笼子) .

We lived on the edge of a forest,and every evening at dusk the mockingbirds (嘲鸫) would come and rest in the trees and sing. There isn't a musical instrument made by man that can produce a more beautiful sound than the song of the mockingbird.

I decided that I would catch a young bird and keep it in a cage and in that way,I would have my own private musician.

I finally succeeded in catching one and put it in a cage. At first,being scared,the bird fluttered (朴腾) around the cage,but finally it settled down (定居下来) in its new home. I felt very pleased with myself and looked forward to some beautiful singing from my little musician.

On the second day of the bird's captivity,my new pet's mother flew to the cage with food in her mouth. The baby bird ate everything she brought to it. I was pleased to see this. Certainly the mother knew better than I how to feed her baby.

The following morning when I went to see how my captive (被监禁的，被关押的) bird was doing,I discovered it on the floor of the cage,dead. I was terribly surprised!What had happened!I had taken extremely care of my little bird,or so I thought.

Arthur Wayne,the famous ornithologist (鸟类学家) ，who happened to be visiting my father at the time,hearing me crying about the death of my bird,explained what had happened ," A mother mockingbird,finding her young in a cage,will sometimes bring it poison berries (毒莓) .She thinks it better for her young to die than to live in captivity."

Never since then have I caught any living creature and put it in a cage. All living creatures have a right to live free.

(   ) 11. Why did the writer want to keep the bird in a cage? Because         .

   A. the bird was beautiful

   B. the bird could have a place to rest

   C. the writer liked the singing of the bird

   D. the writer didn't have an instrument

(   ) 12. When I came to see the bird the following day,I saw        and I was scared.

   A. the pet's mother came to feed the bird

   B. the bird was dead in the cage

   C. the bird was calm

   D. the bird was fluttering

(   ) 13. Why did the mother bird came to feed the baby?

   A. The mother was afraid that the baby would be hungry.

   B. The baby hoped that.

   C. The writer didn't take good care of the bird.

   D. The mother bird didn't want the baby to be caged.

(   ) 14. Which of the following best explains the underlined word "captivity" in the reading?

   A. Being caged. B. Scares. C. Staying in a place. D. Living happily.

(   ) 15. The best title of the passage should be         

   A. All Living Creatures Have a Right to Live Free

   B. It's Better to Die Than to Live in Captivity

   C. Never Put a Bird in Cages

   D. Mother Knows Better about Baby

A small,white envelope stuck among the branches of our Christmas tree and it has been there for the past ten years or so.

It all began because my husband Justin hated Christmas―oh,not the true meaning of Christmas. Overspending was one thing,but compared to the difficult experience of choosing gifts―running around at the last minute to get a tie for Uncle Harry and a pair of gloves for Grandma. . . spending money is nothing. I felt too tired to think of any special gifts.

Knowing Justin felt the same way,I decided one year not to buy the usual shirts,sweaters,ties and so on. I reached for something special just for Justin. The inspiration came in an unusual way.

Our son Kevin,who was 12 that year,was wrestling (摔跤) at the junior level at the school he attended;and shortly before Christmas,there was a match against a team sponsored (赞助) by an innercity church. These youngsters,dressed in such wornout shoes that shoe strings seemed to be the only thing holding them together,while our boys were in their blue and gold uniforms and new wrestling shoes.

As the match began,I was shocked to see that the other team were wrestling without wearing helmets (头盔) to protect their ears. Well,our boys ended up defeating them. We took every weight class.

Justin,seated beside me,shook his head sadly, "I wish just one of them could have won ," he said. "They have a lot potential (潜力) ，but losing like this could take the heart out of them. " Justin loved kids―all kids,and he knew them,having coached little league football and baseball. That's when the idea for his present came. That afternoon,I went to a local sporting goods store and bought different kinds of wrestling helmets and shoes. I sent them to innercity church without leaving my name.

On Christmas Eve,I placed the envelope on the tree,the note inside telling Justin what I had done and that was his gift from me. His smile was the brightest thing about Christmas that year and since then the envelope has become the highlight of our Christmas.

(   ) 6. Justin hated Christmas because         .

   A. he didn't enjoy receiving gifts

   B. he had a hard time choosing gifts

   C. he spent too much money buying gifts

   D. he disliked putting gifts under the Christmas tree

(   ) 7. We know from the passage that the team sponsored by innercity church .

   A. were well dressed   B. paid no attention to safety

   C. feared Kevin's team   D. couldn't afford a helmet

(   ) 8. How did Justin feel about the team's failure?

   A. Upset. B. Angry. C. Hopeless. D. Shameful.

(   ) 9. Why did the writer send gifts to the innercity church without leaving her name?

   A. To avoid being thanked.

   B. To play a joke on Justin.

   C. To give Justin a surprise.

   D. To protect her private information.

(   ) 10. Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?

   A. The Church Gift   B. A Special Note

   C. The White Envelope   D. A Christmas Card

(   ) 1. When was the Apple II invented?

   A. In 1976.   B. In 1977.   C. In 1998.   D. In 2010.

(   ) 2. When did the iMac first come out?

   A. In 1976.   B. In 1998.

   C. In 2010.   D. In

2011.

(   ) 3. Which one was the oldest?

   A. The Apple II. B. The iMac.

   C. The iPad. D. The iPhone 4s.

(   ) 4. From the passage,we can know that the iPad         .

   A. has a better camera

   B. is the first personal computer

   C. has a CD-ROM slot

   D. is great for watching movies

(   ) 5. According to the passage,which of the following is true?

   A. IPhone 4s' screen is larger than iPhone 4.

   B. IPhone 4s has a larger and slimmer case than iPhone 4.

   C. IPhone 4s uses less time to transfer data than iPhone 4.

   D. IPhone 4s with an improved camera is cheaper than iPhone 4.

Nowadays many new and useful inventions have come into use. If I were a scientist,I would have my own invention,a magic door,a door that can take me to every p 1       of the world,just like Doraemon's magic door.

S 2       our life is getting busier and busier,my magic door is really needed. The population of the world is r 3       day by day,and the number of cars used is getting larger. Therefore,traffic jam becomes a big problem to people in both poor and d 4       countries. Moreover,by using a large number of cars,people have to face another problem：the p 5       of the air. All those reasons 1 6       to the need for such an invention as a magic door. It can take the place of the traditional ways of transportation.

Magic doors have many a 7       Firstly,you can go wherever you want in a minute. Just open the door and go t 8       it,you can stand in another place. Two parts of the door are two parts of the world. Thus,magic doors can meet the n 9       for discovering new places for people. Secondly,magic doors sometimes can even make people safe. Magic doors can be used in everyday life. If you dropped into a river by accident,for example,people would go there immediately to help you get out of d 10       by using magic doors.

1. p       2. S       3. r       4. d        5. p         

6. 1        7. a      8. t       9. n       10. d       

There was once a lonely girl who longed so much for love. One day while she was walking in the woods she found two starving songbirds. She took them home and put them in a small cage. She cared them with love and the birds grew strong. Every morning they greeted her with a wonderful song. The girl felt great love for the birds (女孩对鸟表现出极大爱心) .

One day the girl left the door to the cage open. The larger and stronger of the two birds flew from the cage. The girl was so frightened that he would fly away. As he flew close,she grasped him wildly. Her heart felt glad at her success in capturing him. Suddenly she felt the bird go limp (跛行) .She opened her hand and stared in horror at the dead bird. Her desperate (铤而走险的) love had killed him.

She noticed the other bird moving back and forth on the edge of the cage. She could feel his great need for freedom. He needed to soar (高飞) into the clear,blue sky. She lifted him from the cage and tossed him softly into the air. The bird circled once,twice,three times.

The girl watched delightedly at the bird's enjoyment. Her heart was no longer concerned with her loss. She wanted the bird to be happy. Suddenly the bird flew closer and landed softly on her shoulder. It sang the sweetest melody (歌曲，旋律) that she had ever heard.

The fastest way to lose love is to hold on it too tight,the best way to keep love is to give it wings！

(   ) 11. Which of the following can be mainly mentioned in the passage?

   A. The starving girl.

   B. Love is all.

   C. Lonely songbirds.

   D. What is the best way to keep love.

(   ) 12. Every morning the birds greeted her with a wonderful song because         .

   A. they can only sing the wonderful song

   B. she cared them with all her love

   C. the birds felt great love from the girl clearly

   D. the birds wanted her to be happiest

(   ) 13. The writer thinks that the birds in the cage         .

   A. will die soon

   B. want to fly in the blue sky

   C. give their love to her every time

   D. will lose their need for freedom

(   ) 14. The underlined word "tossed" means         -

   A. held   B. caught   C. kept   D. threw

(   ) 15. How does the writer feel about love?

   A. One should be no longer concerned with her loss.

   B. The fastest way to get love is the best way.

   C. Keeping love is more difficult than losing love.

   D. The best way to keep love is to meet need for freedom.

  It was Thanksgiving morning. In the crowded kitchen of my small home,I was busy getting ready for the traditional Thanksgiving turkey when the doorbell rang. I opened the front door and saw two small children in very old clothes standing together outside the door in the storm.

"Any old papers,Lady?" asked one of them.

I was busy. I wanted to say "no" until I looked down at their feet. They were wearing thin little shoes,wet with heavy snow.

"Come in and I'll make you a cup of hot coffee."

They walked over and sat down at the table. Their wet shoes left marks (痕迹) on the floor. I served them coffee and bread to fight against the coldness outside.

After a while,the girl held the empty cup in her hands,looking at it. The girl asked in a low voice. "Lady,are you rich?"

"Am I rich? Oh,no!"

I looked at my old slipcovers (沙发套) .The girl put her cup back in its plate carefully and said, "Your cups match your plates."Her voice was hungry with a need that no food could offer. They left after that,holding their paper against the wind. They hadn't said "Thank you". They didn't need to. They had reminded me that I had so much for which to be grateful.

The blue cups and plates were only worth five pence. But they matched.

I moved the chairs back from the fire and cleaned the living room. The marks of small shoes were still wet on my floor. Let them be for a while,I thought,just in case (以防) I should begin to forget how rich I am.

(   ) 6. Two children came to the writer's front door because         .

   A. it was too cold

   B. it was Thanksgiving Day

   C. they wondered if the writer had old papers

   D. they wondered if the writer would offer them a cup of coffee

(   ) 7. Which of the following is true?

   A. The writer had old papers to sell.

   B. The writer showed great pity on them.

   C. The writer knew them and wanted to make them a cup of coffee.

   D. The writer wanted to invite them to her Thanksgiving party.

(   ) 8. Why did the girl think the writer may be rich?

   A. Because she saw that the lady's room was comfortable.

   B. Because the writer's slipcovers were very new.

   C. Because the writer was so kind.

   D. Because she saw the cups matched the plates.

(   ) 9. According to the passage,we know that whether you are rich depends on         .

   A. what job you are doing

   B. how you have helped others

   C. how you feel about your life

   D. how much money you have had

(   ) 10. The writer left the marks of small shoes on the floor a while to         .

   A. remind her that she had helped two children

   B. remind her how rich she was

   C. show that she was a kindhearted woman

   D. show her husband that someone had come

Read the directions of the medicine before you make your choices.

Adults： 2 tablespoonfuls Children： according to age 10 ~ 14 years 4 teaspoonfuls 6〜10 years 2 teaspoonfuls 3 ~6 years 1 teaspoonfuls Repeat above dose (—次剂量) every 1/2 hour to 1 hour if needed until 8 doses are taken. If you do not get better within two days,see a doctor.

SHAKE WELL BEFORE USING

(   ) 1. According to the directions,what should you do before taking this medicine?

   A. Heat it on the fire,

   B. Add some hot water to it.

   C. Move the bottle quickly up and down.

   D. Go and ask the doctor's advice.

(   ) 2. For whom would a dose of two teaspoonfuls be suggested?

   A. A grownup. B. A 10-to-14-year-old child.

   C. A 3-to-6-year-old child. D. A 6-to-10-year-old child.

(   ) 3. What is the largest amount of medicine that should be taken by an adult in a fourhour period?

   A. Two doses. B. Six doses.

   C. Four doses. D. Eight doses.

(   ) 4. According to the directions,how are children's doses decided?

   A. By the age of the child.

   B. By the weight of the child.

   C. By the time of day.

   D. By seeing a doctor.

(   ) 5. What should you do if the medicine doesn't work?

   A. Change it for some better medicine.

   B. See a doctor.

   C. Stop taking it.

   D. Taking more.

What would you do if you got a lot of money？

B1       cool sports shoes,candies and fashion magazines? Maybe all of these！

But such spending would not be a g 2       idea. Your parents wouldn't do that. When smart people get money,like their salary,they will put some in the b 3       It's called saving. Why do we need to save? It's preparing for a rainy day (未雨绸缪) .You never know w 4       will happen in your life. For example,you might f 5       to lock your bike and someone takes it. Then you'd have to buy a n 6       one. If you don't have the money,you will be walking!What about a p 7       for your best friend's birthday? It f 8       in the same month as Mother's Day and a great concert. Where's the money to come from? You need savings to get through the expensive time！

You also can save your future big spending. Your digital (数码的) camera needn't be just a d 9       ,if you build your savings for half a year. It may take many years to save e10       for going to college?

1. B       2. g       3. b        4. w       5. f         

6. n        7. p       8. f        9. d       10. e      

I'm a 43-year-old mother of three young kids with a Master of Science degree (理学硕士) . I also deliver (递送) pizzas for a living. I stated doing it after staying home with my children for four years. Caring for kids all day is a good opportunity for many women,but it wasn't right for me. I began suffering from depression and decided to get a job so I'd have more of my own world. Now I work nights when my husband is home,so we don't have to depend on a child care center.

After I learned the basic skills of pizza delivery―like getting the orders together and not getting lost―I began my new "career".

Our community (社区) had a small expensive college full of students who ordered lots of pizzas. Most of the kids were friendly and polite. On Friday and Saturday nights,some of the dorms (宿舍) had huge parties. Though the stairs were sticky from beer and the music was so loud that they couldn't hear me knock on the door,the crowds of happy students shouting "Pizza!Pizza!" always let me through.

The first few days of each month,one of us drivers would take our turn to cover the publichousing developments. These customers did not always tip well,but I always liked seeing the children and adults sitting outside and enjoying the evenings when the weather was nice.

I also deliver to homes of rich people now,but the amount I make in tips has stayed the same. As I drive up to these beautiful houses,it's easy to imagine a generous tip. The person who answers the door always looks young and,like the members of my own family,highly educated. All I usually get is a brief "Thank you" and a dollar or two.

People might say I'm crazy to waste my education,but I have what most of them don't― a job I love.

(   ) 11. Many people think it is a waste for the writer to deliver pizzas because

   A. she was born in a rich family

   B. she is not good at her job

   C. she is highly educated

   D. her husband has made much money

(   ) 12. From this passage we learn that         .

   A. the writer likes staying at home caring for her children

   B. the writer works in a college

   C. the writer's husband usually works during the day

   D. the writer's children are usually sent to a child care center in the day

(   ) 13. It is very clear that         

   A. most of the students were not friendly to them

   B. on weekends some students like holding parties

   C. the writer makes more tips from homes of rich people

   D. the writer didn't go to college

(   ) 14. The words "a generous tip" probably mean "         

   A. a big end   B. some money for service

   C. some beautiful words   D. some money for sales

(   ) 15. We can infer from this passage the writer -

   A. is a mother of three children

   B. loves her work very much

   C. thinks getting pleasure from work is very important

   D. has to make a living by delivering pizzas

Once there was an unknown young painter who made a living by painting portraits (pictures of persons) . One day,a rich man came by and asked him to draw a portrait for him. They agreed on the pay of 10,000 dollars.

Soon the portrait was finished. But the rich man hit on a bad idea, "The man in the painting is me. If I don't buy this painting,no one else will. Why should I pay so much money for it？”So he said, "I will only pay 3 ,000 dollars."

The young artist was shocked and strongly argued about the fairness. But the rich man just didn't listen to him, "I ask you one last time,will you sell it for 3 ,000 dollars or not?"

The young artist knew the rich man went back on his word on purpose,so he said calmly, "No,I'd prefer not to sell the painting rather than being humiliated by you. But if you break your promise today,you'll pay 20 times of it later. Let's wait and see."

Before long the painter moved out of this sad place,visiting many famous teachers to study hard on painting night and day.

More than a dozen ( means 12) years passed. The rich man had already forgotten the artist's painting and words until one day,some of his friends came to tell him, "It is so strange!We paid a visit to a famous artist's exhibition of paintings,and found that the man on one of the paintings which is marked 200,000 dollars looks exactly the same as you. It is so ridiculous that the title of the painting is Thief."

It was a headon blow to him. He immediately thought up the young painter years ago. If the painting was really the one on which he broke his promise that year,it would be terrible. He went to the exhibition right away. As he feared,the painting named Thief was no other than that one on which he had broken his words that year. He quickly apologized to the artist and paid 200,000 dollars to buy back the portrait.

The young painter finally brought the rich man to his knees. Nobody can really humiliate or beat you as long as you put all your heart in what you are interested in. And this young man's name was Pablo Picasso.

(   ) 6. The rich man changed his mind to pay only 3 ,000 dollars,because         .

   A. nobody else would buy the painting except him

   B. the painting was just worth that price

   C. he wanted to bully (欺负) the young man with no fame

   D. he was short of money at that time

(   ) 7. The underlined word "humiliated" probably means "      ".

   A. 羞辱   B. ,&败   C. 打击   D. 轻视

(   ) 8. We can learn from the passage that the young painter         .

   A. became very famous because of the painting Thief

   B. finally made his word come true

   C. painted another painting in memory of the rich man

   D. changed his name many years later

(   ) 9. According to the passage,the writer wants to tell us that         .

   A. one should become famous to stop others from bullying him

   B. we must make a lot of money to make others respect us

   C. we should not look down upon unknown artists

   D. no one but yourself can defeat you

(   ) 10. Which is the best title of the passage?

   A. Pablo Picasso

   B. The Painting Titled Thief

   C. Pay for What You Should Pay

   D. Cost of Going Back on One's Word