---Alice, you didn’t come to Tim’s birthday last night.

---I wished I had, but my parents just simply___ not let me out so late at night.

A. might B. should

C. would D. could

---Would you like to read some news about the football game, Jane?

---______. I feel like doing something else.

A. Not likelyB. No problem

C. Not reallyD. Never mind

Four years ago, I felt lucky after escaping one of those terrible 2-mile runs. I hated ; it was just something that came easily to me. At that time, if you had told me that I would one day run a marathon, I’d have told you in all honesty that I had a better of winning the lottery（彩票）.

The turning came when I met Mrs. Green. She was fifty years old, going through chemotherapy(化学疗法)for her cancer, and still to run 30 miles a week. I that if Mrs. Green could run 6 miles at a time, I could run at least two. In February, in cold weather, I started to walk a 2-mile around my neighborhood. Two months later, I the whole route, running for the first time. I felt exhausted, I felt happy.

Over the next several years, I continued to push each run for a few minutes, slowly building my endurance(耐力). I didn’t need to against other runners, for my most important competitor was myself.

After continuing to myself, I knew it was time to step my training up. I I would train for the Detroit Free Press/ Flagstar Marathon.

The race day came and I was filled with excitement and worry. It was the final time to see what I was made of. The ended up incredibly. I did through the last few miles, but after my journey, there was no doubt in my mind that I’d finished. As I the finish line, I experienced the strongest sense of and happiness I had ever had in my life. I am now a marathoner.

As John Bingham once said, “The isn’t that I finished. The miracle(奇迹) is that I had the to start.”

1.A. studying B. thinking C. running D. teaching

2.A. never B. always C. usually D. often

3.A. chance B. belief C. suggestion D. hope

4.A. case B. point C. situation D. stage

5.A. devoted B. applied C. led D. managed

6.A. figured B. agreed C. provedD. ordered

7.A. race B. route C. site D. test

8.A. closed B. changed C. finished D. considered

9.A. and B. or C. so D. but

10.A. perfect B. extra C. actual D. basic

11.A. compete B. take C. rely D. argue

12.A. treat B. entertain C. march D. challenge

13.A. forced B. decided C. doubted D. seemed

14.A. certainly B. instantly C. finally D. regularly

15.A. moment B. atmosphere C. experience D. reward

16.A. struggle B. manage C. get D. look

17.A. travelled B. moved C. crossed D. walked

18.A. touch B. pride C. humor D. hearing

19.A. miracle B. habit C. view D. way

20.A. chance B. ability C. idea D. courage

Rembrandt was an extraordinary Dutch painter. He was most well-known for his brushwork and the way in which he connected with the human soul. His life, however, was not happy.

He was born on July 15,1606 in Leiden, the Netherlands. His father wanted him to have a real, learned profession but Rembrandt left the University of Leiden after becoming bored. He began studying art under a local teacher but soon left and studied in Amsterdam where he mastered all his lessons in six months!

At the age of 22, he moved back to Leiden and began to get his own students. One of his students was the famous artist Gerrit Dou. In 1631 he returned to Amsterdam where he became the most popular portrait painter in Holland. Rembrandt met Saskia and married her in 1634. She was a cousin of a very successful art dealer and she helped him to meet wealhy people who commissioned(委任制作) many paintings from him. He used her as a model in many of his paintings.

Rembrandt’s private life, however, was very unfortunate. He had four children with Saskia but only one, Titus, survived. Saskia died in 1642 at the age of only 30. In 1649, his housekeeper became his second wife and was also a model for many of his paintings. Even though Rembrandt was very successful as an artist, art dealer and teacher, he lived in a careless way and had to declare bankruptcy(破产) in 1656. He even had to sell his whole art collection and his house to pay off his debts.

His unfortunate life, however, didn’t affect his art. He painted many great paintings during that time. His new love, Hendrickje, died in 1663 and his 27-year-old son, Titus, died in 1668. Eleven months later, on October 4, 1669, Rembrandt died in Amsterdam. He produced more than 600 paintings and over 2,000 drawings!

1.Which of the following is the reason that made Rembrandt’s business fail?

A. As an extraordinary Dutch painter, he knew nothing about business.

B. He spent most of his time on art, leaving no time to care his business.

C. All his children but Titus died, which made him very sad.

D. Like other famous artists, he was thoughtless.

2.From the passage we learn that Rembrandt .

A. graduated from the University of Leiden

B. began his teaching career in 1628

C. married Saskia when he was 22 years old

D. was good at drawing animals and flowers

3.How many members of Rembrandt’s family died before him, not including his parents?

A. Four. B. Five. C. Six. D. Seven.

4.What’s the best title for this passage?

A. A brief biography of Rembrandt

B. A great Dutch painter

C. The greatest painter in the world

D. Rembrandt’s unhappy family

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He’s an old cobbler(修鞋匠) with a shop in the Marais, a historic area in Paris. When I took him my shoes, he at first told me, “I haven’t time. Take them to the other fellow on the main street; he’ll fix them for you right away.”

But I’d had my eye on his shop for a long time. Just looking at his bench loaded with tools and pieces of leather, I knew he was a skilled craftsman(手艺人) . “No,” I replied, “The other fellow can’t do it well.”

“The other fellow” was one of those shopkeepers who fix shoes and make keys “while-U-wait” —without knowing much about mending shoes or making keys. They work carelessly, and when they have finished sewing back a sandal strap(鞋带) you might as well just throw away the pair.

The man saw I wouldn’t give in, and he smiled. He wiped his hands on his blue apron（围裙）, looked at my shoes, had me write my name on one shoe with a piece of chalk and said, “Come back in a week.”

I was about to leave when he took a pair of soft leather boots off a shelf.

“See what I can do?” he said with pride. “Only three of us in Paris can do this kind of work.”

When I got back out into the street, the world seemed brand-new to me. He was something out of an ancient legend, this old craftsman with his way of speaking familiarly, his very strange, dusty felt hat, his funny accent from who-knows-where and, above all, his pride in his craft.

These are times when nothing is important but the bottom line, when you can do things any old way as long as it “pays”, when, in short, people look on work as a path to ever-increasing consumption(消费) rather than a way to realize their own abilities. In such a period it is a rare comfort to find a cobbler who gets his greatest satisfaction from pride in a job well done.

1.Which of the following is true about the old cobbler?

A. He was equipped with the best repairing tools.

B. He was the only cobbler in the Marais.

C. He was proud of his skills.

D. He was a native Parisian.

2.The sentence “He was something out of an ancient legend”(Paragraph 7) implies that .

A. nowadays you can hardly find anyone like him

B. it was difficult to communicate with this man

C. the man was very strange

D. the man was too old

3.According to the author, many people work just to .

A. realize their abilities

B. gain happiness

C. make money

D. gain respect

4.This story wants to tell us that .

A. craftsmen make a lot of money

B. whatever you do, do it well

C. craftsmen need self-respect

D. people are born equal

Is there something that you’ve always wanted to try but just never have the time? Well, make plans to try it now since you are on summer vacation. Not all vacations call for taking a tour bus to take photos of famous landmarks. Some vacations allow you plenty of opportunities to learn.

The most difficult aspect of a learning vacation may be choosing one because the possibilities are endless. If you enjoy cooking, various companies can take you to Italy, France, Spain, Mexico or even Peru. Once there, you can learn to prepare the local cuisine(烹饪). Trips are often planned to fit in with local food festivals or special events.

The term “learning vacation” often brings language to mind. The best way to learn a language is in an environment where it’s spoken. Study Spanish, French or English. Or attempt a more unusual language like Polish, Estonian or Thai. You’ll be able to learn about the country and absorb the culture at the same time.

If you are fond of sports, you can polish your skills or learn new ones. Golf and tennis schools welcome players of all levels. If you want a bigger thrill, you can learn to surf, go climbing or race cars. It’s ever possible to learn the art and techniques of bull fighting while on vacation!

You can also discover your inner artist. Many places offer painting classes in different mediums. The scenic locations of the schools offer plenty of subjects that provide inspiration for practice.

If you prefer capturing the world on film, take a photography vacation. Travel with a small group to photograph beautiful animals or scenery. You can also practice your technique on people or at historical sights.

Once you decide on a vacation, choose a company carefully. Request names of recent customers you can contact, and then ask them for an evaluation(评价). The more you know before you go, the better prepared you’ll be. Then go out and learn something!

1.Why is it hard for you to decide on a learning vacation?

A. Because it is hard for you to make plans.

B. Because the possibilities are unlimited.

C. Because there are many good foods from abroad.

D. Because there’s too many food festivals or events.

2.The advantages of learning a language in its native country is that .

A. the environment is fit for you to use the language

B. you are able to learn the original foreign language

C. native speakers offer you a lot of chances to practice

D. you can learn the language and experience its culture

3.Which of the following sports suits you if you don’t like thrills?

A. Car racing. B. Playing tennis.

C. Rock climbing. D. Surfing.

4.The purpose of writing the text is to .

A. advertise some popular summer programmes

B. encourage readers to have a good time relaxing

C. offer some tips on how to enjoy a learning vacation

D. attract more readers to spend summer time learning

BEIJING, March 9—The central government will require an additional three years of use for official vehicles for ministers and governors to reduce the costs of purchasing new cars, media have reported.

The new rule has been applied among all Party and government departments nationwide, the Beijing News reported on Tuesday. The new rule has not yet been made public, said Li, a member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference National Committee.

Under the old rules, the cars used by minister-level officials could be replaced as often as every five years, Li said. These officials will also retain the same cars when they assume new posts, he added.

The new rule also reiterated（重申） that officials ranking below minister-or governor-levels should not be allocated(分配) cars. The cars possessed by their departments should be used on demand.

“It violates（违反） the rules for lower-ranking-even county-level-officials to be allocated cars, “Li said.

Purchases of vehicles for official use have been heavily investigated, as they account for a large expenditure of public funds every year.

A survey on the Web news www. ifeng. com found 64 percent of respondents believed the new rule will be difficult to implement（执行实施） because it is related to officials’ interests.

“Local government departments had halted approvals for requests for such vehicles and had started to work on new quotas under the new rules.” Li said.

“The future reform of official vehicle use will introduce market mechanisms and monetization.”

Premier Wen Jiabao said in the annual government work report on Saturday that expenditures on such vehicles will not increase in 2011 compared with a year ago.

Beijing’s standing deputy mayor Ji Lin last week said the municipal government will release the number of vehicles for official use in the capital as early as at the end of this month.

Earlier this month, the Ministry of Finance had published a rule regulating the budgets for such vehicles.

1.What is the purpose of the new rule allocating vehicles among officials?

A. To promote a low-carbon lifestyle.

B. To cut down the present huge expenditures of purchasing cars.

C. To make good use of the budgets for official cars.

D. To solve the problem of severe traffic jam.

2.How often could the care used by minister-level officials be replaced according to the new rule?

A. Every 3 years. B. Every 5 years.

C. Every 8 years. D. Every 10 years.

3.What about the officials ranking below minister-or governor-levels in terms of official vehicles?

A. They can still possess special cars.

B. They can use their own private cars.

C. They can use cars whenever officially necessary.

D. They can be allocated second-hand cars.

4.What is the public’s attitude toward the new rule’s fulfillment?

A. Skeptical. B. Optimistic.

C. Indifferent. D. Passive.

阅读下面短文，根据以下提示：1）汉语提示，2）首字母提示，3）语境提示，在每个空格内填入一个适当的英语单词，并将该词完整地写在右边相对应的横线上。所填单词要求意义准确，拼写正确。

Dear Ralph, 

I’m a middle school student. I’m writing to tell you my problem ,which has t___ me for a long time. It is the relation______my mother and me. My mother is a university professor, _______ works very hard. She is s____ with me, but she is so busy with her work that she has l___ time to talk to me . I love her and I do well in my studies, but I still feel a little a_______ of her because she loses her temper _______(容易地). I don’t know how to c________(交流) with her. Maybe we should exchange our feelings and thoughts in a right way. I w___ we knew more about each other and _______ each other better. What can I do?

Best wishes!

Yours,

Tom

日常生活中，越来越多的人选择用手机短信的方式送祝福。据报道，有些人在元旦一天之内就收发了数百条新年祝福短信。请你以“More people are sending holiday greetings by text messages”为题目，按以下要点用英语写一篇120词左右的短文。

1、描述以上有关手机短信互送祝福的情况；

2、分析原因（如手机的普遍使用、方便快捷、费用纸……）

3、简短评论。

注意：短文的标题已给出（不计入总词数）

More people are sending holiday greetings by text messages