Jane was walking round the department store. She remembered how difficult 1______ was to choose
a suitable Christmas present for her father. She wished that he was as easy 2______ (please) as her mother,
who was always delighted with perfume.
     Besides, shopping at this time of the year was not 3______ pleasant experience: people stepped on your
feet or 4______ (push) you with their elbows (肘部), hurrying ahead to get to a bargain.
     Jane paused in front of a counter 5______ some attractive ties were on display. "They are real silk," the
assistant tried to attract her. "Worth double the price." But Jane knew from past experience that her 6______
(choose) of ties hardly ever pleased her father.
     Jane stopped where a small crowd of men had gathered. She found some good quality pipes 7______ sale.
She did not hesitate for long: although her father smoked a pipe only once in a while, she knew that this was
a present which was bound to please 8______.
     When Jane got home, with her small but well-chosen present in her bag, her parents were already 9______
table having supper. Her mother was excited. "Your father has at last decided to stop smoking," Jane 10______
(inform).

     Lisa was running late. Lisa, 25, had a lot to do at work, plus visitors on the way: her parents were coming
in for Thanksgiving from her hometown. But as she hurried down the subway stairs, she started to feel
uncomfortably warm. By the time she got to the platform, Lisa felt weak and tired-maybe it hadn't been a
good idea to give blood the night before, she thought. She rested herself against a post close to the tracks.
     Several yards away, Frank, 43, and his girlfriend, Jennifer, found a spot close to where the front of the
train would stop. They were deep in discussion about a house they were thinking of buying.
     But when he heard the scream, followed by someone yelling, "Oh, my God, she fell in!" Frank didn't
hesitate. He jumped down to the tracks and ran some 40 feet toward the body lying on the rails. "No! Not
you!" his girlfriend screamed after him.
     She was right to be alarmed. By the time Frank reached Lisa, he could feel the tracks shaking and see the
light coming. The train was about 20 seconds from the station.
     It was hard to lift her. She was just out. But he managed to raise her the four feet to the platform so that
bystanders could hold her by the grins and drag her away from the edge. That was where Lisa briefly regained
consciousness, felt herself being pulled along the ground, and saw someone else holding her purse.
     Lisa thought she'd been robbed. A woman held her hand and a man gave his shirt to help stop the blood
pouring from her head. And she tried to talk but she couldn't, and that was when she realized how much pain
she was in.
     Police and fire officials soon arrived, and Frank told the story to an officer. Jennifer said her boyfriend was
calm on their 40一minute train ride downtown-just as he had been seconds after the rescue, which made her
think about her reaction at the time. "I saw the train coming and I was thinking he was going to die," she
explained.

1. What was the most probable cause for Lisa's weakness?

A. She had run a long way.
B. She felt hot in the subway.
C. She had done a 1ot of work.
D. She had donated blood the night before.

2. Why did Jennifer try to stop her boyfriend?

A. Because they would miss their train.
B. Because he didn't see the train coming.
C. Because she was sure Lisa was hard to lift.
D. Because she was afraid the train would kill him.

3. How did Frank save Lisa?

A. By lifting her to the platform.
B. By helping her rise to her feet.
C. By pulling her along the ground.
D. By dragging her away from the edge.

4. When did Lisa become conscious again?

A. When the train was leaving.
B. After she was back on the platform.
C. After the police and fire officials came.
D. When a man was cleaning the blood from her head.

5. The passage is intended to ______.

A. warn us of the danger in the subway
B. show US how to save people in the subway
C. tell US about a subway rescue
D. report a traffic accident

     We once had a poster competition in our fifth grade art class.
     "You could win prizes," our teacher told US as she wrote the poster information on the blackboard. She
passed out sheets of construction paper while continuing, "The first prize is ten dollars. You just have to
make sure that the words on the blackboard appear somewhere on your poster."
     We studied the board critically. Some of US looked with one eye and held up certain colors against the
blackboard, rocking the sheets to the fight or left while we conjured up our designs. Others twisted their hair
around their fingers or chewed their erasers while deep in thought. We had plans for that ten-dollar grand
prize, each and every one of US. I'm going to spend mine on candies, one hopeful would announce, while
another practiced looking serious, wise and rich.
     Everyone in the class made a poster. Some of us used parts of those fancy paper napkins, while others
used nothing but colored construction paper. Some of US used big designs, and some of us preferred to
gather our art tidily down in one comer of our poster and let the space draw the viewer's attention to it. Some
of US would wander past the good students' desks and then return to our own projects with a growing sense
of hopelessness. It was yet another grown-up trick of the soil they seemed especially fond of making all of
US believe we had a fair chance, and then always-always-rewarding the same old winners.
     I believe I drew a sailboat, but I can't say that with any certainty. I made it. I admired it. I determined it
to be the very best of all of the posters I had seen, and then I turned it in.
     Minutes passed.
     No one came along to give me the grand prize, and then someone distracted me, and I probably never
would have thought about that poster again.
     I was still sitting at my desk, thinking, what poster? When the teacher gave me an envelope with a ten-
dollar bill in it and everyone in the class applauded for me.

1. What was the teacher's requirement for the poster?

A. It must appear in time.
B. It must be done in class.
C. It must be done on a construction sheet.
D. It must include the words on the blackboard.

2. The underlined phrase in paragraph 3 most probably means _____.

A. formed an idea for
B. made an outline for
C. made some space for
D. chose some colors for

3. After the teacher's words,all the students in the class _____.

A. 1ooked very serious
B. thought they would be rich
C. began to think about their designs
D. began to play games

4. After seeing the good students' designs,some students _____.

A. 1oved their own designs more
B. thought they had a fair chance
C. put their own designs in a comer
D. thought they would not win the prize

5. We can infer from the passage that the author _____.

A. enjoyed grown-up tricks very much
B. 1oved poster competitions very much
C. felt surprised to win the competition
D. became wise and rich after the competition

     A few years ago I had an "aha!" moment regarding handwriting.
     I had in my hand a sheet of paper with handwritten instructions on it for some sort of editorial task.
It occurred at first that I did not recognize the handwriting, and then I realized whose it must be. I finally
became aware of the fact that I had been working with this colleague for at least a year, maybe two, and
yet I did not recognize her handwriting at that point.
     It was a very important event in the computerization of life-a sign that the informal. Friendly
communication of people working together in an office had changed from notes in pen to instant messages
and emails. There was a time when our workdays were filled with little letters, and we recognized one
another's handwriting the way we knew voices or faces.
     As a child visiting my father's office, I was pleased to recognize, in little notes on the desks of his staff,
the same handwriting I would see at home in the notes he would leave on the fridge-except that those notes
were signed "dad" instead of "RFW".
     All this has been on my mind because of the talk about The Rise and Fall of Handwriting, a book by
Florey. Sire shows in her book a deep concern about the fall of handwriting and the failure of schools to
teach children to write well, but many others argue that people in a digital age can't be expected to learn to
hold a pen.
     I don't buy it.
     I don't want to see anyone cut off from the expressive,personal associations that a pen still promotes
better than a digital keyboard does. For many a biographer, part of really getting to know their subjects is
learning to read their handwriting.
     What some people advocate is teaching one of the many attractive handwritings based on the handwriting
of 16th-century Italy. That may sound impossibly grand-as if they want kids to learn to draw by copying
classical paintings. However, they have worked in many school systems.

1. Why was the author surprised at not recognizing his colleague's handwriting?

A. He had worked with his colleague long enough.
B. His colleague's handwriting was so beautiful.
C. His colleague's handwriting was so terrible.
D. He still had a 1ot of work to do.

2. People working together in an office used to _____.

A. talk more about handwriting
B. take more notes on workdays
C. know better one another's handwriting
D. communicate better with one another

3. The author's father wrote notes in pen _____.

A. to both his family and his staff
B. to his family in small letters
C. to his family on the fridge
D. to his staff on the desk

4. According to the author,handwritten notes _____.

A. are harder to teach in schools
B. attract more attention
C. are used only between friends
D. carry more message

5. We can learn from the passage that the author _____.

A. thinks it impossible to teach handwriting
B. does not want to lose handwriting
C. puts the blame on the computer
D. does not agree with Florey

     A long time ago, Milton S. Hershey, the creator of the popular chocolate bars, was dipped in warm
chocolate. I know all about it. My grandfather was there!
     At nineteen, Hershey established a candy business in Philadelphia. Although it failed, he tried again
in several other cities and succeeded with Crystal A Caramels. But Hershey was not content. He began
experimenting with chocolate and managed to sell his first chocolate bars in 1900. They were an instant
success. In 1903, Hershey built a factory.
     Hershey was usually pleasant and kind and enjoyed a good joke. However, in his chocolate factory,
he held high standards for all the workers. He was both respected and feared. His anger would burst
out when things didn't go as he'd expected, and workers were fired for mistakes.
     My grandfather began working in the factory as a young man. His job was to push the vats (大桶)
of warm chocolate to a storage area. To do this, he had to push the heavy vats up a ramp (斜坡) and
across the walkway. One day, Hershey was walking backward on the walkway while my grandfather
was pushing a vat of chocolate up the ramp. Bump. Clunk. Ker-plop! Hershey fell backward into the vat.
Everyone else held their breath and ran up to pull him out. Grandfather froze in fear. Was he going to
lose his job?
     Hershey stood stiffly with his hands on his hips. Color rose in his face. He said something in a low
voice. Then he smiled. "It's not your fault, son," he said. "I need to watch where I'm going." He put
some chocolate in his mouth. "Mmm, that's good," he said. Everyone laughed. The tour continued, with
Hershey dripping chocolate as he went. And Grandfather kept his job.

1. What did Grandfather do in Hershey's factory? (回答词数不超过12个)
     ___________________________________________________________________
2. Why didn't Hershey fire Grandfather? (回答词数不超过10个)  
     ___________________________________________________________________
3. What does the incident show us about Hershey? (回答词数不超过15个) 
     ___________________________________________________________________

     It was the first mow of winter-an exciting day for every, child but not for most tether. Up until now, 
I had been able to dress myself for recess (课间休息), but today I would need some help. Miss Finlayson,
my kindergarten teacher at Princess Elizabeth School near Hamilton, Ontario, had been through first snow
days, many times in her long career, but I think struggled still remember this one.
     I managed to get into my wool snow pants. But I straggled with my jacket because it didn't fit well. It
was a hand-me-down from my brother, and it made me wonder why I had to wear his ugly clothes. At
least my hat and matching scarf were mine, and they were quite pretty. Finally it was time to have Miss
Finlayson help me with my boots. In her calm, motherly voice she said, "By the end of winter, you will be
able to put on own boots." I didn't realize at the time that this was more a statement of hope than of
confidence.
     I handed her my boots and stuck out my foot. Like most children, I expected the adult to do an the
work. After mush wiggling and pushing, she managed to get first one into place and then, with a sigh,
worked the second one on too.
     I announced, "They're on the wrong feet." With the grace that only experience can bring,she struggled
to get the boots off and went through the joyless task of putting them on again. Then I said, "These aren't
my boots. you know." As she pulled the offending boots from my feet, she still managed to look both
helpful and interested. Once they were off. I said, "They are my brother's boots. My mother makes me
wear them, and I hate them!" Somehow, from long years of practice, she managed to act as though I
wasn't an annoying little girl. She pushed and shoved. less gently this time,and the boots were returned to
their proper place on my feet. With a great sigh of relief, seeing the end of her struggle with me, she asked,
"Now,where are your gloves?"
     I looked into her eyes and said. "I didn't want to lose them. So I put them into the toes of my boots."

1. According to the passage,the little girl got from her brother.

A. the wool snow pants and the jacket
B. the jacket and the boots
C. the jacket and the hat
D. the boots and the gloves

2. What made it so hard for the teacher to help the little girl put her boots on?

A. The gloves in the toes of the boots.
B. The slowness of the teacher.
C. The wrong size of the boots.
D. The unwillingness of the girl.

3. It can be inferred that before the little girl finally went out to enjoy the first snow of winter, the teacher had to help her put on her boots _____.

A. once
B. twice
C. three times
D. four times

4. Which of the following sentences from the text BEST indicates that the teacher is very considerate?

A. In her calm,motherly voice she said, "By the end of winter,…" (Paragraph 2)
B. With the grace that only experience can bring,she struggled to… (Paragraph 4)
C. …. she still managed to look both helpful and interested. (Paragraph 4)
D. …, she managed to act as though I wasn't an annoying little girl. (Paragraph 4)

     Outside her shabby cottage, old Mrs. Tailor was hanging out laundry on a wire line, unaware that
some children lay hidden in the leaves of a nearby tree watching her every move. They were determined
to find out if she really was a witch.
     They watched as she took a broomstick to clean the dirt from her stone steps. But, much to their
disappointment, she did not mount the broomstick and take flight. Suddenly, the old lady's work was
interrupted by the cackling of her hen-a signal that an egg had been laid in the warm nest on top of the
haystack.
     The old broomstick was put aside as she hobbled off towards the haystack followed by Sooty, a
black cat she had rescued from a fox trap some time back. With only three legs, it was hard for Sooty
to keep up with the old lady. The cat provided proof-the children were sure that only a witch could
own a black cat with three legs.
     There, standing on a wooden box, was Mrs. Tailor, stretching out to gather her precious egg. Taking
the egg in one of her hands, she began to climb down when, without warning, the box broke and the
old lady fell.
     "We have to got and help her," whispered Amy.
     "What if it is a trick?" replied Ben.
     "Don't be silly, Ben. If she were a witch, she would have turned us into frogs already," reasoned
Meg. "Come on Amy, let's go." The girls climbed down the tree and ran all the way to the haystack.
     Approaching carefully, they could see a wound on the old lady's face. She had knocked her head
on a stone and her ankle was definitely broken. "Go and get Dad," Amy yelled to her brother. "Tell him
about the accident."
     The boys did not need another excuse to leave. They ran as fast as they could for help, hoping that
Mrs. Tailor would not wake and turn the girls into frogs.