The idea for the new machine came to Mr. Baker ______ to his invention recently.

A. while devoting          B. while devoted 

C. while he was devoted   D. while devoting himself.

Scientists generally agree that earth’s climate will warm up over the next 50 to100 years______ it has warmed in the 20,000 years since Ice Age.

A. so long as.  B. as much as   C  as long as.  D  as well as

The train __ for five minutes by the time we got there.

A. had left   B. left    C. was leaving   D. had been away

Like most people, I was brought up to look upon life as a process of getting. It was not until in my late thirties that I made this important  36  : giving-away makes life so much more exciting. You need not worry if you  37  money.

       This is how I   38  with giving-away. If an idea for improving the window display of a neighborhood store  39  to me, I step in and make the suggestion to the   40  . If an accident takes place, the  41  of which I think the local police could use, I  42  him up and tell him about it, though I am not in   43  here. One discovery I made about this world is to give  44  getting something back, though the  45  often comes in an unexpected form.

       One Sunday morning the local post office delivered an important  46  letter to my home, though it was   47  to me at my office. I wrote the postmaster a note of   48  . More than a year later I needed a post-office box for a new business I was  49  . I was told at the window that there were  50  boxes left, and that my name would have to go on a long  51  list. As I was about to  52  , the postmaster appeared in the   53  .“Wasn’t it you that wrote us that letter a year ago about delivering a special delivery to your home?” I said it was. “Well, you certainly are going to have a box in this post office  54  we make one for you. You don’t know what a letter like that means to us. We usually get  55  but complaints（投诉）.”

36．A．decision                  B．research                  C．speech                    D．discovery

37．A．earn                       B．lack                        C．spend                     D．steal

38．A．experienced            B．connected               C．combined                D．agreed

39．A．happens                  B．flashes                    C．sticks                      D．leads

40．A．postmaster              B．headmaster              C．storekeeper             D．policeman

41．A．story                      B．damage                   C．challenge                D．material

42．A．call                        B．hold                       C．break                      D．pick

43．A．need                       B．trouble                   C．common                 D．charge

44．A．within                    B．without                   C．for                         D．before

45．A．process                   B．goal                       C．return                     D．concern

46．A．curious                   B．immediate               C．special                    D．heavy

47．A．realized                  B．addressed                C．forgotten                D．brought

48．A．invitation                B．apology                  C．instruction                     D．appreciation

49．A．dealing                   B．providing                C．operating                D．starting

50．A．enough                   B．some                      C．no                          D．more

51．A．admitting                B．relating                   C．examining               D．waiting

52．A．leave                      B．shout                      C．guess                      D．conduct

53．A．window                  B．doorway                 C．library                    D．yard

54．A．in case                   B．now that                 C．even if                    D．as if

55．A．anything                 B．everything                     C．nothing                   D．something

Maureen stood by the lake. Suddenly the children came running through the trees with sharp cries of ___36___. They rushed up to the ___37___, leaning over the clear water, watching the crowds of tiny fish. Some children demanded loudly to go to the boats, but ___38___ those who had been left behind at the ice-cream stall(小摊) came running up to make some announcement or other, and they all ___39___ the water and dashed back the ___40___ they had come. With growing excitement, Maureen ___41___ them.

When she ___42___ what had been running for, she stopped running. They were ___43___ things again. The toy stall was ___44___ and they were crowded around it. Behind the ___45___ a calm middle-aged woman was selling a great variety of small rubbish. She took ___46___ from the forest of small hands in exchanging for little boats, plastic dolls, yellow pencils, anything. Maureen leaned against a ___47___, looking on. The idea of ___48___ washed against her face like a strong current(流), trying to draw her in.

Nona Parker www..compushed out to the edge of the group and ___49___ what she had bought on the ground so that she could see what money she had left in her white purse. Under Maureen’s ___50___ lay a boat, a mouth organ(口琴) and a brown load of bread. Maureen was so full of the ___51___ for the things like that she couldn’t bear to look at it. She turned her ___52___ sharply. Her face was against the tree. She shut her eyes and ___53___ eagerly for some money, for the price of a set toy plates. In a moment, she opened her eyes, ___54___ she didn’t turn back to the stall. It was too ___55___ to see the others buying whatever they wanted. She rubbed almost round the tree, her eyes on the ground.

36. A. fright         B. surprise       C. shout         D. excitement

37. A. space          B. hill           C. lake          D. river

38. A. what’s worse         B. all at once      C. all the time      D. more or less

39. A. left                 B. polluted       C. painted         D. entered

40. A. street          B. way          C. boat          D. restaurant

41. A. ran after            B. searched for   C. glared at      D. got rid of

42. A. blamed       B. saw          C. praised         D. helped

43. A. destroying        B. stealing       C. buying         D. eating

44. A. closed         B. tall           C. dull          D. open

45. A. toy                 B. stall          C. building       D. mirror

46. A. fish            B. advice         C. money              D. food

47. A. tree            B. wall                C. stall         D. car

48. A. leaving       B. running       C. sleeping        D. spending

49. A. laid            B. let            C. drew          D. tasted

50. A. feet            B. eyes                C. shoulder       D. hands

51. A. edge           B. tiredness      C. wish          D. relation

52. A. friend         B. suggestion      C. way           D. head

53. A. went           B. stood           C. prayed        D. searched

54. A. even if        B. if             C. so             D. but

55. A. painful       B. nervous       C. enjoyable       D. near-sighted

The word “plastic” comes from the Greek word “Platicos” and is used to describe_1_which can be easily shaped.?

The history of plastics is longer than you might_2_.In fact _3_ manmade plastics ever to appear on the market was made over a hundred years ago. It was called “celluloid(赛璐璐)”.It was discovered by both an Englishman and an American in the same year._4_it was the Americans who first produced it on a large scale during the year 1860.Everybody was _5_by this new material which could be moulded (用模子做) into shapes and _6_so cheap to buy.

Poor young men _7_in cities with lots of smoke and dirt were_8_ to buy white celluloid collars(领子).The collars were hard and uncomfortable. But they did not have to be sent to wash. The poor young men _9_ rub them clean every evening with soap and water! Poor mothers,

_10_ had not been able to afford playthings _11_their children, were now able to buy them playthings _12_ of celluloid. But celluloid had one very serious fault. It caught fire very easily. In fact it burned even more quickly than wood or cloth. There were many terrible accidents, particularly _13_ children. For years scientists worked hard to find a better plastic material than celluloid. They had _14_ success. Then in 1932 an American scientist called Baekeland produced a hard plastic material which did not burn. _15_ became known _16_ bakelite(酚醛塑料).Other plastic materials like bakelite were _17_ produced. They _18_ to make electrical fittings and plates and cups. Poor people liked them because they were both cheap and safe, but rich people _19_ them because they were cheap, and because they could only be made _20_dark colours.

1. A. something    B. everything  C. thing            D. anything

2. A. wish        B. think       C. want            D. hope

3. A. first         B. at first      C. for the first      D. the first

4. A. So          B. But        C. And            D. As

5. A. surprised     B. excited     C. told            D. frightened

6. A. be          B. were       C. was             D. is

7. A. waiting      B. running    C. walking          D. working

8. A. going       B. sure        C. about            D. able

9. A. could       B. ought to     C. must            D. should

10. A. which      B. who       C. whom            D. that

11. A. for        B. like        C. in               D. of

12. A. done       B. produced   C. worked           D. made

13. A. between    B. on        C. among            D. about

14. A. much      B. great.      C. never             D. little

15. A. The man   B. He         C. It                D. The scientist

16. A. as        B. with        C. by               D. to

17. A. already    B. still         C. also             D. yet

18. A. used      B. hoped       C. were used         D. had

19. A. took     B. loved       C. enjoyed           D. disliked

20. A. in       B. by          C. from             D. of

假设你是李华，你的澳大利亚朋友Dick听说中国的中小学正在减轻学生的学习负担，来

信询问有关情况。请你根据下表提供的信息，写一封回信，谈一谈减负给你的学习和生活带来的变化。

注意：1. 词数100左右；

2. 开头已为你写好。 

生词：减轻学习负担—reduce learning load

Dear Dick,

How nice to hear from you again.                                                 

 Best wishes,

Li Hua

When I was thirteen, my family moved from Boston to Tucson, Arizona. ___36___ the move, my father ___37___ us in the living-room on a freezing January night. My sisters and I sat around the fire, not ___38___ that the universe would suddenly change its course. “In May, we’re ___39___ to Arizona.”

The words, so small, didn’t seem ___40___ enough to hold my new life. But the world changed and I awoke on a tram moving across the country. I watched the ___41___ change from green trees to flat dusty plains to high mountains as I saw strange new plants that ___42___ mysteries(奥秘) yet to come. Finally, we arrived and ___43___ into own new home.

___44___ my older sisters were sad at the loss of friends, I ___45___ explored(探索) our new surroundings.

One afternoon, I was out exploring ___46___ and saw a new kind of cactus(仙人掌). I crouched (蹲) down for a closer look. “You’d better not ___47___ that.”

I turned around to see an old woman.

“Are you new lo this neighborhood?” I explained that I was, ___48___, new to the entire state.

“My name is Ina Thorne. Have you got used to life in the ___49___? It must be quite a ___50___ after living in Boston.”

How could I explain how I ___51___ the desert? I couldn’t seem to find the right words.

“It’s vastness,” she offered. “That vastness ___52___ you stand on the mountains overlooking the desert — you can ___53___ how little you are in comparison with the world. ___54___, you feel that the possibilities are limitless.”

That was it. That was the feeling I’d bad ever since I’d first seen the mountains of my new home. Again, my ___55___ would change with just a few simple words.

“Would you like to come to my home tomorrow? Someone should teach you which plant you should and shouldn’t touch.”

36. A. During B. Until   C. Upon  D. Before

37. A. gathered      B. warned       C. organized   D. comforted

38. A. hoping B. admitting   C. realizing     D. believing   

39. A. going   B. moving      C. driving       D. flying

40. A. good    B. simple C. big     D. proper      

41. A. picture  B. ground       C. sense   D. area

42. A. suggested     B. solved C. discovered  D. explained

43. A. settled  B. walked       C. hurried       D. stepped

44. A. If  B. After   C. once   D. While

45. A. bitterly B. easily  C. proudly      D. eagerly

46. A as well   B. as usual      C. fight away  D. on time

47. A. move   B. dig     C. pull    D. touch

48. A. of course     B. in fact C. after all      D. at least

49. A. desert   B. city     C. state    D. country

50. A. luck     B. doubt  C. shock  D. danger

51. A. found   B. examined   C. watched     D. reached

52. A. why     B. when  C. how    D. where

53. A. prove   B. guess  C. sense   D. expect

54. A. However     B. Otherwise   C. Therefore   D. Meanwhile

55. A. idea     B. life     C. home  D. family 

Tracy Wong is a well-known Chinese-American writer. But her writing ___36___ was something she picked up by herself. After her first ___37___, teaching disabled children, she became a part-time writer for IBM. ___38___, writing stories was simply a ___39___ interest. Tracy sent three of her stories to a publisher(出版商). ___40___, they immediately suggested that she put them together to make a single one long ___41___ and paid Tracy a $50,000 advance. “A pretty money,” said the publisher, “for ___42___ writer. ”

___43___ Tracy’s characters(人物) are interesting, her stories sometimes ___44___ readers uneasy: those about the supernatural. “My mother believed I could ___45___ the afterlife world,” she told a close friend. “She used to have me speak with my grandmother, who died many years ago. ”

“Can I? I don’t think I can,” Tracy said with a laugh. “But I do have ___46___when things come to me ___47___. ” Once, she was wondering how to complete a ___48___ set in ancient(古代的) China. ___49___the doorbell rang. It was a FedEx delivery man, with a copy of a book on Chinese ___50___. It came without her having ___51___it.

Though she has published 10 books, Tracy has remained ___52___ by her fame. She lives in the same ___53___ ___ she lived 27 years ago — although in a more comfortable home. There

s more room for ___54___in her life ’t just ___55___.

36. A. skill     B. experience  C. practice      D. method

37. A. duty     B. effort  C. job     D. task

38. A. Instead B. Normally   C. Certainly    D. Then

39. A. general B. deep   C. personal     D. lively

40. A. Interested     B. Anxiously   C. Seriously    D. Encouraged

41. A. film     B. story   C. program     D. article

42. A. a foreign      B. a popular    C. an unusual  D. an unknown

43. A. Now that     B. Even though     C. Just because       D. Except that

44. A. find      B. turn    C. leave   D. hold

45. A. make up      B. connect with      C. control       D. explain

46. A. events   B. chances      C. feelings      D. moments

47. A. for no reason       B. from a distance        C. by accident D. as gifts

48. A. description   B. pointing     C. scene  D. talk

49. A. Surprisingly B. Suddenly    C. Expectedly D. Fortunately

50. A. cooking       B. history       C. play    D. medicine

51. A. known  B. sent    C. realized      D. ordered

52. A. unchanged   B. excited       C. determined D. unmoved

53. A. life       B. city     C. house  D. way

54. A. success B. work   C. joy     D. variety

55. A. writing B. reporting    C. luck    D. fun

While my father was an officer of the British army in South Africa, we lived in a ___1___ house. One ___2___ my father and sister and  I were sitting together. He was ___3___ the window. I suddenly ___4___ that he was turning very pale. I sat ___5___, for I did not want to __6__ my sick sister. Soon father said in a ___7___ voice, “Kate and Joan, a friend of mine is ___8___ here to see me this evening, and I wish to be ___9___ him. Will you go up to your own room?” We ___10___, went to our room and closed the door.

Soon I heard a ___11___ like that of a door burst in, and then a climb of feet. They were hurrying ___12___ the narrow stairs. Fearing that there was ___13___ near, I seized the pistol(手枪) on the table. Then I heard my father cry out, "For God’s sake(快!), child, ___14___ the door. " I did so. To my horror(恐怖), I saw, ___15___ my father’s shoulder, a gorilla(大猩猩), the worst enemy of the soldier in ___16___. He was ___17___ my father. I raised the pistol and fired. The animal fell backwards with ___18___ loud cry. Father took the ___19___ smoking pistol from my hand, and fired another shot, which ___20___ the gorilla.

It happened that father had ___21___ us upstairs because he thought he would be able to ___22___ the door ––– which was twenty feet away –––___23___ the animal reached it. However, the gorilla was too ___24___ for him; and this was the cause of the ___25___ flight(逃跑) up the stairs.

1. A. two-storeyed  B. two storeyed      C. two-storeys D. two storeys

2. A. o’clock  B. night   C. evening      D. time

3. A. towards  B. opposite     C. inside  D. behind

4. A. knew     B. learned       C. felt     D. noticed

5. A. still B. lonely C. sadly   D. unhappily

6. A. hurt       B. frighten      C. lose    D. trouble

7. A. loud       B. sad     C. calm   D. pleasant

8. A. moving  B. staying       C. running      D. coming

9. A. friendly to     B. alone with  C. helpful to   D. careful with

10. A. promised     B. trembled    C. obeyed       D. replied

11. A. sound   B. cry     C. voice  D. shout

12. A. to B. down  C. through      D. up

13. A. some difficulty    B. a thief C. some danger      D. an accident

14. A. open    B. close   C. pull    D. draw

15. A. on B. above  C. over    D. from

16. A. South America    B. Africa C. South Asia  D. Europe

17. A. aiming at     B. marching towards C. shooting at      D. running after

18. A. an exciting   B. a calm C. an angry     D. a natural

19. A. still      B. yet      C. even   D. already

20. A. hit       B. murdered   C. frightened  D. killed

21. A. taken    B. sent    C. driven D. forced

22. A. push     B. lock    C. guard  D. defend

23. A. until     B. when  C. before D. though

24. A. quick   B. huge   C. heavy  D. stupid

25. A. anxious       B. fearless      C. excited       D. hurried