The fog was so heavy this morning that drivers could hardly ______ the

things just ten meters away from them.

   A. figure out        B. look out        C. make out     D. rule out

So far all cloned animals have suffered from some different serious disorders, ______ dying soon after birth.

   A. many of which B. many of whom C. many of them D. many of that

—I phoned you at 7 yesterday evening but nobody answered.

    — Oh, I ______ my dog in the park then.

A. walked  B. was walking   C. had walked   D. would walk

Only lately         about the dark secrets behind the seemingly-happy

marriage of the golf star Tiger Woods.

   A. the public have known             B. were the public known

   C. have the public known             D. the public knew

We have a high regard for Mr. Black because he always tries to ________ his principles.

A. live up to                            B. look forward to  

C. catch up with                         D. put up with

We have to give the users something new ________ what we’ve already offered, which is the only way to broaden the appeal of the website.

   A. regardless of                         B. in addition to      

  C. in exchange for                       D. according to

My father had always been an alert observer of human character. Within seconds of meeting someone, he could sum up their strengths and weaknesses. It was always a challenge to see if any of my boyfriends could pass Dad’s test. None did. Dad was always right---they didn’t pass my test either. After Dad died, I wondered how I’d figure it out on my own.

That’s when Jack arrived on the scene. He was different from any other guy I’d dated. He could sit for hours on the piano bench with my mother, discussing some composers. My brother Rick loudly announced that Jack wasn’t a turkey like the other guys I’d brought home. Jack passed my family’s test. But what about Dad’s?

Then came my mother’s birthday. The day he was supposed to drive, I got a call. “Don’t worry,” he said, “but I’ve been in an accident. I’m fine, but I need you to pick me up.”

When I got there, we rushed to a flower shop for something for Mom. “How about gardenias?” Jack said, pointing at a beautiful white corsage(胸花). The florist put the corsage in a box.

The entire ride, Jack was unusually quiet. “Are you all right?” I asked. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking,” he said. “I might be moving.” Moving? Then he added, “Moving in with you.” I nearly put the car on the sidewalk. “What?” I asked. “I think we should get married,” he said. He told me he’d planned his proposal in a fancy restaurant, but after the accident, he decided to do it right away. “Yes,” I whispered. We both sat dumbfounded, tears running down our cheeks. I’d never known such a tender moment. If only Dad were here to give his final approval.

“Oh, let’s just go inside.” Jack laughed. My mother opened the door. “Happy Birthday!” we shouted. Jack handed the box to her. She opened it up. Suddenly, her eyes were filled with tears. “Mom, what’s wrong?” I asked. “I’m sorry,” she said, wiping her eyes. “This is only the second gardenia corsage I’ve ever received. I was given one years ago, long before you kids were born.” “From who?” I asked. “Your father,” Mom said. “He gave me one right before we were engaged.” My eyes locked on Jack’s as I blinked away(眨掉) tears. Dad’s test? I knew Jack had passed.

1.According to the text, we know the writer’s father was __________.

A. interested in observing things around

B. good at judging one’s character

C. strict with her boyfriend        

D. fond of challenges

2.What is the main idea of Paragraph 2?

A. Jack got the family’s approval except Dad’s.   

B. Jack was different from any other boy.

C. Jack was getting on well with Mother.        

D. Jack knew a lot about piano.

3.The underlined word “proposal” in Paragraph 5 means __________.

A. piece of advice                       B. wedding ceremony

C. celebration of birthday               D. offer of marriage

4.On hearing “moving in with you”, the writer felt           .         .

A. pleased           B. worried       C. surprised       D. disappointed

5.Why did the writer’s mother cry?

A. The gift was the same as the one her husband gave her.

B. She had never received such a beautiful gift.

C. Her daughter found her life partner at last. 

D. The gardenia corsage was too expensive.

1.If one wants to apply for the NEMS programme, it is essential for him to __________.

A. have passed the GRE test.        

B. make contact with Ms Soh  

C. possess a university diploma     

D. major in engineering or science

2.Students admitted to the NEMS Programme __________.

A. will first have regular courses at Stanford  

B. needn’t be released from their regular jobs

C. are required to obtain a Doctor’s degree

D. can receive degrees of both NTU and Stanford

3.What’s the main purpose of the NEMS programme?

A. To offer scholarship for tuition grants and living expenses.

B. To strengthen the cooperation between NTU and Stanford.

C. To cultivate experts on environmental science and engineering. 

D. To introduce Nanyang Environment & Water Research Institute

4.We can learn from the passage that _________.

A. applications for the NEMS programme are open for applicants from Asia and the wider region.

B. applications for the NEMS progamme are open only to graduates having relevant engineering or science background.

C. there are still some other graduate programs conducted by Nanyang Technological University.

D. graduating students from the NEMS programme will have opportunities to continue for the doctor’s degree at Stanford

About this time every year, I get very nostalgic(怀旧的). Walking through my neighborhood on a fall afternoon reminds me of a time not too long ago when sounds of children filled the air, children playing games on a hill, and throwing leaves around in the street below. I was one of those children, carefree and happy. I live on a street that is only one block long. I have lived on the same street for sixteen years. I love my street. One side has six houses on it, and the other has only two houses, with a small hill in the middle and a huge cottonwood tree on one end. When I think of home, I think of my street. Only I see it as it was before. Unfortunately things change. One day, not long ago, I looked around and saw how different everything has become. Life on my street will never be the same because neighbors are quickly grown old, friends are growing up and leaving, and the city is planning to destroy my precious hill and sell the property to contractors.

    It is hard for me to accept that many of my wonderful neighbors are growing old and won’t be around much longer. I have fond memories of the couple across the street, who sat together on their porch swing almost every evening, the widow next door who yelled at my brother and me for being too loud, and the crazy old man in a black suit who drove an old car. In contrast to those people, the people I see today are very old neighbors who have seen better days. The man in the black suit says he wants to die, and another neighbor just sold his house and moved into a nursing home. The lady who used to yell at us is too tired to bother any more, and the couple across the street rarely go out to their front porch these days. It is difficult to watch these precious people as they near the end of their lives because at once I thought they would live forever.

    The “comings and goings” of the younger generation of my street are now mostly “goings” as friends and peers move on. Once upon a time, my life and the lives of my peers revolved around home. The boundary of our world was the gutter at the end of the street. We got pleasure from playing night games or from a breathtaking ride on a tricycle. Things are different now, as my friends become adults and move on. Children who rode tricycles now drive cars. The kids who once played with me now have new interests and values as they go their separate ways. Some have gone away to college like me, a few got married, two went into the army, and one went to prison. Watching all these people grow up and go away makes me long for the good old days.

    Perhaps the biggest change on my street is the fact that the city is going to turn my precious hill into several lots for now homes. For sixteen years, the view out of my kitchen window has been a view of that hill. The hill was a fundamental part of my childhood life; it was the hub of social activity for the children of my street. We spent hours there building forts, sledding, and playing tag. The view out of my kitchen window now is very different; it is one of tractors and dump trucks tearing up the hill. When the hill goes, the neighborhood will not be the same. It is a piece of my childhood. It is a visual reminder of being a kid. Without the hill, my street will be just another pea in the pod.

There was a time when my street was my world, and I thought my world would never change. But something happened. People grow up, and people grow old. Places changes, and with the change comes the heartache of knowing I can never go back to the times I loved. In a year or so, I will be gone just like many of my neighbors. I will always look back to my years as a child, but the place I remember will not be the silent street whose peace is interrupted by the sounds of construction. It will be the happy, noisy, somewhat strange, but wonderful street I knew as a child.

1.The writer calls up the memory of the street _____________.

A. every year when autumn comes

B. in the afternoon every day

C. every time he walks along his street

D. now that he is an old man

2.The writer finds it hard to accept the fact that _____________.

A. many of his good neighbors are growing old

B. the lady next door who used to yell at him and his brother is now a widow

C. the life of his neighbors has become very boring

D. the man in his black suit even wanted to end his own life

3.The writer thinks of the past all the more when he sees those who had grown up with him _____________.

A. continue to consider home to be the center of their lives

B. leave the neighborhood they grew up in

C. still enjoy playing card games in the evenings

D. develop new interests and have new dreams

4.The biggest change on the writer's street is _____________.

A. removing the hill to make way for residential development

B. the building of new homes behind his kitchen window

C. the fact that there are much fewer people around than in the past

D. the change in his childhood friends' attitude towards their neighborhood

5.What does the writer mean by saying “my street will be another pea in the     pod”?

A. his street will be very noisy and dirty

B. his street will soon be crowded with people

C. his street will have some new attractions

D. his street will be no different from any other street

6.Which could be a good title for the passage?

A. The Past of My Street will Live Forever

B. Unforgettable People and Things of My Street

C. Memory Street Isn't What It Used to Be

D. The Big Changes of My Street