Like many men at some point, I dream about opening a bar. I plan to call it Work Out. It will cater to married women in need of a little fun. On Friday nights, they will be able to come here and enjoy themselves.

See, I have a gift for business. I am, as my wife Zsa Zsa likes to note, “A man with a million ideas, none of them very good.” Speaking of Zsa Zsa, she is fed up with this plain little life I’ve made for us——too many kids, too many chores, mind – numbing debt. The other day, she said she thought we needed a new family car. “Sure. How about an 87 Lincoln?” I said, and saw my dear Zsa Zsa age about 20 years, and become her mother right before my eyes.

Yes, money is our madness. Last year, we thought we had found a little cushion when I published a book about the life here in suburban America. It sold 12 copies——six of them to my mother. Four other copies went to various aunts and uncles, who used them for martini coasters (杯垫), then sold them at yard sales. The two remaining copies went to perfect strangers. (I think I owe you dinner, whoever you are. Call me, OK? We’ll arrange something.)

When the book didn’t take off, I wrote a TV show. Then I penned a short novel based on the earlier TV idea that didn’t sell. Currently, I am at work on a set of encyclopedias(百科全书). In a month, I plan to sell them door – to – door.

Such is the life of a writer, sending off the most personal thoughts possible to his hard drive. I am a writer, but also the breadwinner in my family. I’m at the keyboard at 6 almost every morning, hoping to tap out one idea——just one——that will take us up the hill, to the mountain, to the top.

1.According to the passage, the author is leading a/an         life.

A．enjoyable         B．wealthy           C．hard             D．comfortable

2.By saying “Sure. How about an 87 Lincoln?”, the author          .

A．promised it to his wife                    B．was showing off their fortune

C．thought his wife would like it               D．was just joking

3.What was the result of the book the author mentioned in the 3rd paragraph?

A．It didn’t sell well at all.

B．He sold it door – to – door.

C．He made a lot of money from it.

D．It was really a cushion for his family.

4.What does the underlined word “cushion” mean ?

A．Comfortable seat.

B．Financial help.

C．Unexpected success.

D．Best-selling book.

5.From the account above, which of the following statements is true?

A．He has a real gift for business.

B．He isn’t serious enough about life.

C．He is a hard – working writer.

D．His wife is satisfied with their plain life.

Although it was really a difficult task, he decided to try his best to _______ success.

三、阅读 （共两节，满分40分）

第一节 阅读理解（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分）

　　阅读下面短文，从每题所给的A、B、C和D项中选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

I was working as a consultant in a beer company, helping the president and senior vice-presidents form and carry out their new planning projects. It was really a great challenge.

At the same time, my mother was in the final stages of cancer.

I worked during the day and drove 40 miles home to be with her every night. It was tiring and stressful, but it was what I wanted to do. My commitment was to continue to do excellent consulting during the day, even though my evenings were very hard. I didn’t want to bother the president with my situation, yet I felt someone at the company needed to know what was going on. So I told the vice-president of Human Resources, asking him not to share the information with anyone.

A few days later, the president called me into his office.

I figured he wanted to talk to me about one of the many issues we were working on. When I entered, he asked me to sit down. He faced me from across his large desk, looked me in the eye and said, “I hear your mother is very ill”.

I was totally caught by surprise and burst into tears. He just looked at me, let my crying subside(平息), and then gently said a sentence I will never forget: Whatever you need.

That was it. His understanding and his willingness both to let me be in my pain and to offer me everything were qualities of sympathy that I carry with me to this day.

1．When the author was working in a beer company, his mother        .

A．was concerned about him                                      B．drew the president’s attention

C．was seriously ill                                               D．was proud of her son

2．Although he felt tired and stressed, he felt it his duty        .

A．to carry out their new strategic vision

B．to avoid bothering the president

C．to tell the vice-president his difficult situation

D．to do his job well and look after his mother

3．Most probably, the president got the information from        .

A．a relative of the author’s             B．the vice president

C．the author’s good friends             D．the author’s colleagues

4．Which of the following can be used to best describe the president?

A．Considerate.  B．Intelligent.  C．Honest.   D．Consultative.

5．Which of the following can be the best title of this passage?

A．Understanding Is Everywhere        B．Generous President

C．Sympathy Is Needed                D．An Unforgettable Memory

假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。错误涉及单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（^）。并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（/）划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2 只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不记分。
Recently we have held a class meeting to discuss what is considering to be honorable
behavior and which is shameful. To be frank, some students don’t respect their teacher or parents.
Some don’t take their studies serious and cheat in exams. Still some litter around, make the
school dirty. It was really a pity to see these things in our school. We think honorable to obey the
law and care much of our class. It is also worth of praise to study hard. On the other hand, it is
shameful to break school rules, to be selfish or to make a little effort to achieve success.

I bought a dress on sale for only 20 dollars; it was really a good ______.

A. deal          B. exchange                  C. trade                 D. business