Even before my father left us, my mother had to go back to work to support our family. Once I came out
of the kitchen, complaining, "Mom, I can"t peel (削皮) potatoes. I have only one hand." Mom never looked up
from sewing. "You get yourself into that kitchen and peel those potatoes," she told me, "And don"t ever use that
as an excuse for anything again!"
In the second grade, our teacher lined up my class on the playground and had each of us race across the
monkey bars (攀登架), swinging from one high steel rod to the next. When it was my turn, I shook my head.
Some kids behind me laughed, and I went home crying.
That night I told Mom about it. She hugged me, and I saw her "we"ll see about that" look. The next
afternoon, she took me back to school. At the deserted playground, Mom looked carefully at the bars.
"Now, pull up with your right arm," she advised. She stood by as I struggled to lift myself with my right
hand until I could hook the bar with my other elbow. Day after day we practiced and she praised me for every
rung (横档) I reached. I"ll never forget the next time, crossing the rungs. I looked down at the kids who were
standing with their mouths open.
One night, after a dance at my new junior high, I lay in bed sobbing. I could hear Mom come into my
room. "Mom," I said, weeping,"None of the boys would dance with me."
For a long time, I didn"t hear anything. Then she said, "Oh, honey, someday you"ll be beating those boys
off with a bat." Her voice was faint and cracking. I peeked out from my covers to see tears running down
her cheeks. Then I knew how much she suffered from my disability. She had never let me see her tears.
| ( )1. A. so that ( )2. A. first ( )3. A. run ( )4. A. hands ( )5. A. Quickly ( )6. A. since ( )7. A. tired ( )8. A. stood ( )9. A. helping ( )10. A. kept ( )11. A. dream ( )12. A. following ( )13. A. finishing ( )14. A. where ( )15. A. difficult | B. in case B. best B. separate B. legs B. Unluckily B. before B. waiting B. waited B. catching B. tied B. feeling B. hoping B. realizing B. how B. interesting | C. even though C. only C. disappear C. arms C. Naturally C. as C. cheering C. came C. holding C. connected C. idea C. encouraging C. starting C. when C. easy | D. only if D. last D. appear D. body D. Finally D. until D. impatient D. had D. tying D. led D. life D. beating D. winning D. what D. hopeful |
| 阅读理解。 | |||
| One day, Wilson was walking quietly along the road when someone hit him hard on the back of his neck. He looked behind him, and saw a young man whom he had never seen before. "How dare you hit me like that?" shouted Wilson. The young man said he had mistaken Wilson for a friend of his and that he thought Wilson was making a lot of noise about nothing. This insult (侮辱) made Wilson even angrier, of course, and he at once decided to bring the young man before a judge. Now, the judge, who heard the case was a friend of the young man"s father"s, and, although he pretended to be quite fair, he was thinking about what he could do to protect the young man from being punished while at the same time not to be appearing unfair. Finally he said to Wilson, "I understand your feelings in this matter very well. Would you be satisfied if I let you hit the young man as he hit you?" Wilson said he would not be. The young man had insulted him and should be properly punished. "Well, then," said the judge to the young man,"I order you to pay ten coins to Wilson." Ten coins was very little for such a crime, but the young man did not have it with him, so the judge allowed him to go and get it. Wilson waited for him to return with the money. He waited an hour, and then two hours, while the judge took care of other business. When it was nearly time for the court to close, Wilson chose a moment when the judge was especially busy, came up quietly and hit him hard on the back of the neck. Then he said to him, "I am sorry, but I can"t wait any longer. When the young man comes back, tell him that I have passed my right to the ten coins on to you." | |||
| 1. Why did the young man hit Wilson from behind? | |||
| [ ] | |||
| A. Wilson had hit him before. B. He had mistaken Wilson for a friend of his. C. Wilson was a stranger there. D. Wilson made a lot of noise when he was walking. | |||
| 2. The judge thought about how to protect the young man because ____. | |||
| [ ] | |||
| A. he thought it a small matter B. as a judge, he should be fair C. he thought the man too young to be punished D. the young man was his friend"s son | |||
| 3. According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE? | |||
| [ ] | |||
| A. The young man was ordered to hit himself as hard as he had done on Wilson. B. Wilson was allowed to hit the young man as hard as he had done. C. Wilson was allowed to do more insulting on the young man. D. The young man was ordered to hand a lot of money to Wilson. | |||
| 4. The best title for this passage is _____. | |||
| [ ] | |||
| A. I"ve passed my right on to you B. The judge and Wilson C. Wilson and the young man D. The young man was set free | |||
| 阅读理解。 | |||
| I went over my grandmother"s house today and she didn"t have time for me. You see, the lady"s husband downstairs died and my Grandmother wanted to make some cookies for her. My grandmother did not analyze (分析) how the lady treated her, or if the lady needed any cookies, or even if the lady would like the cookies. She didn"t think how much the lady has done for her. She simply began baking. My Grandmother turned 94 last week and this I believe is her secret to life. My grandmother is generous (慷慨) and hard-working in a way that is rare for our time. She lives by a simple belief: if someone needs your help, you help. Never mind all the analyzing and thinking whether the person deserves or appreciates the help. My grandmother doesn"t sit around thinking about who might be making use of her: she simply does what is needed. At 94, she is busy in life. She is making a blanket for a new great grandchild, and worried that I don"t have enough kitchen towels for my home. She is bringing soup to a sick neighbor, and teaching the new wife of her cousin (who is 88) how to cook Italian food. My grandmother had every right to give up, but she didn"t-and amazingly life did bring her good things, like a husband with twinkling blue eyes who was much ahead of his time and believed that men should do an equal amount of cooking and cleaning in the home, three beautiful children (my father and two aunts), 22 grandchildren, and five great grandchildren. My grandmother is not afraid to give someone she barely knows a bowl of soup. She never keeps herself out of the world. | |||
| 1. The reason why my grandmother made cookies for the lady downstairs is that _____. | |||
| [ ] | |||
| A. she thought the lady was too busy B. she would make them as thanks to her C. she thought she should do something for the lady at the special time D. they had had an agreement before | |||
| 2. In the writer"s opinion, _____. | |||
| [ ] | |||
| A. my grandmother has a secret way of living B. my grandmother does everything on careful consideration C. few people are as generous as my grandmother now D. my grandmother will get something in return | |||
| 3. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage? | |||
| [ ] | |||
| A. My grandmother cares for her children even some strangers. B. My grandfather does not treat women in an unfair way. C. This is a family in which there are nearly 30 people now. D. My grandmother never keeps everything for herself. | |||
| 4. We may infer from the text that the writer _____. | |||
| [ ] | |||
| A. thinks his grandmother is living a tired life B. thinks his grandmother is doing what she should do C. thinks his grandmother should not be so kind D. is proud of his grandmother | |||
| 阅读理解。 | |||
| The journey two divers made some time ago to the deepest point on the earth makes us realize how much of the world still remains to be studied. The two men went down seven miles to the bottom of the Pacific Ocean inside a small steel ball to find out if there are any ocean currents (水流) or signs of life. It was necessary to set out early, so that the ball would come to the surface in daylight, and be easily found by the mother ship which would be waiting for it. The divers began preparations early in the morning and soon afterwards, when all was ready, the steel ball disappeared under the surface of the water. The divers felt as if they were going down steps as they passed through warm and cold layers (层) of water. In time the temperature dropped to the freezing point. They kept in touch with the mother ship by telephone telling how they felt. Then, at a depth of 3,000 feet, the telephone stopped working and they were quite cut off from the outside world. All went well until some four hours later at 30,000 feet, the men were frightened by a loud, cracking noise. Even the smallest hole in the ball would have meant instant death. Luckily, though, it was only one of the outer windows that had broken. Soon afterwards, the ball touched the soft ocean floor raising a big cloud of "dust" made up of small dead sea creatures. Here, powerful lights lit up the dark water and the men were surprised to see fish swimming just above them quite untroubled by the great water pressure. But they did not dare to leave the lights on for long, as the heat from them made the water boil. Quite unexpectedly, the telephone began working again and the faint but clear voices of the divers were heard on the mother ship seven miles away. After a stay of thirty minutes the men began their journey up, arriving three hours later, cold and wet through, but none was worse for their experience. | |||
| 1. The purpose of the divers" journey to the deepest point on the earth was to find _____. | |||
| [ ] | |||
| A. if there are water currents, and life in the great depths B. if people can stand the severe cold in the great depths C. if there are steps in the great depths D. if the telephone works well in the great depths | |||
| 2. The divers set out early in the morning so that _____. | |||
| [ ] | |||
| A. they could return to the surface during the day B. they could see at the bottom of the ocean C. they could avoid the cold at night D. they could stay long at the bottom | |||
| 3. As the divers went down to the ocean floor, the telephone _____. | |||
| [ ] | |||
| A. kept working all the time B. stopped working at a depth of 3,000 feet and began working again after they reached the bottom C. stopped working at a depth of 3,000 feet and began working again at 30,000 feet D. stopped working at a depth of 3,000 feet and began working again when they returned to the same depth | |||
| 4. On the ocean floor, the divers found that _____. | |||
| [ ] | |||
| A. there was no life but some small dead sea creatures B. fish were swimming as freely as they do near the surface C. fish were not swimming freely in the dark water D. fish were not swimming freely under the high water pressure |