One of my wonderful memories is about a Christmas gift . Unlike other gifts, it

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One of my wonderful memories is about a Christmas gift . Unlike other gifts, it came without wrap(包装).
On September 11^th，1958，Mum gave birth to Richard. After she brought him home from hospital, she put him in my lap, saying, “I promised you a gift , and here it is.” What an honor！I turned four a month earlier and none of my friends had such a baby doll of their own. I played with it day and night. I sang to it. I told it stories .I told it over and over how much I loved it!
One morning, however, I found its bed empty. My doll was gone! I cried for it. Mum wept and told me that the poor little thing bad been sent to a hospital. It had a fever. For several days I Heard Mum and Dad whispering such words as “hopeless”, “pitiful”, and “dying”, which sounded ominous.
Christmas was coming. “Don’t expect any presents this year,” Dad said, pointing at the socks I hung in the living room. “If your baby brother lives, that’ll be Christmas enough.” As he spoke, his eyes filled with tears. I’d never seen him cry before .
The phone rang early on Christmas morning. Dad jumped out of bed to answer it. From my bedroom I heard him say, “What? He’s all right?” He hung up and shouted upstairs. “The hospital said we can bring Richard home !”
“Thank God !” I heard Mum cry .
From the upstairs window, I watched my parents rush out to the car. I had never seen them so happy. And I was also full of joy. What a wonderful day! My baby doll would be home. I ran downstairs. My socks still hung there flat. But I knew they were not empty; they were filled with love!
小题1:what happened to the author on September 11^th, 1958?

A．He got a baby brother.	B．He got a Christmas gift
C．He became four years old.	D．He received a doll.

小题2:What does the underlined word “ominous” in Paragraph 3 probably mean？

A．Impossible.

B．Boring

C．Difficult

D．Fearful

小题3:Which word can best describe the feeling of the father when Christmas was coming?

A．Excitement.

B．Happiness.

C．Sadness.

D．Disappointment.

小题4:What is the passage mainly about ?

A．A sad Christmas day	B．Life with a lovely baby
C．A special Christmas gift.	D．Memories of a happy family

答案

小题1:A
小题2:D
小题3:C
小题4:C

解析

这篇文章是简单的叙事文，是一篇关于亲情的文章。笔触平实，情感动人。故事发生在圣诞节前后，为了拯救出生不久的患病的孩子（作者的弟弟），全家都承受了巨大的心理压力。文章用一个小孩简单的感受，通过对父母的语言描写和神态动作观察和描写，表达了亲情在这个并不富裕的家庭里的巨大感召力。孩子的康复出院，实在是给这个家庭、给作者最好的圣诞礼物。
小题1:从第二段第一句“On September 11^th，1958，Mum gave birth to Richard.”，我们可以看出作者的弟弟诞生了。这个弟弟并非是真正的doll洋娃娃，这点同学们千万要读懂。
小题2:ominous本意是“不吉利的；凶兆的”，这道题就要考查考生们的理解能力了。作者当时还是个孩子， “For several days I heard Mum and Dad whispering such words as “hopeless”, “pitiful”, and “dying””，在他幼小而懵懂的心里，这些词是有一定的惊吓作用的。故选D。
小题3:根据短文，在圣诞节即将来临之际，作者的弟弟仍然在住院而且情况不容乐观，为此，作者的父亲感到悲伤。因此，正确答案为C选项。
小题4:容易选成D。我相信这个家庭因为有亲情，他们内心肯定是快乐的，但是但从文章来看，这件事并不是快乐的。同理，这个圣诞节虽然过得提心吊胆、愁云密布，但最终的结果却是快乐和令人欣慰的，故不选A。

举一反三

"Just sign here, sir," the deliveryman said as he handed Oscar Reyna a package.
The package consisted of a long, narrow box 21 wrapped in brown paper. 22 the box, Oscar saw an umbrella inside — a very old one with a beautifully carved wooden handle. 23 he had not seen it in more than 20 years, he recognized it 24 .
Oscar was 16 when he first saw the 25 umbrella. He had gone to a concert with his grandparents. As they were leaving, h noticed an umbrella on an empty seat, impressed by its 26 , Oscar felt a strong desire to find its 27 .
Oscar 28 the manager to look in the record of advance ticket sales. Just as he thought, a name matched the seat 29 Oscar had found the umbrella. The name was Mrs. Katie O"Brien.
Oscar talked his grandparents into going by Mrs. O"Brien"s 30 on their way home. He rang the bell, the door opened, and an elderly woman appeared. "May I 31 you?" she asked.
"I"d like to return it if it"s yours," Oscar said, 32 the umbrella as if presenting a 33 that had long been wished for.
"Why, yes! It"s mine," replied Mrs. O"Brien with a 34 smile and shining eyes. "It was given to me by my father years ago. Thank you so much for returning it. May I offer you a reward for your __35_ ?"
"No, ma"am," he said, "My grandmother says that a good deed is its own reward. "
"Well, that"s 36 what my father used to say. What is your name, young man?"
Years later Oscar was staring at the finely carved handle of the umbrella as he remembered Mrs. O"Brien. It was in perfect condition, considering how 37 it was. Why had it arrived here today?
As if 38 , a note fell from the paper. It reads: Mrs. O"Brien wanted to 39 this umbrella as a present for a kind, 40. gesture long ago.

小题1:

A．strictly

B．carefully

C．roughly

D．casually

小题2:

A．Opening

B．Seizing

C．Observing

D．Searching

小题3:

A．After

B．When

C．Since

D．Although

小题4:

A．clearly

B．fully

C．immediately

D．suddenly

小题5:

A．average

B．unusual

C．plain

D．typical

小题6:

A．beauty

B．shape

C．origin

D．history

小题7:

A．designer

B．seller

C．user

D．owner

小题8:

A．convinced

B．forced

C．encouraged

D．advised

小题9:

A．until

B．before

C．which

D．where

小题10:

A．family

B．theater

C．house

D．neighborhood

小题11:

A．invite

B．help

C．bother

D．know

小题12:

A．putting up

B．turning out

C．picking up

D．holding out

小题13:

A．chance

B．fact

C．gift

D．result

小题14:

A．wide

B．confident

C．proud

D．shy

小题15:

A．patience

B．kindness

C．courage

D．determination

小题16:

A．obviously

B．naturally

C．exactly

D．probably

小题17:

A．old

B．rare

C．precious

D．nice

小题18:

A．in contrast

B．in return

C．in exchange

D．in answer

小题19:

A．possess

B．accept

C．carry

D．value

小题20:

A．attractive

B．significant

C．unselfish

D．sympathetic

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Easter(复活节) is still a great day for worship, randy in baskets and running around the yard finding eggs, but every year it gets quite a bit worse for bunnies.
And no, not because the kids like to pull their ears. The culprit is climate change, and some researchers found that rising temperatures arc having harmful effects on at least five species of rabbit in the US.
Take the Lower Keys March rabbit, for instance. An endangered species that lives in the Lower Florida Keys, this species of cottontail is a great swimmer — it lives on the islands! — but it is already severely affected by development and now by rising levels. According to the Center for Biological Diversity, an ocean level rise of only 0. 6 meters will send these guys jumping to higher ground and a 0.9-meter rise would wipe out their habitat (栖息地) completely.
The snowshoe hare, on the other hand, has a color issue. Most of these rabbits change their fur color from white in the wintertime to brown in the summer, each designed to give them better cover from predators（捕食者）. As the number of days with snow decreases all across the country, however, more and more bunnies arc being left in white fur during brown dirt days of both fall and spring, making them an easier mark for predators. Researchers know that the color change is controlled by the number of hours of sunlight, but whether the rabbit will be able to adapt quick enough to survive is a big question. The National Wildlife Federation has reported that hunters have noticed their numbers are already markedly down.
American pikas or rock rabbits, a relative of rabbits and hares, might be the firs" of these species to go extinct due to climate change. About 7-8 inches long, pikas live high in the cool, damp mountains west of the Rocky Mountains. As global temperatures rise, they would naturally migrate (迁徙) to higher ground — but they already occupy the mountaintops. They can"t go any higher. The National Wildlife Federation reports that they might not be able to stand the new temperatures as their habitat beats up.
The volcano rabbit has the same problem. These rabbits live on the slopes of volcanoes in Mexico, and recent studies have shown that the lower range of their habitat has already shifted upward about 700 meters, but there are not suitable plants for them to move higher, so they are stuck in the middle. Scientists are concerned about their populations.
Native to the US, pygmy rabbits weigh less than 1 pound and live in the American West. They are believed to be the smallest rabbits in the world. Their habitats have been destroyed by development. Several populations, such as the Columbia Basin pygmy, almost went extinct and were saved by zoo breeding programs. Pygmy rabbits also rely on winter cover by digging tunnels through the snow to escape predators, but lesser snowfall is leaving them exposed.
All of this gives new meaning to dressing up in a giant bunny costume this Easter.
小题1:The writer mentions Easter at the beginning of the passage in order to_______.

A．show the importance of Easter Day

B．introduce the issue about bunnies

C．remind people of Easter traditions

D．discuss the relationship between Easter and bunnies

小题2:The word "culprit" ( Paragraph 2) is closest in meaning to______.

A．criminal

B．judge

C．victim

D．producer

小题3:According to the passage, some rabbits can now be easily Uncovered by predators because they_______

A．are exposed lo more skillful hunters

B．have moved to habitats with fewer plants

C．haven"t adapted themselves to climate change

D．can"t change their fur color into white in the fall and the spring

小题4:The problem faced by volcano rabbets and rock rabbits is that________.

A．both are affected by 1ess snow

B．both are affected by rising sea levels

C．neither can find enough food

D．neither can migrate to higher places

小题5:Which best describes the writer"s tone in the postage?

A．Approving.

B．Concerned.

C．Enthusiastic.

D．Doubtful.

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Two friends have an argument that bleaks up their friendship forever, even though neither one can remember how the whole thing got started. Such sad events happen over and over in high schools across the country. In fact, according to an official report on youth violence, "In our country today, the greatest threat to the lives of children and adolescents is not disease or starvation or abandonment, but the terrible reality of violence". Given that this is the case, why aren"t students taught to manage conflict the way they are taught to solve math problems, drive cars, or stay physically fit?
First of all, students need to realize that conflict is unavoidable. A report on violence among middle school and high school students indicates that most violent incidents between students begin with a relatively minor insult (侮辱). For example, a fight could start over the fact that one student eats a peanut butter sandwich each lunchtime. Laughter over the sandwich can lead to insults, which in turn can lead to violence. The problem isn"t in the sandwich, but in the way students deal with the conflict.
Once students recognize that conflict is unavoidable, they can practice the golden rule of conflict resolution (解决) stay calm. Once the student feels calmer, he or she should choose words that will calm the other person down as well. Rude words, name-calling, and accusation only add fuel to the emotional fir On the other hand, soft words spoken at a normal sound level can put out the fire before it explodes out of control.
After both sides have calmed down, they can use another key strategy for conflict resolution; listening. Listening allows the two sides to understand each other. One person should describe his or her side, and the other person should listen without interrupting. Afterward, the listener can ask non-threatening questions to clarify the speaker"s position. Then the two people should change roles.
Finally, students need f. consider what they are hearing. This doesn"t mean trying to figure out what"s wrong with the other person. It means understanding what the real issue is and what both sides are trying to accomplish. For example, a shouting match over a peanut butter sandwich might happen because one person thinks the other person is unwilling to try new things. Students need to ask themselves questions such as these: How did this start? What do I really want? What am I afraid off As the issue becomes clearer, the conflict often simply becomes smaller. Even if it doesn"t, careful thought helps both sides figure out a mutual solution.
There will always be conflict in schools, but that doesn"t mean there needs to be violence. After students in Atlanta started a conflict resolution program, according to Educators for Social Responsibility, "64 percent of the teachers reported less physical violence in the classroom; 75 percent of the teachers reported an increase in student cooperation; and 92 percent of the students felt better about themselves". Learning to resolve conflicts can help students deal with friends, teachers, parents, bosses, and coworkers. In that way, conflict resolution is a basic life skill that should be taught in schools across the country.
小题1:This article is mainly about.

A．the lives of school children	B．the cause of arguments in schools
C．how to analyze youth violence	D．how to deal with school conflicts

小题2:From Paragraph 2 we can learn that________ .

A．violence is more likely to occur at lunchtime

B．a small conflict can lead to violence

C．students tend to lose their temper easily

D．the eating habit of a student is often the cause of a fight

小题3:Why do students need to ask themselves the questions stated in Paragraph 5?

A．To find out who to blame.

B．To get ready to buy new things.

C．To make clear what the real issue is.

D．To figure out how to stop the shouting match.

小题4:After the conflict resolution program was started in Atlanta, it was found that______.

A．there was a decrease in classroom violence

B．there was less student cooperation in the classroom

C．more teachers fell better about themselves in schools

D．the teacher-student relationship greatly improved

小题5:The writer’s purpose for writing this article is to_______.

A．complain about problems in school education

B．teach students different strategies for school life

C．advocate teaching conflict management in schools

D．inform teachers of the latest studies on school violence

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As a young boy, I sometimes traveled the country roads with my dad. He was a rural mill carrier, and on Saturdays he would ask me to go with him. Driving through the countryside was always an adventure: There were animals to see, people to visit, and chocolate cookies if you knew where to stop, and Dad did.
In the spring, Dad delivered boxes full of baby chickens, and when 1 was a boy it was such a fun to stick your finger "through one of the holes of the boxes and let the baby birds peck on your fingers.
On Dad" s final day of work, it took him well into the evening to complete his rounds because at least one member from each family was waiting at their mailbox to thank him for his friendship and his years of service. "Two hundred and nineteen mailboxes on my route." he used to say, "and a story at every one. " One lady had no mailbox, so Dad took the mail in to her every day because she was nearly blind. Once inside, he read her mail and helped her pay her bills.
Mailboxes were sometimes used for things other than mail. One note left in a mailbox read. "Nat, take these eggs to Marian; she"s baking a cake and doesn"t have any eggs. " Mailboxes might be buried in the snow, or broken, or lying on the groom:. bat the mail was always delivered On cold days Dad might find one of his customers waiting for him with a cup of hot chocolate. A young wrote letters but had no stamps, so she left a few button on the envelope in the mailbox; Dad paid for the stamps. One businessman used to leave large amounts of cash in his mailbox for Dad to take to the bank. Once, the amount came to 8 32,000.
A dozen years ago, when I traveled back to my hometown on the sad occasion of Dad’s death, the mailboxes along the way reminded me of some of his stories. I thought I knew them all, but that wasn"t the case.
As I drove home, I noticed two lamp poles, one on each side of the street. When my dad was around, those poles supported wooden boxes about four feet off the ground. One box was painted green and the other was red, and each had a long narrow hole at the top with white lettering: SANTA CLAUS, NORTH POLE. For years children had dropped letters to Santa through those holes.
I made a turn at the comer and drove past the post office and across the railroad tracks to our house. Mom and I were sitting at the kitchen table when I heard footsteps. There, at the door, stood Frank Townsend, Dad"s postmaster and great friend for many years. So we all sat down at the table and began to tell stories.
At one point Frank looked at me with tears in his eyes. " What are we going to do about the letters this Christmas?" he asked.
"The letters?"
"I guess you never knew. "
"Knew what?"
" Remember, when you were a kid and you used to put your letters to Santa in those green and red boxes on Main Street? It was your dad who answered all those letters every year. "
I just sat there with tears in my eyes. It wasn’t hard for me to imagine Dad sitting at the old table in our basement reading those letters and answering each one. I have since spoken with several of the people who received Christmas letters during their childhood, and they told me how amazed they were that Santa had known so much about their homes and families.
For me, just knowing that story about my father was the gift of a lifetime.
小题1:It can be inferred from the passage that the writer regarded his travels with Dad us_____.

A．great chances to help other people

B．happy occasions to play with baby chickens

C．exciting experience* with a lot of fun

D．good opportunities to enjoy chocolate cookies

小题2:The writer provides the detail about the businessman to show that_____.

A．Dad had a strong sense of duty

B．Dad was an honest and reliable man

C．Dad had a strong sense of honor

D．Dad was a kind and generous man

小题3:According to the passage, which of the following impressed the writer most?

A．Dad read letters for a blind lady for years.

B．Dad paid for the stamps for a young girl.

C．Dad delivered some eggs to Marian.

D．Dad answered children"s Christmas letters every year.

小题4:The method the writer uses to develop Paragraph 4 is______.

A．offering analyses	B．providing explanations
C．giving examples	D．making comparisons

小题5:What surprised the children most when they received letters in reply from Santa Claus every year?

A．Santa Claus lived alone in the cold North Pole.

B．Santa Claus answered all their letters every year.

C．Santa Claus had unique mailboxes for the children.

D．Santa Claus had so much information about their families.

小题6:Which of the following is the best title for the passage?

A．The Mail	B．Christmas Letters
C．Special Mailboxes	D．Memorable Travels

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When my brother and I were young, my mom would take us on Transportation Days.
It goes like this: You can’t take any means of transportation more than once. We would start from home, walking two blocks to the rail station. We’d take the train into the city center, then a bus, switching to the tram, then maybe a taxi. We always considered taking a horse carriage in the historic district, but we didn’t like the way the horses were treated, so we never did. At the end of the day, we took the subway to our closest station, where Mom’s friend was waiting to give us a ride home—our first car ride of the day.
The good thing about Transportation Days is not only that Mom taught us how to get around. She was born to be multimodal (多方式的). She understood that depending on cars only was a failure of imagination and, above all, a failure of confidence—the product of a childhood not spent exploring subway tunnels.
Once you learn the route map and step with certainty over the gap between the train and the platform, nothing is frightening anymore. New cities are just light-rail lines to be explored. And your personal car, if you have one, becomes just one more tool in the toolbox—and often an inadequate one, limiting both your mobility and your wallet.
On Transportation Days, we might stop for lunch on Chestnut Street or buy a new book or toy, but the transportation was the point. First, it was exciting enough to watch the world speed by from the train window. As I got older, my mom helped me unlock the mysteries that would otherwise have paralyzed my first attempts to do it myself: How do I know where to get off? How do I know how much it costs? How do I know when I need tickets, and where to get them? What track, what line, which direction, where’s the stop, and will I get wet when we go under the river?
I’m writing this right now on an airplane, a means we didn’t try on our Transportation Days and, we now know, the dirtiest and most polluting of them all. My flight routed me through Philadelphia. My multimodal mom met me for dinner in the airport. She took a train to meet me.
小题1:Which was forbidden by Mom on Transportation Days?

A．Having a car ride.

B．Taking the train twice.

C．Buying more than one toy.

D．Touring the historic district.

小题2:According to the writer, what was the greatest benefit of her Transportation Days?

A．Building confidence in herself.

B．Reducing her use of private cars.

C．Developing her sense of direction.

D．Giving her knowledge about vehicles.

小题3:The underlined word “paralyzed” (in Para. 5) is closest in meaning to “_______”.

A．displayed

B．justified

C．ignored

D．ruined

小题4:Which means of transportation does the writer probably disapprove of?

A．Airplane.

B．Subway.

C．Tram.

D．Car.

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