I began working in journalism(新闻工作) when I was eight.It was my mother’s idea.She wanted me to“make something”of myself,and decided I had better start young if I was to have any chance of keeping up with the competition.

With my load of magazines I headed toward Belleville Avenue.The crowds were there.There were two gas stations on the corner of Belleville and Union.For several hours I made myself highly visible,making sure everyone could see me and the heavy black letters on the bag that said THE SATURDAY EVENING POST.When it was suppertime,I walked back home.

“How many did you sell,my boy?”my mother asked.

“None.”

“Where did you go?”

“The corner of Belleville and Union Avenues.”

“What did you do?”

“Stood on the corner waiting for somebody to buy a Saturday Evening Post.”

“You just stood there?”

“Didn’t sell a single one.”

“My God,Russell!”

Uncle Allen put in,“Well,I’ve decided to take the Post.”I handed him a copy and he paid me a nickel(五分镍币).It was the first nickel I earned.

Afterwards my mother taught me how to be a salesman.I would have to ring doorbells,address adults with self-confidence(自信),and persuade them by saying that no one,no matter how poor,could afford to be without the Saturday Evening Post in the home.

One day,I told my mother I’d changed my mind.I didn’t want to make a success in the magazine business.

“If you think you can change your mind like this,”she replied,“you’ll become a good-for-nothing.”She insisted that,as soon as school was over,I should start ringing doorbells,selling magazines.Whenever I said no,she would scold me.

My mother and I had fought this battle almost as long as I could remember.My mother,dissatisfied with my father’s plain workman’s life,determined that I would not grow up like him and his people.But never did she expect that,forty years later,such a successful journalist as me would go back to her husband’s people for true life and love.

1.Why did the boy start his job young?

2.From the dialogue between the boy and his mother,we learn that the mother was _______.

3.What did the mother do when the boy wanted to give up?

4.What does the underlined phrase “this battle”(last paragraph) refer to?

5.What is the text mainly about?

People who have lost the ability to understand or use words due to brain damage are called aphasics(失语症患者).Such patients can be extremely good at something else.From the changing expressions on speakers’ faces and the tones of their voices,they can tell lies from truths.

Doctors studying the human brain have given a number of examples of this amazing power of aphasics.Some have even compared this power to that of a dog with an ability to find out the drugs hidden in the baggage.

Recently,scientists carried out tests to see if all that was said about aphasics was true.THEY STUDIED A MIXED GROUP OF PEOPLE.Some were normal;others were aphasics.It was proved that the aphasics were far ahead of the normal people in recognizing false speeches—in most cases,the normal people were fooled by words,but the aphasics were not.

Some years ago,Dr.Oliver Sacks wrote in his book about his experiences with aphasics.He mentioned a particular case in a hospital.Some aphasics were watching the president giving a speech on TV.Since the president had been an actor earlier,making a good speech was no problem for him.He was trying to put his feelings into every word of his speech.

But his way of speaking had the opposite effect on the patients.They didn’t seem to believe him.Instead,they burst into laughter.The aphasics knew that the president did not mean a word of what he was saying.He was lying!

Many doctors see aphasics as people who are not completely normal because they lack the ability to understand words.However,according to Dr.Sacks,they are more gifted than normal people.Normal people may get carried away by words.Aphasics seem to understand human expressions better,though they cannot understand words.

1.What is so surprising about aphasics?

2.How did the scientists study aphasics?

3.What do we learn from this text?

完形填空(共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分)

阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从21~40各题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出最佳选项，并在答题纸上将该选项标号涂黑。

The books in David’s schoolbag felt like bricks as he ran down the street.What he wanted to do was to play basketball with Eric.   21   his mother told him he would have to return his sister’s books to the library first.

He had   22   set foot in a library and he wasn’t about to do so today.He would just  23  

the books in the outside return box.But there was a   24  ;it was locked.

He went into the building,only a few minutes   25   closing time.He put the books into the return box.And after a brief   26   in the toilet,he would be on his way to the playground to   27   Eric.

David stepped out of the toilet and stopped in   28  —the library lights were off.The place was   29  .The doors had been shut.They   30   be opened from the inside.He was trapped(被困)—in a library!

He tried to   31   a telephone call,but was unable to   32  .What’s worse,the pay phones were on the outside of the building.  33    the sun began to set,he searched for a light and found it.

   34   he could see.David wrote on a piece of paper:“    35   !I’m TRAPPED inside!”and stuck it to the glass door.   36  ,someone passing by would see it.

He was surprised to discover that this place was not so unpleasant,   37  .Rows and rows of shelves held books,videos and music.He saw a book about Michael Jordan and took it off the shelf.He settled into a chair and started to   38  .

He knew he had to   39  ,but now,that didn’t seem to be such a   40   thing.

21.A.but                       B.because                     C.or                             D.since

22.A.ever                            B.nearly                       C.never                        D.often

23.A.pass                            B.drop                         C.carry                        D.take

24.A.problem               B.mistake                     C.case                          D.question

25.A.during                  B.after                         C.over                          D.before

26.A.rest                      B.break                        C.walk                         D.stop

27.A.visit                            B.meet                         C.catch                         D.greet

28.A.delight                 B.anger                        C.surprise                     D.eagerness

29.A.lonely                  B.empty                       C.noisy                        D.crowded

30.A.wouldn’t                     B.shouldn’t                   C.couldn’t                    D.needn’t

31.A.make                    B.fix                            C.use                           D.pick

32.A.get on                  B.get up                       C.get through                D.get in

33.A.If                         B.As                            C.Though                     D.Until

34.A.On time                                                   B.Now and then

C.By the way                                                  D.At last

35.A.Come                   B.Help                         C.Hello                        D.Sorry

36.A.Surely                  B.Thankfully                C.Truly                        D.Gradually

37.A.at most                 B.after all                            C.in short                            D.as usual

38.A.watch                   B.play                          C.read                          D.write

39.A.wait                            B.stand                         C.sleep                         D.work

40.A.bad                     B.cool                          C.strange                      D.nice

______ by a greater demand for vegetables,farmers have built more green houses.

The open-air celebration has been put off _______ the bad weather.

The play had already been on for quite some time when we _______ at the New Theatre.

Professor James will give up a lecture on the Western culture,but when and where _______ yet.

—He got his first book published.It turned out to be a bestseller.

—When was _______?

—_______ was in 2000 when he was still in college.

—My cat’s really fat.

—You _______ have given her so much food.

Chan’s restaurant on Baker Street,_______ used to be poorly run,is now a successful business.