My l4-year-old son, John, and I spotted the coat at the same time in a second-hand clothing store. It stood out among big and old coats. It had beautiful tailoring and an unbelievable price: $28. I looked at my son and we both said nothing, but John’s eyes shone. Dark, woolen topcoats were popular with teenage boys, but they could cost several hundred dollars new. This coat was even better. John tried it on and turned from side to side, eyeing himself in the mirror. The fit was perfect.
John wore the coat to school the next day and came home with a big grin. “Did the kids like your coat?” I asked. “They loved it,” he said.
Over the next few weeks, John changed. He was polite, less argumentative, more thoughtful, and on the whole much happier. “Good dinner, mom,” he would say every evening. Without a word of objection he would carry in wood for the stove. One day when I suggested that he might start on his homework before dinner, John, who always put things off, said: “You’re right. I guess I will.” When I mentioned this incident to one of his teachers, she joked that the coat must have changed him.
John and I both know we should never mistake a person’s clothes for the real person within them. But there is something to be said for wearing a standard of excellence for the world to see, for practicing standards of excellence in thought, speech, and behavior, and for matching what is on the inside to what is on the outside.
1.What does the author try to express in the first paragraph?
A. The coat looked like a magical coat.
B. They were good at shopping.
C. The coat was a real bargain.
D. They had the same taste in clothes.
2.What does the underlined word “grin” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?
A. A wide smile. B. A worried look.
C. A jealous spirit. D. A joking tone.
3.After John wore the new coat, the author found he _______.
a. was happier and better-behaved
b. received more praise from his teachers
c. was willing to follow suggestions
d. made rapid progress in study
e. would say sweet words to please her
A. a, b, c B. a, c, e C. b, d, e D. c, d, e
4.What message does the author intend to deliver in the article?
A. We should not judge people by their appearance.
B. Life is full of possibilities when we are young.
C. It’s beneficial to try different things in our lives.
D. What we wear could help shape who we are inside.
I had been playing hockey（冰球）for about 10 years. I was always the one sitting at the end of the bench, and 36 got into a game. I went to all the 37 and showed up even when it was so 38 that your ‘breath froze’ and when the other players had decided to stay home. I felt I had 39 enough and thought of quitting.
I finally decided to 40 the news to my mom that I was leaving the team. My mom may have looked like a tiny and quiet lady but on 41 my words, she said, “Remember, ‘A quitter never wins and a winner never quits.’ Your mother didn’t raise 42 , so think about yourself in a 43 way and see yourself as a winner!” So I worked harder than ever at getting in better shape, 44 my shot（投球） accuracy and changing my 45 .
Once in a match, we 46 our first game badly. What’s worse, one of our best players got hurt. I was sitting at my 47 place, at the end of the bench, when the coach came over and told me I was going 48 . I was nervous, excited and terrified all at the same time.
The opposing team was fast and I had to admit I was a little 49 . But my mom’s words 50 out in my head like a church bell. Instead of being afraid, I was “pumped” and I very quickly found that all my 51 work was paying off. I was as fast a skater as anyone else on the ice, and I seemed to get the 52 to score. The crowd went quiet. All the time I spent on the ice when everyone had gone home had 53 me for this moment.
Won! I won!
The lesson I learned from my mom’s 54 has stayed with me over the years. I hear them whenever I am faced with a challenge, or whenever I 55 myself.
1.A. once B. seldom C. usually D. evenB
2.A. meetings B. shows C. matches D. practices
3.A. cloudy B. wet C. cold D. windy
4.A. suffered B. explained C. planned D. escaped
5.A. write B. break C. read D. speak
6.A. noticing B. gathering C. hearing D. analyzing
7.A. talkers B. dreamers C. attackers D. losers
8.A. positive B. familiar C. brief D. convenient
9.A. testing B. improving C. questioning D. affecting
10.A. aim B. taste C. habit D. attitude
11.A. lost B. controlled C. practiced D. continued
12.A. usual B. safe C. secret D. private
13.A. off B. in C. by D. up
14.A. annoyed B. awkward C. scared D. bitter
15.A. put B. rang C. gave D. stood
16.A. exact B. extra C. creative D. casual
17.A. chance B. message C. order D. note
18.A. spared B. requested C. prepared D. sent
19.A. actions B. reasons C. words D. promises
20.A. judge B. express C. comfort D. doubt
—The weather here in summer is so changeable. Please take an umbrella when you go out.
—________.
A. Well, don’t worry B. Well, it just depends
C. Oh, take it easy D. OK, just in case
Our teacher looked here and there on the playground ________looking for something.
A．even though B．as if C．even if D．only if
After the earthquake，the poor girl was found ________under the ruins of a church.
A．burying B．to be buried C．buried D．being buried
—Jack fell off the ladder yesterday，but he is all right now.
—What a lucky dog! He________ himself badly.
A．should injure B．might injure
C．should have injured D．could have injured
