My first full-time job after high school was selling vacation packages via the telephone for a well-known company. One day, I was put through to a man who sounded a bit out of breath. I started with my normal pitch (音高), expecting to hear the normal reply —"I don’t want any."
Instead, he spoke in a faint, weak voice and told me how he wished to take a vacation I was offering, but he couldn’t because he was dying of illness. He explained how he was lacking in oxygen then, and it took almost all his energy to answer the call. He asked if I smoked, which I did, and begged me to stop. He told me smoking was what was killing him. He told me to spend every day with my loved ones, and tell them how 
much I love them. At this point, I couldn’t control myself. We ended the call, but I held on my phone to prevent another call coming in so I could collect myself.
I wrote down his name and address, and sent him a card appreciating his advice and praying for him and his family. Shortly after, I received a letter from Frank, along with a picture of him and his wife. We continued to write back and forth over the next few months, and became very fond of each other. He was old enough to be my grandfather, and in many ways, I felt as if he was.
About a year later I received a letter from his wife. When I started to read, tears came to my eyes. She told me how Frank’s battle with the disease had finally come to an end, and he passed away shortly before the Christmas. She wanted to thank me for the letters to Frank, and explained how Frank touched many lives over the years. At his funeral, to show just that, they read the 1st letter I had written to Frank to show how he affected a 19-year-old he’d never met.
1. The author was then probably working for ______.
A. a travel agencyB. a cigarette company
C. an e-shopping storeD. a vacation school
2.The underlined part "collect myself" in the second paragraph probably means "_______".
A. gather togetherB. comfort myself
C. relax myselfD. calm down
3. What can we infer from the text?
A. Frank was in hospital while answering the phone.
B. Frank is actually the author’s grandfather.
C. There was something wrong with Frank’s lung.
D. The author asked Frank to travel and he took his advice.
4. We can learn from the text that the author ________.
A. took down Frank’s name and address to visit him in person
B. was warmly welcomed by her customers when she called them
C. didn’t stop smoking even though Frank asked him to
D. kept in touch with Frank through letters until he died
5.At Frank’s funeral the author’s 1st letter to Frank was read in order to ____.
A. encourage people to fight against disease and live bravely
B. indicate that Frank touched many people’s hearts
C. show the good relationship b
etween Frank and the author
D. praise Frank and give thanks to the author
When 18th-century scientists first ca
me across Australia’s platypus(鸭嘴兽), they thought it was a trick. It is not surprising that the platypus made people confused. This funny-looking animal has feet and is a kind of warm-blooded mammal.
While other mammals usually keep their blood at around 37 degrees, the platypus has a lower body temperature of 32 degrees. As to its appearance, the platypus’mouth is not really like ducks’at all; its mouth actually looks a bit soft. The platypus closes its eyes when swimming. It uses its mouth to pick up outside information made by the creatures underwater.
Strangest of all, the platypus is a mammal that can lay eggs. And there is only one other kind of mammal that can lay eggs, the echidna (针鼹鼠) of Australia. Both the platy-pus and the echidna lay soft-shelled eggs, and both feed their young with their own milk that comes out of their skin. These animals also walk in a way that is similar to crocodiles(鳄鱼), with legs on the sides of their bodies rather than under them.
Though pretty, in a special way, the platypus is actually one of the few mammals that are poisonous. A male platypus has knife-like bones on its back legs which have enough poison to kill a dog.
The platypus has the honor of being one of the oldest mammals in the world. Until the early 20th century, it was hunted for its fur, but the situation has changed. Although the platypus is easily affected by pollution, it is not under any immediate threat.
1. What can we learn about the platypus according to the text?
A. It has a lower body temperature than other mammals.
B. It only closes its eyes when underwater.
C. It’s the only poisonous mammal in the world.
D. It feeds its young on wild animal meat.
2.Which of the following is NOT used as a comparison with the platypus in the text?
A. The crocodile.B. The echidna.C. The duck.D. The dog.
3.The following characteristics of the platypus have been described in the text EXCEPT ________.
A. its natural enemyB. its appearance
C. its walking poseD. its daily diet
4.We can infer from the last paragraph that the platypus _______.
A. is hunted for its meatB. is in danger of extinction
C. is endangered by air pollutionD. is well-protected now
5.Which of the following would be the best title for this text?
A. Platypus, a Trick?
B. Platypus, the Only Warm-Blooded Mammal
C. The Characteristics of Platypus
D. The Strange Mammal —Platypus。
It is really a happy thing to look back on the days I spent with Jennie. We met in night school. After Jennie and I had completed the required courses, we started teaching in the same school. For a time we were just casual friends, but one day, when I was telling Jennie about my problem son, we discovered we were kindred (同类的) spirits. "He’s a difficult little character," I explained. Jennie looked though
tful. "Maybe you’re only seeing him with your eyes." She was silent for a moment and then added softly, "It is only with the heart that one sees rightly." I stared at her. "You’re
quoting (引用) that! It’s from The Little Prince, Saint-Exupery’s book for children, one of my favorites. You know it, too?" Jennie nodded. "I love it. I’ve read it so often. I’ve practically memorized it."
Now, when I think of Jennie, I recall that book because Jennie —more than anyone I know —possessed the gift of seeing with the heart.
From that moment of a treasured book shared, our friendship grew steadily. It wasn’t that I didn’t have an excellent relationship with my husband and son, but my mother had died shortly after my marriage, and I had neither sisters nor daughters. I realize, now, how I needed someone to share those little, seemingly unimportant things that add so much to life —things that must be shared to be fully appreciated.
And it was Jennie who helped me with my fourth-grade problem child. One day I was at my wit’s end. "What he needs is a good beating!" I exploded.
"He’s probably had plenty of those," Jennie said. "Maybe he just needs sincere praise for anything he does right, and a hug or two each day." I followed this suggestion, and eventually, because of Jennie, I discovered a lovable little boy.
Looking back, I have to admit that she taught me so much. The days I spent with her has become one of my happiest memories.
1.What does the underlined part mean in the fourth paragraph?
A. I was unsure of how to treat my son.
B. I decided to give up my job.
C. I faced financial difficulties.
D. I was very disappointed with myself.
2.How did the author and Jennie’s friendship grow?
A. They both were interested in children’s education.
B. They both liked a novel, The Little Prince.
C. They often chatted together about their families.
D. They both worked in the same school.
3.We learn from the text that __________.
A. the author has the gift of seeing with the heart
B. the author had no friends before meeting Jennie
C. the author had lost her mother before her marriage
D. the author seldom praised her son in the past
4.How does the author feel about her family?
A. No one listened to her seemingly unimportant things.
B. She didn’t get along well with her husband and son.
C. She once seldom spoke to her mother.
D. She felt quite lonely in her family.
5.The text is mainly about _________.
A. how to educate children properly
B. the fact that we should see nature differently
C. the influence of friendship in life
D. how friendship begins and develops
I knew I could sing but I had to prove it. I don’t care what life gives me; I’ll it. It was my ninth time in front of a music executive to try to get a record deal. The first eight interviews had cold refusals.
When I found out the was at 6 a.m., I went a little crazy, for I had to
get up very early in order to get to the audition (试唱) room on time. This audition was at the office of Sony Music’s president, John Grady. to sing songs for a man behind a desk, I was . It’s very hard to let someone whether you’re worthy of a commercial career in 10 minutes. But, in this business, it was something I had to do.
I grew up in a rural area. farming, there wasn’t much of a local economy. If one wanted new horizons, he had to learn a(n) that could take him out of there. That’s how I my singing. I took up singing at an early age. When I was 15, I made money from singing. That was a huge for me.
It was in the middle of my singing that John Grady didn’t appear at all. About halfway through, I saw him write something down. From where I stood, I could see him write the letter 'n’, by the letter 'o’. I guessed he didn’t me.
As we said good-bye, Grady gave me a . Though my hands were , I found the to read the note. It didn’t say, "No." It said, "Now." Just then, I knew that my of becoming a professional musician was starting to come true.
1.A. handleB. operateC. encounter D. recall
2.A. recognizingB. accessingC. appearingD. Approaching
3.A. resulted from B. ended with C. turned down D. made up
4.A. appointment B. information C. reply D. competition
5.A. particular B. simple C. regretful D. amusing
6.A. PermittingB. FailingC. Welcoming D. Waiting
7.A. excitedB. nervousC. hopefulD. helpless
8.A. finish B. judgeC. solve D. persuade
9.A. Apart fromB. Free fromC. Absent fromD. Far from
10.A. experienceB. profession C. skill D. trick
11.A. viewed B. questioned C. required D. practiced
12.A. progressB. processC. stop D. step
13.A. interestedB. embarrassedC. amazed D. puzzled
14.A. angrily B. clearly C. straightlyD. hardly
15.A. proved B. supportedC. hidden D. followed
16.A. appreciateB. understand C. trust D. refuse
17.A. record B. note C. chance D. promise
18.A. waving B. removingC. shakingD. Moving
19.A. courage B. patienceC. imagination D. determination
20.A. planB. dream C. preference D. tendency
—You were brave enough to argue with Mr. Smith.
—Well, now I regret _______ that.
A. to doB. to be doing C. to have doneD. having done
Too much pressure from study leads to sleeplessness, which _______ increases the risk of forgetfulness.
A. in turnB. in return C. by chance D. by choice
