Finishing their shopping at the mall, a couple discovered that their new car 1.（steal）. They filed a report at the police station and a detective drove them back to the parking lot to look 2. evidence. To their 3.（amaze）, the car had been returned.4. there was a note in it that said: “I apologize for 5. (take) your car. My wife was having a baby and I had to rush her to the hospital. Please forget the inconvenience. There are two tickets for tonight's Mania Twain concert.” Their 6. (faithful) in humanity restored. The couple attended 7.concert. But when they returned home, they 8. (immediate) found 9. their house had been ransacked （洗劫）. On the bathroom mirror was 10. note: “I have to put my kid through college somehow, don't I?”
I used to hate being called upon in class mainly because I didn't like attention drawn to myself.And____ otherwise assigned（指定）a seat by the teacher,I always____to sit at the back of the classroom.
All this____after I joined a sports team.It began when a teacher suggested I try out for the basketball team.At first I thought it was a crazy____because I didn't have a good sense of balance,nor did I have the____to keep pace with the others on the team and they would tease me.But for the teacher who kept insisting on my "____for it",I wouldn't have decided to give a try.
Getting up the courage to go to the tryouts（选拔）was only the____of it!When I first started____the practice sessions,I didn't even know the rules of the game,much____what I was doing.Sometimes I'd get____and take a shot at the wrong direction which made me feel really stupid.____,I wasn't the only one “new” at the game,so I decided to____on learning the game,do my best at each practice session,and not be too hard on myself for the things I didn't ____“just yet”.
I practiced and practiced.Soon I knew the____and the "moves".Being part of a team was fun and motivating. Very soon the competitive____in me was winning over my lack of confidence.With time,I learned how to play and made friends in the____—friends who respected my efforts to work hard and be a team player.I never had so much fun!
With my____self-confidence comes more praise from teachers and classmates.I have gone from "____" in the back of the classroom and not wanting to call attention to myself,____raising my hand—even when I sometimes wasn't and not 100 percent____I had the right answer.Now I have more self-confidence in myself.
1.A. as B. until C. unless D. though
2.A. hoped B. agreed C. meant D. chose
3.A. continued B. changed C. settled D. started
4.A. idea B. plan C. belief D. saying
5.A. right B. chance C. ability D. patience
6.A. going B. looking C. cheering D. applying
7.A. point B. half C. rest D. basis
8.A. enjoying B. preparing C. attending D. watching
9.A. less B. later C. worse D. further
10.A. committed B. motivated C. embarrassed D. confused
11.A. Interestingly B. Fortunately C. Obviously D. Hopefully
12.A. focus B. act C. reply D. try
13.A. want B. do C. support D. know
14.A. steps B. orders C. rules D. games
15.A. role B. part C. mind D. value
16.A. process B. operation C. movement D. situation
17.A. expressed B. improved C. preserved D. recognized
18.A. dreaming B. playing C. relaxing D. hiding
19.A. by B. for C. with D. to
20.A. lucky B. happy C. sure D. satisfied
Homesickness at college
The thought of college life is quite exciting for students as they taste independence for the first time at college. Their hard work and effort paid off after all. Though college life brings lots of dreams and expectations for students, most of them soon start feeling homesick. 1.But change is a part of life and dealing with change helps us to grow. In the same way, homesickness at college is a brief experience which goes away once students start adjusting in their new environment.
2.Some students may turn to alcohol and drugs. So it is important that students who experience homesickness at college know about how to deal with it. Students should understand that rather than constantly thinking of their hometown, it is better to see it as a challenge and try to defeat it . Though it is not a difficult task, the time that will take each person to deal with home-
sickness at college will be different according to their attitude and personality.3.You
can do that, too.
Remember overcoming homesickness is accepting what you are experiencing. Many students think that being homesick is childish and undeveloped feeling and try to cover it up by acting cool or showing that they are very busy.4.Besides, even their classmates will be going through the same emotions and feelings. Instead of trying to make them understand that they are totally fine after shifting to the new school, going through their emotions and thoughts about life at home for a day or two will be a better choice.5.
A. Homesickness helps students build up a better understanding of life.
B. Homesickness leads to dangerous results if not solved properly.
C. But they don’t realize that homesickness is common to people of all ages.
D. You may miss your parents as you leave home for the first time.
E. This is an important part in the process of beating homesickness.
F. The main reason for the development of such a feeling is change.
G. Believe this is a possible achievement that everyone can achieve.
Maybe you have ever seen a cross. A cross can be a piece of jewelry or an image in
a painting. But do you know the cross is a very popular symbol for Christmas？
It came from the story of Jesus’ death on the cross two thousand years ago in Jerusalem. Jesus was Jewish，and at that time Jewish people were under Roman rule. Jesus was badly punished because he declared to be the Son of God and the King of Jews. Surely，the Son of God could have saved himself from the death！But the Bible says that Jesus had a reason to die that day. It was in God’s purpose that it would happen.[
Christians call the day that Jesus died “Good Friday”. At first，it is hard to understand how a terrible day could ever be called good. Well，the story does not end there. Jesus died and he was buried. But three days later，Jesus was alive，and the whole world was changed.
Today，Christians everywhere remember this important time. They celebrate Easter. Easter is the day that Jesus rose from the dead. After his death on the cross，Jesus’ body was placed in a tomb. On the third day from then，God raised him from the dead. Jesus stayed on earth physically for several weeks. Many people saw him. Easter is the happiest time of year for Christians because they believe that Jesus had victory over death and evil and that now he lives with God the Father in heaven. But before celebrating Easter, Good Friday should be remembered. Jesus died a horrible and painful death. He suffered, though he did nothing wrong. Christian believe that Jesus was God’s substitute(代表) for humans， because humans all do wrong. He died because of humans and he died for humans.
Christians often wear crossed around their necks of hang them in their homes because they believe it is a very important sign. The cross helps them remember how much God loves them. It helps them remember how much his Son had to suffer. Seeing a cross always makes them think of Jesus’ death， and what it means.
1.According to the bible， why Jesus could not save himself from death that day？
A. Jesus was not afraid of death
B. God arrange Jesus’ death for certain purpose
C. Jesus should die without a reason
D. Jesus was not God’s Son at all
2.In Christians’ belief， for what reason did God want Jesus to die？
A. God loved humans despite human’s wrong—doing，so he asked his beloved Son to die in human’s place
B. Jesus did something wrong by acclaiming himself the Son of God
C. God wanted His Son Jesus to live with him in heaven
D. God wanted “Good Friday” and “Easter”mainly to be remembered by humans
3.It can be inferred from the passage that____________
A. a cross is a piece of jewelry or an image in a painting for Christians
B. Christians call the day that Jesus died “Good Friday”mainly to reduce their pain for the loss of Jesus
C. if Jesus hadn’t returned to life，people would often wear crosses around their necks or hang them in their homes
D. Christians like crosses because crosses always remind them of God’s love and Jesus’ death
4.The purpose of the author in writing this passage is to___________
A. introduce a symbol for Christian---- the cross
B. tell an interesting Christian story
C. inform the origin of two Christian festivals
D. describe the rebirth of Jesus
BUS SERVICE
New York City — Brennan, New Jersey
(Trip time: 30 minutes each way )
Timetable
●Buses leave the Railway Station, New York 7:00 a.m. and every half-hour thereafter(此后) until 11:30 p.m. (7 days a week).
●Buses leave Brennan Station 20 minutes before and after every hour from 6:20 a.m. to 10:40 p.m. (7 days a week ).
●Evening rush hours(5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.) buses leave the Railway Station, New York every 15 minutes (Monday — Friday).
●Holidays: buses leave every hour on the hour time, each direction.
All tickets must be bought at Window 12, the Railway Station, New York, or at the Brennan Station Window before boarding buses.
1.What time does a bus leave New York for Brennan every Thursday?
A. 10:20 a.m. B. 6:30 a.m.
C. 6:45 p.m. D. 4:40 p.m.
2.Which is the latest bus you should take from Brennan if you have to arrive at the Railway Station, New York before 4:00 p. m. on Monday?
A. The 3:20 p. m bus B. the 3:00 p. m bus
C. The 3:30 p. m bus D. The 3:40 p. m bus
3.What time does a bus leave Brennan for New York on Christmas Day?
A. 1:00 p. m B. 9:40 a. m
C. 3:15 p. m D. 8:30 a. m
The old man walked with a cane（拐杖）slowly into the restaurant. His poor jacket
patched（打补丁）trousers and worn-out shoes made him stand out from the usual Saturday morning breakfast crowd. Unforgettable were his pale blue eyes that sparkled like diamonds，large rosy cheeks，and thin lips held in a steady smile.
He walked towards a table by the window. A young waitress watched him and ran over to him， saying，“Here, Sir. Let me give you a hand with that chair”
Without a word，he smiled and nodded a thank you. She pulled the chair away from the table. Steadying him with one arm， she helped him move in front of the chair， and get comfortably seated. Then she pushed the table up close to him，and learned his cane against the table where he could reach it.
In a soft，clear voice he said, “Thank you, Miss”
“You are welcome, Sir.” she replied，“My name is Mary. I’ll be back in a moment. If you need anything, just wave at me.”
After he had finished a hearty meal of pancakes，bacon，and hot lemon tea，Mary brought him the change, helping him up from his chair and out from behind the table. She handed him his cane， and walked with him to the front door. Holding the door open for him, she said, “Come back and see us, Sir.”
He nodded a thank you and said softly with a smile, “You are very kind！”
When Mary went to clean his table，she was shocked. Under his plate she found a business card and a note written on the napkin, under which was a 100$ bill.
The note on the napkin read，“Dear Mary，I respect you very much， and you respect yourself，too. It shows by the way you treat others. You have found the secret of happiness. Your kind gestures will shine through those who meet you. ”
The man she had served was the owner of the restaurant. This was the first time that she，or any of his employees, had seen him in person.
1.Mary ran over to the old man because___________
A. the old man was the boss of the restaurant
B. she saw the old man had some difficulty moving and taking a seat
C. she was worried that the old man might cause trouble to the restaurant
D. the old man had asked her wait on him
2.The old man came to the restaurant to_______
A. have breakfast B. find out how his restaurant was working
C. see his employees D. see how Mary served customers
3.The words the man left on the napkin indicates that_________
A. serving others is a respectable job
B. Mary would get a rise as a result of her kindness
C. respecting others means respecting oneself
D. Mary’ s kind service would bring in more money for her.
4.Based on the passage, all of the following words can be used to describe Mary EXCEPT______
A. kind B. considerate
C. calm D. helpful
