My sister and I have been a headache for my mother, because my father was in the army, he was not around too often. __21__, my mother brought us up almost single-handedly and it must have __22__ real strength of mind to bring up such naughty and stubborn children who got out from one trouble only to get into another.
Bonus and I weren’t scholars either. __23__, we hated studying from the very beginning. We were __24__ to spend time with our schoolbooks---out of the fear of Mum’s scolding. I almost did not make it to 10th grade. That entire summer Mum __25__ that I read my schoolbooks from the very first chapter till the last.
I left __26__ college at 18. In my second year of college, while I was studying for my final exams, I got a phone call from Mum __27__ my sister had failed her 9th grade exams. Mum was heartbroken. My mother was an English teacher in a famous school in the city and it was a(n) __28__ for her.
Then started another __29__ for my Mum. There always seemed to be people who would come and talk about how well their children were doing __30__ my mother would be having a tough time making sure we stayed on the right path. Mum was __31__ that we would do well for ourselves. She never let my sister and me __32__ that we had lost out on something and always told us: “Let this be a lesson. We are going to work really really hard...__33__ will change.”
Things did change, but very slowly and __34__, one little step at a time. Last year I finished with law school and started working. My mother’s belief in me __35__. And just a few days ago I got a phone from Bonus. She had __36__ the exam with honors and was __37__ to the best university in the country. I was in tears. Later that night I __38__ Mum: “Mum, your two little failures didn’t do as badly as everybody thought.” Mum __39__ and said: “You are my daughters and I knew you the best. I always knew that you would succeed. It was just a __40__ of time.”

My sister and I have been a headache for my mother, because my father was in the army, he was not around too often. __21__, my mother brought us up almost single-handedly and it must have __22__ real strength of mind to bring up such naughty and stubborn children who got out from one trouble only to get into another.

Bonus and I weren’t scholars either. __23__, we hated studying from the very beginning. We were __24__ to spend time with our schoolbooks---out of the fear of Mum’s scolding. I almost did not make it to 10th grade. That entire summer Mum __25__ that I read my schoolbooks from the very first chapter till the last.

I left __26__ college at 18. In my second year of college, while I was studying for my final exams, I got a phone call from Mum __27__ my sister had failed her 9th grade exams. Mum was heartbroken. My mother was an English teacher in a famous school in the city and it was a(n) __28__ for her.

Then started another __29__ for my Mum. There always seemed to be people who would come and talk about how well their children were doing __30__ my mother would be having a tough time making sure we stayed on the right path. Mum was __31__ that we would do well for ourselves. She never let my sister and me __32__ that we had lost out on something and always told us: “Let this be a lesson. We are going to work really really hard...__33__ will change.”

Things did change, but very slowly and __34__, one little step at a time. Last year I finished with law school and started working. My mother’s belief in me __35__. And just a few days ago I got a phone from Bonus. She had __36__ the exam with honors and was __37__ to the best university in the country. I was in tears. Later that night I __38__ Mum: “Mum, your two little failures didn’t do as badly as everybody thought.” Mum __39__ and said: “You are my daughters and I knew you the best. I always knew that you would succeed. It was just a __40__ of time.”

1.                A．However       B．Thus           C．Otherwise D．Besides

2.                A．devoted        B．spent          C．taken D．wasted

3.                A．In that case      B．In this way       C．On the other hand  D．On the contrary

4.                A．pleased        B．annoyed        C．forced   D．advised

5.                A．demanded      B．concluded       C．promised D．mentioned

6.                A．at             B．for            C．from D．after

7.                A．announcing     B．reading         C．knowing  D．saying

8.                A．shame         B．challenge       C．pride D．honor

9.                A．experiment     B．research        C．conflict   D．trial

10.               A．though         B．while          C．as    D．unless

11.               A．determined     B．astonished      C．satisfied   D．concerned

12.               A．predict         B．imagine        C．guess D．feel

13.               A．Environment    B．Society         C．Circumstances  D．Impressions

14.               A．quickly         B．extremely       C．smoothly  D．gradually

15.               A．made up        B．paid off         C．took on   D．burst out

16.               A．attended       B．received        C．passed    D．failed

17.               A．accepted       B．allowed        C．admitted  D．permitted

18.               A．questioned      B．convinced      C．persuaded D．called

19.               A．nodded        B．laughed        C．shouted   D．joked

20.               A．matter         B．period         C．waste D．length

 (北京市北大附中2007年5月高三最后适应测试)

The word “sharp” can be   36   to describe many different things in your home, classroom, and places of work．In this chapter, the writer   37  sharp pencils, meaning pencils with a very fine   38  ．The writer does not like dull pencils.

We can also use “sharp” to describe the blades of knives．Knives also have points．We can use “sharp” to describe a   39   kind of point,   40   as the sharp points of kitchen and steak knives．Scissors have blades, too, and we can describe these blades as sharp or dull．Furthermore, the points of scissors are   41   sharp or   42  ．Some tools, such as saws, scrapers, and garden tools, also have blades．We can use the words “sharp” and “dull” to describe the blades of these tools,   43  ．Sharp knives, scissors, and tools are  44  to use．They cut things easily and quickly, without effort.

“Sharp” can be used to describe the edges of furniture and   45   some containers．For example, the edge of a table or desk can be   46  ．In addition; we can describe the edge of   47   open can as sharp．The top of a can is sometimes sharp  48   to cut your hand．A piece of  glass from a(n)   49   jar or bottle is   50   very sharp.

51  , we sometimes use “sharp” to describe people．A person who appears sharp is very well   52  ．A person who is sharp, on the other hand, is intelligent, smart, and  53   learn and understand.

To summaries, “sharp” can be used to describe many kinds of   54   that have blades, points, and edges．When we used it to describe people, it can mean nice looking, well dressed, or intelligent．It is an expensive word   55   it can be used in many different ways.

36．A．written                   B．used                      C．seen                            D．taken

37．A．talks about            B．takes up                C．care for           D．makes up

38．A．sharp                   B．color                     C．point              D．edge

39．A．some                    B．any                        C．only               D．certain

40．A．so                        B．as soon                C．such              D．or

41．A．either                           B．neither                  C．too                D．very

42．A．blunt                            B．used                     C．frank              D．round

43．A．too                        B．even                      C．either             D．ever

44．A．difficult                  B．easy                            C．interesting              D．clean

45．A．for                        B．with                       C．of                D．at

46．A．seen                            B．sharp                    C．smooth           D．hard

47．A．an                        B．a                        C．the               D．any

48．A．so as                           B．in order                 C．so that          D．enough

49．A．old                        B．broken                  C．new              D．glass

50．A．again                   B．quite                     C．rather            D．ordinarily

51．A．However                      B．Finally                  C．Therefore       D．In this way

52．A．prepared                     B．dressed                 C．mannered            D．served

53．A．easy to                 B．is to               C．slow to                  D．quick to

54．A．materials               B．knives                   C．objects                 D．containers

55．A．because               B．even if                  C．though           D．in case