I stole your dog.No，I didn't set a foot on your house，but from the condition of your dog，I can imagine what it looks like—the word “rubbish” comes to mind.

I found her along a road，with a heavy chain wrapped around her neck，still attached to rotten boards from her doghouse.Not only did I know that most of the town people had already ignored her，judging by the place where I found her，but I knew that if she had gotten into the woods，the “cross” that she dragged behind her would have wrapped itself around a tree until starvation or thirst killed her.

She has a beautiful name now.Already in the first week she has come to look more like she should.Her eyes sparkle and she has learned to wag her tail in greeting.She has stopped flinching(畏缩) when I make a sudden movement，because she knows now that I won't beat her.In fact，she rarely leaves my side.She's even become brave enough to bark at a cat and today I looked out of the window as she attempted to play with other dogs.No，it's clear that she does not miss you or her former life on a chain.

It's not clear yet whether she'll remain here or whether I'll find her a loving home where she can count on more individual attention than I can give her，but one thing is certain，this is a bit of stolen “property” which is never returning to you.So sue me，accuse me，plead with the court that she is rightfully yours...I'm convinced that this is the best “crime” I've ever committed.Hardly anything has pleased me more than the day when I stole your dog.I need only look into her beautiful brown eyes to know that she'd defend my decision with her life.If we have one prayer，it is that you will not replace her，and if we have one special day to celebrate together，it is the day I stole your dog and the day she stole my heart.

1．What's the author's attitude towards the former owner of the dog?

A．Puzzled. 　　　　　 B．Angry.

C．Shocked. 　　　　　 D．Satisfied.

2．It can be inferred from the passage that________.

A．the dog is not lovely

B．the dog tried to find a kind master

C．the dog was treated badly by its former master

D．the author will be charged with stealing the dog

3．What did the author think of his theft?

A．He was afraid of being punished.

B．He thought he had to do it.

C．He believed that the law would allow him to do so.

D．He did it with pride.

 

I was eleven years old, waiting for my exam at Saraswati Vidyalaya, my school in Nagpur. “No. 12, please come forward.” Kirti, a very fat girl from my class, stepped ahead. I heard my classmates laughing and so I tried to stop them with my eyes. But my good intentions were mistaken. The next morning, my teacher, Mrs. Kamble, told me, “Ashwini, I’ve received a complaint about you.” I was shocked. The girl I was protecting thought I’d been laughing at her.

I tried to explain but the teacher refused to hear me out. She punished me by making me stand by the door. I knew I was right. Such punishment to a class topper was simply unheard of. But, slowly, my pride disappeared. Instead of being angry, I understood the other students who have been punished at times. For the first time, I felt humbled (谦逊的).

Three years later, I was in the math class. Mr. Prabhuraman, wrote an equation (方程式) — one he’d taught us the day before — on the blackboard. “Anyone who doesn’t know how to solve this,” he said, “please leave the class at once.” I knew I could solve only the first two steps. But my pride made me stay there. Unfortunately, the one who was asked to solve it was me. I just stood there, chalk in hand, trying not to look foolish. I prepared myself for a good talking-to (斥责), but Mr. Prabhuraman told me kindly, “Go back to your seat.”

Today, two decades later, those incidents have made me think. One teacher punished me for something I didn’t do; the other forgave me for something I did wrong. Both experiences had an effect on me. They remind me that no matter what you accomplish (完成), you must always be humble.

1.When the very fat girl appeared, Ashwini _____.

A．took no notice of her                    B．laughed at her

C．said hello to her                        D．tried to stop others making fun of her

2.After receiving a complaint, Mrs. Kamble _____.

A．said nothing about it                     B．was disappointed

C．felt very angry                          D．tried to find out the truth

3.Why did Ashwini refuse to leave the class?

A．He felt it would make him lose face.

B．He could work out the equation.

C．His teacher believed in his ability.

D．His teacher never asked him any questions.

4.The text is a story about _____.

A．how to communicate with others

B．how to get along with teachers

C．the ways to protect others

D．the danger of pride

 

When I was young I loved taking part in high school musicals．I loved to   36   in front of hundreds of people．In one production, I auditioned（试音）like  37   else. My music teacher was   38  that I would get a particular part in the music drama. The part I thought I had was a   39 lead who sang some of the most beautiful love songs.

But one day the show director pulled me aside. I was   40 to be offered the leading role. To my disappointment, he said, “Bob, I found a boy with an excellent voice. I need to give the   41 to him.”

From that moment on I began hating music class. I  42 that I didn’t like what we were singing. My music teacher didn’t know why. She   43 me in front of the class and told me I had changed. She didn’t know what I had been told. But when they  44 the finalists, I was given a  45 role. For some time my pride was  46 with having to do something I didn’t think I should be doing. But I did it. The minor role I had   47 to be much more fun than I had expected. My performance even   48 my brother who was also in the audience.

Life is really like a   49 and although we do not audition for the role, each of us is   50 by the director to play a certain part in it. The  51 is that we sometimes don’t like the part we are given. Like me in high school I became   52  -–if I couldn’t be the lead, I wouldn’t show up for rehearsal（彩排）.

Then we wonder why we feel so   53 . Sometimes we don’t even feel like we are a part of the “Big Show. ” Everyone does indeed have a role. Some are in front of the curtain, some are behind, but all are  54 for the show to go on. All   55 to success no matter how minor the part is.

1.                A．debate         B．broadcast       C．sing  D．show

 

2.                A．someone       B．everyone       C．anyone   D．no one

 

3.                A．prejudiced      B．concerned      C．unexpected   D．convinced

 

4.                A．romantic        B．ridiculous       C．mysterious    D．sensitive

 

5.                A．attempting      B．expecting       C．volunteering   D．pretending

 

6.                A．part           B．deal           C．favor D．item

 

7.                A．assessed        B．advocated       C．concluded D．complained

 

8.                A．warned         B．scolded         C．informed D．suspected

 

9.                A．presented      B．identified       C．announced    D．delivered

 

10.               A．specific        B．super          C．slight D．small

 

11.               A．struggling       B．competing      C．swinging   D．changing

 

12.               A．happened      B．proved         C．expanded  D．switched

 

13.               A．terrified:       B．disappointed    C．surprised  D．embarrassed

 

14.               A．joke           B．journey        C．stage D．play

 

15.               A．appointed      B．attached        C．employed  D．instructed

 

16.               A．reason         B．problem        C．balance   D．focus

 

17.               A．curious         B．helpless        C．angry D．positive

 

18.               A．exhausted      B．lost            C．delighted  D．thrilled

 

19.               A．necessary       B．dependent      C．natural    D．perfect

 

20.               A．react          B．adjust          C．refer D．contribute

 

 

A characteristic of American culture that has become almost a tradition is to respect the self-made man — the man who has risen to the top through his own efforts, usually beginning by working with his hands. While the leader in business or industry or the college professor occupies a higher social position and commands greater respect in the community than the common laborer or even the skilled factory worker, he may take pains to point out that his father started life in America as a farmer or laborer of some sort.

       This attitude toward manual(体力的) labor is now still seen in many aspects of American life. One is invited to dinner at a home that is not only comfortably but even luxuriously (豪华地) furnished and in which there is every evidence of the fact that the family has been able to afford foreign travel, expensive hobbies, and college education for the children; yet the hostess probably will cook the dinner herself, will serve it herself and will wash dishes afterward, furthermore the dinner will not consist merely of something quickly and easily assembled from contents of various cans and a cake or a pie bought at the nearby bakery. On the contrary, the hostess usually takes pride in careful preparation of special dishes. A professional man may talk about washing the car, digging in his flowerbeds, painting the house. His wife may even help with these things, just as he often helps her with the dishwashing. The son who is away at college may wait on table and wash dishes for his living, or during the summer he may work with a construction gang on a highway in order to pay for his education. 

1. From paragraph 1, we can know that in America _________.

A. people tend to have a high opinion of the self-made man

B. people can always rise to the top through their won efforts

C. college professors win great respect from common workers

C. people feel painful to mention their fathers as labors.

2. According to the passage, the hostess cooks dinner herself mainly because _________.

A. servants in American are hard to get

B. she takes pride in what she can do herself

C. she can hardly afford servants

D. It is easy to prepare a meal with canned food

3. The expression “ wait on table” in the second paragraph means “_________”.

A. work in a furniture shop                 B. keep accounts for a bar

C. wait to lay the table                        D. serve customers in a restaurant

4. Which of the following may serve as the best title of the passage?

A. A Respectable Self-made Family             B. American Attitude toward Manual Labor

C. Characteristics of American Culture        D. The Development of Manual Labor

When I was 17, I read a quote: “If you live each day as if it were your last, someday you’ll most certainly be right.” It made a(n)   36  on me，and since then，for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: “If today were the   37  day of my life，would I want to do what I am about to do today?” And whenever the answer has been “No” for too many days in a row, I know I need to   38  something．

Remembering that I’ll be   39  soon is the most important tool to help me make the big choices in life,   40   almost everything—all expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure—just falls away in the face of death,   41  only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to   42 . You are already naked．There is no reason not to follow your heart.

No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to   43  don’t want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever   44  it, because Death is very likely to be the single best invention of Life. It clears out the old to   45  for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will   46  become the old and be cleared away.

Your time is   47 , so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice．Everything else is secondary.

1.                A．surprise        B．impression      C．choice    D．call

 

2.                A．last            B．first            C．worst    D．best

 

3.                A．change         B．supply          C．provide   D．achieve

 

4.                A．dead           B．fired           C．murdered     D．failed

 

5.                A．despite         B．because        C．though   D．if

 

6.                A．including       B．possessing       C．leaving   D．facing

 

7.                A．value          B．reach          C．gain D．lose

 

8.                A．sky            B．space          C．universe D．heaven

 

9.                A．experienced     B．encountered     C．escaped D．observed

 

10.               A．make good      B．make up        C．make way D．make clear

 

11.               A．dramatically     B．gradually       C．regularly   D．likely

 

12.               A．important       B．narrow         C．perfect    D．limited