My sister, Cathy, who lives in Vancouver, sent me a package full of Christmas gifts. She told me that she had 36   it in advance to make sure it would arrive at my house weeks before the 37 . Christmas was drawing near, but no package arrived. Cathy checked the tracking number every 38  with Canada Post, and every evening she would call me to 39  if there was any sign of it on our end.

The 40  always started with questions about the package, but twenty minutes later we would still be 41   . We talked about our family, such as parents, our kids, 42  and so on. Of course we also talked about our jobs. We had never made so much 43  for each other! The talk always took us back to the hours we spend together in our childhood.

By Christmas Eve we finally had to 44   the fact that the package was 45  lost. On Christmas morning, Cathy got on the phone with everyone in my 46   and told them what she had sent. Later on, after a big Christmas dinner, I had forgotten all about the 47  package when there was a knock on the door. Who could it be at such a time? As I 48  the door, a man was standing there. “I 49    this is yours.” he said, holding a package. Just then I 50  that it had been delivered to the wrong address. “I just got home from vacation,” he explained, “51 I wanted you to have this in time to open for Christmas.” I thanked this 52  stranger for taking so much trouble to 53 this gift to us on Christmas Day, and 54 thanked God that the package had been lost in the first place.

The real gift that holiday season was the new 55  to my sister who lives far away from us. Now there’s one gift I never want to give back!

1.                A．booked         B．decorated       C． listed    D．mailed

 

2.                A．appointment     B．deadline        C．holiday   D．party

 

3.                A．year           B．morning        C．week D．month

 

4.                A．pick out        B．take out        C．figure out D．find out

 

5.                A．complaint       B．conversation     C． discussion    D．quarrel

 

6.                A．chatting        B．arguing         C． kidding  D．scolding

 

7.                A．gifts           B．secrets         C．husband  D．clothing

 

8.                A．food           B．time           C．achievement   D．money

 

9.                A．consider        B．ignore          C． accept   D．study

 

10.               A．entirely        B．simply          C．mostly D．suddenly

 

11.               A．restaurant      B．office          C．house D．class

 

12.               A．terrible        B．outstanding     C．big   D．missing

 

13.               A．opened        B．locked         C．left   D．watched

 

14.               A．understand     B．forget          C．know D．believe

 

15.               A．expected       B．dreamed       C．realized   D．remembered

 

16.               A．because        B．but            C．or    D．so

 

17.               A．generous       B．honest         C．polite D．kind

 

18.               A．show          B．present        C．return D．offer

 

19.               A．silently         B．carefully        C．gently D．actually

 

20.               A．connection      B．guide          C．recognition D．closeness

 

 

More than 200 scientists have completed a two­year study to identify the most natural and undeveloped areas on Earth. Their findings are reported in a new book called Wilderness：Earth’s Last Wild Places. The book describes 37 wilderness areas around the world. Each has an area greater than 10,000 square kilometers. The study considered only areas where at least 70% of all plants are native.
North and South America are home to the largest number of wilderness areas. There are 16 such areas, from southern Argentina to Alaska and northern Canada. Africa has 8 wilderness areas, including the thick forests and the grasslands. Australia and New Guinea (几内亚) share 6 areas. Europe has 3 areas and Asia has 2.The Arabian Desert and Antarctica also are considered wilderness areas.
The largest wilderness area is the Boreal Forest (北方森林)．It extends for 16­million square kilometers south of the Arctic Circle. The Boreal Forest extends across Alaska, Canada, northern Europe and Russia. The smallest of the 37 wilderness areas is the Sundarbans. It is the world’s largest tidal mangrove forest (红树林)．It covers 10,000 square kilometers of land at the mouth of the Ganges River in India and Bangladesh (孟加拉国)．
The study found that wilderness areas cover about 46% of the Earth’s land surface. However, they are home to less than 2.5% of the world’s population. Nineteen of the wilderness areas have only about one person for each square kilometer. Native people usually live in these areas.
Wilderness areas help to influence the world’s weather systems and rainfall. They are also home to many plants and animals. Population growth and the spread of agriculture and mining operations threaten wilderness areas. But just 7% of all such areas have some form of official protection.
【小题1】What does the author think of the wilderness areas around the world in the book?

A．Unwanted.

B．Long-lasting.

C．Valuable

D．Perfect.

【小题2】The writer describes the wilderness areas to show that they ________.

A．are worth the public support	B．can attract readers’ attention
C．need to be stressed as resources	D．are seen on every continent

【小题3】According to the 4th paragraph, we can draw a conclusion that the 37 wilderness areas are ________.

A．deserted

B．crowded

C．uncontrolled

D．undeveloped

【小题4】As the result of the effect on nature, the wilderness areas on Earth should be ________.

A．thought more of by the governments	B．explored as natural habitats very soon
C．further made full use of at present	D．discovered for their advantages of nature

【小题5】The purpose of writing this text is to tell us ________of the wilderness areas around the world.

A．the importance

B．the situation

C．the development

D．the environment

When I was fifteen, I announced to my English class that I was going to write my own books. Half the students smiled unkindly,  36  nearly fell out of their chairs laughing. “Don’t be  37 , only geniuses can become writers,” the English teacher said, “And you are getting a D this term.” I was so ashamed I burst into  38 . That night I wrote a short sad poem about broken dreams and mailed it to the newspaper. To my  39 , they published it and sent me two dollars. I was a published and paid writer. I showed my teacher and fellow students. They laughed, “Just plain dumb luck,” the teacher said. I  40  success. I’d sold the first thing I’d  41  written. That was more than any of them had done and if it was just dumb luck that was fine with me.

     During the next two years I sold dozens of poems and letters. By the time I graduated from high school, I had scrapbooks (剪贴簿)  42  my published works. I never  43  my writing to my teachers, friends or my family  44  because they were dream killers.

I had four children at the time.  45  the children slept, I typed on my ancient typewriter. I wrote what I felt. It took nine months. I chose a  46  and mailed it. A month later I received a contract, an advance on payments, and a request to start  47  another book. Crying Wind, became a best seller, was translated into fifteen languages and sold worldwide. My first book also became  48  reading in native American schools in Canada.

     The  49  year I ever had as a writer I earned two dollars. In my best year I earned 36,000 dollars. People ask what college I  50 , what degrees I had and what qualifications I have to be a writer. The answer is: “None.” I just write. I’m not a genius. I use an electric typewriter that I paid a hundred and twenty nine dollars  51  six years ago. I do all the housework and  52  my writing in a few minutes here and there. I’ve written eight books. To all those who dream of writing, I’m shouting at you: “Yes, you can. Don’t listen to them.” I don’t write right  53  I’ve succeeded. Writing is  54 , it’s fun and anyone can do it.  55 , a little dumb luck doesn’t hurt.

	A. other	B. others	C. the other	D. the rest
	A. silly	B. curious	C. excited	D. depressed
	A. laughter	B. tears	C. song	D. cheers
	A. puzzlement	B.disappointment	C. expectation	D. astonishment
	A. tasted	B. met	C. accepted	D. considered
	A. yet	B. never	C. even	D. ever
	A. crowdedwith	B. filled with	C. combined with	D. linked with
	A. remembered	B. concluded	C. mentioned	D. described
	A. again	B. instead	C. still	D. merely
	A. Though	B. Before	C. Until	D. While
	A. writer	B. reporter	C. publisher	D. manager
	A. working on	B. going on	C. turning on	D. putting on
	A. requested	B. required	C. demanded	D. reminded
	A. busiest	B. worse	C. worst	D. highest
	A. attended	B. took	C. admitted	D. participated
	A. out	B. to	C. by	D. for
	A. keep	B. fit	C. save	D. hold
	A. or	B. so	C. and	D. but
	A. easy	B. hard	C. convenient	D. practical
	A. On the contrary	B. Of course	C. As a result	D. In this way

The wife-carrying World Championship has been celebrated in a small town in central Finland since 1992. In 1992, the people of the town decided to restart some long-forgotten traditions. 46 He was said to only accept men as members of his gang who proved their worth in challenges. At that time, it was also a common practice to steal women from neighboring villages.
  47  A large number of competitors, people, and journalists from Finland to Canada attend the Wife-carrying World Championship every year.
 48  The Wife-carrying World Championship is held on a 253.3 meters long official track. The track has two dry obstacles and a water obstacle, about a meter deep. The wife to be carried may be your own, or your neighbor’s. The minimum weight of the wife to be carried is 49 kg. If she is less than 49kg, the wife will be given a heavy bag to carry. Each time a competitor drops his wife, that couple will be fined 15 seconds. 49 
Alongside with the Wife-carring World Championship, there is also a team competition. The distance is the same but three men in the team carry the wife in turns. At the exchange point the carrier has to drink official “wife-carrying drink.” Then he may continue the race. 50 
While the Wife-carrying World Championship is being held, there are bands playing music, a wife carrying dance and other forms of entertainment.”

A．There are a few basic rules.

B．People everywhere hold the event.

C．A special prize is awarded to the team.

D．Do you know how these traditions restarted?

E．This event is becoming increasingly popular.
F．The winner is the couple who complete the course in the shortest time.
G．Back in the late 1800s, there was a robber called Rosvo-Ronkainen in that area.

Growing up, I always dreamed of being a professional figure skater. After years of hard work, I am living proof that dreams can come true.
When I was born, my parents immediately noticed something  36  and the doctor said I couldn't skate. I, however,  37  trying skating in an ice rink (溜冰场), where local skaters  38  perform ice shows. I started taking group skating lessons, and performing on ice came naturally, but I have always been  39  to speak in group settings. One thing I've never been afraid of is  40  , though. I get nervous, but never  41  . For me, skating has been about being my personal best  42  beating others on the ice. 1 progressed through various  43 rapidly and gave my first ice performance at seven. Soon I started winning local and regional competitions. That's  44  being on the ice has always been the one place where I can  45   express my own emotions. The ice is like home.
When I was nine years old I began training  46 . I would wake up at four o'clock in the morning six days a week and skate for five hours. Then I'd go to school. Since  47  has always been important in my family, I had no  48  but to find creative ways to fit in school studies throughout my  49  career.
After graduating from high school, I moved to Canada and set out to train full-time to give my dreams a chance at reality. In 1992 I went to compete in the Olympic Games.  50 , not my coach or even my family, ever talked to me about winning a gold medal. In fact, I wouldn't even  51  myself to think about it. I thought that would disturb me.  52 , I went with the attitude that I wanted to enjoy the Olympic spirit.  53  the expectation of all the people, I won the gold medal and words couldn't describe the overwhelming mixture of emotions I felt. Then I truly understood what  54  most in achieving a dream is nor to  55  it when you 1ace difficulties, but strive to make it come true.

【小题1】

A．unique B．wrong C．unbelievable D．attractive

【小题2】

A．directed to B．led to C．insisted on D．fixed on

【小题3】

A．could B．should C．might D．would

【小题4】

A．doubtful B．brave C．shy D．disabled

【小题5】

A．competition B．expression C．exchange D．display

【小题6】

A．annoyed B．disappointed C．sad D．fearful

【小题7】

A．rather than B．other than C．except for D．as for

【小题8】

A．positions B．levels C．points D．ways

【小题9】

A．where B．why C．when D．because

【小题10】A, easily         B. immediately     C. truly               D. slowly

【小题11】

A．freely B．comfortably C．seriously D．quickly

【小题12】

A．education B．wealth C．reputation D．health

【小题13】

A．chance B．choice C．goal D．freedom

【小题14】

A．boring B．aimless C．amateur D．normal

【小题15】

A．Somebody B．Everybody C．Anybody D．Nobody

【小题16】

A．allow B．promise C．force D．discourage

【小题17】

A．However B．Therefore C．Besides D．Naturally

【小题18】

A．Beyond B．Within C．Despite D．Without

【小题19】

A．stresses B．applies C．matters D．acts

【小题20】

A．ruin B．ignore C．change D．abandon