My husband Jeff and I moved into our new home in Scottsbluff last year just before Christmas. I did not have the 1 or energy to carry out my traditional Christmas decorating and baking activities. What was the point, anyway? It was going to be a 2 Christmas after all.

__3__, the neighborly nature of west Nebraska residents started to trickle (陆续来临) in.

There was a 4 on the door one evening. It was Jeff’s new colleague, John Smith, and his wife, Phyllis. The Smiths had stopped by to 5 us to town with a loaf of homemade bread. They pointed out a 6 on the porch (门廊). Apparently the doorbell wasn’t working in the cold snowy weather and we had 7 a visit from the Browns, our across-the-street neighbors, who brought us a Christmas card and more Christmas cookies.

The 8 feelings brought by these thoughtful gestures lasted longer than the food.

As Jeff and I were clearing pre-Christmas 9 from our driveway, Ernie Guzman came over from next door to 10 us to dig out.

Then, we received an invitation to 11 a Christmas Eve meal with our neighbors, Ernie and Nancy Sommer, and their 12 — a 90-year-old lady, who also had no family in the immediate area with whom to spend the holiday.

Our Christmas Eve was quite merry, thanks to our 13 . Our Christmas morning 14 was special, thanks to the Smiths’ gift of bread. I was so 15 for these gestures of welcome, especially during the holidays.

This year, we were again unable to be with our families for Christmas. The 16 and work schedules just made things too difficult. 17 that sense of Christmas isolation (孤立) all too well, we decided to try to round up some other folks who were 18 in the holidays.

Lonely people are all around us, but most of us 19 notice them. Just take a look around you. Sometimes, the smallest 20 gesture can make a world of difference.

1. A. chance　　　　　　 B. time　　　　　　 C. anxiety　　　　 D. ability

2. A. merry　　　　　　 B. free　　　　　　 C. lonely　　　　　 D. usual

3. A. Therefore　　　　　 B. Meanwhile　　　 C. Somehow　　　 D. However

4. A. card 　　　　　　 B. sign　　　　　　 C. knock　　　　　 D. note

5. A. welcome　　　　　 B. invite　　　　　　 C. drive　　　　　 D. send

6. A. tree　　　　　　　 B. package　　　　　 C. mail　　　　　　 D. flower

7. A. forgot　　　　　　 B. arranged　　　　 　C. received　　　　 D. missed

8. A. deep　　　　　　 B. true　　　　　　　 C. warm　　　　　 D. mixed

9. A. snow　　　　　　 B. rubbish　　　　　 C. dust　　　　　 D. leaves

10. A. teach　　　　　　 B. help　　　　　　　 C. urge　　　　　 D. forbid

11. A. share　　　　　　 B. prepare　　　　　 C. taste　　　　　 D. exchange

12. A. aunt　　　　　　 B. guest　　　　　　 C. maid　　　　　 D. partner

13. A. folks　　　　　　 B. relatives　　　　　 C. colleagues　　 D. neighbors

14. A. call　　　　 　　B. greeting　　　　　 C. breakfast　　　 D. meeting

15. A. sorry　　　　　　 B. eager　　　　　　 C. ready　　　　　 D. grateful

16. A. distance　　　　 B. expense　　　　　 C. season　　　　　 D. situation

17. A. Studying　　　　 B. Showing　　 　　C. Knowing　　　　 D. Discovering

18. A. alone　　　　　 B. busy　　　　　　 C. happy　　　　　 D. active

19. A. always　　　　　 B. seldom　　　　　　 C. finally　　　　　 D. usually

20. A. careful　　　　　 B. patient　　　　　　 C. vague　　　　 　D. kind

阅读下面短文，从短文所给各题的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。

My husband Jeff and I moved into our new home in Scottsbluff last year just before Christmas. I did not have the 　1 or energy to carry out my traditional Christmas decorating and baking activities. What was the point, anyway? It was going to be a 2 Christmas after all.

3 , the neighborly nature of west Nebraska residents started to trickle (陆续来临) in.

There was a 4 on the door one evening. It was Jeff’s new colleague, John Smith, and his wife, Phyllis. The Smiths had stopped by to 5 us to town with a loaf of homemade bread. They pointed out a 　6 on the porch (门廊). Apparently the doorbell wasn’t working in the cold snowy weather and we had 7 a visit from the Browns, our across-the-street neighbors, who brought us a Christmas card and more Christmas cookies.

The 8 feelings brought by these thoughtful gestures lasted longer than the food.

As Jeff and I were clearing pre-Christmas 　9 from our driveway, Ernie Guzman came over from next door to 　10 us to dig out.

Then, we received an invitation to 　11 a Christmas Eve meal with our neighbors, Ernie and Nancy Sommer, and their 　12 —a 90-year-old lady, who also had no family in the immediate area with whom to spend the holiday.

Our Christmas Eve was quite merry, thanks to our 13 . Our Christmas morning 　14 was special, thanks to the Smiths’ gift of bread. I was so 15 for these gestures of welcome, especially during the holidays.

This year, we were again unable to be with our families for Christmas. The 　16 and work schedules just made things too difficult. 17 that sense of Christmas isolation (孤立) all too well, we decided to try to round up some other folks who were 18 in the holidays.

Lonely people are all around us, but most of us 19 notice them. Just take a look around you. Sometimes, the smallest 20 gesture can make a world of difference.

1. A. chance　　　　 B. time 　　　　 C. anxiety 　　　　 D. ability

2. A. merry　　　　　　 B. free　　　　　　 C. lonely 　　　　　 D. usual

3. A. Therefore　　　　 B. Meanwhile　　　　 C. Somehow 　　　　 D. However

4. A. card 　　　　　　 B. sign　　　　　　 C. knock　　　　　　 D. note

5. A. welcome　　　 B. invite　　　　　 C. drive　　　　　　 D. send

6. A. tree 　　　　　　 B. package 　　　　 C. mail 　　　　 　 D. flower

7. A. forgot　　　　　 B. arranged　　　　 C. received 　　　　 D. missed

8. A. deep 　　　　 B. true 　　　　 C. warm 　　　　 D. mixed

9. A. snow 　　　　 B. rubbish　 　　 C. dust　 　　　　　 D. leaves

10. A. teach　 　　　　 B. help　 　　　 C. urge　 　　　 D. forbid

11. A. share　 　　　　 B. prepare 　　 C. taste　 　　　　 D. exchange

12. A. aunt　 　　　　 B. guest　 　　　　 C. maid　　　　　　 D. partner

13 A. folks　 　　　　 B. relatives　 　　 C. colleagues　　 　 D. neighbors

14. A. call 　　　　　　 B. greeting 　　　 C. breakfast 　 D. meeting

15. A. sorry 　　　　　 B. eager　 　　　 　　C. ready 　　　 D. grateful

16 A. distance 　　　　 B. expense 　　　　 C. season　 　　　　 D. situation　

17. A. Studying 　　　　 B. Showing　 　　 C. Knowing　 　D. Discovering

18. A. alone 　　　　 B. busy　 　　　 C. happy 　　　 D. active

19. A. always　 　　　　 B. seldom 　　　 C. finally　 　　 　　D. usually

20. A. careful　 　　　 B. patient　 　　　 C. vague 　　　　　 D. kind

A lesson in caring

It was a cold evening. My daughter and I were walking up Broadway. I didn’t notice a guy sitting inside a cardboard box. But Nora    36    . She wasn’t even four, but she   37    at my coat and said, “That man’s cold. Daddy, can we take him home?”

    I don’t remember my   38    . But I do remember a sudden   39    feeling inside me. I had always been delighted at how much my daughter noticed in her   40     , whether it was     41    flying or children playing. But now she was noticing   42    and beggary.

    A few days later, I saw an article in the newspaper about volunteers who picked up a food package from a nearby school on a Sunday morning and   43     it to an elderly person. It was quick and easy. I signed us up. Nora was   44    about it. She could understand the importance of food, so she could easily see how   45    our job was. When Sunday came, she was ready, but I had to    46    myself to leave the house to fetch the food package. On my way to the school, I fought an urge (强烈愿望) to turn    47    . The Sunday paper and coffee were waiting for me at home. Why do this?   48    , we phoned the elderly person we’d been appointed. She   49    us right over.

    The building was in a bad state. Facing us was a silver-haired woman in an old dress. She took the package and asked us to come in. Nora ran inside. I unwillingly followed.   50     inside, I saw that the department belonged to someone poor. Our hostess showed us some photos. Nora played and when it came time to say goodbye, we three hugged. I walked home    51    .

Professionals call such a(n)   52    “a volunteer opportunity”. They are opportunities and I’ve come to see. Where else but as volunteers do you have the opportunity to do something    53     that’s good for others as well as for yourself? Nora and I regularly serve meals to needy people and   54     clothes for the homeless. Yet, as I’ve    55     her grow over these past four years, I still wonder—which of us has benefited more?

A. did                     B. was                          C. has            D. had

A. pulled　　　　     B. replaced                   C. waved        D. aimed

A. debate                   B. reply                        C. explanation D. expression

A. general　　　　    B. funny                       C. heavy         D. magical

A. web　　　　　    B. dream　　　　　    C. castle         D. world

A. insects                   B. animals　　　　      C. plants　　　D. birds

A. coldness 　　　    B. illness 　　　       C. suffering　　D. appearance

A. sent  　　           B. returned　　　      C. devoted　　 D. posted

A. concerned              B. sorry　　　　         C. worried      　D. excited

A. creative　　　      B. valuable　　　      C. shocking　　D. simple

A. warn　　　　　    B. stop　　　　  　    C. allow 　　　D. push

A. back 　　　　      B. away　　　　          C. up　　　　 D. out

A. Therefore　　　    B. But     　　          C. Anyhow　　D. Also

A. requested 　　    B. promised　　　      C. invited 　　 D. helped

A. Although            B. Once　　　　　      C. Because 　　D. Though

A. in tears                  B. in surprise                C. in reality      D. in disappointment

A. stay                    B. visit 　　　　         C. reception　　D. challenge

A. fair                    B. famous　　　　       C. difficult　　 D. enjoyable

A. collect                   B. make　　　　　      C. order 　　　D. design

A. let                         B. made　　　　　      C. watched 　　D. affected

With only a click of the mouse, rumors can be forwarded between microblogs very quickly. As an example, recently, perceptive netizens discovered that some photos displayed on microblogs depicting Beijing’s June rainstorm had actually been fabricated.

Sina.com is one of the major internet portals(门户网站) in China with hundreds and thousands of users, and a majority of celebrities and renowned citizens have their microblog accounts on this portal. As recently as six months ago, the website decided to establish a specialized team to verify rumors and provide accurate information for its users. Tan Chao is in charge of the team.

“Before I took the job, I usually couldn’t identify what information was real and what was fake. But during the rumor verification process, we discovered that a lot of information was false, including fake photos, fake news stories and rumors that had been spread through microblogs.”

It‘s not just website portals which are taking on fact-checking responsibilities, but also a number of civic-minded netizens, who recently set up a Rumor Verification Federation on Sina.com’s microblog system to help netizens identify fake information online.

　　Dianzizheng is the team leader of the federation. He says they’ve publicized more than 150 pieces which refute rumors, which attracted more than 10 thousand visitors within two months.

　　“We live in an age of new media, so we can’t use the old methods to verify rumors. We can’t wait for the media to verify the facts with related administrative departments and then release a formal announcement. We can’t allow rumors to run rampant and then deal with it, we need to fight rumors while they’re spreading. I think that this is the best way to deal with rumors nowadays.”

　　Some experts say this demonstrates the advantages of the internet compared to other traditional media. The open platform allows information to be examined and clarified by netizens. But experts like Ding Wenguo, President of the Journalism and Communication College at the China University of Political Science and Law says this self-correction function of the internet is still quite limited.

　　“It’s still quite difficult to tell which information is true in such an open environment by just reading a number of different opinions on the same issue. This is something which we need to pay attention to. If society is deluged with too much false information, and it’s allowed to spread in such a fast manner, then people will be suspicious of all kinds of information including important information from authorities. It also exacerbates(恶化) problems relating to social communications and mutual-understanding, which in turn harms society as a whole.”

　　Experts suggest that the government should react more quickly in the internet age. Once a rumor begins to spread, administrative departments should make announcements as early as possible to dispel rumors before they lead to bad outcomes.

1.Sina.com decided to found a specialized team to ____.

A. limit the number of microblogs    

B. advance the development of microblogs

C. prevent the spread of rumors on the Internet      

D. urge the government to react quickly to the rumors

2.Which of the following is TRUE according to the text?

A. All the rumors have been spread through microblogs.

B. Sina.com is the most popular Internet portal in China.

C. The photos displayed on microblogs might be fake.

D. Traditional media tend to get rumors examined and clarified.

3.The underlined word "fabricated" in the first paragraph can be replaced by "__". 

A. dug out      B. made up               C. got round                 D. given away

4.What is the best way to prove rumors on microblogs?

A. Examining and checking while they are spreading.

B. Substituting the Internet for traditionally media.

C. Shutting down the website immediately.

D. Making announcements after they are spread.

5.The writer cited Ding Wenguo's words in Paragraph 8 to __. 

A. draw a conclusion            B. support an argument

C. introduce a topic          D. describe a scene