Cleverness is a gift while kindness is a choice．Gifts are easy—they’re given after all．Choice can be hard．

I got the idea to start Amazon 16 years ago．I came across the fact that the Internet usage was growing at 2300 percent per year．I’d never seen or heard of anything that grew that fast，and the idea of building all online bookstore with millions of titles was very exciting to me. I had just turned 30 years old，and I’d been married for a year．I told my wife MacKenzie that I wanted to quit my job and go to do this crazy thing that probably wouldn’t work since most start-ups don’t and I wasn’t sure what to expect．MacKenzie told me I should go for it．As a young boy，I’d been a garage inventor．I’d always wanted to be all inventor，and she wanted me to follow my passion．

I was working at a financial firm in New York City with a bunch of very smart people and I had a brilliant boss that I much admired．I went to my boss and told him I wanted to start a company selling books on the Internet．He took me on a long walk in Central Park，listened carefully to me，and finally said，“That sounds like a really good idea，but it would be an even better idea for someone who didn’t already have a good job．”That 1ogic made some sense to me，and he convinced me to think about it for 48 hours before making a final decision．Seen in that light, it really was a difficult choice，but finally，I decided I had to give it a shot．I didn’t think I’d regret trying and failing．And I suspected I would always be haunted by a decision to not try at all.

After much consideration ，I took the less safe path to follow my passion ，and I’m proud of that choice．For all of us，in the end，we are our choice．

(      ) 28．What inspired the author with the idea of building an online bookstore?

A. His dream of being an inventor．                      B. The support of his wife．

C. The greatly increasing usage of the Internet．    D. Millions of exciting titles,

(      ) 29．Which of the following is closest in meaning to the underlined sentence?

A. The idea of not trying would keep coming to his mind and disturb him．

B. He would be very excited if he tried it out．

C. Be would be always having a doubt if he didn’t try．

D. The decision to not try the online bookstore would terrify him．

(      ) 30．Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?

A. Cleverness and Kindness                               B. The Starting of Amazon

C. Following My Passion                                D. We Are What We Choose

(      ) 31．We can know from the passage that_______．

A. the boss thought the idea was suitable for the author

B. the author wanted someone else to try the idea

C. the author might not regret if he failed the idea

D. the author might go back to his boss if he failed

Ellen Parker was worried about her health. She could not walk very quickly and it was difficult for her to climb stairs. She was soon out of breath.

“I suppose I had better go to the doctor,” she thought.

She went to the doctor and told him her problem.

“I’m not at all surprised,” he said. “It’s clear what your problem is.”

He examined her and then gave her some advice.

“If you don’t do what I say, Mrs. Parker,” he said, “you will have a heart attack. It could kill you.”

Ellen was very worried as she left the doctor’s. She knew that she had to take his advice but that it would not be easy and it would take time.

The next day she went shopping. The first shop she went into was a butcher’s shop.

“I’d like ten pounds of steak, please,” she said.

“Certainly, madam,” the butcher replied and went into the cold room and found a large piece of steak. He brought the huge piece of meat back into the shop and placed it on the scale（天平）.

“That’s just less than ten pounds,” he said.

“That’s big enough,” Mrs. Parker said.

The butcher worked out the price.

“At ＄4. 99 a pound that will be ＄49. 50, please. Would you like me to cut it up into smaller pieces for you?”

“Oh, I don’t want to buy the meat,” Mrs. Parker said.

“If you don’t want to buy it,” the butcher replied angrily, “why did you ask me to get it for you?”

“My doctor told me that I am overweight and have to lose ten pounds. I wanted to see what ten pounds of flesh looked like.”

9. The reason why Ellen Parker visited the doctor is that________.

A. she had had a heart attack.                      B. she could not sleep well.

C. she was unhappy about her weight.   D. she had a problem with her health.

10. Ellen Parker asked for ten pounds of steak because ________.

A. she wanted to buy some for dinner.   B. she wanted to see what ten pounds of meat looked like.

C. her doctor had told her to eat steak.

D. she wanted to lose weight.

11. What was Ellen Parker’s real problem ？

A. She ate too much steak.                    B. She could not walk very quickly.

C. The doctor did not know.                 D. She weighed too much.

In our modern world, when something wears out, we throw it away and buy a new one.  

 The    41   is that countries around the world have growing mountains of    42   because

People are throwing out more rubbish than ever before.

     How did we   43   a throwaway society ? First of all, it is now easier to   44   an object

than to spend time and money to repair it.   45   modern manufacturing and technology, companies

are able to produce products quickly and inexpensively. Products are plentiful and   46   .

     Another cause is our   47   of disposable(一次性)products. As   48   people we are

always looking for   49   to save time and make our lives easier. Companies   50   thousands of

different kinds of disposable products: paper plates, plastic cups, and cameras, to name a few.

Our appetite for new products also   51   to the problem. We are   52   buying new things.

Advertisements persuade us that   53   is better and that we will be happier with the latest products. The result is that we   54   useful possessions to make room for new ones.

All around the world, we can see the   55   of this throwaway lifestyle. Mountains of rubbish

just keep getting bigger. To   56   the amount of rubbish and to protect the   57   , more governments are requiring people to recycle materials.    58    , this is not enough to solve(解决)

our problem.

Maybe there is another way out. We need to repair our possession   59   throwing them away.

We also need to rethink our attitudes about   60   . Repairing our possessions and changing our

spending habits may be the best way to reduce the amount of rubbish and take care of our environment.

41. A. problem          B. reason               C. project              D. key

42. A. gifts            B. rubbish          C. debt             D. products

43. A. face         B. become           C. observe          D. change

44. A. hide         B. control              C. replace          D. withdraw

45. A. Thanks to        B. As to                C. Except for           D. Regardless of

46. A. safe         B. funny                C. cheap                D. powerful

47. A. love         B. lack             C. prevention           D. division

48. A. sensitive        B. kind             C. brave                D. busy

49. A. ways         B. places               C. jobs             D. friends

50. A. donate           B. receive          C. produce          D. preserve

51. A. adapts           B. returns              C. responds         D. contributes

52. A. tired of         B. addicted to          C. worried about        D. ashamed for

53. A. newer            B. stronger         C. higher               D. larger

54. A. pick up          B. pay for          C. hold onto            D. throw away

55. A. advantages       B. purposes         C. functions            D. consequences

56. A. show         B. record               C. decrease         D. measure

57. A. technology       B. environment      C. consumers            D. brands

58. A. However      B. Otherwise            C. Therefore            D. meanwhile

59. A. by               B. in favour of         C. after                D. instead of

60. A. spending     B. collecting           C. repairing            D. advertising

In the week before Christmas, one Delta airlines pilot gave a sad Arizona family a gift that no one else could.

Father of three, Jay short died after a   41   with lung cancer Dec, 16^th. Three days later, his family was attempting to   42    to Tennessee for the funeral scheduled for the next morning. But a 90-munite   43   at the Phoenix airport   44   them only seven minutes to make their connecting flight in Minnesota. “This was our   45   chance to say goodbye to my dad, and if we hadn’t   46   the flight, we would have missed the   47   .” Jay’s daughter said. But when they arrived at the gate, the last plane of the day to Memphis was   48   away from the gate.

“My son was   49   his arms and pleading with the pilot through the floor-to-ceiling windows.” said Marcia, “I was   50   and comforting my girls who were also in tears when the phone rang,    51  us that the pilot was returning to the gate to let us   52   the plane.” Captain Adam Cohen saw the   53   on their faces through the gate’s windows and decided to turn the plane around. Airline experts pointed out Cohen could have   54   gotten into trouble for the   55   decision, but Delta   56   the move instead. “This is   57   we’ll take with us, knowing we made a   58   .” confirmed Adam.

 This story is an   59   that we can bring humanity back to society. Show care and it may    60  you how far that you go.

41. A. competition      B. symptom          C. connection       D. battle

42. A ride              B run              C fly               D. drive

43. A. wait             B. delay            C. interval         D. sleep

44. A. spared           B. offered          C. brought          D. left

45. A. last             B. slight           C. rare             D. proper

46. A. followed         B. caught           C. booked          D. confirmed

47. A. doctor           B. meeting          C. polite           D. funeral

48. A. keeping          B. bringing         C. pulling          D. taking

49. A. raising          B. waving           C folding           D. crossing

50. A. struggling       B. shouting         C. crying           D. praying

51. A. advising         B. informing        C. warning          D. instructing

52. A. land             B. guide            C. change           D. board

53. A. appreciation     B. satisfaction     C. desperation      D. caution

54. A. easily           B. merely           C. optionally       D. deliberately

55. A. careless         B. unusual          C. selfless         D. unwise

56. A. resisted         B. opposed          C. praised          D. sponsored

57. A. nothing          B. something       C. anything         D. everything

58. A. difference       B. change           C. promise          D. deal

59. A. activity         B. event            C. incident         D. evidence

60. A. surprise         B. panic            C. disappoint      D. embarrass

 This test paper _____ two parts: listening and writing, is to be finished within two hours.     

 A. made up            B. consisted of         C. is made of                 D. consisting of

       It was in the Victorian Era(维多利亚时期) that the novel became the leading form of literature in English. Most writers were more concerned to meet the tastes of the middle class. The best known works of the period included the works of Charles Dickens and the Bronté sisters and others.

     Charles Dickens came on the literary scene in the 1830s. Dickens wrote vividly about London life and the struggles of the poor. Most of his works were written in a very humorous style, which was popular with readers of all classes.

     The Bronté sisters were English writers of the 1840s and 1850s. They began to write from early childhood. In 1846 they published the first book at their own expense as poets; however, their book attracted little attention, selling only two copies. Then the sisters turned to writing novels, each producing a novel in the following year.

      An interest in rural matters and the changing social and economic situation of the countryside may be seen in the novels of Thomas Hardy and a number of others.

     Literature for children developed as a single style. Some works became well－known, such as those of Lewis Carroll and Edward Lear. Adventure novels were written for adults but are now generally grouped in the list for children. Helen Beatrix Potter was an English author at the end of the Victorian Era, best known for her children's books, which featured animal characters. In her thirties, Potter published the highly successful children's book The Tale of Peter Rabbit in 1902.

24．What can we know about Charles Dickens from the text?

A. He described the struggles of the poor in London.

B. He showed an interest in rural matters in his writing.

C. He focused on changing social and economic situation of the countryside.

D. He published the highly successful children's book.

25．Which is TRUE about the Bronté sisters?

A. They were English writers of the 1830s.

B. They paid to have their first book published.

C. They began their writing from adulthood.

D. Their first book was successful.

26．The author states in the last paragraph that________．

A. society changed rapidly in the Victorian Era

B. Thomas Hardy was not as famous as Lewis Carroll

C. Edward Lear was famous for writing about animals

D. adventure novels were not written for children at first

27．This text is mainly about ________.

  A. literature in the Victorian Era                B. writing styles in the Victorian Era

  C. famous works in the Victorian Era      D. the importance of literature in the Victorian Era

Helen and I usually meet in a supermarket café. We usually arrive some time in the last hour  61  the café closes. Then the service is not as good, with the staff far more concerned about tidying up so that they can get away  62  (quick).

   Yesterday evening there was one young guy behind the counter. Even though he had lots of things to do, he took the time  63  (talk) and made sure we had everything we wanted. So we decided to leave him  64  tip. I left the cash among the plates and told him how much we  65  (enjoy) the meal. He seemed genuinely pleased.

   But a couple of seconds later he rushed after me with the cash. I told him it was  66 . He said they weren’t allowed to take tips and then he  67  (apology). Then I realized he was trying to do the right thing.  68  (see) me hesitate, he said, “You could put it into the charity box over there if you like.”

   It was really nice to meet the young man in the café,  69  was so helpful, honest and considerate. Not only did he do a good job, but he helped some poor children  70  the tip he should have had!

It was 4 o'clock in the morning, when I received the phone call．

“This is the emergency room calling and your son was just ___31___ in with severe burns on his face, neck and arms. We have called for a(n) ___32___ and are going to fly him to the burn unit in Seattle.” Seattle was 350 miles from his college, so we knew immediately this was ___33___.

The doctor described the ___34___, which caused the burns. At 6 am, our son and his friends decided to barbecue hamburgers in the courtyard of their apartment. When they ___35___ the charcoal(木炭), it burst into flames because they had sprayed too much gasoline. The flames ___36___ my son’s shirt tail and shot from his waist to well over his head.

___37___, one of the boys who was quick—minded grasped my son and ___38___ him on the grass. While it saved his life, it was not in ___39___ to save him from severe burns and the terrible scars.

After he ___40___ from the treatments, the doctors told him they would not do plastic surgery(整容)for 6 months ___41___ it takes that long for the skin to stop wrinkling(起皱). So, he had to return to college with scars typical of severe burns．

When I was a child, my mother told my sister，who had a 10-inch very ___42___ scar on her arm, “Nancy，if you ignore the scar，other people will ignore it. It does not mean they will not ___43___ it, but it means it will not matter to them if it doesn’t matter to you. ’’

 I ___44___ this wisdom on to my son. He took my advice to __ 45___ and returned to school with his head held high—glad he was alive.

By the end of the six-month waiting period, he decided that the scars did not ___46___. So he made the ___47___ to give up any plastic surgery.

We all have “scars” that we believe ___48___ people to keep away from us. And we spend a lot of time thinking that if only we looked differently, or dressed differently, people would like us better.           But you see, people will only judge you by your looks or your clothes if you are judging yourself by these same __49____ standards. Put your imperfections out of your mind and concentrate on what you value ___50___ yourself, and your beauty will shine through.

31. A. brought         B. given           C. turned                       D. showed

32. A. doctor          B. hospital         C. aircraft                      D. ambulance

33. A. serious          B. terrible         C. dangerous                   D. important

34. A. event           B. process         C. reason                     D. accident

35. A. got              B. lit             C. burned    　　             D. moved

36. A. took             B. held   　　   C. caught 　　　　             D. attracted

37. A. Fortunately       B. Surprisingly     C. Happily                     D. Slowly

38. A. pushed          B. threw          C. dropped                    D. rolled

39. A.shape             B. place         C. fact                        D. time

40. A. benefited         B. recovered     C. suffered                            D. relaxed

41. A. if               B. while         C. because                     D. although

42. A. normal           B. violent        C. obvious                     D. popular

43. A. mention           B. notice          C. 1augh                      D. hide

44. A. sent               B. kept          C. handed                     D. passed

45. A. heart              B. life            C. practice                         D. admission

46. A. grow              B. matter        C. exist                       D. appear

47 . A. mistake          B. effort                C. decision                    D. request

48. A. invite              B. cause                C. allow                       D. remind

49 . A. false              B. strict         C. moral                      D. general

50. A. by              B. over                 C. beyond                     D. within

 —Do you know ______ they got to know each other?

—It was last year ______ they both taught Chinese in the USA.

  A. when it was that; that                        B. when it was that; when

  C. when was it that; when                            D. when was it that; that

A person who begins a job        that he isn’t going to like it or is sure that he is going to fail is exhibiting a weakness which can only hold back his success.

  A.convinces       B.convince    C.convinced     D.convincing

Le Val de Cantobre, Aveyron (France)

It’s in the grounds of a medieval（中世纪的）house. There’s a swimming pool, a river and a pizza restaurant. The scenery around the park is beautiful and great for walking. A week’s stay will cost you about 80.

For more information please go to www.eurocamp.co.uk.

Four Seasons Tented Camp, Golden Triangle (Thailand)

This must be one of the best campsites in the world. Instead of tents, there are “canvas cabins（帆布船舱）”. And there’s a gourmet restaurant, a spa and a pool. There are only 15 of cabins to rent so you’ll have to book early. The campsite can only be reached by river boat, but once there you can learn to ride an elephant. Unfortunately, it isn’t cheap, and two nights at the Four Seasons will cost you about ,500!

For more information please go to www.Fourseasons.com/goldentriangle.

Three Cliffs Bay, Gower (Wales)

The Three Cliffs Bay is in a beautiful part of the country, and it won’t cost you much either: a family tent (2 adults, 2 children) is about 8 a day. There’s a camp shop where you can buy food and drinks, and there are pubs and restaurants nearby so you won’t even have to cook. You can water-ski from the beach, or go walking along the Gower Way.

For more information please go to www.Threecliffsbay.com.

Longitude 131, Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park (Australia)

Lying in the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, near the huge red rock formerly known as Ayer’s Rock, this is more like a hotel than a campsite. There’s a restaurant, a pool and even a library. The only problem is that it’s a bit expensive — around ,500 a night.

For more information please go to www.Longitude131.com.au.

21. If a couple want to stay in Le Val de Cantobre for two days, they need to pay about           .

A. 60                 B. 6              C. 80                 D. 0

22. Which statement about Four Seasons Tented Camp may be right?

A. You can learn how to row a boat there.       B. You can arrive there either by boat or elephant.

C. It costs ,500 per person per night.            D. It has a limited number of cabins.

23. If families like water-skiing, they can find information on           .

A. www.eurocamp.co.uk                   B. www.Longitude131.com.au

C. www.Threecliffsbay.com                   D. www.Fourseasons.com/goldentriangle

24. What do we know about Longitude 131?

A. It is made of rocks.                         B. It is the most expensive.

C. It is located on a bay.                  D. It is a real hotel.

The Canadian red and white maple leaf(枫叶) flag is officially called the National Flag of Canada. The Canadian flag shows a stylized red maple leaf with 11  points on a white background, with red borders down each side. The Canadian flag is twice as long as it is wide. The white square containing the red maple leaf is the same width as the flag.

The red and the white used in the National Flag of Canada  were  proclaimed the official colors of Canada in 1921 by King George Ⅴ. Although the maple leaf did not have its official

status  as  a  symbol  of  Canada  until  the announcement of the national flag in 1965, it had historically been used as a Canadian symbol，and was used in 1860 in decorations for the visit of the Prince of Wales to Canada. The 11 points on the maple leaf have no special significance.

In the early days，the Royal Union Flag，or the Union Jack, was still flown in British North America. In 1925 and again in 1946, the Canadian Prime Minister  Mackenzie King tried to get a national flag of Canada adopted, but failed. In 1964，Prime Minister Lester Pearson appointed a 15­member, all­ party committee to come up with a design for a new flag. The committee was given six weeks to complete its task.

The committee studied 2,000 submitted(提交的) designs as well as 3,900 that had been gathered  as a result of the 1946 committee's study. Those designs with a chance of being accepted were given to the full committee for further study.

The suggestion of a red and white single maple leaf design for the Canadian flag came from George Stanley, a professor at the Royal Military College. After a heated discussion，they finally decided on his suggestion. 

29．How many colors are there in the National Flag of Canada? 

A．One    B．Two    C．Three    D．Four 

30．When did Canada have its own national flag? 

A．In 1921.    B．In 1860.   C．In 1964.     D．In 1965. 

31．What does the underlined word "they" in the last paragraph refer to? 

A. The officials of the government.    

 B．The professors from the Royal M ilitary College.

    C. The members of the 1946 committee. 

D. The members of the 1964 committee.

32. The passage is mainly about________. 

A. the designer of the National Flag of Canada 

B. the history of the National Flag of Canada 

C. the meaning of the National Flag of Canada 

D.why the red and white single maple leaf was chosen as the design for the National Flag of Canada

The way to lift up your mood

Everyone has periods in their lives when everything seems very hard, when there's nobody to talk to and the mood (情绪) is just getting worse and worse. 26.________

The first thing you should try is socializing and thinking positively. It's very hard, because usually when we feel sad we lock ourselves at home and try to think about all the bad things we have. But if you'll try to force yourself and call a friend for a cup of coffee, the chances for changing your mood into better are very good. Just try to avoid bad thoughts.  27.________

28．________ It could be something you wanted for a long time—a short trip, a coat, a ring or anything that could lift up your mood. It doesn't have to be costly, but it has to be good to yourself.

Not only giving gifts to yourself can lift up your mood.  29.________Think of your friends, family, relatives or even local charities (慈善机构), choose one person and give him a gift. It doesn't have to be something expensive or big. It may be just a little toy to your poor neighbor's child. Making another person feel happy will make you feel good in your heart and mind.

Take control of your feelings. Don't let them control you. 30.________ Just follow the advice above，and start doing something.

A. Cry aloud if you feel it is necessary.

B. Here are some things that may help you lift up your mood.

C. Making yourself feel better isn't that hard.

D. Buying things to others may be a perfect way to feel happy.

E. Do your best to find someone to talk to.

F. Instead, try to think about the bright side of your life.

G. You should also try doing something only for yourself, something totally selfish.

    Here are five things that you should give up. Starting today, we will give up on all those things that no longer serve us，and we will embrace change. Ready? Here we go!

      36   Give up on your need to blame others for what you have or don’t have, for what you feel or don’t feel. Stop giving your powers away and start taking responsibility for your life.

    Give up your limiting beliefs. Give up your limiting beliefs about what you can or cannot do, about what is possible or impossible. From now on, you are no longer going to allow your limiting beliefs to keep you stuck in the wrong place. Spread your wings and fly!

    A belief is not an idea held by the mind.    37       

Give up your need to impress others. Stop trying so hard to be something that you're not just to make others like you.    38    The moment you stop trying so hard to be something that you're not, the moment you take off all your masks, the moment you accept and embrace the real you. you will find people will be drawn to you，effortlessly.  

     Give up on your fears. Fear is just an illusion. It doesn’t exist unless you create it. It's all in your mind. Correcting the inside and the outside will fall into place.    39   

     Give up your excuses.   40   Instead of growing and working on improving ourselves and our lives, we get stuck and lie to ourselves, using all kinds of excuses, excuses that 99.9% of the time，are not even real.

A. Give up on blame.

B. Give up complaining.

C. It doesn’t work this way.

D. It is an idea that holds the mind.

E. The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself.

F. They ignore their inner voice, that inner calling.

G. A lot of times we limit ourselves because of the many excuses we use.

A well dressed man entered a famous jewelry (珠宝) shop one day. He 21 to buy a pearl (珍珠) for his wife's birthday. The 22 didn't matter, since business had been good for him that year.

    After 23 a number of beautiful and expensive pearls, he chose  24 black one. It would 25 5,000 dollars. He paid, took the black pearl, shook hands with the salesman and left.

    A few days later, the man 26 and said that his wife liked the pearl so much that she wanted another one just like this. It 27 be exactly the same size and quality (质量), 28 she wanted to have a 29 of earrings.

    The salesman seemed 30 . Then the man suggested that the salesman advertise (登广告) in the newspaper to 31 $25,000 for such a pearl.So the salesman did.

    Many people 32 the advertisement (广告), but nobody 33 a pearl which was just the right size and quality. Just when the jeweler had given up, a little old lady came into his 34 . She took out one such black pearl 35 her purse.

    “I don't like to 36 with the pearl,” she said sadly. “It was given to me by my mother, who had received it from her 37 mother. But I really need the 38.”

    The salesman was very glad and quickly paid her for the pearl. Then he called the 39 to tell him the good news. However, the man could never be 40 . Clever readers, can you guess why?

    21. A. reported 　　　B. said 　　　C. wished　　　 D. knew

    22. A. color 　　　B. design 　　　C. price 　　D. size

    23. A. examining 　　B. checking 　　C. testing　　 D. watching

    24. A. a big 　　B. a good 　　 C. an expensive 　　D. an unusual

    25. A. cost 　　B. pay　　　 C. worth 　　D. buy

    26. A. arrived 　　B. came　　 C. returned 　　D. stopped

    27. A. could 　　B. might 　　C. should 　　D. had to

    28. A. as 　　B. if 　　C. though 　　D. when

    29. A. box 　　B. lot　　 C. number 　　D. pair

    30. A. jobless 　　B. homeless 　　C. helpless　　 D. careless

    31. A. ask 　　B. give 　　C. offer 　　D. pay

    32. A. answered　　 B. liked　　 C. read 　　　D. saw

    33. A. bought　　 B. had 　　C. sold 　　D. wanted

    34. A. room 　　B. house 　　C. office　　 D. shop

    35. A. from　　 B. of 　　C. off 　　　D. with

    36. A. deal   B. go   C. part   D. talk

    37. A. dear   B. poor   C. old   D. own

    38. A. price   B. money   C. pound   D. interest

    39. A. old lady’s office   B. rich man’s hotel     C. his neighbor’s house    D. television station

40. A. found   B. bought   C. paid   D. heard

The Lifesaving Dog

Three-year-old Alida Knobloch and her 60-pound golden dog, Mr. Gibbs, are almost inseparable. They are   41  by a special link of love and, because of   42  rare lung disease, by a two-foot tube that delivers   43  from tanks on the dog's back to Alida's nose.  44  at eight months old with the disease called NEHI, Alida, who lives inGeorgia, is   45  to breathe normally on her own for more than 45 minutes. So Mr. Gibbs   46  her almost everywhere, carrying ten pounds of 47  , including an oxygen tank.

Young children normally don't have the   48  to control a service dog, but Mr. Gibbs and Alida, along with her  49  , have worked closely with dog trainer Ashleigh Kinsleigh to develop the   50  relationship between the girl and the dog.

“His job is to do   51  she does,” says Kinsleigh. So far, Mr. Gibbs has learned to jog     52 Alida's bike, follow her as she plays around the family home, and park himself below her high  53 while she eats.

“We're   54  that by the time Alida starts kindergarten, Mr. Gibbs will be able to go with her,” says her father.

Childhood   55  experts have told the Knoblochs that children can grow out of the necessity for additional oxygen, but Alida will probably always   56  some kind of oxygen assistance. Now the Knoblochs can't   57  a time the two companions won't be   58  . Mr. Gibbs seems to need Alida as much as she needs him, says Aaron. “The dog is upset if he and Alida are   59  even for a moment. ”

For young Alida Knobloch, the dog Mr. Gibbs is a true   60  .

41. A. touched      B. encouraged      C. limited      D. connected

42. A. Alida’s      B. the dog’s      C. her father’s      D. her mother’s

43. A. oxygen      B. water        C. food        D. medicine

44. A. Charged      B. Suffered      C. Diagnosed      D. Treated

45. A. eager        B. willing      C. unable        D. difficult

46. A. carries      B. accompanies    C. guides        D. entertains

47. A. toys        B. snacks        C. drink        D. equipment

48. A. desire      B. emotion      C. skill        D. qualification

49. A. parents      B. teachers      C. friends        D. pets

50. A. strange      B. special        C. tense        D. ridiculous

51. A. wherever      B. however      C. whenever      D. whatever

52. A. on        B. off        C. over        D. alongside

53. A. bike        B. bed        C. chair        D. cupboard

54. A. hoping      B. suggesting      C. warning      D. discussing

55. A. education      B. disease      C. sport        D. nutrition

56. A. refuse      B. carry        C. offer        D. need

57. A. spend      B. await        C. imagine      D. escape

58. A. face-to-face    B. side-by-side    C. hand-in-hand    D. Heart-to-heart

59. A. apart        B. together      C. absent        D. present

60. A. teacher      B. lifesaver      C. trainer        D. pet

--- Finally I got to my grandmother’s home on foot.  --- Really? You ______ a ride there.

A. could have taken          B. could take

C. shouldn’t have taken     D. must have taken

 Humor and laugher have a numerous power on people in many aspects. They entertain us and make us feel good. But, above all, we have discovered that humor and laughter are the best medicine. They relieve pain, reduce stress and anxiety, and are anti-aging and longevity facilitators（促进者）.

They are extremely necessary for helping us to find and maintain a balance between life and work. However, they are slipping away from us. We have become far too serious. The only ones who still enjoy humor, laughter, fun and play to the fullest are young children. Children tend to laugh an average of 200 times a day. For adults, however, it is a totally different story.

In the 1950s people laughed on average 18 times a day. Today, we are lucky if we average between 4-6 times a day.

As a matter of fact, a recent study found that people laugh 6 more times in the presence of one person but 30 more times in a group of people. You can get a chuckle(咯咯笑) from jokes you get on the Internet, but it is not the same as belly jiggling laughter (a deep laugh) you get when you interact with others.

Socializing(交际) with friends and relatives was much looked forward to. However, this is no longer the case. In fact, the majority of people can hardly find time, nor do they have the inclination towards socializing outside home. They turn to electronic media such as television, computers, the Internet, videos, CDs, and audio equipment, which can provide them with instant self-entertainment at the push of a button.

The workplace does not develop much better. Due to the pressures to produce more in the same or fewer hours available and to compete, for example, in a manufacturing field with cheaper labor elsewhere in the world, humor and laughter in the workplace have gradually eroded（逐渐毁坏）away.

I have developed a real appreciation, perhaps closer to a strong desire for the power of humor and laughter. This encouraged me to write my first book titled “The Power of Humor” and subsequently my second book titled “Kids Say the Goggonest Things” based on the natural humor, laughter, play and fun that kids experience and they freely share with parents, grandparents and teachers.

From writing about humor and laughter, people start to ask me to speak up for them. To date, I have developed a number of humor-laughter topics that I use in my keynote presentations. You are invited to subscribe to my free monthly e-magazine “The Humormeister’s Forum” by clicking on the Free Humor E-zine navigation button on the website.

56. By what the author says in the article above, laughter is leaving us partly because ________.

A. the pace of change in our lives is becoming faster

B. we fail to look back on fun times in our lives

C. we treat everything in a serious way

D. humor of situations lies beneath

57. The fourth paragraph mainly tells us that ________.

A. researchers have made a new discovery about the effect of laughter

B. people laugh more heartily when spending time with others

C. we can entertain ourselves with the help of the Internet

D. getting a deep laugh nowadays is difficult

58. The underlined word “inclination” in Paragraph 5 most probably means “________”.

A. destination     B. tendency             C. attitude              D. approach

 Occasions are quite rare _______ I have the time to spend a day with my kids.

   A. who                B. that                          C. which               D. when

The clock struck eleven at night. The whole house was quiet. Everyone was in bed except me. Under the strong light, I looked sadly before me at a huge pile of that troublesome stuff they call “books”.

   I was going to have my examination the next day. “When can I go to bed?” I asked myself. I didn’t answer. In fact I dared not.

   The clock struck twelve. “Oh, dear!” I cried. “Ten more books to read before I can go to bed!” We pupils are the most wretched creatures in the world. Dad does not agree with me on this. He did not have to work so hard when he was a boy.

   The clock struck one. I was quite desperate now. I forgot all I had learned. I was too tired to go on. I did the only thing I could. I prayed, “Oh God, please help me pass the exam tomorrow. I do promise to work hard afterwards, Amen.” My eyes were so heavy that I could hardly open them. A few minutes later, with my head on the desk, I fell asleep.

21. The underlined word “wretched” in Paragraph 3 probably means ____________.

A. happy          B. disappointed          C. hopeful          D. unhappy

22. Reviewing his lessons that night didn’t help him because ____________.

A. it was too late at night                   

B. he was very tired

C. his eyelids were so heavy that he couldn’t keep them open

D. he hadn’t studied hard before the examination

23. What do you suppose probably happened to the author the next day?

A. He went to a church to pray again.          B. He passed the exam all by luck.

C. He failed in the exam.                    D. He was punished by his teacher.

24. The best title for the passage would be ____________.

A. Going Over My Lessons              B. The Night Before an Examination  

C. A Slow Student                      D. Working Far into the Night