“ Why I’d Like to Visit Texas ”

Essay Competition

We extend a special invitation to enter our competition: “Why I’d Like to Visit Texas.” We’ll have one high school winner from each state across the country.

If you win, you will receive an all-expenses-paid trip for two to the great state of Texas! You will tour the state, stopping in six cities to visit overnight and to see landmarks. The prize includes hotel rooms, meals, round-trip transportation to and from Texas, and all your transportation within the state.

Carefully read the details below, start planning and writing, and send us your entry. We’d love to see you here in the Lone Star State!

Essay Rules:

You must meet each standard for your essay to be considered. You may only write about one of the Texas landmarks or Texas symbols listed under “Topics.” Your essay must be entitled “Why I’d Like to Visit Texas.” We encourage you to research many resources as you plan your essay. We are looking for dynamic essays that will capture attention and provide fascinating detail.

Your essay must be at least 1,000 words, but no longer than 1,500 words. All entries that do not meet this length requirement will be automatically disqualified. Be certain that your essay is rich with historical facts. While we prefer typed entries, handwritten entries are allowed, but we must be able to read your handwriting.

Do not write your name on the essay. Instead, staple(装订) a cover sheet and the entry form to your essay. Include your name, address, and telephone number. Include a confirmation from your high school attendance office to show that you are registered at the high school. After we receive the entries, we will assign each one a number.

*Topics:

Landmarks: The Alamo, Sam Rayburn House, Spanish Governor’s Palace, Perry’s Point, Casas Amarillas, Rainbow Cliffs

State Symbols: State Flag, State Bird (Mockingbird), State Flower (Bluebonnet), State Tree (Pecan), State Song (“Texas, Our Texas”)

Submit your entry to the following address:

Why I’d Like to Visit Texas

P.O. Box 44521

San Antonio, TX 78209

21. Putting the benefits of winning before rules, the author aims __________.

A. to emphasize the importance of the contest

B. to show the benefits matter more than rules

C. to convince the competitors of great rewards

D. to arouse immediate interest and attention

22. The number of the topics that can be chosen is _________.

A. 5                    B. 6                     C. 11                  D. 15

23. The underlined “one” in the sixth paragraph refers to ________.

A. an entry form  B. a received entry  C. a competitor  D. a confirmation

DOGS DRIVE CAR

Auckland, New Zealand

    After two months of learning, Monty, and Porter were able to drive an automobile around a racetrack. “We wanted to prove how smart rescue dogs are,” animal behaviorist Mark Vette says. Vette first used voice commands and treats to teach the dogs how to turn a steering wheel and how to change gear (换挡).

    The dogs’ ride only accelerated up to 7.5 miles an hour, and trainers could stop the auto using a remote control.

GOLDEN ZEBRA

Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

    Zoe the zebra’s markings are special. The animal has white and golden stripes. Zoe’s appearance resulted from a rare condition called amelanosis (黑素缺失症). Her body doesn’t make enough melanin, the substance in an animal’s skin and hair cells that produces color. “Only 25 other golden zebras are known to exist in the world,” says Ann Goody, who runs the wildlife refuge where Zoe lives. In the wild, life may be difficult for animals with amelanosis because predators (捕猎者) can easily spot them. But Zoe is protected at her refuge.

COCKATOO MAKES TOOLS

Vienna, Austria

    When Figaro the cockatoo spots food lying just out of reach from his cage, he builds a tiny wooden tool to sweep the tasty prize in his way.

    The bird first revealed his talent when a stone he was playing with rolled out of his cage. The cockatoo couldn’t reach the stone. So he flew away and returned with a small branch, slipping it through the fence to slide the stone toward him.

Wondering if he would do it again, scientists placed a nut exactly where the stone had been. This time, Figaro pulled out a small piece of wood in his cage and dragged the nut toward him.

21. If Zoe the zebra is set free in the wild, she will _____.

A. meet no natural predators                

B. not get along with other zebras

C. manage to make enough melanin        

D. be easily found for her appearance

22.What’s special about Figaro the cockatoo?

A. He is particular about his food.

B. He is extremely fond of stones.

C. He is good at drawing support from outside forces.

D. He can tell the difference between stones and nuts.

23.What is the text mainly about?

A. Amazing animals.                         

B. Ways to help animals.

C. Animals’ unique talents.                

D. Tips on training animals.

When I was a boy my father told me that he could do anything he wanted to. Dad said that he wanted to be the first to develop color prints in our city and so he did．        

    When I was 16，Dad looked closely at the violin I played and said that he wanted to make one．He read about violin-making, and then became a violin-maker at the age of 43. He bought the tools and materials, opened a small store and set Mom up as the shopkeeper, while he worked at a local company. He retired from the company 17 years later and continued to make violins and other instruments.      

    Dad often guessed why the Stradivarius violins sounded so beautiful. Some experts told him that it was the special varnish(油漆)that gave the instruments their beautiful sound．Dad argued that chemists could analyze the varnish—if that was the answer．   

    One of Dad’s friends asked him which kind of wood was used to make violins．When Dad explained that the top was made of spruce(云杉), his friend said that he had all old piece of spruce which Dad might be interested in.    

    He worked for the next 12 months making a violin from the wood that his friend had given him. It proved to be an excellent violin and it would become Dad’s masterpiece. He believed that the secret of the Stradivarius sound was in the wood itself.    

    Later, the instrument was stolen, Dad’s spirit was broken and he stopped making instruments. But he kept the music shop until he was 80 years old, selling guitars and violins.     

    The violin has been missing for more than 25 years．Somewhere a musician is playing a late-20th-century violin with an excellent tone．The owner today may never understand why this Ordinary-looking violin sounds so much like Stradivarius．

21. In Paragraph l，the writer mentioned his father’s developing color prints to        .

   A. let others know that he believed his father   

   B. show that his father would like to make violins   

   C. Prove that his father could do anything he wanted to

   D. give an example showing that his father was an inventor

22. What did the writer’s father think about Stradivarius violins?

   A. They were made by experts．    

   B. The wood of the violins was special．      

   C. The way of making them was unusual．   

   D. The varnish was different from the others．

23. From the underlined sentence, we learn that the writer’s father        ．

   A. found another new job  B. wanted to become famous        

   C. lost interest in instruments    D. liked the violin very much

24. What could be the best title of the passage?

   A. My Experienced Father         B. My Father and His Violin    

   C. The Secret of Making Violins      D. The New Owner of the Violin

RAISINS(葡萄干)

    It is believed that raisins were discovered in the Middle East, where they were treasured. Any food that wouldn't spoil in the hot sun was very valuable. Prehistoric drawings in France show that raisins have been enjoyed in southern Europe for thousands of years.   36    .In 1000 B.C. the Jews paid their taxes with raisins. Two jars of raisins in ancient Rome could buy one slave boy.  37  ．

In North America, the original mistake of leaving grapes to wither（枯萎）on the vine was  not the only time raisins accidentally became popular. In the 1870s many people were growing grapes in California.    38    .Most Americans had never heard of raisins at that time. In September, 1873 a severe heat wave struck the area. Before the growers could pick all their grapes, the heat shriveled（使枯萎）them on the vine. The grapes were lost. One grower took the dried grapes to a grocer in San Francisco.    39    .The new accidental raisins grew into a major industry in California. Today almost all the raisins eaten in the United States are grown  in California. California produces a third of the world's raisins.

     __40  .Raisins also provide potassium, magnesium, calcium and certain B vitamins. Without added preservatives(防腐剂),raisins will stay fresh, delicious and nutritious if kept in  a cool place.

    Raisins are tiny, portable and above all delicious.

A. The grapes were either eaten as fresh fruit or were made into wine.

B. The grocer's customers discovered that raisins made a delicious treat.

C. They have been used for necklaces and as religious symbols.

D. The grocer was unwilling to buy the dried grapes.

E. Raisins are high in iron, which is important to children's growing bodies.

F. Roman doctors believed raisins could cure anything from mushroom poisoning to old age.

G. Raisins are children's favorite snacks

It was about 11:15 pm on the passenger ship California. The night was freezing cold and the water was filled with ice from the North Pole, making it difficult for the ship to sail on.

In the radio room, ship California’s operator Cyril Evans listened to the radio-talk between a nearby passenger ship and the telegraph station on the Canadian island of Newfoundland. Evans interrupted it and said, “We’re stopped and surrounded by ice. Be careful as you pass through these waters.” The radio operator on the nearby ship replied, “I’m too busy to talk now. I have many messages to send to the telegraph station. ” Twenty minutes later, as he turned off his radio and went to bed, Evans could still hear the ship sending its passengers’ telegrams.

Earlier in the evening the California’s captain, Stanley Lord, had seen another ship approaching. It looked about the size of his own, but attempts to contact the ship failed. It lay dark and mysterious about 10 miles away. At 00:40 am there appeared a sudden flash of light just over the mystery ship. Captain Lord, thinking the ship might need help, ordered his officers to signal the ship by lamp. There was no reply. Three more rockets then exploded, none appeared to go higher than halfway up the mast(桅杆）of the mystery ship. Then at about 2:00 am it turned and slipped into the darkness.

In the light of the dawn there was no mystery ship, but 20 miles away was the scene of a great disaster. Unfortunately, the mystery ship had stopped directly in front of the California, preventing people on board from seeing clearly. If this ship had not been there, Captain Lord would have recognized that the rockets were SOS rockets that came not from the mystery ship but from a more distant ship which the California could not see. If Cyril Evans had kept his radio on for just 30 minutes more he would have heard SOS signals coming from that distant ship he spoke with the night before. That ship was the Titanic which was sinking fast, leaving 1,500 of its passengers dead. It was April 14, 1912.

53. Why were the rockets really fired?

  A. To celebrate the journey.                                 B. To signal for help.

  C. To contact the Titanic.                                   D. To warn other ships.

54. What is the main function of the last paragraph of this passage?

  A. It shows how unlucky the Titanic was.      

  B. It describes how the Titanic sank.

  C. It indicates that the people on the California were careless.

  D. It lists how many people died in the disaster.

55. How many ships are mentioned in the passage?

  A. One.                          B. Two.                    C. Three.                  D. Four.

56. From the passage we know that       .

  A. the rockets were fired from the mystery ship                             

  B. Cyril Evans worked on the mystery ship that night

  C. the Titanic started sinking at dawn the next day

  D. the Titanic sent out many telegrams that night

Malaysia Airlines Flight 370（马航370客机）

On March 8, 2014, a plane   41   (carry) 239 people lost connection with the control center. The aircraft  42   (arrive) in Beijing on March 8, 2014. The missing Malaysia Airlines plane carried 227 passengers (including two babies) and 12 crew members. There are 154 Chinese.

The reason for the lost contact is   43    investigation. The people who care most about the passengers are the family members of the passengers. They have been anxiously waiting and even getting desperate after waiting   44    (hope) for so many days.

The    45   (disappear) of Malaysia Airlines flight MH 370 has inevitably captured the attention of the world because so little of its fate is known.  46   hunt for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 continued    47   full speed, with more planes and ships joining the multinational search as the time   48   (leave) to find the plane’s “black-box” flight recorder runs critically low. Chinese, Australian and New Zealand aircraft each  49   (spot) objects in recent days, but items   50   were fished out of water so far have turned out to be unrelated to the missing plane.

With best wishes to the passengers!         

    Until the 1980s, the American homeless population is mainly made up of older males. Today, homelessness strikes much younger part of society. In fact, a 25-city survey by the U. S. Conference of Mayors in 1987 found that families with children make up the fastest growing part of the homeless population. Many homeless children gather in inner cities; this transient(变化无常的) and frequently frightened student population creates additional problems — both legal and educational — for already overburdened urban school administrators and teachers.
    Estimates of the number of homeless Americans range from 350,000 to three million. Likewise, estimates of the number of homeless school children vary radically. A U.S. Department of Education report, based on state estimates, states that there are 220,000 homeless school-age children, about a third of whom do not attend school on a regular basis. But the National Coalition for the Homeless estimates that there are at least two times as many homeless children, and that less than half of them attend school regularly.
    One part of the homeless population that is particularly difficult to count consists of the “throwaway” youths who have been cast of their homes. The Elementary School Center in New York City estimates that there are 1.5 million of them, many of whom are not treated as children because they do not stay in family shelters and tend to live by themselves on the streets.
    Federal law, the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act of 1987, includes a section that addresses the educational needs of homeless children. The educational provisions（规定） of the McKinney Act are based on the belief that all homeless children have the right to a free, appropriate education.
53. It is implied in the first paragraph that ____.
　A. the writer himself is homeless, even in his eighties
　B. many older homeless residents are going on strike in 25 cities
　C. there is a serious shortage of academic facilities
　D. homeless children are denied the opportunity of receiving free education
54.The National Coalition for the homeless believes that the number of homeless children is _____.
　A. 350,000    B. 1,500,000       C. 440,000      D. 110,000
55 One part of the homeless population is difficult to estimate. The reason might well be ____.
　A. the homeless children are too young to be treated as children
　B. the homeless population is growing rapidly
　C. the homeless children usually stay outside school
　D. some homeless children are deserted by their families
56.The McKinney Act is mentioned in this passage in order to show that ___.
　A. the educational problems of homeless children are being recognized
　B. the estimates on homeless children are hard to determine
　C. the address of grade-school children should be located
　D. all homeless people should have free education

It was one of the happiest Saturday mornings I had spent with my daughter, Gigi. That was, until two strangers threw her into their car and sped away. It seemed like a bad dream.I could __11__ speak when the police questioned me.

 After that, the policeman asked me to go home to wait. My friend Gloria came to  __12__me. She took my hand and gave me   __13__. It was a picture of a little girl  __14__asleep in her bed, standing by the bed was a tall, blond(金发的)__15__.  We prayed and waited by the phone until sunset. The __16__ never rang.

 Suddenly，the front door swung open. I looked up and __17__. There stood Gigi. I cried, throwing my __18__ around her. Gigi said：“I was scared. We were going really fast on an old __19__ road I'd never seen before. But then a tall man walked out __20__ the car，and they ran off the road and hit a tree. Then the tall man __21__ the car door and pulled me out. He was really nice，and said I would be okay. I must have gone to __22__， because when I woke up it is in front of our house. He must have brought me home.” “But who...how did he know..., where to bring you？”My voice broke. Gigi __23__ her head. Just then Gigi noticed Gloria's picture. “That's him！” she __24__ at the picture. “Mommy，that's the man who pulled me out of the car！” Gloria and I turned __25__. “Are you sure that's the man？” Gloria asked. “Yeah, that's him __26__ that he didn't have wings，and he was wearing blue jeans.”

Later that night, the police found the__27__kidnappers. When questioned, the driver remembered turning away to __28__ hitting a tall blond man.

Twenty years have gone by. We have never heard from any one claiming to have   __29__Gigi. There have been no logical explanations for her __30__. But from that day on, I believe that all experiences, positive and negative, are given to us for our strengthening and learning.

11．A. hardly            B. hard            C. fully                    D. full

12．A. sympathize        B. support          C. comfort          D. calm

13．A. a map            B. a picture         C. a bag             D. a book

14．A. healthy           B. sound            C. reliable          D. reasonable

15．A. angel             B. man             C. maid             D. servant

16．A. phone            B. door bell         C. clock             D. radio

17．A. yelled             B. screamed        C. whistled          D. whispered

18．A. cheeks            B. shoulders         C. arms             D. hands

19．A. rocky             B. smooth           C. hard             D. flat

20．A. in back of        B. at the bottom of    C. on the top of       D. in front of

21．A. shut             B. fastened          C. opened            D. loosened

22．A. rest             B. sleep             C. break             D. yawn

23．A. shook           B. nodded           C. rolled             D. trembled

24．A. referred         B. aimed            C. pointed            D. signaled

25．A. sun­burnt       B. light             C. weak              D. pale

26．A. rather than       B. including         C. except            D. other than

27．A. injured          B. dead             C. harmed           D. hurt

28．A. stop             B. avoid             C. forbid           D. keep

29．A. released          B. relieved          C. delivered         D. rescued

30．A. escape           B. breakout         C. disappearance      D. flow

Carolyn Stradley is the founder of C&S Paving Inc. (铺路公司) in Atlanta, USA. In the following account, she recalls the job that challenged her  41  and skill but left her flying high.

“When the Atlanta Airport was under  42  in 1979, we were a new company struggling to make it. National Car Rental wanted to have 2,500 square meters of dirt paved  43  the cars could be on site  44  the airport opened, and the official opening was only ten days away!  45  other local paving company wanted to do the job,  46  it couldn’t be done in such a short time.

“Because we were new and really needed the work, we were  47  to try harder. We gave National Car Rental our offer and  48  our best effort to get the job finished within ten days. We also  49  them that if we failed, they would be no worse off,  50  they had plenty to gain if we succeeded.

“We got the job and immediately went into  51 . Working at night needed lights, so I rented a machine to produce electricity for the site. Our  52  challenge was to keep the rock mixture  53  enough. All the available water wagons (洒水车) were rented out for the airport construction, and we certainly couldn’t afford to buy a new one.  54 , I got a special  55  to rent fire engine hoses (消防水龙带) and connect them to nearby hydrants (消防栓); then I  56  held one of those hoses to  57  down the rock.

“Those ten days were filled with challenges that  58  one creative idea after another. Nine days later, the night before the airport opened, National Car Rental was the  59  company that had cars on the parking lot.

“The key to our success was having the  60  to take on any job and then being creative in our approach to getting it done.”

41. A. kindness            B. patience            C. imagination        D. experience

42. A. construction       B. repair                 C. control               D. development

43. A. after                   B. as                      C. for                     D. so

44. A. while                  B. since                  C. where                D. when

45. A. Some                 B. Any                    C. No                     D. Every

46. A. stating                B. reporting            C. telling                D. warning

47. A. able                   B. nervous             C. afraid                 D. willing

48. A. supported          B. promised           C. continued          D. improved

49. A. asked                 B. surprised           C. reminded           D. demanded

50. A. though              B. but                     C. as                      D. unless

51. A. discussion          B. action                C. practice             D. production

52. A. next                    B. first                    C. past                   D. previous

53. A. cold                    B. wet                     C. loose                 D. clean

54. A. Naturally            B. Obviously          C. Meanwhile         D. Instead

55. A. excuse               B. order                 C. permit                D. reason

56. A. exactly               B. personally          C. angrily               D. hardly

57. A. pull                     B. knock                 C. hit                      D. water

58. A. required             B. mixed                 C. followed             D. formed

59. A. best                   B. last                    C. second              D. only

60. A. courage             B. interest              C. hope                  D. chance

Tips for waiting in line

We’ve all been there – when lining up at the supermarket checkout counter, the lines next to us always seem to be moving faster than the one we are standing in.  37． . It has also offered tips on picking the fastest line.

●38．

A cart (购物车) full of items doesn’t tell the whole story. Every person requires a fixed amount of time to say hello, pay, say goodbye and clear out of the lane. And that amount of time is an average of 41 seconds per person. 39． . This means if there are five people ahead of you, each with 10 items in their carts, the waiting time will be 355 seconds. But if there is only one person ahead of you, with 50 items in the cart, the waiting time is 191 seconds. You do the math.

● Study the customers

How many people are ahead of you is one thing, and who they are is another. 40． .The items in their carts are also important. For example, four bottles of the same milk will definitely go faster than four completely different items.

● Go left

According to a research, around 90 percent of people are right-handed. 41． .So heading to the opposite direction – left – will give you a better chance of finding a faster line.

A. Choose a “snaky line”

B. Pick someone with a full cart

C. It means a majority of people tend to naturally go to the right.

D. The person at the head of the line goes to the next available counter.

E. On the other hand, the time that each item takes to be rung up is only three seconds.

F. For example, if they are old people, they tend to move slower and delay the checkout process.

G. Now The New York Times gives you some deep understanding into the math and psychology of queuing.

When pilots fly over the grassland of the Pampas region, Argentina, they're often surprised to spot a huge guitar－shaped forest in the ordered fields. The site is more than an amazing example of land art. Behind the site is a(n)  41   love story.

When young Argentine  42   Pedro Martin Ureta, aged 28, met 17－year－old Graciela Yraizoz in his hometown, they fell in love at first  43  .2 years later, they got married and  44   down on the farm where Ureta had been __45__. Graciela had many big plans for the farm in her mind. One day when she was taking a plane on a flight  46   Pampa, Graciela noticed that another farm looked like a milking pail (桶) from the  47  . Graciela thought that her family  could create something even more attractive on their own  farm: A huge forest  48   as her favorite musical instrument—the guitar. Graciela  49   playing the guitar in her spare  time and often played the guitar at the local  50  .

But Ureta didn't take his wife's idea  51  ，saying, “We'll talk about it later.” Later  52   came. In 1977，Graciela died suddenly of brain cancer at the  53   age of  25 while carrying their fifth child..After her wife's death, Mr Ureta  54   not fulfilling her wish. Still heartbroken a  few years later, Ureta decided that the best way to honor his   55   wife would be to fulfill her wish and  56   the giant work of art in her honor.

After the local government refused to  57   with the project, Ureta and his children took it 58  .One by one，they planted roughly 7，000 trees into the shape of a guitar. It took a few rough seasons for the trees to take root, but Ureta's dedication  59  .

Watching the forest grow over the years gave Graciela's children  60  .“It was the closest thing possible to have my mother alive,”Maria Julia，Ureta's second daughter，said.　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

41．A.thrilling     B．exciting          C．boring       D．touching

42．A.farmer      B．worker           C．teacher      D．engineer

43．A.place       B．time             C．sight        D．way

44．A.put         B．settled           C．laid         D．took

45．A.picked up    B．given up         C．made up     D．brought up

46．A.below       B．over            C．across       D．beyond

47．A.air         B．distance          C．beginning    D．top

48．A.treated      B．regarded         C．considered    D．shaped

49．A.disliked     B．missed          C．enjoyed       D．avoided

50．A.concerts     B．lectures         C．games        D．shops

51．A.quickly      B．personally      C．seriously      D．properly

52．A.hardly       B．never          C．still          D．always

53．A.young       B．old            C．normal        D．advanced

54．A.delayed      B．admitted       C．appreciated     D．regretted

55．A.late         B．early          C．slim          D．former

56．A.copy        B．paint          C．create         D．change

57．A.help        B．begin          C．argue         D．deal

58．A.in this way   B．in their honor   C．on their own    D．in the future

59．A.took off     B．paid off        C．gave off        D．got off

60．A.assistance   B．comfort        C．confidence      D．care

假如你是李华， 上周在英国参加了你校组织的“中国学生文化交流周”活动，并住在Kelly家里。请你给在英国期间认识的新朋友Kelly写封感谢信，内容包括：

1.交流活动中的收获；

2.难忘在Kelly家的美好日子；

3.感谢她送你的英文词典。

注意：1.词数100左右；

2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；

3.开头语和结束语已为你写好（不计入总词数）。

提示词汇：文化交流周：Cultural Exchange Week

Dear Kelly,

   I’ve been back home safely from England. _______________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

   Welcome to China when it’s convenient for you!

                                                 Yours,

                                                  Li Hua

 –Have you met Mr. Li?

  --Yes. When I arrived, he       for Shanghai to attend a national conference.

  A. just left           B. had just left             C. just leaves             D. was just leaving

When I agreed to stage-manage my school’ s production of Guys and Dolls, I had no idea of   61       a stage manager acurally did. Still, I     62     (decide) that it would be a(n)    63   (interest) experience, and a way to get involved with theater. Besides, if there was already a director and some technicians to build the sets

and run lights, how much could there be    64    (leave) for a stage manager to do? I figured that I would spend a lot of time    65    rehearsals and scripts（剧本）.

       I was discouraged by the first rehearsal. I discovered that it was my    66    (responsible) to make sure that all of the cast actors were present, had scripts, and gave    67    (I) their schedules before leaving the room. It was not an easy thing. I found that it was impossible    68    (get) all twenty-five cast members together for a group scene, since actors kept    69    (call) me with emergency appointments, and last-minute family gatherings.

       Finally, it was the opening night. I sat to the side of the stage,    70    my script open on a music stand in front of me. The lights came up, the show began, and I knew that it had all been wortthwhile.

    One morning I wasted nearly an hour watching a tiny ant carry a huge feather. Several times, it   36    several obstacles in its path. And after a momentary pause it would make the necessary detour（绕道）.   37   one point, the ant had to cross a crack about 10mm wide. After some   38    thoughts, the ant laid the feather over the crack, walked   39   it and picked the feather up on the other side, then continued on its way. I was   40   by the cleverness of this ant. It was only a small insect, lacking in   41   yet equipped with a brain to reason, explore, discover and overcome.   42    this ant, like the other two-legged creatures   43   on the earth, also shares human failings.

       After some time the ant   44   reached its destination --- a flower bed and a small hole that was the entrance to its   45   home. It was there that the ant met its   46  . How could that large feather possibly   47   such a small hole? Of course, it couldn’t. So the ant, after all this   48   and using great brightness, overcoming problems all along the way, just gave up the   49   and went home. The ant had not thought the problem through   50   it began its journey and in the end the feather was   51   more than a burden. Isn’t our   52   like that?

       We worry about our families; we worry about the   53   of money; and we worry about all kinds of things. These are all burdens --- the things we pick up along life’s path, and drag them around the obstacles and over the cracks that life will bring, only to   54   that at the destination they are   55   and we can’t take them with us.

36. A. came across        B. came about         C. got over              D. dealt with

37. A. For                       B. At                        C. To                       D. With

38. A. brave             B. tiring             C. short                  D. magic

39. A. through                B. across                 C. beside            D. behind

40. A. satisfied                B. frightened           C. annoyed                                D. attracted

41. A. height                 B. size                     C. depth             D. length

42. A. Therefore       B. Otherwise           C. But                     D. Moreover

43. A. living                    B. working            C. sleeping         D. walking

44. A. finally                   B. probably              C. suddenly         D. easily

45. A. lonely               B. comfortable        C. underground       D. big

46. A. partner            B. parent             C. match             D. friend

47. A. fix                B. fit                        C. fill                   D. suit

48. A. trouble           B. pleasure             C. decision             D. matter

49. A. insect             B. problem          C. feather               D. hole

50. A. before                  B. after                   C. until                   D. once

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

52. A. study             B. aim                 C. dream              D. life

53. A. waste              B. lack                    C. worth             D. danger

54. A. think              B. wonder                C. warn                   D. find

55. A. bad              B. useless               C. meaningful         D. practical

Our oldest daughter is having trouble letting go of an old red sofa.

    It’s not the sofa she’s having trouble letting go of as much as the memories. It was their first sofa. It has been loaded and unloaded onto moving trucks seven times. Three kids have eaten on it, dripped on it, and jumped on it.

    Yet she’s having a hard time letting go and asked if I thought that was strange.

    “Completely,” I said. “You get it from me.”

    When we were ready to get rid of our baby things, I sold our crib (婴儿床) at the neighborhood garage sale. I had pieces of it in the garage and the other pieces of it still in the house. A young woman said she wanted to buy it.

    My throat tightened and the tears began to well. She pulled out cash and I cheered up.

    But by the time I returned with the other pieces to the crib, I was all sobbing. “Have you considered that maybe you’re not ready to sell it?” the woman asked.

    “No-o-o-o,” I cried. “It’s fine, really,” I said. “Take it.”

    Our attachment to stuff grows in direct relationship to the amount of time it has sat in one place. The longer it sits, the harder it is to get rid of it. You think: “Hey, we’ve hung onto it this long – it must be valuable!” As though yellowing and a layer of dust increase value.

    People who find it extremely hard to part with things have been made into entertainment in a television show called Hoarders. If an episode (集) of that isn’t depressing enough for you, producers now offer Extreme Hoarders. Both of which are not to be outdone by Storage Wars, a show about aggressive people who bid on other people’s storage units.

    Let the sofa go, I told my daughter. It served its purpose. You can get a new one. Give the kids some crackers (饼干) and juice and it will be like the old one in six weeks.

4. What does the author mean by saying the underlined sentence “You get it from me”?

A. “You can get mental support from me.”       B. “You behave just the same way I do.”

C. “You are asking the right person to help you.”  D. “You can get another sofa from me.”  

5. When the writer was selling the crib, _____.

A. she showed a strong attachment to the old item

B. she felt relieved that there was someone willing to buy it

C. she couldn’t decide whether or not to sell it in the end

D. she changed her mind in hopes of keeping it and increasing its value

6. The writer refers to the television shows to _____.

A. prove that it’s depressing to get attached to old stuff

B. explain what contributes to people’s attachment to old stuff

C. show that people in TV shows live the same lives as ordinary people do

D. prove that it’s actually common for people to find it hard to get rid of old stuff

7. Which opinion might the writer agree with according to the article?

A. If you give away old stuff regularly, you are wasteful.

B. Nothing is more valuable than your love for your old stuff.

C. If the old stuff has done what it was supposed to, then let it go.

D. The older your stuff is, the less trouble you have getting rid of it.

We were stuck at the airport because of the heavy fog, otherwise we ______ here in time for the conference.

A. arrived         B. would arrive   C. had arrived       D. would have arrived