It was the Year from Hell-September 1993 to September 1994-the dog died, my marriage of 24 years ended, and my house burned down. I had moved into a new rented house with my youngest son, after my husband and I split up. We'd been in the house just six weeks. I went to a dinner party one night, and as I drove home, I saw helicopters hovering in the general vicinity of my new home. Smoke was billowing into the sky, and sirens were wailing. As I got closer, I thought, Wouldn't it be awful if that was my house? Then I turned the corner, and sure enough, it was my house.
I was devastated. It had been such a horrible year, and now everything I owned had gone up in smoke. Mementos, baby pictures, family keepsakes, clothes, furniture-everything was destroyed. My marriage was gone, my dog was gone, my home was gone, and all my worldly possessions, except my car and the clothes on my back, were gone too.
My son and I stayed with a friend for a couple of nights. Then my friend Gail heard about the fire, called me up, and said, "Come move into my house. I have seven bedrooms and five bathrooms-plenty of space for you and your son." It was a sprawling ranch house on a double lot in La Jolla, with an ocean view, to boot. Gail had three kids at home, but there was still plenty of room for me and my son, Sutton. Her offer was a godsend. Little did I know that her offer of a temporary place to stay would turn into a living arrangement that lasted two and a half years.
Gail and I had a lot in common. We had both been raised Catholic and our unconscious minds had been programmed the same way-we saw ourselves as good little Catholic girls who were gonna stay married forever. But both of our husbands decided they didn't want to be married anymore, and so here we were, two single mothers, dazed, confused, and in a fog. We had followed the rules... why were we not happy? Gail and I spent the next couple of years sorting out a lot of things together.
After we moved in, I soon began to look for a permanent place to live. After a few weeks, Gail said, "Please don't leave. I've never had so much freedom!" Having me in the house meant someone to help take care of her kids, someone to share cooking and gardening, and someone to share day-to-day life. She loved having me there, and I loved being there. So we stayed.
It was an important chapter in my life. Gail and I gardened together, talking back and forth as we worked in the soil. We both needed time to heal from our divorces, time to sort out the confusion, time to get some clarity on the past and some focus on the future. It was a time of deeper insight and spiritual growth for both of us. Over time, I grew to realize how strong I really was, how even-tempered, and how I really could get my act together and go on with my life.
Gail's generosity was more than anyone could ever ask or expect from a friend. She gave me a safe haven in which to mourn and heal and grow into the next chapter of my life. She showed her love in countless ways. I am eternally grateful to have a friend like Gail.
I'm also grateful for the lessons I learned from the fire and the other losses that came so suddenly, so fast. Much to my surprise, I found gratitude among the ashes. I was tested sorely-literally trial by fire. But, like a phoenix, I rose from the ashes strong and whole. I would not be the person I am today if not for that Year from Hell.
【小題1】Why did the writer say Sep 1993 to Sep 1994 was the Year from Hell?

A．She got divorced from her husband
B．Both of her houses were burned down
C．She met some misfortune one after another
D．Her dog was killed in the big fire
【小題2】What did the writer and Gail have in common?
A．Both of them had one son
B．Both of them believed in the same faith
C．Both of them lost the home
D．Both of them decided to divorce
【小題3】How did the writer spend the days with Gail?
A．She looked after the 4 kids alone
B．She planted some flowers with Gail
C．She shared the same bedroom with Gail
D．They did some cleaning together
【小題4】which is the right order of the following events?
①、She wanted to find a permanent house
②、She shared cooking with Gail
③、She went to a dinner party one night
④、She stayed with a friend for a couple of days
⑤、She lost her dog
A．③⑤④①②B．④①⑤③②C．③④②⑤①D．①③⑤④②
【小題5】What is the best title for the text?
A．Generosity from a friend
B．Recover from the pain
C．The Year from Hell
D．Gratitude among the ashes


【小題1】C
【小題2】B
【小題3】B
【小題4】A
【小題5】D

解析試題分析：作者在一段時(shí)間發(fā)生了很多不幸的事情，在走投無(wú)路的時(shí)候，得到朋友Gail的無(wú)私的幫助，作者非常感激她，感到自己也越來(lái)越堅(jiān)強(qiáng)。
【小題1】細(xì)節(jié)題：根據(jù)第一段的句子：It was the Year from Hell-September 1993 to September 1994-the dog died, my marriage of 24 years ended, and my house burned down.可知作者將這段時(shí)間稱為是the Year from Hell，因?yàn)樗l(fā)生了很多不幸的事情，選C。
【小題2】細(xì)節(jié)題：根據(jù)第二段的句子：Gail and I had a lot in common. We had both been raised Catholic and our unconscious minds had been programmed the same way-we saw ourselves as good little Catholic girls who were gonna stay married forever. 可知作者和Gail有同樣的信念，選B
【小題3】細(xì)節(jié)題：根據(jù)第六段的句子：It was an important chapter in my life. Gail and I gardened together, talking back and forth as we worked in the soil. 可知作者和Gail一起種了一些花，選B
【小題4】排序題：根據(jù)第一段的內(nèi)容：可知先是作者參加一個(gè)晚宴，然后是失去了狗，根據(jù)第三段的內(nèi)容：可知她和一個(gè)朋友待了幾天，根據(jù)第五段的內(nèi)容可知她想找一個(gè)永久的住所，和Gail一起做飯，所以選A。
【小題5】標(biāo)題確定題：作者因?yàn)榉孔颖淮蠡馃龤Я耍缓蟮玫脚笥袵ail的無(wú)私的幫助，作者非常感激她，根據(jù)最后一段的內(nèi)容可知用Gratitude among the ashes是最貼切的標(biāo)題，選D。
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A．b－a－c－d　　　　　　 B．a(chǎn)－c－b－d
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After 10 years of hard time and failures, starting from two kids working in a garage, Apple computer eventually grew into a big company with over 4000 employees.
At 30, Jobs , however, was fired from the company he co-founded. But after he had to leave the company, Apple was under heavy pressure from rival (對(duì)手) Microsoft and in 1996 posted billions of dollars in losses. Apple needed Steve Jobs and he was appointed as Apple’ CEO in1997. Under his leadership, Apple returned to profitability and introduced new products such as tthe iPhone and the iPad.
Steve Jobs once said, “Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick, Don’t lose faith. I’m convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You’ve got to find what you love. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking.
【小題1】Which of the following is right according to paragraph 1?

A．Jobs’ unmarried mother adopted him.
B．Paul Jobs was a college teacher.
C．Jobs’ finished his education.
D．Jobs’ unmarried mother wanted a girl.
【小題2】Steve Jobs didn’t finish his college education because he ______.
A．wanted to start a company.
B．had financial problems.
C．took no interest in his major.
D．hated to share rooms with his friends.
【小題3】It can be inferred that Apple____.
A．was founded in Oregon
B．developed from a garage
C．had a difficult beginning
D．had a successful beginning
【小題4】What can we learn from what Steve Jobs said?
A．Interest is key to success.
B．Hope helps us succeed.
C．Attitude is everything.
D．Courage goes with confidence.

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