Four years ago, I felt lucky after escaping one of those terrible 2-mile runs. I hated running; it was just something that   1  came easily to me. At that time, if you had told me that I would one day run a marathon, I’ d have told you honestly that I had a better   2  of winning the lottery（彩票）.
The turning   3  came when I met Mrs. Green. She was fifty years old, going through chemotherapy（化學(xué)療法）for her cancer, and still managed to run 30 miles a week. I thought that if Mrs. Green could run 6 miles at a time, I could run at least two. In February, in cold weather, I started a 2-mile   4  around my neighborhood. Two months later, I   5  the running for the first time. I felt very tired, but I felt happy.
Over the next several years, I continued to push each run for a few   6  minutes, slowly building my endurance（耐力）. I didn’t need to  7  against other runners, for my most important competitor was myself.
After continuing to   8  myself, I knew it was time to step my training up. I   9  I would train for the Detroit Free Press/Flagstar Marathon.
The race day   10  came, and I was filled with excitement and worry. It was final time to see what I was made of. The   11  ended up surprisingly. I did   12  through the last few miles, but after my running, there was no doubt in my mind that I’d finished. As I   13  the finish line, I experienced the strongest sense of   14  and happiness I had ever had in my life. I am now a marathoner.
As John Bingham once said, “The miracle（奇跡）isn’t that I finished. The miracle is that I had the   15  to start.”

小題1:	A．never B．a(chǎn)lways C．usually D．often

小題2:	A．belief B．suggestion C．chance D．hope

小題3:	A．situation B．stage C．case D．point

小題4:	A．race B．walk C．hike D．ride

小題5:	A．closed B．changed C．finished D．considered

小題6:	A．perfect B．extra C．a(chǎn)ctual D．basic

小題7:	A．compete B．go C．speak D．a(chǎn)rgue

小題8:	A．treat B．interest C．challenge D．enjoy

小題9:	A．forced B．decided C．doubted D．seemed

小題10:

A．certainly B．immediately C．frequently D．finally

小題11:

A．experience B．moment C．walk D．reward

小題12:

A．look B．live C．travel D．struggle

小題13:

A．toured B．moved C．crossed D．stopped

小題14:

A．touch B．pride C．humor D．belonging

小題15:

A．courage B．a(chǎn)bility C．choice D．thought

I was painfully shy as a child. In high school I would avoid participating in class discussions. I was too afraid to talk to anyone but my closest friends~ I would think about being less shy, wanting the courage not only to ask a girl out, but to speak up in class and say what I was thinking. Yet, it never happened. Fears showed themselves in such self-conscious questions as, " What will other people think?  What if she says no?" I felt a dark presence in my mind holding me back.
This shyness continued into college. One day, the question occurred to me: Is life shy?
The thought surprised me ! Think of the leaves bursting out in the spring time, the bird singing at dawn, the sheer number of different forms of life, all expressing the wideness and scope of divine life. There's nothing shy about it. Life is everywhere and attention-grabbing (引人注意的). So, if my creator isn't shy about all the life that needs expressing, I don't need to be either.
I realized that if I wanted to overcome fear and shyness, I would have to put this law of life into practice~ Shyness, fear, and loneliness were hindering me from living my life as life: God wanted me to live it. Therefore, I decided to live how life saw me.
One example: I wrote a note to a girl, asking her out on a date. Even as I was writing it, the fears of disaffirmation and unworthiness came to me. This time however, instead of shrinking back and hiding from the fear, I put the note in the campus mail in spite of myself. I thought: whether she says yes or no, it's still right for me not to be shy. I can live with the confidence sent from the source of my life. The girl saw me in class the next day and told me that she would love to go out with me. I should not have been so surprised!
Bit by bit, I was proving that the limited view of myself no longer had control over me.  After college, I worked as a newspaper reporter, earned an advanced degree in theater, became a productive writer (a lifelong dream), met a special woman whom I married, and even got a job teaching at a university.
小題1:The writer was shy as a child because of______.

A．a(chǎn)wareness that life is shy

B．lack of courage to speak out in public

C．fear of others' attitude and reaction

D．failure in his participation in class discussion

小題2:"The law" in Paragraph 4 refers to the fact that______.

A．life is attention-grabbing and divine

B．God treats everything and everyone fairly

C．everything in nature is in the favour of God

D．the creator of life which needs expressing isn't shy

小題3:It can be learnt from Paragraph 5 that the writer______.

A．didn't hesitate before sending the note

B．wouldn't regret sending the note despite the result

C．was not surprised when the girl agreed to go out

D．believed in God and felt encouraged by the wideness of life

小題4:The underlined word "disaffirmation" in Paragraph 5 probably means______.

A．rejection

B．laughter

C．regret

D．horror

小題5:The purpose of writing the text is to______.

A．blame those who are shy and unconfident

B．persuade people to have confidence in their career

C．share the personal experience with the readers

D．prove that the overcome of shyness helps achieve success

Over the years I've been teaching children about a simple but powerful concept -- the ant philosophy (哲學(xué)).I think everybody should study ants.
They have an amazing four-part philosophy, and here is the first part: ants never quit. That's a good philosophy. If they're headed somewhere and you try to stop them; they'll look for another way.
They'll climb over, they'll climb under, and they'll climb around. They keep looking for another way. What a neat philosophy, to never quit looking for a way to get where you're supposed to go.
Second, ants think winter all summer. That's an important viewpoint. You can't be so naive ( 天真的) as to think summer will last forever. So ants are gathering in their winter food in the middle of summer.
An ancient story says, "Don't build your house on the sand in the summer. " Why do we need that advice.'? Because it is important to be realistic. In the summer, you've got to think storm. You've got to think rocks as you enjoy the sand and sun. Think ahead.
The third part of the ant philosophy is that ants think summer all winter. That is so important. During the winter, ants remind themselves, "This won't last long ; we'll soon be out of here. " And on the first warm day, the ants are out. If it turns cold again, they'll dive back down, but then they come out on the first warm day. They can't wait to get out.
And here's the last part of the ant-philosophy. How much will an ant gather during the summer to prepare for the winter? All he possibly can. What an incredible philosophy, the "all-you-possibly-can" philosophy.
Wow, what a great seminar to attend -- the ant seminar. Never give up, look ahead, stay positive and do all you can.
小題1:If you try to stop ants going forward, they will

A．climb over your head	B．quit looking for a way
C．search for another way	D．keep climbing around

小題2:What is the second philosophy of ants?

A．Think winter all summer.	B．Always be realistic.
C．Never become lazy in summer.	D．Always look ahead.

小題3:Which of the following can best describe the third part of the ant philosophy?

A．Always stay positive.	B．Always remind yourself.
C．Always think summer.	D．Always be hardworking.

小題4:We can learn from the last part of the ant philosophy that we should

A．never stop gathering food in the summer	B．a(chǎn)lways get prepared for the winter
C．gather as much as possible for the future	D．do whatever we can for the future

小題5:Which of the following is the best title for the passage?

A．The Concept of Ants	B．The Ant Philosophy
C．Never Give up	D．Do All You Can

TS said that everyone has a changing circle of friends. However, no matter how frequently we renew our phone books, some names always remain. These names remind us of the good times we spent together with our friends. Though we may not see them every  day, they will always stay in our hearts.
Tom was often called "Big Head" at school because of his extraordinarily large head. He was one of my close friends at primary school. But since graduation, we have been studying in different cities and haven't seen each other for a long time.
Several days ago, I received an e-mail saying that my former classmates from primary school were holding a party to get together and chat about past memories. I was so excited because [ would get to see Tom again. What would he look like now? Would we still feel as close to each other as we had done back then? I was a little frightened about what I would find.
When I arrived at the party, I did manage to recognize Tom. However, he was much taller than he had been before. What's more, his head was no longer big.
"Hi, Buddy. Do you recognize me?" Tom walked towards me.
"Of course. How could I ever forget our ' Big Head' ," I said jokingly, "But where has your big head gone?"
"Haha, maybe it didn't keep up with the steps of time and stayed in the past," Tom patted his own head and answered with a laugh.
All my misgivings suddenly disappeared. I realized that time had changed us outwardly, but our friendship hadn't changed at all. I chatted happily with Tom about our shared experiences in primary school.
Then I looked around the small room and saw different faces, both familiar and unfamiliar, but none of them the faces of strangers. The whole party was filled with a warm atmosphere. Everyone was lost in the sweet memories of childhood. They forgot all their present-day stresses and pressures.
"Hey, what are you thinking about? Come and get some pizza!" A call from a friend woke me up from my thoughts. I hurried towards the table. "Wait! That biggest piece is mine!"
小題1:Why are some names always in our phone books?

A．Because everyone has a changing circle of friends.

B．Because we sometimes forget to renew phone books.

C．Because we'll never forget some of our friends.

D．Because our circle of friends will not change.

小題2:According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?

A．Tom has changed a lot since primary school.

B．Tom invited the author to the get-together party by email.

C．The author recognized Tom immediately because of his big head.

D．Tom couldn't recognize the author at the first sight.

小題3:What does the underlined word "misgiving" mean (in para. 8 )?

A．expectation and excitement	B．worries and doubts
C．stresses and pressures	D．shyness and nervousness

小題4:The author writes the last paragraph to show

A．others can't understand what the author is thinking about

B．The pizzas are not adequate for everyone in the party

C．the author wants to have a big pizza very much

D．the author enjoys the warm atmosphere of the party greatly

小題5:Which of the following proverbs can be used to conclude this passage.'?

A．A friend in need is a friend indeed.	B．Time reveals a person's heart.
C．Friends are like wine; the older, the better.	D．A faithful friend is hard to find.

Tolerance: Respect the difference in others
You may not realize it, but you are doing much more than just studying when you are at school. School is also the place   36  you learn to get on well with people. But this is not  37  easy. What can you do   38  you just don’t like one of your classmates?
If you discover that you have problems   39  your classmates or friends, the most important thing to learn is tolerance. Tolerance is the   40  to realize and respect the  41  in others. We can not change the way that other people do,   42  it is important to learn to live happily with them.
Practicing tolerance will allow everyone to form better  43  with each other. Getting to know someone   44  help you understand why they do things  45  from you. It is important to remember that something different does not exactly mean that it is bad.  46  teaches us to keep an even (平和的) temper and open mind..
You need to  47  an old saying, “Treat others how you want  48 ”. You would like to be treated kindly by your classmates, so it is   49  to treat them with equal kindness. If you tolerate   50  it does not mean that you have to like it. No one is asking you to  51  who you are or what you believe in. Tolerance just means that you should be   52  of the differences in others and not try to make them change.
It is important to   53  tolerance, because it will make everyone’s lives easier. Learn to accept people for their different abilities and interests. The world is very   54 , and practicing tolerance in your own school and city can help make  55 .

小題1:	A．which B．where C．that D．when

小題2:	A．hardly B．seldom C．a(chǎn)lways D．a(chǎn)lready

小題3:	A．unless B．since C．because D．if

小題4:	A．getting along with B．making apologies to C．getting away from D．fleeing from

小題5:	A．reflection B．benefit C．patience D．a(chǎn)bility

小題6:	A．characteristics B．thoughts C．things D．differences

小題7:	A．so B．a(chǎn)nd C．but D．a(chǎn)lthough

小題8:	A．moods B．habits C．relationships D．feelings

小題9:	A．must B．may C．should D．dare

小題10:

A．fortunately B．easily C．differently D．a(chǎn)ttentively

小題11:

A．Patience B．Experience C．Tolerance D．Kindness

小題12:

A．keep in touch B．keep in mind C．keep up with D．keep away from

小題13:

A．to treat B．being treated C．to be treated D．to be treating

小題14:

A．a(chǎn)ttractive B．important C．possible D．interesting

小題15:

A．something B．a(chǎn)nything C．everything D．nothing

小題16:

A．change B．remind C．promise D．Decide

小題17:

A．convenient B．respectful C．negative D．unselfish

小題18:

A．stop B．cancel C．prevent D．practice

小題19:

A．diverse B．same C．individual D．a(chǎn)pparent

小題20:

A．no difference B．a(chǎn)n effect C．a(chǎn)n apology D．a(chǎn) difference

Below are some of the heart-warming scenes that I witnessed and heard from others after the earthquake and flood.
In the supermarket, where goods of all the shelves  36 , people were picking up things so quickly together, and then  37  standing in line to buy food. Instead of creating panic（恐慌）and _38  as much as possible, they bought as little as they  39 _.
When I was walking home, there was a lady  40  a sign that said, “Please use our toilet.” She was  41  her house for people to go to the restroom. I also saw an old lady at a bakery shop  42  free bread. They made my heart  43 _.
A boy was saved because he climbed up on top of the roof of a store during the flood. The flood  44  so suddenly that he just saw people below trying to climb onto the roof, but failed. They were  45  by the flood. To help others, he kept filming them  46  their loved ones could see.
A foreign friend told me that she was  47  to see a long queue form so neatly（整齊地）behind one public phone. Everyone waited  48  to use the phone though they must have been so eager to call their families.
The  49  was horrible（可怕的）! Only one car could move  50  at a green light. But everyone was driving so calmly. During the 10-hour  51 , which would only take 30 minutes  52 , I heard only one horn（喇叭）and that was of thank you.
When I was  53  at the platform（站臺(tái)）, a homeless person gave me a piece of cardboard to sit on. Even though we usually  54  them in our daily life, they were ready to help us.
Through all of this, I felt  55 _. There is a bright future, on the other side of this disaster.

小題1:	A．fell B．lay C．sank D．rose

小題2:	A．noisily B．harmlessly C．quietly D．seriously

小題3:	A．stealing B．buying C．making D．folding

小題4:	A．earned B．needed C．saw D．a(chǎn)fforded

小題5:	A．watching B．selling C．destroying D．holding

小題6:	A．locking B．building C．opening D．sparing

小題7:	A．wiping out B．carrying out C．picking out D．giving out

小題8:	A．warm B．cold C．broken D．closed

小題9:	A．came B．got C．ran D．left

小題10:

A．sent out B．knocked down C．brought out D．taken away

小題11:

A．for B．or C．so D．but

小題12:

A．excited B．surprised C．upset D．frightened

小題13:

A．secretly B．patiently C．slowly D．proudly

小題14:

A．traffic B．trade C．movement D．climate

小題15:

A．a(chǎn)round B．down C．up D．forward

小題16:

A．walk B．run C．drive D．flight

小題17:

A．necessarily B．basically C．normally D．certainly

小題18:

A．waiting B．playing C．fighting D．hiding

小題19:

A．respect B．ignore C．notice D．hate

小題20:

A．glory B．help C．interest D．hope

After the examination, the doctor told my parents my sight would get worse and that I would lose my sight finally. On the way home from hospital, no one said a word. One day, would I only imagine the scenery beyond the glass rather than see it?
That September, I entered middle school. Most nights I had homework that included an armful of books to read. To keep up with other children, I took great trouble to finish the task. With my nose a couple of inches from the page, I was tired easily. What’s worse, after I had read several pages on my own, the words slipped off the page into inky pools.
However, then I did not have audio books and electronic devices like kids do now. Instead, Mom volunteered to read out loud. Mom worked part-time, cleaned the house, cooked and spent time with Grandma. In spite of being so busy, she showed up in my room like clockwork. She put on her reading glasses. Mom always thought those glasses made her look old. To me, she looked like a teacher.
In my room, Mom’s voice competed with the ticking of the clock. Being forced to focus on listening, I found a way to keep my marks up and compete with the other kids. When the teacher asked a question, I raised my hand with confidence. Teachers praised me for having a good memory. Reading removed my fear for my failing sight, reading also made me curious about other people’s challenges and how they managed. Though I could not use my eyes to fix on each passage, my mind lit up with every new book.
True to what the doctor said, the worst came, but thanks to Mom, my sense of hearing now allows me to “see”. This was the most precious (珍貴的) gift from a mother to her child.
小題1:Why did the author and his parents keep silent on their way back home from hospital?

A．They all wanted to have a good rest.

B．The author didn’t do well in the exam.

C．What the doctor said made them worried.

D．They focused on the scenery along the road

小題2:How did the author manage to get high marks?

A．By being confident

B．By listening carefully.

C．By getting help from his classmates.

D．By reading as many books as possible.

小題3:We can learn from the text that    .

A．the author’s sight recovered finally

B．reading made the author more sensitive

C．the author’s mother didn’t work to look after him

D．reading made the author not worry about his sight

小題4:Which of the following could be the title of the text?

A．My eyesight trouble	B．An unforgettable experience
C．With ears wide open	D．About Mother’s love

A farmer had some puppies to sell. He painted a sign advertising them on the edge of his yard.
One day, a little boy came to buy one of the puppies. With a whistle（口哨）, the farmer called, “Here, Dolly!” Out from the doghouse ran Dolly followed by four little balls of fur. The little boy stood against the fence（柵欄）. His eyes danced with happiness.
As the dogs made their way to the fence, the little boy noticed something else inside the doghouse. Slowly another little ball appeared, something wrong with its legs, doing its best to catch up.
“I want that one,” the little boy said.
The farmer knelt（跪下）down at the boy's side and said, “Son, you don't want that puppy. He will never be able to run and play with you like these other dogs would.”
With that, the little boy stepped back from the fence, reached down and began rolling up one leg of his trousers. In doing so, he showed a steel brace（固定器）running down both sides of his leg attaching itself to a specially made shoe. Looking back up at the farmer, he said, “You see, sir, I don’t run too well myself, and he will need someone who understands.”
小題1:How did the farmer advertise his puppies?

A．Advertise them in the newspaper.	B．Put up a sign in his yard.
C．Show them to his neighbors.	D．Send pictures to a magazine.

小題2:The underlined words “four little balls of fur” refer to “_________”.

A．four toy balls	B．four balls made of fur
C．four lovely dogs	D．four puppies with no fur

小題3:Why did the boy choose the last dog?

A．Because they have something in common.

B．Because he didn't have enough money.

C．Because it was the most lovely one.

D．Because the farmer wouldn't sell other dogs.

小題4:According to the story, we know that the boy _________.

A．didn't like dogs at all	B．needed a dog to help him
C．could run as fast as others	D．had an artificial leg

小題5:Which of the following words best describes the boy?

A．clever

B．lovely

C．warm–hearted

D．strange

John and Booby joined a wholesale company together just after graduation from college the same year. Both worked very hard. After several years, however, the boss promoted（提升）Bobby to the position of manager but John remained an ordinary employee（雇員）. John could not take it any more, so he sent his resignation(辭職信) and complained that the boss did not value（重視）hard working workers but only promoted those who said good words of him.
The boss knew that John worked very hard for the years. He thought for a moment and said, “Thank you for telling me, but I have a request. I hope you will do one more thing for our company before you leave. Perhaps you will change your mind and take back your resignation.”
John agreed. The boss asked him to go and find out anyone selling watermelons in the market. John went and returned soon. He said he had found out a man selling watermelons. The boss asked how much per kg, John shook his head and went back to the market to ask and returned to tell the boss $1.2 per kg.
The boss told John to wait a second, and he called Bobby to go and find anyone selling watermelons in the market. Bobby went, returned and said only one person sold watermelons. $1.2 for a kg, $10 for 10kg and his watermelons added up to 340. On the table 58 melons, every melon weighs about 2 kg, bought from the south two days ago and they were fresh, red and good quality.
John was surprised and realized the difference between himself and Bobby. He decided not to go away but to learn from Bobby.
The story tells us that a more successful person is more concerned and thinks more. Chances are there in the daily details. For the same thing, a person sees one year ahead, while another sees only tomorrow. The difference between a year and a day is 365 times, how could you win?
小題1:John wanted to stop his job in his company because_________.

A．Bobby was promoted but he was not

B．he didn’t want to say good words of his boss

C．he thought the boss didn’t take his hard work seriously

D．he didn’t want to be an ordinary employee

小題2:The boss asked John to find out where watermelons were sold in order to _________.

A．persuade him to stay in the company

B．prove he was a hardworking worker

C．buy some watermelons for the company

D．prove his abilities at work for himself

小題3:From what Bobby did, we can see that he was promoted only because _________.

A．he was a more concerned businessman

B．he knew how to do business

C．he was more experienced at work

D．he knew details about the watermelon market

小題4:We can conclude from the story that _________.

A．one should stop his job if the boss doesn’t think much of his work

B．it’s necessary to know the market when you buy a watermelon

C．detail plays a very important part in one’s success

D．one should get along well with his boss if he wants to be promoted

小題5:What can be the best title of the passage?

A．More Concerned, More Successful	B．How to Buy Watermelons
C．Who Is More Successful	D．Proud John

A heart-warming story tells of a woman who finally decided to ask her boss for a raise in salary. All day she felt nervous. Late in the afternoon she gathered the    36  to approach her employer. To her delight, the boss agreed to a    37 . The woman arrived home that evening to find a beautiful table   38  with their best dishes. Candles were softly burning. Her 39  had come home early and prepared a festive meal. She wondered if someone from the office had given him the information   40  , or··· did he just somehow know that she would not get the request  41 ?
She found him in the kitchen and    42     him the good news. They happily sat down to enjoy the wonderful    43    . Next to her plate the woman found a beautifully lettered card which was her husband's 44  of writing. It read “Congratulations, darling! I knew you'd get the raise! These things will tell you how much I love you.”  45  The supper, her husband went into the kitchen to   46 . She noticed that a second 47    had fallen from his pocket.   48  it up off the floor, she read, “Don't worry about not getting the raise! But you   49    it anyway! These things will tell you how much I love you.”
Someone has said that the   50  of love is when you love without measure. What this man feels for his wife is total    51  and love, whether she succeeds or  52 . His love celebrates her victories and 53  her wounds. He stands with her, no matter what life throw in their direction..
Upon receiving the Nobel for 54 , Mother Teresa said, “What can you do to  55  to the world peace? Go home and love your family.” And love your friends. Love then without measure.

小題1:	A．strength B．courage C．curiosity D．power

小題2:	A．remove B．cut C．raise D．leave

小題3:	A．decorated B．designed C．filled D．set

小題4:	A．mother B．father C．husband D．boss

小題5:	A．secretly B．intentionally C．a(chǎn)ccidentally D．publicly

小題6:	A．turned over B．turned down C．turned out D．turned on

小題7:	A．told B．said C．spoke D．a(chǎn)dded

小題8:	A．conversation B．night C．news D．meal

小題9:	A．color B．design C．style D．detail

小題10:

A．After B．During C．Before D．with

小題11:

A．bring up B．clean up C．cut up D．throw up

小題12:

A．letter B．book C．card D．bill

小題13:

A．Picking B．Turning C．Getting D．Standing

小題14:

A．reserve B．preserve C．deserve D．conserve

小題15:

A．quality B．measure C．quantity D．depth

小題16:

A．tolerance B．expectation C．decoration D．a(chǎn)cceptance

小題17:

A．fails B．suffers C．neglects D．regrets

小題18:

A．relieves B．heals C．cures D．covers

小題19:

A．Literature B．Physics C．Peace D．Chemistry

小題20:

A．occur B．lead C．a(chǎn)ttach D．contribute