A farmer had some puppies（小狗）to 　36 . He painted a sign advertising the puppies and 　37__ nailing （釘）it to a post on the edge of his yard. As he was driving the last nail into the post, a little boy came to him.

“Mister,” he said, “I want to buy one of your puppies.”

“Well,” said the farmer, as he 　38 the sweat off his face, “these puppies come from fine parents and cost 　39 money. Do you have enough money?”

The boy 　 40　 his head for a moment. Then reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a handful of 　41 and held it up to the farmer. “I’ve got thirty-nine cents. Is that enough to take a look?” “Sure,” said the farmer. And with that he 　42 a whistle (口哨聲), “Here, Dolly!” he called. 　43 from the doghouse and down the ramp ran Dolly 　 44 by four little balls of fur. The little boy’ eyes danced with delight. As the dogs made their 　45 to the fence, the little boy noticed something else stirring inside the doghouse. 　46　 another little ball appeared; this one noticeably smaller. Then in a somewhat 　 47　 manner the little pup began hobbling（蹣跚） toward the others, doing its best to 　 48　 .

“I want that one,” the little boy said, 　49　 to the smallest one. The farmer said, “Son, you don’t want that puppy. He will never be able to run and play with you 　50 these other dogs would.”

With that the little boy 　51 back from the fence, and began 　 52 　up one leg of his trousers. In doing so he exposed a steel support running down both sides of his leg 　53 itself to a specially made 　54　 . Looking back up at the farmer, he said, “You see sir, I don't 　55　 too well myself, and he will need someone who understands.”

36．A. sell　 　　　　　 B. buy 　　　　　　　　　　　 C. raise　 　　　　　　　　　 D. drive

37. A. set off　　　　　　　 B. set out　　　　　　　　　　 C. set about　　　　　　　　 D. set up

38. A. wiped　　　　　　　 B. removed 　　　　　　　　 C. settled　　　　　　　　　　 D. drove

39. A. a number of 　　 B. quite a few　　　　　　　 C. a great deal of　 　 D. only a little

40. A. raised 　　　　　　 B. buried 　　　　　　　　　　 C. dropped　　　　　　　　　 D. shook

41. A. change　　　　　　 B. price　　　　　　　　　　　 C. treasure　　　　　　　　　 D. wallet

42. A. made out　　　　　 B. put away　　　　　　　　 C. gave away　　　　　　　 D. let out

43.　 A. In 　　　　　　　　　 B. Away　　　　　　　　　　　 C. Out　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. Up

44. A. equipped　　　　　 B. protected　　　　　　　　 C. attacked　　　　　　　　　 D. followed

45. A. way　　　　　 　　　 B. direction　　　　　 　　　 C. path　　　　　　　　 　　　 D. struggle

46. A. Rapidly　　　　　　 B. Slowly　　　　　　　　　　 C. Suddenly　　　　　　　　 D. Simply

47. A. curious　　　　　　 B. foolish 　　　　　　　　　 C. ordinary　　　　　　　　　 D. active

48. A. catch up　　　　　 B. keep up　　　　　　　　　 C. put up　　　　　　　　　　 D. make up

49. A. staring 　　　　　　 B. pointing　　　　　　　　　 C. greeting 　　　　　　　　 D. devoting

50. A. while　　　　　　　 B. as　　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. that 　　　　　　　　　　　 D. what

51. A. stepped　　　　　　 B. escaped　　　　　　　　　 C. went　　　　　　　　　　　 D. kept

52. A. pushing　　　　　　 B. forcing　　　　　　　　　　 C. rolling　　　　　　　　　　 D. tearing

53. A. attaching 　　　　 B.attached　　　　　　　　　 C. being attached　　　　　 D.to attach

54. A. leg　　　　　　　　　 B. stick 　　　　　　　　　　 C. shoe　　　　　　　　　　　 D. foot

55. A. walk　　　　　　　　 B. run　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. live　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. go

The artist Grandma Moses became famous for her simple, bright, cheerful paintings of American farm life．Her full name was Anna Mary Robertson Moses．But she was known to everyone as Grandma Moses because she did not begin to paint seriously until in her seventies．

Born on a farm in New York, Anna had little schooling．Her days were filled with farm chores．But she often found time to make pictures．Soon, however, she became too busy to draw or paint．At the age of 12, she went to work as a servant for a family nearby．She worked for other people for many years．Then, when she was 27, she married Thomas Moses, a farmer．And they began raising a family of their own．

Anna Moses could no longer do heavy farm work with age．Then, in her seventies, she began to paint in oils．Her pictures showed things she recalled from childhood-farm scenes, ice-skating, bringing home the Christmas tree．Later, she began to display her art at county fairs．Her pictures recorded a way of life that was quickly passing away．People everywhere loved these happy scenes, and soon her paintings were shown in art galleries．Grandma Moses became famous partially on account of her age, but mainly because her approach to art was modest and simple compared to many other painters of her time．Without formal training or even knowledge of Modernism, she relied on her own simple techniques to create her landscapes and scenes．She continued to paint almost until her death, on December 13, 1961 , at the age of 101．

The themes in her paintings provided the comfort of a rural life that many busy Americans treasured from their past．The threat of nuclear arms that appeared on television screens and in magazines had Americans starving for something more．Grandma Moses' art appealed to those who had lost hope for the future．Her classic paintings still appear on TV commercials, greeting cards, and magazine and book covers．

1.What can be inferred from the fact that Grandma Moses picked up a paintbrush?

A．She had no other ways to kill time．  

B．Her friend and family suggested it．

C．She had had a love for painting since her childhood．

D．She needed to make a living by selling her paintings．

2.The key reason for her success is ___   .

A．her old age           B．her plain style

C．her lack of training     D．her modern knowledge

3.We can know from the passage that ______．

A．her paintings raised people's hope for the future

B．her paintings expressed the reality of her old age

C．many Americans were interested in purchasing art works

D．people wanted to get comfort by remembering grandmas

“Can I see my baby？” the happy new mother asked. When the bundle was in her arms and she moved the fold of cloth to look upon his tiny face, she gasped. The doctor turned quickly and looked out of the tall hospital window. The baby had been born without ears.

Time proved that the baby’ s hearing was perfect. It was only his appearance that was imperfect. When he rushed home from school one day and threw himself into his mother’s arms, she sighed(嘆息), knowing that his life was to be misfortunate. He cried to his mum “A boy, a big boy... called me a freak (怪人)．”

He grew up, handsome. A favorite with his fellow students, he might have been class president, but for that. He developed a gift, a talent for literature and music. “But you might communicate with other young people，” his mother blamed him, but felt a kindness in her heart.

Two years went by. One day, his father said to the son, “You’ re going to the hospital, son. Mother and I have someone who will donate the ears you need. But it’ s a secret.” The operation was a great success, and a new person appeared.

Later he married and became a lawyer. One day, he asked his father, “Who gave me the ears? Who gave me so much? I could never do enough for him or her.” “I do not believe you could，” said the father, “but the agreement was that you are not to know... not yet.”

The years kept their secret, but the day did come. He stood with his father over his mother’ s casket棺材. Slowly, tenderly, the father stretched forth a hand and raised the thick, reddish brown hair to show the mother had no outer ears.

“Mother said she was glad she never let her hair be cut，” his father whispered gently, “and nobody ever thought Mother less beautiful, did they？”

1.Why did Mother gasp when she saw her newborn baby?

A. Because her son had a tiny face.　　　　 B. Because she saw her son crying.

C. Because her son was born imperfect.　　 D. Because her son was in her arms.

2.Which word can describe Mother’ s feeling when the son threw himself into her arms?

A. Nervous.　　　　　　 B. Sympathetic.　　 C. Proud.       D. Angry.

3.We can infer that the person who donate the ears is_____.

A. A doctor.        B. His father.　　　 C. His mother.     　D. A stranger.

4.From the passage we know the followings are True except________

A, the mother felt sorry for the son without ears   B. the doctor didn’t like the baby

C. the boy meant everything to the mother        D. the father kept the secret until mother died

5.The best title for the passage would be ________.

A. Mother’s hair　　　　　　　　B. An unforgettable memory

C. Who gave me the ears?　　　 　D. Who is my best respectable person?

My first performance in front of an audience was coming up soon. I tried as hard as I could to remain    36    , but I had an empty feeling in my stomach. I stared down at my sweat covered,     37      hands. I looked up again at the audience, realizing that these were    38    people. They were not just my mum and dad, who     39    say, "Good job!" even if I messed up the entire piece. What if I had the wrong music? What if I played the wrong notes? As it    40    , I was never able to answer these questions because the spotlight was    41    for me. I grasped my hands tightly together, drying off the sweat. Slowly I walked to the mulberry piano in the     42    of the room. It contained 88 demanding keys, which were waiting impatiently to be played．I swallowed the golf ball-sized lump（隆起的） in my throat and sat down.     43    , I opened the music. Next, I rested my still shaking hands on the ivory keys. As my fingers played across the keys, I was becoming more     44     of my preparation for this moment. But the memory of my year of training came flooding back. I knew that I had practiced this piece     45    that I could play it backwards if     46     . Although at one point I accidentally played two keys   47    the intended one, I continued to move my fingers automatically （自動(dòng)的）. My eyes burned holes into the page in front of me.  There was no     48     that I was going to lose my concentration. To keep this promise to myself, I leaned     49    and focused carefully on the music.     50     1 came to the end of the page, a warning     51     inside my head: DON' T MAKE A MISTAKE WHEN YOU TURN THE PAGE! Needless to say, I     52      myself with all my heart and mind．And, proud of my "page- turning" feat（技藝） I finished the     53    of the piece without making a single mistake.  After the final note died away, a celebration went into action     54     my head.1 had finished.I had mastered （征服）the

    55    .

閱讀理解

　　Men sometimes say, “We are better and cleverer than women. Women never invented things, we do.” It is true that men have invented a lot of useful things: the alphabet, machines, rockets and guns, too. But scientists and archeogists (考古學(xué)家)now agree that women invented one very important thing, and it changed the history. They invented agriculture. Before the invention of agriculture men were hunters. They went out every day. Sometimes they killed animals, sometimes animals killed them. Life was difficult and dangerous. Women had to go out every day, too. They collected roots, fruit and gees. Then, one day, more than 10,000 years ago, a woman dropped some grass seeds. She dropped them near her home in the Middle East. They grew and the first wheat was born. The idea grew, too. Women planted roots and fruit trees. Then they could stay at home and look after the children and the animals. Women like baby animals: dogs, cows, sheep and goats. That idea grew, too. Then their husbands did not have to go hunting for meat. They stayed at home. They built villages and cities. Men began civilization—after women invented agriculture.

1．Sometimes men think that ________.

[　　]

A．they have rights as equal as women in inventions

B．women have changed the history

C．they have more abilities than women

D．women are not so bright as they are

2．Before agriculture was invented, life was difficult and dangerous because ________.

[　　]

A．sometimes animals killed men

B．women had to go hunting with their husbands

C．men had to fight against animals

D．only men went out for food every day

3．When the first wheat appeared, which of the following sentences shows woman's ideas had grown?

[　　]

A．They dropped some grass seeds .

B．They didn't go out to get food any longer.

C．They began to grow plants.

D．They stayed at home and looked after their children and animals.

4．Men began civilization after women invented agriculture because ________.

[　　]

A．they had to build villages and cities

B．they didn't have to stay at home to help women with crops

C．they raised animals at home

D．they didn't have to go hunting for food all their time

5．How do you understand agriculture? It means ________.

[　　]

A．collecting roots, fruit and grasses

B．growing plants and raising animals

C．hunting and looking for food

D．planting crops

6．Which one do you believe according to the passage?

[　　]

A．Woman are better and cleverer than men.

B．Women invented marry useful things like men.

C．Women played a very important part in agriculture.

D．Women were great in civilization.