In order to tell what I believe, I must briefly introduce some of my personal history.
The turning point of my life was my decision to give up a promising business career and study music. My parents, sharing my love of music, _16_____ of it as a profession. This was understandable in view of the family __17____. My grandfather had taught music for nearly forty years and earned barely enough to __18____ for his large family. My father often said it was only the hardheaded thriftiness of my grandmother that helped the family live a life. As a(an) __19___ of this example in the family, my mention of music as a profession carried with it a picture of an existence with __20____ financial rewards. My parents insisted upon college instead of a conservatory of a career of music, and so finally I went to college quite happily.
Before my graduation from Columbia, the family met with severe financial problems and I felt it my duty to __21____ college and take a job. Thus was I started a business career – which I always think of as the wasted years.
Now I do not for a moment mean to disparage business. My whole point I is that it was not for me. I went into it for __22___, and apart from the satisfaction of being able to help the family, money is all I got out of it. It was not enough. I felt that life was passing me by. From being merely dissatisfied I became really ___23___. I knew what I wanted is to save enough to __24____ and go to Europe to study ___25__. I used to get up at dawn to practice before I left for “downtown”, disappointing my poor mother by eating a hurried breakfast at the last minute. I continued to make money, and finally, bit by bit, saved enough to __26____ me to go abroad. And, by now, the family didn’t need my help any longer. I ended my business career, feeling like a man released from prison, and sailed for Europe. I stayed four years, worked harder than ever and ___27___ every minute of it.
“Enjoyed” is too mild a word. I walked on air. I really lived. I was a __28____ man and I was doing what I loved to do and what I was meant to do.
If I had stayed in business, I might be a __29____ man today, but I do not believe I would have made a success of living. I would have given up all those inner satisfactions, which money can never buy.
When I broken away from business, it was against the advice of all my friends and family. Most of us are so accustomed to the association of success with money__30___the thought of giving up a good income for an idea seemed rather crazy. If so, all I can say is “Ah! It’s great to be crazy.”

   On a hot summer day in last August, I sought shade and a cool drink at a waterfront cafe on a Greek island. Over a hundred degrees in  36  air. Crowded. Tempers(脾氣) of both the tourists and waiters had  37  to meet the situation, making it a rather quarrelsome environment(環(huán)境).

    At the table next to mine sat an attractive,  38  couple, waiting for  39  . They held hands, whispered, kissed, and laughed. Suddenly they stood, picked up their  40  and stepped together  41 the edge of where they were sitting to place the table in the sea water. The man stepped  42  for the two chairs. He politely  43  his lady in the knee-deep water and then sat down himself. All people around laughed and cheered.

    44  appeared. He paused for just a second, walked into the water to  45  the table and take their  46  , and then walked back to the  47  cheers of the rest of his  48  . Minutes later he returned carrying a bottle of wine and two glasses. Without pausing, he went  49  into the water to  50  the wine. The couple toasted(祝酒) each other, the waiter and the crowd. And the crowd  51  by cheering and throwing flowers to them. Three other tables  52  to have lunch in the water. The place was now filled with laughter.

    One doesn’t step into water in one’s best summer clothes. Why not?

    Customers are not served  53  . Why not?

    Sometimes one should consider  54  the line of convention(常規(guī)) and enjoy  55  to the fullest.

36. A. fresh                  B. cool                  C. still                   D. thin

37.A. managed              B. expected            C. attempted          D. risen

38.A. lonely                 B. curious              C. well-dressed      D. bad-tempered

39. A. cheers                 B. service                     C. attention            D. flowers

40. A. metal table          B. empty bottle      C. chairs                D. bags

41. A. on                      B. off                    C. around                     D. along

42. A. outside               B. forward             C. down                D. back

43. A. led                            B. seated               C. watched            D. received

44. A. The manager              B. A friend            C. A waiter            D. The servant

45. A. set                      B. wash                 C. remove             D. check

46. A. menu                  B. bill                   C. food                 D. order

47. A. loud                   B. anxious             C. familiar             D. final

48. A. tourists               B. customers          C. fellows              D. assistants

49. A. at last                 B. in time                     C. once more         D. as well

50. A. change                B. drink                C. sell                   D. serve

51. A. replied                B. insisted             C. agreed               D. understood

52. A. prepared             B. joined in           C. settled up          D. continued

53. A. with pleasure           B. in the cafe         C. in the sea           D. with wine

54. A. following            B. keeping             C. limiting             D. crossing

55. A. life                            B. wine                 C. lunch                D. time

In order to tell what I believe, I must briefly introduce some of my personal history.

The turning point of my life was my decision to give up a promising business career and study music. My parents, sharing my love of music, _16_____ of it as a profession. This was understandable in view of the family __17____. My grandfather had taught music for nearly forty years and earned barely enough to __18____ for his large family. My father often said it was only the hardheaded thriftiness of my grandmother that helped the family live a life. As a(an) __19___ of this example in the family, my mention of music as a profession carried with it a picture of an existence with __20____ financial rewards. My parents insisted upon college instead of a conservatory of a career of music, and so finally I went to college quite happily.

Before my graduation from Columbia, the family met with severe financial problems and I felt it my duty to __21____ college and take a job. Thus was I started a business career – which I always think of as the wasted years.

Now I do not for a moment mean to disparage business. My whole point I is that it was not for me. I went into it for __22___, and apart from the satisfaction of being able to help the family, money is all I got out of it. It was not enough. I felt that life was passing me by. From being merely dissatisfied I became really ___23___. I knew what I wanted is to save enough to __24____ and go to Europe to study ___25__. I used to get up at dawn to practice before I left for “downtown”, disappointing my poor mother by eating a hurried breakfast at the last minute. I continued to make money, and finally, bit by bit, saved enough to __26____ me to go abroad. And, by now, the family didn’t need my help any longer. I ended my business career, feeling like a man released from prison, and sailed for Europe. I stayed four years, worked harder than ever and ___27___ every minute of it.

“Enjoyed” is too mild a word. I walked on air. I really lived. I was a __28____ man and I was doing what I loved to do and what I was meant to do.

If I had stayed in business, I might be a __29____ man today, but I do not believe I would have made a success of living. I would have given up all those inner satisfactions, which money can never buy.

When I broken away from business, it was against the advice of all my friends and family. Most of us are so accustomed to the association of success with money__30___the thought of giving up a good income for an idea seemed rather crazy. If so, all I can say is “Ah! It’s great to be crazy.”

1.                A．thought        B．disapproved     C．a(chǎn)greed   D．disagreed

2.                A．background     B．experience      C．tradition  D．belief

3.                A．offer           B．support         C．provide   D．give

4.                A．expectation     B．intention        C．cause    D．consequence

5.                A．certain         B．uncertain       C．sure D．ensured

6.                A．enter          B．join            C．leave D．a(chǎn)pply

7.                A．interest        B．dreams         C．money   D．hope

8.                A．painful         B．excited         C．embarrassed   D．cheerful

9.                A．drop           B．satisfy          C．live  D．quit

10.               A．music          B．medicine       C．economy  D．Business

11.               A．let            B．make          C．encourage D．enable

12.               A．spent          B．enjoyed        C．wasted    D．used

13.               A．free           B．wealthy        C．creative   D．enthusiastic

14.               A．strong         B．successful       C．wealthy   D．satisfied

15.               A．it             B．which          C．that  D．a(chǎn)s

E
It is the last day of the school year and I stand empty – handed with no gift to give you.
It isn't that I haven't tried to think of something meaningful and special … quite to the contrary. For months I have combed shops and department stores, and even searched the Internet only to realize that nothing could measure up to the feelings of a mother’s grateful heart and a teacher’s loving devotion.
How I wish a colorful bundle of fresh wildflowers could reflect the beauty of your way with children! Jewelry would surely be nice, but what can I afford that would not grow quickly out of style? You deserve respect for your determination and creativity, your devotion and talent.　　
At the moment the first school bell rang last August, I placed in you my trust, believing you would teach my child and reserve respect for me as a parent. I added to that my constant and devoted wish that you would be reasonable and fair to set limitations and rules while offering my child a chance to learn self-control. I sincerely hope that your classroom would be a safe shelter for my child to grow and learn, which is a perfect mixture of self-discipline and controlled instruction. I prayed for your health and your happiness, and your ability to be supplied with the tools necessary to complete your task as a teacher and educator. I offered you my time as often as I could, and my support for your cause. Occasionally, I even offered you a challenge when I spoke my mind, sometimes standing firm, sometimes giving up with a renewed assurance or a “ wait and see” attitude!
　　I wish with all my heart I could put a delicate ribbon on a wrapped package and give you a “ something” to express my appreciation and affection, but I have nothing to give you that would be better than the precious gift I have ever had to offer and which you already so pleasantly accepted months ago－the one you have held close to your heart, laughed with and probably cried with, cheered and scolded – my child!
And today, as my child returns to my side for the summer, the gift I humbly give to you is found deep within my heart...
57．On the last day of the school year, the author has no gift to give the teacher, because        .
A．she has no time to think  of something meaningful and special
B．she cannot find something that can properly express her feelings
C．there is nowhere to buy a colorful bundle of fresh wildflowers
D．she thinks it unnecessary to express her feelings to the teacher
58．According to the author, the best gift for the teacher is_________
A．her child       B．her respect        C．her present         D．her support
59．The underlined sentence in the passage implies that the author hopes that         .
A．the teacher can teach her child patiently
B．the teacher will not be too strict with her child
C．the teacher will teach her child enough self - control
D．the teacher can stand firm in the teaching
60．This passage is most probably adapted from__________.
A．a(chǎn) novel     B．a(chǎn) letter      C．a(chǎn) paper     D．a(chǎn) report

I was born and raised in England in a culture where privacy and “keeping yourself to yourself”were valued traditions. Speaking to strangers was not encouraged. People were most hospitable(好客的) and friendly—but only once they had been introduced to new people.

However, I have been lucky enough to spend some time in both Italy and the US, where I found traditions of hospitality and politeness to be very different.

I experienced Italian hospitality first－h(huán)and on a crowded railway carriage travelling, one afternoon, from Genoa to Florence. Sinking gratefully into an empty seat, I was berated(斥責(zé)) in rapid Italian by a gentleman who was returning to this seat－it had not been “spare” after all. I apologized in English, and got up to allow him back into the seat. The gentleman obviously had no understanding of the English language, but he, too, realized my genuine mistake. He smiled and gestured for me to remain in the seat, and he himself remained standing in the corridor for the remainder of the journey. The other occupants of the carriage smiled and nodded at me and made me feel quite welcome amongst them. I feel that if this had been in England, a foreigner who made a mistake would not always be so kindly treated.

Transport also featured in the differences I noticed between English and American culture. I flew to New York on a plane with mainly English passengers. We sat together in near silence. Nobody spoke to me nor, as I expected, to anyone else they did not know. They felt it was not polite to intrude on someone else's privacy. However, when I travelled across the United States, whether by plane or Greyhound bus, I was never short of conversation. Conversation was going on all around me and whoever sat next to me was happy to introduce themselves and ask me about myself. They obviously felt it would have been rude not to speak to another person, whether they were strangers or not.

6. The purpose of the author is to tell us ________.

A. his travelling experience

B. cultural differences to show hospitality and politeness

C. the culture shock he experienced in Italy and the US

D. how to adapt ourselves to a new culture

7. What do we know about the occupants of the carriage when the author was travelling in Italy?

A. They all laughed at the author for his mistake.

B. They would not bear a mistake like the author's in public.

C. They were all on the side of the gentleman.

D. They all showed their understanding of the author's mistake.

8. The author probably believes the Italian people are________.

A. cold        B. rude           C. hospitable       D. helpful

9. According to the last paragraph, English passengers sat in near silence because________.

A. they were all strangers to each other

B. they were too tired to speak

C. privacy was a valued tradition in England

D. everybody had their own share of privacy

10. The last paragraph mainly tells us ________.

A. the difference between English and American culture

B. why Americans like to start a conversation

C. different attitudes of Englishmen and Americans towards conversation

D. the importance of privacy among Englishmen

--Did you go to Qingdao for vacation last August?

--I ___________ to go, but I got sick at the last minute.

[　　]

Look at the pictures and read the story. Answer the questions.

Do not write more than three words.

I have o friend. His name is Rainy Day Monster, because he comes on rainy days. He waits for me in the cupboard. I open the cupboard and there he is. He's a big, happy monster, who is all the colours of the rainbow I laugh at him and jump on his back. He says, "Where do you want to go today, Tom?" and l always say, “You choose!”

Example:

Who is Tom's friend? Rainy Day Monster

Questions:

1．Where does Tom find him? ________

2．How does the monster carry Tom? ________

Last week we flew to a beautiful island. The weather was hot. We played all day. We went swimming with pink dolphins, we ate moonfruit, we climbed pear trees, and in the evening we danced on the teach under the stars.

3．How did they get to the island? ________

4．What fruits were there on the island? ________

5．When did they dance? ________

The Rainy Day Monster took Tom home because he was tired. Tom was sad because he- didn't want the monster to say “goodbye”. Then the monster said, “Look! I found this box on the island. You can have it, but you must only open it tomorrow Now close your eyes.” Tom slept well all night.

6．Where did they go after the island? ________

7．Where did the monster find the box? ________

8．When can Tom open the box? ________

In the morning, Tom woke up. He thought about the day before the island, the pink dolphins, the fruits, his friend the Rainy Day Monster…and then, the box! The monster wasn't there, but the box was under his bed.

He picked up the box and opened it carefully. Inside there was a very small moonfruit tree. Tom took it outside and put it in his garden.

9．What did Tom find under his bed? ________

10．Where did he put the tree? ________

— I ________ to go, but I got sick at the last minute.

A．Was planned

B．had been planning

C．had planning

D．have planned

—Did you go to Qing Dao for vacation last August?

— I ________ to go, but I got sick at the last minute.

A．Was planned

B．had been planning

C．had planning

D．have planned