They never happened. And a gulf opened between us. I was “too emotional”(感情易激动的). But she lived “on the surface (表面)”

As years passed and I had my own family. I loved my mother and thanked her for our happy family. I wrote to her in careful words and asked her to let me know in any way she chose that she did forgive (原谅) me.

I posted the letter and waited for her answer. None came.

My hope turned to disappointment (失望), then little interest, finally, peace—it seemed that nothing happened. I couldn’t be sure that the letter had even got to Mother. I only knew that I had written it, and I could stop trying to make her into someone she was not.

Now the present of her desk told me, as she’d never been able to, that she was pleased that writing was my chosen work. I cleaned the desk carefully and found some papers inside—a photo of my father and a one-page letter, folded (折叠) and refolded many times.

Give me an answer, my letter asks, in any way you choose, Mother, you always chose the act that speaks louder than words.

1. The passage shows that__________.

A. Mother wrote her daughter in careful words

B. Mother cared much about her daughter in words

C. Mother was too serious about everything her daughter had done

D. Mother was cold on the surface but kind in her heart to her daughter

2. The word “gulf” in the passage means________.

A. part of the sea going far in land

B. free talks between mother and daughter

C. different ideas between the mother and the daughter

D. deep understanding between the old and the young

3. What did Mother do with her daughter’s letter asking for forgiveness?

A. She had never received the letter.

B. She read the letter again and again till she died.

C. For years, she often talked about the letter.

D. She didn’t forgive her daughter although seeing it.

4. What’s the best title of the passage?

A. My letter to Mother B. Mother and Children

C. My Mother’s Desk D. Talks between Mother and Me

B

We all know, especially for me who like travelling very much, travelling can be a way to gain life experiences, especially during Spring Break----a week long school vacation in the United States. But what if you’re a student and don’t have enough money for a trip? Don’t worry. Here are some useful suggestions.

Save: this probably is the most important preparation for travelling. Cut expenses to fatten your wallet so you’ll have more choices about where to go and how to get there.

Plant ahead: Don’t wait until the last minute to plan your trip. Tickets may cost more when bought on short notice. Giving yourself several months to get ready can mean security(安全) and saving.

Do your homework : No matter where you go, research the places you will visit. Decide what to see. Travel books will provide information on the cheapest hotels and restaurants.

Plan sensibly, Write down what you expect to spend for food and hotels. Stick to your plan or you may not have enough money to cover everything.

Travel in groups: Find someone who is interested in visiting the same places. By traveling with others you can share costs and experiences.

Work as you go: Need more money to support your trip? Look for work in the places you visit.

Go off the beaten path: Tourist cities may be expensive. You may want to rethink your trip and go to a lesser-known area. Smaller towns can have many interesting activities and sights.

Pack necessary things: The most important things to take are not always clothes: Remember to take medicine in case you get sick and snacks in case you cannot find a cheap restaurant.

Use the Internet: The Net can help to save money. Some useful websites include www.Travelocity.com.; WWW. Bargains-lowestfare.com and www.Ecoomictravel.com. By planning sensibly, even students can enjoy the travel. Your travel experiences will be remembered for a lifetime.

5.This passage is about______.

A. how to plan your travel B. how to travel with enough money

C. how to make your travel interesting D. how to get life experience

6. Before your trip , the first thing you should do is ____.

A. to make a plan for the route B. to get information on the Internet

C. to save money by spending less D. to buy tickets in advance

7.During your trip,_______.

A. you need more shoes than clothes

B. you shouldn’t look for work all the way

C. you can gain valuable life experience

D. you should forget to do your homework

C

America is a mobile society. Friendships between Americans can be close and real, yet disappear soon if situations change. Neither side feels hurt by this. If the same two people meet again by chance, even years later, they pick up the friendship. This can be quite difficult for us Chinese to understand, because friendships between us develop more slowly but then may become lifelong feelings, extending（延伸）sometimes deeply into both families.

Americans are ready to receive us foreigners at their homes, share their holidays, and their home life. They will enjoy welcoming us and be pleased if we accept their hospitality（好客）easily.

Another difficult point for us Chinese to understand Americans is that although they treat us warmly, they don’t show their politeness to us if it requires much time. But in China ,we are usually generous with our time. Sometimes, we, as hosts, will appear at an airport even in the middle of the night to meet a friend. The Americans, however, express their welcome usually at homes, but truly can not manage the time to do a great deal with a visitor outside their daily plans. They will probably expect us to get ourselves from the airport to our own hotel by bus. And they expect that we will phone them from there. Once we arrive at their homes, the welcome will be full ,warm and real. We will find ourselves treated hospitably.

For the Americans, it is often considered more friendly to invite a friend to their homes than to go to restaurants, except for pure business matters. So accept their hospitality at home!

The writer of this passage mustbe ______.

A. an American B. a Chinese C. a professor D. a student

Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?

A. Friendships between Americans usually extend deeply into their families.

B. Friendships between Americans usually last for all their lives

C. Americans always show their warmth even if they are very busy.

D. Americans will continue their friendships again even after a long break.

From the last two paragraphs we can learn that when we arrive in America to visit an American friend, we will probably be ______.

A. warmly welcomed at the airport B. offered a ride to his home

C. treated hospitably at his home D. treated to dinner in a restaurant

A suitable title for this passage would probably be “______”.

A. Friendships between Chinese

B. Friendships between Americans

C. Americans’ hospitality

D. Americans’ and Chinese’s views of friendships

D

In modern society there is a great deal of argument about competition. Some value it highly, believing that it is responsible for social progress and prosperity. Others say that competition is bad; that it sets one person against another; that it leads to unfriendly relationship between people.

I have taught many children who held the belief that their self-worth relied on how well they performed at tennis and other skills. For them, playing well and winning are often life-and-death affairs. In their single-minded pursuit of success, the development of many other human qualities is sadly forgotten.

However, while some seem to be lost in the desire to succeed, others take an opposite attitude. In a culture which values only the winner and pays no attention to the ordinary players, they strongly blame competition. Among the most vocal are youngsters who have suffered under competitive pressures from their parents or society. Teaching these young people, I often observe in them a desire to fail. They seem to seek failure by not trying to win or achieve success. By not trying, they always have an excuse: “I may have lost, but it doesn’t matter because I really didn’t try.” What is not usually admitted by themselves is the belief that if they had really tried and lost, that would mean a lot. Such a loss would be a measure of their worth. Clearly, this belief is the same as that of the true competitors who try to prove themselves. Both are based on the mistaken belief that one’s self-respect relies on how well one performs in comparison with others. Both are afraid of not being valued. Only as this basic and often troublesome fear begins to dissolve（消失）can we discover a new meaning in competition.

12. What does this passage mainly talk about?

A. Competition helps to set up self-respect.

B. Competition is harmful to personal quality development.

C. Opinions about competition are different among people.

D. Failures are necessary experiences in competition.

13. The underlined phrase “the most vocal” in Paragraph 3 means ______.

A. those who try their best to win

B. those who value competition most highly

C. those who rely on others most for success

D. those who are against competition most strongly

14. What is the similar belief of the true competitors and those with a “desire to fail”?

A. One’s worth lies in his performance compared with others.

B. One’s success in competition needs great efforts.

C. One’s achievement is determined by his particular skills.

D. One’s success is based on how hard he has tried.

15. Which point of view may the author agree to?

A. Every effort should be paid back.

B. Competition should be encouraged.

C. Fear of failure should be removed in competition.

D. Winning should be a life-and-death matter.

第二节（共5小题；每小题2分，满分10分）

根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。

Make Your Home a Happier Place

Have you ever had a dream to make your home a happier place? Maybe ther