完形填空 (共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分)

　　　Have you ever been in a position where you were required to take music lessons even though you didn’t want to??

　　　My 1 was this: my father was a professional music teacher and my mother a piano player --- in fact, the whole family was very 2 . I was the only one not yet 3 in the playing of music.?So, I was required to take 4 lessons even though I had no 5 in learning it. I sat through lesson after lesson but 6 to practice --- I'd rather be outside playing with my friends. Because I 7 practicing, my piano teacher told my parents that I was hopeless. 8 --- no more piano lessons.?

　　　Now, I was 9 from practicing the piano. My parents still desired I learn another instrument, but I wasn’t interested in learning something that was 10 for me. Several years later however, I decided to learn the drums and loved it so much that I played in several bands for many years after that.?

　　　It’s the same with most things in life: if you are not 11 to do something, no matter how much someone else wants you to do it, you won't do it. Or, at the very least, you won’t try hard and will 12 fail.?

　　　This 13 to do what you want is also important in beginning a career, choosing to study or deciding where you want to live. We all make 14 sooner or later but they should not be 15 on us.?

1. A. decision 　 B. situation C. answer 　 D. requirement

2. A. musical 　 B. athletic C. practical D. clever

3. A. required 　 B. prohibited 　 C. involved 　D. taught

4. A. music 　 B. drum 　 C. basketball D. piano

5. A. plan 　 B. time 　 C. interest D. chance

6. A. forgot 　 B. refused 　 C. pretended D. continued

7. A. quit 　 B. enjoyed 　 C. finished D. minded

8. A. Interesting 　 B. Disappointing C. Awful 　 D. Great

9. A. free 　 B. different 　 C. separate D. depressed

10. A. prepared 　 B. left 　 C. invented D. chosen

11. A. able 　 B. careful 　C. ready D. smart

12. A. occasionally 　B. surely C. necessarily D. temporarily

13. A. desire 　 　B. possibility C. instruction D. practice

14. A. improvements B. contributions C. mistakes 　 　D. choices

15. A. used 　　 B. focused C. forced 　 D. spent

语法填空 (共10小题，每小题1.5分，满分15分)

Mr. Smith used to be in prison for three years, which may have you think he is not a good man. But __16__ fact, he is kind-hearted as well as honest. The reason __17__ he was put into prison was that his six-year-old son blew up(使……爆炸) the bridge near his home, __18__(imitate) what he had seen on TV. __19__ this little boy broke the law, he was too young to be put in prison. According to __20__ local law, the boy’s parents had to be punished. As a result, Mr. Smith received the punishment. He __21__ (arrest) and taken to the police station finally. Most of the people in the town showed pity on him, but it was __22__(use). After all, law is law. Everybody is to obey __23__. What’s __24__(bad), Mrs. Smith was out of work before long. Misfortunes tell us what fortune is. __25__ the Smiths have experienced does teach us a good lesson.

阅读理解 (共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分)

A

Philip was a nine-year-old boy in a Sunday school class of 8-year-old girls and boys. Sometimes the third graders didn’t welcome Philip into their group and usually tricked him. This was not because he was older, but because he was “different”. You see, Philip suffered from a condition called Downs’s Syndrome. This made him “different”, with his facial characteristics, slow responses and mental problems.

One Sunday after Easter, the Sunday school teacher gathered some plastic eggs that pulled apart in the middle. The teacher gave one to each child. On that beautiful spring day, the children were to go out and discover for themselves some symbol of “new life” and place it inside the plastic eggs.

After the children returned to the classroom, the teacher opened their eggs one by one, asking each child to explain that symbol of “new life”. The first opened egg contained a flower. Everyone cheered. In another was a butterfly…. When the teacher opened the last egg, it was empty. “That’s stupid,” said someone. The teacher felt a pull at his shirt. It was Philip. Looking up, Philip said, “It’s mine. I did it. It’s empty. I have new life, because the tomb is empty.” Not a sound was heard in class at all. From that day on, Philip became a real part of the group. They welcomed him, and whatever made him different was never mentioned again.

26. The underlined word “condition” in the first paragraph probably means ________.

A. grade B. status C. health D. disease

27. It can be inferred from the first paragraph that ________.

A. The 8-year-olds were sometimes cruel B. The 8-year-olds were friendly to Philip

C. Philip was really different in school D. Philip was older and more sensitive

28. The teacher gave each child one plastic egg to let them ________.

A. play around on that beautiful spring day B. put some symbol of “new life” into it

C. try to pull it apart in the middle D. go out and discover themselves

29. After Philip explained his new life, ________.

A. The class thought he was clever. B. The class fell silent.

C. He began to study in the class. D. He felt dying.

30. We learn from the passage that ________.

A. The teacher used to have classes outdoors B. The Philip’s new life wish was empty

C. Philip was healthy as a whole D. Philip was accepted by his classmates in the end

B

Most people hate change, which is sad since we often go through intense changes in life. And for some of us, even the smallest changes can upset our day. So the question is: Why do most of us find making adjustments to our lives so hard?

Fear of change is nothing new. Over a century ago, the Parisians were unhappy over a particular addition to their city: the Eiffel Tower. In fact, the citizens were so angry about the plans for the tower that they protested its construction. As strange as it may seem, their anger was completely natural. They were given no choice about the huge change that was going to be made, so they became angry.

But we get upset over changes even when we do have a say in the matter and think about them carefully. Changes are brought about every day by the decisions we make: which school to attend, which job to take, whom to marry. Voluntary changes also make most of us uneasy because we don’t know how those changes will affect our future.

People have discovered that the key to overcoming the fear and anger associated with change is to be flexible. When they are flexible, people can adapt to new situations more easily. Being flexible is especially important in the 21st century as technology makes change occur faster than ever before. Those who oppose change, especially with technology in the workplace, may find themselves out of a job.

When change comes, and you have no choice but to face it, embrace it. A positive attitude helps a lot. In fact, the change may turn out to be the best thing for you. That new job you got may end up being much better than your old one. You may make the best friends of your life in the new city you moved to. Don’t merely focus on how you feel about change; instead decide to accept the change. The change is the reality, and it’s up to you whether the change will be a success or a failure. You never know – your next change may be your life’s Eiffel Tower!

31. Why did the building of the Eiffel Tower make the Parisians unhappy?

A. Because they didn’t like the design of the Eiffel Tower.

B. Because they couldn’t avoid accepting the Eiffel Tower.

C. Because it was no use building the Eiffel Tower.

D. Because the Eiffel Tower seemed strange.

32. According to the passage, it can be inferred that what won’t disturb us are _____________.

A. the changes that have agreement with one’s will

B. the small changes we meet in our daily life

C. the changes whose effect we can predict and control

D. the changes that we discuss or consider thoroughly

33. How should we overcome negative emotions that the changes bring?

A. We are not supposed to face the changes and let them alone.

B. We should actively accustom ourselves to the new circumstance.

C. We should not take the changes seriously and avoid them as much as possible.

D. We should know that the changes merely bring us bad influence.

34. What does the underlined sentence in the last paragraph mean?

A. The change will probably make you fail like the Eiffel Tower.

B. The change is like the Eiffel Tower which is not good for our future life.

C. Your future life is never known just like the Eiffel Tower unknown to the Parisians.

D. Your future life is likely to be a great achievement due to the change.

35. What is the best title for the passage?

A. The Psychology of Change B. The ways to Overcome the Fear

C. Changes That Disturb Us D. The Bad Effect of Changes

C

In the fall of 1985. I was a bright-eyed girl heading off to Howard University, aiming at a legal career and dreaming of sitting on a Supreme Court bench somewhere. Twenty-one years later I am still a bright-eyed dreamer and one with quite a different tale to tell.

My grandma, an amazing woman, graduated from college at the age of 65. She was the first in our family to reach that goal. But one year after I started college, she developed cancer. I made the choice to withdraw from college to care for her. It meant that school and my personal dream would have to wait.

Then I got married with another dream: building my family with a combination of adopt and biological children. In 1999, we adopted our first son. To lay eyes on him was fantastic---and very emotional. A year later came our se