Mark was a great kid from a tough neighborhood. Crime, drugs, fighting and poverty: You name the problem and his neighborhood had it. A scholarship fund provided his tuition to Catholic High, where he was a great baseball player.
Mark struggled in the classroom, though. He was bright, just behind, due to a more than difficult home environment. But there were problems finding the time for all he needed to do. After-school tutoring seemed impossible because of baseball practice. Some suggested Mark abandon sports and concentrate on “schooling”. But, in reality, if he was going to attend college he would need his sports; so to miss practice and then perform any less than at his best on the field was not wise.
A fellow teacher, Mrs. Jones, offered to tutor Mark in math at her home. I asked Mark to come to my house for other areas of work. No one paid us. Mrs. Jones summed it up this way: “Pay day doesn’t always come on Mondays”.
When we were not working with Mark to improve his skills for the ACT, the coach and Mark’s dad took him to various colleges to talk with both baseball and football program coaches. He settled on the college that offered him scholarships to play both sports. But he needed a good ACT score.
It takes months to receive the results of college entrance exams. One afternoon after school, while I was grading papers in my room, there was a noise outside the door.
Mark came in, lifted me out of the seat behind my desk, spun(旋转) me around in the air, and yelled over and over: “I’m going to college! I’m going to college!”
“I guess you got your scores!” I asked.
“Well, yeah!” he laughed. “And guess what? I got one point more than I need to be admitted. One point extra. Thank you! Now, where’s Mrs. Jones? I’ve got to tell her too!”
Until that moment, I had never quite understood what the expression “Pay day doesn’t always come on Mondays” meant. But it was clear to me the instant Mark ran into the room to announce his news. No amount of money could ever replace my spin in the air at the hands of a boy who finally had a chance at a better life.
1.Mark had difficulty in learning mainly because ________.
A. he spent most of his spare time practicing baseball
B. his family couldn’t afford any tutoring for him
C. his parent didn’t care about his study
D. he was constantly involved in the crimes in his neighborhood
2.According to the article, which of the following is false?
A. The teachers offered to tutor Mark free of charge.
B. Theft was a problem in Mark’s neighborhood.
C. Mark owed his success in passing ACT to his teachers.
D. Mark went to college mainly due to his good ACT score.
3.The underlined word “settled on” in the fourth paragraph probably means _____.
A. was accepted by B. reached a final decision about
C. paid a visit to D. became familiar with
4.What is the best title for this passage?
A. Pay Day Will Come Some Day.
B. Practice Makes a Better Life.
C. Relationships between Teachers and Students.
D. Never Give up on Yourself.
1.Which film is the most suitable for a high school student interested in science fictions?
A. I Feel Pretty. B. Traffik. C. Genesis. D. Le Redoutable.
2.If you are a big fan of film star Michelle Williams, you will choose to watch _______.
A. I Feel Pretty B. Traffik C. Genesis D. Le Redoutable
3.Which of the following statement is true about the film Le Redoutable?
A. The story happens in Great Britain.
B. The film lasts more than two hours.
C. It intends to discuss the nature and value of free will.
D. It's a love story between a film director and an actress.
听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1.What is the speaker talking about?
A. Dream. B. Reality. C. Relationship.
2.What can we know about Cathy?
A. She likes sailing. B. She is an old woman. C. She is afraid of storms.
3.What does the speaker want to do?
A. Save all creatures. B. Participate in exploring Mars. C. Live for several hundred years.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.Why can’t Mr.Parker answer the phone?
A. He is not in. B. He has a meeting. C. He is making a call.
2.When does the conversation take place according to Shanghai time?
A. At 9:00 in the evening. B. At 2:00 in the afternoon. C. At 9:00 in the morning.
3.What has Mr.Parker known about Mr.Jacob before the call?
A. Schedule. B. Phone. C. Email address.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.What are the speakers going to do?
A. Buy books. B. Go to the park. C. Visit the temple.
2.What does the woman think is different from her country?
A. History. B. Regulations. C. Buildings.
3.How can the speakers go there?
A. By taxi. B. By bike. C. By subway.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.Why does the woman consider putting off getting a Master’s Degree?
A. To learn Chinese. B. To work for some time. C. To earn much money.
2.What can we infer about the man?
A. He has been to China. B. He isn’t interested in Chinese. C. He has got his Master’s Degree.
3.What will the man do if given a chance?
A. Visit China again. B. Give up his present job. C. Finish the graduate program.
