Is it a tree? Is it a bear? If you’re looking at a tree in the shape of a bear, it’s a topiary (林木雕塑). A topiary is a tree or bush (灌木) that is trained into a shape. Growing a topiary garden takes both time and skills.
A topiary gardener should make a drawing first. The drawing shows the final shape that the gardener likes. The gardener then chooses a bush for the topiary. It may be one that just planted or one that is already in place.
In June of the plant’s first year, the gardener looks for new leaves. When the leaves grow, it’s time to shape the bottom of the bush. It needs about five years. The top is not trimmed during this time. In the fifth year, the bush grows tall enough for shaping. Then the gardener begins to shape the whole bush.
Once a topiary has been started, it needs care all year. In the summer it must be cut many times to keep its shape. This cutting also helps the bush grow. In the winter the bushes don’t grow. The gardeners have to brush snow off the plants, or snow may hurt some parts of them.
Topiary gardening is a very old art. The Romans did it in the first century. In the sixteenth century, people in Europe liked topiaries too. By the late 1600s, topiaries were also grown in America. Today it’s popular in many parts of the world.
1. The correct order of the following is .
a. The gardener chooses a bush for the topiary.
b. The whole bush grows tall enough for shaping.
c. The gardener begins to shape the bottom of the bush.
d. The gardener draws the shape of a topiary.
A. d--a--b--c B. b--c--a—d
C. a--d--c--b D. d--a--c--b
2. The underlined word “trimmed” in the third paragraph means .
A. shaken B. Cut
C. cleaned D. collected
3. The topiary gardening first began .
A. in Rome B. in Europe
C. in America D. in Africa
4. The writer wants to tell us .
A. what a topiary is like
B. a topiary is a tree in the shape of a bear
C. it’s easy and interesting to grow a topiary
D. growing a topiary garden takes both time and skills
I went home one Saturday afternoon in the autumn of 1993 to get some work done in the garden. While sweeping leaves on the ground, my five-year-old son Nick came over and asked me to write something on a piece of paper to make a sign for him.
“What for? ” I asked.
“I’m going to sell some of my stones,” he answered.
Nick was fascinated with stones and had collected many stones from all over. “I’m busy to do
that for you. Go and ask your mum for help.” I said.
A short time later, Nick returned with a sign, reading, “Stones. One Dollar Each”. He took the sign, a small chair and four of his best stones and walked to the road in front of our garden. There he put the stones in a line and sat down on the chair.
After half an hour, nobody passed by. I walked to him and asked him to go back, but he didn’t.
Another half hour later, a small car came down the road. I watched as Nick stood up, holding his sign up. A woman rolled down a window and read the sign. I couldn’t hear their talk, but I saw the woman turn to the driver and the man reach for his pocket.
I sat in the yard, as Nick ran to me. Waving the dollar, he shouted, “I told you I could sell one stone for a dollar — if you believe in yourself, you can do anything.”
1.The writer didn’t help his son because .
A. his wife is better at making a sign
B. he didn’t know what to write
C. he was busy sweeping leaves
D. he didn’t want his son to sell the stones
2.Nick was a boy .
A. who was kind B. who had a strong mind
C. who was honest D. who had many hobbies
3. The best title for this passage is .
A. My son’s first sale B. Let's collect stones
C. How to sell a stone D. My son’s hobby
4. From the story we can know that .
A. the story happened in spring
B. the car was driven by a woman
C. Nick spent half an hour selling one stone
D. the father might be moved by his son
1. If you want to buy apples, you should go to .
A. Marsha’s House B. Country Life Market
C. Wawa Village D. Next Wave Music Store
2.The above four forms are .
A. novels B. notes
C. advertisements D. letters
3.Which of the following is Not Right?
A. Marsha’s House may be a hotel.
B. Arnold Swenson may be a musician.
C. You can take your pet to Wawa Village if you are on a vacation.
D. You can get a present if you get to Next Wave Music Shore before 7:00 a.m.
完形填空（共15小题，每小题1分，满分15分）
阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中选出最佳选项。
It was the first day of school. I had a new classmate, a little old lady with a warm smile.
She said, “Hi, young man! I'm Rose. I'm 87 years old. Can I give you a hug? ”
I said , “Of course!”
“Why are you in college at an age?” I asked.
She joked, “I'm here to meet a husband, get married, have children, and then travel around the world.”
“No, seriously,” I asked.
“I always of having a college education. Now I'm getting one!” she told me.
After a year, Rose became popular. She easily made friends wherever she went. She loved to dress up and she enjoyed the attention from .
At the end of the semester we invited Rose to at our party. I'll never forget what she taught .
“We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow because we stop playing. Here are the of staying young. You have to laugh and find humor every . You've got to have a dream. When you your dreams, you die!” she said.
“There is a big between growing old and growing up. Anybody can grow old. That doesn't take any talent or ability,” she added. “But to , you have to find the chance in change. Have no regrets. We usually don't have regrets for what we did , rather for things we did not do.”
Finally we graduated from the college with Rose. One week graduation, she died peacefully in her sleep. She taught us by example that it's never too late to be all you can possibly be.
1.A. slowly B. happily C. heavily D. badly
2.A. so B. this C. such D. that
3.A. rich B. bad C. poor D. short
4.A. hoped B. wished C. wanted D. dreamed
5.A. another B. the other C. the others D. others
6.A. say B. speak C. talk D. discuss
7.A. us B. her C. him D. them
8.A. young B. old C. tall D. thin
9.A. stories B. secrets C. seasons D. surveys
10.A. week B. month C. year D. day
11.A. lose B. have C. keep D. like
12.A. chance B. change C. difference D. problem
13.A. stand up B. grow up C. grow old D. keep healthy
14.A. because B. so C. though D. but
15.A. in B. after C. during D. before
— We plan to go out for a picnic next weekend. Would you like to come along?
— ______. It’s my favorite.
A. Enjoy yourself B. It doesn’t matter
C. You’re welcome D. That would be very nice
Food safety is important. Rules ______ to stop people from food pollution.
A. must make B. must be made
C. can’t make D. can’t be made
