If I were writing a history of my family, some of the darkest moments recorded would be those surrounding Christmas trees．One would certainly think otherwise；selecting and puRing up our trees have always been filled with risk．For example，one afternoon dangerously close to Christmas Eve my mother bought what she thought to be a bargain，a glorious tree that was so full and tall that we could hardly get it into the house．Once we did，my father immediately realized that we would have to hire a carpenter to build a stand for it．Another December perhaps the very next one，we bought a tree earlier than we ever had before．We were happy with its shape and delighted that its size was manageable．We easily placed it in a stand，decorated it from top to bottom，and then self satisfiedly sat back by the fire in its soft light．Two or three days passed and the truth could not be hidden；we had bought a tree cut so long ago that its needles were coming off．There was nothing to do but undecorate it，take it down，and begin tree shopping again．Our most recent Christmas tree offered still another difficult task．When we brought it home，once again it seemed larger than it was in the great outdoors．I persuaded two young neighbors to stop playing basketball and to help us get the tree into the house and set it correctly in the stand．Unfortunately，no one noticed the mud on our helpers’shoes，so only after removing several reddish brown spots from the carpet were we able to discuss the question of where the lights and ornaments（装饰）were stored．Perhaps those who cut their own trees have tales more painful than these．I don’t care to hear them，as my family’s experiences are enough to cause me to make the following suggestion：”Let’s forget the tree next Christmas．Let’s simply hang some flowers on the front door and over the mirror in the hall．”
1.The darkest moments in the writer’s family were with the fact that ______．
A．the family bought big Christmas trees
B．they had problems decorating their Christmas trees
C．they had problems picking suitable Christmas trees
D．they had problems finding carpenters for putting up Christmas trees
2.We can learn from the passage that the writer would like to ______．
A．forget about Christmas stories
B．get the neighbors to put up their trees
C．buy a better tree to celebrate Christmas
D．make other decorations rather than Christmas trees
3.When the writer said”my mother bought what she thought to be a bargain”，he means____．
A．she bought the tree at a low price
B．she didn’t really want to buy it
C．she had to bargain hard with the salesman
D．she couldn’t afford a more expensive one
4.Which of the following can be the best title for the passage ?
A．How to Select a Christmas Tree B．No More Christmas Trees for Us
C．Dark Moments of Life D．Christmas Without Trees
If you thought sports stars Yao Ming and Liu Xiang or Internet entrepreneurs Zhang Chaoyang and Ding Lei would automatically be on the list of the” Men of Our Time”，then you could be behind the times．
The surprise in the list of 10 men released by the All-China Women’s Federation yesterday is that it contains no celebrities- and the guiding factors seem to be care and sympathy for the opposite sex．
In fact，Liu and Yao，as well as actor Pu Cunxin—the image ambassador for China’s anti-HIV，AIDS campaign—appeared in a booklet given out at the contest’s launch ceremony in January．The federation wouldn’t say why they are not in the final list．
The winners，with an average age of 47．5，were selected by women officials and journalists of the nine women’s newspapers in China，whose standard was men promoting equality between the sexes．
Li Zhong hua, a 46-year—old air force officer who test-flies planes，said he thought he was chosen because” he takes good care of his family，and is a gentleman”．
”Gentlemen get more respect in our society．They should be like those in the movie Titanic，who let women and children lave first in life rafts。”he told China Daily．
Shi Hua shan，a 48-year-old policeman in Gui xi of Jiangxi Province，said that he became a”man in the eyes of women” because” women love stories of heroes saving beauties"．
His team has rescued more than 180 women who were taken away by force and sold as wives in the mountain regions of Fujian Province．
Some other” Men of Our Time” are：
Lang Jinghe，67，gynecologist at the Peking Union Medical College Hospital in Beijing，who has made breakthroughs in ovarian cancer；
Ma Li，33，official in Xuzhou of Jiangsu Province，whose shelter has helped 196 victims of domestic violence；Li Mingshull，43，lawyer in Beijing，who is active in campaigns against family violence；Liu Ri，51，a mine worker in Lu’an of Shanxi Province，who took care of his paralyzed
parents·in-law for 23 years with his wife．
1.Which of the following statements is right?
A．Liu Xiang, a sports star, was on the list of the “Men of Our Time”．
B．LiZhonghua was a man in the eyes of women because he was an excellent air force officer．
C．Shi Huashan rescued women from forced marriages
D．The honor was given to Pu Cunxin at the launch ceremony in January．
2.Who is among the“Men of Our Time”?
A．Yao Ming B．Ma Li C．Pu Cunxin D．Liu Xiang
3.The underlined word “celebrities” in the second paragraph most probably means______．
A．famous scientists B．famous actors
C．well-known people D．well．known sports stars
4.This passage is most probably taken from——．
A．a science magazine B．an advertising booklet
C．a travel brochure D．a newspaper
阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
After graduation from a medical school, I began to take a job in a small hospital's emergency department．As the 36 member of the group, I had to work on Christmas Eve．
At 9 pm, the ambulance 37 a man in his 60s who was having a heart attack．My patient was 38 , but I did my best．Eventually he 39 the night．
The following year, still the newest member, I got Christmas Eve 40 again．At 9 pm sharp, I was told there was a 41 in the hall who wanted to speak with me．
When I approached them, the man 42 himself as Levin and said, "you probably don't ' 43 me, but last Christmas Eve you saved my life．Thank you for the year you gave me．"He and his wife hugged me and handed me a small 44 and left, I was more than a little surprised and 45 ．
The following year a new doctor joined the group 46 I volunteered for the shift because I wanted to see if the Levins would 47 ．
I 48 the door．Once again, at 49 9 pm, the Levins appeared．We 50 and Levin said he'd come to see me every Christmas Eve, and that 51 he didn't come, I would know it just wasn't his year．
The last year I saw him, he brought me a crystal bell engraved （雕刻） with a single word: Friendship．Levin 52 the next year．Now, my family, friends and I 53 that bell every Christmas Eve at exactly 9 pm and 54 to the man who didn't forget to bring me good 55 ．
1.A．hardest B．youngest C．best D．newest
2.A．brought up B．brought about C．brought in D．brought on
3.A．in debt B．in vain C．on end D．in danger
4.A．survived B．spent C．won． D．managed
5.A．watch B．duty C．guard D．greetings
6.A．couple B．man C．patient． D．friend
7.A．regarded B．treated C．introduced D．considered
8.A．understand B．remember C．cure D．like
9.A．bell B．gift C．packet D．box
10.A．scared B．interested C．excited D．moved
11.A．but B．so C．and D．or
12.A．return B．come C．recover D．approach
13.A．gave an eye to B．kept away from C．kept an eye on D．kept hold of
14.A．about B．the same C．very D．exactly
15.A．calmed B．separated C．embraced D．choked
16.A．unless B．if C．until D．though
17.A．passed by B．passed away C．passed off D．passed out
18.A．ring B．strike C．hit D．beat
19.A．cheer B．drink C．congratulate D．offer
20.A．advice B．work C．holiday D．wishes
I enjoy when you help whoever is suffering in the earthquake．
A．that B．this C．it D．one
You didn’t perform as well as the other competitors; , you failed．
A．in all B．in other words C．in brief D．on the other hand
--- Why doesn’t she make notes?
--- She has no pen to use．She seems one．
A．to have forgotten to bring B．to forget to bring
C．to have forgotten bringing D．to forget bringing
