It was the old lady’s eightieth birthday. She was sure Myra wouldn’t forgot her mother’s birthday, even if she was busy. After all, eighty was a special birthday. Perhaps Myra might come. Even if Myra did not come, she would send a present. The old lady was sure of that. Two spots of colour brightened her cheeks. She was excited like a child.
Mrs. Morrison had brought a card and a bunch of flowers when she came to do the breakfast. Mrs. Grant downstairs had made a cake. Johnnie, the little boy next door, was now up with her with a packet of sweets.
“I guess you’ll get lots and lots of presents, ” he said. “I did last week when I was six.”
What would she like? A pair of slippers, perhaps. A blue new cardigan. Or a table lamp. Or a little clock, with clear black numbers. So many lovely things.
She stood by the window, watching. The postman turned round the corner on his bicycle. Her heart beat fast. Johnnie had seen him too and ran to the gate.
“Granny, granny, ” Johnnie returned. “I’ve got your post!”
He gave her four envelopes. Three were from old friends. The fourth was in Myra’s writing.
“No parcel(包裹), Johnnie?”
“No, granny.”
Almost reluctantly, she tore the fourth envelope open. Folded in the card was a check. Written on the card was a message: Happy Birthday—Buy yourself something nice with the check, Myra and Harold.
The six-figure check fell to the floor like a bird with a broken wing. Slowly the old lady bent to pick it up. Her present, her lovely present. With trembling fingers she tore it into little bits.
1. As can be inferred from the passage, _______.
A. the old lady lived alone in a flat away from her daughter
B. the friends sent the old lady many lovely presents by post
C. Myra was stopped by her husband from seeing her mother
D. the neighbours cared little about the old lady in daily life
2.The old lady felt _______ when she saw no packet came with her daughter’s card.
A. excited B. happy C. disappointed D. impatient
3.Which of the following might serve as the best title for the passage?
A. The Present B. The Check C. The Birthday D. The Daughter
4. The reason why the old lady tore the check into small pieces was that _______.
A. she was sure her daughter would come, not the check
B. she didn’t notice there were six figures on the check
C. she didn’t think the check was large enough for a present
D. she would prefer a present with love from her daughter
完形填空（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分）
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。
David, my neighbor, has two young kids who are five and seven. One day he was 36 his seven-year-old son Kelly how to push the lawn mower(割草机) around the yard. As he was telling him how to turn the mower 37 , his wife, Jan, called to him to ask a question. As David answered the question, Kelly pushed the lawn mower 38 through the flower bed at the edge of the lawn — 39 a two-foot wide path leveled to the ground!
When David turned back and saw what had happened, he began to lose 40 . David had put a lot of time and 41 into making those flower beds the 42 of the neighbourhood. As he began to 43 his voice to his son, Jan walked quickly over to him, put her hand on his shoulder and said, “David, please remember we are raising children, not 44 !”
Jan 45 me how important 46 is as a parent to remember our priorities (things that need attention before others). The window shattered(打碎) by a 47 , a lamp knocked over by a careless child, or a plate dropped in the kitchen are already 48 . The flowers are already dead. We must remember not to 49 to the destruction by breaking a child’s spirit and deadening his 50 .
A few weeks ago Mark Michaels, the owner of a store, and I were together 51 parenting. He told me while his family were out for dinner, his daughter knocked over her water glass. 52 the water was cleaned up without any blaming remarks from her parents, she looked up and said, “I 53 want to thank you for not being like other parents. Most of my friends’ parents 54 have shouted at them and given them a lecture about paying more attention. Thanks for not 55 that!”
1.A. teaching B. helping C. looking at D. asking
2. A. up B. around C. down D. over
3. A. nearly B. even C. almost D. right
4. A. leaving B. staying C. remaining D. finding
5. A. hope B. control C. mind D. heart
6. A. strength B. effort C. power D. courage
7. A. pride B. respect C. envy D. honor
8. A. rise B. expand C. improve D. raise
9. A. flowers B. trees C. grass D. vegetables
10. A. called B. reminded C. warned D. told
11. A. this B. that C. it D. one
12. A. mower B. baseball C. chair D. book
13. A.broken B. shabby C. torn D. worn
14. A. attend B. tend C. add D. see
15. A. happiness B. liveliness C. bravery D. humor
16. A. talking B. speaking C. telling D. discussing
17. A. Before B. After C. Until D. Since
18. A. really B. actually C. eventually D. especially
19. A. should B. need C. would D. must
20. A. saying B. doing C. thinking D. Showing
I would have paid a visit to you _______ possible.
A. if it were B. would it be
C. had it been D. should it have been
A successful life is a life ____ challenges are met and difficulties overcome.
A. which B. where C. what D. that
After suffering a heart attack, Michael Jackson was pronounced dead, ____ a tragic end to the world' s most popular entertainer.
A. to mark B. marking C. marked D. having marked
The magnificent tower must be saved, ________ the cost!
A. however B. whichever C. whatever D. wherever
