Question

When I was thirteen, my family moved from Boston to Tucson, Arizona. __36__the move, my father __37__us in the living-room on a freezing January night. My sisters and I sat around the fire, not __38__ that the universe would suddenly change its course. “In May, we′re__39__ to Arizona.”

    The words, so small, didn't seem__40__enough to hold my new life. But the world changed and I awoke on a tram moving across the country.1 watched the __41__change from green trees to flat dusty plains to high mountains as I saw strange new plants that __42__ mysteries yet to come. Finally, we arrived and __43__ into our new home.

__44__ my older sisters were sad at the loss of friends, I _45_explored our new surroundings.

    One afternoon, I was out exploring __46__ and saw a new kind of cactus（仙人掌）. I crouched（蹲）down for a closer look. “You'd better not __47__ that”

    I turned around to see an old woman.

    “Are you new to this neighborhood?” I explained that I was, __48__,new to the entire state．

“My name is Ina Thorne.” Have you got used to life in the __49__? It must be quite a __50__ after living in Boston.”

How could I explain how I __51__ the desert? I couldn’t seem to find the right words.

“It’s vastness,” she offered. “That vastness __52__ you stand on the mountains overlooking the desert—you can __53__ how little you are in comparison with the world. __54__, you feel that the possibilities are limitless.”

That was it. That was the feeling I’d had ever since I’d first seen the mountains of my new home. Again, my __55__ would change with just a few simple words.

“Would you like to come to my home tomorrow?” Someone should teach you which plant you should and shouldn’t touch.”

1.A. During         B. Until        C. Upon         D. Before

2.A. gathered   B. warned       C. organized    D. comforted

3.A. hoping         B. admitting    C. realizing    D. believing

4.A. going      B. moving       C. driving      D. flying

5.A. good       B. simple       C. big          D. proper

6.A. picture    B. ground       C. scene        D. area

7.A. suggested B. solved       C. discovered   D. explained

8.A. settled        B. walked       C. hurried      D. stepped

9.A. If         B. After        C. Once         D. While

10.A. bitterly  B. easily       C. proudly      D. eagerly

11.A. as well   B. as usual     C. right away   D. on time

12.A. move      B. dig          C. pull         D. touch

13.A. of course B. in fact      C. after all    D. at least

14.A. desert        B. city         C. state        D. country

15.A. luck      B. doubt        C. shock        D. danger

16.A. found     B. examined     C. watched      D. reached

17.A. why       B. when         C. how          D. where

18.A. prove     B. guess        C. sense        D. expect

19.A. However   B. Otherwise    C. Therefore    D. Meanwhile

20.A. idea      B. life         C. home         D. family

Answer

1.D

2.A

3.C

4.B

5.C

6.C

7.A

8.A

9.D

10.D

11.B

12.D

13.B

14.A

15.C

16.A

17.B

18.C

19.D

20.B

【解析】

1.在第一段最后一句告诉我们五月份搬家，那么一月份应在这之前。

2.下一句是一家人围坐在火炉旁，说明是父亲召集（gather）大家开会。

3.一场很大的变化正在酝酿之中，小孩子们却懵然不知，没有意识到（realize）。

4.文章第一句就告诉我们这家人要搬家（move）。

5.big和句子前半部分的small相对比。

6.句子后半部分所罗列的变化内容trees,plains,mountains,plants都是窗外的风景（scene）。

7.一系列的变化预示（suggest）着将有更多的mystery。

8.既然是搬家，到了目的地就要安家、安顿（settle）下来。

9.并列连词while在此表示两个分句内容的对比。

10.eagerly更加突出了我姐姐的sad和我的explore的对比。

11.上一段有铺垫，我一直是积极地explore,所以这天下午我还是一如既往地(as usual)在explore。

12.文章的末尾告诉我们我还得学会什么能碰什么不能碰。这里老人的警示就是那cactus是不能碰的。

13.老人询问我是否对这个neighborhood不熟，而我何止如此，事实上(in fact),整个Arizona州对我来说都是陌生的。

14.下文马上点明了这个地方是desert。

15.大城市和沙漠生活当然有鲜明的反差。这种反差给人带来的当然是shock。

16.这里find是“认为、看待”的意思。下文是说我找不出词来表达我的感觉。

17.这是一个状语从句：当你站在高山之巅，你就会有……的感觉。

18.跟前面的find,vastness和后面的feel相呼应，谈感觉。

19.前句的sense和本句的feel都是同时的感受。

20.搬家本来就是生活的变化，老人的寥寥数语又让我对生活有了新的认识。