One day last month after I received my salary, I went shopping with my little son. Unfortunately in the crowded store. I had my pocket   1   and my whole salary was gone with it. I was so angry that I almost lost   2   of myself. What could I do? We were not very wealthy. The money was really not a small sum for my family. It would   3   our life greatly. How could I tell my wife?

       I felt very sad and even   4   for losing the money when I got home. To make up for my   5   mistake, I gathered all my strength to give our house a thorough cleaning and then   6   a wonderful meal and cooked a special dish my wife loved to   7   her.

       When she came home, I forced a smile to greet her. She was   8   to see the neat house and the   9   meal. We sat at the table and began to eat. I told my story   10  . She did not respond. It was as if she had not heard my words.

       “I’ve   11   my salary,” I murmured (低声说) to her again.

       “I see,” she did not shout at me as I had   12  . She didn't lose her temper. So I was afraid she was trying hard to hide her anger.

       A moment later, my wife was still   13   and seemed to be enjoying her favorite dish. At last I could not help asking, “I’ve lost my money. Why not shout at me?” She   14   her eyes, looking at me and said, “Oh, on the contrary, I’m thinking about how to comfort you. It’s the   15   who is to blame.”

1.    A.    robbed                 B.    stolen                  C.    picked                  D.    gone

2.    A.    control                 B.    heart                    C.    interest               D.    face

3.    A.    enrich                  B.    improve               C.    affect                   D.    simplify

4.    A.    guilty                   B.    ashamed                     C.    frightened           D.    worried

5.    A.    unchangeable      B.    unforgivable         C.    unforgettable   D.     unbelievable

6.    A.    prepared                     B.    served                  C.    provided              D.    chose

7.    A.    comfort                B.    meet                    C.    surprise                D.    please

8.    A.    satisfied               B.    surprised              C.    pleased            D.     interested[来Z

9.    A.    delicious              B.    excellent              C.    cool                      D.    attractive

10.  A.    gladly                   B.    calmly                   C.    excitedly              D.    nervously

11.  A.    spent                   B.    wasted                 C.    donated               D.    lost

12.  A.    hoped                  B.    desired                C.    expected             D.    wished

13.  A.    upset                   B.    silent                   C.    worried                D.    surprised

14.  A.    moved                  B.    shut                            C.    raised                   D.    opened

15.  A.    store                    B.    policeman            C.    society             D.     thief

I have the greatest job in the world. I travel to unusual places and work alongside people from all over the world.  16   my job is occasionally dangerous, I don’t mind because danger excites me and makes me feel alive.

I   17  (appoint) as a volcanologist working for the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory twenty years ago. My job is collecting information for a database about Mount Kilauea,   18  is one of the most active volcanoes in Hawaii. Having collected and evaluated the information, I help other volcanologists to predict   19  lava from the volcano will flow next and how fast. Our work has saved many lives because people   20  the path of the lava can be warned to leave their houses _  21   (fortunate), we cannot move their homes out of the way, and many houses have been covered with lava or burned to  22   ground.

Today, I am just   23   enthusiastic about my job as the day I first started.  24    (study) volcanoes now for many years, I am still amazed   25  their beauty as well as their potential to cause great damage.

   Last Friday, at least 5 people were killed by lightning in Nepal.

   Lightning strikes are the second most common cause of deaths during natural disasters in the US. The first is floods. Around 400 people nationwide are struck by lightning each year, and of those, 70 people die. That is, more people are killed by lightning than by tornadoes and hurricanes.

   Because lightning kills only one or two people at a time, its danger does not receive as much attention as other disasters.

   "If you hear the thunder, you are in danger from lightning," said Rocky Lopes, a disaster educator at the American Red Cross.

   "Thunder means that lightning is close enough to hit you at any time, so you should move indoors immediately and stay there until the storm has ended. The most important thing to remember is to seek shelter, " Lopes said.

   Summer is the peak time for lightning storms, so when lightning strikes across the sky, remember these safety tips:

   ♦ Stop working, fishing, swimming or playing in open fields.

   ♦ Do not stand under a tree.

   ♦ Get off bicycle and motorcycles.

   ♦ Crouch down (蹲下) if there is no shelter.

   ♦ Avoid open spaces, wire fences, metal objects and electrical objects such as hair driers. 

26. In the US, _________ is the most common cause of deaths during natural disasters.

   A. lightning      B. tornadoes      C. hurricanes       D. floods

27. Of the people who are struck by lightning every year in the US, about _________ people are lucky enough to survive.

   A. 400       B. 70        C. 330        D. 5

28. If you hear the thunder, the most important thing you should do is to __________.

   A. stand still in the open spaces        B. find shelter to hide in

   C. stand under the tree               D. stop working in the fields

29. Which of the following is NOT true?

   A. Floods are the most common cause of deaths in the US.

   B. Less than 70 people are killed by tornadoes and hurricanes each year in the US.

   C. People don't pay as much attention to the danger of hurricanes as that of floods.

   D. If you hear the thunder, you should move indoors right away.

30. Which of the following is the best title?

   A. The Danger of Lightning          B. Some Safety Tips against Floods

   C. How Lightning Happens          D. 5 People Killed by Lightning in Nepal

       Every American family has its own ttraditions on Thanksgiving Day, and mine is no difference. Once the national holiday arrives, my mom rises early to make the meal. She puts a turkey in the oven, chops carrots and bakes pies. I’m sorry to say that the men in the family—my dad, my younger brother and myself—rarely pitch in to help. Our job is to wash the mountain of dirty dishes after the meal is over.

       Around 2 p.m. every Thanksgiving Day, family members seat themselves around the kitchen table. Plates of turkey, vegetables, salad, rolls and pies cover it. At this point, we can hardly keep ourselves from drooling (流口水) all over our fancy clothes, but it’s not yet time to eat.

       First, we must bow our heads, close our eyes and say a prayer of thanks aloud to God for giving us everything we have. Under normal circumstances, I would have no problem making a list of things I am thankful for. I grew up in a loving family. My parents, who aren’t wealthy, took out loans to help me pay for university.

       But, the funny thing is, every time I sit down for Thanksgiving dinner and try to say a prayer of thanks, my mind usually goes blank. I think it has something to do with my growling (咕咕叫) stomach and all of that food sitting right there under my nose.

       Eventually, though, we all finish our short prayers and dig in. To be sure, the day includes other highlights—visiting with family and watching football. But usually around 6 p.m. we are all ourselves stuffed like turkeys and thankful to have a nice warm bed to sleep in.

31．The purpose of the text is to ________.

       A．tell what the family do for Thanksgiving Day

       B．tell how the family spends Thanksgiving Day

       C．introduce foods served on Thanksgiving Day

       D．introduce the American Thanksgiving Day

32．On Thanksgiving Day the author’s family do the following except ________.

       A．watching a movie  B．making visits

       C．having a big meal                 D．watching football

33．Why does the author’s mind usually “go blank” when saying a prayer of thanks?

       A．He is too thankful to say a word

B．His mind is on the food before him

C．He feels too excited to speak

D．He is shy to speak in public

34．The underlined phrase “dig in” in the last paragraph is closest in meaning to “________”.

       A．chat with others                           B．make a hole

       C．mix things up                              D．start eating

35．What can we conclude from the text?

       A．On Thanksgiving Day, men do nothing but eat.

       B．The author is a middle school student.

       C．The author’s family is not rich, but it’s a loving one.

       D．Thanksgiving Day falls on Thursday of December.

       As a young girl growing up in the 1930s, I always wanted to fly a plane, but back then it was almost unheard of for a woman to do that. I got a taste of that dream in 2001. When my husband arranged for me to ride in a hot air balloon for my birthday. But the experience turned out to be very dull. Around that time, I told my husband that they were having an essay competition and the topic was experience of a lifetime that you wanted to have, I decided to write about my dream.

       In the essay, I wrote about my desire to skydive, stating George Bush Sr. did it at age 80. Why not me? I was just 84 and in pretty good health. A year went by and I heard nothing. But then at a community party in late April 2009, they announced that I was one of the winners. I just couldn't believe it. Inspired by this, I decided to realize my dream, even though some of my family members and my doctor were against it.

       On June 11, 2009, nearly 40 of my family and friends gathered in the area close to where I would land while I headed up in the airplane. My instructor, Jay, guided me through the experience. The plane was the noisiest one I had even been in, but I wasn't frightened -- I was really just looking forward to the experience. When we reached 13,000 feet, Jay instructed me to throw myself out of the plane. When we first hit the air, the wind was so strong that I could hardly breathe. For a second I thought, "What have I gotten myself into?" But then everything got calmer. We were in a free fall for about a minute before jay opened the parachute (降落伞), then we just floated downward for about five minutes. Being up in the clouds and looking at the view below was unlike anything I have ever felt -- much better than the hot air balloon. I was just enjoying it.

       Skydiving was really one of the greatest experiences of my life. I hope other people will look at me and realize that you don't stop living just because you are 84 years old. If there is something you want to experience, look into it. If it's something that is possible, make it happen.

36．What happened to the author in 2001?

       A．She flew an airplane

       B．She entered a competition

       C．She went on a hot air balloon ride

       D．She moved into a retirement community

37．The author mentioned George Bush Sr．in her essay to       ．

       A．make her argument persuasive

       B．show her admiration for him

       C．compare their health condition

       D．build up her own reputation

38．How did the author feel immediately after she jumped out of the plane?

       A．Excited              B．Regretful              C．Nervous              D．Scared 

39．What did the author enjoy most when she was skydiving?

       A．The beautiful clouds                            B．The wonderful view

       C．The company of Jay                             D．The one-minute free fall

40．What is the best title of the passage?

       A．Impossible is nothing.                              B．A dream made come true.

       C．An unforgettable skydiving.                     D．I Went Skydiving at 84!