I lost my sight when I was four years old by falling off a box car in a yard in Atlantic City and landing on my head.Now I am thirty­two.I can ____ remember the brightness of sunshine and what red color is.It would be wonderful to see again, ____ a disaster can do strange things to people.

It occurred to me the other day that I might not have come to ____ life as I do if I hadn't been blind. I believe in life now.I am not so sure that I would have believed in it so deeply, ____. I don't mean that I would prefer to go without my eyes. I simply mean that the loss of them made me ____ the more what I had left.

The hardest lesson I had to learn was to believe in myself.That was ____. If I hadn't been able to do that, I would have ____ and become a chair rocker for the rest of my life.When I say ____ in myself I am not talking about simply the kind of self­confidence that helps me down a(n) ____ staircase alone.That is part of it.But I mean something ____ than that: an assurance that there is a special place where I can make myself fit.

It took me years to discover and ____ this assurance.It had to start with the most elementary things.Once a man gave me an indoor baseball, I thought he was laughing at me and I was ____.“I can't use this，” “I said. Take it with you；” he ____ me.“and roll it around.” The words ____ in my head. “Roll it around！” By rolling the ball I could ____ where it went.This gave me an idea how to achieve a goal I had thought ____： playing baseball.At Philadelphia's Overbrook School for the Blind I ____ a successful variation of baseball. We called it ground ball.

All my life I have set ahead of me a series of ____ and then tried to reach them, one at a time.I had to learn my ____. It was no good trying for something I knew at the start was wildly out of reach because that only invited the bitterness of failure. I would fail sometimes anyway but on the average I made ____.

1．A.entirely        B．nearly

C．vaguely  D．simply

2．A.and      B．but

C．so    D．for

3．A.assess         B．fear

C．enrich     D．love

4．A.otherwise    B．therefore

C．however         D．besides

5．A.understand  B．appreciate

C．possess  D．accept

6．A.enough        B．specific

C．tough      D．basic

7．A.survived       B．escaped

C．collapsed        D．sacrificed

8．A.hope    B．power

C．courage  D．belief

9．A.unfamiliar    B．unbelievable

C．unexpected     D．uncomfortable

10．A.harder       B．bigger

C．warmer  D．heavier

11．A.weaken      B．strengthen

C．sharpen  D．brighten

12．A.upset         B．flattered

C．ashamed         D．hurt

13．A.urged        B．promised

C．convinced      D．advised

14．A.flashed      B．appeared

C．stuck      D．crowded

15．A.notice        B．hear

C．smell       D．touch

16．A.impossible         B．important

C．imaginary       D．impressive

17．A.produced  B．imitated

C．invented         D．spotted

18．A.goals         B．efforts

C．directions       D．barriers

19．A.challenges   B．strengths

C．situations        D．limitations

20．A.history       B．change

C．progress         D．sense

Volunteering abroad is a great way to help others, improve your skills and become a more confident, independent person. If you are interested in volunteering abroad, here are some places to go.

Australia 

    If you seek a life on the beach, in a great climate with friendly people, Australia might be your best bet. With thousands of volunteers already signing up to leave for Australia during the holidays, it will be a very popular option.

Brazil

    This vast country has some great opportunities on offer and is especially popular this year. A lot of volunteer work is available in Brazil centers on conservation and ecological projects. With the world's largest rainforest in Brazil, of which huge part is in danger, there are lots of different jobs you can do.

Kenya

Kenya is the destination for those seeking an African experience. Generally volunteers in Kenya work in orphanages(孤儿院)or with local children living in slums(贫民窟). There is a great demand for volunteers in Africa because many people live in poverty, so if you truly feel like making a difference to a community, Kenya should be at the top of your list.

Costa Rica

Golden sandy beaches, clear coastlines and beautiful cities are what Costa Rica is all about. Because of its small size, you can see a lot of the country in just a short time. You can really make the most of your time as a volunteer. A lot of work is needed with wildlife and ecological work, so if you want to look after turtles on the beach, Costa Rica could be just the place for you

21．If you are interested in protecting the environment, you will probably go to _______.  

A. Australia                 B. Kenya             C. Brazil            D. Costa Rica

22．1t can be inferred from the passage that volunteers in Kenya mainly work with_______.

A. animals          B. plants              C. the elderly        D. children 

23．If you choose to go to Costa Rica, you are supposed to________.

A. work with animals on the beach

B. surf with children in the water

C. take care of trees in the forests

D. look after children who have lost their parents

It happened to me recently. I was telling someone how much I had enjoyed reading Barack Obama’s Dreams From My Father and how it had changed my views of our President. A friend I was talking to agreed with me that it was, in his words, “a brilliantly（精彩地）written book”. However, he then went on to talk about Mr Obama in a way which suggested he had no idea of his background at all. I sensed that I was talking to a book liar.

And it seems that my friend is not the only one. Approximately two thirds of people have lied about reading a book which they haven’t. In the World Book Day’s “Report on Guilty Secrets”, Dreams From My Father is at number 9.The report lists ten books, and various authors, which people have lied about reading, and as I’m not one to lie too often (I’d hate to be caught out), I’ll admit here and now that I haven’t read the entire top ten. But I am pleased to say that, unlike 42 percent of people, I have read the book at number one, George Orwell’s 1984.I think it’s really brilliant.

The World Book Day report also has some other interesting information in it. It says that many people lie about having read Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, Fyodor Dostoevsky (I haven’t read him, but haven’t lied about it either ) and Herman Melville.

Asked why they lied, the most common reason was to “impress” someone they were speaking to. This could be tricky if the conversation became more in­ depth!

But when asked which authors they actually enjoy, people named J. K. Rowling, John Grisham, Sophie Kinsella (ah, the big sellers, in other words). Forty­two percent of people asked admitted they turned to the back of the book to read the end before finishing the story (I’ll come clean: I do this and am astonished that 58 percent said they had never done so).

24．How did the author find his friend a book liar?

A. By judging his manner of speaking.

B. By looking into his background.

C. By mentioning a famous name.

D. By discussing the book itself.

25．Which of the following is a “guilty secret” according to the World Book Day report?

A. Charles Dickens is very low on the top­ten list.

B. 42% of people pretended to have read 1984.

C. The author admitted having read 9 books.

D. Dreams From My Father is hardly read.

26．By lying about reading, a person hopes to ________.

A. control the conversation B. appear knowledgeable

C. learn about the book     D. make more friends

27．What is the author’s attitude to 58% of readers?

A. Favorable.   B. Uncaring.

C. Doubtful.    D. Friendly.

Last month, Justin Valdez, a college student, was shot in a subway station in San Francisco. The surveillance video(监控录像) showed that before Justin was killed, the killer pulled out his gun several times, and even wiped his nose with it. However, nobody noticed the killer. The surrounding passengers all focused on their cell phones.

We may see the same scene everywhere in our life: in subway stations, restaurants, elevators and so on, people are watching their cell phones. From a family reunion to a date with a friend, people couldn’t stop checking their twitter and facebook on the cell phones and ignoring the persons in front completely, Phubbing(低头症) not only involves young people, but also the elderly and kids.

“Phubbing” is a new term which comes from the words “phone’’ and “snub(冷落)”. It describes the habit of snubbing someone in favor of a cell phone. The word “phubbing” was included in the Australian National Dictionary in 2012. Obviously, the indifference冷漠) and rudeness of the information age are spreading globally. A Stop Phubbing campaign website has been set up. You can find the slogan of the website as follows: “stop twittering, stop posting photos…enjoy your food, enjoy the music and respect others.”

Phubbing appears harmless. However, it does influence our life. Jimmy, an epicure(美食家), wrote in his blog: “I can no longer focus on what I am eating since I started twittering. My skill of food photography has improved very fast, while my interest in food drops as a result.”

Let us put down our cell phones and re-enjoy the real taste of our food and the warmth of interpersonal communication.

28．The case of Justin Valdez is given in the first paragraph to show       .

A. gun violence happens easily in the US

B. phubbing may lead to terrible disasters

C. the killer didn’t mean to kill him

D. the killer had made a careful plan

29．What will probably happen when you ask a phubbing person for help?

A. He will give you an immediate reply.

B. He will stop looking at his cell phone.

C. He will pay no attention to you.

D. He will be very angry with you.

30．Jimmy’s words suggest that       .

A. phubbing is actually harmless

B. phubbing stops people enjoying their life

C. phubbing affects people’s eating habits the most

D. phubbing helps people improve their photographic skills

31．What is the text mainly about?

A. How the word “phubbing” came into being.

B. The popular campaign of stop phubbing.

C. The meaning of the word “phubbing”.

D. The great harm of phubbing.

See all of Manhattan in the comfort of our deluxe motorcoaches in your own language! An interesting and fact-filled narration guides you on your drive through the most famous uptown and downtown neighborhoods: Harlem, Museum Mile, Central Park, Times Square, the Empire State Building, Greenwich Village, Lincoln Center, Grant's Tomb, United Nations, St. Patrick's Cathedral and many more.

Select the 'City Tour in Foreign Languages and All Loops Tour' and get an extra value of the All Loops Tour Pass!

Then travel for 48 hours on our open-top double-decker buses all around Manhattan.

More information below: Downtown Loop Plus
Greenwich Village Times Square Empire State Building Flatiron building Union Square Soho Chinatown Little Italy Lower East Side East Village Rockefeller Center and more.	Tour Length 2+ hrs Operates Daily, 8:00 am - 6:00 pm Not offered December 25th or January 1st Departure 8th Avenue between 46th and 47th Streets.
Uptown Loop Plus
Central Park West Lincoln Center Dakota Apartments American Museum of Natural History Cathedral of St. John the Divine Grant's Tomb Apollo Theater Harlem Market The Museum Mile Fifth Avenue and more.	Tour Length 2+ hrs Operates Daily, 8:30am - 4:45pm, (4pm after October 27th) Not offered on December 25th and January 1st. Departure 8th Avenue between 46th & 47th Streets
Night Tour
The Empire State Building Greenwich Village Soho Chinatown Rockefeller Center Manhattan Bridge Brooklyn and more! Please Note: Not hop-on, hop-off.	Tour Length 2+ hours Operates Daily Not offered on November 28th, December 24th, December 25th, December 31st and January 1st. Departure Frequent Nightly Departures
The Gray Line New York Eat and Play Card
Save 10-50% off the entire bill for up to 4 people at 100+ of NYC's best restaurants, lounges, attractions, retailers, Broadway shows and more	Location Redeem web vouchers for your card at 7778th ave. Hours of Operation N/A Average Visit Time N/A

Terms and Conditions:

On-line tickets are non-refundable and can be redeemed（有效）up to ONE YEAR from

date of purchase. Any passenger requiring special assistance such as an ADA-accessible bus

（艾达可访问总线）is requested to inform us at time of reservation and must notify（通知）

us no later than 48 hours prior to departure.

32． If you (age 10) and your parents choose the tour, how much will you pay for the online tickets?

A. $212     B. $197      C. $187      D. $128

33．You live in the 8th Avenue, and which tour is best for you to Chinatown?

A. Downtown Loop Plus

B. Uptown Loop Plus

C. Night Tour

D. The Gray Line New York Eat and Play Card

34．Which of the statement is Not true according to the Ads?

A. The tour is comfort and luxury.

B. You can enjoy the sightseeing in your own language.

C. The online tickets are available for one year and can get refund if you like.

D. Inform the agency in more than 48 hours before departure if you have any requirements.

35．If you like to enjoy the The Gray Line New York Eat and Play Card, ________.

A. you can save 10-50% off the entire bill

B. you can use the web vouchers at 100+ of NYC's best restaurants, lounges, and more

C. the Average Visit Time is not applicable

D. you can use the web vouchers for your card at anyplace