The clock struck eleven at night. The whole house was quiet. Everyone was in bed except me. Under the strong light, I looked sadly before me at a huge pile of that troublesome stuff they call “books”.

   I was going to have my examination the next day. "When can I go to bed?" I asked myself. I didn’t answer, in fact I dared not.

    The clock struck twelve."Oh, dear!" I cried, "ten more books to read before I can go to bed!” We pupils are the most wretched creatures in the world. Dad does not agree with me on this. He did not have to work so hard when he was a boy ."

    The clock struck one. I was quite desperate now. I forgot all I had learnd. I was too tired to go on. I did the only thing I could. I prayed, “Oh, God, Please help me pass the exam tomorrow. I do promise to work hard afterwards, Amen.” My eyes were so heavy that I could hardly open them. A few minutes later, with my head on the desk, I fell asleep.

21. The underlined word “wretched” in Paragraph 3 probably means ________.

   A. happy          B. disappointed        C. unhappy          D. hopeful

22. Reviewing his lessons that night didn’t help him because ________.    .

     A. it was too late at night       

     B. he was very tired

     C. his eyelids were so heavy that he couldn’t keep them open

     D. he hadn’t studied hard before the examination

23. What do you suppose probably happened to the author the next day?

   A. He went to a church to pray again

   B. He passed the exam all by luck

   C. He failed in the exam

   D. He was punished by his teacher

24. The best title for the passage would be ______.

   A. The Night Before the Examination

   B. Working far into the Night

   C. A Slow Student

   D. Going Over My Lessons

   Eight-year-old Owen Howkins suffers from growth delays(迟缓) and poor eyesight. This means that Owen needs a wheelchair to get around. Not surprisingly, he felt people were staring (盯着看) at him, and that made him very uncomfortable, so he became lonely and even stopped going outside of his house. That, however, was all before Haatchi came into his life!

  Haatchi had a very unlucky start to life too. Tied to a railway track when he was just five months old, the dog was hit by a train. The hit unjured his tail and a leg so badly that both had to be cut off. Taken to a rescue shelter(救助站), the dog would have probably been killed if his story posted on Facebook had not been seen by Owen’s dad Will. He fell in love with Haatchi and decided to keep him, thinking that they were helping him. It turns out that it was Haatchi who helped them. By always staying at young Owen’s side, he became the boy’s best friend. Slowly Owen liked to go outside. Wherever he goes, the dog follows and protects him. Owen now proudly walks around the neighborhood, showing off his dog and telling anyone willing to listen, Haatchi’s story.

   Haatch’s positive influence on the young boy has not gone unnoticed. In October 2012, the International Fund of Animal Welfare presented him with a special award(奖). The amazing friendship between the two has also been shown in a touching short film called “A Boy and His Dog” by students from the filmmaking class at the University of Hertfordshire. It has won several awards and had almost 2 million views. British best-selling author Wendy Holden has also writtern about this touching friendship in a aheartwarming children’s book, which was released on February 13th and had made Owen and Haatchi better known!

25. Owen didn’t like go out of his house mainly because_______.

   A. he couldn’t walk outside by himself

B. he felt very lonely without any friend

C. he was very unhappy with his disease

D. he disliked other people’s unfriendly stares.

26. The underlined word “they” in the second paragraph refers to “_____”.

A. Will’s family                  B. Facebook users

C. the rescue shelter workers   D. the friends from the neighborhood

27. Since Haatchi came into his life, Owen ________.

A. has more friends

B. has more confidence

C. has been growing taller and taller

D. had become a best-selling author

28. What can we learn about “A Boy and His Dog” ?

A. It is very popular

B. It was filmed by Will

C. It was first shown on February 13th

D. It made Wendy Holden better known.

   The African elephant, which is the largest land animal remaining on earth, is of great importance to African ecosystem. Unlike other animals, the African elephant is to a great extent the builder of its environment. As a big plant-eater, it largely shapes the- forest-and-savanna (大草原) surroundings in which it lives, therefore setting the terms of existence for millions of other animals that live in its habitat. 

     It is the elephant's great desire for food that makes it a disturber of the environment and an important builder of its habitat. In its continuous search for the 300 pounds of plants it must have every day, it kills small trees and under-bushes, and pulls branches off big trees. This results in numerous open spaces in both deep tropical forests and in the woodlands that cover part of the African savannas. In these open spaces are numerous plants in various stages of growth that attract a variety of other plant-eaters. 

     Take the rain forests for example. In their natural state, the spreading branches overhead shut out sunlight and prevent the growth of plants on the forest floor. By pulling down trees and eating plants, elephants make open spaces, allowing new plants to grow on the forest floor. In such situations, the forests become suitable for large hoofed plant-eaters to move around and for small plant-eaters to get their food as well. 

     What worries scientists now is that the African elephant has become an endangered species. If the elephant disappears, scientists say, many other animals will also disappear from vast areas of forest and savanna, greatly

changing and worsening the whole ecosystem.

29. What is the passage mainly about?

A. Disappearance of African elephants.

B. The effect of African elephants' search for food.

C. Forests and savannas as habitats for African elephants.

D. The eating habit of African elephants.

30. What does the underlined phrase "setting the terms" most probably mean?

A. Fixing the time.          B. Deciding the conditions.

C. Improving the quality.     D. Worsening the state.

31. What do we know about the open spaces in the passage?

A. They result from the destruction of rain forests. 

B. They provide food mainly for African elephants. 

C. They are attractive to plant-eating animals of different kinds.

D. They are home to many endangered animals.

32. The passage is developed mainly by_____

   A. giving examples

   B. pointing out similarities and differences

   C. describing the changes in space order

   D. showing the effect and then explaining the causes

Founded in 1764 by French traders, St. Louis today is the fifteenth largest urban area in the United States. There are many attractive destinations for tourists.

American Kennel Club Museum of the Dog

Dog lovers who visit St. Louis won’t want to miss this 14,000-square-foot museum. Inside are over 500 paintings, prints, watercolors, and a variety of other dog art objects.

The Museum is open year round, Tuesday through Saturday 10 AM to 4 PM, and Sunday 1 PM to 5 PM. Admission is $ 5 for adults, $ 2.50 for seniors, and $1 for children up to 14.

Anheuser Busch Brewery

The Anheuser Buxch Brewery tour is not just for beer lovers. The tour includes the historic Brew House. Then the tour continues to the modern Bevo Packaging Plant. The best will be the Budweiser Clydesdale stables. The tours are always free.

Gateway Arch

Designed by Eero Sarinen and Hannskari Bandel, it took over two years and 900 tons of stainless steel to build. It is the tallest of the country’s National Monuments. The Arch is part of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial. About one milion people per year come to the top of the Arch, where there is an observation platform providing a great view of the city.

St. Louis Zoo

First version of the St. Louis Zoo opened in 1904 at the St. Louis World’s Fair, but in the century since it has grown into one of the chief zoos in the world. The passenger train takes visitors around the Zoo, which contains over 9,000 animals of over 800 species.

The Zoo is open every day but Christmas and New Year, with summer hours of 8 AM to 7 PM, and hours the rest of the year of 9 AM to 5 PM. Admission to the Zoo is free.

33. If a senior high school student plans to visit American Kennel Club Museum of the Dog with his parents and his five-year-old brother, he has to pay ______.

A.$8.5            B.$12             C. $13.5            D. $16

34.Which of the following statements about Gateway Arch is TRUE?

A. It was built in three years

B. You can see the city clearly on the top of the Arch

C. It is the largest of the country’s National Monuments

D. President Jefferson was buried there

35. If you plan to visit the St. Louis Zoo, you can go there _____.

A. at 8:30 a.m. in summer      B. at 5:30 p.m. in winter

C. on Christmas              D. on New Year

How to Improve Vocabulary Fast

   Your vocabulary refers to the words in a language you are familiar with. We should learn some ways to expand it.

   Read every day.   36   . Choose reading material that is slightly above your level and keep a dictionary with you to look up words you do not know.

       ___37  If you do not meet with an unfamiliar word in your daily reading, use your dictionary to search for one.

Learn the correct definition and pronunciation for each new word. Pronunciation is as important as definition because in order to add a word to your active vocabulary, you must be able to use it in speech. 

Elaborate(阐释)on the meaning of the word. Use imagery and personal relevance. If you have just learned that the word “stubborn” , think about the neighbor who will not lend you his car.    38  

Use your new word in speech and in writing. E-mail your sister about how your cat is stubborn about sleeping on your pillow.   39  But the more you use it, the more fluent you will become in its use. Soon it will be a regular part of your active vocabulary.

    Tell everyone you are trying to increase your vocabulary. Encourage them to ask you what your latest word is  40  .The more you explain the meaning of a word to someone, the more likely you are to remember it.

A. Or let them ask for the definition of a new word you have used.

B. Your vocabulary contains the words you understand.

C. The vocabulary can be increased.

D. Imagine him shaking his head, and think of him as “stubborn in his refusal”.

E. The first time you use a new word in speech it may seem strange.

F. Find a new word every day.

G. The more often you read, the faster your vocabulary can grow.