郝昌明

(A)

Oh, God!I think I was about seven when my sisters and I did the foolish thing.

I remember we were watching TV __1__ we heard my brother, Chris, yelling from the backyard. We all went out to __2__ what had happened. When we __3__ located him, he was in a tree hanging from the highest branch. Crying, he __4__ he had climbed up the tree and couldnt get down. One of us should climb up __5__ we couldnt get him moving down.

__6__, my youngest sister, Ka, five then, had seen a similar situation. She __7__ we fetch a sheet, hold it under the branch, and tell him to drop so we could __8__ him. My other sister, Yams, one year younger than me, looked at me eagerly to confirm her idea and I said, “Yeah, lets try that.”

__9__ we fetched a sheet and held it under the tree. Now mind you, the ages __10__ this sheet were ranging from five to seven, thus the sheet was probably being held up to our waist and also close to the __11__. But we were confident it could __12__.

Chris, my brother, aged four, looked down at us with __13__, asking in a trembling voice, “Are you __14__ Ill land on the sheet?” “Yes!” Itold him, “Were sure!” and he let go.

How stupid he was to __15__ us!And no matter how tight we held, Chris fell right through that sheet and __16__ on his stomach. This seventy-pound boy made a big hole in the sheet!

Because he wasnt __17__, we bent down to check if he was __18__ alive. Slowly, he said, “I still __19__ the floor!” Poor little man!

Now Chris is fourteen but he still __20__ us about it.

1. A. when B. as C. before D. while

2. A. notice B. watch C. observe D. see

3. A. hurriedly B. finally C. actually D. naturally

4. A. announced B. reflected C. explained D. introduced

5. A. and B. but C. instead D. unless

6. A. Generally B. Strangely C. Suddenly D. Luckily

7. A. meant B. warned C. expressed D. suggested

8. A. touch B. catch C. receive D. accept

9. A. Immediately B. Slowly C. Carefully D. Gladly

10. A. carrying B. holding C. pulling D. taking

11. A. top B. field C. ground D. floor

12. A. work B. act C. perform D. behave

13. A. happiness B. concern C. anger D. hesitation

14. A. glad B. sorry C. sure D. clear

15. A. support B. trust C. respect D. admire

16. A. lay B. stood C. landed D. sat

17. A. breathing B. crying C. moving D. shaking

18. A. already B. even C. ever D. still

19. A. knocked B. beat C. hit D. touched

20. A. blames B. beats C. tells D. punishes

(B)

There was once a king who offered a prize to the artist who would paint the best picture of peace. Many artists __1__. The king looked at all the pictures, but there were __2__ two he really liked and he had to __3__ between them.

There was a calm lake in one __4__. The lake was a perfect mirror, and peaceful towering mountains were all around it. Overhead was a blue __5__ with soft and light white clouds. All those who saw this picture __6__ that it was a perfect picture of __7__. The other picture had mountains, too. __8__ they were bare and had rough rocks. Above was __9__ sky from which rain __10__ and in which lightning flashed. Down the side of the mountain a waterfall fell rapidly. It did not look peaceful __11__. But when the king looked __12__, he saw behind the waterfall a tiny bush __13__ in a crack between rocks. In the bush a mother bird had built her nest. There, in the middle of the rush of angry water, sat the mother bird on her nest—in __14__ peace.

Which picture do you think won the __15__?

The king chose the second. Do you know __16__?

“Because,” __17__ the king, “peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. Peace __18__ to be in the middle of all those __19__ things and still be __20__ in your heart. That is the real meaning of peace.”

1. A. tried B. attended C. joined D. entered

2. A. even B. ever C. only D. hardly

3. A. differ B. choose C. elect D. decide

4. A. book B. field C. map D. picture

5. A. lake B. river C. sky D. ocean

6. A. announced B. thought C. recognized D. admitted

7. A. beauty B. peace C. love D. friendship

8. A. And B. So C. But D. Or

9. A. an angry B. a sad C. a quiet D. a clean

10. A. dropped B. jumped C. fell D. ran

11. A. in all B. at all C. after all D. above all

12. A. deeply B. carefully C. completely D. fully

13. A. living B. growing C. standing D. lying

14. A. total B. quite C. perfect D. whole

15. A. praise B. fame C. money D. prize

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

17. A. introduced B. explained C. expressed D. described

18. A. suggests B. shows C. means D. indicates

19. A. ugly B. terrible C. noisy D. sad

20. A. quiet B. silent C. calm D. still

Key(2)