1.（2018·静安·二模）
Last October I was on a diving holiday in the Philippines with seven other advanced divers.I dived off the boat slowly sinking to about 20m.
After nearly 45 minutes，the sound of my breathing was drowned out by a low rumble like an engine and I felt deep powerful vibrations（震动）as if a big boat with a propeller was passing overhead.The dive instructor's eyes were wide with confusion，too.We both swam next to each other staying close to the side of the reef（礁石）.The situation felt sinister.
Then we were enveloped by clouds of white sand that mushmoomed up around us.Could it be a giant turtle（海龟）racing past us？They are normally slow movers so this was very weird behavior.The vibration became so intense that I could feel it in my bones and then the sound turned into a deafening roar.Suddenly，a few meters below us，breaks began forming and the sand was sucked down.That's when I got what it was.The noise was the sound of the earth splintering open and grinding against itself.
The instructor and I held hands and looked into each other's eyes.I felt comforted by his presence.I was numb（麻木的）for terror but clear-headed.My body went on high alert，ready to react.But I have no power over whatever this is.The only option is to stay very still and let it do whatever its going to do.
It took enormous willpower to resist the urge to swim to the surface,which is not sensible as situation on the surface at that time was ambiguous with potential threats pending.Soon we saw other divers.
The sound and vibration lasted only two or three minutes and when they stopped I heard the swoosh of sand falling over the seabed.We all held hands before resurfacing to avoid decompression sickness,which can be fatal.When up,it was a huge relief to see all the divers and we all shared incredulous looks before pulling out our breathing tools and shouting,“What was that?”
Back on the boat，we rushed to check the news and discovered we had witnessed a huge earthquake，measuring 7.2 on the Richter scale.It released more energy than 30 Hiroshima bombs，though it seemed that we were not at the epicenter（震中）.I was high and felt lucky surprisingly not because of my recent survival miracle，but to have experienced nature at its most stunning and its most frightening.（word count 430，readability level 7.2）
( )(1)How did the author realize that they met with an earthquake?
A.By feeling the violent shake under the sea.
B.By witnessing a normally-slow turtle quickly moving by.
C.By seeing the seafloor crack.
D.By checking the news and be informed of the event.
( )(2)Why didn't the author rise to the surface before the vibration stopped?
A.Because the instructor gestured him not to rise.
B.Because he was numb in body.
C.Because he could sense the unclear water situation.
D.Because he tried to avoid unexpected danger above.
( )(3)Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A.At the beginning of the event,a big boat passed by causing big vibration.
B.All the divers used the reef as the protection against the violent vibration.
C.I felt relieved as the instructor was experienced in handling situations like this.
D.Powerless to fight nature,I was tame when under the water.
( )(4)Why did the author feel fortunate on the boat?
A.Because he was not at the epicenter of the earthquake.
B.Because he finally survived a huge earthquake.
C.Because he could witness a rare natural phenomenon.
D.Because he didn't suffer from decompression sickness.
2.（2019·徐汇·二模）
Milton Hershey was born near the small village of Derry Church，Pennsylvania，in 1857.He only attended school through the fourth grade；at that point，he was apprenticed（做学徒）to a printer in a nearby town.After a while，he left the printing business and was apprenticed to a Lancaster，Pennsylvania candy maker.And at the age of eighteen，he opened his own candy store in Philadelphia.In spite of his talents as a candy maker，the shop failed after six years.
After the failure of his Philadelphia store，Milton headed for Denver，where he learned the art of making caramels（焦糖）.Then in Denver，Milton once again attempted to open his own candy-making businesses，in Chicago，New Orleans，and New York City.Finally，in 1886，he went to Lancaster，Pennsylvania，where he raised the money necessary to try again.This company—the Lancaster Caramel Company—established Milton's reputation as a master candy maker.
In 1893，Milton attended the Chicago International Exposition，where he saw a display of German chocolate-making implements.Fascinated by the equipment，he purchased it for his Lancaster candy factory and began producing chocolate，which he used for coating his caramels.By the next year，production had grown to include cocoa，sweet chocolate，and baking chocolate.The Hershey Chocolate company was born in 1894 as a subsidiary（子公司）of the Lancaster Caramel Company.Six years later，Milton sold the caramel company，but reserved the rights，and the equipment，to make chocolate.He believed that a large market of chocolate consumers was waiting for someone to produce reasonably priced candy.He was right.
Milton Hershey returned to the village where he had been born,in the heart of dairy country,and opened his chocolate manufacturing plant.With access to all the fresh milk he needed,he began producing the finest milk chocolate.The plant that opened in a small Pennsylvania village in 1905 is today the largest chocolate factory in the world.The sweets created at this facility are favorites around the world.
The area where the factory is located is now known as Hershey,Pennsylvania.Within the first decades of its existence,the town of Hershey thrived,as did the chocolate business.A bank,a school,churches,a department store,even a park and a trolley system all appeared in short order;the town soon even had a zoo.Today,a visit to the area reveals the Hershey Medical Center,Milton Hershey School,and Hershey's Chocolate World—a theme park where visitors are greeted by a giant Reeses Peanut Butter Cup.All of these things—and a huge number of happy chocolate lovers—were made possible because a caramel maker visited the Chicago Exposition of 1893!
(word count 461,readability level 11.1)
( )(1)The mention of the 1893 Exposition indicates that_________.
A.the exposition in Chicago is held once every three years
B.the theme of the exposition of 1893 was“Food from Around the World”
C.the exposition contained displays from a variety of countries
D.the site of the exposition is now a branch of the Hershey Chocolate Company
( )(2)According to the passage,Milton Hershey sold his caramel company in_________.
A.1894 B.1900 C.1904 D.1905
( )(3)What can you infer from the passage?
A.Chocolate is popular in every country in the world.
B.Reeses Peanut Butter Cups are manufactured by the Hershey Chocolate Company.
C.Chocolate had never been manufactured in the United States before Milton Hershey did it.
D.The Hershey Chocolate Company now makes more money from Hershey's Chocolate World than from the manufacture and sale of chocolate.
( )(4)The author wrote this passage mainly to_________.
A.recount the founding of the Hershey Chocolate Company
B.describe the process of manufacturing chocolate
C.compare the popularity of chocolate to other candies
D.explain how apprenticeships work
3.（2019·青浦·二模）
In university I had a part-time job at a shop that sold doughnuts and coffee.Situated on a block where several buses stopped,it served the people who had a few minutes to wait for their bus.
Every afternoon around four o'clock,a group of schoolchildren would burst into the shop,and business would come to a stop.Adults would glance in,see the crowd and pass on.But I didn't mind if the children waited for their bus inside.Sometimes I would hand out a bus fare when a ticket went missing—always repaid the next day.On snowy days I would give away some doughnuts.I would lock the door at closing time,and we waited in the warm shop until their bus finally arrived.
I enjoyed my young friends,but it never occurred to me that I played an important role in their lives—until one afternoon when a man came and asked if I was the girl working on weekdays around four o'clock.He identified himself as the father of two of my favorites.
“I want you to know I appreciate what you do for my children.I worry about them taking two buses to get home.It means a lot that they can wait here and you keep an eye on them.When they are with the doughnut lady,I know they are safe.”I told him it wasn't a big deal,and that I enjoyed the kids.
So I was the Doughnut Lady.I not only received a title,but became a landmark.
Now I think about all the people who keep an eye on my own children.They become，well，Doughnut Ladies.Like the men at the skating rink（滑冰场）who let my boys ring home；or the bus driver who drove my daughter to her stop at the end of the route at night but wouldn't leave until I arrived to pick her up；or that nice police officer who took pity on my boys walking home in the rain when I was at work—even though the phone rang all the next day with calls from curious neighbors.“Was that a police car I saw at your house last night？”
That wasn't a police car.That was a Doughnut Lady.
(word count 383,readability level 5.4)
( )(1)According to the passage,the author sometimes_________.
A.called the children's parents to pick them up
B.provided schoolchildren with warm shelters
C.did business with the children's help
D.sold bus tickets to the children
( )(2)By saying“...it wasn't a big deal,”(in Paragraph 4),the author meant that_________.
A.she hadn't found it hard to get along with the children
B.she hadn't made a lot of money from the children
C.she hadn't spent plenty of time with the children
D.she hadn't done anything very significant
( )(3)According to the author,those who_________are Doughnut Ladies.
A.are always ready to help others
B.provide free doughnuts for the poor
C.work in the doughnut store for a while
D.are curious about the happenings around
( )(4)The passage suggests that_________.
A.taking responsibility is a virtue
B.devotion co-exists with reward
C.running a business requires skills
D.acts of kindness are never too small
4.（2019·崇明·二模）
In a career that lasted more than half a century,Tom Wolfe wrote fiction and nonfiction best-sellers including The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test and The Bonfire of the Vanities.Along the way,he created a new type of journalism and coined phrases that became part of the American vocabulary.
Wolfe began working as a newspaper reporter,first for The Washington Post,then the New York Herald Tribune.He developed a literary style in nonfiction that became known as the“New Journalism”.“I've always agreed on a theoretical level that the techniques for fiction and nonfiction are interchangeable,”he said.“The things that work in nonfiction would work in fiction,and vice versa.”
“When Tom Wolfe's voice broke into the world of nonfiction,it was a time when a lot of writers,and a lot of artists in general,were turning inwards,”says Lev Grossman,book critic for Time magazine.“Wolfe didn't do that.Wolfe turned outwards.He was a guy who was interested in other people.”Wolfe was interested in how they thought,how they did things and how the things they did affected the world around them.
In 1979,Wolfe published The Right Stuff,an account of the military test pilots who became America's first astronauts.Four years later,the book was adapted as a feature film.“The Right Stuff was the book for me,”says Grossman.“It reminded me,in case I'd forgotten,that the world is an incredible place.”
In The Right Stuff,Wolfe popularized the phrase“pushing the envelope”.In a New York magazine article,Wolfe described the 1970s as“the‘Me’Decade”.Grossman says these phrases became part of the American idiom because they were accurate.
“He was an enormously forceful observer,and he was not afraid of making strong claims about what was happening in reality,”Grossman says.“He did it well and people heard him.And they repeated what he said because he was right.”All those words started a revolution in nonfiction that is still going on.
(word count 335,readability level 8.3)
( )(1)The“New Journalism”is a style of journalism that___.
A.changes its news writing techniques frequently
B.popularizes new American idioms in a literary way
C.combines novelistic techniques with traditional reporting
D.reports various news events from a theoretical perspective
( )(2)It can be learned from the passage that The Right Stuff .
A.is a film directed by Lev Grossman
B.is an influential book by Tom Wolfe
C.accounts for popular American phrases
D.deals with incredible places in the world
( )(3)According to the passage,Tom Wolfe_________.
A.was good at reporting news from a realistic perspective
B.preferred making claims about events to writing books
C.was fond of commenting on other people's thoughts
D.liked analyzing social problems from the outside
( )(4)Which of the following is the best title for the passage?
A.Tom Wolfe:A Professional Phrase Coiner
B.Tom Wolfe:A Forceful Observer and Novelist
C.Tom Wolfe:A Theoretical Creator in Literature
D.Tom Wolfe:An Innovative Journalist and Writer
5.（2018·浦东·二模）
In 1982,I had responsibility for Stephen Hawking's third academic book for the Press,Superspace and Supergravity.This was a messy collection of papers from a technical workshop on how to devise a new theory of gravity.While that book was in production,I suggested he try something easier:a popular book about the nature of the Universe,suitable for the general market.
Stephen hesitated over my suggestion.He already had an international reputation as a brilliant theoretical physicist working on rotating black holes and theories of gravity.And he had concerns about financial matters:importantly,it was impossible for him to obtain any form of life insurance to protect his family in the event of his death or becoming totally dependent on nursing care.So,he took precious time out from his research to prepare the rough draft of a book.
At the time,several bestselling physics authors had already published non-technical books on the early Universe and black holes.Stephen decided to write a more personal approach,by explaining his own research in cosmology and quantum theory.
One afternoon，in the 1980s，he invited me to take a look at the first draft，but first he wanted to discuss cash.He told me he had spent considerable time away from his research，and that he expected advances and royalties（定金和版税）to be large.When I pressed him on the market that he foresaw，he insisted that it be on sale，up front，at all airport bookshops in the UK and the US.I told that was a tough call for a university press.Then I thumbedthe typescript.To my dismay，the text was far too technical for a general reader.
A few weeks later he showed me a revision,much improved.Eventually,he decided to place it with a mass market publisher rather than a university press.Bantam published A Brief History of Time in March 1988.Sales took off like a rocket,and it ranked as a bestseller for at least five years.The book's impact on the popularization of science has been incalculable.
(word count 354,readability level 10.3)
( )(1)What suggestion did the writer give to Stephen Hawking?
A.Simplifying Superspace and Supergravity.
B.Formulating a new theory of gravity.
C.Writing a popular book on the nature of the universe.
D.Revising a book based on a new theory.
( )(2)Which of the following was Stephen Hawking most concerned about?
A.Financial returns. B.Other competitors.
C.Publishing houses. D.His family's life insurance.
( )(3)The underlined word“thumbed”is closest in meaning to_________.
A.praised B.typed C.confirmed D.browsed
( )(4)The greatest contribution of the book A Brief History of Time lies in_________.
A.bringing him overnight fame in the scientific world
B.keeping up the living standard of his family
C.making popular science available to the general public
D.creating the rocketing sales of a technical book
6.（2018·静安·一模）
Overcoming extreme cold,cruel ice and people dismissing him as mad,Slovenian Davo Kamicar became the first person to ski non-stop down Mount Everest.
After a dramatic fall over almost sheer cliffs of snow,stones and ice,38-year-old Kamicar emerged in his base camp after five hours of skiing.“I feel only absolute happiness and absolute tiredness,”he said.
At one stage he had to speed over stretches of ice that collapsed and broke underneath him and could have sent him falling into the deep crevasses（裂缝）that dot the mountain.
The descent（下落）had been seen by many as insanely dangerous.The Darwin Awards website，which documents deaths which are foolhardy，urged people to log on to Internet broadcasts of the attempt.“Keep your eyes peeled for a live Darwin Award，”it said.
However，the only body to make the news was the corpse（尸体）of an unknown mountaineer which Kamicar zipped past as he descended，one of an estimated 120 corpses，thought to litter the slopes.
“This mountain is always full of surprises.Seeing a dead man out there was a really shocking experience,”he said.
Thanks to strategically placed cameras on the mountain and one attached to his safety helmet,hundreds of thousands of people witnessed his descent on the Internet,which was one of the record highs ever.During the run more than 650,000 hits were registered on his expedition website jamming it for a time as others tried to access the site.
Weather conditions were so severe that Kamicar had to abandon plans to rest on the summit before attempting to descend.Instead,suffering from fatigue,as soon as he reached the top he put on his skis and flung himself back down the mountain.
Dealing with the mountain had already cost Kamicar two fingers when a previous failed attempt saw him get frostbite as a fierce storm lashed the peak.
Kamicar comes from a skiing family and took part in his first Himalayan skiing expedition in 1989.Since then,he has been tireless in raising funds and sponsorship for more expeditions,with Everest as the permanent goal.
(word count 360,readability level 10.2)
( )(1)Davo Kamicar made history by_________.
A.skiing down Mount Everest without rest
B.descending Mount Everest within the shortest time ever
C.attracting largest number of audience online for his descent
D.becoming the first to film his descent down Mount Everest
( )(2)The underlined word“foolhardy”in the passage is closest in meaning to___.
A.sudden and hard to accept(www.xing528.com)
B.taking unnecessary risks
C.attracting public attention
D.working hard to fool others
( )(3)According to the passage,which of the following statements is TRUE?
A.Kamicar saw about 120 dead bodies littering the slope.
B.The broadcast of his descent online was cancelled because of the website jam.
C.Kamicar's family had a tradition to conquer Mount Everest.
D.This was not Kamicar's first attempt on Mount Everest.
( )(4)The best title for the passage is_________.
A.Mad man skis down Mount Everest
B.Darwin Award for Davo Kamicar
C.Extreme sports hero slides to a record
D.Body of mountaineer found on Mount Everest
7.（2017·普陀·一模）
Roald Dahl—the author who entertained people with classics like Matilda,Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and James and the Giant Peach—would have been 100 years old this year.Roald Dahl is most famous for the books he wrote for children,but he also wrote novels and short stories for adults,screenplays,and non-fiction,too!
Roald Dahl was born near Cardiff，in Wales in 1916.His parents were from Norway，and they named him after Roald Amundsen，the famous Norwegian explorer.Roald was sent off to boarding school when he was only nine years old.He was very homesick，and had a hard time obeying the strict teachers and the headmaster.In those days，teachers would sometimes hit their students with a cane（藤条）when they misbehaved.This naturally made a lot of children very afraid of their teachers！Later on，Roald integrated this fear and distrust of adults into many of his children's books.
During World WarⅡ,Roald joined the Royal Air Force and flew missions over Africa,the Mediterranean,and the Middle East.At one point,his plane crashed in the Libyan Desert.He was temporarily blinded,and stranded in the middle of nowhere with a cracked skull and a broken nose.Fortunately,he was rescued,and within a few months had made a complete recovery.After his injuries forced him to leave the Air Force,Roald began writing.His first published piece was a magazine article about his plane crash.During the 1950s,he became an accomplished writer of short stories for adults.These stories usually featured mystery,suspense,and a twist ending.
In 1961,Roald published James and the Giant Peach,which tells the story of a young boy who attempts to escape from his two nasty,abusive aunts.The boy finally gets away by sailing across the ocean inside a magical giant peach and befriends the giant bugs that live inside it.James and the Giant Peach was prompted by the bedtime stories Roald would make up for his young daughters.He said that it was a challenge to keep them interested and attentive—he had to make his stories funny,exciting,and original.In 1964,he wrote his most famous book—Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,in which a poor boy wins a“golden ticket”to tour a mysterious world.
(word count 391,readability level 8.9)
( )(1)How did Roald Dahl's experiences in World WarⅡinfluence his later writing?
A.He was a pilot,and his first publication was about a plane crash.
B.He was in Navy,and his first publication dealt with life aboard a ship.
C.He was in the Army,and his first publication was set in Nazi-occupied Europe.
D.He worked in a military factory,and his first publication was about factory life.
( )(2)Many of Roald Dahl's children's stories were inspired by_________.
A.a vacation he took with his grandparents
B.his relationship with his parents
C.his time in the military
D.his time away at boarding school
( )(3)What led Roald Dahl to write James and the Giant Peach?
A.His lifelong love of peaches.
B.The bedtime stories he told his daughters.
C.The insects he found in his garden.
D.The cruelty he experienced at the hands of his aunts.
( )(4)Which of these statements is an opinion about Roald Dahl?
A.He was the greatest children's author of the 20th century.
B.He published more than a dozen books for children.
C.James and the Giant Peach was his first book for children. D.Several of his books were adapted into successful movies.
8.（2017·宝山·一模）
It dawned on me recently that I am the only person in my family who doesn't benefit from having a mother in the house.
This was not only the case for me,but for a large number of fellow countrymen,including one friend who felt so bad one night that she got out of bed and cleaned her house in case the medical examiner had to come.(He didn't.)
“I want my mommy”indeed could be read throughout the cold,snowy descriptions of winter's Facebook,where many middle-aged women are known to go for comfort.
This translates as:“I want a constant supply of homemade soup without asking for it.”
Also:“I want someone who can put her hand on my forehead and know within a degree what my temperature is.”
More than anything,the desire for mommy translates into a longing for selfless constancy,for the all-knowing,all-knowing mother with a cold cloth in her hand,who never leaves the bedside except to go to the bathroom.
The image of the mother nurse at the sick bed—think Gone With the Wind's Melanie in the Civil War hospitals—is one of a perfect,warmhearted wisdom soldiers'holy person and medicine woman,a la Joan of Arc,Mother Teresa and Pocahontas rolled into one.Sheis a supernatural being who knows,without the help of Google,when her patient should go to the doctor and when she should stay in bed,which illness needs a warm bath and which needs a warm shower...
Now,to be fair,let me say that my good friend made soup for me—twice—while I was ill.My goddaughter,a nurse practitioner,texted every day,several times a day,from several states away.My husband often came home from work in the middle of the day to check on me.One night,which so happened to be an outdoor celebration,when I was at my most miserable and convinced it was time for the emergency room,my family gathered around me on the bed with red beans and rice.
There's nothing quite like a mother in situations like these.Literature knows it.History knows it.Even current studies show that mothers are still 10 times more likely than their husbands to leave work to tend to sick children and five times more likely to take the sick child to the doctor,says the Henry J.Kaiser Family Foundation.
Alas,there is no mother in the house for me—unless you count the mama cat.And she's more like a kid than a mother these days,continuously circling my sick bed,meowing for food while I suffer in a pile of cough drop wrappers.
There is hope:I asked my primary care provider,who is a woman and a mother,at my office visit midway through my illness,if she would be my mommy.
She threw her head back and laughed.
(word count 487,readability level 9.8)
( )(1)What does the underlined word“She”refer to in Paragraph 7?
A.Melanie. B.La Joan of Arc.
C.Mother Teresa. D.Pocahontas.
( )(2)We can conclude from the writer,Mother can possibly do the following EXCEPT_________.
A.supplying homemade soup regularly without asking for it
B.diagnosing whether her child runs a high fever with her hand
C.offering her children a helping hand when necessary
D.never leaving her husband's bedside except going to the bathroom
( )(3)Which of the following is the writer's purpose of mentioning her friend,daughter and husband?
A.Her daughter has much less experience than her husband in looking after patients.
B.Her husband comforted her much less than her daughter.
C.Though they looked after her well,they couldn't replace the role of Mother.
D.Compared with literature,history and current studies,they have done better.
( )(4)As a whole,this passage suggests the writer_________.
A.misses her dead mother
B.hopes to get comfort and care from her mother
C.blames her mother for being out
D.needs her mother's help with housework
9.（2017·崇明·一模）
A woman standing over six feet tall and weighing about 200 pounds is bound to make an impression.But in Mary Fields'case，these features were outmatched by a heart of gold that made her legendary（传奇的）.
Born into slavery in Tennessee in 1832 or 1833,Mary had nothing,not even a date of birth.However,in her early years,she found something of truly lasting value—a friend named Dolly.In addition to friendship,Dolly also may have taught Mary to read and write,an invaluable advantage for slaves.At the end of America's Civil War,Mary finally received her freedom and made her own way out into the world.
Mary was employed on a steamboat as a maid when she received word from Dolly，now a nun（修女）in Ohio called Mother Amadeus.Mary arrived in Ohio in 1878 and worked at Amadeus'girls'school，managing the kitchen and garden.She became known as a guncarrying，cigar-smoking woman，but also as an example of kindness and reliability.After a few years，though，Amadeus was sent to another school out West in Montana，becoming the first black woman to settle in central Montana.
When Mary was in her 50s，a sick Mother Amadeus called her West.So Mary made her way to the small town of Cascade，Montana，to nurse Amadeus to health.She did this and more，running supplies and visitors to St.Peter's Mission where Amadeus lived.Once when her wagon（四轮马车）overturned，she guarded the delivery from wolves through the night.
But Mary's rough edges caused the local bishop（主教）to prohibit her from working at the mission.Mother Amadeus then set her up as the first African-American female employee of the USPostal Service.Though in her 60s，Mary was such a dependable mail carrier that she earned the name“Stagecoach”Mary.She became a beloved figure in Cascade.She was the only woman allowed in the saloon（酒馆），was the baseball team's biggest fan and was given free meals in the town hotel.
Nearly 70,Mary quit delivering the mail but remained in Cascade.The town's school closed to celebrate her unknown birthday twice a year.When she passed away in 1914,a simple cross was placed to mark her grave and her legend in the Wild West.
(word count 402,readability level 9.3)
( )(1)What about Mary Fields impressed people most?
A.Her tall and fat figure.
B.Her reputation as an educated slave.
C.Her friendliness and responsibility.
D.Her habit of carrying a gun and smoking.
( )(2)Which of the following shows Mary's life experience in the order of time?
①Mary began to deliver mail in Cascade.
②Mary worked in a school in Montana.
③Mary was taught to read and write.
④Mary took care of sick Amadeus.
⑤Mary worked on a steamed boat.
A.⑤①③②④B.⑤④②①③C.②④⑤③①D.③⑤②④①
( )(3)Mary became a mail carrier because_________.
A.people in Cascade loved her
B.she once worked at St.Peter's Mission
C.Mother Amadeus recommended her
D.the US Postal Service needed a female employee
( )(4)In the last paragraph,“her legend”most probably refers to___.
A.her high social status B.her unusual life as a pioneer
C.her friendship with Amadeus. D.her role in the liberation of slaves
10.（2017·奉贤·一模）
They say a cat has nine lives,and I think that possible since I am now living my third life and I'm not even a cat.My father died when I was 15,and we had a hard struggle to make a living.And my mother,who was seriously ill in her last years,died while still in her 60s.My sister married soon after,and I followed her example within the year.
This was when I began to enjoy my first life.I was very happy，in excellent health.I had a good job in San Jose and a beautiful home up the peninsula in San Carlos.Life was a pleasant dream.Then the dream ended.I became afflicted（使苦恼）with a slowly progressive disease of the motor nerves，affecting first my right arm and leg，and then my other side.Thus began my second life...
In spite of my disease I still drove to and from work each day,with the aid of special equipment installed in my car.And I managed to keep my health and optimism,to a degree,because of 14 steps.Crazy?Not at all.Our home was an affair with 14 steps leading up from the garage to the kitchen door.Those steps were a standard measure of life.They were my yardstick,my challenge to continue living.I felt that if the day arrived when I was unable to lift one foot up one step and then drag the other painfully after it—repeating the process 14 times,I would be through—I could then admit defeat and lie down and die.
Then on a dark night in August，1971，I began my third life.It was raining when I started home that night；strong winds and slashing rain beat down on the car as I drove slowly down one of the less-traveled roads.Suddenly the steering wheel jerked（猝然一动）.In the same instant I heard the bang of a blowout.It was impossible for me to change that tire！Utterly impossible！
I started the engine and thumped slowly along until I came to the dirt road,where I turned in and where I found lighted windows welcomed me to a house and pulled into the driveway and blared the horn.
The door opened and a little girl stood there.When she knew what happened to me,she went into the house and a moment later came out,followed by a man who called a cheerful greeting.I sat there comfortable and dry,and felt a bit sorry for the man and the little girl working so hard in the storm.
About an hour later,the man's voice was heard,“This is a bad night for car trouble,but you're all set now.”“Thanks,”I said,“How much do I owe you?”He shook his head,“Nothing.Cynthia told me you were a cripple.Glad to be of help.I know you'd do the same for me.There's no charge,friend.”I held out a five-dollar bill,“No!I like to pay my way.”He made no effort to take it and the little girl stepped closer to the window and said quietly,“Grandpa can't see it.”
(word count 575,readability level 4.2)
( )(1)“A cat has nine lives”here means_________.
A.a cat can live nine times longer than any other animal
B.a cat can die ninth
C.a lucky man can not die easily
D.the writer will live nine times
( )(2)What do you think of the man who helped change the tire?
A.Warm-hearted but pitiable.
B.Warm-hearted and happy.
C.A blind old man that has nothing to do every day.
D.A poor old man that is always ready to help others.
( )(3)How will the story be ended?
A.The writer paid the little girl but the old man did not accept.
B.The writer drove away with tears running down his cheek.
C.The writer stayed there,without knowing what to do and how to do.
D.In the next few frozen seconds the writer felt the shame and astonishment he had never felt before.
( )(4)The best title for this passage perhaps will be_________.
A.The Old Man and His Daughter
B.Heart Leaping Up
C.Never Lose Heart
D.Good Will Be Rewarded Good
11.（2017·黄浦·二模）
Born in 1823 in Wales,Alfred Russel Wallace was a man of modest means,but he had a passion for nature and he chose to follow it.He started out collecting insects as a hobby,but eventually his longing for adventure led him to explore the world.
Luckily for Wallace,Victorian Britain was discovering an interest in weird and wonderful insects,so the demand from museums and private collections for these beasts was growing.Wallace was able to make a living doing what he loved:collecting beetles and other insects.
But his first trip of exploring the world ended in disaster.Wallace proceeded to the Amazon in South America.Its giant forests promised a wealth of new species,sure to put him on the scientific map.The trip took six weeks and involved every mode of transport in existence at the time.After four years Wallace set off for home,but his boat caught fire in the middle of the Atlantic.Everyone survived,but Wallace had to watch in despair as his samples went up in flames—including live animals he was bringing home that were trying to jump free of the flames.But he did not let it stop him.
In 1854,Wallace set off on another adventure,this time to the Malay Archipelago.Wallace found himself humbled by the new and exciting things he saw.He later recalled:“As I lie listening to these interesting sounds,I think how many besides myself have longed to see with their own eyes the many wonderful and beautiful things which I am daily encountering.”
In 1858,Wallace wrote what became known as the“Ternate essay”:a piece of writing that was to change our understanding of life forever.In his essay,Wallace argued that a species would only turn into another species if it was struggling for existence.Henry W.Bates was one of many scientists delighted by the idea of evolution by natural selection.In a letter to Wallace,he wrote:“The idea is like truth itself,so simple and obvious that those who read and understand it will be struck by its simplicity;and yet it is perfectly original.”
(word count 360,readability level 9.5)
( )(1)_________finally caused Wallace to explore the world.
A.His strong affection for nature
B.His life-long devotion to beasts
C.His deep love for adventure
D.Increasing demand for insects
( )(2)Which of the following is TRUE about Wallace's first trip?
A.It took him six weeks to explore the Amazon with all kinds of transportation.
B.He made a scientific study of a fairly limited number of insects.
C.The fire cost him his four years'collection of animals.
D.His passion cooled after the disaster.
( )(3)Wallace felt_________on the Malay Archipelago.
A.fearless B.lucky C.challenged D.risky
( )(4)Wallace's idea on evolution of natural selection_________.
A.made no sense at that time B.built up a new concept of life
C.was too simple to be true D.revealed the origin of nature
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