A

　　(2014·合肥第三次质检)

　　Have you got some paper,a pair of scissors and,above all,a desire to decorate your house?Then,we have the perfect holiday artwork for you:Make Star Wars snowflakes (雪花).Remembered as a cherished form of work in classrooms before the holidays,paper snowflakes have drawn many people’s attention again.

　　The designer,Anthony Herrera,just recently released his 2013 collection.“The Star Wars snowflake designs began as just doing designs of characters that I and my daughter wanted to make three years ago,” Herrera told us in an email.“The second year I introduced vehicles,and this year I decided to push further by designing battle scenes.”

　　Sometimes,he feels a bit bored with his job.With each year,the designs have got more detailed and various,but the process of creating them remained the same:sketching figures on paper with a pencil until a symmetrical (对称)pattern comes out,then scanning the designs and cutting them with scissors.However,he says he has plenty of ideas for new flakes next year,so no two will ever be the same.Hopefully with Star Wars:Episode Ⅶ coming in 2015 he’ll have even more work in the future.

　　Check out your favorite finished versions of Herrera’s flakes (from both 2013 and previous years) and download the pictures beneath them and then get down to creating your own work.A warning:Most designs aren’t for the casual flake-maker,so patience you must have.

　　1.Making paper snowflakes draws many people’s attention probably because 　　　.

　　A.it is a traditional form of decoration

　　B.it is a course of artwork in school

　　C.it is a way of killing time in holiday

　　D.it is designed by Anthony Herrera

　　2.From the text,we know that Herrera 　　　.

　　A.can make snowflakes with his daughter’s help

　　B.made more complicated designs before 2013

　　C.introduced paper vehicles in 2011

　　D.will make a great variety of detailed paper flakes

　　3.Herrera is fed up with the job sometimes because 　　　.

　　A.he has to design detailed and different patterns

　　B.he has to follow the fixed process of paper cutting

　　C.he spends much time designing,scanning and cutting

　　D.he has few ideas for what the next designs will be like

　　4.By writing the last paragraph,the author tries to 　　　.

　　A.offer us more information about Herrera’s paper cutting

　　B.tell us how to download picture of snowflakes

　　C.instruct people to be a real creative artist

　　D.remind us of being patient with Herrera’s designs

　　B

　　(2014·厦门质检)

　　It was a Saturday morning,a day I believed would end in victory.For weeks,I had been preparing for the match at the county fairgrounds,sponsored(赞助)by our local riding club.My horse,Tonka,and I could run faster than any other kid in the county,and I hoped to bring home a blue ribbon.

　　My mother usually drove me to the riding events,but on this day,my father planned to drop us off at the fairgrounds with the horse trailer(拖车).

　　Although we never discussed it,my father’s struggle with alcoholism had become the silent center of our family life.My mother was paralyzed with fear and indecision.Her salary as a part-time nurse couldn’t possibly support four children.No one talked about alcoholism in those days,and it was my family’s secret.

　　We climbed on the trailer and my father pulled out of our driveway and headed toward the fairgrounds,picking up speed once we hit the main road.It wasn’t until we felt a big bump that I realized the trailer was out of control.The dream of my riding winner disappeared. Tonka lay on the floor,completely still.No words were possible.I knew he was dead.

　　Suddenly a man appeared.“Are you all right?”he asked.“Yes,”I answered,although I knew that nothing was all right.“Sit here on the grass,”he said.He bent down to look into the trailer.Tonka remained still.He touched Tonka and then turned to face me.“He is going to be OK.He has just been knocked unconscious.” He rubbed Tonka’s cheeks and gently pulled his ears.Tonka rose to his feet.

　　Our father was talking to a police officer.He was upset and in pain and took little notice of me.I looked back;the man was gone.

　　I never forgot him.He gave me strength and a sense of hope in a dark and frightening moment.

　　1.The writer went to the fairgrounds because he wanted to 　　　.

　　A.take part in a horse-racing

　　B.buy Mum a blue ribbon

　　C.join the local riding club

　　D.train his horse there

　　2.We can learn from the third paragraph that 　　　.

　　A.the family kept silent at home

　　B.the family lived a secret life

　　C.Father was addicted to alcohol

　　D.Mum was physically disabled

　　3.What does “he” in the fourth paragraph refer to?

　　A.Father.　　　　　　　B.The stranger.

　　C.The horse. D.The winner.

　　4.What does the author want to tell the readers through the story?

　　A.Once formed,bad habits are difficult to break.

　　B.Unexpected kindness is a light that shines in the darkness.

　　C.However mean your life is,meet it and live it.

　　D.Family is a place of encouragement,a safe harbor in the storms.

　　##

　　A

　　1.A　推理判断题。根据文章第一段可知,剪纸雪花是一种珍贵的艺术形式,而现在它又一次吸引人们的注意,故说明是剪纸雪花这种传统的装饰形式吸引着人们,故A项正确。

　　2.D　细节理解题。根据文章第二段可知,Herrera设计各种各样的剪纸雪花,故D项正确。

　　3.B　细节理解题。根据文章第三段第二句可知,Herrera有时感到厌倦是因为创造的过程总是一样的,故B项正确。

　　4.C　写作意图题。作者写该文的意图是在指导人们创作自己的作品,故C项正确。

　　B

　　【语篇导读】意外的事故使作者赛马获胜的希望破灭,而此时一位陌生人的帮忙让作者感觉如同在黑暗中见到了光亮。

　　1.A　细节理解题。根据第一段中的“For weeks,I had been preparing for the match at the county fairgrounds”可知,作者去那里是为了参加赛马比赛。

　　2.C　细节理解题。根据第三段中的“my father’s struggle with alcoholism”可知,作者的父亲酗酒。

　　3.C　代词指代题。根据前文“Tonka lay on the floor,completely still.”可知,作者认为他的马死了,因此该处he指马。

　　4.B　写作意图题。文章的最后一段升华了主题:意想不到的善举是黑暗中闪耀的光,让人在恐惧中看到希望。