(单词翻译:单击)
IV 阅读理解 (共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分)
A
Willie Stewart still remembers his first day of kayaking through the grand Canyon. He was getting bounced around in the roughest white water he had ever seen. There was nothing the river threw at him.
There he was in a 40-pound boat, with only a few months of training and one arm. Tied to his left shoulder was a prosthetic limb(假肢)that he'd had for just about a week. The plan was to paddle(划) for 20 days over 227 miles of the roughest white water in the United States. It was one of the most remarkable adventures that the Grand Canyon had ever seen.
It started with a casual phone call in the spring of 2005. A good friend, Mike Crenshaw, finally got a permit from the National Park Service to lead a private party of 16 boaters down the Colorado River that coming August. He had a slot（位置） open for Willie, "Was he interested ?"
"It was the chance of a lifetime," Stewart said. He had been waiting years for this trip to happen. "How could I refuse ?"
But before they set off, Stewart had a couple of things to take care of. He had to get a white-water kayak, learn how to use it, and get an arm.
For most of his life, the rugged 45-year-old man has lived with only his right arm. He lost his left arm in a horrible accident when he was 18.Stewart was doing a summer construction job in Washington, D.C. The trailing end of rope he was carrying got twisted in an industrial fan. Before he could react, the fan reeled in the rope tight and cut his arm just above the elbow.
He became a bitter young man, angry at the unfairness of what had happened ,and often got into fights. In time, he learned to channel his rage into sports. He joined a rugby team, established a reputation as a fearless player and eventually was elected captain. His days of rage long gone, he found peace and purpose in his life.
41. The underlined word "rugged " in Paragraph 6 means "______"
A. poor B. stubborn
C. determined D. unfortunate
42. What had urged Willie Stewart to paddle down the Colorado River ?
A. His family's support B. His great determination
C. His curiosity D. His dream
43.From the passage we can know that ______.
A. Stewart was depressed at one time
B. Stewart lost his left arm 22 years ago
C. Stewart never complained about the unfairness of life
D. Stewart was persuaded to kayak through the Grand Canyon
44. What can we learn form the story ?
A. An optimist sees the rose ; a pessimist sees the thorn
B. Nothing is too difficult if you put your heart into it
C. A change of self is needed more than a change of scene
D. If winter comes, can spring be far away ?
B
I've lived my whole life in Spanish Harlem with my mom, and I never have a father. I have friends who ended up in jail or pregnancy. But Mr.Clark wouldn't let that happen. Mr. Clark worked long hours, making sure I did my work. My grades rose. In fact ,our whole fifth-grade class's scores rose in math and reading. In sixth grade, I entered the gifted program, and Mr. Clark was the teacher. I felt so lucky to have him for a second year !
None of us were surprised when Mr.Clark was selected as Disney's 2004 Teacher of the Year. When he learned he'd won, he said he would draw three names out of a hat; those students would go with him to Los Angeles to get the award. But when it came time to draw names, Mr. Clark said, " You're all going."
He got donations to fly all 37of us out to Disneyland in California and put us at the Hilton. We were there for three days. People were amazed, but Mr. Clark really cared about us. There's no way I can imagine most teachers doing that. No way. But he saw something in us that nobody else saw.
On graduation day ,there were a lot of tears. We didn't want his class to end. In 2005,he moved to Atlanta, but we always kept in touch. He started giving speeches about education and wrote a best-selling book based on his classroom rules.
In 2007,Mr.Clark took some of us on a trip to South Africa to deliver school supplies and visit orphanages. It was the most amazing experience of my life. It's now my dream to start a group of women's clubs one day, helping people from all backgrounds.
I'm about to become a senior at Harlem Renaissance High School. My grades are beautiful now, and I'm hoping to go to law school eventually. This fall, Mr.Clark will be opening the Ron Clark Academy in Atlanta, a school for kids who have potential but aren't reaching it, kids who are like I was - until Mr.Clark came along.
