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After giving his fingerprints, Xu waited to be called for his interview, sitting in an area that was as quiet as a library. Each passing minute seemed to be as long as a century.
After an hour, Xu was called with three other people to a window for their interview. Two were rejected before his turn. Then the American officer, speaking fluent Chinese, reached for Xu’s paperwork, asked some simple questions and said, “Congratulations.”
“I was so nervous. The first thing I did when I got out was to call my mom and tell her I passed,” Xu said. “She was the one who warned me it wasn’t going to be easy.”
50. We can learn from Paragraph 2 that in China ________.
A. you may quickly be rejected for a U.S. visa after a long wait
  B. getting a U.S. visa is not as hard as getting a driver’s license
  C. an applicant has to wait two months to get a visa for the U.S.
  D. there are more than five US consular locations stamping visas
51. What makes it tiring work to be a U.S. visa officer?
  A. Overcrowded workplaces. B. Expanded working hours.
  C. Poorly-equipped offices. D. Over-loaded responsibilities.
52. The underlined word “dogged” in Paragraph 5 means “________”.
  A. troubled B. pardoned C. submitted D. abandoned
53. Beijing native Tan Ge was refused a U.S. visa probably because he ________.
  A. had no stable income B. was supposed to be unsafe for the U.S.
  C. had too wide interests D. had got a full scholarship in the U.S.
54. Why does the author give a detailed description of Xu Yong’s experience?
  A. To show how lucky Xu is to make it to New York.
  B. To reflect the problems in processing a U.S. entry visa.
  C. To stress what a hard-won success it is to get a U.S. visa.
 D. To persuade readers out of working or studying abroad.
 
D
     In the twilight, we begin the journey together down the endless sandy beach. As nightfall sweeps across the sky, the sudden darkness catches me by surprise and she becomes only a hazy (模糊的) figure in the black. I do not have to look to know she is still there walking beside me. That sweet, comforting scent that only a mother can wear, a smell that a child will never forget silently assured me. It reminds me of my childhood days and I can barely see two figures in the dark. Slowly the shadows take shape, and transform into a woman and a girl of five years of age. Scenery appears from the dark corners and a simple house comes into view. 
The rich blue sky spreads itself broadly behind it. It is all clear now and I carefully watch them playing in the small backyard, beneath a towering mango tree. A homemade swing formed from a piece of white painted wood and two thick ropes hangs on the branches. The little girl slowly pushes herself on the swing. Singing happily, she gazes at her surroundings with large, innocent eyes. Moving around her, the woman sweeps up the fallen leaves. Suddenly the girl cries out to her mother and with a smile, she stops sweeping and carefully pulls the swing back, then gives it a great push. The little girl's face lights up in delight and her long, black hair floats behind her. I watch the scene in bittersweet memory, and the longing to return to my childhood days overcomes me. Gently, the scene disappears and the sea brings me back to the dark beach with the waves pounding in my ears. 
The sky becomes hazy and I see the same woman and a thirteen-year old girl in the black distance. The clouds slowly disappear and they are sitting outside in the cool night on a wooden porch talking quietly. I cannot hear. It is as if I am watching a silent movie. The woman makes a movement as if to take the girl's hand and point out constellations（星座） in the beautiful sky above them. The girl jerks（甩开） her hand away, embarrassed. Ignorantly, she fails to notice the woman's face gazing at her in disappointment. Looking down, the girl is absorbed in arranging the flowers into different patterns on the brown wood. The woman is staring eagerly at the girl, trying to make conversation, and using her hands to gesture. Yet the girl never once looks up, never says more than a few words. I watch helplessly, as the woman feels more and more frustrated and hopeless. Unaware of her mother's feelings, the girl continues to shut her out. Suddenly, the woman stands, throws her hands down at the girl and enters the house in tears. I watch with shame the events taking place before me, and wish desperately that I could change them.
In the moonlight upon the sand, I realize our two sets of footprints have begun to separate with the slightly larger ones up towards the dry sandy hill, and the smaller ones down towards the sea water. Neither pair of footprints intended to drift apart, it is just how the journey goes. The beach fades as a new scene appears. Beneath my feet, the soft sand is replaced by a cold white floor. Bright lights shine on me from the ceiling, and soon I feel sweat dripping down my face. The line begins to move.
“Time to go.” I whisper. She does not say a word, but smiles a watery smile and holds my hand tightly. Slowly she lets go, but I continue to cling to her hand, desperate in the moment. The excited emotions I had felt a week ago were gone, and only the sick feeling of leaving home existed. We look at each other, and in that gaze, a thousand words pass between us. I drop her hand and wrap my arms around her back tightly, giving her a long squeeze. Unwillingly, we tear apart and I head slowly down the long corridor, looking back once, twice, to see if she is still standing there, watching me. I smile as my eyes fill with tears, and turn the corner. 
Everything blurs（变模糊）, and I shake my head to clear the haziness. I am lost in the cool sea breeze. Looking up at her, I feel the desire to run and wrap my arms around her legs as I once used to. I long for her to walk beside me, my companion along our journey once again. Staring at her turned head expectantly, she turns and catches my eye and holds the gaze for a long time in pure silence. Giving a gentle smile, she walks down toward me. Together, we continue our journey to the end of the beach, her footprints and mine. 
 
55. What makes the writer feel her mother’s presence?
  A. The clothes her mother wears.
  B. The scent she can smell.
  C. The figure she can see in the dark.
  D. The shadow she casts on the beach.
56. Why does the girl’s face light up in Paragraph 2?
A. Because she has learned how to push herself on the swing.
B. Because she is proud of her long beautiful hair.
C. Because her mother is always sweeping around her.
D. Because her mother is always ready to help and comfort her.
57. What makes the mother disappointed in Paragraph 3?
A. The generation gap between the daughter and the mother.
B. The daughter finally left home and she is alone.
C. Her daughter is unwilling to appreciate the constellations with her.
D. They can only communicate by gesture.
58. What is the passage mainly about?
A. Sweet memories of her childhood.
B. The recalling of some scenes in the past days.
C. What she saw on the beach with her mother.
D. The relationship between the girl and her mother.
59. Which of the following writing techniques is employed in the passage?
A. Explanation.   B. Comparison. C. Description. D. Argument.
60. Which of the following serves the best title for the passage?
A. The Footprints B. A Journey to the Beach C. Her Gaze D. Mother’s Love
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