Duringmyhighschoolyears,themos-优题课

I IMCKKD up the phone. Without so much as a hello ,a voice said: “What’s new? We have an eagle in the backyard.
It look me three second* lo recognize my nephew’s a voice. He was excited.
“He’s sitting on top of a dead tree in the backyard .He’s been there a long lime. We’re tilling in the sunroom watching him."
But actually, my nephew is blind.
Ketinitis pigmentosa（色素性视网膜炎）brgan stealing his sight when he was 12. He’ s in his 20s now.
“It’s a big thing. Dad said it must have a wingspan of 6 feet (1.88 meters). We’ve got an eagle out hack!"
I could believe they had the rare pleasure of spotting an eagle. What I couldn’t believe was that my nephew, without sight, was giving the comment. It shouldn’t have been that surprising,really?
His sight might be gone, but he sees plenty. From memory, mostly; from conventions around him; from listening to television and radio. He has an amazing memory. We took him into town with us when we were visiting his parents once. Our GPS wasn’ t working, so he gave us directions turn by turn, complete with landmarks, approximate distances and cautions on curves（拐弯处）in the road. He knew exactly where we were and got us to where wanted to go.
Second to his family, there are two things that have been important in this young man’s life: a guide dog and a job.
The guide dog gave him the confidence he didn’t know he had.
The job, “well” as his dad said: “Having a job makes him like everybody else. Now, he has something to come home and complain about at the end of the day."
I never have a conversation with my nephew without asking about his job in case lie wants to complain. But I know-and I know that he knows work is a gift.
We were created to work. We were made to produce goods and services, to invent and solve problems. Work is what drags us out of bed in the morning.
Work gives us something to do and somewhere to go. If that doesn’t I sound like a big deal, talk to someone who’ s unemployed. It is working hard that enhances the lime that you don’t work, from kicking back and reading a book to watching an eagle in your backyard.
What surprised the author when she received her nephew’s phone call?

A．An eagle remained in her nephew’ s backyard for a long time.

B．The sight of an eagle made her nephew so excited.

C．Her nephew regained his sight after he had been blind for several years.

D．Despite being blind, her nephew described the eagle as if he could really see it.

By mentioning her nephew lending her amend when site visited his parents, the author intends to .

A．show that she got along well with her nephew and his family

B．fell us of her nephew’s good sense of direction

C．show how good a memory her nephew has

D．prove that her nephew had no trouble living by himself alone

According lo the article, a job is very important lo the author's nephew mainly because .

A．a job make* him confident and slops him from complaining

B．a job enables him lo feel normal

C．with a job he can afford to raise his guide dog

D．with a job he can help his parents support I he family

What can we conclude from the lust two paragraphs?

A．Everyone has to work, so make sure to play.

B．The hander you work, the more successful you w ill lie.

C．Work enriches our lives, so we should appreciate it.

D．Work is just a way for us to kill time and make a living.

Cohn Blanchard stood up from the bench, straightened his Army uniform, and studied the crowd of people making their way through Grand Central Station. He looked for the girl whose heart he knew, but whose face he didn’t, the girl with the rose.
His interest in her had begun thirteen months before in a Florida library. Taking a book off the shelf he found himself intrigued, not with the words of the book, but with the notes penciled in the margin. The soft handwriting reflected a thoughtful soul and insightful mind. In the front of the book, he discovered the previous owner’s name, Miss Hollis Maynell. With time and effort he located her address. She lived in New York City. He wrote her a letter introducing himself and inviting her to correspond. The next day he was shipped overseas for service in World War II.
During the next year and one month the two grew to know each other through the mail. Each letter was a seed falling on a fertile heart. A romance was starting Blanchard requested a photograph, but she refused. She felt that if he really cared, it wouldn’t matter what she looked like.
When the day finally came for him to return from Europe, they scheduled their first meeting —7:00 PM at the Grand Central Station in New York. “You’ll recognize me,” she wrote, “by the red rose I’ll be wearing on my lapel.” So at 7:00 he was in the station looking for a girl whose heart he loved, but whose face he’d never seen.
I’ll let Mr. Blanchard tell you what happened: A young woman was coming toward me, her figure long and slim. Her blonde hair lay back in curls from her delicate ears; her eyes were blue as flowers. Her lips and chin had a gentle firmness, and in her pale green suit she was like springtime come alive. I stared at her, entirely forgetting to notice that she was not wearing a rose. As I moved, a small, attractive smile curved her lips. “Going my way , sailor?” she murmured.
Almost uncontrollably I made one step closer to her, and then I saw Hollis Maynell. She was standing almost directly behind the girl. A woman well past 40, she had graying hair tucked under a worn hat. She was more than plump, her thick-ankled feet thrust into low-heeled shoes. The girl in the green suit was walking quickly away. I felt as though I was split in two, so keen was my desire to follow her, and yet so deep was my longing for the woman whose spirit had truly companioned me and upheld my own.
And there she stood. Her pale, plump face was gentle and sensible, her gray eyes had a warm and kindly twinkle. I did not hesitate. My fingers gripped the small worn blue leather copy of the book that was to identify me to her.
This would not be love, but it would be something precious, something perhaps even better than love, a friendship for which I had been and must ever be grateful. I squared my shoulders and saluted and held out the book to the woman, even though while I spoke I felt choked by the bitterness of my disappointment."I'm Lieutenant John Blanchard, and you must be Miss Maynell. I am so glad you could meet me; may I take you to dinner?"
　　The woman's face broadened into a tolerant smile. "I don't know what this is about, son," she answered, "but the young lady in the green suit who just went by, she begged me to wear this rose on my coat. And she said if you were to ask me out to dinner, I should go and tell you that she is waiting for you in the big restaurant across the street. She said it was some kind of test!"
It's not difficult to understand and admire Miss Maynell's wisdom. The true nature of a heart is seen in its response to the unattractive. "Tell me whom you love," Houssaye wrote, "And I will tell you who you are． "
How did John Blanchard get to know Miss Hollis Maynell?

A．They were both interested in literature．

B．John knew Hollis's name from a library book．

C．John came across Hollis in a Florida library .

D．They lived in the same city．

Hollis refused to send Blanchard a photo because .

A．she thought true love is beyond appearance

B．she had never taken any photo before they knew

C．she was only a middle - aged woman

D．she wasn't confident about her appearance

How could Blanchard recognize Hollis?

A．She would be wearing a scarf around her neck．

B．She would be holding a book in her hand．

C．She would be standing behind a young girl．

D．She would be wearing a rose on her coat．

What was the real Miss Hollis Maynell like?

A．She was a middle - aged woman in her forties．

B．She was a young, pretty girl wearing a green suit．

C．She was a plump woman with graying hair．

D．She was a slightly fat girl, with blonde hair．

When Blanchard went over to greet the woman, he was．

A．shocked but inspired	B．annoyed and bad - mannered
C．disappointed but well - behaved	D．satisfied and confident

Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?

A．Love is blind	B．Don't Judge a Book by its Cover
C．A Test of Love	D．The Symbol of Rose

Reseachers at the University of Kansas say that people can accurately judge 90 percent of a stranger's personality simply by looking at the person’s shoes．“Shoes convey useful information about their wearers，’’the authors wrote in the new study published in the Journal of Research in Personality．
Lead researcher Omri Gillath said the judgments were based on the style，cost，color and condition of someone’s shoes．In the study，63 University of Kansas researchers looked at pictures showing 208 different pairs of shoes worn by the study’s participants.Volunteers in the study were photographed in their most commonly worn shoes，and then filled out a personality questionnaire．
Some of the results were expected：People with higher incomes most commonly wore expensive shoes，and flashier shoes were typically worn by outgoing people．However，some of the more specific results are strange enough．For example，“practical and functional’’shoes were generally worn by more“pleasant"people，while ankle boots were more linked with ‘‘aggressive’’personalities．The strangest of all may be that those who wore‘‘uncomfortable looking” shoes tend to have “calm” personalities. And if you have several pairs of new shoes or take extreme care of them，you may suffer from“attachment anxiety"，spending lots of time worrying about what other people think of your appearance．There was even a political calculation in the mix with more liberal(主张变革的)types wearing“shabbier and less expensive” shoes．
The researchers noted that some people will choose shoe styles to mask their actual personalities，but researchers noted that volunteers were also likely to be unaware that their footwear choices were showing the deep side of their personalities．
What does this text mainly tell us?

A．People’s personalities call be judged by their shoes．

B．Shoes convey false information about the wearer．

C．People know little about their personalities．

D．Shoes Call hide people’s real personalities．

The participants were asked to

A．look at pictures of different shoes

B．provide pictures of their shoes

C．hand in their commonly worn shoes

D．design a personality questionnaire

Which of the results is beyond people’s expectation?

A．Pleasant people like wearing uncomfortable shoes．

B．Wealthy people often wear expensive shoes．

C．Flahshier shoes are typically worn by outgoing people．

D．Aggressive people are likely to weal"ankle boots．

People suffering from“attachment anxiety” tend to

A．become a political leader

B．have a calm character

C．worry about their appearance

D．wear strange shoes

The author wrote the text in order to

A．teach how to choose shoes

B．describe different personalities

C．inform us of a new study

D．introduce a research method

It all began with a stop at a red light.
Kevin Salwen was driving his 14-year-old daughter, Hannah, back from a sleepover in 2006 . While waiting at a traffic light, they saw a black Mercedes Coupe on one side and a homeless man begging for food on the other.
“Dad, if that man had a less nice car, that man there could have a meal.”Hannah protested. The light changed and they drove on, but Hannah was too young to be reasonable. She pestered （纠缠）her parents about inequity, insisting that she wanted to do something.
“What do you want to do?” her mom responded. “Sell our house?”
Warning! Never suggest a grand gesture to an idealistic teenager. Hannah seized upon the idea of selling the luxurious family home and donating half the proceeds to charity, while using the other half to buy a more modest replacement home.
Eventually, that’s what the family did. The project —crazy, impetuous （鲁莽的） and utterly inspiring — is written down in detail in a book by father and daughter scheduled to be published next month: “The Power of Half.” It’s a book that, frankly, I’d be nervous about leaving around where my own teenage kids might find it. An impressionable child reads this, and the next thing you know your whole family is out on the street.
At a time of enormous needs in Haiti and elsewhere, when so many Americans are trying to help Haitians by sending everything from text messages to shoes, the Salwens offer an example of a family that came together to make a difference — for themselves as much as the people they were trying to help. In a column a week ago, it described neurological evidence from brain scans that unselfishness lights up parts of the brain normally associated with more primary satisfaction. The Salwens’ experience confirms the selfish pleasures of selflessness.
Mr. Salwen and his wife, Joan, had always assumed that their kids would be better off in a bigger house. But after they downsized, there was much less space to retreat to, so the family members spent more time around each other. A smaller house unexpectedly turned out to be a more family-friendly house.
The best title for the passage should be “______”.

A．The Less, the Better	B．An Expected Satisfaction
C．Something We Can Live Without	D．Somewhat Crazy but Inspiring

What does the underlined word “inequity” most probably mean in Paragraph 3?

A．Unfairness.

B．Satisfaction.

C．Personal attitude.

D．Reasonable statement.

What does the underlined sentence “Never suggest a grand gesture to an idealistic teenager.” means___?

A．Never give a quick answer to an idealistic teenager.

B．Unless a child is realistic, never give an answer immediately.

C．Give an answer if the child is reasonable.

D．Don’t respond to a child's demands firmly without consideration.

What can we learn from the last paragraph?

A．The Salwens regretted selling their house.

B．The relationship between the family members of the Salwens is much closer.

C．Small houses can bring happiness.

D．The Salwens intend to buy another big house.

Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A．Mercedes Coupe is only an ordinary car which is quite cheap.

B．Unselfishness has nothing to do with people’s primary satisfaction.

C．Hannah asked her parents to do something charitable and they sold their house.

D．The writer’s children asked him to sell their house.

I was in a rush as always, but this time it was for an important date I just couldn’ t be late for! I found myself at a checkout counter behind an elderly woman seemingly in no hurry as she paid for her groceries. A PhD student with not a lot of money, I had hurried into the store to pick up some flowers. I was in a huge rush, thinking of my upcoming evening. I did not want to be late for this date.
We were in Boston, a place not always known for small conversation between strangers. The woman stopped unloading her basket and looked up at me. She smiled. It was a nice smile —warm and reassuring — and I returned her gift by smiling back.
“Must be a special lady, whoever it is that will be getting those beautiful flowers，” she said.
“Yes, she’ s special，” I said, and then to my embarrassment, the words kept coming out. “It’ s only our second date，but somehow I am just having the feeling she’s ‘the one’ ，”Jokingly, I added, “The only problem is that I can’ t figure out why she’ d want to date a guy like me.”
“Well, I think she’s very lucky to have a boyfriend who brings her such lovely flowers and who is obviously in love with her,” the woman said. “My husband used to bring me flowers every week — even when times were tough and we didn’ t have much money. Those were incredible days; he was very romantic and — of course — I miss him since he’ s passed away.”
I paid for my flowers as she was gathering up her groceries. There was no doubt in my mind as I walked up to her. I touched her on the shoulder and said, “You were right, you know. These flowers are indeed for a very special lady.” I handed her the flowers and thanked her for such a nice conversation.
It took her a moment to realize that I was giving her the flowers I had just purchased.“You have a wonderful evening,” I said. I left her with a big smile and my heart warmed as I saw her smelling the beautiful flowers.
I remember being slightly late for my date that night and telling my girlfriend the above story. A couple of years later，when I finally worked up the courage to ask her to marry me，she told me that this story had helped to seal it for her — that was the night that I won her heart.
Why was the writer in a hurry that day?

A．He was to meet his girlfriend.

B．He had to go back to school soon.

C．He was delayed by an elderly lady.

D．He had to pick up some groceries.

What does the underlined phrase “her gift” (Paragraph 2) refer to?

A．Her words.

B．Her smile.

C．Her flowers.

D．Her politeness.

Why did the writer give his flowers to the elderly lady?

A．She told him a nice story.	B．She allowed him to pay first.
C．She gave him encouragement.	D．She liked flowers very much.

What does the underlined word “ seal” mean in the last paragraph?

A．envelop

B．block

C．an animal

D．decide

What is the message conveyed in the story?

A．Flowers are important for a date.

B．Small talk is helpful.

C．Love and kindness are rewarding.

D．Elderly people deserve respecting.