.
Larry Walters’boyhood dream was to fly. After finishing school, Larry joined the U.S. Air Force, but was refused from pilot-training school because of poor eyesight. However, his dream remained.
Larry, aged 33, was a truck driver in Los Angeles. One day, while sitting outside and watching jets fly overhead, an idea came to him to use weather balloons to fly.
A few weeks later, Larry bought 42 weather balloons. He tied them to a chair and filled them with helium(氦). Then he sat down in the chair with some beer, sandwiches and a BB gun. Larry’s plan was to float about 10 meters above his backyard, enjoy a few hours in the air, and then pop some balloons with his gun to get back down. But things did not go according to Larry’s plan.
When his friends cut the lines, Larry lifted by the 42 balloons and shot skyward at an astonishing speed. He finally settled at an altitude of 4,000 meters. Afraid to pop any of the balloons, in case he should break the balance of his “craft”, Larry sat, cold and frightened, in the sky for 14 hours.
Airline pilots heading toward Los Angeles’busy international airport radioed in reports of the strange sight. Larry’s presence in the sky caused numerous planes to change their routes. Eventually, Larry worked up the nerve to shoot a few balloons and landed in power lines. Uninjured, he climbed down to safety and was arrested by waiting police.
Larry set a record for a gas-filled balloon flight. But it cost him. He was later fined $1,500 for breaking air safety regulations.
68. What’s the BB gun used for in the passage?
A. To protect Larry from unexpected danger. B. To fill the balloons with gas.
C. To shoot the balloons to get him back. D. To fight with the waiting police.
69. It turned out that Larry________.
A. floated about 10 meters high B. remained in the sky for 14 hours
C. set a world record in making balloons D. became a truck driver after the flight
70. The underlined part in Paragraph 5 most probably means ____.
A. watched carefully B. gathered his courage
C. kept his balance D. climbed down
71. It can be learned from the passage that________.
A. Larry’s boyhood dream came true in the end
B. Larry’s disappearance in the sky caused much trouble
C. Larry won a prize of $1,500 for his bravery
D. Larry was not accepted as a pilot for his poor hearing
She had been shopping with her Mom in Wal-Mart.She must have been 6 years old, this beautiful brown haired, freckle-faced image of innocence.Outside, it was pouring so heavily.
We all stood there just inside the door of the Wal-Mart.We waited, some patiently, others annoyed because nature messed up their hurried day.I got lost in the sound and sight of the heavens washing away the dirt and dust of the world.
Her voice was so sweet as it broke the hypnotic trance (昏昏欲睡) we were all caught in."Mom, let's run through the rain," she said.
"No, honey.We'll wait until it slows down a bit," Mom replied.
This young child waited about another minute and repeated: "Mom, let's run through the rain."
" We'll get wet totally if we do," Mom said.
"No, we won't, Mom.That's not what you said this morning," the young girl said as she tore at her Mom's arm.
"This morning? When did I say we could run through the rain and not get wet?"
"Don't you remember? When you were talking to Daddy about his cancer, you said, If God can get us through this, he can get us through anything!"
The entire crowd stopped dead silent.I dare say you couldn't hear anything but the rain.We all stood silently. No one came or left in. the next few minutes,Mom paused and thought for a moment about what she would say.
Now some would laugh it off and scold her for being silly.Some might even ignore what was said. But this was a moment of affirmation in a young child's lifetime when innocent trust can be developed so that it will bloom into faith."Honey, you are absolutely right.Let's run through the rain.If get wet, well maybe we just need washing," Mom said.Then off they ran.
We all stood watching, smiling and laughing as they rushed past the cars and they held their shopping bags over their heads just in case.They got soaked.But they were followed by a few who screamed and laughed like children all the way to their cars.And yes, I did.I ran.I got wet.I needed washing.
You may lose your material possessions, your money and even your health, but no one can ever take away your precious memories.So don't forget to make time and take the opportunities to make memories.Which of the following is the closest in meaning to the underlined word "affirmation"?
A.happiness | B.approval | C.disagreement | D.love |
What do we know about the mother in the story?
A.Her husband was cured of his cancer. |
B.She was strong-willed and considerate. |
C.She was in despair and pretended to forget what she said. |
D.Her daughter completely understood the situation her family was in. |
Which of the following may the author agree with?
A.The mother should not tell her child about the family misfortune. |
B.Parents should act more bravely than their children. |
C.Parents should grasp every opportunity to influence their children to grow well. |
D.Children should learn to show gratitude and understanding to their parents. |
The best title for the passage might be _____.
A.Run Through the Rain | B.Be a Determined Mother |
C.Wait in the Rain | D.Have a Wonderful Experience |
Mr. Brown worked in a factory of a small town. He had been there for twenty years before one day he was sent to the capital for important business. He was quite excited because he had never been there before. Before he set off, he asked his wife and three daughters if they wanted him to buy something for them in Lon-don. Mrs. Brown began to think it over and then she said she wished her husband would be able to buy a nice umbrella for her, and so did their three daughters. As he was afraid he would forget it, he drew an umbrella on his hand. To his regret, he lost it at the station.
On the train Mr. Brown sat opposite to an old woman. The woman’s umbrella was so nice that he carefully looked at it and said to himself not to forget to buy a few umbrellas like it. When the train arrived at the station in London, he said good-bye to the old woman, took his bag and her umbrella and was going to get off.
“Wait a minute, sir,” shouted the old woman. “That’s my umbrella!”
Now Mr. Brown noticed that he had taken her umbrella. His face turned red at once and said in a hurry, “Oh, I’m very sorry, Madam! I didn’t mean it!”
Seven days later Mr. Brown left the capital. To his surprise, he met the old woman and sat opposite to her again. Looking at the four umbrellas, the old woman was satisfied with herself. “It seems that I had a better result than the other four women.” She thought.We can learn from the passage that Mr. Brown was ______.
A.a conductor | B.a worker | C.a thief | D.an umbrella maker |
The underlined word “it” in the first paragraph refers to ______.
A.his ticket | B.his bag | C.his drawing | D.his umbrella |
Why did Mr. Brown take the woman’s umbrella?
A.Because he was lost in thought. |
B.Because it was much like his own umbrella. |
C.Because he thought the woman would not notice it. |
D.Because the woman misplaced it beside Mr. Brown. |
When looking at Mr. Brown with four umbrellas, the woman felt ______.
A.surprised | B.angry | C.fortunate | D.sad |
How did Mr. Brown get the four umbrellas?
A.He picked them on the train. | B.He brought them from his small town. |
C.He bought them in London. | D.He stole them from four women. |
Dear Victor:
I am a college student. Nowadays games on the net are very popular with college students. Some of my roommates are very interested in them. They not only play games in their free time, but also keep talking about them at night when lights are off, and they regard games as part of life. I’ve begged(乞求) them to give it up, but they wouldn’t listen to me. It has become a rather big problem. Should I report it to our teachers or do something else?
Ted,
Dear Ted:
Drop it. Your roommates, as grown-ups, can do whatever they want with their time so long as it doesn’t break school rules or violate(防碍) other people’s interests.
Playing perhaps gives these students relaxation(放松) from hard study. If they play too often, have little time to study, and they will reap what they have sown, but you will not. Reporting to the teachers would only harm your good name in your dormitory(宿舍). However you have rights to ask your roommates to be quiet when you need sleep. If they aren’t angry with you, they will stop talking. But be polite and friendly. Perhaps, in return, join them in a game or two.
Victor. According to the first letter, many college students enjoy__________.
A.playing computer games | B.searching information on the Internet |
C.sending e-mails | D.buying things online |
Ted wants his roommates to___________.
A.break their computers | B.sell their computers to teachers |
C.stop playing computer games | D.play games in the day, not at night |
According to the second letter, some college students____________.
A.can violate school rules or other people’s interests |
B.have their rights to quarrel with Ted |
C.can relax themselves while playing games on the net |
D.can study even better if they play games on the net |
Victor asks Ted to__________.
A.report to the teachers | B.harm his good name in the dormitory |
C.quarrel with his roommates | D.learn how to get on well with others |
In the second letter, the underlined part(划线部分) means__________.
A.自食其果 | B.随心所欲地做事 | C.回家种庄稼 | D.逃避责任 |
There are many ways to find a job. It can be as easy as walking into a neighborhood store to look at its announcement board. Local stores often have areas where people can put small signs telling what kind of service they need or can provide. Such services include caring for children or cleaning houses.
Or, job searchers can look in the newspaper. Local newspapers have employment announcements placed by companies seeking workers.
Another popular tool for finding jobs is the Internet. For example, people in four hundred and fifty cities around the world can use the Craigslist Web site to buy objects, meet people or find a job. Craigslist says that it receives two million new job listings each month.
Another useful way to find a job is through a college or university. For example, students at the University of Texas in Austin can go to the Career Exploration Center to get help in finding a job. Of course, looking for a job requires knowing what kind of work you want to do. For example, there is a book called “What Color is Your Parachute (降落伞)?” by Richard Bolles. This book has been helping people choose a career (职业) since it was first published in nineteen seventy.
Some experts also help people find jobs. Susan W. Miller owns a company called California Career Services in Los Angeles. She says her company helps people find jobs by first helping them understand their strengths, goals and interests. Then she provides them with methods and resources to help them find the right job.What is the passage mainly about?
A.Finding a job. | B.College students’ part-time jobs. |
C.Craigslist Web site. | D.The relation between study and work. |
By logging on the Craigslist Web site, you can ______.
A.sell your old things |
B.do some shopping online |
C.create your own announcement board |
D.get useful information about 450 cities |
“What Color is Your Parachute?” is a book which gives tips to those who want to _____.
A.work on the airplane | B.buy a parachute | C.publish a book | D.find a suitable job |
It can be learned from the passage that ______.
A.companies often put job information in local shops |
B.the Internet is the most popular tool for job hunters in the USA |
C.Susan W. Miller’s company is helping people choose careers |
D.California Career Services mainly serves university students |
How many ways of finding a job are mentioned in the passage?
A.Three. | B.Four. | C.Five. | D.Six. |
When Mr. David retired(退休), he bought a small house in a village near the sea. He liked it and hoped to live a quiet life in it. But to his surprise, many visitors came to see his house in summer holidays, for it was the most interesting building in the village. From morning to night, there were visitors outside the house. They kept looking into the rooms through the windows and many of them even went into the house. He decided to drive the visitors away. So he put a notice on the window. The notice said,“If you want to satisfy your curiosity(好奇心),come in and look around. Price: twenty dollars.”Mr. David was sure that the visitors would stop coming, but he was wrong. More and more visitors came and Mr. David had to spend every day showing them around his house. “I came here to retire, not to work as a guide(导游)”, he said angrily. In the end, he sold the house and moved away.Mr. David’s house was that many visitors came to see it.
A.so small | B.so quiet | C.so interesting | D.such interesting |
Mr. David put a notice on the window in order.
A.to drive the visitors away |
B.to satisfy the visitors curiosity |
C.to let visitors come in and look around |
D.to get some money out of the visitors |
The notice made the visitors .
A.more interested in his house | B.lost interest in his house |
C.angry at the unfair price | D.feel happy about the price |
After Mr. David put up the notice .
A.the visitors didn’t come any more |
B.fewer and fewer visitors came to see his house |
C.more and more visitors came for a visit |
D.no visitor would pay the money for a visit |
At last he had to sell his house and move away because .
A.he did not like it at all |
B.he could not work as a guide |
C.he made enough money and wanted to buy a new expensive house |
D.he could not live a quiet life in it |