.
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
Advertisement
★Share Flat. Happy Valley big flat, one room ready for use immediately, quiet and convenient, fully furnished, park view. $6,800 including bills with maid.
Female nonsmoker. No pet. Sara 25720836 or 10077809.
★Moving Sale: 2 armchairs, red/ brown at $400 each; coffee table, black, wood,$800; oil painting, big, $900; Tianjin carpet, green, 3×7, $600; double bed, $500; mirror, big square, $500; fridge, big, double-door, $1,000; old pictures, $140 up, each. Tel: Weekend, 2521-6011; Weekday, 2524-5867.
★Part-time Laboratory Assistant Wanted. Required by busy electronics company to help with development of computer. Should have an electronics degree and some practical experience of working in an electronics laboratory. Hours 9:30am-1:00pm, Mon.-Fri. Fourteen days paid leave. Salary 6,598-10,230 dependent on experience. Letter of application to: Mrs G Chan, NOVA ELECTRONICS, 45 Gordon RD, Hung Hom Knowloon.The one who puts on the first advertisement probably wants to ______.
A.rent a beautiful flat of her own in Happy Valley |
B.find another lady to share the cost to rent a flat |
C.share her room in a flat with whoever has no pet |
D.find a maid to look after herself |
If you want to buy some old furniture, you should ______.
A.get in touch with NOVA ELECTRONICS |
B.call 2524-5867 any day except Monday |
C.do it before you move to another place |
D.call either 2524-5867 on Monday or 2521-6011 onSaturday |
Once you get a part-time job in NOVA ELECTRONICS, _______.
A.you will be given 14 days off each year besides weekends |
B.you will get $6,598 each month no matter how experienced you are |
C.your have to work at least 4 hours a day |
D.you should write a letter of application to Mrs. G Chan |
Winning the lottery (彩票) is not the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow for many past winners. Sad stories do exist in large numbers for the past lottery winners and that's why some financial experts say "70 percent of lottery winners will squander away (乱花) winning within a few years." Some end up losing all within two years, family relationships destroyed or even worse.
Wayne Schenk was an old soldier diagnosed with lung cancer. When he won a million dollars in a lottery he thought his troubles were over and he would get the advanced medical treatment that might save his life. But Lottery officials refused to pay him the total sum in a single payment and they said they could not make an exception to the regulations. When Schenk died in 2007, he'd only received one payment of $34,000.
Another lottery winner, Billy Bob Harrell, Jr. killed himself two years after winning 31 million dollars in the Texas lottery in 1997.He'd spent large amounts of money and given large amounts away, but he didn't end me expected peace that should have come with the freedom of money.
Other lottery winners have ended up in prison for crimes. Many suffer bankruptcy (破产) after the big jackpot (头奖) is spent and given away, including some of the eight people who won the 365 million Powerball in 2006.
The examples given paint a sad picture of what can happen if you win a big lottery jackpot, but fortunately, these examples don't tell the stories of all jackpot winners.What is the main idea of the first paragraph?
A.Most lottery winners use up money quickly. |
B.Most lottery winners don't really end up well. |
C.Winning lottery means relationships destroyed. |
D.Financial experts are against the lottery industry. |
Why did lottery officials refuse to give Wayne Schenk the million dollars in one payment?
A.He was diagnosed with lung cancer. |
B.He was unwilling to give away his money. |
C.They had to observe the official rules. |
D.They didn't want to disturb his peace. |
The author supports his main idea by ____.
A.giving examples | B.making comparisons |
C.listing numbers | D.listing reasons |
In the following paragraph, the author will probably talk about_____.
A.advice given by financial experts |
B.happy stories of the lottery winners |
C.conclusion drawn by the author |
D.regulations about lottery winning |
Win a Week in England
You still don’t know what to do this summer? Well, here’s your chance to win a one week language course in Kent, England! Free4Fun and ETC(English Travel Connections) are giving away two trips to Rochester. This historic city is less than an hour’s drive from London and close to the sea resort of Herne Bay. It is also the home of one of England’s most famous writers, Charles Dickens. The town of Rochester is in Southeast England. Charles Dickens often wrote about it in his books. His home, Gad’s Hill, is there, too. A popular attraction is Rochester Castle, a large Norman fortress(堡垒). It was built in the 11th century and rebuilt during the 14th century. Other attractions are Rochester Cathedral, which was built during the 13th century, and Dickens Centre. It has got its name in honour of Dickens himself.
The trip to England includes:
* travel by train (via the Eurotunnel) to and from any railway station in Germany
* room and full board with a guest family for one week
* language course in small groups
* two trips to London
* large choice of sports and entertainment
* German-speaking advisors available 24 hours a day
Interested? All you have to do is to answer the following question: When was Charles Dickens born?
So, take the chance and send your answer by May 1 to:
Free4Fun “ Rochester ”
Free4Fun, 24 Elphinstone Road, Hastings, 2FQ6VJ
fax: 089/85-763-103
e-mail: free4fun@netlight.com
The two winners will be contacted directly before May 5. They will also be announced in the June issue of Free4Fun. Good luck!
For further information contact:
phone: ( 03212 ) 144-43
fax: ( 03212 ) 144-42
e-mail: info@etc.comRochester Cathedral was built in the _____.
A.1400s | B.1300s | C.1200s | D.1100s |
What activities can you participate in during the trip?
A.Enjoying sports and entertainment. |
B.Learning the German language. |
C.Traveling by train with a guest family. |
D.Working as a language advisor. |
This advertisement was designed to target ____.
A.Italians | B.Germans | C.Europeans | D.Americans |
Some years ago, writing in my diary used to be a usual activity. I would return from school and spend the expected half hour recording the day’s events, feelings, and impressions in my little blue diary. I did not really need to express my emotions by way of words, but I gained a certain satisfaction from seeing my experiences forever recorded on paper. After all, isn’t accumulating memories a way of preserving the past?
When I was thirteen years old, I went on a long journey on foot in a great valley, well-equipped with pens, a diary, and a camera. During the trip, I was busy recording every incident, name and place I came across. I felt proud to be spending my time productively, dutifully preserving for future generations a detailed description of my travels. On my last night there, I wandered out of my tent, diary in hand. The sky was clear and lit by the glare of the moon, and the walls of the valley looked threatening behind their screen of shadows. I automatically took out my pen…
At that point, I understood that nothing I wrote could ever match or replace the few seconds I allowed myself to experience the dramatic beauty of the valley. All I remembered of the previous few days were the dull characterizations I had set down in my diary.
Now, I only write in my diary when I need to write down a special thought or feeling. I still love to record ideas and quotations that strike me in books, or observations that are particularly meaningful. I take pictures, but not very often—only of objects I find really beautiful. I’m no longer blindly satisfied with having something to remember when I grow old. I realize that life will simply pass me by if I stay behind the camera, busy preserving the present so as to live it in the future.
I don’t want to wake up one day and have nothing but a pile of pictures and notes. Maybe I won’t have as many exact representations of people and places; maybe I’ll forget certain facts, but at least the experiences will always remain inside me. I don’t live to make memories—I just live, and the memories form themselves.Before the age of thirteen, the author regarded keeping a diary as a way of ______.
A.observing her school routine |
B.expressing her satisfaction |
C.impressing her classmates |
D.preserving her history |
What caused a change in the author’s understanding of keeping a diary?
A.A dull night on the journey. |
B.The beauty of the great valley. |
C.A striking quotation from a book. |
D.Her concerns for future generations. |
What does the author put in her diary now?
A.Notes and beautiful pictures. |
B.Special thoughts and feelings. |
C.Detailed accounts of daily activities. |
D.Descriptions of unforgettable events. |
The author comes to realize that to live a meaningful life is_____.
A.to experience it |
B.to live the present in the future |
C.to make memories |
D.to give accurate representations of it |
When I was 12, all I wanted was a signet (图章) ring. They were the "in" thing and it seemed every girl except me had one. On my 13th birthday, my Mum gave me a signet ring with my initials(姓名首字母) carved into it. I was in heaven.
What made it even more special was that it was about the only thing that wasn't being "replaced". We'd been burnt out in fires that swept through our area earlier that year and had lost everything—so most of the " new" stuff (东西) we got was really just to replace what we'd lost. But not my ring. My ring was new.
Then, only one month later, I lost it. I took it off before bed and it was missing in the morning. I was sad and searched everywhere for it. But it seemed to have disappeared. Eventually, I gave up and stopped looking for it. And two years later, we sold the house and moved away.
Years passed, and a couple of moves later, I was visiting my parents' when Mum told me that she had something for me. It wasn't my birthday, nor was it Easter or Christmas or any other gift-giving occasion. Mum noticed my questioning look. " You'll recognize this one," she said, smiling.
Then she handed me a small ring box. I took it from her and opened it to find my beautiful signet ring inside. The family who had bought our house 13 years earlier had recently decided to do some redecorations, which included replacing the carpets. When they pulled the carpet up in my old bedroom, they found the ring. As it had my initials carved into it, they realized who owned the ring. They'd had it professionally cleaned up by a jeweler before sending it to my mother. And it still fits me.The underlined word "in" in the first paragraph probably means "_____".
A.fashionable | B.available | C.practical | D.renewable |
When she got the ring back, the writer was about _____.
A.13 years old | B.15 years old | C.26 years old | D.28 years old |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A.The writer’s family moved several times. |
B.The writer never stopped looking for her ring. |
C.The writer’s ring was cleaned up by the new house owner. |
D.The writer lost her ring in the morning when she took it off. |
What would be the best title for the passage?
A.My New Ring |
B.Lost and Replaced |
C.Lost and Found |
D.An Expensive Ring |