I was in Tokyo last spring,walking in the street with my friend Kirsten.Right about the time the sun was setting,we heard the of a jazz band coming from an alley.It was a group of four local
college students playing their hearts out for anyone who would
.
But not everyone was enjoying the music.In the middle of the second song,an old homeless man broke the crowd and started
at the band.The musicians did their best to ignore(无视)him
obviously the old man would not go away.It seemed he was
about the loud noise.
There were probably two dozen of us the scene-none of us knowing what we could or should do.I remember feeling very
,because first,I don’t speak much Japanese,and second,the homeless man was starting to get more and more violent.At one point,he picked up a stick and started beating the drum.
This was more than the young drummer could and he finally stopped playing,stood up and pulled the old man to the
.
It was then that a young Japanese man made his way through the crowd very .He knelt down next to the old man,took hold of his hand and
him if he was all right.I couldn’t
what was being said,but I’ll never forget the way this young man helped bring the fallen man to his
.And I’ll never forget the way he carefully placed his arm around the old man’s shoulders and quietly walked him away.
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Many years ago,I owned a service station and roadhouse on the main road between Melbourne and Adelaide.
One very cold,wet night at about 3:30 a.m.,there was a 41 on the front door of our house.A young man,wet from 42 to toe,explained that he had 43 out of petrol about 30 km up the road.He had left his pregnant(怀孕的) wife and his two children 44 at the car and said that he would hitchhike(搭便车) back.
Once I had 45a can with petrol,I took him back to his car where his two-year-old and four-year-old children were both 46 ,saying that they were cold.Once the car had started,I suggested that he 47 me back.
Before leaving,I had turned the heater 48in the roadhouse,so that when we went in,it was nice and 49 .While the little ones played and ran 50 ,I prepared bread and butter for the children,and hot chocolate for the 51 .
It was about 5 a.m. before they 52 .The young fellow asked me how much he 53
me and I told him that the petrol pump(加油泵) had 54 $15.He offered to pay “call-out fee”,but I wouldn’t accept it.
About a month later,I received a 55 from Interstate,a large bus company that we bad been trying to 56 to stop off at our roadhouse for a long time.It 57 out that the young fellow I had helped was its general manager,the most 58 person in the company.
In his letter,he thanked me again and 59 me that,from then on,all their buses would stop at my service station.In this 60 ,a little bit of kindness was rewarded with a huge amount of benefits.
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Roberta appeared on the stage.She took a deep breath and began to 16 .Now she was Portia,a strong-willed 17in Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice.The theater was filled with people.She was speaking with a power she had never before experienced,the words flowing
18 from her.
19 .Roberta had never acted in her life before the audition(选拔试演).She 20 being in front of other people.She was very 21 at school.She had never thought she was good enough at anything to 22 much attention.She stayed mostly to herself,making 23 friends.She had excellent grades, 24 she always thought that something was missing.
Two weeks before the audition,Roberta’s mother had heard about it and 25 her to join in.
“I can’t think of anyone else better suited to 26 the part.Remember all the plays you used to act out for us?”
Roberta looked down.“I’m not interested.”
Her mother wouldn’t let the 27 drop.“You’re just a little scared(害怕).Everyone gets scared.You know you 28 do it.The trick is to look past the 29 to find the love of what you’re doing.”
So Roberta had made an appointment(预约)with the head of the Drama Club.She had read the play and found herself excited by the 30 of speaking such rich words.In secret she practiced Portia’s part, 31 the lines by repeating them over and over.It wasn’t hard;she 32 every minute of it.Every time she spoke the words,she had a new 33 of the lines,as if Shakespeare had written Portia on many levels.
On the day of the audition,she 34 two of Portia’s famous speeches for the auditors.When she had finished,the head of the Drama Club announced the 35 was hers.
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Ban the Band(乐队)?
Every year,our school has a dance for all the students.It’s a little funny seeing friends in clean shoes and trousers or colorful 36 ,instead of the usual school uniform.
Most of us think the dance is great 37 —even the teachers enjoy being there. 38 ,two weeks ago someone said that there would be no 39 band this year—only CDs.
“I don’t 40 it!”Amy cried out during the lunch break.
“Someone said the school couldn’t 41a band,and they think it’s too noisy anyway,”added Daniel.
“Well,I don’t think it’s 42 enough without a band!”declared Angela,“and I’m going to see what can be done.”
Angela was as good as her 43 .In the afternoon she went to see the school headmaster who agreed to give the 44 some more thought.And he suggested that one 45 for having a band was to increase the price of each ticket from $5 to $10.Angela had to 46 out whether the students would like to do that.
“I need all of you to help me,”she 47 to our group before school the next day.“Mr.Berry gave me a list of all the names,and suggested we ask each one their 48 about the band and the extra cost.”
49 the day we asked around as Angela suggested,and wrote down people’s feelings about the band and the cost.We were amazed how much 50 there was for the band and everyone agreed to pay the extra $5.
“I’m surprised,”smiled Mr. Berry,when we gave him the 51 .“I really thought that only a few people 52 their band and that the cost would be too high.OK,Angela,your next 53 is to find a good band and line them up for the dance.”
Angela was all smiles and 54 the news to Amy and Daniel.“You’re 55 ,”smiled Daniel to Angela as he thought how close they came to having a less than perfect dance.
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We arrived in Spain for the first time a few weeks ago.I decided to 21a car because we had sold the one we had in England before 22 home.Yesterday the sales office rang us to say the car was 23 .I had tried out a model like it before,but as I was not yet 24 driving in this city,my wife did not want me to collect it 25 so we went together to 26 it.We paid for the car and 27 the papers.They told us that there was 28 petrol(汽油) to take us to a garage,where we could fill up.The 29 garage to the office was about 100 yards away and we got there 30 .But when I turned into the main road I suddenly saw a lot of cars racing 31 me.I got out of 32 as fast as I could by backing into the garage 33 and the man behind 34 me.
“It’s such a problem to 35 to drive on the right side,isn’t it?”my wife said.“Yes,if only I had had a few lessons for 36 ,”I replied.“You had better go 37 on the way home,”my wife said.“You’d be sorry if you had38 on the first day,wouldn’t you?”While we were talking,the man behind got out of his car and said in good English,“Would you mind telling me 39 you are thinking of leaving? 40 are you going to sit in your car all day?”
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阅读下面短文,从短文后各题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中,选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
In the United States there was an unusual tale telling of the daughter of a mechanic (技工). One day while walking along the bank of a lake, the girl 36 to see 20 eggs laid by a wild goose. After some time the girl 37 the mother would not return to her eggs and she 38 to take them home. There she carefully 39 the eggs in the heat of a lamp. Several days 40 the eggs broke and the baby geese came into the 41 .
Geese are known to take the first living thing they see as their mother. 42 , to these young geese, the girl was their mother.
As they 43 , the girl was able to 44 her birds to run across the grass, but she could not teach them to 45 . The girl became increasingly worried about this, both when 46 and in her dreams. Later, she had an 47 : She would pilot a plane to guide them in 48 . She asked her father for a plane and he assembled(组装)a small aircraft for her.
Caring about 49 safety, the father decided to pilot the plane himself. However, the birds did not 50 or follow him, and 51 slept in the grass.
One day, the girl 52 into the plane, started it and soon left the 53 . Seeing their mother take to the air, the birds 54 flapped(拍打)their wings and 55 . She flew the plane freely in the sky, her young birds following.
A.managed B.attempted C.happened D.supposed
A.realized B.expected C.imagined D.admitted
A.helped B.decided C.afforded D.meant
A.placed B.protected C.treated D.examined
A.ago B.out C.later D.long
A.family B.lake C.home D.world
A.But B.Also C.Thus D.Still
A.increased B.improved C.rose D.grew
A.ask B.lead C.want D.allow
A.fly B.race C.swim D.sing
A.asleep B.away C.around D.awake
A.idea B.opinion C.explanation D.excuse
A.sky B.heaven C.flight D.plane
A.his B.her C.their D.its
A.respect B.remember C.recognize D.receive
A.so B.instead C.hardly D.too
A.climbed B.looked C.reached D.fell
A.house B.floor C.water D.ground
A.secretly B.disappointedly C.patiently D.eagerly
A.looked away B.set out C.went by D.turned back