When I was twenty-seven years old, I was a clerk in San Francisco. I was alone in the world, and had nothing to depend on but my brain and a clean reputation.
My time was my own after the afternoon board on Saturdays, and I would spend the time on a little sailboat on the bay. One day I sailed too far, and was carried out to sea. At nightfall, when hope was almost lost, I was picked up by a small boat, which headed for London. It was a long and stormy journey, and they made me earn my passage as a common sailor. When I stepped on land in London, my clothes were ragged and shabby, and I only had a dollar in my pocket. This money fed and sheltered me for 24 hours. During the next 24 hours I went without food and shelter.
About ten o’clock on the following morning, tired and hungry, I was walking along Portland Place, when a passing child, threw a big pear into the rubbish can. I stopped, of course, and stared at that muddy treasure. My mouth watered for it. My whole body begged for it. But every time I made a move to get it, some passing eyes noticed my purpose, and of course I straightened up, looked calm, and pretended that I hadn’t been thinking about the pear at all. The same thing kept happening and happening, and I couldn’t get the pear. I was just getting desperate enough to face all the shame and get the pear, when a window behind me was opened, and a gentleman said, “Step in here, please.”
1. According to the passage, the young man _______.
A. had a great reputation for his good work
B. worked as a common sailor during the journey
C. was carried out to sea on purpose by a small boat
D. had nothing left in his pocket after landing in London
2. Why didn’t the man pick up the pear at once?
A. Because a gentleman stopped him and let him in.
B. Because he was not so hungry that he could wait.
C. Because the child was watching the pear.
D. Because he didn’t want others to take him as a beggar.
3. The underlined word “desperate” means “_______”.
A. driven by great need or pain to do something
B. being afraid of doing something for a certain reason
C. enjoying, showing, or marked by pleasure or joy
D. feeling sorry or sad about something
In America, drivers’ education is part of the regular high school curriculum (课程). Every student in his or her second year of high school is required to take a class in driver’s education. However, unlike other courses, it is not given during the regular school year. Instead it is a summer course.
The course is divided up into two parts: class time for learning laws and regulations, and driving time to practice driving. Class time is not unlike any other class. The students study the basic traffic laws from a text to pass the written driving test that is given to anyone who wants to get a driver’s license.
Driving time is a chance for the students to get behind the wheel and practice starting steering, backing up, parking, switching lanes, turning corners, and all the other maneuvers (操作) required to drive a car. Each student is required to drive a total of six hours. The students are divided up into groups of four. The students and the instructor go out driving for two hour blocks of time. Thus, each student gets half an hour driving time per outing. The instructor and “driver” sit in the front seats and the other three students sit in the back.
After the student has passed the driver’s education course and reached the appropriate age to drive (this age differs in every state but in most cases the person must be 16 years old),they can go to a designated (指定的) state office to take their driver’s test, which is made up of an eye examination, a written test, and a road test. The person must pass all three tests in order to be given a driver’s license. If the person did well in his or her driver’s education class, he or she will pass the test with flying colors and get a driver’s license.We can infer that the students are required to ____ in their whole driving practice.
| A．spend at least six hours driving |
| B．get half an hour driving |
| C．drive for two hour blocks of time |
| D．go out driving for twelve times |
Which of the following is Not True for the students wanting to get their driver’s license?
| A．They must have their eyes examined. |
| B．They must be 16 years of age. |
| C．They should go to have their driver’s test. |
| D．They ought to do well in their driver’s course. |
In the last sentence, “with flying colors” means______.
| A．happily | B．quickly | C．colorfully | D．successfully |
December 2
Sharon called about four times today. At least it shows she’s trying to explain something to me. I feel a little better.
December 3
This morning Sharon said she had only told one person and didn’t know why everyone seemed to know. Yes, I am an adopted (收养的) daughter. But she had promised to keep it a secret for ever!
December 5
I wish I had a friend I could really trust all of the time. I thought I found that friend, but I haven’t and it’s making me miserable (痛苦的)! It’s wrong to tell her all about it. She gains my trust, and then loses it.
December 7
I have a nice room, beautiful house and everything I’ve ever wanted. My adoptive parents will give me all the things I’ve ever dreamed of. Yet all the money in the world can’t buy what I want now. I want for Sharon to be my best friend again.
December 10
Sharon just called. She said she thought it might help if we spent more time together. She worried that I would switch schools (转学). She is the best friend I’ve ever had. When I’m with Sharon, I can be myself. I need Sharon’s friendship. I need it more than I’ve ever known.
December 16
I just had the most fantastic two days of my life! This was the best time I’ve had for a long, long while. Yesterday, we walked five times around the park and today we walked along the river for twenty minutes. We talked so much. Sharon, Sharon, no brick wall between us now.What is the author mainly worried about?
| A．How she was adopted. | B．Why she switched schools. |
| C．Her family life. | D．Her friendship with Sharon. |
Sharon lost the author’s trust because she ________.
| A．didn’t keep the author’s secret |
| B．didn’t like the author any more |
| C．told the author’s past life to everyone |
| D．often refused to help the author |
The underlined word “fantastic” in the last paragraph probably means ________.
| A．funny | B．wonderful | C．sad | D．lucky |
It can be inferred that in the end the author and Sharon ________.
| A．were not friends anymore |
| B．became good friends again |
| C．would switch to another school together |
| D．could hardly understand each other |
One day, when old Jacob and little Jacoble were walking home, the sun began to go down. Old Jacob was thinking of his house and little Jacoble didn’t know what to think. Then he thought of a wonderful idea, and he cried, “Jacob! Do you know what I saw yesterday? I saw a green rabbit. It was flying in the air and it was so big, even bigger than an elephant!”
“You saw that with your own eyes?” asked old Jacob. “Of course I did,” said Jacoble proudly. “It’s a good thing that you really saw that big, flying, green rabbit,” said old Jacob, “because that old bridge we are going to walk over is a very strange one. As soon as anyone who hasn’t told the truth comes on it, the bridge breaks in two.” They continued walking.
“Jacob,” said Jacoble a little later, “you know that big, green, flying rabbit I saw yesterday ... Well, it wasn’t really flying, and ... it wasn’t quite as big as an elephant ... but it was very big, about the size of a horse!” “Big as a horse?” asked Jacob as they got closer to the bridge and little Jacoble began not to feel so well.
“Jacob,” said Jacoble. “That big, green rabbit I saw yesterday, well, I had something in my eye and so I couldn’t see that well. It wasn’t a very big rabbit but it was green. Yes, that’s what it was — all green!”
Old Jacob didn’t say a word. He just walked over the bridge. But Jacoble didn’t go after him because he was afraid and he knew why he was afraid. He stood at the bridge and said, “Oh, Jacob! You know that rabbit I saw yesterday. It wasn’t green. No. It was just a little, brown rabbit.”
Then he was not afraid of anything any more and he ran happily over the bridge.We know from the text that the story happened ______.
| A．in the morning | B．in the afternoon | C．at dusk (黄昏) | D．at midnight |
Jacob considered Jacoble’s story ______.
| A．humorous | B．interesting | C．frightening | D．unbelievable |
Why did little Jacoble change his story again and again?
| A．Because he was afraid of falling into the river. |
| B．Because he tried to persuade Jacob to believe it. |
| C．Because he wanted to frighten Jacob. |
| D．Because he didn’t remember the story clearly. |
What lesson can we learn from the text?
| A．A lie will never be known. |
| B．True friends don’t cheat each other. |
| C．Telling lies makes one suffer from fears. |
| D．Making up a story is lying. |
When I was a child of seven years old, my friends, on a holiday, filled my pocket with coppers. I went at once to a shop where they sold toys for children. Being charmed with the sound of a whistle that I had seen by the way, in the hands of another boy, I handed over all my money for one. I then came home, and went whistling all over the house, much pleased with my whistle, but disturbing all the family. My brothers and sisters and cousins, when I told of the bargain I had made, said I had given four times as much as the whistle was worth. They put me in mind of what good things I might have bought with the rest of the money, and laughed at me so much for my folly that I cried with vexation(烦恼). Thinking about the matter gave me more chargrin than the whistle gave me pleasure.
This, however, was afterwards of use to me, for the impression continued on my mind, so that often, when I was tempted to buy something I did not need, I said to myself, “Don’t give too much for the whistle, ” and I saved my money. As I grew up, came into the world, and observed the actions of men, I thought I met with many, very many, who “gave too much for the whistle.” When I saw some men too eager for court favor, wasting his time at court gatherings, giving up his rest, his liberty, his virtue, and perhaps his friends, for royal favor, I said to myself---“This man gives too much for the whistle.” When I saw another fond of popularity, constantly taking part in political affairs, neglecting his own business, and ruining it by neglect, “He says, indeed,” said I, “too dear for his whistle.”
If I knew a miser（守财奴） who gave up every kind of comfortable living, all the pleasure of doing good to others, all the esteem of his fellow citizens and the joys of friendship, for the sake of gathering and keeping wealth--- “Poor man,” said I, “ you pay too dear for your whistle.” When I met a man of pleasure, who did not try to improve his mind or his fortune but merely devoted himself to having a good time, perhaps neglecting his health, “ Mistaken man, you are providing pain for yourself, instead of pleasure; you are paying too dear for your whistle.” If I saw someone fond of appearance who has fine clothes, fine houses, fine furniture, fine earrings, all above his fortune, and for which he had run into debt, and ends his career in a prison. “Alas,” said I, “he has paid dear, very dear, for his whistle.” In short the miseries of mankind are largely due to their puffing a false value on things --- to giving “too much for their whistle.”How did the author get the whistle?
| A．He bought it in a toy shop for children. |
| B．He got it as a birthday present. |
| C．He exchanged all his coppers for it from another boy. |
| D．He got it from his brothers, sisters and cousins. |
When the author recalled(回忆) the whistle, he felt______________.
| A．pleased | B．charmed | C．chagrin | D．worth |
Which situation would not the author say “ too dear for the whistle?”
| A．People were tempted to buy something they did not need. |
| B．Men were too eager for court favor, wasting his time. |
| C．People were fond of popularity, constantly taking part in political affairs. |
| D．People were devoted to a career he loved so much. |
Which Chinese equivalent can best describe “ too dear for the whistle”?
| A．得不偿失 | B．皆大欢喜 | C．物超所值 | D．名副其实 |
What’s the best title of the passage?
| A．A story in my childhood. |
| B．Too dear for whistle. |
| C．A lesson from a whistle. |
| D．We should have a right attitude towards temptation（诱惑）. |
Cyberspace, the connections between computers in different places, considered as a real place where information, messages and pictures exist, mirrors the real world in many ways. People ask for information, play games, and share hobbies. Others buy and sell products. Still others look for friendship, or even love.
Unlike the real world, however, your knowledge about a person is limited to words on a computer screen. Identity and appearance mean very little in cyberspace. Rather, a person’s thoughts—or at least the thoughts they type—are what really count. So even the shyest person can become a chat room star.
Usually, this “faceless” communication doesn’t create problems. Identity doesn’t really matter when you’re in a chat room discussing politics or hobbies. In fact, this emphasis(强调,重视) on the ideas themselves makes the Internet a great place for exciting conversation. Where else can so many people come together to chat? But some Internet users want more than just someone to chat with. They’re looking for serious love relationships. Is cyberspace a good place to find love? That answer depends on whom you ask. Some of these relationships actually succeed. Others fail miserably.
Supporters of online relationships state that the Internet allows couples to get to know each other intellectually first. Personal appearance doesn’t get in the way. But critics of online relationships argue that no one can truly know another person in cyberspace. Why? Because the Internet gives users a lot of control over how others view them. Internet users can carefully craft their words to fit whatever image they want to give. And they don’t have to worry about what their “nonverbal” (非言语交际的)communication is doing for their image. In a sense, they’re not really themselves.
All of this may be fine if the relationship stays in cyberspace. But not knowing a person is a big problem in a love relationship. With so many unknowns, it’s easy to let one’s imagination “fill in the blanks.” This inevitably(不可避免地) leads to disappointment when couples meet in person. How someone imagines an online friend is often quite more different than the real person. So, before looking for love in cyberspace, remember the advice of Internet pioneer Clifford Stoll: “Life in the real world is far richer than anything you’ll find on a computer screen.”According to the passage, chatting in the cyberspace ________.
| A．puts emphasis on people’s thoughts |
| B．needs people to be rich in knowledge |
| C．stresses more about people’s identity |
| D．allows people to discuss politics secretly |
People who are against online love think ________.
| A．what is said online is under control of the Internet |
| B．it is hard to protect the other’s identity |
| C．the faceless communication is exciting |
| D．one may not show the real self in cyberspace |
By saying “With so many unknowns, it’s easy to let one’s imagination ‘fill in the blanks’”, the writer means that ________.
| A．the Internet allows people to get more information about their loved ones |
| B．the Internet makes it easy for people to imagine how others view them |
| C．people usually get to know each other by chance through the Internet |
| D．people may be disappointed when they meet in person |
We can infer from the last paragraph that Clifford________.
| A．supports to look for love in the real life |
| B．demands to develop the computer system |
| C．encourages people to enjoy modern life |
| D．believes it hopeless to find love online |
What’s the attitude of the author?
A. Subjective B.Objective C Positive D.Negative