One dark and stormy night, an elderly man and his wife entered the hall of a small hotel in Philadelphia, hoping to get shelter for the night.
The clerk, a friendly man
with a beautiful smile, explained that there were three conferences in town. “All of our rooms are taken,” the clerk said, “but I can't send a nice couple like you into the rain at one o’clock in the morning. Would you perhaps be willing to sleep in my room? It’s not a suite, but it will be good enough to make you comfortable for the night.” The couple agreed.
As the elderly man paid the bill the next morning, he told the clerk, “You are the kind of person who should be the boss of the best hotel in the United States. Maybe someday I’Il build one for you.” The clerk looked at them and smiled. The three of them had a good laugh.
Two years passed. The clerk had almost forgotten the incident when he received a letter from the elderly man, asking the clerk to pay him a visit. The elderly man met him in New York, and led him to the corner of the Fifth Avenue and 34th Street. He then pointed to a great new building there, a reddish stone one with watchtowers thrusting up to the sky, and told the clerk that it was the hotel he ha
d just built for him to manage.
That wonderful building was the original Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. And this young clerk whose names was George C. Boldt never foresaw the return of events that would lead him into the manager of one of the world's most attractive hotels.
56 .When the elderly couple left the hotel, they ________. .
A .took what they said as a joke
B .wanted to build the same hotel in the future
C .hoped that the clerk would replace the boss of the hotel
D. thought the clerk was talented in managing hotels
57. Why did the elderly man build a hotel for the clerk?
A .He was grateful to the clerk. B.They had a bet at first.
C.He wanted to please the clerk. D. He wanted to sell the hotel.
58. According to the text, the clerk
A. helped the couple because he thought they were poor
B. hoped that the old couple could give him a large amount of money
C. didn't expect to receive things in return from the old couple.
D. became rich, thanks to his own efforts
59. From the text, we can infer that .
A. anybody can be a successful manager B. old people are always very rich
C. good luck is always waiting for lucky people D. kindness can bring a good return
60.What do you think of the clerk?
A. He was willing to help. B. He was very attractive.
C. He tried to make money for his hotel． D. He liked making friends.
Jean Driscoll can go faster in her wheelchair than the world’s best marathoners can run!
In April, Jean finished the Boston Marathon in 1 hour 34 minutes 22 seconds. That’s about 33 minutes faster than the winning male runner! She competed on the track, too. She was second in the 800 meter wheelchair race at the 1992 Olympics.
Jean doesn’t like to be told she’s brave. “I’m in sports because I’m a competitive person!” Jean was born with spina befida(脊柱裂), a birth illness that damages the spine（脊椎）. She began to use a wheelchair to get around in high school. Then she tried wheelchair race and was amazed.” Players crashed into each other and fell out of their chairs,” she says, “It was fun.”
Jean tried other wheelchair sports. At the University of Illinois, her wheelchair basketball team won two national titles.
Now Jean coaches and teaches. She tries to get people to set goals. “When I sign my autograph（亲笔签名）, says Jean, “I write, dream big and work hard.”What made Jean take part in sports?
| A．She was brave. | B．She was competitive. |
| C．She was strong. | D．She was disabled. |
What does the underlined word “coach” mean?
| A．to train or give instruction and advice | B．to experiment |
| C．to get hold of and stop | D．to repeat |
What is Jean’s advice on how to succeed?
| A．Work hard. | B．Hope for the best. |
| C．Dream a lot. | D．Have great wishes and work hard. |
One of Britain's bravest women told yesterday how she helped to catch suspected （可疑的） police killer David Bieber -- and was thanked with flowers by the police. It was also said that she could be in line for a share of up to ￡30,000 reward money.
Vicki Brown, 30, played a very important role in ending the nationwide manhunt. Vicki, who has worked at the Royal Hotel for four years, told of her terrible experience when she had to steal into Bieber's bedroom and to watch him secretly. Then she waited alone for three hours while armed police prepared to storm the building.
She said: "I was very nervous. But when I opened the hotel door and saw 20 armed policemen lined up in the car park I was so glad they were there.”
The alarm had been raised because Vicki became suspicious of the guest who checked in at 3 pm the day before New Year's Eve with little luggage and wearing sunglasses and a hat pulled down over his face. She said: "He didn't seem to want to talk too much and make any eye contact （接触）." Vicki, the only employee on duty, called her bosses Margaret, 64, and husband Stan McKale, 65, who phoned the police at 11 pm.
Officers from Northumbria Police called Vicki at the hotel in Dunston, Gateshead, at about 11:30 pm to make sure that this was the wanted man. Then they kept in touch by phoning Vicki every 15 minutes.
"It was about ten past two in the morning when the phone went again and a policeman said ‘Would you go and make yourself known to the armed officers outside?'. My heart missed a beat."
Vicki quietly showed eight armed officers through passages and staircases to the top floor room and handed over the key.
"I realized that my bedroom window overlooks that part of the hotel, so I went to watch. I could not see into the man's room, but I could see the passage. The police kept shouting at the man to come out with his hands showing. Then suddenly he must have come out because they shouted for him to lie down while he was handcuffed （带上手铐）。The underlined phrase "be in line for" （ paragraph 1 ） means _____.
| A．get | B．pay | C．ask for | D．own |
Vicki became suspicious of David Bieber because __________.
| A．the police called her |
| B．he looked very strange |
| C．he came to the hotel with little luggage |
| D．he came to the hotel the day before New Year's Eve |
Vicki’s heart missed a beat because _________.
| A．the phone went again | B．she would be famous |
| C．the policemen had already arrived | D．she saw 20 policemen in the car park |
The whole event probably lasted about _______ hours from the moment Bieber came to the hotel to the arrival of some armed officers.
| A．6 | B．8 | C．11 | D．14 |
| PRINT PRODUCTION MANAGER WANTED A well-known printing company, now well established in the UK and in the Far East, wishes to set up a manufacturing base in Europe. An experienced manager, responsible to the Production Director, is required to assist in setting up the department and will then take charge of the day-to-day work. The successful applicant will have had experience of modern methods and machines especially in the printing, multi color work and finishing processes, he / she will have had at least three years’ experience in cost-effective management. A good working knowledge of English is essential. We offer excellent pay and prospects, with 4 weeks’ holiday a year plus public holidays, a company car, and a company pension scheme(养老金制度). Interviews will be arranged in the nearest city to applicant’s home. Write, with CV, to the Personnel Manager, Box 32507, Daily News, Kemsworth Street, Comston. United Kingdom SG186 37AH. |
| ASSISTANT PRINT PRODUCTION MANAGER An internationally recognized printing company is seeking to set up a manufacturing plant in Europe. We are appointing an assistant (male or female) to our Print Production Manager. The job-holder will carry out duties involving the buying of paper and of finishing equipment, will liaise (联络) with the supervisors of the various production lines, and will assist the Production Manager. At least three years’ experience on one or more lines as well as supervisory experience is needed. A working knowledge of English is required to communicate with colleagues in the UK. We offer excellent pay, prospects, holidays, pension scheme, sick pay, etc. Write to the Manager, Box 3526. Broad Street, Northby, Millshire BK 57PX. |
Both the printing companies ______.
| A．are well-known all over the world | B．require at least three years’ experience |
| C．offer excellent pay and sick pay | D．prefer to hire a man manager |
According to the first advertisement, the applicant living in a small village will ______.
| A．get in touch with the Personal Manager by telephone |
| B．get the result on TV |
| C．be interviewed in a city |
| D．write to Box 3526 to get more information |
We can infer from the two advertisements that ______.
| A．the companies want to do business in Europe and Far East. |
| B．cars are necessary for the successful applicants. |
| C．the companies haven’t got telephones to save money. |
| D．applicants should write to the company first. |
Everyone’s at it, even my neighbors. I thought I might be the only person left in the world who hadn’t done an eBay deal. So I decided to try my hand at online auction（网上拍卖）。
Buying for beginners: Sign up on WWW.eBay.com < > Most items（e.g. tables, computers, and books） ready for auction will come with a picture and a short description; others may be marked with “Buy It Now” and have a fixed price. You can buy these right away.
If the item is being auctioned, you offer the highest price you are prepared to pay and eBay bids （出价） for you. The bid will be increased little by little until it goes beyond your highest bid, then you are emailed and asked if you would like to bid again. Auctions last up to 10 days and when they finish you get an email telling you whether you have won the item.
How to pay: Sellers decide how they would like to be paid and you need to check this before placing a bid as you might not want to post a cheque or postal orders. The easiest way is through PayPal, an online payment system that takes the money away from your credit card.
Selling made simple: If you plan to sell on eBay, it helps to include a picture of the item. I followed my friends’ advice and put up the items I wanted to sell for a 10- day auction, starting on a Thursday. This way buyers had two weekends to bid.
The big things in life: It’s easy to post a small item, but furniture is a big part of eBay and this has to be collected or sent by deliverymen. Check the ways of delivery before you bid.What is the passage mainly about ?
| A．How to make payment online. | B．Ways of making delivery online. |
| C．Advantages of an online-auction system. | D．How to use an online-auction system. |
After bidding for an item, a buyer _______ .
| A．can’t buy other items any more | B．should make payment immediately |
| C．has chances to make higher bids | D．must give your credit card to the seller |
You should _______if the item is being auctioned.
| A．make loud noises | B．get the others not to bid |
| C．ask the other people’s price | D．offer the highest price you are ready to pay |
The easiest way of making payment mentioned in the passage is _______.
| A．through an online payment system | B．through a local bank system |
| C．by sending the money to the seller | D．by paying the delivery man directly |
Cole Bettles had been rejected by a number of universities when he received an e-mail from the University of California, San Diego, last month, congratulating him on his admission and inviting him to tour the campus. His mother booked a hotel in San Diego, and the 18-year-old Ojai high school senior arranged for his grandfather, uncle and other family members to meet them at the campus for lunch during the Saturday tour.
“They were like ‘Oh my God, that’s so awesome （棒的）’， ” Bettles said. Right before he got in bed, he checked his e-mail one last time and found another message saying the school had made a mistake and his application had been denied.
In fact, all 28, 000 students turned away from UC San Diego, in one of the toughest college entrance seasons on record, had received the same incorrect message. The students’ hopes had been raised and then dashed （破灭） in a cruel twist that shows the danger of instant communications in the Internet age.
UCSD admissions director Mae Brown called it an “administrative error” but refused to say who had made the mistake, or if those responsible would be disciplined （受训）。
The e-mail, which began, “We’re thrilled that you’ve been admitted to UC San Diego, and we’re showcasing （展示） our beautiful campus on Admit Day, ” was sent to the full 46, 000 students who had applied, instead of just the 18, 000 who got in, Brown said.
The error was discovered almost immediately by her staff, who sent an apology within hours.
“It was really thrilling for a few hours; now he’s crushed （压垮）， ” said Cole’s mother, Tracy Bettles. “It’s really tough on them.”
The admissions director said she was in the office on Monday until midnight answering e-mails and phone calls from disappointed students and their parents. She said she took full responsibility for the error. “We accessed the wrong database. We recognize the incredible pain receiving this false encouragement caused. It was not our intent.”How many students received an admission e-mail from the University of California, San Diego （UCSD）？
A. 18, 000 B. 28, 000 C. 46, 000 D. 18 Which of the following statements is TRUE about the wrong e-mail message?
| A．The mistake was made on purpose to cause pain among the applicants. |
| B．It was UCSD admissions director Mae Brown who made the mistake. |
| C．UCSD admissions staff got information from the wrong database. |
| D．Staff did not discover the mistake until next Monday. |
The admissions director Mae Brown did what she could to __________.
| A．protect the person who made the mistake |
| B．punish herself for the mistake |
| C．make up for the mistake |
| D．help the disappointed students enter the university |
What does the passage mainly talk about?
A. Cole Bettles was admitted to the UCSD.
B. Cole Bettles was rejected y a famous university.
C. USCD admissions office often makes “administration errors”。
D. False admission information raised the students’ hopes and then dashed them.