I will never forget what my old headmaster told me. Normally when you are only 15years of age you do not remember most of the things that are preached by your teachers. But, this particular story is one such lesson that I will never forget. Every time I drift off course, I get reminded of this story.
It was a normal Monday morning at an assembly, and he was addressing the students on important things in life and about committing ourselves to what is important to us. This is how the story went:
An old man lived in a certain part of London, and he would wake up every morning and go to the subway. He would get the train right to Central London, and then sit at the street corner and beg. He would do this every single day of his life. He sat at the same street corner and begged for almost 20 years.
His house was filthy, and a stench (恶臭) came out of the house and it smelled horribly. The neighbours could not stand the smell anymore, so they summoned the police officers to clear the place. The officers knocked down the door and cleaned the house. There were small bags of money all over the house that he had collected over the years.
The police counted the money, and they soon realized that the old man was a millionaire. They waited outside his house in anticipation to share the good news with him. When he arrived home that evening, he was met by one of the officers who told him that there was no need for him to beg any more as he was a rich man now, a millionaire.
He said nothing at all: he went into his house and locked the door. The next morning he woke up as usual, went to the subway, got into the train, and sat at the street corner and continued to beg.
Obviously, this old man had no great plans, dreams or anything significant for his life. We learn nothing from this story other than staying focused on the things we enjoy doing, commitment(专心,敬业). We should remain true to our course, although it may mean committing ourselves to things that people around us would normally disapprove. Just keep it in mind that commitment attracts wealth.Why did the headmaster tell us the story?
A.To enjoy ourselves. |
B.To teach us how to make money. |
C.To tell us the importance of commitment. |
D.To tell us not to look down upon beggars. |
According to the passage which of the following is true?
A.The old man made a living by begging. |
B.The old man was excited to be a millionaire. |
C.The old man became a millionaire by begging every weekday. |
D.The old man planned to became a millionaire. |
Why did the police officer clean the old man’s house?
A.Because the old man hired them to do so. |
B.Because they wanted to know how much money the old man had begged. |
C.Because the old man wanted to live comfortably. |
D.Because the neighbours could not bear the smell coming out of the oldman’s house. |
What can we learn from the passage?
A.Where there is a will, there is a way. |
B.Keep the general goal in sight while tackling daily tasks. |
C.Commitment attracts wealth. |
D.Living without an aim is like sailing without a compass. |
After graduating from college, I worked in Denver. On 22nd December, I was driving to my parents’ home in Missouri for Christmas. I stopped at a gas station(加油站) about 50 miles from Oklahoma City, where I was planning to stop and visit a friend. While I was standing in line at the cash register(收款台), I said hello to an older couple who were also paying for gas.
I took off, but had gone only a few miles when black smoke poured from the back of my car. I stopped and wondered what I should do. A car pulled up behind me. It was the couple I had spoken to at the gas station. They said they would take me to my friend’s. We chatted on the way into the city, and when I got out of the car, the husband gave me his business card.
I wrote him and his wife a thank-you note for helping me. Soon afterward, I received a Christmas present from them. Their note that came with it said that helping me had made their holidays meaningful.
Years later, I drove to a meeting in a nearby town in the morning. In late afternoon I returned to my car and found that I’d left the lights on all day, and the battery(电池) was dead. Then I noticed that the Friendly Ford dealership-a shop selling cars-was right next door. I walked over and found two salesmen in the showroom.
“Just how friendly is Friendly Ford?” I asked and explained my trouble. They quickly drove a pickup truck to my car and started it. They would accept no payment, so when I got home, I wrote them a note to say thanks. I received a letter back from one of the salesmen. No one had ever taken the time to write him and say thank you, and it meant a lot, he said.
“Thank you”--two powerful words. They’re easy to say and mean so much.The author planned to stop at Oklahoma City _______.
A.to visit a friend |
B.to see his parents |
C.to pay or the cash register |
D.to have more gas for his car |
The words “took off ” underlined in Paragraph 2 mean “________”.
A.turned off | B.moved off |
C.put up | D.set up |
What happened when the author found smoke coming out of his car?
A.He had it pulled back to the gas station. |
B.The couple sent him a business card. |
C.The couple offered to help him. |
D.He called his friend for help. |
The battery of the author’s car was dead because _______.
A.something went wrong with the lights |
B.the meeting lasted a whole day |
C.he forgot to turn off the lights |
D.he drove too long a distance |
By telling his own experiences, the author tries to show _______.
A.how to write a thank-you letter |
B.how to deal with car problems |
C.the kind-heartedness of older people |
D.the importance of expressing thanks |
Different countries have different customs. When you travel to another countries, please follow their customs, just as the saying goes, “.”
Very often people who travel to the United States forget to tip. It is usual to tip porters who help carry your bags, taxi drivers and waiters. Waiters expect to get a 15% tip on the cost of your meal. Taxi drivers expect about the same amount.
In England, make sure to stand in line even if there are only two of you. It’s important to respect lines there. It’s a good idea to talk about the weather. It’s a favorite subject of conversation with the British.
In Spain, it’s a good idea to have a light meal in the afternoon if someone invites you for dinner. People have dinner very late, and restaurants do not generally open until after 9 pm.
In Arab countries, men kiss one another on the cheek. Your host may welcome you with a kiss on both cheeks. It is polite for you to do the same.
In Japan, people usually give personal or business cards to each other when they meet for the first time. When a person gives you a card, don’t put it into your pocket right away. The person expects you to read it.
Don’t forget to be careful of your body language to express something in conversation. A kind of body language that is acceptable in one culture may be impolite in another.When you travel to the USA, you don’t need to tip.
A.porters | B.waiters |
C.teachers | D.taxi drivers |
The missing sentence in the first paragraph should be“.”
A.Love me, love my dog |
B.He who laughs last laughs best |
C.When in Rome, do as the Romans do |
D.Where there is a will, there is a way |
The underline word “porters” in the passage means.
A.搬运工 | B.清洁工 |
C.接线员 | D.售票员 |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A.In Spain, People usually have dinner very early. |
B.In England, It’s a not polite to talk about the weather. |
C.In Arab countries, men kiss one another on the cheek. |
D.In Japan you should not read the business card as soon as you get it. |
What’s the best title of the passage?
A.How to Tip |
B.Body Language |
C.When to Have Dinne |
D.Advice to International Travelers |
My teenage son Karl became withdrawn(孤僻) after his father died. As a single parent, I tried to do my best to talk to him. But the more I tried, the more he pulled away. When his report card arrived during his junior year, it said that he had been absent 95 times from classes and had six falling grades for the year. In this way he would never graduate. I sent him to the school adviser, and I even begged him. Nothing worked. One night I felt so powerless that I got down on my knees and asked God for help. "Please God, I can't do anything more for my son. I'm at the end of my rope. I'm giving the whole thing up to you." I was at work when I got a phone call. A man introduced himself as the headmaster. "I want to talk to you about Karl's absences." Before he could say another word, I choked up (哽咽) and all my disappointment and sadness over Karl came pouring out into the ears of this stranger. "I love my son, but I just don't know what to do. I've tried everything to get Karl to go back to school and nothing has worked. It's out of my hands." For a moment there was silence on the other end of the line. The headmaster seriously said, "Thank you for your time", and hung up. Karl’s next report card showed a marked improvement in his grades. Finally, he was even on the list of the best students at school. In his fourth year, I attended a parent-teacher meeting with Karl. I noticed that his teachers were astonished at the way he had turned himself around. On our way home, he said, "Mum, remember that call from the headmaster last year?" I nodded. "That was me. I thought I'd play a joke but when I heard what you said, it really hit me how much I was hurting you. That's when I knew I had to make you proud."According to the first report card, Karl __________.
A.often went to school late |
B.failed in all the exams |
C.did a good job at school |
D.didn't do well at school |
When the mother said "It's out of my hands." to the headmaster, she meant that she________.
A.didn't know what to do about her son |
B.would drive her son away from the house |
C.had no money to support the family |
D.she would have to hang up |
Who was it that telephoned Karl's mother that day?
A.The headmaster. | B.The school adviser. |
C.Karl himself. | D.The passage doesn't tell us. |
From the passage we can learn that _________.
A.children in single-parent families always have mental problems |
B.mother's love plays an important role in teenagers' life |
C.parents should give their children as much help as possible |
D.school education still works well without support from parents |
If you go into the woods with your friends, stay with them. If you don’t, you may get lost. If you do get lost, this is what you should do.
Sit down and stay where you are. Don’t try to find your friends--let them find you. You can help them to find you by staying in one place.
There is another way to help your friends or other people nearby to find you. Give them a signal by shouting or whistling three times. Stop. Then shout or whistle three times again. Any signal given three times is a call for help. You will be helped by others.
Keep up the shouting or whistling, always three times together. When people hear you, they will know that you are not just making noise for fun. They will let you know they have heard your signal. They will give two shouts, two whistles or two gunshots. When a signal is given twice, it is an answer to a call for help.
If you don’t think that you will get help before night comes, try to make a little house and cover up the holes with branches with lots of leaves and grass. What should you do if you get hungry or need to drink some water? You should have to leave your little branch house to look for a brook. Don’t just walk away. Pick off small branches and drop them as you walk so that you can find your way back.
The most important thing to do when you are lost is--stay in one place.How do you let people believe that you are not just making noise for fun?
A.Stop now and then. |
B.Go on shouting or whistling. |
C.Shout over and over at the top of voice. |
D.Shout or whistle three times once a while. |
If nobody answers you after your signal, what should you do then?
A.Give two gunshots. | B.Shout louder. |
C.Stop shouting. | D.Make a house. |
If you feel thirsty when you are lost in the forest, what should you do?
A.Go and find a brook. |
B.Light a fire and make yourself some tea. |
C.Go to find a brook and leave marks behind you. |
D.Find something to hold the water. |
What’s the best title for the passage?
A.What Do Three Shots And Two Shots Mean In A Forest |
B.How To Find Your Friends When You Are Lost In The Woods |
C.What To Do If You Get Lost In The Woods |
D.The Most Important Thing To Do Is To Stay In One Place |
Basketball Match BULLS Vs LAKERS Friday June 11 2 o’clock Bull Basketball Club For detailed information see Paul Burton before Friday Lunch time |
TICKY’S DISCO Non-stop music Light show 15 Pembroke Road Weekdays: 7p.m.-11p.m. Saturday late night special: 8 p.m.-3 a.m. Sundays: Closed Over 18s only |
KKARMA Health Food Restaurant 6 Castle Street Hot and cold vegetarian food Lunch(11:00-14:00) Self-service Dinner(17:00-21:00) Table service For bookings ring: 0865-53060 |
Who can’t go dancing in Ticky’s Disco?
A.A 30-year-old teacher | B.A 21-year-old assistant |
C.A 15-year-old student | D.A 40-year-old worker |
If you have lunch in Karma, who will serve you at the table?
A.The waiter | B.The waitress |
C.Your friend | D.Yourself |
Who will tell you the information about the basketball match?
A.Howard Brenton | B.GP. Lewis |
C.Paul Burton | D.Dotley Marston |
Which of the following food can you have at Karma?
A.Fish | B.Chicken | C.Tomato | D.Beef |