The Worst Part
Mom is usually home on Sunday but this week she was going to a big golf game and 
I was all alone in the house. I was mad at Mom for divorcing Dad.
I kept looking at the telephone until I couldn’t stand it any longer. I picked up the receiver and dialed Dad’s number over in Bakersfield. I even remembered to dial I first because it was long distance. “You promised to phone me this week but you didn’t,” I said, feeling I had to talk to him.
“Take it easy, kid,” he said. “I just didn’t get around to it. I was going to call this evening. The week isn’t over yet.”
I thought about that.
“Something on your mind?” he asked.
“I hoped you would call, so I waited and waited.” Then I was sorry I said it.
“There was heavy snow in the morning,” he said, “I had to chain up on highway 80 and lost time.”
I know putting chains on eight big wheels i
n the snow is no fun. I felt a little better, as long as we were talking. “How is Bandit?” I asked.
There was a funny silence. For a minute I thought the line was dead. Then I knew something must have happened to my dog.
“Well, kid—”, he began. “My name is Leigh!” I almost yelled. “I’m not just some kid you met on the street!”
“Keep your shirt on, Leigh,” he said. “When I had to stop along with some other truckers to put on chains, I left Bandit out of the cab, I thought he would get back … I have sent out a call to CB radio, but I didn’t get an answer yet.” I was about to say I understood when there came the bad part, the really bad part. I heard a boy’s voice say, “Hey, Bill, Mom wants to know when we’re going out to get the pizza?”From the story we know that _______.
| A．Leigh’s dad never had a rest on Sundays | B．Leigh was a deserted boy |
| C．Leigh’s dad lived in another city | D．Leigh’s mother often went to golf games |
What happened to Bandit?
| A．It was frozen to death. | B．It was let out of the cab and got lost |
| C．It was killed by a truck. | D．It ran off Highway 80 and into the mountain. |
The underlined sentence “Keep your shirt on” probably means “_______”.
A. Listen to reason B. Stop talking C
. Calm down D. Keep warmIn Leigh’s eye, “the worst part” may be that ________.
| A．his dad got remarried | B．his parents got divorced |
| C．his dad didn’t love him | D．his mom didn’t take him to pizza |
We all remember seeing hitchhikers（搭便车的人）, standing by the side of the road, thumb sticking out, waiting for a lift. But it is getting rare nowadays. What killed hitchhiking? Safety is often mentioned as a reason. Movies about murderous hitchhikers and real-life crime have put many drivers off picking up hitchhikers. That no single women picked me up on my journey to Manchester no doubt reflects the safety fear: a large, strangely dressed man is seen as dangerous.
But the reason may be more complex: hitchhiking happens where people don’t have cars and transport services are poor. Plenty of people still hitchhike in Poland and Romania. Perhaps the rising level of car ownership in the UK means the few people lift hitchhiking are usually considered strange. Why can’t they afford cars? Why can’t they take the coach or the train?
Three-quarters of the UK population have access to a car; many of the remainder will be quite old. The potential hitchhiking population is therefore small. Yet my trip proves it’s still possible to hitchhike. The people who picked me up were very interesting-lawyer, retired surgeon, tank commander, carpenter, man who live in an isolated farmhouse and a couple living up in the mountains. My conclusion is that only really interesting people are mad enough to pick up fat blokes in red,
spotted scarves. Most just wanted to do someone a good turn; a few said they were so surprised to see a hitchhiker that they couldn’t help stopping.
The future of hitchhiking most likely lies with car-sharing organized over the Internet, via sites such as hitchhikers. org. But for now, you can still stick your thumb out(actually, I didn’t do much of that, preferring just to hold up my destination sign) and people-wonderful, caring, sharing, unafraid people-will stop.
In the UK, with its cheap coaches and reasonable rail service, I don’t think I’ll make a habit of it. But having enjoyed it so much, I’m ready now to do a big trip across Europe and beyond. In the 1970s a female friend of my wife’s hitchhiked to India. How wonderful it would be to have another go, though Afghanistan might be a challenge. I wish I’d got that tank commander’s mobile number.The author tried to hitchhike but was rejected by single women drivers because_____________ .
| A．they were not heading towards Manchester |
| B．they thought most hitchhikers were dangerous |
| C．hitchhiking had been forbidden and they didn’t want to break the law |
| D．he was a strong man in strange clothes who seemed dangerous |
Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．That some people refuse hitchhikers may reflect the safety fear. |
| B．Car ownership levels are lower in Romania than in the UK. |
| C．40% of UK people don’t have access to cars. |
| D．Increased car ownership has reduced the need for hitchhiking. |
The “fat blokes in red, spotted scarves” in Paragraph 3 most likely means.
| A．murderous hitchhikers |
| B．friendly and talkative hitchhikers |
| C．typical hitchhikers |
| D．strange hitchhikers like the author |
According to the author, future hitchhikers are more likely to .
| A．visit websites and find people to share cars with |
| B．stand by roads with their thumbs sticking out |
| C．stick out signs with their destinations written on |
| D．wait for some kind people to pick them up |
From the last paragraph, we know that the author .
| A．frequently hitchhikes in Britain |
| B．plans to hitchhike across Europe |
| C．thinks public transport is safer for travel |
| D．is going to contact the tank commander |
Probably most injuries happen to skaters’ wrists because ________.
| A．few skaters wear wrist guards |
| B．The wrist is the most fragile body part |
| C．skaters often push out their hands when falling |
| D．skaters don’t know how to protect their wrists |
________ are the majority in the study.
| A．Those who wore helmets |
| B．Those who wore wrist guards |
| C．Those who wore knee pads |
| D．Those who wore no protective gear |
To reduce injuries greatly, a skater should at least wear __________.
| A．a helmet and elbow pads |
| B．wrist guards and knee pads |
| C．elbow pads and wrist guards |
| D．the whole set of protective gear |
This passage is most probably be found in __________.
| A．a poster | B．science fiction |
| C．collection of choice stories | D．newspaper |
What was the main point of the study?
| A．To encourage people to learn skating. |
| B．To advise skaters to wear safety pads. |
| C．To advertise for skating protective gear. |
| D．To introduce ways of protecting skaters. |
He almost didn’t see the old lady, stranded on the side of the road, but even in the dim light of day, he could see she needed help. So he pulled up in front her Mercedes and got out.
Even with the smile on his face, she was worried. No one had stopped to help for the last hour or so. Was he going to hurt her? He didn’t look safe; he looked poor and hungry. He could see that she was frightened, standing out there in the cold. He knew how she felt.
He said, “I am here to help you, ma’am. Why don’t you wait in the car where it’s warm? By the way, my name is Bryan Anderson.”
Well, all she had was a flat tire, but for an old lady, that was bad enough. Bryan crawled under the car looking for a place to put the jack, skinning his knuckles a time or two. Soon he was able to change the tire. But he had to get dirty and his hands hurt.
As he was tightening up the lug nuts, she rolled down the window and began to talk to him. She told him that she was from St. Louis and was just passing through. She couldn’t thank him enough for coming to her aid.
Bryan just smiled as he closed her trunk. The lady asked how much she owed him. Any amount would have been all right with her. She already imagined all the awful things that could have happened, had he not stopped. Bryan never thought twice about being paid. This was not a job to him. This was helping someone in need, and God knows there were many people who had given him a hand in the past. He had lived his whole life that way, and it never occurred to him to act any other way.He told her that if she really wanted to pay him back, the next time she saw someone who needed help, she could give that person the assistance they needed, and Bryan added, “And think of me.”
He waited until she started her car and drove off. It had been a cold and depressing day, but he felt good as he headed for home, disappearing into the twilight.This story most probably took place_______.
| A．in a garage | B．on a highway | C．in a busy street | D．near a gas station |
When the man approached the old lady, the first thing he did was to______.
| A．ask what was wrong with her car |
| B．get the old lady out of her car |
| C．change her tire as soon as possible |
| D．make her know he wanted to help her |
The underlined part in Paragraph 6 suggests that________.
| A．the old lady had got ready to pay the man |
| B．the old lady was grateful to the man |
| C．the man had a lot of difficulty changing the tire |
| D．the man didn’t stop changing the tire |
Which of the following words can best describe the man?
| A．Warm-hearted and sensitive. |
| B．Careful and serious. |
| C．Thoughtful and helpful. |
| D．Generous and open-minded. |
It can be inferred from the last paragraph that ______________.
| A．the man was happy after helping the old lady |
| B．the man received a lot of money from the old lady |
| C．the man made the old lady feel cold and depressed |
| D．the man felt extremely frustrated all the way home |
BUS SERVICE
New York City — Brennan, New Jersey
(Trip time: 30 minutes each way )
Timetable
●Buses leave the Railway Station, New York 7:00 a.m. and every half-hour thereafter(此后) until 11:30 p.m. (7 days a week).
●Buses leave Brennan Station 20 minutes before and after every hour from 6:20 a.m. to 10:40 p.m. (7 days a week ).
●Evening rush hours(5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.) buses leave the Railway Station, New York every 15 minutes (Monday — Friday).
●Holidays: buses leave every hour on the hour time, each direction.
All tickets must be bought at Window 12, the Railway Station, New York, or at the Brennan Station Window before boarding buses. What time does a bus leave New York for Brennan every Thursday?
| A．10:20 a.m. | B．6:30 a.m. |
| C．6:45 p.m. | D．4:40 p.m. |
Which is the latest bus you should take from Brennan if you have to arrive at the Railway Station, New York before 4:00 p. m. on Monday?
| A．The 3:20 p. m bus | B．the 3:00 p. m bus |
| C．The 3:30 p. m bus | D．The 3:40 p. m bus |
What time does a bus leave Brennan for New York on Christmas Day?
| A．1:00 p. m | B．9:40 a. m | C．3:15 p. m | D．8:30 a. m |
In the US, people prefer waiting for a table to sitting with people they don’t know. This means a hostess may not seat a small group until a small table is available, even if a large one is. If you are sitting at a table with people you don’t know, it is impolite to light up a cigarette without asking if it will disturb them.
At American restaurants and coffee shops you are usually served tap water before you order. You may find the bread and butter is free, and if you order coffee, you may get a free refill.
Most cities and towns have no rules about opening and closing time for stores or restaurants, though they usually do make rules for bars. Especially in large cities, stores may be open 24 hours a day.
Serving in restaurants is often large; too large for many people. If you can’t finish your meal but would like to enjoy the food later, ask your waitress or waiter for a “doggie bag”. It may have a picture of a dog on it, but everybody knows you’re taking the food for yourself.
Supper and dinner are both words for the evening meal. Some people have “Sunday dinner”. This is an especially big noon meal.
Tips are not usually added to the check. They are not included in the price of the meal, either. A tip of about 15% is expected and you should leave it on the table when you leave. In some restaurants, a check is brought on a plate and you put your money there. Then the waiter or waitress brings you your change.Which statement is true?
| A．American people like sitting with people they don’t know. |
| B．A hostess always seats a small group at a large table. |
| C．American people never sit with people they don’t know. |
| D．American people will not light a cigarette if the people who sit at the same table mind their smoking. |
What is served before you order?
| A．bread | B．butter | C．coffee | D．cold water |
What do American people always do when servings are too large for them?
| A．They take the food home with a doggie bag for their dogs. |
| B．They leave the food on the table and go away. |
| C．They take the food home with a doggie bag and enjoy the food later. |
| D．They ask the waitress or waiter to keep the food for them. |
Sunday dinner is_______.
| A．a dinner in the evening | B．A big noon meal |
| C．a big lunch on Sunday | D．A supper on Sunday |