The story begins with fishing.
Once a boy and his father went fishing before bass (a kind of special fish) season opened. They were fishing ea
rly in the evening, catching other fish with worms. Then the boy tied on a small silver lure (鱼饵) and put it into the lake. Suddenly he felt that something very big pulling on the lure. His father watched with admiration as the boy skillfully brought the fish beside the bank. Finally he lifted the tired fish from the water. It was the largest one he had ever seen, but it was a bass(the special fish).
The boy and his father looked at the big fish. The father lit a match and looked at his watch. It was 10 pm – two hours before the bass season opened. He looked at the fish, then at the boy. “You’ll have to put it back, son,” he said.
“Dad!” cried the boy, “There will be other fish,” said his father. “Not as big as this one,” cried the boy. He looked around the la
ke. No other fishermen or boats were in sight in the moonlight. He looked again at his father.
Even though no one had seen them, nor could anyone ever know what time he had caught the fish, the boy could tell from his father’s voice that the decision couldn’t be changed. He threw the huge bass into the black water. The big fish disappeared. The boy thought that he would never again see such a big fish.
That was 34 years ago. Today the boy is a successful architect in New York City. He often takes his own son and daughters to fish at the same place.
And he was right. He has never again caught such a large fish as the one he got that night long ago. But he does see that same fish … again and again … every time he has an ethical decision to make. For, as his father had 
taught him, ethics (伦理道德)are simple matters of right and wrong. It is only the practice of ethics that is difficult. What happened when the big fish turned out to be a bass?
| A．The boy threw the bass back into the water willingly. |
| B．The boy and his father discussed what to do with the big fish. |
| C．The father lit a match in order to check the time. |
| D．They worried other fishermen may discover what they had done. |
From the text we know that the father _____.
| A．disliked the huge fish | B．was firm and stubborn |
| C．didn’t love his son | D．always disagreed with his son |
The successful architect went fishing with his children at the same place because _____.
| A．they might catch a big fish there |
| B．he was taught a moral lesson there |
| C．it was a most popular fishing spot |
| D．their children enjoyed fishing there |
What does the story imply?
| A．An ethical decision is always easy to make. |
| B．It is easy to say something, but difficult to do. |
| C．It’s hard to tell right from wrong sometimes |
| D．Fishing can help one to make right decisions |
What kind of the person the father is?
| A．kind | B．honest | C．optimistic | D．satisfied |
Lightning flashed through the darkness over Donald Lubeck’s bedroom skylight. The 80-year-old retired worker was shaken by a blast of thunder. It was 11 p.m. The storm had moved directly over his two-story wood home in the rural town of Belchertown, Massachusetts. Then he heard the smoke alarm beeping. Lubeck padded down the stairs barefoot and opened the door to the basement, and flames exploded out.
Lubeck fled back upstairs to call 911 from his bedroom, but the phone didn’t work. Lubeck realized he was trapped. “I started panicking(恐慌),” he says.
His daughter and young granddaughters, who lived with him, were away for the night. “No one will even know I’m home, ” he thought. His house was three miles off the main road and so well hidden by pines that Lubeck knew calling for help would be fruitless.
Up a hill about a third of a mile away lived Lubeck’s closest neighbors, Jeremie Wentworth and his wife. Wentworth had been lying down, listening to the radio when it occurred to him that the sound was more like a smoke detector. He jumped out of bed, grabbed a cordless phone and a flashlight, and headed down the hillside toward the noise.
He dialed 911 “Is anyone there?” he called out as he approached the house. Wentworth knew that Lubeck lived in the house.
Then he heard, “Help me! I’m trapped!” coming from the balcony off Lubeck’s bedroom.
“I ran in and yelled, ‘Don, where are you?’ Then I had to run outside to catch my breath.”
After one more attempt inside the house, he gave up and circled around back. But there was no way to get to him. “I shone the flashlight into the woods next to an old shed and noticed a ladder,” says Wentworth. He dragged it over to the balcony and pulled Lubeck down just as the second floor of the house collapsed.
Wentworth and Lubeck don’t run into each other regularly, but Lubeck now knows that if he ever needs help, Wentworth will be there.
Lubeck still chokes up when he tells the story. “I was alone,” he says. “Then I heard the most beautiful sound in my life. It was Jeremie.”According to the text, Lubeck .
| A．stayed calm in the fire |
| B．couldn’t find a safe way out |
| C．lived on the first floor |
| D．called for help in the fire |
How did Wentworth help Lubeck escape?
| A．He called 911. |
| B．He went upstairs and took Lubeck out. |
| C．He put out the fire. |
| D．He used a ladder and pulled Lubeck down. |
Which of the following factors was not mentioned in the text that almost caused Lubeck’s life?
| A．He was living in his wood home alone that night. |
| B．The storm was too heavy and the fire was too fierce. |
| C．He lived far from the main road and was surrounded by pines. |
| D．He was too frightened to escape from the danger. |
What does the text mainly talk about?
| A．A near neighbor is better than a distant cousin. |
| B．A good way to get a narrow escape. |
| C．God helps those who help themselves. |
| D．Blood is thicker than water. |
Ten years ago I used to be very fit. I rode a bike to work and I got a lot of exercise at weekends. I used to play tennis a lot and go for long walks. In those days I didn’t earn very much. I had a job in an office. It wasn’t a
very good job but I had a lot of time to do the things I enjoyed.
Then, about eight years ago, I got a much better job. The pay was better, but the hours were a lot longer. I bought a car and drove to work every day. I began to take people out to lunch. And I began to put on weight, too. I stopped playing tennis and going for long walks at weekends because I just didn’t have any time for things like those any more.
There’s a lot of stress in my job. Perhaps that’s why I started drinking more than I used to. For example, I used to have only half a glass of whisky when I got home, but then I started filling my glass to the top, and instead of having one glass, I would have several. I started smoking a lot, too. I never used to smoke at all.
Two months ago I had a heart attack. At first I just couldn’t believe it. Luckily it wasn’t very serious. The doctor advised me to stop smoking and to eat less. He also advised me to work less and get more exercise. But I just haven’t any time! My job takes everything out of me!
Sometimes I wonder if I should get another job. Perhaps I could do something as I used to. But if I do that, I won’t earn as much. I have a family to support. I have to think of them, too. I just don’t know what I should do. What do you think?According to the passage, when the author got the better job, which of the following is NOT true?
| A．He got higher pay. |
| B．His working hours weren’t long. |
| C．He found it very stressful. |
| D．He had little free time at weekends. |
After the author had a heart attack, the doctor advised him .
| A．not to work any longer |
| B．to take a long vacation abroad |
| C．to stop smoking and take exercise |
| D．not to eat out any more |
What can we learn about the author?
| A．The author is not sure what he should do now. |
| B．The author has taken the doctor’s advice already. |
| C．The author has got another new job. |
| D．The author feels much better now. |
The Man Who Never Put a Foot Wrong
Some people do not like anything to be out of place: they are never late for work, they return their books to the library on time, they remember people’s birthdays, and they pay their bills as soon as they arrive. Mr. Dodds is such a person.
Mr. Dodds works in a bank, and lives on his own. The only family he has is in the next town: his sister lives there with her husband, and her son, Mark. Mr. Dodds does not see his sister, or her family, from one year to the next, but he sends them Christmas cards, and he has not forgotten one of Mark’s birthdays.
Last week Mr. Dodds had quite a surprise. He drove home from the bank at the usual time, driving neither too slowly nor too fast. He parked his car where he always parked it, out of the way of other cars, and he went inside to make his evening meal. Straight away, there was a knock at the door. Mr. Dodds opened the door to find a policeman standing on the door-step.
“What have I done wrong?” Mr. Dodds asked himself. “Have I driven on the wrong side of the road? Has there been some trouble at the bank? Have I forgotten to pay an important bill?”
“Hello, Uncle,” said the policeman. “My name is Mark.”From the passage we know that his sister .
| A．lives in the next town with her husband and son |
| B．is the only member of the family that he knows |
| C．never writes back to him |
| D．has a small family: a son and Mark, her husband |
“He has not forgotten one of Mark’s birthdays” means .
| A．he has forgotten Mark’s birthdays |
| B．he didn’t send Mark anything on his birthdays |
| C．he always sent Christmas cards on Mark’s birthdays |
| D．he always sent Mark something on his birthdays |
There was a knock at the door when Mr. Dodds was .
| A．driving home from the bank |
| B．parking his car |
| C．ready to make his evening meal |
| D．just about to shut the front door |
The policeman was there .
| A．to ask Mr. Dodds to go to see his uncle |
| B．to ask Mr. Dodds to park his car not too near to other cars |
| C．to meet Mr. Dodds, his uncle |
| D．to see Mr. Dodds about some trouble at the bank |
We often hear people talking about a generation gap (代沟)． The name is new, but the idea is old． Young people and th eir parents don’t understand each other． The world has always kept changing． During the second century after Christ a wise man said, “Bury me on my face because in a little while everything will be turned upside down．”
There has always been a gap between generations, but more people talk about it now． Old Mr． Ellis thinks he understands what has happened．
“When I was a boy, I thought the world was a beautiful place． My life was very pleasant． But when I was older, I learned about people who were treated badly, people who didn’t have enough to eat． I wanted to help them, and I married a girl who wanted to help them, too． We went to meetings and talked a lot, but it didn’t seem to make much difference． ”
“Our children grew up in a world at war． They didn’t know when the fighting would stop． They wanted their children to have nice clothes and toys． They didn’t want to think about the future． They thought nothing could be done about it．”
“Now I have grandchildren, and they have their own ideas． They are trying to make the world better． They are trying to help other people． They’re making people listen to them． I am proud of their generation．”The wise man mentioned in the text told people to bury him on his face so that when everything is turned upside down he will _____．
| A．lie on his stomach |
| B．lie on his back |
| C．stand quietly |
| D．sit in peace |
Which generation did NOT want to do anything to make the world a better one?
| A．Mr． Ellis’ generation |
| B．His children’s generation |
| C．His grandchildren’s generation |
| D．None of the above． |
Which generation is/was more efficient in making the world better one?
| A．Mr． Ellis’ generation． |
| B．His children’s generation． |
| C．His grandchildren’s generation． |
| D．None of the above． |
What is the writer’s attitude towards the generation gap?
| A．Unacceptable． |
| B．Awful． |
| C．Funny． |
| D．Common． |
Once there was a poor farmer and his farm belonged to(属于) a rich man． One day he brought a basket of apples to the rich man’s house． On the doorsteps, he met two monkeys dressed like children． They jumped onto the basket to eat the apples and threw some on the grounD． The farmer politely took off his hat and asked the monkeys to get off． They obeyed(服从) and the farmer went into the house． He asked to see the rich man． A servant took him to the room where the rich man was sitting．
"I have brought you the basket of apples you asked for," he saiD．
"But why have you brought a half-empty basket?" the rich man askeD．
"I met your children outside, and they stole(偷) some of the apples．"Why did the farmer bring apples to the rich man? Because
| A．he was poor |
| B．he liked the rich man |
| C．his farm belonged to the rich man |
| D．the rich man’s children liked apples |
What did the monkeys do when the farmer was on the doorsteps?
A． They jumped and jumpe
B． They playeD．
C． They ran away．
D． They ate some of the apples．The monkeys left the basket because
| A．they had thrown apples on the ground |
| B．the farmer had politely asked them to get off |
| C．they were afraid of the hat |
| D．the farmer wa s angry wit h them |
How did the rich man feel when he saw the basket? He felt 。
| A．pleased |
| B．unhappy |
| C．excited |
| D．moved |