WhenmiddleagedAlexgaveuphisjob-优题课

It was a village in India. The people were poor. However, they were not unhappy. After all, their forefathers had lived in the same way for centuries.
Then one day, some visitors from the city arrived. They told the villagers there were some people elsewhere who liked to eat frog’s legs. However, they did not have enough frogs of their own, and so they wanted to buy frogs from other places.
This seemed like money for nothing. There were millions of frogs in the fields around, and they were no use to the villagers. All they had to do was catch them. Agreement was reached, and the children were sent into the fields to catch frogs. Every week a truck arrived to collect the catch and hand over the money. For the first time, the people were able to dream of a better future. But the dream didn’t last long.
The change was hardly noticed at first, but it seemed as if the crops were not doing so well. More worrying was that the children fell ill more often, and, there seemed to be more insects around lately.
The villagers decided that they couldn’t just wait to see the crops failing and the children getting weak. They would have to use the money earned to buy pesticides(杀虫剂) and medicines. Soon there was no money left.
Then the people realized what was happening. It was the frog. They hadn’t been useless. They had been doing an important job—eating insects. Now with so many frogs killed, the insects were increasing more rapidly. They were damaging the crops and spreading diseases.
Now, the people are still poor. But in the evenings they sit in the village square and listen to sounds of insects and frogs. These sounds of the night now have a much deeper meaning.
From paragraph 1 we learn that the villagers __________.

A．worked very hard for centuries

B．were poor but somewhat content (满足的)

C．dreamed of having a better life

D．lived a different life from their forefathers

Why did the villagers agree to sell frogs ?

A．The frogs were easy money.

B．They needed money to buy medicine.

C．They wanted to please the visitors.

D．The frogs made too much noise.

What might be the cause of the children’s sickness?

A．The crops didn't do well.

B．There were too many insects.

C．The visitors brought in diseases.

D．The pesticides were overused.

What can we infer推断 from the last sentence of the text ?

A．Happiness comes from peaceful life in the country.

B．Health is more important than money.

C．The harmony(和谐) between man and nature is important.

D．Good old days will never be forgotten.

The freezing Northeast hasn’t been a terribly fun place to spend time this winter, so when the chance came for a weekend to Sarasota, Florida, my bags were packed before you could say “sunshine”. I left for the land of warmth and vitamin C(维生素C), thinking of beaches and orange trees. When we touched down to blue skies and warm air, I sent up a small prayer of gratefulness. Swimming pools, wine tasting, and pink sunsets(at normal evening hours, not 4 in the afternoon) filled the weekend, but the best part- particularly to my taste, dulled by months of cold- weather root vegetables- was a 7 a.m. adventure to the Sarasota farmers’ market that proved to be more than worth the early wake-up call.
The market, which was founded in 1979, sets up its tents every Saturday from 7:00 am to 1 p.m, rain or shine, along North Lemon and State streets. Baskets of perfect red strawberries, the red-painted sides of the Java Dawg coffee truck; and most of all, the tomatoes: amazing, large, soft and round red tomatoes.
Disappointed by many a broken, vine-ripened(蔓上成熟的) promise, I’ve refused to buy winter tomatoes for years. No matter how attractive they look in the store, once I get them home they’re dry, hard, and tasteless. But I homed in, with uncertainty, on one particular table at the Brown’s Grove Farm’s stand, full of fresh and soft tomatoes the size of my fist. These were the real deal- and at that moment, I realized that the best part of Sarasota in winter was going to be eating things that back home in New York I wouldn’t be experiencing again for months.
Delighted as I was by the tomatoes in sight, my happiness deepened when I learned that Brown’s Grove Farm is one of the suppliers for Jack Dusty, a newly opened restaurant at the Sarasota Ritz Carlton, where- luckily for me- I was planning to have dinner that very night. Without even seeing the menu, I knew I’d be ordering every tomato on it.
What did the author think of her winter life in New York?

A．Exciting.

B．Boring.

C．Relaxing.

D．Annoying.

What made the author’s getting up late early worthwhile?

A．Having a swim.

B．Breathing in fresh air.

C．Walking in the morning sun.

D．Visiting a local farmer’s market.

What can we learn about tomatoes sold in New York in winter?

A．They are soft.	B．They look nice.
C．They taste great.	D．They are juicy.

What was the author going to that evening?

A．Go to a farm.	B．Check into a hotel.
C．Eat in a restaurant.	D．Buy fresh vegetables.

Our monthly talks start at 19:30 on the first Thursday of each month except August. Admission is at normal charges and you don’t need to book. They end around 21:00.
November 7^th
The Canal Pioneers, by Chris Lewis. James Brindley is recognized as one of the leading early canal engineers. He was also a major player in training others in the art of canal planning and building. Chris Lewis will explain how Brindley made such a positive contribution to the education of that group of early “civil engineers”.
December 5^th
Ice for the Metropolis, by Malcolm Tucker. Well before the arrival of freezers, there was a demand for ice for food preservation and catering, Malcolm will explain the history of importing natural ice and the technology of building ice wells, and how London’s ice trade grew.
February 6^th
An Update on the Cotsword Canals, by Liz Payne. The Stroudwater Canal is moving towards reopening. The Thames and Severn Canal will take a little longer. We will have a report on the present state of play.
March 6^th
Eyots and Aits- Thames Islands, by Miranda Vickers. The Thames has many islands. Miranda has undertaken a review of all of them. She will tell us about those of greatest interest.
Online bookings:www.canalmuseum.org.uk/book
More into:www.canalmuseum.org.uk/whatson
London Canal Museum
12-13 New Wharf Road, London NI 9RT
www.canalmuseum.org.uk www.canalmuseum.mobi
Tel:020 77130836
When is the talk on James Brindley?

A．February 6^th.	B．March 6^th.
C．November 7^th.	D．December 5th.

What is the topic of the talk in February?

A．The Canal Pioneers.

B．Ice for the Metropolis

C．Eyots and Aits- Thames Islands

D．An Update on the Cotsword Canals

Who will give the talk on the islands in the Thames.

A．Miranda Vickers	B．Malcolm Tucker
C．Chris Lewis	D．Liz Payne

When I was nine years old, I loved to go fishing with my dad. But the only thing that wasn’t very fun about it was that he could catch many fish while I couldn’t catch anything. I usually got pretty upset and kept asking him why. He always answered, “Son, if you want to catch a fish, you have to think like a fish”, I remember being even more upset then because, “I’m not a fish!” I didn’t know how to think like a fish. Besides, I reasoned, how could what I think influence what a fish does?
As I got a little older I began to understand what my dad really meant. So, I read some books on fish. And I even joined the local fishing club and started attending the monthly meetings. I learned that a fish is a cold-blooded animal and therefore is very sensitive to water temperature. That is why fish prefer shallow water to deep water because the former is warmer. Besides, water is usually warmer in direct sunlight than in the shade. Yet, fish don’t have any eyelids(眼皮) and the sun hurts their eyes… The more I understood fish, the more I became effective at finding and catching them.
When I grew up and entered the business world, I remember hearing my first boss say, “We all need to think like salespeople.” But it didn’t completely make sense. My dad never once said, “If you want to catch a fish you need to think like a fisherman.” What he said was, “You need to think like a fish.” Years later, with great efforts to promote long-term services to people much older and richer than me, I gradually learned what we all need is to think more like customers. It is not an easy job. I will show you how in the following chapters.
Why was the author upset in fishing trips when he was nine?

A．He could not catch a fish.

B．His father was not patient with him.

C．His father did not teach him fishing.

D．He could not influence a fish as his father did.

What did the author’s father really mean?

A．To read about fish.

B．To learn fishing by oneself.

C．To understand what fish think.

D．To study fishing in many ways.

According to the author, fish are most likely to be found _________.

A．in deep water on sunny days

B．in deep water on cloudy days

C．in shallow water under sunligh

D．in shallow water under waterside trees.

After entering the business world, the author found _________.

A．it easy to think like a customer

B．his father’s fishing advice inspiring

C．his first boss’s sales ideas reasonable

D．it difficult to sell services to poor people

Peter loved to shop used articles. Almost a month ago, he bought popular word game that used little pieces of wood with different letters on them. As he was purchasing it, the salesgirl said, “Uh, look, the game box hasn’t even been opened yet. That might be worth some money. ”
Peter examined the box, and, sure enough, it was completely covered in factory-sealed plastic. And he saw a date of 1973 on the back of the box.
“You should put that up for auction (拍卖) on the Internet, and see what happens.” the salesgirl said.
“Yes, you’re right. People like something rare.” Peter agreed, “I can’t imagine there being very many unopened boxes of this game still around 40 years later.”
“Don’t forget to tell me if you sell it.” the salesgirl smiled.
“No problem.” Peter said.
After he got home, Peter went online to several auction websites looking for his game. But he couldn’t find it. Then he typed in the name of the word game and hit Search. The search result was 543 websites containing information about the changes of the game. Over the years, the game had been produced using letters in different sizes and game boards in different colors. He also found some lists of game fans looking for various versions of the game. Peter emailed some of them, telling them what he had.
Two weeks later, Peter went back to the shop.
“Hello. Do you still remember the unopened word game?”
The salesgirl looked at him for a second, then recognized him and said, “Oh, hi!”
”I’ve got something for you,” Peter said. “I sold the game and made $1,000. Thank you for your suggestion.” He handed her three $ 100 bills.
“Wow!” the salesgirl cried out. “Thank you, I never expected it.”
Which of the following best describes Peter’s word game?

A．It was made around 40 years ago.

B．It had game boards in different sizes.

C．It was kept in a plastic bag with a seal.

D．It had little pieces of wood in different colors.

What did the salesgirl probably think of Peter’s word game?

A．Old and handy.	B．Rare and valuable.
C．Classic and attractive.	D．Colorful and interesting

What happened at the end of the story?

A．Peter gave the girl $300 as a reward.

B．The salesgirl became Peter’s friend.

C．Peter returned the word game for $ 1,000.

D．The salesgirl felt confused to see Peter again.

What is the main theme of the story?

A．It’s important to keep a promise.

B．It’s great to share in other people’s happiness.

C．We should be grateful for the help from others.

D．Something rare is worth a large amount of money.

A．Look before you leap．	B．Two heads are better, than one．
C．Hold on to your dream, and it will come true．	D．A bird in hand is worth two in the bush．