The famous British inventor George Stephenson was born in 1781 and died in 1848. One of his__16__important inventions was the train. He _17__his first train when he was forty-four years old. When he was experimenting with the __18__engine on the train, he met with __19__from the government, the newspapers and the gentlemen in the country. They said that the noise and the smoke would __20__ cows, horses and sheep, that the _21__ would burst or that the hot coals from it would __22_ their houses. At that time, __23__people believed what they said.
George Stephenson __24__the people that the train could go on small _25_, could pull carriages __26_goods and passengers and there was __27__to them. It was a very __28__ matter for him to __29__ them believe. However, after _30_, he was able to do it; and the first train that __31__by Stephenson himself __32_ what he had said.
The first day _33_the people along the way _34_the noises of the train __35__ and saw it running quickly to them, they ran back home as quickly as they could and closed their doors tightly, for they thought it a genius(妖怪).They did not dare to come out until it had passed.
A．very B．a lot C．most D．much
A．made B．bought C．introduced D．did
A．electrical B．soil C．steam D．oil
A．success B．troubles C．people D．pleasure
A．kill B．buy C．interest D．take away
A．smoke B．noise C．driver D．engine
A．pull down B．blow away C．set fire to D．pass
A．most B．few C．only a few D．the rich
A．said B．spoke C．told D．warned
A．roads B．rivers C．steam D．rails
A．short of B．full of C．empty of D．without
A．no great danger B．dangerous C．a lot of danger D．few danger
A．easy B．difficult C．pleasant D．light
A．get B．cause C．make D．force
A．sometime B．some time C．a few times D．sometimes
A．was sold B．was driven C．was pulled D．helped
A．believed B．seemed C．sensed D．proved
A．of B．when C．while D．for
A．caught sight of B．listened to C．heard D．thought
A．nearby B．in the distance C．on the far D．from the distance
During a recent vacation I visited Dusseldorf,a city in the dormer West Germany.The nine-day trip left a deep impression on me.I arrived at Dusseldorf airport at six.It was already dark outside.The first thing I needed to do was to find a place to 36 .I decided to telephone the youth hotel.But to use the 37 I needed some coins. I asked a lady for help.To my 38,she 39 me five coins to use!But all the phones in the 40 needed phone cards.And phone cards could only be 41 at post office during the daytime.I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to call the 42 .An old gentleman helped me.He couldn’t speak English but 43 that I needed to make a phone call.He showed me where the 44 was and inserted(插入) his phone card.I called the youth hotel and found a place to stay that night.The kindness of the German people made me feel 45 and it seemed that I was not far from 46 .And my first day in Germany wasn’t as 47 as I expected previously.
Whenever I went,I asked people for 48 .What surprised me most was that almost every young German could tell me the way in 49 English.Older Germans couldn’t speak English so well, 50 ,they would try to help me whenever they could. One middle-aged man I asked for directions even 51 me to the place I was looking for.My experience in Germany completely changed my 52 of Germans.Before,I thought they were unfriendly to foreigners. In the World War II in the 1940s,Germans were always 53 .But things have 54 since then.And Germans today couldn’t be more 55 ,in my opinion.
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Learning to Accept
I learned how to accept life as it is from my father. However, he did not teach me acceptance(接受) when he was strong and healthy, but rather when he was 1 and ill.
My father was once a strong man who loved being active, but a terrible illness 2 all that away. Now he can no longer walk, and he must sit quietly in a chair all day. Even talking is 3 One night, I went to visit him with my sisters. We started talking about life, and I told them about one of my 4 . I said that we must very often give things up as we grow—our youth, our beauty, our friends—but it always 5 that after we give something up, we gain something new in its place. Then suddenly my father 6 up. He said, “But, Peter. I gave up 7 ! What did I gain?” I thought and thought, but I could not think of anything to say. 8 , he answered his own question.
“I 9 the love of my family.” I looked at my sisters, and saw tears in their eyes, along with hope and thankfulness. I was also 10 by his words. After that, when I began to feel irritated(激动的) at someone, I would remember his words and become 11 . He could replace his great pain with a feeling of love for others, then I should be 12 to give up my small irritations. In this 13 , I learned the power of acceptance from my father.
Sometimes I 14 what other things I cold learn from him if I had listened more carefully when I was a boy. For now, though, I am grateful（感谢的）for this15 .
A．tired B．weak C．poor D．slow
A．took B．threw C．sent D．put
A．impossible B．difficult C．helpless D．hopeless
A．decisions B．experience C．dreams D．beliefs
A．suggests B．promises C．seems D．requires
A．spoke B．turned C．got D．opened
A．something B．anything C．nothing D．everything
A．had B．accepted C．gained D．enjoyed
A．touched B．surprised C．attracted D．warned
A．quiet B．calm C．relaxed D．happy
A．ready B．likely C．free D．able
A．case B．form C．method D．way
A．doubt B．wonder C．know D．guess
A．award B．lesson C．gift D．word
We always celebrated Dad’s birthday on Thanksgiving Day, even after he entered a nursing home．As years went on, these events took on a 41 meaning for me: A traditional birthday party for Dad, and thanking for all that he had been doing to me in my life．When we knew it might be his 42 birthday, the whole family decided to 43 together for a huge birthday celebration at the nursing home．
Dad was a good story-teller and here was the 44 he had had．During a quiet moment, I announced it was now Dad’s 45 to listen to stories for a change．I wanted everyone to tell Dad what we loved about him．The room became 46 ．Then one after another, people told stories from their hearts, while Dad 47 with tears in eyes．People 48 kinds of stories—stories about when they were little, stories about when Dad was young, and stories that shared family treasures．
The stories 49 ． Everyone seemed to
have more than one story．Even the little grandchildren couldn’t 50 to tell Dad why they loved him．For a man who had been kind to so many people in his life, here was our 51 to celebrate him．A few months later, at Dad’s memorial service, we more fully realized what we had 52 Dad that night．Those are the stories people 53 tell at a funeral after a loved one is no longer 54 to hear the words．They tell stories, full of 55 ．But we had given those memories to Dad in his 56 , and we had told them through laughter, accompanied by hugs and joys．He had them to 57 and roll over in his mind during his last days and months．
Words do 58 , and they are enough．We just need to say them or to speak them 59 to the ones we love．That’s the way to 60 love and ou
r chance to celebrate a person in his or her life．
A．special B．valuable C．double D．complex
A．another B．last C．important D．gather
A．unite B．arrange C．move D．gather
A．career B．pride C．happiness D．audience
A．choice B．wish C．turn D．right
A．lively B．still C．cosy D．noisy
A．understood B．invented C．recalled D．discussed
A．flowed B．passed C．unfolded D．differed
A．stop B．stand C．afford D．wait
A．responsibility B．situation D．desire
A．returned B．left C．given D．owed
A．sincerely B．gently C．normally D．regularly
A．available B．happy C．eager D．alive
A．tears B．feelings C．joy D．peace
A．mind B．life C．world D．work
A．hold B．share C．consider D．continue
A．suit B．fail C．survive D．matter
A．willingly B．publicly C．actually
A．get back B．call up C．give back D．keep up
People from Great Britain brought the English language to North America in the 16th and 17th centuries. And in the __36__ 300 years, there were so many___37__ in both places that now people can easily___38__ an English person from an American in the___39__ he or she talks.
Many old words___40__ in England but were kept in America．For example,300 years ago people in Great Britain got their water from something they__41__either a“faucet”,“spigot”,or a“tap”.All these words are___42__ heard in different parts of America, but only “tap”is still___43_ in England．Americans often make___44__ new words or change old ones. “Corn”is one kind of plant in America and__45__ in England．
Also, over the last three centuries the English language has___46__ thousands of new words for things that weren’t___47__ before. And often, American and Eng
lish people used two__48__ names for them. A tin can is called“tin”for short in English, but a “can”in America．The word “radio”is__49__all over the world, including America．But many English people call it a “wireless”.And almost anything___50__ something to do with cars, railroads, etc．has different___51__ in British and American English.
But now American and British English may be___52__ closer together. One thing is that__ 53_ people can hear a large amount of American speech daily in___54__, on television, or from travelers. Because of this, Americans___55__ to be influencing the British more and more. So some day, English may even be the same on both sides of the Atlantic．
A．past B．recent C．oldest D．latest
A．citizens B．inventions C．changes D．advances
A．pick B．tell C．take D．judge
A．voice B．place C．language D．way
A．disappeared B．stayed C．returned D．formed
A．said B．talked C．spoke D．called
A．then B．hardly C．clearly D．still
A．necessary B．native C．common D．lively
A．of B．into C．up D．out
A．another B．the other C．none D．something
A．discovered B．added C．improved D．learned
A．accepted B．known C．introduced D．understood
A．new B．short C．different D．surprising
A．produced B．made C．developed D．used
A．having B．bringing C．getting D．making
A．types B．names C．degrees D．parts
A．putting B．staying C．living D．growing
A．British B．American C．educated D．ordinary
A．families B．buses C．movies D．newspapers
A．need B．expect C．seem D．happen
Since my family were not going to be helpful, I decided I would look for one all by myself and not tell them about it till I’d got one．
I had seen an agency （中介机构） advertised in a local newspaper．I rushed out of the __41_ in search of it．I was wildly excited, and as_42_ as if I were going on the stage．Finding the___43__quite easily, I ran breathlessly through a door which said “Enter without knocking, if you please．”
The simple atmosphere of the office__44__me．The woman looked carefully at me __45_ through her glasses, and then46 me in a low voice．I answered softly．All of a sudden I started to feel rather47 She wondered why I was looking for this sort of 48 I felt even more helpless when she told me that it would be 49 to get a job without50 I wondered whether I ought to leave, 51 the telephone on her desk rang．I heard her say:
“52 , I’ve got someone in the53 at this very moment who might54 ．” She wrote down a 55 and held it out to me, saying: “Ring up this lady．She wants a56 immediately．In fact, you would have to start tomorrow by cooking a dinner for ten people．”
“Oh yes,” said I ---- 57 having cooked for more than four in my life．I 58 her again and again, and rushed out to the 59 telephone box．I collected my thoughts, took a deep breath, and rang the number．I said confidently that I was just what she was looking for．
I spent the next few hours60 cook books．
A．bedB houseC．agency D．office
A．proud B．please C．nervous D．worried
A．family B．door C．place D．stage
A．calmed B．excited C．frightened D．disturbed
A．as usual B．for a while C．in a minute D．once again
A．advised B．examined C．informed D．questioned
A．encouraged B．dissatisfied C．hopeless D．pleased
A．place B．job C．advice D．help
A．difficult B．helpless C．possible D．unusual
A．ability B．experience C．knowledge D．study
A．after B．since C．until D．when
A．Above all B．As a matter of fact C．As a result D．In spite of that
A．family B．house C．office D．restaurant
A．hire B．accept C．suit D．offer
A．letter B．name C．note D．number
A．cook B．help C．teacher D．secretary
A．almost B．never C．nearly D．really
A．answered B．promised C．thanked D．told
A．outside B．local C．closest D．nearest
A．borrowing B．buying C．reading D．writing