It’s easy to see how to help others, but what about those whose needs aren’t so obvious? This story may have happened a while back, but it was a lesson which has stayed with me and helped me ever since.
It was Thanksgiving and I was volunteering with my parents at a shelter for the poor. We stood behind the counter dishing out hot food to whoever came in. Most of our dinners looked like they had been having hard times, their clothes old, worn and dry. In short, they looked poor!
Then, a man came in, who looked anything but poor. He was well dressed, wearing an expensive suit. I wondered what he was doing there and my jaw dropped in amazement when he joined the line for food. The closer he came to my service station, the more I muttered(咕哝着). What was this man doing? I wanted to know. Surely he wasn’t going to take food.
Then my mother quietly took me to one side. She said, “You have assumed that the needs of the people who come here must be purely physical: hunger, no enough shelter and needs are excitable? What if he needs comfort, friends, or just to be among other human beings?” Her words hit me like a ton of bricks! I felt like I should apologize to the man, but I didn’t.
About a week later the shelter received a large donation from an anonymous(匿名的) source. I can’t help but wonder if it came from that man.
Now, whether I meet others, I remember my mother’s words and try to send kindness and blessings to them, regardless of how they look.
Needs aren’t always visible. But kindness always makes a difference.The task of the author at the shelter was to_______.
| A．decide whether dinners looked poor |
| B．learn life experience there |
| C．serve hot food to the poor |
| D．help parents order dishes |
When the man waited in line, how did the author feel?
| A．Surprised | B．Pitiful | C．Excited | D．Angry |
What can we infer from the last paragraph?
| A．We should show others kindness whatever their needs are |
| B．Some needs can’t be known clearly at times |
| C．Needs can always be met by kindness |
| D．We should find out others’ needs |
ARIZONA
Thunderbird Lodge in Canyon de Chelly
The Deal：A onenight stay at the historic lodge(小旅店)starts at $59 for a single room, $65 for a double room, and the lodge offers halfday tours of Canyon de Chelly($41 for adults and $32 for children under 12.)
Details：Hotel taxes are an additional 17.1 percent.
Time：Nov. 1,2006Mary. 31,2007
Contact：800/679－2473，tbirdlodge._come
CALIFORNIA
Zephyr Cove Resort at Lake Tahoe
The Deal：The Fall Getaway package includes a threenight stay in a lakeside cabin for two people, an Emerald Bay sightseeing for two, free breakfast and lunch. Rates are $299 per couple—saving of up to $400.
Time：Through Dec. 15,2006.
Detail：Hotel taxes are included.
Contact：800/23TAHOE，zephyrcove._come
NEVADA
MonteLago Village at Lake Las Vegas
The Deal：A onenight stay at the Mediterraneanstyle MonteLago Village, 17 miles from Las Vegas, and coupon tickets(优惠票)for iceskating and skate rentals. Rates start at $65 per person.
Time: Nov. 17,2006Jan. 15, 2007
Details：Hotel taxes are an additional 12 percent.
Contact：866/3992753，montelagovillage._com
YELLOWSTONE
Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel
The Deal：A twonight stay, breakfast daily, fullday ski rental, unlimited iceskating and skates, and a book of Yellowstone photos. Rates start at $ 119 per person.
Time：Jan. 1Mar. 2,2007
Details：Hotel taxes are an additional 8 percent.
Contact：866/4397375，travelyellowstone._comA couple, with their 13yearold son, had a halfday tour of Canyon de Chelly without stay on Nov. 13,2006.They should pay________.
| A．$114 | B．$189 | C．$177 | D．$123 |
If a couple wants to have a cheap 3day trip, they had better contact________.
| A．800/6792473 | B．866/3992753 |
| C．800/23TAHOE | D．866/4397375 |
If you are interested in iceskating, you may find more information in________.
| A．travelyellowstone._com & montelagovillage._com |
| B．montelagovillage._com & tbirdlodge._com |
| C．tbirdlodge._com & zephyrcove._com |
| D．zephyrcove._com & travelyellowstone._com |
Chances
I really love my job because I enjoy working with small children and like the challenges and awards from the job. I also think my work is important. There was a time when I thought I would never have that sort of career(职业)．
I wasn't an excellent student because I didn't do much schoolwork. In my final term I started thinking what I might do and found I didn't have much to offer. I just accepted that I wasn't the type to have a career.
I then found myself a job, looking after two little girls. It wasn't too bad at first. But the problems began when I agreed to live in, so that I would be there if my boss had to go out for business in the evening. We agreed that if I had to work extra hours one week, she'd give me time off the next. But unfortunately, it didn't often work out. I was getting extremely tired and fed up, because I had too many late nights and early morning with the children.
One Sunday, I was in the park with the children, and met Megan who used to go to school with me. I told her about my situation. She suggested that I should do a course and get a qualification(资格证书)if I wanted to work with children. I didn't think I would be accepted because I didn't take many exams in school. She persuaded me to phone the local college and they were really helpful. My experience counted for a lot and I got on a parttime course. I had to leave my job with the family, and got work helping out at a kindergarten.
Now I've got a fulltime job there. I shall always be thankful to Megan. I wish I had known earlier that you could have a career, even if you aren't top of the class at school.What is the author's present job?
| A．Working parttime in a college. |
| B．Helping children with their schoolwork. |
| C．Looking after children at a kindergarten. |
| D．Taking care of children for a family. |
When staying with the two girls' family, the author________.
| A．was paid for extra work |
| B．got much help from her boss |
| C．took a day off every other week |
| D．often worked long hours |
Why did the author leave her first job?
| A．She decided to attend a parttime course. |
| B．She found a fulltime job. |
| C．She was fed up with children. |
| D．She needed a rest after working extra hours. |
What has the author learned from her own experiences?
| A．Qualifications are necessary for a career. |
| B．Hard work makes an excellent student. |
| C．One must choose the job she likes. |
| D．Less successful students can still have a career. |
Perhaps the most extraordinary (奇特的) building put up in the nineteenth century was the Crystal Palace (水晶宫) which was built in Hyde Park for the Great Exhibition of 1851. The Crystal Palace was different from all the other buildings in the world, for it was made of iron and glass. It was one of the biggest buildings of all the time and a lot of people from many countries came to see it. Plenty of goods were sent to the exhibition from all parts of the world. There was also a great deal of machinery on show. Though in those days, traveling was not as easy as it is today, steamboats carried thousands of visitors across the Channel from Europe. On arriving in England, they were taken to the Crystal Palace by train. There were six million visitors in all, and the money from the exhibition was used to build museums and colleges. Later the Crystal Palace was moved to the South London. It remained one of the most famous buildings in the world until it was burnt down in 1936.The Crystal Palace was built up .
| A．in the 1950s | B．in the 1900s | C．shortly before 1851 | D．before 1951 |
People from many countries came to the Crystal Palace mainly to.
| A．buy goods | B．visit an exhibition |
| C．travel around | D．enjoy the Crystal Palace itself |
What happened to the Crystal Palace in 1936?
| A．It caught a terrible fire. |
| B．It disappeared suddenly. |
| C．It went to the South of London. |
| D．It was rebuilt. |
The Crystal Palace was famous to all because.
| A．it is the biggest building in the world |
| B．so many visitors had been there |
| C．it was made of iron and glass |
| D．it was burnt down at last |
The writer .
| A．thought the Crystal Palace very useful |
| B．sang high praise for the Crystal Palace |
| C．wanted the Crystal Palace to be rebuilt |
| D．was one of the visitors to the Crystal Palace |
I travel a lot, and I find out different "styles" (风格) of directions every time 1 ask "How can I get to the post office?"
Foreign tourists are often confused (困惑) in Japan because most streets there don't have names in Japan. People use landmarks (地标) in their directions instead of street names. For example, the Japanese will say to travelers, "Go straight down to the corner. Turn left at the big hotel and go past a fruit market. The post office is across from the bus stop."
In the countryside of the American Midwest, there are not usually many landmarks. There are no mountains, so the land is very flat; in many places there are no towns or buildings within miles. Instead of landmarks, people will tell you directions and distances. In Kansas or Iowa, for example, people will say, "Go north two miles. Turn east, and then go another mile."
People in Los Angeles, California, have no idea of distance on the map; they measure distance in time, not miles. "How far away is the post office?" you ask. "Oh," they answer, "it's about five minutes from here." You say, "Yes, but how many miles away is it?" They don't know.
It's true that a person doesn't know the answer to your question sometimes. What happens in such a situation? A New Yorker might say, 'Sorry, I have no idea." But in Yucatan, Mexico, no one answers "I don't know." People in Yucatan believe that "I don't know" is impolite. They usually give an answer, often a wrong one. A tourist can get very, very lost in Yucatan!When a tourist asks the Japanese the way to a certain place they usually _________
| A．describe the place carefully |
| B．show him a map of the place |
| C．tell him the names of the streets |
| D．refer to recognizable buildings and places |
What is the place where people measure distance in time?
| A．New York. | B．Los Angeles. | C．Kansas. | D．Iowa. |
People in Yucatan may give a tourist a wrong answer ________
| A．in order to save time | B．as a test |
| C．so as to be polite | D．for fun |
Which sentence is true according to the text?
| A．There is no street names in Japan. |
| B．There is no landmarks in the countryside of American. |
| C．People in Yucatan always give wrong answers when asked the way. |
| D．People in Los Angeles measure distance in time, not miles when asked the way. |
What can we infer from the text?
| A．It's important for travelers to understand cultural differences. |
| B．It's useful for travelers to know how to ask the way properly. |
| C．People have similar (相似的) understandings of politeness. |
| D．New Yorkers are generally friendly to visitors. |
Nowadays everybody seems to think that they know English. Many people speak it but few speak it really well. Practice is necessary in speaking English well.
Reading is also one of the things that will help you to speak English better. Read whenever you can and whatever you like! Read papers and Internet sites that you like in English every day. Then, you will see that the number of known words is increasing and you are able to speak with more skills. Then you will have made the foundations (基础) and a good basis of English. It is not good to stop and get stuck there.
Going to England or an English–speaking country is a good choice, but many people cannot afford it. If you cannot go, reading and speaking with your friends will also help you to practice your English. However, I think it is very good to visit some English – speaking country to see and test your knowledge in everyday life. You will understand the everyday usage of the language in its natural environment. There your level of English is going to improve even faster. Your ability to speak English is better. Nothing can match the excitement and happiness when a native speaker tells you that your English is very good!
Finally, in order to speak English well, you must be persistent (坚持的) and do it every day. It is like playing the piano. Pianists play it every day and so should you. Include English in your life and you will see where it is going. Practice, practice! Read, write and improve your language skills and you are on you way when you will be able to speak it with more and more confidence!Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
| A．How to Improve Your Language Skills |
| B．How to Speak English Well |
| C．Speaking English |
| D．Practice, Practice! |
What does the writer suggest about reading?
| A．Trying to improve your vocabulary. |
| B．Keeping on reading when you have time. |
| C．Stopping when you have a good basis of English. |
| D．Looking up every unknown word when reading. |
In the writer’s eyes, the essential(基本的) way to improve your speaking skills is _______.
| A．practicing | B．going abroad | C．reading | D．writing |
The main idea of the last paragraph is that ________.
| A．we should play the piano every day |
| B．speaking English is fun and entertaining |
| C．we should practice English every day to improve our speaking skills |
| D．if we’ve learned to read and write, we’ll certainly be able to speak |
According to the passage, what may make the author excited?
| A．Reading papers and Internet sites. |
| B．Having a good basis of English. |
| C．Going to an English–speaking country. |
| D．A native speaker’s praise. |