I never thought I would have a life-changing experience at Wal-Mart.
Although my thoughts were only on speed, the checkout line I was standing in wasn’t moving as quickly as I wanted, and I glanced toward the cashier. There stood a man in his seventies, wearing glasses and a nice smile. I thought, well, he’s an old guy!
For the next few minutes I watched him. He greeted every customer before scanning the items. Sure, his words were the usual, “How’s it going?” But he did something different—he actually listened to people. Then he would respond to what they had said and engage them in brief conversation.
I thought it was odd (古怪的). I have grown accustomed to people asking me how I was doing simply out of robotic conversational habit. After a while, you don’t give any thought to the question and just say something back. I could say, “I just found out I have six months to live,” and someone would reply, “Have a great day!”
But that wasn’t the end. He gave them the change, walked around the counter, and extended his right hand in an act of friendship. He looked the customers in the eyes. “I sure want to thank you for shopping here today,” he told them. “You have a great day. Bye-bye.”
The looks on the faces of the customers were priceless. There were smiles and some sheepish grins (咧嘴一笑). All had been touched by his simple gesture—and in a place they never expected. They would gather their things and walk out, smiling.
Of course, he did the same to me and I got to know his name, Marty.
56. The checkout line the writer was standing in moved slower than expected because ________.
| A.the cashier couldn’t work as fast as others |
| B.there were some big purchases |
| C.the cashier did more than scanning the items |
| D.the writer was not patient enough |
57.According to the writer, when common people ask you “How’s it going?”________.
| A.they don’t really care what you may answer |
| B.they are just practicing their conversation ability |
| C.they are asking about your private information |
| D.they don’t expect to hear any negative answers |
58.What was most customers reaction on Marty’s behaviors?
| A.They thought it priceless. | B.They were in some way moved. |
| C.They thought it awful and odd. | D.They felt somewhat annoyed.. |
59.What does the writer intend to express through the text?
| A.Our everyday life is always full of surprises. |
| B.Most customers enjoy being treated this way. |
| C.Being different is a good way of doing business. |
| D.A little positive action can make a big difference. |
Babysitter Wanted
I am seeking a babysitter for my 6-month-old son. A few hours on Saturdays and Sundays to help me and then additional times as needed. Applicant should be over 18, responsible, loving, warm, and have experience in caring for babies. The pay is $ 10 an hour.
If this sounds like a good fit for you, please reply to: rebecharv @ aol.com or call 800-4964. It is urgent!
Office Manager wanted
Our company is looking for a full-time manager to run the business. Strong skills and some experience are needed in organization and business management.Also, he or she should be familiar with computer.
Please send your resume to jim @ californiaaquatics. com or call 800-6978 to apply.
Waiter/ Waitress wanted
Specialty Restaurant is looking for an experienced waiter/ waitress. A knowledge of wines and experience in dining are necessary. Must work well under pressure and understand the basics of fine dining and customer service.
If you're interested, please contact us at job-tkupe 1329358152 @ craigslist. Org to apply.
This is a part-time job. Please, no phone calls about this job!
Office Cleaner Wanted
Looking for Part-time work? A position available in the Mississauga area! Part-time 4 hours per day from 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
Some experience is necessary. Pay: $15 per hour.
Reply to: job-p3b7u-1365632206 @ craigslist.org or call 800-8197 The position of a(n) ___________ is full-time job.
| A.babysitter | B.office manager |
| C.waiter/ waitress | D.office cleaner |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A.The office cleaner has to work three hours each day. |
| B.One can apply for a waiter or waitress by telephone. |
| C.Experience is necessary for all these four jobs. |
| D.A babysitter earns $5 more than an office cleaner per hour. |
In which column can we read these messages in the newspaper?
| A.Advertising | B.News |
| C.Entertainment | D.Sports |
Koalas remind people of teddy bears. They have thick fur and large ears. Their broad, flat nose makes them look cute, similar to teddy bears. In fact koalas aren’t cute. They have sharp teeth and very sharp claws! Koalas are marsupials. This means the mother carries her baby in a pocket while it develops, similar to a kangaroo. The baby koala lives in its mother’s pocket for the first six months of its life.
The name “koala” comes from a native Australian word that means “no drink”. The koalas get almost all their water from the eucalyptus(桉树)leaves they eat. That’s where they get their food too. Koalas eat only eucalyptus leaves, and only the leaves of certain eucalyptus trees. The eucalyptus trees are where the koalas live. It’s also where they sleep. Koalas sleep about nineteen hours a day!
Why do they sleep so much? Some people think it’s because they’re lazy. But koalas aren’t lazy. They sleep so much because there isn’t much nutrition (营养)in eucalyptus leaves. Koalas store hardly any fat, so they must save their energy. One way to do this is to move slowly and sleep a lot.
After a day of sleeping they like to move around and eat just after sunset. They live alone most of the time. Koalas are very protective of their trees. If a koala sees another koala eating in its favorite tree, it might tell the other koala to leave by “barking” at it. Koalas do “talk” to each other. Besides barks, the males make a deep grunting sound. The mothers and babies talk in soft clicking sounds. If they get scared they may scream like a baby.According to the article, how are koalas and kangaroos alike?
| A.They both have thick fur. |
| B.They both have sharp teeth. |
| C.They both eat eucalyptus leaves. |
| D.They both carry their young in a pocket. |
The word “koala” comes from a word that means ________.
| A.no drink | B.moving slowly |
| C.large ears | D.barking loudly |
Why do koalas sleep a lot?
| A.Their babies need to get much rest. |
| B.They get tired from playing so much. |
| C.Their food does not give them much energy. |
| D.They do not like to be awake when it is warm. |
If an adult koala screams like a baby, he may get ________.
| A.worried | B.hungry | C.scared | D.sleepy |
Nick Petrels is a doctor in Montreal. He works 60 hours a week. He takes care of 159 patients a week in the hospital and at his office. He's been a doctor for ten years.
Dr. Petrels gives his patients good medical advice. But he doesn't just tell his patients what to do. He also sings to them on television! Dr. Petrels has his own TV show. The show is in Italian, English and French. The doctor starts the show with a song and then gives medical advice. He explains a medical problem or disease in simple language. After that, he sings another song.
Dr. Petrels produces and performs in his own show every week. The program is very popular with his patients and with people who enjoy his singing. His dream is to perform(表演) in Las Vegas. His favorite songs are love songs, and he has a compact disk of love songs that he wrote. Dr. Petrels says, "I always loved to sing. All my problems are gone when I sing." But when Dr. Petrels was young, his father didn't want him to be a singer, so he went to medical school.
Some people tell Dr. Petrels he can help people more as a doctor. But Dr. Petrels says he helps people when he sings, too. "I like to make people smile. Sometimes it's difficult to make a sick person smile. Medicine and entertainment(娱乐) both try to do the same thing. They try to make people feel good." Dr. Petrels works 60 hours a week, because he _______.
| A.gives his patients medical advice |
| B.takes care of 159 patients a week |
| C.sings on television |
| D.has his own TV show |
Dr. Petrels _______, so he is called a singing doctor.
A. A. has been a doctor for ten years
B. always loved to sing
C. is popular with his patients
D. also sings to his patients on TV
48. In his TV show, Dr. Petrel _______.
A. sings and gives medical advice
B. sings about different diseases
C. starts to explain diseases with a song
D. sings love songs he wroteDr. Petrels' show is popular _______.
| A.in Las Vegas. |
| B.at medical school |
| C.with people who like his singing |
| D.with patients in Montreal |
Dr. Petrels says he likes to _______.
| A.help people sing | B.make people feel better |
| C.do the same thing | D.make difficult people smile |
“Cool” is a word with many meanings. Its old meaning is used to express a temperature that is a little bit cold. As the world has changed, the word has had many different meanings.
“Cool” can be used to express feelings of interest in almost anything. When you see a famous car in the street, maybe you will say “It's cool.”You may think, “He's so cool,” when you see your favorite footballer.
We all maximize (扩大) the meaning of “cool”. You can use it instead of many words such as “new” or “surprising”. Here's an interesting story we can use to show the way the word is used. A teacher asked her students to write about the waterfall (瀑布) they had visited. On one student's paper was just the one sentence, “It's so cool”. Maybe he thought it was the best way to show what he saw and felt.
But the story also shows a scarcity (缺乏) of words. Without “cool”, some people have no words to show the same meaning. So it is quite important to keep some credibility (可信性). Can you think of many other words that make your life as colorful as the word “cool”? I can. And I think they are also very cool.We know that the word “cool” has ________.
| A.only one meaning | B.no meanings |
| C.many different meanings | D.the same meaning |
In the passage, the word “express” means“________”.
| A.see | B.show | C.know | D.feel |
If you are ________ something, you may say, “It's cool.”
| A.interested in | B.angry about |
| C.afraid of | D.unhappy with |
The writer takes an example to show he is _________ the way the word is used.
| A.pleased with | B.strange to |
| C.worried about | D.careful with |
In the passage, the writer suggests (暗示) that the word “cool”_________.
| A.can be used instead of many words |
| B.usually means something interesting |
| C.can make your life colorful |
| D.may not be as cool as it seems |
Mr. and Mrs. Turner live outside a small town. They have a big farm and they are always busy working on it. Their son, Peter, studied at a middle school. The young man studied hard and did well in his lessons. It made them happy.
Last month Peter finished middle school and passed the entrance examination (升学考试). Mrs. Turner was very happy and told the farmers about it.
Yesterday morning the woman went to the town to buy something for her son. On the bus she told one of her friends how clever and able her son was. She spoke very loudly. All the people in the bus began to listen to her.
“Which university (大学) will your son study in?” a woman next to her asked.
“In the most famous university in our country!” Mrs. Turner said happily.
“The most famous university?”
“Oxford University (牛津).”
Most of the passengers (乘客) looked at her carefully. Some of them said to her, “Congratulations!”
A woman said, “I'm sure he'll know Fred Smith.”
“Who's Fred Smith?”
“He's my son.”
“Does he study in the university, too?”
“No, ”said the woman. “He is one of the professors.”The story happened in ________.
| A.America | B.France | C.Germany | D.England |
Mr. and Mrs. Turner were happy because ________.
| A.their son did well in his lessons |
| B.they have a big farm |
| C.they have a good harvest |
| D.their son studied at a middle school |
Mrs. Turner wanted everyone to know ________.
| A.her son finished middle school |
| B.her son was handsome |
| C.her son was going to study in a university |
| D.her son was very friendly to others |
Mrs. Turner spoke so loudly in the bus that __________.
| A.her friend could hear her |
| B.all the people could hear her |
| C.she hoped to make all the people happy |
| D.she hoped they would say congratulations to her |
Which of the following is true? __________.
| A.The woman wasn't interested in Mrs. Turner's words |
| B.Mrs. Turner knew nothing about the famous university |
| C.The woman wanted to stop Mrs. Turner from showing off (炫耀) |
| D.The woman next to Mrs. Turner wanted to show off her son, too |