There was once a farmer. His land was hilly and the soil was not the best. He had a cow that wasn’t giving much milk and he had chickens who were laying few eggs. The place looked run-down (破败的) and the barn and fences (篱笆) needed repair. The farmer and his wife felt dejected.
One stormy evening, a poorly-dressed man knocked on their door, asking if he could get shelter for the night. They shared the food that had been prepared, while they talked a great deal about the farm.
When the stranger left the following morning, he thanked the farmer and his wife and pulled a little bag of gold pieces out of his pocket. He said that maybe this would help them. He added that he’d come by next year with hopes of finding a revived farm.
After this, the farmer and his wife often talked about whether they should buy a more promising cow. Other times they considered whether they should buy chickens who laid more eggs. However, every conversation ended with the farmer trusting the farm would improve as he found himself fixing the barn and the fences, caring for the animals, preparing food for themselves and their animals.
The farmer beamed (眉开眼笑) when the stranger did come by again a year later. Everything looked so much better. The stranger asked, “What did you use the gold for?”
The farmer said, “We hid the gold under a kitchen tile (地砖) and, while we often thought of it, we never did think of anything we needed the gold for.”
Then the farmer added thoughtfully, “I do thank you, though, ever so much. You gave us what we really needed to keep going — you lifted our spirits.”
Saying that, the farmer removed the tile and cheerfully returned the gold to the stranger. The underlined word “dejected” in Paragraph 1 probably means “_____”.
| A.kind and generous |
| B.surprised and delighted |
| C.disappointed and unhappy |
| D.strong and fearless |
One year later, the stranger visited the farmer to _____.
| A.get his gold pieces back |
| B.see if the farm had improved |
| C.get shelter for the night |
| D.give the farmer more money |
From the passage, we can conclude that what the farmer really needed was _____.
| A.land rich enough to farm on |
| B.something to keep their spirits up |
| C.scientific knowledge of agriculture |
| D.money to improve his farm |
D
The decision to enter F1 and compete at the highest level of motorsport was an intended move by Toyota, the world’s third largest auto manufacturer ,to further challenge its own capabilities. By going head-to-head with the industry’s top performers on the world’s premier racing stage ,the Japanese giant was setting itself a huge task. A sport with an enormous international following, the risks of entering the F1 arena are high—but there are rich rewards for those who succeed .Besides being a showcase for state-of-the-art technology, the intense competition in this most demanding of racing disciplines leaves no room for self-satisfaction. More importantly, it fosters(培养)the kind of forward-thinking team spirit that Toyota is seeking.
While F1 benefited greatly from the added prestige of having such a distinguished newcomer among its competitors ,the demands placed on Panasonic Toyota Racing last year revealed the shortcomings of not having enough experience as a team .Mistakes were made and valuable lessons were learned ,among which was the fundamental truth: “To stand still in F1 is to go backwards.”
With the past in mind ,preparations for the 2003 season included sweeping changes on both the technical and personnel(人事的)sides. The management at Toyota Motorsport GmbH was restructured , with John Howett moving from Toyota Motor Marketing Europe to become President ,thus enabling the company founder , Ove Andersson ,more time to concentrate on the operation of the race team at the track .Andersson’s value as an inspirational leader was one of the team’s biggest assets(财富)in 2002.
68.What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 2 mean?
A.To go backwards ,Toyota has to stand still.
B.If Toyota doesn’t make improvements ,they will fall behind.
C.Keeping calm will help go forward.
D.In order to keep up with other teams ,Toyota has to stand still.
69.We can learn from the passage that.
A.Toyota entered F1 to enlarge its market.
B.Entering F1 is low risk but rich rewarding.
C.Toyota team has always been experienced.
D.Toyota made good preparations for the 2003 season.
70.What will the next paragraph talk about if the passage goes on?
A.Preparations for the 2003 season.
B.The value of Ove Andersson.
C.How to improve the European market.
D.Changes on technical side.
My grandfather grew up in war-torn Europe. When German soldiers occupied his hometown ,the thriving city of Tarow, Poland, he refused to obey them and eventually joined the Soviet army to fight for his country’s freedom . “Stand straight, stand tall,” he told himself.
After the war, in 1947, he boarded a boat for Manhattan. He was hungry and suffering from seasickness. All alone in a new country, he was frightened about his future .Still, he marched head-on into the hustle and bustle of the streets of New York . Soon he met other European immigrants, each of them trying to find his or her own way .If they could do it, why couldn’t he? “Stand straight, stand tall,” he would remind himself.
Thanks to the help of a loyal and trusting friend, my grandfather gained a jewelry booth on Canal Street, New York City .He once told me how nervous he was on that first day of work. He was not only trying to learn this tough new business, but also a new language.
To his surprise, the men in neighboring booths—who could have taken advantage of him—offered their help and advice. Within months, my grandfather was commanding his spot behind the counter, selling diamonds and cultured pearls as if he’d been doing it his whole life.
Stand straight and stand tall.
In later years, my grandfather would take both my mother and her sister down the aisle at their weddings. As he stood with each of them, he thought about their new beginnings, and of the adventures and journeys they would experience together .He also thought about the children who would one day carry on his family name.
I am so proud to be one of those children. Listening to my grandfather’s remarkable experiences has changed the way I view my own life.
56.Which is the correct order of the things that happened in the passage?
a. My grandfather took both my mother and her sister down the aisle at their weddings.
b. World War II broke out in Europe.
c. My grandfather went to America.
d. My grandfather began to run his diamond business.
e. The men in neighboring booths helped him.
A.b, c, a ,d, e B.b, c,d ,e ,a C.b, c ,e , a ,d D.c, b ,e ,d ,a
57.Which is NOT true according to the passage?
A.My grandfather was a soldier during World War II.
B.My grandfather went to America by sea.
C.My grandfather had been doing a jewelry business his whole life.
D.My grandfather ran his business successfully.
58.Grandpa probably inspired his grandchildren in time of trouble by saying “”.
A.A friend in need is a friend indeed
B.God help those who help themselves
C.Stand straight ,stand tall
D.Practice makes perfect
59.It can be concluded that.
A.Grandpa never lost heart in time of hardships
B.Grandpa never threw doubt upon his fate
C.Grandpa was born to be a businessman
D.Grandpa didn’t live up to his friend’s expectations