I grew up poor – living with six brothers, my father and a wonderful mother. We had 36 money and few worldly goods, but plenty of love and attention. I was 37 and energetic. I understood that no matter how poor a person was, they could 38 afford a dream.
My dream was to be a 39 . When I was sixteen, I could crush a baseball, throw a ninety – mile – per – hour fastball. I was also 40 : my high – school coach was Ollie Jarvis, who 41 me the difference between having a dream and showing strong belief. One particular 42 with him changed my life forever.
It was a summer and a friend recommended me for a summer 43 . This meant a chance for my first income – cash for a new bike and new clothes, and the 44 of savings for a house for my mother. The opportunity was attracting, and I wanted to 45 at it.
Then I realized I would have to 46 summer baseball to handle the work schedule, and that meant I would have to tell Coach Jarvis I wouldn’t be playing. I was 47 about this.
When I told Coach Jarvis, he was as 48 as I expected him to be. “You have your whole life to work,” he said. “Your 49 days are limited. You can’t afford to waste them.”
I stood before him with my head 50 , trying to think of how to explain to him why my dream of buying my mom a house and having money in my pocket was worth 51 his disappointment in me.
“How much are you going to make at this job?” he demanded.
“$ 3.25 an hour,” I replied.
“Well, is $ 3.25 an hour the price of a 52 ?” he asked.
That 53 laid bare for me the difference between wanting something right now and having a goal. I devoted myself to 54 that summer, and within the year I was offered a $ 20,000 contract. I signed with the Denver Broncos in 1984 for $ 1.7 million, and bought my mother the 55 of my dreams.
A.some B.little C.no D.much
A.happy B.lovely C.Angry D.noisy
A.only B.ever C.still D.almost
A.teacher B.coach C.doctor D.sportsman
A.lucky B.satisfied C.hopeful D.surprised
A.taught B.asked C.told D.trained
A.match B.Story C.moment D.incident
A.job B.camp C.holiday D.course
A.cause B.start C.need D.amount
A.stand B.call C.look D.jump
A.take out B.cut off C.put on D.give up
A.excited B.curious C.anxious D.disappointed
A.mad B.puzzled C.regretful D.discouraged
A.working B.playing C.learning D.shining
A.shaking B.hanging C.holding D.nodding
A.feeling B.suffering C.facing D.expressing
A.dream B.game C.chance D.life
A.offer B.price C.question D.order
A.study B.sports C.homework D.business
A.clothes B.bike C.house D.goods
In order to be a success in the American business world, you must “get along” with people. You must learn to conduct yourself in such a way _1_ you earn the affection and respect of others._2_ we have already pointed out, Americans_3_ business and pleasure. Therefore, learning how to _4_ informally can be a help with your American business _5_.Americans like to talk about a _6_of different topics—sports, politics, cars, popular movies and television shows and personal interests. Many large American cities have sports teams. If you are _7_ with Americans in the United States, it would be a good idea to _8_out about the local sports teams so that you can _9_ in the almost inevitable discussions about “how our _10_ will do this year” .Politics can be a _11_ topic unless everyone is of the same mind _12_.Limit your discussions to asking questions of your friends. Most Americans are _13_ owners and some are even obsessive about the subject. You can contribute _14_talking about cars you have owned or by _15_ information you have read in automotive magazines. Americans watch television almost every night and attend movies regularly,
_16_ naturally television shows and the _17_ movies become topics for discussions. If you are unable to _18_ American television or attend American movies, reading the _19_ section of such magazines as Time News week will keep you up to date on _20_is popular in America.
1. A. which B. where C. as D .that
2. A. While B. Since C. As D. Because
3. A. mix B. enjoy C. like D. manage
4. A. conduct B. appear C. behave D. chat
5. A. friends B. efforts C. contacts D. companies
6. A. bit B. total C. group D. number
7. A. meeting B. working C. living D. playing
8. A. find B. learn C. go D. stay
9. A. workB. participate C. succeed D. break
10. A. group B. business C. company D. team
11. A. common B. sensitive C. special. D daily
12. A. politically B. economically C. professionally D. personally
13. A. house B. car C. business D. land
14. A. to B. toward C. by D. through
15. A. collecting B. sharing C. gathering D. analyzing
16. A. so B. therefore C. thus D. hence
17. A. interesting B. exciting C. excellent D. latest
18. A. witness B. look C. watch D. glance
19. A. entertainment B. sports C. business D. movie
20. A. which B. that C. what D. as
The word “plastic” comes from the Greek word “Platicos” and is used to describe_1_which can be easily shaped.
The history of plastics is longer than you might_2_.In fact _3_ manmade plastics ever to appear on the market was made over a hundred years ago. It was called “celluloid(赛璐璐)”.It was discovered by both an Englishman and an American in the same year._4_it was the Americans who first produced it on a large scale during the year 1860.Everybody was _5_by this new material which could be moulded (用模子做) into shapes and _6_so cheap to buy.
Poor young men _7_in cities with lots of smoke and dirt were_8_ to buy white celluloid collars(领子).The collars were hard and uncomfortable. But they did not have to be sent to wash. The poor young men _9_ rub them clean every evening with soap and water! Poor mothers,
_10_ had not been able to afford playthings _11_their children, were now able to buy them playthings _12_ of celluloid. But celluloid had one very serious fault. It caught fire very easily. In fact it burned even more quickly than wood or cloth. There were many terrible accidents, particularly _13_ children. For years scientists worked hard to find a better plastic material than celluloid. They had _14_ success. Then in 1932 an American scientist called Baekeland produced a hard plastic material which did not burn. _15_ became known _16_ bakelite(酚醛塑料).Other plastic materials like bakelite were _17_ produced. They _18_ to make electrical fittings and plates and cups. Poor people liked them because they were both cheap and safe, but rich people _19_ them because they were cheap, and because they could only be made _20_dark colours.
1. A. something B. everything C. thing D. anything
2. A. wish B. think C. want D. hope
3. A. first B. at first C. for the first D. the first
4. A. So B. But C. And D. As
5. A. surprised B. excited C. told D. frightened
6. A. be B. were C. was D. is
7. A. waiting B. running C. walking D. working
8. A. goingB. sure C. about D. able
9. A. could B. ought to C. must D. should
10. A. which B. who C. whom D. that
11. A. for B. like C. in D. of
12. A. done B. produced C. worked D. made
13. A. between B. on C. among D. about
14. A. much B. great. C. never D. little
15. A. The man B. He C. It D. The scientist
16. A. as B. with C. by D. to
17. A. already B. still C. also D. yet
18. A. used B. hoped C. were used D. had
19. A. took B. loved C. enjoyed D. disliked
20. A. in B. by C. fromD. of
Mrs. Jones was over eighty, but she still drove her old car like a woman half her age. She loved driving very fast, and was proud of the fact 1she had never, in her thirty-five years of driving, been punished2a driving offence (犯规,犯法).
Then one day she nearly 3her record. A police car4her, and the policemen in it saw her 5a red light without stopping. Of course, she was stopped. It seemed6that she would be punished.
7Mrs. Jones came up to the judge, he looked at her seriously and said that she was 8old to drive a car, and that the9why she had not stopped at the red 10was most probably that her eyes had become weak 11old age, so that she had simply not seen it.
When the judge had finished what he was 12, Mrs. Jones opened the big handbag she was13and took out her sewing. Without saying a word, she 14a needle with a very small eye, and threaded it at her first attempt.
When she had 15done this, she took the thread out of the needle again and handed16the needle and the thread to the judge, saying, “Now it is your 17. I suppose you drive a car, and that you are quite sure about your own eyesight.”
The judge took the 18and tried to thread it. After half a dozen tries, he had still not succeeded. The case (案例) against Mrs. Jones was 19, and her record 20unbroken.
1. A. whichB. whenC. thatD. this
2. A. aboutB. on C. toD. for
3. A. kept B. wonC. missedD. lost
4. A. watchedB. after C. followedD. ran after
5. A. pass B. go C. runD. rush
6. A. sure B. indeedC. certainD. perhaps
7. A. BeforeB. WhileC. UntilD. When
8. A. so B. very C. tooD. quite
9. A. causeB. reasonC. matterD. trouble
10. A. lightB. lamp C. sign D. one
11. A. withB. becauseC. for D. of
12. A. speakingB. sayingC. talkingD. telling
13. A. holdingB. getting C. carryingD. bringing
14. A. took B. brought C. pickedD. chose
15. A. almostB. hardly C. successfullyD. successful
16. A. both B. all C. neitherD. either
17. A. time B. turn C. chanceD. job
18. A. thread B. glasses C. needlesD. needle
19. A. dismissedB. passedC. settled D. studied
20. A. was B. kept C. seemedD. remained
Some time ago, two navy officers made a journey to the deepest point on the earth. The two men went down seven miles to the__1__of the Pacific Ocean inside a small steel ball to find out if there are any__2__of life.
They set out early so that the ball would come to the surface in the__3__and so be easily found by the mother ship. The divers began__4__at dawn and soon afterwards the ball__5__under the surface of the water.
__6__, the temperature dropped to freezing point and the men trembled inside the ball. They kept in touch with the mother ship by telephone__7__how they felt. At a depth of 3,000 feet, the telephone stopped working and they were quite cut__8__from the outside world. At 30,000 feet, the men were shocked by a sudden loud__9__- even the smallest hole in the ball would have__10__instant death. Luckily, it was only one of the outer windows__11__had broken.
Soon afterwards, the ball__12__the soft ocean floor, raising a big cloud of "dust" made__13__different kinds of small, dead sea animals. Here, powerful lights lit up the __14__water. The men were surprised to see fish swimming just above them, quite__15__ by the very large water pressure. But they did not__16__to leave lights on for long, as the great__17__from them made the water boil. Quite__18__, the telephone began working again and the weak__19__ clear voices of the officers were heard on the mother ship. After a__20__of thirty minutes the men began their journey up, arriving three hours later.
1. A. foot B. base C. bottom D. tip
2. A. marks B. signs C. signals D. messages
3. A. evening B. night C. secret D. daytime
4. A. diving B. rising C. traveling D. preparations
5. A. disappeared B. floated C. threw D. flew
6. A. In time B. On time C. At times D. At one time
7. A. guiding B. realizing C. describing D. imagining
8. A. down B. over C. off D. out
9. A. voice B. noiseC. explosion D. shout
10. resulted B. suggested C. meant D. saved
11. A. where B. that C. which D. whose
12. A. touched B. visited C. attacked D. landed
13. A. of B. fromC. up of D. into
14. A. green B. blue C. dark D. hot
15. A. unbelieved B. unchanged C. uncovered D. untroubled
16. A. use B. need C. dare D. think
17. A. light B. heat C. pressure D. sound
18. A. unexpected B. uncovered C. unknown D. uncontrolled
19. A. or B. and C. but D. either
20. A. living B. stay C. rest D. break
Miss Lovely began to work in our office last year. She thought she was__1__and hardly talked with us. Her house was a little far from our company and she had to go to work __2__ every day.
Of course, she had to spend a lot of __3__on this. She decided to have her own car, and began to __4__how to drive two months ago. Now she was able to drive, but had to__5__a licence before she could buy a car. It took her a week to__6__the traffic regulations. She was sure she would__7__the examinations.
It was finally time for her to take the examinations yesterday. Miss Lovely didn't come to work. We__8__she would drive her new car to our company this morning. But to our__9__she came here by taxi and didn't tell anybody about it. None of us asked her the__10__but her face clearly showed she had__11__in the exams.
This afternoon one of our workmates told us __12__had happened to the girl when she was__13__. Yesterday the chief examiner had asked her some questions, but she could answer only a __14__. For example, "Would you run over a man or a dog if you see them both in the middle of the__15__?"
"Of course I'd run over the dog, sir", Miss Lovely answered without __16__.
"I'm sorry to tell you, Miss Lovely," the examiner shook his__17__and said, "you have to take the examination again!"
"I don't think my answers were__18__, sir," the girl said in a hurry. "I__19__ run over a man, you know!"
"I agree with your__20__, Miss Lovely," the chief examiner said with a smile. "but why not brake (刹车)?"
1. A. oldB. foolish C. clever D. kind
2. A. by taxi B. by train C. on foot D. by plane
3. A. time B. money C. energy D. room
4. A. teach B. plan C. operate D. learn
5. A. findB. apply for C. look for D. make
6. A. learn B. forget C. teach D. break
7. A. take B. prepare C. explain D. pass
8. A. suggested B. described C. thought D. replied
9. A. surpriseB. joy C. anger D. pleasure
10. A. name B. reason C. rule D. notice
11. A. believed B. heard C. found D. failed
12. A. why B. how C. what D. when
13. A. ill B. alone C. in D. out
14. A. few B. several C. all D. lot
15. A. room B. playground C. hospital D. road
16. A. asking B. thinking C. discussing D. advising
17. A. foot B. noseC. ears D. head
18. A. wrong B. correct C. right D. true
19. A. can B. need C. can't D. needn't
20. A. car B. opinion C. fact D. purpose