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. I has 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 mumble 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. 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.
Who was that guy? It was as if Sam Walton had come back from the dead and invaded this old guy's body.
I had never walked away from that shop feeling like that.What was most customers' reaction to Marty's behavior?
| A．They thought it priceless. |
| B．They thought it awful and odd. |
| C．They felt somewhat offended. |
| D．They were in some way moved. |
The checkout line the writer was standing in moved slower than expected because______
| A．the cashier did more than scanning the items |
| B．the cashier couldn't work as fast as others |
| C．there were some big purchases |
| D．the writer was not patient enough |
What can we infer about Sam Walton?
| A．He might be Marty's father or grandfather. |
| B．He might have died while working in the market. |
| C．He might be friendly and devoted to Wal-Mart. |
| D．He might have come back from the dead once before. |
According to the writer, when common people ask you "How's it going?"
| A．they are just practicing their conversation ability |
| B．they are inquiring about your private information |
| C．they don't expect to hear any negative answers |
| D．they don't really care what you may answer |
What does the writer intend to express through the text?
| A．Our everyday life is always full of surprises. |
| B．Being different is a good way of doing business. |
| C．A little positive action can make a big difference. |
| D．Most customers enjoy being treated this way. |
There is a wonderful story about a young girl who had no family and no one to love her.
One day, feeling very sad and lonely, she was walking through a grassland when she noticed a small butterfly caught in a thorn（荆棘）bush. The young girl carefully released the butterfly. Instead of flying away, the little butterfly changed into a beautiful fairy. The young girl rubbed her eyes in disbelief.
“For your wonderful kindness,” the good fairy said to the girl, “I will give you any wish you would like.” The little girl thought for a moment and then replied, “I want to be happy.”
The fairy leaned toward her and whispered in her ear. Then the fairy disappeared.
As the little girl grew up, there was no one in the land as happy as she. Everyone asked her secret of happiness. She would only smile and answer, “The secret of my happiness is that I listened to a good fairy when I was a little girl.”
When she was very old and on her deathbed, the neighbors all gathered around her， that her unbelievable secret of happiness would die with her. “Tell us, please,” they begged, “Tell us what the good fairy said.” The lovely old woman simply smiled and said, “She told me that everyone, no matter how secure they seemed, no matter how old or young, how rich or poor, had need of me.” ______ the girl felt sad and lonely.
| A．There were many friends but |
| B．There was nobody to love her so |
| C．There was nothing to do |
| D．Seeing the butterfly was caught |
Noticing the butterfly was caught by the thorn, the orphan girl ______.
| A．helped the butterfly escaped from the thorn |
| B．felt sorrow, but she didn ‘t go up to help it |
| C．fell down on it too |
| D．failed to help it release from the thorn |
The only thing that the little girl wanted was________.
| A．to be rich |
| B．to have her own parents |
| C．to have a lot of friends |
| D．happiness |
The neighbors all gathered around the old happy woman when she was dying, because ______.
| A．they loved this woman deeply and they didn‘t wanted her to die |
| B．the woman had lots of money to be shared as soon as she died |
| C．they wanted to know the secret of her lifetime happiness |
| D．they wanted to pray for her after her death |
If you do not use your arms or your legs for some time, they become weak. When you start using them again, they slowly become strong again. Everybody knows this. Yet there are many people who do not seem to know that one’s memory works in the same way. When someone says that he has a good memory, he really means that he keeps his memory in practice by exercising it regularly. When someone else says that his memory is poor, he really means that he does not give it enough chance to become strong.
If a friend complains that his arms are weak, we know that it is his own fault. But if he tells us that he has a poor memory, many of us think that his parents are to blame, or that he is just unlucky, and few of us realize that it is really his own fault. Not all of us can become very strong or very clever, but all of us can improve our memory by the same means — practice.
Have you ever noticed that people who cannot read or write usually have a better memory than those who can? Why is this? Of course, because people who can’t read or write have to remember things: they cannot write them down in a little notebook. They have to remember dates, prices, names, songs and stories, so their memory is exercised all the time.
So if you want a good memory, learn from those who cannot read or write: practise remembering. According to the passage, few people know that _____.
| A．arms or legs become weak if they are not used for some time |
| B．when they start using their arms or legs again, they slowly become strong again |
| C．a person’s memory becomes weak if he does not practise remembering things |
| D．it is their own fault if their arms or legs are weak |
The author thinks that if a person has a poor memory, _________.
| A．it is his own fault |
| B．his parents are to blame |
| C．he is just unlucky |
| D．his arms must be weak |
From Paragraph 3, we can learn that _________.
| A．people who can’t read are cleverer than those who can |
| B．people who can’t write are cleverer than those who can |
| C．a little notebook helps people who cannot read or write get a better memory |
| D．people who practise remembering regularly have a better memory |
The passage mainly tells us ____________.
| A．how to get our arms and legs stronger |
| B．how to improve our memory |
| C．how to read and write |
| D．how to remember dates and prices |
On the River Thames there are a number of boat races every year and these have become very popular with the public. Perhaps the best–known of these races is the University Boat Race. This takes place just before Easter every year and is a competition between teams from the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge. They row from Putney to Mertlake, a distance of about four and a quarter miles. This race has been taking place almost every year since 1829. The best – known of these races is __________.
| A．the Boat Race of the University of Oxford. |
| B．the Boat Race of the University of Cambridge |
| C．the Boat Race of the Olympic Games |
| D．the University Boat Race |
Generally, the Boat Race takes place _________.
| A．once a year | B．twice a year |
| C．every three years | D．every other year |
The words “Putney” and “Mertlake” are _________.
| A．names of places | B．names of teams |
| C．names of boat races | D．names of universities |
Most British people prefer to live in a house rather than a flat and one of the reasons is that houses usually have gardens. The garden is a place where people can be outside and yet private.
If a house has a front and back garden, the front is likely to be formal(正规的) and decorative(装饰性的), with a lawn (an area of grass) or fancy flower borders. The back garden usually also has a lawn and flower beds, and sometimes a vegetable plot(菜地) fruit trees. There’s often a bird table, on which food is put for birds, and a small simple house in which garden tools are kept.
Many British people spend quite a lot of money on their gardens and even the smallest may contain different kinds of flowers and plants. For them gardening is a hobby and they take pride in their gardens. Some towns and villages have competitions for the best-kept small garden. People with a small garden, or no garden at all, can rent a piece of land, on which most grow vegetables.
There are garden centers near most towns, selling everything a gardener might need, from flower pots to fish ponds as well as many types of plants.
The British interest in gardening affects the appearance of whole towns. Public parks and some roads often have bright displays of flowers in summer and public buildings have windows boxes(窗口花坛) and hanging baskets. Towns and villages enter for the Britain in Bloom competition every year. According to paragraph 2, a back garden _________.
| A．is also formal |
| B．has flower beds |
| C．doesn’t have a lawn |
| D．has beautiful flower borders |
What do we know about garden centers?
| A．They are in the centre of the town. |
| B．Each town has a garden center. |
| C．Gardeners can buy tools there. |
| D．They have gardens for rent. |
From the last paragraph we know that _________.
| A．gardening improves the appearance of British towns |
| B．British parks are full of flowers all year round |
| C．the British interest in gardening is decreasing |
| D．Britain in Bloom is a worldwide competition |
Name: Container Gardens by Number
Cover price: $l5.95
Our price: $9.49
A unique book contains 50 easy-to-follow container designs. Each design provides a simple numbered planting plan that shows exactly how to create each display, with an instruction of the finished planter and in-depth plant information. The plans are easy to follow and for any type of living space or garden.
Name: Off the Beaten Path
Cover price: $30.00
Our price: $l9.80
The best-selling Reader’s Digest travel book has 40% new content including over 200 new sites, over 200 new full-color photographs, and all-new, up-to-date maps. It spotlights over l, 000 of the United States’ most overlooked must-see destinations.
Name: l80l Home Remedies (疗法)
Cover price: $40.00
Our price: $29.96
Plenty of health complaints can be handled at home. Each and every remedy will be tested by a doctor to make sure it is safe and sound.
Dozens of conditions are covered, from headaches, sunburn, bad breath, and blisters(水泡) to allergies(过敏), and hiccups(打嗝).
Name: Best Weekend Projects
Cover price: $l7.95
Our price: $l3.96
Choose from 80 unique ideas to create an extraordinary living space. The projects are practical, as well as attractive, and will improve your home and yard and can be made in a weekend. These 80 well-designed projects are presented in a clear, easy-to-follow style that addresses readers in an accessible, user-friendly tone. You can most probably read the passage in a ___________.
| A．news story | B．travel guide |
| C．newspaper | D．telephone book |
How much money can you save if you want to buy a medical book?
| A．$6.46. | B．$l0.20. | C．$l3.96. | D．$l0.04. |
Which of the following can you afford if you have only $10?
| A．Off the Beaten Path |
| B．Container Gardens by Number |
| C．l80l Home Remedies |
| D．Best Weekend Projects |
The author writes the passage in order to ___________.
| A．persuade readers to buy the books |
| B．encourage readers to read more about medicine |
| C．introduce the books to readers |
| D．develop people’s reading habit |