German Prime Minister Otto Von Bismarck may be most famous for his and diplomatic talent, but his contributions to the society include many of today’s social insurance programs. During the middle of the 19th century, Germany, other European nations, an unusual outbreak of workplace deaths and accidents as a result of growing . in part by Christian sympathy for the helpless as well as a practical political impulse to get the of the socialist labor movement, Bismarck the world’s first worker’s compensation law in 1884.
By 1908, the United States was the industrial nation in the world that lacked workers’ compensation insurance. American’s injured workers could seek in a court of law, but they still faced a number of tough legal barriers. , employees had to prove that their injuries directly employer’s lack of care and they themselves were ignorant about potential danger in the workplace. The first state workers’ compensation law in this country passed in 1911, and the program soon throughout the nation.
After World War II, benefit payments to American workers did not the cost of living. In fact, real benefit levels were lower in the 1970s than they were in the 1940s, and in most states the maximum benefit was below the poverty level for a family of four. In 1970, President Richard Nixon set up a national to study the problems workers’ compensation. Two years later, the committee issued 19 key recommendations, one that called for increasing compensation benefit levels to 100 percent of the states’ average weekly wages.
A．artistic B．literary C．military D．economic
A．along with B．other than C．apart from D．rather than
A．experimented B．explored C．experienced D．excluded
A．urbanization B．revolution C．evolution D．industrialization
A．Inspired B．Touched C．Organized D．Motivated
A．feedback B．statement C．proof D．support
A．discovered B．created C．uncovered D．revealed
A．unique B．only C．powerful D．most
A．rights B．help C．compensation D．support
A．For example B．However C．Consequently D．Moreover
A．resulted in B．stood for C．resulted from D．deal with
A．spread B．promoted C．stretched D．placed
A．put up with B．face up to C．benefit from D．keep up with
A．community B．committee C．authority D．government
A．including B．insisting C．installing D．investing
Behind our house is the start of a fascinating trail (小径). This trail is one of the old roads that wind through untold miles of forest. My , Beans, and I walk the trail frequently. Normally, Beans sniffs alongside the trail to follow the smell of a deer track or some cause known only to him.
Beans is a white dog, quite handsome and very . He not only understands what we tell him, but also often makes sounds as if he were trying to back.
One morning, we took a different route, which led us to an unfamiliar trail. I was sure this trail would eventually lead us to our familiar . But, no. We seemed to be far off course. After two hours, I suddenly realized that Beans probably （21） the way home. So I urged, "Beans, take me home." He ran down a new trail. But it merely led to an intersection (岔道口) of trails.
Soon it became that we were getting nowhere. I began to picture the rest of the day in the , without food or drink. We had walked about ten miles. But Beans seemed totally . The sniffing and exploring was going well for him.
Finally, we a crossroad near a highway. Lady Luck suggested I should turn left. We did and reached a cottage beside a field. I knocked on the door and explained my situation to an old man. He laughed and then drove us home.
Since our adventure, I that Beans probably knew all along how to get home. He was just having too much fan exploring new trails.
A．deer B．dog C．lady D．man
A．imagine B．consider C．explore D．present
A．smart B．sweet C．slow D．shy
A．turn B．kick C．jump D．speak
A．driveway B．path C．crossroad D．highway
A．knew B．saw C．showed D．made
A．house B．forest C．field D．cottage
A．unconcerned B．unconscious C．undecided D．uncomfortable
A．left for B．went off C．came to D．drove toward
A．punctually B．frequently C．formally D．shortly
A．regretted B．remembered C．concluded D．confirmed
"What's it like to have a gap between your teeth?" a girl asked me one day.
Nobody had ever before. My hand unconsciously rose to cover my mouth. But, as she looked at me, sincerely waiting for
, 1 realized she was not trying to be rude. "I never think about it," I truthfully replied. She nodded and turned away. I was left wondering if people _
me and saw only gappy teeth.
Later that day at home, I began to ___ my teeth again. I felt upset. I thought my life would be somehow better if my teeth were not gappy. How I wanted the perfect teeth that everyone else seemed to have!
Of course, Mom everything. She has lived her entire life with gappy teeth, and tried to convince me that there was nothing to __
. When I refused to listen, she told me I could get the surgery to close the gap if it was that important. "Let's be
.though," she said. "If everyone got surgeries to become pretty, everyone would be exactly the same. There is beauty in differences."
Her __ made me consider my teeth seriously. The thought of losing my gap was more terrible than the reality that people were going to notice it. I realized how important it was to me. It is part of my
.
Nowadays many people do ridiculous things to realize their dream of "perfection." The is that no one is perfect. When all potential for ugliness is removed, so is all of the
potential for
So if that girl ever asked about my teeth I would truthfully answer. "You know? It's really cute."
A. faced B. guessed C. asked D. imagined
A. an offer B. an answer C. a suggestion D. a result
A heard of B. thought of C. talked about D. looked at
A. consider B. brush C. cover D. appreciate
A. admitted B. noticed C. controlled D. changed
A. worry about B. put off C. give up D. wipe out
A. friendly B. lovely C. honest D. helpful
A. words B. jokes C. dreams D. acts
A. ability B. decision C. goal D. identity
A. possibility B. purpose C. truth D. choice
A. courage B. wisdom C. kindness D. beauty
A. once B. again C. too D. instead
Peter’s job was to examine cars when they crossed the frontier to make sure that they were not smuggling anything into the country. Every evening he would see a factory worker coming ____ the hill towards the frontier, ____ a bike with a pile of goods of old straw on it. When the bike ____ the frontier, Peter would stop the man and ____ him take the straw off and untie it. Then he would examine the straw very ____ to see ____ he could find anything, after which he would look in all the man’s pockets ____ he let him tie the straw again. The man would then put it on his bike and go off down the hill with it. Although Peter was always ____ to find gold or other valuable things ____ in the straw, he never found ____. He was sure the man was ____ something, but he was not ____ to think out what it could be.
Then one evening, after he had looked ____ the straw and emptied the worker’s pockets ____ usual, he ____ to him, “Listen, I know you are smuggling things ____ this frontier. Won’t you tell me what it is? I’m an old man, and today’s my last day on the ____. Tomorrow I’m going to ____. I promise I shall not tell ____ if you tell me what you’ve been smuggling.” The worker did not say anything for ____. Then he smiled, turned to Peter and said quietly, “Bikes.”
A．towards B．down C．to D．up
A．filling B．pulling C．pushing D．carrying
A．arrived B．appeared C．came D．reached
A．ask B．order C．make D．call
A．carefully B．quickly C．silently D．horribly
A．that B．where C．how D．whether
A．before B．after C．first D．so
A．lucky B．hoping C．thinking D．wondering
A．had been B．hidden C．hiding D．have been
A．nothing B．something C．everything D．anything
A．taking B．smuggling C．stealing D．pushing
A．possible B．strong C．able D．clever
A．through B．thoroughly C．upon D．up
A．like B．more C．then D．as
A．told B．cried C．ordered D．said
A．cross B．past C．across D．into
A．thing B．work C．job D．duty
A．rest B．back C．retire D．retreat
A．everyone B．anyone C．no one D．someone
A．moment B．long time C．sometime D．some time
The Fitting-in of Suzy Khan
The first time I saw Suzy Khan, I knew I had to help her. She was really small for her age of 12. The boy in my class oftenabout her and laughed their heads off. She would open a book, pretending to read, with tears dropping on the open page.
All I knew was that she was an orphan (孤儿) from Africa. She had just been adopted by a family in town who that the best way for her to learn American ways of life was to be with american kids. I looked down at this girl and promised myself that somehow I would help her.
But how could I help her in with us? There had to be a .
One day, when I went into the classroom, I saw that Suzy had her geography book to a picture of a train, and in her notebook, she had made a(n)(7) copy.
I was surprised and thought that she could do something in the coming (8) show. So, I took her to see the art teacher, Miss Parker, and showed her what Suzy had. “why, it’s wonderful,” said Miss Parker, who then showed us a poster she had painted the talent show. “I need more of these, but I just don’t have enough. Could you help me, Suzy?”
On the day of the talent show, Suzy’s were everywhere ---- all over the hall and all over the school, each one different.
“And finally,” said Mr Brown, the schoolmaster, at the end of the show, “we have a (n) award. I’m sure you’ve all noticed the wonderful posters.” Everyone nodded. “One of our own students them.”
I could hear everyone whispering. “Who in our school could draw well?”
Mr. Brown waited a while before saying, “ this student worked so hard on the posters, she deserves a ,too. Our mystery(神秘) artist is our new student ---- Suzy Khan!”
Mr. Brown thanked her for all the wonderful posters and gave her a professional artist’s set. “Thank you,” she cried.
I , at that time when I was looking at her excited face, she’d probably neveranything in her whole life.
Everyone started to their hands. Suzy Khan gave them a shy smile and the applause was defening. I knew then Suzy was going to be all right.
A．joked B．cared C．trains D．worried
A．reported B．decided C．complained D．questioned
A．rich B．proud C．tiny D．popular
A．manner B．pattern C．choice D．way
A．read B．taken C．opened D．put
A．free B．perfect C．final D．extra
A．are B．talk C．quiz D．talent
A．colored B．written C．carved D．drawn
A．at B．after C．for D．around
A．room B．time C．paper D．interest
A．gifts B．books C．photos D．posters
A．special B．academic C．national D．rayal
A．painted B．found C．printed D．collected
A．very B．that C．quite D．too
A．If B．Though C．Unless D．Since
A．prize B．rank C．rest D．place
A．replied B．realized C．remembered D．regretted
A．offered B．valued C．owned D．controlled
A．clap B．wave C．raise D．shake
I stood in the living room doorway, extremely surprised. I found my grandmother was dancing.
Her body bent beautifully, her arms were raised high, and her legs obeyed her . As long as I could remember, her legs were when she walked, and she was always (3) by a walking stick. Grandma was once a star of the dancing world. And then she had a(n) and all was over. I had read that in a(n) newspaper.
I asked，"Have your legs got well，Grandma?" What she answered me a second time—her legs had been well all her life and she had all these years. I asked about the . Grandmother told me the following .
She and my grandfather were to get married when my grandfather had to go to war. It was the most time of her life after he left. She was so of losing him. The only way she could stop herself from getting mad was to dance. She put all her energy and time into —and she became very good and famous. But one day she received a from my grandpa, saying he had lost one leg in a battle (战斗)and asking her to him.
After reading the words, she made a(n) . She traveled away from the city. When she returned, she told the reporters she had been in an accident in another city and that her legs would never recover to allow her to dance. No one (17 ) the story—she had learned to walka person with broken legs. Then she went to see my grandfather, who, of course, decided to stand up again to her.
"I was sure I would lose him if I continued dancing, so I chose love. You see, your grandpa has never made me regret my ," grandma smiled.
A．slowly B．firmly C．suddenly D．perfectly
A．long B．stiff C．smart D．soft
A．supported B．followed C．protected D．driven
A．baby B．operation C．accident D．cold
A．modem B．foreign C．old D．small
A．shocked B．puzzled C．disappointed D．comforted
A．prepared B．pretended C．waited D．hoped
A．excuse B．result C．detail D．reason
A．tip B．advice C．article D．story
A．terrible B．cheerful C．interesting D．common
A．proud B．confident C．afraid D．sure
A．singing B．talking C．dancing D．walking
A．book B．letter C．newspaper D．magazine
A．forget B．help C．follow D．change
A．mistake B．apology C．effort D．decision
A．finally B．completely C．exactly D．luckily
A．doubted B．knew C．believed D．told
A．beyond B．with C．like D．unlike
A．catch sight of B．take advantage of C．take hold of D．take care of