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My mind went blank when I saw the gun pointing against the car window as we pulled out of the garage. This can't be happening to me. Then I felt the gun, cold, against my head, and I heard my friend Jeremy saying,“What do you want? Take my wallet,” but at the time I thought of nothing.
I remember being a little annoyed when the gunman pulled me from the car by the hair. I remember the walk to the house—Jeremy, me, the two men with two guns. I remember the fear and anger in the gunmen's voices because Jeremy was being slow, and I remember wondering why he was being slow. I did not realize that Jeremy had thrown the keys into the bush. But I remember that sound of the gun hitting Jeremy's head and the feeling as the man who had hold of my hair released me. And I remember the split second when I realized he was looking at Jeremy,and I remember wondering how far I could run before he pulled the trigger. But I was already running, and upon reaching the car across the street, I didn't crouch (蹲伏) behind it but screamed instead.
I remember thinking there was something ridiculous and illogical about screaming “Help, help!” at eight o'clock on a Tuesday evening in December and changing my plea(恳求) to the  more specific “Help, let me in, please let me in!” But the houses were cold, closed, unfriendly, and I ran on until I heard Jeremy's screams behind me announcing that our attackers had fled.
The neighbors who had not opened their doors to us came out with baseball bats and helped Jeremy find his glasses and keys. In a group they were very brave. We waited for the police to  come until someone said to someone else that the noodles were getting cold, and I said politely,“Please go and eat. We're OK.”
I was happy to see them go. They had been talking of stricter sentences for criminals, of  bringing back the death penalty(处罚) and how the President is going to clean up the country. I  was thinking, they could be saying all of this over my dead body, and I still feel that stiffer  sentences wouldn't change a thing. In a rush all the anger I should have felt for my attackers was  directed against these contented people standing in front of their warm, comfortable homes  talking about all the guns they were going to buy. What good would guns have been to Jeremy  and me?
People all over the neighborhood had called to report our screams, and the police turned out  in force twenty minutes later. They were illtempered about what was, to them, much trouble  about nothing.  After all, Jeremy was hardly hurt, and we were hopeless when it came to  describing the gunmen. “Typical,” said one policeman when we couldn't even agree on how tall  the men were.  Both of us were able to describe the guns in horrifying detail, but the two  policemen who stayed to make the report didn't think that would be much help.
The policemen were matteroffact about the whole thing. The thin one said,“That was a  stupid thing to do, throwing away the keys. When a man has a gun against your head you do  what you're told.” Jeremy looked properly embarrassed.
Then the fat policeman came up and the thin one went to look around the outside of the  house. “That was the best thing you could have done, throwing away the keys,” he said. “If you  had gone into the house with them...” His voice became weaker. “They would have hurt her” ——he twisted his head toward me——“and killed you both.” Jeremy looked happier. “Look,” said the fat policeman kindly, “ there's no right or wrong in the situation. There's just luck.”
All that sleepless night I replayed the moment those black gloves came up to the car  window. How long did the whole thing last? Three minutes, five, eight? No matter how many  hours of my life I may spend reliving it, I know there is no way to prepare for the next time—no  intelligent response to a gun. The fat cop was right. There's only luck. The next time I might end up dead.
And I’m sure there will be a next time.  It can happen anywhere, anytime, to anyone.Security is an illusion(幻觉); there is no safety in locks or in guns. Guns make some people feel safe and some people feel strong, but they're fooling themselves.
When the writer saw the gun pointing against the car window,________.

A.she felt very annoyed
B.she lost consciousness
C.she felt very much nervous
D.she lost the power of thinking

What most possibly drove the two gunmen away?

A.Jeremy's fighting.
B.The author's screaming.
C.Their neighbour's brave action.
D.The police's arrival.

When the author called for help, the neighbors didn't come out immediately because________.

A.they were much too frightened
B.they were busy preparing dinners
C.they needed time to find baseball bats
D.they thought someone was playing a trick

What the author wants to tell us is that________.

A.neighbors are not helpful in moments of difficulty
B.the police are not reliable when one is in trouble
C.security is impossible as long as people can have guns
D.preventing robbers entering your house is the best choice
科目 英语   题型 阅读理解   难度 中等
知识点: 故事类阅读
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Metro Pocket Guide
Metrorail(地铁)
Each passenger needs a farecard to enter and go out. Up to two children under age five may travel free with a paying customer.
Farecard machines are in every station, Bring small bills because there are no change machines in the station and farecard machine only provide up to $ 5 in change.
Get one day of unlimited Metrorail rides with a One Day Pass. Buy it from a farecard machine in Metro stations. Use it after 9:30 a.m. until closing on weekdays, and all day on weekends and holidays.
Hours of Service
Open: 5 a.m Mon-Fri
7a.m. Sat—Sun .
Close: midnight Sun—Thur.
3a.m.Fri.-Sat.nights
Last train time vary. To avoid missing the last train, please check the last train time posted in stations.
Metrobus
When paying with exact change, the fare is $ 1.35 . when paying with a smatTripâ CARD the fare is $1.25
Fares for the Senior /disabled customers
Senior citizens 65 and older and disabled customers may ride for half the regular fare. On Metrorail and Metrobus, use a senior/disabled farecard or SmarTripâ card. For more information about buying senior/disabled farecards, SmarTripR cards and passes, please visit MetroOpenDoors.com or call 202-637-7000 and 202-637-8000.
Senior citizens and disabled customers can get free guide on how to use proper Metrobus and Metrorail services by calling 202-962-1100
Travel tips
. Avoid riding during weekday rush periods –before 9:30 a.m. and between 4 and 6 p.m.
. If you lose something on a bus or train or in a station, please call Lost & Found at 202-962-1195.
what should you know about farecard machines?

A.They start selling tickets at 9:30 a.m.
B.They are connected to change machines.
C.They offer special service to the elderly.
D.They make change for no more than $5.

At what time does Metrorail stop service on Saturday?

A.At midnight
B.at 3 a.m.
C.at 5 am
D.at 7 p.m.

What is good about a SmarTripâ card?

A.It is convenient for old people
B.It saves money for its users
C.it can be bought at any time
D.it is sold on the Internet.

Which number should you call if you lose something on the Metro?

A.202-962-1195
B.202-962-1100
C.202-673-7000
D.202-673-8000

When something goes wrong,it can be very satisfying to say,”Well, it’s so-and-so’s fault.” or “I know I’m late,but it’s not my fault;the car broke down.”It is probably not your fault,but once you form the habit of blaming somebody or something else for a bad situation,you are a loser. You have no power and could do nothing that helps change the situation. However, you can have great power over what happens to you if you stop focusing on whom to blame and start focusing on how to remedy the situation. This is the winner’s key to success.
Winners are great at overcoming problems. For example, if you were late because your car broke down, maybe you need to have your car examined more regularly. Or, you might start to carry along with you the useful phone numbers, so you could call for help when in need. For another example, if your colleague causes you problems on the job for lack of responsibility or ability, find ways of dealing with his irresponsibility or inability rather than simply blame the person. Ask to work with a different person, or don’t rely on this person. You should accept that the person is not reliable and find creative ways to work successfully regardless of how your colleague fails to do his job well.
This is what being a winner is all about—creatively using your skills and talents so that you are successful no matter what happens. Winners don’t have fewer problems in their lives; they have just as many difficult situations to face as anybody else. They are just better at seeing those problems as challenges and opportunities to develop their own talents. So, stop focusing on “whose fault it is.” Once you are confident about your power over bad situations, problems are just stepping stone for success.
According to the passage, winners .

A.blame themselves rather that others
B.meet with fewer difficulties in their lives
C.have responsible and able colleagues
D.deal with problems rather than blame others

The underlined word remedy in Paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to .

A.improve B.accept
C.avoid D.consider

When your colleague brings about a problem, you should .

A.blame him for his lack of responsibility
B.find a better way to handle the problem
C.tell him to find the cause of the problem
D.ask a more able colleague for help

When problems occur, winners take them as

A.excuses for their failures
B.barriers to greater power
C.chances for self-development
D.challenges to their colleagues

Using too much water or throwing rubbish into our rivers are clear ways that humans can put our water supply in danger, but we also affect our water supply in less obvious ways. You may wonder how paving (铺砌) a road can lead to less useable fresh water. A major part of the water we use every day is groundwater. Groundwater does not come from lakes or rivers. It comes from underground. The more roads and parking lots we pave, the less water can flow into the ground to become groundwater.
Human activity is not responsible for all water shortages (短缺).Drier climates are of course more likely to have droughts (干旱) than areas with more rainfall, but in any case, good management can help to make sure there is enough water to meet our basic needs.
Thinking about the way we use water every day can make a big difference, too. In the United States, a family of four can use 1.5 tons of water a day! This shows how much we depend on water to live, but there's a lot we can do to lower the number.
You can take steps to save water in your home. To start with, use the same glass for your drinking water all day. Wash it only once a day. Run your dishwasher (洗碗机) only when it is full. Help your parents fix any leaks in your home. You can even help to keep our water supply clean by recycling batteries instead of throwing them away.
Which of the following is most likely to lead to less groundwater?

A.Using river water. B.Paving parking lots.
C.Throwing batteries away. D.Throwing rubbish into lakes.

What can be inferred from the text?

A.It takes a lot of effort to meet our water needs.
B.All water shortages are due to human behavior.
C.There is much we can do to reduce family size.
D.The average family in America makes proper use of water.

The last paragraph is intended to ________.

A.show us how to fix leaks at home
B.tell us how to run a dishwasher
C.suggest what we do to save water at home
D.prove what drinking glass is best for us

The text is mainly about ________.

A.why paving roads reduces our water
B.how human activity affects our water supply
C.why droughts occur more in dry climates
D.how much we depend on water to live

Unemployment in the United States is still high at 6.7 percent. But for job seekers,especially those with college educations,researchers say finding a job can be as easy as logging on to a computer.It used to be that looking for a job meant hurrying around,knocking on doors and turning to ads.But that's changing,thanks to the Internet.A new report says,for college graduates,looking for a job is getting easier.More than 80 percent of the jobs are available online.
At the height of the depression(萧条),when U.S.unemployment peaked at 10 percent,just a little more than two million jobs were being posted each month.But as the recovery takes hold,the job picture looks increasingly bright.
That’s great news for Hamilton.Only once has he ever applied in person for a job at a shopping mall. He said,“I think my generation—the idea of going door to door, out knocking and saying,hey are you hiring? —like that—doesn’t exist anymore…those days are gone, Just go online.’’
Kim Dancy recently graduated with a master's degree in Public Policy.She found her dream job as an education policy researcher.But she says finding the perfect job online takes a lot of perseverance.He said,“It can be really frustrating and it takes a long time,but if you applied for enough positions and really do your homework you will get somewhere.
The report’s findings suggest careers in Science,Technology,Engineering and Math provide the greatest opportunities,with salaries that range between $30 to $45 an hour.But for maximum income and satisfaction,workers must be prepared to move and change jobs at least every five years.
The highest unemployment rate in the depression in the U.S.was _____.

A.7% B.6.7% C.6% D.10%

In what way does Hamilton find his jobs in most cases?

A.Applying in person. B.Turning to the Internet.
C.Searching papers. D.Going door to door.

What can we learn from Dancy’s experience?

A.Job applicants should do much housework.
B.Finding a dream job is really exciting.
C.Only online can an applicant find a job.
D.Online job—hunting calls for perseverance.

How can you get a high salary according to the text?

A.By switching jobs regularly. B.By sticking to your work.
C.By surfing the Internet. D.By hurrying around.

Many experts say that Billy Wilder changed the history of American movies. He is often called the best movie maker Hollywood has ever had.
He was known for making movies that offered sharp social comment.Wilder was one of the first directors to do this.Between the middle l930s and the l980s,Billy Wilder made almost fifty movies.During that time he received more than twenty nominations(提名)from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.He won six of the Oscar awards.His movies have been seen by people around the world.
In l944,Billy Wilder made the film Double Indemnity.Some critics said this movie established him as one of the greatest Hollywood directors.Wilder directed The Lost Weekend in 1945.Ray Milland plays the part of an alcoholic writer in the movie.It shows that alcohol rules his life,yet he does not admit it.He hides alcohol in his home and says he is not drinking.
In l950, Wilder made Sunset Boulevard.This movie told of an aging actress in silent movies.She plans to return to movies though facing many problems.In l954,Billy Wilder became an independent producer.The next year,Wilder’s first movie as an independent filmmaker was a huge success.It was The Seven Year Ihch.In this movie,a married man wants to cheat on his wife with some of his friends.In l959,Wilder made a funny movie that was very popular.It was Some Like It Hot.It tells about two jazz musicians being chased by criminals.They decide to wear women’s clothes and join a band in which all the musicians were women.
Wilder died in March,2002.He was ninety—five.A current Hollywood producer said:“Billy Wilder made movies that people will never forget.”
The text is mainly about ________

A.the background of American movies
B.Wilder’s achievements in American movies
C.Wilder’s attitude to American movies
D.the development of American movies

What was Wilder famous for according to Paragraph 2 ?

A.Sharp remarks on society in his movies.
B.His unique style of making movies.
C.More than twenty awards he received.
D.Almost fifty movies he produced himself.

Which of the following made Wilder among the greatest Hollywood directors?

A.The Lost weekend. B.Sunset Boulevard.
C.Double Indemnity. D.Some Like It Hot.

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