Barditch High School decided to an All-School Reunion. Over 450 people came to the event. There were tours of the old school building and a picnic at Confederate Park. Several former teachers were on hands to tell stories about the old days. Ms. Mabel Yates, the English teacher for fifty years, was wheeled to the Park.
Some eyes rolled and there were a few low groans(嘟囔声)when Ms.Yates was about to speak. Many started looking at their watches and coming up with excuses to be anywhere instead of preparing to listen to a lecture from an old woman who had few kind words for her students and made them work harder than all the other teachers combined.
Then Ms. Yates started to speak:
“I can’t tell you how pleased I am to be here. I haven’t seen many of you since your graduation, but I have followed your careers and enjoyed your victories as well as crying for your tragedies. I have a large collection of newspaper photographs of my students. Although I haven’t appeared in person, I have attended your college graduations, weddings and even the birth your children, in my imagination.”
Ms. Yates paused and started crying a bit. Then she continued:
“It was my belief that if I pushed you as hard as I could, some of you would succeed to please me and others would succeed to annoy me. Regardless of our motives, I can see that you have all been successful in you chosen path.”
“There is no greater comfort for an educator than to see the end result of his or her years of work. You have all been a great source of pleasure and pride for me and I want you to know I love you all from the bottom of my heart.”
There was a silence over the crowd for a few seconds and then someone started clapping. The clapping turned into cheering, then into a deafening roar(呼喊). Lawyers, truck drivers, bankers and models were rubbing their eyes or crying openly with no shame all because of the words from a long forgotten English teacher from their hometown.What can be inferred from Paragraph 2?
| A.Some graduates were too busy to listen to Ms. Yates’ speech. |
| B.Many graduates disliked Ms. Yates’ ways of teaching. |
| C.Some people got tired from the reunion activities. |
| D.Most people had little interest in the reunion. |
We can learn from Ms. Yates’ speech that she ________.
| A.kept track of her students’ progress |
| B.gave her students advice on their careers |
| C.attended her students’ college graduations |
| D.went to her students’ wedding ceremonies |
What was Ms.Yates’ belief in teaching teenagers?
| A.Teachers’ knowledge is the key to students’ achievements. |
| B.Pressure on students from teachers should be reduced. |
| C.Hard-pushed students are more likely to succeed. |
| D.Students’ respect is the best reward for teachers. |
Which of the following can best describe Ms. Yates?
| A.Reliable and devoted. | B.Tough and generous. |
| C.Proud but patient. | D.Strict but caring. |
The soldiers had just moved to the desert, and as they had never been in such a place before, they had a lot to learn.
As there were no trees or buildings in the desert, it was, of course, very hard to hide their trucks from enemy planes. The soldiers were, therefore, given training in camouflage. They were shown how to paint their trucks in irregular patterns with pale green, yellow, and brown paints, and then to cover them with nets to which they had tied small pieces of cloth.
The driver of the biggest truck had a lot of trouble camouflaging it. He spent several hours painting it, preparing a net and searching for some heavy rocks with which to hold the net down. When it was all finished, he went for lunch.
When he came back from his meal, he was surprised and worried to see that his camouflage was completely spoilt by the truck’s shadow, which was growing longer and longer as the afternoon advanced. He stood looking at it, not knowing what to do.
Soon an officer arrived, and he, too, saw the shadow, of course.
“Well,” he shouted to the poor driver, “What are you going to do about it? If an enemy plane comes over, the pilot will at once know that there is a truck there.”
“I know, sir,” answered the soldier.
“Well, don’t just stand there doing nothing!” said the officer.
“What shall I do, sir?” asked the poor driver.
“Get your spade and throw some sand over the shadow, of course!” answered the officer.From this passage you can know ________.
| A.there were a lot of trees where the soldiers were stationed |
| B.the soldiers were staying in an area far from the enemy planes |
| C.the soldiers knew nothing about desert |
| D.the soldiers had lived in desert before |
Which of the following is right?
| A.The nets with which they covered their trucks were made of small pieces of cloth. |
| B.The soldiers tied small pieces of cloth to the nets with which they covered their trucks. |
| C.The nets covering the trucks were painted pale green, yellow and brown. |
| D.The trucks were tied to the nets with small pieces of cloth. |
The soldier was surprised and worried because ________.
| A.his truck had cast a shadow in the sun and the enemy plane would find it. |
| B.the shadow of his truck was growing longer at noon |
| C.it was late in the afternoon, and he could not get rid of the shadow |
| D.his newly-painted truck was in the shadow |
What do you think of the ending of the story?
| A.It is quite reasonable that the officer ordered the soldier to cover the shadow with sand. |
| B.We’ll laugh at the officer’s order because it is where the humor lies. |
| C.Though the officer’s order sounded wise, the soldier couldn’t cover the shadow. |
| D.The soldier managed to cover the shadow with sand |
What do you think of the ending of the story?
| A.It is quite reasonable that the officer ordered the soldier to cover the shadow with sand. |
| B.We’ll laugh at the officer’s order because it is where the humor lies. |
| C.Though the officer’s order sounded wise, the soldier couldn’t cover the shadow. |
| D.The soldier managed to cover the shadow with sand |
When you visit America, you will see the word Motel on signs and notice boards. It is made up of “motor” and “hotel” and it is really a hotel for people who arrive by car (how-ever, you don’t need a car to stay at one). You have to pay when you arrive for your room, which usually has a bath. Meals are not provided, but there will certainly be a cafeteria (自助餐馆). Americans eat a lot of salads and sandwiches. Along the main roads there are a lot of motels. Each tries to offer more than next. Some provide television in every bedroom; others have swimming pools; and so on. Motels are especially useful when you are in the country, far from a town or city. You will also find them in the big National Parks.
In these great National Parks, you may meet guests you don’t expect to see. An American friend told me a little story. In the middle of a moonless night she heard strange noises outside her motel window in the Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. Thinking it might be a thief, she jumped out of bed, opened the door and crept towards a dark shadow. As she got close, she saw the thief. She was dreadfully frightened: it wasn’t a human thief — it was a big black bear. The bear was turning over some empty tins with its paw, looking for tasty bits of food. My friend decided to leave that particular thief alone!
There are also, of course, places called “rooming houses”, where they receive lodgers (房客). You will see such signs as Tourists or Rooms Rent, and you could try one of these. A word of warning — looking for a room in New York during the tourist season is like looking for gold on the moon! Which of the following is TRUE about motels?
| A.You can only find motels in the big National Parks. |
| B.They are free for people who arrive by car. |
| C.If you want to stay at a motel, you must have a car. |
| D.The word “motel” is formed by two words. |
Which of the following is NOT provided by motels?
| A.Baths. | B.Swimming pools. |
| C.TV. | D.Meals. |
The underlined word “crept” in the second paragraph probably means “______”.
| A.moved slowly | B.rushed out |
| C.threw away | D.ran fast |
The second paragraph mainly tells us ______.
| A.an interesting story |
| B.the experience of the author’s friend |
| C.we may meet animals in the National Parks |
| D.bears usually look for food at night |
From the last paragraph, we can learn that in New York during the tourist season ______.
| A.tourists can find gold there |
| B.tourists can have a sweet dream there |
| C.it is difficult to find a room there |
| D.there is warning for tourists to New York |
There are many ways to find a job. It can be as easy as walking into a neighborhood store to look at its announcement board. Local stores often have areas where people can put small signs telling what kind of service they need or can provide. Such services include caring for children or cleaning houses.
Or, job searchers can look in the newspaper. Local newspapers have employment announcements placed by companies seeking workers.
Another popular tool for finding jobs is the Internet. For example, people in four hundred and fifty cities around the world can use the Craigslist Web site to buy objects, meet people or find a job. Craigslist says that it receives two million new job listings each month.
Another useful way to find a job is through a college or university. For example, students at the University of Texas in Austin can go to the Career Exploration Center to get help in finding a job. Of course, looking for a job requires knowing what kind of work you want to do. For example, there is a book called “What Color is Your Parachute (降落伞)?” by Richard Bolles. This book has been helping people choose a career (职业) since it was first published in nineteen seventy.
Some experts also help people find jobs. Susan W. Miller owns a company called California Career Services in Los Angeles. She says her company helps people find jobs by first helping them understand their strengths, goals and interests. Then she provides them with methods and resources to help them find the right job.What is the passage mainly about?
| A.Finding a job. |
| B.College students’ part-time jobs. |
| C.Craigslist Web site. |
| D.The relation between study and work. |
By logging on the Craigslist Web site, you can ______.
| A.sell your old things |
| B.do some shopping online |
| C.create your own announcement board |
| D.get useful information about 450 cities |
“What Color is Your Parachute?” is a book which gives tips to those who want to _____.
| A.work on the airplane | B.buy a parachute |
| C.publish a book | D.find a suitable job |
It can be learned from the passage that ______.
| A.companies often put job information in local shops |
| B.the Internet is the most popular tool for job hunters in the USA |
| C.Susan W. Miller’s company is helping people choose careers |
| D.California Career Services mainly serves university students |
How many ways of finding a job are mentioned in the passage?
| A.Three. | B.Four. | C.Five. | D.Six. |
America is a mobile society. Friendships between Americans can be close and real, yet disappear soon if situations change. Neither side feels hurt by this. Both may exchange Christmas greetings for a year or two, perhaps a few letters for a while — then no more. If the same two people meet again by chance, even years later, they pick up the friendship. This can be quite difficult for us Chinese to understand, because friendships between us flower more slowly but then may become lifelong feelings, extending (延伸) sometimes deeply into both families.
Americans are ready to receive us foreigners at their homes, share their holidays, and their home life. They will enjoy welcoming us and be pleased if we accept their hospitality (好客) easily.
Another difficult point for us Chinese to understand Americans is that although they include us warmly in their personal everyday lives, they don’t show their politeness to us if it requires a great deal of time. This is usually the opposite of the practice in our country where we may be generous with our time. Sometimes, we, as hosts, will appear at airports even in the middle of the night to meet a friend. We may take days off to act as guides to our foreign friends. The Americans, however, express their welcome usually at homes, but truly can not manage the time to do a great deal with a visitor outside their daily routine. They will probably expect us to get ourselves from the airport to our own hotel by bus. And they expect that we will phone them from there. Once we arrive at their homes, the welcome will be full, warm and real. We will find ourselves treated hospitably.
For the Americans, it is often considered more friendly to invite a friend to their homes than to go to restaurants, except for purely business matters. So accept their hospitality at home!The writer of this passage must be ______.
| A.an American | B.a Chinese | C.a professor | D.a student |
Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
| A.Friendships between Americans usually extend deeply into their families. |
| B.Friendships between Americans usually last for all their lives. |
| C.Americans always show their warmth even if they are very busy. |
| D.Americans will continue their friendships again even after a long break. |
From the last two paragraphs we can learn that when we arrive in America to visit an American friend, we will probably be ______.
| A.warmly welcomed at the airport |
| B.offered a ride to his home |
| C.treated hospitably at his home |
| D.treated to dinner in a restaurant |
The underlined words “generous with our time” in Paragraph 3 probably mean ______.
| A.strict with time | B.serious with time |
| C.careful with time | D.willing to spend time |
A suitable title for this passage would probably be “______”.
| A.Friendships between Chinese |
| B.Friendships between Americans |
| C.Americans’ hospitality |
| D.Americans’ and Chinese’s views of friendships |
A few months ago I was at a bus stop in town in the evening. The bus came on time and I took the window seat. The bus route was by the seashore and I was enjoying the breeze (微风) while watching the sea waves. After a few minutes the bus made its next stop. A young boy and a girl got on. They were standing on my left when the bus pulled off. I looked at them curiously and realized that all the window seats were occupied (占据). They could sit but not together. Suddenly a different wave passed through my body and my inner mind gave me the advice to get up. I got up and offered them my seat. The young lady smiled kindly and said thanks. I occupied another seat and we parted our ways. I don’t remember whether I got off the bus before them or not.
Months passed by. Suddenly one day while I was standing at the same bus stop waiting some time for the bus to arrive I heard a voice.
“Excuse me, Uncle.” I looked in the direction of the voice. It was a beautiful young lady.
Puzzled, I said, “I do not recognize you.”
She said, “Do you remember you gave us your window seat?”
Puzzled, I said, “Maybe, but what is so great in that?”
She said, “If you had not given your seat that day, perhaps I would have not sat with my friend. By sitting together it helped us bridge a misunderstanding that had been between us forever. Do you know we are getting married next month?”
“Good! God bless both of you,” I replied.
The young lady again said thank you and went on her journey. I realized the importance of giving that day.Why were the young boy and the girl standing on the bus?
| A.Because they wanted to enjoy the sea view. |
| B.Because they couldn’t sit together. |
| C.Because there were no empty seats. |
| D.Because they preferred to stand. |
The underlined sentence in the first paragraph probably means that the author had a feeling that ______.
| A.he wanted to do something special |
| B.the sea wave made him upset |
| C.a wave from the sea flooded him |
| D.he wanted to make a sea wave in his heart |
The author’s act of kindness helped the young boy and the girl ______.
| A.begin to talk to each other again after a quarrel |
| B.sit together and become friends very soon |
| C.clear up a misunderstanding between them |
| D.know each other and get married |
From the story, we can conclude that ______.
| A.small things can create great happenings in life |
| B.it is giving rather than receiving that matters |
| C.offering one’s seat to others may win respect |
| D.we sometimes forget what happened in the past |
The best title for the passage would be “______”.
| A.The empty seat on the bus |
| B.The pleasant travel |
| C.The lovers on the bus |
| D.The bus ride |