A few days ago,I went to school with lots of books,hoping to get a locker (锁柜).Suddenly,it started raining heavily. I hurried to pay for my locker,but I was disappointed when they informed me they only accepted cash. I was $7.00 short,which meant I had to carry the books back home. It would be an exhausting (令人筋疲力尽的) twohour journey back home with all those books.
An elderly gentleman nearby noticed my problem. He asked how much cash I needed. When I told him I was $7 short,he quickly took out the money from his wallet. “You don’t have to pay me back,”he said. I was speechless;I didn’t know whether to take the money or come back with the books the next day. A young student who was working there noticed my hesitation. “He’s really nice,” said the student. “I was starving this morning and he bought breakfast for me. He always helps people in different ways.”
The next day,I went to him and thanked him for trusting me and lending me the money. He said he forgot about it and didn’t expect I would give it back. “I’m very happy,”he said,“not because I’m getting my money back,but because this is the right way to go—whatever you get from this world,give it back as much as you possibly can. Spread kindness around the world with the smallest things you can do.”
Later,I found out he wasn’t involved with any charity organizations. He has been performing these types of acts for years. Earlier,someone had done something incredibly kind for him and he has been spreading the kindness ever since. He taught me a very important lesson in life—we come to this world with nothing and we will leave with nothing. Whatever we own,it will become somebody else’s and whatever we leave,it will become somebody else’s.When the old gentleman offered the money,the writer was________.
A.touched | B.hesitant | C.amazed | D.embarrassed |
From Paragraph 3 we learn that________.
A.the gentleman worked in the school |
B.the gentleman was kind but forgetful |
C.the gentleman refused to take back the money |
D.the gentleman thought it right to give back to society |
Why had the gentleman been doing acts of kindness?
A.He wanted to join the charity organizations. |
B.He managed a lot of other people’s money. |
C.He had received help from others before. |
D.He thought money was of little importance. |
That woman carried a new blanket over her arm. Wordlessly, she gave it to me.
“Is it finished?” I asked.
She shook her head. “No. It is ready,” she replied. I handed her the money and took the blanket.
“It is beautiful, so skillfully woven(编织),” I said to my mother. “But what did she mean when she said it was not finished? How can it be ready if it is not finished?”
“I will tell you later,” my mother said, “but first I will take you to the Navajo village.”
We went down to the village. A group of young men were making sand pictures. We walked through the whole village, watching the different things the people were doing.
It was not until that evening that my mother finally explained the Navajo woman’s words.
“Did you notice anything about the things the people were making?” my mother asked.
“What should I have noticed?” I looked at her and asked.
“Each thing the Navajo make has one small part that is not complete. The designs in their sand pictures are often not perfectly done, for example---the line of a circle may not quite close. If you look carefully at your blanket, you will probably find a stitch(一针)missing.”
I took the blanket off, but it looked as perfect as any design could be. Then suddenly, I noticed that sure enough a stitch was missing!
“But why do the Navajo intentionally leave some tiny part unfinished?” I asked.
“They believe that when anything is completed or finished, it means the end has come--it will not be perfect until then. Then too, with a circle, they believe that they must leave a pathway for the bad spirits to run away and the good spirits to come in. So, often, they do not make the line close.”The blanket the author received_____ .
A.was poorly woven. |
B.made her think a lot. |
C.cost her a lot of money. |
D.was finished, but not ready. |
Why was the author shown around the village?
A.To buy more things made by the Navajo. |
B.To make friends with some of the Navajo. |
C.To have a deeper understanding of the Navajo. |
D.To look for the woman who sold her the blanket. |
Which of the following may the Navajo believe?
A.A stitch in time is very important. |
B.Life only becomes perfect when you die. |
C.He who makes no mistake is a perfect man. |
D.You must always try to make your life complete. |
What’s the main idea of the text?
A.The Navajo are good at making things. |
B.The Navajo are brave and hard-working. |
C.A blanket tells a lot about the Navajo culture. |
D.Skills are needed to do business with the Navajo. |
The first visit to a foreign country that I can remember was when I was about seven years old.We lived about 5 miles away from the Canadian border(边界).My family and I went to Parc Safari, Quebec, a wonderful place that has animals and rides.We drove down a nice long road.My sister and I sat in the back of the car, and it was a hatchback(有仓门式后背的汽车) so we opened it up.I remember feeding the animals snacks we had bought for ourselves.
When we arrived, there were not monkeys because they had escaped and had not been found.I remember thinking to myself, how cool it would be to see a monkey in our backyard.
Even though the monkeys were not there it was still so much fun.When we reached the area that had camels, giraffes and other animals, I remember one of the camels reached into the car to get our snacks.However, we were a little gross out because the camels seemed to froth(吐白沫) at the mouth and we had camel slobber(口水) all over the car and us.
It was one of the best family vacations that I can remember.It was not too far from home, it was in a different country and it was with my family.I cannot remember if we went on the rides or not but seeing many animals was a great time.Now I am grown up and have a son, and I am planning to go there again.He is 7 years old and I think he is at a great age to enjoy a trip like this.I am sure it has changed a lot over the years but it will still be a great family trip.Where did the author live when he was 7 years old?
A.In Canada |
B.In the central US |
C.Near the Canadian border |
D.In Parc Safari |
During the trip, the author ________.
A.saw a monkey |
B.fed some monkeys |
C.was angry with the giraffes |
D.had been in close contact with the camels |
What does the underlined part “gross out” in paragraph 3 probably mean?
A.uncomfortable |
B.excited |
C.tired |
D.surprised |
What does the author intend to do?
A.To have a holiday abroad with his parents. |
B.To take his 7-year-old son to a zoo. |
C.To revisit the place he went to at seven. |
D.To have a family trip in his own country. |
This March is a busy month in Shanghai.There's a lot to do.Here are the highlights.
Live Music - Late Night Jazz
Enjoy real American jazz from Herbie Davis, the famous trumpet player.He's coming with his new 7-piece band, Herbie’s Heroes.Herbie is known to play well into the early hours, so don't expect to get much sleep.This is Herbie’s third visit to Shanghai.The first two were sold out, so get your tickets quickly.
PLACE: The Jazz Club DATES: 15---23 March
PRICE: ¥80,120 TIME: 10:00p.m.till late!
TEL: 6466—8736
Scottish dancing
Take your partners and get ready to dance till you drop.Scottish dancing is fun and easy to learn.Instructors will demonstrate the dances.The live band, Gordon Stroppie and the Weefrees, are also excellent.
PLACE: Jack Stein's DATES: every Monday
PRICE: Y60 including one drink TIME: 7:00 ---0:00 p.m.
TEL: 6402-1877
Exhibitions - Shanghai Museum
There are 120,000 pieces on show here.You can see the whole of Chinese history under one roof.It’s always interesting to visit, but doubly so at the moment with the Egyptian Tombs exhibition.There are lots of mummies and more gold than you've ever seen before.Let us know if you see a mummy move!
PLACE: Shanghai Museum PRICE: ¥30 (¥ 15 for students)
TEL: 6888-6888 DATES: daily
TIME: Monday - Friday 9:00a.m.- 5:00p.m., Weekends 9:00a.m.--- 9:00p.m.
Dining - Sushi chef in town
Sushi is getting really big in Shanghai.In Japan, it’s become an art form.The most famous Sushi 'artist' is Yuki Kamura.She’s also one of the few female chefs in Japan.She’ll be at Sushi Scene all of this month.
PLACE: Sushi Scene in the Shanghai Hotel DATES: all month
PRICE: ¥200 TIME: lunchtime
TEL: 6690-3211
For a full listing of events, see our website.Suppose you are going to attend an activity at 8: 00p.m.on Saturday, which one can you choose?
A.Live Music - Late Night Jazz |
B.Exhibitions - Shanghai Museum |
C.Scottish dancing |
D.Dining - Sushi chef in town |
Which of the following is true according to the advertisements?
A.Scottish dancing is so interesting and easy that it never tires you out. |
B.The performance given by the American jazz band won't last long. |
C.Sushi is not popular in Shanghai as it is a kind of Japanese traditional food. |
D.It is more interesting to visit Shanghai Museum for the exhibits from Egypt. |
From the text we may learn that Kamura is _______.
A.an instructor |
B.a waitress |
C.a coo |
D.an artist |
I have been teaching animal behavior at the Boulder County Prison in Colorado for 10 years. The course is one of the most popular in the prison. Prisoners have to earn the right to attend the course and they work hard to get in.
One reason why the course is so popular is that many prisoners find it easier to connect with animals than with people, because animals don’t judge them. They trust animals in ways they don’t with humans.
Yet, they hold a misunderstanding of how animals treat one another. Many admit that their own “animal behavior” is what got them into trouble in the first place. I teach that though there is competition and aggression in the animal kingdom, there is also a lot of cooperation(合作)and sympathy.
Many of the students want to build healthy relationships, and they find that the class helps them. I use examples of the social behavior of group-living animals such as wolves as a model for developing and maintaining(维持)friendships among people who must work together for their own good and also for the good of the group.
It’s clear that science inspires the students here and it also gives them hope. I know some students have gone back into education after their being set free while others have gone to work for humane(人道)societies or contributed time and money to conservation organizations. One went on to receive a master’s degree in nature writing.
Science and humane education help the prisoners connect with values that they otherwise would not have done. It opens the door to understanding, trust, cooperation and hope. There’s a large population of people to whom science could mean a lot, if only they could have access to it. The class helps me, too. I get as much out of it as the students and it has made me a better teacher.The author’s course is welcomed by the prisoners because ______.
A.they consider animals their best friends |
B.they are curious about animal kingdom |
C.they feel it easier to get along with animals |
D.they are more familiar with animal behavior |
The author used wolves as an example to ______.
A.provide the prisoners with more knowledge |
B.explain the cruel side of group-living animals |
C.help the prisoners realize the importance of teamwork |
D.inform the prisoners that animals get people into trouble |
We can infer from the text that some prisoners ______.
A.have turned over a new leaf |
B.are required to attend the course |
C.are willing to learn working skills |
D.prefer humane education to science |
There was a time when, if a lady got onto a crowded bus or train, a gentleman would immediately stand up and offer her his seat. No more, though. Today, a gentleman will probably look out of the window, or, if he feels a bit guilty(内疚), hides behind his newspaper. Either way, the lady will have to stand until someone else gets off.
You can't entirely blame(完全责备)men for this change in manners. The days are gone when women could be referred to as the weaker sex. A whole generation(代)of women has grown up demanding equality with men; not just equality in jobs or education, but in social attitudes(态度). Hold a door open for some women and you're likely to get an angry lecture on treating women as inferiors(能力低下的人), unable to open doors for themselves. Take a girl out for a meal and she'll probably insist on paying her share of the bill; though on second thoughts perhaps that's not such a bad idea.
It's no wonder, then, that men have given up some of the gestures of politeness and consideration which they used to show towards women. On the other hand, automatic male (men) politeness is perhaps slowly being replaced by true consideration for the needs of women, so that men can see women as equal human beings.
Maybe that's worth standing in the bus or train.The new generation of women wants to be ________.
A.treated not as the weaker sex |
B.treated as the weaker sex |
C.cared for on buses and trains |
D.better treated than before |
According to the passage, which of the following is not correct?
A.Some women may get angry if you open the doors for them. |
B.Girls don't want you to pay for meal at all. |
C.Some women may criticized (批评) you if you show too much politeness to them. |
D.A girl may be unhappy if you insist on paying her share of the bill. |
From this passage, we know that ________.
A.women need true consideration of their needs and feelings |
B.men have given up some politeness they used to show to women |
C.women often get angry if you are polite to them |
D.women should stand in the bus or train |
The passage mainly tells us ________.
A.gentlemen and ladies have equal rights on a bus or train |
B.ladies wonder why gentlemen offer their seats to them |
C.gentlemen consider politeness to be more important than ladies do |
D.the change in manners has taken place between men and women |