The elderly Chinese man in the small booth (售票口) behind the thick glass shook his head. I didn't need to know a word of Chinese to understand there were beds available for the Thursday night train from Beijing to Shanghai. I had a Friday morning
with my college friend. I must be on that train. Desperate times desperate measures. So I squatted(蹲下). I assumed that this was the international for “Are there any hard seats available?”
, there were. It was seat 109. Very quickly, I found it. The Chinese man sitting in it, however, seemed to beg to differ.
I panicked. I am a man who usually avoids conflicts(冲突) and so I my seat, as if still looking, to buy myself more time. I had two options: The first is to be a and ask for what was rightfully mine. The second was to 23 and spend the next 13 hours staying in a corner.
Well, nine out of ten times I choose the second option. But at that moment, every square inch of had already been claimed. There wasn’t a corner in which to cower(退缩). So, I mustered up(聚集) some and presented the man with my proof of ownership. He looked at my ticket and .
About midnight my became heavy and I was ready for the lights to dim and my date
Ms ZZZZ to start. But the room bright and hot. I tried to persevere and was even able to work into a sleeping position.
It is here I must admit: I have a bladder (膀胱). The man next to me drank a Coca-Cola, a bag of milk and a bottle of water and the course of 13 hours he did not move once. I drank but finally, I made my way to the bathroom at 3:02 am.
After waiting in a thick cloud of cigarette smoke, I finally used the bathroom. The philosophy(原则) of my sleeping was right: if you get a seat on a train, don’t move.
A．extra B．few C．some D．no
A．discussion B．appointment C．debate D．conversation
A．take up B．call for C．keep away D．bring in
A．habit B．custom C．symbol D．style
A．Naturally B．Luckily C．Indeed D．Suddenly
A．rushed towards B．jumped upon C．pushed into D．walked past
A．man B．human C．fellow D．hero
A．give up B．lie down C．wait for D．sit still
A．seats B．beds C．space D．corners
A．ever B．yet C．still D．even
A．information B．support C．confidence D．force
A．moved B．refused C．accepted D．admitted
A．body B．eyelids C．arms D．legs
A．to B．on C．with D．from
A．remained B．turned C．stuck D．continued
A．it B．him C．one D．myself
A．sick B．wrong C．healthy D．small
A．at B．over C．to D．from
A．everything B．something C．nothing D．anything
A．neighbour B．friend C．colleague D．partner
My l4-year-old son, John, and I spotted the coat which was hanging at a secondhand clothing store in Northampton Mass. While the other coats drooped(低垂), this one looked as if it were 36 itself up. The coat had beautiful tailoring, a Fifth Avenue label and a(an) 37 price of $28, which was popular just then with 38 , but could cost several hundred dollars new. This coat was even better, bearing that 39 of classic elegance（优雅）. John tried it on and the fit was perfect.
John 40 the coat to school the next day and came home wearing a big smile. “Did the kids like your coat?” I asked. “They loved it,” he said, 41 folding it over the back of a chair and smoothing it flat. Over the next few weeks, a 42 came over John. Agreement replaced contrariness (作对) and reasoned discussion replaced fierce 43 . He became more mannerly and 44 , eager to please. He would generously loan his younger brother his tapes and lecture him 45 his behavior.
When I mentioned this incident to his teacher and 46 what caused the changes, she said laughing. “It 47 be his coat!” Another teacher told him she was giving him a good 48 not only because he had earned 49 but because she liked his coat. At the library, we ran into a friend “Could this be John?” he asked surprisingly, 50 John’s new height, assessing the cut of his coat and extending his hand, one gentleman to another.
John and I both know we should never 51a person’s clothes for the real person within them. 52 there is something to be said for wearing a standard of excellence for the world to see and for 53 what is on the inside to what is on the outside.
For John it is a time when it is as easy to try on different approaches to 54 as it is to try on a coat. The whole world, the whole future is stretched out ahead, a vast landscape 55 all the doors are open. And he could picture himself walking through those doors wearing his wonderful, magical coat.
A．turning B．showing C．holding D．hanging
A．unreasonable B．expected C．acceptable D．unbelievable
A．adults B．teenagers C．women D．strangers
A．color B．style C．price D．size
A．wore B．carried C．lent D．sent
A．carefully B．comfortably C．casually D．quickly
A．happiness B．matter C．smile D．change
A．doubt B．argument C．fight D．war
A．thoughtful B．handsome C．hopeful D．curious
A．of B．with C．on D．at
A．discovered B．confirmed C．concluded D．wondered
A．can B．should C．will D．must
A．present B．mark C．word D．result
A．it B．them C．this D．one
A．taking up B．looking down to C．checking up D．looking up at
A．trust B．exchange C．mistake D．regard
A．Though B．But C．Since D．So
A．matching B．attaching C．relating D．connecting
A．career B．life C．study D．success
A．how B．why C．where D．when
I’m Monty Don. Though I’m a host and writer now, I had an unhappy study experience actually. I changed 36 many times.
I first went to school at five. None of my teachers or classmates liked me because I always gave them a lot of trouble. I once put a worm in a girl’s pocket. When I was seven, I was asked to
37 the school. Then I was sent off to a boarding school. I missed my 38 very much at first; I didn’t want to leave once I returned home. Later I met a very 39 teacher, who cared for me and helped me with my study. He was also the first person to encourage me to act and write. At 13, I moved to Malvern College, but I was kicked out at 15 for 40 school rules. Then I went to another school where I failed my English A level. In fact, I didn’t like studying.
I finally 41 that life shouldn’t be like this. So I retook the exam and got an A grade. And more 42 , I made a decision: to go to college, so I began to 43 for the entrance exam. I finally passed the exam and went to Cambridge to read English. I met my wife there and I was
44 I made that decision, otherwise I wouldn’t have had a happy family. Looking back on what I’ve 45 , I come to know that if you devote yourself to it, nothing is impossible.
A．subjects B．schools C．jobs D．goals
A．leave B．join C．visit D．describe
A．friend B．class C．teacher D．family
A．rude B．terrible C．good D．hard
A．breaking B．changing C．keeping D．following
A．guessed B．wondered C．remembered D．realized
A．painfully B．briefly C．importantly D．frequently
A．prepare B．call C．wait D．hope
A．foolish B．proud C．glad D．afraid
A．written B．experienced C．dreamed D．concerned
Long ago there was a poor farmer in Russia. He had been very 1 with everything he had. However, when he found his elder brother was 2 than him, he felt disappointed. So he 3 hard about how he could also be richer. Finally he got an idea. He started to spend less money on food and clothes to 4 some money to buy more land. Once he had enough money, he started 5 for land.
He 6 that on the neighboring land, there were some nomads (游牧民) living there. He bought some gifts and went to 7 their head. He presented the gifts to the head and told him the 8 of his visit. The head welcomed him, accepted the gifts and agreed to his 9 to get the land. The head told him that he could have the land 10 giving him anything. He can take as much land as he could 11 by walking through the land before sunset (日落). He should start in the morning and whatever distance he could travel during the 12 , he could have it.
The farmer became very 13 when he heard this offer. Now he could have lots of 14 without paying anything. He came 15 the next morning and started running, not walking, 16 he could cover the largest area. To reach his goal, he neither ate food, nor drank water, nor had any rest. He just continued 17 . Without eating, or drinking, or resting he just got very 18 . When he came back to the head in the evening, he 19 right on the spot. Sadly his son buried him in a piece of land about 6 x 4 feet.
Don’t be greedy (贪婪的) or you will 20 everything finally.
A．careful B．pleased C．bored D．busy
A．healthier B．stronger C．richer D．cleverer
A．thought B．learned C．tried D．worked
A．borrow B．spend C．make D．save
A．waiting B．looking C．preparing D．caring
A．explained B．hoped C．noticed D．guessed
A．see B．follow C．help D．cheat
A．chance B．result C．condition D．purpose
A．promise B．request C．suggestion D．order
A．for B．by C．without D．before
A．cover B．farm C．buy D．have
A．year B．month C．week D．day
A．interested B．sad C．happy D．calm
A．land B．crop C．experience D．knowledge
A．quietly B．early C．finally D．suddenly
A．so that B．even if C．because D．whether
A．dreaming B．walking C．speaking D．running
A．nervous B．excited C．tired D．worried
A．refused B．died C．appeared D．rested
A．lose B．face C．change D．defeat
Keeping _36___and slim is the dream of many girls. Here is some advice about losing__37__. First, __38__attention to the amount of food you have every day. But it doesn’t mean you should starve(饿死) yourself. Your body _39___ nutrition(营养). The key is a healthy_40___. Have more vegetables, fruit, milk and eggs and try to stay away from fast food, especially fries. Experts have pointed _41___ that having too many fries can even cause_42___. The last thing you should remember is to__43_ consistently(持续地). One or two days of jogging will make__44_ improvement. What you have to do is to leave your sofa, TV set, and snacks behind and to _45__ into the open air!
A．fit B．clean C．quiet D．cool
A．height B．flight C．weight D．heart
A．take B．give C．put D．pay
A．have B．needs C．takes D．makes
A．snack B．drink C．food D．diet
A．out B．in C．on D．at
A．bad B．cancer(癌症) C．effect D．terrble
A．exercise B．run C．jump D．swim
A．some B．any C．not D．no
A．get up B．get out C．get down D．get off
Cars are very popular in America. When the kids are fourteen years old, they dream of having their own ____1___. Many students take a part-time job after school to ___2___ a car. In most places ____3___ people learn to drive in high school. They have to take a ___4____ test to get a license. Learning to drive and getting a driver’s ___5___ may be one of the most exciting things in their lives. For many, that piece of paper is an important symbol(象征)that they are now grown-ups.
Americans seem to love their cars almost more than anything else. People almost never go to see a doctor when they are ____6_____. But they will take ____7____ cars to a “hospital” at the smallest sign of a problem. At weekends, people ___8___ most of the time in washing and waxing(打蜡) their cars. For some families it is not enough to have ___9___ car. They often have two or even three. Husbands need a car to go to work. Housewives need a car to go shopping or to take the children to school or ___10____ activities.
A．cars B．computers C．bikes D．houses
A．borrow B．buy C．lend D．sell
A．old B．tall C．strong D．young
A．language B．listening C．driving D．body
A．address B．book C．license D．name
A．sick B．healthy C．pleased D．angry
A．his B．her C．your D．their
A．cost B．take C．spend D．pay
A．no B．one C．some D．several
A．other B．another C．one D．else