Eightdaysforjust￥12，000Departs-优题课

Each time I see a balloon, my mind flies back to a memory of when I was a six-year-old girl. It was a rainy Sunday and my father had recently died. I asked my mom if Dad had gone to heaven. "Yes, honey. Of course." she said.
"Can we write him a letter?"
She paused, the longest pause of my short life, and answered, "Yes."
My heart jumped. "How? Does the mailman go there?" I asked.
"No, but I have an idea." Mom drove to a party store and returned with a red balloon. I asked her what it was for.
"Just wait, honey. You'll see." Mom told me to write my letter. Eagerly, I got my favorite pen, and poured out my six-year-old heart in the form of blue ink. I wrote about my day, what I learned at school, how Mom was doing, and even about what happened in a story I had read. For a few minutes it was as if Dad were still alive. I gave the letter to Mom. She read it over, and a smile crossed her face.
She made a hole in the corner of the letter where she looped (缠绕) the balloon string. We went outside and she gave me the balloon. It was still raining.
"Okay, on the count of three, let go. One, two, three."
The balloon, carrying my letter, darted upward against the rain. We watched until it was swallowed by the mass of clouds.
Later I realized, like the balloon, that Dad had never let his sickness get him down. He was strong. No matter what he suffered, he'd persevere, dart up, and finally transcend (超越) this cold world and his sick body. He rose into sky and became something beautiful. I watched until the balloon disappeared into the gray and white and I prayed that his strength was hereditar. I prayed to be a balloon.
When the girl asked her mother if they could write to her father, her mother _________.

A．felt it hard to answer	B．thought her a creative girl
C．believed it easy to do so	D．found it easy to lie

When the girl was told that she could send a letter to her father, she _________.

A．jumped with joy	B．became excited
C．started writing immediately	D．was worried that it couldn't be delivered

In the eyes of the author, what was the rain like?

A．An incurable disease.	B．An unforgettable memory.
C．The hard time her father had.	D．The failures her father experienced.

What would be the best title for the passage?

A．An unforgettable experience	B．The strong red balloon
C．Fly to paradise	D．A great father

A TAXI driver taught me a million dollar lesson in customer satisfaction and expectation. Inspiring speakers charge thousands of dollars to give his kind of training to corporate directors and staff. It cost me only a ＄12 taxi ride.
I had flown into Dallas just for the purpose of calling on a client. Time was important and my plan included a quick turn – around trip from and back to the airport. A clean taxi pulled up.
The driver rushed to open the passenger door for me and made sure I was comfortably seated before he closed the door. As be got in the driver’s seat, he mentioned that the neatly folded Wall Street Journal next to me for my use. He then showed me several tapes and asked me what type of music I would enjoy.
Well! I looked around for a “Candid Camera!” Wouldn’t you? I could not believe the service I was receiving! I took the opportunity to say, “Obviously you take great pride in you work. You must have a story to tell.”
“You bet,” he replied, “I used to be in Corporate America. But I got tired of thinking my best would never be good enough. I decided to find my right position in life, somewhere I could feel proud of being the best I could be.
I knew I would never be a rocket scientist, but I love driving cars, being of service and feeling like I have done a full day’s work and done it well. I evaluated my personal property and, I became a taxi driver!
One thing I know for sure, to be good in my business I jus have to meet the expectations of my passengers. But, to be GREAT in my business, I have to EXEED the customer’s expectations! I like the sound of being ‘great’ better than just being ‘average’. ”
Did I tip him big time? You bet!
The taxi driver taught me a great life lesson: Go an extra mile when providing any service to others. And there is no good or bad job you can make any job good.
What lesson did the author learn from the taxi driver?

A．How to make the best use of time.

B．How to do better in the service business.

C．How to turn an interest into your career.

D．How to become a motivational speaker.

Why did the author look around for a “Candid Camera”?

A．Because he was afraid he would be photographed in the cab.

B．Because he was worried what the driver could be up to.

C．Because he was amazed by the way the driver was treating him.

D．Because he wasn’t interested in the tapes offered by the driver

It can be inferred from the story that .

A．the taxi driver couldn’t accept just being average

B．the author was anxious to get back to meet a client

C．when the author waited for a taxi at the airport, he was not in a rush

D．the taxi driver loved to play his favorite music during rides

According to the story, the taxi driver .

A．was dissatisfied wit his present job

B．was once often reward

ed for being a model worker

C．enjoyed offering his customers more than they expected

D．was forced to become a taxi driver to support his family

What is red but green, open but closed and old but new?
The answer is: London’s new double-decker（双层）buses.
Red double-deckers are a symbol of the city. Their status was sealed (确定) in 2008 when one bus made the longer-than-usual trip to Beijing to collect a special passenger: the Olympic Flame.
On November 11, a life-size model of the new bus was shown to the media. The Guardian reported that the new design shares some of the features of the much-missed double-decker Routemaster bus. The original Routemaster was introduced in 1956 but December 2005 saw the end of the old bus’s general service. It was because the bus was difficult for some passengers to use and not environmentally friendly. But it can still be seen on two heritage routes in the city.
Its replacements —boxy, modern double—deckers—have failed to win Londoners’ affection.
London mayor Boris Johnson told the BBC that the new buses were “a combination of nostalgia（怀旧）and the latest technology”. “Standing on the back platform of this bus brings a sense of nostalgia but also shows the best part of the latest technology and design, making this bus fit for the 21st Century,” he said.
The new bus also returns to the driver—and—conductor model—a key feature of the original version. It will be quieter than the old type and have a platform offering passengers the traditional hop—on hop—off service.
The first five new buses will be seen on the roads by early 2012.
Which of the following shows that red double—deckers are a symbol of London?

A．They have a long history and are seen everywhere in London.

B．They have nothing in common with the traditional Routemaster bus.

C．One such bus went from London to Beijing to collect the Olympic Flame.

D．They carried British athletes from London to attend the Beijing Olympics.

Which of the following is true of the original Routemaster?

A．The bus came into use in the 1960s.

B．The bus was banned because it was harmful to the environment.

C．Passengers didn’t like the bus because it was slow.

D．Visitors to London cannot see such buses on the roads any more.

According to London mayor Boris Johnson, the new Routemaster .

A．has not been as well received as was expected

B．will be widely used in London in 2012

C．is the mo

st environmentally friendly bus in the UK

D．combines the latest technology with key traditional features

What is the characteristic of the new red double – deckers?

A．The buses will make no noises.

B．The buses will have no conductors.

C．They will be equipped with air – conditioning.

D．The bus platform will offer passengers a traditional service.

A sunflower is a sunflower. A mobile phone is a mobile phone. But can you combine the two to do something for your local environment? As early as next year it may well be possible. When you have finished with your mobile phone you will be able to bury it in the garden or a plant pot and wait for it to flower.
A biodegradable (生物可降解的) mobile phone was, this month, introduced by scientists. It is hoped that the new type of phone will encourage consumers to recycle. Scientists have come up with a new material over the last five years. It looks like any other plastic, but overtime it can break down into the soil without giving out any poisonous chemicals. British researchers used the new material to develop a phone cover that contains a sunflower seed. When this cover turns into waste, it forms nitrates (硝酸盐). These feed the seed and help the flower grow. “We’ve only put sunflower seeds into the cover so far. But we are working with plant experts to find out which flowers would perform best. Maybe we could put roses in next time.” said one scientist.
As phone technology is developing so quickly people are constantly throwing their mobiles away. This means producers are under pressure to find ways of recycling them. Some 650 million mobile phones have been sold this year. Most of them will be thrown away within two years, adding plastic, heavy metal and chemical waste to the environment. A biodegradable cover can offer some relief for nature, according to the scientists. “The seed is released and the flower grows in the pot so you don’t have to concern yourself with the phone when you have finished using it,” said Kerry Kirwan, the leader of the research team.
After you have finished using the new type of mobile phone, _______.

A．the sunflower seed will come out and flower in the pot

B．the phone cover will break down very soon in the soil

C．it will be recycled by the producers

D．it can charge itself with electricity in a green way

This type of research is done because ________.

A．the technology of making phones is changing rapidly

B．too many waste mobile phones may lead to environmental problems

C．nobody has ever thought of recycling mobile phones

D．producing mobile phones uses a lot of energy

We can infer from the story ________.

A．the new type of mobile phones are already on the market

B．the new type of mobile phones will sell extremely well

C．the material of the new type of phones is harmful

D．other flowers may be used in the new type of mobile phones

The best title of this passage is .

A．Recycling our phones

B．The phones that flower

C．A new material for making phones

D．The harm of thrown-away phones

Parking has long been a major headache for drivers in Shanghai. The Transportation Department is mapping out a new plan for the city’s parking system. There are one million cars on the road in Shanghai but only enough public parking space to provide room for 15 percent of these vehicles. It is no wonder that local drivers get so worried trying to find a place to park.
The city is seeing a rise in private car owners. In March, the city sent out 2,000 private car licenses, the highest number of licenses ever sent out in a month. And prices rose to 14,600 yuan, 500 more than in February. Industry experts say this suggests that local people have a strong, active interest in buying cars.
By the year 2020, the number of automobiles in Shanghai will probably reach two million. If one parking lot is for each car, then a lot of parking space should be built for these vehicles.
Downtown Shanghai is most short of parking space. However, experts point out that simply building more parking lots in downtown areas is not practical and doesn’t provide an ideal solution. The idea of “ Park & Ride” system has been suggested. This means that drivers can leave their vehicles in car parks nearby subway or bus stations and ride public transport to go downtown. Based on this idea, the city will limit the number of parking lots in downtown areas and demand higher parking fees but build more parking areas near main subway and bus stops.
The underlined phrase “mapping out” in the first paragraph means __________.

A．making

B．arguing

C．commanding

D．requesting

About __________ drivers can find places to park their cars in Shanghai now.

A．850,000

B．1,000,000

C．150,000

D．2,000,000

What can we infer from the second paragraph?

A．The city sent out more private licenses in February.

B．Less and less people bought cars in March.

C．The city sent out less private licenses in March.

D．More and more people are going to buy cars.

According to the idea of a “ Park & Ride ” system, the city will __________.

A．send out more private car licenses

B．build more parking lots near bus stops

C．encourage people to buy more cars

D．build more parking areas downtown