I was in a strange city I didn’t know at all, and what’s more, I could not speak a word of the language. On my second day I got on the first bus that passed, rode on it for several stops, then got off and walked on. The first two hours passed pleasantly enough, then I decided to turn back to my hotel for lunch. After walking about for some time, I decided I had better ask the way. The trouble was that the only word I knew of the language was the name of the street in which I lived, and even that I pronounced badly. I stopped to ask a newspaper-seller. He handed me a paper. I shook my head and repeated the name of the street and he put the paper into my hands. I had to give him some money and went on my way. The next person, I asked was a policeman. He listened to me carefully, nodded and gently took me by the arm. There was a strange look in his eyes as he pointed left and right and left again. I nodded politely and began walking in the direction he pointed.
About an hour passed and I noticed that the houses were getting fewer and fewer and green fields were appearing on either side of me. I had come all the way into the countryside. The only thing left for me to do was find the nearest railway station.The writer preferred to walk back to his hotel because ________.
| A．he had no money to buy a ticket |
| B．he wanted to lose himself in the city |
| C．he tried to know the city in this way |
| D．it was late and there were no buses passing by |
The newspaper-seller______.
| A．didn’t know where the hotel was |
| B．didn’t understand what the writer said |
| C．could understand what the writer said |
| D．didn’t want to take the money from the writer |
From the story we know that the policeman______.
| A．was kind but didn’t understand the writer |
| B．told the writer where to take a train |
| C．knew what the writer really meant |
| D．was cold-hearted and didn’t help the writer |
What can we learn from the last paragraph?
| A．The writer got close to the hotel where he stayed. |
| B．The writer got to the hotel with the policeman’s help. |
| C．The writer found he was much farther away from the hotel. |
| D．The writer found the hotel in the direction the policeman pointed. |
In your opinion, what was the writer’s real trouble?
| A．He didn’t know the city at all. |
| B．He couldn’t speak the language. |
| C．He went too far in the wrong bus. |
| D．He followed the policeman’s direction. |
When Nancy Lublin got $5,000 from her grandpa in 1996, she never once considered taking a vacation or paying off student loans .Instead, the 24-year-old New York University law student began thinking about helping low-income women get better jobs. "If a woman goes for a job interview poorly dressed, she won't get the job." Lublin says. “ But without a job, she can't afford suitable clothes."
So with the money Lublin founded "Dress for Success” and began collecting women's clothes which were still in good condition but which their owners no longer needed. "So many women have clothes lying around that they will never wear again," one of Lublin's assistants says "Nancy's idea is so simple and yet so important to women."
Many women come to Lublin's office before going to a job interview. Here, they receive a suit, shoes and any other things they need, Since it was set up, more than 1,000 women have turned to "Dress for Success" for help. Many of them have won jobs. Some have round jobs after being out of work for many years. Jenny, a 32-year-old woman who was recently hired as a law-firm office manager says, "I made a good impression because of “Dress for Success”
| A．Nancy's grandfather lent her the money to set up the office. |
| B．Nancy set up "Dress for Success" to make money |
| C．Low-income women can get jobs at "Dress for Success" |
| D．Nancy's office gathers used clothes from women |
| A．need to look smart when looking for a job |
| B．like the design of the dresses |
| C．prefer buying clothes at a low price |
| D．like to wear different clothes. |
| A．clothes from Nancy's office helped to get her a job. |
| B．she is working happily at her present job |
| C．she got a lot of good ideas from Nancy |
| D．"Dress for Success" has a good business relation with her firm. |
| A．Keep Your Old Clothes |
| B．A Successful Clothing Business |
| C．Nancy: A Successful Law Student. |
| D．A Helping Hand for Women |
When I was young, I went looking for gold in California. I never found enough to make a rich strike. But I did discover a beautiful part of the country called Stanislau. Like Heaven on Earth, it had bright green hills and deep forests where soft winds touched the trees. By the time I arrived, the charming paradise had been deserted because miners’ good luck didn’t last.
Then, I realized I was not alone after all.
A man was smiling at me as he stood in front of his little house. Its front yard was full of blue and yellow flowers. White curtains hung from the windows and floated in the soft summer wind.
Still smiling, the man invited me inside. My spirit seemed to come to life again. I saw a bright rug(地毯) on the shining wooden floor. And on little tables there were seashells, books and china vases full of flowers. A woman had made this house into a home. The joy in my heart showed on my face. The man read my thoughts. “All her work.” He said affectionately, “Nothing here hasn’t felt the touch of her hand.”
One picture on the wall was not hanging straight. He went to fix it. He stepped back several times to make sure the picture was straight. Then he gave it a gentle touch. “She always does that,” he explained, “It is like the finishing pat a mother gives her child’s hair after she has brushed it. I don’t know why I do it. I just do it.”
As he talked, I went to a little black-walnut shelf that held a small picture of the most beautiful creature I had ever seen. There was a sweetness and softness in the woman’s expression. The man stared at the picture. “Nineteen her last birthday. That was the day we married. When you see her...ah, just wait until you meet her!” “Where is she now?” I asked. “Oh, she is away visiting her parents. This is Wednesday,” he said slowly. “She will be back on Saturday, in the evening.”
That night, I stayed. The man told me his name was Henry.
Thursday evening we had two visitors, Tom and Joe. “We just drop over to ask when little madam is coming home. Any news from her?” “Oh yes,” the man replied. “A letter.” He took a yellowed letter out of his wallet and read it. It was full of loving messages. While reading, he glimpsed his friends and cried out, “Oh no, you are doing it again, Tom! Take your hands away and let me see your eyes. I’m going to tell her this time!” “No, you mustn’t do that, Henry,” the grey-haired miner said. “I am getting old. And any little sorrow makes me cry. Lord, we miss her so.”
Saturday finally came.
I was glad to see his two friends, Tom and Joe, with guitars, coming down the road as the sun began to set. They put the flowers they brought in vases and began to play some fast and lively songs.
Henry’s friends kept giving him glasses of whiskey. When I reached for one of the two remaining glasses, Tom stopped my arm. “Drop that! Take the other.” he whispered. I did so. Henry was served last. He had hardly swallowed his drink when the clock struck midnight. His face grew paler and paler. “Boys,” he said, “I am sick with fear. Help! I want to lie down.” Henry was asleep almost before the words were out of his mouth.
In a moment, those handy men had his clothes off and tucked him into his bed. They seemed to be getting ready to leave. So I said, “Please don’t go, gentlemen. She won’t know me. I am a stranger.” They glanced at each other. Then Joe said, “She? Poor thing, she’s been dead nineteen years!” “Dead?” I whispered. “That or worse.” he said.
“She went to see her folks half a year after she got married. On her way back, on a Saturday evening in June, when she was almost here, the Indians captured her. She’s never been heard of since. Henry went insane. He thinks she is still alive. When June comes, he thinks she has gone on her trip to see her parents. Then he begins to wait for her to come back. We drop in here, three days before she’s due, to encourage him up and listen to him read the letter. On Saturday we all come and get everything ready for a dance. We’ve done it for nineteen years. The first Saturday there were twenty-seven of us, but only two now. We drug him to sleep through the night. Then he’s all right for another year.”
The two old men opened the door and disappeared into the darkness of Stanislau.You can sense the existence of a woman from the following sentences EXCEPT “______”.
| A．Soft winds touched the trees in Stanislau. |
| B．There was a bright rug on the shining wooden floor. |
| C．There were seashells, books and china vases full of flowers. |
| D．A little black shelf held a small picture of a woman. |
Tom cried when Henry read the yellowed letter, because ______.
| A．he was getting older and older |
| B．he was moved by the loving messages in the letter |
| C．he felt sad at the thought of Henry’s wife |
| D．he was disappointed that Henry’s wife would arrive so late |
Tom stopped my reaching for whiskey because ______.
| A．there was not enough whiskey for Henry |
| B．he didn’t want me to get drunk |
| C．that glass of whiskey was drugged |
| D．it was for Henry’s wife |
The underlined phrase “went insane” probably means “lost his______”.
| A．hope | B．mind |
| C．heart | D．temper |
It can be inferred from the passage that ______.
| A．Henry’s wife was 38 when she was last seen |
| B．Tom and Joe have heard the letter many times |
| C．the author stayed in Henry’s house because he was lost |
| D．the two miners came on Saturday to share past memories |
The story is mainly about ______.
| A．ever-lasting love |
| B．lifelong friendship |
| C．an unforgettable experience |
| D．charming Stanislau |
My house is made out of wood, glass and stone. It is also made out of software.
If you come to visit, you'll probably be surprised when you come in. Someone will give you an electronic PIN （个人身份号码）to wear. This PIN tells the house who and where you are. The house uses this information to give you what you need. When it's dark outside, the PIN turns on the lights nearest you, and then turns them off as you walk away from them. Music moves with you too. If the house knows your favorite music, it plays it. The music seems to be everywhere, but in fact other people in the house hear different music or no music. If you get a telephone call, only the nearest telephone rings.
Of course, you are also able to tell the house if you want something. There is a home control console (控制台), a small machine that turns things on and off around you.
The PIN and the console are new ideas, but they are in fact like many things we have today. If you want to go to a movie, you need a ticket. If I give you my car keys, you can use my car. The car works for you because you have the keys. My house works for you because you wear the PIN or hold the console.
I believe that ten years from now, most new homes will have the systems that I've put in my house. The systems will probably be even bigger and better than the ones I've put in today.
I like to try new ideas. I know that some of my ideas will work better than others. But I hope that one day I will stop thinking of these systems as new, and ask myself instead, "How will I live without them?"What does the passage mainly discuss?
| A．How to develop a new system. |
| B．The function of the PIN. |
| C．A home for the future. |
| D．Easy life in the future. |
What's the purpose when the writer wrote the fourth paragraph?
| A．To let readers know why his ideas are new. |
| B．To let readers know how special his house is. |
| C．To explain the importance of the PIN and the console. |
| D．To explain more easily what the functions of the PIN and the console are. |
The writer's new house is different from ordinary ones mainly because _____.
| A．it has been controlled by computers |
| B．you can make a telephone call anywhere |
| C．it has your favorite music following you |
| D．the writer is able to change his new idea into practice |
What is the writer most likely to be according to the passage?
| A．An IT expert. | B．A famous doctor. |
| C．An idealist | D．An experienced teacher. |
Welcome here! The Southern Spring Home & Garden Show will be held at The Park Expo and Conference Center. This show will last from Wednesday (March 2) to Sunday (March 6,2012).
Admission : Adults $10.00. Teenagers under 15 free with a paying adult.
Join Lincolnton’s own Tammie Davis as she performs her original country songs at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday,March 5th.
Special Days: The Spring for Kids First Night Gala benefiting the Council for Children’s Rights will take place from 7 p.m. to 10p.m. on Wednesday, March 2,2012. Tickets are $50 and include an access to Freedom Hall, where you can enjoy delicious food, beverage(饮料)and entertainment free of charge.
Seniors Day(55+):Wednesday is for them. Cost is $7.00 but without coupons(减价优惠).
Hours :Wednesday,Thursday &Sunday :10 a.m.---5p.m.;Friday &Saturday :10 a.m.----9 a.m.
Wheelchairs are available on a first come first served basis for you. The cost is $1.00 and you are required to leave a valid driver’s license or ID.
Parking :All Day Parking: $6.00;Half Day Parking:$3.00; Every Hour Parking:$1.00
For more Information: Come to visit Mardee Woodward in person.
E-mail: mwoodward@southernshows.com
Telephone:704-376-4085We can learn from the text that the show will ___________.
| A．last only five days |
| B．offer a free parking |
| C．have the only one singer |
| D．take place in a private house |
.How much is the admission for a family of two grown-ups and a child aged 16?
| A．$ 10 | B．$ 30 | C．$ 20 | D．$40 |
When can we visit Southern Spring Home& Garden Show?
| A．At 9 p.m. Thursday | B．At 8 a.m. Wednesday |
| C．At 8 p.m. Friday | D．At 6 p.m. Sunday |
How many ways can visitors get more information for this show?
| A．One | B．Two | C．Three | D．Four |
We can infer from the text that______________.
| A．old people can visit the show only on Wednesday |
| B．the disabled can use the wheelchairs free of charge |
| C．there are not enough wheelchairs for the disabled |
| D．kids’ tickets on Wednesday don’t include beverage |
I am a manager who is in charge of taking care of the elderly and many of my clients live out of state.
This year, a very sweet old lady that I care for, Alice, had gone through a particularly rough time. She had been in hospital twice. In November I was finally able to get her back to her “home” into an “assisted living facility”（养老院）.
Alice has dementia(痴呆症) and thought her daughter was coming to visit her on Christmas day and that they were going to have the whole family together like the old days. When she finally realized that the happy moment was not going to happen， she was so tearful. Knowing that her daughter was coming after Christmas was not enough to cheer her up, I hated the idea of her being alone on the holiday!
On Christmas Eve, I gave her a surprise by asking if she would like to go to a candlelight service at church that night. Instead of taking her to my church, I took her to her old neighborhood church where all her friends were. We got there early and I got each of us a seat where her friends could see her as they came in. The plan worked out very perfectly. All of her friends seemed to be there and rushed over to greet her and sit with her. The candlelight service was a beautiful, tearful affair and Alice got a lot of hugs and love from her old and new friends there.
The truth of the story is that I am the one who got the best gift:the smile on Alice’s face and the feeling that I made a difference.What does the underlined word “tearful”in Paragraph 3 probably mean?
| A．surprised | B．Hateful |
| C．Moved | D．Sad |
From the text we know that Alice_____________.
| A．had been operated in the hospital twice |
| B．didn’t remember her daughter at that time |
| C．preferred to live alone especially at Christmas |
| D．expected to spend Christmas with her daughter |
Where did Alice spend her Christmas Eve？
| A．Alice’s old house |
| B．Alice’s old neighborhood church |
| C．A church in the author’s neighborhood |
| D．A church in Alice’s daughter’s neighborhood |
What was the best gift that the author got on Christmas Eve?
| A．Holding the party |
| B．the praise given by Alice’s friends |
| C．Alice’s happiness |
| D．His concern for Alice |
What is the best title for this text?
| A．An Extra Special Candlelight Christmas Eve |
| B．My Experience With an Old Lonely Lady |
| C．Alice’s Special Time on Christmas Eve |
| D．A happy moment on Christmas Eve |