We were standing at the top of a church tower. My father had brought me to this spot in a small town not far from our home in Rome. I wondered why.
“Look down, Elsa,” father said. I gathered all my courage and looked down. I saw the square in the center of the village. And I saw the crisscross (十字形) of twisting, turning streets leading to the square. “ See, my dear,” father said gently. “ There is more than one way to the square. Life is like that. If you can’t get to the place where you want to go by one road, try another.”
Now I understood why I was there. Earlier that day I had begged my mother to do something about the awful lunches that were served at school. But she refused because she could not believe the lunches were as bad as I said.
When I turned to father for help, he didn’t say anything. Instead, he brought me to this high tower to give me a lesson. By the time we reached home, I had a plan.
At school the next day, I secretly poured my lunch soup into a bottle and brought it home. Then I asked our cook to serve it to mother at dinner. The plan worked perfectly. She swallowed one spoonful and sputtered(喷溅出) “ The cook must have gone mad!” Quickly I told her what I had done, and Mother stated firmly that she would take up the matter of lunches at school the next day!
In the years that followed, I often remembered the lesson father taught me. I began to work as a fashion designer two years ago. I wouldn’t stop working until I tried every possible means to my goal. Father’s wise words always remind me that there is more than one way to the square. The author’s father took her to the top of a church tower to ____________.
A.enjoy the beautiful scenery of the whole town |
B.find out how many ways lead to the square |
C.inspire her to find out another way to solve her problem |
D.help her forget some unpleasant things earlier that day |
What did the author want her mother to do earlier that day?
A.Do something delicious for lunch. |
B.Taste her awful lunch. |
C.Dismiss the mad cook. |
D.Speak to the school about lunch. |
The underlined sentence in the fifth paragraph suggests that_____________.
A.the cook agreed to serve the soup to the writer’s mother. |
B.the author’s mother was angry with the cook. |
C.her father persuaded her mother successfully. |
D.the method the author thought of was effective. |
What did the author’s mother think of her lunch soup after she tasted it?
A.It was delicious. |
B.It wasn’t so bad as the author said. |
C.It is terrible. |
D.It was as good as her cook did. |
By sharing her own experiences, the author tries to tell us ____________.
A.when one road is blocked, try another |
B.how bad the lunch of her school is |
C.how wise her father is |
D.about the church tower near her home |
Hank Viscardi was born without legs. He had—not legs but stumps(残肢) that could be fitted with a kind of special boots. People stared at him with cruel interest. Children laughed at him and called him ‘Ape Man’ (猿人) because his arms practically dragged on the ground.
Hank went to school like other boys. His grades were good and he needed only eight years to finish his schooling instead of the usual twelve. After graduating from school, he worked his way through college. He swept floors, waited on table, or worked in one of the college offices. During all this busy life, he had been moving around on his stumps. But one day the doctor told him even the stumps were not going to last much longer. He would soon have to use a wheel chair.
Hank felt himself got cold all over. However, the doctor said there was a chance that he could be fitted with artificial legs(假腿). Finally a leg maker was found and the day came when Hank stood up before the mirror. For the first time he saw himself as he had always wanted to be—a full five feet eight inches tall. By this time he was already 26 years old.
Hank had to learn to use his new legs. Again and again he marched the length of the room, and marched back again. There were times when he fell down on the floor, but he pulled himself up and went back to the endless marching. He went out on the street. He climbed stairs and learned to dance. He built a boat and learned to sail it.
When World War II came, he talked the Red Cross into giving him a job. He took the regular training. he marched and drilled along with the other soldiers. Few knew that he was legless. This was the true story of Hank Viscardi, a man without legs.Children laughed at Hank and called him ‘Ape Man’ because _____.
A.he didn’t talk to them |
B.he kept away from them |
C.he couldn’t use his arms |
D.his arms touched the ground when he moved |
It can be inferred from the story that five feet eight inches tall is _____.
A.too tall for an average person |
B.an average height for a fully grown person |
C.too short for an average person |
D.none of the above |
The sentence “he talked the Red Cross into giving him a job” implies that the Red Cross_____.
A.was not willing to give him a job at first |
B.gave him a job because he was a good soldier |
C.gave him a job after he talked to someone he knew in the organization |
D.was only glad to give him a job |
The writer suggests that Hank Viscardi _____.
A.had no friends |
B.was very shy |
C.never saw himself as different from others |
D.was too proud to accept help from others |
It’s such a happy-looking library, painted yellow, decorated with palm-tree stickers and sheltered from the Florida sun by its own roof. About the size of a microwave oven, it’s pedestrian-friendly(对行人友善的), too, waiting for book lovers next to a sidewalk in Palm Beach country Estates, along the northern boundary of Palm Beach Gardens.
It’s a library built with love.
A year ago, shortly after Janey Henriksen saw a Brian Williams report about the Little Free Library organization, a Wisconsin-based nonprofit organization that aims to promote literacy(读书识字) and build a sense of community in a neighborhood by making books freely available, she announced to her family of four, “That’s what we’re going to do for our spring break!”
Son Austin, now a 10th-grader, didn’t see the point of building a library that resembles(类似) a mailbox. But Janey insisted, and husband Peter unwillingly got to work. The 51-year-old owner of a ship supply company modified(修饰) a small wooden house that he’d built years earlier for daughter Abbie’s toy horses, and made a door of glass.
After adding the library’s final touches (装点), the family hung a signboard on the front, instructing users to “take a book, return a book,” and making the Henriksen library, now one of several hundred like it nationwide and among more than 2,500 in the world, the only Little Free Library in Palm Beach County.
They stocked it with 20 or so books they’d already read, a mix of science fiction, reference titles, novels and kids’ favorites. “I told them, keep in mind that you might not see it again,” said Janey, a stay-at-home mom.
Since then, the collection keeps replenishing (补充) itself, thanks to ongoing donations from borrowers. The library now gets an average of five visits a day.
The project’s best payoff, says Peter, are the thank-you notes left behind. “We had no idea in the beginning that it would be so popular.” In what way is the library “pedestrian-friendly”?
A.It owns a yellow roof. |
B.It protects book lovers from the sun. |
C.It stands near a sidewalk. |
D.It uses palm-tree stickers as decorations. |
Janey got the idea to build a library from __________.
A.a report on a Wisconsin-based organization |
B.a spring break with her family |
C.a book sent by one of her neighbors |
D.a visit to Brian Williams |
The library was built __________.
A.by a ship supply company | B.on the basis of toy horses |
C.with glass | D.like a mailbox |
The passage tells us that the borrowers__________.
A.get paid to collect books for the library |
B.receive thank-you notes for using the library |
C.donate books to the library |
D.visit the library over 5 times on average daily |
Shakespeare once called the English countryside “the precious stone set in the silver sea”- and he is not the last to sing high praises of its beauty and historical charm(魅力).
The countryside is particularly beautiful during the summer, especially in August and September. As one travels the countryside, you’ll find more of its treasures: so many plants and animals, romantic castles(浪漫的城堡), secret gardens, and villages so unchanged in the last decades that they seem to have been caught under a fairy’ s spell.
Must-sees include Derbyshire, called “the heart of England” and home to the National Park. The great peaks were the muse(创作灵感)of the Bronte sisters (and if you love the book Jane Eyre, you can visit North Lees hall, where the real Eyre family once lived).
History lovers will enjoy a visit to Lincoln city (its most famous son is Lord Alfred Tennyson). It is also known for its cathedral(大教堂), the charming tea shops, a small castle. One would never guess its violent past—built by Romans, it was once a center for arrow(箭) making.
Harry Potter fans shouldn’t miss a visit to Alnwick, which is better recognized as the “Hogswarth” in the movies.
Let’s not leave out the Wessex region, where one can see one of England’s greatest mysteries, Stone Henge. You can also go to the City of Bath, which has been famous for its medicines springs since the Roman times. Other popular tractions include Salisbury Cathedral, and landscaped(景色优美的) gardens of Stourhead, and the cobbled(用鹅卵石铺的) streets of Shaftesbury. This is also home to Oxford, one of the world’s most famous universities.
Art lovers will also like a visit to East Anglia, whose landscapes inspired the painter Constable (he was born in Dedham village). This is also home of the University City of Cambridge, and the famous architectural(建筑上的) attraction, King’s College Chapel. Be sure to visit the aircraft museum of Duxford. What was Shakespeare’s attitude towards the English countryside?
A.Uninterested. | B.Dissatisfied(不满意的). |
C.Surprised. | D.Admiring. |
According to the text, Lincoln city________.
A.produced arrows in the past |
B.will be enjoyed by music lovers |
C.was the place where the Eyre family once lived |
D.has one of the world’ s most famous universities |
When traveling in the countryside, Harry Potter fans are advised to visit ________.
A.the Wessex region | B.Derbyshire | C.Yorkshire | D.Alnwick |
The text is most probably taken from ________.
A.a travel guide |
B.a book review(书评) |
C.a history paper |
D.a newspaper report |
Among rich countries, people in the United States work the longest hours. They work much longer than in Europe. This difference is quite surprising because productivity(生产力) per hour worked is the same in the United States as it is in France, Spain and Germany, and it is growing at a similar speed.
In most countries and at most times in history, as people have become richer they have chosen to work less. In other words they have decided to “spend” a part of their extra income on a fuller personal life. Over the last fifty years Europeans have continued this pattern, and hours of work have fallen sharply. But not in the United States. We do not fully know why this is. One reason may be greatly lower taxes in America, which increase the rewards to work. Another may be more satisfying work, or less satisfying personal lives.
Longer hours do of course increase the GDP(国内生产总值). So the United States has produced more per worker than, say, France. The United States also has more of its people at work, while in France many more mothers and older workers have decided to stay at home. The overall result is that American GDP per head is 40% higher than in France, even though productivity per hour worked is the same.
It is not clear which of the two situations is better. As we have seen, work has to be compared with other values like family life, which often get lost in its interest. It is too early to explain the different trends(趋势)in happiness over time in different countries. But it is a disappointing idea that in the United States happiness has made no progress since 1975, while it has risen in Europe. Could this have anything to do with trends in the work-life balance?Which of the following countries has more of its people at work?
A.Spain. | B.France. | C.Germany. | D.America. |
What message can we get from the text?
A.The GDP of Europe is higher than that of America. |
B.Two possible reasons are given for working longer hours in the US. |
C.People all over the world choose to work less when they are richer. |
D.Americans are happier than Europeans. |
Which of the following would be the best title for the text?
A.Americans and Europeans |
B.Staying at Home |
C.Work and Productivity |
D.Work and Happiness |
LONDON Thursday July 26(Reuters)—Eddy missed his girlfriend Anna so much he flew back to Britain from Australia to propose(求婚) to her. The problem is she did the same in the opposite direction.
He and Anna even managed to miss each other when they sat in the same airport waiting room in Singapore at the same time to wait for connecting flights.
Anna, heartbroken, when she arrived at Eddy’s Sydney flat to find he had flown to London, told The Times, “It was as though someone was playing a cruel joke on us.“
“He is the most romantic(浪漫的) person I have ever known. I think our problem is that we are both quite impulsive(冲动的) people. We are always trying to surprise each other.”
After an 11,000-mile flight across the globe, she was greeted by Eddy’s astonished roommate asking what she was doing there.
Eddy, a 27-year-old engineer, had taken a year off to travel round Australia. But he was missing Anna, a 26-year-old secretary, so much he got a job on a Sydney building site(工地) and started saving for a surprise.
He then flew home to Britain and went to her flat armed with an engagement(订婚) ring, wine and flowers.
“I really missed Anna and I’d been thinking about her all the time. I was so excited when she phoned me from Australia,” he said.
Eddy then asked Anna to marry him on the phone. “I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry but I accepted,” she said.
Anna was given a tour of Sydney by Eddy’s friends before going back home. Eddy had to stay in Britain for two weeks because he could not change his ticket. What does the last sentence of the first paragraph tell us?
A.Anna flew to Britain from Australia to marry him. |
B.Anna flew to Australia from Britain to marry him. |
C.Anna flew to Britain from Australia to propose to him. |
D.Anna flew to Australia from Britain to propose to him. |
The underlined word “miss” in Paragraph 2 most probably means_______.
A.escape from | B.fail to understand |
C.fail to meet | D.long to see |
Eddy got a job on a Sydney building site because he________.
A.wanted to travel round Australia |
B.needed money to pay his daily cost |
C.was an engineer at this building site |
D.hoped to make money from this job |
Which of the following is TRUE about Eddy and Anna according to the text?
A.Eddy proposed to Anna on the phone and Anna accepted. |
B.Anna stayed in Australia waiting for Eddy’s arrival. |
C.Anna had a good time touring Sydney with Eddy. |
D.Eddy met Anna in the airport waiting room by chance. |