The worker I hired to repair my house had just finished a difficult first day on the job. A broken wheel made him an hour late; his ladder( 梯子)fell down when he was painting the roof and now his old truck wouldn’t start. With each problem he shouted angrily more at himself than at his things. As I drove him home, the man didn’t say a word.
I tried talking to the man to kill time. I managed to find out that he had come up from Blue Hills in Victoria with his family six months ago to find a job. This was his first job since moving here. I now knew why his price was lower than any other worker I could find in the local newspaper. He really needed the job. His clothes told me as much.
On arriving, much to my surprise, he invited me to meet his family. As we walked through his front garden he suddenly stopped at a small tree and placed his hands on it. Then , when he opened the door he completely changed. Instead of his troubled face, there was now a warm smile, hugs for his two children and a kiss for his wife.
The following day, I asked him about the tree.
“That’s my trouble tree,” he answered. “Work troubles aren’t welcome at home with my wife and children. So I hang them on that tree every night when I come home. Then in the morning I pick them up again.”
“And you know what else?” he said smiling, “The next morning I find that there aren’t as many as I remember hanging up the night before.”Which of the following things did NOT happen to the worker?
| A．His truck broke down. |
| B．He was late for work. |
| C．He fell onto the roof. |
| D．His ladder fell down. |
When did the worker first arrive in this town ?
| A．Today. | B．Last night. |
| C．Six weeks ago. | D．Six months ago. |
Where did the writer find the worker ?
| A．Through a newspaper. | B．Beside the trouble tree. |
| C．In his old house. | D．In Blue Hills, Victoria. |
Why did the worker touch the tree ?
| A．To get good luck. |
| B．To leave his trouble outside. |
| C．To send good wishes to his family. |
| D．To clean his hands. |
What can we learn from the passage ?
| A．Looking for a job can make trouble. |
| B．It is important to get to work on time. |
| C．Often our problems are worse than what we think. |
| D．A happy family can make many problems go away. |
James shook his money box again.
Nothing! He carefully counted the coins that lay on the bed. All that he had was $24.52 (about 153 yuan). The bicycle he wanted was at least $90! How on earth (究竟) was he going to get the rest of the money?
He knew that his friends all had bicycles. It was hard to hang out with people when you were the only one without a bicycle. He thought about what he could do. There was no point asking his parents, for he knew they had no extra money.
There was only one way to get money, and that was to earn (挣) it. He would have to find a job. He decided to ask Mr Clay for advice.
“Well, you can start right here,” said Mr Clay. “You see, my windows need cleaning and my car needs washing.”
That was the beginning of James’ part-time job.
For the next three months he worked every day after finishing his homework. He took dogs for walks, cleaned out cupboards and repaired books.
The day finally came when James counted his money and found $ 94.32. He wasted no time and went down to the shop to pick up the bicycle he wanted. He rode home proudly, looking forward to showing his new bicycle to his friends. It had been hard working for the money, but James knew that he valued (珍惜) his bicycle far more because he had bought it with his own money. He had achieved what he thought was impossible, and that was worth even more than the bicycle.Why didn’t James ask his parents for help?
| A．Because they didn’t love him. |
| B．Because they didn’t have extra money. |
| C．Because they lived far away from him. |
| D．Because they didn’t need a bike. |
In order to buy a bicycle, James .
| A．found a job |
| B．borrowed money from his classmates |
| C．sold his old books |
| D．asked his grandfather for some money |
James did the following jobs EXCEPT
| A．walking dogs | B．cleaning out cupboards |
| C．cooking meals | D．repairing books |
How much money did James earn?
| A．$24.52 | B．$90 | C．$94.32 | D．$69.80 |
What does the writer want to tell us?
| A．We should buy everything we want. |
| B．We should get what we want through hard work. |
| C．Parents shouldn’t give children any money. |
| D．We shouldn’t show off new things to poor children. |
| Welcome to City Library City Library is open to everyone every day and the library card is free. You can borrow five books, one CD and as many videos as you want at a time—three weeks for books, one week for CDs and videos. |
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| BOOKS picture books for children books in 36 languages stories of all kinds You can enjoy newspapers and magazines in the reading room. You can’t take them out of the library. |
VIDEO all kinds of video films TV plays Music videos You can’t watch videos here. You can borrow a video for a week for $1. |
AUDIO music (rock, pop, jazz…) languages tapes (42 main languages in the world) You can enjoy listening in the special rooms here. All the CDs can be borrowed- Free! |
根据表格内容，选择正确答案。If you want to get a library card, you __________.
A. needn’t pay for it
B. have to pay one dollar for it
C. need to borrow five books firstYou can borrow ___________ at a time.
A. only one video B. two CDs C. five booksAt the library, you can______________.
A. buy CDs
B. read magazines
C. watch the videosAccording to the library rules, you CAN’T_____________.
A. take newspapers home
B. listen to music at the library
C. borrow CDs from the libraryThe library has ___________.
A. special rooms for listening
B. no language tapes
C. books in 42 languages
While Mr. Wan, his wife and their little daughter were in Europe, they decided to drive three days to Germany.
His little daughter had never travelled at night before. She was scared(害怕) the first night in the car, with the deep darkness outside.
“Where are we going, Daddy?” “To your uncle’s house in Germany.”
“Have you been to his house before?” “No.”
“Do you know the way?” “Kind of, we will read the map.”
“Do you know how to read the map?” “Yes, we will get there safely.”
“Where are we going to eat if we get hungry before arriving?” “We can stop at a restaurant if we get very hungry, my honey.”
“Do you know if there are restaurants on the way?” “Yes, there are.”
“Do you know where?” “No, but we will be able to find some.”
The same dialogue repeated a few times during the first night and second night. But on the third night, the daughter was quiet. He couldn’t help wondering why she was not asking the questions anymore.
“Honey, do you know where we are going?” “Germany, to uncle’s house.”
“Do you know how we are getting there?” “No.”
“Then why aren’t you asking me any more?” “Because Daddy is driving.”
Because Daddy is driving. That answer from his little girl gave Mr. Wan strength for many years after, whenever he had questions and fears about his life journey.The little girl asked so many questions during the first night because
| A．she was afraid of the deep darkness. |
| B．she didn’t want to go to Germany. |
| C．she didn’t believe in his parents. |
| D．she was very hungry on road. |
What does the underlined sentence really mean?
| A．Mr. Wan didn’t know the way at all. |
| B．Mr. Wan couldn’t read the map very well. |
| C．Mr. Wan was not quite sure about the way. |
| D．Mr. Wan was familiar with the way. |
When the little girl didn’t ask any questions more her father felt .
| A．excited | B．satisfied | C．surprised | D．relaxed |
What gave Mr. Wan more strength after this trip?
| A．His daughter’s questions. | B．His daughter’s trust. |
| C．His good driving skill. | D．His strong will about life. |
In two days, I will be turning 30. And I was not looking forward to a new decade (十年). I was afraid that the best years of my life were behind me.
One day, I met with my friend Nicholas. He was a 79-year-old man. He noticed something was different about me and asked if anything was wrong. I told him what I was anxious (焦虑) about and asked him： “What was the best time of your life?”
Without hesitation, Nicholas replied： “Well, Joe, when I was a child in Austria and everything was taken care of for me, that was the best time of my life.”
“When I was going to school and learning the things I know today, that was the best time of my life.”
“When I got my first job and got paid for my work, that was the best time of my life.”
“When I met my wife and fell in love, that was the best time of my life.”
“World War Ⅱcame, and my wife and I had to leave Austria to save our lives. When we were together and safe on a ship, that was the best time of my life.”
“When I became a young father and watched my children grow up, that was the best time of my life.”
“And now, Joe, I am 79 years old. I have my health, I feel good and I am just as in love with my wife as I was the day we met. This is the best time of my life.”How did the writer feel about his upcoming 30th birthday?
| A．Excited. | B．Worried. | C．Angry. | D．Tired. |
Where did the old man live when he was a kid?
| A．In Austria | B．In Canada |
| C．In Australia | D．In North America |
From the passage, we can learn that .
| A．the writer didn’t know how to spend the rest of his life |
| B．the writer was an easy-going person |
| C．the old man was not in good condition |
| D．the old man has a very happy family |
From the passage, we can learn that .
| A．it’s never too old to learn |
| B．believing in yourself is the key to success |
| C．be thankful for what you have today |
| D．time and tide (潮水) wait for no man |
Do you often use a cell phone? Do you take the subway（地铁）to school every day? These items（项目） make our modern life easier. But do you know how we should behave properly while using them? The following suggestions might be helpful.
For cell phone users
◆Keep your voice down when you make a phone call in public. Shouting on the phone may make others feel uncomfortable. And you’d better not use it during an appointment（约会）.
◆Stop sending messages or playing games with your cellphone at a dinner or a party. It’s a good time to communicate with your family and friends.
◆Don’t make or answer a call while driving. It is very dangerous for both you and your passengers.
For subway passengers
◆You are supposed to wait in line while buying tickets and getting on the subway.
◆You’re not allowed to eat, drink or smoke on the subway train. The smell and noise may trouble others. It’s our duty to keep the train clean and tidy. Besides, smoking is bad for health.
◆You can’t take pets on the train. As we all know, animals may spread diseases (疾病)， get the train dirty and make much noise.
◆You’d better not lie across the subway seats even if the train isn’t crowded. Offering your seat to someone who needs it is regarded as good manners.
When you join in a party or eat at a dinner, you can .
| A．talk about the weather with friends |
| B．play games with cell phones |
| C．send messages with cell phones |
| D．make a telephone with cell phones |
How many suggestions are offered to subway passengers in the passage?
| A．3 | B．4 | C．5 | D．7 |
Which of the following actions is improper?
| A．No smoking on the subway. |
| B．Making a phone in a low voice in public. |
| C．Answering a telephone while driving |
| D．Offering your seat to someone who needs. |
The passage above may be chosen from .
| A．A Guidebook on Proper Behaviors |
| B．A Handbook on Chinese History |
| C．A Handbook on Using Cell Phone |
| D．A Guidebook on Taking Subways |