I was 14 when Mr. Ingram hired me as a farmhand. It was the first time I was actually for work. One day Mr. Ingram found an old truck that was in the soft, sandy soil of our field. It was full of melons that someone had tried to 38 from our farm before his truck got caught in the mud.
Mr. Ingram explained that the truck’s owner would be soon, and he wanted me to watch and learn. It wasn’t long a local guy with a terrible reputation for fighting and stealing showed up with his two fully-grown sons. They looked really .
Calmly Mr. Ingram said, “Well, I see you want to some watermelons from us.”
There was a long before the man answered, “Yeah, I guess so. What are you for them?”
“Twenty-five cents each.”
“Well, I suppose that would be enough if you help me get my truck out of here,” the man said.
It turned out to be our biggest sale of the summer, and an awful, perhaps violent incident had been . After they left, Mr. Ingram smiled and said to me, “Son, if you don’t forgive your , you’re going to run out of friends.”
A．trusted B．ready C．paid D．offered
A．stuck B．broken C．deserted D．lost
A．remove B．steal C．sell D．hide
A．purchasing B．bargaining C．returning D．searching
A．till B．before C．that D．since
A．astonished B．anxious C．familiar D．angry
A．borrow B．buy C．steal D．carry
A．break B．discussion C．watching D．silence
A．getting B．offering C．paying D．finding
A．necessary B．helpful C．easy D．fair
A．stopped B．avoided C．handled D．taught
A．mistakes B．neighbors C．enemies D．Melons
Jane raced onto the train platform and asked a porter, “Is this the train to Rochester?”
“Yes,” said the porter. “but only the …Hey! Wait.” He was too 21 .Jane had raced off
22 he had finished speaking.
She had just 23 herself in a seat when the train 24 out of the station. Jane got out her book and settled down to read. After about an hour or so, she looked 25 and glanced out of the window. “That’s26 .” she thought . “the landscape(景色)doesn’t look 27 ,and it should; I’ve 28 this route so many times.” She was getting increasing 29 when the big, red-faced conductor walked up and asked for her30 .
One glance was enough. He 31 his head in friendly reproach(责备) and said, “Now, young lady, what did you do a fool thing like that for? This is the 32 ticket. You 33 have sat at the back of the train. The Rochester-bound(开往) section was 34 at the last station.
Jane’s face grew red. “I’m sorry,” she said, “I guess I was in too much of a 35 to find out…” “Well,” said the conductor, “don’t `36 . You shouldn’t have been in such a hurry, but I dare say we can 37 you a train going in the right 38 at Syracuse. You’ll be a couple of hours late 39 ,though .”
When Jane finally stepped onto the Rochester platform, her mother 40 up to her . “Oh, Jane, we have been so worried. What on earth happened?”
“Well, Mom,” said Jane, “it’s a long story.”
A．busy B．early C．late D．quick
A．when B．then C．after D．before
A．settled B．took C．made D．gave
A．pushed B．pulled C．left D．started
A．around B．about C．up D．down
A．exciting B．interesting C．strange D．right
A．familiar B．beautiful C．nice D．alike
A．walked B．gone C．followed D．traveled
A．uneasy B．calm C．angry D．unhappy
A．money B．ticket C．book D．name
A．put B．shook C．raised D．nodded
A．wrong B．used C．only D．right
A．would B．must C．should D．could
A．joined B．turned C．connected D．separated
A．hurry B．trouble C．worry D．difficulty
A．sorry B．worry C．hurry D．regret
A．make B．give C．find D．get
A．time B．place C．station D．direction
A．arriving B．leaving C．going D．returning
A．called B．picked C．rushed D．pushed
It was my first year teaching in a special needs class, and I wasn’t sure what to expect at our yearly Special Olympics sports meeting. My 36 had some challenges, from learning disabilities to cerebral palsy（大脑性麻痹）.
Mark was one with the latter. Restricted to a 37 , he had to fight his spasms （抽筋） just to control his movements. 38 , he always had a positive attitude and greeted everyone with a huge smile.
His classmates 39 him and always took the time to make sure he was included in group activities, especially Mike, Andy and Lucas, three boys who were good at 40 . Obviously, Mark wanted to be like them, unrestricted by the limitation of his 41 and watching them moving on the playing field seemed to fill him with 42 .
When the day came, Mike, Andy and Lucas 43 well in their sports events, and gave the normally calm audience something to cheer about. Mark sat in his wheelchair on the sidelines,44 them on.
The final event of the day was the 400 meter race. 45 was invited to either walk or run, according to their ability, around the 46 length of the track.
When Mike, Andy and Lucas reached the finish line, they 47 and turned to look behind them. At the 48 of the crowd, determined not to be left behind, was Mark. All his classmates had 49 him. He was alone on the track with over half the distance left to 50 .
Mike, Andy and Lucas looked at each other, and a silent 51 passed between them. Slowly, they jogged 52 towards their friend, cheering him on 53 he had done for them moments before.
The progress was 54 , but in the end the three star runners and Mark crossed the finish line together to the enthusiastic cries of their teachers and classmates. Seeing the look on Mark’s face as he crossed the finish line, hands upraised and laughing, I came to understand what 55 the Special Olympics, and the determined athletes who compete, so extraordinary.
Years later, I’m still cheering them on.
A．partners B．friends C．students D．classmates
A．bed B．machine C．wheelchair D．desk
A．So B．However C．Otherwise D．Therefore
A．protected B．satisfied C．respected D．loved
A．sports B．practice C．studies D．expression
A．interests B．body C．habits D．mind
A．wonder B．trust C．stress D．reset
A．trained B．played C．operated D．prepared
A．bringing B．holding C．cheering D．moving
A．Someone B．Nobody C．Anybody D．Everyone
A．entire B．different C．average D．equal
A．fell B．paused C．rushed D．rested
A．center B．front C．end D．top
A．left B．ignored C．passed D．helped
A．continue B．jog C．walk D．cover
A．demand B．thought C．action D．relief
A．back B．along C．again D．on
A．while B．although C．since D．as
A．boring B．great C．slow D．relaxing
A．leaves B．finds C．keeps D．makes
In the United States, when one becomes rich, he wants people to know it. And even if he does not become very rich, he wants people to think that he is. That is what “keeping up with the Joneses” is about. It is the story of someone who tried to look as rich as his neighbours.
The expression was first used in 1913 by a young American called Arthur Momand. He told this story about himself. He began earning $ 125 a week at the age of 23. That was a lot of money in those days. He got married and moved with his wife to a very wealthy neighbourhood outside New York City. When he saw that rich people rode horses, Momand went horseback riding every day. When he saw that rich people had servants, Momand and his wife also hired(雇佣) a servant and gave big parties for their new neighbours. It was like a race, but one could never finish this race because one was always trying to keep up. The race ended for Momand and his wife when they could no longer pay for their new way of life. They moved back to an apartment in New York City.
Momand looked around him and noticed that many people do things just to keep up with rich lifestyle of their neighbours. He saw the funny side of it and started to write a series of short stories. He called it “Keeping up with the Joneses” because “Jones” is a very common name in the United States. “Keeping up with the Joneses” came to mean keeping up with rich lifestyle of the people around you. Momand’s series appeared in different newspapers across the country for over 28 years.
People never seem to get tired of keeping up with the Joneses. And there are “Joneses” in every city of the world. But one must get tired of trying to keep up with the Joneses because no matter what one does, Mr. Jones always seems to be ahead.
Some people want to keep up with the Joneses because they _____.
A．want to be as rich as their neighbours B．want others to know or to think that they are rich C．don’t want others to know they are rich D．want to be good friends with their neighbours
A．live outside New York City B．live in New York City C．live in apartments D．have many neighbours
A．an important name B．a popular name in the United States C．his neighbour’s name D．a name often used by the rich
A．correct B．interesting C．impossible D．Good
I made up my mind to drive to South Carolina to meet my friends in my used car. Though I had only been there once 1 and did not know the 2 very well. I was on the 3 after I had made some enquires.
At Ashville, there was a crossroad where I could go on along the main road or I could take a short cut. The short cut was to 4 several hills and was dangerous. I hesitated for a little while and then chose the main road, for I wanted to be 5 .
Something strange happened after I drove a long 6 and found it was not the correct road that I wanted to 7 , but the hilly road I decided to avoid. I realized that it was at the 8 that I had made the 9 mistake. “What shall I do?” I asked myself. If I went back to take that road again, it would be very late by the time I got to Columbia. Thinking it 10 , I decided to go on. “If 11 people can go along this road, why can’t I?” I 12 myself.
The short cut, to my surprise, was not that 13 . In fact, it was only a very peaceful country road, 14 up and down two low 15 . There was 16 traffic. On both sides of the road, you could see trees, wild flowers, and 17 with cows and horses. My fear was 18 with the wind. Listening to the beautiful country music over my car stereo (立体声), I drove on and 19 the scenery which was so quiet and so natural. Even my used car forgot to give me 20 . It was just in this light-heartedness that I arrived at my destination. My friends, after they heard what had happened to me, all said it sounded like an adventure.
A．before B．ago C．already D．still
A．town B．country C．friends D．way
A．train B．car C．highway D．phone
A．have B．go C．ride D．cross
A．safe B．dangerous C．fast D．slow
A．moment B．way C．land D．day
A．come B．leave C．take D．drive
A．crossroad B．beginning C．station D．corner
A．direction B．interesting C．disappointed D．road
A．about B．over C．of D．up
A．another B．the other C．other D．others
A．advised B．cheated C．encouraged D．forced
A．far B．safe C．dangerous D．dirty
A．walking B．coming C．driving D．going
A．lands B．cars C．farms D．hills
A．heavy B．little C．crowded D．few
A．villages B．trucks C．houses D．farms
A．together B．gone C．covered D．shared
A．looked B．liked C．enjoyed D．found
A．advances B．warnings C．problems D．joys
My grandfather Jack is 96 years old, and he has had an interesting life. He has traveled a lot in his life in the Far East. He visited the Taj Mahal（泰姬陵） in India and the Pyramids in Egypt. He hunted lions in Africa, and rode a camel in the Sahara Desert（撒哈拉沙漠）. He says the most beautiful place he has traveled to is Kathmandu in Nepal（尼泊尔）.
Jack has married twice. His first wife died when she was 32. He met his second wife Maria while he was cycling round France. They have been married for 50 years, and they have lived happily in a small village since they got married.
Jack says that he has never been ill in his life. The secret of good health, according to my grandfather, is exercise. He goes swimming every morning. He has done this since he was a boy. He also has a glass of wine every night! Perhaps that is his secret!
What kind of life has Jack lived?
A．A short life. B．An interesting life C．A lonely life. D．A poor life.
A．Kathmandu. B．The Pyramids C．The Sahara Desert. D．Taj Mahal.
A．Once. B．Twice. C．Three times. D．Four times.
A．In India. B．In Nepal. C．In France. D．In Egypt.
A．He has a glass of wine. B．He goes swimming C．He hunts lions. D．He rides a camel