Name:OfftheBeatenPathCoverpric-优题课

Henry was a pen name used by an American writer of short stories. His real name was William Sydney Porter. He was born in North Carolina in 1862. As a young boy he lived an exciting life. He did not go to school for very long, but he managed to teach himself everything he needed to know. When he was about 20 years old, O. Henry went to Texas, where he tried different jobs. He first worked on a newspaper, and then had a job in a bank, when some money went missing from the bank O. Henry was believed to have stolen it. Because of that, he was sent to prison. During the three years in prison, he learned to write short stories. After he got out of prison, he went to New York and continued writing. He wrote mostly about New York and the life of the poor there. People liked his stories, because simple as the tales were, they would finish with a sudden change at the end, to the reader’s surprise.
In which order did O. Henry do the following things?
a. Lived in New York.b. Worked in a bank.
c. Travelled to Texas. d. Was put in prison.
e. Had a newspaper job. f. Learned to write stories.

A．e. c. f. b. d. a	B．c. e. b. d. f. A
C．e. b. d. c. a. f.	D．c. b. e. d. a f.

O. Henry went to prison because.

A．people thought he had stolen money from the newspaper

B．he broke the law by not using his own name

C．he wanted to write stories about prisoners

D．people thought he had taken money that was not his

What do we know about O. Henry before he began writing?

A．He was well-educated.

B．He was not serious about his work.

C．He was devoted to the poor.

D．He was very good at learning.

Where did O. Henry get most material for his short stories?

A．His life inside the prison.

B．The newspaper articles he wrote.

C．The city and people of New York.

D．His exciting early life as a boy.

It was a winter morning, just a couple of weeks before Christmas 2005. While most people were warming up their cars, Trevor, my husband, had to get up early to ride his bike four kilometers away from home to work. On arrival, he parked his bike outside the back door as he usually does. After putting in 10 hours of labor, he returned to find his bike gone.
The bike, a black Kona 18 speed, was our only transport. Trevor used it to get to work, putting in 60-hour weeks to support his young family. And the bike was also used to get groceries（食品杂货），saving us from having to walk long distances from where we live.
I was so sad that someone would steal our bike that I wrote to the newspaper and told them our story. Shortly after that, several people in our area offered to help. One wonderful stranger even bought a bike, then called my husband to pick it up. Once again my husband had a way to get to and from his job. It really is an honor that a plete stranger would go out of their way for someone they have never met before.
People say that a smile can be passed from one person to another, but acts of kindness from strangers are even more so. This experience has had a spreading effect in our lives because it strengthened our faith in humanity（人性）as a whole. And it has influenced us to be more mindful of ways we, too, can share with others. No matter how big or how small, an act of kindness shows that someone cares. And the results can be everlasting.
Why was the bike so important to the couple?

A．The man’s job was bike racing.

B．It was their only possession.

C．It was a nice Kona 18 speed.

D．They used it for work and daily life.

We can infer from the text that ____________.

A．the couple worked 60 hours a week.

B．people were busy before Christmas

C．the stranger brought over the bike

D．life was hard for the young family.

How did people get to know the couple’s problem?

A．From radio broadcasts.

B．From a newspaper.

C．From TV news.

D．From a stranger.

What do the couple learn from their experience?

A．Strangers are usually of little help.

B．One should take care of their bike.

C．News reports make people famous.

D．An act of kindness can mean a lot.

British potato farmers were angry and wanted the expression “couch potato” to be taken out of the dictionary because it harmed the vegetable’s image.
The British Potato Council wants the Oxford English Dictionary to replace the expression with the term “couch slouch”, with protests being outside Parliament in London and the offices of Oxford University Press.
Kathryn Race, head of marketing at the Council, which represents some 4,000 planters and processors, said the group had complained in writing to the OED but had yet to receive a response.
“We are trying to get rid of the image that potatoes are bad for you,” she said on Monday.
“The potato has had its knocks in the past. Of course it is not the Oxford English Dictionary’s fault but we want to use another term instead of “couch potato” because potatoes are naturally healthy.”
The OED says that “couch potato” began as American slang, meaning “a person who spends his or her leisure time sitting around, especially watching television or video tapes.”
The Potato Council says its campaign is backed by dieticians (饮食学家) who say the vegetable is low in fat and high in vitamin C.
Supporting the campaign, famous cook Antony Worrall Thompson said the vegetable was one of Britain’s favorite foods.
“Not only are they healthy, they are also convenient and yummy (美味). Life without potato is like a sandwich without a filling,” he said.
John Simpson, chief editor of the Oxford English Dictionary, said the dictionary first included the term “couch potato” in 1993 and said “dictionaries just reflect the words that society uses.”
Simpson said words were never taken out of the full-length dictionary, which includes some 650,000 words in 20 volumes.
But little-used words can be removed from the smaller dictionaries to make way for newer ones.
“If society stops using words then they get taken out of the smaller dictionaries,” he added.
The first known recorded use of the expression “couch potato” was in an article in Los Angeles Times, in 1979, Simpson said.
Nigel Evans, a member of Parliament for the Ribble Valley in Lancashire, has made a motion in support of the campaign, highlighting the nutritional value of the British potato.
British potato farmers wanted to _________.

A．advertise their produces

B．call for a higher price for their potatoes

C．remove the expression “couch potato” from the dictionary

D．let people know how important the potato is in people’s lives

The farmers think that _________.

A．potatoes have had a bad image

B．Potatoes are good for people by nature

C．potatoes sometimes do harm to people

D．it’s the dictionary’s fault to use the expression “couch potato”

John Simpson thinks that _________.

A．the expression can be taken out of every kind of dictionary

B．dictionaries do not necessarily reflect the words the society uses

C．little-used words can remain in the smaller dictionaries

D．it is impossible for them to take the expression out of the dictionary

What is wrong with the expression “couch potato” according to the farmers in this passage?

A．It is connected with unfavorable meaning.

B．Potato should be used in the expression.

C．It is borrowed from America English.

D．It refers to a kind of person.

During my elementary school years, I used to compare my mom with my best friend Tiffany's mom..
Tiffany's mom always gave her lots of money to buy the most fashionable clothes and favorite food. Her mom allowed her to do anything she liked. I really admired Tiffany. My mom didn't give me much pocket money and she always told me that I should behave myself. I was annoyed with her.
Whenever I didn't get what I wanted, I would complain to my mom, Tiffany's mom would give her that! I wish she were my mom. "Every time, my morn would calmly say "Poor Tiffany". I couldn't understand her. "She shouldn't be feeling sorry for Tiffany!" I thought. "She should be feeling sorry for me."
One day, I couldn't help saying to Mom, "Poor Tiffany? Lucky Tiffany! She gets everything she wants! Why do you feel sorry for her? " I burst into tears.
My mom sat down next to me and said softly. "Yes, I do feel sorry for her. I have been teaching you a lesson that she will never be taught. "
I looked up at her. "What are you talking about?"
Mom said with care, "One day she will really want something. Maybe she'll find out that she can't have it. Her mother won't always be around to give her money, and what's more, money can't buy everything. "
She continued, "I have taught you valuable lessons by not giving you everything you want. You'll know how to look for bargains and save money, but she won't. You'll understand that you need to work hard to get the things that you want but she won't. When Tiffany is a grown woman, she'll wake up one day and she will be wishing that she had a mom like the one you've got. Life lessons are more important than modern clothes and delicious food. "
It took some time, but I eventually understood my mom's words. Now I am a happy and successful woman.
During the author's elementary school years, she .

A．wished that her mom were as good as Tiffany's

B．went to school with Tiffany every day

C．usually pared her lesson with Tiffany's

D．sometimes gave lots of money to Tiffany

Why did the author's mom always say "Poor Tiffany"?

A．She felt sorry for Tiffany because Tiffany was poor.

B．She wanted to tell a lie to fort the author.

C．She thought that Tiffany was spoiled by her mother.

D．She told the author this and wanted her to help Tiffany.

What do we learn about the author's mother?

A．She was strict and taught the author to be independent.

B．She cared for other people's children more than her own.

C．She thought that life lessons were as important as money.

D．She was so poor that she couldn't give the author much money.

What can we infer from the passage?

A．The author was quite annoyed with her mother in the past.

B．The author's mother felt sorry for Tiffany.

C．Tiffany's mother took the author's mother's advice.

D．The author is thankful to her mother now.

Last Friday, I was ing home late after spending time with friends and thought I’d go down to the $99 cent pizza place. On the way, I saw a man sitting on the stairs alone there. I’d seen him before every day I run late to work, but this time I had no place to rush off to.
There was something about him, a quiet manner, different from many of other homeless people I had seen in New York City. I walked past him, went to the pizza place, and those 10 seconds waiting in line was enough to practice stepping outside of my usual, familiar flow. So with a few slices in hand, I went back to join him. I asked him if he was hungry. He said yes, but not for pizza because it made him unfortable. He’d rather have a few bucks for chicken and rice since it was easier on his stomach. It’s funny, in that moment, he became more real to me.
This man I had seen almost every day was someone with specific conditions, needs, and experiences. We exchanged names and ended up talking for a little over an hour that night as Kevin told me stories from his life, how he had done things when “he was younger and didn’t know any better” and how he tried to make amends (补偿) but too much time had passed. He shared his views on the value for young adults to learn the history of other people.
He talked about his one wish being in his 60’s before he leaves this earth, which is to share his story with the teenagers and young adults so they could avoid the mistakes he went through. Throughout the conversation, he eventually got his chicken and rice and gifted me a rose he had been carrying. Shortly afterwards, I made my way home, thinking to myself, “I met an amazing homeless person”.
The writer’s purpose in writing the passage is to ____.

A．share his experience

B．show his generosity

C．express his thoughts

D．exchange his opinions

The homeless man refused pizza because he ____.

A．did not feel very hungry at that moment

B．had something wrong with his stomach

C．preferred some chicken and rice to pizza

D．might feel ashamed to be given something

What’s the homeless man’s last wish?

A．To bee a lot younger again.

B．To make amends for his early life.

C．To have enough chicken and rice to eat.

D．To teach the young not to follow his example.

It can be inferred from the text that ____.

A．The homeless man is different from others

B．The writer showed his pity to the homeless man

C．What the homeless man thought shocked the writer

D．What the homeless man did was not very meaningful

How do you like the homeless man after reading the passage?

A．Learned.	B．Honorable.
C．Determined.	D．Promising.