You have probably heard of homing pigeons, which usually appeared in wars. From 3000 B. C. to the present, homing pigeons have as postmen. They have been especially useful for carrying messages
wars. The telegraph is not
to carry about. Sometimes only the little pigeon can take a message where it ought to go.
In 1870,when the Prussians surrounded the city of Paris, the city was cut off from all the means of communication. The people
many different ways of sending news. One way was to let go small balloons carrying mail.
of course, they only drifted (漂)
the wind carried them. Often they landed inside the enemy's lines. Even balloons large enough to carry a pilot could hardly be
controlled.
It was pigeons that in the end solved the . Homing pigeons were brought into the city. Soon they were carrying letters far and wide. The enemy brought
to catch pigeons, but the little postmen could fly faster than their
Strangely enough, pigeons played an important
during the war.
During the First World War every army unit had a group of pigeons . Many of them were
. Among them was an American pigeon with a French name Cher A mi, which meant " dear friend". A group of US soldiers were surrounded by the enemy. They had no food and no bullets. They nearly died of
. There was little hope for them. Cher Ami made his way
the bullets and succeeded. At once planes
to drop food and ammunition(军火)to them. With their strength
,the soldiers fought back to their own army and eot saved.
can pigeons carry the message? There were various methods. Usually the message is put into a little glass tube. The tube is tied to the leg or hidden under
or hung around the neck.
A. considered B. served C. regarded D. made
A. in favour of B. in need of C. during D. in time of
A. easy B. difficult C. necessary D. important
A. present B. past C. usual D. ordinary
A. used B. did C. tried D. managed
A. And B. Though C. Since D. But
A. which B. that C. to which D. where
A. well B. rather C. only D. just
A. questions B. situation C. problem D. thing
A. dogs B. soldiers C. planes D. hawks
A. enemies B. postmen C. balloons D. bullets
A. action B. part C. ball D. game
A. trained B. taught C. bought D. fed
A. killed B. sold C. honoured D. sent
A. the enemy B. hunger C. anger D. war
A. for B. to C. in D. through
A. landed B. found out C. set out D. set about
A. recovered B. arrived C. lost D. missing
A. Why B. How C. When D. Where
A. the head B. the body C. the foot D. a wing
The Florida sun baked my shoulders as I worked along the I-595 freeway near Fort Lauderdale, picking up rubbish. I paused to 36 the sweat off my forehead and look up at the cloudless blue sky.“ 37 can’t it rain?” I thought. That would38 things down.
I thought about my 39 , who were probably sitting in an air-conditioned 40 right now. I’d had some problems in school, 41 my parents decided to let me 42 full-time with my dad, We both worked for my uncle, who had taken 43 of a maintenance(道路养护)company. It was up to us to keep the roads 44 of rubbish. The job was45 and dirty, especially on hot days 46 this. I wondered why I ever agreed to do it.
We continued our 47 route along the I-595,48 for the overpass bridge. Then I noticed an area where some 49 were broken on the ground. It wasn’t like that before.
“Dad! Pull over! I want to 50 something out.”
I jumped off the truck and rushed to the bridge. Something was telling me to 51 …there wasn’t much time. 52 I saw a Toyota that53 upside down in the tree. Maybe it was a stolen car that somebody 54 there, I thought. Then, just at that55 , I noticed something moving. It was a bloody leg poking out of the driver’s side window!
“Help!” a lady moaned.
A.wipe B.cut C.put D.send
A.When B.How C.Why D.Where
A.turn B.keep C.make D.cool
A.parents B.school-times C.friends D.school yards
A.office B.classroom C.restaurant D.living room
A.but B.or C.for D.so
A.work B.study C.stay D.spend
A.business B.possession C.position D.place
A.away B.from C.far D.clear
A.easy B.lonely C.smelly D.noisy
A.for B.like C.after D.as
A.regular B.common C.unusual D.normal
A.reaching B.going C.looking D.heading
A.cars B.bottles C.branches D.glasses
A.check B.help C.take D.bring
A.decide B.hurry C.consider D.stop
A.Above B.Behind C.Ahead D.Below
A.hung B.trapped C.caught D.fell
A.stored B.deserted C.lost D.hid
A.bridge B.tree C.moment D.way
When I was in college twenty-five years ago, I spent four summers working in 36 at a luxury hotel in downtown Chicago. 37 , I was a maid.
I did not enter the world of housekeeping enthusiastically. My friends had 38 jobs such as making ice cream, selling goods at the mall, or life guarding at the outdoor pool. I had been hoping to get a job as an office lady for a famous company: 39 pay, air-conditioned office, the gold standard for summer jobs, as most of us dreamed of. When that 40 , the only option left was to take a train ride downtown each morning to work as a maid.
It was tiring work, cleaning up to eighteen rooms a day. My 41 attitude reflected my disdain(鄙视) for cleaning toilets, 42 bed sheets, dusting, eight hours a day for the comfort of total strangers who 43 left a tip. I thought it was beneathme. My maid work was average 44 the day I was assigned to the eighteenth floor.
That was Lorena’s regular floor. The only time another maid set foot on it was on Lorena’s day off. If you left any water 45 on the mirror, or a hair on the bed, Lorena would hunt you down when she 46 , as I found out firsthand. She’d ended her lecture to me with “ 47 some pride in your work.”
She did. And so did Rosalie, Helen, Annette, and all the other experienced maids. Their devotion to doing a good job and their belief that their work was a 48 of their character stuck with me throughout my 49 career after graduation. I learned a lot from them during those four summers.
Not a week would go without one of them 50 some firm but friendly advice: “Where’s your commode brush? You don’t have one? How do you expect to get that bowl clean?”
Their pride in a job well done was reflected in how they treated 51 . They left the building at the end of the day in nice dresses and 52 makeup. They looked like they could have been attending an afternoon tea. And, 53 often, they were smiling and laughing, cheerfully greeting their co-workers a good evening. When you work with happiness and 54 , a job will be well done. I believe there is 55 in any job if you work hard and try your best.
A.cleaning B.housekeeping C.serving D.managing
A.In short B.In brief C.In other words D.On the other hand
A.winter B.summer C.awful D.permanent
A.extra B.poor C.average D.good
A.fell over B.fell through C.fell down D.fell off
A.negative B.right C.excellent D.casual
A.making B.spreading C.changing D.doing
A.frequently B.rarely C.occasionally D.willingly
A.when B.after C.until D.before
A.drops B.signs C.tracks D.marks
A.visited B.arrived C.left D.returned
A.take B.obtain C.reject D.make
A.reflection B.truth C.gratitude D.award
A.special B.general C.different D.professional
A.taking B.following C.offering D.refusing
A.others B.themselves C.customers D.co-workers
A.expensive B.cautious C.cheap D.careful
A.more B.least C.most D.less
A.frustration B.regret C.prejudice D.satisfaction
A.respect B.aspect C.challenge D.failure
Although I love my life, it hasn’t been a lot of fun as I’ve been ill for 28 years.
Music has always been a great love of mine and, in my 20s, when my ___36___ was more manageable, I ___37___ ten years as a professional singer in restaurants, playing and singing folk songs. ___38___ that was years ago and times have changed. ___39___ I live with my mother on a country farm.
Two years ago, I decided that I would need to have some kind of extra work to ___40___ my disability pension(残疾抚恤金). ___41___ I needed to sleep in the afternoons, I was limited in my ___42___. I decided that I would consider ___43___ to singing in restaurants.
My family are all musicians, so I was ___44___ when I went into our local music store. I explained that I wanted to sing again but using recorded karaoke music. I knew that discs were very expensive and I really didn’t have a lot of ___45___ to get started. And ___46___ you find only three to four songs out of ten on a disc that you can ___47___ use.
When I told the owner of the shop about my ___48___, he gave me a long, thoughtful ___49___. “This means a lot to you, doesn’t it?” he said. “Come with me.”
He led me ___50___ the crowded shop and to a bench with a large professional karaoke box on it. He placed his large hand ___51___ on his treasure and said, “I have 800 karaoke songs in here. You can take your ___52___ and I’ll record them for you. That should get you started.”
I ___53___. Thanking him, I made a time with him to listen to all the songs and choose ___54___ that I could sing. I have come full circle with his help.
His ___55___ still warms my heart and makes me do just that bit extra, when I have the chance.
A.sadness B.tiredness C.sickness D.loneliness
A.enjoyed B.kept C.shared D.set
A.Eventually B.Unfortunately C.Surprisingly D.Gladly
A.Then B.Sometime C.Meanwhile D.Now
A.make up for B.get rid of C.take advantage of D.add up to
A.As B.Though C.Before D.If
A.condition B.choices C.positions D.movement
A.living up B.getting on C.going back D.reaching out
A.interviewed B.found C.invited D.recognized
A.time B.energy C.knowledge D.money
A.once B.seldom C.often D.thus
A.hardly B.nearly C.formerly D.actually
A.family B.idea C.offer D.job
A.view B.look C.sight D.face
A.along B.towards C.through D.over
A.lovingly B.pitifully C.gratefully D.unhappily
A.turn B.role C.step D.pick
A.ought to cry B.should have cried C.could have cried D.had to cry
A.the ones B.few C.the rest D.more
A.devotion B.kindness C.trust D.courage
Jerry stood up and looked at the crowd of people making their way through the station. He looked for the girl whose heart he knew, but whose face he 36 , the girl with the 37 . The story had begun twelve months before in a 38 . Taking a book off the shelf he found himself 39 by the notes penciled in the margin. The soft handwriting 40a thoughtful soul and an insightful mind. In the front of the book, he discovered the 41 owner’s name, Rosanna.
During the next year the two grew to know each other through the 42 . Each letter was a seed falling on a fertile heart. The day finally came for their first 43 - 7:00 PM at the station.
A beautiful young woman was coming toward me, her 44 tall and slim. I started to walk toward her with delight, entirely forgetting to 45 that she was not wearing a rose. I 46 made one step closer to her, and then I saw Rosanna, a short and fat woman well past 40, was standing almost directly 47 the girl. The girl in the green suit was walking quickly away.
I felt 48 I was split in two, and there she stood. My fingers gripped the worn leather copy of the 49 that was to identify me to her. I knew this would not be50 , something perhaps even better than love. I felt choked by the bitterness of my51 . “I’m Jerry, and you must be Rosanna. I am so glad you could meet me; may I take you to 52 ?”
The woman’s face broadened into a big smile. “I don't know what this is about, son,” she answered,” but the young lady in the green suit who just 53 begged me to wear this rose on my coat. And she said 54 you were to ask me out to dinner, I should go and tell you that she is waiting for you in the big 55 across the street. She said it was some kind of test!”
A.hadn’t B.wouldn’t C.couldn’t D.didn't
A.rose B.flower C.book D.notes
A.restaurant B.meeting room C.library D.station
A.absorbed B.surrounded C.interested D.burdened
A.reacted B.reflected C.responded D.repeated
A.previous B.nice C.thoughtful D.beautiful
A.phone B.telegram C.book D.e-mail
A.dining B.meeting C.walking D.talking
A.legs B.face C.figure D.hair
A.observe B.conclude C.notice D.say
A.carefully B.eagerly C.luckily D.easily
A.behind B.past C.over D.before
A.as long as B.even though C.no matter how D.as though
A.newspaper B.book C.magazine D.note
A.a meeting B.happiness C.love D.a dinner
A.relief B.sorrow C.disappointment D.unwillingness
A.a walk B.your home C.a party D.dinner
A.went by B.called me C.came here D.dropped in
A.when B.supposing C.unless D.since
A.market B.restaurant C.building D.library
My father was in the navy, which meant that my mother was married to both my father and the sea. As was often the __1__, we had to pack our belongings into boxes and __ 2__ those we had grown to love. We would arrive at our new home and find ourselves once again __3__ at the pier(码头)waving good-bye to my father as his ship pulled him away from us. My mother would turn my brother and me around before the ship was out of __4__, wipe our tears, and take us back home to start the process of __5__ in the new environment again.
Throughout the years of changing __6__, schools and friends, there remained one constant in my childhood — my mother. For both my __7_ and me, she was the cook, maid and teacher. She played these roles while __8__ some type of part-time job. Leaving a promising career is just one of the __9__ which my mother made for my family as we moved around the world with our father every three years or so. __10__ she had to deal with only a small budget, my mother __11__ managed to make each house the very home that is safe and __12__.
This probably sounds like a depressing way to live, __13__ with two small children: “single” parenthood, short-term friendships, and the inability to __14__ a career or establish a home. But it was not for my mother. She turned this __15__ into adventure for us all! Each relocation was a chance to __16__ another part of the world. My mother __17__ each new culture, climate and neighborhood. Each new house was a __18__ to rearrange furniture, make curtains and hang pictures. Every part-time job was an opportunity to learn something new and work with interesting people.
No matter how difficult the life was, she was always having a __19__ attitude. She always had strength in the face of struggle and change. My mother was so __20__all those years of my childhood — she was my island in a sea of change. She is my hero.
A.situation B.case C.matter D.rule
A.leave behind B.leave out C.leave off D.leave for
A.arriving B.staring C.standing D.looking
A.range B.shape C.sight D.control
A.adapting B.suiting C.matching D.fitting
A.names B.jobs C.addresses D.directions
A.father B.classmates C.brother D.relatives
A.performing B.seeking C.waiting D.applying
A.programs B.sacrifices C.contributions D.cooperations
A.Once B.While C.When D.Unless
A.somewhere B.somewhat C.sometime D.somehow
A.romantic B.comfortable C.mysterious D.wealthy
A.generally B.actually C.especially D.unfairly
A.desert B.pursue C.affect D.limit
A.lifestyle B.value C.journey D.opportunity
A.acquire B.explore C.occupy D.realize
A.met B.greeted C.agreed D.suspected
A.load B.sadness C.result D.challenge
A.changeable B.cautious C.positive D.negative
A.experienced B.brave C.ordinary D.annoyed