Though I have traveled in hundreds of trains, few unusual things have ever happened to me. But one day in a train something did happen. I do not mean that I was hurt: no one was hurt.
I do my work in a hot country far away from England. Every September I go there to do my business, and every July I come back to England to have a rest. So every September I go to Paris and take a train from the great French city to Mendova, and at Mendova I catch my ship.
There is one very fast train from Paris to Mendova, and it suits me well. It goes as far as Endoran, but it stops at Mendova for a few minutes to let travelers get out or in. It is called The Flying Bluebird. It reaches Mendova at seven minutes past nine in the morning, and it is never late.
A ship leaves Mendova at half past eleven, and so you will understand that The Flying Bluebird suits me very well. I always travel by it, and I have nearly two and a half hours at Mendova to go from the station to the ship. That is more than enough time.
Well, one September night, I took my place in The Flying Bluebird as usual. The train leaves Paris at nine o’clock every night, and I was in my place soon after half past eight. There were three or four people there with me, but very soon a lot of others got into the train. When no more people could sit down, they began to stand up near us and also in the corridor(走廊). In a short time the corridor was full too, and it was impossible for any more travelers to get into the train.
I could see a lot of other people outside the corridor windows, but they could not get in, and the train left Paris without them. The man sitting next to me started to ask all kinds of questions: “Where do you work? How long does it take you to get there? Are you married? How many children do you have? How much money do they pay you every year? How much do you have in the bank? How much do you spend every month?”
He asked questions for about twenty minutes but I did not give him any clear answers, and at last he stopped and began to read the paper.
I usually sleep quite well in the train, but this time I slept only a little. There were too many people, and there were too many things: small bags, large bags, coats, hats, boxes, newspapers and food. As usual, we got angry about the window. Most people wanted it shut, and two of us wanted it open. But that always happens. It was shut all night, as usual.
When I awoke in the early morning I felt hot and dirty, and glad that the journey was reaching its end. At seven minutes past nine The Flying Bluebird stopped. We were at Mendova, and I stood up thankfully. I took my two suitcases, held one in each hand, and tried to move towards the door into the corridor. In order to get out of the train, I had to pass down the corridor to the door at the far end. There was no other way out.
I could not even into the corridor. There was a suitcase on the floor by my feet, and three men were standing in my way. I felt a touch of fear. I had to get out, you see; I had to catch my ship, which left at half past eleven. And the train did not stop again until it reached Endoran, two hundred miles away.
“I must get out!” I cried. Everyone there understood me, but no one could move.
At last I was able to put one foot over the suitcase on the floor, and I nearly reached the door into the corridor. But then, very slowly, the train began to move. It was taking me away!
“Stop!” I cried. “I want to get out!” But no one outside the train could hear me, and the people inside did not care much. The train moved a little faster. What could I do? I was not even in the corridor.
Fear made me think quickly. In front of my eyes, just, above the door, was a notice that told everyone how to stop the train. I had to pull an iron thing near the notice. I did not waste time. I pulled it.
Well, a noise started above our heads. That was to show everyone that there was something wrong. It was not a small sound. Possibly the men in my ship two miles away could hear it. Then the train stopped.
No one likes to stop a train if there is no need. But I had to catch my ship. That was the only thought in my mind: to get out and catch my ship.What do we know about the author and the man sitting next to him?
A.The author didn’t like the man’s foolish questions |
B.They talked with each other all night |
C.They got angry about the window |
D.The author didn’t understand the man’s words |
On this journey on The Flying Bluebird, the author felt uncomfortable because _______.
A.he couldn’t find a seat by the window |
B.he was angry with the man sitting next to him |
C.the window was kept shut all night |
D.there were too many people on the train |
It can be learned from Para.10 that the author was afraid that ______.
A.he would have to spend another sleepless night on the train |
B.more people might crowd into the train |
C.he would miss the ship that went where he worked |
D.he would have to buy another ticket |
The noise in the underlined sentence “a noise started above our heads”(Para.15) was made by ________.
A.the angry passengers shouting at the top of their voices |
B.the ship that was lying two miles away |
C.the falling of boxes and suitcases to the floor |
D.the train itself telling people that something was wrong |
Finding the right school for your child is a process. You will want to read about the school, talk to any friends who are involved in the school and, most important of all, visit the school.
The first step in finding out about Indian Creek is to request an information packet. We will be happy to send you a packet containing a brochure(小册子), the fee structure and an application. The packet should answer most of your general questions about the school.
In order to get a true sense of Indian Creek School, you should come for an Admission Tour, which includes a personal meeting focusing on your child, a tour of the building and the classrooms, and a discussion of the curriculum(课程).
This visit is no less important if the child for whom you are seeking admission is a teenager than if he or she is a three-year-old one. Every school has a different “school climate.” If you visit two or three schools, you will notice that each “feels” different. You know your child best and you will quickly develop a sense of whether a school is the right match or not.
●The initial point of entry for Indian Creek Students is at the pre-kindergarten level for three year olds.
●Children must be three years old by August 31st.
●We also have major points of entry from grade six to grade nine. At each of these levels, we open new sections and accept students in addition to those moving up from our own lower grades.
●There are scattered(零散的) openings available throughout the program due to attrition(学生流失). Once an opening occurs, students spend a day at ICS, part of which includes admission testing.You can NOT get to know about ICS by .
A.getting an information packet | B.tak![]() |
C.asking friends involved in ICS | D.taking an admission test |
During the Admission Tour, you can .
A.having a meeting with the children |
B.decide on the design of the classrooms |
C.talk with the school about the courses |
D.choose the weather suitable for study. |
Which of the following is NOT accepted for ICS when there is no attrition?
A.A boy who will be 3 years old by July. |
B.A fifth grader originally studying in ICS. |
C.An eighth grader from another school. |
D.A fourth grader from another school. |
The text is intended for .
A.teachers | B.parents |
C.kindergarteners | D.school kids |
Shopping in the United States changes a lot.About ninety years ago most people shopped in small stores that were owned by one person or a family.Women went from the bakery to the butcher’s to the grocer and on to the fruit and vegetable seller in order to get their food for the week.Then, about sixty years ago, supermarkets were born.In a supermarket, people could get all the different kinds of food they needed without going to different stores.
The next big change in shopping in the United States was the shopping mall.A shopping mall is a group of stores under one roof.Because malls allowed people to shop without worrying about the weather, they soon became very popular.The mall became a place for people to socialize in addition to shopping.If you walk through a mall, you will see older people sitting, chatting and drinking coffee.Malls are places for teenagers to hang out.Many teens will often just “go to the mall” and spend time with their friends.
The recent change in American shopping was the superstore.Large chain stores such as Wal-Mart, Office Depot and Toys“R”Us have been built all across the United States.Because they are so large, they can buy goods at a great discount and sell them much cheaper than smaller stores.Sometimes, when they are built near small towns, many of the small town stores have to close.They just cannot compete with their giant neighbors.
And now, online shopping is becoming more and more popular all over the States.People are too busy to go to the physical stores, so they go shopping over the Internet.Online shopping has lots of advantages.For instance, online stores are usually available 24 hours a day.Searching or browsing online shops can be faster than browsing the physical stores.While, online shopping also has its disadvantages.People are at higher risk of being cheated on the part of the merchant than in a physical store.And privacy of personal information may be let out.Which of the following shows the right order of shopping development in the United States?
①small stores②superstores③shopping malls
④shopping online⑤supermarkets
A.①②③④⑤ | B.①⑤②③④ |
C.②③④①⑤ | D.①⑤③②④ |
Which is the place for people to spend time with others according to the passage?
A.Small stores. | B.Shopping malls. |
C.Supermarkets. | D.Superstores. |
Why can the superstores sell products at
much lower prices?
A.Because they can buy goods at a reduction in price. |
B.Because they are across the United States. |
C.Because they sell all kinds of products people need. |
D.Because they are built near small towns. |
What’s the disadvantage of online shopping according to the passage?
A.Wasting time. |
B.Fixed prices. |
C.Leaking personal information. |
D.No chance to do physical activities. |
They are among the 250, 000 people under the age of 25 who are out of work in the Netherlands, a group that makes up 40 percent of the nation’s unemployed.A storm of anger boils up at the government-sponsored (政府资助的) youth center, even among those who are continuing their studies.
“We study for jobs that don’t exist,” Nicollets Steggerda, 23, said.
After thirty years of prosperity, unemployment among 10 member nations of the European Community has reached as much as 11 percent, affecting a total of 12.3 million people, and the number is climbing.
The bitter disappointment long expressed by British youths is spreading across the Continent.The title of a rock song “No Future” can now be seen written on the brick walls of closed factories in Belgium and France.
One form of protest(抗议) tends to put the responsibility for a country’s economic troubles on the large numbers of “guest workers” from Third World nations, people welcomed in Western Europe in the years of prosperity.
Young Europeans, brought up in an extended period of economic success and general stability, seem to be similar to Americans more than they do their own parents.Material enjoyment has given them a sense of expectation, even the right to a standard of living that they see around them.
“And so we pass the days at the discos, or meet people at the café, and sit and stare,” said Isabella Cault."There is usually not much conversation.You look for happiness.Sometimes you even find it.”Unemployment in the Netherlands has affected
A.about 0.6 million people | B.250,000 people |
C.1ess than half of the population | D.one million people |
What Nicollete Steggerda said (para 2) means that .
A.what the students learn is more than necessary |
B.the students cannot get work after graduation |
C.the students’ aim in study is not clear |
D.school education is not sufficient |
The underlined word ‘‘it” in the last paragraph most probably refers to .
A.material enjoyment | B.a sense of expectation |
C.a job | D.happiness |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A.British youths have pity on the unemployed on the Continent. |
B.British youths care about unemployment in France and ![]() |
C.British youths show their disappointment over joblessness. |
D.British youths have confidence to find work on the Continent. |
The day my fiancé fell to his death, it started to snow, just like the bottom hadn’t fallen out of my world when he fell off the roof. His body, when I found it, was lightly covered with snow. It snowed almost every day for the next four months, while I sat on the couch and watched it pile up.
One morning, I shuffled(拖着脚步走) downstairs and was surprised to see a snowplow(扫雪机) clearing my driveway and the bent back of a woman shoveling my walk. I dropped to my knees, crawled through the living room, and back upstairs so those good Samaritans would not see me. I was mortified. My first thought was, how would I ever repay them? I didn’t have the strength to brush my hair, let alone shovel someone’s walk.
Before Jon’s death, I took pride in the fact that I rarely asked for help or favors. I defined myself by my competence and independence. How could I respect myself if all I did was sit on the couch everyday and watch the snow fall?
Learning how to receive the love and support that came my way wasn’t easy. Friends cooked for me and I cried because I couldn’t even help them set the table. “I’m not usually this lazy,” I swept. Finally, my friend Kathy sat down with me and said, “Mary, cooking for you is not a burden. It makes me feel good to be able to do something for you.”
Over and over, I heard similar words of comfort from the people who supported me during those dark days. One very wise man told me, “You are not doing nothing. Being fully open to your grief may be the hardest work you will ever do.”
In many ways I have changed for the better. I have been surprised to learn that there is incredible freedom that comes from facing one’s worst fear and walking away whole. What made the author feel sad?
A.Her fiancé’s sudden death. | B.Constant heavy snow. |
C.Her fiancé abandoning her. | D.Her job being refused again. |
What’s the meaning of the underlined word “mortified” in Paragraph 1?
A.Surprised. | B.Angry. | C.Ashamed. | D.Moved. |
It is _______ that helped the author out of darkness.
A.herself | B.her friends | C.her fiancé | D.a snowplow |
Which of the following statements is NOT true?
A.The author was a capable and independent woman. |
B.The author was so lazy that she wouldn’t shovel the walk. |
C.Finally the author got through hardest work bravely. |
D.When facing the worst fear, you will get strength. |
What’s the author’s purpose in the passage?
A.To talk about her hardest work in her life. |
B.To talk about her real love between her and her fiancé. |
C.To tell us to walk out of hardest work confidently and bravely. |
D.To tell us the importance of friendship. |
Recently I spoke to some of my students about what they wanted to do after they graduated, and what kind of job prospects they thought they had.
Given that I teach students who are training to be doctors, I was surprised to find that most thought that they would not be able to get the jobs they wanted without “outside help”. “What kind of help is that?” I asked, expecting them to tell me that they would need a relative or family friend to help them out.
“Surgery(外科手术)”, one replied.
I was pretty alarmed by that response. It seems that the graduates of today are increasingly willing to go under the knife to get ahead of others when it comes to getting a job.
One girl told me that she was considering surgery to increase her height. “They break your legs, put in special extending screws, and slowly expand the gap between the two ends of the bone as it regrows, you can get at least 5cm taller!”
At that point, I was shocked. I am short, I can’t deny that, but I don’t think I would put myself through months of agony(痛苦) just to be a few centimeters taller. I don’t even bother to wear shoes with thick soles, as I’m not trying to hide the fact that I am just not tall!
It seems to me that there is a trend toward wanting “perfection”, and that is an ideal that just does not exist in reality.
No one is born perfect, yet magazines, TV shows and movies present images of thin, tall, beautiful people as being the norm. Advertisements for slimming aids, beauty treatments and cosmetic surgery clinics fill the pages of newspapers, further creating an idea that “perfection” is a requirement, and that it must be purchased, no matter what the cost.
In my opinion, skills, rather than appearance, should determine how successful a person is in his chosen career. We can know from the passage that the author works as ________.
A.a doctor | B.a model | C.a teacher | D.a reporter |
Many graduates today turn to cosmetic surgery to ________.
A.marry a better man\woman | B.become a model |
C.get an advantage over others in job-hunt | D.attract more admirers |
According to the passage, the author believes that ________.
A.everyone should purchase perfection, whatever the cost |
B.it’s right for graduates to ask for others to help them out in hunting for jobs |
C.it is one’s appearance instead of skills that really matters in one’s career |
D.media are to blame for misleading young people in their seeking for surgery |
What does the author think of his height?
A.He hates to be called a short man. |
B.He tries to increase his height through surgery. |
C.He just accepts it as it is. |
D.He always wears shoes with thick soles to hide the fact. |
The best ti
tle for the passage should be “________”.
A.Young Graduates Have Higher Expectation |
B.Young Graduates Look to Surgery for Better Jobs |
C.Young Graduates’ Opinion About Cosmetic Surgery |
D.Young Graduates Face a Different Situation in Job-hunt |