It was an autumn morning shortly after my husband and I moved into our first house. Our children were upstairs unpacking, and I was looking out of the window at my father moving around mysteriously on the front lawn. My parents lived nearby, and Dad had visited us several times already. “What are you doing out there?” I called to him.
He looked up, smiling. “I’m making you a surprise.” Knowing my father, I thought it could be just about anything. A self-employed jobber, he was always building things out of odds and ends. When we were kids, he always created something surprising for us.
Today, however, Dad would say no more, and caught ups in the busyness of our new life, I eventually forgot about his surprise.
Until one gloomy day the following March when I glanced out of the window. Any yet… I saw a dot of blue across the yard. I headed outside for a closer look. They were crocuses (番红花), throughout the front lawn. Lavender, blue, yellow and my favorite pink --- little faces moved up and down in the cold wind.
Dad! I smiled, remembering the things he had secretly planted last autumn. He knew how the darkness and dullness of winter always got me down. What could have been more perfectly timely to my needs?
My father’s crocuses bloomed each spring for the next four or five seasons, bringing the same assurance every time they arrived: hard times was almost over. Hold on, keep going, light is coming soon.
Then a spring came with only half the usual blooms. The next spring there were none. I missed the crocuses. I would ask Dad to come over and plant new bulbs. But I never did.
He died suddenly one October day. My family was in deep sorrow, leaning on our faith. I missed him terribly.
Four years passed, and on a dismal spring afternoon I was driving back when I found myself feeling depressed. “You’ve got the winter depression again and you get them every year.” I told myself.
It was Dad’s birthday, and I found myself thinking about him. This was not unusual --- my family often talked about him, remembering how he lived his faith. Once I saw him give his coat to a homeless man.
Suddenly I slowed as I turned into our driveway. I stopped and stared at the lawn. And there on the muddy grass and small gray piles of melting snow, bravely waving in the wind, was one pink crocus.
How could a flower bloom from a bulb more than 18 years old, one that had not blossomed in over a decade? But there was the crocus. Tears filled my eyes as I realized its significance.
Hold on, keep going, light is coming soon. The pink crocus bloomed for only a day. But it built my faith for a lifetime.【改编】What can we conclude From the first three paragraphs ? _________.
A.the writer was unpacking when her father was surprised |
B.the writer understood what the surprise was because she knew her father |
C.it was not the first time that the writer’s father had made a surprise |
D.it kept bothering the writer not knowing what the surprise was |
Which of the following would most probably be the worst time of the year as seen by the writer?
A.Spring. | B.Summer. |
C.Autumn. | D.Winter. |
The writer’s father should be best described as_________.
A.a full-time gardener with skillful hands |
B.a part-time jobber who loved flowers |
C.a kind-hearted man who lived with faith |
D.an ordinary man with doubts in his life |
At the end of the passage, crocus was viewed as the symbol of _________ by the writer.
A.belief | B.family | C.love | D.friendship |
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 |
A programmer and an engineer are sitting next to each other on a long flight from Los Angeles to New York. The programmer leans over to the engineer and asks if he would like to play a fun game. The engineer just wants to take a nap, so he politely declines and rolls over to the window to catch a few winks.
The programmer persists and explains that the game is really easy and has a lot of fun. He explains, “I ask you a question, and if you don’t know the answer, you pay me $5. Then you ask me a question, and if I don’t know the answer, I’ll pay you $5.” Again, the engineer politely refuses and tries to get to sleep.
The programmer, now somewhat agitated, says, “OK, if you don’t know the answer you pay me $5, and if I don’t know the answer, I’ll pay you $50!” This catches the engineer’s attention, and he sees no end to this torment(折磨) unless he plays, so he agrees to the game.
The programmer asks the first question. “What’s the distance from the earth to the moon?” The engineer doesn’t say a word, but reaches into his wallet, pulls out a five dollar bill and hands it to the programmer. Now, it’s the engineer’s turn. He asks the programmer, “What goes up a hill with three legs, and comes down on four?” The programmer looks up at him with a puzzled look. He takes out his laptop computer and searches all of his references. After about an hour, he wakes the engineer and hands him $50. The engineer politely takes the $50 and turns away to try to get back to sleep. The programmer, more than a little miffed, shakes the engineer and asks, “Well, so what’s the answer?” Without a word, the engineer reaches into his wallet, hands the programmer $5, and turns away and goes back to sleep.What’s the best title for the passage?
A.A Boring Conversation | B.A Fun Game |
C.A Trick During The Flight | D.A Question Without Answer |
What’s the meaning of the underlined work “agitated”?
A.Angry. | B.Excited. | C.Surprised. | D.Curious. |
What kind of person is the programmer according to what he said?
A.Confident. | B.Selfish. | C.Greedy. | D.Generous. |
What can we infer according to the last sentence?
A.The engineer has little money with him. |
B.Actually the engineer doesn’t know the answer, either. |
C.The engineer is bored with programmer. |
D.The engineer beats the programmer at last. |
Which is NOT true according to the passage?
A.In the beginning the engineer is not interested in the game. |
B.The engineer is too sleepy to want to play the game. |
C.At last the engineer gains $45 from the programmer. |
D.Nobody knows the answer to the engineer’s question. |