When Dekalb Walcott III was just 8 years old, his father, a Chicago fire chief, let him tag along on a call. Dekalb says a lot of kids idolized basketball player Michael Jordan when he was growing up in Chicago in the 1990s. Not him.
"I wanted to be like Dekalb Walcott Jr.," he says of his father.
So when his dad asked if he wanted to go on that call with him when he was 8, Dekalb was excited. "I'm jumping up and down, saying, 'Mom, can I go? Can I go?'"
The experience changed Dekalb's life, he tells his dad on a visit to Story Corps. "My eyes got big from the moment the alarm went off." the younger Dekalb says. "This is the life that I want to live someday."
Now 27, the younger Dekalb is living that life. He became a firefighter at 21 and went to work alongside his dad at the Chicago Fire Department. Before his father retired, the pair even went out on a call together—father supervising（监督）son.
"You know, it's everything for me to watch you grow," his father says. But he also recalls worrying about one particular fire that his son faced."
I received a phone call that night. And they said, 'Well, your son was at this fire.' I said, 'OK, which way is this conversation going to go? '" Dekalb Walcott Jr. recalls.
"And they said, 'But he's OK. And he put it out all by himself. Everybody here was proud of him.'
And the word went around, 'Who was out there managing that fire? Oh, that's Walcott! That's Walcott up there!' So, you know, moments like that, it's heaven on Earth for a dad."
Dekalb Walcott Jr. retired in 2009. The younger Dekalb says he's proud of being a second-generation firefighter. "You know, it makes me look forward to fatherhood as well, because I'm definitely looking forward to passing that torch down to my son."The underlined phrase tag along in Paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to ______.
| A．put out fire | B．watch basketball |
| C．follow his father | D．ask his mother’s permission |
Dekalb Walcott III determined to become a firefighter at the age of _________.
| A．27 | B．21 | C．8 | D．35 |
What can we learn from the last paragraph?
| A．Dekalb Walcott III wants his son to become a firefighter too. |
| B．Dekalb Walcott Jr. is proud to be a second-generation firefighter. |
| C．Dekalb Walcott Jr. wants to pass the torch to Dekalb Walcott III. |
| D．Dekalb Walcott III is proud that his son has become an excellent firefighter. |
Which of the following is the best title of the passage?
| A．Putting Out Fire: A Challenging Job for Father and son |
| B．Passing The Torch: A Firefighter Dad's Legacy |
| C．Dekalb Walcott III: A Second-generation Firefighter |
| D．Dekalb Walcott Jr.: A Chicago Fire Chief |
◇ Share Flats Happy Valley big flat, 1 room ready for use immediately. Quiet and convenient, fully furnished, park view. $6, 800 including bills with maid. Female nonsmoker. No pet. Sara 25720836 or 10077809.
◇ Moving Sale 2 armchairs, red/brown at $400 each; coffee table, black, wood, $800; oil painting, big, $900; Tianjin carpet, green 3×7, $600; double bed, $500; mirror, big, square, $500; fridge, big, double-door, $1000; old pictures, $140, up, each; plants, big and small. Tel: Weekend, 2521-6011/Weekday, 2524-5867.
◇ Part-time Laboratory Assistant Wanted Required by busy electronics(电子) company to help with development of computer. Should have an electronics degree and some practical experience of working in an electronics laboratory. Hours 9:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Mon.-Fri. Fourteen days paid leave. Salary ￥6598-10230 dependent on experience. Letter of application to: Mrs. G Chan, NOVA ELECTRONICS, 45 Gordon Rd, Hung Hom Kowloon. The one who put on the first ad probably wants to _______.
| A．rent(租) a beautiful flat of her own in Happy Valley |
| B．find another lady to share the cost to rent a flat |
| C．share her room in a flat with whoever has no pet |
| D．take on a maid to look after herself and the flat |
according to the ads, you may _______.
| A．buy an old picture for $150 |
| B．call at 25720836 and see a beautiful park |
| C．buy two armchairs for $ 400 |
| D．hire a maid by paying $6 800 |
If you want to buy some old furniture, you should_______.
| A．get in touch with NOVA ELECTRONICS |
| B．call at 2524-5867 any day except Monday |
| C．do it before you move to another place |
| D．call at either 2524-5867 on Monday or 2521-6011 on Saturday |
Once you can get a part-time job in NOVA ELECTRONICS, _______.
| A．you have to work at least 4 hours a day |
| B．you should write a letter to Mrs. G Chan |
| C．you will be given 14 days off each year besides weekends |
| D．you will get no more than $6 598 each month |
We do not know exactly how many whales there are in the sea because we can’t count them. But we believe at the beginning of the eighteenth century there were 105,000 humpback whales and 120,000 right whales. At the beginning of the twentieth century there were 75,000 humpbacks and 80,000 rights.
Since 1900 their numbers have fallen very quickly. Between 1935 and 1950 the number of humpbacks fell from 20,000 to 10,000 and since 1950 the number has fallen to only 6,000. The number of right whales has fallen even faster. In 1935 there were 25,000. The number fell to 6,000 in 1950 and since 1950 the number has fallen to 4,000. Men have always been hunters. Thousands of whales have become victims(牺牲品). It’s time to do something to protect whales. Which of the following is true?
| A．We know the exact number of whales in the sea. |
| B．It’s easy for us to count whales in the sea. |
| C．We find it impossible to count whales in the sea. |
| D．We don’t want to know how many whales there are in the sea. |
The number of right whales has fallen _______.
| A．more slowly than that of humpback whales |
| B．faster than that of humpback whales |
| C．as slowly as that of humpback whales |
| D．as fast as that of humpback whales |
The passage is mainly about _______.
| A．the number of humpback whales |
| B．the number of right whales |
| C．hunting whales |
| D．the necessity of protecting whales |
An old woman walked into a clothes shop. She asked the salesgirl to let her have a look at a new dress, but the girl stood still behind the counter(柜台), taking no notice of the request. The old woman spoke to the girl again, raising her voice a bit, but still received no answer. The old woman looked at the girl and nodded to herself, “I am too old to see well. I can’t even tell a plastic model from a real girl!”
On hearing this, the salesgirl shouted to the old woman, “What? Did you call me a plastic model?” The old woman was greatly surprised. “Oh, dear me,” she said. “The model can speak!” What did the old woman go to the shop to do?
| A．To choose a dress. | B．To buy a dress for herself. |
| C．To show off her dress. | D．To pick a quarrel with the salesgirl. |
The salesgirl did not make a reply ________.
| A．because she didn’t see the old woman |
| B．because she didn’t think the old woman had enough money for a new dress |
| C．because she was too busy to notice the old woman |
| D．for some reason unknown in this story |
It was not until that woman spoke for the _______ time that the salesgirl said something.
| A．first | B．second |
| C．third | D．fourth |
When the old woman said, “I am too old to see well,” she _______.
| A．meant to say that she really had poor eyesight |
| B．wanted the salesgirl to excuse her |
| C．was simply telling a lie |
| D．was, in face, trying to make the salesgirl open her mouth |
What do you think the salesgirl would do on hearing this? She would ______.
| A．be too angry to say a word for a moment |
| B．run and tell the shop-owner about it |
| C．apologize to the old woman and do what she had been asked to do |
| D．turn back and cry |
The basic flag of the United States is one of the world’s oldest national flags. Only the basic flags of Austria, Denmark, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Switzer land are older.
During the discovery and settlement of what is now the United States, the flags of various European nations were flown over the land, as symbols of possession. Later, in the Colonial and Revolutionary War periods, flags representing famous persons, places, and events were flown in the American Colonise.
The first official flag of the United States was created by Congress on June 14, 1777. It consisted of 13 alternate red and white stripes and 13 white stars in a field of blue, representing the 13 colonies that had declared their independence in 1776. Congress adopted a new flag of 15 stars and 15 stripes in 1795, to give representation to the two new states admitted into the Union, Vermont and Kentucky.
By 1817, there were 20 states in the Union, and it became apparent that adding one stripe for each new state would destroy the shape of the flag. As a result, Congress in 1818 restored the original design of 13 stripes and provided that each state was to be represented by one star. In 1921 Preside William H. Taft made the first official provision for the arrangement of the stars. He ordered that there be six even rows of eight stars each. Previously the arrangement of the stars had been left to the flag- maker’s fancy.
The evolution of the stars and stripes reflects the growth of the United States. After the admission of Hawaii into the Union in 1959, the flag was official changed for the 26th time since its creation.
There are many government flags flown in the United States in addition to the national flag. Among them are the president’s and vice- president’s flags and those of the federal departments and some federal agencies. Each state in the Union has an official flag. The United States Navy uses special flags for signaling. The basic flag of the United States is _______.
| A．the oldest national flag in the world |
| B．one of the world’ s oldest flags |
| C．the most beautiful flag in the West |
| D．as old as the basic flags of some European nations |
Before the War of Independence the flags of various European nations flown over the land were symbols of _______.
| A．self- rule | B．occupation |
| C．peace and friendship | D．independence |
The first official flag of the United States was adopted ________.
| A．before the Independence War |
| B．right after the Independence War |
| C．when independence was declared in 1776 |
| D．during the War of Independence which ended in 1783 |
The 13 red and white stripes and 13 white stars represent _______.
| A．13 independent states |
| B．the colonies that declared independence in 1776. |
| C．the U. S. Congress |
| D．13 famous figures in the American colonies |
How many states were represented on the new flag adopted in 1795?
| A．13. | B．15. |
| C．20. | D．2. |
Anybody who can speak one language has 'the gift' to learn mother. Add a Linguaphone course, and that possibility can become a reality quickly and easily. Study as little as half an hour a day and in twelve weeks you could be talking confidently in the language of your choice.
Linguaphone will provide you with everything you need to learn at your own pace, where and when you choose. And, although you aren't in a classroom,you certainly won't be left all alone. Our free Advisory Service can sort out any problem by post or phone.
You can listen to your course on any cassette player. But just in case you want to study on the move or without interrupting anyone,you can also receive a Linguaphone Personal Stereo Cassette Player completely free.
The Linguaphone cassette and information pack gives details(细节)of this offer, explains how Linguaphone will work for you, and tells you how you can try a course without risking a penny, with our 14-day money-back guarantee (保证).
Why not find out how you can become one of those ' gifted' people who can speak another language? To receive your cassette and information pack,return the coupon below or call us today. According to the ad, we can infer that __________.
| A．people can speak a second language by learning a 12-week Linguaphone course |
| B．Linguaphone will give free courses to second language learners |
| C．second language learners are to attend courses at Linguaphone Language Centre |
| D．second language learners can teach themselves by using Linguaphone materials |
Before a learner wants to take a Linguaphone course, be has to _________.
| A．write to the Linguaphone Centre first |
| B．fill out a coupon and post it to Linguaphone |
| C．pay for a cassette player |
| D．know the details of the information pack |
What guarantee does Linguaphone give?
| A．Learners can master another language in 14 days. |
| B．Learners can have a free trial learning for 14 days. |
| C．Learners can keep the Linguaphone pack for 14 days. |
| D．Learners can get back theft money after 14 days of learning. |
The purpose of the ad is to _________.
| A．offer Linguaphone cassettes to learners |
| B．offer Linguaphone courses free |
| C．give details of their guarantees |
| D．introduce and sell Linguaphone products |