I shook hands with my father in the truck, and for a long time he looked straight ahead and didn’t say a word. But I knew he was going to say a little to me. “I can’t tell you anything,” he finally said. “I never went to college, and none of your brothers went to college. I can’t say don’t do this or do that, because everything is different and I don’t know what is going to come up. I can’t help much with money, either, but I think things will work out.”
He gave me a new chequebook(支票本). “If things get pushing, write a small check. But when you write one, send me a letter and let me know how much it is. There are some things we can always sell.” In four years all the checks I wrote were less than one thousand dollars. My part-time jobs such as reading to the blind students and sitting with the teachers’ kids filled in the financial gaps.
“You know what you want to be, and they’ll tell you what to take,” my father went on. “When you get a job, be sure it’s honest, and work hard.” I knew that soon I would be alone in the big town, and I would miss the cool wind and the life where your thinking was done for you.
Then my dad reached down beside his seat and took out the old, broken Bible that he had read many times, the one he used when he wanted to look something up in a friendly quarrel with one of the neighbours. I knew he would miss it. I knew, though, that I must take it.
He didn’t say “Read this every morning.” He just said, “This can help you if you read it.”
Did it help? I went to college without being a burden(负担) on the family. I had been able to make money since then.What is the writer’s main purpose in writing this passage?
A.To tell readers his life story. |
B.To tell people what kind of person his father was. |
C.To let people know how poor he was. |
D.To tell readers what present he got from his father. |
Why didn’t the father ask his son not to do this or do that?
A.Because he had never been to college and he didn’t know what was going to come up. |
B.Because he was born in a poor family. |
C.Because he was a man of few words. |
D.Because he didn’t want to be much too strict with his son. |
What can we learn from this passage?
A.How to live happily. |
B.How to stand on one’s own feet. |
C.What a good father should do. |
D.What self-confidence is. |
The underlined phrase “financial gaps” means “________” in Chinese.
A.闲暇 | B.学费 | C.经济不足 | D.精神空虚 |
What kind of book did the Bible seem to be to the writer’s father?
A.It was a book which told you how to get on well with others. |
B.There were many good examples for you to copy in it. |
C.It was a book that told you how to get a good job and a good future. |
D.It was a good book that could help you when you were in trouble. |
A man once had a dream about the Black Forest in Germany. In his dream he was walking in the forest when two men ran out and tried to throw him to the ground. He ran off as fast as he could, but they followed him. He reached a place where he saw two roads in front of him, one to the right and the other to the left. Which road should he take? He heard the two men behind him, getting nearer, and at the same time he heard a voice in his ear. It told him to go to the right, and he did so. He ran on and soon came to a small hotel. He was received there kindly and given a room, and he was saved from the two men. That was the dream.
Twenty years later he was really in the Black Forest and, as happened in the dream long ago, two men ran out and tried to throw him down. He ran off, and came to a place with two roads, like in the dream. He remembered the dream and took the road to the right. He soon reached a small hotel, was taken in, and so was safe. His dream of twenty years before had saved his life.The Black Forest is __________.
A.a place in Germany | B.not a real place |
C.invented by the writer | D.a place in Britain |
When he was walking in the forest, _______ ran after him.
A.two dogs | B.two tigers | C.two men | D.two women |
Finally he came to __________.
A.a forest | B.another road | C.another dream | D.a small hotel |
It was _________ that saved the man’s life 20 years later.
A.a voice | B.the dream | C.someone else | D.God |
The story tells us that _________.
A.a dream may come true some time later |
B.a dream is always a dream |
C.people should not believe their dreams |
D.people should always believe their dreams |
At 18, many American young people go off on their own. They go away to college or find full-time jobs, and they often rent their own apartments. Some get married and start families. This independence(独立性)is learned from childhood. From an early age, American children learn responsibility.Children as young as 2 begin to put away their toys and dress themselves. At 3, many children do simple chores like setting the table.
Using money wisely is also taught early. As soon as a child understands the value of money, he or she receives a weekly allowance. This is used for things the child wants, like toys or treats. The child can spend of save it, usually with little guidance(指导) from parents. If the child wants money besides his or her allowance, it must be made by doing extra chores.
Children are taught early in life to think for themselves. They are allowed to make some decisions-and make mistakes. Failure(失败) often teaches more than success.Many American young people begin to live on themselves _____ .
A.at eighteen years old | B.from childhood |
C.after they get married | D.from an early age |
An American child learn to _____ at the age of 2 .
A.find a full-time job | B.from childhood |
C.put on his or her own clothes | D.do lots of chores |
The word “allowance” (in paragraph 3 ) means ______ in Chinese.
A.奖品 | B.零花钱 | C.财产 | D.礼物 |
A child can get some more money by ______.
A.understanding the value of money | B.helping the rich |
C.reading many books | D.doing extra chores |
The passage is mainly about ______ .
A.the independence of American children |
B.the value of money |
C.the guidance from parents |
D.failure and success of American children |
Please do not leave your valuables in your room unattended.
The hotel provides safe deposit boxes(保险箱)at the reception desk.
When you leave the hotel, please put your key at the reception desk.
PLEASE DO NOT
TALK TO OR
DISTRACT THE
DRIVER WHEN THE
BUS IS MOVING.
PLEASE PAY
EXACT FARE.
The local government has
advised skaters not to go out on
the central pond today.
There is a danger of the ice
breaking. Skaters are advised to
enjoy their sport at the local
indoor ice rink (溜冰场) instead
SALE
Sports fans
Don’t miss out!
Tennis rackets – down to $15
Basketballs – down to $ 10
Aerobic wear – from just $ 10
Swimwear—from just $5
First five people in the store today
will meet Yao Ming .
Hotel Rendezvous
30 Kings Road
Swindon
UK
23/04/07
Mr. & Mrs. Biggs
80 Cuscaden Road
London
Dear Mr. & Mrs. Biggs,
We are pleased to confirm your reservation as follows:
Date:21-23 June (2 nights)
Room: double
Rate: $120 a night If you have some expensive things, where can you leave them when you live in the hotel?
A.Take them with you everywhere you go. |
B.Leave them in the room you live in. |
C.Put them in the safe deposit boxes. |
D.Call friends for help. |
How much should the Biggers pay for the Hotel Rendezvous each night?
A.$60 | B.$480 | C.$120 | D.$240 |
When you take a bus, what can you do?
A.Talk with the bus driver loudly. |
B.Read the newspapers. |
C.Distract the driver when the bus is moving. |
D.Discuss something with the strangers loudly. |
Bruce likes skating, he can’t _________ .
A.go shopping with friends | B.meet Yao Ming |
C.skate at the local indoor ice rink | D.skate on the central pond |
Which is not TRUE according to the passage?
A.The cheapest swimwear is $5. |
B.Hotel Rendezvous is in the UK. |
C.Buy sports things in the store, you also can meet basketball athlete. |
D.When you leave the hotel, you should put the key at the reception desk. |
As young students, you have many dreams. These dreams can be very big, such as winning the Nobel Prize; they can also be small, such as becoming one of the best students in your class.
Once you find a dream, what do you do with it? Do you ever try to make your dream real? Follow Your Heart by Andrew Matthews, an Australian writer, tells us that making our dreams real is life’s biggest challenge. You may think you’re not very good at some school subjects, or that it is impossible for you to become a writer. Those kinds of ideas stop you from realizing your dream, the books says.
In fact, everyone can realize his dream. The first thing you must do is to remember what your dream is. Don’t let it leave your heart. Keep telling yourself what you want every day and then your dream will come true faster. You should know that a big dream is, in fact, made up of many small dreams.
You must also never give up your dream. There will be difficulties on the road to your dreams. But the biggest difficulty comes from yourself. You need to decide what is the most important. Studying instead of watching TV will help you to get better exam results, while saving five yuan instead of buying an ice cream means you can buy a new book.
As you get closer to your dream, it may change a little. This is good as you have the chance to learn something more useful and find new hobbies.Your dreams can be very ____, such as becoming one of the best students in your class.
A.big | B.small | C.high | D.low |
Follow Your Heart is a ______ .
A.movie | B.song | C.book | D.dream |
What idea stops you from realizing your dream?
A.I can’t be a writer. | B.I am good at some school subjects. |
C.I think I am very great | D.I am the best student in our class. |
Don’t let ____ leave your heart.
A.your idea | B.your decision | C.your dream | D.your book |
Studying TV will help you to get better exam results ____ watching TV.
A.with | B.instead of | C.without | D.by |
Making friend is a skill. Like most skills, it improves with practice. If you want to meet people and make friends, you must be willing(乐意) to take some action. You must first go where there are people. You won’t make friends staying home alone.
Join a club or group, talking with those who like the same things you do is much easier. Or join someone in some activity. Many people are nervous when talking to new people. After all, meeting strangers means facing the unknown. And it’s human nature to feel a bit uncomfortable about the unknown.
Most of our fears about dealing with new people come from doubts about ourselves. We imagine other people are giving an opinion about us-finding us too tall or too short, too this or too that. But don’t forget that they must be feeling the same away. Try to accept(接受)yourself as you are, and try to put the other person at ease(不拘束). You’ll both feel more comfortable.
Try to keep self-confident(自信)even when you don’t feel that way when you enter a room full of strangers, such as a new classroom, walk tall(趾高气扬)and straight, look directly at other people and smile. If you see someone you’d like to speak to, say something. Don’t wait for the other person to start a conversation.
Just meeting someone new does not mean that you will make friends with that person-friendship is based on each other’s liking and “give and take”. They take time and efforts to develop. And there are things that keep a new friendship from growing.If you want to meet people and make friends, what should you do?
A.Join a club or group. | B.Talk with those who like the same things. |
C.Join someone in some activity. | D.All of the above(上面) |
In the sentence “After all, meeting strangers means facing the unknown.”, the word “unknown” means _____.
A.without somebody knowing | B.without somebody liking |
C.unfriendly | D.unpleasant |
How do you feel more comfortable when you are with new people?
A.Shake hands with others |
B.Accept yourself as you are, and put the other as ease |
C.Don’t talk with those who don’t like. |
D.Walk tall and straight. |
If you’d like to speak to someone, what should you do?
A.You should wait until the person says something. |
B.You should stay home alone. |
C.You should cough until the person notices you. |
D.You should say something at first. |
Friendship is based on______
A.meeting for the first time | B.each other’s liking and “give and take” |
C.keeping self-confident | D.facing the unknown |