When I was growing up, I was embarrassed to be seen with my father. He was badly crippled (跛脚), and when we would walk together, his hand on my arm for balance, people would stare, I would be ashamed of the unwanted attention. If ever noticed or bothered, he never let on.
It was difficult to walk together—and because of that, we didn’t say much as we went along. But as we started out, he always said, “You set the pace. I will try to follow you.”
Our usual walk was to or from the subway, which was how he got to work. He went to work sick, and even in bad weather. He almost never missed a day, and would make it to the office even if others could not. It was a matter of pride for him.
When snow or ice was on the ground, it was impossible for him to walk, even with help... Such times my sister or I would pull him through the streets of Brooklyn, N.Y., on a child’s sleigh to the subway entrance. Once there, he would try to grasp handrail until he reached the lower steps that the warmer tunnel air kept ice free. In Manhattan the subway station was the basement of his office building, and he would not have to go outside again until we met him in Brooklyn on his way home.
When I think of it now, I am surprised at how much courage it must have taken for a grown man to suffer from shame and disability. And I am also surprised at how he did it—without bitterness or complaint.
He never talked about himself as an object of pity, not did he show any envy of the more fortunate or able. What he looked for in others was a “good heart”, and if he found one, the owner was good enough for him.
Now that I am older, I believe that is a proper standard by which to judge people, even though I still don’t know exactly what a “good heart” is. But I know the times I don’t have one myself.
He has been away for many years now, but I think of him often. I wonder if he sensed my reluctance to be seen with him during our walks. If he did, I am sorry I never told him how sorry I was, how unworthy I was, how I regretted it. I think of him when I complain about my troubles, when I am envious of another’s good fortune, when I don’t have a “good heart”.How did the man treat his father when he was young?
| A．He helped his father happily. |
| B．He never helped his father. |
| C．He helped his father, but not very happily. |
| D．He only helped his father take a walk after supper. |
As a disabled man, his father____.
| A．didn’t work very hard |
| B．didn’t go to work from time to time |
| C．hated those who had good fortune |
| D．was happy and satisfied, and never lost hope |
What does the underlined word “reluctance” mean in the article? It means ____.
| A．anger | B．sadness | C．happiness | D．unwillingness |
How did the father get to work usually?
| A．By subway. | B．By bus. | C．By wheelchair. | D．By bike. |
Some time ago I discovered that one of my chairs had a broken leg. I didn't think there would be any difficulty in getting it mended, as there are a whole lot of antique(古董) shops near my home. So I left home one morning carrying the chair with me. I went into the first shop expecting a friendly reception. I was quite wrong. The man wouldn't even look at my chair.
The second shop, though slightly more polite, was just the same, and the third and the fourth—so I decided that my approach must be wrong.
I entered the fifth shop with a plan in my mind. I placed the chair on the floor and said to the shopkeeper, “Would you like to buy a chair?” He looked it over carefully and said, “Yes, not a bad chair. How much do you want for it, sir?”“Twenty pounds,”I said. “OK,”he said. “I'll give you twenty pounds.”“It's got a slightly broken leg,” I said. “Yes, I saw that, it's nothing.”
Everything was going according to plan and I was getting excited. “What will you do with it?” I asked. “Oh, it will be easy to sell once the repair is done.”“I'll buy it,” I said. “What do you mean?” “You've just sold it to me,” he said. “Yes, I know but I've changed my mind. I am sorry. I'll give you twenty seven pounds for it.” “You must be crazy,”he said. Then, suddenly the penny dropped. “I know what you want. You want me to repair your chair.” “You're right,”I said. “And what would you have done if I had walked in and said,‘Would you mend this chair for me?’”“I wouldn't have agreed to do it,”he said. “We don't do repairs, not enough money in it and too much trouble. But I'll mend this for you, shall we say for a fiver(五英镑钞票)?” He was a very nice man and was greatly amused by the whole thing.We can learn from the text that in the first shop the writer_________.
| A．was rather impolite |
| B．was warmly received |
| C．asked the shopkeeper to buy his chair |
| D．asked the shopkeeper to repair his chair |
The underlined word “approach” in the second paragraph means _________.
| A．plan for dealing with things | B．decision to sell things |
| C．idea of repairing things | D．way of doing things |
The expression “the penny dropped” in the last paragraph means the shopkeeper ____.
| A．changed his mind | B．accepted the offer |
| C．saw the writer's purpose | D．decided to help the writer |
How much did the writer pay?
| A．￡5. | B．￡7. | C．￡20. | D．￡27. |
From the text, we can learn that the writer was _________.
| A．honest | B．careful | C．smart | D．funny |
Most people around the world are right-handed. This also seems to be true in history. In 1799, scientists studied works of art made at different times from 1,500 B.C. to the 1950s. Most of the people shown in these works are right-handed, so the scientists guessed that right-handedness has always been common through history. Today, only about 10% to 15% of the world’s population is left-handed.
Why are there more right-handed people than left-handed ones? Scientists now know that a person’s two hands each have their own jobs. For most people, the hand is used to find things or hold things. The right hand is used to work with things. This is because of the different work of the two sides of the brain. The right side of the brain, which makes a person’s hands and eyes work together, controls the left hand. The left-side of the brain, which controls the right hand, is the centre for thinking and doing problems. These findings show that more artists should be left-handed, and studies have found that left-handedness is twice as common among artists as among people in other jobs.
No one really knows what makes a person become right-handed instead of left-handed. Scientists have found that almost 40% of the people become left-handed because their main brain is damaged when they are born. However, this doesn’t happen to everyone, so scientists guess there must be another reason why people become left-handed. One idea is that people usually get right-handed from their parents. If a person does not receive the gene(基因) for right-handedness, he / she may become either right-handed or left-handed according to the chance and the people they work or live with.
Though right-handedness is more common than left-handedness, people no longer think left-handed people are strange or unusual. A long time ago, left-handed children were made to use their right hands like other children, but today they don’t have to.After studying works of art made at different times in history, the scientists found _______.
A. the art began from 1,500 B.C.
B. the works of art ended in the 1950s
C. most people shown in the works of art are right-handed
D. most people shown in the works of art are left-handedHow many people in the world are left-handed now?
| A．Less than one sixth. | B．More than a half. |
| C．About 40%. | D．The passage doesn’t tell us. |
What is the hand for most people used to do?
| A．It’s used to find or hold things. |
| B．It’s used to work with things. |
| C．It’s used to make a person’s eyes work together. |
| D．It’s the centre for thinking and doing problems. |
According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?
| A．No one really knows what makes a person become right-handed. |
| B．Left-handedness is cleverer than right-handedness. |
| C．Today children are not made to use their right hands only. |
| D．Scientists think there must be some reason why people become left-handed. |
The best title for this passage is _______.
| A．Scientists’ New Inventions | B．Left-handed People |
| C．Which Hand | D．Different Brains, Different Hands |
It was a winter morning, just a couple of weeks before Christmas 2005. While most people were warming up their cars, Trevor, my husband, had to get up early to ride his bike four kilometers away from home to work. On arrival, he parked his bike outside the back door as he usually does. After putting in 10 hours of labor, he returned to find his bike gone.
The bike, a black Kona 18 speed, was our only transport. Trevor used it to get to work, putting in 60-hour a week to support his young family. And the bike was also used to get groceries（食品杂货）, saving us from having to walk long distances from where we live.
I was so sad that someone would steal our bike that I wrote to the newspaper and told them our story. Shortly after that, several people in our area offered to help. One wonderful stranger even bought a bike, then called my husband to pick it up. Once again my husband had a way to get to and from his job. It really is an honor that a complete stranger would go out of their way for someone they have never met before.
People say that a smile can be passed from one person to another, but acts of kindness from strangers are even more so. This experience has had a spreading effect in our lives because it strengthened our faith in humanity（人性）as a whole. And it has influenced us to be more mindful of ways we, too, can share with others. No matter how big or how small, an act of kindness shows that someone cares. And the results can be everlasting.Why was the bike so important to the couple?
| A．They used it for work and daily life. |
| B．It was their only possession. |
| C．It was a nice Kona 18 speed. |
| D．The man's job was bike racing. |
What does the underlined phrase mean?
| A．go very far to see someone |
| B．walk out on foot to greet someone |
| C．help someone |
| D．enjoy the moment with someone |
How did people get to know the couple's problem?
| A．From a stranger. |
| B．From a newspaper. |
| C．From TV news. |
| D．From radio broadcasts. |
What do the couple learn from their experience?
| A．Strangers are usually of little help. |
| B．One should take care of their bike. |
| C．News reports make people famous. |
| D．An act of kindness can mean a lot. |
What is the best title of the passage?
| A．Terrible Suffering |
| B．Lasting Smile |
| C．Ask strangers for help |
| D．Spreading Effect of Acts of Kindness |
Beach volleyball is one of those sports that can be an exciting game to play and watch, or, can just be about some friends getting together to have a great time. It’s really easy, and all you need is sand, a net and a group of people, of any age or fitness level, who want to have fun.
Beach volleyball can be played with as few as two people on each team, making a total of four people. However, if you are less skilled and experienced in the game, it will be easier to play with a larger team. The more players you have, the less ground each person will be responsible(负责)for covering and the more time they will have to recover in between shots. If you only have a few players, each of you will get quite a workout running for the ball after each volley. If you are looking for that relaxing, fun, low-key experience, choose larger teams.
Beach volleyball is similar(相似)to regular volleyball in its rules. However, even experienced volleyball players do not realize how much more difficult it is to run and jump on sand. Since it is harder to move quickly on sand than a hard ground, play will be much slower than regular volleyball on a playground. When a player trains for beach volleyball, he will focus(专注)on building lower body strength as well as upper body. While he needs to be able to hit the ball with a great deal of power and accuracy(准确性), strengthening his legs is extremely important.
Whether you are in it for the competition, or just to have a great time with your friends, beach volleyball can be very exciting and fun. You may even start out with friends and fall in love with the sport.When you join a large beach volleyball team, you’ll_________.
| A．have as many shots as possible | B．improve your volleyball skills |
| C．be responsible for more ground | D．feel light-hearted(轻松)while playing |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．You can hit the ball with much less power when playing beach volleyball. |
| B．The playground size of beach volleyball is much larger than that of regular volleyball. |
| C．You can run more quickly when you are playing regular volleyball. |
| D．The rules of beach volleyball are totally different from those of regular volleyball. |
What does the writer think of beach volleyball?
| A．It is a difficult sport to learn. |
| B．It is a very exciting and interesting sport. |
| C．It is a sport which needs less power. |
| D．It is a sport which needs more skills. |
Why is it much slower to play beach volley ball than regular volleyball? Because _________.
| A．it is not an easy job to move on sand |
| B．it is a workout running for the ball |
| C．it is usually a larger team |
| D．the beach volleyball is heavier |
The passage mainly tells us _________.
| A．the game of beach volleyball |
| B．how to become an excellent volleyball player |
| C．why beach volleyball is one of exciting sports |
| D．what we should pay attention to when playing beach volleyball |
John and Booby joined a wholesale company together just after graduation from college the same year. Both worked very hard. After several years, however, the boss promoted（提升）Bobby to the position of manager but John remained an ordinary employee（雇员）. John could not take it any more, so he sent his resignation(辞职信) and complained that the boss did not value（重视）hard working workers but only promoted those who said good words of him.
The boss knew that John worked very hard for the years. He thought for a moment and said, “Thank you for telling me, but I have a request. I hope you will do one more thing for our company before you leave. Perhaps you will change your mind and take back your resignation.”
John agreed. The boss asked him to go and find out anyone selling watermelons in the market. John went and returned soon. He said he had found out a man selling watermelons. The boss asked how much per kg, John shook his head and went back to the market to ask and returned to tell the boss $1.2 per kg.
The boss told John to wait a second, and he called Bobby to go and find anyone selling watermelons in the market. Bobby went, returned and said only one person sold watermelons. $1.2 for a kg, $10 for 10kg and his watermelons added up to 340. On the table 58 melons, every melon weighs about 2 kg, bought from the south two days ago and they were fresh, red and good quality.
John was surprised and realized the difference between himself and Bobby. He decided not to go away but to learn from Bobby.
The story tells us that a more successful person is more concerned and thinks more. Chances are there in the daily details. For the same thing, a person sees one year ahead, while another sees only tomorrow. The difference between a year and a day is 365 times, how could you win?John wanted to stop his job in his company because_________.
| A．Bobby was promoted but he was not |
| B．he didn’t want to say good words of his boss |
| C．he thought the boss didn’t take his hard work seriously |
| D．he didn’t want to be an ordinary employee |
The boss asked John to find out where watermelons were sold in order to _________.
| A．persuade him to stay in the company |
| B．prove he was a hardworking worker |
| C．buy some watermelons for the company |
| D．prove his abilities at work for himself |
From what Bobby did, we can see that he was promoted only because _________.
| A．he was a more concerned businessman |
| B．he knew how to do business |
| C．he was more experienced at work |
| D．he knew details about the watermelon market |
We can conclude from the story that _________.
| A．one should stop his job if the boss doesn’t think much of his work |
| B．it’s necessary to know the market when you buy a watermelon |
| C．detail plays a very important part in one’s success |
| D．one should get along well with his boss if he wants to be promoted |
What can be the best title of the passage?
| A．More Concerned, More Successful | B．How to Buy Watermelons |
| C．Who Is More Successful | D．Proud John |
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