Have you ever had an embarrassing experience? Last week we asked readers to tell us about embarrassing experiences. We received thousands of letters! Here is a selection.
Tony:
My most embarrassing experience happened when I had just left university. I had just started teaching in a Liverpool middle school. One morning my alarm clock didn’t ring. I woke up at half past eight and school began at nine. I quickly washed, dressed, jumped into my car and rushed to school. When I arrived, the students had already gone into class. I didn’t go to the office, but went straight into class. After two or three minutes the students began laughing, and I couldn’t understand why! Suddenly I looked down and understood. I had put on one black shoe and one brown shoe!
Henry:
The most embarrassing experience I’ve ever had happened two years ago. After seeing a film, my wife and I had lunch in our favorite restaurant in town. Then we decided to take a walk along the street. The street was very busy and we started holding hands. Suddenly my wife saw a dress that she liked in a shop window, and stopped. I started looking at some watches in the next window. After a minute or two I reached for my wife’s hand. There was a loud scream, and a woman slapped my face. I hadn’t taken my wife’s hand. I’d taken the hand of a complete stranger（陌生人）!Tony arrived at school late that morning because .
| A．he couldn’t find hid shoes |
| B．his alarm clock didn’t ring |
| C．he washed and dressed slowly |
| D．his car went wrong on the way |
The students began laughing when they saw Tony .
| A．wearing a wrong shoe |
| B．his alarm clock didn’t ring |
| C．looking down suddenly |
| D．rushing into the classroom |
Henry and his wife held hands .
| A．at the cinema | B．in the shop |
| C．at the restaurant | D．along the street |
What does the underlined word “scream” mean in Chinese?
| A．尖叫声 | B．笑声 | C．哭声 | D．呼救声 |
Henry was embarrassed because he .
| A．slapped the woman in the face |
| B．took the hand of a complete stranger |
| C．heard hid wife screaming in the street |
| D．knocked over some watches in the shops |
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If a Japanese student wants to learn Chinese, he or she can_________.
| A．call 021-58609228 |
| B．fax 021-58609728 |
| C．telphone010-69191617 |
| D．email me at cherrylf@hotmail.com. |
How many square metres is the garden of the house for sale?
| A．509 sqm | B．428.8 sqm |
| C．312.9 sqm | D．80.2 sqm |
If you want to ski for four hours on weekends, how much money will you pay at last?
| A．138 yuan | B．200 yuan |
| C．208 yuan | D．280 yuan |
Tom arrived at the bus station quite early for Paris bus. The bus for Paris would not leave until five to twelve. He saw a lot of people waiting in the station. Some were standing in line(排队), others were walking around. There was a group of schoolgirls. Their teacher was trying to keep them in line. Tom looked around but there was no place for him to sit.
He walked into the station cafe(咖啡馆). He looked up at the clock there. It was only twenty to twelve. He found a seat and sat down before a large mirror(镜子) on the wall. Just then, Mike, one of Tom’s workmates came in and sat with Tom.
“What time is your bus?” asked Mike.
“There’s plenty of time yet,” answered Tom.
“Well, I’ll get you some more tea then,” said Mike.
They talked while drinking. Then Tom looked at the clock again. “Oh! It’s going backward(倒行)!” he cried. “A few minutes ago it was twenty to twelve and now it’s half past eleven.”
“You’re looking at the clock in the mirror.” said Mike. Tom was so sad(难过). The next bus was not to leave for another hour. Since then Tom has never liked mirrors.What time was it in fact when Tom looked at the clock in the mirror?
| A．Half past twelve | B．Twenty to twelve |
| C．Half past eleven | D．Half past one |
Which of the following is true?
| A．Tom arrived in Paris on time |
| B．The next bus would leave in half an hour |
| C．After that Tom didn’t like clocks any longer |
| D．Tom looked at the clock in the mirror only once |
From the story we know that when we look at a clock in a mirror, we will find ______.
| A．the time is right | B．it’s going slower |
| C．it’s going backward | D．it’s going faster |
Which of the following is the title(题目) of the story?
| A．The Mirror of the Station | B．Not A Careful Man |
| C．Missing A Bus | D．The Clock In The Mirror |
Besides calling 120, here is what you should do when no one is around to help.
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If you get lost, you may stay where you can be seen clearly and try your best to have a rest. In a wide open area, make a colorful cross out of rocks to show where you stay. |
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When you choke (噎住) at home, make a sudden hit against the back of the chair. If you can’t breathe after six tries, call 120. Leave the telephone open until help arrives. |
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If you get hurt, use your hand or a scarf, or any dry cloth you can find, and push down on the wound (伤口) until the blood stops running. Don’t put the cloth around your leg tightly, or you may lose your foot. |
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When a fire happens, you must move close to the floor. Cover your mouth and nose with a wet towel (毛巾), make you wet from head to foot if possible and find a safe place outside. |
You move close to the floor in a fire to keep away from ____________.
| A．smoke | B．light |
| C．noise | D．rain |
___________ can help to deal with a wound.
| A．A wet towel | B．A chair |
| C．A scarf | D．Some rocks |
If you get lost in a wide open area, you should ____________.
| A．call out for help | B．make a cross |
| C．phone the police | D．draw a map |
What do you think of black cats? Are they unluckier than cats of other colors? Many people in Western countries think so. Scientists at the University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley), did a study on cat colours and people’s understandings of cat personalities.
The study found that people do judge(判断) cat personalities by color. Scientists did a survey on the Internet. There were 49 statements (描述) matching five cat colorings with 10 personalities. People think orange and bi-coloured (双色的) cats are friendly, tri-coloured (三色的) cats are not generous, and white cats are calm, lazy and shy. As for black cats, people think they don’t have special personalities.
But why do so many people dislike keeping black cats as pets? People think black cats have less special personalities, which might be because of their bad reputation (口碑). They think black cats may bring bad luck, especially at Halloween. Movies and television shows also make people believe that.
Although people have these ideas, UC Berkeley scientists give another reason: people don’t think black cats are pretty enough. After all, nothing can show black cats are unluckier than other cats. “You can’t judge a cat by its colour, because it’s the personality of the cat, not the colour, that will let you know if the cat is right for you,” Cathy Marden, a scientist said.Many people in Western countries may think black cats are .
| A．lovely animals | B．a sign of bad luck |
| C．a sign of good luck | D．unfriendly animals |
The main idea of paragraph 2 is that .
| A．people often complain about black cats on the Internet |
| B．people think cats of different colours have different personalities |
| C．black cats are less popular than other cats |
| D．the study is a great success |
According to the study, people think that .
| A．black cats have special personalities |
| B．orange and bi-coloured cats are generous |
| C．cats with three colours are friendly |
| D．white cats are calm, lazy and shy |
People don’t like black cats for the following reasons EXCEPT .
| A．black cats often appear in TV shows |
| B．black cats bring bad luck to people |
| C．black cats have bad reputations |
| D．they don’t think black cats are beautiful |
The passage mainly talks about .
| A．why black cats are popular in movies |
| B．why people are not willing to keep black cats as pets |
| C．different colour cats have different personalities |
| D．different people have different ideas on black cats |
“Did you go skating a lot last year?” I asked. Jen shook her head and looked at me. Finally she said, “On Thanksgiving, Mom and I always went to visit some friends who lived on a farm. I especially loved seeing their big turkeys.”
Until then, I didn’t think about how Jen felt. She had a new stepfather (继父) and stepbrother, and had a new town and home, too. Jen and her mom used to live near a lake where Dad and I went every summer, and she had to move up north with us. She had more changes than me.
Jen seemed sad, so I was busy thinking of some ways to cheer her up on Thanksgiving. I told her my plan and she was excited. First we made a huge snowball, and then a small snowball. Then we built a wall behind the big snowball as a tail. Jen mixed some food coloring with water, saying, “We can spray (喷) colors on the tail.” Our snow turkey had a red, blue, green, and yellow tail. We were so busy that we didn’t notice our parents come outside. Dad found a hat for thesnow turkey, and Mom wrapped her scarf around its neck.
“Thanks for cheering Jen up,” Mom said. “You’re a good brother, and you always come up with great ideas.’”A happy feeling spread through me. I began to understand how much she cared about everyone in our new family.What did Jen do on Thanksgiving in the past?
| A．She went skating with her friends. |
| B．She went to the farm with her mother. |
| C．She stayed at home with her mother. |
| D．She made snow turkeys with her mother. |
What can we learn from the second paragraph?
| A．Jen lived near a lake in the past. |
| B．The writer was Jen’s stepfather. |
| C．Jen moved up north for studying. |
| D．The writer just moved out of his old house. |
How many people are there in Jen’s new family?
| A．Two. | B．Three. | C．Four. | D．Five. |
Which of the following is the right order?
①made a small snowball
②found a hat
③made a huge snowball
④sprayed colors on the tail
⑤wrapped a scarf around the neck
⑥built a wall behind the big snowball
| A．①③⑥④②⑤ | B．①②③④⑤⑥ |
| C．③①⑥④②⑤ | D．③①⑥②④⑤ |
What can we infer (推断) from the underlined sentence?
| A．Jen’s stepmother was not friendly to the writer. |
| B．Jen didn’t feel happy after moving here. |
| C．Jen’s mother did a lot to make Jen happy. |
| D．The writer felt happy because his stepmother liked him. |
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