There were smiling children all the way. Clearly they knew at what time the train passed their homes and they made it their business to stand along the railway, wave to complete strangers and cheer them up as they rushed towards Penang. Often whole families stood outside their homes and waved and smiled as if those on the trains were their favorite relatives. This is the simple village people of Malaysia. I was moved.
I had always traveled to Malaysia by plane or car, so this was the first time I was on a train. I did not particularly relish the long train journey and had brought along a dozen magazines to read and reread. I looked about the train. There was not one familiar face. I sighed and sat down to read my Economics.
It was not long before the train was across the Causeway and in Malaysia. Johore Baru was just another city like Singapore, so I was tired of looking at the crowds of people as they hurried past. As we went beyond the city, I watched the straight rows of rubber trees and miles and miles of green. Then the first village came into sight, immediately I came alive; I decided to wave back.
From then on my journey became interesting. I threw my magazines into the waste basket and decided to join in Malaysian life. Then everything came alive. The mountains seemed to speak to me. Even the trees were smiling. I stared at everything as if I was looking at it for the first time.
The day passed fast and I even forgot to have my lunch until I felt hungry. I looked at my watch and was surprised that it was 3: 00 pm. Soon the train pulled up at Butterworth. I looked at the people all around me. They all looked beautiful. When my uncle waved with a smile, I threw my arms around him to give him a warm hug. I had never done this before. He seemed surprised and then his weather-beaten face warmed up with a huge smile. We walked arm in arm to his car.
I looked forward to the return journey.The author had expected the train trip to be _________.
| A．adventurous | B．pleasant |
| C．boring | D．exciting |
What touched the author during the train trip?
| A．The mountains along the way. |
| B．The friendly country people. |
| C．The crowds of people in the streets. |
| D．The simple lunch served on the train. |
Which of the following is closest in meaning to the word “relish” in Paragraph 2?
| A．dislike | B．enjoy | C．release | D．choose |
What can we learn from the story?
| A．Smiles brighten people up. |
| B．Pleasure of living in the country. |
| C．Reading gives people delight. |
| D．Comfort in traveling by train. |
It had been some time since Jack had seen the old man. College, career, and life itself got in the way. In fact, Jack moved all the time across the country to achieve his dreams. There, in the rush of his busy life, Jack had little time to think about the past and often no time to spend with his wife and son. He was working on his future, and nothing could stop him.
Over the phone, his mother told him, “Mr. Belser died last night. The funeral (葬礼) is Wednesday.” Memories flashed through his mind like an old newsreel as he sat quietly remembering his childhood days.
“Jack, did you hear me?”
“Oh, sorry, Mom. Yes, I heard you. It’s been so long since I thought of him. I’m sorry, but I honestly thought he died years ago,” Jack said.
“Well, he didn’t forget you. Every time I saw him, he’d ask how you were doing. He’d reminisce (回忆) about the many days you spent over ‘his side of the fence’ as he put it,” Mom told him.
You know, Jack, after your father died, Mr. Belser stepped in to make sure you had a man’s influence in your life,” she said.
“He’s the one who taught me carpentry (木工). I wouldn’t be in this business if it weren’t for him. He spent a lot of time teaching me things he thought were important… Mom, I’ll be there for the funeral,” Jack said.
Busy as he was, he kept his word. Jack caught the next flight to his hometown. Mr. Belser’s funeral was small and uneventful (平凡的). He had no children of his own, and most of his relatives had passed away.
The night before he had to return home, Jack and his Mom stopped by to see the old house next door one more time, which was exactly as he remembered. Every step held memories. Every picture, every piece of furniture… Jack stopped suddenly.
“What’s wrong, Jack?” his Mom asked.
“The box is gone,” he said.
“What box?” Mom asked.
“There was a small gold box that he kept locked on top of his desk. I must have asked him a thousand times what was inside. All he’d ever tell me was ‘the thing I value most’,” Jack said.
It was gone. Everything about the house was exactly how Jack remembered it, except the box. He figured someone from the Belser family had taken it.
“Now, I’ll never know what was so valuable to him,” Jack said sadly.
Returning to his office the next day, he found a package on his desk. The return address caught his attention.
“Mr. Harold Belser” it read.
Jack tore open the package. There inside was the gold box and an envelope. Jack’s hands shook as he read the note inside.
“Upon my death, please forward this box and its contents to Jack Bennett. It’s the thing I valued most in my life.” A small key was taped to the letter. His heart racing, and tears filling his eyes, Jack carefully unlocked the box. There inside he found a beautiful gold pocket watch. Running his fingers slowly over the fine cover, he opened it.
Inside he found these words carved: “Jack, thanks for your time! Harold Belser.”
“Oh, My God! This is the thing he valued most…”
Jack held the watch for a few minutes, then called his assistant and put off his appointments to the next week. “Why?” his assistant asked.
“I need some time to spend with my son,” he said.Why did Jack think Mr. Belser died years ago?
| A．College and career prevented him from remembering Mr. Bleser. |
| B．Jack was too busy realizing his dreams to think about Mr. Belser. |
| C．Jack was too busy with his business and family to think about Mr. Belser. |
| D．His present busy life washed away his childhood memories. |
Jack’s mother told him on the phone about Mr. Belser EXCEPT that ______.
| A．Mr. Belser had asked for Jack’s mailing address |
| B．Mr. Belser’s funeral would take place on Wednesday |
| C．Mr. Belser often asked how Jack was doing |
| D．Mr. Belser had pleasant memories of their time together |
What made Jack feel so sad at the old house of Mr. Belser?
| A．All the wonderful memories with Mr. Belser in the past |
| B．The small gold box being taken by others |
| C．His not being able to know what Mr. Belser valued most |
| D．Mr. Belser’s refusing to tell him the secret of the box |
Why did Jack say he needed some time to spend with his son?
| A．He was very tired of his work and wanted to have a good rest. |
| B．He had promised to spare more time to stay with his son. |
| C．He came to realize the importance of the time with his family. |
| D．He had missed his son and his family for days. |
Which of the following is the most suitable title for this passage?
| A．What He Valued Most |
| B．The Good Old Times |
| C．An Old Gold Watch |
| D．The Lost Childhood Days |
As computers become all the more popular in China, Chinese people are increasingly depending on computer keyboards to input Chinese characters. But if they use the computer too much, they may forget the exact strokes of each Chinese character when writing on paper. Experts suggest people, especially students, write by hand more.
Do you write by hand more or type more? In Beijing, students start using a computer as early as primary school. And computer dependence is more wide-spread among university students. Almost all their homework and essays are typed on a computer.
All the students interviewed say they usually use a computer.
It's faster and easier to correct if using a computer. And that's why computers are being applied more and more often to modern education. But when people are taking stock in computers increasingly, problems appear.
"When I'm writing with a pen, I find I often can't remember how to write a character, though I feel I’m familiar with it."
"I'm not in the mood to write when faced with a pen and paper."
Many students don't feel this is something to worry about. Now that it's more convenient and quick to write on a computer, why bother to handwrite?
Many educators think differently. Shi Liwei, the headmaster of a famous primary school in the capital said, "Chinese characters enjoy both practical and aesthetic(审美的) value. But those characters typed with computer keyboards only have their practical value. All the artistic beauty of the characters is lost. And handwriting contains the writer's emotion(情绪). Through one's handwriting, people can get to know one's thinking and personality. Beautiful writing will give people a better first impression of them.”
To encourage students to handwrite more, many primary schools in Beijing have made writing classes compulsory(必修的) and in universities, some professors are asking students to turn in their homework and essays written by hand.The students interviewed prefer to write using a computer mainly because______.
| A．they are usually asked to e-mail their homework and essays |
| B．they find it not easy to remember how to write a character |
| C．they can correct the mistakes they make quickly and conveniently |
| D．computers have become popular in China. |
Which of the following statements is NOT TRUE of the advantages of handwriting?
| A．Handwriting can impress people well and build up one’s self-confidence. |
| B．The writer’s thinking and personality are shown in his or her handwriting. |
| C．Handwriting contains the writer's emotion. |
| D．Chinese characters enjoy both practical and aesthetic value. |
The underlined expression “taking stock in”(Paragraph 4) probably means_____.
| A．getting bored with | B．becoming excited about |
| C．becoming crazy about | D．getting dependent on |
We can infer from the passage that_______.
| A．more and more students will give up writing on a computer |
| B．more and more students will pay attention to handwriting |
| C．writing by hand will give way to typing by computer one day |
| D．the typing article better shows one’s emotion and character |
★Help Wanted
PAINTER Must have at least 3 years painting experience. Commercial and new construction work. $10/hr. Immediate opening. Call 435-9201 with work history.
SECRETARY Part time position available in friendly, busy office. Good typing and general office skills. Some weekends required. High pay. Various duties. Apply (申请) at East Side Management, 500 Park Drive, Dewitt, NY. 13214.
★Help wanted
VET ASSISTENT Person needed for busy animal hospital. Some nights and weekends. Apply in person to Johnson Marks Animal Hospital, 404 Snow Road, Syracuse, NY 13224. After 4 p.m. only please.
NURSES' ASSISTANTS
Fulltime and part time positions available for modern nursing home. High pay. Call Mrs. Downes, R.N. at 543 7618.
★Help Wanted
COOK NEEDED
Immediately. Busy downtown restaurant. Must be good and dependable. Experience preferred. Weekends required. Call 324-9817.
SALESPERSON
Experienced. Must have some knowledge of men's clothing industry. Available to work evenings and some Saturdays. Send resume(简历) to: Martin Apparel, 237 Rockledge St., Syracuse, NY. 13224.
★Help Wanted
TEACHER Small private school needs English and maths teachers. Must have BS degree and at least 4 years teaching experience. Send resume to: Wales Charter School 19 South 8th St. NY. 13214.
HOTEL needs part time FRONT DESK CLERK No experience necessary. Excellent people and phone skills a must. Some computer skills helpful. $13/hr.
Call: Mr. Jones 357-2897.If you want to get a job as a maths teacher, send your resume to ____ .
| A．237 Rockledge St.,Syracuse, NY.13224 |
| B．404 Snow Road Syracuse, NY. 13224， |
| C．500 Park Drive, DeWitt, NY. 13214 |
| D．19 South 8th St. NY. 13214 |
If you dislike working on Sundays, being a ______ should be your best choice.
| A．cook | B．secretary |
| C．salesperson | D．vet assistant |
If you want to get a job at _________ , you must have office skills.
| A．Martin Apparel |
| B．East Side Management |
| C．Wales Charter School |
| D．Johnson Marks Animal Hospital |
A couple had a son eleven years after they married. They were a loving couple and the boy was the apple of their eye. When the boy was around four years old, one day the father was very tired after work so he asked his wife to pick up their son. The mother, who was very busy in the kitchen, totally forgot about it.
Later the boy lost his way on the street. When the son was found missing, the mother hurried to look for him, but she didn’t find him. The mother felt very sad and didn’t know how to face her husband.
When the father went to the police station after hearing that the son was missing, he looked at his wife and said just four words. What do you think the four words were? The husband just said "I love you, darling."
The son was missing. If he had picked him up earlier, this would not have happened. There is no point in blaming (责备) anyone. His wife had also lost her only child. What his wife needed at that moment was comfort and understanding from her husband. That is what the husband gave his wife. Several weeks later, with the help of the police, the couple finally found their lost son. The family’s relationship became stronger over that time.
Sometimes we spend lots of time asking who is to blame. We miss many chances to give each other support and let each other feel the warmth of human relationships. Get rid of all your unwillingness to forgive, selfishness and fears, and you will find the world is much more wonderful.Why didn’t the father pick the boy up himself?
| A．He was a bit lazy. |
| B．He thought the mother had picked him up. |
| C．He forgot to pick him up |
| D．He was too tired to do it. |
How did the father react when he knew his son was missing?
| A．He felt quite shocked at the news. |
| B．He comforted his wife. |
| C．He blamed his wife for her carelessness. |
| D．He lost his temper. |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．Everyone can make mistakes in life. |
| B．Love is the most important thing. |
| C．One needs to be careful in everything he does. |
| D．Learning to forgive others matters. |
What do you think of the husband?
| A．Warm-hearted | B．Careful |
| C．Broad-minded | D．Hard-working |
As I grew older, my dad and I grew further apart．We always had totally different opinions．He thought that college was a waste of time，but for me it was important to finish college．He wanted me to work my way to the top as he had done in his field，but I wanted a different life．There was a time when we did not talk with each other．
A few months ago, I heard that my 84-year-old dad was in poor health．When he called and asked whether I could move from Colorado back to Tennessee to help him，I knew he was seriously ill．I am his only child and so it was time to meet my father’s requirement．
Two weeks after moving back，we bought a boat and started fishing again．Fishing was one of the few things that we did while I was young and that we both enjoyed．It is strange but true that as we are fishing we are able to put things that have kept us apart for so many years behind us. We are able to talk about things that we have never talked about before．Fishing has been healing the old wounds that have kept us apart．
It is not important how many fish we catch．It is about enjoying the relationship that we have not had for years．I’m 62 and he is 84．When we are on the lake fishing，it is like two kids enjoying life．It is far better to find a way to put the unhappy past behind．I am so lucky to spend the happy time with my father in his last years．Now my heart is filled with love．A smile always graces my lips．The author and his father became further apart because______________．
| A．they lived very far from each other |
| B．they had different views on things |
| C．they only communicated by phone |
| D．they seldom went to see each other |
Why did the author come back to Tennessee?
| A．Because his father invited him to go fishing． |
| B．Because he decided to live in a different city． |
| C．Because his father is ill and needs caring． |
| D．Because he regretted being rude to his father． |
For the author，fishing with his old father___________ ．
| A．helps cure his father’s disease |
| B．is a good way to get close to nature |
| C．makes him realize the importance of relaxation |
| D．provides a chance for them to communicate |
What can be the best title for the text?
| A．Fishing Brings Us Together | B．Forgiving Is Difficult |
| C．Memories of Old Days | D．My Beloved Father |
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