After twenty years of shaving(剃须)himself every morning, a man in a small Southern town thought he had enough. He told his wife that he intended to let the local barber shave him each day. He put on his hat and coat and went to the barber shop.
The barber's wife, Grace, was working that day, so she performed the task. Grace shaved him, and said, "That will be $20." The man thought the price was a bit high, but he paid the bill and went to work.
The next morning the man looked in the mirror, and his face was as smooth as it had been when he left the barber shop the day before. “Not bad, he thought. At least I don't need to get a shave every day.”
The next morning, the man's face was still smooth. Tw
o weeks later, the man was still unable to find any trace of whiskers on his face. It was more than he could take and he was frightened, so he returned to the barber shop.
"I thought $20 was high for a shave", he told the barber's wife, "but you must have done a great job. It's been two weeks and my whiskers still haven't started growing back." The expression on her face didn't even change, expecting his comment. She responded, "You were shaved by Grace and once shaved, always shaved!"It’s implied in the first sentence of the passage that .
| A.the man lived a very poor life | B.the man liked shaving himself |
| C.the man finally got bored of shaving himself | D.the man decided not to shave again |
We learn that at first the man thought $20 for a shave was .
| A.too little | B.too much | C.proper | D.impossible |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A.Everybody in the town knows Grace. |
| B.Nobody wants to be shaved by Grace in the town. |
| C.The man was scared by the result two weeks later. |
| D.The man’s whiskers grew back at last. |
On Saturday nights, A.J.Coston doesn’t get a lot of sleep. Usually three or four times a night, a loud bell rings, a red light flashes, and he has to jump out of his bed. That’s because he’s a weekend volunteer firefighter(消防员)with Loudoun County Fire and Rescue Station 13 in Northern Virginia. During the week, he lives at home with his mom, dad and sister and does his main job which is going to high school.
“I have always wanted to get into firefighting since I was a little kid watching fire trucks go by,” he says. “One day on the Internet I noticed that Loudoun County offered a junior firefighter program.” He was only 16, but he got it.
Fighting fires is dangerous work. Firefighters never stop practicing the skills they need to stay safe. Once Coston learned those skills, he was allowed to work inside burning buildings.
“Teamwork is most important,” he says. “It’s the whole team that puts the fire out.”
Firefighters feel great about helping people. “My most unbelievable call was probably the time four kids were struck by lightning,” says Coston. He will be off to college next fall, building on his dream job. “I’ll get my degree in emergency(紧急情况) medical care. and then work in a fire and rescue company for a while. I want to be a flight doctor on a helicopter in the end, but I will never forget the days as a firefighter. These are my unforgettable experiences,” he says. Coston can’t sleep well on Saturday nights because _____.
| A.he has to work part-time at weekends |
| B.he has some sleeping problems |
| C.he has to do his job as a volunteer firefighter |
D.he alway s worries that there may be a fire |
What do we learn about Coston from the passage?
| A.He doesn’t like studying at school. | B.He will go to college next year. |
| C.He dreams to be a great hero one day. | D.He is only sixteen years old. |
In Coston’s opinion, what is the key thing in putting out a fire?
| A.Skills. | B.Teamwork. | C.Courage. | D.Equipment. |
All of the following are true EXPECT that _____.
| A.Coston wanted to be a firefighter when he was a kid |
| B.Coston tried several times before he became a volunteer firefighter |
| C.firefighters feel proud that they can help people |
D.firefig hters have to practice skills all the time to stay safe |
Zoe Chambers was a successful PR (Public Relations) consultant and life was going well — she had a great job, a beautiful flat and a busy social life in London. Then one evening in June last year, she received a text message telling her she was out of work. The first two weeks were the most difficult to live through." she said. "After everything I'd done for the company, they dismissed me by text! I was so angry and I just didn't feel like looking for another job. I hated everything about the city and my life."
Then, Zoe received an invitation from an old school friend, Kathy, to come and stay. Kathy and her husband, Huw, had just bought a farm in north-west Wales. Zoe jumped at the chance to spend a weekend away from London, and now, ten months later, she is still on the farm.
"The moment I arrived at Kathy's farm, I loved it and I knew I wanted to stay." said Zoe. "Everything about my past life suddenly seemed meaningless."
Zoe has been working on the farm since October of last year and says she has no regrets. "It's a hard life, physically very tiring." she says. "In London I was stressed and often mentally exhausted. But this is a good, healthy tiredness. Here, all I need to put me in a good mood is a hot bath and one of Kathy's wonderful dinners."
Zoe says she has never felt bored on the farm. Every day brings a new experience. Kathy has been teaching her how to ride a horse and she has learnt to drive a tractor. Since Christmas, she has been helping with the lambing — watching a lamb being born is unbelievable, she says, "It's one of the most moving experiences I've ever had. I could never go back to city life now." When working as a PR consultant in London, Zoe thought she lived a______life.
| A.satisfying | B.tough | C.meaningless | D.boring |
The most important reason why Zoe went to visit Kathy's farm is that______.
| A.Zoe lost her job as a PR consultant | B.Kathy persuaded her to do so |
| C.Zoe got tired of the city life | D.Zoe loved Wales more than London |
How does Zoe feel about the country life according to the passage?
| A.Tiresome and troublesome. | B.Romantic and peaceful |
| C.Mentally exhausting but healthy | D.Physically tiring but rewarding. |
Which of the following is closest to the main idea of the passage?
| A.A friend in need is a friend indeed. | B.Where there is a will, there is a way. |
| C.A misfortune may turn out a blessing. | D.Kill two birds with one stone. |
Frank Woolworth was born in Rodman, New York., in 1852. His family were very poor farmers, and there was never enough to eat. Frank decided he did not want to be farmer. He took a short business course, and went to work as a salesman in a large city.
Woolworth realized he had a natural skill for showing goods to attract people’s interest, but he soon learned something more important. One day his boss told him to sell some odds and ends (小商品) for as much as he could get. Frank put all these things on one table with a sign which said FIVE CENTS EACH. People fought and pushed to buy the things and the table was soon cleared.
Soon afterwards, Woolworth opened his own store, selling goods at five and ten cents. But he had another lesson to learn before he became successful. That is, if you want to make money by selling low-price goods, you have to buy them in large quantities directly form the factories. Once, for example, Woolworth went to Germany and placed an order for knives. The order was so large that the factory had to keep running 24 hours a day for a whole year. In this way, the price of the knives was cut down by half.
By 1919, Woolworth had over 1000 stores in the US and Canada, and opened his first store in London. He made many millions and his name became famous throughout the world. He always run his business according to strict rules, of which the most important was: “ THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT.” (词数268)Frank took a short business course in order to ____________.
| A.earn more money for his family | B.learn something from a salesman |
| C.get away from the farm | D.get enough to eat. |
Frank sold the odds and ends quickly because _____________.
| A.he knew how to get people to buy his goods. |
| B.he cut down the price by half |
| C.he had put the goods on a table in a very nice way. |
| D.the sign he put on the table was well designed. |
The price of the knives was cut down by half because ______________.
| A.the factory workers worked 24 hours a day. |
| B.knives were ordered in large quantities directly from the factory. |
| C.the knives were made in Germany, where labor (劳动力) was cheap. |
| D.the knives were produced in one factory. |
_____________make Woolworth a world-famous man.
| A.His business skills and his wealth. |
| B.The low price of the goods he sold. |
| C.His trip to Germany and his huge order of knives. |
| D.His natural skill for showing things. |
The belief that : “ The customer is always right” suggests that _______________.
| A.whenever there is a quarrel between the customer and shop assistant, the customers are always right. |
| B.If you want to succeed, the rule is the only way. |
| C.stores must always follow the customer’s orders if they want to make more money. |
| D.stores should do their best to meet the customer’s needs if they want to be successful. |
The playwright George Bernard Shaw once said humorously, “England and America are two nations divided by a common language. If he were writing today, he might add ‘divided by a common technology--- e-mail’”.
Two completely different styles of e-mail have formed on either side of the Atlantic-Euromail and Amerimail. Americail is informal and chatty. It’s likely to begin with a “Hi” and end with a “Bye”. The chances of Amerimail containing a smiley face or an “xoxo” are disturbingly high. We Americans are unwilling to dive into the meat of an e-mail. We feel we have to first inform recipients (收信人) about our vacation on the island which was really excellent except the jellyfish were biting and the kids caught a cold, so we had to skip the whale watching trip, but about that investors’ meeting in New York. Amerimail is a bundle of contradictions, casual and yet direct, respectful yet over proud. In other words, Amerimail is America.
Euromail is stiff and cold often beginning with a formal “Dear Mr. X” and ending with a simple “Sincerely”. You won’t find any mention of kids or the weather or jellyfish in Euromail. It’s all business. It’s also slow. Your correspondent might take days even weeks to answer a message. Euromail is exactly like the Europeans themselves.
Recently about 100 managers were asked on both sides of the Atlantic whether they noticed differences in e-mail styles. Most said yes. Here are a few of their observations:
“Americans tend to write (e-mail) exactly as they speak.”
“Why don’t you just call me instead of writing five e-mails back and forth?”
“Europeans are less interested in checking e-mail”.
“In general, Americans are much more responsive to e-mail—they respond faster and provide more information.”
So which is better, Euromail or Amerimail? I realized it’s not popular these days to suggest we have anything to learn from Europeans, but I’m fed up with an inbox filled with casual, barely meaningful e-mails from friends and colleagues. If the alternative is a few earnestly written, carefully worded bits of Euromail, then I say, “Bring it on.” What did George Bernard Shaw mean by saying “England and America are two nations divided by a common language”?
| A.There is not much difference between British English and American English. |
| B.Both England and America speak the common language, so they are much the same. |
| C.Either England or America is a divided nation, though they share a common language. |
| D.There is sharp difference between England and America despite their common language. |
Which of the following is most likely to be the “meat” of an Amerimail?
| A.The jellyfish were biting. |
| B.We had an excellent vacation on the island. |
| C.We had to skip the whale watching trip. |
| D.We were to attend the investors’ meeting in New York. |
On receiving an e-mail, Europeans tend to __________.
| A.respond to it immediately and earnestly |
| B.take more time than Americans to respond to it |
| C.respond by calling up their correspondent |
| D.never respond to it all |
What are characteristics of Amerimail?
| A.Informal and chatty | B.Casual and indirect |
| C.Stiff and cold | D.Formal and direc60 |
We can conclude from the passage that __________.
| A.the different e-mail styles do much harm to the relationship between the two sides on Atlantic |
| B.Amerimail is more appreciated by the writer for being informative and casually written |
| C.Euromail always impresses the writer as something more pleasant to read |
| D.the writer doesn’t favor either e-mail style as both have their own shortcomings |
Xu Shu was much valued by Liu Bei for his strategic talents. After several victories on the battleground against Cao Cao, Xu was made the chief military advisor. Cao Cao was greatly surprised at the news. “If you want this person,” one of his advisors said, “you can bring his mother to Xuchang and send a forged letter in his mother's handwriting, asking Xu Shu to desert Liu Bei and come here. As Xu is well-known for a strong filial(孝顺的) affection, surely he will come.” This plot worked. For Xu, on receiving the letter, cried tearfully, asking Liu Bei for an immediate departure. Feeling sad, though, Liu persisted in his stay for another night, during which the two aired their sad feelings.
The next day Liu laid a banquet outside the city for Xu. Holding the latter's hand, Liu said, “After we separate today, only heaven knows when and where we will meet again.” He wept bitter tears.
After setting off on his way, Xu suddenly turned his horse and returned. “I almost forgot an important matter.” He said to Liu. “Ten kilometers from Xiangyang City, in a place called Long zhong, there is a talent called Zhuge Liang. Do you want to meet him?” Liu expressed his willingness at once, but also aired doubt about whether Zhuge Liang was as talented as Xu. “He tells positions of stars in the heavens,” Xu assured him, “and recognizes everything on earth. He knows a person's real nature at the first meeting----the number one talent under the heaven. If you have him as your military advisor, you'll have the country under your name.” Liu suggested a visit to Zhuge by Xu on his behalf. At this, the latter shook his head in disapproval. “You must go and offer your invitation personally, and his acceptance depends entirely on your sincerity.” With these words said, Xu turned his horse and left. Later, Liu paid three trips to Zhuge's straw house, another favorite story among Chinese people.The underlined word “forged” in Paragraph 1 probably means__________.
| A.forced | B.false | C.friendly | D.touching |
Which of the following statements is TRUE?
| A.Zhuge was able to tell a person’s personality at first sight. |
| B.No sooner did Xu receive the letter than he departed for Cao Cao. |
| C.Liu showed little interest in visiting Zhuge because he was doubtful of the stranger’s ability. |
| D.Liu showed his disapproval when Xu advised him to call on Zhuge in person. |
The underlined sentence in Paragraph 3 probably means __________.
| A.There was no doubt that Zhuge was competent as a military advisor |
| B.No one would be better than Zhuge in terms of giving military advice |
| C.Zhuge was such a talent that he could make the country named after Liu |
| D.With the help of Zhuge, Liu would be able to rule the whole country |
The paragraph following the last one most probably deals with __________.
| A.why people considered Zhuge as a talent |
| B.the difficulty Xu met with on the way to meet his mother |
| C.the plot Cao Cao made to bring Xu’s mother to Xuchang |
| D.how Liu sincerely invited Zhuge to assist him in military affairs |
The text is developed in the order of __________.
| A.space | B.logic | C.time | D.cause and result |
“I never expected that I would be so busy. Why can’t there be 25 hours in a day?” complained Liu Ran in Hong Kong as mid – term exams were going on.
The 18 – year – old girl was Shandong Province’s top scorer in this year’s college entrance examination. After graduating from Tai’ an No. 1 High School, she chose the Chinese University of Hong Kong, although two famous universities in mainland promised her a place.
“I want to experience a more international school and social life in Hong Kong. I’m majoring in(主修)journalism, so Hong Kong will surly help widen my horizons,” Liu said.
It is two months since Liu first set foot on Hong Kong. She missed home a lot at the beginning, because of the food and language problems.
“The canteen offers mostly Western or Guangdong food, but it’s convenient to cook for ourselves in our dormitory if we like. People speak Cantonese and almost all classes are in English,” Liu explained.
Her English and Cantonese are now both improving, but she still needs more time to adapt to the new environment.
“I’m happy that I made the right decision to study here. With a mix of the Eastern and Western cultures, there is so much to discover and learn,” she said.
Liu has 18 credit hours of classes every week and 23 non – credit hours every other week. She has signed up for four associations including the Chinese Language Debating Team and the drama club. Essays, book reports and presentations also take plenty of time to prepare.What would be the best title for the text?
| A.Hong Kong dreams | B.Looking for a job in Hong Kong |
| C.Social life in Hong Kong | D.the Chinese University of Hong Kong |
Liu Ran chose the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
A.to s ee more of an international school and social life |
| B.in order to enrich her experiences |
| C.because it is more famous than any university in mainland |
| D.Both A and B |
Which of the following statement is NOT true?
| A.She is improving her English and Cantonese. |
| B.She is allowed to cook in the dormitory. |
| C.She is too busy to join in activities outside class. |
| D.She hasn’t adapted herself to the new environment. |
From the passage we can infer that she waswith her school life.
| A.satisfied | B.unhappy |
| C.bored | D.disappointed |
Kleptomania is an illness of the mind that gives a person the desire to steal. Such a person is not really a thief. They are sick and cannot help themselves. All small children act naturally and as they grow up they normally learn to control their actions. Pe
ople with Kleptomania for certain medical reasons have failed to develop control over their desire to take things that do not belong to them. With medical help they may become normal citizens again. The things that a Kleptomaniac steals are seldom of great value. They often give away what they have stolen or collect things without using them. What is the topic of the text?
| A.Young thieves. | B.An unusual illness |
| C.Reasons for stealing | D.A normal child's actions |
From the text we learn that small children _______.
| A.have little control over themselves | B.usually steal things but grow up honest |
| C.are usually Kleptomaniacs | D.like to give things away |
Which of the following word can best replace the word "desire" in the first sentence?
| A.chance | B.power | C.right | D.wish |
Kleptomaniacs usually steal things that
| A.are valuable | B.are unimportant |
| C.their friends like | D.they themselves need |
Roger Federer and Serena Williams have been named as 2009' s world champions by the International Tennis Federation(ITF) after topping the year-end rankings.
Federer, who wins the honour for the fifth time, completed a career Grand Slam(大满贯)at Roland Garros before winning his 15th Grand Slam ride at Wimbledon.
And Williams won the Australian Open and Wimbledon, her llth major success.
The pair will receive their awards at the annual 1TF world champions dinner in Paris in June.
Federer regained the world number one ranking from Rafael Nadal after his Paris victory and his Wimbledon win over Andy Roddick saw him surpass Pete Sampras' haul of Grand Slam titles.
He was also runner - up at the Australian Open and the US Open and helped his country retain its Davis Cup world group status.
" It is an honour for me to be named ITF world champion for a fifth time.It was an incredible (不可思议的) year for me both on and off the court," said the 28 - year - old Swiss star whose wife Mirka gave birth to twin girls in July.
"To win my first Roland, Garros title, break the all - time Grand Slam record and regain the number one ranking is amazing.It means a lot to me to finish the year again at the top."
Williams takes the award for the first time since 2002.As well as her Grand Slam wins, she won the season - ending WTA Championships in Doha.sealing the top ranking in the last event of the year.
She also took the doubles year award with sister Venus after taking their career total to 10 Grand Slam titles.In doing so, she joins Lindsay Davenport and Martina Hingis as the only players to become singles and doubles world champions in the same year.
American twins Bob and Mike Bryan were named as the men' s doubles world champions for the sixth time in seven years.What's the main idea of the text?
A.Roger Federer g ot his fifth world champions. |
|
| B.Serena Williams was named the ITF world champion. | |
| C.Williams & Federer were named 2009' s world champions. . |
D.Roger Federer won his first Roland Garros title. |
What does Federer mean by saying that it was an incredible year for him off the court?
| A.He made a lot of money. |
| B.His wife gave birth to twin girls. |
| C.He regained the world No.One ranking. |
| D.He got a Grand Slam title at Roland Garros. |
In which country might Roland Garros Open take place?
A.France. B.Australia C.The United States D England.____ has never got both singles and doubles world champions in a year.
| A.Serena Williams | B.Lindsay Davenport |
| C.Venus Williams | D.Martina Hingis |
“Few things help an individual more than to place responsibility upon him,and let him know that you trust him.” These words are from the black American educator,Booker Washington. He was saying that,“If you want people to grow up,you have to stop treating them like children.”
In America,families are close but children are encouraged to be independent,to make their own decisions,even at a very early age. It’s not unusual for a child of seven to be given an allowance(津贴)every week. The child is encouraged to save some of the money but he or she can spend it on whatever they choose,for example,buying clothes,school supplies or CDs. Some teenagers even have their own credit cards! That’s a big responsibility since even adults are tempted to overspend when they have credit cards.
From an early age,American children are asked for their opinions and they are included in family decision making. At the dinner table,teenagers will be listened to on any topic,from politics to buying a new family car or where the family will go on vacation. In this way, teenagers are getting practice in becoming individuals:they are learning how to stand on their own two feet.
Many Chinese young people are becoming almost as interested as American teens in searching for independence. They want to express those qualities that make them unique human beings. You can see this in the way they dress, the music they listen to and the friends they choose. “Super Girl” Li Yuchun caught the imagination of Chinese teenagers on the “Super Girl” television contest. She was not the traditional “nice,young Chinese girl”. With her short,spiky hair and boy-like clothes, she was telling everyone that she was different. She had the courage to be her own person and to stand on her own two feet...and she won!
There is an old saying,“Everyone should carefully observe which way his heart draws him and then choose that way with all his strength.” If you do this, step by step, over a period of time, you may find that you have become the person you always wanted to be.The passage is intended to encourage the youth to________.
| A.save money for useful things | B.become independent |
| C.express their great ambitions | D.make important decisions |
A child of seven is given an allowance so that he can______.
| A.be accepted as a popular guy | B.learn to decide how to use money |
| C.overspend money without care | D.have school supplies of his own |
The author implies that many Chinese children________.
| A.are more independent than Americans | B.should become interested in America |
| C.are happy with their present situation | D.are not satisfied to be nice, quiet ones |
The main idea of the last paragraph is________.
| A.that we should do things step by step | B.why we should understand our desires |
| C.what we should plan for our own life | D.how we can manage to realize our dreams |
“Dad! He took a book without paying!” I yelled.
My father looked surprised. Before the boy could say anything, his mother grabbed his arm and shook it. “Is it true? You stole? Tell me!”
Everyone was quiet. The boy began to cry, and he nodded his head. He pulled out the comic book (漫画书) from under his shirt.
“Oh, Mr. Kim. I am sorry! My Ted made a big mistake!” Mrs. Diaz told my father. She tried to take the comic book, but Ted wouldn’t let go.
“It’s OK. He can keep it,” my father said with a smile.
“Oh no,” Mrs. Diaz said. “Let me pay right now ...” She dug in her purse. “How much?”
“Three seventy-five.”
Mrs. Diaz’s eyes widened, and she dug deeper. I saw her mouth make a small line. “Three seventy-five?” she asked.
“It’s OK. You can pay later,” my father said.
“No,” Mrs. Diaz said. She kept looking in her purse. “I have money here.”
I felt bad for yelling, for I realized that Ted had tried to steal the comic book because he didn’t have the money. Maybe the boy could have a job, I thought.
I had an idea.
“What if he worked with me?” I asked. They turned to me.
I said, “He can work with me to pay for the comic book.”
“Good,” my father said smiling at me. Mrs. Diaz nodded. She turned to her son, “You hear? You will work and buy the comic book!”
“Yes, Mama,” Ted said, hanging his head.
As they left, Ted looked back, and though he still seemed sad, he stuck out (伸出) his tongue at me.
Ted has been working here for two weeks. He has paid for the comic book, but my father says he is such a good worker that he can work with me as long as he wants. We are friends now.Where did the story most probably take place?
| A.In a classroom. | B.In a supermarket. | C.At a bookstore. | D.At a library. |
By saying “but Ted wouldn’t let go” in Paragraph 4, the author means Ted ______.
| A.took the book by mistake | B.wanted to keep the book |
| C.didn’t want to go home | D.didn’t think he was wrong |
From the underlined sentences in the eighth paragraph, we may infer that Mrs. Diaz ______.
| A.didn’t think her son stole the book | B.had been out of work for a long time |
| C.forgot to take money with her that day | D.couldn’t afford to pay for the book |
In the last paragraph, what does the author mainly tell?
| A.His idea was successful. | B.Ted didn’t like the job. |
| C.He liked Ted very much. | D.Ted was a naughty boy. |
My husband is a born shopper(天生的购物者). He loves to look at things and to touch them. He likes to compare prices between the same items(产品) in different shops. He would never think of buying anything without looking around in several different shops. On the other hand, I’m not a shopper. I think shopping is boring and unpleasant. If I like something and I have enough money to take it, I buy it at once. I never look around for a good price or a better deal. Of course my husband and I never go shopping together. Doing shopping together would be too painful for both of us. When it comes to shopping, we go our different ways.
Sometimes I ask my son Jimmy to buy some food in the shop not far from our home. But he is always absent-minded. This was his story.
One day I said to him, “I hope you won’t forget what I have told you to buy.” “No,” said Jimmy, “I won’t forget. You want three oranges, six eggs and a pound of meat.”
He went running down the street to the shop. As he ran, he said to himself over and over again. “ Three oranges, six eggs and a pound of meat.”
In the beginning he remembered everything but he stopped several times. Once he saw two men fighting outside a clothes shop until a policeman stopped them. One of them was badly hurt. Then he stopped to give ten cents to a beggar. Then he met some of his friends and he played with them for a while. When he reached the shop, he had forgotten everything except six eggs.
As he walked home, his face became sadder and sadder. When he saw me he said, “ I’ m sorry, mum. I have forgotten to buy oranges and the meat, I only remembered to buy six eggs, but I’ve dropped three of them.” The husband loves shopping because _______
| A.he has much money |
| B.he likes the shops |
| C.he likes to compare the prices between the same items |
| D.he has nothing to do but shopping |
The wife doesn’t like shopping because ______
| A.she has no money |
| B.she has no time |
| C.she doesn’t love her husband |
| D.she feels it boring to go shopping |
They never go shopping together because _______
| A.their ways of shopping are quite different |
| B.they hate each other |
| C.they needn’t buy anything for the family |
| D.they don’t have time for it |
Jimmy cannot do the shopping well because ______
| A.he is young | B.he is absent-minded |
| C.he often loses his money | D.he doesn’t like shopping |
Since 1989, Dave Thomas, who died at age 69, was one of the most recognizable faces on TV. He appeared in more than 800 commercials (商业广告) for the hamburger chain named for his daughter. “As long as it works," he said in 1991, “I’ll continue to do those commercials."
Even though he was successful, Thomas remained troubled by his childhood. “He still won’t let anyone see his feet, which are out of shape because he never had proper fitting shoes," Wendy said in 1993. Born to a single mother, he was adopted(收养) as a baby by Rex and Auleva Thomas of Kalamazoo in Michigan. After Auleva died when he was 5, Thomas spent years on the road as Rex traveled around seeking construction work. “He fed me," Thomas said, “and if I got out of line, he’d beat me."
Moving out on his own at 15, Thomas worked, first as a waiter, in many restaurants. But he had something much better in mind. “I thought if I owned a restaurant," he said, “I could eat for free." A 1956 meeting with Harland Sanders led Thomas to a career as the manager of a Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant that made him a millionaire in 1968.
In 1969, after breaking with Sanders, Thomas started the first Wendy’s Old Fashioned Hamburgers, in Columbus, Ohio, which set itself apart by serving made to order burgers. With 6,000 restaurants worldwide, the chain now makes $ 6 billion a year in sales.
Although troubled by his own experience with adoption, Thomas, married since 1954 to Lorraine, 66, and with four grown kids besides Wendy, felt it could offer a future for other children. He started the Dave Thomas Foundation (基金会) for Adoption in 1992.
In 1993, Thomas, who had left school at 15, graduated from Coconut Creek High School in Florida. He even took Lorraine to the graduation dance party. The kids voted him Most Likely to Succeed.
“The Dave you saw on TV was the real Dave," says friend Pat Williams. “He wasn’t a great actor or a great speaker. He was just Joe Everybody."What is the article mainly about?
| A.The life of Dave Thomas. | B.The dream of Dave Thomas. |
| C.The schooling of Dave Thomas. | D.The growth of Dave Thomas’s business. |
What do we know about his childhood?
| A.He lived a poor life. | B.He had caring parents. |
| C. He stayed in one place. | D. He didn’t go to school. |
Choose the right time order of the following events in Thomas’s life.
a. graduated from high school b. started his own business
c. became a millionaire d. started a foundation
e. met Harland Sanders
| A.e,b,c,d,a, | B.a,e,c,b,d, |
| C.e,c,b,d,a, | D.a,e,b,c,d, |
“He was just Joe Everybody." (in the last paragraph) means _______.
| A.Dave was famous | B.Dave was ordinary |
| C.Dave was showy | D.Dave was shy |
What is the name of Dave Thomas’s business?
| A.Thomas’s. | B.Wendy’s. | C.Lorraine’s. | D.Rex’s. |
When I was about 12, I had an enemy, a girl who liked to point out my shortcomings.
Week by week her list grew: I was very thin, I wasn’t a good student, I talked too much, I was too proud, and so on. I tried to hear all this as long as I could. At last, I became very angry. I ran to my father with tears in my eyes.
He listened to me quietly, then he asked. “Are the things she says true or not? Janet, didn’t you ever wonder what you’re really like ? Well, you now have that girl’s opinion. Go and make a list of everything she said and mark the points that are true. Pay no attention to the other things she said.”
I did as he told me. To my great surprise, I discovered that about half the things were true. Some of them I couldn’t change (like being very thin), but a good number I could—and suddenly I wanted to change. For the first time I go to fairly clear picture of myself.
I brought the list back to Daddy. He refused to take it.“That’s just for you,” he said.“You know better than anyone else the truth about yourself. But you have to learn to listen, not just close your ears in anger and feeling hurt. When something said about you is true, you’ll find it will be of help to you. Our world is full of people who think they know your duty. Don’t shut your ears. Listen to them all, but hear the truth and do what you know is
the right thing to do.”
Daddy’s advice has returned to me at many important moments. In my life, I’ve never had a better piece of advice.Which do you think would be the best title for this passage?
| A.Not an Enemy, but the Best Friend | B.The Best Advice I’ve Ever Had |
| C.My Father | D.My Childhood |
What does “Week by week her list grew” mean?
| A.Week by week she discovered more shortcomings of mine and pointed them out to me. |
B.She had made a list of my shortcomings and she kept on adding new ones to it so that it was growing longer and longer. |
| C.I was having more and more shortcomings as time went on. |
| D.Week by week, my shortcomings grew more serious. |
Why did her father listen to her quietly?
| A.Because he believed that what her daughter’s “enemy” said was mostly true. |
| B.Because he had been so angry with his daughter’s shortcomings that he wanted to show this by keeping silent for a while. |
| C.Because he knew that his daughter would not listen to him at that moment. |
| D.Because he wasn’t quite sure which girl was telling the truth. |
What did the father do after he had heard his daughter’s complaint?
| A.He told her not to pay any attention to what her“enemy” had said. |
| B.He criticized (批评) her and told her to overcome her shortcomings. |
| C.He told her to write down all that her“enemy” had said about her and pay attention only to the things that were true. |
| D.He refused to take the list and have a look at it. |
Jean Driscoll can go faster in her wheelchair than the world’s best marathoners(马拉松运动员) can run!
In April, Jean finished the Boston Marathon in 1 hour 34 minutes 22 seconds. That’s about 33 minutes faster than the winning male runner! She competed on the track, too. She was second in the 800 meter wheelchair race at the 1992 Olympics.
Jean doesn’t like to be told she’s brave. “I’m in sports because I’m a competitive person!” Jean was born with spina befida(脊柱裂), a birth illness that damages the spine(脊椎). She began to use a wheelchair to get around in high school. Then she tried wheelchair race and was amazed.” Players crashed into each other and fell out of their chairs,” she says, “It was fun.”
Jean tried other wheelchair sports. At the University of Illinois, her wheelchair basketball team won two national titles.
Now Jean coaches and teaches. She tries to get people to set goals. “When I sign my autograph(亲笔签名),says Jean, “I write, dream big and work hard.”What made Jean take part in sports?
| A.She was brave. |
| B.She was competitive. |
| C.She was strong. |
| D.She was disabled. |
What kind of education did she receive?
| A.High school. |
| B.Junior middle school. |
| C.High education. |
| D.Primary school. |
What is Jean’s advice on how to succeed?
| A.Work hard. | B.Hope for the best. |
| C.Dream a lot. | D.Have great wishes and work hard. |