They say a cat has nine lives, and I think that possible since I am now living my third life and I’m not even a cat.My father died when I was 15, and we had a hard struggle to make a living.And my mother, who was seriously ill in her last years, died while still in her 60s.My sister married soon after, and I followed her example within the year.
This was when I began to enjoy my first life.I was very happy, in excellent health.I had a good job in San Jose and a beautiful home up the peninsula (半岛) in San Carlos.Life was a pleasant dream.Then the dream ended.I became afflicted (使苦恼) with a slowly progressive disease of the motor nerves, affecting first my right arm and leg, and then my other side.Thus began my second life….
In spite of my disease I still drove to and from work each day, with the aid of special equipment installed in my car.And I managed to keep my health and optimism (乐观), to a degree, because of 14 steps.Crazy? Not at all.Our home was an affair with 14 steps leading up from the garage to the kitchen door.Those steps were a standard measure of life.They were my yardstick, my challenge to continue living.I felt that if the day arrived when I was unable to lift one foot up one step and then drag the other painfully after it ---repeating the process 14 times, I would be through---I could then admit defeat and lie down and die.
Then on a dark night in August, 1971, I began my third life.It was raining when I started home that night; strong winds and slashing rain beat down on the car as I drove slowly down one of the less-traveled roads.Suddenly the steering wheel jerked (猝然一动).In the same instant I heard the bang of a blowout.It was impossible for me to change that tire! Utterly impossible!
I started the engine and thumped slowly along, keeping well over on the shoulder until I came to the dirt road, where I turned in and where I found lighted windows welcomed me to a house and pulled into the driveway and honked the horn.
The door opened and a little girl stood there.When she knew what happened to me, she went into the house and a moment later came out, followed by a man who called a cheerful greeting.I sat there comfortable and dry, and felt a bit sorry for the man and the little girl working so hard in the storm.
About an hour later, the man’s voice was heard, “This is a bad night for car trouble, but you’re all set now.” “Thanks,” I said.“How much do I owe you?” He shook his head, “Nothing.Cynthia told me you were a cripple.Glad to be of help.I know you’d do the same for me.There’s no charge, friend.” I held out a five-dollar bill, “No! I like to pay my way.” He made no effort to take it and the little girl stepped closer to the window and said quietly, “Grandpa can’t see it.”
1.“A cat has nine lives” here means ___________.
A.a cat can live nine times longer than any other animal
B.a cat can die ninth
C.a lucky man can not die easily
D.the writer will live nine times
2.What do you think of the man who helped change the tire?
A.Warm-hearted but pitiable
B.Warm-hearted and happy
C.A blind old man that has nothing to do every day.
D.A poor old man that is always ready to help others.
3.How will the story be ended?
A.The writer paid the little girl but the old man did not accept.
B.The writer drove away with tears running down his cheek.
C.The writer stayed there, without knowing what to do and how to do.
D.In the next few frozen seconds the writer felt the shame and astonishment he had never felt before.
4.How do you understand the underlined sentence “I followed my sister’s example?”
A.He listened to his sister carefully.
B.Mother told him that he must get the agreement from his sister for whatever he would do.
C.His sister got married.He, too.
D.His sister was a great woman..He must learn from her.
5.The best title for this passage perhaps will be _____.
A.The Old Man and His Daughter B.Heart Leaping Up
C.Never Lose Heart D.Good Will Be Rewarded Good
科目:高中英语 来源: 题型:
—It took me ten years to build up my business, and it almost killed me.
—Well, you know what they say. ______.
A. There is no smoke without fire B. Practice makes perfect
C. All roads lead to Rome D. No pains, no gains
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科目:高中英语 来源: 题型:
I don’t say I am against their plan. But the trouble is they do doesn’t agree with what they say.
A. what that B. that what C. if what D. what
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科目:高中英语 来源: 题型:阅读理解
My bookshelves are full of dust―and with good reason.When iIt comes to cleaning that part of my home,I suffer from the most serious case of avoidance(回避反应症).
The thing is this:when I do set out to clean and re-organize my books,which seldom happens,I place myself into a really bad situation.No sooner do I take a title from the shelf, blow off the dust,and wipe down the cover thanI find myself sitting on the floor with legs crossed and my back against the wall.Pretty soon books get piled up on my legs as I am reunited with old friends.
It is as if these boobs have voices,and each wants to say its piece.“Remember me?I was given to you when you went into the Navy , so that you would never lack for companionshlp,”one whispers.Another says,“I was your first book of poems,given to you before you learned to love poetry.”And a third,“I was the book that made history so attrctive to you.”
Perhaps thegreatest pleasuret of re-organizing my books are the surprise―or better said,reunions―that occur. During my latest book cleaning adventure,I found one that had fallen behind the shelf:“Tales of Edgar Allan Poe.”Not an unusual title,but the words written on the first page made it very special“With Love from Mom and Dad,Christma 1965.” What’s this? A book on the physics of lasers(激光).It is filled with mathematical statements,and I had bought it at a library sale when I was 12,not long after the laser had been invented.I couldn’t understand a bit of it,bul I did learn what “laser”meant.
What I end up with when I empty my bookshelves is a cross-section(横剖面)of my personal history. It’s like a road cut whre one sees all the layers of rock going back through time to the beginning of the simplest life forms.The books I’ve read―and kept―are not just old fiends.They’ re my resume.
44.What could be said about the author?
A.He is too busy to tidy up his bookshelves.
B.He considers his books treasured possessions.
C.He has made a lot of notes in his book.
D.He is a lover of sclence books.
45.By saying that his book have voices,the author means_________.
A.they bring back happy memories
B.they are recorded in human voice
C.they say a lot about human history
D.they offer good topic for discussion
46.What does the author enjoy most from re-orgazining his books?
A.Finding some missing books.
B.Putting books in good order.
C.Learning something new from the books,
D.Rediscovering interesting stories behind some books.
47.The underlined word “resume”in the last paragraph probably means_______.
A. personal history
B. precious notes
C. good companion
D. simple life forms
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科目:高中英语 来源:湖北省武汉市2010届高三五月供题训练(三)英语 题型:阅读理解
.
STEVE Wayne, 16, who worked this summer as a lifeguard and swim teacher in Idaho Falls, was thrilled to see an extra $20 in his paycheck when the federal minimum wage increased in July.
“When you’re getting paid minimum wage, anything helps, ” Wayne said.Wayne is one of several hundred thousand American teenagers who earn the minimum wage. The last of three recent increases that took the minimum from $5.15 an hour in 2007 to $7.25.U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis says the minimum-wage increase will pump an extra $5.5 billion into the economy over the next year, which is helpful at a time when the economy is hurting.
"You're giving people who spend money a raise," says Kai Filion of the Economic Policy Institute. "Those people will go out and spend that money, and it will circulate through the economy."
But other economists say raising the minimum wage actually hurts the very people it's designed to help. A higher hourly minimum, they say, could force businesses to cut workers' hours, or even lay people off.
"What matters for people earning minimum wage is how much money they take home, in total, in their paycheck," explains Rajeev of Georgia State University's Economic Forecasting Center. "Their hourly rate may go up, but their number of hours may come down, so it's not an overall increase."
Business owners also say that raising the minimum wage exerts(施加)upward pressure on other wages. "If the minimum wage is $7 and I have to pay $8 or $9 to hire a dishwasher, then the cooks are going to say they want more," sayd Cleveland restaurant owner Rick. "How much can I charge for that hamburger?"
Another argument is that it makes it more expensive for businesses to hire new workers. For many businesses already struggling to make ends meet in these tough times, it will be simply too expensive to keep or to hire new people.
55.Steve Wayne was excited that_____________ .
A.his hard work had paid off
B.he had received a big wage increase
C.he has more money due to an increase in minimum wage
D.the wages of American teenage workers have been increased
56.According to the text, the US federal government has increased minimum wage with the aim of__________
A.decreasing unemployment
B.promoting economic recovery
C.increasing American teenagers’ wage
D.narrowing the gap between the rich and the poor
57.What matters most to people in need of help is_____________.
A.a higher hourly minimum B.more working hours
C.a minimum-wage increase D.an increase in total income
58.Some are against the increase in minimum wage because they say_____________.
A.only very few workers will be helped
B.they have to cut down working hours
C.many business owners can’t afford to employ new workers
D.minimum wage workers will expect more pay rises in the future
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科目:高中英语 来源:上海市十校2010届高三下学期考前最后一次联考英语试卷 题型:其他题
Section C
Direction:Read the following text and choose the most suitable summary from A—F for each paragraph. There is one extra summary which you do not need.
A. Promotion by the press and media.
B. Foreign influences into British cuisine.
C. The variety of British cuisine.
D. The effect of history and climate.
E. Traditional meals for different times of the day.
F. International awards to British cuisine.
1 ______
They say a country’s cuisine(烹饪) is a reflection of its culture and national character. Therefore, the UK has always been a diverse country, since every region has its own traditional foods. For example, traditional Scottish cuisine is famous for its robust character: haggis, Aberdeen Angus beef, shortbread and whisky. Wales is well known for its lamb and leeks. Ireland is synonymous with Guinness, Irish whiskey and Irish stew.
2 ______
There are of course dishes common to the whole UK as well. Everyone (except vegetarians) likes a full English breakfast in the morning, followed by a Sunday roast for lunch, perhaps followed by fish and chips or a pork pie for dinner. For dessert, there are dozens of famous British cheeses to choose from.
3 ______
British cuisine has had a better international reputation for the last decade or so. Why is that?One reason is definitely that the wide range of ethnic groups in the UK has given British cuisine new ingredients, flavours, combinations and techniques. Curry, which is originally an Asian dish, is now officially the most popular food in the UK, whereas sandwiches used to be the most popular. With significant numbers of Polish people coming to the UK recently, Polish food shops can be found in almost every British city. Most cities have a Chinese quarter as well.
4 ______
Another reason for the improvement, however, is the large number of cookery programmes on British television. British people are more educated about food than they ever before. British chefs like Gordon Ramsay and Marco Pierre White are internationally famous and even have television shows in the USA.
5 ______
So what are the results?In 2009, British restaurants received more Michelin stars than in any other previous year. The Michelin Guide (first established in France) sets the international standard for restaurant cuisine. With so much good food to eat, perhaps it is not surprising the UK now has an obesity problem.
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