“Everything happens for the best,” my mother said whenever I faced disappointment. “If you can carry on, one day something good will happen.”
After graduating from college in 1932, I decided to try for a job in radio, then work my way up to sports announcer(播音员). I took the bus to Chicago and knocked on the door of every station. But I was refused every time. In one studio, a nice lady told me that big stations didn’t want to accept inexperienced persons. “Go to the countryside and find a small station that’ll give you a chance,” she said.
I returned home, Dixon in Illinois. While there were no radio-announcing jobs in Dixon, my father said Smith Ward had opened a store and wanted a local sportsman to manage its sports department. Since I had played high school football in Dixon, I applied(申请). The job sounded just right for me. But I still failed in the interview. At that moment, mom’s words came to my mind: “Everything happens for the best.” Dad offered me a car to look for a job. I tried WOC Radio in Davenport in Iowa. The program director, named Peter MacArthur, told me they had already hired an announcer.
As I left his office, I felt sad. I asked aloud, “How can a man become a sports announcer if he can’t get a job in a radio station?”
I was waiting for the lift when I heard MacArthur calling, “What did you say about sports? Do you know anything about football?” Then he made me stand before a microphone and asked me to broadcast an imaginary game. As a result, I did a wonderful job and was told to broadcast Saturday’s game!
On my way home, I thought of my mother’s words again: “Everything happens for the best if you carry on. One day something good will happen.”
【小题1】After the writer graduated from college, he tried to look for a job in        at first.

It was midday when I got the call that my grandfather was not well and he was quickly getting worse. My family did not know how long he would stay in the world. I knew I had to get to the hospital to tell him how much I loved him. As I drove to the hospital, I pictured him before I got to tell him how much he meant to me. Trying to fight back the tears, I wanted to stay calm when I saw him.
When I got to the hospital, I hurriedly looked for his hospital room. I found him in a semi-conscious state (半清醒状态). On my knees, I said softly, “Hello, Grandpa.”
Still feeling shy, I decided not to leave his bedside without letting him know. While I asked about how he was, he told me, “I’ll be fine, Henry.” although we both knew that wasn't true. Then he asked me with a smile how I was doing.
Hearing what my grandpa said, I was much moved. I made the decision that I had to show my gratitude for him. As I found all the courage (勇气) I had, I hold his hand tightly. I cried out, “Grandpa. I just want to let you know how much I love you. I hope you already know that yet I just want to make sure.” By this time, tears were rolling down my face. All those years of love that I had shut and not let him know, became free.
Smilingly, he said, “I know. Thank you for telling me that. All I have on this planet is my family and my love for them. If there is anything I could ask of you, I want you to be good to your family, your mother, your father, and your brother. That’s all I want of you.”
What I learned that day changed my whole life. From then on, I began telling people how much I love them, care for them, and respect them. I get in touch with, for example, my babysitter, my barber, to show my appreciation. I go down into the city once a week and serve pizza to the homeless. I wake up every morning and list everything I’m thankful to in my life.
【小题1】The author got the news of Grandpa’s illness________.

A man went out with the wrong boots, one with a thick sole（后跟）and the other with a thin one. As he began to walk, he felt uncomfortable, for one foot was higher than the other. He felt very strange and said, “ Is there anything wrong with my legs today? Why is one of my legs long, and the other short? ”

A passer-by told him that he was wearing the wrong boots. He look down and found that it was really so. At once he asked his servant(仆人) to go back home and get another pair.

After a while the servant ran back to him. There was nothing in his hand. So he was angry and shouted at him, "Why didn't you get me the right boots?" “There's no need to change them," the servant said. "The pair at home is the same, one with a thick sole and the other with a thin one."

1. Why did the man feel uncomfortable when he began to walk?

A．Because the road was too bad.

B．Because he didn’t know the way

C．Because he wore the wrong boots.

D．Because he had no boots.

2.The man's legs themselves _____.

A．were shorter than before

B．were longer than before

C．were broken on his way

D．were right as usual

3.What does the word “passer-by" mean in Chinese?

A．路人             B．智者             C．皮匠             D．老者

4.What did the servant get him back?

A．He got the right boots quickly.

B．He got nothing when he came back

C．He got the same boots back.

D．He got the different boots back. :

5.From the short passage, we know the servant was_______.

A．right             B．careful            C．foolish            D．clever

任务型阅读。阅读短文，根据其内容，完成下列任务。（10分）

Andy was still traveling in Spain when he realized he had to confirm(确认) his   ①  home with the airline company. He was visiting Spain in order to improve his Spanish. When he was speaking to people face to face, he had no difficulty understanding what they said. However, when he was speaking on the phone, he still had a problem. Andy called the airline. And the clerk confirmed that his plane was leaving at nine o’clock three days from that day. She also told Andy to be at the airport a little earlier in order to check in his luggage and get a seat.

Since he was leaving in three days, Andy didn’t lose any time. He visited as many places as he could. He thought that it would probably be a while before he had enough money again. He wished he could come back and spend a year in Spain.

Too quickly, the final day arrived. Andy left early for the airport before take-off. He hated to rush. When he went to the clerk to show his ticket, the clerk looked at the ticket in surprise , “Why, sir, but your flight was at nine o’clock in the morning, and now it is eight in the evening.” “But I confirmed my flight,”insisted Andy.“Will I have to pay for another ticket?”

“No, Sir. However, the next flight out will be three days from now.”

Andy’s   ②   of shock turned to smile as he realized that now he could go on with his vacation.

任务一：请根据短文内容，分别写出①、②处所缺单词。（每空限填一词）

1.①______________    ②______________

任务二：根据短文内容补全句子。（每空限填一词）

2.(A) He visited as many places as _____________.

(B)From the passage we know Andy could ____________ his holiday.

任务三：请把上文中画线的句子翻译成汉语。

3._________________________________________________________

任务四：请根据短文内容回答下列问题。

4.Why did the clerk tell Andy to be at the airport a little earlier？

________________________________________________________

5.How long was Andy late for the plane that day?

_________________________________________________________

Liam works in Sydney. Last week he had   41  holiday, but he didn’t know   42  to go. He said to his friend Robert, “I   43    the hot weather here, but I can’t find a cool place in Australia. How will I spend my holiday?”
“That. ’s   44   ,” said Robert. “You’d better go to Moscow. It’s   45   there because it is covered with snow and ice now.”
Liam    46  with his friend. He bought an air ticket and soon   47  Moscow. He made a   48  journey there. But one day he got into trouble. After lunch he went outside the city. He saw a dog   49 him while he  50  by a house. It was   51   and wanted to get some food to eat. Bad luck! He had no pieces of bread or cake with him. He tried to send it away. But it began to shout at him. He wanted to 52   something to make the dog go away, but he couldn’t find anything  53   snow and ice. Suddenly he saw a stone(石头) on the ground. He tried to   54  but he failed.
“ How strange the Russians are!” Liam said to himself. “They do not tie(拴)their dogs, but firmly(紧紧地)tie the   55    ”.