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 clear across the country in pursuit of 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 is Wednesday.” Memories flashed through his mind like an old newsreel（纪录片） 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.

“I loved that old house he lived in,” Jack said.

“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. 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. He had no children of his own, and most of his relatives had passed away.

The night before they 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 for 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 cleared his appointments for the next two days. “Why?” his assistant asked.

“I need some time to spend with my son,” he said.

1.Why did Jack think Mr. Belser died years ago?

   A. Jack was too busy realizing his dreams to think about Mr. Belser.

   B. Jack was too busy with his business and family to think about Mr. Belser.

   C. College and career prevented him from remembering Mr. Bleser.

   D. His present busy life washed away his childhood memories.

2.Jack’s mother told him on the phone about Mr. Belser EXCEPT that ______.

   A. Mr. Belser often asked how Jack was doing  

   B. Mr. Belser’s funeral would take place on Wednesday

   C. Mr. Belser had asked for Jack’s mailing address

   D. Mr. Belser had pleasant memories of their time together

3.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 had missed his son and his family for days.

   D. He came to realize the importance of the time with his family.

4.Which of the following is the most suitable title for this passage?

   A. The Good Old Times               B. What He Valued Most

   C. My lost friend                   D. The Lost Childhood Days

 

In order to complete his work ahead of time, he got up earlier_____

A．than usual

B．as usual

C．than usually

D．as usually

 

 

Last week my youngest son and I visited my father at his new home in Tucson, Arizona. He moved there a few years ago, and I was eager to see his new place and meet his friends.

         My earliest memories of my father are of a tall, handsome, successful man devoted to his work and family, but uncomfortable with his children. As a child I loved him; as a school girl and young adult I feared him and felt bitter about him. He seemed unhappy with me unless I got straight A’s and unhappy with my boyfriends if their fathers were not as “successful” as he was. Whenever I went out with him on weekends, I used to struggle to think up things to say, feeling on guard.

On the first day of my visit, we went out with one of my father’s friends for lunch at an outdoor café. We walked along that afternoon, did some shopping, ate on the street table, and laughed over my son’s funny facial expressions. Gone was my father’s critical(挑剔的) air and strict rules. Who was this person I knew as my father, who seemed so friendly and interesting to be around? What had held him back before?

The next day my dad pulled out his childhood pictures and told me quite a few stories about his own childhood. Although our times together became easier over the years, I never felt closer to him at that moment. After so many years, I’m at last seeing another side of my father. And in so doing, I’m delighted with my new friend. My dad, in his new home in Arizona, is back to me from where he was.

1.Why did the author feel bitter about her father when she was a young adult?

   A. He was silent most of the time.                      B. He was too proud of himself.

   C. He did not love his children.                    D. He expected too much of her.

2.When the author went out with her father on weekends, she would feel ______.

   A. nervous             B. sorry                               C. tired                 D. safe

3.What does the author think of her father after her visit to Tucson?

   A. More critical.                       B. More talkative.  

C. Gentle and friendly..      D.Strict and hard-working

4.The underlined words “my new friend” in the last paragraph refer to ______.

   A. the author’s son                                                  B. the author’s father

   B. the friend of the author’s father                     D. the café owner

 

O。Henry wasa pen name used by an America writer of short stories.His real namewas WilliamSydney

1.People enjoyed reading O. Henry’s stories because

   A. they had surprise endings              B. they were easy to understand

   C. they showed his love for the poor D. they were about New York City

2. O. Henry went to prison because        .

   A. people thought he had stolen money from the newspaper

   B. he broke the law by not using his own name

   C. he wanted to write stories about prisoners

   D. people thought he had taken money that was not his

3.What do we know about O. Henry before he began writing?

   A. He was well-educated.            B. He was not serious about his work.

   C. He was devoted to the poor.          D. He was very good at learning.

4. Where did O. Henry get most material for his short stories?

   A. His life inside the prison.           B. The newspaper articles he wrote.

   C. The city and people of New York.      D. His exciting early life as a boy.

 

A Beautiful Mind

    A mathematician who goes mad is not a subject most directors consider commercially attractive, but then Ran Howard isn’t among most directors. Despite an impressive list of credits, A Beautiful Mind is his most successful work to date, combining a psychological drama with a moving love story to produce a film that is as interesting as it is entertaining.

    The Oscar winning Russell Crowe has put himself in line for further honors with his acting John Nash, the Nobel Prize winning mathematician troubled by schizophrenia (精神分裂症). A Beautiful Mind pictures Nash as an unusual hero，not just because of his academic achievements but also because of the courage he displays while battling his illness．

    In 1947, Nash was one of many great young minds at Princeton. “To find a truly original idea is the only way to distinguish myself,” the proud and determined student declared. His exploration of such an idea afforded him little time for the normal socializing. His shyness and straight forward approach brought him few friends.

    After finally hitting on a revolutionary new idea, Nash’s career took off and his reputation as secured. He balanced research work with teaching, which is where he met the bright and beautiful student Alicia (played by Jennifer Connelly). Things in his life were going well when his talent for code breaking brought him to the attention of the military that employed him during the early stage of the cold war with Russia. However, the stress of his work made Nash’s illness develop．

    Crowe’s performance is perfect. He and Connelly ignite (make something exciting) the film’s passionate love story and Connelly’s wonderful performance makes the audience moved by Alicia, whose courage, strength and faith in her husband are the primary reasons for his recovery.

1.This passage is most probably ________．

    A. a book review        B. a movie review       C. a movie poster       D. an advertisement

2.Which can replace the underlined phrase “hitting on” in the fourth paragraph?

    A. coming up with       B. coming on            C. putting on           D. putting up with

 

3. The following statements are true EXCEPT that _______．

    A. John Nash did not go mad totally

    B. Ran Howard is an outstanding director

    C. the stress of the academic work caused Nash’s illness

    D. Nash’s concentration on his work and his shyness brought him few friends

4. We can infer from the text that _______．

    A. John Nash volunteered to serve in the army in spite of his illness

B. John Nash gave up his career when troubled by schizophrenia

    C. Russell Crowe won another Oscar Award after this movie

    D. without Alicia, John Nash wouldn’t have recovered from his illness