A very strict officer was talking to some new soldiers whom he had to train. He had never seen them before, so began, “My name is Stone, and I’m even harder than stone, so do what I tell you or there’ll be trouble. Don’t try any tricks (诡计) with me, and then we’ll get on well together.”

    Then he went to each soldier one after the other and asked him his name, “Speak loudly so that everyone can hear you clearly,” he said, “and don’t forget to call me ‘sir’.”

    Each soldier told him name, until he came to the last one. This man remained silent, and so Captain Stone shouted at him, “ when I ask you a question, answer it! I’ll ask you again: What’s your name, soldier?”

    The soldier was very unhappy, but at last he replied, “My name’s Stonebreaker, sir,” he said nervously (紧张地).

51. The officer was strict _________.

   A. because the soldiers were new.    

B. with any of his soldiers, new or old.

   C. because he was named Stone.     

D. only when he was before soldiers.

52. According to what the officer said, _______________.

   A. obeying his orders would sometimes bring no trouble.

   B. trouble would come if anybody made tricks.

   C. he always got on well with his soldiers.

   D. he often had trouble with his soldiers.

53. The last soldier remained silent because _______________.

   A. he didn’t like the way the officer spoke to them.

   B. he wanted to see what would happen if he disobeyed his order.

   C. the question was difficult for him to answer.

   D. he was afraid the officer would be angry when he heard his name.

54. According to the officer, how to answer the question, “How old are you?”

   A. (sadly) Twenty, sir.           B. (clearly) Twenty.

   C. (loudly)Twenty, sir           D. (quickly)Ten years younger than you, sir

A well-dressed man entered a famous jewelry shop. He explained that he wished to buy a pearl for his wife’s birthday. The price didn’t matter. Since business had been very good for him that year. After examining a nice black one that cost $5000, he paid for the pearl in cash, shook hands with the jeweler, and left.

A few days later the man returned and said that his wife liked the pearl so much that she wanted another one just like it. It had to be exactly the same size and quality, as she wanted a pair of earrings made, “Can you give me any advice on how to get such a pearl?” said the man. The jeweler regretfully replied, “I would say it’s exactly impossible to find one exactly like that pearl.”

The rich man insisted that the jeweler advertise in the newspapers, offering $ 25,000 for the matching pearl. Many people answered the advertisement but nobody had a pearl that was just right.

Just when the jeweler had given up hope, a little old lady came into his store. To his great surprise, she pulled the perfect pearl from her purse. “I don’t like to part with it,” she said sadly, “I inherited it from my mother, and my mother inherited it from hers. But I really need the money.”

The jeweler was quick to pay her before she changed her mind. Then he called the rich man’s hotel to tell him the good news. The man, however, was nowhere to be found.

The man said he wanted to buy a pearl for ______.

A. his wife              B. his mother-in–law 

C. his own mother            D. no one

57. He paid $ 5,000 for the black pearl without bargaining because ______.

A. he was very rich            B. he wanted to make the jeweler believe him

C. he was anxious to get it       D. his business had been successful

He told the jeweler to get him another pearl that must be ______.

A. exactly the same size as the black one

B. exactly the same quality as the black one

C. worth no more than $ 25,000

D. exactly as big and nice as the black one

Many people answered the advertisement because they wanted _______.

A. to see the perfect pearl

B. to buy some beautiful pearls too

C. to get in touch with the rich man

D. to sell their own pearl at a high price

The jeweler couldn’t find the man anywhere because ______.

A. he died suddenly.

B. He happened to be out

C. He got $ 20,000 by cheating and had run away with the money.

D. He wouldn’t show up until the jeweler called him a second time.

D

I grew up in a small town. I was only ten years old when my dad gave me the responsibility of feeding the chickens and cleaning up the stable (马厩). He believed it was important for me to have those jobs to learn responsibility. Then, when I was 22, I found a job in Natchbill at a country music club called the Natchbill Palace. I washed dishes and cooked from 4:00 pm to 9:00 pm and then went on stage and sang until 2:00 in the morning. It wasn’t long before I became known as a singing cook. I had been rejected so many times by record companies that it was hard not to be discouraged.

One night, a woman executive (董事) from a company named Warner Brothers Records came to hear me sing. When the show was over, we sat down and talked and after she left, I said to myself it was one more rejection. A few weeks later, my manager received a phone call — Warner Brothers wanted to sign me to a record deal. Soon after, I had my first record in June 1986. It sold over 2 million copies. My best efforts had gone into every job I’ve ever held. It was the sense of responsibility that made me feel like a man.

68. Why was the writer once known as a singing cook?

A. He was a cook at a country music club.

B. He sang for guests while he worked as a cook.

C. He often sang while cooking.

D. He liked singing better than cooking.

69. Who first recognized the writer’s talents and helped make him successful?

A. His brother.      B. His manager.     C. His father.            D. A businesswoman.

70. It can be inferred from the passage that the ______.

A. writer’s success is partly due to his father     B. writer’s family was very poor

C. writer succeeded easily                   D. writer’s first record was a total failure

A well-dressed man entered a famous jewelry shop. He explained that he wished to buy a pearl for his wife’s birthday. The price didn’t matter. Since business had been very good for him that year. After examining a nice black one that cost $5000, he paid for the pearl in cash, shook hands with the jeweler, and left.

A few days later the man returned and said that his wife liked the pearl so much that she wanted another one just like it. It had to be exactly the same size and quality, as she wanted a pair of earrings made, “Can you give me any advice on how to get such a pearl?” said the man. The jeweler regretfully replied, “I would say it’s exactly impossible to find one exactly like that pearl.”

The rich man insisted that the jeweler advertise in the newspapers, offering $ 25,000 for the matching pearl. Many people answered the advertisement but nobody had a pearl that was just right.

Just when the jeweler had given up hope, a little old lady came into his store. To his great surprise, she pulled the perfect pearl from her purse. “I don’t like to part with it,” she said sadly, “I inherited it from my mother, and my mother inherited it from hers. But I really need the money.”

The jeweler was quick to pay her before she changed her mind. Then he called the rich man’s hotel to tell him the good news. The man, however, was nowhere to be found.

The man said he wanted to buy a pearl for ______.

A. his wife             B. his mother-in–law 

C. his own mother       D. no one

He paid $ 5,000 for the black pearl without bargaining because ______.

A. he was very rich      B. he wanted to make the jeweler believe him

C. he was anxious to get it   D. his business had been successful

He told the jeweler to get him another pearl that must be ______.

A. exactly the same size as the black one

B. exactly the same quality as the black one

C. worth no more than $ 25,000

D. exactly as big and nice as the black one

Many people answered the advertisement because they wanted _______.

A. to see the perfect pearl

B. to buy some beautiful pearls too

C. to get in touch with the rich man

D. to sell their own pearl at a high price

The jeweler couldn’t find the man anywhere because ______.

A. he died suddenly.

B. He happened to be out

C. He got $ 20,000 by cheating and had run away with the money.

D. He wouldn’t show up until the jeweler called him a second time.

When I come across a good article in reading newspapers, I often want to cut and keep it. But just as I am about to do so, I find the article on the __1__ side is as much interesting. It may be a discussion of the way to __2__ in good health, or __3__ about how to behave and conduct oneself in society. If I cut the front article, the opposite one is likely to __4__ damage, leaving out half of it or keeping the text __5__ the title. Therefore, the scissors would __6__ before they start, __7__ halfway done when I find out the __8__ result.

Sometimes two things are to be done at the same time, both worth your __9__. You can only take up one of them, the other has to wait or be __10__ up.

But you know the future is unpredictable—the changed situation may not allow you to do what is left__11__. Thus you are __12__ in a difficult position and feel sad. How __13__ that nice chances and brilliant ideas should gather around all at once? It may happen that your life __14__ greatly on your preference of one choice to the other.

In fact that is what __15__ is like: we are often __16__ with the two opposite sides of a thing which are both desirable like a newspaper cutting. It often occurs that your attention is drawn to one thing only __17__ we get into another. The __18__ may be more important than the latter and give rise to divided mind. I __19__ remember a philosopher's remarks, “When one door shuts, another opens in life.” So a casual __20__ may not be a bad one.

 

1.A.front　　　　 B．same　　　　　　 C．either　　　　 D．opposite

2．A.get　　　　　 B．keep　　　　　　 C．lead　　　　　 D．bring

3．A.advice　　　 B．news　　　　　　 C．a theory　　　 D．a report

4．A.suffer　　　 B．reduce　　　　　 C．prevent　　　 D．cause

5．A.on　　　　　 B．for　　　　　　 C．without　　　 D．off

6．A.use　　　　　 B．handle　　　　　 C．prepare　　　 D．stay

7．A.or　　　　　 B．but　　　　　　 C．so　　　　　　 D．for

8．A.satisfying　 B．regretful　　　 C．surprising　　 D．impossible

9．A.courage　　　 B．strength　　　　 C．attention　　 D．patience

10．A.given　　　 B．held　　　　　　 C．made　　　　　 D．picked

11．A.near　　　　 B．alone　　　　　 C．about　　　　 D．behind

12．A.filled　　　 B．attracted　　　 C．caught　　　　 D．struck

13．A.dare　　　　 B．come　 　　　　 C．deal　　　　　 D．do

14．A.improves　　 B．changes　　　　 C．progresses　　 D．goes

15．A.study　　　 B．society　　　　 C．nature　　　　 D．life

16．A.faced　　　 B．supplied　　　　 C．connected　　 D．fixed

17．A.before　　　 B．after　　　　　 C．until　　　　 D．as

18．A.following　 B．next　　　　　　 C．above　　　　 D．former

19．A.still　　　　 B．also　　　　　　 C．once　　　　　 D．almost

20．A.treatment　　 B．action　　　　　 C．choice　　　　 D．remark