When my family moved to America from a small village in Guangdong, China, we brought not only our luggage, but also our village rules, customs and culture. One of the rules is that young people should always respect(尊敬) elders. Unluckily, this rule led to my very first embarrassment in the United States.
I had a part-time job as a waiter in a Chinese restaurant. One time, when I was serving food to a middle-aged couple, the wife asked me how the food could be served so quickly. I told her that I had made sure they got their food quickly because I always respect the elderly. As soon as I said that, her face showed great displeasure. My manager, who happened to hear what I said, took me aside and gave me a long lecture about how sensitive(敏感) Americans are and how they dislike the description “old”. I then walked back to the table and apologized to the wife. After the couple heard my reason, they understood that the problem was caused by cultural differences, so they laughed and were no longer angry.
In my village in China, people are proud of being old. Not so many people live to be seventy or eighty, and people who reach such an age have the most knowledge and experience. Young people always respect older people because they know they can learn from their rich experience.
However, in the United States, people think “growing old” is a problem since “old” shows that a person is going to retire(退休) or that the body is not working well. Here many people try to keep themselves away from growing old by doing exercises or jogging, and women put on makeup, hoping to look young. When I told the couple in the restaurant that I respect the elderly, they got angry because this caused them to feel they had failed to stay young. I had told them something they didn’t want to hear.
After that, I changed the way I had been with older people. It is not that I don’t respect them any more; I still respect them, but now I don’t show my feelings through words.
【小题1】Jack brought the couple their food very fast because______.

Mrs. Ball had a son. His name was Mick. She 　26　him very much and as（因为）he was not a 　27　child, she was always afraid that he might 　28　ill. 　29　she usually took him to see the best 　30　 in the town four times a year and asked the doctor to look 　31　the son.

　  During one of these 　32　, the doctor gave Mick all kinds of tests(检查) and then said to him, “Do you have any trouble with your nose or ears ?” Mick 　33　for a second and then answered, “Yes, I 　34 _.”

　 Mrs. Ball was very 　35　. “But I’m sure you have 　36　told me that, Mick!” she said worriedly. “Oh, really?” said the doctor 　37　. “And what trouble do you have 　38　your nose and ears, my boy?” “Well,” answered Mick. “I always have trouble with them when I’m  39　my sweater off, 　40　 the collar (领子) is very tight (紧的).”

1.A．loved　　 B．hated　　C．missed　　D．cared

2.A．rich　　  B．clever　　C．strong　　D．happy

3.A．is　　    B．are　　　C．be　　　 D．were

4.A．Which　　B．Of　　　 C．But　　　D．So

5.A．player　　 B．teacher　 C．doctor　 D．1awyer 　

6.A．after　　  B．over　　  C．for　　  D．at

7.A．talkers　　B．times　　 C．visitors　 D．stays

8.A．waited　  B．thought　 C．stood　　 D．looked

9.A．did　　   B．do　　   C．does　　 D．doing

10.A．excited　  B．interested　C．pleased   D．surprised

11.A．already　　B．just　　  C．never　　 D．always

12.A．angrily　　B．seriously　C．happily　 D．hardly

13.A．for　　    B．at　　   C．of　　    D．with

14.A．turning　　B．taking　　C．keeping   D．putting

15.A．because　  B．but　　　C．although　D．till

When I was a kid in Minnesota, watermelons were expensive. One of my father's friends, Bernie, was a rich businessman, who owned a large store in St. Paul.

　　Every summer, when the first watermelons arrived, Bernie would call. Dad and I would go to Bernie's place. We’d sit on the edge of the dock (码头), feet dangling (摇晃), and got ready for a big meal. Bernie would take his knife, cut our first watermelon, hand us both a big piece and sit down next to us. Then we'd bury our faces in watermelon, eating only the heart—the reddest, juiciest, firmest, sweetest, and most seed-free part — and throw away the rest.

　　Bernie was my father's ideal of a rich man. I always thought it was because he was such a successful businessman. Years later, I realized that it was not Bernie's wealth itself but his way of dealing with it that my father liked. Bernie knew how to stop working, get together with friends and eat only the heart of the watermelon.

　　What I learned from Bernie is that being rich is a state of mind. Some of us, no matter how much money we have, will never be free enough to eat only the heart of the watermelon. If you don't take the time to dangle your feet over the dock and enjoy life’s small pleasure, your work is probably hurting your life.

　　For many years, I forgot that lesson I'd learned as a kid on the loading dock. I was too busy making all the money I could.

Well, I've relearned it. I hope I have time left to enjoy the success of others and to take pleasure in the day. That's the heart of the watermelon. I have learned again to throw the rest away.

1.We learn from the second paragraph the writer and his father were feeling_____.

A. hungry B. worried C. relaxed D. proud

2.How did the writer and his father eat the watermelon?

A. They ate it in a polite way.

B. They only ate its best part.

C. They ate every part of it.

D. They shared only one piece.

3.In the eyes of the writer's father, Bernie ________.

A. was just a rich businessman

B. worked hard all the time

C. lived a rich but healthy life

D. knew how to make money

4.The underlined part "the heart of the watermelon" in the last paragraph refers to ______.

A. the writer's hope of enjoying life

B. the writer's busy life

C. the writer's decision of making money

D. the best part of the watermelon

5.It can be learned from the passage that ______.

A. one has to work hard to reach his goal

B. a friend in need is a friend in deed

C. watermelon is the healthiest fruit

D. one should keep work-life balance