It was a winter morning, just a couple of weeks before Christmas 2005. While most people were warming up their ears, Trevor, my husband, had to get up early to ride his bike four kilometers away from home to work. On arrival, he parked his bike outside the back door as he usually does. After putting in 10 hours of labor, he returned to find his bike gone.

The bike, a black Kona 18 speed, was our only transport. Trevor used it to get to work, putting in 60-hour weeks to support his young family. And the bike was also used to get groceries (食品杂货) saving us from having to walk long distances from where we live.

I was so grieved that someone would steal our bike that I wrote to the newspaper and told them our story. Shortly after that，several people in our area offered to help. One wonderful stranger even bought a bike, then called my husband to pick ii up. Once again my husband had a way to get to and from his job. It really is an honor that a complete stranger would go out of their way for someone they have never met before.

People say that a smile can be passed from one person to another, but acts of kindness from strangers are even more so. This experience has had a spreading effect in our lives because it strengthened our faith in humanity (人性) as a whole. And it has influenced (影响) us to be more mindful of ways we, too, can share with others. No matter how or how small, an act of kindness shows that someone cares. And the results can be everlasting.

1.Why was the bike so important to the couple?

A．The man's job was bike racing.              B．It was their only possession.

C．It was a nice Kona 18 speed.               D．They used it for work and daily life

2.We can infer from the text that ________

A．The couple worked 60 hours a week         B．people were busy before Christmas

C．the stranger brought over the bike          D．life was hard for the young family

3.How did people get to know the couple's problem?

A．From radio broadcasts.                   B．From a newspaper.

C．From TV news.                          D．From a stranger.

4.The underlined word "grieved" in paragraph 3 probably means________.

A．upset            B．pleased           C．frightened         D．lucky

5.What do the couple learn from their experience?

A．Strangers are usually of little help.           B．One should take care of their bike.

C．News reports make people famous.          D．An act of kindness can mean a lot.

 

Until a few months ago, he was a butler(管家) in one of the more expensive residential buildings in Manhattan. But now, Nepal-born Indra Tamang is the owner of two multi-million dollar apartments in the same building.

    The former owner - his former employer, Ruth Ford - died last year and left the apartments  to Mr Tamang in her will.

    Mr Tamang is happy but quickly points out that his good fortune did not come easily. "I am happy and have been touched by the generosity of the Ford family," he says. "I never expected that I will be given the ownership of these apartments. But I have been working for the family for the last 36 years, devotedly, with honesty and dedication(奉献). So my hard work has been rewarded."

    Mr Tamang was 21 when he was brought from Nepal by Charles Ford, a writer and a photographer. Mr Ford died in 2002; his sister, actress Ruth Ford, then took charge and told Mr Tamang that he was like a brother to her after Charles's death.

    Mrs Ford died aged 98. During the last five years of her life, she lost her eyesight and also developed speech problems. Mr Tamang looked after her most of the time and took care of her medicines and food.

    He also worked with Charles Ford on various photography projects, which he now wants to keep as the photographer's legacy(遗产). He hopes to organize exhibitions of Mr Ford's photographs and edit a book of his works.

Mr Tamang plans to sell the bigger, three-bedroom apartment to pay the taxes he owes to the government on his legacy. He says: "The rules of the building might be a problem, as they require a minimum monthly income to qualify to live as owner of apartments. I have my small house here but I am happy with it,"

   Mr Tamang has learnt his lesson from the life of his employers and plans to use his money with great caution. "I think one should save money for old age. That's when you need it the most to get care," he says. 

1.Mr Tamang treated the legacy as __________.

A. a reward    B. a punishment   C. business   D. a gift

2.What DIDN’T Mr Tamang do in the Ford family?

A. Show Mr Ford's works in the exhibition.

B. Look after Ruth Ford when she was ill.

C. Work on kinds of photography projects

D. Experience deaths of Charles Ford and Ruth Ford

3.Mr Tamang wants to sell one apartment to _______. 

A. buy the small house

B. pay the government the tax of the apartments

C. edit a book of Charles Ford's photographs

D. move into the expensive apartments as soon as possible

4.What lesson does Mr Tamang learn from the Ford family? 

A. To find a good butler.

B. To spend money thoughtfully.

C. To save money for children.

D. To get good care when people get old.

5.What can we know from the passage?

A. Charles Ford gave the apartments to Mr Tamang.

B. Charles Ford couldn't see or speak before his death.

C. Mr Tamang treated Ruth Ford much better than her brother.

D. Mr Tamang will still live in his small house in the near future.

 

Reading to oneself is modern activity which was almost unknown to the learned in the early days of the history, while during the fifteenth century the term “reading” undoubtedly meant reading aloud. Only during the nineteenth century did silent reading become popular.

One should be careful, however, of supposing that silent reading came about simply because reading aloud is distraction（分散注意力）to others. Examination of reasons connected with the historical development of silent reading shows that it became the usual mode of reading for most adult reading tasks mainly because the tasks themselves changed in character.

The last century saw a gradual increase in literacy（读写能力）and thus in the number of readers. As readers increased, so the number of listeners dropped, and thus there was some reduction in the need to read aloud. As reading for the benefit of listeners grew less common, so came the popularity of reading as a private activity in such public places as libraries, trains and offices, where reading aloud would disturb other readers in a way.

Towards the end of the century there was still heated argument over whether books should be used for information or treated respectfully, and over whether the reading of material such as newspapers was in some way mentally weakening. Indeed this argument remains with us still in education. However, whatever its advantages, the old shared literacy culture had gone and was replaced by the printed mass media on the one hand and by books and magazines for a specialized readership on the other.

By the end of the century students were being advised to have some new ideas of books and to use skill in reading them which were not proper, if not impossible, for the oral reader. The social, cultural, and technological developments in the century had greatly changed what the term “reading” referred to.

1.Why was reading aloud common before the nineteenth century?

A．Because silent reading had not been discovered.

B．Because few people could read for themselves.

C．Because there were few places for private reading.

D．Because people depended on reading for enjoyment.

2.The development of silent reading during the nineteenth century showed      .

A．a change in the nature of reading	B．a change in the position of literate people
C．an increase in the number of books	D．an increase in the average age of readers

3. Educations are still arguing about       .

A．the amount of information provided by books and newspapers

B．the importance of silent reading

C．the value of different types of reading material

D．the effects of reading on health

4.What is the writer of this passage attempting to do?

A．To show how reading methods have improved.	B．To encourage the growth of reading.
C．To change people’s way to read.	D．To explain how present-day reading habits developed.

 

A few years ago, I took a sightseeing trip to Washington, D.C．Standing outside the Ronald Reagan Center, I heard a voice say, “Can you help me?” When I turned around, I saw an elderly blind woman with her hand extended．In a natural reflex (反应), I reached into my pocket, pulled out all of my loose change and placed it on her hand without even looking at her．I was annoyed at being bothered by a beggar．But the blind woman smiled and said, “I don’t want your money．I just need help finding the post office.

In an instant, I realized what I had done．I judged another person simply for what I assumed she had to be．I hated what I saw in myself．This incident re-awakened my belief in humility (谦恭), even though I’d lost it for a moment．

The thing I had forgotten about myself is that I am an immigrant．I left Honduras and arrived in the U.S．at the age of 15．I started my new life with two suitcases, my brother and sister, and a strong, serious-minded mother．Through the years, I have been a dishwasher, mechanic and pizza delivery driver among many other humble jobs, and eventually I became a network engineer．

In my own life, I have experienced many open acts of prejudice (偏见)．I remember a time, at age 17 — I worked as a waiter, and I heard a father tell his little boy that if he did not do well in school, he would end up like me．I have also witnessed the same treatment of my family and friends, so I know what it’s like, and I should have known better．

But now, living in my American middle-class lifestyle, it is too easy to forget my past, to forget who I am and where I have been, and to lose sight of where I want to be going．That blind woman on the streets of Washington, D.C., cured me of my blindness．She reminded me of my belief in humility and to always keep my eyes and heart open．By the way, I helped that lady to the post office．And in writing this essay, I hope to thank her for the priceless lesson．

1.We can learn from the first two paragraphs that________________________________．

A．the author regretted his act of prejudice

B．the blind woman needed the money badly

C．the author was as poor as the blind woman

D．the author was a native American

2.According to Paragraph 4, hearing the father’s words, the author was probably________．

A．rather hurt        B．very excited       C．deeply moved      D．greatly inspired

3.According to the passage, the author probably agrees that one should_______________．

A．be nice to the elderly and the disabled

B．try to experience different kinds of life

C．treat others equally with love and respect

D．think about one’s past as often as possible

4.Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?

A．Learn from Your Past                     B．How My Dream Comes True

C．A Belief That Will Never Change            D．A Priceless Lesson in the Street

 

Reading to oneself is a modern activity which was almost unknown to the learned in the early days of the history, while during the fifteenth century the term “reading” undoubtedly meant reading aloud. Only during the nineteenth century did silent reading become popular.

One should be careful, however, of supposing that silent reading came about simply because reading aloud is distraction（分散注意力）to others. Examination of reasons connected with the historical development of silent reading shows that it became the usual mode of reading for most adult reading tasks mainly because the tasks themselves changed in character.

The last century saw a gradual increase in literacy（读写能力）and thus in the number of readers. As readers increased, so the number of listeners dropped, and thus there was some reduction in the need to read aloud. As reading for the benefit of listeners grew less common, so came the popularity of reading as a private activity in such public places as libraries, trains and offices, where reading aloud would disturb other readers in a way. 

Towards the end of the century there was still heated argument over whether books should be used for information or treated respectfully, and over whether the reading of material such as newspapers was in some way mentally weakening. Indeed this argument remains with us still in education. However, whatever its advantages are, the old shared literacy culture had gone and was replaced by the printed mass media on the one hand and by books and magazines for a specialized readership on the other.

By the end of the century students were being advised to have some new ideas of books and to use skills in reading them which were not proper, if not impossible, for the oral reader. The social, cultural, and technological developments in the century had greatly changed what the term “reading” referred to.

1.Why was reading aloud common before the nineteenth century?

A. Because silent reading had not been discovered.

B. Because there were few places for private reading.

C. Because few people could read for themselves.

D. Because people depended on reading for enjoyment.

2.The development of silent reading during the nineteenth century showed_______.

A. a change in the position of literate people

B. a change in the nature of reading

C. an increase in the number of books

D. an increase in the average age of readers

3.Educationalists are still arguing about__________.

A. the importance of silent reading

B. the amount of information provided by books and newspapers

C. the effects of reading on health

D. the value of different types of reading material