I went through a training program and became a literacy volunteer last surnmen The training

I received, though excellent, did not tell me how it was to work with a real student, however. When I began to discover what other people's lives were like because they could not read, I realized the true importance of reading.

My first student Marie was a 44-year-old single mother of three. In the first lesson, I found out she walked two miles to the nearest supermarket twice a week because she didn't know which bus to take. When I told her I would get her a bus schedule, she told me it would not help because she could not  read it. She said she also had difficulty once she got to the supermarket,because she couldn't always remember what she needed. Since she did not know words, she could not write out a shopping list. Also, she could only recognize items by sight, so if the product had a different label, she would not recognize it as the product she wanted.

As we worked together, learning how to read built Marie's self-confidence,which encouraged her to continue her studies. She began to make rapid progress and was even able to take the bus to the supermarketelt. After this successful trip, she reported how self-confident she felt. At the end of the program, she began helping her youngest son,Tony, a shy first grader with his reading. She sat with him before he went to sleep and together they would read bedtime stories. When his eyes became wide with excitement as she read, pride was written all over her face. As she described this experience, I was proud of myself as well. I found that helping Marie to build her self-confidence was more rewarding than anything I had ever done before.

As a literacy volunteer, I learned a great deal about teaching and helping others. In fact, I may have learned more from the experience than Marie did.

1.What did the author do last summer?

A．She worked in the supermarket

B．She helped someone to learn to read

C．She gave single mothers the help they needed

D．She went to a training program to help a literacy volunteer

2.Why didn’t Marie go to the supermarket by bus at first?

A．Because she liked to walk to the supermarket

B．Because she lived far away from the bus stop

C．Because she couldn’t afford the bus ticket

D．Because she couldn’t find the right bus

3.How did Marie use to find the goods she wanted in the supermarket?

A．She knew where the goods were in the supermarket

B．She asked others to take her to the right place

C．She managed to find the goods by their looks

D．She remembered the names of the goods

4.What did the writer think of her work as a literacy volunteer?

A．Interesting                            B．Meaningful

C．Tiring                                D．Touching

 

June was lying by the Olympic size swimming pool in her new swimsuit. She was really hot and dived into water.        else was in the pool. The refreshing water cooled her body immediately, which       her to continue doing some laps there.

Now having swum in the past several years and being a bit out of      , June began to tire      . “Ah, no pains, no gains,” June thought to herself. June       to swim, realizing her head was      . Breathing became difficult. Her vision wasn’t so      . She saw the lifeguard and a couple of others around the pool. No sense in       anyone. She continued.

She found       in the middle of the pool. Deciding not to make a scene, she continued to swim.      , she made it to the other side of the pool. Nausea (恶心), weakness and exhaustion (精疲力竭)       it difficult for June to get out of the pool.       she stood, her body slowly shook back and forth, Losing her      .

Realizing she needed help but       to even say anything, she       the pool side and stood there. Several minutes later she had enough energy to only       her body up out of the pool. Sitting at the side of the pool with her feet in the water she felt that someone was       at her. It was the lifeguard. June was just able to       her hand, telling him she was okay.

Have you ever found yourself in a      where you’re in trouble and you don’t ask for help? There is nothing       in asking for help. June could have drowned. However, we all have the tendency, as June did.

1.A. someone B. No one           C. Anyone                   D. Everyone

2.A. advised     B. encouraged      C. allowed           D. forced

3.A. mind           B. time                         C. shape                      D. fashion

4.A. hardly                  B. easily                       C. falsely                D. unexpectedly

5.A. remained   B. stopped                  C. happened               D. continued

6.A. hurting           B. hurt                           C. suffering                 D. suffered

7.A. sure            B. clean                       C. clear                        D. poor

8.A. bothering  B. interrupting      C. attracting                 D. helping

9.A. one             B. it                    C. her                           D. herself

10.A. Lastly                 B. Finally            C. Suddenly                D. Surprisingly

11.A. found                B. let                            C. made                       D. felt

12.A. Since                 B. As                   C. Until                         D. Unless

13.A. life                B. courage          C. chance               D. balance

14.A. unable         B. ready                        C. proud                 D. afraid

15.A. lay on                B. came across  C. leaned against       D. fought with

16.A. pull           B. push                        C. raised              D. rise

17.A. laughing B. staring             C. glimpsing                  D. shrugging

18.A. hold                   B. lend                         C. move                       D. wave

19.A. condition         B. atmosphere      C. situation                  D. environment

20.A. difficult        B. different                  C. useful                 D. wrong

 

The drug store was closing for the night and Alfred Higgins was about to go home when his new boss approached him.

“Empty your pockets please, Alfred,” Sam Carr demanded in a firm voice.

Alfred pretended to be shocked but he knew he had been caught. From his coat he withdrew a make-up kit, a lipstick and two tubes of toothpaste.

“I’m disappointed in you, Alfred!” said the little gray-haired man.

“Sorry, sir. Please forgive me. It’s the first time I’ve ever done such a thing,” Alfred lied, hoping to gain the old man’s sympathy.

Mr Carr’s brow furrowed as he reached for the telephone, “Do you take me for a fool? Let’s see what the police have to say. But first I’ll call your mother and let her know her son is heading to jail.”

“Do whatever you want,” Alfred shot back, trying to sound big. But deep down he felt like a child. He imagined his mother rushing in, eyes burning with anger, maybe in tears. Yet he wanted to come quickly before Mr. Carr called the police.

Mr. Carr was surprised when Mrs. Higgins finally arrived . She was very calm, quiet and friendly. “Is Alfred in trouble?” she asked.

“He’s been stealing from the store,” the old man coolly replied.

Mrs. Higgins pulled out her hand and touched Mr. Carr’s arm with great gentleness as if she knew just how he felt. She spoke as if she did not want to cause him any more trouble. “What do you want to do, Mr.Carr?”

The woman’s calm and gentle manner disarmed the once-angry store-owner, “I was going to get a cop. But I don’t want to be cruel. Tell your son not to come back here again and I will let it go.” Then he warmly shook Mrs. Higgins’ hand.

Mrs. Higgins thanked the old ma for his kindness, then mother and son left. They walked along the street in silence. When they arrived home his mother simply said, “Go to bed, you fool.”

In his bedroom, Alfred heard his mother in the kitchen. He felt no shame, only pride in his mother’s actions. “She was smooth!” he thought. He went to the kitchen to tell her how great she was, but was shocked by what he saw.

His mother’s face looked frightened, broken. Not the cool, bright face he saw earlier. Her lips moved nervously. She looked very old. There were tears in her eyes.

This picture of his mother made him want to cry. He felt his youth ending. He saw all the troubles he brought her and the deep lines of worry in her grey face. It seemed to him that this was the first time he had ever really seen his mother.

1.Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A．It was the first time Alfred had stolen anything.

B．Mr. Carr set a trap to catch Alfred stealing.

C．Alfred tried to sound big to hide his fear.

D．Mr. Carr had planned to forgive Alfred from the beginning.

2.What does the underlined word “disarmed” probably mean?

A．annoyed

B．got over

C．convinced

D．made less angry

3.What was the mother’s attitude towards Alfred?

A．She felt disappointed with him.	B．She was strict with him.
C．She was supportive of him.	D．She was afraid of him.

4.What impressed Alfred most about his mother at the drugstore was_______.

A．how angry she was	B．how effective she handled Mr. Carr.
C．that she was able to save him	D．that she didn’t cry

5.From the last paragraph, we know Alfred________.

A．was no longer a youth.	B．felt proud of his mother
C．wanted his mother to be happy	D．felt guilty and regretful for his deed.

 

He met her at a party. She was outstanding; many guys were   41   her, but nobody paid any attention to him. After the party, he   42   her for coffee. She was   43  . In order not to appear rude, she went   44  .

As they sat in a nice   45   shop, he was too nervous to say anything and she felt   46  .

Suddenly, he asked the waiter, “Could you please give me some   47  ? I’d like to put it in my coffee.”

They stared at him. He turned red; but when the salt came, he put it in his coffee and drank.  48  , she asked. “Why salt with coffee?” He explained, “When I was a little boy, I lived near the sea, I liked playing on the sea… I could   49   its salty taste, like salty coffee. Now every time I drink it, I   50   my childhood and my hometown. I miss   51   and my parents, who are still there.”

She was   52   touched. A man who can admit that he’s homesick must love his home and care about his family. He must be   53  .

So they dated,   54   and lived happily together. And every time she made coffee for him, she would put in some salt, the way he liked it.

After 40 years, he   55   and left her a letter which said:

My dearest, please   56   my life-long lie. Remember the first time we dated? I was so nervous that I asked for salt   57   sugar.

Sweetheart, I don’t exactly like salty coffee. But as it mattered so   58   to you, I’ve   59 

to enjoy it. Having you with me was my greatest happiness. If I could live a second time, I hope we can be together again,   60  , it means that I have to drink salty coffee for the rest of my life.

A. before     B. beyond       C. after   D. near

A. invited    B. paid    C. forced D. asked

A. interested B. frightened  C. moved       D. surprised

A. away       B. along  C. over    D. down

A. coffee     B. tea      C. beer    D. wine

A. comfortable    B. different     C. uncomfortable   D. indifferent

A. sugar       B. pepper       C. candy  D. salt

A. Angrily   B. Curiously   C. Worriedly   D. Happily

A. feel  B. see      C. notice D. find

A. think over       B. bring up     C. think of      D. remind of

A. this  B. it C. him    D. her

A. highly     B. specially     C. hardly D. deeply

A. responsible     B. reasonable  C. sensible      D. representative

A. married   B. engaged     C. separated    D. split

A. walked away   B. left away    C. passed away       D. got away

A. forget      B. forgive       C. imagine      D. value

A. instead    B. instead of   C. in spite of   D. other than

A. many      B. more   C. any     D. much

A. studied    B. learnt  C. adapted      D. used

A. however  B. as it    C. when  D. even if

As soon as I saw her, I understood I was in trouble. The tiny 10-year-old girl was staring at me with that specific facial expression which probably only dentists have to enjoy all day long!

Whatever question I asked, whatever activity I suggested, her reaction was pretty much the same — she was frozen with horror. She was sent to our private language school after having been the worst in English at her key school with a pretty strict ELT syllabus(教学大纲), with her peers teasing her for her mistakes in English. Moreover, her state school teacher called her name. To make things worse, she was under pressure from her family for getting bad marks in English. She was definitely expecting me to carry on the same way with her.

I have to admit that I had been staring at her with probably the same expression for a while before eventually she handed in an absolutely incredible composition which I had previously asked the class to write. It was written in perfect handwriting, was full of clever ideas and had correct paragraphing. The girl got her first excellent mark in English, and I praised her generously and from then on I started using her writing skills to support the others. Before doing an oral retelling of a story, she wrote it down. Before presenting her oral project, she was allowed to do the same thing. The day she first put up her hand to orally answer my question addressed to the class I was incredibly happy.

She taught me how to approach withdrawn students — find the skill which they can excel at, in her case writing, and help the student use it to develop other skills!

1.The writer is probably a teacher 　　　. 

A. in a language training center

B. in a private language school

C. in a state school

D. in a key public school

2.The writer’s first impression of the little girl was that she was 　　　. 

A. incredibly dull          B. hard to cope with

C. far too lovely            D. pretty confident

3.The girl came to the school because 　　　. 

A. she had some special skills

B. she was good at writing poems

C. she felt very uncomfortable at her previous school

D. she is poor at her pronunciation