It was New Year’s Night. An aged man was standing at a window. He raised his mournful eyes towards the deep blue sky, where the stars were floating like white lilies on the surface of a clear calm lake. Then he cast them on the earth, where few more hopeless people than himself now moved towards their certain goal --- the tomb. He had already passed sixty of the stages leading to it, and he had brought from his journey nothing but errors and remorse. Now his health was poor, his mind vacant, his heart sorrowful, and his old age short of comforts.

The days of his youth appeared like dreams before him, and he recalled the serious moment when his father placed him at the entrance of the two roads --- one leading to a peaceful, sunny place, covered with flowers, fruits and filled with soft, sweet songs; the other leading to a deep, dark cave, which was endless, where poison flowed instead of water and where devils and poisonous snakes hissed and crawled.

He looked towards the sky and cried painfully, “O youth, return! O my father, place me once more at the entrance to life, and I’ll choose the better way!” But both his father and the days of his youth had passed away.

He saw the lights flowing away in the darkness. These were the days of his wasted life; he saw a star fall down from the sky and disappeared, and this was the symbol of himself. His regret, which was like a sharp arrow, struck deeply into his heart. Then he remembered his friends in his childhood, who entered on life together with him. But they had made their way to success and were now honored and happy on this New Year’s Night.

The clock in the high church tower struck and the sound made him remember his parents’ early love for him. They had taught him and prayed to God for his good. But he chose the wrong way. With shame and grief he dared no longer look towards that heaven where his father lived. His darkened eyes were full of tears, and with a despairing effort, he burst out a cry: “Come back, my early days! Come back!”

And his youth did return, for all this was only a dream which he had on New Year’s Night. He was still young though his faults were real; he had not yet entered the deep, dark cave, and he was still free to walk on the road which leads to the peaceful and sunny land.

Those who still wander on the entrance of life, hesitating to choose the bright road, remember that when years are passed and your feet stumble on the dark mountains, you will cry bitterly, but in vain: “O youth, return! Oh give me back my early days!”

1.We can learn from the passage that ____.

A．the man returned from a long journey and regretted what he had done

B．the man didn’t enter the deep, dark cave when he was young

C．the man was deserted by his parents when he was only a child

D．the man found it no use crying over the spilt milk

2.Why does the author set his story on New Year’s Night?

A．He wants to tell people it’s time to recall the past

B．he suggests the aged man will have a bright future

C．He tries to stress the man’s sad feeling

D．He expects people to share the man’s emotion

3.The aged man in the passage can be described as ________.

A．sorrowful, fearful and regretful             B．hopeful, cheerful and peaceful

C．regretful, painful and disappointed          D．disappointed, regretful and hopeful

4.The author writes the passage mainly to ________.

A．encourage young people to take the right road B．help the old man to pick up his confidence

C．describe the old man’s unsuccessful experience   D．show his compassion for the aged man

 

　　完形填空：阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从下列各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项．

　　American's latest strategy(对策) for single persons who don't want to be single any longer has many names: speed-dating, express-date, 10-minute-dating or simply mini-date.

　　The principle (原则) is the same: Why spend an 1 evening with a stranger 2 you realize after only the first few minutes that you can't 3 the person?

　　The solution(解决办法): The man and woman sit down 4 each other. A bell is sounded, and in the next 7 to 10 minutes each one tries to find out as much as possible about the 5 person. When the bell 6 off a second time, the men stand up and move 7 to the next female.

　　At such a meeting in San Francisco 8 , some 200 men and women between the ages of 30 and 60 had a 9 expression on their faces, in two long 10 opposite each other. The signal was given, and then almost everybody started 11 away.

　　Richard Gosse, 12 of “American Singles,” says this is the fastest, most effective and at the moment “ 13 ”way to search for a partner. Minute-dates have become a 14 everywhere from computer fans in Silicon Valley to gays in San Francisco to the suburbs of Chicago. Gosse says the quick method to get to know each other is helpful above all for 15 singles who are not brave enough to speak to a stranger in a bar.

　　His 16 :Don't talk about money, your weight or about your former partner, but 17 about your dreams, desires and hobbies.

　　Most speed-dating meetings cost about US $25 per evening, 18 a person to get to know 15 to 20 people 19 the opposite sex. Speed-dating is so much in demand in America that most meetings are 20 out weeks and months in advance.

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完形填空

　　America's latest strategy for single persons who don't want to be single any longer has many names: speeddating, expressdate, 10-minute-dating or simply mini-date.

　　The principle is the same: Why spend an 1 evening with a stranger 2 you realize after only the first few minutes that you can't 3 the person?

　　The solution: The man and woman sit down 4 each other. A bell is sounded, and in the next 7 to 10 minutes each one tries to find out as much as possible about the 5 persons. When the bell 6 off a second time, the men stand up and move 7 to the next female.

　　At such a meeting in San Francisco 8 , some 200 men and women between the ages of 30 and 60 had a 9 expression on their faces; in two long 10 opposite each other. The signal was given, and then almost everybody started 11 away.

　　Richard Gosse. 12 of“American Singles, ”says this is the fastest, most effective and at the moment“ 13 way”tosearch for a partner. Minute-dates have become a 14 everywhere from computer fans in Silicon Valley to gays in San Francisco to the suburbs of Chicago. Gosse says the quick method to get to know each other is helpful above all for 15 singles who are not brave enough to speak to a stranger in a bar.

　　His 16 : Don't talk about money, your weight or about your former partner, but 17 about your dreams, desires and hobbies.

　　Most speed-dating meetings cost about US$25 per evening, 18 a person to get to know 15 to 20 people 19 the opposite sex. Speed-dating is so much in demand in America that most meetings are 20 out weeks and months in advance.

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完形填空

　　American's latest strategy （对策）for single persons who don't want to be single any longer has many names: speed-dating, express-date, 10-minute-dating or simply mini-date.

　　The principle （原则） is the same: Why spend an 1 evening with a stranger 2 You realize after only the first few minutes that you can't 3 the person?

　　The solution （解决办法）: The man and woman sit down 4 each other. A bell is sounded , and in the next 7 to 10 minutes each one tries to find out as much as possible about the 5 persons. When the bell 6 off a second time , the men stand up and move 7 to the next female.

　　At such a meeting in San Francisco 8 , some 200 men and women between the ages of 30 and 60 had a 9 expression on their faces, in two long 10 apposite each other. The signal was given, and then almost everybody started 11 away.

　　Richard Cosse, 12 of “American Singles”, says this is the fastest, most effective and at the moment “ 13 ” way to search for a partner. Minute-dates have become a 14 everywhere from computer fans in Silicon Valley to gays in San Francisco to the suburbs of Chicago. Gosse says the quick method to get to know each other is helpful above all for 15 singles who are not brave enough to speak to a stranger in a bar.

　　His 16 : Don't talk about money, your weight or about your former partner, but 17 about your dreams , desires and hobbies.

　　Most speed-dating meeting cost about $ 25 per evening, 18 a person to get to know 15 to 20 people 19 the opposite sex. Speed-dating is so much in demand in America that most meetings are 20 out weeks and months in advance.

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创新升级

　　America's latest strategy for single persons who don't want to be single any longer has marry names: speeding-dating, express-date, 10-minute-dating or simply mini-date.

　　The principle is the same: Why spend an　　1　　evening with a stranger　　2　　you realize after only the first few minutes that you can't　　3　　the person?

　　The solution: The man and woman sit down　　4　　each other. A bell is sounded, and in the next 7 to 10 minutes each one tries to find out as much as possible about the　　5　　persons. When the bell　　6　　off a second time; the man stands up and moves　　7　　to the next female.

　　At such a meeting in San Francisco　　8　 , some 200 men and women between the ages of 30 and 60 had a　　9　　expression on their faces, in two long　　10　　opposite each other. The signal was given, and then almost everybody started　　11　　away.

　　Richard Gosse,　　12　　of“AMERICAN SINGLES”, says this is the fastest, most effective and at the moment“　 13　 ”way to search for a partner. Minute-date has become a　　14　　.everywhere from computer fans in Silicon Valley to young people in San. Francisco to the suburbs of Chicago. Gosse says the quick method to get to know each other is helpful above all for　　15　　singles who are not brave enough to speak to a stranger in a bar.

　　His　　16　　: Don't talk about money, your weight or about your former partner, but　　17　　about your dreams, desires and hobbies.

　　Most speed-dating meetings cost about US $ 25 per evening,　　18　　a person to get to know 15 to 20 people　　19　　the opposite sex. Speed-dating is so much in demand in America that most meetings are　　20　　out weeks and months in advance.

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