62.Margaret gets angry with people who work in the office because _______.

A.they never clean their offices　　　　　　　　　 　　 B.they look down upon cleaners

C.they never do their work carefully　　　　　 　　 D.they always make a mess in their offices

61.Margaret quit her job as a nurse because _______.

　 　　 A.she wanted to earn more money to support her family

B.she had suffered a lot of mental pressure

C.she needed the right time to look after her children

D.she felt tired of taking care of patients

58. What can we learn from the story?

A. Giving is always a pleasure.

B. People should respect each other.

C. An act of kindness can bring people great joy.　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

D. People should learn to appreciate others’ concern.

答案　 56.B　 57.A　 58.C

Passage 19

(08·湖北A篇)

Margaret, married with two small children, has been working for the last seven years as a night cleaner, cleaning offices in a big building.

She trained as a nurse, but had to give it up when her elder child became seriously ill.“I would have liked to go back to it, but the shifts(工作班次) are all wrong for me, as I have to be home to get the children up and off to school.”

So she works as a cleaner instead, from 9 p.m.till 6 a.m.five nights a week for just ￡90, before tax and insurance.“It’s better than it was last year, but I still think that people who work ‘unsocial hours’ should get a bit extra.”

The hours she’ s chosen to work mean that she sees plenty of the children, but very little of her husband.However, she doesn’t think that puts any pressure on their relationship.

Her work isn’t physically very hard, but it’s not exactly pleasant, either.“I do get angry with people who leave their offices like a place for raising pigs.If they realized people like me have to do it, perhaps they’d be a bit more careful.”

The fact that she’s working all night doesn’t worry Margaret at all.Unlike some dark buildings at night, the building where she works is fully lit, and the women work in groups of three.“Since I’ve got to be here, I try to enjoy myself-and I usually do, because of the other girls.We all have a good laugh, so the time never drags.”

Another challenge Margaret has to face is the reaction of other people when she tells them what she does for a living.“They think you’re a cleaner because you don’t know how to read and write,” said Margaret.“I used to think what my parents would say if they knew what I’d been doing, but I don’t think that way any more.I don’t dislike the work though I can’t say I’m mad about it.”

57. The taxi driver did not charge the old woman because he ______.

A. wanted to do her a favor　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　 B. shut off the meter by mistake

C. had received her payment in advance　　　 　　 D. was in a hurry to take other passengers

56. The old woman chose to ride through the city in order to ______.

A. show she was familiar with the city

B. see some places for the last time

C. let the driver earn more money

D. reach the destination on time

70.Which of the following is the most suitable title for this passage?

A.The Good Old Times

B.What He Valued Most

C.An Old Gold Watch

D.The Lost Childhood Days

答案　 66.C　 67.C　 68.A　 69.D　 70.B

Passage 18

(08·北京A篇)

Twenty years ago, I drove a taxi for a living. One night I went to pick up a passenger at 2:30 AM. When I arrived to collect, I found the building was dark except for a single light in a ground floor window.

I walked to the door and knocked. “Just a minute,” answered a weak, elderly voice.

After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her eighties stood before me. By her side was a small suitcase.

I took the suitcase to the car, and then returned to help the woman. She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the car.

She kept thanking me for my kindness. “It’s nothing,” I told her. “I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated.”

“Oh, you’re such a good man,”she said. When we got into the taxi, she gave me an address, and then asked, “Could you drive through downtown?”

“It’s not the shortest way,” I answered quickly.

“Oh, I’m in no hurry,” she said. “I’m on my way to a hospice(临终医院). I don’t have any family left. The doctor says I don’t have very long.”

I quietly reached over and shut off the meter(计价器).

For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked, the neighborhood where she had lived, and the furniture shop that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.

Sometimes she’d ask me to slow down in front of a particular building and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.

At dawn, she suddenly said,“I’m tired. Let’s go now.”

We drove in silence to the address she had given me.

“How much do I owe you?” she asked.

“Nothing,” I said.

“You have to make a living,” she answered. “Oh, there are other passengers,” I answered.

Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly. Our hug ended with her remark, “You gave an old woman a little moment of joy.”

69.Why did Jack say he needed some time to spend with his son?

A.He was very tired of his work and wanted to have a good rest.

B.He had promised to spare more time to stay with his son.

C.He had missed his son and his family for days.

D.He came to realize the importance of the time with his family.

68.Why did Belser send Jack his gold watch?

A.Because he was grateful for Jack’s time with him.

B.Because he had no children or relatives.

C.Because he thought he had to keep his word.

D.Because Jack had always wanted it during his childhood.

67.Jack’s mother told him on the phone about Mr.Belser EXCEPT that 　　　　.

A.Mr.Belser often asked how Jack was doing

B.Mr.Belser’s funeral would take place on Wednesday

C.Mr.Belser had asked for Jack’s mailing address

D.Mr.Belser had pleasant memories of their time together

66.Why did Jack think Mr.Belser died years ago?

A.College and career prevented him from remembering Mr.Belser.

B.Jack was too busy with his business and family to think about Mr.Belser.

C.Jack was too busy realizing his dreams to think about Mr.Belser.

D.His present busy life washed away his childhood memories.