How often one hears children wishing they were grown-ups, and old people wishing they were young again. Each age has its pleasures and its pains(痛苦), and the happiest person is the one who enjoys what each age gives him without wasting his time in useless regrets(后悔).

Childhood is a time when there are few responsibilities(责任) to make life difficult. If a child has good parents, he is fed, looked after and loved, whatever he may do. It is impossible that he will ever again in his life be given so much without having to do anything in return. What’s more, life is always giving new things to the child--- things that have lost their interest for older people because they are too well-known. But a child has his pains: he is not so free to do what he wishes to do; he is repeatedly being told not do something or being punished for what he has wrongly done.

When a young man starts to earn his own living, he can no longer expect others to pay for his food, his clothes, and his room, but has to work if he wants to live comfortably. If he spends most of his time playing about in the way he used to as a child, he will go hungry. And if he breaks the laws of society(社会) as he used to break the laws of his parents, he may go to prison. If, however, he worked hard, keeps out of trouble and has good health, he can have the greatest happiness of building up for himself his own position(地位) in society.

1.What is the happiest person according to the passage?

A．A child who can do whatever he likes.

B．An old person who lives in a comfortable life.

C．A grown-up who no longer expects other to pay for him.

D．A person who never wastes his time in his whole life.

2.Which of the following is true, according to the second paragraph?

A．Life for a child is fairly easy.

B．A child is always loved whatever he does.

C．If much is given to a child, he must do something in return.

D．Only children are interested in life.

3.What is the main idea of the passage?

A．Life is not enjoyable since each age had some pains.

B．Young men can have the greatest happiness if they work hard.

C．Childhood is the most enjoyable time in one’s life.

D．One is the happiest if he can make good use of each age in his life.

4.What will the fourth paragraph most probably discuss following this passage?

A．Examples of successful young men.

B．How to build up one’s position in society.

C．Joys and pains of old people.

D．What to do when one has problems in life.

Paul had just left college and was offered an interview for a position in a company in New York. As he needed to move from Texas to New York if he got the job, he wanted to talk about the decision with someone before accepting it. But his parents had died. He remembered that his father had suggested he should turn to an old friend of his family if he needed advice.

The older man said, “Go to New York and have the interview. But I want you to go on a train and I want you to get a private compartment(车厢). Don’t take anything to write with, anything to listen to or anything to read, and don’t talk to anybody except when you order the meal. Call me when you get to New York and I will tell you what to do next.”

At first, Paul followed the advice closely. The trip took two days. As he had brought along nothing to do, he quickly became bored. He realized he was being forced into quite time – he could do nothing but think. About three hours outside New York City he broke the rules, asked for a pencil and paper and kept writing down the thoughts until the train arrived in New York.

Paul called the family friend from the train station.

“Thank you, Uncle I know what you wanted. You wanted me to think. And now I know what to do.” “I guessed you could understand my idea, Paul,” came the reply, “Good luck.”

Now, years later, Paul runs a company in New York. And he always spends a couple of days being alone with no phone, no television and no people to think quietly.

1.Paul would go to New York for __________.

A. a conference     B. a visit          C. education            D. an interview

2.We can know from the passage that _______.

       A. Paul had worked in Texas for three years.

       B. the older man advised Paul to go by air

       C. Paul broke the rules before arriving in New York.

       D. Now Paul runs companies both in New York and Texas.

3.According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?

       A. Paul had a talk with a clever man during the trip.

       B. The older man’s advice influenced Paul greatly.

       C. Paul only brought a pencil and paper with him.

       D. The older man lived in New York.

4.What would be the best title for the passage?

       A. Time to be quiet                  B. You’re not alone

       C. Studying in the Journey           D. Friends are useful

A jobless man wanted very much to have the position of “office boy” at Microsoft. The HR manager interviewed him and then watched him cleaning the floor as a test. “You have passed the test,” he said. “Give me your e-mail address and I’ll send you the form to fill in and the date when you may start.” The man replied, “But I don’t have a computer, neither an e-mail.” “I’m sorry,” said the HR manager. “If you don’t have an e-mail, that means you are not living. And anyone who isn’t living cannot have the job.”
The man left with no hope at all. He didn’t know what to do with only $10 in his pocket. He thought and thought. Then he went to the supermarket and bought 10 kilos of tomatoes. He sold the tomatoes from door to door. In less than two hours, he had 20 dollars. He repeated the operation three times, and started to go early every day, and returned home late. Shortly, he bought a cart , then a truck, then he had his own fleet of delivery vehicles(运货车队). Five years later, the man was one of the biggest food retailers (零售商)  in the US.
One day, one of his friends asked him for his e-mail. He said, “I haven’t got one.” His friend couldn’t believe his ears. “Can you imagine what you could have been if you had an e-mail?” The man thought for a while and replied, “Yes, I’d be an office boy at Microsoft!”
根据材料内容选择最佳答案，并将其标号填入题前括号内。
【小题1】What did the man do for the test?

A jobless man wanted very much to have the position of “office boy” at Microsoft. The HR manager interviewed him and then watched him cleaning the floor as a test. “You have passed the test,” he said. “Give me your e-mail address and I’ll send you the form to fill in and the date when you may start.” The man replied, “But I don’t have a computer, neither an e-mail.” “I’m sorry,” said the HR manager. “If you don’t have an e-mail, that means you are not living. And anyone who isn’t living cannot have the job.”

The man left with no hope at all. He didn’t know what to do with only $10 in his pocket. He thought and thought. Then he went to the supermarket and bought 10 kilos of tomatoes. He sold the tomatoes from door to door. In less than two hours, he had 20 dollars. He repeated the operation three times, and started to go early every day, and returned home late. Shortly, he bought a cart , then a truck, then he had his own fleet of delivery vehicles(运货车队). Five years later, the man was one of the biggest food retailers (零售商)  in the US.

　One day, one of his friends asked him for his e-mail. He said, “I haven’t got one.” His friend couldn’t believe his ears. “Can you imagine what you could have been if you had an e-mail?” The man thought for a while and replied, “Yes, I’d be an office boy at Microsoft!”

1.What did the man do for the test?

A. He sent e-mails.   ??????????? B. He did the cleaning  

C. He sold computers.  ????????? D. He filled in forms.

2.The man didn’t get the job because he_____________.

A. disliked such a job                       B. didn’t pass the test

C. didn’t have an e-mail                  D. knew nothing about computers

3.The man ______after he left Microsoft.

A. went to look for another job            ??????

B. asked for food from door to door

C. thought of an idea to make monkey      ???

D. bought a computer and got an e-mail

4.Why could the man become one of the biggest food retailers in the US?

A. Because he had many friends to help him.

B. Because he was smart and worked very hard.

C. Because he had his own fleet of delivery vehicles.

D. Because he wanted to show Microsoft he was living.

5.What does the story want to tell us?

A. Computers are very important in our daily life.

B. Everyone can make a lot of money with only$10.

C. The HR manager didn’t find the ability of the man.

D. Nothing in the world is impossible if we work hard.

How often one hears children wishing they were grown-ups, and old people wishing they were young again. Each age has its pleasures and its pains, and the happiest person is the one who enjoys what each age gives him without wasting his time in useless regrets.

Childhood is a time when there are few responsibilities to make life difficult. If a child has good parents, he is fed, looked after and loved, whatever he may do. It is impossible that he will ever again in his life be given so much without having to do anything in return. What’s more, life is always giving new things to the child--- things that have lost their interest for older people because they are too well-known. But a child has his pains: he is not so free to do what he wishes to do; he is repeatedly being told not do something or being punished for what he has wrongly done.

When a young man starts to earn his own living, he can no longer expect others to pay for his food, his clothes, and his room, but has to work if he wants to live comfortably. If he spends most of his time playing about in the way he used to as a child, he will go hungry. And if he breaks the laws of society as he used to break the laws of his parents, he may go to prison. If, however, he worked hard, keeps out of trouble and has good health, he can have the greatest happiness of building up for himself his own position in society.

1.What is the happiest person according to the passage?

A．A child who can do whatever he likes.

B．An old person who lives in a comfortable life.

C．A grown-up who no longer expects other to pay for him.

D．A person who never wastes his time in his whole life.

2.What pains does a child have?

A．He has few responsibilities to make life difficult.

B．He doesn’t have to do anything in return.

C．He is not so free to do what he wishes to do.

D．He has to work if he wants to live comfortably.

3.Which of the following is true, according to the second paragraph?

A．Life for a child is fairly easy.

B．A child is always loved whatever he does.

C．If much is given to a child, he must do something in return.

D．Only children are interested in life.

4.What is the main idea of the passage?

A．Life is not enjoyable since each age had some pains.

B．Young men can have the greatest happiness if they work hard.

C．Childhood is the most enjoyable time in one’s life.

D．One is the happiest if he can make good use of each age in his life.

5.What will the fourth paragraph most probably discuss following this passage?

A．Examples of successful young men.

B．How to build up one’s position in society.

C．Joys and pains of old people.

D．What to do when one has problems in life.