Have you ever received a gift that was so clearly not your taste that you wondered if perhaps it had been handed to you by mistake? Worse, have you ever given a present and watched your friend look as though she had opened the wrong box? Maybe she responded with a polite “Why, thank you,” but you knew you had missed the mark. Why do presents sometimes go wrong? And what do your choices (good and had) reflect about your personal qualities?

Choosing the right gift is an art, I believe. It calls for empathy－the ability to put yourself into someone else’s head and heart. We’re all able to do this; in fact, we’re born with a kind of natural empathy. After the earliest period of childhood, however, it needs to be reinforced（加强）－by our parents, teachers, friends .When it isn’t, we’re not able to understand other people’s feelings as sharply. This can show in the gifts we select, and so can many other emotional（情感的）qualities.

Think back to the presents you’ve given over the past year, the time and effort you put into your selection, how much you spent, your thoughts while you were shopping ,and your feelings when the receiver opened the package. Keep in mind that what you choose displays your inner world. Of course, you may express yourself differently with different friends, relatives, and other people you know.

We live in a society where exchanging presents is an important part of communication. Ignoring the tradition won’t make it go away. If you really dislike such a tradition, tell your friends ahead of time.

1.The underlined expression “you had missed the mark” means “you had failed to     ”.

A. make her feel better

B. keep your friendship

C. receive a present in return

D. get the expected effect

2.Which of the following is the main idea of the second paragraph?

A. Natural empathy needs to be reinforced.

B. Emotional changes influence one’s choice of gifts.

C. Selecting the right gift is an ability people are born with.

D. Choosing gifts requires one to understand the receivers.

3.In the third paragraph, the author tells us that        .

A. attention should be paid to the receiver’s responses

B. one learns from what he did in the past

C. the choice of girls reflects one’s emotional qualities

D. one should spend more time choosing gifts

4.The best possible title for this passage is “　　　”.

A. Ways of Choosing Gifts

B. An Important Tradition

C. Exchanging Presents

D. Message in a Gift

 

“Can I see my baby？” the happy new mother asked. When the bundle was in her arms and she moved the fold of cloth to look upon his tiny face, she gasped. The doctor turned quickly and looked out of the tall hospital window. The baby had been born without ears.
Time proved that the baby’ s hearing was perfect. It was only his appearance that was imperfect. When he rushed home from school one day and threw himself into his mother’s arms, she sighed(叹息), knowing that his life was to be misfortunate. He cried to his mum “A boy, a big boy... called me a freak (怪人)．”
He grew up, handsome. A favorite with his fellow students, he might have been class president, but for that. He developed a gift, a talent for literature and music. “But you might communicate with other young people，” his mother blamed him, but felt a kindness in her heart.
Two years went by. One day, his father said to the son, “You’ re going to the hospital, son. Mother and I have someone who will donate the ears you need. But it’ s a secret.” The operation was a great success, and a new person appeared.
Later he married and became a lawyer. One day, he asked his father, “Who gave me the ears? Who gave me so much? I could never do enough for him or her.” “I do not believe you could，” said the father, “but the agreement was that you are not to know... not yet.”
The years kept their secret, but the day did come. He stood with his father over his mother’ s casket棺材. Slowly, tenderly, the father stretched forth a hand and raised the thick, reddish brown hair to show the mother had no outer ears.
“Mother said she was glad she never let her hair be cut，” his father whispered gently, “and nobody ever thought Mother less beautiful, did they？”
【小题1】Why did Mother gasp when she saw her newborn baby?

A．Because her son had a tiny face.	B．Because she saw her son crying.
C．Because her son was born imperfect.	D．Because her son was in her arms.

【小题2】Which word can describe Mother’ s feeling when the son threw himself into her arms?

A．Nervous.

B．Sympathetic.

C．Proud.

D．Angry.

【小题3】We can infer that the person who donate the ears is_____.

A．A doctor.

B．His father.

C．His mother.

D．A stranger.

【小题4】From the passage we know the followings are True except________
A, the mother felt sorry for the son without ears   B. the doctor didn’t like the baby
C. the boy meant everything to the mother        D. the father kept the secret until mother died
【小题5】The best title for the passage would be ________.

A．Mother’s hair	B．An unforgettable memory
C．Who gave me the ears?	D．Who is my best respectable person?

  Dear Betty,
　　My roommate’s family wants me to celebrate Thanksgiving Day with them in their home. I accepted the invitation, and I’m excited about going, but I’m a little nervous about it, too. The social customs in my country are different from those here, so I’m a little worried about making mistakes.
　　Should I bring a gift, such as candy or flowers? Should I arrive on time or a little late?  At the dinner table, how can I know which fork or knife to use? How can I let the family know that I’m thankful for their kindness?
Yours,
Knowing Nothing
Dear Knowing Nothing,
　　It’s a good idea to bring a gift when you go to a dinner party. Flowers are always welcome, or you can bring a bottle of wine if you know the family drink it.
　　You should arrive on time or five to ten minutes late. Don’t get there early. If you are going to be more than fifteen minutes late, you should call and tell them.
　　Try to relax at the dinner table. If you don’t know how to use the right fork, knife or spoon, just watch the other guests, and follow them. If you still have no idea of what to do, don’t be shy about asking the person next to you; it’s better to ask them than to be silently uncomfortable and nervous.
　　If you like the food, say so. Of course, you’ll thank the host and hostess for the meal and for their kindness. It’s also a good idea to send a card to thank them the day after.
Yours,
Betty
【小题1】 Knowing Nothing wrote a letter to Betty to _____.

A．tell Betty some good news	B．ask for some advice
C．answer some questions	D．invite her to dinner

【小题2】According to Betty, Knowing Nothing ______ when going to a dinner party.

A．can only bring some flowers

B．can’t bring wine

C．should arrive on time or five to ten minutes late

D．should arrive twenty minutes late

【小题3】 Betty does NOT advise Knowing Nothing to _____.

A．relax at the dinner table	B．watch the other guests
C．ask the person beside him	D．keep silent at table

Recently divorced(离婚), I had no job and was on my way downtown to go the rounds of the employment offices despite the great   36  . My old umbrella was broken, and I could not   37   another one.

I sat down in the streetcar — and there against the seat was a beautiful silk   38   with a silver handle inlaid (镶嵌) with gold. I had   39   seen anything so lovely.

I   40   the handle and saw a   41  . I got off the streetcar and   42   opened the umbrella to protect myself. Then I searched a   43   book for the name on the umbrella and found it. I called and a lady answered.

Yes, she said in   44  , that was her umbrella, which her parents, now dead, had given her for a birthday present.   45  , she added, it had been stolen at school (she was a teacher) more than a year before.

She was so excited that I   46   I was   47   a job and went directly to her house. She took the umbrella, her   48   filled with tears.

I refused the   49   she gave me. We talked for a while, and I must have given her my address. I don’t remember.

The next six months were   50  . I was able to obtain   51   here and there. l reached the lowest point in my   52  . Unless a miracle happened, I would be homeless in January, foodless, jobless.

Christmas Eve came. No money to buy my daughter a gift. I was sobbing (抽泣) in the cold little kitchen   53   the doorbell rang and my daughter Peggy ran to answer it. He was a postman, and his arms were   54   of parcels. “This is a mistake” I said, but he read the name on the parcels and there were for me.

Peggy and I sat on the floor and opened them. I looked for the name of the sender. It was the teacher. The address was   55   “California”, where she had moved.

1.A. cloud                           B. rain                         C. wind                       D. snow

2.A. search                        B. catch　　         C. afford 　　         D. sell

3.A. raincoat                     B. seat          C. book 　            D. umbrella

4.A. never                          B. ever 　　　     C. almost 　　      D. nearly

5.A. concluded                  B. examined      C. learned 　          D. helped

6.A. name                          B. address 　         C. card 　                D. demand

7.A. deliberately               B. specially 　　   C. sadly                 D. thankfully

8.A. technology                B. engine 　　     C. telephone             D. medicine

9.A. anger                          B. surprise　　     C. danger                            D. sorrow

10.A. And                           B. But　　　　    C. So　　　             D. Or

11. A. forgot                      B. remembered        C. indicated 　　   D. decided

12.A. applied for               B. watching for         C. asking for　         D. looking for

13.A. face                           B. nose 　　　　  C. eyes　　　                   D. ear

14.A. reward                     B. prize　　　　　C. present                 D. umbrella

15. A. freezing                            B. surprising              C. shocking                D struggling

16.A. failures                     B. successes　　   C. jobs　　          D. wages

17.A. heart                        B. favor 　　          C. work　　            D. life

18.A. as                              B. while　　         C. when 　              D. then

19.A. proud                        B. full 　　  C. careful　　       D. glad

20. A. simply              B. directly          C. finally                 D. nearly