When milk arrived on the doorstep

When I was a boy growing up in New Jersey in the 1960s, we had a milkman delivering milk to our doorstep. His name was Mr. Basille. He wore a white cap and drove a white truck. As a 5-year-old boy, I couldn’t take my eyes off the coin changer fixed to his belt. He noticed this one day during a delivery and gave me a quarter out of his coin changer.

Of course, he delivered more than milk. There was cheese, eggs and so on. If we needed to change our order, my mother would pen a note—“Please add a bottle of buttermilk next delivery”—and place it in the box along with the empty bottles. And then, the buttermilk would magically（魔术般）appear.

All of this was about more than convenience. There existed a close relationship between families and their milkmen. Mr. Basille even had a key to our house, for those times when it was so cold outside that we put the box indoors, so that the milk wouldn't freeze. And I remember Mr. Basille from time to time taking a break at our kitchen table, having a cup of tea and telling stories about his delivery.

There is sadly no home milk delivery today. Big companies allowed the production of cheaper milk thus making it difficult for milkmen to compete (竞争). Besides, milk is for sale everywhere, and it may just not have been practiced to have a delivery service.

Recently, an old milk box in the countryside I saw brought back my childhood memories. 1 took it home and planted it on the back porch (门廊). Every so often my son's friends will ask what it is. So I start telling stories of my boyhood, and of the milkman who brought us friendship along with his milk.

1.Mr. Basille gave the boy a quarter out of his coin changer      .

A.to show his magical power      B.to pay for the delivery

C. to satisfy his curiosity          D.to please his mother

2.What can be inferred from the fact that the milkman had the key to the boy's house?

A.He wanted to have tea there.   

B.He was a respectable person. 

C.He was treated as a family member.

D.He was fully trusted by the family.

3. Why does home milk delivery no longer exist?

A.Nobody wants to be a milkman now.  

B.It has been driven out of the market.  

C.Its service is getting poor.             

D.It is forbidden by law.

4.Why did the author bring back home an old milk box?

A.He missed the good old days.         

B.He wanted to tell interesting stories.  

C.He needed it for his milk bottles.      

D.He planted flowers in it.

When I was a boy growing up in New Jersey in the 1960s, we had a milkman delivering milk to our doorstep. His name was Mr. Basille. He wore a white cap and drove a white truck. As a 5-year-old boy, I couldn’t take my eyes off the coin changer fixed to his belt. He noticed this one day during a delivery and gave me a quarter out of his coin changer.
Of course, he delivered more than milk. There was cheese, eggs and so on. If we needed to change our order, my mother would pen a note—“Please add a bottle of buttermilk next delivery”—and place it in the box along with the empty bottles. And then, the buttermilk would magically（魔术般）appear.
All of this was about more than convenience. There existed a close relationship between families and their milkmen. Mr. Basille even had a key to our house, for those times when it was so cold outside that we put the box indoors, so that the milk wouldn't freeze. And I remember Mr. Basille from time to time taking a break at our kitchen table, having a cup of tea and telling stories about his delivery.
There is sadly no home milk delivery today. Big companies allowed the production of cheaper milk thus making it difficult for milkmen to compete (竞争). Besides, milk is for sale everywhere, and it may just not have been practiced to have a delivery service.
Recently, an old milk box in the countryside I saw brought back my childhood memories. I took it home and planted it on the back porch (门廊). Every so often my son's friends will ask what it is. So I start telling stories of my boyhood, and of the milkman who brought us friendship along with his milk.
【小题1】Mr. Basille gave the boy a quarter out of his coin changer     .

When I was a boy growing up in New Jersey in the 1960s, we had a milkman delivering milk to our doorstep. His name was Mr. Basille. He wore a white cap and drove a white truck. As a 5-year-old boy, I couldn’t take my eyes off the coin changer fixed to his belt. He noticed this one day during a delivery and gave me a quarter out of his coin changer.

Of course, he delivered more than milk. There was cheese, eggs and so on. If we needed to change our order, my mother would pen a note—“Please add a bottle of buttermilk next delivery”—and place it in the box along with the empty bottles. And then, the buttermilk would magically（魔术般）appear.

All of this was about more than convenience. There existed a close relationship between families and their milkmen. Mr. Basille even had a key to our house, for those times when it was so cold outside that we put the box indoors, so that the milk wouldn't freeze. And I remember Mr. Basille from time to time taking a break at our kitchen table, having a cup of tea and telling stories about his delivery.

There is sadly no home milk delivery today. Big companies allowed the production of cheaper milk thus making it difficult for milkmen to compete (竞争). Besides, milk is for sale everywhere, and it may just not have been practiced to have a delivery service.

Recently, an old milk box in the countryside I saw brought back my childhood memories. I took it home and planted it on the back porch (门廊). Every so often my son's friends will ask what it is. So I start telling stories of my boyhood, and of the milkman who brought us friendship along with his milk.

1.Mr. Basille gave the boy a quarter out of his coin changer     .

A．to show his magical power                B．to pay for the delivery

C．to satisfy his curiosity                    D．to please his mother

2.What can be inferred from the fact that the milkman had the key to the boy's house?

A．He wanted to have tea there.              B．He was a respectable person.

C．He was treated as a family member.          D．He was fully trusted by the family.

3.Why does home milk delivery no longer exist?

A．Nobody wants to be a milkman now.         B．It has been driven out of the market.

C．Its service is getting poor.                 D．It is forbidden by law.

4.Why did the author bring back home an old milk box?

A．He missed the good old days.              B．He wanted to tell interesting stories.

C．He needed it for his milk bottles.            D．He planted flowers in it.

六、Reading comprehension(阅读理解)20分
A
For years,business people in Western Europe were worried.They knew they could not compete(竞争)against business from the U.S.The United States is much larger and had many more resources than any Western European country.
Some European people realized that the European nations need to join together to help each other.If they could forget their language differences and the differences in customs(风格),they might become strong competition against other countries.
In 1958,six of the European countries-Belgium;the Netherlands,Luxembourg,France,Germany and Italy got together and decided to cooperate(合作).They called their group the European Economic Community,or the Common Market.These countries agreed to join their resources together.Within a few years,the European Economic Community had worked so well that its members were more prosperous(繁荣)than many other European nations.
Soon,other nations began to realize the advantages(好处)of the Common Market.Today the Common Market includes most of the important countries in Western Europe.It is helping Western Europe to again take its place as a leader among the industrial nations of the world.
1.From the passage we know the U.S.is much richer than _________in resources.
A.any other Western Europe countries
B.any other country in Western Europe
C.any country in Western Europe
D.every country in Europe
2.The members of the European Economic Community have developed fast because they_________.
A.share their resources and produce more goods
B.can again take the place as a leader
C.forget the differences in their languages and customs
D.have become strong competition against the U.S.
3.Which statement is true?
A.The Common Market is only a political association(联盟).
B.The Common Market is an economic and political association.
C.The Common Market is only an economic association.
D.The Common Market is neither an economic association nor a political one.
4.In order to _________ the Western European countries decided to cooperate.
A.join together to found a united country
B.help each other to smooth away the differences in customs
C.work and act together for common purpose
D.fight against the U.S.
5.Today the Common Market has helped _________ again take the place as a leader among the industrial nations of the world.
A.Belgium,the Netherlands,Luxembourg,France,Germany and Italy
B.Belgium,the Netherlands,Luxembourg,France,Germany,Italy and other countries
C.Belgium,the Netherlands,Luxembourg,France,Germany,Italy and other European countries
D.Belgium,the Netherlands,Luxembourg,France,Germany,Italy and other Western European nations

六、Reading comprehension(阅读理解)20分

A

For years,business people in Western Europe were worried.They knew they could not compete(竞争)against business from the U.S.The United States is much larger and had many more resources than any Western European country.

Some European people realized that the European nations need to join together to help each other.If they could forget their language differences and the differences in customs(风格),they might become strong competition against other countries.

In 1958,six of the European countries-Belgium;the Netherlands,Luxembourg,France,Germany and Italy got together and decided to cooperate(合作).They called their group the European Economic Community,or the Common Market.These countries agreed to join their resources together.Within a few years,the European Economic Community had worked so well that its members were more prosperous(繁荣)than many other European nations.

Soon,other nations began to realize the advantages(好处)of the Common Market.Today the Common Market includes most of the important countries in Western Europe.It is helping Western Europe to again take its place as a leader among the industrial nations of the world.

1.From the passage we know the U.S.is much richer than _________in resources.

A.any other Western Europe countries

B.any other country in Western Europe

C.any country in Western Europe

D.every country in Europe

2.The members of the European Economic Community have developed fast because they_________.

A.share their resources and produce more goods

B.can again take the place as a leader

C.forget the differences in their languages and customs

D.have become strong competition against the U.S.

3.Which statement is true?

A.The Common Market is only a political association(联盟).

B.The Common Market is an economic and political association.

C.The Common Market is only an economic association.

D.The Common Market is neither an economic association nor a political one.

4.In order to _________ the Western European countries decided to cooperate.

A.join together to found a united country

B.help each other to smooth away the differences in customs

C.work and act together for common purpose

D.fight against the U.S.

5.Today the Common Market has helped _________ again take the place as a leader among the industrial nations of the world.

A.Belgium,the Netherlands,Luxembourg,France,Germany and Italy

B.Belgium,the Netherlands,Luxembourg,France,Germany,Italy and other countries

C.Belgium,the Netherlands,Luxembourg,France,Germany,Italy and other European countries

D.Belgium,the Netherlands,Luxembourg,France,Germany,Italy and other Western European nations