There’s a guy like me in every state and federal prison in America，I guess—I’m the guy who can get these for you：cigarettes，a bag of cigar，if you want that，a bottle of wine to celebrate your son or daughter’s high school graduation，or almost anything else．．．within reason，that is．It wasn’t always that way．

I came to Shawshank when I was just twenty，and I am one of the few people in the prison who is willing to admit what he did．I committed murder．I put a large insurance policy on my wife，who was three years older than 1 was，and then I fixed the brakes of the car her father had given us as a wedding present．It worked out exactly as I had planned，except I hadn’t planned on her stopping to pick up the neighbour woman and the woman’s son on the way down Castle Hill and into town．The brakes let go and the car crashed through the bushes，gathering speed．Bystanders said it must have been doing fifty or better when it hit the base of the Civil War statue in the town arid burst into flames．

I also hadn’t planned on getting caught，but caught 1 was．I got a pass into this place．My state has no death penalty(死刑)，but I was tried for all three deaths and given three life sentences，to run one after the other．That fixed up any chance of parole(假释)I might have，for a long，long time．The judge called what I had done‘an extremely evil crime’, and it was ,but it is also in the past now．

Have I transformed myself，you ask ?I don’t know what that word means，at least as far as prisons and corrections go．I think it’s a politician’s word．It may have some other meaning，and it may be that 1 will have a chance to find out，but that is the future．．．

I was young，good—looking，and from the poor side of town．I met a pretty，headstrong girl who lived in one of the fine old houses on Carbine Street．She got pregnant later．Her father was agreeable to the marriage if 1 would take a job in the company he owned and ‘work my way up’．I found out that what he really had in mind was keeping me in his house and under his thumb，like a disagreeable pet that has not quite been housebroken and which may bite．Enough hate eventually piled up to cause me to do what I did．

?? Given a second chance 1 would not do it again，but I'm not sure that means I am transformed．

1.What do we know about the man from the passage?

A．He is treated unfairly in the prison．

B．He is in charge of the federal prison．

C．He is quite an able person as a prisoner．

D．He is the most powerful man in the prison．

2.By saying that“I got a pass into this place”(in Para．3)，the man means that________.

A．he has got to stay in prison

B．he was allowed to go home

C．he was caught by the police without a pass

D．he has stayed in the federal prison before

3.The man committed such an evil crime because__________.

A．he had made a secret deal with an insurance company

B．he had been angry for a long time with his father—in—law

C．his wife’s family members had disapproved of their marriage

D．his wife had looked on him as a pet and he didn’t feel respected

4.Which of the following is TRUE about the man?

A．He regrets having committed the crime．

B．He will be out of prison in the near future．

C．He thinks the trial a mistake and is unfair．

D．He has found out the

With both hands resting on top of the steering wheel, Oshima looks over at me: “That’s where you will be living now, Kafka. In the room where Miss Saeki used to spend time with her boyfriend. As I said, there is some change to the library, but it’s the very same room.”  Silence on my part.

“Miss Saeki’s life stopped at age 20, when her lover died. No, maybe not age 20, maybe much earlier…I don’t know the details, but you need to know of this. The hands of the clock inside her soul stopped then. Time outside, of course, flows on as always, but she isn’t affected by it. For her, what we consider normal time is meaningless.”

“Meaningless?” Oshima nods. “Like it doesn’t  exist.”

“What you’re saying is Miss Saeki still lives in that frozen time?”

“Exactly. When you get to know her better you’ll understand.”

Oshima reaches out and lays a hand on my knee on a totally natural gesture. “Kafka, in everybody’s life there’s a point of no return. And in a very few cases, a point where you can’t go forward anymore. And when you reach that point, all we can do is quietly accept the fact. That’s how we survive. ”

We’re about to get onto the main highway. “There’s one other thing I’d like you to know of,” he goes on. “Miss Saeki has a wounded heart. To some degree that’s true of all of us. But Miss Saeki has a special wound that goes beyond the usual meaning of the term. Her soul moves in mysterious ways. I’m not saying she’s dangerous—don’t get me wrong. On a day-to-day level she’s certainly got her act together, probably more than anyone else I know. She’s attractive, deep, smart. But just don’t let it worry you if you notice something strange about her sometimes.”

“Strange?” I can’t help asking.

Oshima shakes his head. “I really like Miss Saeki, and respect her. I’m sure you’ll come to feel the same way.”

This doesn’t really answer my question, but Oshima doesn’t say anything.

1．The underlined part “Miss Saeki is still living in that frozen time” means that      .

A．although Miss Saeki is dead, she’s still alive in people’s memory

       B．the time Miss Saeki spent with her boyfriend was very cold

       C．the time Miss Saeki spent with her boyfriend was very unhappy

       D．Miss Saeki cannot get out of the sadness brought about by her boyfriend’s death

2．The conversation takes place               .

       A．in a library                                         

B．in a moving car

       C．where Miss Saeki used to spend time with her boyfriend

D．where Kafka lives

3．Which of the following statements is right?

       A．Oshima knows every detail about Saeki.

       B．Oshima knows Saeki well enough to understand her.

       C．Oshima knows Saeki better than anyone else.

       D．Oshima knows very little about Saeki, but respects her.

4．We can infer from the passage that           .

       A．there is something wrong with Saeki’s clock.

       B．Saeki refuses to accept the fact

       C．Saeki is attractive, smart but dangerous

       D．Saeki can’t remember what happened to her

5．The writer wants to give us a feeling of           by giving readers the description of Saeki.

A．mystery    B．horror     C．amazement    D．danger

Once upon a time, there was an island inhabited by: Happiness, Sadness, Knowledge, and all the rest of it, including Love. One day it was announced to the feelings that the island would sink, so all constructed boats and left. Except for Love.

    Love was the only one who stayed. Love wanted to hold out until the last possible moment.

When the island had almost sunk, Love decided to ask for help.

    Richness was passing by Love in a grand boat. Love said, "Richness, can you take me with you?"

    Richness answered, "No, I can't. There is a lot of gold and silver in my boat. There is no place here for you."

    Love decided to ask Vanity(虚荣) who was also passing by in a beautiful vessel. "Vanity, please help me!"

    "I can't help you, Love. You are all wet and might damage my boat," Vanity answered.

    Sadness was close by so Love asked, "Sadness, let me go with you."

    "Oh . . . Love, I am so sad that I need to be by myself!"

    Happiness passed by Love, too, but she was so happy that she did not even hear when Love called her.

    Suddenly, there was a voice, "Come, Love, I will take you." It was an elder. So blessed and overjoyed, Love even forgot to ask the elder where they were going. When they arrived at dry land, the elder went her own way.

What idea did the writer intend to tell us in this passage?

     A. Love takes a long period.                   B. Love gets along without richness.    

C.  Love goes on against Vanity.             D. Love is different from happiness.

Why did all except the elder refuse to take Love with them?

       A. Because they have enough Love already.     

B. Because they don’t need Love.

  C. Because they look down upon Love.

   D. Because in the writer’s opinion, Love has nothing to do with them.

It can be inferred from the passage that the elder probably refers to ________.

A. Cleverness       B. Time       C. Knowledge     D. Beauty

Once upon a time, there was an island inhabited by: Happiness, Sadness, Knowledge, and all the rest of it, including Love. One day it was announced to the feelings that the island would sink, so all constructed boats and left. Except for Love.
Love was the only one who stayed. Love wanted to hold out until the last possible moment.
When the island had almost sunk, Love decided to ask for help.
Richness was passing by Love in a grand boat. Love said, "Richness, can you take me with you?"
Richness answered, "No, I can't. There is a lot of gold and silver in my boat. There is no place here for you."
Love decided to ask Vanity(虚荣) who was also passing by in a beautiful vessel. "Vanity, please help me!"
"I can't help you, Love. You are all wet and might damage my boat," Vanity answered.
Sadness was close by so Love asked, "Sadness, let me go with you."
"Oh . . . Love, I am so sad that I need to be by myself!"
Happiness passed by Love, too, but she was so happy that she did not even hear when Love called her.
Suddenly, there was a voice, "Come, Love, I will take you." It was an elder. So blessed and overjoyed, Love even forgot to ask the elder where they were going. When they arrived at dry land, the elder went her own way.
【小题1】What idea did the writer intend to tell us in this passage?

Once upon a time, there was an island inhabited by: Happiness, Sadness, Knowledge, and all the rest of it, including Love. One day it was announced to the feelings that the island would sink, so all constructed boats and left. Except for Love.

    Love was the only one who stayed. Love wanted to hold out until the last possible moment.

When the island had almost sunk, Love decided to ask for help.

    Richness was passing by Love in a grand boat. Love said, "Richness, can you take me with you?"

    Richness answered, "No, I can't. There is a lot of gold and silver in my boat. There is no place here for you."

    Love decided to ask Vanity(虚荣) who was also passing by in a beautiful vessel. "Vanity, please help me!"

    "I can't help you, Love. You are all wet and might damage my boat," Vanity answered.

    Sadness was close by so Love asked, "Sadness, let me go with you."

    "Oh . . . Love, I am so sad that I need to be by myself!"

    Happiness passed by Love, too, but she was so happy that she did not even hear when Love called her.

    Suddenly, there was a voice, "Come, Love, I will take you." It was an elder. So blessed and overjoyed, Love even forgot to ask the elder where they were going. When they arrived at dry land, the elder went her own way.

1.What idea did the writer intend to tell us in this passage?

     A. Love takes a long period.                   B. Love gets along without richness.    

C.  Love goes on against Vanity.             D. Love is different from happiness.

2.Why did all except the elder refuse to take Love with them?

       A. Because they have enough Love already.     

B. Because they don’t need Love.

  C. Because they look down upon Love.

   D. Because in the writer’s opinion, Love has nothing to do with them.

3.It can be inferred from the passage that the elder probably refers to ________.

A. Cleverness       B. Time       C. Knowledge     D. Beauty