The drug store was closing for the night and Alfred Higgins was about to go home when his new boss approached him.

“Empty your pockets please, Alfred,” Sam Carr demanded in a firm voice.

Alfred pretended to be shocked but he knew he’d been caught. From his coat he withdrew a make-up kit, a lipstick and two tubes of toothpaste.

“I’m disappointed in you, Alfred!” said the little gray-haired man.

“Sorry, sir. Please forgive me. It’s the first time I’ve ever done such a thing,” Alfred lied, hoping to gain the old man’s sympathy.

Mr Carr’s brow furrowed as he reached for the phone, “Do you take me for a fool? Let’s see what the police have to say. But first I’ll call your mother and let her know her son is heading to jail.”

“Do whatever you want,” Alfred shot back, trying to sound big. But deep down he felt like a child. He imagined his mother rushing in, eyes burning with anger, maybe in tears. Yet he wanted her to come quickly before Mr. Carr called the police.

Mr. Carr was surprised when Mrs Higgins finally arrived. She was very calm, quiet and friendly. “Is Alfred in trouble?” she asked.

“He’s been stealing from the store,” the old man coolly replied.

Mrs. Higgins put out her hand and touched Mr. Carr’s arm with great gentleness as if she knew just how he felt. She spoke as if she did not want to cause him any more trouble. “What do you want to do, Mr. Carr?”

The woman’s calm and gentle manner disarmed the once-angry store-owner. “I was going to get a cop. But I don’t want to be cruel. Tell your son not to come back here again, and I’ll let it go.” Then he warmly shook Mrs. Higgins’s hand.

Mrs. Higgins thanked the old man for his kindness, then mother and son left. They walked along the street in silence. When they arrived home his mother simply said, “Go to bed, you fool.”

In his bedroom, Alfred heard his mother in the kitchen. He felt no shame, only pride in his mother’s actions. “She was smooth!” he thought. He went to the kitchen to tell her how great she was, but was shocked by what he saw.

His mother’s face looked frightened, broken. Not the cool, bright face he saw earlier. Her lips moved nervously. She looked very old. There were tears in her eyes.

This picture of his mother made him want to cry. He felt his youth ending. He saw all the troubles he brought her and the deep lines of worry in her grey face. It seemed to him that this was the first time he had ever really seen his mother.

1.Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A. It was the first time Alfred had stolen anything.

B. Alfred tried to sound big to hide his fear.

C. Mr. Carr set a trap to catch Alfred stealing.

D. Mr. Carr had planned to forgive Alfred from the beginning.

2.What does the underlined word “disarmed” probably mean?

A. annoyed            B. made less angry

C. convinced              D. got over

3.What was the mother’s attitude toward Alfred?

A. She felt disappointed with him.           B. She was very strict with him.

C. She was supportive of him.              D. She was afraid of him.

4.What impressed Alfred most about his mother at the drugstore was ________.

A.how angry she was                   B. that she didn’t cry

C.that she was able to save him        D. how effectively she handled Mr. Carr

5.From the last paragraph, we know that Alfred ________.

A.was no longer a youth                     B. felt proud of his mother

C.wanted his mother to be happy              D. felt guilty and regretful for his deed

 

Today, roller skating is easy and fun．But a long time ago, it wasn’t easy at all. Before 1750, the idea of skating didn’t exist. That changed because of a man named Joseph Merlin. Merlin’s work was making musical instruments. In his spare time he liked to play the violin. Joseph Merlin was a man of ideas and dreams. People called him a dreamer.

One day Merlin received an invitation to attend a fancy dress ball（化装舞会）. He was very pleased and a little excited. As the day of the party came near, Merlin began to think how to make a grand entrance at the party. He had an idea. He thought he would get a lot of attention if he could skate into the room.

　　Merlin tried different ways to make himself roll. Finally, he decided to put two wheels under each shoe. These were the first roller skates. Merlin was very proud of his invention and dreamed of arriving at the party on wheels while playing the violin.

　　On the night of the party Merlin rolled into the room playing his violin. Everyone was astonished to see him. There was just one problem. Merlin had no way to stop his roller skates. He rolled on and on. Suddenly, he ran into a huge mirror that was hanging on the wall. Down fell the mirror, breaking to pieces. Nobody forgot Merlin’s grand entrance for a long time!

1.The text is mainly about ________.

    A．a strange man              B．an unusual party

    C．how roller skating began   D．how people enjoyed themselves in the 18th century

2.People thought Merlin was a dreamer because he _________.

　　A．often gave others surprises　　　　　 B．was a gifted musician

    C．invented the roller skates　　　　　　D．was full of imagination

3.Merlin put wheels under his shoes in order to ________ .

A．impress the party guests　　　　　　B．arrive at the party sooner

C．test his invention　　　　　　　　　D．show his skill in walking on wheels

4.What is the main point the writer is trying to make in the last paragraph?

A．The roller skates needed further improvement.

B．The party guests took Merlin for a fool.

C．Merlin succeeded beyond expectation.   

D．Merlin got himself into trouble.

 

A water bearer in India had two large pots, each hung on each end of a pole which he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack(裂缝) in it, and while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water at the end of the long walk from the stream to the master’s house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.

This went on daily. The perfect pot was proud of its accomplishment. Of course, the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection. After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream.

         “I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologise to you.”

         “Why?” asked the bearer. “What are you ashamed of?”

         “I have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back. And you do no get full value for your efforts” the pot explained.

         The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in his compassion he said, “As we return to the master’s house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path.”

         As they went up the hill, the cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path, and this cheered it a little.

The bearer said, “Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of the path, but not on the other pot’s side?” That is because I have known about you, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walked back from the stream, you have watered them. For two years, I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my master’s table. Without you being just the way you are, he would not have this beauty to grace his house.”

1.Why did the cracked pot feel ashamed?

         A．Because it didn’t hold water.

         B．Because the water bearer didn’t like it.

         C．It couldn’t water the flowers well.

         D．Because it could only accomplish half of its load.

2.How would the cracked pot feel at the end of the story?

         A．Delighted with itself.          B．Disappointed with itself.

         C．Prouder than the other pot.      D．Still ashamed of itself.

3.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

         A．There were flowers on both sides of the path.

         B．The cracked pot was more useful than the perfect one.

         C．We sometimes don’t have to mind too much the way we are.

         D．The water bearer preferred the perfect pot to the cracked one.

 

1. I’d like to tell you the news that Tony will take charge of the company after the manager retires.

I’d like to _______ you _______ the news that the manager will leave Tony _______ _______ of the company after he retires.

2. If one wants to stay healthy, he should do exercise instead of taking certain pills, which actually affects people’s health.

If one wants to keep _______, he should _______ _______ instead of taking certain pills, which actually has a bad _______ on people’s health.

3. You can never imagine how difficult it was for the British students to get used to the school life in China. But now when they think back to the experience, they are very proud of it.

You can never imagine what _______ the British students had _______ used to the school life in China. But now when they look _______ _______ the experience, they take pride in it.

4. It attracts the students that they may visit the museum without paying this week and they want to visit it in no time.

It is _______ to the students that they may visit the museum _______ _______ this week and they can’t _______ to visit it.

5. Though you want to surf the Internet, you should be busy preparing for the coming mid-term exam.

Though you feel _______ _______ the Internet, you are _______ to be busy making _______ for the coming mid-term exam.

 

Last week my youngest son and I visited my father at his new home in Tucson, Arizona. He moved there a few years ago, and I was eager to see his new place and meet his friends.

My earliest memories of my father are a tall, handsome, successful man devoted to his work and his family, but uncomfortable with his children. As a child I loved him. He seemed unhappy with me unless I got straight A’s and unhappy with my boyfriends if their fathers were not as “successful” as he was. Whenever I went out with him on weekends, I used to struggle to think up things to say, feeling on guard.

On the first day of my visit, we went out with one of my father’s friends for lunch at an outdoor café. We talked along that afternoon, did some shopping, ate on the street table, and laughed over my son’s funny facial expressions. Gone was my father’s critical (挑剔的) air and strict rules. Who was this person I knew as my father, who seemed so friendly and interesting to be around? What had held him back before?

The next day dad pulled out his childhood pictures and told me quite a few stories about his own childhood. Although our times together became easier over the years, I never felt closer to him at that moment. After so many years, I’m at last seeing another side of my father. And in doing so, I’m delighted with my new friend. My dad, in his new home in Arizona, is back to me from where he was.

1.Why did the author feel uncomfortable about her father as a young adult?

A. He was silent most of the time.               B. He was too proud of himself.

C. He did not love his children.                  D. He expected too much of her.

2.When the author went out with her father on weekend, she would feel _______.

A. nervous                        B. sorry              C. tired               D. safe

3.What does the author think of her father after her visit to Tucson?

A. More critical.                                B. More talkative

C. Gentle and friendly.                           D. Strict and hard-working.

4.The underlined words “my new friend” in the last paragraph refer to_____ .

A. the author’s son                           B. the author’s father

C. the friend of the author’s father              D. the café owner