Many years ago, I went through a tough time.One afternoon, I picked my girls up.It was late when we returned home.I went to unlock the door and found my key wouldn’t go in.I kept trying while my daughter went to get a flashlight.When she returned with it we found somehow the lock had been “stuffed” with sunflower seed shells.Thinking that one of the neighborhood children had been up to no good, I really didn’t give it much consideration.

I found all windows were locked up tight.So I returned to the back door.Oh my God, I will never forget the shock of that moment.The house was empty!Other than a few things remaining on the back porch, everything was gone!Then I heard a car pull into the driveway and found two policemen walking up.They inquired why I had broken into the house.They then asked me for proof that I lived at that address, so I asked them to wait a minute while I went to get my rent receipt and identification from inside the house.I explained the matter to them and showed them the door lock.

At this point they were not buying any of my story.I could tell from their actions and tone of voice that they thought I was breaking into an empty house for somewhere to sleep.

I asked a neighbor for the phone number of house owner and the officer made a call.The owner was quite shocked to hear my story.She said that my roommate had been going through an eviction(驱逐)process with the court when I moved in with her and had lost the case.She had been ordered to move by 10 am on that date.The court order had been issued the same day I had paid her 1/2 of the rent and a deposit of $300,000.

The owner was very kind and understanding but there was nothing she could do.The house had been rented already and the people were to move in the following weekend.

The officers let me go and I went to gather my girls into the car.They were both exhausted and old.Also very frightened, because they thought their mamma was going to jail.I had to pull over because the tears took control.I couldn’t believe it!Everything we owned was gone, I had used up all our money moving in and paying my “friend” our share of costs.I knew very few people in town, as we had just moved there recently.

I went to sit back in the car with the girls, I talked to the girls, explaining our situation to them so that they wouldn’t be afraid.During this time there was a “street person” with a bag, looking in the garbage for cans, bottles, and anything that might bring him some cash.But I didn’t pay much attention to him.I decided to get the girls something to eat for breakfast.We grabbed some bread, and chips and returned for a “picnic”.When we got there, I noticed that the man was not alone.He was with a small group of others like him and they were passing a hat amongst themselves.

I was busy setting up our little “picnic” when I heard a voice saying, “MaAm, please excuse… but…well…I overheard the situation you are in, and well… I and the fellows took up a collection for you and your little girls.It’s not very much, but maybe it’ll help a little.” I looked up at this man---dirty, needing a shave ----and saw the face of an angel.I started crying.The man tried to hand me $30.I folded his hand back over the money and just hugged him as tight as I could.I told him, “Thank you for your more than generous offer, but we are going to be just fine.” He didn’t believe me at first, but I convinced him that it was okay.

Later that afternoon I went to the market and bought the making for a barbecue and off to that little park.It didn’t take us very long to find those gentlemen and invite them to join us for lunch.I had a wonderful afternoon that day, sitting there with those old guys, singing songs.They had some of the most entertaining stories and they shared the dreams they once had.They shared themselves… from the heart.

1.The writer couldn’t open the door because ________

A.she didn’t have the right key

B.there was something else in the lock

C.someone had changed the lock

D.the owner of the house refused her living there

2.How did the writer come into the house?

A.She came in with the help of the policemen

B.She came in by breaking the glass

C.She came in with the help of a flashlight

D.She came in from the back door

3.When the writer came into her house, she must feel _____

A.excited B.confused C.shocked D.frustrated

4.The writer was not allowed to stay at the house because ____

A.she was cheated by her roommate and the house had been rented to others

B.the house owner was angry about her breaking the glass of the house

C.she hadn’t paid her share of rent

D.she was ordered to move out by the court

5.The underlined sentence "At this point they were not buying any of my story."may mean__________

A.the policemen didn't have enough money

B.the policemen didn't believe the writer's words

C.the policemen helped the writer to break the window

D.the policemen wanted to get the rent receipt

6.Which of the following is WRONG according to the passage?

A.The street person was poor and didn't dress well

B.The writer accepted the money the street person gave her

C.The street person didn't know the writer before

D.The writer got along well with the street person and his fellows

This March is a busy month in Shanghai.There's a lot to do.Here are the highlights.

Live Music - Late Night Jazz

Enjoy real American jazz from Herbie Davis, the famous trumpet player.He's coming with his new 7-piece band, Herbie’s Heroes.Herbie is known to play well into the early hours, so don't expect to get much sleep.This is Herbie’s third visit to Shanghai.The first two were sold out, so get your tickets quickly.

PLACE: The Jazz Club DATES: 15---23 March

PRICE: ¥80,120 TIME: 10:00p.m.till late!

TEL: 6466—8736

Scottish dancing

Take your partners and get ready to dance till you drop.Scottish dancing is fun and easy to learn.Instructors will demonstrate the dances.The live band, Gordon Stroppie and the Weefrees, are also excellent.

PLACE: Jack Stein's DATES: every Monday

PRICE: Y60 including one drink TIME: 7:00 ---0:00 p.m.

TEL: 6402-1877

Exhibitions - Shanghai Museum

There are 120,000 pieces on show here.You can see the whole of Chinese history under one roof.It’s always interesting to visit, but doubly so at the moment with the Egyptian Tombs exhibition.There are lots of mummies and more gold than you've ever seen before.Let us know if you see a mummy move!

PLACE: Shanghai Museum PRICE: ¥30 (¥ 15 for students)

TEL: 6888-6888 DATES: daily

TIME: Monday - Friday 9:00a.m.- 5:00p.m., Weekends 9:00a.m.--- 9:00p.m.

Dining - Sushi chef in town

Sushi is getting really big in Shanghai.In Japan, it’s become an art form.The most famous Sushi 'artist' is Yuki Kamura.She’s also one of the few female chefs in Japan.She’ll be at Sushi Scene all of this month.

PLACE: Sushi Scene in the Shanghai Hotel DATES: all month

PRICE: ¥200 TIME: lunchtime

TEL: 6690-3211

For a full listing of events, see our website.

1.Suppose you are going to attend an activity at 8: 00p.m.on Saturday, which one can you choose?

A.Live Music - Late Night Jazz

B.Exhibitions - Shanghai Museum

C.Scottish dancing

D.Dining - Sushi chef in town

2.Which of the following is true according to the advertisements?

A.Scottish dancing is so interesting and easy that it never tires you out.

B.The performance given by the American jazz band won't last long.

C.Sushi is not popular in Shanghai as it is a kind of Japanese traditional food.

D.It is more interesting to visit Shanghai Museum for the exhibits from Egypt.

3.From the text we may learn that Kamura is _______.

A.an instructor

B.a waitress

C.a coo

D.an artist

It was the summer of 1965. DeLuca, then 17, visited Peter Buck, a family friend. Buck asked DeLuca about his plans for the future. “I’m going to college, but I need a way to pay for it,” DeLuca recalls saying. “Buck said, ‘You should open a sandwich shop.’”

That afternoon, they agreed to be partners. And they set a goal: to open 32 stores in ten years. After doing some research, Buck wrote a check for $1000. DeLuca rented a storefront (店面) in Connecticut, and when they couldn’t cover their start-up costs, Buck kicked in another $1000.

But business didn’t go smoothly as they expected. DeLuca says, “After six months, we were doing poorly, but we didn’t know how badly, because we didn’t have any financial controls.” All he and Buck knew was that their sales were lower than their costs.

DeLuca was managing the store and going to the University of Bridgeport at the same time. Buck was working at his day job as a nuclear physicist in New York. They’d meet Monday evenings and brainstorm ideas for keeping the business running. “We convinced ourselves to open a second store. We figured we could tell the public, ‘We are so successful, we are opening a second store.’” And they did—in the spring of 1966. Still, it was a lot of learning by trial and error.

But the partners’ learn-as-you-go approach turned out to be their greatest strength. Every Friday, DeLuca would drive around and hand-deliver the checks to pay their suppliers. “It probably took me two and a half hours and it wasn’t necessary, but as a result, the suppliers got to know me very well, and the personal relationships established really helped out,” DeLuca says.

And having a goal was also important. “There are so many problems that can get you down. You just have to keep working toward your goal,” DeLuca adds.

DeLuca ended up founding Subway Sandwich, the multimillion-dollar restaurant chain.

1.DeLuca opened the first sandwich shop in order to ______.

A. support his family

B. pay for his college education

C. help his partner expand business

D. do some research

2. What can we learn about their first shop?

A. It stood at an unfavorable place.

B. It lowered the prices to promote sales.

C. It made no profits due to poor management.

D. It lacked control over the quality of sandwiches.

3.They decided to open a second store because they _______.

A. had enough money to do it

B. had succeeded in their business

C. wished to meet the increasing demand of customers

D. wanted to make believe that they were successful

4.What contribute most to their success according to the author?

A. Learning by trial and error.

B. Making friends with suppliers.

C. Finding a good partner

D. Opening chain stores.

The following is something about extreme sports: Dangerous as they are, extreme sports remain appealing among many Australian young people! Camp extreme sports is the perfect test of your heart.

Kite Surfing

It’s the exciting mixture of kite, board and waves. The idea of using a kite to accelerate speed seems like a new challenge, yet the art of kite flying dates back to the 13th-century Chinese when it was used as a simple means of transport.

Catch a wind and you’re moving — up, down and across the surf. “It’s always exciting. You’d jump 5 feet or 35 feet. You never know if you’re going to go up in the air, and your heart is just going boom, boom, boom.”

Coasteering

It is by far the best activity and the event that everyone is still talking about. This is exploring the coastline without worrying about a coastal path or finding a rocky bay blocking your route. You climb, dive and swim from one place to another. With Coasteering, you don’t have to be able to swim as the wet suit and buoyancy(浮力) aid will keep you floating when you are in the water.

Sky Diving

Traditional parachuting(跳伞) doesn’t sound risky enough. So now sky diving is the name for jumping from a plane and listening to your heart beating heavily as you move fast towards earth before you open your parachute at the last moment.

Mountain Biking

It’s been around so long that bikers are no longer satisfied with just going up and down a mountain. Mountain biking is a sport which consists of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough land, using specially adapted mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes, but include features designed to improve strength and performance in rough areas.

For details, please call us on 1300-792-668 or click here: www.xtremecamp.com.au.

1.All the four extreme sports are intended to test one’s _____.

A. potential strength B. physical health

C. sports skills D. courage

2.The underlined word “it” refers to _____.

A. kite flying B. kite surfing

C. a kite D. the art of kites

3.Which of the following sports can be the most risky?

A. Kite surfing. B. Coasteering.

C. Mountain biking. D. Sky diving.

4.We can infer from the passage that _______.

A. kites were the main means of transport in China

B. swimming skills play a key role in Coasteering

C. mountain biking requires more than riding common bikes

D. parachuting is the least popular sports at present

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