题目内容
Have your working conditions improved?
---No, ______than before, I’m afraid.
A. no better B.a little batter C.not worse D.no worse
I grew up in a small town. My father raised chickens and ran a construction company. I was barely 10 years old when my dad gave me the responsibility (责任) of feeding the chickens and cleaning up the stable. He believed it was important for me to have those jobs to learn responsibility. Then, when I was 22, I found a job in Natchbill at a country music club called the Natchbill Palace, I washed dishes and cooked from 4: 00 pm to 9: 00 pm and then went on stage and sang until 2:00 in the morning. It wasn’t long before I became known as a singing cook. I had been rejected so many times by record companies that it was hard not to be discouraged. One night, a woman executive (懂事) from a company named Warner Brothers Records came to hear me sing. When the show was over, we sat down and talked and after she left, I said to myself it was one more rejection. A few weeks later, my manager received a phone call — Warner Brothers wanted to sign me to a record deal. Soon after, I released my first record in June 1986. It sold over 2 million copies. My best efforts had gone into every job I’ve ever held. It was the sense of responsibility that made me feel like a man. Knowing that I had done my best filled me with pride. I still feel that way today, even though I have become a well-known singer.
Why was the writer once known as the singing cook?
A. Because he was a cook at a country-music club.
B. Because he sang for guests while he worked as a cook.
C. Because he often sang while cooking.
D. Because he liked singing better than cooking.
Who first recognized his talents and helped make his career successful?
A. Wamer Brothers. B. His manager.
C. His father. D. A businesswoman.
What made the writer proud of himself?
A. His ability to live independently.
B. His sense of responsibility in whatever he did.
C. His courage in the face of rejections.
D. His hard work in his early days.
It was Christmas 1961. I was teaching in a small town in Ohio where my twenty seven third graders eagerly anticipated the great day of gift giving.
Each day the children made some new wonder – strings of popcorn, hand-made decorations, and German bells made from wallpaper samples, which we hung from the ceiling. Through it all she stayed indifferent(漠不关心的), watching from afar, seemingly miles away. I wondered what would happen to this quiet child, once so happy, now so suddenly unsociable. I hoped the festivities would light her up. But nothing did.
The day of gift giving finally came. We oohed and aahed over our handwork as the presents were exchanged. Through it all, she sat quietly watching. I had made a special package for her, red and green with white lace. I wanted very much to see her smile. She opened it so slowly and carefully. I waited but she turned away.
After school the children left in little groups, but she hesitated, watching them go out of the door. I sat down to catch my breath, hardly know what was happening when she came to me reaching out her hands, holding a small white box, unwrapped and slightly soiled, as though it had been held many times by unwashed, childish hands. “For me?” I asked with a weak smile. She said not a word, but nodded her head. I took the box and carefully opened it. There inside, lay a golden chain. In a flash I knew – she had made it for her mother, a mother she would never see again, a mother who would never hold her or brush her hair or share a funny story, a mother who would never again hear her childish joys or sorrows, a mother who had taken her own life just three weeks before.
I held out the chain. She took it in both her hands, reached forward, and put it on at the back of my neck. She stepped back then as if to see that all was well. I looked down at the golden chain, then back at the giver, “Maria, it is so beautiful. She would have loved it.” Neither of us could stop the tears. She threw herself into my arms and we were in tears together. And for that moment I became her mother, for she had given me the greatest gift of all: herself.
1.The underlined “anticipated” (Paragraph 1) is closest in meaning to _________.
A．prepared B．expected C．talked D．kept
2.We can learn from the story that_________.
A．the beautiful chain was put inside a beautiful box
B．Maria made a golden chain of popcorn for her mother
C．the teacher made a special package for Maria so as to see her smile
D．Maria oohed and aahed over the handwork as the presents were exchanged
3.Maria became quiet and unsociable because_________.
A．she was a shy girl
B．her teacher didn’t give her any gift
C．her mother passed away three weeks ago
D．she didn’t have any friends in the class
4.The underlined sentence (Paragraph 5) mostly means_________.
A．Maria found her biological mother
B．Maria asked her teacher to be her mother
C．the teacher promised to be Maria’s mother after receiving her greatest gift
D．Maria believed in her considerate teacher and opened her heart to the teacher
5.The BEST title for the passage is _________.
A．The kid’s gift B．A quiet girl
C．The greatest teacher D．The great day of gift giving
So the evening turned to night, and the night turned to morning. And before I knew it , the SAT was before me. I wasn’t sure if I was ready, but I knew one thing: I wanted to get it over with.
SAT for the students is like tooth pulling. For those smart Asian kiddos, it’s like walking through the park: easy and carefree. For me, a Chinese American, …it’s: walking through the park and then tripping on a stone.
As I arrived outside of the dining hall, already a mob of students were sitting, talking, or standing silently waiting to get in. Jones students are lucky not only to have such a testing center at school, but also the feeling of their home school where it feels comfortable and familiar.
“ID, please,” my former math teacher asked at the door.
“Okay.” She looked over my ID, checked off my name on her list, and pointed towards the dining hall tables inside.
With hesitation, I picked up my feet and was directed to a large round table in the middle of the dinning hall. At least fourteen people could sit at this table but only four were allowed to take their test here.
“I’m glad it’s multiple choices.” I heard one student say. All the questions on the test have five choices except for one math section where they have only four. If you get an answer wrong, you don’t get any point, plus you get a penalty of a 1/4 point. If you don’t answer a question, you don’t get any point, nor penalties.
When everyone had a seat and the actual SAT I booklet in front of them, the proctor of the test called for our attentions. “In front of you, you should have a SAT I test and a scantron（答题卡）. Please do not open the test booklet until I say so.” He then went on to talk about the procedures, the amount of time, signature of honesty, etc. After thirty minutes of instruction reading, he gave us all a solemn expression before saying, “You may begin now. Good luck.”
I could hear a hundred booklets being opened and pencils scratching the surface. I looked to my right, I looked to my left, I did a quick prayer for whoever was in charge up in the heavens, and started my test. At least I wouldn’t know my score until summer time.
1.How did the author feel before the test?
A．Confident. B．Carefree. C．Confused. D．Nervous.
2.Jones students are lucky because __________.
A．they can take the test in a dining hall
B．they can talk during the test
C．they can take the test in their home school
D．they have their math teacher supervising the test
3.By the underlined sentence, the writer intends to say that_________.
A．the test would be so difficult that she might not pass it
B．the test seemed easy but she still needed to be careful with it
C．the test would be much easier for her than for the other Asian students
D．she found herself not as smart as the other Asian students
4.Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
A．Fourteen students sat around a large round table, taking the test.
B．There were four math problems on the test.
C．You will lose more points if you get the answer wrong than if you give up the question.
D．The proctor announced the instructions as soon as the test began.
I heard the bees long before I saw them.
It was a very hot afternoon, and we decided to 21 in the river near my home. As we climbed down a small rocky hill toward the water, my boyfriend John 22 started to shout and then jumped into the water below. Peter and Mary quickly 23 but I was too far away to jump. I was 24 .
I heard a low hum, which was growing louder. From a 25 , the group of bees looked almost like a cloud of smoke. As it got closer, I realized it was actually thousands of bees flying towards me.
All I could do was 26 my face with my hands. 27 , I thought that if I sat very 28 , the bees would think I was just another rock.
After a few seconds, I knew my 29 had failed. The bees were attacking me. I could hear my friends shouting at me to get down.
But it wasn’t so easy. The only way I could 30 was to use my hands to climb down the rocks. However, I was afraid to do that at first because my face would be 31 .
The noise the bees made was so loud and 32 , and I had no choice.
I rushed down the rocks and jumped into the pool. I was just so happy to be free from the pain and the water felt so 33 .
But we still weren’t out of 34 . Every time we tried to climb out, the bees flew back over our heads. We spent the next three hours in the water until the bees finally lost 35 .
1. A．call off B．get off C．cool off D．turn off
2. A．eventually B．suddenly C．happily D．hurriedly
3. A．climbed B．followed C．dashed D．helped
4. A．lost B．forgotten C．trapped D．fooled
5. A．hill B．rock C．river D．distance
6. A．cover B．hide C．find D．lose
7. A．Finally B．Joyfully C．Crazily D．Immediately
8. A．quietly B．still C．relaxed D．gracefully
9. A．face B．friends C．plan D．shout
10. A．pass away B．get away C．look away D．take away
11. A．exposed B．unwanted C．lost D．protected
12. A．annoying B．frightening C．amazing D．boring
13. A．wonderful B．painful C．hot D．strange
14. A．breath B．control C．danger D．doubt
15. A．hope B．interest C．time D．control
