The Story of the Farmer and His Donkey (驴子)
One day a farmer’s donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried pitifully for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway and it just wasn’t worth to save the donkey. So, he decided to bury(埋) it!
He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They all took shovel(铲子)and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly, then slowly he quieted down till nothing more was heard.
A few shovels later, the farmer finally looked down into the well, and was surprised at what he saw. With every shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something wonderful—he would shake it off and take a step up!
As the farmer’s neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was surprised as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and went off quickly!
Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a stepping stone. We can get out of the deepest wells by not stopping, never giving up, shaking it off, and taking a step up!
1. The donkey quieted down, because ________.
A. it was dead                           B. it was tired
 C. it had given up trying                   D. it had a good way to survive
2. We know from the story that ________.
A. all the donkeys in the world are clever         
B. it is easy for donkeys to fall into a well
C. the neighbors helped bury the donkey
D. the owner pushed the donkey into the well
3. The writer of the passage is most probably ________.
A. an optimistic person                  B. a pet lover
C. an animal protector                   D. a cold-hearted man
4. The writer wants to tell us “________”.
A. A cat has 9 lives                   B. Facing difficulties, never give up
C. A friend in need is a friend indeed       D. No pains, no gains

My elder brother Steve, in the absence of my father who died when I was six, gave me important lessons in values that helped me grow into an adult.
For instance, Steve taught me to face the results of my behavior. Once when I returned in tears from a Saturday baseball game, it was Steve who took the time to ask me what happened. When I explained that my baseball had soared through Mrs. Holt’s basement window, breaking the glass with a crash, Steve encouraged me to confess(承认)to her. After all, I should have been playing in the park down Fifth Street and not in the path between buildings. Although my knees knocked as I explained to Mrs. Holt, I offered to pay for the window from my pocket money if she would return my ball. I also learned from Steve that personal property is a sacred(神圣的) thing. After I found a shiny silver pen in my fifth-grade classroom, I wanted to keep it, but Steve explained that it might be important to someone else in spite of the fact that it had little value. He reminded me of how much I’d hate to lose to someone else the small dog that my father carved from a piece of cheap wood. I returned the pen to my teacher, Mrs. Davids, and still remembered the smell of her perfume as she patted me on my shoulder.
Yet of all the instructions Steve gave me, his respect for life is the most vivid in my mind. When I was twelve, I killed an old brown sparrow in the yard with a BB gun. Excited with my accuracy, I screamed to Steve to come from the house to take a look. I shall never forget the way he stood for a long moment and stared at the bird on the ground. Then in a dead, quiet voice, he asked, “Did it hurt you first, Mark?” I didn’t know what to answer. He continued with his eyes firm, “The only time you should even think of hurting a living thing is if it hurts you first. And then you think a long, long time.” I really felt terrible then, but that moment stands out as the most important lesson my brother taught me.
【小题1】 What is the main subject of the passage?

A.The relationship between Mark and Steve.
B.The important lesson Mark learned in school
C.Steve’s important role in mark’s growing process.
D.Mark and Steve’s respect for living things.
【小题2】 It can be inferred from the passage that when Mark confessed to Mrs. Holt, __________.
A.he felt surprisedB.he was light-hearted
C.he felt frightenedD.he knelt before her
【小题3】In the story about the pen, which of the following lessons did Steve teach his brother?
A.Respect for personal property.
B.Respect for life.
C.Sympathy for people with problems.
D.The value of honesty.
【小题4】 According to the writer, which was the most important lesson Steve taught his young brother?
A.Respect for living things.
B.Responsibility for one’s actions.
C.The value of the honesty.
D.Care for the property of others.
【小题5】Which of the follow is true according to the passage?
A.Mark was still a boy when he wrote this passage.
B.Mark lost the small dog his father carved somewhere.
C.When a living thing hurts you, you should kill it.
D.Even if a living thing hurts you, you should not kill it without hesitation.

The life of an actor appears attractive and many young people dream about becoming one. But the truth is, it is very hard work. If you’re successful, there are deadlines to be met, appointments to keep and the press to deal with. If you’re not successful, then life is extremely tough.
I remember when I started out, I had to search the advertisement board at my drama school every day to look for acting jobs. Drama school was expensive and I needed extra cash to help pay the fees. I welcomed every small job. I played extras in many crowd scenes and became a confident participant in a lot of TV commercials for hair shampoo, soap and washing powder.
I had been working for about two years before I got my lucky break. One day, as I was passing the drama school, I decided to go in to check the notice board. There was nothing on it and I was just leaving when the secretary came along the corridor with a piece of paper. She asked me how I was and I told her life was hard and work was difficult to find. The next moment, she put the paper in my hand and walked away. My hands were shaking as I unfolded the paper, full of expectation. To my surprise, it was an audition (试演) for a clown(小丑)for the Canadian circus. I couldn’t stop myself from laughing. I had expected an audition with a famous director for a new film!
When I was at drama school, there had been a course in acrobatics and clown tricks. I had gained top marks in this course for originality and daring. Later I went to the audition feeling very strange. This was not what I’d had in mind when I enrolled in drama school. To my surprise, the job as a clown turned out to be exactly what I wanted. I loved every moment of getting dressed up and putting on the make-up. I had the opportunity to travel the world and I was more than an actor, I was an entertainer as well. I had visited over 32 different countries and entertained millions of people.
【小题1】The first paragraph is about how _______ it is to be an actor, whether you’re successful or not.

A.easyB.attractiveC.enjoyableD.difficult
【小题2】According to paragraph 3, the writer went into the drama school __________.
A.to look for a job
B.to see the secretary
C.to collect a piece of paper
D.to put a notice on the notice board
【小题3】Which of the following can best describe the author’s feeling when he unfolded the paper?
A.Extremely frightened.B.Feeling anxious and excited.
C.Very worried.D.Trembling with fear.
【小题4】From the whole passage, we can tell that the writer is ___________.
A.sad that he was not a famous actor
B.happy to travel the world
C.feeling very strange to be a clown
D.very content with his life
【小题5】Which of the following would be the best title?
A.The Life of a TV ActorB.Acrobatics and Clown Tricks
C.More than an ActorD.Going to Drama School


Welcome to my Message Board!
Subject: Slimming down classics?
 
Mr.
Handsome
2007-5-12
6: 34 AM
Orion Books, which decides there is a market in creating cut-down classics (经典著作), is slimming down some novels by such great writers as L. Tolstoy, M. Mitchell and C. Bronte. Now, each of them has been whittled down to about 400 pages by cutting 30 to 40 pages per cent of original, with words, sentences, paragraphs and, in a few cases, chapters removed. The first six shortened editions, all priced at £6.99 and advertised as great reads “in half the time”, will go on sale next month, with plans for 50 to 100 more to follow. The publishing house believes that modern readers will welcome the shorter versions.
 
Mr.
Edwards
2007-5-12
9: 40 AM
Well, I’m publisher of Orion Group. Thanks for your attention, Mr. Handsome.
I must say, the idea developed from a game of “shame” in my office. Each of us was required to confess (承认) to the most embarrassing blanks in his or her reading. I admitted that I had never read Anna Karenina and tried but failed to get through Gone with the Wind several times. One of my colleagues acknowledged skipping (跳读) Jane Eyre. We realized that life is too short to read all the books you want to and we never were going to read these ones.
As a leading publishing house, we are trying to make classics convenient for readers but it’s not as if we’re withdrawing the original versions. They are still there if you want to read them.
Ms. Weir
2007-5-12
11:35 AM
I’m director of the online bookclub www.lovereading.co.uk
Mr. Edwards, I think your shortened editions is a breath of fresh air. I’m guilty of never having read Anna Karenina, because it’s just so long. I’d much rather read two 300-page books than one 600-page book. I am looking forward to more shortened classics!
Mr.
Crockatt
2007-5-12
4:38 PM
I’m from the London independent bookshop Corckatt & Powell.
In my opinion, the practice is completely ridiculous. How can you edit the classics? I’m afraid reading some of these book is hard work, and that is why you have to develop as a reader. If people don’t have time to read Anna Karenina, then fine. But don’t read a shortened version and kid yourself it’s the real thing.
【小题1】According to the message board, Orion Books ___________.
A.opposes the reading of original classics
B.is embarrassed for cutting down classics
C.thinks cut-down classics have a bright future
D.is cautions in its decision to cut down classics
【小题2】In Mr. Edwards’ opinion, Orion Group is shortening classics to _________.
A.make them easier to readB.meet a large demand in the market
C.increase the sales of literary booksD.compete with their original versions
【小题3】By describing the shortened classics as “a breath of fresh air”, Ms. Weir ________.
A.speaks highly of the cut-down classics
B.shows her love for original classics
C.feels guilty of not reading the classics
D.disapprove of shortening the classics
【小题4】Mr. Crockatt seems to imply that _________.
A.reading the classic works is a confusing attempt
B.shortening the classics does harm to the original
C.publishing the cut-down classics is a difficult job
D.editing the classic works satisfies children’s needs
【小题5】How many classics are involved in the massage board?
A.Two.B.Three.C.Four.D.Five

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【小题1】 Lucas is experiencing the hardest time in life these days. As manager of a trade company, he is responsible for the loss of a big business contract as he made a wrong decision. He wonders whether he has the ability to be a good manger, and he’s even considering leaving his job. He doesn’t know what to do and badly needs help.
【小题2】Whitney has been out of work for several weeks now since she left her last job. She has been trying to find another one, but with no luck. She urgently needs a new job, so she’s searching for advice on how to make the best use of her time so as to successfully get a job.
【小题3】After a job interview, Ralph was told that the company would like to have him as one of its staff. He would sell the company’s products if he worked there. However, he’s not sure whether he is good at selling things or not, so he’s looking for a way to find out about this before taking the job.
【小题4】Thomas Howard is 23 years old, working at a gas station. He earns little money every week, feels that his life is hopeless, and never thinks that things will be better for him. His mother is worried about this and wishes to find a way to inspire her son.
【小题5】Katrina is quite worried recently, because her manager seems to be turning on her, criticizing her in front of her colleagues for things that she does quite well. What’s worse, he even tells others that she has several boyfriends at the same time, which is of course not true. She really wishes to find a way for her problem.

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