In a moment of personal crisis(危机), how much help can you expect from a New York taxi driver?I began studying this question and found the answers interesting．
One morning I got into three different taxis and announced：“Well, it’s my first day back in New York in seven years．I’ve been in prison．”Not a single driver replied, so I tried again,“Yeah, I shot a man in Reno．”I explained, hoping the driver would ask me why, so I could say casually,“Just to watch him die．”But nobody asked．The only response came from a Ghanaian driver：“Reno?That is in Nevada?”
Taxi drivers were uniformly sympathetic(有同情心的)when I said I’d just been fired．“This is America,”a Haitian driver said,“One door is closed．Another is open．”He argued against my plan to burn down my boss’ house：“if you do something silly and they put you away, you cannot look for another job．”A Pakistani driver even turned down a chance to profit(获益)from my loss of hope．He refused to take me to the middle of the George Washington Bridge, a ＄20 trip．
“Why you want to go there?Go home and relax．Don’t worry．Take a new job．”
One very hot weekday in July, while wearing a red ski mask(面具)and holding a stuffed(塞满的)pillowcase with the word“BANK”on it, I tried hailing(招呼)a taxi five times outside different banks．The driver picked me up every time．My ride with Guy Caaude Thevenain, a Haitian driver, was typical of the superb assistance I received．
“Is anyone following us?”
“No,”said the driver, looking in his rearview mirror at traffic and me．
“Let’s go across the park,”I said．“I just robbed the bank there．I got ＄25,000．”
“＄25,000?”he asked．
“Yeah, you think it was wrong to take it?”
“No, man．I work 8 hours and I earn just ＄70．If I can do that, I do it too．”
As we approached the 86th of Lexington, I pointed to the Chemical Bank．
“Hey, there’s another bank,”I said,“Could you wait here a minute while I go inside?”
“No, I can’t wait．Pay me now．”His reluctance may have something to do with money - taxi drivers think the rate for waiting time is too low - but I think he wanted me to learn that even a bank robber can’t expect unconditional support．
(1)
From the Ghanaian driver’s response, we can infer that ________．
[ ]
A．
he was not caring about the killing
B．
he thought the writer was crazy
C．
he thought the writer was a criminal
D．
he was frightened to hear what the writer said
(2)
Why did the Pakistani driver refuse to give the writer a ride?
[ ]
A．
The place was far away．
B．
He was in a hurry to go home and relax．
C．
He thought the writer was going to kill himself．
D．
He didn’t want to help the writer get over his career crisis．
(3)
The underlined word“reluctance”in the last paragraph most probably means ________．
[ ]
A．
eagerness
B．
unwillingness
C．
opportunity
D．
anger
(4)
What does the passage mainly discuss?
[ ]
A．
Problem of taxi drivers’ attitudes towards riders．
Student Date of Birth：19/08/1988 Department of Education and Training
International Students Centre
Hong Xue 827-839 George Street PO Box 707
60 Waratah Street Broadway NSW 21007
Croydon Park NSW 2133 Phone：(612)9217 4801 1300 302 456
Fax：(612)9212 6721
http：//www.tafensw.edu.au/international/
WARNING LETTER
Dear Hong Xue,
As you are aware, your student visa regulations set out a number of conditions applying to your visa．It has come to our attention that you are failing to meet the following conditions：You must maintain accommodation, support and general welfare arrangements that have been approved by your education provider if you：
●have not turned 18; and
●are not staying in Australia with：
－a parent
－a custodian(监护人); or
－a relative who has been nominated(指定)by your parent or a custodian, is aged at least 21 and is of good character．
Note：You must not change those arrangements without the written approval of your education provider．
You must obey the following rules：
1．During term time you must：
a)remain in your homestay during the school term;
b)come home every night; and
c)inform your guardian at all times of your whereabouts．
2．On weekends you must：
a)have your guardian's permission to stay with friends; and
b)inform your guardian of the name, address and phone numbers of people you are visiting．
3．You must return your guardian's telephone calls．
This will be your only warning．If you continue to breach(违反)your student visa regulations we will report you to the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs．Such action may lead to the cancellation(取消)of your student visa．Please contact me on(612)9217 4801 or fax(612)9212 6721 if you have questions about your enrolment．
Yours sincerely
Tracey Carlon
Student Advisor
International Students Centre
NSW Department of Education and Training
(1)
What's the purpose of writing this letter?
[ ]
A．
To remind the recipient of the conditions for applying for a student visa．
B．
To warn the recipient not to do anything against his student visa regulations again．
C．
To tell the recipient how to contact his student advisor．
D．
To inform the recipient of the student visa regulations．
(2)
What can be learned about the recipient from this letter?
[ ]
A．
He is under 18 and studies in Australia with his parents．
B．
He is required to come home every night according to the rules．
C．
He can stay with his friends on weekends if permitted．
D．
His student Visa has been cancelled．
(3)
To which address should the recipient reply if he feels like answering the letter?
[ ]
A．
Hong Xue at 60 Waratah Street, Croydon Park NSW 2133．
B．
Tracey Carlon at the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs．
C．
Hong Xue at NSW Department of Education and Training．
D．
Tracey Carlon at 827-839 George Street, PO Box 707, Broadway NSW 21007．
阅读理解
Once upon a time the colors of the world started to quarrel．Green said,“Clearly I am the most important．I am the sign of life and hope．I was chosen for grass, trees and leaves．Without me, all animals would 1 ．”
Blue interrupted,“You only think about the 2 , but consider the sky and the sea． 3 the water that is the basis of life and drawn up by the clouds from the deep sea．Without my peace, you would all be 4 ．”
Yellow chuckled(笑道),“You are all so serious．I bring laughter, fun, and 5 into the world．”
Orange started next to blow her trumpet,“I am the color of health and strength．I may be 6 , but I am precious for I serve the needs of human life．When I fill the sky 7 , my beauty is so striking that no one gives another 8 to any of you．”
Red could stand it 9 and he shouted out,“I am the ruler of all of you．I am the color of danger and of bravery．I am willing to 10 truth．I am also the color of passion and of love．”
Then came Purple and Indigo(深蓝)…．
The colors went on boasting, each convinced of his or her own 11 ．Their quarreling became louder and louder．Suddenly there was a startling flash of bright lightening thunder．Rain started to pour down 12 ．The colors crouched(蜷缩)down 13 , drawing close to one another for comfort．
In the midst of the clamor(叫嚷), rain began to speak,“You foolish colors, fighting 14 yourselves, each trying to dominate 15 ．Don't you know that you were each made for a special purpose, 16 ?Join hands with 17 and come to me．”
Doing as they were told, the colors 18 and joined hands．They formed a colorful rainbow．From then on, whenever a good rain 19 the world, a rainbow appears in the sky．They remember to 20 one another．
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