How I Turned to Be Optimistic

   I began to grow up that winter night when my parents and I were returning from my aunt's house, and my mother said that we might soon be leaving for America. We were on the bus then . I was crying, and some people on the bus were turning around to look at me. I remember that I could not bear the thought of never hearing again the radio program for school children to which I listened every morning.

  I do not remember myself crying for this reason again. In fact, I think I cried very little when I was saying goodbye to my friends and relatives. When we were leaving I thought about all the places I was going to see-the strange and magical places I had known only from books and pictures. The country I was leaving never to come back was hardly in my head then.

   The four years that followed taught me the importance of optimism, but the idea did not come to me at once. For the first two years in New York I was really lost-having to study in three schools as a result of family moves. I did not quite know what I was or what I should be. Mother remarried, and things became even more complex for me. Some time passed before my stepfather and I got used to each other. I was often sad, and saw no end to "the hard times".

   My responsibilities in the family increased a lot since I knew English better than everyone else at home. I wrote letters, filled out forms, translated at interviews with Immigration officers, took my grandparents to the doctor and translated there, and even discussed telephone bills with company representatives.

   From my experiences I have learned one important rule: almost all common troubles eventually go away! Something good is certain to happen in the end when you do not give up , and just wait a little! I believe that my life will turn out all right, even though it will not be that easy.

How did the author get to know America?

 A. From her relatives.               B. From her mother.

 C. From books and pictures.          D. From radio programs.

Upon leaving for America the author felt_________________.

 A. confused          B. excited     C. worried      D. amazed

For the first two years in New York, the author___________________ .

 A. often lost her way                B. did not think about her future

 C. studied in three different schools    D. got on well with her stepfather

What can we learn about the author from paragraph 4?

  A. She worked as a translator.            

B. She attended a lot of job interviews.

  C. She paid telephone bills for her family.

  D. She helped her family with her English.

The author believes that _________________ .

  A. her future will be free from troubles 

B. it is difficult to learn to become patient

  C. there are more good things than bad things

  D. good things will happen if one keeps trying

Many years ago, when I was fresh out of school and working in Denver, I was driving to my parents' home in Missouri for Christmas. I stopped at a gas station(加油站)about 50 miles from Oklahoma City, where I was planning to stop and visit a friend. While I was standing in line at the cash register(收款台), I said hello to an older couple who were also paying for gas.

I took off, but had gone only a few miles when black smoke poured from the back of my car. I stopped and wondered what I should do. A car pulled up behind me. It was the couple I had spoken to at the gas station. They said they would take me to my friend's. We chatted on the way into the city, and when I got out of the car, the husband gave me his business card.

I wrote him and his wife a thank-you note for helping me. Soon afterward, I received a Christmas present from them. Their note that came with it said that helping me had made their holidays meaningful.

Years later, I drove to a meeting in a nearby town in the morning. In late afternoon I returned to my car and found that I'd left the lights on all day, and the battery(电池)was dead. Then I noticed that the Friendly Ford dealership - a shop selling cars - was right next door. I walked over and found two salesmen in the showroom.

"Just how friendly is Friendly Ford?" I asked and explained my trouble. They quickly drove a pickup truck to my car and started it. They would accept no payment, so when I got home, I wrote them a note to say thanks. I received a letter back from one of the salesmen. No one had ever taken the time to write him and say thank you, and it meant a lot, he said.

"Thank you" - two powerful words. They're easy to say and mean so much.

The author planned to stop at Oklahoma City_________.

A. to visit a friend

B. to see his parents

C. to pay at the cash register

D. to have more gas for his car

The words “took off” underlined in Paragraph 2 mean “______”.

A. turned off   B. moved off   C. put up   D. set up

What happened when the author found smoke coming out of his car?

A. He had it pulled back to the gas station.

B. The couple sent him a business card.

C. The couple offered to help him.    

D. He called his friend for help.

The battery of the author’s car was dead because_______.

A. something went wrong with the lights

B. the meeting lasted a whole day

C. he forgot to turn off the lights

D. he drove too long a distance

By telling his own experiences, the author tries to show______.

A. how to write a thank-you letter

B. how to deal with car problems

C. the kind-heartedness of older people

D. the importance of expressing thanks

In 1982, Steven Callahan was crossing the Atlantic alone in his sailboat when it struck something and sank. He was out of the sailing track and floating in a lifeboat, alone. His supplies were  36 . His chances of surviving were small.  37 when three fishermen found him seventy-six days later, he was alive — much  38 than he was when he started, but alive.
His  39 of how he survived is interesting and attractive. His subtle act — how he  40 to catch fish, how he evaporated sea water to 41 fresh water — is very interesting. But the thing that  42 my eye was how he managed to keep himself going when all hope seemed lost, when it seemed no  43  continuing the struggle, when he was  44  greatly, when his lifeboat was pierced and after more than a week’s struggling with his weak body. He was starved and  45  exhausted. Giving up would have seemed the only sensible choice.
When people  46 these kinds of circumstances, they do something with their minds that gives them the courage to keep going. Many people in  47 dangerous circumstances give in or go mad. Something the survivors do with their thoughts helps them find the courage to carry on  48 major difficulties.
"I tell myself I can  49 it," wrote Callahan in his book. "Compared to what others have been through, I'm fortunate. I tell myself these things over and over,  50  courage and strength."
I wrote that down after I read it  51 it struck me as something important. And I've told myself the same thing when my own goals seemed 52 off or when my problems seemed too powerful. And every time I've said it, I have always come back to my senses.
The truth is, our circumstances are only bad  53 to something better. But others have been through much worse, that is, in comparison with what  54 have been through, you're fortunate. Tell this to yourself over and over again, and it will help you  55 the rough spots with a little more perseverance(毅力) .

【小题1】
A.lessB.littleC.fewD.enough
【小题2】
A.AndB.YetC.StillD.While
【小题3】
A.thinnerB.poorerC.worseD.fatter
【小题4】
A.attitudeB.imaginationC.instructionD.story
【小题5】
A.tried B.tendedC.managedD.intended
【小题6】
A.makeB.collectC.selectD.replace
【小题7】
A.attacked B.caughtC.frozeD.cheated
【小题8】
A.operationB.tasteC.messageD.use
【小题9】A improving        B. suffering    C. strengthening        D. increasing
【小题10】
A.firmlyB.completelyC.surelyD.generally
【小题11】
A.dealB.defendC.surviveD.observe
【小题12】
A.similarlyB.likelyC.probablyD.commonly
【小题13】
A.for the lack ofB.in spite ofC.in support ofD.as a result of
【小题14】
A.handle B.carryC.followD.inspect
【小题15】
A.rolling upB.using upC.building upD.making up
【小题16】
A.butB.soC.althoughD.and
【小题17】
A.farB.longC.nearD.short
【小题18】
A.relatedB.measuredC.contributedD.compared
【小题19】
A.youB.othersC.weD.another
【小题20】
A.see throughB.cut throughC.get through D.think through

It was a winter morning,just a couple of weeks before Christmas of 2005. While most people were warming up their cars,Trevor,my husband,had to get up early to ride his bike four kilometers away from home to work. On arrival,he parked his bike outside the back door as he usually does. After putting in 10 hours of labor, he returned to find his bike gone.

The bike,a black Kona 18 Speed,was our only transport. Trevor used it to get to work,putting in 60-hour weeks to support his young family. And the bike was also used to get foods, saving us from having to walk along long distances from where we live.

I was so sad that someone would steal our bike that I wrote to the newspaper and told them our story. Shortly after that,several people in our area offered to help. One wonderful stranger even bought a bike,then called my husband to pick it up. Once again my husband had a way to get to and from his job. It really is an honor that a complete stranger would go out of their way for someone they have never met before.

People say that a smile can be passed from one person to another,but acts of kindness from strangers are even more so. This experience has had a spreading effect in our lives because it made us believe more in the beauty of humanity (人性) as a whole. And it has influenced us to be more mindful of ways we,too,can share with others. No matter how big or how small,an act of kindness shows that someone cares. And the results can last forever.

1.Why was the bike so important to the couple?

  A. They used it for work and daily life.

B. It was their only possessions(财产).

  C. It was a nice Kona 18 Speed.

D. The man’s job was bike racing.

2.We can infer from the passage that __________.

  A. the couple worked 60 hours a week

  B. people were busy before Christmas

  C. the stranger brought over the bike

  D. life was hard for the young family

3.How did people get to know the couple’s problem?

  A. From a stranger

  B. From a newspaper

  C. From TV news

  D. From radio broadcasts

4. What do the couple learn from their experience?

  A. Strangers are usually little helpful.

  B. One should take care of their bike.

  C. News reports make people famous.

  D. An act of kindness can mean a lot.

5.From this story,we can see humanity is __________.

A. selfish        B. useful       C. kind       D. cold-hearted

 

Africa is now facing many problems. People are suffering(遭受) from a shortage(短缺) of food. They do not have enough health care. Deserts (沙漠) are spreading (扩大) in many places.

In Africa millions of people starved (饿) to death, and two thirds of them were children. Harry Belafonte, a famous singer in America, felt sad when he saw a film about the starving people in Africa. He said to himself, "I should do something to help them. What can I do?" He thought of a plan to gather the stars from the music world and make a special record. The money from the record would help the starving people in Africa. Those famous singers and musicians were always very busy. "How can you gather them?" everyone said to Belafonte. But they were willing to come to the event(活动) from all over the country.

Then who wrote the words and music for the record?

During the Christmas holidays in 1984, Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie were writing the words and music for the record at Jackson’ s home in Los Angeles. They often talked about the music far into the night. When they finished the music, they called it "We Are the World". On the evening of January 28th, 1985 ,forty -five superstars made a historical(历史性的) recording in a Hollywood studio(演播室)." Everyone should do something active like this, "said Cyndi Lauper. "We have to be the voice," Stevie Wonere said," to help those people that have lost their future. "A sign was put at the door of the studio: "Please cheek your ego (自我) at the door!"

At 10 P.M. they began their work. They finally finished recording at 8 A.M. that morning. Just at that moment Diana Ross sat down with tears in her eyes and said, "I just don’ t want this to end!"

On April 5, more than 800 radio stations all over the world played "We Are The World" at the same time.

53. What did Harry Belafonte think he should do?

A. He thought he should tell other people about it.

B. He thought he should send a lot of food to Africa.

C. He thought he should ask the government to help them.

D. He thought he should do something to help the starving people.

54. Who was he going to make a record with?

A. With Michael Jackson.           B. With the movie stars.

C. With the baseball stars.           D. With the stars from the music.

55. What would help the starving people in Africa?

A. The special record.              B. The money from record.

C. The money from the stars.        D. The money from the government.

56. What did Diana Ross want?

A. She didn’t want to continue such kindness.

B. She wanted to continue doing such kindness.

C. She didn’t want to stop recording.

D. She wanted to have a good rest.

 

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