I was in a terrible mood. Two of my friends had gone to the movies the night before and hadn’t invited me. I was in my room thinking of ways to make them sorry when my father came in. “Want to go for a ride, today, Beck? It’s a beautiful day.”

“No! Leave me alone!” Those were the last words I said to him that morning.

    My friends called and invited me to go to the mall with them a few hours later. I forgot to be mad at them and when I came home to find a note on the table. My mother put it where I would be sure to see it. “Dad has had an accident. Please meet us at Highland Park Hospital”.

    When I reached the hospital, my mother came out and told me my father’s injuries were extensive. “Your father told the driver to leave him alone and just call 911, thank God! If he had moved Daddy, there’s no telling what might have happened. A broken rib(肋骨)might have pierced(穿透)a lung...”

My mother may have said more, but I didn’t hear. I didn’t hear anything except those terrible words: Leave me alone. My dad said them to save himself from being hurt more. How much had I hurt him when I hurled those words at him earlier in the day?

    It was several days later that he was finally able to have a conversation. I held his hand gently, afraid of hurting him.

    “Daddy… I am so sorry…”

“It’s okay, sweetheart. I’ll be okay. ”

    “No,” I said, “I mean about what I said to you that day. You know, that morning?”

    My father could no more tell a lie than he could fly. He looked at me and said. “Sweetheart, I don’t remember anything about that day, not before, during or after the accident. I remember kissing you goodnight the night before, though. ”He managed a weak smile.

    My English teacher once told me that words have immeasurable power. They can hurt or they can heal. And we all have the power to choose our words. I intend to do that very carefully from now on.

The author was in bad mood that morning because _______.

    A. his father had a terrible accident

    B. he couldn’t drive to the mall with his friends

    C. his friends hadn’t invited him to the cinema

    D. his father didn’t allow him to go out with his friends

Why did the author say sorry to his father in the hospital?

    A. Because he didn’t go along with his father.

    B. Because he was rude to his father that morning.

    C. Because he failed to come earlier after the accident.

    D. Because he couldn’t look after his father in the hospital.

The reason why the author’s father said he forgot everything about that day is that _______.

    A. he had a poor memory B. he didn’t hear what his son said

    C. he just wanted to comfort his son    D. he lost his memory after the accident

What lesson did Beck learn from the matter?

    A. Don’t treat your parents badly.

    B. Don’t hurt others with rude words.

    C. Don’t move the injured in an accident.

    D. Don’t be angry with friends at small things.

BRITAIN is a popular tourist place, but tours of the country have pros and cons.

GOOD NEWS

Free museums. No charge for outstanding collections of art and antiquities.

Pop music. Britain is the only country to compete with the US on this score.

Black cabs. London taxi drivers know where they are going even if there are never enough of them at weekends or night.

Choice of food. Visitors can find everything from Japanese to Swedish restaurants.

Fashion. Not only do fashion junkies love deeply and respect highly brand names such as Vivienne Westwood, Alexander McQueen; street styles are justly loved, too.

  BAD NEWS

  Poor service. “It’s part of the image of the place. People can dine out on the rudeness they have experienced,” says Professor Tony Seaton, of Luton University’s International Tourism Research Center.

  Poor public transport. Trains and buses are promised to disappoint the keenest tourists, although the over crowded London tube is unbelievably popular.

  Rain. Still in the number one complaint.

  No air-conditioning. So that even splendidly hot summers become as unbearable as the downpours.

  Overpriced hotels. The only European country with a higher rate of tax on hotel rooms is Denmark.

Licensing hours. Alcohol(酒) is in short supply after 11 pm even in “24-hour cities”.

What do tourists complain most?

A. Poor service.                          B. Poor public transport.

C. Rain.                                  D. Overpriced hotels.

What do we learn about pop music in Britain and the US through this passage?

A. Pop music in Britain is better than that in the US.

B. Pop music in Britain is as good as that in the US.

C. Pop music in Britain is worse than that in the US.

D. Pop music in Britain is quite different from that in the US.

When is alcohol unlikely to be available in quantities?

  A. At 8: 30 pm.     B. At 9: 30 pm.         C. At 10: 30 pm.        D. At 11: 30 pm.

Which of the following is true according to the passage?

  A. The public transport is poor there.

  B. It’s very cheap to travel by taxi there.

  C. You cannot find Chinese food there.

D. You have to pay to visit the museums.

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