Lightning flashed through the darkness over Donald Lubeck’s bedroom skylight. The 80-year-old retired worker was shaken by a blast of thunder. It was 11 p.m. The storm had moved directly over his two-story wood home in the rural town of Belchertown, Massachusetts. Then he heard the smoke alarm beeping. Lubeck padded down the stairs barefoot and opened the door to the basement, and flames exploded out.
Lubeck fled back upstairs to call 911 from his bedroom, but the phone didn’t work. Lubeck realized he was trapped. “I started panicking,” he says.
His daughter and young granddaughters, who lived with him, were away for the night. No one will even know I’m home, he thought. His house was three miles off the main road and so well hidden by pines that Lubeck knew calling for help would be fruitless.
Up a hill about a third of a mile away lived Lubeck’s closest neighbors, Jeremie Wentworth and his wife. Wentworth had been lying down, listening to the radio when it occurred to him that the sound was more like a smoke detector. He jumped out of bed, grabbed a cordless phone and a flashlight, and headed down the hillside toward the noise.
He dialed 911. “Is anyone there?” he called out as he approached the house. Wentworth knew that Lubeck lived in the house.
Then he heard, “Help me! I’m trapped!” coming from the balcony off Lubeck’s bedroom.
“I ran in and yelled,‘Don, where are you?’ Then I had to run outside to catch my breath.”
After one more attempt inside the house, he gave up and circled around back. But there was no way to get to him. “I shined the flashlight into the woods next to an old shed and noticed a ladder,” says Wentworth. He dragged it over to the balcony and pulled Lubeck down just as the second floor of the house collapsed.
Wentworth and Lubeck don’t run into each other regularly, but Lubeck now knows that if he ever needs help, Wentworth will be there.
Lubeck still chokes up when he tells the story. “I was alone,” he says. “Then I heard the most beautiful sound in my life. It was Jeremie.”
【小题1】According to the text, Lubeck___________.

A.stayed calm in the fireB.couldn’t find a safe way out
C.lived on the first floorD.called for help in the fire
【小题2】How did Wentworth help Lubeck escape?
A.He called 911.
B.He went upstairs and took Lubeck out.
C.He put out the fire.
D.He used a ladder and pulled Lubeck down.
【小题3】Which of the following factors was not mentioned in the text that almost cost Lubeck’s life?
A.He was living in his wood home alone that night.
B.The storm was too heavy and the fire was too fierce.
C.He lived far from the main road and was surrounded by pines.
D.He was too frightened to escape from the danger.
【小题4】What does the text mainly talk about?
A.A near neighbour is better than a distant cousin.
B.A good way to get a narrow escape.
C.God helps those who help themselves.
D.Blood is thicker than water.

When I was an official of a school in Palo Alto, California, Polly Tyner, the president of our board, wrote a letter that was printed in the Palo Alto Times. Polly’s son, Jim, had great difficulty in school. He was classified as the educationally handicapped and required a great deal of patience on the part of his parents and teachers. But Jim was a happy kid with a great smile that lit up the room. His parents knew his difficulties, but they always tried to help him see his strengths so that he could walk with pride. Shortly after Jim finished high school, he was killed in a motorcycle accident. After his death, his mother submitted this letter to the newspaper.
“Today we buried our 20-year-old son. He was killed in a motorcycle accident on Friday night. How I wish I had known that the last time I had talked to him would be the last time. If I had only known that, I would have said to him, ‘Jim, I love you and I’m always so proud of you.’ I would have taken the time to count the many blessings he had brought to the lives of the people who loved him. I would have taken the time to appreciate his beautiful smile, his laughter, and his genuine love to other people.
“When I put all the good things on the scale and try to balance them with all the irritating (恼人的) things such as the radio that was always too loud, the haircut that wasn’t to our liking, the dirty socks under the bed, etc., I find that the irritations really don’t amount to much.
“I won’t get another chance to tell my son all that I would have wanted him to hear, but, other parents, do have a chance. Tell your young people what you would want them to hear as if it may be your last conversation. The last time I talked to Jim was the morning of the day when he died. He called me to say, ‘Hi, Mom! I just called to say I love you. You have to go to work now. Bye.’ That day, he gave me something to treasure forever. ”
If there is any purpose at all for Jim’s death, maybe it is to make others appreciate life more and to tell people, especially family members, that they should take the time to let each other know just how much they care. You may never have another chance. Do it today!
【小题1】Who was Jim?

A.The child of the Tyners’.B.The writer’s relative.
C.The president of a school board.D.An official of a school.
【小题2】 What’s the meaning of the underlined phrase “the educationally handicapped”?
A.The learning difficulty.B.The physical problems.
C.The psychological problems.D.The communication difficulty.
【小题3】According to the writer, which of the following about Jim is TRUE?
A.He was always sad about his school marks.
B.His parents always scolded him about his bad school marks.
C.His study needed more attention from his parents and teachers.
D.He was killed in a car accident.
【小题4】The purpose of Polly’s letter is to                .
A.memorize her son
B.teach parents to appreciate their children
C.teach children how to be good boys
D.give some advice on how to deal with children’s problems

I never thought I would have a life?changing experience at Wal?Mart.

Although my thoughts were only on speedthe checkout line I was standing in wasn’t moving as quickly as I wantedand I glanced toward the cashier.

There stood a man in his seventieswearing glasses and a nice smile.I thoughtwellhe’s an old guy!

For the next few minutes I watched him.He greeted every customer before scanning the items.Surehis words were the usual“How’s it going” But he did something different—he actually listened to people.Then he would respond to what they had said and engage them in brief conversation.

I thought it was odd.I had grown accustomed to people asking me how I was doing simply out of robotic conversational habit.After a whileyou don’t give any thought to the question and just mumble something back.I could say“I just found out I have six months to live” and someone would reply“Have a great day

But that wasn’t the end.

He gave them the changewalked around the counterand extended his right hand in an act of friendship.He looked the customers in the eyes.“I sure want to thank you for shopping here today” he told them.“You have a great day.Bye?bye.”

The looks on the faces of the customers were priceless.There were smiles and some sheepish grins.All had been touched by his simple gesture—and in a place they never expected.They would gather their things and walk outsmiling.

Of coursehe did the same to me and I got to know his nameMarty.

Who was that guyIt was as if Sam Walton had come back from the dead and invaded this old guy’s body.

I had never walked away from that shop feeling like that.

1.The checkout line the writer was standing in moved slower than expected because ________.

Athe cashier couldn’t work as fast as others

Bthere were some big purchases

Cthe cashier did more than scanning the items

Dthe writer was not patient enough

2.According to the writerwhen common people ask you “How’s it going” ________.

Athey don’t really care what you may answer

Bthey are just practicing their conversation ability

Cthey are inquiring about your private information

Dthey don’t expect to hear any negative answers

3.What was most customers’ reaction to Marty’s behaviors?

AThey thought it priceless.

BThey were in some way moved.

CThey thought it awful and odd.

DThey felt somewhat offended.

4.What does the writer intend to express through the text?

AOur everyday life is always full of surprises.

BMost customers enjoy being treated this way.

CBeing different is a good way of doing business.

DA little positive action can make a big difference.

 

One day, a poor boy who was trying to pay his way through school by selling goods door to door found that he only had one dime (一角硬币) left. He was hungry so he decided to beg for a meal at the next house.

However, when a lovely ? ? ? woman opened the door, he asked for a drink of water. She brought him a large glass of ? ? ? . He drank it slowly, and then asked, “How much do I ? ? ? you?”

“You don' t owe me anything,” she ? ? ? . “Mother has taught me never to accept pay for ? ? ? .”He said, “Then I thank you from the bottom of my heart.”? ? ? Howard Kelly left that house, he not only felt ? ? ? physically, but it also increased his faith in God and the human race. He was about to ? ? ? and quit before this point.

Years later the woman became seriously ill. The ? ? ? doctors could do nothing. They finally sent her to the big city, where specialists can be gathered to study her ? ? disease. Dr. Howard Kelly, now famous, was ? ? ? for the consultation(会诊). When he heard the name of the town she came from, a ? ? ?? light filled his eyes. Immediately, he rose and went down ? ? ? the hospital hall into her room.

Dressed in his doctor’s gown he went in to see her. He ? ? ? her at once. He went back to the consultation room and ? ? ? to do his best to save her life. From that day on, he gave special ? ? ? to her ease.

After a long struggle, the battle was won. Dr. Kelly ? ? ? the business office to pass the final bill to him for approval. He looked at it and then wrote ? ? on the side. The bill was sent to her room. She was ? ? ? to open it because she was sure that it would take the rest of her life to pay it off. ? ? ? she looked, and the note on the side of the bill caught her attention. She read these words:

“Paid in full with a glass of milk.”

??? (Signed) Dr. Howard Kelly

??? Tears of joy flooded her eyes as she prayed silently: “Thank you, God. Your love has spread through human hearts and hands.”

1.A. young???????? ????????????? B. old?????????? ????????????? C. rich?????????? ????????????? D. poor

2.A. water??????? ????????????? B. juice????????? C. milk????????? ????????????? D. coffee

3.A. pay?????????? ????????????? B. owe?????????? C. give?????????? ????????????? D. offer

4.A. thought??????? ????????????? B. laughed?????? ????????????? C. refused??????? ????????????? D. replied

5.A. a kindness???? ????????????? B. a poor man???? C. being rich?????? ????????????? D. such a thing

6.A. Before??????? B. As????????? ????????????? C. Until???????? ????????????? ????????????? D. Since

7.A. excited???? ????????????? ??? B. moved???????? C. strong???????? ????????????? D. happy

8.A. give up??? ????????????? ??? B. go on????????? C. keep up??????? ????????????? D. move on

9.A. famous??????? ????????????? B. experienced??? C. stupid??????? ????????????? ????????????? D. local

10.A. hopeless???? ????????????? B. rare??????? ????????????? C. violent??? ????????????? ????????????? ????????????? D. painful

11.A. checked in???? ????????????? B. led in??????? ????????????? C. called in???? ????????????? ????????????? D. let in

12.A. pleasant????? ????????????? B. strange??????? C. familiar??????? ????????????? D. worried

13.A. into???????? ????????????? B. through?????? C. across????? ????????????? ????????????? D. along

14.A. realized???? ????????????? B. understood?? ????????????? C. sensed??????? ????????????? ????????????? D. recognized

15.A. determined??? ????????????? B. tried????? ???? C. begged????? ????????????? ????????????? D. won

16.A. charge??????? ????????????? B. love???????? ????????????? C. attention???? ????????????? ????????????? D. view

17.A. ordered????? ????????????? B. wanted????? ????????????? C. expected????? ????????????? ????????????? D. requested

18.A. anything?? ????????????? ????????????? B. everything???? C. something??? ????????????? ????????????? D. nothing

19.A. shy?????? ? ????????????? B. afraid?????? ????????????? C. thoughtful???? ????????????? ????????????? D. ashamed

20.A. Finally???? ????????????? B. Carefully? ????????????? ????????????? C. Immediately?? ????????????? ????????????? D. Gradually

 

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