The Truth Can Set You Free

I recently got pulled over for speeding not far from my new home in Virginia. I hadn’t been paying attention, and I had driven a few miles an hour over the speed limit.

“Can I see your license and registration?” the police officer asked me. I pulled both out for him, and he saw my Pittsburgh address on my Pennsylvania driver’s license.

“What are you doing here?” he asked. “Are you with the army?”

“No, I’m not.” I answered. I explained that I had just moved to Virginia, and I hadn’t had time to re-register yet.

“So what brings you here?”

He had asked a direct question. Without thinking very hard, I gave him a direct answer. “Well, officer,” I said, “since you’ve asked, I have cancer. I have just months to live. We’ve moved down here to be close to my wife’s family.”

“So you’ve got cancer,” he said flatly. He was trying to figure me out. Was I really dying? Was I lying? He took a long look at me. “You know, for a guy who has only a few months to live, you sure look good.”

He was obviously thinking: “Either this guy is pulling one big fat line on me, or he’s telling the truth.” He was trying to question my honesty without directly calling me a liar. And so he had forced me to prove that I was being honest.

“Well, officer, I know that I look pretty healthy. I look great on the outside, but the tumors(肿瘤)are on the inside.” And then, I don’t know what possessed me, but I just did it. I pulled up my shirt, showing the operational scars.

He looked at my scars. He looked in my eyes. He now knew he was talking to a dying man. Well, he wasn’t taking this any further. He handed me back my license. “Do me a favor.” he said, “Slow down from now on.”

The awful truth had set me free. As he went back to his police car, I had a realization. I had been one of those gorgeous blondes (金发美女) who could bat her eyelashes and get out of tickets. I drove home under the speed limit, and I was smiling like a beauty queen.

1.The author was stopped by the police officer because ______.

A. he didn’t have a license

B. he forgot to re-register

C. he was seriously ill

D. he drove too fast

2.The author moved to Virginia probably because ______.

A. he was homesick

B. he served in the army there

C. Virginia had better hospitals

D. his family could be better cared for

3.On hearing about the author’s cancer, the police officer ______.

A. said it was an excuse

B. doubted his honesty

C. showed sympathy for him

D. asked him to show his scars

4.It can be inferred from the passage that the author was ______.

A. optimistic B. adventurous

C. dishonest D. romantic

As a single mother,I had to do two jobs,which kept me very busy.

Two months ago,I went to a ___ with Alice. Since I ____went out with her,she seemed very happy. Many parents were there with their children. I sat down on a bench,___Alice playing with other children. About half an hour later,a man of about forty years old came and ___beside me. As I had to go back to work,I stood up and told Alice that we had to ____.

“Can I stay here a little longer?”Alice pleaded.(祈求)

“No,we must go now,”I said,____ Alice just didn’t move.

“Just ten more minutes,”she pleaded again,and I became ___.

“Go now,”I____,and Alice started to cry.____ that,the man sitting on the ____stood up and came to us.

“Why don’t you just let her____ten more minutes?”he asked. Then he told me a ___.He used to be very busy,too. Every time his little son wanted to go out and play,he told him he was ____.One day,his son went out and played ____,and he didn’t come back again—he was hit by a ___driver of a car. The father regretted what he had done to his son,but he never had the ___to play with him again. Hearing the story,I ____.I knelt down and said to Alice,“OK,ten more minutes,and Mom will play ____you.”

____is all about making priorities(优先).What are your priorities?Give someone you____ten more minutes of your time today.

1.A. park B. school C. sea D. cinema

2.A. sometimes B. often C. usually D. hardly

3.A. keeping B. hearing C. finding D. watching

4.A. got off B. sat down C. broke in D. turned up

5.A. go B. shop C. change D. eat

6.A. because B. as C. but D. so

7.A. sad B. pleased C. angry D. excited

8.A. whispered B. wished C. begged D. shouted

9.A. Knowing B. Seeing C. Hoping D. Thinking

10.A. ground B. chair C. bench D. stone

11.A. run B. play C. do D. laugh

12.A. story B. joke C. way D. lie

13.A. busy B. lonely C. boring D. ill’

14.A. suddenly B. alone C. happily D. crazily

15.A. blind B. kind C. drunken D. good

16.A. energy B. interest C. heart D. chance

17.A. stayed up B. took part C. calmed down D. came back

18.A. behind B. with C. for D. under

19.A. Choice B. Joy C. Work D. Life

20.A. appreciate B. dislike C. admire D. love

C

The drug store was closing for the night. Young Alfred Higgins, the shop-assistant, was ready to go home. Mr. Carr, the boss, stared at him and said “Hold on, Alfred. Maybe you'd be good enough to take the things out of your pockets and leave them here before you go.” Alfred's face got red. After a little hesitation, he took out what he had stolen. Mr. Carr said, “Maybe I should call your mother and let her know I'm going to have to put you in prison.”

Alfred thought his mother would come rushing in, eyes burning with anger. But, to his surprise, she arrived wearing a smile. “Hello, I'm Alfred's mother. Is he in trouble?” she said. Mr. Carr was surprised, too. He had expected Alfred's mother to come in nervously, shaking with fear, asking with wet eyes for a mercy for her son. But no, she was most calm, quiet and pleasant and was making Mr. Carr feel guilty…. Soon Mr. Carr was shaking his head in agreement with what she was saying. “Of course”, he said, “I don't want to be cruel. You are right. Sometimes, a little good advice is the best thing for a boy at certain times in his life and it often takes the youths long time to get sense into their heads.” And he warmly shook Mrs. Higgins's hand.

Back home, without even looking at Alfred, she said, “You are a bad luck. It is one thing after another, always has been. Why do you stand there so stupidly? Go to bed.” In his bedroom, Alfred heard his mother in the kitchen. There was no shame in him, just pride in his mother's strength. He felt he must tell her how great she was. As he got to the kitchen, he saw his mother drinking a cup of tea. He was shocked by what he saw. His mother's face was a frightened, broken one. It was not the same cool, bright face he saw earlier in the drug store. As she lifted the tea cup, her hand shook. And some of the tea splashed on the table. Her lips moved nervously. She looked very old. He watched his mother without making a sound. The picture of his mother made him want to cry. He felt his youth coming to an end. He saw all the troubles he brought his mother in her shaking hand and the deep lines of worry in her grey face. It seemed to him for the first time he had ever really seen his mother.

1. Which of the following is probably said by Mrs. Higgins while talking to Mr. Carr?

A. “Please, for God's sake, you know, he is just a kid.”

B. “I can't believe it! You are treating my son like that!”

C. “You know, it takes time for a youth to truly grow up.”

D. “Punishment makes sense because it teaches about the law.”

2. What does the underlined phrase "his mother's strength"(Para. 3) refer to?

A. Mrs. Higgins's calmness and communicating skills.

B. Mrs. Higgins's attitude towards parental sufferings.

C. Mrs. Higgins's love and care for her son Alfred.

D. Mrs. Higgins's greatness as a woman.

3. After the incident, young Alfred would probably ________.

A. feel ashamed of her mother B. change his attitudes towards life

C. learn to live an independent life D. hate Mr. Carr for hurting her mother

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