At a certain time in our lives we consider every place as the possible sites(地点) for a house. I have thus searched the country within a dozen miles of where I live. In imagination I have bought all the farms, one after another, and I knew their prices.

   The nearest thing that I came to actual ownership was when I bought the Hollowell place. But before the owner completed the sale with me, his wife changed her mind and wished to keep it, and he offered me additional dollars to return the farm to him. However, I let him keep the additional dollars and sold him the farm for just what I gave for it.

   The real attractiong of the Hollowell farm to me were its position, being about two miles from the village, half a mile from the nearest neighbor, bounded(相邻) on one side by the river, and separated from the highway by a wide field. The poor condition fo the house and fences showed that it hadn’t been used for some time. I remembered from my earliest trip up the river that the house used to be hidden behind a forest area, and I was in a hurry to buy it before the owner finished getting out some rocks, cutting down the apples trees, and clearing away some young trees which had grown up in the fields. I wanted to buy it before he made any more of his improvements. But it turned out as I have said.

   I was not really troubled by the loss. I had always had a garden, but I don’t thing I was ready for a large farm. I believe that as long as possible it is better to live free and uncommitted (无牵挂的). It makes but little difference whether you own a farm or not.

What do we know about the author?

   A. He wanted to buy the oldest farm near where he lived.

   B. He made a study of many farms before buying.

   C. He made money by buying and selling farms.

   D. He had the money to buy the best farm in the country.

Why did the author decide to buy the Hollowell place?

   A. It was of good market value.

   B. It was next to the highway.

   C. It was in a good position.

   D. It was behind a nice garden.

Why did the author want to buy the farm in a hurry?

   A. He was afraid the owner might changes his mind.

   B. He hoped to enlarge the forest on the farm.

   C. He wanted to keep the farm as it was.

   D. He was eager to become a farm owner.

The underlined words “the loss” in the last paragraph refer to ___.

A. the money the author lost in buying the farm

B. the sale of the garden in the Hollowell place

C. the removal of the trees around the house

D. the failure to possess the Hollowell place

What does the author believe as important in life?

A. To own a farm                    B. To satisfy his needs

C. To be free from worries             D. To live in the countryside

They leap from helicopters or speeding boats, bringing aid to swimmers who get into trouble off Italy’s popular beaches.
For these dog lifeguards, the doggie paddle (狗刨式游法)does just fine.
These “lifedogs” tow a buoy(救生衣) that victims can grab, or a raft they can sit on to be towed back to shore, and unlike their human counterparts(与对方地位相当的人), they can easily jump from helicopters and speeding boats to reach swimmers in trouble.
With millions flocking(人群) to Italy’s crowded beaches each summer, the Italian Coast Guard says it rescues about 3,000 people every year — and their dog helpers are credited with saving several lives.
It takes three years for the canines to reach expert rescue status, and currently 300 dogs are fully trained for duty, said Roberto Gasbarri, who co-ordinates the Italian School of Canine Lifeguards program at a centre outside of Rome in the seaside town of Civitavecchia.
“Dogs are useful in containing the physical fatigue(疲劳) of the lifeguard, to increase the speed at which casualties(遇难者) are retrieved(找到并衔回), to increase the security of both the casualty and of the lifeguard,” Gasbarri said.
The Civitavecchia centre is one of a dozen around the country for the school founded more than 20 years ago in the northern province of Bergamo by Ferruccio Pilenga, whose first trainee was his own Newfoundland.
The school will train any breed(品种), as long as they weigh at least 30 kilograms, but Labradors, Newfoundlands and golden retrievers are most commonly used because of their natural instinct for swimming. Each dog works in tandem with(同 ……合作) a human lifeguard, who also acts as the animal’s trainer.
【小题1】Which of the following can act as the best title fo the passage?

A.Dogs to the RescueB.Dogs Are Good at Doggie Paddle
C.The Wonderful Performance of DogsD.Dogs: Our Loyal Friends
【小题2】What advantage do these life-dogs have over human lifeguards in a rescue?
A.Dog can swim very fastB.Dogs can finish rescue work with ease.
C.Dogs can finish the great work free of charge.D.Dogs can easily be trained
【小题3】 Which of the following is TRUE about the Civitavecchia center according to the text?
A.Any breed can be trained there.
B.The ones who have the gift for swimming are welcomed.
C.After a better training, the dogs can work alone.
D.It is the only place for training dog lifeguards in the school.
【小题4】What does the writer want to tell us in the 4th paragraph?
A.Without the dog lifeguards, 3,000 people would lose their lives every year.
B.The buautiful beaches attract millions of people every year.
C.Dog lifeguards play an important part in a rescue.
D.Italy is a famous place of interest.

“I Went Skydiving at 84!”
As a young girl growing up in the 1930s, I always wanted to fly a plane, but back then it was almost unheard of a woman to do that. I got a taste of that dream in 2011,when my husband arranged for me me ride in a hot air balloon for my birthday. But the experience turned out to be very dull. Around that time ,I told my husband that I wanted to skydive. So when our retirement community(社区)announced that they were having an essay competition and the topic was an experience of a lifetime that you wanted to have, I decided to write about my dream.
In the essay, I wrote about my desire to skydive, stating George Brush Sr. did it at age 80. Why not me? I was just 84 and in pretty good health. A year went by and I heard nothing. But then at a community party in late April 2009, they announced that I was one of the winners. I just couldn’t believe it.
One june 11, 2009, nearly 40 of my family and friends gathered in the area close to where I would land while I headed up in the airplane. My instructor, Jay, guided me through the experience. The plane was the noisiest one I had ever been in, but I wasn’t frightened—I was really just looking forward to the experience. When we reachen 13,000 feet, Jay instructed me to throw myself out of the plane. When we first hit the air, the wind was so strong that I could hardly breathe. For a second I thought, “What have I gotten myself into?” But then everything got calmer. We were in a free fall for about a minute before Jay opened the parachute(降落伞), then we just floated downward fo zhout five minutes. Being up in the clouds and looking at the view below was unlike anything I have ever felt—much better than the hot air ballon. I was just enjoying it.
Skydiving was really one of the greatest experiences of my life. I hope other people will look at me and realize that you don’t stop living just because you are 84 years old. If there’s something you want to experience, look into it. If it’s something that is possible, make it happen.
【小题1】
What happened to the auther in 2001?

A.She flew an airplane
B.She entered a competition
C.She went on a hot air balloon ride
D.She moved into a retirement community
【小题2】
The author mentioned George Bush Sr. in her essay to       .
A.build up her own reputation
B.show her admiration for him
C.compare their health conditon
D.make her argument persuasive
【小题3】
How did the authou feel immediately after she jumped out of the plane?
A.ExcitedB.ScaredC.NervousD.Regretful
【小题4】
What did the author enjoy most when she was skydiving?
A.The beautiful cloudsB.The wonderful view
C.The company of JayD.The one-minute free fall

“I Went Skydiving at 84!”

As a young girl growing up in the 1930s, I always wanted to fly a plane, but back then it was almost unheard of a woman to do that. I got a taste of that dream in 2011,when my husband arranged for me me ride in a hot air balloon for my birthday. But the experience turned out to be very dull. Around that time ,I told my husband that I wanted to skydive. So when our retirement community(社区)announced that they were having an essay competition and the topic was an experience of a lifetime that you wanted to have, I decided to write about my dream.

In the essay, I wrote about my desire to skydive, stating George Brush Sr. did it at age 80. Why not me? I was just 84 and in pretty good health. A year went by and I heard nothing. But then at a community party in late April 2009, they announced that I was one of the winners. I just couldn’t believe it.

One june 11, 2009, nearly 40 of my family and friends gathered in the area close to where I would land while I headed up in the airplane. My instructor, Jay, guided me through the experience. The plane was the noisiest one I had ever been in, but I wasn’t frightened—I was really just looking forward to the experience. When we reachen 13,000 feet, Jay instructed me to throw myself out of the plane. When we first hit the air, the wind was so strong that I could hardly breathe. For a second I thought, “What have I gotten myself into?” But then everything got calmer. We were in a free fall for about a minute before Jay opened the parachute(降落伞), then we just floated downward fo zhout five minutes. Being up in the clouds and looking at the view below was unlike anything I have ever felt—much better than the hot air ballon. I was just enjoying it.

Skydiving was really one of the greatest experiences of my life. I hope other people will look at me and realize that you don’t stop living just because you are 84 years old. If there’s something you want to experience, look into it. If it’s something that is possible, make it happen.

1.

What happened to the auther in 2001?

A. She flew an airplane

B. She entered a competition

C. She went on a hot air balloon ride

D. She moved into a retirement community

2.

 The author mentioned George Bush Sr. in her essay to       .

A. build up her own reputation

B. show her admiration for him

C. compare their health conditon

D. make her argument persuasive

3.

How did the authou feel immediately after she jumped out of the plane?

A. Excited    B. Scared    C. Nervous    D. Regretful

4.

 What did the author enjoy most when she was skydiving?

A.The beautiful clouds     B. The wonderful view

C. The company of Jay     D. The one-minute free fall

 

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