题目内容
One stormy night many years ago, an elderly man and his wife entered the hall of a small hotel in Philadelphia. Trying to get out of the rain, they came the front desk hoping to get some shelter for the
night.
"Could you possibly give us a room here?" the husband asked.
The clerk, a friendly man with a winning smile, looked at the couple and explained that there were
three conventions in town. "All of our rooms are taken," the clerk said. "But I can't send a nice couple
like you out into the rain at one o'clock in the morning. Would you perhaps be willing to sleep in my
room? It's not exactly a suite, but it will be good enough to make you folks comfortable for the night."
When the couple declined, the young man pressed on. "Don't worry about me; I'll make out just
fine." the clerk told them. So the couple agreed.
As he paid his bill the next morning, the elderly man said to the clerk, "You are the kind of manager
who should be the boss of the best hotel in the United States. Maybe someday I'll build one for you."
The clerk looked at them and smiled. The three of them had a good laugh. As they drove away, the
elderly couple agreed that the helpful clerk was indeed exceptional, as finding people who are both
friendly and helpful isn't easy.
Two years passed. The clerk had almost forgotten the incident when he received a letter from the
old man. It recalled that stormy night and enclosed a roundtrip ticket to New York, asking the young
man to pay them a visit.
The old man met him in New York, and led him to the corner of Fifth Avenue and 34th street. He
then pointed to a great new building there, a pale reddish stone, with turrets and watchtowers thrusting
up to the sky. "That," said the older man, "is the hotel I have just built for you to manage." "You must
be joking," the young man said. "I can assure you I am not," said the older man, a sly smile playing
around his mouth.
The older man's name was William Waldorf Astor, and that magnificent structure was the original
WaldorfAstoria Hotel. The young clerk who became its first manager was George C. Boldt. This young
clerk never foresaw the turn of events that would lead him to become the manager of one of the world's
most glamorous hotels.
B. cover some facts
C. promote the business of WaldorfAstoria Hotel
D. deliver a lesson
B. The old couple was too poor to afford a luxurious room.
C. The clerk was willing to help those in need.
D. The clerk received an unexpected invitation from the old man.
B. suites
C. meetings
D. hotels
B. Make hay while the sun shines.
C. Man proposes; God disposes (处理, 决定).
D. One good turn deserves another.
There was once a farmer. His land was hilly and the soil was not the best. He had a cow that wasn’t giving much milk and he had chickens who were laying few eggs. The place looked run-down (破败的) and the barn and fences (篱笆) needed repair. The farmer and his wife felt dejected.
One stormy evening, a poorly-dressed man knocked on their door, asking if he could get shelter for the night. They shared the food that had been prepared, while they talked a great deal about the farm.
When the stranger left the following morning, he thanked the farmer and his wife and pulled a little bag of gold pieces out of his pocket. He said that maybe this would help them. He added that he’d come by next year with hopes of finding a revived farm.
After this, the farmer and his wife often talked about whether they should buy a more promising cow. Other times they considered whether they should buy chickens who laid more eggs. However, every conversation ended with the farmer trusting the farm would improve as he found himself fixing the barn and the fences, caring for the animals, preparing food for themselves and their animals.
The farmer beamed (眉开眼笑) when the stranger did come by again a year later. Everything looked so much better. The stranger asked, “What did you use the gold for?”
The farmer said, “We hid the gold under a kitchen tile (地砖) and, while we often thought of it, we never did think of anything we needed the gold for.”
Then the farmer added thoughtfully, “I do thank you, though, ever so much. You gave us what we really needed to keep going — you lifted our spirits.”
Saying that, the farmer removed the tile and cheerfully returned the gold to the stranger.
【小题1】The underlined word “dejected” in Paragraph 1 probably means “_____”.
| A．kind and generous |
| B．surprised and delighted |
| C．disappointed and unhappy |
| D．strong and fearless |
| A．get his gold pieces back |
| B．see if the farm had improved |
| C．get shelter for the night |
| D．give the farmer more money |
| A．land rich enough to farm on |
| B．something to keep their spirits up |
| C．scientific knowledge of agriculture |
| D．money to improve his farm |
One stormy night many years ago, an elderly man and his wife entered a small hotel in Philadelphia. Trying to get out of the 36 _, the couple went to the front desk hoping to 37 for the night.
“Could you 38 give us a room here?” the husband asked.
The clerk, a 39 man with a winning smile, looked at the couple and 40 that there were three conventions(大会) in town.
“All of our 41 are taken,” the clerk said. “But I can’t send a 42 couple like you 43 into the rain at 1 o’clock in the morning. Would you please be 44 to sleep in my room? It’s not exactly a suite（套房）, but it will be good enough to make you 45 for the night.”
The couple said no politely.
“Don’t 46 me. It is just fine with me,” the clerk told them.
As he paid his bill the next morning, the elderly man said to the clerk, “You are the kind of manager who should be the boss of the best hotel. Maybe someday I’ll build 47 for you.” The three of them had a good 48 .
Two years passed. The clerk had almost forgotten it 49 he received a letter from the old man. It recalled(使回忆) that stormy night and contained a round-trip（双程的） 50 to New York, asking the young man to pay them a visit. The old man met him in New York, and 51 him to the corner of Fifth Avenue and 34th Street.
He then pointed to a great new 52 there, a palace of reddish stone. “That,” said the old man, “is the hotel I have just built for you to 53_ .”
“You must be 54 ,” the young man said.
“I am sure I am not,” said the old man, the name of 55 was William Waldorf Astor, and the magnificent structure was the original Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. The young clerk, George C. Boldt became its first manager.
1.A. rain B. anger C. snow D. hunger
2. A. leave B. go C. stay D. look
3. A. surely B. possibly C. really D. freely
4. A. lazy B. bored C. nervous D. friendly
5. A. shouted B. explained C. believed D. agreed
6. A. hotels B. desks C. streets D. rooms
7. A. nice B. famous C. rich D. common
8.A. beyond B. off C. out D. under
9. A. kind B. glad C. good D. generous
10. A. enjoyable B. helpful C. grateful D. comfortable
11.A. worry about B. take care of C. make use of D. come up with
12. A. one B. it C. them D. those
13.A. sleep B. meal C. laugh D. walk
14. A. after B. before C. while D. when
15. A. ticket B. bill C. check D. questionnaire
16. A. made B. told C. treated D. led
17. A. building B. car C. bedroom D. place
18. A. live B. sell C. manage D. rent
19. A. lying B. joking C. dreaming D. cheating
20. A. whose B. which C. whom D. who