The very wealthy English Baron Fitzgerald had only one child,a son,who understandably was the apple of his eye.His wife died when the child was in his early teens.So Fitzgerald devoted himself to fathering the kid.Unfortunately the son died in his late teens.

Meanwhile,Fitzgerald’s wealth greatly increased.He spent a lot on art works of the masters.Later Fitzgerald himself because seriously ill.Before his death,he had carefully prepared his will as to how his wealth would be settled—to sell his entire collection at an auction(拍卖).

Because of the large quantity and high quality of his collection,a huge crowd of possible buyers gathered for the auction.Many of them were museum directors and private collectors eager to bid(出价).Before the auction,the art works were shown,among which was a painting of Fitzgerald’s son by an unknown artist.Because of its poor quality,it received little attention.

When it was time for the auction,the auctioneer gaveled(敲槌) the crowd to attention.First the lawyer read from Fitzgerald’s will that the first art work to be auctioned was the painting of his son.

The poor-quality painting didn’t receive and bidders...except one—the old servant who had served the son and loved him,and who for emotional reasons offered the only bid.

As soon as the servant bought the painting for less than one English pound,the auctioneer stopped the bidding and asked the lawyer to read again from the will.The crowd became quiet,and the lawyer read from the will:“Whoever buys the painting of my son gets all my collection.”Then the auction was over.

The English Baron Fitzgerald was ______.

A.a museum director                                        B.a master of art

C.an art collector                                              D.an art dealer

Why did the old servant bid for the painting of Fitzgerald’s son?

A.He was devoted to the family.

B.He saw that no one bid for it.

C.He knew the content of the will.

D.He found it cheap for him to buy.

Fitzgerald’s will showed ______.

A.his desire to fool the bidders

B.his invaluable love for his son

C.his sadness at the death of his son

D.his regret of having no children to take over his wealth

That cold January night, I was growing sick of my life in San Francisco. There I was, walking home at one in the morning after a tiring practice at the theatre. With opening night only a week ago, I was still learning my lines. I was having trouble dealing with my part-time job at the bank and my acting at night at the same time. As I walked, I thought seriously about giving up both acting and San Francisco. City life had become too much for me.
As I walked down empty streets under tall buildings, I felt very small and cold. I began running, both to keep warm and to keep away from any possible robbers. Very few people were still out except a few sad-looking homeless people under blankets.
About a block from my apartment, I heard a sound behind me. I turned quickly, half expecting to see someone with a knife or a gun. The street was empty. All I saw was a shining streetlight. Still, the noise had made me nervous, so I started to run faster. Not until I reached my apartment building and unlocked the door did I realize what the noise had been. It had been my wallet falling to the sidewalk.
Suddenly I wasn’t cold or tired anymore. I ran out of the door and back to where I’d heard the noise. Although I searched the sidewalk anxiously for fifteen minutes, my wallet was nowhere to be found.
Just as I was about to give up the search, I heard the garbage truck (垃圾车) pull up to the sidewalk next to me. When a voice called from the inside, “Alisa Camacho?” I thought I was dreaming. How could this man know my name? The door opened, and out jumped a small red-haired man with an amused look in his eye. “Is this what you’re looking for?” he asked, holding up a small square shape.
It was nearly 3 A.M. by the time I got into bed. I wouldn’t get much sleep that night, but I had gotten my wallet back. I also had gotten back some enjoyment of city life. I realized that the city couldn’t be a bad place as long as people were willing to help each other.
【小题1】How did the writer feel when she was walking home after work?

A.Cold and sickB.Disappointed and helpless
C.Satisfied and cheerfulD.Fortunate and helpful
【小题2】On her way home the writer _______.
A.was robbed of her wallet by an armed man
B.was stopped by a garbage truck driver
C.lost her wallet unknowingly
D.found some homeless people following her
【小题3】In the fifth paragraph, why did the writer say she was dreaming?
A.Someone offered to take her back home.
B.A red-haired man came to see her.
C.Her wallet was found in a garbage truck.
D.She heard someone call her name.
【小题4】From the text, we can infer that the writer _________.
A.would stay on in San Francisco
B.would stop working at night
C.would make friends with cleaners
D.would give up her job at the bank

  Lifeguard, sportscaster, movie star, governor, president——there wasn’t much Ronald Reagan didn’t do in life.

    “The world was a vast opportunity for him,” Lou Cannon wrote in his biography(传记) of the former US president, who died on June 5,2004, aged 93.

    Reagan’s final years saw him fight a losing battle against Alzheimer’s disease(老年痴呆症). But his positive attitude toward life has given hope to many people.

    Born in 1911 to a poor family in a small town in Illinois, his father was a failed salesman who drank too much. It was in these difficult times, though, that Reagan developed the powerful optimism(乐观) that would serve him so well. He always believed better times lying ahead, and this was reflected in his high school yearbook entry. “Life is one grand, sweet song, so start the music,” he wrote.

    As a teenager, Reagan spent summers working as a lifeguard at a local beach, saving 77 lives in seven years. He graduated from college in 1932 with a degree in economics and sociology. But America was still in the middle of the Great Depression, and jobs were hard to find. Reagan finally found work as a radio sports announcer and this road led him to Hollywood in 1937.

    During the 20---year film career, he never became a leading star. As in his lifeguard days, Reagan loved to play the hero and only took the role of a bad guy once in more than 50 films.

    A talented speaker who was always able to connect with his audience, Reagan became involved in politics in the 1950s. This popular touch led to him being elected the governor of California in 1967.

    All the while Reagan was in California, he had his eye on the White House. In 1980, aged 69, he became the oldest man ever elected president.

    He held office from 1981 to 1989, the first president to serve two complete terms after World War Ⅱ. When he left, aged 77, he held the highest popularity rate of any retiring president in US history.

    He remained positive even when he discovered he had an illness that would destroy him. “I will leave with the greatest love for this country of ours and eternal(永恒的optimism(乐观) for its future,”he wrote.

1.Reagan can be best described as a man with ______.

A. firmness  B. humour   C. optimism  D. talent

2.What didn’t Reagan do in his life time?

A. Playing the role of a bad guy.

B. Being a leading star of the film.

C. Saving people’s lives.

D. Working as a radio sports announcer.

3.Which is the correct order of events described in the passage?

a. Reagan fought a losing battle against Alzheimer’s disease.

b. Reagan became an actor.

c. Reagan worked as a lifeguard.

d. Reagan graduated from college.

e. Reagan was elected the governor of California.

A. a, c, d, e ,b           B. e, c, d, b, a

C. b, a, c, d, e           D. c, d, b, e, a

4.When the writer of Reagan’s biography says “The world was a vast opportunity for him,” he really means that _______.

A. Reagan achieved much in his whole life

B. Reagan could have done much better

C. Reagan did much for America and the world

D. Reagan was a very lucky man

 

The clock struck eleven at night. The whole house was quiet. Everyone was in bed except me. Under the strong light,I looked sadly before me at a huge pile of that troublesome stuff(东西) they call “books”。

I was going to have my examination the next day.  “When can I go to bed?” I asked myself. I didn’t answer,In fact I dared not.

The clock struck twelve. “ Oh,dear!” I cried. “Ten more books to read before I can go to bed!” We pupils are the most wretched creatures(生物) in the world. Dad does not agree with me on this. He did not have to work so hard when he was a boy.

The clock struck one. I was quite desperate(绝望的)now. I forgot all I had learned. I was too tired to go on. I did the only thing I could. I prayed,“Oh,God,please help me pass the exam tomorrow. I do promise to work hard afterwards,Amen.” My eyes were so heavy that I could hardly open them. A few minutes later,with my head on the desk,I fell asleep.

1.The underlined word “wretched”in Paragraph 3 probably means _______ .

A.very happy.                            B.disappointed.

C.very unhappy.                          D.hopeful.

2.Reviewing his lessons didn’t help him because        .

A.it was too late at night.

B.he was very tired.

C.his eye lids were so heavy that he couldn’t keep them open.

D.he hadn’t studied hard before the examination.

3.What do you suppose happened to the author?

A.He went to a church to pray again.

B.He passed the exam by sheer luck.

C.He failed in the exam.

D.He was punished by his teacher.

4.The best title for the passage would be __________ .

A.The Night Before the Examination.

B.Working Far into the Night.

C.A Slow Student.

D.Going Over My Lessons.

 

Shay asked, “Do you think they’ll let me play?” Shay’s father knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their team, but the father also understood that if his son, mentally and physically disabled, were allowed to play, it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence.

Shay’s father approached one of the boys on the field and asked if Shay could play, not expecting much. The boy looked around and said, “We’re losing by six runs (分) and the game is in the eighth inning (局).I guess he can be on our team and we’ll try to put him in to bat in the final inning.

Shay struggled over to the team’s bench and put on a team shirt with a broad smile and his father had a small tear in his eye and warmth in heart. The boys saw the father’s joy at his son being accepted.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay’s team scored a few runs but was still behind by three. In the top of the final inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the field. Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously joyful just to be in the game and on the field. In the bottom of the final inning, Shay’s team scored again. Now, Shay was scheduled to be next at bat. Would they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the game?

Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was almost impossible. The first pitch (投) came and Shay missed. The pitcher again took a few steps forward to throw the ball softly towards Shay. As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball right back to the pitcher.

The pitcher could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman and Shay would have been out and that would have been the end of the game .Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the head of the first baseman, beyond the reach of all teammates, The audience and the players from both teams started screaming, “Shay, run to first! ” Never in his life had Shay ever run that far but made it to first base, wide-eyed and shocked..

Everyone should, “Run to second!” Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards second. By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the smallest guy on their team, who had a chance to be the hero for his team for the first time, could have thrown the ball to the second baseman, but he understood the pitcher’s intentions and he too intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third baseman’s head.

All were screaming,“Shay,Shay,Shay,all the way Shay.” Shay reached third base when one opposing player ran to help him and shouted, “Shay, run to third.” As Shay rounded third, all were on their feet, crying, “Shay, run home!”Shay ran to home, stepped on the home base and was cheered as the hero who the who won the game for his team.

That day, the boys from both teams helped bring a piece true love and humanity into this world. Shay didn’t make it to another summer and died that winter, having never forgotten being the hero and making his father so happy and coming home and seeing his mother tearfully hug her little hero of the day!

 

1.Not expecting much, Shay’s father still asked the boy if Shay could play, mainly because the father _________.

A. noticed some of the boys on the field were tired  

B. guessed his presence would affect the boy’s decision

C. learned some of the boys on the field knew Shay well

D. understood Shay did need a feeling of being accepted

2. In the bottom of the final inning Shay was given the bat because the boys _________.

A. believed they were sure to win the game     B. would like to help Shay enjoy the game

C. found Shay was so eager to be a winner      D. fell forced to give Shay another chance

3.The smallest boy threw the ball high and far over the third baseman’s head, probably because that boy ________.

A. was obviously aware of the pitcher’s purpose    

B. looked forward to winning the game for his team

C. failed to throw the ball to the second baseman     

D. saw that Shay already reached second base

4.Which of the following has nothing to do with Shay’s becoming the hero for his team?

A. The pitcher did not throw the ball to the first baseman.

B. The audience and the players from both teams cheered for him.

C. The opposing players failed to stop his running to home.

D. One of the opposing players ran to help him.

5.What to you think is the theme of the story?

A. True human nature could be realized in the way we treat each other.

B. Everyone has his own strength even if mentally or physically disabled.

C. Everyone can develop his team spirit in sports and please his parents.

D. The results of the game should not be the only concern of the players.

 

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