题目内容
An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer of his plans to __1__ the house-building business to live a more __2__ life with his wife and __3__ his extended family. He would miss the paycheck(工资) each week, but he wanted to retire. They could __4__.
The employer was __5__ to see his good worker go and asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favour. The carpenter said yes, __6__ over time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He used bad workmanship and __7__ materials. It was an unfortunate way to __8__ a dedicated(献身的)career.
When the carpenter finished his work, his employer came to __9__ the house. Then he handed the front-door __10__ to the carpenter and said, “This is your house... my __11__ to you.”
The carpenter was shocked!
What a __12__! If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently.
__13__ it is with us. We build our lives, a day at a time, often putting __14__ than our best into the building. Then, with a shock, we __15__ we have to live in the house we have built. If we could do it over, we would do it much differently.
But, you cannot __16__. You are the carpenter, and every day you hammer a nail, place a board, or build a wall. Someone __17__ said, “Life is a do-it-yourself project.” Your __18__, and the choices you __19__ today, help build the “house” you will live in tomorrow. Therefore, build __20__!
1. A. continue B. start C. leave D. find
2. A. leisurely B. lonely C. orderly D. friendly
3. A support B. share C. enjoy D. care
4. A. go off B. get by
C. pass on D. work away
5. A. polite B. nervous C. proud D. sorry
6. A. but B. while C. which D. before
7. A. perfect B. inferior C. superior D. tough
8. A. satisfy B. improve C. meet D. end
9. A. buy B. repair C. inspect D. sell
10. A. roof B. window C. key D. design
11. A. gift B. promise C. salary D. words
12. A. disappointment B. shame
C. pleasure D. success
13. A. So B. Yet C. As D. Such
14. A. worse B. more C. rather D. less
15. A. realize B. explain C. think D. admit
16. A. step forward B. go back
C. come out D. look around
17. A. never B. again C. once D. nearly
18. A. attitude B. experience C. skill D. advantage
19. A. learn B. take C. see D. make
20. A. badly B. wisely C. early D. confidently
1. 解析:选C。根据上文的retire可知,他想离开自己从事的工作,故选leave。
2. 解析:选A。leisurely悠闲的,慢悠悠的;lonely孤独的;orderly有秩序的,有条理的;friendly友好的。根据常识可知,人们退休了以后,生活常是悠闲的,故选A项。
3. 解析:选C。由文意可知,退休以后,老人可以更好的享受家庭的乐趣,enjoy最佳。
4. 解析:选B。go off开火、爆炸,(电灯等)熄灭;get by维持生计,设法过活;pass on转交,递给;work away连续不停地工作。根据前面的extended family和miss the paycheck可推知,老人生活上悠闲,但没有了工资,生活可能不如以前宽松,但他们能设法维持,故选B项。
5. 解析:选D。根据上文retire和下文的his good worker可知,作为老板,自己的好员工要走了,自然惋惜,故sorry符合情理。
6. 解析:选A。从下文得知,老木匠的最后一座房子造的很不好,是因为他不用心。所以此处表示转折,A项but表示转折,意为“他虽然答应了,但并不用心工作”。注意while是并列连词,表示前后对比,而非转折。
7. 解析:选B。根据前文的bad workmanship和下文可知,老木匠用的建筑材料是劣质的,故inferior正确。
8. 解析:选D。根据前文的retire,go and asked if he could build just one more house可知,这是老木匠为老板建造的最后一座房子,是他一生事业的结束,故选D。
9. 解析:选C。作为老板,自己让人建设的房子完工了,自然来查看一下。下文也提到他并非来购买、出售或修理房子。
10. 解析:选C。从下文的“If he had only known he was building his own house”可以看出,老板把刚刚建设的房子作为礼物(gift)送给了老木匠,故应该给他房门钥匙。
11. 解析:选A。根据上下文可知,这是老板给老木匠的礼物,以表示感谢。
12. 解析:选B。根据上文的shock和下句“If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently”可知,老木匠为自己做的蠢事感到羞耻、后悔,故选B项。
13. 解析:选A。So it is with sb.意为“……也如此”。注意此题易错选as,误认为是定语从句。as可以引导定语从句,但注意此句句末的标点是句号,因此缺少先行词,无法构成定语从句。其他选项在意思、结构均不正确。
14. 解析:选D。根据文意,作者在向我们阐述一个道理:我们的生活也像老木匠建房子一样,没有投入全身心,即用的努力少(less),因此,选D项符合文意。
15. 解析:选A。根据文意可知,开始我们没有觉察,但后来当我们认识到自己的愚蠢行为时,为时已晚。所以,此处选择realize。
16. 解析:选B。根据上文If we could do it over, we would do it much differently.可知此处表达,我们虽认识到错误,但有些事情是无法重新再做一遍的。step forward走出,向前进;go back回到、重新再来;come out(太阳、星星……)出现;look around环视、环顾。四个词组中只有go back符合文意。
17. 解析:选C。根据下文可知,作者在引用某人(曾经说过)的话,所以用副词once最合适。其他选项与文意不符。
18. 解析:选A。根据上文,老木匠既有经验,技艺也高超,但因为态度不端正结果犯了大错。因此,一个人做事的态度决定结果,故选attitude。
19. 解析:选D。make a choice/choices意为“作出选择”。
20. 解析:选B。根据最后一段和上文中的therefore可知,作者是在告诫读者:我们既然明白了这个道理,那么“建造自己的房子时”就明智些吧!所以wisely正确。