Heroes of Our Time

A good heart

       Dikembe Mutombo grew up in Africa among great poverty and disease. He came to Georgetown University on a scholarship(奖学金) to study medicine — but Coach(教练) John Thompson got a look at Dikembe and had a different idea. Dikembe became a star in the NBA, and a citizen of the United States. But he never forgot the land of his birth, or the duty to share his fortune with others. He built a new hospital in his old hometown in the Congo. Af friend has said of this good-hearted man: “Mutombo believes that God has given him this chance to do great things.”

Success and kindness

       After her daughter was born, Julie Aigner-Clark searched for ways to share her love of music and art with her child. So she borrowed some equipment, and began filming children’s videos(录像) in her own house. The Baby Einstein Company was born, and in just five years her business grew to more than $20 million in sales. And she is using her success to help others — producing child safety videos with John Walsh of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Julie says of her new program: “I believe it’s the most important thing that I have ever done. I believe that children have the right to live in a world that is safe.”

Bravery and courage

       A few weeks ago, Wesley Autrey was waiting at a Harlem subway station with his two little girls when he saw a man fall into the path of a train. With seconds to act, Wesley jumped onto the tracks, pulled the man into the space between the rails(铁轨), and held him as the train passed right above their heads. He insists he’s not a hero. He says: “We have got to show each other some love.”

What was Mutombo praised for?

   A. Being a star in the NBA.           B. Being a student of medicine.

   C. His work in the church.                    D. His willingness to help the needy.

Mutombo believes that building the new hospital is ______.

   A. helpful to his personal development

   B. something he should do for his homeland

   C. a chance for his friends to share his money

   D. a way of showing his respect to the NBA

What did the Baby Einstein Company do at its beginning?

   A. Produce safety equipment for children.

   B. Make videos to help protect children.

   C. Sell children’s music and artwork.

   D. Look for missing and exploited children.

Why was Wesley Autrey praised as a hero?

   A. He helped a man get across the rails.

   B. He stopped a man from destroying the rails.

   C. He protected two little girls from getting hurt.

   D. He saved a person without considering his own safety.

Computer people talk a lot about the need for other people to become “computer-literate”. But not all experts agree that this is a good idea.

One pioneer, in particular, who disagrees is David Tebbutt, the founder of Computertown UK. Although many people see this as a successful attempt to bring people closer to the computer, David does not see it that way. He says that Computertown UK was formed for just the opposite reason, to bring computers to people and make them “people-literate”.

David Tebbutt thinks Computertowns are most successful when tied to a computer club but he insists there is an important difference between the two. The clubs are for people who have some computer knowledge already. This frightens away non-experts, who are happier going to Computertowns where there are computers for them to experiment on, with experts to encourage them and answer any questions they have. They are not told what to do. They find out. The computer experts have to learn not to tell people about computers, but have to be able to answer all questions people ask. People don't have to learn computer terms(术语), but the experts have to explain in plain language. The computers are becoming “people-literate”.

Which of the following is David Tebbutt's idea on the relationship between people and

 computers?

A.Computer learning should be made easier.

B.There should be more computer clubs for experts.

C.People should work harder to master computer use.

D.Computers should be made cheaper so that people can afford them.

We can infer from the text that “computer-literate” means ______.

A.being able to afford a computer

B.being able to write computer programs

C.working with the computer and finding out the value

D.understanding the computer and knowing how to use it

The underlined word “it” in the second paragraph refers to the idea that Computertowns ___.

A.help to set up more computer clubs                 B.bring people to learn to use computers

C.bring more experts to work together                D.help to sell computers to the public

David Tebbutt started Computertown UK with the purpose of ______.

A.making better use of computer experts            B.improving computer programs

C.increasing computer sales                               D.popularising computers

根据短文内容,从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。
How can we all get more laughter into our lives? Here is what the experts suggest:
 【小题1】Nancy Alguire, a teacher in Clifton Park, N. Y., was once painfully shy and had a hard time laughing. Then she married a circus clown (小丑). “I became interested in the clowns,” she recalls “One day I put on a costume and paint my face. That afternoon my whole life changed. I learned to laugh and enjoy life in a way I had never done before.”  【小题2】To this day, she still makes it a rule to be with people who enjoy life and laughing.
 【小题3】 It doesn’t take you too much time and can be easy. Collect favorite cartoons and jokes. Also, keep a paper for writing down humor you find in everyday life. “Good ideas come and go fast, you have to catch them quickly or they are gone,” says Virginia Tooper.
Laugh when you need it most. “ 【小题4】 ” says comedian Bill Cosby. “And once you find laughter, no matter how painful your situation might by, you can survive it,” he insists.
Gray Alan, a sociology professor at the University of Minnesota, claims that laughter is a skill we can all gain – because it comes naturally.   【小题5】Just remember: we are just here for a period, so get a few laughs.

A.Mix with people who laugh.
B.You can lessen your pain through humor.
C.Practise the art of laughing.
D.But it’s also something that has to be developed.
E.He who laughs last laughs best.
F.People’s joy can affect those around them.
G.Keep a laughter file (文档).

The repairman told me, “No charge, Professor Pan! We’re friends.” “I’d rather pay,” I replied. “If it’s free, I can’t afford it!”

Chinese often refuse payment for professional services, insisting, “We’re friends now!” But then they show up later to ask me to tutor them in English, or get them into an American university, and I wish I’d have just paid the 30 yuan I owed them in the first place!

According to the Americans “There’s no free lunch.” meaning, there’s a price for everything, and I’m always looking around to figure out what this means.

Many of our neighbors have given us fruit or flowers or costly teas, never asking anything in return. For years, a bicycle repairman has repeatedly refused to let me pay him. “Wait until you have something major to fix!” he insists.

I mentioned to a peasant friend that I wished I had a stone mill to grind (磨) flour for bread. A month later he showed up with a beautiful mill that he’d had his uncle in the countryside carve from a solid block of granting (花岗石).

Chinese generosity is a real education for Americans like me, who would rather avoid social entanglements (纠纷) and just hand over the money. But cash can’t compensate (补偿) for the greatest gift—friendship.

When an American saw some of my friends sitting on bamboo stools under the trees, sipping tea, he said, “They must have nothing better to do.” “Actually,” I said, “they are professors, with plenty of to do. But probably you’re right in saying that, at this moment, they have nothing better to do. And neither do I”

And I joined the group. We chatted about tea and Chinese cooking and how much my boys have grown since we arrived. One man said, “They were pocket-sized when you came here. Now they’re taller than you. How time flies!”

How time flies. And Chinese are smart enough to share what they know, which they cannot keep. They freely give off their time, never too busy to help a friend. And they are teaching me, slowly, to both give and receive.

So the next time someone says, “No charge. We’re friends!” I will thank them heartily. But if they show up later asking me to tutor them in English, I’ll make sure they tutor my son in Chinese as well, because there’s still no free lunch.

69.Why did the author insist paying the repairman when he was offered free repairs?

A. Because he was an upright (正直的) man.

B. Because he didn’t know the repairman.

C. Because he thought it natural to pay for others’ service.

D. Because he didn’t want to help others in return.

70. Generally, the author thinks that _____ .

A. Chinese are generous and always ready to help their friends

B. Chinese are good at exchange of equal values

C. Chinese are free enough to drink tea and chat with their friends

D. Chinese are helpful but don’t treasure time

71. The best title of the article should be _____ .

A. Still no free lunch

B. A good lesson from the Chinese

C. True help or not

D. Learn to both give and receive        

72. Which of the following is TRUE?

A. Chinese seldom refuse payment for professional services.

B. When a peasant knew the author needed a mill, he made one for the author himself

C. The author thinks that Chinese are wise enough to enjoy their life.

D. Finally, the author changed his mind and decided to do as the Chinese do.

 

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