题目内容

I had to knock on the taxi to get his attention.Finally,the driver,a man about 60,looked up from behind the wheel and apologized,“I’m sorry,but I was reading a letter.” He sounded as if he had a cold or a cough.

Since I was in no hurry,I told him to finish his letter.He shook his head,explaining that he had already read it several times and almost knew it by heart.Curious,I asked whether it was from a child or maybe a grandchild.“This isn’t family,”he replied.“though he might just as well have been a regular member of the family.Old Ed and I grew up together.”

They were always friends.But since he moved away from the neighborhood 30 years ago,it’d generally just been postcards at Christmas time between them.A couple of weeks ago,Ed died.“I should have kept in touch.” He repeated this,more to himself than to me.To comfort him,I said sometimes we just didn’t seem to find the time.“But we used to find the time,” he said.“Take a look.” He handed the letter over to me.

The first sentence “I’ve been meaning to write for some time,but I’ve always delayed it.” reminded me of myself.It went on to say that he often thought about the good times they had had together.When I read the part where it said “Your friendship really means a lot to me,more than I can say because I’m not good at saying things like that”,I found myself nodding in agreement.

We had gone several kilometers and were almost at my hotel, so I read the last paragraph: “So I thought you’d like to know that I was thinking of you.” And it was ended with “Your Old Friend, Tom.”

“I thought your friend’s name was Ed,” I said.

“I’m Tom,” he explained. “It’s a letter I wrote to Ed before I knew he’d died. I never put it in the mailbox. I guess I should have written it sooner.” His face was pale as he wiped his eyes with a handkerchief.

When I got to my hotel room I didn’t unpack right away.I had to write a letter and post it.

1.Who wrote the letter?

A.Tom

B.Old Ed.

C.The author.

D.The driver’s grandchild.

2.It can be inferred from the passage that the driver regretted_____.

A.missing Ed’s funeral

B.moving away from his neighborhood

C.forgetting to send Ed Christmas cards

D.not being able to keep in touch with Ed

3.From Paragraph 4,we learn that the author _______.

A.often fails to write to his friends

B.has no intention to write to his friends

C.had many great moments with his friends

D.was good at expressing his feelings to friends

4.What message does the passage probably try to convey?

A.Comfort your friends when they are feeling down.

B.Life is unpredictable so live each day as if it were your last.

C.Remember to always mail your letters after expressing your words.

D.Always make time to value and experience your lasting friendships.

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You may have heard of the American Dream, an ideal that has powered the hopes of Americans for generations.

It began as a belief that the US was a land of opportunity, and that anyone could achieve success through hard work. At times, the dream has referred to home ownership, a good job, retirement security or each generation doing better than the last.

Yet today, this concept seems to have greatly changed. As Time magazine pointed out, quite different from the older generation, many Millennials (the generation born after 1980) redefine(重新定义) the American Dream as “day-to-day control of your life”. They “prize job mobility, flexible schedules, any work that is more interesting than typing, and the ability to travel”, said the magazine.

Home ownership, once the cornerstone of the American Dream, is becoming a smaller priority for this generation. Meanwhile, nearly 40% of them choose travel as part of their dream. And entrepreneurship(创业) is a rising favorite, as nearly 26% of Millennials consider self-employment as part of their dream.

So what has led to this huge change?

Many point fingers at the poor economy. “Modern young Americans seem bound to face a world stamped by ever narrowing opportunity and social stagnation(停滞),”noted The Daily Beast.

“The rate of 16-to 24-year-olds out of school and out of work is unusually high at 15%. Many college graduates have taken jobs that don’t require a degree,” Time reported.

The magazine worries that these difficulties may lead to a lost generation who are “unable to ever truly find their feet on the corporation’s ladder”.

Dan Kadlec, a reporter of Time, sees Millennials as resetting their expectations.”This situation is different for young adults today,” he wrote. “A true American dream has to feel attainable, and many Millennias are feeling they can only attain a day-today lifestyle that suits them.”

1.The underlined word “cornerstone” in Paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to “ ”.

A. growth B. balance C. basis D. purpose

2. What has changed Millennials’ view of the American Dream according to the passage?

A. A lack of confidence in themselves

B. Fierce competition in the job market

C. Their dissatisfaction with the government

D. The discouraging economy and unemployment

3.Dan Kadlec thinks Millennials’ new definition of the American Dream is ______.

A. beautiful B. understandable

C. worrying D. positive

4.What can be the best title for this passage?

A. Redefinition of American Dream

B. Meaning of American Dream

C. Value of Achieving American Dream

D. History of Changing American Dream

Most musicians agree that the best violins were made in Cremona, Italy, about 200 years ago. They even sound better than violins made today. Violin makers and scientists try to make instruments like the old Italian violins. But they aren’t the same. Why are these old Italian violins so special? Many people think they have an answer.

Some people think it is the age of the violins. But there is a problem here. Not all old violins sound wonderful. Only those from Cremona are special. So age cannot be the answer.

Other people think the secret to those violins is the wood. It must be from certain kinds of trees. It must not be too young or too old. Perhaps the violin makers of Cremons knew something special about wood for violins.

But the kind of wood may not be so important. It may be more important to cut the wood in a special way. Wood for a violin must be cut into the right size and shape. The smallest difference will change the sound of the violin. Musicians sometimes think that this is the secret of the Italians.

Size and shape may not be the answer either. Scientists make new violins that are exactly the same size and shape. But the new ones still do not sound as good as the old ones. Some scientists think the secret may be the varnish (清漆), which covers the wood of the violin and makes it look shiny. It also helps the sound of the instrument. Since no one knows what the Italian violin makers used in their varnish, no one can make the same varnish today.

There may never be other violins like the violins of Cremona. And there are not many of the old violins left. So these old violins are becoming more and more precious.

1.What would be the best title for the passage?

A. The Secrets of Cremona Violins

B. The History of Italian Violins

C. Special Musical Instruments

D. How to Make the Best Violins

2.The main purpose of the first paragraph is to _______.

A. list some facts B. raise a question

C. give an opinion D. offer an answer

3.What is still unclear about Cremona violins according to the writer?

A. The shape. B. The size.

C. The wood. D. The varnish.

4.What can we learn from this passage?

A. Modern things are always better than ancient ones.

B. Ancient things are always better than modern ones.

C. Once a cultural relic is lost, it can never be recovered.

D. Varnish for violins will become more and more precious.

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