America is a fast-paced society, which may seem very troubling to foreign visitors. One’s first _______ is likely to be that everyone is in a rush. City people always seem to be _______ and are very impatient if they are delayed even for a brief moment.

_______, this may seem unfriendly to you. _______, drivers will rush you; storekeepers will be in a hurry as they _______ you; people will push you _______ walking along the street. You will _______ brief conversations with people when you shop or dine there as people seem to be on the go.

Do not _______ that because Americans are in such a hurry they are _______. To them, that is just part of their ________ of life. Americans who live in cities often think that everyone is ________ in a hurry to get things done so they naturally ________ others to behave similarly. ________, when they discover that you are a stranger, most Americans become quite kind and will take great ________ to help you. Many of them first came to the city ________ strangers and they remember how frightening a new city can be. If you need help, ________ a friendly-looking person and say, “I am a stranger here. Can you help me?”

Most people will stop, ________ you, and help you find your way. But you must let them know that you need help. Otherwise they are ________ to pass you by, not noticing that you are new the city and ________ help. If, occasionally, you find someone too rushed to give you help, don’t be ________; just ask someone else. Most Americans enjoy helping a stranger.

1.A. concept B. discovery C. experience D. impression

2.A. walking B. hurrying C. jogging D. dragging

3.A. Immediately B. Eventually C. At first D. First of all

4.A. For example B. In short C. On the contrary D. On the other hand

5.A. occupy B. hire C. employ D. serve

6.A. because B. while C. although D. before

7.A. wear B. enjoy C. miss D. trust

8.A. think B. annoy C. convince D. doubt

9.A. unhappy B. unexpected C. uncertain D. unfriendly

10.A. means B. way C. method D. approach

11.A. equally B. gradually C. apparently D. properly

12.A. forbid B. limit C. expect D. select

13.A. Otherwise B. Therefore C. Besides D. However

14.A. temper B. care C. step D. energy

15.A. with B. at C. as D. to

16.A. choose B. reject C. dismiss D. avoid

17.A. point at B. smile at C. laugh at D. glance at

18.A. likely B. unable C. possible D. probable

19.A. in terms of B. in favor of C. in spite of D. in need of

20.A. tired B. embarrassed C. discouraged D. surprised

Each year the Pritzker Architecture Prize (普立兹克建筑奖) goes to a star designer with a long list of attractive buildings around the world. This year’s winner is a little different.

Shigeru Ban has designed museums, homes and concert halls. But Ban is best known for a more simple kind of work: the temporary (暂时的) buildings for people who became homeless after disasters.

Ban may be the only designer in the world who makes buildings out of paper — cardboard paper tubes (管). Ban actually tested the strength of cardboard tubes, and said he was surprised by what he had discovered. He has used them to build temporary buildings in Japan, Haiti, China and elsewhere.

“After a disaster, the building material is going to be more expensive,” Ban explains. “But the paper tube is actually not a building material. It is cheap and plentiful. We can get the material easily anywhere. And unlike costs for traditional building materials, the price of paper tubes doesn’t jump after an earthquake or flood. The tubes are also lightweight, so you don’t need heavy machines to work with them.”

Ban started using cardboard paper tubes in the 1980s. At that time he had just graduated from the architecture school, and he was looking for a cheap substitute for wood. So he started reusing the paper cardboard tubes that were left over from rolls of paper in his office.

Ban was born in Tokyo and studied architecture in the U.S. before moving back to Japan to start his practice. Some of Ban’s temporary buildings have become permanent (永久的), like the paper church he built after the 1995 earthquake in Kobe, Japan.

1.The author uses the first paragraph to    .

A. raise an argument B. give an introduction

C. give an example D. offer a description

2.What is special about Shigeru Ban?

A. He failed to get this year’s architecture prize.

B. He graduated from the best architecture school in the U.S.

C. He is good at building houses for homeless people.

D. He builds special houses for special groups of people.

3.Why did Shigeru Ban choose cardboard paper tubes?

A. Because they are cheap and easy to take away.

B. Because they are strong and last for a long time.

C. Because they are plentiful and look very beautiful.

D. Because they are common and hard to break.

4.What does the underlined word “substitute” probably refer to?

A. A new way of building houses by using wood.

B. A new method of producing cardboard paper tubes.

C. A new kind of building material to take the place of wood.

D. A new machine to produce a new kind of building material.

A girl became a volunteer in the activities of Deathbed Care, which meant visiting and taking care of a patient suffering from an incurable disease with days numbered.

The girl was assigned to look after an old man suffering from cancer whose children lived abroad. Their living conditions were not satisfactory while the old man had a lot of savings. She was expected to comfort him and keep up his spirits. Every Saturday the girl came on time to keep his company, telling him stories. When he was having an intravenous drip (静脉滴注), she would help massage his arms. The doctor found the patient much improved mentally. The old man began to involve himself actively in the medical treatment and he seldom shouted at others.

But something that happened made the doctor uneasy and puzzled. Each time the girl left, the old man would give her some money. The doctor did nothing to interfere (干涉), unwilling to offend the old man. A month later the old man showed evident signs of decline after suffering coma (昏迷) a few times. When rescued from the latest coma, the old man told the doctor his last wish, “ I have deep sympathy for the girl. Will you be kind enough to help her finish her studies?” But the doctor knew that her family was well-off and she had no difficulty pursuing her studies. Sometimes she even came to the hospital in her father’s car.

When the girl came at the weekend after the death of the old man, the doctor told her the bad news. She was very sad and burst into tears. Then she handed $ 500 to the doctor, saying, “ The old man had all along thought I came to do the job because of poverty. He gave me money so that I could continue my schooling.” Now he got the answer to the puzzle. In the last period of his life, the old man found it a real pleasure to be able to help a girl badly in need.

1.What kind of people do volunteers attend to in Deathbed Care?

A. The patient in need of operations.

B. The people suffering from cancer.

C. The people suffering from diseases.

D. The patient without many days left.

2.What can we infer about the old man according to Paragraph 2?

A. He had abundant savings and he was cheerful.

B. He frequently lost his temper before he met the girl.

C. He was suffering from cancer and helped a poor girl.

D. He asked the doctor to help the girl finish her study.

3.What is the real reason resulting in the old man’s mental improvement?

A. His children’s progress in their career.

B. The intravenous drip that he had every Saturday.

C. The pleasure of being helpful to people in need.

D. The girl’s good comfort and care in his daily life.

4.Why did the girl take the old man’s money?

A. To keep him in high spirits.

B. To continue her schooling.

C. To gather experience on voluntary work.

D. To involve him actively in the treatment.

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