I was being interviewed by a senior manager for a major insurance(保险业)company. I told him honestly why I wanted the job —I needed to keep my family in Boston. My wife recently died of a heart attack. A job in Boston would help me reduce some of the extreme trauma(精神创伤) and pain of the loss for my 16-year-old daughter. It was important for me to keep her in her present high school. I could still hardly talk about the loss of my wife. Bruce, the interviewer, was politely empathetic, but he didn’t probe(彻底调查) any further. He admitted (接受)my loss and, with great respect, moved on to another subject. After the next round of the interview, Bruce took me to lunch with another manager. Then he asked me to take a walk with him. He told me that he, too, had lost his wife. And, like me, he had also been married 20 years and had three children. In his sharing, I realized that he had experienced the same pain as I had —a pain that was almost impossible to explain to someone who had not lost a beloved one. He offered his business card and home phone number and suggested that, if I need help or just want someone to talk to, I should feel free to give him a call. Whether I got the job or not, he wanted me to know that he was there if I ever needed help. When he had no idea if we would ever see each other again, he helped our family deal with one of the greatest losses. He turned the normally cold business interview into a caring support for another person in need.
【小题1】The author took part in the interview because _______.

I learned about life from an ant farm. When I was seven years old, my family created one. First, we put clean sand in a thin glass box and put the ants into it. Soon they got to work making tunnels. I was amazed that each one knew exactly what to do. With my mom’s help, I kept a record of what happened each day and named the ants.
One day when I had put my face close to the structure (building), accidentally I knocked it over, and all the tunnels fell in. Although the ants survived their earthquake, one by one they began to die. I was frightened as I watched them give up their tunnel-building to carry the bodies to a corner of the farm. My mother reported that the ants were dying of “frustration (挫折)”. They simply could not stand the reality that their tunnels had been destroyed.
Although much time has passed, I still think of that ant farm. Over the years, I came to realize the ants have the spirit of teamwork. Working together, they were able to create an amazing world for themselves. I also learned that they should be admired for their hard work. Day in and day out, each worked at their task. The ant farm showed that teamwork and perseverance (毅力) are indeed the keys to success. But there was an even larger lesson that I did not realize until recently —Adversity (逆境) is a natural part of life, and must be accepted. Unlike the ants, humans cannot give up when they face disappointment.
So I try to live my life like those hardworking ants. But, unlike them, I try not to let frustration defeat (击败) me. I will have to keep building my tunnels.
【小题1】The family created an ant farm in a glass box because it was easy _________.

Zhao Hua is a student from a university. He has led a group of university student volunteers since last year. They help children at a primary school with their studies and daily lives.
"When I was a small child," Zhao said, "I knew March 5th was a day for people to learn from Lei Feng and help others, but I didn't know the real meaning of the spirit(精神) of Lei Feng. Now when I see the smiling faces of the kids I have helped, I deeply understand Lei Feng. Helping others makes me happy.,'
Lei Feng (1940-1962) is one of the best-known soldiers in Chinese history. He lost his parents when he was very young. His neighbors brought him up. He died in an accident at the age of 22. He did many good deeds in his short life. For example, he gave his own money to the parents of another soldier, and bought a ticket for a woman he didn't know without telling her his name.
On March 5th, 1963, Chairman Mao called on people to "Learn from Lei Feng" and made the day "Lei Feng Day".
Today almost 50 years has passed since Lei Feng's death. Some people say that the spirit of Lei Feng is out. There have been many reports about the coldness(冷漠)of people towards strangers. This has made many Chinese people think deeply about themselves.
Many people think We need to promote(提倡) that spirit again. The important thing is that we must be ready to help others and make it a habit.
根据短文内容，选择正确答案，并将其字母代号填入答题卷或填涂在答题卡相应位置。
(共5小题，每小题2分，满分l0分)
【小题1】Which day is "Lei Feng Day"?

C
Life is like the four seasons. Now I am very old, but when I was young, it was the spring of my life. After I was born, I played a lot, and then I started school. I learned many new things. Like a flower, I grew bigger every day. There were happy days and sorrowful days: some days the sun shone, and some days it didn’t.
In my twenties, I had a good job. I was strong and happy. Then I married and had a child. In those days, I didn’t have much time to think. Every day I was busy and worked very hard. And so, I started to get some white hairs. The summer of my life passed quickly.
Then the days got shorter. Leaves fell from the trees. My child was a university student, and then an engineer. My home was much quieter. I started walking more slowly. One day I stopped working. I had more time. I understood this was my autumn, a beautiful time when the trees change color and give us delicious fruits.
But the days kept getting shorter and colder. Winter has come. I am older and weaker. I know I do not have many days left, but I will enjoy them to the end.
【小题1】The writer started walking more slowly in the _______ of his life.

Crazy is our new normal. With two teenage boys and three little boys, our family is restless- to the baseball field, track field (田径场) and piano lessons. Even though we've limited（限制） each boy's activities and try our best to spare some time for the family, it seems that we're always in a hurry.
"Accept it. Roll with it," my husband, Lonny, says, "It's going to be like this for a while."
He is right. It's likely that life will continue to go forward before it slows down. But I remembered the peaceful, quiet days that our family used to enjoy. I missed long walks through the park when we held the boys' little hands. I wished for lazy Saturday afternoons under the tree in our backyard. I wanted to go back a few years, when busyness was the exception and not the rule（惯例）．
One night, after a particularly ful day and evening games, our family gathered on the porch (门廊) for ice cream. Two parents, two teens, and three small boys sat on one old swing and a couple of rocking chairs. We were together, in one place, for a short period of time.
The moon was full. The Mississippi River, flowing past our home, was smooth as glass. I put my own arms around the son who sat on my lap and breathed in deeply his little-boy smell -dirt and sweat. My heart was peaceful and satisfied.
I realized that though crazy is our new normal, happiness is as usual. They may look different from before, but they are still there - even if they're in the form of a single moment on the porch. Maybe I just need the eyes to see.
【小题1】What does the writer mainly talk about?