摘要：10．It will be long before we take over the city. It was several years before construction of the building was started..

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阅读理解。

      Gadgets (小装置) can be wildly expensive and quickly out-of-date, but Steven Poole is still the
first to buy them. Technological innovations (创新) are often quite stupid. The idea that you might
want to walk down the street holding a mobile phone in front of your face, just to experience the
wonders of video calling, is clearly ridiculous. Luckily for the tech companies, however, there are
some people who jump at the chance to buy into new gadgets before they are fully ready and cheap
enough for the mass-market. They are called early adopters, and their fate is a terrible one. I should
know, since I am one myself.
      Early adopters have a Mecca: it’s Tokyo’s Akihabara district, also known as “Electric City”.
There, in 1999, I bought a digital camera, a gizmo that few people in Britain had heard of. Over the
next few years I watched in great sadness as digital cameras became more popular, cheaper and more
powerful, until better models could be had for a quarter of the price I had paid. Did I feel stupid? What
I actually did was this: I splashed out more money last year for a new one, one that let me feel pleasantly
ahead of the curve once again. But I know that cannot last, and I’ll probably have to buy another in a
few years.
      Thus early adopters are betting on other people eventually feeling the same desires. And it’s worse
if that future never arrives. Early adopters of the Betamax home-video format in the 1970s could only
look on in sadness when their investment was nullified（使无效）by the success of VHS. All sorts of
apparently splendid inventions, such as videogame consoles like the Atari Jaguar have been abandoned
to the dustbin of history right after a few early adopters bought in. Those who invested thousands in a
Segway motorized scooter on the wave of ridiculous advertising campaigns that accompanied its launch
a couple of years ago can join the club.
      You might think we should just stop being so silly, save our money, and wait to see what really
catches on. But the logic of the industry is such that, if everyone did that, no innovation would become
popular. Imagine the third person to buy an ordinary telephone soon after Alexander Graham Bell had
invented it. Who was he going to call? Maybe he simply bought two phones, one for a special friend.
But still, the usefulness and eventual popularity of the device wasn’t clear at the time. Nobody dreamed
of the possibility of being able to speak to any one of millions of people. And yet if he, and the hundreds
and thousands of early adopters after him, had not bought into the idea, the vast communication networks
that we all take for granted today would never have been built.
     The same goes, indeed, for all new technologies. Those guys holding bricks to their ears that we
laughed at in the 1980s made the current mobile phone possible. People who bought DVD players
when they still cost a fortune, instead of today’s cheap one at the local supermarket, made sure that
the new format succeeded. Early adopters’ desire for desires supported the future financially. And
what did they get for their pains? They got a hole in their bank accounts and inferior, unperfected
technology. But still, they got it first. And today they are still at work, buying overpriced digital radios,
DVD recorders and LCD televisions, and even 3G phones, so that you will be eventually be able to
buy better and less expensive ones.
      So next time you see a gadget-festooned geek (满身新潮玩意的土包子) and feel tempted to
sneer (讥笑), think for a minute. Without early adopters, there would be no cheap mobile phones or
DVD players; there would be no telephone or television either. We are the tragic, unsung foot soldiers
of the technology revolution. We’re the desire-addicted pioneers, pure in heart, dreaming of a better
future. We make expensive mistakes so you don’t have to. Really, we are heroes.

1. Steven Poole is mentioned in the first paragraph to ________.
A. introduce the topic of the passage
B. present the main idea of the passage
C. prove the content of the passage is true
D. explain why modern technology is stupid
2. It can be inferred from the passage that ________.
A. the Segway motorized scooter (para. 3) was once quite popular
B. early adopters are probably welcomed by the tech companies
C. Mecca (para. 2) is a place where new digital cameras are designed
D. all the early adopters are very rich and enjoying buying anything new
3. According to the passage, what’s probably the worst result for an early adopter?
A. He is laughed at by his family and friends.
B. What he buys proves useless and expensive.
C. He finds himself no longer the most fashionable.
D. What he buys doesn’t eventually become popular.
4. Why did the writer buy a new digital camera last year?
A. Because he didn’t want to miss the cheap but better cameras.
B. Because he had to buy another new camera in several years anyway.
C. Because the old camera made him feel upset and out of fashion.
D. Because early digital cameras were of poor quality and couldn’t last long.
5. Which of the following best describe the writer’s attitude towards the early adopters?
A. Approving.
B. Doubtful.
C. Critical.
D. Ashamed.
6. By saying the last sentence “Really, we are heroes.” the writer wants to express that ________.
A. early adopters are likely to get addicted to modern technology
B. early adopters bravely spend much money buying new technology
C. early adopters are as a matter of fact clever investors of technology
D. early adopters help promote the development of technology
查看习题详情和答案>>

阅读理解，阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C、D)中，选出最佳选项。

　　Gadgets(小装置)can be wildly expensive and quickly out-of-date, but Steven Poole is still the first to buy them．Technological innovations(创新)are often quite stupid．The idea that you might want to walk down the street holding a mobile phone in front of your face, just to experience the wonders of video calling, is clearly ridiculous．Luckily for the tech companies, however, there are some people who jump at the chance to buy into new gadgets before they are fully ready and cheap enough for the mass-market．They are called early adopters, and their fate is a terrible one．I should know, since I am one myself．

　　Early adopters have a Mecca： it's Tokyo's Akihabara district, also known as “Electric City”．There, in 1999, I bought a digital camera, a gizmo that few people in Britain had heard of．Over the next few years I watched in great sadness as digital cameras became more popular, cheaper and more powerful, until better models could be had for a quarter of the price I had paid．Did I feel stupid? What I actually did was this： I splashed out more money last year for a new one, one that let me feel pleasantly ahead of the curve once again．But I know that cannot last, and I'll probably have to buy another in a few years．

　　Thus early adopters are betting on other people eventually feeling the same desires．And it's worse if that future never arrives．Early adopters of the Betamax home-video format in the 1970s could only look on in sadness when their investment was  ified(使无效)by the success of VHS．All sorts of apparently splendid inventions, such as videogame consoles like the Atari Jaguar have been abandoned to the dustbin of history right after a few early adopters bought in．Those who invested thousands in a Segway motorized scooter on the wave of ridiculous advertising campaigns that accompanied its launch a couple of years ago can join the club．

　　You might think we should just stop being so silly, save our money, and wait to see what really catches on．But the logic of the industry is such that, if everyone did that, no innovation would become popular．Imagine the third person to buy an ordinary telephone soon after Alexander Graham Bell had invented it．Who was he going to call? Maybe he simply bought two phones, one for a special friend．But still, the usefulness and eventual popularity of the device wasn't clear at the time．Nobody dreamed of the possibility of being able to speak to any one of millions of people．And yet if he, and the hundreds and thousands of early adopters after him, had not bought into the idea, the vast communication networks that we all take for granted today would never have been built．

　　The same goes, indeed, for all new technologies．Those guys holding bricks to their ears that we laughed at in the 1980s made the current mobile phone possible．People who bought DVD players when they still cost a fortune, instead of today's cheap one at the local supermarket, made sure that the new format succeeded．Early adopters’ desire for desires supported the future financially．And what did they get for their pains? They got a hole in their bank accounts and inferior, unperfected technology．But still, they got it first．And today they are still at work, buying overpriced digital radios, DVD recorders and LCD televisions, and even 3G phones, so that you will be eventually be able to buy better and less expensive ones．

　　So next time you see a gadget-festooned geek(满身新潮玩意的土包子)and feel tempted to sneer(讥笑), think for a minute．Without early adopters, there would be no cheap mobile phones or DVD players; there would be no telephone or television either．We are the tragic, unsung foot soldiers of the technology revolution．We're the desire-addicted pioneers, pure in heart, dreaming of a better future．We make expensive mistakes so you don't have to．Really, we are heroes．

(1)

Steven Poole is mentioned in the first paragraph to ________．

[　　]

A．

introduce the topic of the passage

B．

present the main idea of the passage

C．

prove the content of the passage is true

D．

explain why modern technology is stupid

(2)

It can be inferred from the passage that ________．

[　　]

A．

the Segway motorized scooter(para．3)was once quite popular

B．

early adopters are probably welcomed by the tech companies

C．

Mecca(para．2)is a place where new digital cameras are designed

D．

all the early adopters are very rich and enjoying buying anything new

(3)

According to the passage, what's probably the worst result for an early adopter?

[　　]

A．

He is laughed at by his family and friends．

B．

What he buys proves useless and expensive．

C．

He finds himself no longer the most fashionable．

D．

What he buys doesn't eventually become popular．

(4)

Why did the writer buy a new digital camera last year?

[　　]

A．

Because he didn't want to miss the cheap but better cameras．

B．

Because he had to buy another new camera in several years anyway．

C．

Because the old camera made him feel upset and out of fashion．

D．

Because early digital cameras were of poor quality and couldn't last long．

(5)

Which of the following best describe the writer's attitude towards the early adopters?

[　　]

A．

Approving．

B．

Doubtful．

C．

Critical．

D．

Ashamed．

(6)

By saying the last sentence “Really, we are heroes．” the writer wants to express that ________．

[　　]

A．

early adopters are likely to get addicted to modern technology

B．

early adopters bravely spend much money buying new technology

C．

early adopters are as a matter of fact clever investors of technology

D．

early adopters help promote the development of technology

 查看习题详情和答案>>

听力测试(满分30分)

第一节

听下面5段对话。每段对话后有一个小题，从题中所给的A、B、C三个选项中选出最佳选项。听完每段对话后，你都有10秒钟的时间来回答有关小题和阅读下一小题。每段对话仅读一遍。

M：This book costs ＄13.00, but I’ve only got ＄7.00．

W：I’ve got ＄8.00, so I’ll lend you the rest．

1．How much will the woman lend the man?

A．＄13.00．

B．＄7.00．

C．＄6.00．

W：Where was your brother yesterday afternoon?

M：He went to the cinema with my sister．

2．What did the man’s brother do yesterday afternoon?

A．He saw a film．

B．He went to work．

C．He saw his sister off．

W：I got a part-time job at the supermarket, Dad．

M：Great．Are you sure you can handle it? How many hours will you work?

W：Yes．Three hours a day weekdays and all day Saturday．

M：Well, I support you, but you should mind your study．

3．What might the girl be?

A．A new worker．

B．A student．

C．A salesgirl．

W：How much are these bags?

M：A red one is ＄1.5, a green one ＄2 and yellow ＄3．

W：Then I’ll take the cheapest one．

4．What kind of bag will the woman buy?

A．A green one．

B．A red one．

C．A yellow one．

M：What are you going to do this weekend?

W：Well, I had planned to visit my parents, but yesterday, one of my friends called from Beijing and said he would be coming to Guangzhou on Friday, so I will have to go shopping with him．

5．What will the woman do this weekend?

A．Visit her parents．

B．Show her friend around．

C．Go to Guangzhou with her friend．

第二节

听下面5段对话或独白。每段对话或独白后有几个小题，从题中所给的A、B、C三个选项中选出最佳选项。听每段对话或独白前，你将有时间阅读各个小题，每小题5秒钟；听完后，各小题将给出5秒钟的作答时间。每段对话或独白读两遍。

听第6段材料，回答第6～8题。

M：Excuse me．Are you Miss Green from America?

W：Yes, I am．

M：Good!Glad to meet you．I am Henry from the People’s Hotel．I’ve been waiting for you．Miss Green, your room is ready．

W：That’s wonderful．

M：Let me carry these bags．

W：Oh, no．Please don’t trouble．I can manage all right．

M：Here is the car．Let’s get in．

W：OK!Thank you．This seems to be a beautiful city．I am sure I’ll enjoy my stay here．

M：I am sure you will．By the way, would you like me to show you around the city this afternoon?

W：Oh, that’s very kind of you．I’m looking forward to it．Thank you．

6．Where are the two speakers most probably?

A．Leave America．

B．In a hotel．

C．At the airport．

7．What can we learn from the conversation?

A．It’s the first time that Miss Green has come to this city．

B．Henry knows Miss Green very well．

C．Miss Green wants to travel around the city herself．

8．What is Miss Green most probably going to do in the afternoon?

A．Stay in the hotel．

B．Go back to America．

C．Walk around the city．

听第7段材料，回答第9～11题。

M：Excuse me, can you tell me the way to the swimming pool, please?

W：I can’t, I’m afraid．I’m a stranger here, you see．But why not ask that man over there? He’ll be able to tell you, I’m sure．

M：Which one do you mean?

W：Look, the one over there, on the other side of the road．

M：Ah, yes．I can see him now．Thank you so much．

9．What might the man intend to do?

A．Have fun．

B．Do shopping．

C．Visit a friend．

10．Why doesn’t the woman tell him the way?

A．She doesn’t like to talk to a stranger．

B．She doesn’t know the place well．

C．She doesn’t want to be disturbed．

11．What might the man on the other side of the street be like?

A．Full of information．

B．Ready to help others．

C．Native to the city．

听第8段材料，回答第12～13题。

W：Hello, Peter．I’m glad to see you．

M：Glad to see you, too．I come here to tell you a piece of good news．

W：What is it?I can’t wait．Come in, please．

M：Thank you．Oh, you have guests here．

W：They’re all my friends．Come in．Let me introduce you to them．

M：No, no．I’m not used to talking with strangers．I’ll come some other day．Bye．

W：Wait!What’s the good news?

M：Oh!You’ve won the first prize in public speech．

12．Why does the man come to the woman?

A．Tell her a piece of good news．

B．Ask her to make a speech．

C．Meet with some of her friends．

13．What do we learn about the man?

A．He likes to make friends at home．

B．He isn’t used to meeting people．

C．He hopes to be introduced to the guests．

听第9段材料，回答第14～16题。

W：Tom, would you tell me the time?

M：It’s 9∶30．

W：Our plane will take off in an hour．We’d better go to the airport．

M：Don’t worry．We have enough time．

W：Enough?I usually get in it two hours earlier．

M：But that’s too early．Have another drink, OK?

W：Then when will you get on board?

M：A few minutes before the plane takes off．

W：Would you like to sit by the window?

M：Yes, of course．We’ll be able to see the beautiful views since the weather is so fine．

W：Look, the sun is coming out．

M：Good．It should be a good trip．

W：Oh, Tom, let’s get to the airport now．

M：All right．I have to follow you．

14．What time will the plane take off?

A．11∶30．

B．10∶30．

C．9∶30．

15．Why does the man think that it should be a good trip?

A．Because he would sit by the window．

B．Because the plane was beautiful．

C．Because the weather is fine．

16．When does the man get on the plane?

A．Several minutes before it takes off．

B．Half an hour before it takes off．

C．Two hours before it takes off．

听第10段材料，回答第17～20题。

Dear Tommy,

Glad to have received your letter of May 1st．It’s an honor to be your pen friend．I’m 18 years old and I’m a first-year university student in Dublin．I live with ten other students in a big old house near the center of the city．I have a large room on the second floor in the front of the House．There isn’t a lift, but I don’t need one．I usually run up the stairs．My room is 7 meters long and 5 meters wide．At one end I’ve got some cooking tools and fridges, so I can cook my own meals．At the other end I’ve got my bed and a cupboard for clothes．There’s a bathroom and a toilet down the hall, for all the students on my floor．I’ve got a big desk in my room, too．So I study, eat and sleep in the same room．My parents live in a village near Cork and I go there on the holidays．Please write and tell me about your home．

17．What do you think the speaker is?

A．A college student．

B．A university teacher．

C．A middle school student．

18．How many students are there in the speaker’s house?

A．Nine．

B．Ten．

C．Eleven．

19．What size is the speaker’s room?

A．Thirty-five square metres．

B．Twenty-five square metres．

C．Fifty square metres．

20．Where does the speaker have his meals?

A．At school．

B．In his room．

C．In the restaurant．

 查看习题详情和答案>>
阅读理解。
     Parents divorced, little Buddy was in the care of his mother's large Alabama family. Over the years,
Buddy seldom saw either of his parents. But he was happy where he was and he had many kindly
relatives, among whom Miss Sook was by far his best friend. Before Christmas, Buddy's father had
managed to get legal custody(法定监护) of him for this Christmas. So, he had a new suit, with a card
pinned with his name and address and made the trip alone, by bus, to New Orleans.
     Several things occurred that kept me awake the whole night. First, the footfalls, the noise of my father
running up and down the stairs, breathing heavily, I had to see what he was up to. So I hid and watched.
There was a Christmas tree and the fireplace downstairs. Moreover, I could see my father. He was
crawling around under the tree arranging a pyramid of packages. I felt dizzy, for what I saw forced me to
reconsider everything. If these were presents intended for me, then obviously they had not been ordered
by the Lord and delivered by Santa Claus; no, they were gifts bought and wrapped by my father,which
meant that my rotten little cousin Billy Bob and other rotten kids like him weren't lying when they laughed
at me and told me there was no Santa Claus. The worst thought was: Had Sook known the truth, and lied
to me? No, Sook would never lie to me. She believed. It was just that-well, though she was
sixty-something, in some ways she was at least as much of a child as I was.
     I waited until I was sure he was in bed and sound asleep. Then I crept downstairs and examined the
tags attached to each of the packages. They all said: "For Buddy." I decided to open the packages: It
was Christmas morning. I was awake, so why not? I won't bother to describe what was inside them: just
shirts and sweaters and dull stuff like that. The only thing I appreciated was a toy gun. Somehow I got the
idea it would be fun to waken my father by firing it. So I did. Bang. Bang. Bang. He raced out of his room, wild-eyed, Bang. Bang. Bang. "Buddy-what the hell do you think you're doing?" Bang. Bang. Bang. "Stop that!" I laughed. "Look, Daddy. Look at all wonderful things Santa Claus brought me."
     Calm now, he walked into the room and hugged me. "You like what Santa Claus brought you?"
     I smiled at him. He smiled at me. There was a tender lingering (逗留不去的) moment, damaged when I said: "Yes. But what are you going to give me, Daddy?" His smile evaporated. His eyes narrowed
suspiciously-you could see that he thought I was pulling some kind of trick. But then he blushed, as though he was ashamed to be thinking what he was thinking. He patted my head, and coughed and said: "Well, I
thought  I'd wait and let you pick out something you wanted. Is there anything particular you want?"
I reminded him of the airplane we had seen in the toy store on Canal Street. His face sagged. Oh, yes, he
remembered the airplane and how expensive it was. Nevertheless, the next day I was sitting in that
airplane dreaming I was zooming toward heaven while my father wrote out a check for a happy salesman, who promised to help ship the plane on the bus.
But I wasn't free of New Orleans yet. The problem was a large bottle of wine; maybe it was because of
my departure, but anyway my father had been drinking it all day, and on the way to the bus station, he
scared me by grabbing my wrist and harshly whispering: "I'm not going to let you go. I can't let you go back to that crazy family in that crazy old house. Just look at what they've done to you. A boy six, almost
seven, talking about Santa Claus! It's all their fault, all those sour old spinsters with their Bibles and their
knitting needles, those drunken uncles. Listen to me, Buddy. There is no God! There is no Santa Claus.
" He was squeezing my wrist so hard that it ached. "Kiss me. Please. Please. Kiss me. Tell your daddy
that you love him." But I couldn't speak. I was terrified I was going to miss my bus. And I was worried
about my plane, which was strapped to the top of the taxi. "Say it: 'I love you.' Say it. Please. Buddy. Say
it."
     It was lucky for me that our taxi-driver was a good-hearted man. Because if it hadn't been for his help, and the help of some efficient porters and a friendly policeman, I don't know what would have happened
when we reached the station. My father was so drunk he could hardly walk, but the policeman talked to
him, quieted him down, helped him to stand straight, and the taxi-man promised to take him safely home.
But my father would not leave until he had seen the porters put me on the bus.
     Once I was on the bus, I crouched in a seat and shut my eyes. I felt the strangest pain. A crushing pain
that hurt everywhere. I thought if I took off my heavy city shoes, those crucifying monsters, the agony
would ease. I took them off, but the mysterious pain did not leave me. In a way it never has; never will.
     Twelve hours later I was home in bed. The room was dark. Sook was sitting beside me, rocking in a
rocking chair, a sound as soothing (令人舒畅的) as ocean waves. I had tried to tell her everything that
had happened, and only stopped when I was hoarse (嘶哑的) as a howling dog. She stroked her fingers
through my hair, and said: "Of course there is a Santa Clause. It's just that no single somebody could do
all he has to do. So the Lord has spread the task among us all. That's why everybody is Santa Claus. I am. You are. Even you cousin Billy Bob. Now go to sleep. Count stars. Think of the quietest thing. Like snow. I'm sorry you didn't get to see any. But now snow is falling through the stars-" Stars sparkled, snow whirled inside my head; the last thing I remembered was the peaceful voice of the Lord telling me something I
must do. And the next day I did it. I went with Sook to the post office and bought a penny postcard. That same postcard exists today. It was found in my father's safety deposit box when he died last year. Here is what I had written him: Hello pop hope you are well I am and I am turning to pedal my plane so fast I will
soon be in the sky so keep your eyes open and yes I love you Buddy.
1. When Buddy asked his Daddy for Christmas presents, his father's reaction suggested that _______.
A. He felt sorry he forgot to prepare presents for his son.
B. He thought his son should have known all the presents were sent by him, not Santa Claus.
C. It was difficult for him to accept that his son is so greedy.
D. He was ashamed of not knowing what his son liked.
2. Which of the following statements is NOT true?
A. Buddy didn't tell his Daddy "I love you" until his death.
B Buddy's father and Miss Sook were people of different personalities.
C. Buddy still held the belief that there was Santa Claus.
D. Buddy finally mailed a postcard to his father.
3. What can be inferred from the first paragraph?
A. Cousin Billy Bob had a good relationship with Buddy.
B. Miss Sook had no idea of Santa Clause, and lied to Buddy.
C. Father loved Buddy very much and prepared a lot of gifts for him.
D. Buddy was afraid of his father for they had been separated long time.
4. The following words can describe Miss Sook except _______.
A. old            
B. clever          
C. naughty          
D. trusted
5. Which of the following can be the best title of passage?
A. Is There a Santa Clause in the World?
B. A Christmas Memory
C. How to Celebrate Christmas in a Meaningful Way?
D. A Christmas of a Divorced Family
 查看习题详情和答案>>
阅读理解。
     Parents divorced, little Buddy was in the care of his mother's large Alabama family. Over the
years, Buddy seldom saw either of his parents. But he was happy where he was and he had many
kindly relatives, among whom Miss Sook was by far his best friend. Before Christmas, Buddy's
father had managed to get legal custody(法定监护) of him for this Christmas. So, he had a new
suit, with a card pinned with his name and address and made the trip alone, by bus, to New
Orleans.
     Several things occurred that kept me awake the whole night. First, the footfalls, the noise of my father
running up and down the stairs, breathing heavily, I had to see what he was up to. So I hid and watched.
There was a Christmas tree and the fireplace downstairs. Moreover, I could see my father. He was
crawling around under the tree arranging a pyramid of packages. I felt dizzy, for what I saw forced me to
reconsider everything. If these were presents intended for me, then obviously they had not been ordered
by the Lord and delivered by Santa Claus; no, they were gifts bought and wrapped by my father. Which
meant that my rotten little cousin Billy Bob and other rotten kids like him weren't lying when they laughed
at me and told me there was no Santa Claus. The worst thought was: Had Sook known the truth, and lied
to me? No, Sook would never lie to me. She believed. It was just that-well, though she was
sixty-something, in some ways she was at least as much of a child as I was.
     I waited until I was sure he was in bed and sound asleep. Then I crept downstairs and examined the
tags attached to each of the packages. They all said: "For Buddy." I decided to open the packages: It
was Christmas morning. I was awake, so why not? I won't bother to describe what was inside them: just
shirts and sweaters and dull stuff like that. The only thing I appreciated was a toy gun. Somehow I got the
idea it would be fun to waken my father by firing it. So I did. Bang. Bang. Bang. He raced out of his room, wild-eyed, Bang. Bang. Bang. "Buddy-what the hell do you think you're doing? Bang. Bang. Bang. "Stop
that!" I laughed. " Look, Daddy. Look at all wonderful things Santa Claus brought me."
     Calm now, he walked into the room and hugged me. "You like what Santa Claus brought you?"
     I smiled at him. He smiled at me. There was a tender lingering (逗留不去的) moment, damaged
when I said: "Yes. But what are you going to give me, Daddy?" His smile evaporated. His eyes narrowed
suspiciously-you could see that he thought I was pulling some kind of trick. But then he blushed, as
though he was ashamed to be thinking what he was thinking. He patted my head, and coughed and said: "Well, I thought I'd wait and let you pick out something you wanted. Is there anything particular you
want?"
     I reminded him of the airplane we had seen in the toy store on Canal Street. His face sagged. Oh,
yes, he remembered the airplane and how expensive it was. Nevertheless, the next day I was sitting in
that airplane dreaming I was zooming toward heaven while my father wrote out a check for a happy
salesman, who promised to help ship the plane on the bus. 
     But I wasn't free of New Orleans yet. The problem was a large bottle of wine; maybe it was because
of my departure, but anyway my father had been drinking it all day, and on the way to the bus station, he
scared me by grabbing my wrist and harshly whispering: "I'm not going to let you go. I can't let you go
back to that crazy family in that crazy old house. Just look at what they've done to you. A boy six, almost
seven, talking about Santa Claus! It's all their fault, all those sour old spinsters with their Bibles and their
knitting needles, those drunken uncles. Listen to me, Buddy. There is no God! There is no Santa Claus."
He was squeezing my wrist so hard that it ached. "Kiss me. Please. Please. Kiss me. Tell your daddy
that you love him." But I couldn't speak. I was terrified I was going to miss my bus. And I was worried
about my plane, which was strapped to the top of the taxi. "Say it: 'I love you.' Say it. Please. Buddy. Say
it."
     It was lucky for me that our taxi-driver was a good-hearted man. Because if it hadn't been for his help, and the help of some efficient porters and a friendly policeman, I don't know what would have happened
when we reached the station. My father was so drunk he could hardly walk, but the policeman talked to
him, quieted him down, helped him to stand straight, and the taxi-man promised to take him safely home.
But my father would not leave until he had seen the porters put me on the bus.
     Once I was on the bus, I crouched in a seat and shut my eyes. I felt the strangest pain. A crushing pain
that hurt everywhere. I thought if I took off my heavy city shoes, those crucifying monsters, the agony
would ease. I took them off, but the mysterious pain did not leave me. In a way it never has; never will.
     Twelve hours later I was home in bed. The room was dark. Sook was sitting beside me, rocking in a
rocking chair, a sound as soothing (令人舒畅的) as ocean waves. I had tried to tell her everything that
had happened, and only stopped when I was hoarse (嘶哑的) as a howling dog. She stroked her fingers
through my hair, and said: "Of course there is a Santa Clause. It's just that no single somebody could do
all he has to do. So the Lord has spread the task among us all. That's why everybody is Santa Claus. I
am. You are. Even you cousin Billy Bob. Now go to sleep. Count stars. Think of the quietest thing. Like
snow. I'm sorry you didn't get to see any. But now snow is falling through the stars-" Stars sparkled,
snow whirled inside my head; the last thing I remembered was the peaceful voice of the Lord telling me
something I must do. And the next day I did it. I went with Sook to the post office and bought a penny
postcard. That same postcard exists today. It was found in my father's safety deposit box when he died
last year. Here is what I had written him: Hello pop hope you are well I am and I am turning to
pedal my plane so fast I will soon be in the sky so keep your eyes open and yes I love you Buddy.
1.When Buddy asked his Daddy for Christmas presents, his father's reaction suggested that  _______.
A. He felt sorry he forgot to prepare presents for his son.
B. He thought his son should have known all the presents were sent by him, not Santa Claus.
C. It was difficult for him to accept that his son is so greedy.
D. He was ashamed of not knowing what his son liked.
2. Once Buddy was on the bus, he felt the strangest pain . The reason probably is _____________.
A. His father squeezed him so hard that it ached.
B. His father was very drunk and had difficulty returning home.
C. He didn't say "I love you" to his father.
D. He had an argument with his father at home.
3. Which of the following statements is NOT true?
A. Buddy didn't tell his Daddy "I love you" until his death.
B. Buddy's father and Miss Sook were people of different personalities.
C. Buddy still held the belief that there was Santa Claus.
D. Buddy finally mailed a postcard to his father.
4. What can be inferred from the first paragraph?
A. Cousin Billy Bob had a good relationship with Buddy.
B. Miss had no idea of Santa Clause, and lied to Buddy.
C. Father loved Buddy very much and prepared a lot of gifts for him.
D. Buddy was afraid of his father for they had been separated long time.
5. The following words can describe Miss Sook except _______.
A. old            
B. clever          
C. naughty          
D. trusted
6. Which of the following can be the best title of passage?
A. Is There a Santa Clause in the World?
B. A Christmas Memory
C. How to Celebrate Christmas in a Meaningful Way?
D. A Christmas of a Divorced Family
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