阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从36---55 各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。

       A year ago, I paid no attention to English idioms(习语), though my teacher emphasized (强调)the importance again and again. But soon, the importance of English idioms was shown   36  an amusing experience.

One day, I   37   to meet an English man on the road, and soon we began to talk. As I   38   about how I was studying English, the foreigner seemed to be   39  , gently shaking his head, shrugging (耸一耸) his shoulders, saying, “You don't say!” “You don't say!” I was puzzled. I thought, perhaps this is not an proper topic. Well, I'd  40  change the topic. So I said to him. “Well.   41   we talk about the Great Wall?   42   the way, have you ever  43   there?” “Certainly , everyone back home will laugh at me if I leave China without seeing   44  . It was magnificent.” He was   45   in thought when I began to talk  46   a tourist guide, “The Great Wall is one of the wonders in the world. We are very   47   of it.” Soon I was interrupted again by his order... “You don't say!” I couldn't help asking, “Why do you ask me   48   about it”? “Well, I didn't request you to do   49  ,” he answered, greatly   50  . I said, “Didn't you say 'you don't say'?”   51   this, the Englishman laughed to tears. He began to   52  , “ 'You don't say' actually means 'really?' It is an   53   of surprise. Perhaps you don't pay attention to English idioms.”   54   then did I know I have made a fool of   55   . Since then I have been more careful with idiomatic expressions.

1.A. in        B. for              C. by           D. to

2.A. came      B. happened        C. seemed       D. wanted

3.A. would talk  B. had talked       C. was to talk    D. was talking

4.A. understood  B. understanding    C. surprised     D. surprising

5.A. to         B. better           C. not          D. like

6.A. Shall       B. Will            C. Must        D. Do

7.A. On         B.  In            C. All         D. By

8.A. gone        B. visited          C. seen        D. been

9.A. it           B. them           C. anything     D. something

10.A. losing       B. lose            C. lost          D. losed

11.A. as          B. to              C. with         D. like

12.A. glad        B. satisfied         C. proud        D. familiar

13.A. not talk      B. to not talk       C. not to talk    D. not talking

14.A. this         B. so              C. anything     D. me a favour

15.A. encouraged   B. frightened       C. please       D. surprised

16.A. Heard       B. To hear          C. Hearing     D. Listening

17.A. explain       B. shout           C. prove       D. say

18.A. experience   B. expression        C. explanation   D. example

19.A. From        B. Since            C. By          D. Only

20.A. me          B. myself           C. mine        D. somebody

The teacher was leaving the village, and everybody seemed sorry. The miller at Cresscombe lent him the small cart and horse to carry his goods to Christminster, the city of his destination, such a vehicle proving of quite enough size for the teacher's belongings. For his only article, in addition to the packing-case of books, was a piano that he had bought when he thought of learning instrumental music. But the eagerness having faded he had never acquired any skill in playing, and the purchased article had been a permanent trouble to him.

The headmaster had gone away for the day, being a man who disliked the sight of changes. He did not mean to return till the evening, when the new teacher would have arrived, and everything would be smooth again.

The blacksmith, the farm bailiff and the teacher were standing in confused attitudes in the sitting room before the instrument. The teacher had remarked that even if he got it into the cart he should not know what to do with it on his arrival at Christminster, since he was only going into a temporary place just at first.

A little boy of eleven, who had been assisting in the packing, joined the group of men, and said, ‘Aunt has got a fuel-house, and it could be put there, perhaps, till you’ve found a place to settle in, sir.’

‘Good idea,’ said the blacksmith.

The smith and the bailiff started to see about the possibility of the suggested shelter, and the boy and the teacher were left standing alone.

‘Sorry I am going, Jude?’ asked the latter kindly.

Tears rose into the boy’s eyes. He admitted that he was sorry.

‘So am I,’ said Mr. Phillotson.

‘Why do you go, sir?’ asked the boy.

‘Well—don't speak of this everywhere. You know what a university is, and a university degree? It is the necessary hallmark (标志) of a man who wants to do anything in teaching. My scheme, or dream, is to be a university graduate. By going to live at Christminster, I shall be at headquarters, so to speak, and if my scheme is practicable at all, I consider that being on the spot will afford me a better chance.’

The smith and his companion returned. Old Miss Fawley's fuel-house was practicable; and she seemed willing to give the instrument standing-room there. So it was left in the school till the evening, when more hands would be available for removing it; and the teacher gave a final glance round.

At nine o'clock Mr. Phillotson mounted beside his box of books, and waved his friends good-bye.

1.It seemed that the teacher _____.

A．was not getting on well with the headmaster

B．had lived a rather simple life in the village

C．was likely to continue to practice playing the piano

D．would get help in the city on arriving there

2.The motivation of the teacher’s moving lay in his _____.

A．ambition          B．devotion          C．admiration         D．inspiration

3.The boy named Jude may be described as _____. 

A．polite, generous and cheerful              B．active, modest and friendly

C．kind, bright and helpful                   D．calm, confident and humorous

4.In the passage the writer describes both the teacher’s _____.

A．love for music and his dislike for musical instruments

B．hard work in the village and his strong interest in city life

C．friendship with some villagers and also conflicts with others

D．eagerness to go to the city and his affection for the village

He met her at a party. She was so outstanding that many guys were chasing after her, while he was so ordinary. At the end of the party, he invited her to have coffee with him. She was surprised but due to being being polite, she promised.

  They sat in a nice coffee shop, he was too nervous to say anything, and she felt uncomfortable, too. Suddenly he asked the waiter, “Would you please give me some salt? I’d like to put it in my coffee.” Everybody stared at him. It was so strange! His face turned red but still, he put the salt in his coffee and drank it. She asked him curiously, “Why do you have this hobby?” He replied, “When I was a little boy, I lived near the sea, I liked playing in the sea, I could feel the taste of the sea, just like the taste of the salty coffee. Now every time I have the salty coffee, I always think of my childhood, my hometown, and my parents who are still living there.” While saying that tears filled his eyes. She was deeply touched. Then she also started to speak, speaking about her faraway hometown, her childhood, and her family.

  That was a really nice talk, also a beautiful beginning of their love. They continued to date. She found that actually he was a man who met all her demands. He had tolerance, kind-hearted, warm and careful. Thanks to his salty coffee! They married. And, every time she made coffee for him, she put some salt in the coffee, as she knew that was the way he liked it. After 40 years, he passed away and left her a letter which said, “My dearest, please forgive my whole life’s lie. Remember the first time we dated? I was so nervous at that time, actually I wanted some sugar, but said salt. It was hard for me to change so I just went ahead. I didn’t like the salty coffee then, what a strange bad taste! But I have had the salty coffee for my whole life, for it was prepared by you.”

The man was nervous at the coffee shop, because _______.

 A. everybody stared at him at that time

 B. many guys chased after the woman

 C. he didn’t feel himself a match for the woman

 D. he had the strange habit of drinking salty coffee

From this passage, we can infer that ________.

 A. the man’s lie won the woman’s love

 B. the man’s parents onced lived near the sea

 C. the woman talked with the man, for they had the same experience

 D. the woman realised what salty coffee had to do with a good man

What can be concluded about the man?

 A. He had intended to give his wife a surprise at his death

 B. He unwillingly developed a taste for salty coffee after marriage

 C. He was so stubborn as to drink for a life what he didn’t like

 D. He enjoyed his lifelong bitter salty coffee out of love

Which of the following could be the best title for this passage?

 A. A Foolish Lie               B. Salty Coffee

C. A Sad Love Story         D. Love in a Coffee Shop

I don’t often lose things and I’m always careful with money, so I was quite surprised when I reached for my wallet and it wasn’t there. At first, I thought it was possible that I could have left it at home. Then I remembered taking it out to pay the taxi, so I knew I had it with me just before I walked into the restaurant. I wondered if it was possible that it could have dropped out of my pocket while I was eating dinner. I turned and walked back to the table where I had been sitting. Unluckily, there were several people sitting at the table at that time, so I had the waiter go over to the table to see if my wallet was on the floor. While the waiter was looking for it, the head of the restaurant came up to me and asked me if anything was wrong. I told him what had happened. He asked me to report the missing wallet to the police. I told him I didn’t want to do so; I was in a hurry because I had to reach my waiting room before two o’clock, where some people were waiting to see me. I also told him that my biggest worry at the moment was how I was going to pay for the meal. He told me not to worry about that. He asked me to write down my name and address, and he said he would send me a bill (帐单).

1.When the writer couldn’t find his wallet, his first thought was that________

2.The writer thought he must have the wallet with him because___________.

3.Why do you think the writer turned and walked back to the table?

4. The writer of the story is probably a _________.

The man sitting opposite Robert was the Financial Controller. Everybody called him “the FC” for short. He made all the decisions about money. Robert needed some more. That was why he had to see him. The two men did not get on very well. In fact, they had always disliked each other.

   “Your request is out of the question,” the FC said. Robert had difficulty in controlling himself, but he managed somehow. He explained that he wanted the money in order to make more programmes.

    “And why do you want to do that?” the FC asked sharply. Again, Robert almost lost his temper. “Because more and more people are listening to my department’s programmes. There’s great demand for them,” he answered.

    The FC did not seem to believe him. But Robert had a report on the numbers of listeners to all EBC programmes. The FC became less confident (自信). Robert threw the report down on the table and told him to read it.

    The FC looked at it in silence. The figures (数字) proved that he had been wrong, but he did not want to admit it. “Well,” he finally said, “I may have made a small mistake.” Robert noticed the word “may.” He got up to leave. But he had the feeling that he would get the money after all.

In the story the Financial Controller was a person who was in charge of________.      

   A. Robert’s department’s programmes.        B. EBC programmes.

   C. EBC money.                          D. both B and C.

“Your request is out of the question.” Here “out of the question”means_______.

   A. without any question   B. with some question.    C. impossible.   D. possible.

Robert decided to make more programmes because________.

   A. he wanted to meet the needs of the listeners.

   B. “the FC”disliked him

   C. the members of his department wanted him to do so.

   D. he wanted to show himself off.

Why were more and more people listening to Robert’s programmes?

   A. Because he always lost his temper (脾气).

   B. Because he disliked “the FC.”

   C. Because the programmes were rich and to the taste of the listeners.

   D. We don’t know.

Who do you think won the argument(争论)in the end?

   A. The Financial Controller.    B. Robert.    C. Nobody.    D. The listeners.