The business executive was deep in debt and could see no way out. Creditors (债主) were closing in on him. Suppliers were demanding payment. He sat on the park bench, head in hands, wondering if anything could save his company from bankruptcy (破产).

    Suddenly an old man appeared before him. “I can see that something is troubling you.” he said. After listening to the executive, the old man said: “I believe I can help you.”

    He asked the man his name, wrote out a check, and pushed it into his hand saying: “Take this money. Meet me here exactly one year from today, and you can pay me back at that time.” Then he turned and disappeared as quickly as he had come.

    The business executive saw in his hand a check for $500,000, signed by John D. Rockefeller, then one of the richest men in the world!

    “I can settle all my debts in a moment!” he realized. But instead, the executive decided to put the uncashed check in his safe, just knowing it would give him the strength to work out a way to save his business.

    With renewed optimism, he made better deals and extended terms of payment. He closed several big deals. Within a few months, he was out of debt and making money once again.

    Exactly one year later, he returned to the park with the uncashed check. At the agreed-upon time, the old man appeared. But just as the executive was about to hand back the check and share his success story, a nurse came running up and grabbed the old man.

    “I’m so glad I caught him!” she cried. “I hope he hasn’t been bothering you. He’s always escaping from the rest home and telling people he’s John D. Rockefeller.” And she led the old man away by the arm.

What was the executive worried about?

A. He couldn’t produce enough for the suppliers.

B. The creditors wouldn’t lend him any money.

C. His products didn’t sell well.

D. He might run into bankcruptcy.

Which of the following statements about the old man is TRUE?

A. The old man had known the executive was in trouble before he came.

B. The old man’s way of helping the executive worked out well.

C. The check he wrote was far from enough for the executive.

D. In fact the old man didn’t want to have his money back.

The executive didn’t cash the check because ____________.

A. He was afraid that the bank didn’t have so much money.

B. The check gave him a lot of strength and encouragement.

C. He was uncertain if he could ever pay back the money.

D. He knew the old man wasn’t John D. Rockefeller at all.

About ten years ago, a young and very successful businessman named Josh was traveling down a Chicago neighborhood street. He was going a bit too fast in his shiny, black, 12 cylinder Jaguar XKE, which was only two months old.

He was watching for kids rushing out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something. As his car passed, no child came out, but a brick sailed out and - WHUMP!  - it hit the Jaguar's shiny black side door! SCREECH ... ! ! ! ! Immediately Josh stopped the car, jumped out, seized the kid and pushed him up against a parked car. He shouted at the kid, "What was that all about and who are you? Just what the heck are you doing?!" "That's my new Jaguar, that brick you threw is gonna cost you a lot of money. Why did you throw it?"

"Please, mister, please...I'm sorry! I didn't know what else to do!" begged the youngster. "I threw the brick because no one else would stop!" tears were streaming down the boy's face as he pointed around the parked car.  "It's my brother, mister," he said. "He rolled off the curb (路沿) and fell out of his wheelchair and I can't lift him up. " Sobbing, the boy asked the businessman, "Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He's hurt and he's too heavy for me. "

Moved by the words, the young businessman lifted the young man back into the wheelchair and took out his handkerchief and wiped the scrapers and cuts, checking to see that everything was going to be OK. He then watched the younger brother push him down the sidewalk toward their home.

It was a long walk back to the black, shining, 12 cylinder Jaguar XKE -- a long and slow walk. Josh never did fix the side door of his Jaguar. He kept the dent (凹痕) to remind him not to go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at him to get his attention. Feel for the bricks of life coming you.

1.The boy threw a brick at the businessman's car because ________.

A. he wanted to ask for some money

B. he wanted to get help from the driver

C. the businessman drove at a high speed

D. he hated the brand-new car very much

2.What can we learn from the passage?

A. Josh would accept the money from the kids.

B. The two kids were Josh's neighbors.

C. Josh's new car broke down easily.

D. Josh was a kind-hearted man.

3.According to the passage, the last sentence means ________.

A. trying to be more understanding seeing others in trouble

B. trying to get ready for the trouble in your future life

C. driving fast in a neighborhood street is dangerous

D. protecting oneself from being hurt

It is common and usual to see people freak out when they face challenges in their life. We all pass in different life problems and challenges. No one is free of life problems. Only a dead man faces no problem. As long as you are alive, challenges are everywhere.

How do you face problems and challenges in your life? Problems and challenges are the building blocks of your personality. They make you who you are. Besides, whether what happened in your life builds or destructs you depends on how you look at it. If you take your problems as troubles, they will be troubles and may cause destruction. If you take them as constructive tools, you are going to be built up on them.

Problems are everywhere. No one can avoid them. And they are good too. They open up a different look and opportunity if you are willing to see. When you face troubles, do not frustrate or freak out. Just cool yourself to think in a different direction. Think in a positive way. Every problem has its own good as well as bad sides. Focus on the good one. Look at the bright side.

Besides, there is always a good person, perhaps your mom or dad, or one of your friends, right beside you who can turn everything into your best if you are willing to turn to them. No matter what happens­, they will be there to help you. Trust them and they will never let you down. All you need to know is that you are loved wherever you are.

1.What’s the meaning of the underlined phrase “freak out” in Paragraph 1?

2.In Paragraph 2, the writer implies that ______.

3.According to the last paragraph, when we're in trouble, we ______.

4.What’s the writer’s purpose to write the passage?

完成句子（每空限填一个词）（共10小题；每小题1分，满分10分）

1.每当我处于困境时，我的朋友们总是毫不犹豫地来帮助我。

Whenever I am in trouble, my friends always come to help me ______ ______.

2.他进来时，所有人的视线都集中在他身上，使得他很尴尬。

All eyes were _______ _______ him when he came in, which made him embarrassed.

3.我们必须降低成本，这样才能将我们产品的价格下调。

We must ____ ____ on the cost so that the price of our product can be brought down.

4.他看报纸很投入,没有注意到有什么人进入教室.

He was so absorbed ______ a newspaper ______he didn’t notice anyone enter the classroom.

5.有时候在与人相处时，我们需要有人指点。

Sometimes we need help to ______ ______ with others.

6.因为她不信守诺言，我们从此情断义绝。

We weren’t going to be friends any more because she couldn’t ______ her ______.

7.他的零钱已经用光了。

His pocket money has been ______ ______.

8.与1800年相比，世界人口已经增长了六倍。

The world’s population has grown by six times what______ ______ in 1800.

9.这所学校每年招收200名学生。

200 students ______ ______ to the school every year.

10.除非必要，你最好不要查字典。

_______ _______, you’d better not refer to the dictionary.

短文改错（共10小题；每小题1分，满分10分）

假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。错误涉及一个单词的增加，删除或修改。

增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。

删除：把多余的词用斜线（＼）划掉。

修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。

注意：1.每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；

2.只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不记分。

3.如果不按要求改错，不给分。

We usually prefer to do things the way we considered to be the best. However, it is important to listen to those who love us and want to give us an advice when we have serious problems in our lives. Parents have gained some life experiences and they know what to act in different situations. That’s why we should ask them for help first when they have problems. Therefore, there are moments when we avoid them and don’t want to follow them. With time passed, my brother as well as I have realized that our parents are right. Please turn for your parents when in trouble, for they worth trusting and ready to offer help all the time.