My First Trip in the United States
I still remember my first day in the U. S. very clearly. My friend was waiting for me when my plane   36  at Kennedy Airport at three o’clock in the afternoon. The weather was very  37 and it was snowing, but I was too excited to   38  . From the airport, my friend and I took a taxi to my    39   .On the way, I saw the skyline of Manhattan for the   40  time and I looked in surprise at the famous skyscrapers（摩天大楼） and their man-made   41  .  42   me unpack at the hotel, my friend left and promised to return the next day.
  43  my friend had left, I went to a   44   near the hotel to get something   45    . Since I couldn’t speak a single word of English, I couldn’t tell the    46   what I wanted. I was very worried and started to make some   47   ,but he didn’t understand me. Finally, I ordered the    48  thing as the man at the next table was   49   . After dinner, I started to walk along Broadway   50   I came to Times Square with its theatres, neon lights, and crowds of people. I did not feel tired, so I   51  to walk around the city. I wanted to see   52  on my first day, although I knew it was impossible.
When I returned to the hotel, I couldn’t fall asleep, lay    53  and thought about New York. It was a very big and amazing city with many high-rise buildings and streams of cars, and full of   54  and busy people. I also decided right then that I had to learn to    55  .

One stormy night many years ago, an elderly man and his wife entered the hall of a small hotel in Philadelphia. Trying to get out of the rain, they came to the front desk hoping to get some shelter for the night.

“Could you possibly give us a room here?” the husband asked.

The clerk, a friendly man with a winning smile, looked at the couple and explained that there were three conventions in town.“All of our rooms are taken,” the clerk said.“But I can’t send a nice couple like you out into the rain at one o’clock in the morning. Would you perhaps be willing to sleep in my room? It’s not exactly a suite, but it will be good enough to make you folks comfortable for the night.”

When the couple declined, the young man pressed on.“Don’t worry about me; I’ll make out just fine.” the clerk told them. So the couple agreed.

As he paid his bill the next morning, the elderly man said to the clerk,“You are the kind of manager who should be the boss of the best hotel in the United States. Maybe someday I’ll build one for you.” The clerk looked at them and smiled. The three of them had a good laugh. As they drove away, the elderly couple agreed that the helpful clerk was indeed exceptional, as finding people who are both friendly and helpful isn’t easy.

Two years passed. The clerk had almost forgotten the incident when he received a letter from the old man. It recalled that stormy night and enclosed a round—trip ticket to New York, asking the young man to pay them a visit.

The old man met him in New York, and led him to the corner of Fifth Avenue and 34th street. He then pointed to a great new building there, a pale reddish stone, with turrets and watchtowers thrusting up to the sky.“That,” said the older man,“is the hotel I have just built for you to manage.”“You must be joking,” the young man said.“I can assure you I am not,” said the older man, a sly smile playing around his mouth.

The older man’s name was William Waldorf Astor, and that magnificent structure was the original Waldorf—Astoria Hotel. The young clerk who became its first manager was George C.Boldt. This young clerk never foresaw the turn of events that would lead him to become the manager of one of the world’s most glamorous hotels.

1.The purpose of the author writing this story is to_______.

A．give people a good laugh                 B．cover some facts

C．promote the business of Waldorf—Astoria Hotel    D．deliver a lesson

2.Which of the statements about the story is NOT true?

A．The story took place at about one a.m..

B．The old couple was too poor to afford a luxurious room.

C．The clerk was willing to help those in need.

D．The clerk received an unexpected invitation from the old man.

3.The underlined word “conventions” in Para.3 can be replaced by_______?

A．rooms            B．suites             C．meetings          D．hotels

4.Which of the following proverbs suits the story the best?

A．Every little thing helps.

B．Make hay while the sun shines.

C．Man proposes； God disposes(处理,决定).

D．One good turn deserves another.

One dark stormy night, an elderly couple hurried into a hotel and asked whether they could be put up for the night. “I’ m very   36   ,” the clerk on night shift said politely, “we are all    37 tonight. But you could stay in my room if you don’t    38 . As I’m on duty, I’ll be staying up in the office anyway,” The young man gave the    39 _ advice.

The elderly couple    40  his offer with gratitude(感激). They    41  for the inconvenience they had caused him. The next day, the rain stopped and it cleared up. When the old gentleman went to pay his   42 , the clerk behind the counter was that same helpful young man. “The room you and your wife stayed in is not a proper guest room in this hotel,  43  you don’t need to pay,” said the clerk, with the same friendly smile.

The old gentleman nodded in    44 , “You are an employee that every boss in the hotel business would    45 . Perhaps   46  I’ll build a hotel for you. ” The clerk was amazed but, deciding that the guest must have been joking, he gave the remark no more    47 .

Two years later, the young man received a registered letter(挂号信) from the old gentleman, in which he   48 the experience of that dark stormy night. The letter also enclosed（附上） a formal    49  and a round-trip air ticket to New York, asking the young man to pay a visit.

At a street comer in Manhattan, the young man met his   50  guest. The old gentleman, pointing to a magnificent new    51  towering over the crossroads, said, “Look, that is the hotel I    52 to build for you. I hope you will manage it for me. Remember what I said then? Well, I was serious about it.”

“But…will there be any conditions, sir? Why do you choose me? And who are you?”

“My name is William Aster. There’s not any condition.   53  I told you before, you are the best employee…!”

This building was none    54 the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. Starting business in 1931, this hotel has been a symbol of supreme status and honor in the city of New York. The young man who became its first    55  was George Boldt, the man who turned Waldorf into one of the most glamorous hotels in the world.

One stormy night many years ago, an elderly man and his wife entered the hall of a small hotel in Philadelphia. Trying to get out of the rain, they came to the front desk hoping to get some shelter for the night.
“Could you possibly give us a room here?” the husband asked.
The clerk, a friendly man with a winning smile, looked at the couple and explained that there were three conventions in town.“All of our rooms are taken,” the clerk said.“But I can’t send a nice couple like you out into the rain at one o’clock in the morning. Would you perhaps be willing to sleep in my room? It’s not exactly a suite, but it will be good enough to make you folks comfortable for the night.”
When the couple declined, the young man pressed on.“Don’t worry about me; I’ll make out just fine.” the clerk told them. So the couple agreed.
As he paid his bill the next morning, the elderly man said to the clerk,“You are the kind of manager who should be the boss of the best hotel in the United States. Maybe someday I’ll build one for you.” The clerk looked at them and smiled. The three of them had a good laugh. As they drove away, the elderly couple agreed that the helpful clerk was indeed exceptional, as finding people who are both friendly and helpful isn’t easy.
Two years passed. The clerk had almost forgotten the incident when he received a letter from the old man. It recalled that stormy night and enclosed a round—trip ticket to New York, asking the young man to pay them a visit.
The old man met him in New York, and led him to the corner of Fifth Avenue and 34th street. He then pointed to a great new building there, a pale reddish stone, with turrets and watchtowers thrusting up to the sky.“That,” said the older man,“is the hotel I have just built for you to manage.”“You must be joking,” the young man said.“I can assure you I am not,” said the older man, a sly smile playing around his mouth.
The older man’s name was William Waldorf Astor, and that magnificent structure was the original Waldorf—Astoria Hotel. The young clerk who became its first manager was George C.Boldt. This young clerk never foresaw the turn of events that would lead him to become the manager of one of the world’s most glamorous hotels.
【小题1】The purpose of the author writing this story is to_______.

I have spent years of my life traveling all over the world. When I arrive in a new country or city, usually I am very  36   and go to bed early. For this  37   my first day or night in any new place is always quiet and very  38  happens.  39   my first night in Algeciras was very different. This night was very   40    and unusual.

    At that time   41   in Southern Spain was a dirty and   42   looked-after city. I arrived late in the evening by  43  . As soon as I got off the boat, I went to look for a   44  . I found a small hotel not far from the boat.

   This hotel looked  45  and untidy from the outside. But I was very tired and did not know my  46  around the city of Algeciras. And so I decided to stay in this  47 hotel on the quay(码头). I also decided to stay in this hotel for another   48  . The moon was full and it was a clear,   49  night. From the hotel I could  50  the sea. I could see the huge rock of Gibraltar in the bright moonlight.

   The hotel had a narrow  51  and no name. When I went through this doorway, I had to climb up narrow and dark stairs to the first floor. I  52  a small cupboard with a desk in front of it. This was the hotel office.

   An untidy and tired woman was sitting beside the  53  . When I said I wanted a room for the night, she took me  54  some more stairs to a room on the second floor. Inside this room the landlord was sitting playing cards with some friends. He was  55 his game of cards and I was simply a nuisance(讨厌的人). He looked at me when the woman told him that I wanted a room. Then he said, Room Five, and turned back to his game of cards.

A. frightened       B. excited                C. tired            D. satisfied

A. choice            B. reason              C. aim            D. journey

A. much           B. little               C. few            D. many

A. So              B. Because            C. And             D. But

A. ordinary          B. common            C. forgetful       D. strange

A. Gibraltar        B. Algeciras            C. Madrid       D. New Delhi

A. badly           B. well                     C. wrongly        D. good

A. bus             B. boat               C. plane          D. train

A. guide           B. driver              C. hotel              D. dinner

A. clean           B. dirty               C. beautiful      D. interesting

A. friend          B. address             C. charge        D. way

A. small           B. large              C. expensive      D. funny-looking

A. reason          B. person             C. memory        D. sight-seeing

A. dark            B. cloudy           C. bright        D. sunny

A. look down at    B. praise              C. study          D. forget

A. bedroom        B. doorway            C. stairs         D. bulletin-board

A. came to         B. picked up           C. painted       D. escaped from

A. cupboard       B. office              C. desk               D. doorway

A. over           B. down               C. up           D. under

A. tired of                B. enjoying            C. throwing      D. buying