Over the past century, all kinds of unfairness and discrimination(歧视) have been made illegal. But one popular form continues to exist, that is alphabetism (字母排序法). This, for those as yet unaware of such a disadvantage, refers to discrimination against those whose surnames (姓氏) begin with a letter in the lower half of the alphabet.

         It has long been known that the cars of a taxi firm called AAAA have a big advantage over Zodiac cars when customers look through their phone directories. Less well known is the advantage that Adam Abbot has in life over Zoe Zysman. English names are fairly spread between the halves of the alphabet. Yet a quite large number of top people have surnames beginning with letters between A and K.

         Thus the American presidents and vice-presidents have surnames starting with B and C separately and 26 of those before George Bush took office (including his father) had surnames in the first half of the alphabet against just 16 in the second half. Even more striking, six of the seven heads of government of the G7 rich countries are alphabetically advantaged (Berlusconi, Blair, Bush, Chirac, Chretien and Koizumi ). The world’s three top central bankers (Greenspan, Duisenberg and Hayami) are all close to the top of the alphabet, even if one of them really uses Japanese characters. The same case are the world’s five richest men (Gates, Buffet and so on).

         Can this merely happen by chance? At the start of the first year in primary school, teachers seat pupils alphabetically from the front, to make it easier to remember their names. So shortsighted Zysman gets stuck in the back row, and is seldom asked the improving questions by those teachers. At that time the alphabetically disadvantaged may think they have had a lucky escape. Yet the result may be worse qualifications, because they get less attention, as well as less confidence in speaking publicly.

         The unfairness continues. At university graduation parties, the ABCs proudly get their awards first. However, by the time they reach the Zysmans most people are a little tired. Lists of job interviews and conference speakers and attendees all tend to be drawn up alphabetically, and their readers lose interest as they plough through them.

1. What does the author intend to show with AAAA cars and Zodiac cars?

         A. An example of competition of two kinds of cars.         B. Some advantages of AAAA cars in the taxi firm.

         C. An example of unfairness caused by alphabetism.     D. Some disadvantages of Zodiac cars in the taxi firm.

2. What can we infer from the first three paragraphs?

         A. The alphabet is to blame for the failure of Zoe Zysman.

         B. In both East and West, names are important to success.

         C. Customers often pay a lot of attention to companies’ names.

         D. The discrimination in alphabetism can be found in many areas.

3. The fourth paragraph suggests that         .

         A. alphabetically disadvantaged students often escape from class

         B. teachers should pay equal attention to all their students

         C. questions are often put to the more intelligent students

         D. students should be seated according to their eyesight

4. Which of the following is true according to the passage?

         A. VIPs in the western world gain a great deal from alphabetism.

         B. People with surnames beginning with N to Z are often ill – treated.

         C. Putting things alphabetically may lead to unintentional unfairness.

         D. The movement to get rid of alphabetism still has a long way to go.

That holiday morning I didn’t have to attend school. Usually, on holidays, Mother   36  me to sleep in. And I would certainly take full advantage of it. On this particular morning,  ___37___,I felt like getting up early.
I stood by my window overlooking the ___38___, having nothing better to do. But as it turned out, I was soon to learn about something ___39___ in life.
As I watched several people go by, get into their cars and go off, I ___40___ an old man on a bicycle with a bucket on its ___41___ and a basket rags and bottles on its back-carriage. He ___42___ from one car to another, washing and cleaning them. From the water on the ground, it seemed that he had already ___43___ washing and cleaning about a dozen or more cars. He must have begun to work quite early in the morning.
Several thoughts ___44___my mind as I watched him work. He wasn’t well-dressed. He had on a pair of shorts and a(n) ___45___ T-shirt. The bicycle he rode was not by any means the kind modern ___46___would want to be seen riding on. But he seemed___47___ with life. There he was, working hard at his small business, ___48___ at passers-by and stopping to chat now and then ___49___ elderly men and women on their way to the market nearby.
There was a noticeable touch of___50___ in the way he seemed to be doing things— ___51___the windscreen (挡风玻璃), then standing back to admire it; scrubbing (擦净) the wheels and ___52___, standing back to see what they look like after the scrub.
It was a ___53___ to learn, I felt. At no age need one have to beg for a ___54___if one has good health and is willing to work hard. For a while I felt ___55__ of myself. Young as I am—just sixteen, and there was this old man who must have been usefully engaged perhaps before the sun appeared above the horizon.

I first met Sean one summer day. He carried a bag    36 with four clubs(球杆)  and some balls. He was a lot   37  than other kids of his age. I heard he was   38   from cancer. Still , he always seemed to be smiling whenever I would see him with his friends, trying to  39  as far as he did.

A year or so passed and I hadn’t   40  Sean .I had heard that his cancer was   41      him. Still, his friends said he was going to come here before long.

  42  enough , he was there the following week. I   43  that one of his friends was carrying Sean’s bag. I saw Sean was having a(n)  44  time trying to drive the ball. Sean hit his last ball as hard as his fragile body would   45  .It flew up to the green and was out of sight. One of his friends   46  Sean walk up to the green. It was a(n)  47 walk because the green was higher than the tee(发球区).

Suddenly I saw one boy pick up Sean’s ball and    48  it in the hole. Then he ran and   49  to look for his own ball.

When Sean finally got to the green, he looked   50  because he thought he hit it over .

Then he glanced in the hole. A smile   51  his face! The boys looked at each other and said , “You can’t tell me it’s a hole-in-one!”

“No, really ! Look !” he said . They all acted    52  and as I watched , I thought Sean looked like the   53   guy I had ever seen. I never saw Sean or his friends after that day.   54   it was then that I learned just what golf should be .

It’s not about what   55  you get or how far you drive. It is about caring for the friends you play with and enjoying the time you have with them.

1.                A．covered        B．filled           C．equipped D．connected

2.                A．smaller         B．taller           C．stronger  D．cleverer

3.                A．recovering      B．suffering        C．benefiting D．curing

4.                A．send           B．play            C．hit   D．walk

5.                A．promised       B．cared          C．heard    D．seen

6.                                  A．getting the best of    B．losing control of

C．taking advantage of                 D．getting rid of

7.                A．Effective        B．Active          C．Sure D．Lucky

8.                A．guessed        B．learned         C．hoped    D．noticed

9.                A．weak          B．awful           C．meaningful    D．comfortable

10.               A．allow          B．provide        C．bear  D．control

11.               A．let            B．suggested       C．helped    D．ordered

12.               A．quick          B．tough          C．energetic  D．unwise

13.               A．break          B．lift            C．move D．drop

14.               A．pretended      B．forgot          C．tried  D．disliked

15.               A．calm           B．astonished      C．disappointed   D．excited

16.               A．got on         B．came out       C．took on   D．lit up

17.               A．doubtful        B．surprised       C．curious    D．delighted

18.               A．happiest        B．busiest         C．coolest    D．funniest

19.               A．And           B．Or            C．But   D．So

20.               A．ball            B．disease         C．friendship D．score

That holiday morning I didn’t have to attend school. Usually, on holidays, Mother   36   me to sleep in. And I would certainly take full advantage of it. On this particular morning,  ___37___,I felt like getting up early.

I stood by my window overlooking the ___38___, having nothing better to do. But as it turned out, I was soon to learn about something ___39___ in life.

As I watched several people go by, get into their cars and go off, I ___40___ an old man on a bicycle with a bucket on its ___41___ and a basket rags and bottles on its back-carriage. He ___42___ from one car to another, washing and cleaning them. From the water on the ground, it seemed that he had already ___43___ washing and cleaning about a dozen or more cars. He must have begun to work quite early in the morning.

Several thoughts ___44___my mind as I watched him work. He wasn’t well-dressed. He had on a pair of shorts and a(n) ___45___ T-shirt. The bicycle he rode was not by any means the kind modern ___46___would want to be seen riding on. But he seemed___47___ with life. There he was, working hard at his small business, ___48___ at passers-by and stopping to chat now and then ___49___ elderly men and women on their way to the market nearby.

There was a noticeable touch of___50___ in the way he seemed to be doing things— ___51___the windscreen (挡风玻璃), then standing back to admire it; scrubbing (擦净) the wheels and ___52___, standing back to see what they look like after the scrub.

It was a ___53___ to learn, I felt. At no age need one have to beg for a ___54___if one has good health and is willing to work hard. For a while I felt ___55__ of myself. Young as I am—just sixteen, and there was this old man who must have been usefully engaged perhaps before the sun appeared above the horizon.

1.A．forces             B．allows           C．causes           D．forbids

2.A．otherwise          B．therefore        C．however          D．besides

3.A．parking lot        B．bus stop         C．school           D．market

4.A．interesting        B．surprising       C．awful            D．useful

5.A．noticed            B．recognized       C．called           D．assisted

6.A．back               B．handle           C．wheel            D．seat

7.A．searched           B．left             C．moved            D．wandered

8.A．stopped            B．started          C．intended         D．finished

9.A．crossed            B．slipped          C．disturbed        D．inspired

10.A．attractive        B．shiny            C．simple           D．expensive

11.A．repairmen         B．businessmen      C．drivers          D．cyclists

12.A．busy              B．content          C．careful          D．bored

13.A．waving            B．looking          C．laughing         D．pointing

14.A．about             B．for              C．with             D．like

15.A．worry             B．respect          C．sympathy         D．pride

16.A．cleaning          B．fixing           C．replacing        D．covering

17.A．still             B．yet              C．again            D．soon

18.A．lesson            B．subject          C．skill            D．fact

19.A．business          B．living           C．success          D．right

20.A．tired             B．doubtful         C．fearful          D．ashamed

One winter during college in New York, I took an 8: 00 a.m. history class. The professor was very __36  in class. He just looked at his lecture notes and __37__ looked up at us. I felt that I needed to get rid of my boredom, so I created a little __38__ for myself. I tried to find something from his lecture to ask a question about, forcing me to __39__ rather than letting my eyes close. The first time I raised my hand, he was surprised, but obviously pleased to have a question to answer. __40__ , his answers were always interesting. I continued to do this every day in the course and found my-self ac tually __41__ the material. The professor became a bit more __42__ and some other students also joined me in asking questions. My little game had __43__ me from being bored, __44__ it was expected to do. I learned a lot about world history in the discussions with him. The professor obviously knew his material, but had a hard time __45__ it on to his undergraduates in an interesting way. On the last day of class we gathered our books and headed for the door for the last time. The shy professor stepped directly in front of me as I reached the door. "Thank you for making this class so interesting,"

he said. I was so surprised. To me, it had been a pleasant way to pass the time; I had no idea that my asking questions had an effect on him and the others at all. That moment has stayed with me for 30 years. Each of us can have a(n) __46__ not just on our own experiences, but on those of others, and I’ll never forget the professor who taught me a lesson about the power of acts of kindness, intended __47__ not.

A. peaceful      B. accustomed           C. nervous     D. absent

A. frequently     B. suddenly             C. nearly   D. rarely

A. game           B. prize                C. toy     D. advantage

A. stare         B. concentrate          C. comment      D. present

A. Therefore     B. Otherwise            C. In fact   D. On the contrary

A. improving     B. writing              C. misunderstanding     D. enjoying

A. relaxed         B. graceful             C. serious D. clever

A. separated          B. saved           C. awoken   D. avoided

A. which           B. since                C. as           D.what

A. carrying      B. passing     C. bringing          D. putting

A. idea       B. effect       C. effort               D. power

A. and            B. so           C. or               D. but