I was 17 when I walked into Carley’s bookstore in Ashland. As I was looking at  21  on the shelves, the shop owner asked if I’d like   22  . I needed to start   23  for college, so I said yes. I worked after school, and the job helped  24  my yearly tuition. I would work many other jobs: making coffee in the Students Union; a hotel maid and   25  making maps for a company. But selling books was one of the most   26  .

One day a woman asked me for books on cancer. She seemed fearful. I showed her almost everything  27  and found other books we could order. She left the store less   28  . I’ve always remembered the   29  I felt in having helped her.

Years later, as a   30  in Los Angles, I heard about an immigrant child born   31  his fingers connected. His family couldn’t afford a corrective operation, and the boy lived in   32  , hiding his hand in his pocket.

I   33  my  boss to let me do the story. After the story was broadcast, a doctor and a nurse called, offering to perform the   34  for free.

I visited the boy soon after the operation. The first thing he did was to hold up his   35  hand and said, “Thank you.” I felt a sense of   36  .

In the past, while I was   37  , I always sensed I was working for the customers, not the store. Today it’s the   38  . Fox pays my salary,  39  I feel as if I work for the   40  , helping them make sense of the world.

 (浙江省台州中学2008学年第二学期第三次统练试题)

I was 17 when I walked into Carley’s bookstore in Ashland. As I was looking at  21  on the shelves, the shop owner asked if I’d like   22  . I needed to start   23  for college, so I said yes. I worked after school, and the job helped  24  my yearly tuition. I would work many other jobs: making coffee in the Students Union; a hotel maid and   25  making maps for a company. But selling books was one of the most   26  .

One day a woman asked me for books on cancer. She seemed fearful. I showed her almost everything  27  and found other books we could order. She left the store less   28  . I’ve always remembered the   29  I felt in having helped her.

Years later, as a   30  in Los Angles, I heard about an immigrant child born   31  his fingers connected. His family couldn’t afford a corrective operation, and the boy lived in   32  , hiding his hand in his pocket.

I   33  my  boss to let me do the story. After the story was broadcast, a doctor and a nurse called, offering to perform the   34  for free.

I visited the boy soon after the operation. The first thing he did was to hold up his   35  hand and said, “Thank you.” I felt a sense of   36  .

In the past, while I was   37  , I always sensed I was working for the customers, not the store. Today it’s the   38  . Fox pays my salary,  39  I feel as if I work for the   40  , helping them make sense of the world.

21．A．maps                   B．articles                  C．reports                  D．titles

22．A．a book                 B．some tea               C．a job                     D．any help

23．A．planning        B．saving                   C．preparing              D．studying

24．A．pay for                 B．fit for                     C．run for                  D．enter for

25．A．so                        B．yet                        C．even                     D．still

26．A．boring                                                     B．satisfying       

C．surprising                                                        D．disappointing

27．A．in need                 B．in all               C．in order                 D．in store

28．A．worried                B．satisfied                 C．interested              D．puzzled

29．A．surprise                B．failure                    C．regret                    D．pride

30．A．doctor                 B．TV reporter          C．bookseller             D．store owner

31．A．with                     B．in                          C．by                         D．for

32．A．horror                  B．honor                    C．shame                   D．danger

33．A．advised                B．persuaded             C．forced                   D．permitted

34．A．action                  B．program                C．treatment              D．operation

35．A．repaired               B．connected             C．injured                  D．improved

36．A．humor                  B．interest                  C．pleasure                D．excitement

37．A．at the TV station                                     B．in the Students Union   

       C．at the US Forest Service                          D．at Carley’s bookstore

38．A．opposite              B．same                     C．different                D．right

39．A．so                        B．and                       C．but                        D．because

40．A．viewers                B．readers                 C．customers             D．passengers

Maxwell had not held a steady job in almost two years. Today was a big day, because he was going to a job interview that he felt good about. The secretary he had talked to on the phone sounded friendly and encouraging.

Maxwell was a typist. His fingers danced on the keyboard. However, his people skills were not nearly as good as his typing skills. Sometimes his mouth got in the way of his employment. At his last steady job, his boss had told him to start making coffee every morning. Maxwell laughed. “I’m not making coffee,” he said. “It’s not part of my job description.”

“Read the employee manual again,” his boss said. “Your job description is anything I say it is.”

“That’s a woman’s job,” said Maxwell. “Do it yourself.”

His boss was still yelling as Maxwell walked out of the building. He felt great about telling off the boss. A few days later, the reality of not having a job hit home. He had to pay the rent and utility bills, and he had to eat. What was he going to do?

He thought about apologizing and asking for his job back. But how would that look? Then again, who cares how it looks when you’re almost broke? After thinking about it for another week, he finally called his boss and apologized. His boss accepted his apology, but said that he had already hired a replacement.

Maxwell contacted a temporary job agency, which provided him enough occasional work to pay his bills. But none of the companies that he was sent to were hiring. So Maxwell was excited about finally getting an interview for a steady job.

Maxwell’s drive to the interview was disappointing. The traffic was congested and the neighborhood looked rough. It took him 45 minutes to get there. The building was covered with graffiti.(涂鸦)

The interview started 30 minutes late. Not bothering to apologize, the manager lit a cigarette and took a sip from his coffee cup. He leaned back in his chair and put his feet up on his desk. He asked Maxwell a lot of questions. Maxwell thought that each question was stupider than the preceding question. The final question was, “Where would you like to be 10 years from now?”

What does that have to do with typing? Maxwell wondered. Stupid questions from a rude man in a lousy neighborhood! Where would he like to be 10 years from now?

“Anywhere but this dump!” Maxwell said angrily, as he stood up and walked out.

51．Maxwell lost his last steady job because_________.

A. he was not a qualified typist.                

B. he couldn’t make coffee

C. he was not skillful enough in communicating with people.

D. he didn’t apologize in time.

52．The underlined word ‘congested’ most probably means _________.

A. too blocked or crowded                             

B. dangerous and poor

C. light and slow-moving                          

D. constant but fast-flowing

53．According to the passage, which statement is right about the job interview?

A. Maxwell was 30 minutes late.              

B. The manager got no manners in the interview.

C. The interviewer asked a lot of silly questions except the last one.

D. Maxwell misunderstood the interviewer’s questions.

54．After the interview, we can infer that _________.

A. Maxwell will celebrate his big day.

B. The manager will apologize to Maxwell.

C. Maxwell will finally get this post.    

D. Maxwell will have to find another job interview.

Maxwell had not held a steady job in almost two years. Today was a big day, because he was going to a job interview that he felt good about. The secretary he had talked to on the phone sounded friendly and encouraging.

Maxwell was a typist. His fingers danced on the keyboard. However, his people skills were not nearly as good as his typing skills. Sometimes his mouth got in the way of his employment. At his last steady job, his boss had told him to start making coffee every morning. Maxwell laughed. “I’m not making coffee,” he said. “It’s not part of my job description.”

“Read the employee manual again,” his boss said. “Your job description is anything I say it is.”

“That’s a woman’s job,” said Maxwell. “Do it yourself.”

His boss was still yelling as Maxwell walked out of the building. He felt great about telling off the boss. A few days later, the reality of not having a job hit home. He had to pay the rent and utility bills, and he had to eat. What was he going to do?

He thought about apologizing and asking for his job back. But how would that look? Then again, who cares how it looks when you’re almost broke? After thinking about it for another week, he finally called his boss and apologized. His boss accepted his apology, but said that he had already hired a replacement.

Maxwell contacted a temporary job agency, which provided him enough occasional work to pay his bills. But none of the companies that he was sent to were hiring. So Maxwell was excited about finally getting an interview for a steady job.

Maxwell’s drive to the interview was disappointing. The traffic was congested and the neighborhood looked rough. It took him 45 minutes to get there. The building was covered with graffiti.(涂鸦)

The interview started 30 minutes late. Not bothering to apologize, the manager lit a cigarette and took a sip from his coffee cup. He leaned back in his chair and put his feet up on his desk. He asked Maxwell a lot of questions. Maxwell thought that each question was stupider than the preceding question. The final question was, “Where would you like to be 10 years from now?”

What does that have to do with typing? Maxwell wondered. Stupid questions from a rude man in a lousy neighborhood! Where would he like to be 10 years from now?

“Anywhere but this dump!” Maxwell said angrily, as he stood up and walked out.

51．Maxwell lost his last steady job because_________.

A. he was not a qualified typist.                

B. he couldn’t make coffee

C. he was not skillful enough in communicating with people.

D. he didn’t apologize in time.

52．The underlined word ‘congested’ most probably means _________.

A. too blocked or crowded                             

B. dangerous and poor

C. light and slow-moving                          

D. constant but fast-flowing

53．According to the passage, which statement is right about the job interview?

A. Maxwell was 30 minutes late.              

B. The manager got no manners in the interview.

C. The interviewer asked a lot of silly questions except the last one.

D. Maxwell misunderstood the interviewer’s questions.

54．After the interview, we can infer that _________.

A. Maxwell will celebrate his big day.

B. The manager will apologize to Maxwell.

C. Maxwell will finally get this post.    

D. Maxwell will have to find another job interview.

C
People think being an artist must be a wonderful way to earn one's living. Of course, there are lots of great things about working for oneself, at home alone. What I really like is that nobody tells me what time to start in the morning, what to wear; or whether I can take the afternoon off and go to a football match.
But then, I have no one to chat with when I'm bored, no one to discuss last night's match with during the lunch-hour. Sure, I can spend the afternoon doing something I enjoy like swimming, walking the dog, or even sleeping, if I choose. But the work will still be there when I do finally get back home, and it's still got to be finished in time. Unfortunately, working at home means that people can always find me, whether I’m bored or not and once I’ve answered the doorbell, it's too late——my thoughts have been interrupted. No one would dream of calling if I worked in an office, but in an office I find myself making cups of coffee and listening to friends' troubles. As they talk, my ideas disappear and I feel increasingly stressed thinking of my work waiting to be done.
66. What is the writer trying to do in the text?
A. To encourage readers to work at home.     
B. To explain why he has changed his job.
C. To describe his working life.             
D. To say how he would like to work.
67. What can the reader learn from the text?
A. How to start working for oneself.         
B. What it's like to work at home.
C. Why the writer decided to work for himself. 
D. How artists become successful?
68. What does the writer like about his life?
A. He has plenty of opportunities for sport.    
B. He is his own boss.
C. He can see people when he wants to.       
D. He has a comfortable place to work.
69. What does the writer imagine he might do with colleagues ( 同事 ) ?
A. Have meals in restaurants.                
B. Go to the swimming pool.
C. Spend time in the countryside.                 
D. Talk about sport.
70. Which of these notices would be most useful for the writer to put on his door?