“Down-to-earth” means someone or something that is honest, realistic (现实的) and easy to deal with．

It is a pleasure to find someone who is down-to-earth．A person who is down-to-earth is easy to talk to and accepts other people as equals．A down-to-earth person is just the opposite of someone who acts importantly and proudly．

Down-to-earth person may be important members of society, of course．But they do not let their importance “go to their heads”．They do not consider themselves to be better persons than others of less importance．Someone who is filled with his own importance and pride, often without cause, is said to have “his nose in the air”．There is no way a person with his nose in the air can be down-to-earth．

Americans use another expression that means almost the same as “down-to-earth”．It is “both-feet-on-the-ground”．Someone with “both-feet-on-the-ground” is a person with a good understanding of reality．He has what is called “common sense”．He may have dreams, but he does not allow them to block his knowledge of what is real．

The opposite kind of person is one who has his “head-in-the-clouds”．A man with his “head-in-the-clouds” is a dreamer whose mind is not in the real world．

Sometimes, such a dreamer can be brought back to earth．Sharp words from a teacher can usually bring a day-dreaming student down-to-earth．

Usually, the person who is down-to-earth is very likely to have our both-feet-on-the-ground．When we have our both-feet-on-the-ground, when we are down-to-earth, we act honestly and openly towards others．Our lives are like the ground below us, solid and strong．

1．“But they do not let their importance ‘go to their heads’” means that _____．

A．they are important but they do not want to be important

B．they do not show out that they are much better than others

C．they think others are less important but they do not look down upon them

D．they have a calm mind and are not proud of their importance

2．After reading this passage, what do you think a person with both-feet-on-the-ground is like?

A．He/She is a person who is honest, modest, realistic and easy to go with．

B．He/She is a person who is kind to others and never looks down upon them．

C．He/She is a person who thinks they themselves are less important than others．

D．He/She is a person who never thinks they themselves are a lot better tan others．

3．“Common sense” here means _____．

A．real sense without dreaming

B．the sense of correct understanding and judging

C．not special senses, but common

D．the senses of ordinary people

4．If you want to be a person who is down-to-earth, you’d better _____．

A．listen to your teacher’s sharp words often

B．act importantly and proudly

C．act honestly and openly towards others

D．do more important things

I was walking down the road one day when my cellphone rang. I heard a little girl on the other end 36  ,“Dad, please come back soon. I miss you so much!” Because I just have a little 37 , I knew it was a wrong number. So I rudely 38 “you’ve dialed the wrong number!”and then 39 .

During the following days, I got the same call 40 .But I didn’t care much about it.

Then one day she continually called me, 41  I didn’t answer. In the end, I answered the phone and heard a torpid(有气无力的) voice, “ Dad, please come back. I miss you so much! Dad , I m 42 so much pain! Mom said you were too busy to take 43  of me. But, Dad ,please 44  me again, OK?” The kind of 45  was difficult to reject. I made a loud kiss on the phone and heard the 46  voice say, “Thank you … Dad , I am so … happy… ”

Shortly after this, I became 47  about who had been on the other end of my phone. So I called back, and a woman answered, “Sorry, sir. I am really sorry to have 48  you. My daughter has suffered from bone cancer 49   she was born. And her father … died in a(n) 50  last week. I 51  not tell her the news. Poor  baby. When she couldn’t 52  the painful chemotherapy(化疗), she would cry for her dad, who had always 53  her. I really couldn’t bear it, so I gave her a random(任意的)phone number …”

     “How is your daughter now?” I couldn’t 54  to ask.

     “She has 55 . You must have kissed her on the phone, because she went with a smile,” she said, “and I am glad that she gets rid of the pain and stays with her father forever.”

     I couldn’t keep my tears back.

1.A .shout                 B. cry         C. scream            D. call.

2. A .money               B. time        C. son              D. daughter

3. A .replied               B. returned        C. announced        D. questioned

4. A .hung on        B. held on          C. held up      D. hung up

5.A .from then on     B. now and then   C. more or less      D. for the moment

6.A .even if               B. as if         C. in case         D. now that

7.A .of                 B. on              C. in           D. at

8.A .charge                B. control      C. notice        D. care

9.A .hug                     B. kiss       C. love           D. see

10. A .demand              B. command        C. request      D. action.

11.A .sweet                  B. deep         C. loud          D. weak

12.A .curious               B. interested         C. content            D. amazed

13.A .confused            B. bothered           C. displeased   D. sought

14. A .until                    B. when        C. while         D. since

15.A .matter                 B. event        C. accident      D. affair

16.A .must                   B. dare        C. need           D. should

17.A .tolerate               B. undertake        C. calm                 D. master

18.A .encouraged        B. persuaded          C. excited     D. delighted

19.A .stop                    B. help         C. wait          D. keep

20.A .recovered           B. missed         C. lost             D. gone