A young man was getting ready to graduate from college. For many months he had admired a beautiful sports car in a dealer's showroom, and knowing his father could well afford it, he told him that was all he wanted.
As Graduation Day approached, the young man awaited signs that his father had purchased the car. Finally, on the morning of his graduation, his father called him into his private study. His father told him how proud he was to have such a fine son, and told him how much he loved him. He handed his son a beautiful wrapped gift box. Curious, but somewhat disappointed, the young man opened the box and found a lovely, leather-bound Bible, with the young man's name embossed in gold. Angrily, he raised his voice to his father and said, "With all your money you give me a Bible?" He then stormed out of the house, leaving the Bible.
Many years passed and the young man was very successful in business. He had a beautiful home and a wonderful family, but realizing his father was very old, he thought perhaps he should go to see him. He had not seen him since that graduation day. Before he could make the arrangements, he received a telegram telling him his father had passed away, and willed all of his possessions to his son. He needed to come home immediately and take care of things.
When he arrived at his father's house, sudden sadness and regret filled his heart. He began to search through his father's important papers and saw the still new Bible, just as he had left it years ago. With tears, he opened the Bible and began to turn the pages. As he was reading, a car key dropped from the back of the Bible. It had a tag with the dealer's name, the same dealer who had the sports car he had desired. On the tag was the date of his graduation, and the words. "PAID IN FULL".
How many times do we miss blessings because they are not packaged as we expected? Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; but remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.
Sometimes we don't realize the good fortune we have or we could have because we expect "the packaging" to be different. What may appear as bad fortune may in fact be the door that is just waiting to be opened.
【小题1】According to the passage we can infer that _________.

A few minutes ago , walking back from lunch , I started to cross the street when I heard the sound of a coin dropping . It wasn’t much but , as I turned , my eyes caught the heads of several other people turning too . A woman had dropped what appeared to be a dime .

The tinkling sound of a coin dropping on sidewalk is an attention-getter . It can be nothing more than a penny . Whatever the coin is , no one ignores the sound of it . It got me thinking about sounds again .

We are surrounded by so many sounds that attract the most attention . People in New York City seldom turn to look when a fire engine, a police car or an ambulance comes screaming along the street .

When I’m in New York , I’m a New Yorker . I don’t turn either . Like the natives . I hardly hear a siren (警笛) there .

At home in my little town in Connecticut, it’s different . The distant loud noise of a police car , an emergency vehicle or a fire siren brings me to my feet if I’m seated and brings me to the window if I’m in bed .

It’s the quietest sounds that have most effect on us , not the loudest . In the middle of the night , I can hear a dripping tap a hundred yards away through three closed doors . I’ve been hearing little creaking noises and sounds which my imagination turns into footsteps in the middle of the night for twenty-five years in our house . How come I never hear those sounds in the daytime ?

I’m quite clear in my mind what the good sounds are and what the bad sounds are .

I’ve turned against whistling , for instance . I used to think of it as the mark of a happy worker but lately I’ve been connecting the whistler with a nervous person making noises .

The tapping , tapping ,tapping of my typewriter as the keys hit the paper is a lovely sound to me .  I often like the sound of what I write better than the looks of it .

63．The sound of a coin dropping makes people       .

       A．think of money                                   B．look at each other

       C．pay attention to it                                D．stop crossing the street

64．How does the author relate to sounds at night ?

       A．He imagines sounds that do not exist .

       B．He thinks taps should be turned off .

       C．He believes it’s rather quiet at night .

       D．He overstates quiet sounds .

65．He dislikes whistling because       .

       A．he is tired of it                                    B．he used to be happier

       C．it reminds him of tense people              D．he doesn’t like workers

66．What kind of sound does he find pleasant ?

       A．Tapping of his typewriter .                    B．Clinking sound of keys .

       C．Tinkling sound of a coin dropping .       D．Creaking sounds .

67．How does the writer feel about sounds in general ?

       A．They make him feel at home .

       B．He thinks they should be ignored .

       C．He believes they are part of our lives .

       D．He prefers silence to loud noises .

A few minutes ago, walking back from lunch I started to cross the street when I heard the sound of a coin dropping. It wasn’t much but, as I turned, my eyes caught the heads of several other people turning too. A woman had dropped what appeared to be a dime.

       The tinkling sound of a coin dropping on sidewalk is an attention-getter. It can be nothing more than a penny. Whatever the coin is, no one ignores the sound of it. It got me thinking about sounds again.

       We are surrounded y so many sounds that attract the most attention. People in New York City seldom turn to look when a fire engine, a police car or an ambulance comes screaming along the street.

       When I’m in New York, I’m a New Yorker. I don’t turn either. Like the natives. I hardly hear a siren (警笛) there .

       At home in my little town in Connecticut, it’s different. The distant loud noise of a police car , an emergency vehicle or a fire siren brings me to my feet if I’m seated and brings me to the window if I’m in bed .

       It’s the quietest sounds that have most effect on us, not the loudest. In the middle of the night, I can hear a dripping tap a hundred yards away through three closed doors. I’ve been hearing little creaking noises and sounds which my imagination turns into footsteps in the middle of the night for twenty-five years in our house. How come I never hear those sounds in the daytime?

       I’m quite clear in my mind what the good sounds are and what he bad sounds are

       I’ve turned against whistling, for instance. I used to think of it as the mark of a happy worker but lately I’ve been connecting the whistler with a nervous person making noises.

       The tapping, tapping, tapping of my typewriter as the keys hit the paper is a lovely sound to me. I often like the sound of what I write better than the looks of it.

1．The sound of a coin dropping makes people _________

       A．think of money                                          B．look at each other          

C．pay attention to it                                D．stop crossing the street

2．How does the author relate to sounds at night?

       A．He imagines sounds that do not exist.

B．He thinks taps should be turned off

C．He believes it’s rather quiet at night

D．He overstates quiet sounds

3．He dislikes whistling because __________.

       A．he is tired of it                                           B．he used to be happier

C．it reminds him of tense people               D．he doesn’t like workers

4．What kind of sound does he find pleasant?

       A．Tapping of his typewriter                            B．Clinking sound of keys

C．Tinkling sound  of a coin dropping              D．Creaking sounds

5．How does the writer feel about sounds in general?

       A．They make him feel at home                

B．He thinks they should be ignored

C．He believes they are part of our lives    

D．He prefers silence to loud noises

Back in the 15th century, in a tiny village in Germany, lived a family with eighteen children．Eighteen! In order 36　 to keep food on the table, the father, a goldsmith by profession worked almost eighteen hours____37__ day at his trade．Despite their seemingly　 38 condition, two of the eldest children had a dream．They both wanted to pursue their talent for art. 39 , they knew well that their father would never be able to 40 either of them to study at the Academy．

After many long discussions at night in their 41 bed, the two boys finally worked out a pact．They would toss （掷） a coin．The 　42 　would go down into the nearby mines and, with his earnings, 　43 his winning brother for the academy．Then, in four years, he would support the other one．Then Albrecht Durer won the toss and 44 Nuremberg．Albert went down into the dangerous mines and, for the next four years, 　45 his brother, whose work at the academy was almost an immediate sensation.By the time he graduated, he was beginning to　 46 considerable fees for himself．

When the young artist　 47 home and said to his brother, "And now, Albert, blessed brother of mine, now it is your 　48　 . Now you can go to the Academy to pursue your dream, and I will 49 you．"

Albert rose and wiped the 50 　from his cheeks．"No, brother．I cannot go to Nuremberg．It is too 51　 for me．Look…look what four years in the mines have done to my 52 ! I cannot even hold a glass, much less make delicate lines on canvas　 53 a pen or a brush．"

More than 450 years have 54 ．By now, among Albrecht Durer's hundreds of masterful portraits, "The Praying Hands" is one 55　 creation that can catch the world's hearts．

36.A．fully　 　　　　　　　　　 B．merely 　　　　　　 C．completely 　　　　　　 D．entirely

37.A．a　　　　　　 　　　 B．every　　　 　　 C．one 　　　　　　　　　　 D．each

38.A．demanding　　　　　　　　 B．promising　　　　　 C .careless 　　　　　　　　 D.hopeless　　

39.A．Therefore　　　　　　　　 B．And　　　　　　　　　 C.However 　 　　　　　 D．But

40.A．study　　　　　　　　　　　 B．give　　　　　　　　　 C．send　　 　 　　　　　 D．offer

41.A．separated　　　　　　　　 B．messy　　　　　　　C．crowded　　　　　　　　 D．unusual

42.A．loser　　　　　　　　　　　　 B.winner　　　　　　　　 C．old　　　　　　　　　　　　 D．younger

43.A．advertise　　　　　　　　　 B.support 　　　　　　　 C．expect　 　 　　　　　　 D．require

44.A．flew away to　　　　　　 B.left behind　　 C．left from 　　　　　　 D．went off to

45.A．deserved　　　　　　　　　 B.financed　　　　　　　 C．desired 　 　　　　　　 D．envied

46.A．earn　　　 　　　　　　 B.save　　　　　　　　　　 C．draw　　 　 　　　　　　 D．spend

47.A．arrived　　　　　　　　　　 B.returned　　　　　　　 C．reached 　　　　　　　　 D．got

48.A．fate 　　　　　　　　　　　 B.time　　　　　　　　　　 C．top 　　 　　　　　　　 D．turn

49.A．take charge of　　　　　 B.make up for　　　　 C．take care of　 　　　 D．make use of

50.A．smiles　　　　　　　　　　　 B.sweats　　　　　　　　 C．tears 　 　　　　　　　　 D．hints

51.A．latter　　　　　　　　　　　　 B.latest　　　　　　　　　 C．later　　 　　　　　　　 D．late

52.A．hands 　　　　　　　　　　 B.eyes 　　　　　　　　　 C．pictures 　 　　　　　　 D．mines

53.A．with　　　　　　　　　　　　 B.by　　　　　　　　　　　 C．through　　 　　　　　 D．in

54.A．remembered 　　　　　　 B.kept　　　　　　　　　　 C．passed　　 　　　　 D．changed

55.A．mysterious　　　　　　　 B.innocent　　　　　　　 C．skillful 　　　　　　　　　 D．touching