Several years ago, a television reporter was interviewing three of the most important people from local businesses. One was a very rich banker, another owned one of the largest companies in the world, and the third owned many buildings in the center of New York.
　　The reporter was talking to them about being important.
　　“How do we know if someone is really important?” the reporter asked the banker.
　　The banker thought for a few moments and then said, “I think anybody who is invited to the White House to meet the President is really important.”
　　The reporter then turned to the owner of the very large company. “Do you agree with that?” she asked.
　　The man shook his head, “No. I think the President invites a lot of people to the White House. You’d only be important if while you were visiting the President, there was a telephone call from the president of another country, and the President said he was too busy to answer it.”
　　The reporter turned to the third man. “Do you think so?”
　　“No, I don’t.” he said. “I don’t think that makes the visitor important. That makes the President important.”
　　“Then what would make the visitor important?” the reporter and the other two men asked.
　　“Oh, I think if the visitor to the White House was talking to the President and the phone rang, and the President picked up the receiver, listened and then said, ‘it’s for you.’”
【小题1】This story happened in ________.
A. U.N.             B. U.S.A.               C. U.K.      D. P.R.C.
【小题2】There are________in this passage.

Many people think that Americans   1   their cars almost more than anything else. When   2__ people are fourteen years old, they want to have their __3_  cars. They don’t ask for a car from their   4__. So many of them work in  _5_  time during their last year of high school to buy a car. Learning to   6 _ and getting a driver’s license may be one of the most exciting things in a young person’s life.
　　Some people almost   7 _ go to a doctor when they are ill. But they will __8_  their cars to a garage as soon as they think there is a   9  . On Saturdays or Sundays some people may   10   most of their time washing and repairing their cars.

　　1. A. prefer       B. love          C. drive       D. play
　　2. A. little       B. big           C. old         D. young
　　3. A. new          B. own           C. expensive   D. cheap
　　4. A, friends      B. teachers      C. parents     D. brothers
　　5. A. free         B. busy          C. study       D. good
　　6. A. make         B. mend          C. wash        D. drive
　　7. A. always       B. never         C. often       D. usually
　　8. A. take         B. carry         C. pull        D. lift
　　9. A. question     B. wrong         C. mistake     D. problem
　　10. A. cost        B. get           C. spend       D. use

Once a young man was traveling by train. It was a long and boring journey.

As the train was moving 　 31　 a wilderness(荒野),the passengers looked out of the windows 　 32　 .When the train reached a bend(转角处),it slowed down and then a simple house??????　 33　 .It was so easy to notice　 34　 everybody on the train turned to “enjoy” with eyes wide open. Some passengers even began a　 35　 about it. The young man was also attracted by the scenery. On his return he got off the train at the nearest station and found his　 36　 to the house. Its owner said that he was troubled by the　 37　 of the train. He wanted to　 38　 the house, but nobody would buy it.　 39　 the young man spent 300,000 dollars on the　 40　 .He thought it was a good place for_ 41　 because it was facing the railway bend. When the train moved slowly past, the　 42　 passengers would be very interested in the house.

He　 43　 to connect with some big companies and told them that could be used for advertisement. At last the Coca-Cola Company took it to put up their　 44　 .To everyone’s surprise, the young man was offered much money for a three-year rent(租金).

This is a true story. It tells us that discovery is very important to　 45　 .Many people have got new ideas from it.

31. A. over　　　　　　 B. past　　　　　　　 C. through　　　　　 D. across

32. A. happily　　　　 B. quietly　　　　　 C. safely　　　　　　 D. clearly

33. A. appeared　　　　 B. found　　　　　　 C. discovered　　　　 D. invented

34. A. when　　　　　　 B. that　　　　　　　 C. why　　　　　　　 D. how

35. A. discussion　　　 B. meeting　　　　　 C. subject　　　　　 D. competition

36. A. address　　　　 B. way　　　　　　　 C. key　　　　　　　 D. trip

37. A. track　　　　　 B. conductor　　　　 C. passenger　　　　 D. noise

38. A. change　　　　　 B. paint　　　　　　 C. sell　　　　　　　 D. mend

39. A. Soon　　　 　　 B. Yet　　　　　　　 C. Instead　　　　　 D. until

40. A. room　　　　　　 B. place　　　　　　 C. house　　　　　　 D. land

41. A. information　　 B. relaxing　　　　　 C. traveling　　　　 D. advertisement

42. A. excited　　　　 B. tired　　 　　　　 C. surprised　　　　 D. lucky

43. A. managed　　　　 B. had　　　　　　　 C. agreed　　　　　　 D. stopped

44. A. messages　　　　 B. companies　　　　 C. notices　　　　　 D. signs

45. A.success　　　　　 B. confidence　　　 C. activity　　 　　D. invention