(05·江西)

In the summer vacation of 1997 , I was fixed with a job . I worked as a(n)     36    at Mr. Breen’s fruit shop .The fruit shop did     37     business . Most of the trade came from the housewives who lived in the neighbourhood ,    38     he also had regular customers who arrived outside the shop in cars . Mr Breen     39     them all by name and they sometimes even had their order already made up , always      40    me to carry it out to their car . They were clearly long-standing customers , and I     41     they must have stayed faithful to him    42      he had promised to sell good quality      43    . He had a way with them —I had to    44      that . He called every woman “madam” for a start ,    45     those who clearly were not, but when he      46    it , it did not sound like flattery (奉承). It just sounded      47    in an old-fashioned way . He was a great chatter      48    . If he did not know them , he would greet them with a few     49     about the weather ,     50    he did , he would ask about their families or make     51     , always cutting his cloth     52     his customers . Whatever their bills came to , be      53    gave them back the few odd pence (零钱), and I am sure they thought he was very generous (慷慨). But I thought he was the opposite . He never     54     anything away . He was always looking for      55    for nothing .

36．A．operator             B．assistant             C．waiter                D．seretary

37．A．good                  B．poor                   C．big                     D．usual

38．A．so                      B．when                  C．therefore            D．but

39．A．sold                   B．knew                  C．gave                   D．sent

40．A．making               B．letting                 C．getting                D．keeping

41．A．wish                  B．insist                  C．declare               D．suppose

42．A．when                 B．if                       C．because              D．though

43．A．food                   B．fruit                   C．vegetables           D．drink

44．A．admit                 B．expect                C．announce            D．promise

45．A．yet                     B．only                   C．just                    D．even

46．A．told                    B．said                    C．spoke                 D．talked

47．A．serious               B．strange               C．polite                  D．familiar

48．A．as well               B．as usual              C．either                 D．also

49．A．sayings               B．questions            C．words                D．speeches

50．A．and then             B．and so                C．even if                D．but if

51．A．preparations        B．jokes                  C．repairs                D．friends

52．A．according to       B．due to                 C．instead of           D．up to

53．A．never                 B．ever                   C．seldom               D．always

54．A．took                   B．moved                C．threw                 D．turned .

55．A．something           B．anything             C．somebody           D．anybody

It’s interesting that the arrival of snow has a different effect on people in different countries.For some countries it is an important happening to celebrate (庆祝) each year，while for others it is a catastrophe (灾害) or even a wonder.

There are countries between these two extremes (极端) that normally expect snow some time over the winter months，but never receive snow regularly or in the same quantities every year.Britain is one such country，for which the arrival of snow quite simply causes problems.Within hours of the first snowfall，however light，roads are locked，trains and buses stop in the middle of traffic.Normal communications are affected as well，telephone calls become difficult and the post immediately takes more time than usual.Almost within hours，there are also certain shortages (短缺)—bread，vegetables and other things—not because all these things can no longer be produced or sent to shops，but mainly because people are frightened，and go out to store up these commodities (goods)，“Just for fear that something bad should happen”．

Why then does snow have this effect？After all the Swiss，Austrians and Canadians don’t have such problems.It is simply because there is not enough planning and preparation.We need money to buy equipment to deal with snow and ice.To keep the roads clear，for example，requires snow­ploughs and machines to spread salt.The reason why a country like Britain does not buy snowploughs is that they are only used for a few days in any one year，and the money could be more useful in other things such as hospitals，education or helping the old.

51．According to the writer，Britain is a country________.

A．which has regular snow

B．which is not well prepared for snow

C．for which snow is a catastrophe

D．for which snow is a wonder

52．After a few hours’snowing there are often shortages of food because________.

A．shops have closed down

B．people buy as much as they can

C．farmers cannot produce any more

D．people eat more vegetables in winter

53．The main reason that the British do not buy snow­ploughs is that________.

A．spreading salt is good enough

B．old people need more money

C．snowploughs are not used often

D．the hospital is more important

54．The words “two extremes” in the second paragraph refer to the countries________.

A．which have lots of snow most of the year and those which hardly ever have any snow

B．which either have heavy snow or light snow

C．to which snow either causes problems or no problems

D．which either have snowploughs or no snowploughs

55．It is a wonder to see snow in________.

A．Australia                                        B．Canada