I met him first in 1936. I rushed into his ugly little shop to have the heels of my shoes repaired. I waited when he did it. He greeted me with a cheerful smile. “You’re new in this neighborbood, aren’t you?”

    I said I was. I had moved into a house at the end of the street only a week before.

    “This is a fine neighborhood,” he said. “You’ll be happy here.” He looked at the leather covering the heel sadly. It was worn through because I had failed to have the repair done a month before. I grew impatient, for I was rushing to meet a friend. “Please hurry,” I begged.

    He looked at me over his spectacles. “Now, lady, we won’t be long. I want to do a good job. You see, I have a tradition to live up to.”

    A tradition? In this ugly little shop that was no different from so many other shoe repair shops on the side streets of New York?

    He must have felt my surprise, for he smiled as he went on. “Yes, lady, I inherited a tradition. My father and my grandfather were shoemakers in Italy, and they were the best. My father always told me, ‘Son, do the best job on every shoe that comes into the shop, and be proud of your fine work. Do that always, and you’ll have both happiness and money enough to live on.’”

    As he handed me the finished shoes, he said: “These will last a long time. I’ve used good leather.”

    I left in a hurry. But I had a warm and grateful feeling. On my way home I passed the little shop again. There he was, still working. He saw me, and to my surprise he waved and smiled. This was the beginning of our friendship. It was a friendship that came to mean more and more to me as time passed.

    Every day I passed his shop, we waved to each other in friendly greeting. At first I went in only when I had repair work to be done. Then I found myself going in every few days just to talk with him.

    He was the happiest man I’ve ever known. Often, as he stood in his shopwindow, working at a pair of shoes, he sang in a high, clear Italian voice. The Italians in our neighborhood called him la luce alla finestra—“the light in the window”.

    One day I was disappointed and angry because of poor jobs some painters had done for me. I went into his shop for comfort. He let me go on talking angrily about the poor work and carelessness of present-day workmen. “They had no pride in their work,” I said. “They just wanted to collect their money for doing nothing.”

    He agreed. “There’s a lot of that kind around, but maybe we should not blame them. Maybe their fathers had no pride in their work. That’s hard on a boy. It keeps him from learning something important.” He waited a minute and said “Every man or woman who hasn’t inherited a prideful tradition must start building one.”

    “In this country, our freedom lets each of us make his own contribution. We must make it a good contribution. No matter what sort of work a man does, if he gives it his best each day, he’s starting a tradition for his children to live up to. And he is making lots of happiness for himself.”

    I went to Europe for a few months. When I returned, there was no “light in the window”. The door was closed. There was a little sign: “Call for shoes at shop next door.” I learned the old man had suddenly got sick and died two weeks before

    I went away with a heavy heart. I would miss him. But he had left me something—an important piece of wisdom I shall always remember: “If you inherited a prideful tradition, you must carry it on; if you haven’t, start building one now.”                                            

1.The shoemaker looked sadly at the shoes because __________

A. they were of poor quality.

B. he didn’t have the right kind of leather

C. he thought they were too worn to be repaired

D. the author hadn’t taken good care of them.

2.The author was surprised when she heard that the shop had a tradition because the shop ________.

A. looked no different from other shoe repair shops        

B. had a light in the window

C. was at the end of a street

D. was quite an ugly and dirty one

3.What does the underlined word “inherit” mean in paragraph 6 mean?

A. develop                             B. receive                           C. learn                                  D. appreciate

4.The author later frequently went into the little shop __________.

A. to repair her worn shoes

B. only to chat with the shoemaker

C. to look at the new shoes there

D. only to get comfort from the shoemaker

5.Why was the shoemaker called “the light in the window” by his neighbors?

A. Because he always worked late at night.

B. Because he always put a light in the window.

C. Because he was always guiding the others.

D. Because he was always happy and cheerful.

6.What’s the best title of this passage?

A. A Proud Shoemaker                                                     B. A Prideful Tradition

C. The Light in the Window                                             D. Treasure Your Shoes

Are you too old for fairy tales? If you think so, Copenhagen is sure to change your mind. See the city first from the water. In the harbor sits Denmark’s best-known landmark: the Little Mermaid. Remember her? She left the world of the sea people in search of becoming a human in one of Hans Christian Andersen’s beloved fantasies. From the harbor you can feel “city of green spires （尖顶）”. At dawn or on a cloudy day, the copper-covered spires of old castles and churches give the city a dream-like atmosphere. You’ll think that you’ve stepped into a watercolor painting.

Copenhagen is a city made for people. You don’t have to hurry to walk through the city’s center in less than an hour. Exploring it will take much longer, but that’s easy. Copenhagen is the first city to make a street for walking only. The city has less traffic, noise, and pollution than any other European capital.

Churches and castles are almost all remains of the original city. Copenhagen became the capital of Denmark in 1445. During the late 16th century, trade grew, and so did the city. But fires in 1728 and 1795 destroyed the old wooden buildings. Much of what we see today is from the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Look at one of the spires up close — really close — at the 17th-century Church of Our Savior. Brave people may climb the 150 stairs winding outside the spire to its top. If you are afraid of heights, or if it’s a windy day, you can forget about the climb. But then you’ll miss the beautiful view.

To see people having fun, and to have some fun yourself, cross Andersens Boulevard and enter Tivoli Gardens. You won’t be alone. More than five million people a year come here. They come to dance, eat, listen to outdoor and indoor concerts, watch ballets and laugh during comedy shows. One tip: Bring a lot of money. About 20 restaurants are among the city’s most expensive. Even without money, though, you can still enjoy the proud old trees, the coloured night lights and the beautiful gardens. You might feel as if you were in a fairy tale.

1．Why is Copenhagen sure to change your mind — that you are too old for fairy tales? Because ______.

  A．the Little Mermaid is Denmark’s best-known landmark

  B．Copenhagen is a city of green spires and wooden buildings that often appears in fairy tales

  C．Copenhagen is like a dream-like watercolor painting

  D．Copenhagen is a city where you find yourself in a fairy atmosphere

2．What do you think of the city?

  A．A small quiet city which few city travelers visit.

  B．An international trade port which is busy.

  C．A beautiful ancient city with many travelers.

  D．A city where some fairy stories happened.

3．Which of the following statements is NOT true?

  A．Mermaid is a character in one of Hans Christian Andersen’s fantasies.

  B．The 17th-century Church of Our Savior is high.

  C．Mermaid is a heroine in Denmark.

  D．Copenhagen has less traffic, noise and pollution in Europe.

4．Which title is the most suitable for the passage?

     A．The imaginary fairy city — Copenhagen

  B．Not only ancient but modern — Copenhagen

  C．City of green spires — Copenhagen

       D．A fairyland — Copenhagen

The night of graduation, I was afraid. Two hundred people were sitting out there. I felt tense and I wanted to run away,  36  I couldn’t! After all, my own children were sitting in front of me with many other persons. I couldn’t be a coward(懦夫) before  37 .
When I ended the speech, I was  38  at the cheering. And I never forget the first time I received the cheering in my life.
Flowers arrived  39  my brothers and sister. My husband gave me silk roses. The reporters came with   40 and recorders and lots of questions. There were tears and hugs and congratulations.
Sometimes, I sit down and   41  the tape of my gaduation speech. I hear myself say to the audience, “Don’t’ give up your   42  in life. Anything can happen if you believe. It means hard work, but  43  sure that you can do it, with God’s help.”
And then, I remember mother’s   44  to me , a young girl: “Hurry, Gin, you’ll be late for school.”
Yes, Mom, I was late  45  school, but it was sweeter for waiting. I only wish you and Dad could have been there to see your daughter and granddaughter in all their show and speech.