Recently divorced(离婚), I had no job and was on my way downtown to go the rounds of the employment offices despite the great   36  . My old umbrella was broken, and I could not   37   another one.

I sat down in the streetcar — and there against the seat was a beautiful silk   38   with a silver handle inlaid (镶嵌) with gold. I had   39   seen anything so lovely.

I   40   the handle and saw a   41  . I got off the streetcar and   42   opened the umbrella to protect myself. Then I searched a   43   book for the name on the umbrella and found it. I called and a lady answered.

Yes, she said in   44  , that was her umbrella, which her parents, now dead, had given her for a birthday present.   45  , she added, it had been stolen at school (she was a teacher) more than a year before.

She was so excited that I   46   I was   47   a job and went directly to her house. She took the umbrella, her   48   filled with tears.

I refused the   49   she gave me. We talked for a while, and I must have given her my address. I don’t remember.

The next six months were   50  . I was able to obtain   51   here and there. l reached the lowest point in my   52  . Unless a miracle happened, I would be homeless in January, foodless, jobless.

Christmas Eve came. No money to buy my daughter a gift. I was sobbing (抽泣) in the cold little kitchen   53   the doorbell rang and my daughter Peggy ran to answer it. He was a postman, and his arms were   54   of parcels. “This is a mistake” I said, but he read the name on the parcels and there were for me.

Peggy and I sat on the floor and opened them. I looked for the name of the sender. It was the teacher. The address was   55   “California”, where she had moved.

1.A. cloud                           B. rain                         C. wind                       D. snow

2.A. search                        B. catch　　         C. afford 　　         D. sell

3.A. raincoat                     B. seat          C. book 　            D. umbrella

4.A. never                          B. ever 　　　     C. almost 　　      D. nearly

5.A. concluded                  B. examined      C. learned 　          D. helped

6.A. name                          B. address 　         C. card 　                D. demand

7.A. deliberately               B. specially 　　   C. sadly                 D. thankfully

8.A. technology                B. engine 　　     C. telephone             D. medicine

9.A. anger                          B. surprise　　     C. danger                            D. sorrow

10.A. And                           B. But　　　　    C. So　　　             D. Or

11. A. forgot                      B. remembered        C. indicated 　　   D. decided

12.A. applied for               B. watching for         C. asking for　         D. looking for

13.A. face                           B. nose 　　　　  C. eyes　　　                   D. ear

14.A. reward                     B. prize　　　　　C. present                 D. umbrella

15. A. freezing                            B. surprising              C. shocking                D struggling

16.A. failures                     B. successes　　   C. jobs　　          D. wages

17.A. heart                        B. favor 　　          C. work　　            D. life

18.A. as                              B. while　　         C. when 　              D. then

19.A. proud                        B. full 　　  C. careful　　       D. glad

20. A. simply              B. directly          C. finally                 D. nearly

I’d been 16 for six days and was already prepared to deal with failure. I remember when my mum   36   me up that morning, her voice wasn’t as   37   as it usually was.

I stayed in bed for a few minutes. I was   38   to leave its warmth and comfort, and didn’t want to face the problem that I’d let myself   39   for the past six months. Finally, I dragged myself out of    40  .

I finished getting ready and tried to   41  . It didn’t work, so I decided that my   42   should go with me. We had a little time, so I thought we could practice parking. I   43  , with the wheel hitting the fence. After that, the little bit of confidence I’d had was   44  . I tried two more times, but didn’t   45   much. Then we headed to the test site.

    I went into a room for some paperwork. And I waited for 20 minutes—just   46   time to make myself believe that I was going to fail. Then, finally, it was my   47  . I just wanted to get it over and make sure that I had to come back next Thursday.

    I stepped outside and the sky was the light blue I love. It offered me some   48   and I realized something: something between when I pulled myself off the seat and when I got outside. I had become   49   and confident.

    The first thing I had to do was parking, which I did quite   50  . The confidence that came with it hit me like a wave. The rest of the test went well too and I   51   it all. As I drove back, the instructor told me I would not be coming back for a second   52   next Thursday.

    Back in the building I didn’t have to say a word. My mum knew just by looking at me. Her    53   made her face softer. And I’m sure it was at least as big as the smile on my face. Her eyes, 54  , looked kind of teary. I knew she was   55   for me.

I’d been 16 for six days and was already prepared to deal with failure. I remember when my mum   36  me up that morning, her voice wasn’t as   37  as it usually was.
I stayed in bed for a few minutes. I was   38  to leave its warmth and comfort, and didn’t want to face the problem that I’d let myself   39  for the past six months. Finally, I dragged myself out of    40 .
I finished getting ready and tried to   41 . It didn’t work, so I decided that my   42  should go with me. We had a little time, so I thought we could practice parking. I   43 , with the wheel hitting the fence. After that, the little bit of confidence I’d had was   44 . I tried two more times, but didn’t   45  much. Then we headed to the test site.
I went into a room for some paperwork. And I waited for 20 minutes—just   46  time to make myself believe that I was going to fail. Then, finally, it was my   47 . I just wanted to get it over and make sure that I had to come back next Thursday.
I stepped outside and the sky was the light blue I love. It offered me some   48  and I realized something: something between when I pulled myself off the seat and when I got outside. I had become   49  and confident.
The first thing I had to do was parking, which I did quite   50 . The confidence that came with it hit me like a wave. The rest of the test went well too and I   51  it all. As I drove back, the instructor told me I would not be coming back for a second   52  next Thursday.
Back in the building I didn’t have to say a word. My mum knew just by looking at me. Her    53  made her face softer. And I’m sure it was at least as big as the smile on my face. Her eyes, 54 , looked kind of teary. I knew she was   55  for me.

　 I grew up with my best friend, who was just like a sister to me. She was a little older than me. I 　36 to her. If ever I had a problem, she was always 　37 enough to help me out.

　 It wasn’t until the spring of“87” that I noticed a 　38 in her. She was quick to anger, and her attitude was 　39 . I asked her many times what was wrong. Her response each time was “I’m fine. ”

　 As time went on, she became more 　40 , and became a person I did not 　41 anymore. All I wanted was to help her. Every time I tried, she would get 　42 , and say she was fine.

　 The summer of“88”, I finally got my 　43 . My sister had changed due to the effects of 　44 . My mother 　45 put her arms around me, and told me my best friend had 　46 due to an over-dose (过度剂量). Well, for a minute my world stood still, along with my heart. There was nothing to say or do, just tears in the 　47 . Thinking over and over again, if only I had spent the time to notice the 　48 , maybe I could have saved her.

　 My mother, seeing my distress, sat me down and told me this.

　 Some things are not in our 　49 . Sometimes “signs” aren’t enough. You can’t 　50 yourself for the path your friend chose. What you can do is to learn from her mistake, 　51 at school for 　52 , let other children know what happened to your friend, and how it made you 　53 .

　 Since then I’ve never once blamed myself for her death. 　54 I volunteer my time to SADD and DARE. Each year, at an assembly I tell new students what happened and the 　55 of drugs.

36. A. came up　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. looked up

C. looked forward　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. went over

37. A. quick　　　　　　　　 B. old　　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. clever　　　　　　　 D. close

38. A. change　　　　　　　 B. disease　　　　　　　　　　 C. decline　　　　　　　　　　 D. habit

39. A. polite　　　　　　　　 B. acceptable　　　　 C. poor　　　　　　　　 D. rude

40. A. bitter　　　　　　　　 B. weak　　　　　　　　 C. proud　　　　　　　 D. cold

41. A. respect　　　　　　　 B. stand　　　　　　　　 C. care　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. know

42. A. polite　　　　　　　　 B. defensive　　　　　 C. vague　　　　　　　 D. impatient

43. A. surprise　　　　　　　　　　 B. chance　　　　　　　　　　 C. answer　　　　　　　　　　 D. turn

44. A. drugs　　　　　　　　 B. loneliness　　　　　 C. illness　　　　　　　 D. sadness

45. A. tightly　　　　　　　　 B. tearfully　　　　　　 C. angrily　　　　　　　　　　 D. finally

46. A. passed　　　　　　　 B. left　　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. died　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. recovered

47. A. disaster　　　　　　　 B. trouble　　　　　　　　　　 C. disturbance　　　 D. silence

48. A. signs　　　　　　　　 B. effects　　　　　　　　　　 C. causes　　　　　　　　　　 D. results

49. A. way　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. favor　　　　　　　　 C. control　　　　　　　　　　 D. side

50. A. help　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. enjoy　 　　　　　　 C. destroy　　　　　　　　　 D. blame

51. A. attend　　　　　　　　 B. volunteer　　　　　 C. engage　　　　　　　　　　 D. settle

52. A. health-awareness B. self-improvement C. self-protection D. drug-prevention

53. A. feel　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. think　　　　　　　　 C. act　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. learn

54. A. Still　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. Instead　　　　　　　　　　 C. Therefore　　　　 D. Anyhow

55. A. use　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. consequence　　 C. danger　　　　　　　　　　 D. influence

A few days ago I asked my sons’ governess（女家庭教师）Julia to come into my study. “Be seated, Julia, ” I said, “Let’s settle our accounts. I guess you most likely need some money, but maybe you’re too polite to mention it. Now then, we agreed on thirty dollars a month...”

? “Forty.”

? “No, thirty. I made a note of it. I always pay our governess thirty. Well, um, you’ve been here two months, so...”

? “Two months and five days.”

? “Exactly two months. I made a special note of it. That means you have sixty dollars coming to you. Take off nine Sundays... you know you didn’t work with Tom on Sundays, you only took walks. And three holidays... ”Julia was biting her finger nail nervously, her face red, but - not a word.

? “Three holidays, therefore take off twelve dollars. Four days Tom was sick and there were no lessons, as you were occupied only with Dick. Three days you had a toothache and my wife gave you permission not to work after lunch. Twelve and seven - nineteen. Take nineteen off ... that leaves. hmm.... forty one dollars. Correct?”

? Julia’s left eye reddened with tears welling up. Her chin trembled; she coughed nervously and blew her nose, but-still not a word.

? “Around New Year’s Day you broke a teacup and a saucer; take off two dollars. The cup cost more, it was a treasure of the family, but- forget it. When didn’t I take a loss! Then, due to your neglect（疏忽）, Tom climbed a tree and tore his jacket; take away ten. Also due to your carelessness the maid stole Dick’s shoes. You ought to watch everything! You get paid for it. So, that means five more dollars off. The tenth of January I gave ten dollars.”

? “You didn’t. ”sobbed Julia.

? “But I made a note of it.”

? “Well... if you say so.”

? “Take twenty seven from forty one -that leaves fourteen.”

? Both her eyes were filled with tears. Beads of sweat stood on the thin pretty little nose. Poor girl!

? “Only once was I given any money,” she whispered, her voice trembling, “and that was by your wife. Three dollars, nothing more.”

? “Really? You see now, and I didn’t know that! Take three from fourteen.. leaves eleven. Here’s your money, my dear. Three, three, three, one and one. Here it is!”

? I handed her eleven dollars. She took them and pocketed them.

? “Merci（法语: 谢谢）,” she whispered.

? I jumped to my feet and started pacing the room. I was overcome with anger. “For what, this - ‘merci’?” I asked.

? “For the money.”

? “But you know I’ve cheated you - robbed you! I have actually stolen from you! Why this‘merci’?”

? “In my other places they didn’t give me anything at all.”

? “They didn’t give you anything? No wonder! I played a little joke on you, a cruel lesson, just to teach you... I m going to give you all the eighty dollars! Here they are in the envelope all ready for you... Is it really possible to be so spineless（懦弱）? Why didn’t you protest? Why were you silent? Is it possible in this world to be without teeth and claws（爪）-to be such a fool?”

? Embarrassed, she smiled. And I could read her expression,“It is possible.”

? I asked her pardon for the cruel lesson and, to her great surprise, gave her the eighty dollars. She murmured her little“merci”several times and went out. I looked after her and thought,“How easy it is to crush the weak in this world!”

1.While talking to Julia, the writer expected from her________.

A. a protest　　　B. gratitude　? C. obedience　　 D. an explanation

2.What shocked the writer was Julia’s ________.

A. nervousness in front of her boss???????

B. acceptance of injustice

C. shyness when talking about money?????

D. unwillingness to express herself

3.The writer said, “Is it possible in this world to be without teeth and claws?” He was actually telling the governess ________.

A. to be more aggressive??????? B. to be more careful in her work

C. to protect her right?????????? D. to live independently

4.At the end of the story, the writer said,“ How easy it is to crush the weak in this world!” to show ________.

A. his understanding of Julia’s anxiety

B. his worry about Julia’s future

C. his concern on the living condition of working-class people

D. his sympathy for the mental state of those exploited

5.From the story, we can tell that Julia’s employer was________.

A. greedy but honest????? 　 B. ill-tempered but warm-hearted

C. strict but forgiving??????? D. none of the above