Nothing is more refreshing on a warm summer day than watching someone else work.

Right now, I’m sitting on my porch and watching young Beth baling（打捆）the big field on top of the hill. She’s been haying that field for over ten years. I know: I put her on the tractor when she was just twelve years old.

She picked a great day for baling. It’s not too hot, and there’s a nice breeze. On Monday, when she cut the field, it was so hot I thought the corn would start popping in the field. Didn’t stop her, though. She just stuck that big hat on her head, wrapped a wet handkerchief around her neck, and set to work. I remember when I would have done the same thing.

While I’m here sucking a lemonade, Beth is driving the “hay(干草) train,” a tractor pulling a baler and an old wagon. You’d think someone her size would never be able to see over the tractor. But somehow she manages. When she’s finished, her tracks are very straight.

The whole time she’s haying, that dog of hers is working just as hard, running along beside her like he’s afraid she’ll drive away without him. Beth sure knew what she was doing when she trained him.

The way the machine works is pure poetry. Each row is pushed into shape. When just enough hay is in a bale, it is wrapped up and fastened together. A second or so later, the bale comes flying out and into the old wagon. The person who invented that machine sure was some kind of genius.

That’s not to say it works perfectly. Every once in a while a bale misses the mark, especially when you are turning the machine at the end of a row. That means, of course, that you have to go back and pick up those bales and throw them into the wagon.

I can remember when Beth’s mother was her age. She looked an awful lot like Beth does now. Makes a man proud to see his daughter and granddaughter taking such good care of themselves.

Well, I suppose I should get up and fill this glass again. Not much fun sitting here with an empty glass.

63. We can learn from the passage that at some time in the past the author ______.

　 A. bought the tractor for Beth　　 　　　　　　　　　　 B. forced Beth to work at an early age

　 C. worked in the field like Beth　　　　　　 D. trained the dog to help Beth work

64. In the eyes of the author, the sight of Beth baling hay is _______.

　 A. uncommon　　　 B. beautiful　　　　 C. unforgettable　　　 D. changeable　　　

65 Before thrown into the wagon, the hay must be _______.

A. tied up　　　　　 B. dried up　　　　　 C. cut up　　　　　　 D. lined up　

66. Who do you think is telling this story?

A. Beth’s mother. B. Beth’s father.　　　

C. Beth’s grandmother.　 D.Beth’s grandfather.

How do you feel about watching other people work?

Nothing is more refreshing on a warm summer day than watching someone else work.

Right now, I’m sitting on my porch and watching young Beth baling（打捆）the big field on top of the hill. She’s been haying that field for over ten years. I know: I put her on the tractor when she was just twelve years old.

She picked a great day for baling. It’s not too hot, and there’s a nice breeze. On Monday, when she cut the field, it was so hot I thought the corn would start popping in the field. Didn’t stop her, though. She just stuck that big hat on her head, wrapped a wet handkerchief around her neck, and set to work. I remember when I would have done the same thing.

While I’m here sucking a lemonade, Beth is driving the “hay(干草) train,” a tractor pulling a baler and an old wagon. You’d think someone her size would never be able to see over the tractor. But somehow she manages. When she’s finished, her tracks are very straight.

The whole time she’s haying, that dog of hers is working just as hard, running along beside her like he’s afraid she’ll drive away without him. Beth sure knew what she was doing when she trained him.

The way the machine works is pure poetry. Each row is pushed into shape. When just enough hay is in a bale, it is wrapped up and fastened together. A second or so later, the bale comes flying out and into the old wagon. The person who invented that machine sure was some kind of genius.

That’s not to say it works perfectly. Every once in a while a bale misses the mark, especially when you are turning the machine at the end of a row. That means, of course, that you have to go back and pick up those bales and throw them into the wagon.

I can remember when Beth’s mother was her age. She looked an awful lot like Beth does now. Makes a man proud to see his daughter and granddaughter taking such good care of themselves.

Well, I suppose I should get up and fill this glass again. Not much fun sitting here with an empty glass.

56. We can learn from the passage that at some time in the past the author ______.

　 A. bought the tractor for Beth　　 　　　　　　　　　　 B. forced Beth to work at an early age

　 C. worked in the field like Beth　　　　　　 D. trained the dog to help Beth work

57. In the eyes of the author, the sight of Beth baling hay is _______.

　 A. uncommon　　　 B. beautiful　　　　 C. unforgettable　　　 D. changeable　　　

58. Before thrown into the wagon, the hay must be _______.

A. tied up　　　　　 B. dried up　　　　　 C. cut up　　　　　　 D. lined up　

59. Who do you think is telling this story?

A. Beth’s mother.　　 B. Beth’s father. 　　 C. Beth’s grandmother. 　 D. Beth’s grandfather.

My mother is a geneticist, and from her I learned that despite our differences in size, shape and color, we humans are 99.9 percent the same. It is in our   36   to see differences: skin, hair and eye color, height, language. But also in our nature, way down in the DNA that   37  us human, we are almost the   38 .
I believe there is more that unites us than   39  us.
My mother came to the US from India. She is   40  enough that she got her service  41  in a diner in 1960s Dallas. My father is a white boy from Indiana whose   42  came from Germany in the mid-1800s.
It seems   43  to admit now, but I never   44  that my parents were different colors. One day, I watched my parents walk   45  the street of our church together. They were   46  in the service that day, and as they walked, I saw their hands   47  together in unison(一致地). I noticed for the first time how dark my mother was, and how white my father was. I knew them as my parents   48  I realized their skin color. I'm sorry to say that now when I see a mixed-race    49  walking down the street, I see the "mixed race" first and the "couple" second.
When my parents married in 1966, there were   50  places in this country that had laws  51  mixed marriage.   52 , my white grandfather,   53  father had been a typical racist, was not against their marriage.
Some of us are men, some are women. Some are young, some old. Some of us are short and others   54 . Some right-handed, some left-handed. We have lots of differences; we are all  55 . But deep down inside us, down in our DNA, we are 99.9 percent the same. And I believe we need to remember that.

My mother is a geneticist, and from her I learned that despite our differences in size, shape and color, we humans are 99.9 percent the same. It is in our 1 to see differences: skin, hair and eye color, height, language. But also in our nature, way down in the DNA that 2 us human, we are almost the 3.
I believe there is more that unites us than 4 us.
My mother came to the US from India. She is 5 enough that she got her service 6 in a diner in 1960s Dallas. My father is a white boy from Indiana whose 7 came from Germany in the mid-1800s.
It seems 8 to admit now, but I never 9 that my parents were different colors. One day, I watched my parents walk 10 the street of our church together. They were 11 in the service that day, and as they walked, I saw their hands 12 together in unison(一致地). I noticed for the first time how dark my mother was, and how white my father was. I knew them as my parents 13 I realized their skin color. I'm sorry to say that now when I see a mixed-race 14 walking down the street, I see the "mixed race" first and the "couple" second.
When my parents married in 1966, there were 15 places in this country that had laws  16 mixed marriage. 17, my white grandfather, 18 father had been a typical racist, was not against their marriage.
Some of us are men, some are women. Some are young, some old. Some of us are short and others 19. Some right-handed, some left-handed. We have lots of differences; we are all 20. But deep down inside us, down in our DNA, we are 99.9 percent the same. And I believe we need to remember that.

1. 1.
   1. A.
      feature
   2. B.
      character
   3. C.
      nature
   4. D.
      quality
2. 2.
   1. A.
      gets
   2. B.
      lets
   3. C.
      has
   4. D.
      makes
3. 3.
   1. A.
      same
   2. B.
      different
   3. C.
      familiar
   4. D.
      similar
4. 4.
   1. A.
      differs
   2. B.
      divides
   3. C.
      departs
   4. D.
      splits
5. 5.
   1. A.
      yellow
   2. B.
      white
   3. C.
      dark
   4. D.
      brown
6. 6.
   1. A.
      turned out
   2. B.
      turned down
   3. C.
      turned over
   4. D.
      turned back
7. 7.
   1. A.
      ancestors
   2. B.
      parents
   3. C.
      family
   4. D.
      origin
8. 8.
   1. A.
      silly
   2. B.
      wise
   3. C.
      stupid
   4. D.
      foolish
9. 9.
   1. A.
      noticed
   2. B.
      looked
   3. C.
      watched
   4. D.
      observed
10. 10.
    1. A.
       in
    2. B.
       up
    3. C.
       out
    4. D.
       down
11. 11.
    1. A.
       entering
    2. B.
       running
    3. C.
       attending
    4. D.
       participating
12. 12.
    1. A.
       rocking
    2. B.
       shaking
    3. C.
       swinging
    4. D.
       waving
13. 13.
    1. A.
       unless
    2. B.
       after
    3. C.
       before
    4. D.
       until
14. 14.
    1. A.
       marriage
    2. B.
       couple
    3. C.
       double
    4. D.
       twins
15. 15.
    1. A.
       always
    2. B.
       also
    3. C.
       almost
    4. D.
       still
16. 16.
    1. A.
       allowing
    2. B.
       preventing
    3. C.
       encouraging
    4. D.
       banning
17. 17.
    1. A.
       Therefore
    2. B.
       However
    3. C.
       But
    4. D.
       Otherwise
18. 18.
    1. A.
       which
    2. B.
       whose
    3. C.
       that
    4. D.
       what
19. 19.
    1. A.
       long
    2. B.
       high
    3. C.
       tall
    4. D.
       kind
20. 20.
    1. A.
       similar
    2. B.
       familiar
    3. C.
       unique
    4. D.
       same