They were going to Fort Lauderdale — three boys and three girls — and when they boarded the bus, they were carrying sandwiches and wine in paper bags, dreaming of golden beaches and sea tides as the gray, cold spring of New York went behind them.

As the bus passed through New Jersey, they began to notice Vingo. He sat in front of them, completely in silence.

Deep into the night, outside Washington, the bus pulled into Howard Johnson’s, and everybody got off except Vingo. The young people began to wonder about him. When they went back to the bus, one of the girls sat beside him and introduced herself.

    “Want some wine?” she said. He smiled and took a swig from the bottle. He thanked her and became silent again. After a while, she went back to the others, and Vingo nodded in sleep.

In the morning, they awoke outside another Howard Johnson’s, and this time Vingo went in. The girl insisted that he join them. He ordered black coffee and some cookies as the young people talked about sleeping on beaches. When they returned to the bus, the girl sat with Vingo again, and after a while, slowly and painfully, he began to tell his story. He had been in prison in New York for the past four years, and now he was going home.

“Are you married?”

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?” she said.

“Well, when I was in prison I wrote to my wife,” he said, “I told her that I was going to be away for a long time, and that if she couldn’t stand it, if the kids kept asking questions, and if it hurt her too much, well, she could jus forget me. I’d understand. Get a new man, I said — she’s a wonderful woman. I told her she didn’t have to write me. And she didn’t. Not for three and a half years.”

“And you’re going home now, not knowing?”

“Yeah. Well, last week, when I was sure the parole (假释) was coming through, I wrote her again. We used to live in Brunswick, just before Jacksonville, and there’s a big oak (橡树) just as you come into town. I told her that if she didn’t have a new man and if she’d take me back, she should put a yellow handkerchief on the tree, and I’d get off and come home. If she didn’t want me, forget it — no handkerchief and I’d go on through.”

“Wow,” the girl exclaimed, “Wow.”

She told the others, and soon all of them were in it, looking at the pictures Vingo showed them of his wife and three children.

Now they were 20 miles from Brunswick, and the young people took over window seats on the right side, waiting for the approach of the great oak. Vingo stopped looking, tightening his face, as if protecting himself against still another disappointment.

Then Brunswick was ten miles, and then five. Then, suddenly, all of the young people were up out of their seats, shouting and crying.

Vingo sat there astonished, looking at the oak. It was covered with yellow handkerchiefs — 20 of them, 30 of them, maybe hundreds, flying in the wind. As the young people shouted, Vingo slowly rose from his seat and made his way to the front of the bus to go home.

1.At the beginning of the story, the young boys and girls ______.

A. showed a great interest in Vingo     B. didn’t notice Vingo at all

C. wanted to offer help to Vingo        D. didn’t like Vingo at all

2.The underlined part “Howard Johnson’s” is most probably a(n) ______.

A. bus station  B. apartment      C. hospital   D. restaurant

3.How did Vingo feel on the way home?

A. Ashamed.     B. Relaxed.     C. Nervous.     D. Disappointed.

4.The paragraphs following this passage would most probably talk about ______.

A. Vingo’s experience in prison

B. the young people’s travel to Fort Lauderdale

C. Vingo’s three lovely children

D. the dialogue between Vingo and his family

They were going to Fort Lauderdale — three boys and three girls — and when they boarded the bus, they were carrying sandwiches and wine in paper bags, dreaming of golden beaches and sea tides as the gray, cold spring of New York went behind them.
As the bus passed through New Jersey, they began to notice Vingo. He sat in front of them, completely in silence.
Deep into the night, outside Washington, the bus pulled into Howard Johnson’s, and everybody got off except Vingo. The young people began to wonder about him. When they went back to the bus, one of the girls sat beside him and introduced herself.
“Want some wine?” she said. He smiled and took a swig from the bottle. He thanked her and became silent again. After a while, she went back to the others, and Vingo nodded in sleep.
In the morning, they awoke outside another Howard Johnson’s, and this time Vingo went in. The girl insisted that he join them. He ordered black coffee and some cookies as the young people talked about sleeping on beaches. When they returned to the bus, the girl sat with Vingo again, and after a while, slowly and painfully, he began to tell his story. He had been in prison in New York for the past four years, and now he was going home.
“Are you married?”
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?” she said.
“Well, when I was in prison I wrote to my wife,” he said, “I told her that I was going to be away for a long time, and that if she couldn’t stand it, if the kids kept asking questions, and if it hurt her too much, well, she could jus forget me. I’d understand. Get a new man, I said — she’s a wonderful woman. I told her she didn’t have to write me. And she didn’t. Not for three and a half years.”
“And you’re going home now, not knowing?”
“Yeah. Well, last week, when I was sure the parole (假释) was coming through, I wrote her again. We used to live in Brunswick, just before Jacksonville, and there’s a big oak (橡树) just as you come into town. I told her that if she didn’t have a new man and if she’d take me back, she should put a yellow handkerchief on the tree, and I’d get off and come home. If she didn’t want me, forget it — no handkerchief and I’d go on through.”
“Wow,” the girl exclaimed, “Wow.”
She told the others, and soon all of them were in it, looking at the pictures Vingo showed them of his wife and three children.
Now they were 20 miles from Brunswick, and the young people took over window seats on the right side, waiting for the approach of the great oak. Vingo stopped looking, tightening his face, as if protecting himself against still another disappointment.
Then Brunswick was ten miles, and then five. Then, suddenly, all of the young people were up out of their seats, shouting and crying.
Vingo sat there astonished, looking at the oak. It was covered with yellow handkerchiefs — 20 of them, 30 of them, maybe hundreds, flying in the wind. As the young people shouted, Vingo slowly rose from his seat and made his way to the front of the bus to go home.
【小题1】At the beginning of the story, the young boys and girls ______.

They were going to Fort Lauderdale — three boys and three girls — and when they boarded the bus, they were carrying sandwiches and wine in paper bags, dreaming of golden beaches and sea tides as the gray, cold spring of New York went behind them.
As the bus passed through New Jersey, they began to notice Vingo. He sat in front of them, completely in silence.
Deep into the night, outside Washington, the bus pulled into Howard Johnson’s, and everybody got off except Vingo. The young people began to wonder about him. When they went back to the bus, one of the girls sat beside him and introduced herself.
“Want some wine?” she said. He smiled and took a swig from the bottle. He thanked her and became silent again. After a while, she went back to the others, and Vingo nodded in sleep.
In the morning, they awoke outside another Howard Johnson’s, and this time Vingo went in. The girl insisted that he join them. He ordered black coffee and some cookies as the young people talked about sleeping on beaches. When they returned to the bus, the girl sat with Vingo again, and after a while, slowly and painfully, he began to tell his story. He had been in prison in New York for the past four years, and now he was going home.
“Are you married?”
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?” she said.
“Well, when I was in prison I wrote to my wife,” he said, “I told her that I was going to be away for a long time, and that if she couldn’t stand it, if the kids kept asking questions, and if it hurt her too much, well, she could jus forget me. I’d understand. Get a new man, I said — she’s a wonderful woman. I told her she didn’t have to write me. And she didn’t. Not for three and a half years.”
“And you’re going home now, not knowing?”
“Yeah. Well, last week, when I was sure the parole (假释) was coming through, I wrote her again. We used to live in Brunswick, just before Jacksonville, and there’s a big oak (橡树) just as you come into town. I told her that if she didn’t have a new man and if she’d take me back, she should put a yellow handkerchief on the tree, and I’d get off and come home. If she didn’t want me, forget it — no handkerchief and I’d go on through.”
“Wow,” the girl exclaimed, “Wow.”
She told the others, and soon all of them were in it, looking at the pictures Vingo showed them of his wife and three children.
Now they were 20 miles from Brunswick, and the young people took over window seats on the right side, waiting for the approach of the great oak. Vingo stopped looking, tightening his face, as if protecting himself against still another disappointment.
Then Brunswick was ten miles, and then five. Then, suddenly, all of the young people were up out of their seats, shouting and crying.
Vingo sat there astonished, looking at the oak. It was covered with yellow handkerchiefs — 20 of them, 30 of them, maybe hundreds, flying in the wind. As the young people shouted, Vingo slowly rose from his seat and made his way to the front of the bus to go home.

1. 1.

   At the beginning of the story, the young boys and girls ______.

   1. A.
      showed a great interest in Vingo
   2. B.
      didn’t notice Vingo at all
   3. C.
      wanted to offer help to Vingo
   4. D.
      didn’t like Vingo at all
2. 2.

   The underlined part “Howard Johnson’s” is most probably a(n) ______.

   1. A.
      bus station
   2. B.
      apartment
   3. C.
      hospital
   4. D.
      restaurant
3. 3.

   How did Vingo feel on the way home?

   1. A.
      Ashamed.
   2. B.
      Relaxed.
   3. C.
      Nervous.
   4. D.
      Disappointed.
4. 4.

   The paragraphs following this passage would most probably talk about ______.

   1. A.
      Vingo’s experience in prison
   2. B.
      the young people’s travel to Fort Lauderdale
   3. C.
      Vingo’s three lovely children
   4. D.
      the dialogue between Vingo and his family

The other day at a supermarket, I saw a naughty boy of about six crying loudly, falling to the floor and refusing to move. All the while the troubled mother was trying to persuade him to behave well but failed．A little smack on his bottom would have done the job，I thought．

Teenagers also cause discipline(纪律)problems．As a teacher, I had a 16-year-old student who had fallen in love with a waiter at a fast-food restaurant．In fact，she had left home to stay with him．So we decided to put her in the school hostel．She refused．When she heard her mother begging her to stay in the hostel she turned round and said：“Why don't you stay in the hostel if you like it so much?”

My palms were itching to slap her for being so rude but the poor mother continued to cajole her，hoping that gentle persuasion would work wonders．It did not．The last I heard，she had run away from home again．

The list goes on and on．Could it be that today's parents are softer and believe that they must not rod(棍棒惩罚)their children for fear of the bad result? Or do they actually believe that the children will get rid of the bad habits and behave well naturally as they grow older? I beg to disagree．I believe it is the parents' duty to discipline the children even at a young age．

My children who are now adults will prove the fact that I used the rod when I thought it necessary．Later when they went abroad，they related to their British university friends on how they were disciplined．Their friends abroad were filled with horror and told my daughter that I could be charged with child abuse(虐待)．However，my daughter showed great respect for me when she told them that she would not be where she was today if not for my strict discipline．

The underlined word“cajole”probably means       ．

       A．persuade       B．scold    C．forgive    D．punish

The author would probably          .

       A．beat the children every day     B．treat the children in a softer way

       C．leave the children as they are  D．punish the children when necessary

We can learn from the passage that        .

       A．the naughty boy’s mother hit him

       B．the teacher’s daughter is living with the teacher

       C．the author’s daughter was thankful for the author’s strict discipline

       D．the author was charged with child abuse by her daughter’s friends abroad

Which of the following could be the best title for this passage?

       A．Spoil Kids       B．Value Discipline      C．Respect Parent  D．Protect Kids