A TAXI driver taught me a million dollar lesson in customer satisfaction and expectation. Inspiring speakers charge thousands of dollars to give his kind of training to corporate directors and staff.  It cost me only a ＄12 taxi ride.
I had flown into Dallas just for the purpose of calling on a client. Time was important and my plan included a quick turn – around trip from and back to the airport. A clean taxi pulled up.
The driver rushed to open the passenger door for me and made sure I was comfortably seated before he closed the door. As be got in the driver’s seat, he mentioned that the neatly folded Wall Street Journal next to me for my use. He then showed me several tapes and asked me what type of music I would enjoy.
Well! I looked around for a “Candid Camera!” Wouldn’t you? I could not believe the service I was receiving! I took the opportunity to say, “Obviously you take great pride in you work. You must have a story to tell.”
“You bet,” he replied, “I used to be in Corporate America. But I got tired of thinking my best would never be good enough. I decided to find my right position in life, somewhere I could feel proud of being the best I could be.
I knew I would never be a rocket scientist, but I love driving cars, being of service and feeling like I have done a full day’s work and done it well. I evaluated my personal property and, I became a taxi driver!
One thing I know for sure, to be good in my business I jus have to meet the expectations of my passengers. But, to be GREAT in my business, I have to EXEED the customer’s expectations! I like the sound of being ‘great’ better than just being ‘average’. ”
Did I tip him big time? You bet!
The taxi driver taught me a great life lesson: Go an extra mile when providing any service to others. And there is no good or bad job you can make any job good.
【小题1】What lesson did the author learn from the taxi driver?

A．was dissatisfied wit his present job

B．was once often rewarded for being a model worker

C．enjoyed offering his customers more than they expected

D．was forced to become a taxi driver to support his family

June 8th, 2004

　　Tian'anmen. Square. Forbidden City. The Ming Tombs. Summer Palace. The Great Wall Peking Duck. Street of Bars.

　　I feel like I've been run over by a tractor. Beijing has too much history. It's completely overpowering. I think my friend is just as blinded by the pure brightness of China's long past. Oh… the glory of ancient China still exists. I think out of all the places I visited, I like the Great Wall the best. We climbed, and climbed and climbed. Parts of it were basically straight up. We were out of breath all the way up. But it was all worth it. One sight of the length and lasting power of this monument of humankind blew the wind out of me. From our point of vision, the wall was endless; travels as far as the eye could see.

　　On a totally unrelated topic, people here really like to use umbrellas and spit(not in that order). A great majority of the women here hold these little colored umbrellas--in fear of darkening the skin. I feel so out of place. I'm really brown. My mom calls me a black cat. One thing I can't get used to is people smoking in the restaurants and stores. Smoking is forbidden in most buildings in America unless there is a specified area . The food, however, is unbelievable. Salivating（流口水）became common.　　I heard the National Entrance Exam ended today or yesterday. I'm still shocked at the idea of having so many exams crowded into two days. Thankfully, we didn't have to go through with it. Instead, we had to deal with the SATs. I had the chance to talk with a few students of my age. I really admire these students. They get the spirit of“patience and perseverance”.

(1) What reminded the author of his brown skin?

[　　]

A．Umbrellas used on the Great Wall.

B．The women on the Great Wall.

C．The steep part of the Great Wall.

D．The author's mother.

(2) What puzzled the author most according to the passage?

[　　]

A．The ancient Chinese buildings.

B．The Great Wall.

C．Chinese food.

D．The way the National Exam held in China.

(3) Which of the following is an unpleasant experience during the writer's visit in China?

[　　]

A．Climbing the Great Wall.

B．Eating Chinese food.

C．Smoking is not forbidden in some public places.

D．So many students took part in the National Exam.

(4) What's the writer's attitude towards the Chinese students?

[　　]

七选五（共5小题；每小题2分，满分10分）
根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。
As we know, sport is very common in our daily life. People who usually compete in sports can be found everywhere. Why so many people love sports? __1__
Generally speaking, it is good for our health to do sports, such as basketball, football, table tennis, swimming, badminton, and so on. __2__ I have taken the swimming course this term, since I didn’t know how to swim. I find that swimming is very interesting and has many benefits for our bodies. On one hand, it can make our blood circulatory system run regularly. On the other hand, the muscles of our bodies can be massaged(按摩) under the pressure of water. All these are positively advantageous to our health.
__3__ It is known to us that some sports are team sports that involve several players or even more. When playing with others, people must face the situation of getting along with others. Through the sport games, strangers may go easily with others and make friends with each other. __4__ If you don’t know what to do, doing exercises may be a good idea because you can share the time and the fun with your friends.
__5__Yes, that’s right. But the advantages of sports are more than its disadvantages. We should follow the lead of sports athletes, as sports play an essential role in our life. Plenty of physical exercise will help you keep fit.

--- Have you considered _____ your job as a teacher?

　--- Yes. I like the job because a teacher is often considered _____ a gardener.

根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。

As we know, sport is very common in our daily life. People who usually compete in sports can be found everywhere. Why so many people love sports? __1__

Generally speaking, it is good for our health to do sports, such as basketball, football, table tennis, swimming, badminton, and so on. __2__ I have taken the swimming course this term, since I didn’t know how to swim. I find that swimming is very interesting and has many benefits for our bodies. On one hand, it can make our blood circulatory system run regularly. On the other hand, the muscles of our bodies can be massaged(按摩) under the pressure of water. All these are positively advantageous to our health.

__3__ It is known to us that some sports are team sports that involve several players or even more. When playing with others, people must face the situation of getting along with others. Through the sport games, strangers may go easily with others and make friends with each other. __4__ If you don’t know what to do, doing exercises may be a good idea because you can share the time and the fun with your friends.

__5__Yes, that’s right. But the advantages of sports are more than its disadvantages. We should follow the lead of sports athletes, as sports play an essential role in our life. Plenty of physical exercise will help you keep fit.

A．I think I love the sports deeply.

B．Just take swimming for example.

C．There are many reasons for this.

D．I like the sports, which is interesting.

E. Besides, sport is also a way of communication.

F. Some people may say it is easy to be hurt while having sports.

G. What’s more, they can get satisfaction from the competitive sports.