What is time? Is it a thing to be saved or spent or wasted, like money? Or is it something we have no control over, like the weather? Is it the same all over the world? That’s an easy question, you say. Wherever you go, a minute is 60 seconds, an hour is 60 minutes, a day is 24 hours, and so forth. Well, maybe. But in America, time is more than that. Americans see time as a valuable resource. Maybe that’s why they are fond of the expression, “Time is money.”

Because Americans believe time is a limited resource, they try to keep and manage it. People in the US often attend conferences or read books on time management. It seems they all want to organize their time better. Professionals carry around pocket planners(计划书) — some in electronic form — to keep track of appointments and deadlines. People do all they can to press more life out of their time.

To Americans, punctuality is a way of showing respect for other people’s time. Being more than 10 minutes late to an appointment usually calls for an apology, and maybe an explanation. People who are running late often call ahead to let others know of the delay. Of course, the less formal the situation, the less important it is to be exactly on time. At informal get-togethers, for example, people often arrive as much as 30 minutes past the appointed time. But they usually don’t try that at work.

American lifestyles show how much people respect the time of others. When people plan an event, they often set time days or weeks in advance. Once the time is fixed, it takes almost an emergency to change it. If people want to come to your house for a friendly visit, they will usually call first to make sure it is convenient. Only very close friends will just “drop by” unannounced. Also, people hesitate to call others late at night for fear they might be in bed. The time may vary, but most folks think twice about calling after 10:00 pm.

Even Americans would admit that no one can master time. Time, like money, slips all too easily through our finger. And time, like the weather, is very hard to predict. However, time is one of life’s most precious gifts.

1.The main idea of the passage is _______.

2.In the fourth paragraph, the writer mainly tells us that _________.

3.The underlined phrase “think twice” (in Paragraph 4) probably means “_______ “.

4.It can be inferred from the passage that ________.

      What is time? Is it a thing to be saved or spent or wasted, like money? Or is it something we have no control over, like the weather? Is it the same all over the world? That’s an easy question, you say．Wherever you go, a minute is 60 seconds, an hour is 60 minutes, a day is 24 hours, and so forth．Well, maybe．But in America, time is more than that．Americans see time as a valuable resource．Maybe that’s why they are fond of the expression, “Time is money.”

Because Americans believe time is a limited resource, they try to keep and manage it．People in the US often attend conferences or read books on time management．It seems they all want to organize their time better．Professionals carry around pocket planners（计划书） — some in electronic form — to keep track of appointments and deadlines．People do all they can to press more life out of their time.

To Americans, punctuality is a way of showing respect for other people’s time．Being more than 10 minutes late to an appointment usually calls for an apology, and maybe an explanation．People who are running late often call ahead to let others know of the delay．Of course, the less formal the situation, the less important it is to be exactly on time．At informal get-togethers, for example, people often arrive as much as 30 minutes past the appointed time．But they usually don’t try that at work.

American lifestyles show how much people respect the time of others．When people plan an event, they often set time days or weeks in advance．Once the time is fixed, it takes almost an emergency to change it．If people want to come to your house for a friendly visit, they will usually call first to make sure it is convenient．Only very close friends will just “drop by” unannounced．Also, people hesitate to call others late at night for fear they might be in bed．The time may vary, but most folks think twice about calling after 10:00 pm.

Even Americans would admit that no one can master time．Time, like money, slips all too easily through our finger．And time, like the weather, is very hard to predict．However, time is one of life’s most precious gifts.

77．The main idea of the passage is _______.

       A．time is money             B．different attitude toward time in the world

       C．how to save time            D．how Americans treat time

78．In the fourth paragraph, the writer mainly tells us that _________.

       A．Americans respect others’ time in daily life

      B．Americans seldom call after 10:00

       C．Americans inform before paying a visit to their friends             

       D．when planning an event, Americans usually fix time ahead of time

79．The underlined phrase “think twice” （in Paragraph 4） probably means “_______ “.

       A．think for a second time               B．be careful

       C．be afraid                           D．pay attention

80．It can be inferred from the passage that ________.

       A．Americans like time better than anything else          

       B．generally speaking, Americans respect their time 

       C．on the whole, Americans treasure their time      

       D．Americans consider their time is difficult to master and predict

When I was growing up, I had an old neighbor named Dr. Gibbs. He didn’t look like any doctor I’d   36  known. When Dr. Gibbs wasn’t   37  lives, he was planting trees.

The good doctor had some   38  theories on planting trees. He believed in “No pains, no gains”. He never   39  his new trees, which was   40  many people. Once I asked why. He   41  that watering plants spoiled them, and that if you water them, each following tree generation will   42  weaker and weaker. So you have to make things   43  for them. He talked about how watering trees   44  shallow roots, and how trees that weren’t watered had to grow deep roots in   45  of water. I came to understand that he meant deep roots were to be   46 . I planted a couple of trees a few years back and I took good care of them. Two years of   47  has resulted in trees that expect to be waited on hand and foot. Whenever a cold wind blows, they   48  and tremble their branches. Funny things about those trees of Dr. Gibbs’. The lack of water seemed to   49  them in ways comfort and ease never could.

I used to   50  for my sons that their lives will be easy. But   51  I’ve been thinking that it’s time to   52  my prayer. I know my children are going to meet   53 , and I’m praying they will be strong. The prayer for comfort is seldom met. What we need to do is to pray for deep roots,   54  when the winds blow, we won’t be   55  away.

I prefer the stories about the swimmers at the Beijing Olympics，one of which is about Zakia Nassar. She's a 21-year-old Palestinian __21__ Bethlehem studying dentistry in Jenin. Having had neither a __22__ nor a chance to an Olympic-sized pool in the past year, she had no choice but to __23__ on her own at a 12m public pool.

There is a 50-meter __24__ in nearby Nazareth, but the Israeli government did not __25__ her to use it.

Nassar was __26__ to training only when she returned to her parents' home in Bethlehem, __27__ she did so only about every two months for two days or so. __28__ the pool is only 12 meters long.

“My parents and friends always __29__ me, reminding me that I had to keep training if I __30  wanted to go to the Olympics,” she said.

It was only when Nassar __31__ China a month ago that she finally got the opportunity to swim in a 50m pool and enjoyed the __32__ of having a coach.

When she at last took part in the Games, she swam the 50m in 31.97 seconds, a(n) __33__ of seven seconds on her personal __34__. Nassar said it was the most beautiful moment of her life.

She will not __35__ on the cover of Time magazine or __36__ millions of dollars in endorsements（捐款）, but she can always say she won a race at the Olympics. For her, it wasn’t about __37__ the other swimmers or winning a prize, but about __38__ her own goal, __39__ difficult. When I think things are too difficult or I get those “I-just-can’t-do-it,” I think of her. Then I realize how __40__ the task before me really is.

       What is time? Is it a thing to be saved or spent or wasted, like money? Or is it something we have no control over, like the weather? Is it the same all over the world? That’s an easy question, you say．Wherever you go, a minute is 60 seconds, an hour is 60 minutes, a day is 24 hours, and so forth．Well, maybe．But in America, time is more than that．Americans see time as a valuable resource．Maybe that’s why they are fond of the expression, “Time is money.”

Because Americans believe time is a limited resource, they try to keep and manage it．People in the US often attend conferences or read books on time management．It seems they all want to organize their time better．Professionals carry around pocket planners（计划书） — some in electronic form — to keep track of appointments and deadlines．People do all they can to press more life out of their time.

To Americans, punctuality is a way of showing respect for other people’s time．Being more than 10 minutes late to an appointment usually calls for an apology, and maybe an explanation．People who are running late often call ahead to let others know of the delay．Of course, the less formal the situation, the less important it is to be exactly on time．At informal get-togethers, for example, people often arrive as much as 30 minutes past the appointed time．But they usually don’t try that at work.

American lifestyles show how much people respect the time of others．When people plan an event, they often set time days or weeks in advance．Once the time is fixed, it takes almost an emergency to change it．If people want to come to your house for a friendly visit, they will usually call first to make sure it is convenient．Only very close friends will just “drop by” unannounced．Also, people hesitate to call others late at night for fear they might be in bed．The time may vary, but most folks think twice about calling after 10:00 pm.

Even Americans would admit that no one can master time．Time, like money, slips all too easily through our finger．And time, like the weather, is very hard to predict．However, time is one of life’s most precious gifts.

1.The main idea of the passage is _______.

       A．time is money                                     

       B．different attitude toward time in the world

       C．how to save time                                

       D．how Americans treat time

2.In the fourth paragraph, the writer mainly tells us that _________.

       A．Americans respect others’ time in daily life

      B．Americans seldom call after 10:00

       C．Americans inform before paying a visit to their friends                  

       D．when planning an event, Americans usually fix time ahead of time

3.The underlined phrase “think twice” （in Paragraph 4） probably means “_______ “.

       A．think for a second time                        B．be careful

       C．be afraid                           D．pay attention

4.It can be inferred from the passage that ________.

       A．Americans like time better than anything else                      

       B．generally speaking, Americans respect their time 

       C．on the whole, Americans treasure their time                        

       D．Americans consider their time is difficult to master and predict