2.　　　 素质教育 　quality Education　 /　 education for all-round development

1.　　　 和谐社会　 harmonious society

4.　 The underlined words “my new friend” in the last paragraph refer to ___.

　 A. the author’s son　　 　　　　　　　B. the author’s father　　

　　C. the friend of the author’s father　　　 D. the cafe owneer

休闲时光

名作欣赏

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 最后的叶子

　　　　　　　　　　　　　 THE　 LAST　 LEAF

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 By O. Henry

　 Many artists live in a certain part of New York City. Most of the buildings in this part are very old, and it is easy for poor artists to find rooms that they like.

　 Sue was a young woman who was studying art. One day in May, she met at a restaurant another young woman artist whose name was Joan.

　 There they found that they liked the same kind of art, the same kind of food, and the same kind of clothes. So they started to live and work together. They loved each other just like two sisters.

　 In November, pneumonia(肺炎) came to that part of the city. Many people caught it, and Joan was among them. She lay still in her bed all day, and looked from time to time through the window at the wall of the next house.

　 One morning the doctor spoke to Sue in the hall when they were alone. He told her that Joan had a very poor chance to get well again.

　 “She will have a chance only if she has a strong will to live,” said the doctor. “But she has decided that she isn’t going to get well.”

　 The doctor said to Sue, “I’ll do all I can. But you will also have to do your best to give her a strong will to live. Talk to her about new winter clothes, or picnics in the woods next spring. If she gets interested in the future, her chances will be better.”

　 The doctor left. Then Sue went into Joan’s room and began drawing a picture with pen and ink.

While Sue was drawing, Joan said something in a faint voice. Sue went quickly to the side of her bed. Joan’s eyes were wide open. She was looking out of the window and was counting something.

“Twelve,” said Joan. A little later she said, “Eleven, …ten, … nine, …eight, …seven.”

Sue looked out. There was a wall covered with an old vine(藤) growing half way up it.

“Six,” said Joan after a little while. “They are falling faster now.　 During the past three days almost a hundred have fallen. And now there are only six. There goes another. Only five are left now.”

“Five what, dear? Tell me, Joan.”

“Five leaves,” said Joan. “When the last leaf falls, I must go, too. The doctor told you that I would die soon, didn’t he?”

“Don’t be silly ”said Sue. “He said that you would soon get well.”

“There goes another,” said Joan. “I know the last leaf will fall before dark. I want to see it when it falls.”

“Joan,” said Sue. “Shut your eyes and go to sleep. I’ll go and ask Behrman to come up and sit here as my model.”

Behrman was a poor artist who was over sixty years old. He always said that some day he would paint a great masterpiece. When Sue went into his room, he was alone, drinking. She told him about Joan and the leaves on the vine.

“What! ” shouted the old man. “Do people die because leaves fall from a tree? I’ve never heard such a silly thing. Just take me to her room.”

Joan was sleeping when they went in. A cold rain was falling, mixed in the rain was snow.

The next morning Joan wanted Sue to pull up the shade(遮光帘).

There still was one yellow leaf at the end of a branch!

“It’s the last leaf,” said Joan. “It will fall today, and I’ll go with it.”

When night came, the rain began to fall again with a strong wind.

Another morning came. Sue pulled up the shade. The lonely leaf was still there! Joan looked at it for a long time. Then she said to Sue, “I’ve been a bad girl, Sue. I’ve learned from that leaf that it’s wrong to decide to die. Now I want to get well and paint again.”

The doctor came to see Joan in the afternoon. Sue followed him into the hall and asked him, “Does Joan have any chance?”

“Yes, she does. She’ll get well before long if you give her good care.” Said the doctor. “And now I must see another case downstairs. His name is Berman. He’s an artist. Pneumonia, too. He’s very ill. There’s little hope for him. We’re going to take him to the hospital. ”

When Sue met the doctor the next morning, he said to her, “Your friend is safe now.　 All she needs is food and care. You’ve done it!”

In the evening Sue came to Joan’s bed.

“I have something to tell you,” said Sue. “Mr. Berman died of pneumonia in the hospital today. He was ill only two days. When someone went into his room on the morning of the first day, Behrman was lying there with his shoes on. His shoes and clothes were all wet and as cold as ice. Nobody knew why.”

“Oh, poor Behrman!” cried Joan.

“Look out of the window at the last leaf on the wall, ” said Sue. “It looks like a real leaf,　 doesn’t it?”

“A real leaf?”

“It’s Behrman’s great masterpiece. When the last leaf fell that night, he painted it there in its place.”

演练12答案

练一练：1-5　 BCCCA　 6-10　 CDBAB　 11-15　 CBACA　 16-20　 DBCCD

猜一猜：　 根据谜面可推知：第一个字母是“s或n或o或w”，第二个字母是“r或e”，第三个字母是“a或r”。根据最后一句“我的整个单词指的是一个有着很多水的地方”，我猜测这个单词是“sea”，也就是“海”的意思。

填一填： 1. DACAD　　 6. DCABC　　 11. BDABD

读一读　 1. DACB　

3.　 What does the author feel about her father now?

　 A. More critical.　 B. More talkative.　 C. Gentle and friendly.　 D. Strict and hard-working.

2.　 When the author went out with her father on weekends, she would feel ___.

　 A. nervous　　 　B. sorry　　　 C. tired　　　 D. safe

1.　　　 Why did the author feel bitter about her father as a young adult?

A. He was silent most of the time.　　　　　 B. He was too proud of himself

C. He did not love his children.　　　　　　 D. He expected too much of her.

15. A. interview　　　　　 B. flight　　　　　　　 C. article　　　　　　 D. trip

谐趣园

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 The Worst Day

　 For more than an hour a thin young man sat at a bar staring into his glass. Suddenly a tall strong truck driver sat down next to him, took the man’s drink and drank it. The poor little fellow burst out crying. “Oh, come on, pal,” the trucker said. “I was just joking. Here, I’ll buy you another.”

　 “No, that’s not it.” The man cried. “This has been the worst day of my life. I was late for work and got fired. When I left the office I found that my car had been stolen, so I walked six miles home. Then I found my wife with another man, so I picked up my wallet and came here. And just when I’m about to end it all, ” the guy said, sobbing “you show up and drink my poison.”

读一读

　 Last week my youngest son and I visited my father at his new home in Tucson, Arizona. He moved there a few years ago, and I was eager to see his new place and meet his friends.

　 My earliest memories of my father are of a tall, handsome, successful man devoted to his work and family, but uncomfortable with his children. As a child I loved him; as a school girl and young adult I feared him and felt bitter about him. He seemed unhappy with me unless I got straight A’s and unhappy with my boyfriends if their fathers were not as “successful” as he was. Whenever I went out with him on weekkends, I used to struggle to think up things to say, feeling on guard.

　 On the first day of my visit, we went out with one of my father’s friends for lunch at an outdoor cafe. We walked along that afternoon, did some shopping, ate on the street table, and laughed over my son’s funny facial expressions. Gone was my father’s critical air and strict rules. Who was this person I knew as my father, who seemed so friendly and interesting to be around? What had held him back before?

　 The next day my dad pulled out his childhood pictures and told me quite a few stories about his own childhood. Alhough our times togethr became easier over the years, I never felt closer to him at that moment. After so many years, I’m at last seeing another side of my father. And in so doing, I’m delighted with my new friend. My dad, in his new home in Arizona, is back to me from where he was.

14. A. in　　　　　　　　 B. behind　　　　　　 C. out　　　　　　　 D. away

13. A. combination　　　　 B. composition　　　　 C. connection　　　　 D. satisfaction

12. A. pleased　　　　　　 B. bored　　　　　　 C. puzzled　　　　　 D. touched