Americans think much about time. From children they learn to value (珍视) time. As children they are taught to be on time to go to school, to work and to do everything. When they are having a good time, they say that time goes easily. When a person is dying, they say he is living on a borrowed time.

Time is money. Time is knowledge. Time is everything in America. A working American has to work hard for eight hours a day or forty hours a week. This is the working time. In his free time, he also works hard for more money. Even on Saturday and Sunday he also works hard as usual. In the street you can hardly see a man walking slowly. They walk very fast. In fact, they are running.

They love time because time can bring them money and lots of things. But sometimes they also hate time , because they feel they have become servants (仆人)of the clock.

1.What do the Americans mean by “ Time is money”?

A. If someone has time and works hard , he can make a lot of money.

B. It takes quite a lot of time to make money.

C. Working hard can bring people health.

D. It is not easy to make money.

2. Americans think it wrong ________.

A. to work late

B. to get up early

C. to be on time to do everything

D. to be late for school

3. The passage says that a dying person ________.

A. is having a good time

B. thinks time goes easily

C. is living on a borrowed time

D. is saving time

4. From this passage we can be sure that _______.

A. Americans live in a quick rhythm(节奏)

B. Americans live a hard life

C. Americans are good at saving time

D. Americans always like time

5. Which of the following is the best title for this passage?

A. Time is money

B. Americans’ ideas about time

C. Never waste any time

D. Learn to be on time

When I was nine years old, I wrote my first poem. My mother read the little poem and cried. “Buddy, it’s a beautiful, beautiful poem!” My mother poured out her praise.

“What time will Father be home?” I asked. I could hardly wait to show him my poem. My father had begun his movie career as a writer. He would be able to appreciate(欣赏)my poem even more than my mother. I confidently put the poem right on my father’s plate on the dining table.

My mother said he would be home around 7. But My father got home an hour later than expected. He sat down at the table and noticed his plate. “What is this?” I heard him say.

“Ben, Buddy has written his first poem. And it’s beautiful, so amazing!” Mother said.

“If you don’t mind, I’d like to decide that for myself,” Father said.

I kept my face lowered to my plate. It was only 10 lines long. But it seemed to take hours. “I think it’s bad,” my father said. I couldn’t look up. My eyes were getting wet.

“Ben, sometimes I don’t understand you,” my mother was saying. “This is just a little boy. He needs encouragement.”

“I don’t know why,” my father held his ground. “Isn’t there enough bad poetry(诗歌) in the world already? No law says Buddy has to become a poet.”

I ran from the dining room, threw myself on the bed and cried.

A few months later, I read that first poem. It was a bad poem. I worked up the courage to show him a short story. My father thought it was not good but hopeful. I was learning to rewrite.

As I worked my way into other books and plays and films, I realized how lucky I was to have a mother who said, “Buddy, it’s wonderful!” and a father who shook his head “I think it’s bad.” Both are love that forces me to improve. In fact, all of us in life need both loving force.

1.What did the mother think of the Buddy’s poem?

A. She was so moved that she cried.

B. She thought the poem was well written.

C. She considered Buddy had no talent for poetry.

D. She believed Buddy needed advice from his father.

2.The underlined sentence “My father held his ground” may means ________.

A. My father began to explain his reasons

B. My father got so angry that he stood up

C. My father refused to change his thoughts

D. My father threw my poem on the ground

3.From the passage, we can infer that Father is ________.

A. loving and strict B. careful and strict

C. careful and rude D. careless and strict

4.Which of the following is right?

A. A few months later, the writer stopped writing.

B. After years the writer hated his father very much.

C. That day Father didn’t come home until a quarter past eight.

D. The writer was confident that Father would praise his poem.

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