One day while shopping in a small town in southern California, it was my misfortune to be approached by a clerk.He seemed most unfriendly and not at all concerned about my intended purchase.I bought nothing, and marched angrily out of the store.
On the outside was a dark-skinned young man in his early twenties.His expressive brown eyes met and held mine, and in the next instant a beautiful, bright smile covered his face.I gave in immediately.The power of that broad smile dissolved all bitterness within me, and I felt the muscles in my own face happily responding.
"Beautiful day, isn't it?" I remarked, passing.Then I turned back."I really owe you a debt of thanks," I said softly.
His smile deepened, but he made no attempt to answer.A Mexican woman and two men were standing nearby.The woman stepped forward and volunteered, "Sir, but he doesn't speak English.Do you want me to tell him something?" In that moment I felt transformed.The young man's smile had made a big person of me.My friendliness and good will toward all mankind stand ten feet tall.
“Yes,” my reply was enthusiastic and sincere, “tell him I said, ‘Thank you!’”
“Thank you?” The woman seemed slightly puzzled.
I gave her arm a friendly pat as I turned to leave."Just tell him that," I insisted."He'll understand.I am sure!"
Oh, what a smile can do! Although I have never seen that young man again, I shall never forget the lesson he taught me that morning.From that day on, I became smile-conscious, and I practice the art diligently anywhere and everywhere, with everybody.
【小题1】Why did the author leave the store angrily?

A.He couldn't buy what he wanted.
B.The clerk treated him unkindly.
C.The clerk didn't speak English.
D.The store's goods were too dear.
【小题2】By saying "I felt the muscles in my own face happily responding"(in Para. 2), the author means _       __________..
A.he smiled back at the young manB.he did not want to smile
C.he would thank the young manD.he was still in a bad mood
【小题3】The author asked the woman to say "Thank you!" to the young man because the young man        .
A.had helped the author before
B.taught the author how to smile
C.taught the author a valuable lesson
D.was a kind employee of the store
【小题4】In the passage, the author seems to suggest that we should __  ___.
A.be generous to strangersB.practice smiling every day
C.help people in troubleD.smile at other people

My elder brother Steve, in the absence of my father who died when I was six, gave me important lessons in values(价值观念) that helped me grow into an adult.

Steve taught me to face the results of my behavior. Once when I returned in tears from a Saturday baseball game, it was Steve who asked me what happened. When I explained that my baseball had soared through Mrs. Holt’s basement window, breaking the glass with a crash, Steve encouraged me to admit to her. Although my knees knocked as I explained to Mrs. Holt, I offered to pay for the window from my pocket money if she would return my ball.

I also learned from Steve that personal property(财产) is a sacred(神圣的) thing. After I found a shiny silver pen in my fifth-grade classroom, I wanted to keep it, but Steve explained that it might be important to someone else in spite of the fact that it had little value. He reminded me of how much I’d hate to lose to someone else the small dog my father made with a piece of cheap wood. I returned the pen to my teacher, Mrs. David, and still remembered the smell of her perfume (香水) as she patted me on the shoulder.

Yet of all the instructions Steve gave me, his respect for life is the most unforgetful in my mind. When I was twelve I killed an old brown sparrow(麻雀)in the yard with a BB gun. Excited, I screamed at Steve to come and take a look. I shall never forget the way he stood for a long moment and stared at the bird on the ground. Then in a dead, quiet voice, he asked, “Did it hurt you first, Mark?” I didn’t know what to answer. He continued with his eyes firm, “The only time you should even think of hurting a living thing is when it hurts you first, and then you think a long, long time.” I really felt terrible then, but that moment stands out as the most important lesson my brother taught me.

1.What is the passage mainly about?

A.The relationship between Mark and Steve.

B.The important lessons Mark learned in school.

C.Steve’s important role in Mark’s growth stage.

D.Mark and Steve’s respect for living things.

2.When Mark admitted his mistakes to Mrs. Holt, he ____.

A.was surprised                          B.felt frightened

C.was light-hearted                       D.cried before her

3.From the third paragraph, we can know that Mark _____.

A.had a shiny silver pen                    B.respected his teacher

C.hated his father very much                D.once owned a small wooden dog

4.To Mark, which is the most important lesson Steve taught him?

A.Respecting life.                         B.Being responsible for one’s behavior.

C.Being honest.                          D.Respecting others’ property

 

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