My newly-rented small apartment was far away from the centre of London and it was becoming essential for me to find a job, so finally I spent a whole morning getting to town and putting my name down to be considered by London Transport for a job on the underground. They were looking for guards, not drivers. This suited me. I couldn’t drive a car but thought that I could probably guard a train, and perhaps continue to write my poems between stations. The writers Keats and Chekhov had been doctors. T.S. Eliot had worked in a bank and Wallace Stevens for an insurance company. I’d be a subway guard. I could see myself being cheerful, useful, a good man in a crisis. Obviously I’d be overqualified but I was willing to forget about that in return for a steady income and travel privileges — those being particularly welcome to someone living a long way from the city centre.

The next day I sat down, with almost a hundred other candidates, for the intelligence test. I must have done all right because after about half an hour’s wait I was sent into another room for a psychological test. This time there were only about fifty candidates. The interviewer sat at a desk. Candidates were signaled forward to occupy the seat opposite him when the previous occupant had been dismissed, after a greater or shorter time. Obviously the long interviews were the more successful ones. Some of the interviews were as short as five minutes. Mine was the only one that lasted a minute and a half.

I can remember the questions now: “Why did you leave your last job?” “Why did you leave your job before that?” “And the one before that?” I can’t recall my answers, except that they were short at first and grew progressively shorter. His closing statement, I thought, revealed (揭示) a lack of sensitivity which helped to explain why as a psychologist, he had risen no higher than the underground railway. “You’ve failed the psychological test and we are unable to offer you a position.”

Failing to get that job was my low point. Or so I thought, believing that the work was easy. Actually, such jobs — being a postman is another one I still desire — demand exactly the sort of elementary yet responsible awareness that the habitual dreamer is least qualified to give. But I was still far short of full self-understanding. I was also short of cash.

The writer applied for the job chiefly because _________.

A.he wanted to work in the centre of London

B.he could no longer afford to live without one

C.he was not interested in any other available job

D.he had received some suitable training

The writer thought he was overqualified for the job because _________.

A.he often traveled underground       B.he had written many poems

C.he could deal with difficult situations    D.he had worked in a company

The length of his interview meant that _________.

A.he was not going to be offered the job

B.he had not done well in the intelligence test

C.he did not like the interviewer at all

D.he had little work experience to talk about

What does the writer realize now that he did not realize then?

A.How unpleasant ordinary jobs can be.   B.How difficult it is to be a poet.

C.How unsuitable he was for the job. D.How badly he did in the interview.

What’s the writer’s opinion of the psychologist?

A. He was very aggressive.   B. He was unhappy with his job.

C. He was quite inefficient. D. He was rather unsympathetic.

My newly-rented small apartment was far away from the centre of London and it was becoming essential for me to find a job, so finally I spent a whole morning getting to town and putting my name down to be considered by London Transport for a job on the underground. They were looking for guards, not drivers. This suited me. I couldn’t drive a car but thought that I could probably guard a train, and perhaps continue to write my poems between stations. The writers Keats and Chekhov had been doctors. T.S. Eliot had worked in a bank and Wallace Stevens for an insurance company. I’d be a subway guard. I could see myself being cheerful, useful, a good man in a crisis. Obviously I’d be overqualified but I was willing to forget about that in return for a steady income and travel privileges — those being particularly welcome to someone living a long way from the city centre.
The next day I sat down, with almost a hundred other candidates, for the intelligence test. I must have done all right because after about half an hour’s wait I was sent into another room for a psychological test. This time there were only about fifty candidates. The interviewer sat at a desk. Candidates were signaled forward to occupy the seat opposite him when the previous occupant had been dismissed, after a greater or shorter time. Obviously the long interviews were the more successful ones. Some of the interviews were as short as five minutes. Mine was the only one that lasted a minute and a half.
I can remember the questions now: “Why did you leave your last job?” “Why did you leave your job before that?” “And the one before that?” I can’t recall my answers, except that they were short at first and grew progressively shorter. His closing statement, I thought, revealed (揭示) a lack of sensitivity which helped to explain why as a psychologist, he had risen no higher than the underground railway. “You’ve failed the psychological test and we are unable to offer you a position.”
Failing to get that job was my low point. Or so I thought, believing that the work was easy. Actually, such jobs — being a postman is another one I still desire — demand exactly the sort of elementary yet responsible awareness that the habitual dreamer is least qualified to give. But I was still far short of full self-understanding. I was also short of cash.
【小题1】The writer applied for the job chiefly because _________.

A.he wanted to work in the centre of London
B.he could no longer afford to live without one
C.he was not interested in any other available job
D.he had received some suitable training
【小题2】The writer thought he was overqualified for the job because _________.
A.he often traveled undergroundB.he had written many poems
C.he could deal with difficult situations D.he had worked in a company
【小题3】The length of his interview meant that _________.
A.he was not going to be offered the job
B.he had not done well in the intelligence test
C.he did not like the interviewer at all
D.he had little work experience to talk about
【小题4】What does the writer realize now that he did not realize then?
A.How unpleasant ordinary jobs can be. B.How difficult it is to be a poet.
C.How unsuitable he was for the job.D.How badly he did in the interview.


三节.阅读理解(40%)
阅读理解下面的短文,然后按要求答题。
I was born in New York, but I grew up in San Francisco. I began to live in London 25 years ago. If I am asked now where I want to live forever, I would say London. But I will always be American.
San Francisco, like London, has many parks. Every day my sisters and I were taken to play in the parks as children. I didn't go to school. I only had three hours of formal education when I was five. I was sent to school in the morning but came home at noon on the first day. I said I didn't enjoy it and hadn't learned anything. My parents thought that school was unsuitable for me. They agreed with me, so I never went back to school.
Then my mother taught me and my two sisters at home, in the way of an English lady who had good education. We learned languages and reading more than sciences and maths. Sometimes she taught us herself, but we also had other teachers. They asked us to take lessons every day. About once a week we walked to Golden Gate Park. While we were walking, my mother taught me to read music. One day I noticed a little toy train in the window of a shop and I remember now how I'd like to have it. I couldn't say "r" when I was small. My mother said if I could say an "r" well, I would have the toy train. I practiced and practiced. Then one morning I woke everybody up with my "r"s. I got the toy train. I usually get the things I want in life — but I work hard for them.
1 The writer ___ .
A. was born in San Francisco      B. likes living in London
C. is living in New York now      D. doesn't like America
2. The writer didn't go to school in America because ___ .
A. his mother wanted him to go to school in English
B. his parents didn't think formal education was right for him
C. his mother wanted him to play outdoors in the parks
D. he couldn't get on well with the other children
3. Which of the following is TRUE?
A. The writer was taught by his mother and other teachers.
B. The writer had no education at all.
C. The writer didn't have lessons every day.
D. The writer walked to the park to learn languages once a week.
4. The writer got the little toy train at last because ___ .
A. his mother gave him the money
B. he tried his best to read music
C. he wanted it very much
D. his mother was pleased with his progress

Here is a true story about a famous man who worked in the White House and a criminal. They once faced the same thing: their mother gave them apples when they were young.
The criminal said: one day, my mother brought some apples and asked my brother and me: “Which do you want?” “The reddest and biggest one,” my little brother said. My mother stared at him and said to him angrily: “You should learn to give the good things to others; you shouldn’t always think of yourself.” Seeing this, I suddenly changed my idea and then said to my mother: “Mum, please give me the smaller one and give the bigger one to my little brother.” Hearing my words, my mother was very happy. She kissed me on my face and gave the reddest and biggest apple to me as a prize. From then on, I learned to tell lies, fight, steal and rob. In order to get what I wanted, I played hard. As a result, I was sent into prison.
The famous man from the White House said: One day, my mother brought some apples. She said to my brother and me: “You all want the reddest and biggest one, right? Well, let’s have a competition. Now I divided the grassland in front of the gate into two and I will give one to each of you and you must shear(修剪) it well. And I will give the reddest and biggest apple to him who does it the most quickly and best.”
After the competition, I won and I got the biggest apple. In our family, as long as you want to get the best things, you must take part in competition. I think it is fair. No matter what you want, you must pay lots of efforts.
【小题1】The criminal got the reddest and biggest apple because      .

A.he told the truth that he wanted a smaller one
B.he knew how to make his mother happy from her answer
C.elder brother should of course have the bigger one
D.his mother loved him more than she loved the younger brother
【小题2】We can conclude from the passage that      .
A.it’s wrong to ask children to choose apples when they are not old enough
B.it’s important to make children aware that no matter what they want, they must pay work
C.it’s wrong to ask children not to always think of themselves
D.it’s always necessary to have a competition when we give children apple
【小题3】The writer tells the story by      .
A.organizing it in the order of time
B.making a comparison between two men
C.providing some scientific information
D.describing it in the order of space
【小题4】It is implied in the passage that      .
A.we should always try to win competitions which can bring us a lot
B.in order to get what we want, we should play hard
C.a mother’s educational method has a great influence on a child’s growing
D.giving children apples will lead them to become criminals

My newly-rented small apartment was far away from the centre of London and it was becoming essential for me to find a job, so finally I spent a whole morning getting to town and putting my name down to be considered by London Transport for a job on the underground. They were looking for guards, not drivers. This suited me. I couldn’t drive a car but thought that I could probably guard a train, and perhaps continue to write my poems between stations. The writers Keats and Chekhov had been doctors. T.S. Eliot had worked in a bank and Wallace Stevens for an insurance company. I’d be a subway guard. I could see myself being cheerful, useful, a good man in a crisis. Obviously I’d be overqualified but I was willing to forget about that in return for a steady income and travel privileges — those being particularly welcome to someone living a long way from the city centre.

The next day I sat down, with almost a hundred other candidates, for the intelligence test. I must have done all right because after about half an hour’s wait I was sent into another room for a psychological test. This time there were only about fifty candidates. The interviewer sat at a desk. Candidates were signaled forward to occupy the seat opposite him when the previous occupant had been dismissed, after a greater or shorter time. Obviously the long interviews were the more successful ones. Some of the interviews were as short as five minutes. Mine was the only one that lasted a minute and a half.

I can remember the questions now: “Why did you leave your last job?” “Why did you leave your job before that?” “And the one before that?” I can’t recall my answers, except that they were short at first and grew progressively shorter. His closing statement, I thought, revealed a lack of sensitivity which helped to explain why as a psychologist, he had risen no higher than the underground railway. “You’ve failed the psychological test and we are unable to offer you a position.”

Failing to get that job was my low point. Or so I thought, believing that the work was easy. Actually, such jobs — being a postman is another one I still desire — demand exactly the sort of elementary yet responsible awareness that the habitual dreamer is least qualified to give. But I was still far short of full self-understanding. I was also short of cash.

1.The writer applied for the job chiefly because _________.

A.he could no longer afford to live without one

B.he wanted to work in the centre of London

C.he was not interested in any other available job

D.he had received some suitable training

2.The writer thought he was overqualified for the job because _________.

A.he often traveled underground            B.he had written many poems

C.he had worked in a company             D.he could deal with difficult situations

3.What does the writer realize now that he did not realize then?

A.How unpleasant ordinary jobs can be

B.How unsuitable he was for the job.

C.How difficult it is to be a poet

D.How badly he did in the interview.

4.The length of his interview meant that _________.

A.he did not like the interviewer at all

B.he had not done well in the intelligence test

C.he was not going to be offered the job

D.he had little work experience to talk about

5.What’s the writer’s opinion of the psychologist?

A. He was rather unsympathetic.           B. He was unhappy with his job.

C. He was quite inefficient.               D. He was very aggressive(有进取心的).

 

违法和不良信息举报电话:027-86699610 举报邮箱:58377363@163.com

精英家教网