One day the employees of a large company in St Louis, Missouri returned from their lunch
break and were greeted with a sign on the front door. The sign said: "Yesterday the person
who has been hindering (阻碍) your growth in this company passed away. We invite you to
join the funeral (葬礼) in the room that has been prepared in the gym."
     At first everyone was sad to hear that one of their colleagues had died, but after a while
they started getting curious about who this person might be.
     The excitement grew as the employees arrived at the gym to pay their last respects. Everyone
wondered: "Who is this person that was hindering my progress? Well, at least he's no longer here."
     One by one the employees got closer to the coffin (棺材) and when they looked inside it they
became speechless. They stood over the coffin, shocked and in silence, as if someone had touched
the deepest part of their soul.
    There was a mirror inside the coffin. Everyone who looked inside it could see himself. There
was also a sign next to the mirror that said: "There is only one person who can set limits to your
growth: it is YOU."
     You are the only person who can revolutionize (彻底改变) your life. You are the only person
who can influence your happiness, your realization and your success. You are the only person who
can help yourself.
    Your life does not change when your family changes, when your friends change, when your boss
changes, and when your company changes.
    Your life changes when you change, when you go beyond your limiting beliefs, when you realize
that you are the only one responsible for your life.

1. The writer's purpose in writing the article is to tell us that ________.

A. the harder we work, the more successful we will become
B. our work and life are closely connected with others
C. changing our lives is down to ourselves
D. we will have a better future if people do not hinder our development

2. People were speechless when they looked inside the coffin because ________.

A. there was nothing but a mirror inside
B. they could see their own souls inside
C. their closest colleague lay inside
D. what was inside told a great truth

3. Who probably wrote the sign on the front door?

A. The company boss.
B. A worker who liked to make fun of others.
C. The director in charge of production.
D. A worker who wanted to teach others a lesson

4. What can we conclude from the article?

A. The employees went to the gym to join the funeral.
B. The lesson the employees learned would influence them greatly.
C. The employees' lives depended on the attitude of their boss.
D. The employees got angry after the funeral.

     Much as Robby tried, he lacked the sense of tone and basic rhythm (节奏). But he dutifully reviewed
his lessons. Over the months he tried and tried, and often repeated to me "My mom's going to hear me
play some day."
    But he seemed hopeless, with no born ability. A real bad advertisement for my teaching! I was so
happy when one day he stopped coming.
    Several weeks later my students were to have a recital (演奏会). To my surprise, Robby came, asking
to play in the recital.
     "But, it is for current pupils; you dropped."
     "My mom was sick. But I have been practicing. I've just got to play!"
    I didn't know what led me to agree, maybe...
    The recital came. I__put__Robby__up__last__to__play__before__my__"curtain__closer", by which,
I could save the recital if...
    The recital went on well.  Robby came up on stage, clothes wrinkled and his hair looked like he'd run
an eggbeater through it. "How could his mom...?"
     Robby pulled out the piano bench and began. It was Mozart's work! I was not prepared for what I
heard next. Like in a dream, I was then woken up by the wild applause-everybody was on their feet!
     "I've never heard you play like that, Robby! How'd you do it?"
    Through the microphone Robby explained: "Well, Miss Hondorf, remember I told you my mom was
sick? Actually she had cancer and died this morning. She was born deaf, and tonight was the first time
she ever heard me play. I wanted to make it special."
     My eyes were wet. He was not a student of mine, but a teacher!

1. We can infer from the underlined sentence that the writer ________.
A. was fully confident that Robby would perform well in the recital
B. thought that Robby would make the recital special
C. thought that Robby wouldn't play in the recital
D. had no confidence in Robby at all in the recital

2. What made the boy succeed in the recital?
A. Love for his mother.    
B. Musical talent.
C. The writer's help.      
D. Regular practice.

3. What made the writer think that Robby was her teacher, not a student?
A. That he played better than her in the recital.
B. That he loved his mother more than she did.
C. That he never gave up.
D. That the audience gave him more applause than her.

4. What is the highlight of the recital?
A  The writer's performance.
B. Robby's performance.
C. Robby and his mom's story.
D. The audience's applause.

     A girl became a volunteer in the activities of Deathbed Care, which meant visiting and taking care of
a patient suffering from an incurable disease with days numbered.
    The girl was assigned to look after an old man suffering from cancer whose children lived abroad.
Their living conditions were not satisfactory while the old man had a lot of savings. She was expected to
comfort him and keep up his spirits.
     Every Saturday the girl came on time to keep him company, telling him stories.  When he was having
an intravenous drip (静脉滴注), she would help massage his arms. The doctor found the patient much
improved mentally. The old man began to involve himself actively in the medical treatment and he seldom
shouted at others.
     But something that happened made the doctor uneasy and puzzled. Each time the girl left, the old
man would give her some money. The doctor did nothing to interfere (干涉), unwilling to offend the old
man.  A month later the old man showed evident signs of decline after suffering coma (昏迷) a few times.
     When rescued from the latest coma, the old man told the doctor his last wish, "I have deep sympathy
for the girl. Will you be kind enough to help her finish her studies?"    
     But the doctor knew that her family was welloff and she had no difficulty pursuing her studies.  
Sometimes she even came to the hospital in her father's car.
     When the girl came at the weekend after the death of the old man, the doctor told her the bad news.
She was very sad and burst into tears. Then she handed  $ 500 to the doctor, saying, "The old man had
all along thought I came to do the job because of poverty. He gave me money so that I could continue
my schooling." Now he got the answer to the puzzle. In the last period of his life, the old man found it a
real pleasure to be able to help a girl badly in need.

1. If you're a volunteer in the activities of Deathbed Care, what kind of people do you have to attend to?

A. The patients in need of help.
B. The people suffering from cancer.
C. The patients without many days left.
D. The people suffering from diseases.

2. What can we infer about the old man?

A. He had a lot of savings.
B. He was suffering from cancer.
C. He often lost his temper before meeting the girl.
D. He asked the doctor to help the girl finish her study.

3. What can we know from the passage?

A. The doctor told the old man the truth.
B. The old man's children were wealthy.
C. The girl's father encouraged her to accept the money.
D. The girl didn't accompany the old man when he died.

4. What is the real reason resulting in the old man's mental improvement?

A. The girl's comfort and care.
B. The pleasure of being helpful to people in need.
C. People's understanding.
D. His children's progress.

     I first went to Harrow in the summer term. The school had the biggest swimming pool I had ever
seen. It was a good joke to come up behind a naked boy, and push him into the pool. I made quite
a habit of this with boys of my own size or less.
     One day I saw a boy wrapped in a towel on the side of the pool. He was no bigger than I was,
so I thought him a fair game. Coming secretly behind, I pushed him in, holding on to his towel so that
it would not get wet, I was surprised to see an angry face come out from the water, and a being of
great strength making its way by strokes (猛力地划) to the shore. I fled, but in vain. He overtook me,
seized me violently, and threw me into the deepest part of their pool. I soon climbed out on the other
side, and found myself surrounded by a crowd of younger boys. "Do you know what you have done?"
they said, "It's Amery; he is in Grade Six. He is champion at gym, and he has got his football honor."
     I was frightened and felt ashamed. How could I tell his position when he was wrapped in a bath
towel and so small? He didn't seem pleased at all, so I added in a most brilliant word, "My father, who
is a great man, is also small." He laughed at this, and after some general words about my rude behavior
and how I had better be careful in the future, the incident was closed.

1. The writer thought Amery "a fair game" because the boy _________.

A. looked like an animal
B. was fond of games
C. was of similar size
D. was good at sports

2. The writer was frightened because _________.

A. he was laughed at by other boys
B. Amery turned out to be in the same grade
C. he pushed Amery hard and hurt him
D. he played a joke on an outstanding athlete

3. By saying "My father, who is a great man, is also small", the writer ________.

A. tried to please Amery
B. challenged Amery
C. threatened Amery
D. admired his father

4. Which of the following is TRUE?

A. The writer could run faster than Amery.
B. The writer liked playing on boys of all sizes.
C. Amery was a student in Grade Four.
D. Amery forgave the writer for his rude behavior.