I remember my math teacher Mr. Young very well. He stood out because the kids made fun of him. He
was missing one of his fingers, and always pointed at students with his middle finger.
     I was not very good at English and math. No matter how hard I tried, I just could not figure out why I
did not understand what all the other kids found so easy to learn.
     One day, I was told that if I got one more E on my report card, I would be taken to the "big person for
kids".
     I tried really hard for weeks. I just couldn't understand how to make different parts of members into
whole things.
     The day before report cards were to come out, I knew that Mr. Young would give me an E, just like he
always did.
     I went to Mr. Young and told him that the orphanage (孤儿院) was going to send me to the big person
if I got another E on my report card. He told me there was nothing he could do; it would be unfair to the other
kids if he gave me a better grade than I had actually earned.
     I smiled at him and said, "Mr. Young, do you know how the kids make fun of you because you're missing
your finger?" He looked at me, moved his mouth to one side and said nothing.
     "They shouldn't do that to you because you can't help having a finger, Mr. Young. Just like I can't help not
being able to learn numbers and stuff like that." I said.
     The next day, when I got my report card, I tucked it into one of my books. While on the school bus, I
opened it: Geography, B + ; Mechanical Drawing, C - ; English, D - ; History, C - ; Gym, B + ; Art, C ; Math,
D -.
     That math grade was the most favorite one I ever received. Because I knew that someone in the world
finally understood what it was like for me to be missing a finger inside my head.

1. From the second paragraph we can infer that the boy is _____ in some subjects.

A. mind- blowing (给人印象极深的)
B. slow-witted (头脑迟钝的 )
C. fun-loving
D. badly-behaved

2. Where may the boy live according to the passage?

A. In an orphanage.
B. In a big prison.
C. In the school dormitory.
D. In his home.

3. What grade should the boy have got in the math test this time?

A. D-.
B. B+.
C. D.
D. E.

4. The underlined word" tucked" in the passage most probably means "_____".

A. stuck
B. listed
C. hid
D. copied

     I was working as a consultant in a beer company, helping the president and senior vice-presidents form
and carry out their new planning projects. It was really a great challenge.
     At the same time, my mother was in the final stages of cancer.
     I worked during the day and drove 40 miles home to be with her every night. It was tiring and stressful,
but it was what I wanted to do. My commitment was to continue to do excellent consulting during the day,
even though my evenings were very hard. I didn't want to bother the president with my situation, yet I felt
someone at the company needed to know what was going on. So I told the vice-president of Human
Resources, asking him not to share the information with anyone.
     A few days later, the president called me into his office.
     I figured he wanted to talk to me about one of the many issues we were working on. When I entered, he
asked me to sit down. He faced me from across his large desk, looked me in the eye and said, "I hear your
mother is very ill."
     I was totally caught by surprise and burst into tears. He just looked at me, let my crying subside (平息),
and then gently said a sentence I will never forget: Whatever you need.
     That was it. His understanding and his willingness both to let me be in my pain and to offer me everything
were qualities of sympathy that I carry with me to this day.

1. When the author was working in a beer company, his mother _____.

A. was concerned about him
B. drew the president's attention
C. was seriously ill
D. was proud of her son

2. Most probably, the president got the information from _____.

A. a relative of the author's
B. the.vice-president
C. the author's good friends
D. the author's colleagues

3. Which of the following can be the best title of this passage?

A. Understanding Is Everywhere
B. Generous President
C. Sympathy Is Needed
D. An Unforgettable Memory

     Once Dr. Mellinkoff invited me to join him at the hospital to discuss interesting cases with his students.
The case at hand was a Guatemalan man, aged 34, who had a fever and many other medical problems. His
condition was not improving, and there was not much hope that he would live.
     Dr. Mellinkoff asked to see the patient. He introduced himself in Spanish and, in a very gentle voice, asked
how he felt. The patient smiled and said everything was all right. Then the doctor asked if he was able to eat.
The patient said that he had no desire to eat.
     "Are you getting food you like?"
     The patient said nothing.
     "Do you get the kind of food you have at home?"
     The answer was no.
     The doctor put his hand on the man's shoulder and his voice was very soft.
     "If you had food that you liked, would you eat it?"
     "Yes, yes," the patient said.
     The change in the patient's appearance couldn't have been more obvious. Nothing was said, but it was easy
to tell that a message had been sent and had also been received. Later, the doctor asked why the Guatemalan
man wasn't getting food he could eat. One of the students said, "We all know how difficult it is to get the
kitchen to make special meals."
     "Suppose," the doctor replied, "you felt a certain medicine was absolutely necessary but that our hospital
didn't carry it, would you accept defeat or would you insist the hospital meet your request?"
     "I would probably insist," the student said.
     "Very well," the doctor said. "You might want to try the same method in the kitchen. It won't be easy, but
I can help you. Meanwhile, let's get some food inside this man as fast as possible, and stay with it. Or he'll be
killed by hunger. By the way, there must be someone among you who can speak Spanish. If we want to make
real progress, we need to be able to talk with him."
     Three weeks later. Dr. Mellinkoff told me that the Guatemalan man had left the hospital under his own
power. It takes more than medicine to help sick people; you also have to talk to them and make them
comfortable.

1. The patient had no desire to eat because _____.

A. he was not hungry
B. he was seriously ill
C. he was given special meals
D. he was not satisfied with the food

2. According to the passage, we can conclude that _____.

A. the patient' s native language was Spanish
B. the patient' s illness was caused by hunger
C. Dr. Mellinkoff performed an operation on the patient
D. the hospital failed to provide the right medicine for the patient

3. Which of the following words can be used to describe Dr. Mellinkoff?

A. Cold.
B. Considerate.
C. Curious.
D. Careless.

4. What do you think Dr. Mellinkoff wanted to tell his students in this case?

A. Doctors should be good at foreign languages.
B. Doctors should know their patients' real problems.
C. Doctors should try to improve their medical skills.
D. Doctors should have a good relationship with their patients.

     One day in January, my uncle, my cousin and I decided to go hunting. We left by car in the afternoon. It
was a Range Rover with four-wheel drive. It took us three hours to get there. After we arrived at 5:15 p. m.,
we fixed the tent, then made coffee and had a short rest. After that, we went hunting, using a falcon (猎鹰).
We spent two hours without finding anything. On our way back to the camp, my cousin saw a rabbit. I
removed the falcon's head cover and let go of the aggressive falcon. When the rabbit saw the falcon, it ran
fast, but my falcon was a professional hunter. He flew up and came down to trick the rabbit. After two
minutes, the rabbit was caught. We took it back to the camp to cook our dinner. We ate the delicious food,
drank Arabic coffee, and sat around the fire talking until 10:30 p.m.
     We left the camp the next day at 7 o'clock in the morning. We went north. However, around 10:00 a.m.
our car got stuck in the sand! We spent about three hours trying to pull out the ear without any progress.
Finally, we decided to walk. As it was hard for an old man or a young boy to walk more than 40km in the
desert, I decided to get help myself. I took a bottle of water with me and started to walk south alone. I knew
the way well, but it was a long way in the sand. I walked more than four hours without stopping.
     When I felt so tired and thirsty, I stopped to rest. I drank all the water and slept for around two hours.
When I got up, it was dark. I continued to walk south. I was worried about my uncle and cousin. Suddenly,
I met a Bedouin man who was riding his camel. He took me to his house. When I had had enough rest, I
asked him to take me to the road where I found a car, It took me to the city to get help. I had one day to get
back to my uncle and cousin. When I got back to them, they were so happy because I had gotten help and
they were able to see me again.

1. Which word can best describe the first evening of their hunting trip?

A. Adventurous.
B. Enjoyable.
C. Stressful.
D. Exhausting.

2. How did the writer finally get out of the desert?

A. He was picked up by a car.
B. A camel took him to the road.
C. A passer-by Bedouin helped him.
D. His uncle and cousin found and rescued him.

3. What can be inferred from the story?

A. It's an easy job to walk 40km in the desert.
B. The author loved to go hunting with his family.
C. The hunting trip is much longer than expected.
D. To hunt in the desert one must train a falcon well.