Being the head of a high school for many years, I grew tired of budget meetings, fundingcuts, and many other administrative chores and started to dream of retirement.Sitting in trafficon a weekday morning, I would find my mind wandering.I would imagine spending time withmy grandchildren, quiet evenings with my wife, traveling, or rediscovering some great books.Itold myself that I wouldn't sign myself up for any committees, any classes, or anythingrequiring a schedule.

    My first day of retirement came at last! I cooked a great breakfast for my wife and me,leisurely read the paper, cleaned a bit of the house, and wrote a few letters to friends.On thesecond day, I cooked breakfast, read the paper …On the third day, ...This is retirement? Itried to tell myself that it was just the transition, that those golden moments were right roundthe corner, and that I would enjoy them soon enough.But something was missing.

    A former colleague asked a favor.A group of students was going to Jamaica to work withchildren in the poorest neighbourhood.Would I interrupt my newfound "happiness" and returnto the students, just this once? One trip.That's all.My bags were packed and by the door.

    The trip was very inspiring.I was moved not only by the poverty I saw but also by thesense of responsibility of the young people on the trip.When I returned home, I offered to workone day a week with a local youth organization.The experience was so positive that I was soonvolunteering nearly full-time, working with students across North America to assist them in their voluntary work.

    Now,it seems, the tables have turned .Some days I am the teacher, other days I am the student.These young people have reawakened my commitment to social justice issues by challenging me to learn more about the situation in the world today, where people are still poorand suffer because of greed, corruption and war.Most importantly, they have given me the opportunity to continue to participate in helping to find solutions.In return, I help them do their charitable projects overseas.I've gone from running one school to helping oversee the construction of schools in twenty-one countries!

What did the writer expect to do after he retired?

    A.To stay away from busy schedules.   B.To write some great books.

    C.To do some voluntary work.  D.To plan for his future.

Why did the writer decide to go to Jamaica?

    A.He missed his students in that country.

    B.He couldn't reflise his colleague's favor.

    C.He was concerned about the people there.

    D.He was not satisfied with his retired life.

The underlined part "the tables have turned" (Paragraph 5 ) means that thewriter

    A.improved the situation in his school B.felt happy to work with students again

    C.became a learner rather than a teacher   D.changed his attitude toward his retired life

What does the writer think of his retired life now?

    A.Disappointing.      B.Troublesome.

    C.Promising.      D.Meaningful.

七选五(共5小题;每小题2分,共10分)

根据短文内容,从短文后的七个选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。

The band that wasn’t

Have you ever wanted to be part of a band as a famous singer or musician? Have you ever dreamed of playing in front of thousands of people at a concert, at which everyone is clapping and appreciating your music? Do you sing karaoke and pretend you are a famous singer like Song Zuying or Liu Huan? To be honest, a lot of people attach great importance to becoming rich and famous.      1    

Many musicians meet and form a band because they like to write and play their own music. They may start as a group of high-school students, for whom practising their music in someone's house is the first step to fame. Sometimes they may play to passers-by in the street or subway so that they can earn some extra money for themselves or to pay for their instruments.      2      Of course they hope to make records in a studio and sell millions of copies to become millionaires!

     3      It was called the Monkees and began as a TV show. The musicians were to play jokes on each other as well as play music, most of which was based loosely on the Beatles. The TV organizers had planned to find four musicians who could act as well as sing. They put an advertisement in a newspaper looking for rock musicians, but they could only find one who was good enough. They had to use actors for the other three members of the band.

     4      So during the broadcasts they just pretended to sing. Anyhow their performances were humorous enough to be copied by other groups. They were so popular that their fans formed clubs in order to get more familiar with them. Each week on TV, the Monkees would play and sing songs written by other musicians. However, after a year or so in which they became more serious about their work, the Monkees started to play and sing their own songs like a real band. Then they produced their own records and started touring and playing their own music.     5     . The band broke up about 1970, but happily they reunited in the mid-1980s. They produced a new record in 1996, with which they celebrated their formal time as a real band.

A. In the USA they became even more popular than the Beatles and sold even more records.

B. The Monkees’ television show stayed on the air for years after the group broke up. .

C. However, there was one band that started in a different way.

D. But just how do people form a band?

E. Later they may give performances in pubs or clubs, for which they are paid in cash.

F. Most of us probably have our favorite performers, stars or bands, but many of us also want to discover new sounds and rhythms.

G. As some of these actors could not sing well enough, they had to rely on other musicians to help them.

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