He didn’t like his job that he had a few years ago. So he      business.

       A．turned for B．turned in   C．turned on  D．turned to

A few years ago, I had the opportunity to play the character of Ronald McDonald for the McDonald's Corporation.
One day each month，we visited hospitals bringing a little happiness to the children there. But there were two rules placed on me during a visit. First, I could not go anywhere in the hospital  without permission. And second, I could not physically touch anyone within the hospital. They did not want me to carry germs(细菌)from one patient to another. Breaking either of these rules, I was told, I could lose my job. One day, as I was heading down a hallway and on my way home, I heard a little voice coming through a half­opened door，“Ronald，Ronald.”
I stepped in and saw a boy，about five years old, lying in his dad's arms, Mom with a nurse on the other side. I knew by the feeling in the room that the situation was grave. I asked his name. He told me it was Billy and that I did a few simple magic tricks for him. As I stepped back to say good­bye, he asked me “Ronald, would you hold me？”
At such a simple request, my heart was screaming, “Yes！”But my mind was screaming louder. “No！You are going to lose your job！”
“Hold me” was such a simple request, and yet I searched for any reasonable excuses that allowed me to leave, but none. It took me a moment to realize that in this situation, losing my job may not be the disaster I feared. Then, I picked up this little boy. He was so weak and so scared. We laughed and cried for 45 minutes. With tears in my eyes, I left them. Less than 48 hours later, I received a phone call from Billy's mom that Billy had passed away. She and her husband simply wanted to thank me for making a difference in their little boy's life.
Billy's mom told me shortly after I left the room. Billy looked at her and said, “Momma, I don't care any more if I see Santa this year because I was held by Ronald McDonald.”
For the record, McDonald's Corporation did find it out, but, given the situation，permitted me to go on with my job. I continued as Ronald for another year before leaving the corporation to share the story of Billy and how important it is to take risks.
【小题1】The underlined word “grave” in Paragraph 3 means “________”.

A few years ago, I had the opportunity to play the character of Ronald McDonald for the McDonald's Corporation.

One day each month，we visited hospitals bringing a little happiness to the children there. But there were two rules placed on me during a visit. First, I could not go anywhere in the hospital  without permission. And second, I could not physically touch anyone within the hospital. They did not want me to carry germs(细菌)from one patient to another. Breaking either of these rules, I was told, I could lose my job. One day, as I was heading down a hallway and on my way home, I heard a little voice coming through a half­opened door，“Ronald，Ronald.”

I stepped in and saw a boy，about five years old, lying in his dad's arms, Mom with a nurse on the other side. I knew by the feeling in the room that the situation was grave. I asked his name. He told me it was Billy and that I did a few simple magic tricks for him. As I stepped back to say good­bye, he asked me “Ronald, would you hold me？”

At such a simple request, my heart was screaming, “Yes！”But my mind was screaming louder. “No！You are going to lose your job！”

 “Hold me” was such a simple request, and yet I searched for any reasonable excuses that allowed me to leave, but none. It took me a moment to realize that in this situation, losing my job may not be the disaster I feared. Then, I picked up this little boy. He was so weak and so scared. We laughed and cried for 45 minutes. With tears in my eyes, I left them. Less than 48 hours later, I received a phone call from Billy's mom that Billy had passed away. She and her husband simply wanted to thank me for making a difference in their little boy's life.

Billy's mom told me shortly after I left the room. Billy looked at her and said, “Momma, I don't care any more if I see Santa this year because I was held by Ronald McDonald.”

For the record, McDonald's Corporation did find it out, but, given the situation，permitted me to go on with my job. I continued as Ronald for another year before leaving the corporation to share the story of Billy and how important it is to take risks.

1. The underlined word “grave” in Paragraph 3 means “________”.

     A. weak     B. serious   C. interesting   D. exciting

2.When Billy asked the author to hold him, at first the author ________.

     A. was unwilling to do so      B. was glad to do so

     C. hesitated to do so          D. hurried to do so

3.What lesson did the author draw from his experience?

     A. To amuse others is enjoyable.       B. To take risks is important.

     C. To break rules is necessary.         D. To be fired is not fearful.

4. We learn from the story that ________.

     A.the author left the corporation because he broke the rules

     B.the author left the corporation because he didn't like the rules

     C.the boy was quite happy with the experience with the author

     D.the boy was quite happy with Santa at Christmas

A few years ago I asked my children’s governess, Julia Vassilyevna, to come into my study.

  “ Sit down, Julia Vassilyevna,” I said.“Let’s settle our accounts. Although you most likely need some money, you stand on ceremony and won’t ask for it yourself. Now then, we agree on thirty rubles a month…”

  “ Forty.”

  “ No, thirty. I made a note of it. I always pay the governess thirty. Now then, you’ve been here two months, so…”

  “ Two months and five days.”

  “ Exactly two months. I made a specific note of it. That means you have sixty rubles coming to you. Subtract nine Sundays… you know you didn’t work with Kolya on Sundays, you only took walks. And three holidays…”

   Julia Vassilyevna flushed a deep red and picked at the flounce of her dress, but--- not a word.

   “ Three holidays, therefore take off twelve rubles. Four days Kolya was sick and there were no lessons, as you were occupied only with Vanya. Three days you had a toothache and my wife gave you permission not to work after lunch. Twelve and seven---nineteen. Subtract…that leaves…hmm…forty-one rubles. Correct?”

Julia Vassilyena’s left eye reddened and filled with moisture. Her chin trembled; she coughed nervously and blew her nose, but---not a word.

“ Around New Year’s you broke a teacup and saucer: take off two rubles. The cup cost more, it was an heirloom, but---let it go. When didn’t I take a loss? Then, due to your neglect, Kolya climbed a tree and tore his jacket: take off ten. Also due to your heedlessness the maid stole Vanya’s shoes. You ought to watch everything! You get paid for it. So, that means five more rubles off. The tenth of January I gave you ten rubles…”

“ You didn’t ” whispered Julia Vassilyevna.

“ But I made a note of it.”

“ Well…all right.”

“ Take twenty-seven from forty-one ---that leaves fourteen.”

Both eyes filled with tears. Perspiration appeared on the thin, pretty little nose. Poor girl!

“ Only once was I given any money,” she said in a trembling voice, “ and that was by your wife. Three rubles, nothing more.”

“ Really? You see now, and I didn’t make a note of it! Take three from fourteen… leaves eleven. Here’s your money, my dear. Three , three, three, one and one. Here it is!”

I handed her eleven rubles. She took them and with trembling fingers stuffed them into her pocket.

“ Merci,” she whispered.

I jumped up and started pacing the room. I was overcome with anger.

“ For what, this ---‘merci’?” I asked.

“ For the money.”

“ But you know I’ve cheated you, God’s sake---robbed you! I have actually stolen from you! Why this ‘merci’?”

“ In my other places they didn’t give me anything at all.”

“ They didn’t give you anything? No wonder! I played a little joke on you, a cruel lesson, just to teach you … I’m going to give you the entire eighty rubles! Here they are in an envelope all ready for you… Is it really possible to be so spineless? Why don’t you protest? Why be silent? Is it possible in this world to be without teeth and claws--- to be such a nincompoop?”

She smiled crookedly and I read in her expression: “ It is possible.”

I asked her pardon for the cruel lesson and , to her great surprise, gave her the eighty rubles. She murmured her litter “merci” several times and went out. I looked after her and thought: “How easy it is to crush the weak in this world!”

1.When the employer called Julia Vassilyevna in to talk with him, what he really wanted to do was _______

A. to settle their accounts

B. to criticize her for neglecting her duties as a governess.

C. to play a joke on her so as to amuse himself.

D. to teach her not to be so spineless.

2.The employer made all those criticisms about Julia Vassiliyevna’s work because __________

A. she had neglected her duties.

B. he wanted to pay her as little money as possible.

C. he wanted to make her realize that she was being cheated and protest against it.

D. he wanted to make her feel miserable.

3. Julia Vassilyevna accepted everything her employer said because ________

A. she had in fact neglected her duties.

B. she was a very dumb girl.

C. she thought it was of no use to protest to her employer.

D. she loved the children she taught.

4. The employer became very angry when Julia Vassilyevna said “ Merci” because ________

A. she didn’t say “Merci” loudly.

B. she didn’t protest to him.

C. he thought that by simply saying “ Merci” she wasn’t polite enough.

D. he didn’t like the way in which she stuffed the money into per pocket and expressed her thanks.

5. The text is about _______

A. how a governess was cheated by her employer.

B. how an employer tried to teach the governess a cruel lesson.

C. how a governess was fired by her employer for being a nincompoop.

D. how an employer punished the governess for not having done a good job.

A few years ago I asked my children’s governess, Julia Vassilyevna, to come into my study.
“ Sit down, Julia Vassilyevna,” I said.“Let’s settle our accounts. Although you most likely need some money, you stand on ceremony and won’t ask for it yourself. Now then, we agree on thirty rubles a month…”
“ Forty.”
“ No, thirty. I made a note of it. I always pay the governess thirty. Now then, you’ve been here two months, so…”
“ Two months and five days.”
“ Exactly two months. I made a specific note of it. That means you have sixty rubles coming to you. Subtract nine Sundays… you know you didn’t work with Kolya on Sundays, you only took walks. And three holidays…”
Julia Vassilyevna flushed a deep red and picked at the flounce of her dress, but--- not a word.
“ Three holidays, therefore take off twelve rubles. Four days Kolya was sick and there were no lessons, as you were occupied only with Vanya. Three days you had a toothache and my wife gave you permission not to work after lunch. Twelve and seven---nineteen. Subtract…that leaves…hmm…forty-one rubles. Correct?”
Julia Vassilyena’s left eye reddened and filled with moisture. Her chin trembled; she coughed nervously and blew her nose, but---not a word.
“ Around New Year’s you broke a teacup and saucer: take off two rubles. The cup cost more, it was an heirloom, but---let it go. When didn’t I take a loss? Then, due to your neglect, Kolya climbed a tree and tore his jacket: take off ten. Also due to your heedlessness the maid stole Vanya’s shoes. You ought to watch everything! You get paid for it. So, that means five more rubles off. The tenth of January I gave you ten rubles…”
“ You didn’t ” whispered Julia Vassilyevna.
“ But I made a note of it.”
“ Well…all right.”
“ Take twenty-seven from forty-one ---that leaves fourteen.”
Both eyes filled with tears. Perspiration appeared on the thin, pretty little nose. Poor girl!
“ Only once was I given any money,” she said in a trembling voice, “ and that was by your wife. Three rubles, nothing more.”
“ Really? You see now, and I didn’t make a note of it! Take three from fourteen… leaves eleven. Here’s your money, my dear. Three , three, three, one and one. Here it is!”
I handed her eleven rubles. She took them and with trembling fingers stuffed them into her pocket.
“ Merci,” she whispered.
I jumped up and started pacing the room. I was overcome with anger.
“ For what, this ---‘merci’?” I asked.
“ For the money.”
“ But you know I’ve cheated you, God’s sake---robbed you! I have actually stolen from you! Why this ‘merci’?”
“ In my other places they didn’t give me anything at all.”
“ They didn’t give you anything? No wonder! I played a little joke on you, a cruel lesson, just to teach you … I’m going to give you the entire eighty rubles! Here they are in an envelope all ready for you… Is it really possible to be so spineless? Why don’t you protest? Why be silent? Is it possible in this world to be without teeth and claws--- to be such a nincompoop?”
She smiled crookedly and I read in her expression: “ It is possible.”
I asked her pardon for the cruel lesson and , to her great surprise, gave her the eighty rubles. She murmured her litter “merci” several times and went out. I looked after her and thought: “How easy it is to crush the weak in this world!”

1. 1.

   When the employer called Julia Vassilyevna in to talk with him, what he really wanted to do was _______

   1. A.
      to settle their accounts
   2. B.
      to criticize her for neglecting her duties as a governess.
   3. C.
      to play a joke on her so as to amuse himself.
   4. D.
      to teach her not to be so spineless.
2. 2.

   The employer made all those criticisms about Julia Vassiliyevna’s work because __________

   1. A.
      she had neglected her duties.
   2. B.
      he wanted to pay her as little money as possible.
   3. C.
      he wanted to make her realize that she was being cheated and protest against it.
   4. D.
      he wanted to make her feel miserable.
3. 3.

   Julia Vassilyevna accepted everything her employer said because ________

   1. A.
      she had in fact neglected her duties.
   2. B.
      she was a very dumb girl.
   3. C.
      she thought it was of no use to protest to her employer.
   4. D.
      she loved the children she taught.
4. 4.

   The employer became very angry when Julia Vassilyevna said “ Merci” because ________

   1. A.
      she didn’t say “Merci” loudly.
   2. B.
      she didn’t protest to him.
   3. C.
      he thought that by simply saying “ Merci” she wasn’t polite enough.
   4. D.
      he didn’t like the way in which she stuffed the money into per pocket and expressed her thanks.
5. 5.

   The text is about _______

   1. A.
      how a governess was cheated by her employer.
   2. B.
      how an employer tried to teach the governess a cruel lesson.
   3. C.
      how a governess was fired by her employer for being a nincompoop.
   4. D.
      how an employer punished the governess for not having done a good job.