I was in my third year of teaching creative writing at a high school in New York, when one of my students, 15-year-old Mikey, gave me a note from his mother. It explained his absence from class the day before.
I had seen Mikey himself writing the note at his desk. Most parental-excuse notes I received were penned by my students. If I were to deal with them, I’d be busy 24 hours a day.
The forged excuse notes made a large pile, with writing that ranged from imaginative to crazy. The writers of those notes didn’t realize that honest excuse notes were usually dull: “Peter was late because the alarm clock didn’t go off.”
Isn’t it remarkable, I thought, how the students complained and said it was hard putting 200 words together on any subject? But when they produced excuse notes, they were brilliant.
So one day I typed out a dozen excuse notes and gave them to my classes. I said, “They’re supposed to be written by parents, but actually they are not. True, Mikey?” The students looked at me nervously.
“Now, this will be the first class to study the art of the excuse note --- the first class, ever, to practice writing them. You’re so lucky to have a teacher like me who has taken your best writing and turned it into a subject worthy of study. ”
Everyone smiled as I went on, “You used your imaginations. So try more now. Today I’d like you to write ‘An Excuse Note from Adam to God’ or ‘An Excuse Note from Eve to God’.” Heads went down. Pens raced across paper. For the first time ever I saw students so careful in their writing that they had to be asked to go to lunch by their friends.
The next day everyone had excuse notes. Heated discussions followed. The headmaster entered the classroom and walked up and down, looking at papers, and then said, “I’d like you to see me in my office.”
When I stepped into his office, he came to shake my hand and said, “I just want to tell you that that lesson, that task, whatever the hell you were doing, was great. Those kids were writing on the college level. Thank you. ”
1.What did the author do with the students found dishonest?
A．He reported them to the headmaster. B．He lectured them hard on honesty.
C．He had them take notes before lunch. D．He helped improve their writing skills.
2.The author found that compared with the true excuse notes, the produced ones by the students were usually__________.
A．less impressive B．more imaginative C．worse written D．less convincing
3.The author had the students practice writing excuse notes so that the students could learn_________.
A．the importance of being honest B．how to write excuse notes skillfully
C．the pleasure of creative writing D．how to be creative in writing
4.The underlined word “forged” in the second paragraph means “______”.
A．former B．copied C．false D．honest
5.What did the headmaster think of the author’s way of teaching?
A．Effective. B．Difficult C．Misleading. D．Reasonable
When I was young I loved taking part in high school musicals．I loved to 36 in front of hundreds of people．In one production, I auditioned（试音）like 37 else. My music teacher was 38 that I would get a particular part in the music drama. The part I thought I had was a 39 lead who sang some of the most beautiful love songs.
But one day the show director pulled me aside. I was 40 to be offered the leading role. To my disappointment, he said, “Bob, I found a boy with an excellent voice. I need to give the 41 to him.”
From that moment on I began hating music class. I 42 that I didn’t like what we were singing. My music teacher didn’t know why. She 43 me in front of the class and told me I had changed. She didn’t know what I had been told. But when they 44 the finalists, I was given a 45 role. For some time my pride was 46 with having to do something I didn’t think I should be doing. But I did it. The minor role I had 47 to be much more fun than I had expected. My performance even 48 my brother who was also in the audience.
Life is really like a 49 and although we do not audition for the role, each of us is 50 by the director to play a certain part in it. The 51 is that we sometimes don’t like the part we are given. Like me in high school I became 52 -–if I couldn’t be the lead, I wouldn’t show up for rehearsal（彩排）.
Then we wonder why we feel so 53 . Sometimes we don’t even feel like we are a part of the “Big Show. ” Everyone does indeed have a role. Some are in front of the curtain, some are behind, but all are 54 for the show to go on. All 55 to success no matter how minor the part is.
1. A．debate B．broadcast C．sing D．show
2. A．someone B．everyone C．anyone D．no one
3. A．prejudiced B．concerned C．unexpected D．convinced
4. A．romantic B．ridiculous C．mysterious D．sensitive
5. A．attempting B．expecting C．volunteering D．pretending
6. A．part B．deal C．favor D．item
7. A．assessed B．advocated C．concluded D．complained
8. A．warned B．scolded C．informed D．suspected
9. A．presented B．identified C．announced D．delivered
10. A．specific B．super C．slight D．small
11. A．struggling B．competing C．swinging D．changing
12. A．happened B．proved C．expanded D．switched
13. A．terrified: B．disappointed C．surprised D．embarrassed
14. A．joke B．journey C．stage D．play
15. A．appointed B．attached C．employed D．instructed
16. A．reason B．problem C．balance D．focus
17. A．curious B．helpless C．angry D．positive
18. A．exhausted B．lost C．delighted D．thrilled
19. A．necessary B．dependent C．natural D．perfect
20. A．react B．adjust C．refer D．contribute
—Do you think you will be able to finish your writing by five o’clock today?
— ______. I’ll be busy with experiments all day.
A．Not a little B．Not a chance C．Not to mention it D．Not a big deal
I’d love to stay in the community I grew up, but ambition can drive me to the city to be “ the big companies are”.
A．that; where B．where; that C．in which; which D．where; where
My wife ______the night shift when my plane ______. That’s why no one is to meet me at the airport today.
A．will be working; arrives B．was working; arrived
C．will have worked; has arrived D．is working; is arriving
You are saying that everyone is equal, which is ________ I can’t agree more.
A．where B．what C．that D．how
