Dear Hamilton,
We are fortunate that in such a large, high-pressure office we all get along so well. You are one of the people who keep the social temperature at such a comfortable setting. I don’t know anyone in the office who is better liked than you.
You can perhaps help with this. The collection of contributions towards gifts for employees’ personal-life events is becoming a little troubling. Certainly, the group sending of a gift is reasonable now and then. In the past month, however, there have been collections for two baby shower gifts, one wedding shower gift, two wedding gifts, one funeral（葬礼）remembrance, four birthday gifts, and three graduation gifts.
It’s not only the collected-from who are growing uncomfortable (and poor), but the collected-for feel uneasy receiving gifts from people who don’t know them outside the office, who wouldn’t even recognize their graduating children, their marrying daughters and sons, or their dead relatives.
This is basically a kind gesture (and one that people think well of you for), but the practice seems to have become too wide-ranging and feels improper in today’s office setting.
Thank you for understanding.
1.The underlined word “contributions” probably means ________.
A. money B. suggestions C. reports D. understanding
2.Hamilton is expected to _______.
A. show more kindness.
B. discontinue the present practice
C. quit being the organizer for gift giving
D. know more about co-workers’ families
3.This is basically a letter of ________.
A. apology B. sympathy
C. appreciation D. dissatisfaction
Domestic (驯养的) horses now pull ploughs, race in the Kentucky Derby, and carry police. But early horses weren’t tame (驯服的) enough to perform these kinds of tasks. Scientists think the first interactions humans had with horses were far different from those today.
Thousands of years ago, people killed the wild horses that lived around them for food. Over time, people began to catch the animals and raise them. This was the first step in domestication.
As people began to tame and ride horses, they chose to keep those animals that had more desirable characteristics. For example, people may have chosen to keep horses that had a gentle personality so they could be ridden more easily. People who used horses to pull heavy loads would have chosen to keep stronger animals. Characteristics like strength are partly controlled by the animals’ genes. So as the domesticated horses reproduced, they passed the characteristics on to their young. Each new generation of houses would show more of these chosen characteristics.
Modern day horse breeds come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. This variety didn’t exist in the horse population before domestication. The Shetland horse is one of the smallest breeds—typically reaching only one meter tall. With short, strong legs, the animals were bred to pull coal out of mine shafts (矿井) with low ceilings. Huge horses like the Clydesdale came on the scene around 1700. People bred these heavy, tall horses to pull large vehicles used for carrying heavy loads.
The domestication of horses has had great effects on societies. For example, horse were important tools in the advancement of modern agriculture. Using them to pull ploughs and carry heavy loads allowed people to farm more efficiently. Before they were able to ride horses, humans had to cross land on foot. Riding horses allowed people to travel far greater distance in much less time. That encouraged populations living in different areas to interact with one another. The new from of rapid transportation helped cultures spread around the world.
1.Before domestication horses were ______.
A. caught for sports
B. hunted for food
C. made to pull ploughs
D. used to carry people
2.The author uses the Shetland horse as an example to show ______.
A. it is smaller than the Clydesdale horse
B. horse used to have gentle personalities
C. some horses have better shaped than others
D. horses were of less variety before domestication
3.Horses contributed to the spread of culture by ______.
A. carrying heavy loads
B. changing farming methods
C. serving as a means of transport
D. advancing agriculture in different areas
4.The passage is mainly about _______.
A. why humans domesticated horses
B. how humans and horses needed each other
C. why horses came in different shapes and sizes
D. how human societies and horses influenced each other
Twenty years ago, I drove a taxi for a living. One night I went to pick up a passenger at 2:30 AM. When I arrived to collect, I found the building was dark except for a single light in a ground floor window.
I walked to the door and knocked, “Just a minute,” answered a weak, elderly voice.
After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her eighties stood before me. By her side was a small suitcase.
I took the suitcase to the car, and then returned to help the woman. She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the car.
She kept thanking me for my kindness. “It’s nothing,” I told her. “I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated.”
“Oh, you’re such a good man.” She said. When we got into the taxi, she gave me an address, and then asked, “Could you drive through downtown?”
“It’s not the shortest way,” I answered quickly.
“Oh, I’m in no hurry,” she said. “I’m on my way to a hospice(临终医院). I don’t have any family left. The doctor says I don’t have very long.”
I quietly reached over and shut off the meter(计价器).
For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked, the neighborhood where she had lived, and the furniture shop that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.
Sometimes she’d ask me to slow down in front of a particular building and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.
At dawn, she suddenly said,” I’m tired. Let’s go now.”
We drove in silence to the address she had given me.
“How much do I owe you?” she asked.
“Nothing.” I said.
“You have to make a living,” she answered. “Oh, there are other passengers,” I answered.
Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto e tightly. Our hug ended with her remark, “You gave an old woman a little moment of joy.”
1.The old woman chose to ride through the city in order to ______.
A. show she was familiar with the city
B. see some places for the last time
C. let the driver earn more money
D. reach the destination on time
2.The taxi driver did not charge the old woman because he ______.
A. wanted to do her a favor
B. shut off the meter by mistake
C. had received her payment in advance
D. was in a hurry to take other passengers
3.What can we learn from the story?
A. Giving is always a pleasure.
B. People should respect each other.
C. An act of kindness can bring people great joy.
D. People should learn to appreciate others’ concern.
阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
When I entered Berkeley, I hoped to earn a scholarship. Having been a Straight-A student, I believed I could __1__ tough subjects and really learn something. One such course was World Literature given by Professor Jayne. I was extremely interested in the ideas he 2in class.
When I took the first exam, I was 3to find a 77, C-plus, on my test paper, 4English was my best subject. I went to Professor Jayne, who listened to my arguments but remained_ 5.
I decided to try harder, although I didn’t know what that 6because school had always been easy for me. I read the books more carefully, but got another 77. Again, I 7with Professor Jayne. Again, he listened patiently but wouldn’t change his 8.
One more test before the final exam. One more 9to improve my grade. So I redoubled my efforts and, for the first time. 10The meaning of the word “thorough”. But my 11__ did no good and everything 12as before.
The last hurdle(障碍) was the final. No matter what 13I got, it wouldn’t cancel three C-pluses. I might as well kiss the 14goodbye.
I stopped working head. I felt I knew the course material as well as I ever would. The night before the final, I even 15myself to a movie. The next day I decided for once I’d have 16__with a test.
A week later, I was surprised to find I got an A. I hurried into professor Jayne’s office. He 17__ to be expecting me. “If I gave you the As you 18, you wouldn’t continue to work as hard.”
I stared at him. 19That his analysis and strategy(策略) were correct. I had worked my head 20, as I had never done before.
I was speechless when my course grade arrived: A-plus. It was the only A-plus given. The next year I received my scholarship. I’ve always remembered Professor Jayne’s lesson: you alone must set your own standard of excellence.
1.A. take B. discuss C. cover D. get
2.A. sought B. presented C. exchanged D. obtained
3.A. shocked B. worried C. scared D. anxious
4.A. but B. so C. for D. or
5.A. unchanged B. unpleasant C. unfriendly D. unmoved
6.A. reflected B. meant C. improved D. affected
7.A. quarreled B. reasoned C. bargained D. chatted
8.A. attitude B. mind C. plan D. view
9.A. choice B. step C. chance D. measure
10.A. memorized B. considered C. accepted D. learned
11.A. ambition B. confidence C. effort D. method
12.A. stayed B. went C. worked D. changed
13.A. grade B. answer C. lesson D. comment
14.A. scholarship B. course C. degree D. subject
15.A. helped B. favored C. treated D. relaxed
16.A. fun B. luck C. problems D. tricks.
17.A. happened B. proved C. pretended D. seemed
18.A. valued B. imagined C. expected D. welcomed
19.A. remembering B. guessing C. supposing D. realizing
20.A. out B. over C. on D. off
It is worth considering what makes “convenience” foods so popular, and ____ better ones of your own.
A. introduces B. to introduce
C. introducing D. introduced
I’m sorry you’ve been waiting so long, but it’ll still be some time ____ Brian get back.
A. before B. since C. till D. after
