Nate suffered a hard blow when he lost his job. His boss had spoken rudely, “Your services are no longer needed.”Nate left the building filled with despair. By the time he reached home, he was in deep sadness. When he entered his house, he blurted out to his wife Sophia,“I lost my job. I am a complete, utter failure.”A tense silence followed. Then a smile crept across Sophia’s face.“What great news!”she responded.“Now you can write the book you have always wanted to write.”
“But I have no job and no prospect of a job,”he objected, completely without hope. “If I struggle to be an author, then what will we live on? Where will the money come from?”
Sophia took her husband by the hand and led him to the kitchen. Opening a drawer, she took out a box that was full of cash.“Where on earth did you get this?” Nate gasped.“To whom does it belong?”
“It’s ours!” Sophia replied.“I always knew that one day you would become a great writer if only you were given the chance. From the money you gave me for housekeeping every week, I have saved as much as I could so you would have your chance. Now there is enough to last us a whole year.”
What a surprise! What encouragement! What a wife! The unemployed husband did concentrate on writing that year, and the novel he wrote became a literary masterpiece（文学名著）. The book is The Scarlet Letter. Sophia had an even greater achievement, and she turned Nathaniel Hawthorne from a poor clerk into a world famous master.
1.What would be the best title for the passage?
A. Sophia’s achievement B. A great writer’s struggle to success
C. Great encouragement in hard times D. Failure is the mother of success
2.The underlined sentence in the first paragraph seems to tell us that __________.
A. Sophia was very disappointed to hear the news
B. Nate was too sad to speak any more
C. Sophia was thinking of how to encourage Nate
D. both husband and wife had no idea what to do
3.Sophia saved money because __________.
A. she knew her husband would lose his job one day
B. she knew their life would be in difficulty
C. she was very careful with money
D. she was trying to help her husband in every possible way
4.From the passage we learn that Sophia was __________.
A. kind and brave B. careful and encouraging
C. helpful and warm-hearted D. clever and determined
阅读下面短文，从短文后所给题目的四个选项（A、B、C、D）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Mother used to ask me what the most important part of the body is. Through the years I would 1at the correct answer. When I was younger, I thought 2very important to us, so I said, “My ears, mum.” She said, “No, many people are 3. But think about it and I’ll ask you again.”
Since making my first 4, I had often thought over the question. So the next time I told her, “Mum, it must be our eyes.” She said, “You are 5fast, but the answer isn’t correct because there are blind people.”
6the years, mother asked me a couple more 7and always her response was, “No, but you are getting 8, dear.” Last year, my Grandpa 9. Everybody was heartbroken, crying. When it was our __10to say our final good-bye to Grandpa, Mum asked me, “Do you know the important body part yet, my dear?”
I was 11when she was asking me. I always thought this was a 12__ between us. She saw the __13look on my face and told me “This question’s very important. It shows you have really 14your life.” I saw her eyes full of tears. She said, “My dear, the most important body part is your 15.” I asked, “Is it because they hold up your head?” she replied, “No, it is 16on them a crying friend or a loved one can __17their head. I hope you’ll have a shoulder to cry 18when you need it.”
Then and there I understood the most important body part is not a 19one. It is being sympathetic(同情的) to the pain of 20.
1.A. guess B. believe C. doubt D. notice
2.A. love B. health C. sight D. sound
3.A. blind B. invisible C. deaf D. thoughtful
4.A. discovery B. decision C. advice D. attempt
5.A. thinking B. learning C. growing D. changing
6.A. Over B. Till C. Beyond D. Before
7.A. times B. things C. questions D. ways
8.A. stronger B. taller C. nicer D. smarter
9.A. left out B. got ill C. passed away D. got wounded
10.A. turn B. duty C. pity D. chance
11.A. satisfied B. shocked C. interested D. excited
12.A. test B. secret C. match D. game
13.A. worried B. regretted C. puzzled D. pained
14.A. lived B. found C. disliked D. enjoyed
15.A. feet B. shoulders C. hands D. hair
16.A. how B. why C. because D. whether
17.A. put B. carry C. leave D. rest
18.A. on B. by C. above D. for
19.A. valuable B. selfish C. useful D. precious
20.A. Grandpa B. the deaf C. others D. the blind
Most business letters and government reports are the main situations _________ formal language is used.
A. where B. that C. what D. which
I heard she _________ a book last year, but I don’t know if she has finished it.
A. was writing B. wrote C. had written D. writes
Few visitors leave Rio feeling _________.
A. disappointing B. to disppoint C. disappointed D. being disppointed
He made a big mistake, and _________, he lost his job.
A. as a result B. as soon as C. in case D. even if
