When Jackie Robinson walked onto Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, New York, on April 15, 1947, he changed baseball forever. As the first African American to play in the Major League in modern times, many believe he changed the country forever.
Robinson was born in 1919. He lived in a time when rules controlled what African Americans could do. He was a top athlete, playing football, basketball and baseball. But playing for a major League team was off limits to Robinson because of his race.
Branch Rickey, president and manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers, signed (和……签约) Robinson in 1947. He believed that Robinson not only had the skills, but the courage to face the challenge of becoming modern baseball’s first black player.
It wasn’t easy. Robinson sometimes faced boos (嘘声) from fans. But he became a star, anyway. In 1962, he became the first African-American player chosen to enter the Baseball Hall of Fame. In 2005, he was awarded a Congressional Gold Medal, the highest award Congress can give to an American.
By breaking baseball’s color barrier (肤色障碍), Robinson opened the door for many to follow his footsteps, not only in baseball, but in other areas of life as well. After he stopped playing the game, Robinson worked as a manager for a coffee company. He wrote a newspaper column (专栏). He also started a bank.
1.Before Jackie Robinson, no African-American players could __________.
A. play baseball B. play in the Major League
C. play football and basketball D. watch Major League games
2.According to Branch Rickey, Jackie Robinson was __________.
A. poor but clever B. unlucky but confident
C. proud and strong D. brave and skilled
3.We can know that Jackie Robinson’s story __________.
A. changed many Africans’ ideas
B. had an effect on many black people’s lives
C. encouraged black people to fight with whites
D. started a hot discussion about the color barrier
4.Which of the following is NOT what he once did?
A. a newspaper column writer B. a banker
C. a university teacher D. a manager in a company
As a young man, Al was a skilled artist．He had a wife and two fine sons．One night, his oldest son developed a serious stomachache．Thinking it was only some 1intestinal （肠内的）disorder, neither Al nor his wife took the condition very seriously．But the boy 2suddenly that night．
Knowing the death could have been 3if he had only realized the seriousness of the situation, Al's emotional health became worse under the huge burden(重负) of his 4.To make matters worse his wife 5him a short time later, leaving him alone with his six-year-old younger son．The hurt and pain of the two 6were more than Al could handle, and he 7to alcohol(烈酒)．In time Al became an alcoholic.
8___ the alcoholism progressed, Al began to lose everything he 9— his home, his land, his art objects, everything． 10Al died alone in a San Francisco motel room．
When I heard of Al's death, I thought that Al's life was a complete 11．
As time went by, I began to reconsider my earlier judgment．I knew Al's now 12son, Ernie．He is one of the kindest, most caring, most loving men I have ever known．I watched Ernie with his children and saw the free 13of love between them．I knew that kindness and caring had to come from somewhere．
I hadn't heard Ernie talk much about his 14__．One day I worked __15_ my courage to ask him．"I'm really _16__ by something," I said．"I know your father was 17the only one to raise you．What on earth did he do that you became such a special person?"
Ernie sat quietly and _18__ for a few moments．Then he said, "From my earliest _19_ as a child until I left home at 18, Al came into my room every night, gave me a kiss and said, ' I love you, son．' "
Tears came to my eyes as I realized what a fool I had been to __20_ Al as a failure．He had not left any material possessions behind．But he had been a kind loving father, and he left behind one of the finest, most giving men I have ever known．
1.A．certain B．common C．rare D．basic
2.A．dead B．passed away C．starved D．worsened
3.A．cured B．prevented C．forbidden D．saved
4.A．disease B．debt C．guilt D．duty
5.A．left B．scolded C．quarreled D．forgave
6.A．disasters B．adventures C．conflicts D．situations
7.A．got B．drank C．turned D．sank
8.A．As B．Though C．Because D．If
9.A．needed B．shared C．benefited D．owned
10.A．Eventually B．Gradually C．Therefore D．Meanwhile
11.A．trouble B．hardship C．failure D．waste
12.A．teen B．adult C．old D．adolescent
13.A．win B．fall C．space D．flow
14.A．mother B．brother C．father D．child
15.A．up B．with C．on D．through
16.A．worried B．puzzled C．interested D．attracted
17.A．especially B．basically C．hardly D．specially
18.A．argued B．searched C．analyzed D．thought
19.A．thoughts B．ideas C．minds D．memories
20.A．treat B．call C．judge D．feel
— I am going to be a volunteer at the Asian Games to be held in Guangzhou this November．
— ! Me, too.
A. That’s it B. Good luck C. No problem D. That’s great
—Do you have any idea what Hank does all day?
—I know he speaks at least as much time watching TV as he __________.
A. does writing B. writes C. is writing D. does to write
Having much to do， ．
A．so let’s finish at it at home B．the tour should be put off
C．but we should still take the tour D．we have to stay at home
Learning foreign languages calls for your memory,time,patience and emotions._______,it is not a simple thing. A. As a result B. In conclusion C. In general D. After all
