The hardworking blacksmith Jones used to work all day in his shop and so hard-working was he that at times he would make the sparks(火星) fly from his hammer.
The son of Mr.Smith, a rich neighbour, used to come to see the blacksmith every day and for hours and hours he would enjoy himself watching how the tradesman worked.
“ Young man, why don’t you try your hand to learn to make shoe tacks (钉) , even if it is only to pass the time ? ” said the blacksmith. “ Who knows, one day, it may be of use to you .”
The lazy boy began to see what he could do. But after a little practice he found that he was becoming very skilled and soon he was making some of the finest tacks.
Old Mr. Smith died and the son on account of the war lost all his goods. He had to leave home and was forced to live in another country. It so happened that in this village there were many shoemakers who were spending a lot of money buying tacks for their shoes and even at times when they paid high prices they were not always able to get what they wanted, because in that part of the country there was a high demand for soldiers’ shoes.
Our young Mr. Smith, who was finding it difficult to earn his daily bread, remembered that once upon a time he had learned the art of making tacks and had the sudden idea of making a bargain with the shoemakers. He told them that he would make the tacks if they would help to get him settled in the workshop. The shoemakers were only too glad of the offer. And after a while, Mr. Smith found that he was soon making the finest tacks in the village.
“ How funny it seems, ” he used to say, “ even making tacks can make money. My trade is more useful to me than all my former riches.”
1.The young man learnt to make shoe tacks because ___________.
A. his father told him to B. he wanted to learn a skill
C. Jones encouraged him to D. he just wanted to pass his time
2.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage ?
A. Old Mr. Smith enjoyed making the shoe tacks.
B. The blacksmith had predicted the young man would be in need of the skill.
C. The higher prices they paid, the more tacks the shoemakers would get.
D. The young man earned his living by his skills learnt when he was young.
3.What can we learn from the story ?
A. Practice makes perfect.
B. Skill makes life easy.
C. A good beginning makes good ending.
D. Every man has his gift.
Our grand China tour will show you a different China !
But you are required to present a U.S. Passport as an American when entering China. For some important information on how to apply for a passport, see the following forms.
1.What is most probably talked about before this passage?
A. International travel information.
B. An introduction to a journey to China.
C. The great changes happening in China.
D. Matters needed to be dealt with before going to China.
2.You can apply for a U.S. passport by mail if you ____.
A. have never had a U.S. passport before
B. got your most recent U.S. passport 17 years ago
C. were 17 when you received your previous passport
D. changed your name after getting your passport last time
3.Before submitting Form DS-11, you should____.
A. fill in all information on the form
B. print the form on both sides of the paper
C. fill the form in either black or blue ink
D. make an appointment with a Passport Agency
4.If you don’t fill Form DS-11 clearly, ____.
A. you must get another form from your local Passport Agency and refill it
B. you should ask for advice from Tips for Americans Traveling Abroad
C. you may get a late reply from a Passport Agency
D. you must hand it in and explain it personally
Children, especially boys, tend to idealise their fathers when they are young.Every little boy wants to grow up to be just like his father, and every little girl thinks her father is the smartest man on the earth. It’s not very easy to be a good father, but it’s not that difficult either. Children will truly enjoy spending time with their fathers, not just when they are kids, but even when they are adults.
Not all children communicate well with their fathers. Communication is often left to mothers, while fathers dispense advice as and when necessary. Don’t expect all conversations to centre around the dinner table. Go to your children’s bedrooms and talk to them about school, their teachers or their friends. Remember that the conversation cannot be one-sided. When your children open up to you, you also need to open up to them.
If your children come home from school feeling upset, go up to them and ask them what is the matter. And if it is something which seems to you to be a silly reason to be upset, don’t voice your opinion. It may be silly to you, but to your children it is important enough. So don’t wave the topic away by telling them not to bother about such stupid things. Simply discussing their problems with them will help them feel better.
Don’t shy away from having discussions about your teenage children’s love lives. Generally speaking, your children are definitely not going to discuss intimate details with you. Try to let them know that you are relaxed about topics on love. Tell your children how you met your wife. It is perfectly normal for children to go through feelings for the opposite sex as they grow up, and by keeping the topic closed for discussion, you are only shutting them off from discussing their feelings with you. All they will do is turn to their friends.
1.To children their fathers are usually very ______.
A. important B.great C. serious D. strong
2.From the second paragraph we can know that ______.
A. some children don’t like their fathers at all
B. talking with children around the dinner table is bad
C. it is better for mothers to communicate with their children
D. mothers usually communicate better with their children.
3. Suppose your children are worried about something you should _____.
A. have a talk with them B.express your option
C. keep silent D. let them alone
4.Your children would not like to discuss their love lives with you probably
because they think__________.
A. you are relaxed about topics on love
B. they should ask for help from their friends
C. they have already grown up
D. it is not normal to experience feelings of love
I live in Albuquerque and I used to give much money to the homeless around, feeling sorry for their misfortune. But later I became a single mom with no home, a huge ---36--- and hardly any income. ---37---, I stopped giving and became very bitter.
Several years later, things started to ---38---. I became ---39--- enough to have a home, and ---40--- a backyard, and I started to pull myself out of debt. One day we saw a homeless person with the ---41---, “ Will work for food. ” I ---42---. My daughter asked why I no longer helped the people in ---43---. I replied, “ Honey, they just use that money for ---44--- or other bad things. ” She didn’t respond. But when I said that, it didn’t feel right.
Three days later, I was ---45--- to pick up my daughter from school. A man was standing on the corner and something deep inside ---46--- me to help him. So I stopped my car , and he ran over with enthusiasm. He said, “ God bless you, I only need 77 cents. ” I ---47--- into my ashtray and ---48--- enough, there sat three quarters and two pennies.
Greatly shocked by this ---49---, I gave him all the money in the ashtray. He ---50--- with joy and tears in his eyes, “ You just made it ---51--- for me to see my mom for Christmas ! The bus offering this great sale is ---52--- right away ! ” It was a moment I’ll never forget. I think that man won’t forget it either, but I was the one who got the best ---53--- in life_____giving. It also ---54--- me that nothing is a coincidence, ---55--- everything has meaning.
|
1. |
A. |
debt |
B. |
duty |
C. |
shadow |
D. |
pressure |
|
2. |
A. |
In fact |
B. |
In a word |
C. |
As a result |
D. |
All in all |
|
3. |
A. |
develop |
B. |
worsen |
C. |
vary |
D. |
change |
|
4. |
A. |
fortunate |
B. |
wealthy |
C. |
generous |
D. |
successful |
|
5. |
A. |
even |
B. |
still |
C. |
yet |
D. |
only |
|
6. |
A. |
decoration |
B. |
expression |
C. |
sign |
D. |
announcement |
|
7. |
A. |
got by |
B. |
pulled out |
C. |
passed on |
D. |
passed by |
|
8. |
A. |
emergency |
B. |
danger |
C. |
need |
D. |
panic |
|
9. |
A. |
food |
B. |
alcohol |
C. |
medicine |
D. |
entertainment |
|
10. |
A. |
driving |
B. |
jogging |
C. |
wandering |
D. |
cycling |
|
11. |
A. |
directed |
B. |
challenged |
C. |
permitted |
D. |
drove |
|
12. |
A. |
reached |
B. |
turned |
C. |
broke |
D. |
searched |
|
13. |
A. |
amusingly |
B. |
strangely |
C. |
awkwardly |
D. |
naturally |
|
14. |
A. |
incident |
B. |
condition |
C. |
state |
D. |
coincidence |
|
15. |
A. |
poured out |
B. |
turned out |
C. |
broke out |
D. |
burst out |
|
16. |
A. |
necessary |
B. |
difficult |
C. |
possible |
D. |
suitable |
|
17. |
A. |
queuing |
B. |
leaving |
C. |
setting |
D. |
operating |
|
18. |
A. |
gift |
B. |
time |
C. |
favor |
D. |
honor |
|
19. |
A. |
impresses |
B. |
informs |
C. |
persuades |
D. |
reminds |
|
20. |
A. |
or |
B. |
and |
C. |
so |
D. |
however |
--- Sorry, I made a mistake again.
--- __________. As long as you practise more, you will succeed one day.
A. Never mind B. Certainly not
C. Out of the question D. Don’t mention it
Don’t use words ,expressions or phrases __________ only to people with
specific knowledge.
A. being known B. to be known C. known D. having been known
