When Jeanne Calment entered the world in 1875, telephones and automobiles still lay in the future. Albert Einstein and Pablo Picasso were not yet born. The Eiffel Tower was 14 years from being built. As a teenager, she met Vincent Van Gogh, near her home in Arles, in the south of France. He was “very ugly, ungracious (举止粗俗的), impolite, sick—I forgive him, they called him loco (精神失常的)”, she recalled. When she died last week at age 122, she was the world’s eldest person. (There are others who claimed to the title, but only Calment had the official documents to prove her age.)
Each February 21, her birthday, she would share the secrets of long life. Some years it was “a sense of humour”, others it was “keeping busy”. “God must have forgotten me,” she once explained. The truth probably was that she had good genes: her mother reportedly lived to be 86 and her father 94.
Her life had its sadness: she outlived her husband, her only daughter and her grandson. According to a friend, she was imperturbable. “If you can’t do anything about it,” she reportedly said, “don’t worry about it.”
In her last years she was nearly blind and deaf, but her health remained good. She ate a few bars of chocolate each week and continued smoking until a few years ago, when she could no longer light her own cigarettes. She never lost her sense of humour. On her 110th birthday, she commented, “I’ve only ever had one wrinkle, and I’m sitting on it. “Her longevity made her famous; her spirit made her eternal (永恒的).
1.Why does the author mention Albert Einstein, Pablo Picasso and the Eiffel Tower?
A. To show that Calment had seen famous people and things.
B. To emphasize that Calment was born a long time ago.
C. To indicate that Calment is just as famous.
D. To admire the knowledge that Calment had.
2.The author believed that Calment’s longevity is mainly due to ______.
A. a sense of humor B. being kept busy
C. belief in God D. good genes
3.The underlined word “imperturbable” means ________.
A. calm B. humorous C. friendly D. healthy
4.Toward the end of the story, the author seems to be impressed by Callment ’s _________.
A. spirit B. religious belief C. knowledge D. longevity
My husband, a simple man, has a favorite saying: “A bargain is really a bargain when you don’t buy it”. ___21___ he sets aside his simple ways when we dine out. Unlike his relatives who enter a restaurant armed with calculators to make sure they never ___22___, my husband___23___ 5 percent each time the accepted tip standard increases. He hasn’t analyzed why he tips so generously, but I think the habit ___24___ from his high school years, when he worked as a busboy(饭店打杂工) and got tips from people he served.
Over the years, out growing boys would suggest that Dad let them ___25___ dessert rather than tip so much. He stood firm ___26___ their strong demands. Our sons and I have __27___ to accept his habit. We recently ___28___ our son’s girlfriend to seafood. We chose a restaurant near Cocoa Beach. Our server, a grandmotherly woman ___29___ at the artof service, flew around the restaurant serving dishes and drinks ___30___ treating customers enthusiastically. She remembered their special ___31___, likes and dislikes. She didn’t serve us ___32___ food. She served us the best food. She made sure the kitchen gave her fresh produce. At the end of the meal, our waitress ___33___ the bill, then went to ___34___ to the growing crowd of other diners. My husband paid with a credit card and added her tip. When we left, “Mr. Goldsmith!”she called waving a receipt(发票)at him, “Thank you.” “What did you give her?”I asked, wondering if he had done something ___35___ or made acalculation error. “She gave us great service. I just thought she deserved a big ___36___ in tips.It wasn’t until later when I overheard our son retelling the story of the grateful waitress that I realized she had given my family something ___37___ a thank you. She showed our son the __38___ of recognizing hard work. Her show of gratitudehelped a dad earn a bit more ___39___ from a loving son. And it reminded me just why I married this ___40___, caring man.
1.A. Therefore B. Yet C. Instead D. Besides
2.A. overtip B. overspend C. overcharge D. overwaste
3.A. adds B. supplies C. refuses D. provides
4.A. developed B. resulted C. appeared D. changed
5.A. order B. choose C. book D. ask
6.A. for B. to C. against D. upon
7.A. decided B. agreed C. come D. happened
8.A. helped B. requested C. treated D. cooked
9.A. quick B. familiar C. weak D. skilled
10.A. so that B. after C. with D. while
11.A. characters B. features C. tastes D. favorites
12. A. cheap B. special C. average D. delicious
13.A. presented B. took C. delivered D. settled
14. A. turn B. talk C. wait D. attend
15.A. demanding B. ashamed C. unreasonable D. puzzling
16.A. rise B. reward C. pay D. prize
17.A. little more than B. more than C. rather than D. other than
18.A. importance B. situation C. meaning D. effort
19. A. attention B. care C. praise D. respect
20.A. easy-going B. thoughtful C. tough D. serious
Once a decision has been made, all of us should _______ it.
A direct to B stick to C lead to D refer to
It’s the sort of work that _______a high level of concentration.
A. calls for B. makes up C. lies in D. stands for
There are many books on the shelf. But only one of them is ______.
A. worth to read B. worth being read C. worthy of reading D. worth reading
Much______ he has a good taste，he can’t avoid being influenced by advertisements.
A. that he claims B. does he claim C. as he claims D. is it that he claims
