The Touchstone
When the great library of Alexandria burned, the story goes, one book was saved. But it was not a valuable book; and so a poor man, who could read a little, bought it for very little money.
The book wasn’t very interesting, but between its pages there was something very interesting indeed. It was a thin strip of vellum on which was written the secret of the “Touchstone”! The touchstone was a small pebble that could turn any common metal into pure gold.
The writing explained that it was lying among thousands and thousands of other pebbles that looked exactly like it. But the secret was this: The real stone would feel warm, while ordinary pebbles are cold.
So the man sold his few belongings, bought some simple supplies, camped on the seashore, and began testing pebbles. He knew that if he picked up ordinary pebbles and threw them down again because they were cold, he might pick up the same pebble hundreds of times. So, when he felt one that was cold, he threw it into the sea. He spent a whole day doing this but none of them was the touchstone. Yet he went on and on this way. Pick up a pebble. Cold - throw it into the sea. Pick up another. Throw it into the sea. Pick up another. Throw it into the sea.
The days stretched into weeks and the weeks into months. One day, however, about mid-afternoon, he picked up a pebble and it was warm. He threw it into the sea before he realized what he had done. He had formed such a strong habit of throwing each pebble into the sea that when the one he wanted came along he still threw it away.
So it is with opportunity. Unless we are careful, it’s easy to fail to recognize an opportunity when it is in hand, and it’s just as easy to throw it away.
1.The man bought the book because _____________.
A. he wanted to read it B. it was very interesting
C. there was a secret in the book D. he wanted to find the touchstone
2. We can learn from the passage that the touchstone is _________.
A. pure B. cold C. magic D. big
3. Why did the man throw the pebbles into the sea?
A. Because he didn’t want to get the same pebbles.
B. Because he didn’t want others to pick them up.
C. Because he didn’t like their ordinary looks.
D. Because he didn’t like the cold feelings.
4. What does the author want to tell us in the passage?
A. We should offer opportunities in our life.
B. We should seek for opportunities in the world.
C. We may seize opportunities when we are watchful.
D. We may discover opportunities when forming habits.
完型填空（共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分）
When I was 14, I was hired for an after-school job selling subscriptions (征订，订阅) to my hometown paper, the Houston Post. I was sent to some of the city’s worst neighborhoods to “beg” door-to-door. Even though I was often moving around after dark in bad areas __36__ for garage apartments, I was __37__ for the work.
It was a __38__ because people didn’t like a stranger knocking on their door, __39__ a kid trying to get them to buy something. On one ___40__, a man shut his door heavily in my face and __41__, “I don’t want your damn paper.” I __42__ myself to knock again and was able to tell him how great the paper was. I __43__ selling him a subscription. I was soon among the __44__ subscription sellers and, like other successful __45__, was given responsibility for training newcomers.
__46__ this time I started playing the harmonica and guitar. Before long I was playing in a __47__ at barbecues and other events. When I __48__ 18, I focused my __49__ on becoming a professional musician. I never lost ___50___ of this dream. I’m sure my determination came from what I __51___ knocking on strangers’ doors.
That ___52___ helped me in many ways. Early in my music career I was locked in a legal disagreement with a former manager. He ___53__ me to back off, but I refused.
Having all those doors shut in my face as a kid gave me the ___54___to stand up to this frightening figure. Except this time there was one ___55___: I was the one saying no. And I won.
1.A. leaving B. searching C. reaching D. asking
2. A. sorry B. ready C. doubtful D. thankful
3. A. challenge B. puzzle C. surprise D. failure
4.A. certainly B. obviously C. especially D. usually
5. A. time B. occasion C. day D. place
6. A. screamed B. whispered C. begged D. announced
7.A. allowed B. forced C. wished D. reminded
8.A. ended up B. gave up C. picked up D. kept up
9. A. rich B. large C. fast D. top
10.A. reporters B. managers C. salesmen D. secretaries
11. A. For B. Since C. Around D. Until
12. A. concert B. band C. kitchen D. party
13. A. seemed B. grew C. appeared D. turned
14.A. attention B. attraction C. service D. trust
15. A. sight B. use C. ability D. fortune
16. A. accepted B. decided C. expected D. learned
17. A. experience B. problem C. story D. introduction
18. A. invited B. pressured C. excused D. charged
19. A. pain B. right C. strength D. imagination
20. A. conclusion B. difference C. chance D. decision
These people were mentioned at the meeting, , Tom, Helen and Brown.
A. specially B. especially C. simply D. namely
When the man came in, gun in hand, we all stood there, ________．
A. astonished B. astonishing
C. being astonished D. having astonished
---The skirt is too expensive; its color too dark, and．．．．
---____．Is there anyone so particular like you?
A. Take it or leave it B. Can't complain too much
C. Go ahead D. Cheer up
As a boy of six, .
A. Tim’s parents asked him to play the piano every day.
B. Tim and his parents would play the piano together.
C. Tim had to practice playing the piano every day.
D. to learn playing the piano is too hard for Tim.
