A year after graduation, I was offered a position teaching a writing class. Teaching was a profession I had never seriously considered, though several of my stories had been published. I accepted the job without hesitation, as it would allow me to wear a tie and go by the name of Mr. Davis. My father went by the same name, and I liked to imagine people getting the two of us confused. “Wait a minute,” someone might say, “are you talking about Mr. Davis the retired man, or Mr. Davis the respectable scholar?”
The position was offered at the last minute, and I was given two weeks to prepare, a period I spent searching for briefcase (公文包) and standing before my full-length mirror, repeating the words, “Hello, class. I’m Mr. Davis.” Sometimes I would give myself an aggressive voice. Sometimes I would sound experienced. But when the day eventually came, my nerves kicked in and the true Mr. Davis was there. I sounded not like a thoughtful professor, but rather a 12-year-old boy.
I arrived in the classroom with paper cards designed in the shape of maple leaves. I had cut them myself out of orange construction paper. I saw nine students along a long table. I handed out the cards, and the students wrote down their names and fastened them to their breast pockets as I required.
“All right then,” I said. “Okay, here we go.” Then I opened my briefcase and realized that I had never thought beyond this moment. I had been thinking that the students would be the first to talk, offering their thoughts and opinions on the events of the day. I had imagined that I would sit at the edge of the desk, overlooking a forests of hands. Every student would yell. “Calm down, you’ll all get your turn. One at a time, one at a time!”
A terrible silence ruled the room, and seeing no other opinions, I inspected the students to pull out their notebooks and write a brief essay related to the theme of deep disappointment.
1.The author took the job to teach writing because ______.
A. he wanted to be expected
B. he had written some storied
C. he wanted to please his father
D. he had dreamed of being a teacher
2.What can we learn about the author from Paragraph 2 ?
A. He would be aggressive in his first class.
B. He was well-prepared for his first class.
C. He got nervous upon the arrival of his first class.
D. He waited long for the arrival of his first class.
3.Before he started his class, the author asked the students to ______.
A. write down their suggestions on the paper cards
B. cut maple leaves out of the construction paper
C. cut some cards out of the construction paper
D. write down their names on the paper cards
4.What did the students do when the author started his class?
A. They began to talk. B. They stayed silent.
C. They raised their hands. D. They shouted to be heard.
5.The author chose the composition topic probably because ______.
A. he got disappointed with his first class
B. he had prepared the topic before class
C. he wanted to calm down the students
D. he thought it was an easy topic
There was a gardener who looked after his garden with great care.To water his flowers,he used two buckets.One was a shiny and new bucket.The other was a very old and dilapidated one,which had seen many years of service,but was now past its best.
Every morning, the gardener would fill up the two buckets.Then he would carry them along the path,one on each side,to the flowerbeds.The new bucket was very proud of itself.It could carry a full bucket of water without a single drop spilled(溢出).The old bucket felt very ashamed because of its holes:before it reached the flowerbeds,much water had leaked along the path.
Sometimes the new bucket would say,“See how capable I am ! How good it is that the gardener has me to water the flowers every day ! I don’t know why he still bothers with you.What a waste of space you are !”
And all that the old bucket could say was,“I know I’m not very useful,but I can only do my best.I'm happy that the gardener still finds a little bit of use in me,at least. ”
One day,the gardener heard that kind of conversation.After watering the flowers as usual,he said,“You both have done your work very well.Now I am going to carry you back.I want you to look carefully along the path.”
Then the two buckets did so.All along the path,they noticed,on the side where the new bucket was carried,there was just bare(光秃秃的)earth;on the other side where the old bucket was carried,there was a joyous row of wild flowers,leading all the way to the garden.
1.What does the underlined word “dilapidated” probably mean ?
A.dirty. B.dark. C.worn-out. D.plain-looking.
2.What was the old bucket ashamed of ?
A.His past. B.His aging. C.His manner. D.His leaking.
3.The new bucket made conversations with the old one mainly to _______.
A.laugh at the old one B.take pity on the old one
C.show off its beautiful looks D.praise the gardener’s kindness
4.Why was the old bucket still kept by the gardener?
A.Because it was used to keep a balance.
B.Because it stayed in its best condition.
C.Because it was taken as a treasure.
D.Because it had its own function.
Diana Velez does everything with great effort---and at maximum speed.That 21 learning a new language,completing two certificates(证书) and opening a store.
When arriving in Canada in 2008,she set one 22 :to have what she had back home in Colombia.“I didn’t want to 23 what I do,like those who come to a new country,”she said.“I 24 to open a store here in Canada but knew I had to 25 myself properly.”
Diana quickly realized that turning her dream of shop ownership in Canada a 26 meant going to school to get the 27 education and certification.“My experience of owning a shop and working as a designer in Colombia gave me 28 in my abilities,but I couldn’t speak the language and I had to 29 how to do things in Canada.It was like having to 30 all over again,”said Diana.
31 ,she found just the help she needed for her re-launch (重新开张) 32 continuing education at George Brown College.She began taking 33 for both the Essential Skills in Fashion Certificate and the Image Consulting Certificate in May 2009. 34 Diana met with the language barrier(困难),she was always going 35 while at college.
By the end of October 2009, she had completed all certificate requirements.Within two years after her 36 in Canada,Diana at last achieved her 37 goal when her new store opened its doors in Toronto’s Sheppard Centre.She was on the fast-track to 38 .
Looking back,Diana,a fashion(时装)designer, 39 her achievements to the goal she set,the education she received from the college,and 40 ,the efforts she made.Now Diana is very happy doing what she is doing.
1.A.requires B.encourages C.includes D.advises
2.A.goal B.memory C.choice D.problem
3.A.continue B.choose C.change D.lose
4.A.demanded B.decided C.agreed D.hesitated
5.A.teach B.prepare C.enjoy D.persuade
6.A.reality B.fact C.challenge D.wonder
7.A.physical B.private C.primary D.necessary
8.A.pressure B. judgment C.influence D.confidence
9.A.put away B.depend on C.learn about D.look into
10.A.advance B.start C.suffer D.work
11.A.Naturally B.Gradually C.Luckily D.Clearly
12.A.through B.for C.before D.with
13.A.notes B.responsibilities C.chances D.courses
14.A.Though B.As C.Since D.Once
15.A.around B.back C.ahead D.out
16.A.adventure B.arrival C.performance D.journey
17.A.original B.common C.another D.distant
18.A.success B.wealth C.glory D.happiness
19.A.adds B.connects C.devotes D. owes
20.A.after all B.above all C.at least D.at first
She was surprised to find the fridge empty;the children _____ everything !
A.had been eating B.had eaten
C.have eaten D.have been eating
There’s a ______in our office that when it’s somebody’s birthday,they bring in a cake for us all to share.
A.tradition B.balance C.concern D.relationship
We've offered her the job,but I don’t know ____she’ll accept it.
A.where B.what C.whether D.which