Work is a part of living —my grandparents understood that. They lived and worked on a farm that has been in my family for 150 years. They raised chickens for eggs , pigs and cattle for meat . Cows were kept for milk and the cream, from which Grandma made butter and cheese. What little yard they had became a garden.
The Depression, therefore, didn’t make much change in their lives. But it did bring an unending flow of men out of work, drifting from job to job, to the farm. The first to show up at the door of the kitchen was a man in rags. He took off his hat and quietly explained that he hadn’t eaten for a while. Grandpa stood watching him a bit , then said , “There’s a stack of firewood against the fence behind the barn (谷仓). I’ve been needing to get it moved to the other side of the fence . You have just about enough time to finish the job before lunch .”
Grandma said a surprising thing happened. The man got a shine in his eyes and he hurried to the barn at once. She set another place at the table and made an apple pie. During lunch, the stranger didn’t say much, but when he left, his shoulders had straightened. “Nothing ruins a man like losing his self-respect,” Grandpa later told me.
Soon after, another man showed up asking for a meal. This one was dressed in a suit and carried a small old suitcase. Grandpa came out when he heard voices. He looked at the man and then offered a handshake.” There is a stack of firewood along the fence down behind the barn I’ve been meaning to get it moved. It’d sure be a help to me . And we’d be pleased to have you stay for lunch.” The fellow set his suitcase aside and neatly laid his coat on top. Then he set off to work.
Grandma says she doesn’t remember how many strangers they shared a meal with during those Depression days-or how many times that stack of wood got moved.
1.When he was asked to move a stack of firewood, the first man who asked for a meal got a shine in his eyes for he was glad that .
A.he had found a good job |
B.he would have something to eat |
C.he would no longer suffer from the Depression |
D.he would get what he wanted without losing his self-respect |
2.The writer’s grandfather asked those jobless men to move the stack of firewood because ____ .
A.he didn’t want them to have a meal free of charge |
B.he had been needing to get it moved |
C.he wanted to help them in his own way |
D.he wanted to show them his kindness and respect |
3.The writer’s grandfather was all of the following but .
A.kind |
B.thoughtful |
C.wealthy |
D.sympathetic |
4.The best title for the story would be .
A.The Depression |
B.The Pleasure of Helping Others |
C.No Pains , No Gains |
D.Work-A Part of Living |
Thomas Edison was one of ten said to be the greatest genius of his age.There are only a few men in all of the history, who have changed the lives of other men as much as the inventor of the first useful electric light.But Edison could never be happy only because someone said he was a genius.“ There is no such thing as genius,”Edison said.He said that what people called genius was mostly hard work.
But Edison was a dreamer as well as a worker..From his earliest days as a child he wondered about the secrets of nature.Nature, he often said,is full of secrets.He tried to understand them;then, he tried to learn what could usefully be done with them.
Edison enjoyed thinking. He knew that most people will do almost anything instead of the difficult work of thinking, especially if they do not think very often. But he knew, too, that thinking can give men enjoyment and pleasure.
Edison could not understand how anyone could be uninterested in life. As he loved to think, he also loved to work. On the day he became 75 years old, someone asked him what ideas he had about life. “ Work,” he answered. “Discovering the secrets of nature and using them to make men happier.” He said he had enough inventions in his mind to give him another 100 years of work.
1.Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
A.Edison invented the electric light. |
B.Many other people have changed Edison’s life. |
C.Edison has changed the life of many other people. |
D.Few men in history can change other people’s life. |
2.Edison thought __________.
A.he could be happy if he was a genius |
B.genius plays the most important part in one’s success |
C.hard work could do better than genius |
D.genius could do better than hard work |
3.Edison was __________.
A.very much interested in nature |
B.interested in discovering the secrets of nature |
C.interested in changing people’s ideas |
D.uninterested in making people happier by discovering the secrets of nature |
4.In Edison’s opinion, _________.
A.thinking can supply people with enjoyment and pleasure as well as help |
B.people’s successs lies mostly in genius |
C.hard work is the second important thing in making people successful |
D.there are few secrets for him to discover later |
5.The last sentence in the passage most probably implies _________.
A.life is too short for Edison to invent more for human beings |
B.Edison made 100 inventions in his life |
C.Edison was able to live and work for 100 years |
D.People of his time were ready to give Edison another 100 years’ work |
When I was six, Dad brought home a dog one day, who was called “Brownie”. My brothers and I all loved Brownie and did different things with her. One of us would walk her, another would feed her, then there were baths, playing catch and many other games, Brownie, in return. loved each and every one of us. One thing that most touched my heart was that she would go to whoever was sick and just be with them .We always felt better when she was around.
One day, as I was getting her food, she chewed up(咬破)one of Dad’s shoes, which had to be thrown away in the end. I knew Dad would be mad and I had to let her know what she did was wrong. When I looked at her and said, ”Bad girl,” she looked down at the ground and then went and hid. I saw a tear in her eyes.
Brownie turned out to be more than just our family pet, she went everywhere with us .People would stop and ask if they could pet her. Of course she’d let anyone pet her. She was just the most lovable dog. There were many times when we’d be out walking and a small child would come over and pull on her hair. she never barked(吠) or tried to get away. Funny thing is she would smile. This frightened people because they thought she was showing her teeth. Far from the truth, she lovely everyone.
Now many years have passed since Brownie died of old age. I still miss days when she was with us.
1.What would Brownie do when someone was ill in the family?
A.Look at them sadly. |
B.Touch them gently. |
C.Play games with them. |
D.Keep them company. |
2.We can infer from Paragraph 2 that Brownie__________.
A.world eat anything when hungry |
B.felt sorry for her mistake |
C.loved playing hide-and-seek |
D.disliked the author’s dad |
It was pouring outside. We all stood there 26 , some patiently , others annoyed 27 nature messed up (弄糟) their hurried day . I got lost in the sound and sight of the heavens 28 away the dirt and dust of the world.
“Mom, let’s run through the rain,” a girl’s voice 29 me.
“No, honey. We’ll wait until it 30 down a bit,” Mom replied.
The young girl waited about another minute and 31 : “Mom, let’s run through the rain.”
“We’ll get wet if we do,” Mom said.
“No, we won’t, Mom. That’s not what you said this morning,” the young girl said as she 32 her Mom’s arm.
“This morning? 33 did I say we could run through the rain and not get wet?”
“Don’t you remember? When you were talking to Daddy about his cancer, you said,” If God can get us through this, he can get us through 34 .”
The entire crowd turned 35 . Mom paused and thought for a moment about 36 she would say. Now some would laugh it off and scold her for being 37 . But then we heard, “Honey, you are 38 . Let’s run through the rain. If we get wet, maybe we just need washing,” Mom said. Then 39 they ran.
We all stood 40 , smiling and laughing as they ran past the cars. Yes, they got wet. But they were 41 by a few who screamed and laughed like children all the 42 to their cars. Circumstances (境况) or people can take away your material possessions, and they can even take away your 43 . But no one can ever take away your precious 44 . So, don’t forget to make time and take the 45 to make memories every day! I hope you still take the time to run through the rain.
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In American there are more households with pets than ____ with children.
A.those |
B.these |
C.ones |
D.that |
— How is everything going on with you in America.
—Quite well. Not so smoothly as I expected, _______.
A.Instead |
B.too |
C.either |
D.though |