Sir,
Just over six months ago, I saw an advertisement in the Morning Mail for a set of the complete works of William Shakespeare. Your company, Cosmo books Ltd., offered this set (eight books of plays and two books of poetry) at what was claimed to be a ‘remarkable’ price: fifteen pounds and fifty pence, including postage and packing. I had wanted a set of Shakespeare’s plays and poems for some time, and these books, in red imitation leather, looked particularly attractive; so I sent for them.
Two weeks later, the books arrived, together with a set of the complete works of Charles Dickens which I had not ordered. So I returned the Dickens books to you, with a cheque for fifteen pounds and fifty pence for the works of Shakespeare. Two more weeks passed. Then there arrived on my door step a second set of the works of Shakespeare, the same set of novels by Dickens and a six book set of the plays of Moliere, in French. Since I do not read French, these were of no use to me at all. However, I could not afford to post all these books back to you, so I wrote to you at the end of August of last year, instructing you to come and collect all the books that I did not want, and asking you not to send any other books until further notice.
You did not reply to that letter. Instead you sent me a bill for forty two pounds, and a set of the plays of Schiller, in German. Since then, a new set of books has arrived every two weeks, the works of Goethe, the poems of Milton, the plays of Strindberg; I hardly know what I have. The books are still all in their boxes, in the garage, and my car has to stand in the rain outside.
I have no room for any more books, and even if I read from now until the Last Judgment, I should not finish reading all the books that you have sent me.
Please send no more books, send no more bills, send no more angry letters demanding payment. Just send one large lorry and take all the books away, leaving me only with the one set of the complete works of Shakespeare for which I have paid.
Yours faithfully,
SIMON WALKER
1.Simon Walker wrote the letter to ________
A．urge for the final solution to the problem with the unwanted books
B．complain about getting books he didn’t want.
C．advise readers not to order books from Cosmo Books Ltd..
D．show his anger to Cosmo Books Ltd...
2.The advertisement that Mr. Walker saw in the Morning Mail was for ________
A．unlimited number of Cosmo Books.
B．fifteen pounds and fifty pence
C．a set of 10 books of the works of Shakespeare.
D．a book containing all the plays and poems of Shakespeare.
3.Mr. Walker answered the advertisement because ________
A．he claimed that the books were being offered at a remarkable price
B．he wanted a set of Shakespeare’s works which was a good bargain.
C．he had ordered the set and had been waiting for them to come for some time.
D．the set he already had was not particularly attractive.
The Donkey Mobile Library
It is a bright morning in the Ethiopian countryside. Yohannes walks beside a pair of donkeys that are pulling a two-wheeled cart. They arrive at the agricultural town of Awassa where Yohannes opens the sides of the cart to display, not the usual vegetables or tools, but children’s books. This is the Donkey Mobile Library, the first of its kind in Ethiopia and one of only a few in the world.
Yohannes was born in Ethiopia, North Africa, but trained to be a librarian in the USA and returned to Ethiopia years ago. The cart is full of picture books donated by American libraries, teachers and school children.
Yohannes arranges small painted benches in the shade of the trees, and suddenly Ethiopian children come shouting and racing down every road and path. It’s mobile library day! They circle the bookshelves with great excitement. Until the Donkey Mobile Library began its regular two-monthly visits, many of these children had never seen a book.
“Without books, education is very dull, like food without salt. You can survive but you can’t really come alive,” says Yohannes. “The ability to read is the basis for greater productivity, better health and longer life. Even though the children lack material goods, with books they can imagine a world of possibilities.”
Yohannes first worked in the children’s section of the main library in America. Surrounded by books he had never seen before, he realized how joyful and imaginative children’s literature is. He says, “I always thought of Ethiopia. But how could I bring children’s books to my home country when it had almost no libraries to keep the books in?”
He contacted Jane Kurtz, a writer born in America but brought up in Ethiopia, and together they created the Donkey Mobile Library. The children say that the Library has given them ideas about what they might do in the future. A child called Dareje wants to be a scientist and find a cure for life-threatening diseases. An eleven year-old girl, Fikerte, wants to do research about the moon and discover new facts about outer space. Tamrat, aged 10, comes every time.
“What brings you back here time and time again?” the librarian asks him.
“The stories,” Tamrat replies instantly.
1.How do the children feel when they see the Donkey Mobile Library?
A．Excited. B．Surprised. C．Interested. D．Curious
2.We can conclude from the passage that .
A．Ethiopian children have no idea about their future
B．Yohannes and Kurtz share similar life experiences
C．most books in the Donkey Mobile Library were bought in America
D．donkey carts in Awassa usually carry vegetables and tools
3.According to the passage, the Donkey Mobile Library .
A．visits the countryside every day B．was created by Yohannes himself
C．benefits Ethiopian children a lot D．was the first of its kind in the world
4.Where is the passage most likely to have been taken from?
A．A book review.. B．A news report C．A historical story. D．An advertisement.
I walked into the grocery store not particularly interested in buying something. The sorrow of 1 my husband of 37 years was still too painful. And this grocery store held so many sweet 2 . Bob often came with me and almost every time he'd 3 to go off and look for something special. I'd always see him walking down the walkway 4 the three yellow roses in his hands. Bob knew I loved yellow roses. With a heart 5 with pain, I came to the meat shelf, I searched for the 6 small steak and remembered how Bob had loved his steak.
Suddenly a woman came beside me. She was in a soft green dress. I 7 as she picked up a large pack of T-bones, 8 them in her basket, hesitated, and then put them back. She saw me watching her and she smiled. "My husband loves T-bones, but 9 , at these prices, I don't know."
"My husband passed away eight days ago," I told her. "Buy him the steaks. And value every 10 you have together."
She smiled and I saw the feeling in her 11 as she placed the package in her basket and 12 away. I turned and pushed my cart forward too. Several minutes later I saw first the green suit and then 13 the pretty lady coming to me. In her arms she carried something. On her face was the 14 smile I had ever seen.
As she came closer, I saw what she held and 15 welled down. "These are for you, " she said and placed three beautiful yellow roses in my arms. She placed a gentle kiss on my cheek, then smiled again. I wanted to tell her what the roses 16 , but still unable to speak. I watched as she walked away as tears clouded my 17 . I looked down at the beautiful roses and found it almost 18 . How did she know?
Suddenly the 19 seemed so clear. I wasn't alone. "Oh, Bob, you haven't 20 me, have you?" I whispered, with tears in my eyes. He was still with me, and she was his angel.
1. A．leaving B．losing C．passing D．failing
2. A．flowers B．roses C．thoughts D．memories
3. A．pretend B．happen C．refuse D．decide
4. A．by B．between C．with D．during
5. A．full B．pleased C．filled D．crowded
6. A．perfect B．beautiful C．pretty D．very
7. A．saw B．watched C．found D．glared
8. A．fell B．carried C．took D．dropped
9. A．honestly B．generally C．usually D．exactly
10. A．dinner B．moment C．time D．year
11. A．hands B．voice C．eyes D．basket
12. A．wheeled B．ran C．slipped D．left
13. A．realized B．thought C．recognized D．received
14. A．saddest B．funniest C．strangest D．brightest
15. A．words B．feelings C．tears D．sweats
16. A．stood B．described C．designed D．meant
17. A．cart B．sight C．roses D．package
18. A．unknown B．uncommon C．unlike D．unreal
19. A．question B．case C．answer D．puzzle
20. A．forgotten B．disappointed C．hated D．missed
— What was last night’s outcome, Mary?
— France ________ beat Germany 2:1 in the thrilling final.
A．heavily B．hardly C．narrowly D．mostly
_______ with so many challenges, Yang Guang, a blind young fellow, didn’t give up; he made great efforts to win success.
A．Facing B．To face C．Face D．Faced
The more one is _______ the English-speaking environment, the better he or she will learn the language.
A．filled in B．exposed to C．caught on D．kept up
