I was waiting for a phone call from my agent. He had left a message the night before, telling me that my show was to be cancelled. I called him several times, but each time his secretary told me that he was in a meeting and that he would call me later. So I waited and waited, but there was still no call. Three hours passing by, I became more and more impatient. I was certain that my agent didn’t care about my work, and he didn’t care about me. I was overcome with that thought. I started to shout at the phone, “Let me wait, will you? Who do you think you are?”
At that time I didn’t realize my wife was looking on. Without showing her surprise, she rushed in, seized the phone, tore off the wires, and shouted at the phone, “Yeah! Who do you think you are? Bad telephone! Bad telephone! ” And she swept it into the wastebasket.
I stood watching her, speechless. What on earth…?
She stepped to the doorway and shouted at the rest of the house, “Now hear this! All objects in this room——if you do anything to upset my husband, out you go!”
Then she turned to me, kissed me, and said calmly, “Honey, you just have to learn how to take control.” With that, she left the room.
After watching a crazy woman rushing in and out, shouting at everything in sight, I noticed that something in my mood had changed. I was laughing. How could I have trouble with that phone? Her antics helped me realize I had been driven crazy by small things. Twenty minutes later my agent did call. I was able to listen to him and talk to him calmly.
1.Why did the author shout at the telephone?
A. He was mad at the telephone.
B. He was angry with his agent.
C. He was anxious about his wife.
D. He was impatient with the secretary.
2.What did the author’s wife do after she heard his shouting?
A. She said nothing. B. She shouted at him.
C. She called the agent. D. She threw the phone away.
3.What made the author laugh?
A. His own behavior. B. His wife’s suggestion.
C. His changeable feelings. D. His wife’s sweet kiss.
4.What does the underlined word “antics”(in the last paragraph) refer to?
A. Smart words. B. Unusual actions.
C. Surprising looks. D. Anxious feelings.
Students in many countries are learning English. Some of these students are small children. Others are teenagers. Many are adults. Some learn at school, others by themselves. A few learn English by learning the language over the radio, on TV, or in film. One must work hard to learn another language.
Why do all these people want to learn English? It is difficult to answer this question. Many boys and girls learn English at school because it is one of their subjects required for study. They study their own language and English. Some people learn it because it is useful for their work. Many people learn English for their work. Many people learn English for their higher studies, because at college or university some of their books are in English. Other people learn English because they want to read newspapers or magazines in English.
1.People learn English _______.
A. at school B. over the radio
C. on TV D. not all in the same way
2.Different kinds of people want to learn English _______.
A. together with other subjects B. for different reasons
C. for their work D. for higher studies at colleges
3.From this passage we know that _______.
A. we can learn English easily
B. English is very difficult to learn
C. English is learned by most people in the world
D. English is a useful language but one must work hard to learn
4.Which of the following is TRUE?
A. We don't need to learn any foreign languages.
B. We can do well in all our work without English.
C. English is the most important subject in schools.
D. We should learn English because we need to face the world.
A few weeks after my first wife, Georgia, was called to heaven, I was cooking dinner for my son and myself. For a 11 , I had decided on frozen peas. As I was cutting open the bag, it 12 from my hand and crashed to the floor. The peas, like marbles(弹珠), 13 everywhere. I tried to use a broom(扫帚), 14 with each sweep, they just rolled across the kitchen.
For the next week, every time I was in the 15 , I found a pea——in a corner, or behind a table leg. They kept 16 . Eight months later I pulled out the refrigerator to clean behind it, and 17__ 12 frozen peas hidden underneath．
At the time I found those few remaining 18 , I was in a new relationship with a wonderful __19 I’d met in a support group. After we married, I was reminded 20 those peas under the refrigerator, and realized that my 21 had been like that bag of frozen peas. It had scattered(分散). My wife had died; I was in a new city with a busy job, and with a son having trouble 22 his new surroundings and the 23 of his mother. I was a bag of spilled frozen peas; my life had come apart and scattered.
When life gets you 24 , when everything you know comes apart, and when you think you’ll never 25 , remember that it’s just a bag of scattered frozen peas. The peas can be 26 , and life will move on. You’ll find all the peas 27 , including the ones that are hardest to find. And when you’ve got them 28 you’ll start to feel whole again.
The life you know can break apart at any time. But you’ll have to 29 , and how fast you collect your peas depends on you. Will you keep scattering them around with a broom, 30 will you pick them up one by one and put your life back together?
1.A. drink B. fruit C. vegetable D. meat
2.A. moved B. walked C. ran D. slipped
3.A. rubbed B. rolled C. grew D. existed
4.A. but B. and C. although D. so
5.A. bedroom B. living room C. kitchen D. storeroom
6.A. getting up B. turning up C. taking up D. using up
7.A. found B. ate C. left D. planted
8.A. presents B. cans C. vegetables D. peas
9.A. man B. child C. woman D. boy
10.A. of B. for C. with D. in
11.A. wife B. life C. son D. friend
12.A. turning to B. leading to C. adjusting to D. adding to
13.A. thank B. love C. help D. loss
14.A. down B. near C. close D. wide
15.A. get it B. make it C. take it D. leave it
16.A. grew B. bought C. collected D. frozen
17.A. eventually B. fortunately C. properly D. specially
18.A. both B. all C. either D. each
19.A. call on B. put on C. bring on D. move on
20.A. while B. because C. since D. or
Oh, much smoke here! Somebody _______ the window, please.
A. opens B. open C. shall open D. will open
I got to the office earlier that day, _______ the 7:30 train from Paddington.
A. caught B. to have caught
C. to catch D. having caught
——Well, Jane has many advantages, too.
——Oh, yes. _______ others are weak, she is strong.
A. If B. Where C. Though D. When
