I'm seventeen. I had worked as a box boy at a supermarket in Los Angeles. People came to the counter and you put things in their bags for them and carried things to their cars. It was hard work.
While working, you wear a plate with your name on it. I once met someone I knew years ago. I remembered his name and said, "Mr Castle, how are you?" We talked about this and that. As he left, he said, "It was nice talking to you, Brett." I felt great, he remembered me. Then I looked down at my name plate. Oh, no. He didn't remember me at all, he just read the name plate. I wish I had put "Irving" down on my name plate. If he'd have said, "Oh yes, Irving, how could I forget you?" I'd have been ready for him. There's nothing personal here.
The manager and everyone else who were a step above the box boys often shouted orders. One of these was: you couldn't accept tips. Okay, I'm outside and I put the bags in the car. For a lot of people, the natural reaction is to take a quarter and give it to me. I'd say, "I'm sorry, I can't." They'd get angry. When you give someone a tip, you're sort of being polite. You take a quarter and you put it in their hand and you expect them to say, "Oh, thanks a lot." When you say, "I'm sorry, I can't." They feel a little put down. They say, "No one will know." And they put it in your pocket. You say, "I really can't." It gets to a point where you almost have to hurt a person physically to prevent him from tipping you. It was not in agreement with the store's belief in being friendly. Accepting tips was a friendlything and made the customer feel good. I just couldn't understand the strangeness of some people's ideas.
One lady actually put it in my pocket, got in the car, and drove away. I would have had to throw the quarter at her or eaten it or something.
I had decided that one year was enough. Some people needed the job to stay alive and fed. I guess I had the means and could afford to hate it and give it up.
1.What can be the best title for this text?
A. How Hard Life Is for Box Boys B. Getting along with Customers
C. Why I Gave up My Job D. The Art of Taking Tips
2.From the second paragraph, we can infer that ________.
A. the writer didn't like the impersonal part of his job
B. with a name plate, people can easily start talking
C. Mr Castle mistook Irving for Brett
D. Irving was the writer's real name
3.The box boy refused to accept tips because ________.
A. customers only gave small tips
B. some customers had strange ideas about tipping
C. the store didn't allow the box boys to take tips
D. he didn't want to fight with the customers
4.The underlined phrase "put down" in the third paragraph probably means_______.
A. misunderstood B. defeated
C. hateful D. hurt
Most Americans would have a difficult time telling you, specifically, what are the values which Americans live by. They have never given the matter any thought.
Over the years I have introduced thousands of international visitors to life in the United States. This has caused me to try to look at Americans through the eyes of foreign visitors. I am confident that the values listed in this booklet describe most ( but not all) Americans, and that understanding these values can help you, the international visitor, understand Americans.
It is my belief that if foreign visitors really understand how deeply these 13 values are ingrained in Americans, they will then be able to understand 95% of American actions-actions which might otherwise appear "strange", "confusing", or "unbelievable" when evaluated from the perspective of the foreigner's own society and its values.
The different behaviors of a people or a culture make sense only when seen through the basic beliefs, assumptions and values of that particular group. When you encounter ( meet) an action, or hear a statement in the United States which surprises you, try to see it as an expression of one or more of the values listed in this booklet.
1.An ordinary American can't tell you his/her value system because _____.
A. this is something an American lives by
B. everyone will have his/her own value system
C. he/she has never thought about it
D. values are something often in their thought
2.The author lists 13 values in his booklet to _____.
A. invite foreigners to visit America
B. look at Americans through the eyes of foreign visitors
C. describe the confusing actions of most Americans
D. help international visitors understand Americans
3.The underlined word "ingrained" in Line 2, Paragraph 3 most probably means _____.
A. rooted in the minds B. found in the grains
C. planted for food D. prepared with grain
4.Visitors sometimes find Americans behave in a strange, confusing or unbelievable way, probably because _____.
A. Americans are hard to understand
B. Americans have values which are entirely different from their own
C. they view Americans according to the values in their own society
D. it is difficult to understand any people when you first encounter them
My husband and I insisted that our children were old enough to clean their rooms and make their beds. But they thought . My complaints, even self-justified shouting, were always landing on ears. Very often a whole hour’s scolding would end with their into tears, I felt very frustrated. I realized I needed to my method of “mothering”.
One day when they were at school, I spent some time their rooms. On their desks, in plain , I left the cards: “Dear Bill (the other card was to Sarah), your room was messy this morning and I’m sure you like it clean. Love, the Room Fairy.” arriving back, the children were excited to receive the little note from the Room Fairy. The next day, their rooms were fairly tidy. Sure enough, there was another note from the Room Fairy __ for them, thanking them for their nice “gift” of a clean room and asking them to play a certain violin . Each day, thank--you notes would be written differently to keep the ideas .
Sometimes the Room Fairy would propose a little : “If you can finish your homework and your lessons before dinner, I’ d like to watch a particular television program with you tonight.” Sometimes some colored markers or other little items would be left in of well done jobs the day .
I can’t remember how long “the Room Fairy” continued leaving her love notes. When they were age appropriate, we used various versions of Post-Its(贴条). The bathroom mirror became the centre of our home. Appointments, notices about visiting relatives, lesson schedules, and changes in plans could be posted.
We all benefited from and the idea of sharing reminders and daily details of life through notes. I believe the true advantage of the Room Fairy notes survives in our frequent and enjoyable communication.
1.A. indifferently B. gratefully C. doubtfully D. otherwise
2.A. side B. deaf C. neither D. either
3.A. crying B. breaking C. bursting D. bumping
4.A. adjust B. adopt C. access D. addict
5.A. clearing B. tidying C. emptying D. searching
6.A. distance B. words C. speech D. sight
7.A. sent B. read C. delivered D. addressed
8.A. As B. At C. In D. Upon
9.A. more than B. rather than C. no more than D. other than
10.A. asking B. waiting C. praying D. expecting
11.A. politely B. happily C. gently D. toughly
12.A. music B. song C. piece D. tone
13.A. respectable B. uninteresting C. incredible D. fresh
14.A. challenge B. question C. suggestion D. advice
15.A. go with B. look up C. go over D. look into
16.A. response B. answer C. praise D. honor
17.A. ahead B. before C. over D. ago
18.A. Actually B. Even so C. Even if D. Though
19.A. life B. main C. memory D. reminder
20.A. learned B. appreciated C. shared D. thanked
---I saw you and Ann do some gardening yesterday afternoon. Why didn’t you take part in Sam’s wedding ceremony?
---I_____. But my car _____.
A. would; was fixed B. would have; was fixed
C. would have; was being fixed D. did; was being fixed
Once plastic pollution ______in most public areas, it is hard______.
A. rises; dealing with B. arises; to be dealt with
C. raises; dealt with D. arises; to deal with
Anyway, we’re here now, so let’s _______ some serious work.
A. come up with B. get down to
C. do away with D. live up to
