I fell in love with England because it was quaint（古雅）---all those little houses, looking terribly old-fashioned but nice, like dolls’ houses. I loved the countryside and the pubs, and I loved London. I’ve slightly changed my mind after seventeen years because I think it’s an ugly town now.
Things have changed. For everybody, England meant gentlemen, fair play, and good manners. The fair play is going, unfortunately, and so are the gentlemanly attitudes and good manners---people shut doors heavily to your face and politeness is disappearing.
I regret that there are so few comfortable meeting places. You’re forced to live indoors. In Paris I go out much more, to restaurants and nightclubs. To meet friends here it usually has to be in a pub, and it can be difficult to go there alone as a woman. The cafes are not terribly nice.
As a woman, I feel unsafe here. I spend a bomb（大量的钱）on taxis because I will not take public transport after 10 p. m. I used to use it, but now I’m afraid.
The idea of family seems to be more or less non-existent in England. My family is well united and that’s typically French. In Middlesex I had a neighbor who is 82 now. His family only lived two miles away, but I took him to France for Christmas once because he was always alone.
1.The writer doesn’t like London because she______.
A. has to be polite to everyone she meets there
B. has lived there for seventeen years
C. prefers to live in an old-fashioned house
D. is not used to the life there now
2.Where do people usually meet their friends in England? ______.
A. In a cafe. B. In a restaurant
C. In a night club D. In a pub.
3.The underlined part “it” (in Para. 4) refers to______.
A. a taxi B. the money
C. public transport D. a bomb
I am a music store owner. One day, when I was cleaning the instruments in my store, I saw an old man come in. His short steps dragged on the carpet. “Is 77 too old to learn the banjo (班卓琴)?” he asked.
“You can learn to play it well,” I replied, holding back my doubts. My mind told me I was giving false encouragement. I reached the instructor’s schedule and gave the rates, the available time and the additional information that he would need. To my surprise and delight, the old man, Carl, began banjo lessons three days later with my most patient teacher.
With nothing to do at home but practice, Carl made surprising progress. After breakfast he practiced for his required half hour. While waiting for lunch he picked up his banjo again for just a couple of minutes. Since TV was difficult for him to see and hear, he often played the banjo in the evenings. Carl was always early for lessons so it was a surprise that he didn’t arrive one Tuesday.
The next morning I listened to the answering machine with sadness. “Carl’s in hospital,” the voice recorded.
Two months later, I shared the newspaper obituary with the banjo teacher. We both shed tears for a surprisingly clever banjo student.
Several months later, a woman came into the store carrying a plant. “This is for Carl’s banjo teacher,” she said. “I’m his wife, Mary.”
“Why did Carl want to play the banjo?” I asked. Mary took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Carl was at some show when he was 10 years old. He came close to the stage to watch the performers. When they were packing up their instruments, the banjo player said to Carl, ‘You want to see this up close?’ Carl climbed up on the stage and from then on he wanted to play the banjo.” Carl had waited 67 years to realize a dream! Mary gave the plant to Carl’s banjo teacher. “Thank you for the best six months of his life,” she said.
1.How did Carl learn to play the banjo well?
A. By taking short cuts.
B. By working hard.
C. By asking his wife to help him.
D. By finding the best teacher.
2.From Paragraph 2, we can know the author ______.
A. encouraged Carl though he had doubts
B. was giving true encouragement
C. didn’t want to encourage Carl
D. was unwilling to help Carl
3.The underlined word “obituary” in Para.5 means a notice that _______.
A. announces a good piece of news
B. announces somebody is needed
C. announces somebody has died
D. announces a gift for somebody
4.Why did Carl want to learn banjo?
A. He wanted to become a banjo performer.
B. He wanted to make his dream of his young age come true.
C. His wife encouraged him to learn it.
D. He wanted to spend the last best six months of his life.
She was chosen to be the first secretary of the state government and has regular and immediate ___________ to the president.
A. opportunity B. control C. effect D. access
In English-speaking countries, a person with a large vocabulary is _______ a walking dictionary.
A. referred to B. compared to
C. thought of D. devoted to
Enough of it! Nobody here thinks what you are saying should make any ______.
A. excuse B. sense C. use D. value
—What are you reading, Tom?
--I’m not really reading, just _________ the pages.
A. turning over B. turning off
C. turning around D. turning up
