One day, a train was approaching the small town of Cheekyville. On the train was

One day, a train was approaching the small town of Cheekyville. On the train was

题型:不详难度:来源:
One day, a train was approaching the small town of Cheekyville. On the train was a   1  man with a big suitcase. He was called William Warbler and he looked very   2  indeed. But what made him most unusual was the fact that whenever he needed to   3  , he did so by singing opera. Even if someone said “good day” to him, he would clear his throat and   4  : “Goood dayyy to youuuuuu..... toooooo!”
Almost everyone considered William unusual, since no one could get a normal   5   word out of him. As no one knew how he made his living — he lived quite   6  , always wearing the same old second-hand suit — they often had no ___7__for him and sometimes even made fun of him.
William had been in Cheekyville for some years, when one day a rumor (谣言) spread that William had received a role in a very important   8  in the nation’s capital, that there had been posters everywhere advertising the event, and that it had been a great   9 . And to everyone’s surprise, when William was being interviewed by reporters, he answered their questions by speaking with good   10 , and with a clear and pleasant voice.
From that day on, William gave up   11  at all hours. Now he sang only during his stage appearances. People wouldn’t have thought him   12  if they had seen what William kept in his big suitcase. It was a large   13 , with a hand-carved message on it.
The message said, “Practice every second, for you never know when your   14   will come.” Little did people realize that he only got the role in the opera because the   15   had heard William singing while out buying a newspaper.
1. A. tall       B. sensitive    C. handsome    D. strange
2. A. common     B. concerned   C. wealthy     D. confident
3. A. appear     B. practice     C. communicate D. debate
4. A. whisper   B. respond      C. repeat     D. tease
5. A. advised   B. printed      C. written     D. spoken
6. A. simply     B. naturally    C. calmly      D. fortunately
7. A. mercy     B.  respect     C. trust       D. money
8. A. concert    B. documentary  C. opera      D. film
9. A. experience B. benefit      C. discovery   D. success 
10. A. movements B. manners     C. efforts    D. signs
11. A. pretendingB. recording   C. singing    D. wandering
12. A. mad       B. skillful    C. artificial  D. desperate
13. A. knife     B. stone        C. medal       D. diamond
14. A. solution  B. inspiration  C. performance D. chance
15. A. neighbor  B. visitor     C. director    D. Teacher
答案

小题1:D
小题1:A
小题1:C
小题1:B
小题1:D
小题1:A
小题1:B
小题1:C
小题1:D
小题1:B
小题1:C
小题1:A
小题1:B
小题1:D
小题1:C
解析

举一反三
One man tells of driving on a long and lonely road, the last 65 miles of it unpaved, in order to watch Indian dances in the state of Arizona. After the dances, he returned to his car only to find that it had a flat tire. He put on the spare and drove to the only service station in that town.
“Do you fix flats?” he inquired of the attendant.
“Yes,” came the answer.
“How much do you charge?” he asked.
With a twinkle in his eye, the man replied, “What difference does it make?”
This is what has been called a “Hobson’s choice”. A Hobson’s choice is a situation that forces a person to accept whatever is offered or go without.
According to Barbara Berliner, the phrase was inspired by sixteenth-century entrepreneur (企业家) Thomas Hobson. There was no choice by the customer — it was strictly Hobson’s choice.
But often we really have a choice, and the choice does make a difference. We may not always believe it. We may feel as if we have no choice, but almost always there is a choice in the matter. And when we realize that we do most things by choice, then we are taking control of our own lives.
Someone challenged me to try an experiment that completely changed my perspective. “For the next seven days,” he said, “eliminate the words ‘I have to’ from your vocabulary and say ‘I choose to’. Don’t say, ‘I have to work late tonight’. Instead, say, ‘I choose to work late’. When you choose to do it, you take control of your life. Instead of saying, ‘I have to stay home’, try ‘I choose to stay home’. The way you spend your time is your choice. You are responsible. You have control.”
In just seven days I was no longer saying “I have to” and I felt better about my decisions. I learned that there is very little in my life I actually have to do. You and I decide to do certain things because we believe that it will be for the best. When we eliminate “I have to” from our vocabularies, we take control.
Try it for a week and you see what happens. I think you’ll see it’s a change for the better.
小题1: What did the attendant mean by saying “What difference does it make”?
A.The man didn’t need to pay for the work.
B.It was unnecessary for the man to ask about the price.
C.There was no need for the man to have the tire fixed.
D.The man should keep silent.
小题2:The author learnt from the experiment that he      .
A.could become more challenging
B.could spend more time relaxing himself
C.should take pleasure in helping others
D.actually changed his attitudes towards life
小题3:What does the underlined word “eliminate” mean?
A.Remember.B.Repeat.C.Remove.D.Recite.
小题4:What is the situation where we have a “Hobson’s choice”?
A.We have no choice but to follow.
B.We should often change our choice.
C.We should make preparations before a journey.
D.We should think twice before taking action.
小题5: The purpose of writing this text is to            .
A.advise us to become active in life
B.explain what Hobson’s choice is
C.tell an interesting story about the author
D.accept others’ advice modestly

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As a young girl growing up in the 1930s, I always wanted to fly a plane, but back then it was almost unheard of for a woman to do that. I got a taste of that dream in 2001, when my husband arranged for me to ride in a hot air balloon for my birthday. But the experience turned out to be very dull. Around that time, I told my husband that I wanted to skydive. So when our retirement community announced that they were having an essay competition and the topic was an experience of a lifetime that you wanted to have, I decided to write about my dream.
In the essay, I wrote about my desire to skydive, stating George Brush Sr. did it at age 80. Why not me? I was just 84 and in pretty good health. A year went by and I heard nothing. But then at a community party in late April 2009, they announced that I was one of the winners. I just couldn’t believe it. Inspired by this, I decided to realize my dream, even though some of my family members and my doctor were against it.
On June 11, 2009, nearly 40 of my family and friends gathered in the area close to where I would land while I headed up in the airplane. My instructor, Jay, guided me through the experience. The plane was the noisiest one I had ever been in, but I wasn’t frightened—I was really just looking forward to the experience. When we reached 13,000 feet, Jay instructed me to throw myself out of the plane. When we first hit the air, the wind was so strong that I could hardly breathe. For a second I thought, “What have I gotten myself into?” But then everything got calmer. We were in a free fall for about a minute before Jay opened the parachute(降落伞), then we just floated downward for about five minutes. Being up in the clouds and looking at the view below was unlike anything I have ever felt—much better than the hot air balloon. I was just enjoying it.
Skydiving was really one of the greatest experiences of my life. I hope other people will look at me and realize that you don’t stop living just because you are 84 years old. If there’s something you want to experience, look into it. If it’s something that is possible, make it happen.
小题1:What happened to the author in 2001?
A. She flew an airplane.
B. She entered a competition.
C. She went on a hot air balloon ride.
小题2:The author mentioned George Bush Sr. in her essay to       .
A.make her argument persuasive
B.show her admiration for him
C.compare their health condition
D.build up her own reputation
小题3: How did the author feel immediately after she jumped out of the plane?
A.Excited.B.Regretful.C.Nervous.D.Scared.
小题4:What did the author enjoy most when she was skydiving?
A.The beautiful clouds.B.The wonderful view.
C.The company of Jay.D.The one-minute free fall.
小题5:What is the best title of the passage?
A.Impossible is nothing. B.A dream made come true.
C.An unforgettable skydiving.D.I Went Skydiving at 84!

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More than 1.5 billion people around the world live without electricity. Finding better ways to bring light to the poor is the goal of researchers like Professor Irvine. In the late 1990s, he was working in Nepal when his return flight was canceled. A delay gave him time to take a fourteen-day hiking trip in the Himalayas.
One day he looked in the window of a school and noticed how dark it was. This is a common problem for millions of children around the world. Many families use kerosene oil (煤油) lamps. There are many problems with these lamps. They produce only a small amount of light. They are dangerous to breathe. And they are a big fire danger, causing many injuries and deaths each year. Kerosene costs less than other forms of lighting, but it is still costly in poor countries. Professor Irvine says many people spend over 100 dollars a year on the fuel.
When he returned to Canada, he began researching ways to provide safe and clean lighting. He began experimenting with light-emitting diodes (发光二极管), LEDs, at his lab. As a professor of renewable energy, he already knew about the technology. Light-emitting diodes are small glass lamps that use much less electricity than traditional bulbs (灯泡) and last much longer. He used a one-watt bright white LED made in Japan. He found it on the Internet and connected it to a bicycle-powered generator (发电机). He remembers thinking it was so bright that a child could read by the light of a single diode.
In 2000, after much research and many experiments, he returned to Nepal to put the systems into homes. Now the homes of 25,000 people in 51 countries have been equipped with it. “The one-time cost of our system which basically lives forever, as well as the solar panel — is less than one hundred dollars. So, one year of kerosene would pay for a solid-state lighting system,” he said. Now his aim is to develop a lower-cost lighting system. In January, Irvine is leaving the University of Calgary. He has also decided to start his own company in India.
小题1:We can learn from the second paragraph that kerosene oil lamps ______.
A.cost more than other forms of lighting
B.have damaged children’s eyesight
C.have wasted only a little fuel
D.have a lot of disadvantages
小题2:Irvine connected a white LED to a bicycle-powered generator to prove ______.
A.whether it can work without electricity
B.whether it can work well with less electricity
C.whether it can last longer than a generator
D.whether it is brighter than a traditional bulb
小题3:We can learn from the text that Irvine ______.
A.likes India rather than Nepal
B.is good at making new kinds of bulbs
C.is giving up his job in the university
D.is to earn much money from his company

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They were going to Fort Lauderdale — three boys and three girls — and when they boarded the bus, they were carrying sandwiches and wine in paper bags, dreaming of golden beaches and sea tides as the gray, cold spring of New York went behind them.
As the bus passed through New Jersey, they began to notice Vingo. He sat in front of them, completely in silence.
Deep into the night, outside Washington, the bus pulled into Howard Johnson’s, and everybody got off except Vingo. The young people began to wonder about him. When they went back to the bus, one of the girls sat beside him and introduced herself.
“Want some wine?” she said. He smiled and took a swig from the bottle. He thanked her and became silent again. After a while, she went back to the others, and Vingo nodded in sleep.
In the morning, they awoke outside another Howard Johnson’s, and this time Vingo went in. The girl insisted that he join them. He ordered black coffee and some cookies as the young people talked about sleeping on beaches. When they returned to the bus, the girl sat with Vingo again, and after a while, slowly and painfully, he began to tell his story. He had been in prison in New York for the past four years, and now he was going home.
“Are you married?”
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?” she said.
“Well, when I was in prison I wrote to my wife,” he said, “I told her that I was going to be away for a long time, and that if she couldn’t stand it, if the kids kept asking questions, and if it hurt her too much, well, she could jus forget me. I’d understand. Get a new man, I said — she’s a wonderful woman. I told her she didn’t have to write me. And she didn’t. Not for three and a half years.”
“And you’re going home now, not knowing?”
“Yeah. Well, last week, when I was sure the parole (假释) was coming through, I wrote her again. We used to live in Brunswick, just before Jacksonville, and there’s a big oak (橡树) just as you come into town. I told her that if she didn’t have a new man and if she’d take me back, she should put a yellow handkerchief on the tree, and I’d get off and come home. If she didn’t want me, forget it — no handkerchief and I’d go on through.”
“Wow,” the girl exclaimed, “Wow.”
She told the others, and soon all of them were in it, looking at the pictures Vingo showed them of his wife and three children.
Now they were 20 miles from Brunswick, and the young people took over window seats on the right side, waiting for the approach of the great oak. Vingo stopped looking, tightening his face, as if protecting himself against still another disappointment.
Then Brunswick was ten miles, and then five. Then, suddenly, all of the young people were up out of their seats, shouting and crying.
Vingo sat there astonished, looking at the oak. It was covered with yellow handkerchiefs — 20 of them, 30 of them, maybe hundreds, flying in the wind. As the young people shouted, Vingo slowly rose from his seat and made his way to the front of the bus to go home.
小题1:At the beginning of the story, the young boys and girls ______.
A.showed a great interest in VingoB.didn’t notice Vingo at all
C.wanted to offer help to Vingo D.didn’t like Vingo at all
小题2:The underlined part “Howard Johnson’s” is most probably a(n) ______.
A.bus stationB.apartmentC.hospital D.restaurant
小题3:How did Vingo feel on the way home?
A.Ashamed. B.Relaxed. C.Nervous. D.Disappointed.
小题4:The paragraphs following this passage would most probably talk about ______.
A.Vingo’s experience in prison
B.the young people’s travel to Fort Lauderdale
C.Vingo’s three lovely children
D.the dialogue between Vingo and his family

题型:不详难度:| 查看答案
Many years ago, I owned a service station and roadhouse on the main road between Melbourne and Adelaide.
One very cold, wet night at about 3:30 a.m., there was a  36  on the front door of our house. A young man, wet from  37   to toe, explained that he had   38   out of petrol about 30 km up the road. He had left his pregnant wife and his two children   39   at the car and said that he would hitchhike(搭便车) back.
Once I had   40    a can with petrol, I took him back to his car where his two-year-old and four-year-old children were both   41 , saying that they were cold. Once the car had started, I suggested that he   42  me back.
Before leaving, I had turned the heater  43   in the roadhouse, so that when we went in, it was nice and  44   .While the little ones played and ran  45   ,I prepared bread and butter for the children, and hot chocolate for the  46  .
It was about 5 a.m. before they   47   .The young fellow asked me how much he   48  me and I told him that the petrol pump had   49  $15.He offered to pay “call-out fee”, but I wouldn’t accept it.
About a month later, I received a  50   from Interstate, a large bus company that we had been trying to  51  to stop off at our roadhouse for a long time. It   52   out that the young fellow I had helped was its general manager, the most  53   person in the company.
In his letter, he thanked me again and   54  me that, from then on, all their buses would stop at my service station. In this  55  ,a little bit of kindness was rewarded with a huge amount of benefits.
小题1:
A.kickB.hitC.beatD.knock
小题2:
A.fingerB.shoulder C.headD.hand
小题3:
A.drivenB.usedC.comeD.run
小题4:
A.awayB.behindC.overD.out
小题5:
A.suppliedB.pouredC.equippedD.filled
小题6:
A.sleepingB.cryingC.quarrellingD.fighting
小题7:
A.allowB.ringC.leadD.follow
小题8:
A.onB.offC.inD.over
小题9:
A.neatB.hotC.warmD.attractive
小题10:
A.aroundB.insideC.nearbyD.along
小题11:
A.driversB.guestsC.customersD.adults
小题12:
A.leftB.arrivedC.ateD.disappeared
小题13:
A.gaveB.paidC.owedD.offered
小题14:
A.appearedB.exhibitedC.calculatedD.shown
小题15:
A.callB.letterC.checkD.notice
小题16:
A.getB.forceC.requireD.hope
小题17:
A.pointedB.turnedC.workedD.found
小题18:
A.generousB.successfulC.seriousD.powerful
小题19:
A.praisedB.persuadedC.informedD.convinced
小题20:
A.lessonB.businessC.aspectD.case

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