A few years ago I asked my children’s governess, Julia Vassilyevna, to come into
题型：不详难度：来源：
“ Sit down, Julia Vassilyevna,” I said.“Let’s settle our accounts. Although you most likely need some money, you stand on ceremony and won’t ask for it yourself. Now then, we agree on thirty rubles a month…”
“ Forty.”
“ No, thirty. I made a note of it. I always pay the governess thirty. Now then, you’ve been here two months, so…”
“ Two months and five days.”
“ Exactly two months. I made a specific note of it. That means you have sixty rubles coming to you. Subtract nine Sundays… you know you didn’t work with Kolya on Sundays, you only took walks. And three holidays…”
Julia Vassilyevna flushed a deep red and picked at the flounce of her dress, but--- not a word.
“ Three holidays, therefore take off twelve rubles. Four days Kolya was sick and there were no lessons, as you were occupied only with Vanya. Three days you had a toothache and my wife gave you permission not to work after lunch. Twelve and seven---nineteen. Subtract…that leaves…hmm…forty-one rubles. Correct?”
Julia Vassilyena’s left eye reddened and filled with moisture. Her chin trembled; she coughed nervously and blew her nose, but---not a word.
“ Around New Year’s you broke a teacup and saucer: take off two rubles. The cup cost more, it was an heirloom, but---let it go. When didn’t I take a loss? Then, due to your neglect, Kolya climbed a tree and tore his jacket: take off ten. Also due to your heedlessness the maid stole Vanya’s shoes. You ought to watch everything! You get paid for it. So, that means five more rubles off. The tenth of January I gave you ten rubles…”
“ You didn’t ” whispered Julia Vassilyevna.
“ But I made a note of it.”
“ Well…all right.”
“ Take twenty-seven from forty-one ---that leaves fourteen.”
Both eyes filled with tears. Perspiration appeared on the thin, pretty little nose. Poor girl!
“ Only once was I given any money,” she said in a trembling voice, “ and that was by your wife. Three rubles, nothing more.”
“ Really? You see now, and I didn’t make a note of it! Take three from fourteen… leaves eleven. Here’s your money, my dear. Three , three, three, one and one. Here it is!”
I handed her eleven rubles. She took them and with trembling fingers stuffed them into her pocket.
“ Merci,” she whispered.
I jumped up and started pacing the room. I was overcome with anger.
“ For what, this ---‘merci’?” I asked.
“ For the money.”
“ But you know I’ve cheated you, God’s sake---robbed you! I have actually stolen from you! Why this ‘merci’?”
“ In my other places they didn’t give me anything at all.”
“ They didn’t give you anything? No wonder! I played a little joke on you, a cruel lesson, just to teach you … I’m going to give you the entire eighty rubles! Here they are in an envelope all ready for you… Is it really possible to be so spineless? Why don’t you protest? Why be silent? Is it possible in this world to be without teeth and claws--- to be such a nincompoop?”
She smiled crookedly and I read in her expression: “ It is possible.”
I asked her pardon for the cruel lesson and , to her great surprise, gave her the eighty rubles. She murmured her litter “merci” several times and went out. I looked after her and thought: “How easy it is to crush the weak in this world!”
小题1:When the employer called Julia Vassilyevna in to talk with him, what he really wanted to do was _______
| A．to settle their accounts |
| B．to criticize her for neglecting her duties as a governess. |
| C．to play a joke on her so as to amuse himself. |
| D．to teach her not to be so spineless. |
| A．she had neglected her duties. |
| B．he wanted to pay her as little money as possible. |
| C．he wanted to make her realize that she was being cheated and protest against it. |
| D．he wanted to make her feel miserable. |
| A．she had in fact neglected her duties. |
| B．she was a very dumb girl. |
| C．she thought it was of no use to protest to her employer. |
| D．she loved the children she taught. |
| A．she didn’t say “Merci” loudly. |
| B．she didn’t protest to him. |
| C．he thought that by simply saying “ Merci” she wasn’t polite enough. |
| D．he didn’t like the way in which she stuffed the money into per pocket and expressed her thanks. |
| A．how a governess was cheated by her employer. |
| B．how an employer tried to teach the governess a cruel lesson. |
| C．how a governess was fired by her employer for being a nincompoop. |
| D．how an employer punished the governess for not having done a good job. |
答案
小题1:D
小题1:C
小题1:C
小题1:B
小题1:B
解析
小题1:推理题：从文章的句子I played a little joke on you, a cruel lesson, just to teach you Is it really possible to be so spineless?说明作者和家教谈话是想让她别没有骨气的，懦弱的。选D
小题1:推理题：从作者的话：Why don’t you protest? Why be silent? Is it possible in this world to be without teeth and claws--- to be such a nincompoop?”说明作者扣家教的工资是希望她能反抗。选C
小题1:推理题：从文章的句子：“ In my other places they didn’t give me anything at all.”可知是选C，她认为抗议没有用。
小题1:推理题:从作者的话：But you know I’ve cheated you, God’s sake---robbed you! I have actually stolen from you! Why this ‘merci’?”说明家教没反抗他，还谢谢。选B
小题1:主旨题：从作者和家教之间的对话可以看出主旨是作者想告诉家教一个道理。选B
举一反三
“Be seated, Julia,” I said. “Let’s settle our accounts. I guess you most likely need some money, but maybe you’re too polite to mention it. Now then, we agreed on thirty dollars a month...”
“Forty.”
“No, thirty. I made a note of it. I always pay our governess thirty. Well, hmm, you’ve been here two months, so...”
“Two months and five days.”
“Exactly two months. I made a special note of it. That means you have sixty dollars coming to you. Take off nine Sundays... You know you didn’t work with Tom on Sundays. You only took walks. And three holidays...”
Julia was biting her finger nail nervously, her face red, but—not a word.
“Three holidays, therefore take off twelve dollars. Four days Tom was sick and there were no lessons, as you were occupied only with Dick. Three days you had a toothache and my wife gave you permission not to work after lunch. Twelve and seven—nineteen. Take nineteen off...that leaves...hmm...forty one dollars. Correct?”
Julia’s left eye reddened with tears welling up. Her chin trembled；she coughed nervously and blew her nose, but—still not a word.
“Around New Year’s Day you broke a teacup and a saucer: take off two dollars. The cup cost more, it was a treasure of the family, but—forget it. When didn’t I take a loss?! Then, due to your carelessness the maid stole Dick’s shoes. You ought to watch everything! You get paid for it. So, that means five more dollars off. The tenth of January I gave you ten dollars.”
“You didn’t,” sobbed Julia.
“But I made a note of it.”
“Well...if you say so.”
“Take twenty seven from forty one—that leaves fourteen. ”
Both her eyes were filled with tears. Beads of sweat stood on the thin pretty little nose. Poor girl!
“Only once was I given any money,” she whispered, her voice trembling, “and that was by your wife. Three dollars, nothing more.”
“Really? You see now, and I didn’t know that! Take three from fourteen...leaves eleven. Here’s your money, my dear. Three, three, three, one and one. Here it is!”
I handed her eleven dollars. She took them and pocketed them.
“Merci(法语，谢谢),” she whispered.
I jumped to my feet and started pacing the room. I was overcome with anger.
“For what, this ‘merci’?”I asked.
“For the money.”
“But you know I’ve cheated you—robbed you! I have actually stolen from you! Why this ‘Merci’?”
“In my other places they didn’t give me anything at all. ”
“They didn’t give you anything? No wonder! I played a little joke on you, a cruel lesson, just to teach you...I’m going to give you all the eighty dollars! Here they are in the envelope all ready for you...Is it really possible to be so spineless（懦弱）? Why didn’t you protest? Why were you silent? Is it possible in this world to be without teeth and claws（爪）—to be such a fool?”
Embarrassed, she smiled. And I could read her expression: “It is possible.”
I asked her pardon for the cruel lesson and, to her great surprise, gave her the eighty dollars. She murmured her little “merci” several times and went out. I looked after her and thought: “How easy it is to crush the weak in this world!”
小题1:While talking to Julia, the writer expected ____________ from her.
| A．protest | B．gratitude | C．obedience | D．an explanation |
| A．nervousness in front of her boss | B．acceptance of injustice |
| C．shyness when talking about money | D．unwillingness to express herself |
| A．to be more aggressive | B．to be more careful in her work |
| C．to protect her own right | D．to live independently |
| A．his understanding of Julia’s anxiety |
| B．his worry about Julia’s future |
| C．his concern on the living conditions of working-class people |
| D．his sympathy for the mental state of those exploited(被剥削的) |
| A．greedy but honest | B．ill-tempered but warm-hearted |
| C．strict but forgiving | D．honest, kind and worried |
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
“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. |
| 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 |
| A．Remember. | B．Repeat. | C．Remove. | D．Recite. |
| 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. |
| 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 |
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 |
| A．Excited. | B．Regretful. | C．Nervous. | D．Scared. |
| A．The beautiful clouds. | B．The wonderful view. |
| C．The company of Jay. | D．The one-minute free fall. |
| A．Impossible is nothing. | B．A dream made come true. |
| C．An unforgettable skydiving. | D．I Went Skydiving at 84! |
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 |
| 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 |
| 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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