When I was a kid in Minnesota, watermelons were expensive. One of my father’s friends, Bernie, was a rich businessman, who owned a large store in St. Paul.
Every summer, when the first watermelons arrived, Bernie would call. Dad and I would go to Bernie’s place. We’d sit on the edge of the dock (码头), feet shaking, and got ready for a big meal.
Bernie would take his knife, cut our first watermelon, hand us both a big piece and sit down next to us. Then we’d put our faces in the watermelon, eating only the heart—the reddest, juiciest, sweetest part and throw away the rest.
Bernie was my father’s idea of a rich man. I always thought it was because he was such a successful businessman. Years later, I realized that it was not Bernie’s wealth (财富) itself but his way of dealing with it that my father liked. Bernie knew how to stop working, get together with friends and eat only the heart of the watermelon.
What I learned from Bernie is that being rich is a state of mind. Some of us, no matter how much money we have, will never be free enough to eat only the heart of the watermelon. If you don’t take the time to hang your feet over the dock and enjoy life’s small pleasure, your work is probably hurting your life.
For many years, I forgot that lesson I’d learned as a kid on the loading dock. I was too busy making all the money I could.
Well, I’ve learned it again. I hope I have time left to enjoy the success and to take pleasure in the day. That’s the heart of the watermelon. I have learned again to throw the rest away.
根据短文内容，判断句子正（T）误（F）。1. We learned from the second paragraph that the writer and his father were feeling relaxed.
2. The writer and his father ate every part of the watermelon.
3. In the eyes of the writer’s father, Bernie lived a rich but healthy life.
4. The underlined part “the heart of the watermelon” in the last paragraph refers to the writer’s hope of enjoying life.
5. It can be learned from the passage that one has to work hard to reach his goal.
相似题推荐
【推荐1】Once there was a famine (饥荒) in the town. A rich and kind cook gave some bread to twenty poor children. He said to them, “In this basket, there U some bread for you. Each of you can have one every day.”
The hungry children ran to the basket quickly. They shouted and fought for the bread because each wanted to have the biggest (最大的) one. At last they went away. They didn’t thank the good man. But Shirley, a poorly-dressed little girl, did not join them. She stood quietly. When the other children left, she took the smallest (最小的) one left in the basket ,thanked the cook and went home.
The next day the children did the same. Poor shy Shirley still took the smallest bread. When she got home, her mother cut the bread open. Many pieces of silver (银) fell out of it. Her mother was very surprised and said, “Take the money back to the good man at once. Be quick, Shirley! Be quick.”
When the little girl gave the cook the money, he said, “No, no, my child. It was true. I put silver into the smallest one to reward (奖励) you because you are kind and honest. Go home, and the money is yours now.”
根据材料内容选择最佳答案
1. The rich cook gave to the children.
| A．some bananas | B．some bread | C．some clothes | D．some books |
| A．stood quietly | B．shouted at them | C．joined them | D．laughed at them |
| A．buy some food | B．gave it back to the rich cook | C．keep it quietly | D．tell her father the news. |
| A．happy | B．rich | C．poor | D．comfortable |
| A．It’s not important to say thanks to others | B．fighting (打架) with others can help us get more |
| C．Shirley’s mother didn’t like money | D．a kind and honest person will get reward |
【推荐2】One day, Frank was walking with his mother outside. When they came to a pretty garden, he called to his mother and said, “Mother, I wish I could open the gate and walk in.”
The gardener, being near, heard what Frank said, and kindly invited him and his mother to come into the garden.
Frank’s mother thanked the man. Turning to her son, she said, “Frank, if I take you to walk in this garden, you must take care not to mess up anything in it.” Frank walked along the way and looked at everything, but touched nothing. He was careful that his clothes should not brush the tops of the flowers in case he might break them.
Because Frank was so careful not to make trouble, the gardener showed him the seeds with joy and told him what the flowers and plants were.
While Frank was enjoying the beauty of a flower, a boy came to the gate. Finding it closed, he shook it hard. But it would not open. Then he said, “Let me in. Let me in. Will you not let me in this garden?”
“No, said the gardener. I will not let you in, for when I let you in yesterday, you messed up my flowers, and even picked some fruit. I do not let boys into my garden who messed up the plants.”
Ashamed, the boy walked away slowly.
Seeing this, Frank felt how much happier a boy may be by not messing up what does not belong to him.
1. How did Frank and his mother go into the garden?| A．Frank opened the gate and walked in. |
| B．Frank’s mother opened the gate and walked in. |
| C．A boy opened the gate and let them in. |
| D．The gardener opened the gate and let them in. |
| A．Happy. | B．Sad. | C．Angry. | D．Bored. |
| A．He walks into the garden. | B．He walked away. |
| C．He played with Frank. | D．He messed up the garden. |
| A．Don’t compare yourself to others. |
| B．Being polite is very important. |
| C．Never believe in a little boy. |
| D．We can’t touch things which belong to us. |
【推荐3】As a boy I was always small for my age. I was also five years younger than one of my brothers and seven years younger than the other. As a result, I often felt left out when their friends came over to play. I was either too small or too young for whatever they were doing and they didn't want their younger brother listening to their conversations either. More often than not I found myself outside playing alone and feeling forgotten.
I remember one spring afternoon feeling especially lonely as I sat in the yard behind our house. We lived miles from town and I hardly saw my own friends outside of school. I heard my brothers laughing from inside the house and felt a single tear coming down my cheek. At that moment I saw a large brown dog walking over to me. He looked happy and his tail was wagging as well. Even though (尽管) he didn't know me he greeted me like a long lost friend, licking (舔) my chin and sitting beside me on the spring grass. It must have been at least an hour that I patted and talked to this four-legged angel (天使). He let me pour out all my troubles and shared my deepest thoughts before he kissed my cheek goodbye and ambled off either to Heaven or his home. I went back inside feeling happy, knowing that no matter what life may hold I was loved. Now over 40 years later I still remember that angel with a smile.
I believe that God sent him at that moment of sadness to remind me just how much he loved me. There is nothing more important than knowing we are loved. When we are loved, we will learn to love others. Learning to love helps us to understand ourselves and other people better.
1. The underlined phrase "left out" most probably means "________" in Chinese.| A．被处理的 | B．被厌恶的 | C．被冷落的 | D．被鄙视的 |
| A．it was his friend | B．it could understand him |
| C．it looked like an angel | D．it was friendly to him |
| A．encourage people to talk about their troubles |
| B．show that knowing you are loved is the most Important |
| C．tell people they should treat animals friendly |
| D．share his unforgettable experience with us |
【推荐1】I have tried many ways to be ill. I don’t wear a sweater when I should, and two days ago I walked in the rain without my shoes. But so far nothing has happened. Debbie once told me about a boy in her class who liked being away from school. He would rub (擦) the end of the thermometer (温度计) until it went up to 39 ℃. Then he’d put it in his mouth and his mother would think he was really ill.
This morning I tried doing that but it never went above 35 ℃ and I rubbed it for ten minutes. So I held the thermometer next to the light on my desk and it went up to 40 ℃. I thought I’d put it in my mouth and walk downstairs like that. Then my mother would take it out and she would be worried when she saw that I was rather ill.
The only trouble was I didn’t know the thermometer would be so hot. As soon as I put it into my mouth, it burnt my tongue! I spit（吐掉） the thermometer out. It fell on the floor but it didn’t break.
I will have to think of a better way to get my mother and father back together.
1. Why did the writer walk in the rain without her shoes two days ago?| A．Because she had no money to buy a pair of shoes. |
| B．Because she thought it interesting to walk without shoes. |
| C．Because she was ill and forgot to put on her shoes when she left home. |
| D．Because she hoped she could be ill in this way. |
| A．The boy in Debbie’s class helped the writer a lot. |
| B．The boy in Debbie’s class knew everything. |
| C．The boy in Debbie’s class didn’t like going to school. |
| D．The boy in Debbie’s class was not healthy. |
| A．Because it smelled terrible. | B．Because it was too hot. |
| C．Because it was too long. | D．Because it was broken. |
| A．she wants to stay at home with his family. |
| B．she wants her father and mother to come back together |
| C．she wants to ask her father for some money |
| D．she wants to get away from school. |
Stanley is my brother. He is a baseball player. To keep healthy, he eats well.
Here is his room.
| A．Stanley likes blue and his room is all blue. |
| B．Stanley knows a lot about baseball stars. |
| C．He has rice, vegetables, chicken and fish every day. |
| D．He likes baseball and often plays with his friends. |
| E．Stanley also watches baseball games on TV. |
【推荐3】Hi! I’m Lilly. My family and I live in a big house. I’m 11 and I have a brother, Tom. He is 8.
My mom is a nurse, and she works in a hospital. She works a lot, and usually at night. She doesn’t have enough time to do the housework, so my dad often helps her and he likes it. My dad works in a bank. He arrives home at about 4 p.m., so he can do a lot of things at home.
In the morning, Mom makes breakfast. Tom and I make our beds. Then Dad takes us to school by car. Every evening Dad cooks dinner. My brother and I help him. After dinner Dad does the dishes and I help him dry them. Then we take a shower and Dad reads us short stories.
On Saturday, we clean the house. I clean the furniture (家具) and Dad sweeps the floor. Tom takes the rubbish out and waters the plants. Dad likes cleaning the windows but he hates ironing (熨). He never does it. My grandma comes to us twice a week and she irons our clothes. On Sunday, we wash the car together and Dad often takes us to play in the park and eat in our favorite restaurant.
根据材料内容判断正(T)误(F)。1. Lilly is four years older than Tom.
2. Lilly’s mom never works at night.
3. Lilly and her brother go to school by car.
4. Lilly’s brother is so little that he can’t do any housework.
5. Lilly’s father doesn’t like ironing, but he likes cleaning the windows.
Oil paper umbrellas have a history of more than 1,000 years in China. But in the 1970s, steel-ribbed (钢骨的) umbrellas became more popular in daily life.
In 2015, Liu Weixue gave up a well-paid job as a designer. Because he wanted to learn from his grandfather about how to make Yuhang oil paper umbrellas. “I fell in love with the art at a very young age. I want to bring it to life.” Liu said. “When it rains, someone uses the umbrella—that’s what I want to see.”
There are more than 70 steps, including making bamboo ribs (竹伞骨) and pasting (糊) papers. At first it took him more than 20 days to make an umbrella. After about two-year study, Liu mastered the skills and could make an umbrella within two weeks. Then he opened a studio and worked with local umbrella-making masters(大师).
Liu improved the umbrellas to win the hearts of young people. As the traditional paper breaks easily, he used a thicker paper. In a test, his umbrellas were opened and closed 1, 000 times without breaking. He uses a lighter kind of bamboo to make the ribs, so the umbrellas weigh less. As young people like hand-painted pictures, he invites painters to draw patterns (图案) on the umbrella cover.
Since online shopping is popular, Liu opened an online shop to sell umbrellas. It now has more than 80,000 followers. Still, Liu doesn’t hurry. To ensure quality, his studio makes only 1, 000 umbrellas each year.
Liu hopes the art will be passed on. He goes to local schools to teach students and shows up at events in different places to promote (推广) the art.
1. Liu Weixue learned to make Yuhang oil paper umbrellas because _______.| A．he liked the traditional art |
| B．he wanted to get a well-paid job |
| C．he learned how to make umbrellas in school |
| D．he had no other job |
| A．About 2 years. | B．More than 70 days. |
| C．More than 20 days. | D．Within fourteen days. |
a. makes the umbrellas stronger b. makes the umbrellas lighter
c. sells the umbrellas for a cheap price d. adds hand-painted pictures to the umbrella covers
| A．abc | B．abd | C．acd | D．bcd |
| A．sell more umbrellas. | B．produce better umbrellas. |
| C．make more money. | D．have more followers. |
| A．Liu hopes to open an umbrella school to teach students. |
| B．Liu hopes oil paper umbrellas will replace modern umbrellas. |
| C．Liu hopes to connect oil paper umbrellas with modern technology. |
| D．Liu hopes to teach more people how to make the umbrellas. |
【推荐2】I am very thankful to the cat and it always makes me think of the time I was with him.
Five years ago, when my father was dying. I travelled a thousand miles from my home to be with him in his last days. I felt very sad and it was one of the most difficult and painful times in my life. After he passed away, I stayed alone in his apartment. There were so many things to deal with. I was lonely and I hated the silence of the apartment.
But one evening the silence was broken: I heard crying outside. I opened the door and found a little cat on the floor. He was thin and poor. I brought him inside and gave him a can of fish. He ate it and then soon fell asleep.
The next morning I asked the neighbors and learned that the cat had been left by his owner. His owner had moved away, so the little cat was there all alone, just like I was. As I walked back to the apartment, I tried to work out what to do with him.I had something else to do, so taking care of the cat seemed like the very last thing I could do.But as soon as I opened the door, he ran to me and lay by my feet. It was clear from that moment that he didn't want to go anywhere. I started calling him Willis in order to remember my father's best friend.
From then on, things grew easier. With Willis, time seemed to pass much faster. When the time finally came for me to return my home, I had to decide what to do about Willis. There was no way I would leave without him.
It's been five years since my father died. Over the years, several people have said I was so nice to save the cat. But I know that we saved each other. I may have given him a home but he gave me something greater.
1. The writer felt _____________after her father passed away.| A．happy | B．lonely | C．nervous | D．relaxed |
| A．telling her what real life was | B．helping her finish the tasks on time |
| C．making her feel better in her hard times | D．helping her clean the apartment every day |
| A．The writer and the cat were both homeless. |
| B．The cat was left by his owner because of an accident. |
| C．The cat didn't like staying in the writer's apartment. |
| D．Willis was also the name of the writer's father's friend. |
| A．was too busy to keep the cat as a pet | B．thought he had the duty to keep the cat |
| C．needed something to look after to kill time | D．loved the cat so much that he wanted to look after it |
| A．A Lovely Cat | B．My Father and A Cat |
| C．What I Got From A Cat | D．How to Take Care of A Cat |
【推荐3】When I was at school, I played football. When I started, I was a terrible player and nobody wanted me to be on their team. But I started to improve slowly, and after a few years, the other kids in the school accepted me as a player.
When I was at university, I stopped playing sports. I was studying too hard, I started eating too much. And, worst of all, I started smoking (吸烟). I was unhealthy.
One day, I was sitting in the park and watching people running. They looked healthy, and some of them were much older than me! Then I decided to change my life. That evening I went running around the park-for ten minutes! Physically (身体上), I felt terrible. Everything was hurting: my legs, my chest (胸). But inside, I felt good about it. The next evening, I went again. I still only ran for ten minutes, but I didn’t feel as bad as I did the day before. Within a week, I was running for fifteen minutes, then twenty, and after three weeks I ran for thirty minutes without stopping. My speed was improving all the time. After six months, I was a runner!
That was five years ago. I now run eight kilometers six times a week. Last year I ran my first marathon (马拉松赛跑) and finished it under three hours. I’m healthier now than I’ve ever been.
1. What did the writer do before he went to university ?| A．Learned to smoke. | B．Studied really hard. |
| C．Had bad eating habits. | D．Made some progress in football. |
| A．In a park. | B．In the university. |
| C．In the school. | D．On the football team. |
| A．A week. | B．Three weeks. | C．Half a year. | D．Five years. |
| A．He ran it two years ago. | B．He was the last to finish it. |
| C．He felt bad after running. | D．He finished it in less than 3 hours. |
| A．Because he wanted to compare his two hobbies. |
| B．Because he wanted to describe a great change in his life. |
| C．Because he wanted show the importance of running. |
| D．Because he wanted to introduce how to improve health. |
There is a post office on Blue Street . Next to it ,there is a bank. Across from the bank ,there is a bookstore. The workers in the bookstore are very friendly to people. Mrs Green works in it. She is Kate’s new neighbor. She has a son. His name is Bob. He is in the same class as Kate.
Kate thinks the traffic here is very good, because she never meets any accidents here. She loves her community very much.
1. .Kate lives on the _______ floor.
| A．first | B．second | C．third | D．fourth |
| A．Next to the post office | B．Next to the bank. |
| C．Behind the post office | D．Across from the bank |
| A．Mrs Green’s new neighbor. | B．Kate’s classmate. |
| C．A worker in the bookstore. | D．Kate’s cousin. |
| A．In a post office. | B．In a bank. |
| C．In a bookstore. | D．In a school. |
| A．Kate’s new neighbor. | B．Kate’s father is a worker. |
| C．Kate’s community. | D．The stores in community. |
1. The passage is most probably taken from ________.
| A．a sports club newsletter | B．a news website |
| C．a comic magazine | D．a science documentary |
| A．Because he is afraid of the girl. | B．Because he wants to play a joke. |
| C．Because he is afraid of the snowman. | D．Because he wants the girl to save him. |
| A．Two kids will play together. | B．Charlie will be hit by the snowman. |
| C．Two kids will go home. | D．Charlie will be hit by the girl. |
【推荐3】It's important for students to wear uniforms. Should teachers wear uniforms, too? Many people say “yes”. Here are some reasons(原因) why teachers should wear uniforms.
First, wearing uniforms can help the teachers communicate (沟通) well with each other. Wearing uniforms can also show they like their school and they love to work there.
Second, uniforms can help the teachers get more respect (尊敬) from their students. Uniforms can show the teachers’ authority(权威) at school. And the students will listen to him or her more carefully.
Third, the students like to talk about their teachers’ clothes. If a teacher dresses too fashionably (时尚), the students will be busy looking at the teacher’s clothes. If a teacher dresses too poorly (穷酸), the students may laugh at the teacher. But if teachers wear uniforms, there won't be any problems.
1. In the passage, _________ reasons tell us why teachers should wear uniforms.| A．two | B．three | C．four | D．five |
| A．get more respect from their students | B．become more beautiful |
| C．communicate better with their students | D．know more about their students |
| A．wearing uniforms is a kind of fashion |
| B．wearing uniforms shows teachers' love to school |
| C．uniforms help the students get respect from teachers |
| D．wearing uniforms makes teachers look poor |
| A．how to be a good teacher |
| B．how to communicate with the students |
| C．why the teachers should wear uniforms |
| D．the students and the uniforms |
