Beth received a piano as a gift from her neighbour Mr. Laurence. It had belonged to his late granddaughter. Beth liked it very much and tried it. Her sisters said it was the greatest piano they had ever heard.
“You’ll have to go and thank him,” said Jo, Beth’s elder sister.
Yes, I mean to. I guess I’ll go now before I get frightened thinking about it.
Though Beth was shy, she also decided to show her gratitude. To her whole family’s surprise, Beth walked towards Mr. Laurence’s house.
“Mr. Laurence became cross (易怒的) after his granddaughter died. Beth is such a shy girl; how dare she talk with him?” cried Hannah, her mum, staring after her, while the girls became quite speechless by the miracle (奇迹) they saw later.
Beth knocked at the door before she gave herself time to think. A gruff voice called out, “Come in!” She did go in, right up to Mr. Laurence, saying in her low voice, “I came to thank you sir, for…” But she didn’t finish, for Mr. Laurence looked so friendly that she forgot her speech, only remembering that he had lost the little girl he loved. After a while, she put her arms round his neck and kissed him.
If the roof of the house had suddenly flown off, the old gentleman wouldn’t have been more surprised. But he liked it. He liked it amazingly! And he was so touched and pleased by that little kiss and all his crossness disappeared. He just set her on his knee, and laid his wrinkled cheek against her pink one, feeling as if he had got his own little granddaughter back. Beth wasn’t afraid of him from that moment, and sat there talking to him as cozily as if she had known him all her life, for love casts out (赶走) fear, and gratitude can conquer (征服) pride.
When it was time for Beth to go home, Mr. Laurence walked with her to her own gate, shook hands and touched his hat as he marched back again, looking very stately and erect like a handsome soldierly old gentleman, as he was.
1. How did the family members feel when they saw Beth walking to Mr. Laurence’s house?| A．Angry. | B．Surprised. | C．Nervous. | D．Thankful. |
| A．Because she felt sorry for his loss. |
| B．Because she had known him for a long time. |
| C．Because she was too afraid to talk to him. |
| D．Because she was moved by his love for music. |
a. Beth visited Mr. Laurence. to thank him.
b. Mr. Laurence gave Beth a piano as a gift.
c. Mr. Laurence’s little granddaughter died.
d. Beth and Mr. Laurence had a good time together.
| A．b-a-c-d | B．b-a-d-c | C．c-a-b-d | D．c-b-a-d |
| A．How to Conquer Fear in Life |
| B．Show Thanks to People Who Helped Us |
| C．Be Friendly and Helpful to the Old |
| D．Love and Gratitude Can Create a Miracle |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】Thousands of years ago, life was very difficult.
Today, we no longer hunt wild animals, but our brain still produces the same chemicals, when we eat our favourite food, when we meet our friends, when we listen to our favourite mușic, or when we do a good job at school, for example.
The bad news:
Let’s look back thousands of years again. Imagine people sitting around a fire, eating a nice piece of tiger meat happily. Suddenly they heard something terrible from behind a bush. Their brain produced another chemical and their feeling of happiness was gone. A feeling of fear appeared.
The good news:
You can train your brain to be happy by thinking of wonderful things more often. Another good idea is to keep a happiness journal(日志).
| A．We can’t be happy all the time! |
| B．We can train our brain to be happy! |
| C．There used to be lots of wild animals. |
| D．Write down three happy things in it every day. |
| E．We can trick our brain into happiness by smiling. |
| F．When people hunted an animal, their brain produced two chemicals. |
【推荐2】I am a music store owner. One day, when I was cleaning the instruments in my store, I saw an old man come in. “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 passed him the teaching schedule, the available time and the information that he would need. To my surprise and joy, 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 an 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 felt sad for losing 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 a 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. From the first 2 paragraphs, we can know the author ______________.| A．gave Carl some help | B．refused Carl indirectly |
| C．was sure of Carl’s ability | D．taught Carl in person |
| A．By following the best teacher. | B．By working hard. |
| C．By asking his wife to help him. | D．By teaching himself |
| A．a gift for somebody | B．somebody is needed |
| C．a piece of good news | D．somebody has died |
a. Mary gave a plant to Carl’s banjo teacher.
b. Carl began his banjo lessons with the banjo teacher.
c. Carl was in hospital.
d. Carl made surprising progress.
e. The music store owner shared the newspaper obituary with the banjo teacher.
| A．abcdc | B．abdec | C．bdcea | D．bdeac |
| A．To be a banjo performer. | B．To have his dream come true. |
| C．To make his wife happy. | D．To make best use of the six months. |
The eagle will fly to some high spot and wait for the winds to come. When the storm hits， it opens its wings so that the wind will pick it up and lift it above the storm. While the storm rages(激烈进行) below， the eagle is flying above it.
The eagle does not shirk the storm. It simply uses the storm to lift it higher. It rises on the winds that bring the storm.
When the storms of life come to us--- and all of us will experience them--- we can rise above them by setting our minds and our belief， like an eagle does. The storms do not have to beat us. We can use the nature’s power to lift us above them.
We are able to ride the winds of the storm that bring sickness， tragedy， failure and disappointment in our lives. We can fly above the storm.
Remember， it is not the burdens(重担) of life that weigh us down， it is how we face them.
1. Why can an eagle fly when there’s a storm?
| A．Because the cloud protects it. |
| B．Because the wind lifts it up. |
| C．Because the wings are big enough. |
| D．Because the storm is not strong enough. |
| A．Encourage ourselves to rise above them. |
| B．Be ready to lose our belief. |
| C．Run away before they come. |
| D．Use the nature’s power to hide ourselves. |
| A．to learn knowledge of birds |
| B．to fly like an eagle |
| C．to keep safe in a storm |
| D．to face the challenges in life |
【推荐1】Mary works at a factory (工厂). She starts (开始) working at eight in the morning. She has a break (休息) at noon for one hour. She finishes working at five in the afternoon. At five they leave the factory. Every body goes home. Some people drive home. Some ride bikes. Some take the bus. Mary always walks home because she likes to walk. She walks, and walks and walks, Mary lives eight kilometers from the factory. She walks for two hours. At seven in the evening,. Mary is at home. She eats dinner. At ten she goes to bed. Mary is tired.
1. How many hours does Mary work in a day?| A．About 9 hours. | B．About 8 hours. |
| C．About 10 hours. | D．About 7 hours. |
| A．Five kilometers. | B．Six kilometers. |
| C．Seven kilometers. | D．Eight kilometers. |
| A．Two hours. | B．Three hours. | C．Seven hours. | D．Eight hours. |
| A．At home. | B．At the factory. |
| C．In a bus. | D．In a restaurant. |
| A．Mary is a teacher. | B．Mary is at home at five p.m. |
| C．Mary goes home on foot. | D．Mary finishes working before five pm. |
Hundreds of years ago，life was much harder than it is today.People didn't have modern machines.There was no modern medicine，either.
Life today has brought new problems.One of the biggest is pollution.Water pollution has made our rivers and lakes dirty.It kills our fish and pollutes our drinking water.Noise pollution makes us talk louder and become angry more easily.Air pollution is the most serious kind of pollution.It's bad to all living things in the world.
Cars，planes and factories all pollute our air every day.Sometimes the polluted air is so thick that it is like a quilt over a city.This kind of quilt is called haze (雾霾)．
Many countries are making rules to fight against pollution.Factories must now clean their water before it is thrown away，and they mustn't blow dirty smoke into the air.
We need to do many other things.We can put waste things in the dustbin and not throw it on the ground.We can go to work by bus or with our friends in the same car.If there are fewer people driving，there will be less pollution.
Rules are not enough.Every person must help to fight against pollution.
1. Hundreds of years ago，life was much harder than it is today because________.
| A．there were not any modern machines |
| B．there was no modern medicine |
| C．both A and B |
| D．there were not many people |
| A．Water pollution. | B．Air pollution. |
| C．Noise. | D．Pollution. |
| A．noise pollution, | B．air pollution |
| C．water pollution, | D．A，B and C |
| A．before they are thrown away |
| B．when they are thrown away |
| C．after it is thrown away |
| D．before it is thrown away |
| A．a few years ago，there was no haze at all |
| B．today people don't have to talk to each other in a loud voice |
| C．we can drink water from the polluted rivers and lakes |
| D．people are making rules in order to fight against pollution |
As I left there, I thought to myself that I didn't need the watch. I was already wearing one!
I thought that there were people who needed that watch more than me, people who had never worn one before.
My sister came around and I handed her the watch to give any of the boys who went around begging with their physically－disabled parents. My sister's house was very close to where they usually stayed.
A few days later one of the boys, about 14 years old, came around to my sister's restaurant with his blind mother to beg for money as usual. My sister then walked up to him and asked him if he had a watch. He said，“No. ”And my sister gave the watch to him. She said he started shouting, saying，“ Thank you! Thank you！”He was so happy. He told his mother what had happened and she was happy too. He took out the watch from its packaging and put it on immediately! He loved it.
Love unites indeed. Never stop loving when you know you can.
1. The writer went to the bank because he ________.
| A．wanted to save money |
| B．needed money |
| C．worked in it |
| D．wanted to get a watch |
| A．Because his sister knew the poor boys. |
| B．Because his sister had a poor friend. |
| C．Because his sister knew a poor boy's mother. |
| D．Because his sister's house was very close to where the poor usually stayed. |
| A．The writer |
| B．The writer's sister |
| C．A poor boy |
| D．A poor boy's mother |
| A．In a bank. | B．In a post office. |
| C．In a school. | D．In a restaurant. |
| A．Love Unites Indeed |
| B．A Poor Boy |
| C．A Blind Mother |
| D．Love Is a Watch |
【推荐1】Sandra is from New York, America. She lives with her parents and her brother. She goes to a middle school in the center of the city.
Last summer Sandra came to China to study Chinese. She stayed in Beijing for a month. She lived in a Chinese family and shared (分享) a room with a girl from India. They became very good friends. They had classes in the same school. In the school they met other boys and girls from different countries.
On weekends, they didn’t have to go to school and they often spent their time visiting Beijing. They visited the Palace Museum (故宫博物院) and climbed the Great Wall (长城). Sometimes they went camping.
When Sandra went back to New York, she felt very happy. It was a really wonderful summer. She will never forget.
1. Sandra is a(n) ________ girl.| A．Chinese | B．English | C．American | D．Indian |
| A．with a Chinese girl | B．in a Chinese family |
| C．with her parents | D．in an Indian family |
| A．at home | B．at a club |
| C．in a summer camp | D．in a school |
| A．great | B．long | C．tired | D．boring |
| A．Sandra goes to a middle school in Beijing. |
| B．Sandra has a good friend from India. |
| C．Sandra learned Chinese on weekends. |
| D．Sandra never visited the Great Wall. |
【推荐2】When I was about 12, I had an enemy(敌人),a girl who liked to point out my shortcomings(缺点). Week by week her list grew: I was very thin, I wasn’t a good student, I talked too much, I was too proud, and so on. I tried to hear all this as long as I could. At last, I became very angry. I ran to my father with tears in my eyes.
He listened to me quietly, and then he asked, “Are the things she said true or not? Janet, didn’t you ever wonder what you are really like? Well , you now have that girl’s opinions. Go and make a list of everything she said and mark(标记) the points that are true. Pay no attention(注意力) to the other things she said.”
I did as he told me. To my great surprise, I found that about half the things were true. Some of them I couldn’t change(like being very thin), but a good number I could and suddenly I wanted to change. For the first time I got a very clear picture of myself.
I brought the list back to Daddy. He refused to take it. “That’s just for you,” he said. “You know the truth about yourself better than anyone else. But you have to learn to listen, not just close your ears in anger and feel hurt. When something said about you is true, you’ll find it will be of help to you. Our world is full of people who think they know your responsibility. Don’t close your ears. Listen to what they think you should do or shouldn’t do. But hear the truth and do what you think is right.”
Daddy’s advice returns to me at many important moments. In my life, I’ve never had a better piece of advice.
根据材料内容选择最佳答案。
1. What did the father do after hearing his daughter’s words?
| A．He told her not to pay any attention to what her “enemy” said. |
| B．He told her to change all her shortcomings. |
| C．He told her to write down what her “enemy” said. |
| D．He told her to talk less and be friendly to her “enemy”. |
| A．Because her father made a list for her. |
| B．Because she found her “enemy” was a true friend of her. |
| C．Because she found that half of the things in the list were true. |
| D．Because she found she could change all her shortcomings. |
| A．缺点 | B．优点 | C．责任 | D．梦想 |
| A．The writer changed everything in the list. |
| B．The father knows her daughter better than anyone else. |
| C．Daddy’s advice is always the best piece we have in our life. |
| D．We should judge(判断) the opinions that other people provide for us. |
| A．Not an Enemy | B．The Best Advice | C．My Father | D．My Best Friend |
【推荐3】A linguist, who studies languages, is always listening, never off-duty. I invited a group of friends round to my house, telling them that I was going to record their speech. I said I was interested in their regional accents (地方口音), and it would take only few minutes to record it.
Afterwards, one evening, three people came to my house and were shown into my sitting-room. In front of each chair there was a microphone (麦克风) at head height, connected to a recorder in the middle of the floor. They sat down, rather nervously. I explained that all wanted was for them to count from one to twenty, and then we could relax and have a drink.
I turned on the recorder and each in turn counted from one to twenty in their best accents. When it was over, I turned the recorder off and brought round the drinks. The rest of the evening was spent in complete relaxation. I talked and joked with them freely by leaving them only for a telephone call which lasted some time.
Or at least that is how it would appear. You know, of course, the microphones were not connected to the recorder in the middle of the room at all but to another one in the bedroom. My friends, having seen the recorder before them turned off, paid no more attention to the microphones a few inches from their mouths, thus giving excellent sound quality (质量). It meant that I was able to get a piece of natural talk.
I should add, perhaps, that I did tell my friends what had happened to them after the recording was over, and asked them whether it should be destroyed. None of them wanted to-but for some years after that, it always seemed that when it came to buying drinks, I paid for them. Linguistic research can be a very expensive business.
1. The underlined word “linguist” in Paragraph 1 probably means “_________”.| A．语言学习者 | B．语言研究者 | C．语言模仿者 | D．语言开发者 |
| A．check if his recorder was working |
| B．discover who had the best sound quality |
| C．let them think that was all he wanted to record |
| D．record how they pronounced numbers in their regional accents |
| A．he had to make a phone call |
| B．the phone rang in the bedroom |
| C．he liked talking with them on the phone |
| D．he let the others talk freely without him |
| A．natural | B．controlled | C．unclear | D．nervous |
| A．wanted him to destroy the recordings | B．didn’t seem to mind much |
| C．seemed to have no response | D．made him buy them more drinks |
| A．on the recorder in the middle of the floor |
| B．by using hidden microphones |
| C．on the recorder in another room |
| D．in the sitting-room |
