1 . Alan Tong was the worst driver in town. He had an accident of some kind almost every week.
Alan lived with his mother. His mother was always worried about him. Every day she worried that police would appear to arrest him. This wasn’t a foolish worry because they usually visited Alan’s house about once a week to send a speeding ticket or to serve him notice to appear in court (法庭).
Most of his accidents were caused by his carelessness. He drove through red lights. He turned left or drove at night without proper lights. He overtook other cars on hills. In short, there wasn’t a traffic rule that Alan had not broken, and he had had so many accidents that it was a surprise that he was still alive. But luckily for Alan, he had never hurt anyone in his accidents or even gone to the hospital.
Although Alan wasn’t popular with the police, he was very popular with his lawyer. Alan’s lawyer, Mr. Tsui, had earned a lot of money from Alan’s cases and always felt very excited when he saw Alan coming into his office.
One day Alan was working in the garage, painting his car when his mother walked in. “What are you doing?” his mother asked.
“Painting my car,” Alan replied.
“I can see that,” his mother said, “but why are you painting one side of the car red and the other side blue?” “Because every time I have to go to court for a traffic crime, there are always two witnesses (目击证人) . “What color was the car?” the judge always asks, and the two witnesses always give the same answer. Well, in the future, one witness will say it was blue. Mr. Tsui will then say to the judge, “Your honor, the witnesses cannot even agree on the color of the car involved in the accident.” And the judge will have to dismiss the case against me.
1. Which of the following is true of Mr. Tsui?| A．He always volunteered to help Alan. | B．He was popular with the police. |
| C．He was good friends with Alan. | D．He looked forward to Alan’s visit. |
| A．Painting his car all red. | B．Painting his car two colors. |
| C．Painting the garage. | D．Cleaning his car. |
| A．To confuse the evidence against him. | B．To help the judge in court. |
| C．To make the witnesses agree. | D．To leave a good impression in court. |
| A．Remove. | B．Continue. |
| C．Reconsider | D．Accept. |
Where: Becket, Massachusetts
When: June 15-Aug. 24
Each summer, this influential dance center presents a number of classes and performances by more than 50 companies from around the world. Highlights (最精彩的部分) this season include the Dance Theater of Harlem's production of Alvin Ailey's “The Lark Ascending”, which opens the festival.
Many events are free. Ticketed performances start at $22. jacobspillow.org.
Moab Music Festival
Where: Moab, Utah
When: Aug. 29-Sept. 9
This area is better known for mountain biking than for music. But since 1992, it has hosted a private festival that brings classical, jazz, Latin and other types of music to the land. This year there will be 16 concerts, including three “Grotto Concerts”, where guests take a 45-minute boat ride down the Colorado River to performances.
Events start at $25. moabmusicfest.org.
Cheyenne Frontier Days
Where: Cheyenne, Wyoming
When: July 19-28
There's something for everyone at this 117-year-old festival, from an “Indian village” and Old West museum to country concerts. But the competition is still the main attraction, with cowboys and cowgirls competing for major money in the world's largest outdoor stage.
Competition tickets start at $18, and concert tickets at $23. cfdrodeo.com.
The Glimmerglass Festival
Where: Cooperstown, New York
When: July 6-Aug. 24
Each summer, opera lovers from around the country (and the world) travel to upstate New York to watch productions that include stars like Nathan Gunn and Ginger Costa-Jackson. This year's performances include Wagner's “The Flying Dutchman” and Verdi's “King for a Day”, in honor of the 200th birthdays of both composers (作曲家).
Tickets start at $26. glimmerglass.org.
1. If you want to enjoy a “Grotto Concert”, which date suits you best?
| A．June 15. | B．July 19. |
| C．August 24. | D．September 4. |
| A．$18. | B．$22. |
| C．$36. | D．$41. |
| A．Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival |
| B．the Glimmerglass Festival |
| C．Cheyenne Frontier Days |
| D．Moab Music Festival |
3 . Have you ever been sad because of failure? Please remember, for quite often achieving what you set out to do is not the most important thing.
A boy decided to dig a deep hole behind his house. As he was working, a couple of older boys stopped by to watch. “What are you doing?” asked one of the visitors. “I want to dig a hole all the way through the earth!” the boy answered excitedly. The older boys began to laugh, telling him that digging a hole all the way through the earth was impossible. After a while, the boy picked up a jar. He showed it to the visitors. It was full of all kinds of stones and insects. Then he said calmly and confidently, “Maybe I can’t finish digging all the way through the earth, but look at what I’ve found during this period!”
The boy’s goal was far too difficult, but it did cause him to go on. And that is what a goal is for－to cause us to move in the direction we have chosen, in other words, to cause us to keep working!
Not every goal will be fully achieved. Not every job will end up with a success. Not every dream will come true. But when you fall short of your aim, maybe you can say, “Yes, but look at what I’ve found along the way! There are so many wonderful things having come into my life because I tried to do something!” It is in the digging that life is lived. It is the unexpected joy on the journey that really makes sense.
1. The older boys laughed at the boy because he was thought to be______.| A．brave |
| B．impolite |
| C．foolish |
| D．warm-hearted |
| A．To drive them away. |
| B．To show what he had found in digging. |
| C．To show how beautiful the jar was. |
| D．To attract them to join him in the work. |
| A．No dream can come true. |
| B．All work will end successfully. |
| C．Goals shouldn’t be set too high. |
| D．Goals will make us work harder. |
| A．A Boy Dug a Hole |
| B．Joy in the Journey |
| C．No Pain, No Gains |
| D．Failure Is the Mother of Success |
