1 . My father was attached to gardening by birth. One of my earliest memories is following Dad barefoot around in the garden with both hands blackened from digging in the soil. The garden was a wonderland full of possibilities.
As Dad grew older, he still loved gardening. Even when he was diagnosed with cancer, he still planted all sorts of plants. Sometimes, I would come over to visit, and we would walk together in the garden. But then, something changed. Like the weeds that took over his garden, the cancer grew rapidly in Dad, and the doctor gave up. I stayed with Dad twenty-four hours a day and I found myself in all kinds of uncomfortable situations with Dad until I promised to care for the garden.
Though I had heard the words of the doctor, what really made me believe that Dad was dying was the state of his garden. That year, he only planted tomatoes. Too tired to weed them, he simply tied them with strong strings to the fence and let them be. It made me sad to see them ignored, so I would come over and water them once in a while, and remove the weeds. I still remember the day I picked the last tomato from the vine(藤). That day was one of the saddest I had ever experienced in my life.
Three years ago, I decided to plant my own garden. I decided I would start out with just a few tomatoes. That morning when I moved to the garden, something caught the corner of my eye and I had to smile. It was my eight-year-old son Nathan, standing barefoot in the soil , happily playing in soil.
1. When the author was a child he liked his father’s garden because it was _________.A.a field that produced much food |
B.a piece of land covered with black soil |
C.a place where he got educated |
D.a fantastic place with unexpected surprise |
A.His garden | B.His illness |
C.His son | D.His grandson |
A.The words of the doctor. |
B.The condition of his father. |
C.His communication with his father. |
D.That the garden wasn’t taken good care of by his father. |
A.Water the garden | B.Remove weeds |
C.Pick a tomato | D.Cut tomato vines. |
A.Because he remembered his father. |
B.Because his son showed interest in the garden. |
C.Because he thought of the food he would get. |
D.Because he could take care of his own garden. |
I needed to get some money so, after Christmas, I took a job in the clothes department at Graham’s for the first fortnight of the January sale. I can’t say that I enjoyed it, but it was an experience I’ll never forget.
I could never understand why there were so many things in the sales; where did they all come from? Now I know the secret! Firstly, there is the special winter stock (货物) and the stock that people buy all the year round; some of these things are slightly reduced. Secondly, there are the summer clothes they couldn’t sell last year; these are heavily reduced to clear them. Thirdly, there are cheap clothes bought in specially for the sales; these are put out at high prices ten days before the sale begins and then are reduced by 60% in the sale. Clever! Lastly, they buy in “seconds? (clothes not in perfect condition) for the sale and they are sold very cheaply.
When I arrived half an hour before opening on the first day of the sale, there was already a queue around three sides of the building. This made me very nervous.
When the big moment arrived to open the doors, the security guards, looking less confident than usual, came up to them, keys in hand. The moment they had unlocked the doors, they hid behind the doors for protection as the noisy crowd charged in. I couldn’t believe my eyes; this wasn’t shopping, it was a battlefield! One poor lady couldn’t keep her feet and was knocked over by people pushing from behind.
Clothes were flying in all directions as people searched for the sizes, colours and styles they wanted. Quarrels broke out. Mothers were using their small children to crawl(爬行) through people’s legs and get hold of things they couldn’t get near themselves.
Within minutes I had half a dozen people pushing clothes under my nose, each wanting to be the first served. Where had the famous English Queue gone? The whole day continued like that, but I kept my temper(脾气)! I was taking money hand over fist and began to realize why, twice a year, Graham’s were happy to turn their expensive store into a battlefield like this.
In the sale fever, people were spending money like water without thinking whether they needed what they were buying. As long as it was a bargain it was OK.
You won’t believe this but as soon as I got home I crashed out for four hours. Then I had dinner and went back to bed, fearing the sound of the alarm which would tell me to get ready for the second day of the sale.
1. What kind of clothes is likely to be sold 5% cheaper?
A.Last summer’s clothes. | B.Clothes not in perfect condition. |
C.Clothes bought in specially for the sales. | D.Clothes for winter. |
A.The customers gave up the queuing for which the English are famous. |
B.The customers kept their temper while looking for clothes they wanted. |
C.Small children enjoyed crawling through people’s legs. |
D.The security guards were fearless of the crowd. |
A.There were too many clothes and they wanted to clear them in the sales. |
B.They were eager to show that they were clever at doing business. |
C.They could take the chance to raise the prices of all their clothes. |
D.They wanted to make more money by having sales. |
A.chatted with her friends | B.slept soundly |
C.broke down | D.dined out |
A.The Best Bargain. | B.Hunting for a job. |
C.Sale Fever. | D.A Pleasant Fortnight. |
阅读下列短文,从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中,选出一个最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
The key to happiness is how quickly you can get back your focus on what’s important.
—Anonymous
Sixteen years ago I learned this lesson in the back of a New York City taxi cab. Here's what happened. I hopped in a taxi, and we took off for Grand Central Station. We were driving in the right lane when, all of a sudden, a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded, and missed the other car’s back end by just inches!
The driver of the other car, who almost caused a big accident, started yelling bad words at us. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean, he was friendly. So, I said, "Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!" And this is when my taxi driver told me what I now call "The Law of the Garbage Truck."
Many people are like garbage (rubbish) trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it. And if you let them, they'll dump it on you. When someone wants to dump on you, don't take it personally. You just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. You'll be happy with what you did.
I started thinking, how often do I let Garbage Trucks run right over me? And how often do I take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets? It was that day I said, "I'm not going to do anymore."
Successful people do not let Garbage Trucks take over their day. What about you? If you let more garbage trucks pass you by, you'll be happier. Life's too short to wake up in the morning with regrets. So, Love the people who treat you right. Forget about the ones who don't.
1. What happened one day when the author was taking a taxi?A.The taxi almost hit another car. |
B.The taxi driver was injured. |
C.The author scolded the driver of the other car. |
D.The author learned a lesson from the driver of the garbage truck. |
A.He yelled back at the driver. |
B.He sent the driver to the hospital. |
C.He was friendly towards the driver. |
D.He dumped some garbage in front of his car. |
A.Many people like to drive garbage trucks. |
B.Many people dump garbage wherever they like. |
C.Many people are warm-hearted to make others happy. |
D.Many people tend to be very much depressed. |
A.The author used to have a lot of garbage trucks. |
B.The author used to complain a lot. |
C.The author used to have a lot of money. |
D.The author used to be a good manager. |
A.Ignore them and go on with our own work. |
B.Try our best to persuade them not to do that again. |
C.Tell them to dump the garbage in the right place. |
D.Take over their work and carry the garbage to somewhere else. |
As I walked down empty streets under tall buildings, I felt very small and cold. I began running, both to keep warm and to keep away any possible robbers(抢劫犯). Very few people were still out except a few sad-looking homeless people under blankets.
About a block from my apartment, I heard a sound behind me. I turned quickly, half expecting to see someone with a knife or a gun. The street was empty. All I saw was a shining streetlight. Still, the noise had made me nervous, so I started to run faster. Not until I reached my apartment building and unlocked the door did I realize what the noise had been. It had been my wallet falling to the sidewalk.
Suddenly I wasn’t cold or tired anymore. I ran out of the door and back to where I’d heard the noise. Although I searched the sidewalk anxiously for fifteen minutes, my wallet was nowhere to be found.
Just as I was about to give up the search, I heard the garbage truck(垃圾车) pull up to the sidewalk next to me. When a voice called from the inside, “Alisa Camacho?” I thought I was dreaming. How could this man know my name? The door opened, and out jumped a small red-haired man with an amused look in his eyes. “Is this what you’re looking for?” he asked, holding up a small square shape.
It was nearly 3 a.m. by the time I got into bed. I wouldn’t get much sleep that night, but I had got my wallet back. I also had got back some enjoyment of city life. I realized that the city couldn’t be a bad place as long as people were willing to help each other.
1. How did the writer feel when she was walking home after work?
A.Cold and sick. | B.Lucky and hopeful. |
C.Satisfied and cheerful. | D.Disappointed and helpless. |
A.solving her problem at the bank |
B.taking part in various city activities |
C.learning acting in an evening school |
D.preparing for the first night show |
A.lost her wallet unknowingly |
B.was stopped by a garbage truck driver |
C.was robbed of her wallet by a man with a knife |
D.found some homeless people following her |
A.Someone offered to take her back home. |
B.A red-haired man came to see her. |
C.She heard someone call her name. |
D.Her wallet was found in a garbage truck. |
A.would stop working at night |
B.would stay on in San Francisco |
C.would make friends with cleaners |
D.would give up her job at the bank |