高中英语故事类阅读阅读理解

Freda Bright says, “Only in opera do people die of love.” It’s true. You really can’t love somebody to death. I’ve known people to die from no love, but I’ve never known anyone to be loved to death. We just can’t love one another enough.
A hear-warming story tells of a woman who finally decided to ask her boss for a raise in salary. All day she felt nervous and late in the afternoon she summoned the courage to approach her employer. To her delight, the boss agreed to the raise.
The woman arrived home that evening to a beautiful table set with their best dishes. Candles were softly glowing. Her husband had come home early and prepared a festival meal. She wondered if someone from the office had tipped him off, or --- did he just somehow know that she would not get turned down?
She found him in the kitchen and told him the good news. They embraced and kissed, then sat down to the wonderful meal. Next to her plate the woman found a beautifully lettered note. It read: “Congratulations, darling! I knew you’d get the raise! These things will tell you how much I love you.”
Someone has said that the measure of love for his wife is love without measure. What this man feels for his wife is total acceptance and love, whether she succeeds or fails. His love celebrates her victories and soothes her wounds. He stands with her, no matter what life throws in their direction.
Upon receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, Mother Teresa said, “What can you do to promote world peace? Go home and love your family. And love your friends. Love them without measure.”
The sentence in the first paragraph “Only in opera do people die of love.” means ________.

A．no love in the world is believable

B．love is one thing, and life is another

C．love in operas is truly touching

D．love can survive forever, though people die at different ages

That the husband prepared her a second letter about her raise suggests that ________.

A．he loves her because he believes that she is sure to receive a raise

B．he has a great way to promote his wife’s love towards him

C．he has a false love for people even if the person is his wife

D．he loves his family members truly, whether they are in good conditions or not

From the text, we might say the author ________.

A．refuse any spiritual emotions as embraced and kissed

B．criticizes the attitude of suspicion of the love

C．doesn’t believe there is true love in the world

D．thinks the true love does not expect repayment

I am 26. I’m clear that I’m never going to catch up with Mother Teresa. But I want to do something to help people every single day like her.
Everybody thinks we just serve food and soda. The safety training is serious and stressful. Caring for 49 people in a business class in 90 minutes is not easy. I had a roommate who was a waitress; she just left a candle and a table cloth burning, and I used a fire extinguisher (灭火器) to put out the fire. If something goes bad at her job, she calls the police. But if something happens up in the air, it’s up to us.
I’m single and have no kids. I’ve flown every Christmas since 1995. If I fly, someone else can be with their kids. Christmas in an airport can be depressing, but it’s the little things that make a difference.
We’re not robots. It’s hard to put on a smile and just pretend everything is great when it isn’t. I’ve seen co-workers lose a family member the day before a trip and just pull themselves together (take control of their feelings and believe in a calm way). At the end of a 14-hour flight, it’s like, “It was really nice to help you, but I’m ready for you to get off the plane.” Those last 15 minutes can be the longest 15 minutes of your life. You can’t wait to turn off the flight attendant’s voice and get something to eat without anyone saying “Excuse me.”
Sometimes I go all day and never hear a “please” or a “thank you.” When you say thank you, it’s huge. It makes us feel like you actually see us as fellow humans. We’re up there together at a height of 30,000 feet, enjoying the miracle (奇迹) of the modern flight.
What’s the author’s attitude towards Mother Teresa?

A．Grateful

B．Fearful

C．Doubtful

D．Admiring

How did the author like her roommate’s job?

A．It was the same as hers	B．It was more interesting than hers
C．It was easier than hers	D．It was more serious than hers

Why does the author fly every Christmas?

A．Because she has nowhere to go.

B．Because she’s trying to be a helpful co-worker.

C．Because she owes her co-workers some favors.

D．Because she’d like to earn more money.

What does the author imply by saying the underlined sentence “We’re not robots”?

A．Flight attendants are not stronger than robots.

B．Flight attendants also experience emotions.

C．Flight attendants get tired while robots don’t.

D．Flight attendants need to rest now and then.

It was a winter morning, just a couple of weeks before Christmas 2005. While most people were warming up their cars, Trevor, my husband, had to get up early to ride his bike four kilometers away from home to work. On arrival, he parked his bike outside the back door as he usually does. After putting in 10 hours of labor, he returned to find his bike gone.
The bike, a black Kona 18 speed, was our only transport. Trevor used it to get to work, putting in 60-hour weeks to support his young family. And the bike was also used to get groceries（食品杂货），saving us from having to walk long distances from where we live.
I was so sad that someone would steal our bike that I wrote to the newspaper and told them our story. Shortly after that, several people in our area offered to help. One wonderful stranger even bought a bike, then called my husband to pick it up. Once again my husband had a way to get to and from his job. It really is an honor that a complete stranger would go out of their way for someone they have never met before.
People say that a smile can be passed from one person to another, but acts of kindness from strangers are even more so. This experience has had a spreading effect in our lives because it strengthened our faith in humanity（人性）as a whole. And it has influenced（影响）us to be more mindful of ways we, too, can share with others. No matter how big or how small, an act of kindness shows that someone cares. And the results can be everlasting.
Why was the bike so important to the couple?

A．They used it for work and daily life.

B．It was their only possession.

C．It was a nice Kona 18 speed.

D．The man’s job was bike racing.

We can infer from the text that ____________.

A．the couple worked 60 hours a week.

B．people were busy before Christmas

C．the stranger brought over the bike

D．life was hard for the young family.

What do the couple learn from their experience?

A．Strangers are usually of little help

B．One should take care of their bike.

C．News reports make people famous.

D．An act of kindness can mean a lot.

One day newly wedded Nancy lost her ring while helping to plant potatoes. Friends were called and the field was searched long but in vain(徒劳). Later, when the potatoes were harvested, Everyone looked out for the ring but it remained lost. Another year came round and all the farmers working in the field kept their eyes open. The following year was the same. And year after year, whoever had business in the field always had Nancy’s ring in his mind.
Then the farm changed hands but it went no farther than to cousins. So the memory of the lost ring remained alive until thirty-eight years had passed. Then came a spring day when a man was ploughing the field behind a pair of horses. Even after thirty-eight years he still looked out for the ring, and knew just which part of the field Nancy had lost it in. At this time, when he came there, he found it .He picked it up, put it carefully into his pocket, left his horse, and ran all the way down to the village and placed it into Nancy’s hand.
How did Nancy come to lose her ring?

A．She lost it while helping to harvest tomatoes in the field

B．She lost it while working in the field.

C．She lost it while helping to plant potatoes in the field.

D．She lost it while watering the plants in the field.

Why did people keep looking for the ring even after the farm changed hands?

A．They all loved Nancy.

B．They all wanted to solve the mystery.

C．It was a very expensive ring

D．Everybody wanted to have this ring.

What did the ploughman do after finding the ring?

A．He picked it up and put it in his pocket.

B．He ran back to tell everybody in the village.

C．He placed it in a secret spot.

D．He returned it to the owner.

What can you infer from the story?

A．The ring was invaluable.

B．The ring’s disappearance was the work of supernatural power.

C．People on the farm were honest and helpful.

D．Nancy no longer expected that her ring would be found again.

The famous director of a big and expensive movie planned to film a beautiful sunset over the ocean，so that the audiences could see his hero and heroine in front of it at the end of the film as they said goodbye to each other forever．He sent his camera crew out one evening to film the sunset for him．
The next morning he said to the men，“Have you provided me with that sunset?”
“No，sir，” the men answereD．
The director was angry．“Why not?”  he askeD．
“Well，sir，” one of the men answered，“we’re on the east coast here，and the sun sets in the west．We can get you a sunrise over the sea，if necessary，but not a sunset.”
“But I want a sunset!” the director shouteD． “Go to the airport，take the next flight to the west coast，and get one.”
But then a young secretary had an ideA． “Why don’t you photograph a sunrise，” she suggested，“and then play it backwards? Then it’ll look like a sunset.”
“That’s a very good idea!” the director saiD． Then he turned to the camera crew and said，“Tomorrow morning I want you to get me a beautiful sunrise over the sea.”
The camera crew went out early the next morning and filmed a bright sunrise over the beach in the middle of a beautiful bay. Then at nine o’clock they took it to the director．“Here it is，sir，” they said，and gave it to him．He was very pleaseD．
They all went into the studio．“All right，” the director explained，“now our hero and heroine are going to say goodbye．Run the film backwards so that we can see the ‘sunset’ behind them.”
The “sunset” began，but after a quarter of a minute，the director suddenly put his face in his hands and shouted to the camera crew to stop.
The birds in the film were flying backwards，and the waves on the sea were going away from the beach.
One evening，the director sent his camera crew out ________.

A．to film a scene on the sea

B．to find an actor and an actress

C．to watch a beautiful sunset

D．to meet the audience

Why did the director want to send his crew to the west coast?

A．Because he changed his mind about getting a sunset.

B．Because he was angry with his crew.

C．Because he wanted to get a scene of sunset.

D．Because it was his secretary’s suggestion.

The director wanted to film a sunset over the ocean because ________.

A．it went well with the separation of the hero and heroine

B．when they arrived at the beach it was already in the evening

C．it was more moving than a sunrise

D．the ocean looked more beautiful at sunset

After the “sunset” began，the director suddenly put his face in his hands ________.

A．because he was moved to tears

B．as he saw everything in the film moving backwards

C．as the sunrise did not look as beautiful as he had imagined

D．because he was disappointed with the performance of the hero and heroine

George Gershwin，born in 1898，was one of America’s greatest composers．He published his first song when he was eighteen years olD． During the next twenty years he wrote more than five hundred songs．
Many of Gershwin’s songs were first written for musical plays performed in theatres in New York City．These plays were a popular form of entertainment in the 1920s and 1930s．Many of his songs have remained popular as ever．Over the years they have been sung and played in every possible way—from jazz to country．
In the 1920s there was a debate in the United States about jazz musiC． Could jazz，some people asked，be considered serious music? In 1924 jazz musician and orchestra leader Paul Whiteman decided to organize a special concert to show that jazz was serious musiC． Gershwin agreed to compose something for the concert before he realized he had just a few weeks to do it．And in that short time，he composed a piece for piano and orchestra which he called Rhapsody in Blue．Gershwin himself played the piano at the concert．The audience were thrilled when they heard his musiC．   It made him world-famous and showed that jazz music could be both serious and popular．
In 1928，Gershwin went to Paris．He applied to study composition(作曲)with the well-known musician Nadia Boulanger，but she rejected him．She was afraid that classical study would ruin his jazz-influenced style．While there，Gershwin wrote An American in Paris．When it was first performed，critics(评论家)were divided over the musiC． Some called it happy and full of life，to others it was silly and boring．    But it quickly became popular in Europe and the United States．It still remains one of his most famous works．
George Gershwin died in 1937，just days after doctors learned he had brain cancer．He was only thirty-nine years olD． Newspapers all over the world reported his death on their front pages．People mourned the loss of the man and all the music he might have still written．
Many of Gershwin’s musical works were    ．

A．written about New Yorkers

B．composed for Paul Whiteman

C．played mainly in the countryside

D．performed in various ways

What did Gershwin do during his stay in Paris?

A．He created one of his best works．

B．He studied with Nadia Boulanger．

C．He argued with French critics．

D．He changed his music style．

What do we learn from the last paragraph?
A． Many of Gershwin’s works were lost．
B． The death of Gershwin was widely reporteD．
C． A concert was held in memory of Gershwin．
D． Brain cancer research started after Gershwin’s death．
Which of the following best describes Gershwin?

A．Talented and productive．

B．Serious and boring．

C．Popular and unhappy．

D．Friendly and honest．

Nearing the age of 101 has not slowed down one Japanese woman．In fact，in the swimming pool—she is only getting faster．
Recently，a 100-year-old Japanese woman became the world’s first centenarian to complete a 1，500-meter freestyle swimming competition in a 25-meter poo1．
Her name is Mieko Nagaoka．Ms．Nagaoka set a world record for her age group at a recent Japan Masters Swimming Association event in the western city of Matsuyama．She swam the race in 1hour，15 minutes and 54 seconds．
By comparison，the overall female world record holder completed the same distance in just under 15 and a half minutes．But that swimmer，Katie Ledecky，is only 17 years old．And Ms．Nagao．ka was not competing against her．In fact，Ms．Nagaoka was the only competitor in the 100-104 year old category．Her race was not a race of speed but of endurance，or not giving up．
Breaking swimming records is nothing new to Ms．Nagaoka．So far she has broken 25 records．But she began competing when she was much younger—at 88.
Ms．Nagaoka sufferred a knee injury in her 80s，so she began swimming to help her body recover．Since her first international swimming competition，she hasn’t looked back，except maybe to see if her competition is catching up．
In 2002．at a masters swim meet in New Zealand，Ms．Nagaoka took the bronze medal in the 50-meter backstroke．In 2004，she won three silver medals at an Italian swim meet.
Masters swimming is a special class of competitive swimming to promote health and friendship among participants．Swimmers compete within age groups of five years.
Japan has a large number of people who live beyond 100 years old．Until she passed away this month，the oldest person in the world was also from Japan．Misao Okawa was born in 1 898．She said her secrets for longevity，or long life，were good genes，regular sleep，sushi and exercise.
The underlined word“centenarian”refers to someone who is____．

A．from Japan	B．100 or older
C．an old competitor	D．a new swimmer

Which is possibly the age category of the masters swimming competition?

A．82 to 87 years old．	B．93 to 97 years old.
C．95 to 99 years old．	D．106 to 110 years old.

It can be inferred from the passage that_____．

A．some people are born with longevity genes

B．people who like swimming live longer

C．the Japanese are interested in swimming

D．woman usually live much longer than men

Which can best explain the spirit of Ms．Nagaoka?

A．Not to advance is to go back．

B．After a storm comes a calm.

C．The early bird catches the worm．

D．Keep on going，never give up.

Photography has been my interest ever since I was old enough to pick up a camera, but today I want to share with you the 15 most treasured photos of mine, and I didn’t take any of them. There were no art directors, no stylists, no chance for reshoots, not even any regard for lighting. In fact, most of them were taken by random tourists.
My story begins when I was in New York City for a speech, and my wife took a picture of me holding my daughter on her first birthday. We’re on the corner of the 57^th and 5^th avenue. We happened to be back in New York exactly a year later, so we decided to take the same picture.
Well you can see where this is going. Approaching my daughter’s third birthday, my wife said, “Hey, why don’t you take Sabina back to New York and make it a father-daughter trip, and continue the ceremony?” This is when we started asking passing tourists to take the picture.
So these photos are far more than representatives for a single moment, or even a specific trip. They’re also ways for us to freeze time for one week in October and reflect on our times and how we change from year to year, and nor just physically, but in every way. Because while we take the same photo, our viewpoints change, and she reaches new milestones and I get to see life through her eyes, and how she communicates with and sees everything. This very focused time we get to spend together is something we value and expect the entire year.
What can we know about the author from the first paragraph?

A．He is fond of being photographed alone.

B．He hardly ever asks strangers to take pictures of him.

C．He has been interested in photography since childhood.

D．He’s proud of the 15 most treasured photos taken by himself.

Who came up with the idea of having a father-daughter trip when Sabina was 3 years old?

A．Her mother.	B．Her father.
C．Sabina herself	D．An unknown tourist.

It can be inferred from the last paragraph that           .

A．children usually get to see life through adults’ eyes

B．the 15 photos are meaningful to the author’s family

C．it takes the author a whole week to have a family photo taken

D．the viewpoints of the author’s family never change with the time.

What can be the best title of the text?

A．Believe it or not; photos do change

B．Photos help a family become rich

C．Even strangers can help take photographs

D．A father-daughter bond, one photo at a time

阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。
My husband, my four-month-old daughter and I set out on a five-day driving journey from California to Washington. We had to stop frequently because our little child needed to stretch from the car seat.
One of our stops, once we crossed the Oregon border, was at a Black Bear Diner. Walking towards the front door we noticed a gentleman standing at one side. He was clearly untidy, without shoes and wearing worn clothing. We passed right by him and opened the restaurant door. Then something told me to go back.
Holding my daughter, I turned around and said to the gentleman, “Sir. Are you hungry?” He said, “Yes.” I then asked, “May we buy you something to eat?” He responded with, “Sure, I can order something myself.”
My husband opened the door and the gentleman went straight to the counter. I told him to order whatever he wanted. The manager of the restaurant came over quite quickly and looked frightened. I spoke before he had an opportunity to. “This gentleman will have lunch with us today,” I said. “Please add his order to our bill.” The manager said with a frown(皱眉), “Okay.” We turned to our table and the gentleman said, loudly and quickly, “Thank You!” We were seated and upon completing our meal we were handed our bill. I asked my husband what the gentleman had ordered. One fresh orange juice, one coffee, one breakfast combination with a side of hash browns.
When we left the restaurant I looked for the gentleman but didn’t see him, but that very small act just made my day. I hope in some small way we were able to add some joy to his life, even if only for a few minutes.
From the appearance of the gentleman, we can guess he was probably a(n) _____.

A．waiter

B．actor

C．beggar

D．worker

The manager of the restaurant looked frightened because _____.

A．the man was not friendly

B．the man had stolen something from the restaurant

C．he had fired the man before

D．he was afraid the man wouldn’t afford to pay the food

From the passage, we can infer the man _____.

A．was thankful for their kind act

B．felt ashamed and went away

C．was hungry and ate a lot of food

D．was too proud to accept their offer

The phrase “made my day” in the last paragraph probably means ______.

A．wasted my money	B．made me very happy
C．made me feel sorry	D．moved me deeply

There once was a little boy who wanted to meet the king. He set off, walking towards the king’s castle. After many years of walking, the king’s castle came into his view. However, as the boy drew closer to the outside of the castle, the guards noticed him.
“Get out of here!” ordered the guards.
Well, the little boy didn’t have to be told twice. He turned…and ran. All he wanted to do was to tell the king wonderful things, and see all the beautiful things in the king’s house. But he couldn’t even get near the castle! The boy finally stopped running, sat down and cried.
A young man happened to be coming down the path at the very moment. He saw the little boy and stopped. “What’s wrong, young man?” he asked.
“Sir, I walked and walked just to see the king. But these guards made me scared. I wanted to tell the king how lovely everything is and just tell the king that I just wanted to see him!”
The man looked at the little boy thoughtfully. “Look, why don’t you try again? I’ll come with you this time.”
The little boy got up and took the man’s hand. The king’s guards spotted them.
“Look, mister, we don’t have to do this…I don’t want you to get hurt. We can just turn around now.”
The man held the little boy’s hand and went on. The boy really thought the man might be crazy until he looked back up at the guards. They were all smiling now. The little boy was amazed.
“Who are you?” asked the little boy in astonishment.
“Why, I’m the king’s son. You can enter the castle and be with the king.” Said the man.
The little boy broke into a huge smile.
Why did the boy want to see the king?

A．To get some help from the king.

B．To invite the king to visit his beautiful village.

C．To share wonderful things with the king.

D．To ask the king to play with him.

What does the underlined sentence in the paragraph mean?

A．The little boy didn’t understand the guards’ words at first.

B．The guards repeated the words to the boy.

C．The little boy had been to the castle twice.

D．The little boy understood the guards’ words immediately.

According to the passage, the man is        .

A．kind

B．stupid

C．ambitious

D．mean

Which of the following best suits the story’s lesson for us?

A．Never judge a book by its cover.

B．Anything is possible if one tried hard enough.

C．Life can sometimes be unfair.

D．Make new friends and keep the old.

Pat O’Burke was a poor Irishman with a large family, and one morning, waking up very early from cold and hunger, he decided to go shooting in a wood near his cottage. The wood belonged to Lord Northwood, a rich gentleman, Pat had no right to go there, but in it there were swarms of rabbits and flocks of birds that were good to eat, and Pat determined to take the risk. Suddenly he saw the owner, with a group of friends, coming towards him in the wood. There was a look of anger on Lord Northwood's face as he caught sight of the gun in Pat's hands. Pat's heart sank with fear, but he saw there was no hope of escape, so he walked boldly(大胆) up to the company and said to Lord Northwood, “Good morning, sir, and what has brought you out so early this morning?” Lord Northwood, rather surprised, said he and his Mends were taking a little exercise to get an appetite(食欲) for their breakfast. Then, looking at Pat with suspicion(怀疑), he said, “but why are you out so early in the morning?” “Well, sir” said Pat, “I just came out to see if I could get a breakfast for my appetite.” The whole crowed burst into laughter at Pat's ready wit(机智，风趣), and with a smile Lord Northwood walked on, leaving Pat to try his luck with the rabbits.
This is a story about _____.

A．a rich man who owned a big wood

B．a poor Irishman who lived all by himself

C．a clever man who tried to get something to eat

D．an Irish hunter with a large family

There was a look of anger on Lord Northwood's face. Why?

A．He was not expecting Pat at this early hour.

B．He knew Pat was coming for shooting.

C．He didn't like the poor Irishman at all.

D．Pat had not told him he would come.

Why was Lord Northwood surprised?

A．He had not expected such a bold question from Pat.

B．He wondered why Pat didn't run away.

C．Pat wasn't afraid of him.

D．Pat had a gun in his hands.

What made the whole crowd burst into laughter?

A．Pat's funny looks

B．Pat's interesting remarks

C．Pat's quick and humorous response

D．Pat's promise to leave fight away

阅读下列列短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中, 选出最佳选项。并在答题卡上将该选项涂黑．
I was twenty-two, and in Bolivia. I’d been to every other country in South America, and now I was set on getting into Chile, the last on the list.
After several days, I reached the hills. It was cold, and even the distant mountains were clear. The days were lonely, but one evening I met Filomeno and his fellow teachers. They tried to persuade me not to go to Chile, saying it was a bad place, and that I would be killed. I didn’t believe them. I knew nothing of the current politics; I just wanted to go there.
So I walked into the mountains, feeling excited, and came to a sign with the word "Chile" on it. A frightening soldier appeared, stuck a gun in my back, and pushed me down a slope to the police station. The police chief then told me, "There’s nothing for you here." I explained that I had come to see this beautiful country. But he was annoyed.
In the evening they filled me with food. There was laughter, and I was less tense. Then the police chief took me to a tiny cell. I lay down on the mattress (垫子). Even though I had no light and none of my possessions, I felt euphoric. At least I had arrived! And what a story I’d have to tell! The next morning I was released, and I was told that Chile didn’t want me. Throwing my belongings into my backpack, I shouted and screamed at the soldiers. After all this effort I was being sent home! I stomped (以重踏步方式走) towards Bolivia expecting to feel a bullet. But I’d be back! I told myself.
The author went to Chile to ______.

A．visit his friend Filomeno	B．settle there forever
C．complete his trip plan	D．risk his life

The underlined word "euphoric" in Paragraph 4 most probably means "______".

A．terrible

B．shamed

C．bored

D．excited

According to the last paragraph, the author lost his temper because ______.

A．he was prevented from entering Chile

B．he was badly treated by the soldiers in Chile

C．it was his last chance to travel

D．his friends had stopped him from going to Chile

What is the passage mainly about?

A．An exciting fight with soldiers in Chile.

B．How the author escaped from Chile.

C．An adventure in Chile.

D．Why the author went to Chile.

 The thing is，my luck’s always been ruineD． Just look at my name: Jean．Not Jean Marie，or Jeanine，or Jeanette，or even Jeanne．Just Jean．Did you know in France，they name boys Jean? It’s French for John．And okay，I don’t live in France．But still，I’m basically a girl named John．If I lived in France，anyway．
This is the kind of luck I’ve had since before Mom even filled out my birth certificate．So it wasn’t any big surprise to me when the cab driver didn’t help me with my suitcase．I’d already had to tolerate arriving at the airport to find no one there to greet me，and then got no answer to my many phone calls，asking where my aunt and uncle were．Did they not want me after all? Had they changed their minds? Had they heard about my bad luck—all the way from Iowa—and decided they didn’t want any of it to rub off on them?
So when the cab driver，instead of getting out and helping me with my bags，just pushed a little button so that the trunk (汽车后备箱) popped open a few inches，it wasn’t the worst thing that had ever happened to me．It wasn’t even the worst thing that had happened to me that day．
According to my mom，most brownstones in New York City were originally single-family homes when they were built way back in the 1800s．But now they’ve been divided up into apartments，so that there’s one—or sometimes even two or more families—per floor．
Not Mom’s sister Evelyn’s brownstone，though．Aunt Evelyn and Uncle Ted Gardiner own all four floors of their brownstone．That’s practically one floor per person，since Aunt Evelyn and Uncle Ted only have three kids，my cousins Tory，Teddy，and Alice．
Back home，we just have two floors，but there are seven people living on them．And only one bathroom．Not that I’m complaining．Still，ever since my sister Courtney discovered blow-outs，it’s been pretty frightful at home．
But as tall as my aunt and uncle’s house was，it was really narrow—just three windows across．Still，it was a very pretty townhouse，painted gray．The door was a bright，cheerful yellow．There were yellow flower boxes along the base of each window，flower boxes from which bright red—and obviously newly planted，since it was only the middle of April，and not quite warm enough for them．
It was nice to know that，even in a sophisticated (世故的) city like New York，people still realized how homey and welcoming a box of flowers could be．The sight of those flowers cheered me up a little．
Like maybe Aunt Evelyn and Uncle Ted just forgot I was arriving today，and hadn’t deliberately failed to meet me at the airport because they’d changed their minds about letting me come to stay．
Like everything was going to be all right，after all．
Yeah．With my luck，probably not．
I started up the steps to the front door of 326 East Sixty-Ninth Street，then realized I couldn’t make it with both bags and my violin．Leaving one bag on the sidewalk，I dragged the other up the steps with me．Maybe I took the steps a little too fast，since I nearly tripped and fell flat on my face on the sidewalk．I managed to catch myself at the last moment by grabbing some of the fence the gardeners had put up…
Why did the author go to New York?

A．She intended to go sightseeing there．

B．She meant to stay with her aunt’s family．

C．She was homeless and adopted by her aunt.

D．She wanted to try her luck and find a job there．

According to the author，some facts account for her bad luck EXCEPT that ________．

A．she was given a boy’s name in French

B．the cab driver didn’t help her with her bags

C．her sister Courtney discovered blow-outs

D．nobody had come to meet her at the airport

The underlined phrase “rub off on” in Paragraph 3 probably means _________.

A．have an effect on

B．play tricks on

C．put pressure on

D．throw doubt on

From the passage，we can know that _________．

A．the author left home without informing her mother

B．the author arrived in New York in a very warm season

C．her aunt’s family lived a much better life than her own

D．her aunt and uncle were likely to forget about her arrival

When Charles Stratton was five, he stopped growing. His mother took him to see the famous showman, P. T. Barnum. Mr. Barnum thought a small person would be the perfect addition to his show. He hired Charles' parents along with him, and they traveled the world together.
He gave the two-foot-tall Charles a name, General Tom Thumb. He taught Tom how to sing, dance, act and tell jokes. When he felt Tom was ready to perform on stage, he made up ads. To stir up great interest, he said that Tom was eleven years old and had come from England.
During the show, Tom fought battles pretendedly with tall people. He also danced upon a wooden plate held by a person who was eight feet tall. Tom's act was very popular and brought in a lot of money. By the time Tom was an adult, he had grown very rich. He had become a billionaire at the age of twenty five.
Fortunately for Tom, Mr. Barnum added more little people to his show, and Tom became lucky in love as well. One of the little people was Lavinia Warren, a schoolteacher. Tom was able to win her love, and they married.
The ceremony and reception were the talk of the town. They were attended by many rich and famous people and by about 2000 guests. Crowds filled the streets of New York to have a look at their tiny wedding marriage. The couple even met with President Abraham Lincoln on their honeymoon just before going to live in Tom's house in Connecticut.
Their wedding, which took place during the Civil War, provided a welcome escape from the sad problems of war. Not willing to let this bit of sunshine fade, communities throughout the country sponsored "Tom Thumb" weddings. In these weddings, small boys and girls, all dressed up, went through marriage ceremony for fun.
The underlined words "talk of the town" means________.

A．it was in the newspaper

B．it was the most popular topic

C．people spread bad rumors about it

D．it was discussed in a city meeting

What does the author think about Tom's wedding?

A．Tom and Lavinia were stupid.

B．People gave it too much of their attention.

C．It was funny and ridiculous.

D．It helped people cheer up in a dark time.

What is the main idea of the last paragraph?

A．Weddings always make people feel full of sunshine.

B．People are always disappointed during war time.

C．Entertainment can serve an important purpose.

D．People should be married when they are small children.

In New York, Ma Yun witnessed the Alibaba Group opening on the New York stock exchange with the largest initial public offering (IPO，新股发行) in American history. “Alibaba, the world’s largest Internet commerce company makes China equal to the US in the rapidly increasing global competition for technological innovation (创新) and economic transformation ” commented the South China Morning Post.
It has also made Ma China’s richest man with a fortune of around $25 billion (153 billion yuan), reported Reuters.
It’s reported that Ma’s rags-to-riches journey is just as spectacular as his Internet Empire. Ma failed the national college entrance exams twice before he was finally in Hangzhou Normal University on his third attempt and failed in finding a suitable job several times. Also, Mr Ma is a big believer in perseverance, which was proved in his English study experience.
However, it was his vision and goals that launched his career.
During a short trip to the US as an interpreter in 1995, Ma first experienced the Internet. He believed in the Internet’s business potential when few other Chinese people did. He started Alibaba in his Hangzhou apartment, with 17 friends and $60,000 of funds. At the time, when e-commerce was unheard of in China, “I called myself a blind man riding on the back of blind tigers,” he once said, according to The Guardian. His unusual ideas earned him the nickname “Crazy Jack Ma”.
Indeed, Ma is different. Although he is very thin and about 160cm tall, “Ma is yet animated and forceful,” said The Guardian. “He is funny, creative, and a compelling (引人注目的) speaker.
Ma told Time magazine that he was “old for the Internet”. He started to slow down and looked around. According to The Wall Street Journal, Ma “plans to open a tai chi club with the actor Jet Li, build an entrepreneur (企业家) university in Hangzhou and continue to work on several environmental projects.”
What made him into e-commerce industry?

A．His English learning experience.

B．His foresight and ambitions.

C．His belief in perseverance.

D．His 17 friends and $60,000 funds.

What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 5 mean?

A．Ma is a blind man riding on a blind tiger.

B．Ma had no confidence in his business future.

C．Ma knew little about e-commerce.

D．Ma had not enough money at that time.

What’s the personality of Ma Yun according to the passage?

A．Funny and competitive.

B．Determined and creative.

C．Rich and different.

D．Attractive and believable.

What’s the best title of the passage?

A．The Development of Alibaba Group

B．Ma Yun’s Personal Life

C．Ma Yun’s Crazy Success

D．E-commerce in China