高中英语故事类阅读阅读理解

My Best Enemy
Once again, I was in a new school. So was a girl in my class named Lisa. That’s where the similarities ended.
I was tall and she was small. My thick black hair had been recently cut short into an untidy style. Her natural blonde hair flowed to her waist and looked great. I was 12 and one of the oldest in the class while she was 11 and the youngest. I was awkward and shy. She wasn’t. I couldn’t stand her, considering her my enemy. But she liked me and wanted to be friends.
One day, she invited me over and I said yes—I was too shocked to answer any other way. My family had moved six times in six years, and I had never managed to develop any friendships. But this girl who wore the latest fashions wanted me to go home with her after school.
She lived in a fun part of town that had two pizza places, an all-night bookstore, a movie theater and a park. As we walked from the school bus stop through her neighborhood, I tried to guess which house might be hers. Was it the white one with the perfect lawn or the three-story house with a front porch? I got very surprised when she led me into an old apartment building. She lived on the fourth floor in a two-room place with her mother,her stepfather, her two brothers and her sister.
When we got into the room she shared with her sister, she took out a big case of Babies, which was my next surprise. I had never played with them. We sat on the floor,laughing as we made up crazy stories about the Babies. We found out that we both wanted to be writers when we were older and both had wild imaginations. We had a great day that afternoon.
Lisa was loved by the whole neighborhood. The bookstore owners lent her fashion magazines; the movie theater gave her free tickets… Soon I was included in her magic world. We slept over at each other’s houses and spent every free moment together.
Lisa, my first real friend since childhood, helped me get through the rough year of early adolescence(青春期) and taught me an amazing and very surprising thing about making friends: that your worst enemy can turn out to be your best friend.
The writer and Lisa were similar in the way that_____.

A．they were of the same age	B．they had the same hair styles
C．they were both tall	D．they were both new students

One day Lisa invited the writer______ .

A．to go to her home	B．to go to the movie
C．to go to a park	D．to go to a pizza place

In the passage the writer described Lisa as a girl who was ______

A．awkward and shy	B．rich and happy
C．friendly and lovely	D．quiet and lonely

Which of the following did the writer learn from Lisa?

A．How to make up stories.	B．How to deal with enemies.
C．How to live a better life.	D．How to make friends.

                                       D
You may picture firefighters holding a hose (水管) outside of a burning building, but the Golden Eagles Hotshots don’t fight fires quite that way. When they go into action, you may not even see a fire truck.
The Hotshots are firefighters who battle fires in wildness areas. But don’t think you’ll only find them in their home state California. Wherever there is a national wildfire emergency, the Golden Eagles Hotshots could be there.
But these firefighters don’t work the same way as firefighters in a big city. They work in areas where there are a large number of trees, bushes, and grass. They climb up and down steep hills to clear brush and burnable debris（残骸）. They sometimes use water, but they often fight fire with fire!
They do that by lighting what are called “backfires,” which are small, controlled fires that burn up fuel in the path of large wildfires. That way, when the wildfire gets there, it has nothing to burn and nowhere to go, because all the burnable fuel has already gone up in smoke.
The Hotshots also clear away fuel using old-fashioned hard work. For example, they use a saw to cut away trees and heavy brush that could catch fire.
Of course there are times when the Golden Eagles Hotshots do have trucks to supply water to the fires. But the water is limited, and these guys have to rely on hard work more than anything. Physical fitness is very important. They have to be in great physical shape to handle steep hills and difficult terrain(地形) while carrying a 60-pound pack.
The Golden Eagles Hotshots definitely work hard for their pay. But thanks to their efforts, many lives have been saved, many houses have not burned, and countless trees are still standing.
67. The firefighters mentioned in the passenger. 

A．do much of their work in California

B．avoid climbing steep hills in their work

C．do their work equipped with advanced tools.

D．carry out their work mostly in forests and mountains.

68. According to the passage, why do the firefighters light “backfires”?

A．To signal for help.	B．To remove obstacles.
C．To protect trees and bushes.	D．To prevent the fire from spreading.

69. What can we learn about the Golden Eagles Hotshots?

A．They are firefighters working in big cities.

B．Their work requires physical strength.

C．They are voluntary firefighters working for free.

D．They usually hold a hose to put out the fires.

70. What is the author’s attitude towards the Golden Eagles Hotshots?

A．Appreciative

B．Doubtful

C．Worried

D．Critical

As a youngster, there was nothing I liked better than Sunday afternoons at my grandfather’s farm in western Pennsylvania. Surrounded by miles of winding stone walls, the house and field provided endless hours of fun for a city kid like me. I was used to tidy living rooms that seemed to whisper, "Not to be touched!"
I can still remember one afternoon when I was eight years old. Since my first visit to the farm, I had wanted more than anything to be allowed to climb the stone walls surrounding the houses. My parents would never approve. The walls were old; some stones were missing, others loose and falling. Still, my idea to climb across those walls grew so strong that finally, one spring afternoon, I had all my courage to enter the living room, where the adults had gathered after Sunday dinner.
"I, uh-I want to climb the stone walls," I said. Everyone looked up. "Can I climb the stone walls? "Immediately voices of disagreement went up from the women in the room. "Heavens, no!" You'll hurt yourself!" I wasn't too disappointed; the response was just as I'd expected. But before I could leave the room, I was stopped by my grandfather's loud voice. "Now hold on just a minute," I heard him say. "Let the boy climb the stone walls. He has to learn to do things for himself."
"Go," he said to me, "and come and see me when you get back." For the next two and a half hours I climbed those old walls -and had the time of my life. Later I met with my grandfather to tell him about my adventures. I'll never forget what he said. "Fred," he said, smiling, "You made this day a special day just by being yourself. Always remember, there's only one person in this whole world like you, and I like you exactly as you are."
Many years have passed since then, and today I host the television program Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, seen by millions of children throughout America. There have been changes over the years, but one thing remains the same: my message to children at the end of almost every visit. "There's only one person in this whole world like you," the kids can count on hearing me say, "and people can like you exactly as you are.”
When the writer was small, he lived        .

A．in the city	B．on the farm
C．with his grandparents	D．away from his parents

The writer enjoyed his visits to the farm because        .

A．there were old stone walls.	B．it was an exciting place for him.
C．he liked his grandfather.	D．the living room there was clean

The underlined word “approve” in paragraph 2 means        .

A．prove

B．suppose

C．allow

D．mind

We can learn from the passage that the writer was        .

A．adventurous

B．funny

C．smart

D．talkative

As you probably know,  J．Paul Getty was one of the richest and moat successful American industrialists in history．Quite ambitious from an early age, Getty made his first million at age 23 in 1916．He later went on to found the Getty oil company, In 1957, Fortune magazine named him the richest living American and in 1966, the Guinness Book of Records named him as the world's richest private citizen．
Although he is highly regarded by vast numbers of people for his financial success, as a younger man, his drive to acquire power and money had a detrimental impact on other aspects of his life, particularly in his relationships with women．He was, at one point quoted assaying "A lasting relationship with a woman is only possible if you are a business failure．” He married five times, having children with four of these wives．He couldn’t seem to keep a marriage going for very long．His obsession with having a fortune and power alienated （疏远） each of his wives, eventually driving them away． His marriage with his first wife Jeanette lasted for only three years, with Allene for two years, Adolphine, four years, Ann, four years, and finally Louise, nineteen years．
Perhaps as a young man, Getty was willing to pay whatever price for financial success．Yet Paul came to feel some regret in regard to his life priorities as he approached his later years when he Wrote: "I hate and regret the failure of my marriages．I would gladly give all of my millions for just one lasting marriage success．"
At the end of Getty's life, all of the wealth that he had got meant very little to him．It was only then that he became wise enough to understand what really mattered most．Despite all of his accomplishments, he died with great regret．
It' s a sad story and a cautionary tale for those of us who may have chosen to make career building our highest priority（优先权）, thereby ignoring our relationships．Like any other living organism, relationships require care and attention in order to grow．Even the strongest relationships will he damaged, if there is not enough care．
What is Paragraph l mainly about?

A．People' s admiration for J．Paul Getty．

B．How J．Paul Getty led his life．

C．J． Paul Getty's achievements．

D．How J．Paul Getty became rich．

The underlined word "detrimental" in Paragraph 2 is the closest in meaning to "_         "．

A．harmful

B．interesting

C．positive

D．demanding

J．Paul Getty's marriage that lasted for the longest time was with _         ．

A．Ann

B．Adolphine

C．Allene

D．Louise

At the end of his life, what J．Paul Getty cares about most is the success in              ．

A．business

B．politics

C．marriage

D．education

What is the author's conclusion from the passage?

A．Young people should focus an career - building．

B．The strongest relationships between people won't be damaged．

C．We should attend to the needs in relationships．

D．Successful people don't care about relationships with others．

Ray Travers sat back at the large desk, and looked around his plush（豪华的）office．He was tired．
Ray's eyes stopped at a painting on the wall．It was a gift given by an old friend, Bull, as a farewell gift when he left his hometown．He recalled the life spent in that small town; pleasant times．The many hours he spent talking lo his good friend, and the tales he was told about hunting in the Africa of old．
Memories flowed back more than ten years; he remembered how he enjoyed hearing about the wonderful hunting, and how he wished he could have shared those times．
Ray opened his desk drawer and brought out a wooden box．He opened the lid and exposed a work of art, a hand-made hunting knife．This was a gift from Bull, given to Ray more than 20 years ago．It was one of the first knives Bull had made, and Ray had called it "Zambezi”, the river where Bull had been so many times．
He closed the box and sat upright at his desk; he was driving himself hard, and deserved a break．Things were going well with the business, everything running smoothly．He could afford a week off!
He went back home．A week in the hometown would be like going back in history．"Man, it's going to be good," Ray said aloud, as he turned onto the highway and watched the city lights fast disappearing, as he looked in the rearview mirror．
It was well into the night when Ray pulled into an all-night gas station He walked around the gas station and the memories started …  He was finally back on the road, the powerful car going its way through the night, headlights piercing （穿透） the darkness．Memories danced through the man' s mind．Memories of good times , when he knew what it was to relax , to talk, and to really visit．
Slowly entering town he looked around．Ray sat in his car, looking at the old building, smiling． Inside it was almost as though it was the same people as 15 years ago．
We learn from the passage that Bull is                    ．

A．Ray's colleague	B．a man in Ray' s hometown
C．Ray's relative in Africa	D．an African woodcarving artist

What does the author mainly want to tell us in Paragraphs 2 －5?

A．Bull loved Africa and knew much about it．

B．Bull was good at making works of art．

C．Ray missed his hometown and relatives．

D．Ray missed the time he spent with Bull in his hometown．

What do we know from the passage?

A．Ray visited Africa together with Bull many times．

B．Ray and Bull often went hunting together．

C．Zambezi is the name of a river in Hay a hometown．

D．Ray planned to stay in his hometown for about a week．

What does the under lined part in Paragraph 7 mean?

A．Ray knew how to relax after keeping busy for along time．

B．Ray didn't want to leave his hometown because of so many memories．

C．Ray's hometown changed a lot and was worth a visit．

D．The visit to his hometown reminded Ray of the days together with Bull．

What may the author talk about in the paragraph that follows the passage?

A．The hard time Ray experienced in his career．

B．Why Ray left his hometown alone．

C．The situation in Ray's hometown．

D．How Ray became a successful businessman．

Bill Gates, the billionaire Microsoft chairman without a single earned university degree, is by his success raising new doubts about the worth of the business world’s favorite academic title: the MBA (Master of Business Administration).
The MBA, a 20^th century product, always has borne the mark of lowly commerce and greed on the tree-lined campuses ruled by purer disciplines such as philosophy and literature.
But even with the recession(经济萎缩) apparently cutting down the hiring of business school graduates, about 79,000 people are expected to receive MBAs in 1993. This is nearly 16 times the number of business graduates in 1960.
“If you are going into the corporate world it is still a disadvantage not to have one,” said Donald Morrison, professor of marketing and management science. “But in the last five years or so, when someone says, ‘Should I attempt to get an MBA?’ the answer a lot more is: It depends.”
The success of Bill Gates and other non-MBAs, such as the late Sam Walton of Wal-Mart Stores Inc., has helped inspire self-conscious debates on business school campuses over the worth of a business degree and whether management skills can be taught.
The Harvard Business Review printed a lively, fictional exchange of letters to dramatize complaints about business degree holders. The article called MBA hires “extremely disappointing” and said “MBAs want to move up too fast, they don’t understand politics and people, and they aren’t able to function as part of a team until their third year. But by then, they’re out looking for other jobs.”
The problem, most participants in the debate acknowledge, is that the MBA has acquired an aura (光环) of future riches and power far beyond its actual importance and usefulness.
Business people who have hired or worked with MBAs say those with the degrees of ten know how to analyze systems but are not so skillful at motivating people. “They don’t get a lot of grounding in the people side of the business”, said James Shaffer, vice-president and principal of the Towers Perrin management consulting firm.
According to paragraph 2, what is the general attitude towards business on campuses ruled by purer disciplines?

A．Envious(嫉妒的).	B．Realistic.
C．Scornful(蔑视的).	D．Appreciative.

. It seems that the argument over the value of MBA degrees had been fueled mainly by ___.

A．the complaints from various employers

B．the success of many non-MBAs

C．the criticism from the scientists of purer disciplines

D．the poor performance of MBAs at work

. What is the major weakness of MBA holders according to the Harvard Business Review?

A．They are usually self-centered.

B．They are aggressive and greedy.

C．They keep complaining about their jobs.

D．They are not good at dealing with people.

. From the passage we know that most MBAs ________.

A．can climb the corporate ladder fairly quickly

B．quit their jobs once they are familiar with their workmates

C．receive salaries that do not match their professional training

D．cherish unrealistic expectations about their future

What is the passage mainly about?

A．Why there is an increased enrollment in MBA programs.

B．The necessity of reforming MBA programs in business schools.

C．Doubts about the worth of holding an MBA degree.

D．A debate held recently on university campuses.

China in the 21st century is making great progress in space technology. In 2003, the country sent up the manned spacecraft Shenzhou-V. Four years later, Chang’e-I went into orbit (轨道) around the moon. In 2008 a Chinese man did the country’s first spacewalk.
These achievements would have been unthinkable without the contribution of Qian Xuesen, a key scientist on space programs and rocketry (火箭技术) of the People’s Republic of China. This pioneering scientist passed away in Beijing on October 31 in 2009 at the age of 98.
Once called “the father of our space industry”, Qian began working on China’s missile and space technology in 1956, when China had little technology. When asked by General Chen Geng whether the Chinese could develop their own missiles, Qian said Chinese could do anything that foreigners could.
His research helped lead to the explosion of China’s first atomic bomb (原子弹) in1964, as well as to its first man-made satellite in 1970 and its first manned spacecraft in 2003.
Qian was born in Shanghai. He graduated from Shanghai Jiaotong University in 1934.Then he studied in the US at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and later at the California Institute of Technology. During World WarⅡ, Qian’s research contributed to the development of rocket technology that the US military (军队) began using in the 1940s. He was once prevented from leaving the country because it was decided that he knew too much about certain military matters. It was not until in 1955 that Qian returned to China with the help of the late premier Zhou Enlai.
“I plan to do my best to help the Chinese build a nation where they can live with dignity (尊严) and happiness, ” Qian told reporters before sailing for China in 1955. The great scientist devoted all his life to keeping the promise.
What is the article mainly about?

A．It gives a short history of Chinese missile and space programs.

B．It is about how Qian contributed to the Chinese space program.

C．It lists important events that Qian experienced.

D．It is a brief introduction to Qian, a famous Chinese scientist.

. Which statement about Qian is TRUE?

A．He was born in China and brought up in America.

B．He went to America for further study after graduation from university.

C．He returned to his hometown right after finishing his education.

D．He had worked on missiles in the US military before coming back to China.

Qian was personally involved in many historic events in China EXCEPT       .

A．the first spacewalk	B．the first man-made satellite
C．the development of missiles	D．the explosion of an atomic bomb

From the article, we can conclude that       .

A．the US military had hoped to take full advantage of Qian’s talent

B．Qian had an important position in the US military in the 1940s

C．when World War broke out, Qian was studying at Shanghai Jiaotong University

D．it was not easy to get Qian back from the US

A sobbing little girl stood near a small church from which she had been turned away because it “was too crowded.” “I can’t go to Sunday School,” she sobbed to the pastor (牧师) as he walked by. Seeing her shabby appearance, the pastor guessed the reason, and, taking her by the hand, took her inside and found a place for her in the Sunday School class. The child was so touched that she went to bed that night thinking of the children who have no place to worship Jesus.
Some years later, this child lay dead in one of the poor buildings and the parents called for the kindhearted pastor, who had befriended their daughter, to handle the final arrangements. As her poor little body was being moved, a worn purse was found which seemed to have been picked up from some trash dump. Inside was found 57 cents and a note scribbled in childish handwriting which read, “This is to help build the little church bigger so more children can go to Sunday School.”
For two years she had saved for this offering of love. When the pastor tearfully read that note, he knew instantly what he would do. Carrying this note, he told people the story of her unselfish love and devotion.
A newspaper learned of the story and published it. It was read by a Realtor who offered them a parcel of land worth many thousands. When told that the church could not pay so much, he offered it for 57 cents.
Church members made large donations. Checks came from far and wide. Within five years the little girl’s gift had increased to $250,000, a huge sum for that time.
When you are in the city of Philadelphia, look up Temple Baptist Church, with a seating capacity of 3,300 and Temple University, where hundreds of students are trained. Have a look, too, at the Good Samaritan Hospital and at a Sunday School building which houses hundreds of Sunday scholars, so that no child in the area will ever need to be left outside during Sunday school time.
Why did the girl have a purse with 57 cents?

A．To save money for her future career.

B．To build a large building for more children to live in.

C．To help build a church big enough for every child to go to.

D．To remind people to make remarkable history.

How did a Realtor help the church?

A．He made the story known to the public by publishing it.

B．He sold a land to the church for free.

C．He offered the church a piece of land for 57 cents.

D．He raised money for the church.

What can be inferred from the passage?

A．Church members donated because of their desire for a big church.

B．The girl’s unselfish love was rewarded at last.

C．The pastor found 57 cents saved by the little girl.

D．Temple Baptist Church, Temple University, Good Samaritan Hospital and a Sunday School building all belong to the small church the little girl went to.

. What’s the best title of the passage?

A．57 Cents	B．A little girl’s wish
C．Pastor and Girl	D．A bigger Church

Once there was a king who never ate a meal unless there was a dish of fish with it, but one day there was a big storm and the fishermen were not able to go out to catch fish, so the king had no breakfast and no lunch. Then he ordered his servants to tell everybody in his capital that if anyone brought him a fish, he would give him anything that he asked for.
At last, a fisherman caught a big fish late in the afternoon and hurried to the king's palace with it. But the king's Prime Minister would not let him in until he promised to give him half of whatever the king gave him for the fish.
The king was very happy when he saw the fish. He asked the fisherman what he wanted for his fish. To his surprise, the fisherman said, "I want you to beat me two dozen(一打) times with a stick." When the king began to beat him a dozen times, the fisherman jumped away and said, "That is enough for me. I promised the other dozen to your Prime Minister." Then he told the king what had happened between the Prime Minister and himself. The king was very angry. He not only gave the Prime Minister the dozen hits, but also said, "Because you have been dishonest, you will not be my Prime Minister any more. The fisherman will take your place."
The king didn't have breakfast and lunch because ____.

A．there was a big storm

B．the Prime Minister did not bring him any food

C．there was no fish

D．his servants didn't know how to cook well

. The fisherman took his fish to the king's palace because ____.

A．the king had promised to give him whatever he wanted

B．the king was dying from hunger

C．he wanted to teach the Prime Minister a lesson

D．he wanted to be the Prime Minister

. When the fisherman told the king what he wanted, the king ____.

A．was very happy	B．was very surprised
C．was very angry	D．gave him what he wanted at once

. The king got rid of his Prime Minister because ____.

A．the fisherman was cleverer than his Prime Minister

B．the Prime Minister did not know how to catch fish

C．the Prime Minister was not an honest man

D．the Prime Minister took half of what the king gave the fisherman

There are stories about two U．S . presidents，Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren，which attempt to explain the American English term OK．We don’t know if either story is true，but they are both interesting．
The first explanation is based on the fact that President Jackson had very little education．In fact，he had difficulty reading and writing．When important papers came to Jackson，he tried to read them and then had his assistants explain what they said．If he approved of a paper, he would write “all correct”on it．The problem was that he didn’t know how to spell．So what he really wrote was “ol korekt”．After a while，he shortened that term to “OK”．
The second explanation is based on the place where President Van Buren was born，Kinderhook，New York．Van Buren’s friends organized a club to help him become President .They called the club the Old Kinderhook Club，and anyone who supported Van Buren was called“OK”．
．The author  __________.

A．believes both of the stories

B．doesn’t believe a word of the stories

C．is not sure whether the stories are true

D．is telling the stories just for fun

According to the passage，President Jackson_____________.    

A．couldn’t draw up any documents at all

B．didn’t like to read important papers by himself

C．often had his assistants sign documents for him

D．wasn’t good at reading，writing or spelling

．According to the first story, the term “OK”_______________.  

A．was approved of by President Jackson

B．was the title of some Official documents

C．was first used by President Jackson

D．was an old way to spell “all correct”

.According to the second story，the term “K”_____________.  

A．was the short way to say“ld Kinderhook Club”

B．meant the place where President Van Buren was born

C．was the name of Van Buren’s club

D．was used to call Van Buren’s supporters in the election

．According to the second story, the term “OK” was first used ______________

A．by Van Buren

B．in a presidential election

C．to organize the Old Kinderhook Club

D．by the members of the “ld Kinderhook Club”

One day while shopping in a small town in southern California, it was my misfortune to be approached by a clerk．He seemed most unfriendly and not at all concerned about my intended purchase．I bought nothing, and marched angrily out of the store．
On the outside was a dark-skinned young man in his early twenties．His expressive brown eyes met and held mine, and in the next instant a beautiful, bright smile covered his face．I gave in immediately．The power of that broad smile dissolved all bitterness within me, and I felt the muscles in my own face happily responding．
"Beautiful day, isn't it?" I remarked, passing．Then I turned back．"I really owe you a debt of thanks," I said softly．
His smile deepened, but he made no attempt to answer．A Mexican woman and two men were standing nearby．The woman stepped forward and volunteered, "Sir, but he doesn't speak English．Do you want me to tell him something?" In that moment I felt transformed．The young man's smile had made a big person of me．My friendliness and good will toward all mankind stand ten feet tall．
“Yes,” my reply was enthusiastic and sincere, “tell him I said, ‘Thank you!’”
“Thank you?” The woman seemed slightly puzzled．
I gave her arm a friendly pat as I turned to leave．"Just tell him that," I insisted．"He'll understand．I am sure!"
Oh, what a smile can do! Although I have never seen that young man again, I shall never forget the lesson he taught me that morning．From that day on, I became smile-conscious, and I practice the art diligently anywhere and everywhere, with everybody．n
Why did the author leave the store angrily?

A．He couldn't buy what he wanted．

B．The clerk treated him unkindly．

C．The clerk didn't speak English．

D．The store's goods were too dear．

By saying "I felt the muscles in my own face happily responding"(in Para. 2), the author means _       _.

A．he smiled back at the young man	B．he did not want to smile
C．he would thank the young man	D．he was still in a bad mood

．The author asked the woman to say "Thank you!" to the young man because the young man        .

A．had helped the author before	B．taught the author how to smile
C．taught the author a valuable lesson	D．was a kind employee of the store

．In the passage, the author seems to suggest that we should __  ___.

A．be generous to strangers	B．practice smiling every day
C．help people in trouble	D．smile at other people

Waller was a liked－by－all fellow full of fun who often went to coffee houses to tell people interesting stories, of which some even brought him some money. One day, asked by an office secretary who told Waller that his boss was a never－seen before serious man and he never even smiled. Waller would tell a most funny story. “Well, sir,” Waller said before he began the story, “What will be given in return of my success?”“＄100,”replied the secretary. “I haven’t seen him have a bright face since I worked in his office.”
“Then let’s make it.” Waller went to the man’s table and whispered to him, “Please tell your boss that the funny man Waller’s hen gave birth to a baby.”
Three days later a letter reached Mr. Waller in which were ＄100 and a piece of yellow paper with the words, “Mr. Waller, you have succeeded—When I repeated your ＄100－worth sentence, my boss burst into frightening laughter, saying that whoever has managed to make him laugh during the business hours will get dismissed!”
The secretary asked Waller for a most funny story because he ______.

A．was tired of his boss seriousness

B．tried to please his serious boss with it

C．wanted to improve his working conditions

D．wanted to see his boss' laughing face

Saying "Let's make it," Waller______．

A．was sure of his success

B．thought of nothing but the 100-dollar return

C．knew that his hen had really given a birth to a baby

D．wondered whether he could make the boss smile or not

Which of the following ends is true according to the passage?

A．The boss was never so strict with the secretary from then on．

B．The secretary lost his job in office．

C．The secretary dare not make his boss laugh any longer．

D．Mr．Waller was dismissed at last．

Which sentence can describe the theme of the story?

A．Things Went Opposite to Wishes

B．Satisfying Both Sides

C．Killing Two Birds with One Stone

D．Either Is in His Proper Place

Peanuts to This
Proudly reading my words, I glanced around the room, only to find my classmates bearing big smiles on their faces and tears in their eyes． Confused, I glanced toward my stone-faced teacher． Having no choice, I slowly raised the report I had slaved over, hoping to hide myself． “What could be causing everyone to act this way?”
Quickly, I flashed back to the day Miss Lancelot gave me the task． This was the first real talk I received in my new school． It seemed simple: go on the Internet and find information about a man named George Washington． Since my idea of history came from an ancient teacher in my home country, I had never heard of that name before． As I searched the name of this fellow, it became evident that there were two people bearing the same name who looked completely different! One invented hundreds of uses for peanuts, while the other led some sort of army across America． I stared at the screen, wondering which one my teacher meant． I called my grandfather for a golden piece of advice; flip （掷） a coin． Heads—the commander, and tails—the peanuts guy． Ah! Tails, my report would be about the great man who invented peanut butter, George Washington Carver．
Weeks later, standing before this unfriendly mass, I was totally lost． Oh well, I lowered the paper and sat down at my desk, burning to find out what I had done wrong． As a classmate began his report, it all became clear, “My report is on George Washington, the man who started the American Revolution．” The whole world became quiet! How could I know that she meant that George Washington?
Obviously, my grade was awful． Heartbroken but fearless, I decided to turn this around． I talked to Miss Lancelot, but she insisted: No re-dos; no new grade． I felt that the punishment was not justified, and I believed I deserved a second chance． Consequently, I threw myself heartily into my work for the rest of the school year． Ten months later, that chance unfolded as I found myself sitting in the headmaster’s office with my grandfather, now having an entirely different conversation． I smiled and flashed back to the embarrassing moment at the beginning of the year as the headmaster informed me of my option to skip the sixth grade． Justice is sweet!
What did the author’s classmates think about his report?

A．Controversial．

B．Ridiculous．

C．Boring．

D．Puzzling．

Why was the author confused about the task?

A．He was unfamiliar with American history．

B．He followed the advice and flipped a coin．

C．He forgot his teacher’s instruction．

D．He was new at the school．

The underlined word “burning” in Para． 3 probably means _______．

A．annoyed

B．ashamed

C．ready

D．eager

In the end, the author turned things around _______．

A．by redoing his task

B．through his own efforts

C．with the help of his grandfather

D．under the guidance of his headmaster

I woke up late and had breakfast in a hurry. I had never been late and didn’t want my boss to be unsatisfied.
However, it seemed that day wasn’t a lucky one for me from the very second I left my flat. The moment I wanted to rush downstairs one of my stiletto heels (细高跟) broke. I had to return to change my red shoes. I also had to change my purse and other little things that I had tried to match with the shoes. I was sure I would be late for work.
On my way to work I had to wait for over half an hour because of an accident. I had no choice but to wait. I phoned my boss and he told me that it was no problem, but he needed me for the meeting with the Japanese clients (客户) that morning.
Finally, I arrived at the office one hour later. I had to keep calm and be fresh for the meeting to make the clients sure that our plan was the best for their future commercial (商业的) project. However, I left the plan I had made the night before at home and was going to present (介绍) it to the clients. I was about to get angry when I realized that I had a draft (草稿) of it in my office.
At last, the presentation came to an end and it turned out to be a success. But I have to say that I had a terrible day, full of incidents (事件).
Which of the following is NOT the reason of the writer being late for her work?

A．She got up late in the morning.

B．She changed her purse and other little things.

C．One of her shoe heels broke.

D．She had a traffic accident on the way to work.

According to the passage, what could we learn about the writer?

A．Her boss was very angry with her.

B．She often arrived at her office on time.

C．She left her plan on the bus.

D．She was nervous at the meeting.

What did the clients think of the writer’s presentation (介绍)?

A．Dull.

B．Just so-so.

C．Excellent.

D．Terrible.

According to the passage, which is the correct order of the following events?
a. She presented the plan to the clients.
b. One of her stiletto heels broke.
c. She arrived at the office.
d. She phoned her boss.
e. She tried to match her purse with her red shoes.

A．beacd

B．ebdca

C．dceab

D．Edcba

Which old saying could be used to describe the writer’s incidents?

A．Failure is the mother of success.

B．A good beginning makes a good ending.

C．Where there is a will, there is a way.

D．One trouble never comes alone.

Once in a village, the villagers built a new church building and people came from far and wide to see it. They admired its beauty! They said it was the most beautiful building in the world. Up on the roof, a little nail（钉子）heard the people praising everything about the lovely structure – except the nail! No one even knew he was there, and he became very angry and sad.
“If I am not important, nobody will miss me if I quit!” So the nail then released (松开) its hold, got down from the roof, and fell into the mud.
That night it rained and rained. Soon, the board that had no nail was blown away, and the roof began to leak (漏水). The water flowed down along the walls and over the beautiful pictures on the walls. The plaster (石膏) began to fall, the floor was ruined, and the Bible was also ruined by water. All this was because a little nail decided to quit!
But what of the nail? While holding the board, it was not known by others but it was useful. Buried in the mud now, it was useless and would soon be eaten up by rust!
What the story wants to say is that every member is important to a whole group!
You may, like the nail, feel not important at times, but just like the nail, your absence is felt. A big building might fall to pieces. You are important to a group even if you are small.
Why did the nail decide to quit?

A．Because he was not able to hold on any longer.

B．Because he was angry and sad without people’s praising him.

C．Because he knew a big nail would replace him.

D．Because he had finished his task successfully.

What’s the result of the nail’s giving up?

A．People began to realize the importance of the nail.

B．The nail was put in a more important position.

C．Many things in the building were ruined and the nail was eaten up by rust.

D．The nail regretted his original decision at last.

The passage wants to tell us that ______.

A．no matter how small you seem, you are important to a group

B．it is a pity that small people are never looked up to

C．quit when it is necessary, and don’t care about what others say

D．being valued is important to a man