高中英语故事类阅读阅读理解

In 1959, when Jean Harper was in the third grade, her teacher gave the class an assignment to write a report on what they wanted to be when they grew up. She poured her heart into her report and expressed her dream of becoming an airline pilot. Her paper came back with an "F" on it. The teacher told her it was a "fairy tale". Jean was heartbroken and ashamed. As the years went by, Jean was beaten down by the discouragement and negativity she encountered whenever she talked about her dream. "Girls can't become airline pilots; never have, never will. You're crazy. That's impossible. "Finally Jean gave up.
In her senior year of high school, her English teacher was a Mrs. Dorothy Slaton, a demanding teacher with high standards. One day Mrs. Slaton asked this question: "If you had unlimited finances, unlimited access to the finest schools, unlimited talents and abilities, what would you do?" Jean felt a rush of the old enthusiasm, and with excitement she wrote down the very old dream.
The next thing that Mrs. Slaton said changed the course of Jean's life. The teacher leaned forward over her desk and said, "I have a little secret for you. You do have unlimited abilities and talents. When you leave school, if you don't go for your dreams, no one will do it for you. You can have what you want if you want it enough."
The hurt and fear of years of discouragement disappeared all of a sudden. Jean felt thrilled and told her about her dream of becoming a pilot. Mrs. Slaton slapped the desk top. "Then do it!" she said.
So Jean did. It didn't happen overnight. In her l0 years of hard work, even facing varieties of laugh, frustration and opposition, she never gave up her dream. Instead, she went on doing everything her third-grade teacher said was fairy-tale.
Eventually, Jean Harper became a Boeing 737 captain for the United Airline Company.
Jean’s third-grade teacher thought her dream to be ____________.

A．great	B．impossible
C．challenging	D．reasonable

Mrs. Slaton may hold the view that _____________.

A．only some of her students have great potential

B．her students are good enough to be admitted to the best schools

C．belief contributes to realizing a dream

D．Jean was to have her dream realized

According to the passage, we can infer that___________.

A．Jean’s dream was always in her deep heart

B．Jean owed her success to all her teachers

C．most people around Jean approved of her dream

D．Jean achieved her dream with ease

Which is the best title of the passage?

A．A Respectable Teacher	B．How to Realize a Dream
C．Hard Work Pays off	D．Reach for the Sky

I am usually in a bad mood after a long day at work, but on this particular Friday afternoon I was in a high mood. I planned to have a good meal and watch Bridget Jones’s Diary.
My local supermarket is always busy. The first parking space I spotted was convenient, but I’d noticed a woman in an old car circling for a while. I let her have it. On the edge of the car park I backed into the next available spot — it was a tight fit.
In record time I’d made my way through the supermarket and was back in the fresh air. In a rush of good spirits, I emptied my purse change into the hands of a homeless man and helped a struggling woman reverse (倒车) into a parking space.
Just as I spotted my car, I saw the woman I’d let have my car spot earlier. I smiled and wished her a pleasant day.
As I got back into my car, I spotted the same lady looking in at me. “ Hello,” she said, hesitantly (犹豫地). “ This might sound crazy but I was on my way to drop some of my mother’s things off at the charity bins.” I looked quickly at the orange bins in the corner of the parking lot, confused. “ I saw you helping those people, and you seemed so happy. My mom had a dress just like that.”
She looked at me meaningfully. I smiled at her in encouragement, hoping she wouldn’t notice that the dress she was admiring was now full of holes. “ I was going to give these away, but you are just so much like her.” She passed a box in through the window. Shocked, unthinking, I took it automatically (无意识地). “ I think she would like you to have it.” She smiled and walked away.
After a pause, I opened the box. Inside was a beautiful gold necklace. It was the nicest gift I’d ever received, and it was from a complete stranger.
Later, I thought back on the day. I didn’t feel the usual sense of exhaustion. The necklace was around my neck, a warm reminder of human kindness.

This Friday afternoon, the author ________.

A．watched a new movie

B．had trouble parking her car

C．was in the mood to help others

D．spent a long time in the supermarket

Which of the following is TRUE about the author?

A．She was not very wealthy actually.

B．She considered her dress beautiful.

C．She had met the lady’s mum.

D．She was living on charity.

What does the author mainly intend to tell us?

A．Success leads to happiness.

B．Good is rewarded with good.

C．Two heads are better than one.

D．A friend in need is a friend indeed.

Shakespeare’s Birthplace and Exhibition of Shakespeare’s World
Welcome to the world-famous house where William Shakespeare was born in l564 and where he grew up. The property (房产) remained in the ownership of Shakespeare’s family until 1806. The House has welcomed visitors traveling from all over the world, for over 250 years.
◆Enter through the Visitors’ Centre and see the highly-praised exhibition Shakespeare's World, a lively and full introduction to the life and work of Shakespeare.
◆Stand in the rooms where Shakespeare grew up.
◆Discover examples of furniture and needlework from Shakespeare’s  period.
◆Enjoy the traditional English garden, planted with trees and flowers mentioned in the poet’s works.
pThe Birthplace is within easy walking distance of all the car parks shown on the map: nearest is Windsor Street (3 minutes’ Walk).
㊣The House may present difficulties but the Visitors’ Centre, its exhibition, and the garden are accessible (可进入的) to wheelchair users.
⊙The Shakespeare Coffee House (opposite the Birthplace).
How much is the admission for a family of two grown-ups and two children?

A．￡9.80.

B．￡12.00.

C．￡14.20.

D．￡16.40.

Where is the nearest parking place to Shakespeare’s Birthplace?

A．Behind the exhibition hall.

B．Opposite the Visitors’ Centre.

C．At Windsor Street.

D．Near the Coffee House.

A wheelchair user may need help to enter       .

A．the House	B．the garden
C．the Visitors’ Centre	D．the exhibition hall

Poet William Stafford once said that we are defined more by the detours(绕行路)in life than by the narrow road toward goals. I like this image. But it was quite by accident that I discovered the deep meaning of his words.
For years we made the long drive from our home in Seattle to my parents’ home in Boise in nine hours. We traveled the way most people do: the fastest, shortest, easiest road, especially when I was alone with four noisy, restless kids who hate confinement(限制)and have strong opinions about everything.
Road trips felt risky, so I would drive fast, stopping only when I had to. We would stick to the freeways and arrive tired.
But then Banner, our lamb was born. He was rejected by his mama days before our planned trip to Boise. I had two choices: leave Banner with my husband, or take him with me. My husband made the decision for me.
That is how I found myself on the road with four kids, a baby lamb and nothing but my everlasting optimism to see me through. We took the country roads out of necessity. We had to stop every hour, let Banner shake out his legs and feed him. The kids chased him and one another. They’d get back in the car breathless and energized, smelling fresh from the cold air.
We explored side roads, catching grasshoppers in waist-high grass. Even if we simply looked out of the car windows at baby pigs following their mother, or fish leaping out of the water, it was better than the best ride down the freeway. Here was life. And new horizons.
We eventually arrived at my parents’ doorstep astonishingly fresh and full of stories.
I grew brave with the trip back home and creative with my disciplining technique. On an empty section of road, everyone started quarreling. I stopped the car, ordered all kids out and told them to meet me up ahead. I parked my car half a mile away and read my book in sweet silence.
Some road trips are by necessity fast and straight. But that trip with Banner opened our eyes to a world available to anyone adventurous enough to wander around and made me realize that a detour may uncover the best part of a journey----and the best part of yourself.
Why did the author use to take freeways to her parents’ home?

A．She needn’t stop on the way.

B．It would be faster and easier.

C．Her kids would feel less confined.

D．She felt better with other drivers nearby.

What does the author discover from the trip according to Paragraph 6 ?

A．Freeways are where beauty hides.

B．Getting close to nature adds to the joy of life

C．Enjoying the beauty of nature benefits one’s health

D．One should follow side roads to watch wild animals

Why did the author ask the kids to get out of the car on their way back home

A．To give herself some time to read

B．To order some food for them

C．To play a game with them.

D．To let them cool down

What could be the best title for the passage

A．Charm of the Detour

B．The Road to Bravery

C．Creativity out of Necessity

D．Road trip and Country Life

When I was growing up in America, I was ashamed of my mother’s Chinese English. Because of her English, she was often treated unfairly. People in department stores, at banks, and at restaurants did not take her seriously, did not give her good service, pretended not to understand her, or even acted as if they did not hear her.
My mother has realized the limitations of her English as well. When I was fifteen, she used to have me call people on phone to pretend I was her. I was forced to ask for information or even to yell at people who had been rude to her. One time I had to call her stockbroker (股票经纪人).I said in an adolescent voice that was not very convincing, “This is Mrs.Tan...” And my mother was standing beside me, whispering loudly, “Why he don’t send me check already two weeks ago.”And then, in perfect English I said, “I’m getting rather concerned. You agreed to send the check two weeks ago, but it hasn’t arrived.”
Then she talked more loudly. “What he want? I come to New York tell him front of his boss.” And so I turned to the stockbroker again, “I can’t tolerate any more excuse. If I don’t receive the check immediately, I am going to have to speak to your manager when I am in New York next week.”
The next week we ended up in New York. While I was sitting there red-faced, my mother, the real Mrs.Tan, was shouting to his boss in her broken English.
When I was a teenager, my mother’s broken English embarrassed me. But now, I see it differently. To me, my mother’s English is perfectly clear, perfectly natural. It is my mother tongue. Her language, as I hear it, is vivid, direct, and full of observation and wisdom. It was the language that helped shape the way I saw things, expressed ideas, and made sense of the world.
Why was the author’s mother poorly served?

A．She was unable to speak good English.

B．She was often misunderstood.

C．She was not clearly heard.

D．She was not very polite.

What does the author think of her mother’s English now?

A．It confuses her.

B．It embarrasses her.

C．It helps her understand the world.

D．It helps her tolerate rude people.

We can infer from the passage that Chinese English        .        .

A．is clear and natural to non-native speakers

B．is vivid and direct to non-native speakers

C．has a very bad reputation in America

D．may bring inconvenience in America

Elizabeth Freeman was born about 1742 to African American parents who were slaves. At the age of six months she was acquired, along with her sister, by John Ashley, a wealthy Massachusetts slaveholders. She became known as “Mumbet” or “Mum Bett.”
For nearly 30 years Mumbet served the Ashley family. One day, Ashley’s wife tried to hit Mumbet’s sister with a spade(铁锹). Mumbet protected her sister and took the blow instead. Angry, she left the house and refused to come back. When the Ashleys tried to make her return, Mumbet turned to a lawyer, Theodore Sedgewick. With his help, Mumbet sued(起诉) for her freedom.
While serving the Ashleys, Mumbet had listened to many discussions of the new Massachusetts laws. If the laws said that all people were free and equal, then she thought it should apply to her. Eventually, Mumbet won her freedom—the first slave in Massachusetts to do so under the new law.
Strangely enough, after the trial, the Ashleys asked Mumbet to come back and work for them as a paid employee. She refused and instead went to work for Segdewick. Mumbet died in 1829, but her spirit lived on in her many generations. One of her great-grandchildren was W.E.B. Du Bois, one of the founder of the NAACP, and an important writer and spokesperson for African American civil rights.
Mumbet’s tombstone still stands in the Massachusetts cemetery where she was buried. It reads, in part: “She was born a slave and remained a slave for nearly thirty years. She could neither read nor write, yet in her own area she had no superior or equal.”
What do we know about Mumbet according to Paragraph 1?

A．She was born into a rich family.

B．She was a slaveholder.

C．She was born a slave.

D．She had a famous sister.

What did Mumbet do after the trial?

A．She founded the NAACP.

B．She went to live with her grandchildren.

C．She continued to serve the Ashleys.

D．She chose to work for a lawyer.

What did Mumbet learn from discussions about the new constitution?

A．How to be a good servant.

B．How to apply for a job.

C．She should always obey her owners’ orders.

D．She should be as free and equal as whites.

What is the text mainly about?

A．A trial that shocked the whole world.

B．The life of a brave African American woman.

C．A story of a famous writer and spokesperson.

D．The friendship between a lawyer and a slave.

The associates I hired in my bicycle and lawn mower shop like myself were never perfect; however, they were excellent. Working with them as they improved taught me new ways to show forgiveness, understanding, and patience.
One day the placement officer asked me to interview a young man who was having trouble finding a job. He told me that David was a little shy, did not talk much and was afraid to go on with interviews. He requested that I give David an interview just for practice. He plainly told David that I had no positions open at the time and the interview was just for practice.
When David came in for the interview, he hardly said a word. I told him what we did at the bicycle shop and showed him around. I told David to keep showing up because the number one thing an employer wanted in an associate was dependability.
David was very quiet (he was evaluated as a slow learner in school). Every ten days or so, for weeks after the interview, David walked into the bicycle shop and stood by the front door. He never said a word, just stood by the door.
One day, shortly before Christmas, a large truck came to the shop, packed with 250 new bicycles. It had to be unloaded right away or the driver would leave.
It was raining. Some of my workers (without physical limitations) chose not to brave the weather to get into work, so I was short-handed. It seemed everything was going wrong and on top of it, David came in the front door and just stood there. I looked at him and shouted, “Well, all right! Fill out a time card and help me unload this truck!”
David worked for my bicycle shop for eighteen years. He came to work every day thirty minutes early. He could talk; however, he rarely chose to. He drove my truck and made deliveries. The customers would praise David, saying, “He doesn’t talk, but he really shows you how to operate a lawn mower!”
The author finally hired David because________.

A．there were no other workers in the shop then

B．he needed someone who was willing to work then

C．David kept showing up

D．he realized David was dependable

We can infer from the last paragraph that_______.

A．the author feels lucky to hire David

B．David has had his character changed through work

C．the author prefers David to be more outgoing

D．some customers just play jokes on David

The author gave David an interview to _______.

A．find a person who is reliable

B．find a part-time worker in need

C．give him some practice

D．show sympathy for him

The author’s tone in describing David is full of ______.

A．pity	B．wonder
C．disappointment	D．appreciation

June came and the hay was almost ready for cutting．On Midsummer's Eve, which was aSaturday, Mr．Jones went to Willington and got so drunk at the Red Lion that he did not comeback till midday on Sunday．The men had milked the cows in the early morning and then hadgone out rabbiting, without bothering to feed the animals．When Mr．Jones got back, heimmediately went to sleep on the living-room sofa with the "News of the world" over his face,so that when evening came, the animals were still not fed．At last, they could stand no longer．
One of the cows broke into the door of the store-house with her horns（角） and all the animalsbegan to help themselves to the grains．It was just then that Mr．Jones woke up．The nextmoment he and his four men were in the store-house with whips （鞭子） in their hands,whipping in all directions．This was more than the hungry animals would bear．Together,though nothing of the kind had been planned beforehand, they jumped upon their masters．
Jones and his men suddenly found themselves being struck with horns and kicked from allsides．The situation was quite out of their control．They had never seen animals act like thisbefore, and this sudden uprising （起义） of creatures whom they were used to beating andwhipping just as they chose frightened them．After only a moment or two, they gave up tryingto defend themselves．A minute later all five of them were in full fright down the road, with theanimals running after them joyfully．
Which of the following is TRUE according to the story?

A．Willington was the name of a relative．

B．Red Lion was the name of a bar．

C．News of the World was a TV program．

D．Store-house is a place to feed the cows．

The cows broke into the store-house to feed themselves because          .

A．They were so angry at their masters

B．They wanted to fight with the men

C．They wanted to go on strike

D．They-were too hungry

The cows jumped upon their masters because _________．

A．they were not fed

B．they were so hungry

C．they were whipped so hard

D．they were so happy

What would be the best tile for the story?

A．Midsummer's Eve	B．A Bad Sunday
C．Cows and Their Masters	D．Rebellion of Cows

阅读理解。阅读下列四篇短文，从每小题后所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该选项涂黑。
“I never did hate the Yankees（北方佬）. All that I hated was the war...” That’s how my great-aunt Bettie began her story. I heard it many times as a child, whenever my family visited Aunt Bettie in the old house in Berryville, Virginia.
Bettie Van Metre had good reason to hate the Civil War. Her brother was killed at Gettysburg, and her husband, James, a Confederate（南方联盟军）officer, was taken prisoner and sent to an unknown prison camp somewhere.
One day in late September, Dick came to Bettie reporting that he had found a wounded Union soldier in a farmhouse half a mile away from the Van Metre home. When talking about her first sight of the man in the blood-spotted blue uniform, she always used the same words.“It was like walking into a nightmare: those awful bandages, that terrible smell.”She went out into the cool air, trying not to be sick at the thought of that smashed right hand, that missing left leg.
The man’s papers Bettie found in the farmhouse showed his identity: Henry Bedell, 30 years old. She knew that she should report the presence of this Union officer to the Confederate army, but she wouldn’t. This is how she explained it: “I kept wondering if he had a wife somewhere, hoping, and not knowing—just as I was. It seemed to me that the only thing that mattered was to get her husband back to her.”
Slowly, patiently, skillfully, Aunt Bettie fanned the spark of life in Henry Bedell. Of drugs or medicines she had almost none. And she was not willing to take any from the few supplies at the Confederate hospital. But she did the best she could with what she had.
The October nights in the valley grew cold. With the help of Dick and his wife, she moved the Union officer at night, to a hidden room above the warm kitchen of her own home. But the next day, Bedell had a high fever. Knowing that she must get help, she went to her family doctor, Graham Osborne. Dr. Osborne examined Bedell and said, “there was little hope unless proper medicines could be found.”
“I’ll get them from the Yankees at Harpers Ferry.” Bettie said. The doctor told her that Harpers Ferry was almost 20 miles away. Even if she reached them, the Yankees would never believe her. “I’ll take proof,” Bettie said. She found a blood-spotted paper bearing the official War Department seal （印章）. “When I show it, they’ll believe me.”
Early the next morning she set off with a list of medical items. For five hours she drove, stopping only to rest her horse. The sun was almost down when she finally stood before the general at Harpers Ferry. The general listened, but did not believe her. “Madam,” he said, “Bedell’s death was reported to us.” “He’s alive,” Bettie insisted. “But he won’t be much longer unless he has the medicines on that list.” “Well,” the general turned to a junior officer, “see that Mrs. Van Metre gets the supplies.”
With the medicines, Bedell gradually recovered. Ten days later he was walking with sticks. “I’d better go back as soon as possible.” Bedell told Bettie. So it was arranged that Dick should help Bettie deliver Bedell to Harpers Ferry in his wagon. Bedell lay down in a box filled with hay, his rifle and sticks beside him.
At Harpers Ferry, the soldiers were amazed when the Union officer with the missing leg rose from his hay-filled box. Bedell told the story to Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton, who wrote a letter of thanks to Bettie and signed an order to free James Van Metre. It was arranged for Bedell to go with Bettie as she searched for her husband. Records showed that a James Van Metre had been sent to a prison camp in Ohio. Then at Fort Delaware, near the end of the line of prisoner, a tall man stepped out and walked clumsily into Bettie’s arms. Bettie held him, tears streaming down her face. And Henry Bedell, standing by on his sticks, wept, too.
What might be Bettie’s tone when she used the underlined sentence to describe the first sight of Henry Bedell？

A．Pessimistic

B．Desperate

C．Shocked

D．Sympathetic.

Why wouldn’t Bettie report the presence of Bedell to the Confederate army.

A．Because she felt it her responsibility to save soldiers of the Union.

B．Because she wanted to save Bedell so that her husband could be freed.

C．Because Bedell was more a suffering human being than an enemy to Bettie.

D．Because Bedell begged Bettie not to give him away to the Confederate army.

Dr. Osborn thought it was ______ of Bettie Van Metre to drive to Harpers Ferry for the medicines.

A．crazy

B．kind .

C．brave

D．smart

Still recovering, Henry Bedell decided to leave as soon as possible mainly because ______.

A．he was eager to return to the Union to fight

B．he didn’t want to go on putting Bettie in danger

C．hewas concerned about his safety at the Van Metre home

D．he could be treated with better medicines back at Harpers Ferry

Rearrange the following statements in terms of time order.
a. Bettie’s husband wasfound and freed.
b. Bettie helped deliver Bedell back to Harpers Ferry.
c. Bettie moved Bedell to a safe room in her own house.
d. Bettie drove all the way to Harpers Ferry to get the medicines for Bedell.
e. In spite of being short of medicines, Bettie attended to Bettie with what she had.
f. Bettie saw Bedell in a farmhouse half a mile away from her house for the first time.

A．f, e, c, b, d, a	B．f, c, e, d, b, a
C．f, e, c, d, b, a.	D．f, c, e, b, d, a

What message is conveyed through the end of the story.

A．Giving is a reward in itself.

B．Happiness comes from giving.

C．God helps those who help themselves.

D．Help yourself by helping others

One evening last summer, when I asked my 14 year old son, Ray, for help with dinner, his response shocked me．"What’s a colander(漏勺)?" he asked．
I could only blame myself．In the family, nobody else’s hands went in the sauce except my own．But that night, as I explained with a touch of panic that a colander is the thing with holes in it, I wondered what else I hadn’t prepared Ray for．
As parents, while we focus on our sons’ confidence and character, we perhaps don’t always consider that we are also raising someone’s future roommates, boyfriends, husbands, or fathers．I wanted to know that I’d raised a boy who would never ask the woman in his life, "What’s for dinner?" So I came up with a plan: I would offer Ray a private home economics course．I was delighted to find that he didn’t say no．For two hours, three days a week, Ray was all mine．One day, as his tomato sauce reduced on the stove, he washed and seasoned a chicken for roasting．Then he rolled out the piecrust (馅饼皮) and filled it with apples, all while listening to my explanation on the importance of preheating an oven．
I knew that he would rather have been shooting hoops in the driveway than learning to mend socks with his mother—he tried to beg not to have sewing lessons, even though I insisted that one day, someone would find the sight of him fixing his own shirt very attractive— but it couldn’t be denied that he was learning, and more than just housekeeping．"I appreciate what you do as a mom," he told me one day．Ray now understands the finer points of cooking, and more importantly, he realizes there’s nothing masculine (男子气概的) about being helpless．
Now, not only can he make his own dinner, but also he can make a big meal for his family．That’s what I call a man．I’m glad that I prepared so great a present for my future daughter in-law．
Why was the author shocked at her son’s response?

A．Because he was not well behaved．

B．Because he refused to help with dinner．

C．Because he didn’t know the common kitchen tools．

D．Because he was very curious about kitchen tools．

In the author’s opinion, some parents pay little attention to _______．

A．building up children’s confidence

B．telling kids what is right and wrong

C．preparing children for their future life

D．making children live a hard life

After learning to do housework, Ray _______．

A．fell in love with sewing

B．did other work in the house

C．began to be more hardworking

D．acknowledged his mother’s efforts

We can infer from the text that Ray _______．

A．made great progress in cooking．

B．always thought housework interesting．

C．preferred sewing to cooking．

D．was unwilling to learn cooking at first．

What would the author like to convey in the text?

A．Useful education for boys

B．The importance of housework

C．Boys should be involved in housework．

D．Cooking and sewing make boys masculine．

Einstein was born in 1879 in Germany. As a child, he was slow to learn to talk. As a pupil, he was backward. But when he was fourteen years old, he became clever. He taught himself maths from textbooks. He studied hard because he wanted to be a physicist.
In 1901, Einstein began teaching. In 1902 he continued his studies at the University of Zurich. Several years later, he formulated(系统地阐述)his famous Theory of Relativity(相对论).To most people the law of relativity is difficult to explain. But once Einstein explained it very well to a group of young students. He said, "When you sit with a good girl for two hours, you think it is only a minute. But when you sit on a hot stove for a minute, you think it's two hours. That is relativity."
After Hitler came into power in Germany, Einstein went to America. In 1940 Einstein became an American citizen. In 1955, Einstein's life ended at the age of seventy-six.
When Einstein was a pupil of twelve, he _______ .

A．was not quick in learning to talk

B．studied very hard

C．was poor in his studies

D．hardly lagged behind

The law of relativity is_______ .

A．very hard for most people to understand

B．too hard for Einstein himself to explain

C．too hard to explain to anybody except Einstein

D．easy to understand only for the young students

When did Einstein become an American citizen?

A．He was an American citizen until 1940.

B．He became an American citizen in the year when Hitler came into power.

C．He did not become an American citizen until 1955.

D．Not until he had reached the age of 61 did he become an American citizen.

Which of the following do you think is true?

A．The Germans owed their scientific progress to Einstein.

B．Einstein made a very great contribution to modern science.

C．Einstein owed a great deal to the modern world.

D．The Americans owed all their economic development to Einstein.

Richie Kraus thinks all kids should receive birthday presents. And he's willing to give up his own presents to make that happen.
When Richie was six, he helped collect holiday gifts for children whose families couldn't afford presents. He started thinking about how much he liked getting presents on his birthday. He asked his mom, "If we get kids presents during the holidays, who gets them presents on their birthdays?"
Richie wanted to raise money for those birthday presents. So his mom helped him create the 2U Fund. The name 2U came from the well-known song "Happy Birthday to You."
Richie explains how the fund works: "On our birthdays, we ask our friends to make a donation instead of giving us presents." Richie attaches a special sticker to his party invitations. The sticker tells about the 2U Fund and invites guests to participate, Richie and his mom then give the money to a local charity that has agreed to partner with them. The people at the charity make sure the donations go toward birthday presents for kids in need.
Richie has had three 2U parties. "It just feels really, really good to help other kids," he says.
Richie has encouraged others to try giving up some of their birthday presents to help others. His younger brother, Max, had a 2U party. Some of Richie's friends did, too. He also spoke about the idea at a summer camp and at a school assembly (集会). "There were close to 200 students and teachers in the assembly," Richie' s teacher,  Janel McCormick, says. "They all wanted to help support 2U."
Since Richie and his family started the 2U Fund, dozens of kids have helped raise more than $7,000. That money has bought dolls, books, and many other birthday toys for kids in need.

Before Richie created the 2U Fund, he       .

A．had very few friends

B．had done some charity work

C．had seldom received birthday presents

D．had already donated some birthday presents

To help kids in need, Richie' s 2U parties mainly       .

A．hold birthday parties for them

B．invite them to attend the parties

C．prepare birthday presents for them

D．raise money for their birthday presents

What can we learn from the last two paragraphs?

A．All of Richie' s schoolmates plan to hold 2U parties.

B．Richie is praised for his kindness.

C．Richie' s acts of kindness have spread.

D．Richie has made more friends.

Charlie Vansant, a college student of Athens, Ohio, who reported that his car was stolen, got a surprise when he learned a woman had mistaken it for her daughter’s car and taken it— using her key.
Kate Anderson became an accidental car thief when picking up her daughter’s car near an Ohio University building last week. Anderson spotted the Toyota Camry（丰田凯美瑞）and used her daughter’s key to unlock the car, start the engine and drive home — without realizing that the car wasn't her daughter’s.
When Charlie Vansant left class a short time later, he found only an empty parking spot. He first assumed the car had been towed, but when the police couldn’t find a record of it, they took a theft report.
The morning after Anderson took the car, her daughter discovered the Camry in the driveway wasn’t hers. Anderson said she was able to find Vansant’s name on paperwork in the glove compartment and look up his phone number on the website for the university.
When Anderson told Charlie the car was in her driveway, “It sounded really suspicious（可疑的）at first, as she wanted to hold the thing for ransom (赎金) , ” said Vansant. He eventually went to the house with a police officer, where he was reunited with his car. According to the police report, the case was closed “because of mistaken car identity”, and Anderson wasn’t charged.
Vansant seemed to blame the car company more than the “thief”. “Her key fit not only my lock, but my ignition（点火装置）as well — so high-five for Toyota, I guess.” he said.
What does the underlined word “towed” mean in paragraph 3?

A．sold.

B．damaged.

C．stolen.

D．remove.

Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

A．Mrs. Anderson’s daughter discovered the car her mother drove was not hers.

B．Charlie had thought he had to give Anderson money to get his car back.

C．Mrs. Anderson stole Charlie’s car at the request of her daughter.

D．Mrs. Anderson used her daughter’s key to unlock Charlie’s car and drive home.

What does Charlie mean by “high-five for Toyota”?

A．He should thank Toyota for returning his car.

B．He is blaming Toyota for the poor quality of car keys.

C．He wants to celebrate with Toyota for getting his car back.

D．He thinks highly of Toyota for producing large quantities of cars.

What is likely to happen next according to the passage?

A．Mrs. Anderson was charged with stealing a car.

B．Charlie blamed Mrs. Anderson for mistakenly taking his car.

C．Charlie would ask the Toyota Company to give him an explanation.

D．The Toyota Company would give Charlie a new car as compensation（补偿）.

Raised in a fatherless home，my father was extremely tightfisted towards us children. His attitude didn’t soften as I grew into adulthood and went to college. I had to ride the bus whenever I came home. Though the bus stopped about two miles from home，Dad never met me，even in severe weather. If I grumbled，he’d say in his loudest father-voice，“That’s what your legs are for!”
The walk didn’t bother me as much as the fear of walking alone along the highway and country roads. I also felt less than valued that my father didn’t seem concerned about my safety. But that feeling was canceled one spring evening.
It had been a particularly difficult week at college after long hours in labs. I longed for home. When the bus reached the stop，I stepped off and dragged my suitcase to begin the long journey home.
A row of hedge（树篱）edged the driveway that climbed the hill to our house. Once I had turned off the highway to start the last lap of my journey，I always had a sense of relief to see the hedge because it meant that I was almost home. On that particular evening，the hedge had just come into view when I saw something gray moving along the top of the hedge，moving toward the house. Upon closer observation，I realized it was the top of my father’s head. Then I knew，each time I’d come home，he had stood behind the hedge，watching，until he knew I had arrived safely. I swallowed hard against the tears. He did care，after all.
On later visits，that spot of gray became my watchtower. I could hardly wait until I was close enough to watch for its secret movement above the greenery. Upon reaching home，I would find my father sitting innocently in his chair. “So! My son，it’s you!” he’d say，his face lengthening into pretended surprise.
I replied，“Yes，Dad，it’s me. I’m home.”
What does the underlined word “grumbled” in Paragraph 1 probably mean      .

A．Accepted happily.

B．Explained clearly.

C．Agreed willingly.

D．Spoke unhappily.

What made the author feel upset was ______.

A．the tiredness after long hours in labs

B．the fear of seeing something moving

C．the feeling of being less than valued

D．the loneliness of riding the bus home

The author’s father watched behind the hedge because ______.

A．he was concerned about his son’s safety

B．he wanted to help his son build up courage

C．he didn’t want to meet his son at the doorway

D．he didn’t think his son was old enough to walk alone

Which of the following can be the best title for the text

A．My Father’s Secret.

B．The Life of My father.

C．Terrible Journey Home.

D．Riding Bus Alone.

Cleverness is a gift while kindness is a choice．Gifts are easy—they’re given after all．Choice can be hard．
I got the idea to start Amazon 16 years ago．I came across the fact that the Internet usage was growing at 2300 percent per year．I’d never seen or heard of anything that grew that fast，and the idea of building all online bookstore with millions of titles was very exciting to me. I had just turned 30 years old，and I’d been married for a year．I told my wife MacKenzie that I wanted to quit my job and go to do this crazy thing that probably wouldn’t work since most start-ups don’t and I wasn’t sure what to expect．MacKenzie told me I should go for it．As a young boy，I’d been a garage inventor．I’d always wanted to be all inventor，and she wanted me to follow my passion．
I was working at a financial firm in New York City with a bunch of very smart people and I had a brilliant boss that I much admired．I went to my boss and told him I wanted to start a company selling books on the Internet．He took me on a long walk in Central Park，listened carefully to me，and finally said，“That sounds like a really good idea，but it would be an even better idea for someone who didn’t already have a good job．”That 1ogic made some sense to me，and he convinced me to think about it for 48 hours before making a final decision．Seen in that light,it really was a difficult choice，but finally，I decided I had to give it a shot．I didn’t think I’d regret trying and failing．And I suspected I would always be haunted by a decision to not try at all.
After much consideration ，I took the less safe path to follow my passion ，and I’m proud of that choice．For all of us，in the end，we are our choice．
What inspired the author with the idea of building an online bookstore?

A．His dream of being an inventor．

B．The support of his wife．

C．The greatly increasing usage of the Internet．

D．Millions of exciting titles,

Which of the following is closest in meaning to the underlined sentence?

A．The idea of not trying would keep coming to his mind and disturb him．

B．He would be very excited if he tried it out．

C．Be would be always having a doubt if he didn’t try．

D．The decision to not try the online bookstore would terrify him．

Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?

A．Cleverness and Kindness	B．The Starting of Amazon
C．Following My Passion	D．We Are What We Choose

We can know from the passage that_______．

A．the boss thought the idea was suitable for the author

B．the author wanted someone else to try the idea

C．the author might not regret if he failed the idea

D．the author might go back to his boss if he failed