高中英语故事类阅读阅读理解

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.

Jimmy is an automotive mechanic, but he lost his job a few months ago. He has a good heart, but always feared applying for a new job.
One day, he gathered up all his strength and decided to attend a job interview. His appointment was at 10 am and it was already 8:30. While waiting for a bus to the office where he was supposed to be interviewed, he saw an elderly man wildly kicking the tyre of his car. Obviously there was something wrong with the car. Jimmy immediately went up to lend him a hand. When Jimmy finished working on the car, the old man asked him how much he should pay for the service. Jimmy said there was no need to pay him; he just helped someone in need, and he had to rush for an interview. Then the old man said, “Well, I could take you to the office for your interview. It’s the least I could do. Please, I insist.” Jimmy agreed.
Upon arrival, Jimmy found a long line of applicants waiting to be interviewed. Jimmy still had some grease on him after the car repair, but he did not have much time to wash it off or have a change of shirt. One by one, the applicants left the interviewer’s office with disappointed look on their faces. Finally his name was called. The interviewer was sitting on a large chair facing the office window. Rocking the chair back and forth, he asked, “Do you really need to be interviewed?” Jimmy’s heart sank. “With the way I look now, how could I possibly pass this interview?” he thought to himself.
Then the interviewer turned the chair and to Jimmy’s surprise, it was the old man he helped earlier in the morning. It turned out he was the General Manager of the company.
“Sorry I had to keep you waiting, but I was pretty sure I made the right decision to have you as part of our workforce before you even stepped into the office. I just know you’d be a trustworthy worker. Congratulations!” Jimmy sat down and they shared a cup of well-deserved coffee as he landed himself a new job.
Why did Jimmy apply for a new job?

A．He was out of work	B．He was bored with his job
C．He wanted a higher position	D．He hoped to find a better boss

What did Jimmy see on the way to the interview?

A．A friend’s car had a flat tyre	B．a wild man was pushing a car
C．a terrible accident happened	D．an old man’s car broke down

Why did the old man offer Jimmy a ride?

A．He was also to be interviewed	B．He needed a traveling companion
C．He always helped people in need	D．He was thankful to Jimmy

How did Jimmy feel on hearing the interviewer’s question?

A．He was sorry for the other applicants

B．There was no hope for him to get the job

C．He regretted helping the old man

D．The interviewer was very rude

What can we learn from Jimmy’s experience？

A．Where there is a will, there’s a way

B．A friend in need is a friend indeed

C．Good is rewarded with good.

D．Two heads are better than one

Ray’s wedding had gone off smoothly. Everyone seemed to have had a good time. A few people had too good a time; they went home with designated (指派的) drivers. All evening, the gift table remained unguarded. Who would steal anything, Ray thought. He had never heard of such a thing happening at a wedding. But his best friend Aaron said there was a first time for everything. He walked out regularly from the inside festivities to check on the gift table, making sure no one doubtful was hanging around it.
Ray and Julia went on a 3-week honeymoon to Italy right after the wedding. When they got back, they opened all the gifts and sent out thank-you notes. But there was one problem. A married couple that used to be good friends had obviously given nothing. This surprised Julia, because Walt and Mary said they were excited to be invited. And, they actually seemed to have had a great time at the wedding. Frankly, Ray didn’t even care if they hadn’t given a gift. He just needed to know whether to send a thank-you note. Ray called Aaron. Aaron said maybe Walt had left an envelope on the gift table like Aaron had. “Yes, but we got your envelope with the cash inside,” Ray said.
“Maybe my envelope looked too thin, and some thief thought Walt’s envelope looked nice and fat.”
Aaron asked Ray if he had looked everywhere for Walt’s gift. Had he called up the wedding site to see if anything had been left behind? Ray said that he had looked everywhere and made a lot of calls that were fruitless.
Ray didn’t know what to do. If he sent Walt and Mary a thank-you note for a gift they hadn’t given, they would be insulted. If he didn’t send them a thank-you note for a gift they had given, they would get angry.
“What would you do?” Ray asked. Aaron said he would call Walt up and tell him the problem.
“You can’t go wrong with simply being honest,” Aaron said.
“Oh, yes, you can,” Ray contradicted (反驳) him. “Sometimes it’s best to let sleeping dogs lie.” But he thought about it, and finally decided that Aaron was right. He called Walt and told him the problem. Walt said that yes, he had given an envelope. In fact, the envelope contained $500 cash.
“$500?!” Ray asked. “That’s a lot of cash, Walt!” Walt admitted that it was, but he had gotten a fat raise early that year and Ray’s was the only wedding he’d been to in quite a while. Ray thanked him very much, and apologized sincerely for someone stealing Walt’s generous gift. Walt told him that it was “only money”.
When Ray told Aaron about Walt’s gift, Aaron laughed. “The only thief at the wedding was Walt! I stopped playing cards with him last year because I caught him cheating. And it was only a $10 pot! I’m sure I told you about that.”
“Yes, you did tell me,” Ray said. But, of course, he had to send Walt a thank-you note anyway.
Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A．Aaron looked on honesty as the best policy.

B．Walt had surely gotten a fat raise early that year.

C．Stealing had never happened at a wedding.

D．Nobody checked on the gift table all evening.

The underlined word “insulted” in Paragraph 5 probably means ______.

A．deeply impressed	B．much discouraged
C．badly hurt	D．greatly moved

What kind of person is Ray?

A．Friendly and optimistic.	B．Doubtful and experienced.
C．Outgoing and stubborn.	D．Thoughtful and polite.

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

A．A Wedding Party

B．The Wedding Gift

C．The Thief at the Wedding

D．A Secret at the Wedding

About ten years ago, a young and very successful businessman named Josh was traveling down a Chicago neighborhood street. He was going a bit too fast in his shiny, black, 12 cylinder Jaguar XKE, which was only two months old.
He was watching for kids rushing out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something. As his car passed, no child came out, but a brick sailed out and—WHUMP! —it hit the Jag’s shiny black side door! Immediately Josh stopped the car, jumped out, seized the kid and pushed him up against a parked car. He shouted at the kid, “What was that all about and who are you? That’s my new Jag, that brick you threw is gonna cost you a lot of money. Why did you throw it? ”
“Please, mister, please. . . I’m sorry!  I didn’t know what else to do! ” begged the youngster. “I threw the brick because no one else would stop! ” Tears were streaming down the boy’s face as he pointed around the parked car. “It’s my brother, mister” he said. “He rolled off the curb (路沿) and fell out of his wheelchair and I can’t lift him up. ”Sobbing, the boy asked the businessman, “ Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He’s hurt and he’s too heavy for me. ”
Moved beyond words, the young businessman tried hard to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his throat. Straining, he lifted the young man back into the wheelchair and took out his handkerchief and wiped the scrapers and cuts, checking to see that everything was going to be OK. He then watched the younger brother push him down the sidewalk toward their home.
It was a long walk back to the black, shining 12 cylinder Jaguar XKE—a long and slow walk. Josh never did fix the side door of his Jaguar. He kept the dent (凹痕) to remind him not to go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at him to get his attention. Feel for the bricks of life coming at you.
The boy threw a brick at the businessman’s car because _____ .

A．the businessman drove at a high speed

B．he envied the brand-new car very much

C．he wanted to get help from the driver

D．he wanted to ask for some money

Which of the following is the right order of the story?
a. The younger brother threw a brick at Josh’s car.
b. The elder brother fell out of his wheelchair.
c. The younger brother begged Josh for help.
d. Josh lifted the elder brother back into his wheelchair.
e. Josh shouted at the younger brother.

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

What can we learn from the passage?

A．Josh would accept the money from the kids.

B．Josh was a kind-hearted man

C．The two kids were Josh’s neighbors.

D．Josh’s new car broke down easily.

According to the passage, the last sentence means _____ .

A．trying to be more understanding seeing others in trouble

B．driving fast in a neighborhood street is dangerous

C．trying to get ready for the trouble in your future life

D．protecting oneself from being hurt

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.

Driving to a friend’s house on a recent evening, I was attracted by the sight of the full moon rising just above my friend’s rooftop. I stopped to watch it for a few moments, thinking about what a pity it is that most city people --- myself included --- usually miss sights like this because we spend most of our lives indoors.
My friend had also seen it. He grew up living in a forest in Europe, and the moon meant a lot to him then. It had touched much of his life.
I know the feeling. Last December I took my seven-year-old daughter to the mountainous jungle of northern India with some friends. We stayed in a forest rest house with no electricity or running hot water. Our group had campfires outside every night, and indoors when it was too cold outside. The moon grew to its fullest during our trip. Between me and the high mountains lay three or four valleys. Not a light shone in them and not a sound could be heard. It was one of the quietest places I have ever known, a bottomless well of silence. And above me was the full moon, which struck me deeply.
Today our lives are filled with glass, metal, plastic and fiber-glass. We have television,
cell phones, pagers, electricity, heaters and ovens and air-conditioners, cars, computers.
Struggling through traffic that evening at the end of a tiring day, most of it spent indoors, I thought, “Before long, I would like to live in a small cottage. There I will grow vegetables and read books and walk in the mountains. And perhaps write, but not in anger. I may become an old man there, and wear the bottoms of my trousers rolled and measure out my life in coffee spoons. But I will be able to walk outside on a cold silent night and touched the moon.”
The best title for the passage would be _________.

A．Touched by the Moon	B．The Pleasures of Modern Life
C．A Bottomless well of Silence	D．Break away from Modern life

The writer felt sorry for himself because __________.

A．there was too much pollution.

B．he failed to see the fullest moon.

C．he didn’t adapt to modern inventions

D．there were too many accidents on the road.

What impressed the writer most in the mountainous jungle of northern India?

A．No modern equipment.	B．Complete silence.
C．The nice moon.	D．The high mountain.

Modern things are mentioned mainly to ___________.

A．show that the writer likes city life very much.

B．tell us that people greatly benefit from modern life.

C．explain that people have less chances to enjoy nature.

D．show that we can also enjoy nature at home through them.

The author wrote the passage to __________.

A．express the feeling of returning to nature.

B．show the love for the moonlight.

C．advise modern people to learn to live.

D．want to communicate longing for modern life.

Florence Nightingale was born in a rich family. When she was young she took lessons in music and drawing, and read great books. She also traveled a great deal with her mother and father.
As a child she felt that visiting sick people was both a duty and a pleasure. She enjoyed helping them.
At last mind was made up. “I’m going to be a nurse,” she decided.
“Nursing isn’t the right work for a lady,” her father told her.
“Then I will make it so”, she smiled. And she went to learn nursing in Germany and France.
When she returned to England, Florence started a nursing home. During the Crimean War in 1854 she went with a group of thirty eight nurses to the front hospitals. What they saw there was terrible. Dirt and death were everywhere to be seen — and smelled. The officer there did not want any woman to tell him how to run a hospital, either. But the brave nurse went to work.
Florence used her own money and some from friends to buy clothes, beds, medicine and food for the men. Her only pay was in smiles from the lips of dying soldiers. But they were more than enough for this kind woman.
After she returned to England, she was honored for her services by Queen Victoria. But Florence said that her work had just begun. She raised money to build the Nightingale Home for Nurses in London. She also wrote a book on public health, which was printed in several countries.
Florence Nightingale died at the age of ninety, still trying to serve others through her work as a nurse. Indeed, it is because of her that we honor nurses today.
When she was a child, Florence _______.

A．loved to travel very much

B．knew what her duty in life was

C．loved to help the sick people

D．want to learn music and drawing in the future

During the Crimean War in 1854, Florence served in the front hospital where _______.

A．she earned a little money

B．work was very difficult

C．few soldiers died because of her work

D．she didn’t have enough food or clothes

Why was Florence honored by Queen Victoria?

A．She built the Nightingale Home for Nurses.

B．She wrote a book on public health.

C．She worked as a nurse all her life.

D．She did a great deal of work during the Crimean War.

The passage can best be described as _______.

A．the life story of a famous woman

B．a description of the nursing work

C．an example of successful education

D．the history of nursing in England

What will man be like in the future — in 5,000 or even 50,000 years from now? We can only make guesses, of course, but we can be sure that he will be different from what he is today, for man is slowly changing all the time.
Let us take an obvious example. Man, even five hundred years ago, was shorter than he is today. Now, on average, men are about three inches taller. Five hundred years is relatively a short period of time, so we may suppose that man will continue to grow taller. Again, in the modern world we use our brains a great deal. Even so, we still make use of only about 20% of the brain’s capacity(容量). As time goes on, however, we shall have to use our brains more and more, and finally we shall need our brains more and more, and finally we shall need larger ones! This is likely to bring a physical change too: the head, in particular the forehead, will grow larger.
Nowadays our eyes are in constant use. In fact, we use them so much that very often they become weaker and we have to wear glasses. But over long period of time it is likely that man’s eyes will grow stronger.
On the other hand, we tend to make less use of our arms and legs. These, as a result, are likely to grow weaker. At the same time, however, our fingers will grow more sensitive because they are used a great deal in modern life.
But what about hair? This will probably disappear from the body altogether in course of time because it does not serve a useful purpose any longer. In the future, then, both sexes are likely to be bald.
Perhaps all this gives the impression that future man will not be a very attractive creature to look at! This may well be true. All the same, in spite of all these changes, future man will still have a lot in common with us. He will still be a human being, with thoughts and motions similar to our own.
The passage mainly tells us that __________.

A．Man’s life will be different in the future

B．Future man will look quite different from us

C．Man is growing taller and uglier as time passes

D．Man’s organs’ functions will change

What serves as the evidence that man is changing?

A．Man has got stronger eyes now than he ever had.

B．Man’s hair is getting thinner and thinner.

C．Man’s arms and legs have become lighter and weaker.

D．Man has been growing taller over the past 500 years.

The change in man’s size of the forehead is probably because __________.

A．he makes use of only 20% of the brain’s capacity

B．his brain has grown larger over the past centuries

C．he will use his brain more and more as time goes on

D．the other 80% of his brain will grow in due time

Which of the following is TRUE about a human being in the future?

A．He is hairless because hair is no longer useful.

B．He has smaller eyes and wears better glasses.

C．His fingers grow weaker because he doesn’t have to make use of them.

D．He thinks and feels in a different way.

It is implied that __________.

A．human beings will become less attractive in the future

B．body organs will become poorer if they are not used often

C．human beings hope for a change in the future life

D．future life is always predictable

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.

After a terrible electrical accident, which caused him to become both blind and deaf, the whole world became completely dark and quiet for Robert Edwards for almost ten years. The loss of sight and hearing threw him into such sorrow that he tried a few times to put an end to his life. His family, especially his wife, did their best to tend and comfort him and finally he regained the will to live.
One hot summer afternoon, he was taking a walk with a stick near his house when a thunderstorm started all at once. He stood under a large tree to avoid getting wet, but he was struck by the lightning. Witnesses thought he was dead but he woke up some 20 minutes later lying face down in muddy water at the base of the tree. He was trembling badly, but when he opened his eyes, he could hardly believe what he saw: a plough and a wall. When Mrs. Edwards came running up to him, shouting to their neighbors to call for help, he could see her and hear her voice for the first time in nearly ten years.
The news of Robert regaining his sight and hearing quickly spread, and many doctors came to examine him. Most of them said that he regained his sight and hearing from the shock he got from the lightning. However, none of them could give a convincing answer as to why this should have happened. The only reasonable explanation given by one doctor was that, since Robert lost his sight and hearing as a result of a sudden shock, perhaps, the only way for him to regain them was by another sudden shock.
The reason for Robert’s attempts to kill himself was that _________.

A．a terrible traffic accident happened to him

B．he had to live in a dark and silent world

C．he was struck by the lightning once more

D．nobody in the world cared about him

What was Robert doing when he was struck by the lightning?

A．Taking a walk with a stick.

B．Sheltering from the rain under a tree.

C．Driving a car.

D．Lying on the ground.

We can infer from the text that ________.

A．Robert’s wife sent for doctors immediately after the shock

B．many doctors came because Robert was badly injured

C．there was no exact explanation for Robert’s recovery

D．a sudden injury in the head led to Robert’s recovery

What’s the best title of the whole passage?

A．A Terrible Electrical Accident

B．Robert Edwards and His Wife

C．What a Sudden Shock

D．An Unforgettable Experience

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

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

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

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

One day Mr. Brown sees a young woman in the street with children. He is very surprised because all the children are wearing the same clothes. White caps, blue coats and yellow trousers.
“Are all these children yours?” he asks the woman.
“Yes, they are.” she answers.
“Do you always dress them in the same clothes ?” asks Mr. Brown.
“Yes,” answers the mother. “When we have four children, we dress them in the same clothes because we don’t want to lose any of them. It is easy to see our children among other children because they are all wearing the same clothes.
And now we have ten, we dress them like this because we don't want to take other children home by mistake. When there are other children among ours, it is easy to see them because their clothes are different.
How many people does Mr. Brown see in the street one day? He sees ____in all.

A．twelve

B．eleven

C．four

D．ten children

Why is Mr. Brown surprised? Because ________ .

A．all the children are boys

B．all the children are in the same clothes

C．all the children are lovely

D．all the children are wearing the same trousers

Why does the woman dress her children in the same clothes? Because ___________.

A．she has so many children

B．she loves her children

C．she doesn't want to take her children home

D．she wants to see her children easily among others