高中英语故事类阅读试题

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

An expensive car speeding down the main street of a small town was soon caught up with by a young motorcycle policeman. As he started to make out the ticket, the woman behind the wheel said proudly, “Before you go any further, young man, I think you should know that the mayor of this city is a good friend of mine.”The officer did not say a word, but kept writing. “I am also a friend of chief of police Barens,”continued the woman, getting more angry each moment, Still he kept on writing. “Young man,”she persisted, “I know Judge Lawson and State Senator (参议员) Patton.” Handing the ticket to the woman, the officer asked pleasantly , “Tell me, do you know Bill Bronson.”
“Why, no,”she answered.
“Well, that is the man you should have known,”he said, heading back to his motorcycle, “I am Bill Bronson.”
The policeman stopped the car because_____

A．it was an expensive car

B．the driver was a proud lady

C．the driver was driving beyond the speed limit

D．the driver was going to make trouble for the police

The woman was getting more angry each moment because _____.

A．the policeman didn’t know her friends

B．the policeman didn’t accept her kindness

C．the policeman was going to punish her

D．she didn’t know the policeman’s name

The policeman was _______.

A．an honourable fellow	B．a stupid fellow
C．an impolite man	D．a shy man

The woman was _______.

A．kind-hearted

B．a person who depended on someone else to finish her work

C．trying to frighten the policeman on the strength of her friends’ powerful positions

D．introducing her good friends’ names to the young officer

The policeman _______.

A．had no sense of humor	B．had s sense of humor
C．had no sense of duty	D．was senseless

The young man arrived on the Massachusetts beach early carrying a radio, a shovel(铁锹), and a strange set of tools: a brick layer’s trowel, a palette knife, spatulas, spoons, and a spray bottle.
He walked down near the water — the tide(潮水) was out — and switched on the radio to listen to soft rock. Then he shoveled wet sand into a pile nearly four feet high and as many feet across. Then he created a square shape.
After that, he set to work with palette knife, spatulas, and spoons. He shaped a splendid tower, topped walls, fashioned beautiful bay windows, and carved (雕刻)out a big front gate.
The man knew his sand. He smoothly finished some surfaces and carved artistic designs on others. As the shapes began to dry, he gently kept them slightly wet with water from the spray bottle, in case they might break in the wind.
All this took hours. People gathered. At last he stood back, obviously satisfied with a castle worthy of the Austrian countryside or Disneyland.
Then he gathered his tools and radio and moved them up to drier sand. He had known for a while what many in the crowd still ignored: the tide was coming in. Not only had he practiced his art with confidence and style, he also had done so against a powerful, irresistible(不可抵抗的) deadline.
As the crowd looked on, water came at the base of the castle. In minutes it was surrounded. Then the rising flood began to eat into the base, walls fell, the tower fell, and finally the gate fell. More minutes passed, and small waves erased bay windows — soon no more than a small part was left.
Many in the crowd looked terribly sad; some voiced fear and discouragement. But the man remained calm. He had, after all, had a wonderful day, making beauty out of nothing, and watching it return to nothing as time and tide moved on.
In this passage, why did the young man start early in the day?

A．He needed the sun to help dry the sand.

B．It gave plenty of time for the crowd to gather.

C．He knew the tide was out on this particular morning.

D．It was easier to begin his work with only a few people around.

In this passage, what does the incoming tide signal?

A．It is time to begin working.

B．It is the end of a day’s work.

C．It is the busiest time of the day.

D．It is time for lookers-on to leave.

How did the lookers-on react when the tide began to come in?

A．They were disappointed to see the art ruined.

B．They tried their best to save the sand castle.

C．They were nervous about their own belongings.

D．They helped the artist finish the castle.

We can tell that the young man’s reward for his work is ___________.

A．payment for his work	B．personal satisfaction
C．popularity as an artist	D．attention from the crowd

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

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

The composing career (作曲生涯) of Albert Roussel got off to a changeable start, and received one of its biggest successes from a lie.
Roussel became an orphan (孤儿) at the age of eight and went to live with his grandfather. He built on the music he had learned from his mother, entertaining himself by reading through the family music collection and playing operatic selections and popular songs on the piano. Three years later Roussel’s grandfather died, and his mother's sister took him in. Her husband arranged for young Albert to take piano lessons. Summer vacations at a Belgian seaside added a second love to his life — the sea. He studied to be a soldier in the navy, but still made time to study music.
In the French Navy, he and two friends found time to play the music of Beethoven and other composers. Roussel also began composing. At the Church of the Trinity in Cherbourg on Christmas Day 1892, he had his first public appearance as a composer. That success encouraged Roussel to write a wedding march, and one of his fellow naval officers offered to show it to a famous conductor, Edouard Colonne. When Roussel’s friend returned with the manuscript (手稿), he reported that Colonne had advised Roussel to give up his naval career and devote his life to music.
Not long afterward, at the age of 2S, Roussel did just that. He applied the qualities that he had developed in the navy to his composing and became a major force in twentieth century French music. As for Edouard Colonne’s inspiring advice that Roussel should devote his life to music, Roussel's naval friend later admitted that he had made it up and that he had never even shown Roussel’s manuscript to the conductor.
What information can we get from the second paragraph?

A．Albert’s grandfather died when Albert was eight years old.

B．Albert's aunt arranged for him to take piano lessons.

C．Albert gave up studying music after he studied to be a soldier in the navy.

D．Albert came to love the sea after summer vacations at the seaside.

From the third paragraph we know that ______.

A．in the French Navy, Roussel and two friend began composing

B．Roussel’s first public appearance at the church was successful

C．Roussel's naval friend showed the wedding march to Edouard

D．Edouard Colonne advised Roussel to devote his life to music

Which of the following is true according to the text?

A．The composing career of Roussel started stably.

B．Roussel learned basic music knowledge from his aunt.

C．A white lie helped Roussel achieve success.

D．Roussel was cheated and hurt by his naval friend.

Who told a lie according to the text?

A．Roussel’s grandfather.

B．Albert’s naval friend.

C．Roussel's aunt.

D．Edouard Colonne.

The stars have come together for the 2014 QUT Classic fun run on Sunday, May 4! This year's fun run around central Brisbane not only promises a fantastic family day out--it also happens to be International Star Wars Day.
Hundreds of serious一and not so serious一participants will contest a choice of scenic l km , 5km or l0km routes around QUT (Queensland University of Technology), South Bank and the CBD on Sunday, May 4.
May 4 has become Star Wars Day for fans around the globe一the date being chosen as a play on "May the Force (fourth) be with you"
To celebrate, Yoda will make a special guest appearance at the QUT Classic at 7:20am to help kids warm up for the l km event while the Indie Chamber Orchestra does a live performance of the Star Wars theme. The special visit has been organized by Healthstream QUT, who operate the university's pools and gyms.
Classic organizer Cheryl Goodwin from QUT Student Engagement said the second annual event would also be combined with a buskers(街头艺人)festival, ensuring plenty of entertainment around Gardens Point and along the route.
"The Classic Buskers Festival is being organized by the QUT Music Society and will Feature some of Brisbane’s best buskers and bands as well as QUT talent．There's going to be a mix of music，dance，circus and comedy．"she said．
The QUT Classic will also raise funds for QUT’s Learning Potential Fund，which provides scholarships for low income students．About 1200 people registered for last year’s event and organizers are hoping for a similar--if not bigger-turnout in 2014．
The race will begin and end at QUT Gardens Point，where breakfast will be available for purchase．Both the 5km and 1 0km events will begin at 8：00 am，with the l km event starting at 7：30 am．
QUT Classic registration costs$25 for the l km event，$30 for 5km and$35 for 10km．
People can register as individuals or in teams．One of the biggest teams is expected to be the Learning Potential Fund team，which is open to QUT staff ,students and the general public．
Participants who register before 30 April will receive a race pack．The first 1 000 participants will also receive a free 1imited edition QUT Classic T-shirt．
QUT Running is offering all registrants free training sessions in the six weeks leading up to this event．
For more information on the QUT Classic，contact Cheryl Goodwin on 07 3138 9447 [e-mail]．
Media contact：Mechelle McMahon，QUT media，[e-mail]
The purpose of the passage is to introduce______.

A．a fun run around central Brisbane

B．an international Star Wars Day

C．a buskers festival in QUT

D．QUT’s learning Potential Fund

According to the 3rd paragraph，May 4_____.

A．plays an important part in Star Wars Day

B．can be understood in different ways when read

C．used to be a festival for fans around the world

D．means the same as“May the Force be with you”

Which of the following will be free for all the participants?

A．Breakfast．

B．A race pack．

C．T-shirt．

D．Training session．

If you want to know more about QUT Classic，you can contact        .

A．Healthstream QUT	B．Cheryl Goodwin
C．QUT Music Society	D．Mechelle

In the last couple of years, there has been a craze about time –traveling TV series in China. This year, it seems like the South Korean drama writers have fallen in a deep ,never-ending love with the time –travel trend.
Rooftop Prince
A prince from the Joseon era (18th century ) , Lee Gak is catapulted 300 years forward into the future in Seoul 2012 with his entourage（随从） when he tries to investigate the suspicious circumstances which surround the death of the woman he loves . In the present, he finds a young woman who looks exactly like his beloved crown princess.
Queen In-hyun’s Man
The drama ,set during the Josen era, features the hero Kim Boong-do as he tries to restore the exiled Queen In-hyun. It is in this time period he is given the time-traveling power that transports him to the future world where he makes friends with an actress playing the role of Queen In-hyun for a drama in her time .
Dr Jin
Jin Hyuk is a genius neurosurgeon.Through a mysterious power, Jin finds himself transported back in time 150 years. He begins treating people there, but the lack of equipment and medical knowledge of the period forces him to seek new ways to aid the sick .Through this challenging process, Jin eventually becomes a genuine doctor.
Operation proposal
Kang Baek-ho realizes that he is love with his best friend, HamYi-seul , on the day of her wedding to another man. He travels back in time to various events of their lives hoping to change the outcome of their relationship .Will Kang be able to change the course of their future?
Which of the following words can replace “catapulted ” in Paragraph 2?

A．captured	B．transported
C．traveled	D．deserted

What do the three TV series have in common ?

A．They are all about love.

B．They all describe what happened in ancient times.

C．They are all based on true stories .

D．They all feature time –travel.

.If you are interested in prince –and –princess story ,which will you tune in to ?

A．Rooftop Prince	B．Queen In-hyun’s Man
C．Dr Jin	D．Operation proposal

When I was an education official in Palo Alto, California, Polly Tyner, the president of our school board, wrote a letter that was printed in the Palo Alto Times. Polly’s son, Jim, had great difficulty in school. He was classified as the educationally disabled and required a great deal of patience on the part of his parents and teachers. But Jim was a happy kid with a great smile that lit up the room. His parents acknowledged his academic difficulties, but always tried to help him see his strengths so that he could walk with pride. Shortly after Jim finished high school, he was killed in a motorcycle accident. After his death, his mother submitted this letter to the newspaper:
Today we buried our 20-year-old son. He was killed instantly in a motorcycle accident on Friday night. How I wish I had known when I talked to him last that it would be the last time. If I had only known I would have said, “Jim, I love you and I’m very proud of you.”
I would have taken the time to count the many blessings he brought to the lives of the many who loved him. I would have taken the time to appreciate his beautiful smile, the sound of his laughter, his genuine love of people.
When you put all the good qualities on the scale and try to balance all the irritating phenomena such as the radio which was always too loud, the haircut that wasn’t to our liking, the dirty socks under the bed, etc., your angry feelings won’t amount to much.
I won’t get another chance to tell my son all that I would have wanted him to hear, but, other parents, you do have a chance. Tell your young people what you would want them to hear if you knew it would be your last conversation. The last time I talked to Jim was the day he died. He called me to say, “Hi, Mom! I just called to say I love you. Got to go to work. Bye.” He gave me something to treasure forever.
If there is any purpose at all for Jim’s death, maybe it is to make others appreciate more of life and to have people, especially family members, take the time to let each other know just how much we care.
You may never have another chance.
According to the passage, we know that _______.

A．Jim was always ashamed of himself

B．Jim did very well in his studies

C．Jim’s parents were patient with him

D．Jim failed to finish his high school

The underlined word “irritating” in Paragraph 4 most probably means _______.

A．annoying	B．aggressive
C．impatient	D．thrilling

By writing the letter printed in the Palo Alto Times, the author intends to _______.

A．mourn her son’s sudden death in a traffic accident

B．remind people to be cautious of motorcycles

C．tell parents to take better care of their children

D．suggest people taking the chance to express their love in time

Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?

A．Love your Family.	B．Do it Today.
C．Walk with Pride.	D．Appreciate Smiles.

“OK,” I said to my daughter as she bent over her afternoon bowl of rice. “What’s going on with you and your friend J.?” J. is the leader of a group of third-graders at her camp-- a position Lucy herself occupied the previous summer. Now she’s the one on the outs, and every day at snack time, she tells me all about it, while I offer the unhelpful advice all summer long.
“She’s fond of giving orders, ” Lucy complained. “She’s turning everyone against me. She’s mean. And she’s fat.” “Excuse me,” I said, struggling for calm. “What did you just said?” “She’s fat.” Lucy mumbled(含糊地说).“We’re going upstairs,” I said, my voice cold. “We’re going to discuss this.” And up we went. I’d spent the nine years since her birth getting ready for this day, the day we’d have the conversation about this horrible word. I knew exactly what to say to the girl on the receiving end of the teasing, but in all of my imaginings, it never once occurred to me that my daughter would be the one who used the F word-Fat.
My daughter sat on her bed, and I sat beside her. “How would you feel if someone made fun of you for something that wasn’t your fault?” I began. “She could stop eating so much,” Lucy mumbled, mouthing the simple advice a thousand doctors have given overweight women for years.
“It’s not always that easy,” I said. “Everyone’s different in terms of how they treat food.” Lucy looked at me, waiting for me to go on. I opened my mouth, then closed it. Should I tell her that, in teasing a woman’s weight, she’s joined the long tradition of critics? Should I tell her I didn’t cry when someone posted my picture and commented , “I’m sorry, but aren’t authors who write books marketed to young women supposed to be pretty?”
Does she need to know, now, that life isn’t fair? I feel her eyes on me, waiting for an answer I don’t have. Words are my tools. Stories are my job. It’s possible she’ll remember what I say forever, and I have no idea what to say.
So I tell her the only thing I can come up with that is absolutely true. I say to my daughter, “I love you, and there is nothing you could ever do to make me not love you. But I’m disappointed in you right now. There are plenty of reasons for not liking someone. What she looks like isn’t one of them. ”
Lucy nods, tears on her cheeks. “I won’t say that again,” she tells me, and I pull her close, pressing my nose against her hair. As we sit there together, I pray for her to be smart and strong. I pray for her to find friends, work she loves, a partner who loves her. And still, always, I pray that she will never struggle as I’ve struggled, that weight will never be her cross to bear. She may not be able to use the word in our home, but I can use in my head. I pray that she will never get fat.
The underlined sentence in Paragraph 1 indicates that Lucy ______.

A．often makes fun of her friend J.

B．has turned against her friend J.

C．gets along well with her friend J.

D．has begun to compete with her friend J.

Why does the author want to discuss with Lucy?

A．Because she wants to offer some other helpful advice.

B．Because she has prepared the conversation for nine years.

C．Because she is really shocked at Lucy’s rudeness.

D．Because she decides to tell Lucy a similar story of her own.

What does the author want to tell her daughter?

A．It is not easy to take the doctors’ advice to eat less.

B．People shouldn’t complain because life is unfair.

C．She herself was once laughed at for her appearance.

D．People shouldn’t be blamed for their appearance.

It can be inferred from the passage that_________.

A．the author earns a living by writing stories.

B．the author is a fat but good-looking woman.

C．the author will stop loving her daughter for what she said.

D．the author’s daughter agreed with her from the very beginning.

We can learn from the last paragraph that_________.

A．Lucy was deeply moved by her mother’s prayer.

B．a mother’s prayer will shape her daughter’s attitude towards life

C．the author allows her daughter to use the F word in her head

D．the author hopes her daughter will never have weight trouble

The author’s attitude towards her daughter can be best described as _________.

A．loving but strict

B．indifferent but patient

C．satisfied and friendly

D．unsatisfied and angry

President Barack Obama has complained about the loss of privacy that comes with being leader of the United States, regretting the loss of simple pleasures such as a long walk or a trip to the car wash or supermarket．
“I just miss -- I miss being anonymous,” he said. “I miss Saturday morning, rolling out of bed, not shaving, getting into my car with my girls, driving to the supermarket, squeezing the fruit, getting my car washed, taking walks. I can't take a walk.”
His dream, he said, was to “go through Central Park and watch folks passing by…spend the day watching people -- I miss that”.
Faced with angry criticism for playing more golf than most previous occupants of the White House, he explained that the sport was simply the best way of getting away from it all. “It's the only excuse I have to get outside for four hours.” he told Hearst magazines．
Though he said he enjoyed his life in the White House, he felt disappointed with some of the ways of Washington, which he has failed in his pledge (誓言) to change, such as the "kabuki dance" among political parties before serious policy discussions begin． His comments may be seen as vindication (证实) by critics who have accused him of appearing too detached (漠然), and being slow to engage in vital issues such as Libya and the near shutdown of the US government last week．
Since arriving at the White House in January 2009, Mr Obama has already racked up 60 rounds of golf in office, more than George W Bush did in his eight years．In terms of ability, Golf Digest magazine has ranked Mr Obama eighth out of the 18 presidents who played the game since it became established in the early 20th century．
What do the second paragraph and the third paragraph mainly tell us?

A．Obama likes living a busy life．

B．Obama used to spend most of his time with his family．

C．Obama wishes to enjoy simple pleasures．

D．He used to wash his car himself．

According to Obama, he plays golf to       .

A．release his pressure

B．keep fit

C．balance his work

D．show his ability

We can infer from the passage that Obama is         kabuki dance．

A．curious about	B．interested in
C．content with	D．tired of

Which of the following statements is from the critics?

A．The president lost lots of privacy, but he loves the life in the White House.

B．There are always unnecessary procedures among political parties．

C．The president seems to be indifferent towards some really important issues．

D．The president is really a great golf player．

What is the passage mainly about?

A．Obama's favorite pastime．

B．Obama’s complaints about lack of privacy as president．

C．The public's criticism of Obama．

D．Obama's regrets for being the US president．

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

It is a wonderful morning, as I write this: hot, but without being too hot. Outside my window, I can see the sunniest sky of the year reflected in a huge natural expand of water.  It is the kind of sun that makes you well aware of summer's temporary nature a reminder that if I am ever to go around to book this year's holiday, time is running out.
It is now close to four years since I last took a holiday. This is because I have come to the conclusion, over the course of my adult life, that I am not very good at it. You might say this sounds like saying you are not very good at drinking tea or listening to music. What could possibly be difficult about the natural act of putting your working life on hold for a couple of weeks and going somewhere to do nothing?
So what is my problem? On the surface, I'm probably a bit of homebody. And I just find the pressure of being on holiday too severe: it always feels like having a gun held to my head and being forced to have fun. Somehow, packing a carefully itemized （详细列举的 ）list of possessions and meeting a scheduled flight has none of the excitement of suddenly deciding to take a day off and driving somewhere for the fun of it.
Thankfully, I am not alone. This summer, most of my friends have decided not to have a break. And a recent survey highlighted the downside（负面）of holidays, with the results showing that nearly two thirds of people found that the calming effects of a holiday wore off within 24 hours, as stress levels returned to normal. And this year's the Idler magazine published its book, Awful Holidays. Here you will find a list of the five most
ecologically-damaging vacations it's possible to take, along with 50 horrible holidays experiences voted for on the idler website. Over the last decade, The Idler has become well known for promoting the idea of an easy, lazy life. The leisure（休闲）industry might seem an unlikely target of its criticism, but Dan Kienan, the book’s editor, says that he was flooded with entries from readers for his list of awful holidays.
According to the first paragraph we can know that the writer       .

A．has a strong desire to book a holiday

B．wishes that the weather would change

C．finds it is too late to enjoy the sunshine

D．realizes it's time to decide whether to go on a holiday

The reason why the writer dislikes going on holidays is that         .

A．it usually costs too much money

B．he is tired of making preparations too much for holidays

C．it is far less enjoyable than breaks planned in advance

D．he feels embarrassed when other people are having fun but he isn't

We can learn from the survey that         .

A．most people pretend to enjoy their holiday

B．all people fail to relax while they are on holiday

C．a lot of people feel that the benefits of going on holidays are limited

D．many people have made the same decision as the writer and most of his friends

The writer takes the book of Awful Holidays as an example to       .

A．damage the reputation of the magazine

B．prove the idea of living an easy, lazy life to be wrong

C．indicate that his dislike of holidays is widely shared

D．focus entirely on bad personal experiences of holidays

When I was a child, our dining room had two kinds of chairs—two large ones with arm rests and four small ones without. The larger ones stood at the ends of the table, the smaller ones on the sides. Mom and Dad sat in the big chairs, except when one of us was away; then Mom would sit in one of the smaller chairs. Dad always sat at the end, at the “head” of the table. Sitting where he did, Dad was framed by the window through which the yard could be seen with its trees and grass. His chair was not just a place for him at the table; it was a place in which he was situated against the yard and trees. It was the holy (神圣的) and protected place that was his, and ours through him.
After Dad retired, he and Mom moved out into a small flat. When they came to visit me at their old house. Dad still sat at the end of the table though the table was no longer his but mine. Only with my marriage to Barbara, did I hear a voice questioning the arrangement. She requested, gently but firmly, that I sit at the head of the table in our home. I realized then that I was head of the family, but I also felt unwilling to introduce such a change. How would I feel sitting in that “head” place in my Dad’s presence? And how would he handle it? I was to find out on the occasion of our youngest child’s first birthday.
Mom and Dad arrived for lunch, and went into the dining room. Dad moved toward his usual seat in front of the window. Before he could get around the side of the table, I took a deep breath and said, “Dad, this is going to be your place, next to Mom, on the side.” He stopped, looked at me and then sat down. I felt sad, and angry at Barbara for pushing me to do this. It would have been easy to say, “My mistake, Dad. Sit where you always sit.” But I didn’t.
When he and Mom were seated, Barbara and I took our places. I don’t know how Dad felt. I do know that, though removed from his usual place, he continued to share his best self with us, telling stories of his childhood and youth to the delight of his grandchildren. As I served the food, our lives experienced a change, which we continue to live with.
It wasn’t easy, but I sense that there is also something good in the change which has occurred. I am beginning to learn that “honoring one’s father” is more than the question of which place to occupy at the dining table. It also means listening, wherever we sit and whatever positions we own, to the stories Dad longs to tell. We may then, during these magical moments, even be able to forget about whose chair is whose.
Where did the writer’s mother sit when one of the children was away?

A．She didn’t change her chair.

B．She moved her own chair next Dad’s.

C．She moved to an empty chair on the side.

D．She sat opposite to Dad.

How did the writer feel when he told his father to sit on the side?

A．He didn’t feel bad because his father was going to sit there anyway.

B．He felt happy at having carried out the difficult task.

C．He was thoroughly satisfied with the new seating arrangement.

D．He regretted what he had done and wanted to blame his wife.

What happened during the meal after the family had all taken their new seats?

A．The writer’s children removed their grandfather from his usual place.

B．The writer’s father didn’t appear to mind where he sat.

C．The writer’s father shared his favorite dishes with the grandchildren.

D．They became tense and nervous about their future as a family.

What did the writer learn about “honoring one’s father”?

A．Fathers always long to tell stories about their early years.

B．Providing the fight chair is the only way to honor one’s father.

C．Respect for one’s father doesn’t depend only on where he sits.

D．The family should dine together at the same table as often as possible.

Strange it may sound, this is a true story about a lesson of honesty happening between a lucky thief and a worthy professor.
Once a thief won a lottery ticket but left it at his crime(犯罪) scene when he stole a suitcase from a professor. To his great surprise, his victim, who picked up the ticket and took the prize money of ￡25 000, managed to get in touch with him in order to return him the case. The robbery took place when John Smith, a math professor was changing a tyre on the motorway. The thief happened to pass by. He appeared to be a warm-hearted guy and stopped “to help”. When the professor found his suitcase in the car missing, the thief had driven off as fast as he could. The professor picked up the dropped ticket on the floor and put it in his pocket before driving home.
John Smith didn’t realize it was a winner until he knew the lottery results on TV. He got the prize money and began a battle with himself silently in his heart. At last，he decided not to keep the money although he just had been robbed of his suitcase by the owner of the ticket. He set out to advertise in newspapers and on radio for finding the owner, “ Don’t be surprised that I’m trying to find the man who robbed me in order to returned him the ￡25 000—a lottery win. Please meet me without telling me your real name if you don’t want to. ”.
Later John received tens of hundreds of calls from people around the country trying to trick him into handing them the cash. But he didn’t arrange to meet the right person in the park until he recognized the voice. The robber, was moved into tears when he returned the suitcase. “Why didn’t you keep the money？”he asked, not believing what was happening.  The honest professor replied simply, “Because it’s not mine.” With these words, he walked off，spurningthe thief’s offer of a reward.
The underlined sentence “Then he began a battle with himself silently.” suggested that    .

A．he made an immediate decision on knowing the lottery results

B．he silently decided to punish the robber by keeping the ticket

C．he realized that money played an important role as honesty .

D．he hesitated about how to deal with the ticket for some time

Hundreds of people phoned the professor because they _______.

A．lost their lottery ticket

B．hoped to take the money

C．knew who the robber was

D．wanted to make fun of him

The underlined word “spurning” in the last sentence is similar to______  .

A．forgetting	B．accepting
C．refusing	D．making

Which of the following can be used as the best title for the passage?

A．A Magical Lottery

B．A Thief’s Lucky Day

C．A Stubborn Professor

D．A Reward of Honesty