One day in l965, when I worked at View Ridge School in Seattle, a fourth-grade teacher approached me. She had a student who finished his work before all the others and needed a challenge. "Could he help in the library?" She asked. I said, "Send him along."

　　Soon a slight, sandy-haired boy in jeans and a T-shift appeared. "Do you have a job for me?" he asked.

　　I told him about the Dewey Decimal System for shelving books. He picked up the idea immediately. Then I showed him a stack of cards for long-overdue books that I was beginning to think had actually been returned but were misshelved with the wrong cards in them. He said, "Is it kind of a detective job?" I answered yes, and he became working.

　　He had found three books with wrong cards by the time his teacher opened the door and announced, "Time for break!" He argued for finishing the finding job; She made the case for fresh air. She won.

　　The next morning, he arrived early. "I want to finish these books," he said. At the end of the day, when he asked to be a librarian on a regular basis, it was easy to say yes. He worked untiringly.

　　After a few weeks I found a note on my desk, inviting me to dinner at the boy's home. At the end of a pleasant evening, his mother announced that the family would be moving to neighbouring school district. Her son's first concern, she said, was leaving the View Ridge library. "Who will find the lost books?" he asked.

　　When the time came, I said a reluctant good-bye. I missed him, but not for long. A few days later he came back and joyfully announced: "The librarian over there doesn't let boys work in the library. My mother got me transferred back to View Ridge. My dad will drop me off on his way to work. And if he can’t, I'll walk!"

I should have had an inkling(感觉) such focused determination would take that young man wherever he wanted to go. What I could not have guessed, however, was that he would become a wizard of the Information Age: Bill Gates, tycoon of Microsoft and America's richest man.

What was the author when the story happened?

       A. A teacher.                 B. A librarian.               C. A detective.              D. A professor.

What was the boy told to do on his first day in the library?

A. To rearrange the books according to the new system.

B. To put those overdue books back to the shelves.

C. To find out the books with wrong cards in them.

D. To put the cards back in the long-overdue books.

The boy got transferred back to View Ridge because _______.

A. he did not like his life in the new school                            

B. the transportation there was not convenient

C. he missed his old schoolmates and teachers

D. he was not allowed to work in the school library

What impressed the author most was that the boy _______.

A. had a thirst for learning                               B. had a strong will

C. was extremely quick at learning                            D. had a kind heart

After years of study, I have known there are only two types of people in this world: those who get to the airport early and those who arrive when the plane is about to take off.

If there were any justice（公正）in this world, early-airport people would be rewarded for doing the right thing. And late-airport people would be punished. But early-airport people get ulcers（溃疡）, heart attacks and bite their fingernails to the bone. Late-airport people almost don’t realize they are flying.

A guy of that kind once said, “Don’t hurry. If you miss your flight, it’s because God doesn’t want you to go.” This is clearly a guy who is never going to get an ulcer.

Early-airport people suffer another “name”. They are called exactly what they are -wimps（窝囊废）. I know. I was an early-airport person for years. “My baggage will get on the plane first,” I told myself. Indeed it would, which made it the last baggage they took off the plane after landing.

Another strange thing: No matter how early I showed up, I was always told that someone had called two or three years ahead of me and asked for the best seat. I thought it was a trick. I thought there was someone in America who called every airline every day and said: “Is that wimp Simon flying somewhere today? If he is , give me his seat.”

After a lifetime arguing with my wife over whether I really have to pack 24 hours in advance and set the alarm clock four hours ahead, I have learned another fact about early-airport people and late –airport people:

They always marry each other.

We can learn from the passage that     .

A. late-airport persons are often nervous

B. early-airport persons are always at ease during the flight

C. early-airport persons get their baggage first after the landing

D. late-airport persons always take things easy

Paragraph 5 mainly wants to tell us that      .

    A. someone always plays tricks on the writer

    B. the airlines usually fool passengers

C. early-airport persons always can’t get good seats

D. the service of airlines is very bad

This passage is written in order to     .

A. give readers tips about taking a plane

B. offer suggestions about having a good plane trip

C. express the writer’s anxiety about taking a plane

D. show people’s different attitudes toward catching planes

It could be inferred that the writer’s wife is     .

A. an early-airport woman               B. a late-airport woman

C. a hot-tempered woman                 D. a sensitive woman

Last Christmas was a very difficult time for me. My family and all of my close friends were back home in Florida, and I was all alone in a rather cold California. I was working too many hours and became very sick.

I was working a double shift at the Southwest Airlines ticket counter, it was about 9:00 PM on Christmas Eve, and I was feeling really miserable inside. There were a few of us working and very few customers waiting to be helped. When it was time for me to call the next person to the counter, I looked out to see the sweetest-looking old man standing with a cane. He walked very slowly over to the counter and in the faintest voice told me that he had to go to New Orleans. I tried to explain to him that there were no more flights that night and that he would have to go in the morning. He looked so confused and very worried. I tried to find out more information by asking if he had a reservation or if he remembered when he was supposed to travel, but he seemed to become more confused with each question. He just kept saying, “She said I have to go to New Orleans.”

After much time, I was able to at least find out that this old man had been dropped off at the curb on Christmas Eve by his sister-in-law and told to go to New Orleans, where he had family. She had given him some cash and told him just to go inside and buy a ticket. When I asked if he could come back tomorrow, he said that she was gone and that he had no place to stay. He then said he would wait at the airport until tomorrow. Naturally, I felt a little ashamed. Here I was feeling very sorry for myself about being alone on Christmas, when this angel named Clarence MacDonald was sent to me to remind me of what being alone really meant. It broke my heart.

Immediately, I told him we would get it all straightened out, and our Customer Service agent helped to book him a seat for the earliest flight the next morning. We gave him the senior citizen’s fare, which gave him some extra money for travelling. About this time he started to look very tired, and when I stepped around the counter to ask him if he was all right, I saw that his leg was wrapped in a bandage. He had been standing on it that whole time, holding a plastic bag full of clothes.

I called for a wheelchair. When the wheelchair came, we all stepped around to help him in, and I noticed a small amount of blood on his bandage. I asked how he hurt his leg, and he said that he had just had bypass surgery and an artery was taken from his leg. Can you imagine? This man had had heart surgery, and then shortly afterward, was dropped off at the curb to buy a ticket with no reservation to fly to New Orleans, alone!

I never really had a situation like this, and I wasn’t sure what I could do. I went back to ask my supervisors if we could find a place for him to stay. They both said yes, and they obtained a hotel voucher for Mr. MacDonald for one night and a meal ticket for dinner and breakfast. When I came back out, we got his plastic bag of clothes and cane together and gave the porter a tip to take him downstairs to wait for the airport shuttle. I bent down to explain the hotel, food and itinerary (行程) again to Mr. MacDonald, and then patted him on the arm and told him everything would be just fine.

As he left he said, “Thank you,” bent his head and started to cry. I cried too. When I went back to thank my supervisor, she just smiled and said, “I love stories like that. He is your Christmas Man.”

1.Last Christmas the writer had a miserable time because ______.

A．there were more customers than usual waiting to be helped

B．it was freezing cold in California at Christmas time

C．she was working all alone at the ticket counter

D．she was far away from her family and friends

2.The writer’s first impression of the old man was that he was ______.

A．gentle-looking and weak                  B．tired out and worried

C．confused and very sick                   D．sad and anxious

3.The old man wanted to fly to New Orleans to ______.

A．see his friends there

B．spend the Christmas with his family

C．visit his sister-in-law

D．undergo heart surgery

4.On hearing the old man say that he would wait at the airport the whole night, the writer felt a bit ashamed. This is because ______.

A．she felt sorry that she couldn’t do the old man a favor

B．she realized that someone was even more miserable than she felt

C．it took her a long time to find out how helpless the old man was

D．the old man was like an angel in the writer’s eyes

5.The writer called for a wheelchair for the old man because ______.

A．the old man had broken his leg when he was dropped off at the curb

B．the old man could spend the whole night on it at the airport

C．the old man was carrying a whole lot of clothes

D．the old man had had surgery just before and was very weak by then

6. By calling the old man the writer’s Christmas Man, the writer’s supervisor implied that ______.

A．the old man had told the writer a love story on Christmas

B．the old man had caused a lot of trouble for the writer on Christmas

C．the old man was the best gift the writer could have received on Christmas

D．the old man was the only customer the writer had served on Christmas

Last Christmas was a very difficult time for me. My family were all back home in Florida, leaving me 36 in a rather cold California. I was working at the Southwest Airlines ticket counter. It was about 9:00 P.M. on Christmas Eve, and there were a few of us 37 and very few customers waiting to be 38 . When the next person came to the counter, I 39 to see a very old man, whose leg was wrapped in a bandage(绷带) ,standing with a stick. He walked very 40 over and in a low 41 told me that he had to go to New Orleans. I tried to explain to him there were no more 42 that night and that he would have to wait till the 43 .

Later, I 44 this old man was Mr. MacDonald and that his relative 45 him off at the sidewalk on Christmas Eve and told him to go to New Orleans, where he had his family. He was given some 46 and told just to go inside and buy a ticket. When 47 if he could come back tomorrow, he said that he had no place to 48 in here and he would wait at the airport until tomorrow. I felt a little ashamed. The poor old man now 49 me of what being alone really meant.

I never really had a 50 like this, and I was feeling really miserable inside. I went back and told my supervisor(主管) about it, who promised to 51 everything. To my great 52 , the next morning we 53 to get him a ticket and took him to wait for the plane. As he left he said, “Thank you”; then he 54 his head and started to cry. Seeing this, my homesickness began to disappear.

From the experience I learned a 55 : He who helps others gets helped himself.

36.　 A. unbearable　　　　　　 B. hopeless　　　　　　　　 C. lively　　　　　　　　　　 D. alone

37. A. working　　　　　　　　 B. chatting　　　　　　　　 C. leaving　　　　　　　　　 D. moving

38. A. invited　　　　　　　　　 B. helped　　　　　　　　　 C. greeted　　　　　　　　　 D. passed

39. A. pulled up　　　　　　　 B. turned up　　　　　　　 C. looked up　　　　　　　 D. woke up

40. A. swiftly　　　　　　　　　 B. slowly　　　　　　　　　 C. unwillingly　　　　　　 D. wildly

41. A. position　　　　　　　　 B. manner　　　　　　　　　 C. voice　　　　　　　　　　 D. degree

42. A. flights　　　　　　　　　 B. hotels　　　　　　　　　　 C. buses　　　　　　　　　　 D. passengers

43. A. morning　　　　　　　　 B. afternoon　　　　　　　 C. evening　　　　　　　　 D. dusk

44. A. suspected　　　　　　　 B. insisted　　　　　　　　　 C. agreed　　　　　　　　　 D. learned

45. A. turned　　　　　　　　　 B. pulled　　　　　　　　　　 C. carried　　　　　　　　　 D. dropped

46. A. cash　　　　　　　　　　 B. freedom　　　　　　　　 C. reasons　　　　　　　　 D. chances

47. A. asked　　　　　　　　　　 B. doubted　　　　　　　　 C. ordered　　　　　　　　 D. decided

48. A. hide　　　　　　　　　　　 B. stay　　　　　　　　　　　 C. visit　　　　　　　　　　　 D. relax

49. A. informed　　　　　　　 B. persuaded　　　　　　　 C. reminded　　　　　　　 D. warned

50. A. demand　　　　　　　　 B. concern　　　　　　　　 C. challenge　　　　　　　 D. situation

51. A. try　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. arrange　　　　　　　　　 C. give　　　　　　　　　　　 D. inspect

52. A. relief　　　　　　　　　　 B. embarrassment　　　 C. disappointment　　　 D. regret

53. A. intended　　　　　　　　 B. planned　　　　　　　　 C. desired　　　　　　　　　 D. managed

54. A. kept　　　　　　　　　　　 B. bent　　　　　　　　　　　 C. shook　　　　　　　　　 D. lost

55. A. sentence　　　　　　　 B. story　　　　　　　　　　 C. lesson　　　　　　　　　 D. text

I will never forget what my old headmaster taught me. Normally when you are only 15          years of age you do not remember most of the things that are taught by your teachers. But this particular story is one such lesson that I will never forget. Every time I drift off course, I get reminded of this story.
It was a normal Monday morning, and he was making a speech to the students on important things in life and about devoting ourselves to what is important to us. This is how the story went:
An old man lived in a certain part of London, and he would wake up every morning and go to the subway. He would get the train right to Central London, and then sit at the street corner and beg. He would do this every single day of his life. He sat at the same street corner and begged for almost 20 years. His house was dirty, and a stench(恶臭)came out of the house and it smelled horrible. The neighbors could not stand the smell any more, so they asked the police officers to clear the place. The officers knocked down the door and cleaned the house. There were small bags of money all over the house that he had collected over the years.
The police counted the money, and they soon realized that the old man was a millionaire. They waited outside his house to tell the good news to him. When he arrived home that evening, he was met by one of the officers who told him that there was no need for him to beg any more as he was a rich man now, a millionaire. He said nothing at all; he went into his house and locked the door. The next morning he woke up as usual, went to the subway, got into the train, and sat at the street corner and continued to beg. Obviously, this old man had no great plans, dreams or anything important for his life. We learn nothing from this story other than staying focused on the things we enjoy doing.
59. The headmaster told the story to the students to__________.
A. make the students relaxed in the lesson             B. remind the students to think deeply
C. show how poor the old man was                            D. encourage the students to become rich
60. After hearing what the officer said, the old man_________.
A. believed the officer was playing a joke on him. B. didn't know many people respected him a lot.
C. was very angry to find his house broken into.     D. was not so excited as the officer had expected.
61. What did the author learn from the story?
A . One should devote himself to his dream.            B. The old man was foolish not to stop begging.
C. What the headmaster taught was very important.
D. People must have a plan before taking action.
62. Which word can best describe the author's attitude towards the old man?
A. Pity.           B. Disappointment.                 C. Respect.          D. Anger.
63. We know from the passage that ___________________.
the author had a big dream at the age of 15.         
B. the headmaster was popular with the students.
the old man begged every day without stopping.  
D. the neighbors took great pity on the old man.
BDACC