There is a story of a country where the rate of inflation（通货膨胀率）is so high that clever people pay for a taxi ride before the trip instead of after. This story may or may not be true. But inflation was almost that serious in Germany from July 1920 until December 1923. Prices went up so fast that by the end of 1923 they were 50 billion percent higher－a rise of almost 25000 / 40 a month.

　　There was so much paper money, and it had so little value, that people carried bags full of money around to pay for things. One woman told the story of standing outside a shop with a basket full of 500 000 mark notes（马克）. She wanted to buy just one piece of meat, and she hoped she had enough money. But when she was looking, a thief robbed（抢夺） her. He didn't take her money, though, he threw it away and took the basket in stead.

　　At first workers demanded to be paid every day. But as the situation be came worse, they had to be paid twice a day. But they had to run out and spend the money at once, or it would lose its value. People bought anything that was for sale, but food was almost impossible to find. Farm workers re fused to take money. They wanted to be paid in potatoes instead.

　　New policies（政策）ended the inflation in 1923, when the government introduced a new money. But about half of the German people lost every thing in those three and a half years.

　　1．People paid for a taxi ride before the trip because they________

　　　　A. did not want to carry so much money with them

　　　　B. had so much paper money that they wanted to spend them quickly

　　　　C. wanted to save money

　　　　D. were afraid of the taxi driver

　

　　2．According to the passage, in Germany the prices in 1920 were ________.

　　　　A. higher than those in 1923

　　　　B. lower than those in 1923

　　　　C. the highest in history

　　　　D. the lowest in history

　　

　　3．The thief stole the basket instead of the money in it because he thought _________

　　　　A. he couldn't buy a piece of meat with the money

　　　　B. the basket was more valuable than the money

　　　　C. the basket was what he needed most

　　　　D. the money was of no value

　　

　　4．The farm workers demanded to be paid in potatoes because they be lieved that _______

　　　　A. the money could not buy potatoes

　　　　B. the money might lose its value

　　　　C. the potato was too expensive

　　　　D. the potato was valuable

 

 I'll stay here _____ everyone else comes back.

A．even if

B．as though

C．because

D．until

 

I was fifteen months old, a happy, carefree kid until the day I fell．It was a bad fall．I landed on a glass rabbit which cut my eye badly enough to blind it．Trying to save the eye, the doctors stitched the eyeball together where it was cut, leaving a big ugly scar in the middle of my eye．And as I grew, this sightless eye in so many ways controlled me．
Yet Mama would say to me, at every turn, "Hold your head up high and face the world．" It became a litany that I relied on．She had started when I was young．She would hold me in her arms and stroke my hair and say, "If you hold your head up high, it will be okay, and people will see your beautiful soul．" She continued this message whenever I wanted to hide．
Those words have meant different things to me over the years．As a little child, I thought Mama meant; "Be careful or you will fall down or bump into something because you are not looking．" As an a dolescent, even though I tended to look down to hide my shame, I found that sometimes when I held my head up high and let people know me, they lilted me．My mama’s words helped me begin to realize that by letting people look at my face, I let them recognize the intelligence and beauty behind both eyes even if they couldn’t see it on the surface．
In high school I was successful both academically and socially．I was even elected class president, but on the inside I still felt like a freak．Ail I really wanted was to look like everyone else．When things got really bad, I would cry to my mama and she would look at me with loving eyes and say, "Hold your head up high and face the world．Let them see the beauty that is inside．"
When I met the man who became my partner for life, we looked each other straight in the eye, and he told me I was beautiful inside and out．He meant it．My mama’s love and encouragement were the spark that gave me the confidence to overcome my own doubt．I had faced adversity, encountered my problems head on, and learned not only to appreciate myself but to have deep compassion for others．
"Hold your head up high," has been heard many times in my home．Each of my children has felt its invitation．The gift my mama gave me lives on in another generation．
【小题1】How did the writer have her eyes hurt?

A．She was attacked by a glass rabbit．	B．Her eyes were hurt by accident．
C．The doctor made a mistake．	D．A serious illness blinded her．

【小题2】When she heard her mother told her to hold her head up high for the first time, she_____．

A．didn’t fully understand these words

B．was greatly encouraged and moved

C．was puzzled by these words

D．was surprised by these words

【小题3】Why did the writer still feel unhappy when she was successful both academically and socially?

A．Because she was not satisfied with what she has．

B．Because she thought she could have done better．

C．Because she wanted to live a normal life．

D．Because she really wanted to be different．

【小题4】What is the point of the story?

A．A mother’s love for a daughter is a treasure．

B．One should not be controlled by others．

C．The real beauty is inside out．

D．Where there is a will．there is a way．

Every Friday we have a fire alarm test at nine o'clock sharp, and even though the sound is very noisy, I am so happy because when I heard that it reminded me today is Friday and tomorrow is weekend, it is the last working day of the week and I have two days off, it’s so excited!Sometimes we have a fire drill, when you hear the fire alarm, everybody have to run out through the fire exit.

One Monday at nine o’clock, the alarm was sounded and I was working behind the fish house and didn’t hear it. The department manager and staff were looking for me thoroughly, finally they found me and asked me to stop my job and follow them went out.

"I am busy, No problem! You leave, I work." I said.

"No, this is the law, everybody has to leave." The manager said.

I understood that if I insisted not to leave, they must carry me out. I went out with them together finally, no choice.

One afternoon, when I was working outside, the fire alarm cropped up（突然出现） sounding wildly, nobody knew what’s happening, some were standing and looking around, some were asking questions, some were running, I knew this wasn’t a test or drill, must be a real one. At that moment, one lady called me from a distance:"Jinglebell: leave your job, go out quickly."I joined the crowded flow of customers and staff going out. I asked somebody what's happened? And they told me this is a real one as there was some smoke on the shop floor.Finally I found out, actually there was no problem, that it was an electrician who used the equipment for the carpet and made a little smoke.

After that I asked somebody how to deal with the customer’s food in the restaurant in that case, because they went out to leave because of the fire, but hadn't finished their food. They told me that the customers who had bought food or drinks there could get a new one.

I don't understand, if in China, under that situation, everybody must carry a bucket（桶） or some other water containers to the fire spot, to fight the flames.

I agree with the English emphasis the human right, but maybe a very small problem could become a big problem while everybody had withdrawn from the shop, because the fire fighters could not come at once.

I was just thinking.

1.Despite the noise from the fire alarm, the author still feels happy because _____.

A．the noise lasts too long

B．the noise is not too loud

C．the noise reminds the author of the coming of weekend

D．the author often ignores it when working

2.If there is a fire breaking out in a restaurant, what will happen in China?

A．people will go out to leave

B．people will scream and cry in panic

C．people will not leave until they finish their food

D．people will carry a basket or some water containers to help put out the flames

3.What’s the author’s attitude to the human right?

A．Approval

B．Rejection

C．Neutral

D．Not mentioned

4.Why does the author think that a very small problem may become a big one while everybody had withdrawn from the shop?

A．Because the author thinks the fire is dangerous

B．Because the author thinks the fire spreads fast

C．Because the author thinks the fire fighters could not come at once

D．Because the author thinks the human right is important