This is a true story of how my car got stuck in water and how a stranger helped me during the worst rain storm.

Last Sunday, the sky was grey when I woke up. The weather report said rain was coming, but I couldn’t stay home just because of rain.

Around 8:00 am I had a doctor’s appointment. It wasn’t raining then. At 9:00 I left the doctor’s office to drive to work, and it was raining hard. I just had to go about 5-6 miles down one main road to get to a nearby school, where I could stay until the rain ended. Unfortunately, the road in front of the school was flooded, and my car stopped in the middle.

“Who is going to save me?” I wondered. I shut off the engine and turned on my flashers (车灯). I called 911. They were not helpful. I called my husband, even though he couldn’t come and help me. I was also very close to a police station. But I never saw even one police car. I decided to get out of the car, since it was still pouring.

My best decision of the day had been to wear rain boots. I took my umbrella and quickly got out and ran across the street to a shelter.

Before long, a tow truck(拖车) happened to pass by the street. The driver kindly offered to help me. At that moment, I really needed car pulled out quickly, so I trusted the stranger. He pulled my car and drove me home. After he had dropped my car off, he also helped me check the engine. He said the engine was most likely flooded, but fortunately there was no water inside the car.

Although many years have passed, I still remember that stormy day and the warm-hearted stranger clearly.

1.How was the weather when the author got up?

A. Rainy.                                B. Cloudy.                    C. Windy.                     D. Sunny.

2.Which of the following is the correct order about the things that the author did?

① Drove to work.                                                  ② Drove to the doctor’s office.

③ Ran to a shelter.                                             ④ Called 911 for help.

A. ②①④③                        B. ②③①④                        C. ①②④③                        D. ①③②④

3.What did the author do after her car had got stuck in the water?

A. She turned off her flashers.

B. She tried to restart the engine.

C. She went to the police station nearby.

D. She got out of her car.

4.How did the stranger help the author?

A. He lent his car to her.                     

B. He pulled her car out of the water.

C. He drove her to school.                  

D. He helped her fix her engine.

 

There is one word that is on the lips of Americans, day and night: “Sorry.”

One time as I was walking on the street, a young man ran by hurriedly, brushing against my handbag. Even as he continued on his way, he turned back and said “sorry” to me. Even in a rush, he didn’t forget to apologize. One day, after I bought a mango, the salesman was giving me the change, but I wasn’t ready for it and a coin dropped to the ground. “I’m sorry,” he said while bending down to pick it up. I was puzzled—why would he apologize when it is my fault?

Another time, I stepped on a man’s foot in an escalator, at the same time, we both said “sorry”. I thought it interesting, was it really necessary for him to apologize? Later on, an American friend explained to me that according to the American mentality, the escalators a public place, and everyone should be able to stand in it. After someone occupies a position in the elevator, making it difficult for someone else to find a place to stand, isn’t it necessary to express an apology?

If you go to the movies and the tickets happen to be sold out, the ticket seller will say: “Sorry, the tickets are sold out.” Whenever one of your hopes goes unfulfilled, an American will say “sorry” as a sign of sympathy.

During my stay in America, I often came across situations in which I was supposed to say “sorry”. Gradually, I realized that when friction（摩擦）appears in daily life, Americans don’t care much about who is wrong; If someone is troubled, a “sorry” is always necessary. When this happens, even if the other person is hurt, the “sorry” cools tempers and human kindness is shown. Perhaps this is why I never saw anyone quarreling on the buses, subways or streets of America.

1.How many examples are given to show that Americans like to say “sorry”?

A．One             B．Two              C．Three            D．Four

2.When the author was walking on the street, a young man ran by hurriedly ______.

A．and took away his bag                    B．and touched his bag

C．to help him with his bag                   D．to brush his bag

3.Which of the following plays a different role in the passage?

A．Paragraph 2       B．Paragraph 3        C．Paragraph 4        D．Paragraph 5

4.At last, the author’s attitude towards the Americans’ “sorry” seems to be ______.

A．angry            B．interested         C．approving(赞成)    D．disappointed

5.The best title for the passage can be “_______”.

A．My life in America                       B．Americans’ “sorry”

C．My experience in an escalator             D．The meaning of “sorry”

 

—I remember I ______my bag somewhere around here.—Really? I never saw it.

A.left            B.leave          C.was leaving               D.had left

There is one word that is on the lips of Americans , day and night , “Sorry”.

One time as I was walking on the street , a young man ran by hurriedly , brushing against my handbag . Even as he continued on his way , he turned back and said “sorry” to me . Even in a rush , he didn’t forget to apologize .

One day , after I bought some apples , the salesman was giving me the change , but I wasn’t ready for it , and a coin dropped on the ground, “I’m sorry ,” he said while bending down to pick it up . I was puzzled —why would he apologize when it was my fault ?

Another time , I stepped on a man’s foot in an escalator . At the same time , we both said “sorry” . I thought it interesting : was it really necessary for him apologize ?  

Later on , an American friend explained to me that according to the American ideas, the escalator is public place which everyone should be able to stand in . After someone occupies a position in the escalator , making it difficult for someone else to find a place to stand in , isn’t it necessary to express an apology ?

During my stay in America , I gradually realized that when friction (摩擦) occurs in daily life , Americans don’t care much about who is responsible . If someone is troubled , a “sorry” is always necessary . Even if the other person is hurt , the “sorry” would cool tempers . Perhaps this is why I never saw anyone quarreling on the buses , subways or streets in America .

1.When I was walking in the street , ____ .

A．a young man wanted to rob me of my bag

B．a young man ran by and wanted to brush my bag

C．a young man said sorry to me for touching my bag

D．a young man came hurriedly to help me with my bag

2.When the salesman gave me the change , _____

A．I purposely didn’t want to accept it from the salesman

B．the salesman purposely didn’t want to pass it to me

C．I was slower to accept it than the salesman to give it to me

D．the salesman was slower to give it to me than I could accept it

3.The man on whose feet I stepped apologized to me because ____ .

A．the escalator is a public place

B．the man was very afraid of me

C．the “sorry” said to me was for everyone

D．there wasn’t enough room to get my feet in

4.In this passage , the author seems to feel _____ the Americans’ “sorry”.

A．angry with

B．disappointed with

C．interested in

D．approving of

 

I’ve loved my mother’s desk since I was just tall enough to see above the top of it as mother sat doing letters. Standing by her chair, looking at the ink bottle, pens,   and white paper, I decided that the act of writing must be the more wonderful thing in the world.
Years later, during her final illness, mother kept different things for my sister  and brother. “But the desk,” she’d said again, “it’s for Elizabeth. ”
I never saw her angry, never saw her cry. I knew she loved me; she showed it in action. But as a young girl, I wanted heart-to-heart talks between mother and    daughter.
They never happened. And a gulf opened between us. I was “too emotional(易动感情的)”. But she lived “on the surface(表面)”.
As years passed I had my own family. I loved my mother and thanked her for our happy family. I wrote to her in careful words and asked her to let me know in any way she chose that she did forgive(原谅) me.
I posted the letter and waited for her answer. None came.
My hope turned to disappointment(失望), then little interest and, finally, peace— it seemed that nothing happened. I couldn’t be sure that the letter had even got to mother. I only knew that I had written it, and I could stop trying to make her into someone she was not.
Now the present of her desk told, as she’d never been able to, that she was    pleased that writing was my chosen work. I cleaned the desk carefully and found    some papers inside —a photo of my father and a one-page letter, folded(折叠) and refolded many times.
Give me an answer, my letter asks, in any way you choose. Mother, you always chose the act that speaks louder than words.
【小题1】The writer began to love her mother’s desk ______.

A．after Mother died

B．before she became a writer

C．when she was a child

D．when Mother gave it to her

【小题2】The passage shows that ______.

A．mother was cold on the surface but kind in her heart to her daughter

B．mother was too serious about everything her daughter had done

C．mother cared much about her daughter in words

D．mother wrote to her daughter in careful words

【小题3】The word “gulf” in the passage means ______.

A．deep understanding between the old and the young

B．different ideas between the mother and the daughter

C．free talks between mother and daughter

D．part of the sea going far in land

【小题4】What did mother do with her daughter’s letter asking forgiveness?

A．She had never received the letter.

B．For years, she often talked about the letter.

C．She didn’t forgive her daughter at all in all her life.

D．She read the letter again and again till she died.

【小题5】What’s the best title of the passage?

A．My letter to Mother

B．Mother and Children

C．My mother’s Desk

D．Talks between Mother and Me