My father was a foreman of a sugar-cane plantation in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico. My first job was to drive the oxen that ploughed the cane fields. I would walk behind an ox, guiding him with a broomstick. For $ 1 a day, I worked eight hours straight, with no food breaks.

It was very tedious work, but it prepared me for life and taught me many lasting lessons. Because the plantation owners were always watching us, I had to be on time every day and work as hard as I could. I’ve never been late for any job since. I also learned about being respectful and faithful to the people you work for. More important, I earned my pay; it never entered my mind to say I was sick just because I didn’t want to work.

I was only six years old, but I was doing a man’s job. Our family needed every dollar we could make because my father never earned more than $ 18 a week. Our home was a three-room wood shack with a dirty floor and no toilet. Nothing made me prouder than bringing home money to help my mother, father, two brothers and three sisters. This gave me self-esteem(自尊心), one of the most important things a person can have.

When I was seven, I got work at a golf course near our house. My job was to stand down the fairway and spot the balls as they landed, so the golfers could find them. Losing a ball meant you were fired, so I never missed one. Some nights I would lie in bed and dreamt of making thousands of dollars by playing golf and being able to buy a bicycle.

The more I dreamed, the more I thought. Why not? I made my first golf club out of guava limb(番石榴树枝) and a piece of pipe. Then I hammered an empty tin can into the shape of a ball. And finally I dug two small holes in the ground and hit the ball back and forth. I practiced with the same devotion and intensity. I learned working in the field — except now I was driving golf balls with club, not oxen with a broomstick.

1. The writer’s first job was _______.

　 A. to stand down the fairway at a golf course

　 B. to watch over the sugar-cane plantation

　 C. to drive the oxen that ploughed the cane fields

　 D. to spot the balls as they landed so the golfers could find them

2. The writer learned that_______ from his first job.

　A. he should work for those who he liked most

　B. he should work longer than what he was expected

　 C. he should never fail to say hello to his owner

　 D. he should be respectful and faithful to the people he worked for

3. _______ gave the writer self-esteem.

A. Having a family of eight people

　 B. Owning his own golf course

　 C. Bringing money back home to help the family

　 D. Helping his father with the work on the plantation

4. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?

　 A. He wanted to be a successful golfer.

　B. He wanted to run a golf course near his house.

　C. He was satisfied with the job he got on a plantation.

　D. He wanted to make money by guiding oxen with a broomstick.

完成句子（共10小题；每小题2分，满分20分）

1. When I opened the door, l found him sitting in the sofa, completely _____________________ reading a novel. (absorb)

当我打开门时，我发现他坐在沙发上，完全专心地看小说。

2.So _____________________________ that Maric was able to set up new branches elsewhere. (successful)

她的生意是如此成功，以至于玛里克可以在别的地方建立新的分公司。

3.It seems that we have to accept the result and make a good preparation to have another try.

                       earlier, I could have done something to avoid this accident. (inform)

看来我们必须接受这个结果并做好再次尝试的准备了。要是我早点得知的话，就可以做些什么来避免这场事故了。

4.It is the test system, rather than the teachers,           　                 for the students’ heavy study burden nowadays. (blame) 

对于学生现在的学业重压，该受责备的是考试体系，而不是老师。

5. Have you ever had a case           　           but nobody showed any concern? (fall)

你有没有过这种情况，你病倒了，却没有人关心?

6.With my money            　　　        , I have to draw some from the bank in case I have none in hand. (run)

我的钱快用完了，所以我要从银行取点钱，以防手头太紧。

7.We are told from the director’s office that                           we know the result of the final examination.  (long)

我们从主任办公室获悉，过不了多久，我们就可以知道期终考试的结果。

8.Some experts recommend signs and posters be put up in areas                 . (allow)

一些专家建议应在不允许抽烟的地方贴上标志和海报。

9. No one really knows exactly when the first people arrived in                 now. (call)

没有人知道确切在什么时候第一批移民者到达我们今天称之为美国的地方。

10.A reporter begins by contacting people ______________ and then prepares questions. (interview)

记者要先和被采访人联系，然后准备好要采访的问题。

完成句子

71. When I opened the door, l found him sitting in the sofa, completely _____________________ reading a novel. (absorb)

   当我打开门时，我发现他坐在沙发上，完全专心地看小说。

72. So _____________________________ that Maric was able to set up new branches elsewhere. (successful)

   她的生意是如此成功，以至于玛里克可以在别的地方建立新的分公司。

73. It seems that we have to accept the result and make a good preparation to have another try.

                                        earlier, I could have done something to avoid this accident. (inform)

 看来我们必须接受这个结果并做好再次尝试的准备了。要是我早点得知的话，就可以做些什么来避免这场事故了。

74. It is the test system, rather than the teachers,           　                 for the students’ heavy study burden nowadays. (blame) 

对于学生现在的学业重压，该受责备的是考试体系，而不是老师。

75. Have you ever had a case           　           but nobody showed any concern? (fall)

你有没有过这种情况，你病倒了，却没有人关心?

76 . With my money            　　　        , I have to draw some from the bank in case I have none in hand. (run)

   我的钱快用完了，所以我要从银行取点钱，以防手头太紧。

77. We are told from the director’s office that                           we know the result of the final examination.  (long)

   我们从主任办公室获悉，过不了多久，我们就可以知道期终考试的结果。

78. Some experts recommend signs and posters be put up in areas                 . (allow)

   一些专家建议应在不允许抽烟的地方贴上标志和海报。

79. No one really knows exactly when the first people arrived in                 now.(call)

   没有人知道确切在什么时候第一批移民者到达我们今天称之为美国的地方。

80. A reporter begins by contacting people _________________________ and then prepares questions. (interview)

   记者要先和被采访人联系，然后准备好要采访的问题。

51． When I opened the door, l found him sitting in the sofa, completely _____________________ reading a novel. (absorb)

当我打开门时，我发现他坐在沙发上，完全专心地看小说。

52．So _____________________________ that Maric was able to set up new branches elsewhere. (successful)

她的生意是如此成功，以至于玛里克可以在别的地方建立新的分公司。

53．It seems that we have to accept the result and make a good preparation to have another try.

                       earlier, I could have done something to avoid this accident. (inform)

看来我们必须接受这个结果并做好再次尝试的准备了。要是我早点得知的话，就可以做些什么来避免这场事故了。

54．It is the test system, rather than the teachers,           　                 for the students’ heavy study burden nowadays. (blame) 

对于学生现在的学业重压，该受责备的是考试体系，而不是老师。

55． Have you ever had a case           　           but nobody showed any concern? (fall)

你有没有过这种情况，你病倒了，却没有人关心?

56．With my money            　　　        , I have to draw some from the bank in case I have none in hand. (run)

我的钱快用完了，所以我要从银行取点钱，以防手头太紧。

57．We are told from the director’s office that                           we know the result of the final examination.  (long)

我们从主任办公室获悉，过不了多久，我们就可以知道期终考试的结果。

58．Some experts recommend signs and posters be put up in areas                 . (allow)

一些专家建议应在不允许抽烟的地方贴上标志和海报。

59． No one really knows exactly when the first people arrived in                 now. (call)

没有人知道确切在什么时候第一批移民者到达我们今天称之为美国的地方。

60．A reporter begins by contacting people ______________ and then prepares questions. (interview)

记者要先和被采访人联系，然后准备好要采访的问题。