I was 15 when I walked into McCarley’s Bookstore in Ashland. As I was looking at ___1__on the shelves, the man behind the counter, __2___, asked if I’d like _3__.I came from a poor family and I needed to start _4__for college, so I said yes. I__5_after school and during summers for the lowest wages and the job helped pay for my freshman year of college. I would work many other jobs; I made coffee in the Students Union during college, I was a hotel maid and even made maps for the U. S. Forest Service. But selling books was one of the most__6_. One day a woman asked me for books on cancer. She seemed fearful. I showed her almost _7___we had at that time _8__and found other books we could order. She left the store less__9__. I’ve always remembered the __10___ I felt in having helped her.

　　Years later, as a __11__in Los Angeles, I heard about an immigrant child who was born with his fingers connected. His family could not__12__a corrective operation, and the boy lived in__13__, hiding his hand in his pocket.

　　I _14___ my boss to let me do the story. After my story was broadcast, a doctor and a nurse called, offering to perform the _15___for free.

　　I visited the boy in the recovery room soon after the operation. The first thing he did was to hold up his _16___ hand and say, “Thank you.” I felt a sense of _17___.

In the past, while I was _18_, I always sense I was working for the customers, not the store. Today it’s the same. NBC News pays my salary, ___19___ I feel as if I work for the __20__, helping them make sense of the world.

1. A. maps　 　　　　　　　 B. titles　　 　　　　　　 C. articles　 　　　　　　 D. reports

2. A. the reader　　　　　　 B. the college student　　 C. the shop owner　　　　 D. the customer

3. A. a book　　　　　　　　 B. a job　　　　　　 C. some tea　　　　　　　　 D. any help

4. A. planning　　　　　　　 B. saving　　　　　　　　　　 C. preparing　　　　　　　　 D. studying

5. A. read　 　　　　　　　 B. studied　 　　　　　　 C. cooked　　　　　　　　　　 D. worked

6. A. boring　　　　　　　　 B. surprising　　　　　　　　 C. satisfying　　　　　　　　 D. disappointing

7. A. anything　　　　　　　 B. something　 　　　　　 C. nothing　　　　　　　　　 D. everything

8. A. in need　　　　　　　　 B. in all 　　　　　　　　　　 C. in order　 　　　　　　 D. in store

9. A. worried　　　　　　　 B. satisfied 　　　　　　　 C. excited 　　　　　　　　 D. puzzled

10. A. pride　　　　　　　　　 B. failure　　　　　　　　　　 C. regret　　　　　 　 D. surprise

11. A. doctor 　　　　　　 B. store owner C. bookseller　　　 　　 D. TV reporter

12. A. pay　　　　　　　　　　 B. cost　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. afford 　　　　　　　　　 D. spend

13. A. shame　　　　　　　　 B. honour　　　　　　　　　　 C. horror　　　　　　　　　　 D. danger

14. A. advised　　　　　　　 B. forced　　　　　　　　　　 C. persuaded　　　　　　　　 D. permitted

15. A. action　　　　　　　　 B. program　　　　　　　　　 C. treatment　　　　　　　　 D. operation

16. A. repaired　　　　　　 B. connected　　　　　　　 C. injured　　　　　　　　　　 D. improved

17. A. pleasure B. sadness C. interest D. disappointment

18. A. at the TV station B. in the Students Union　 　

C. at the U. S. Forest Service　　　 D. at McCarley’s Bookstore

19. A. so　　　　　　　　　　 B. and 　　　　　　　　　　 C. but　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. because

20. A. readers　　　　　　　 B. viewers　　　　　　　　　 C. customers　　　　　　　 D. passengers

What a pity! I missed to meet my boss at the airport because my car was ______ in the traffic jam.

[　　]

My boss was very resistant to my proposal at first but she finally_____and accepted my idea.

A. slowed down　　　　 B. put down　　　　 C. got down　　　　 D. broke down

 

　　A few days ago I asked my sons’ governess（女家庭教师）Julia to come into my study. “Be seated, Julia, ”I said, “Let’s settle our accounts. I guess you most likely need some money, but maybe you’re too polite to mention it. Now then, we agreed on thirty dollars a month...”

　　“Forty.”

　　“No, thirty. I made a note of it. I always pay our governess thirty. Well, um, you’ve been here two months, so...”

　　“Two months and five days.”

　　“Exactly two months. I made a special note of it. That means you have sixty dollars coming to you. Take off nine Sundays... you know you didn’t work with Tom on Sundays, you only took walks. And three holidays... ”Julia was biting her finger nail nervously, her face red, but - not a word.

　　“Three holidays, therefore take off twelve dollars. Four days Tom was sick and there were no lessons, as you were occupied only with Dick. Three days you had a toothache and my wife gave you permission not to work after lunch. Twelve and seven - nineteen. Take nineteen off ... that leaves. hmm.... forty one dollars. Correct？”

　　Julia’s left eye reddened with tears welling up. Her chin trembled; she coughed nervously and blew her nose, but - still not a word.

　　“Around New Year’s Day you broke a teacup and a saucer; take off two dollars. The cup cost more, it was a treasure of the family, but- forget it. When didn’t I take a loss! Then, due to your neglect （疏忽）, Tom climbed a tree and tore his jacket; take away ten. Also due to your carelessness the maid stole Dick’s shoes. You ought to watch everything! You get paid for it. So, that means five more dollars off. The tenth of January I gave ten dollars.”

　　“You didn’t. ”sobbed Julia.

　　“But I made a note of it.”

　　“Well... if you say so.”

　　“Take twenty seven from forty one -that leaves fourteen.”

　　Both her eyes were filled with tears. Beads of sweat stood on the thin pretty little nose. Poor girl!

　　“Only once was I given any money,” she whispered, her voice trembling, “and that was by your wife. Three dollars, nothing more.”

　　“Really? You see now, and I didn’t know that! Take three from fourteen.. leaves eleven. Here’s your money, my dear. Three, three, three, one and one. Here it is !”

　　I handed her eleven dollars. She took them and pocketed them.

　　“Merci （法语: 谢谢）,”she whispered.

　　I jumped to my feet and started pacing the room. I was overcome with anger. “For what, this - ‘merci’?” I asked.

　　“For the money. ”

　　“But you know I’ve cheated you - robbed you ! I have actually stolen from you ! Why this‘merci’？”

　　“In my other places they didn’t give me anything at all.”

　　“They didn’t give you anything? No wonder! I played a little joke on you, a cruel lesson, just to teach you... I m going to give you all the eighty dollars! Here they are in the envelope all ready for you... Is it really possible to be so spineless （懦弱）?Why didn’t you protest? Why were you silent? Is it possible in this world to be without teeth and claws（爪）—to be such a fool?”

　　Embarrassed, she smiled. And I could read her expression,“It is possible.”

　　I asked her pardon for the cruel lesson and, to her great surprise, gave her the eighty dollars. She murmured her little“merci”several times and went out. I looked after her and thought,“How easy it is to crush the weak in this world !”

　　While talking to Julia, the wrier expected from her ________.

　　A. a protest　　　　　　　　　　　B. gratitude

　　C. obedience　　　　　　　　　　 D. an explanation

　　What shocked the writer was Julia’s ________.

　　A. nervousness in front of her boss

　　B. acceptance of injustice

　　C. shyness when talking about money

　　D. reluctance to express herself

　　The writer said, “Is it possible in this world to be without teeth and claws?” He was actually telling the governess ________.

　　A. to be more aggressive

　　B. to be more careful in her work

　　C. to protect her right

　　D. to live independently

　　At the end of the story, the writer said,“ How easy it is to crush the weak in this world!”to show ________.

　　A. his understanding of Julia’s anxiety

　　B. his worry about Julia’s future

　　C. his concern on the living condition of working - class people

　　D. his sympathy for the mental state of those exploited

短文改错

　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　

A man works in a factory and get his pay at	(1)______
the. end of every week. One Saterday he got the pay	(2)______
then counted the money. Suddenly he found that	(3)______
it was wrong：there were five pound more than	(4)______
he should get. He had put the money in his pocket	(5)______
and said nothing with others. A week	(6)______
went by and it was a pay day too. But this time	(7)______
there were five pounds less instead of. He was	(8)______
so angry and he went to see the boss. The boss said	(9)______
to him, “Didn't you notice there was a mistake last	(10)_____
week? For one mistake, I can shut my eyes, but for two mistake, no, I 　　 can't.”