It was a Sunday and the heavy storm had lasted all night. The morning after the storm, though, was beautiful: blue skies, warm air and a calm, inviting sea touching the shore gently.

    My father realized it was a good day for fishing and invited my sister and me to go with him. I was only 14 and fishing had never been my thing, but I decided to go all the same. I' m so glad I did.

    On the way to the harbor we could see the terrible destruction on the coast, but the harbour itself was in fairly good shape．After all, it was protected by the arms of a bay that had only one tiny channel to the sea. As we got on board, we noticed two big humps(脊背) in the distance.

    On approaching them, we saw it was a mother whale with her baby. We couldn't believe it — there weren't any whales along the coast here. The storm must have driven them across the ocean into the bay, in which the still water was so badly polluted that nothing could survive.

    The little baby whale—actually as big as our boat—was obviously stuck and could not move. The mother dived under the water and came up suddenly, making big whirlpools（漩涡） and waves. "She's trying to help her baby, but on the wrong side," my father said. At this point, my father moved our boat in a semicircle to the other side and, heading the boat towards the baby whale, pushed it gently. With our several gentle pushes the big hump turned over and disappeared under water. Then it swam up right beside its mum. They struggled in their desperate attempts to escape but missed the exit and started heading in the wrong direction. We hurried up to the whales and tried to lead them towards the bay channel. Slowly, they let us lead them, sometimes rising from the water right beside us to breathe—and to give us a trusting look with those huge eyes. Once they hit their first part of clean water flowing straight from the sea, the mum gave us a wave with her tail and off. They swam into the distance.

    In the excitement it had felt like only a few minutes, but we had been with those wonderful animals for almost an hour and a half. That was the simple and lasting beauty of the day. Nearly four decades later, I still look back fondly to that golden day at sea.

1. In Para2 the author says "I' m so glad I did." because _________.

    A. he witnessed the whole process of fishing

    B. he enjoyed the beauty of the calm sea

    C. he experienced the rescue of the whales

    D. he spent the weekend with his family

2.The mother whale failed to help her baby because __________.

    A. she had stayed in the polluted water for too long

    B. the whirlpools she had made were not big enough

    C. she had no other whales around to turn to for help

    D. the waves pushed her baby in the wrong direction

3.What is the theme of the story?

    A. Saving lives brings people a sense of happiness.

    B. Fishing provides excitement for children.

    C. It's necessary to live in harmony with animals.

    D. It's vital to protect the whale in the ocean.

"Extra? Extra！Gasoline hits four dollars a gallon!”

??? No one will really be shocked一except, perhaps, the old-timers who tell about the good old days when gas was three gallons for a dollar, and people drove around "just for the fun of it".

As a matter of fact; the price of gas has been rising fast and steadily for several years, and many adjustments have already been made.

??? There was, for a time, considerable unemployment in the auto industry, and three quarters of the garages and service stations have gone out of business. However; the bicycle and motor-scooter business has flourished（兴旺); and many people have found employment there: Now that Federal Motors has brought out its new Lilliput, which travels forty miles on a gallon, the auto business is picking up again. The factories that haven't switched over to two-wheel transportation are working on their new smaller models. There is talk, too, about bringing out new steam and electric automobiles that will be just as economical as the old cars.

??? In the meantime, streetcars are gradually replacing buses all over the country because of the greater economy of electric power. And many people who have seldom used public transportation are now riding the streetcars while their automobiles rust（生锈）in their garages. There's no market at all for their big, luxurious cars, for only the wealthy can now afford to operate them. Many people are now shopping in their own neighborhood, and small businesses are thriving.

??? Ministers, educators, and editorial writers are pointing out that there has been a great improvement in family life. Families now stay at home more for their fun, and children and parents are becoming better acquainted. The stores report a booming business in parlor games, hobby materials, books, musical instruments and albums.

??? People have lost their pale indoor look. The revival of the lost art of walking has brought a healthy pink back to many a cheek. This return to the heels has revolutionized the clothing styles; people now need to be ready for all kinds of weather:

??? These conditions, however, may not last. Already our clever chemists are at work on new synthetic fuels which, they say, will put us right back where we were一on wheels. Shall w e wish them success or not?

1.Which of the following is NOT a result of the gas price rising?

A. More people prefer to travel on public transportation which costs less than driving cars.

B. People return to the traditional exercise of walking, which helps them to look healthier.

C. People shop in nearby stores without having to drive, so small businesses are declining.

D. The auto industry has been forced to develop new models which are more economical.

2.The purpose of writing this passage is＿．

A. to show the chain reaction of the rising gas price

B. to discuss whether it's necessary to work on new fuels

C. to warn people not to use too much gasoline

D. to picture what life will be like if gas runs out

3.What is the best title for this passage?

A. New fuels on the way

B. Cars or bicycles, that is a question

C. End of the good old days

D. From wheels to heels

The key to happiness is how quickly you can get back your focus on what`s important.
——Anonymous
Sixteen years ago I learned this lesson in the back of a New York City taxi cab. Here`s what happened. I hopped in a taxi，and we took off for Grand Central Station. We were driving in the right lane when，all of a sudden，a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his brakes，skidded，and missed the other car`s back end by just inches!
The driver of the other car，who almost caused a big accident，started yelling bad words at us. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean，he was friendly.  So，I said，"Why did you just do that？This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital！"And this is when my taxi driver told me what I now call "The Law of the Garbage Truck. "
Many people are like garbage （rubbish）trucks. They run around full of garbage，full of frustration， full of anger，and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up，they need a place to dump it. And if you let them，they`ll dump it on you. When someone wants to dump on you，don`t take it personally. You just smile，wave，wish them well，and move on. You`ll be happy with what you did.
I started thinking，how often do I led Garbage Trucks run right over me？And how often do I　take their garbage and spread it to other people at work，at home，or on the streets？It was that day I said，"I`m not going to do anymore. "
Successful people do not let Garbage Trucks take over their day. What about you？If you let more garbage trucks pass you by，you`ll be happier. Life`s too short to wake up in the morning with regrets. So，Love the people who treat you right. Forget about the ones who don`t.
【小题1】What happened one day when the author was taking a taxi？

The morning had been a disaster.My tooth was aching，and I’d been in an argument with a friend.Her words still hurt：“The trouble with you is that you won’t put yourself in my place.Can’t you see things from my point of view？” I shook my head stubbornly—and felt the ache in my tooth.I’d thought I could hold out till my dentist came back from holiday，but the pain was really unbearable.I started calling the dentists in the phone book，but no one could see me immediately.Finally，at about lunchtime，I got lucky.

“If you come by right now，” the receptionist said，“the dentist will fit you in.”

I took my purse and keys and rushed to my car.But suddenly I began to doubt about the dentist.What kind of dentist would be so eager to treat someone at such short notice？Why wasn’t he as busy as the others?

In the dentist’s office，I sat down and looked around.I saw nothing but the bare walls and I became even more worried.The assistant noticed my nervousness and placed her warm hand over my ice?cold one.

When I told her my fears，she laughed and said，“Don’t worry.The dentist is very good.”

“How long do I have to wait for him？” I asked impatiently.

“Come on，he is coming.Just lie down and relax.And enjoy the artwork，” the assistant said.

“The artwork？” I was puzzled.

The chair went back.Suddenly I smiled.There was a beautiful picture，right where I could enjoy it：on the ceiling.How considerate the dentist was！At that moment，I began to understand what my friend meant by her words.

What a relief！(2013·重庆，A)

1.Which of the following best describes the author’s feeling that morning?

A．Cheerful.? B．Nervous.

C．Satisfied.? D．Upset.

2.What made the author begin to doubt about the dentist?

A．The dentist’s agreeing to treat her at very short notice.

B．The dentist’s being as busy as the other dentists.

C．The surroundings of the dentist’s office.

D．The laughing assistant of the dentist.

3. Why did the author suddenly smile?

A．Because the dentist came at last.

B．Because she saw a picture on the ceiling.

C．Because she could relax in the chair.

D．Because the assistant kept comforting her.

4. What did the author learn from her experience most probably?

A．Strike while the iron is hot.

B．Have a good word for one’s friend.

C．Put oneself in other’s shoes.

D．A friend in need is a friend indeed.

The key to happiness is how quickly you can get back your focus on what`s important.

——Anonymous

Sixteen years ago I learned this lesson in the back of a New York City taxi cab. Here`s what happened. I hopped in a taxi，and we took off for Grand Central Station. We were driving in the right lane when，all of a sudden，a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his brakes，skidded，and missed the other car`s back end by just inches!

The driver of the other car，who almost caused a big accident，started yelling bad words at us. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean，he was friendly.  So，I said，"Why did you just do that？This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital！"And this is when my taxi driver told me what I now call "The Law of the Garbage Truck. "

Many people are like garbage （rubbish）trucks. They run around full of garbage，full of frustration， full of anger，and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up，they need a place to dump it. And if you let them，they`ll dump it on you. When someone wants to dump on you，don`t take it personally. You just smile，wave，wish them well，and move on. You`ll be happy with what you did.

I started thinking，how often do I led Garbage Trucks run right over me？And how often do I　take their garbage and spread it to other people at work，at home，or on the streets？It was that day I said，"I`m not going to do anymore. "

Successful people do not let Garbage Trucks take over their day. What about you？If you let more garbage trucks pass you by，you`ll be happier. Life`s too short to wake up in the morning with regrets. So，Love the people who treat you right. Forget about the ones who don`t.

1.What happened one day when the author was taking a taxi？

2.How did the taxi driver respond to the behaviour of the driver of the black car？

3.What does the taxi driver think of people according to Paragraph 3？

4.What can we infer from Paragraph 4？

5.According to the passage，what should you do if people "dump garbage" on you？