On the way back from work every evening, more often than not there would be a homeless man standing at the exit of the freeway (快车道). He looked to be in his late 40s but was probably a lot younger. He had shoulder length straight black hair and a short beard.
Every day after work I would remember to gather any spare change, and put it aside to give to him if I saw him. A feeling of joy would come over me every time I saw him, while coming off the ramp (坡道). So did he. Sometimes the red light would be on for a minute and we would ask each other about our day. His answer would always be the same, “I’m blessed!”
Then one day I was called into my boss’s office and was told that I was being laid off. For the rest of that day all I could think of was “how am I going to provide for my kids as a mother, how am I going to pay rent?”
Needless to say that on my way home that day I was very sad and upset. I didn’t remember to look for my spare change and keep it ready like I usually did. Yet there he was as always, as I turned the ramp. He set his eyes on me, while still smiling and waving at others as usual.
While I was waiting for the red light to turn, he strolled (闲逛) over to my car. He had a big smile. He looked at me straight in the eyes and said, “Today I will give you a dollar.” He then reached into his pocket and pulled out a dollar bill.
You see that day he taught me a valuable lesson more than a dollar bill. No matter what material things are taken from you, no one can take away your choice to be joyful. Every time I’m faced with challenges, I think of the homeless man’s valuable lesson and remember that I am blessed.
【小题1】 The writer would have a short conversation with the homeless man when                .

A．she waited for the red light to turn

B．she gave spare change to him

C．she had a good time that day

D．she wanted to know how he lived

【小题2】 Why did the writer feel sad and upset after out of the boss’s office?

A．Because she was criticized by the boss.

B．Because a new job was offered to her.

C．Because she was laid off by the boss.

D．Because there was something wrong with her job.

【小题3】 What is NOT true about the homeless man from the passage?

A．He would be seen at the exit of the freeway.

B．He usually smiled and waved at others.

C．He had a deep impression on the writer.

D．He felt joyful only when money was offered to him.

【小题4】The homeless man gave the writer a dollar because                     .

A．he had collected a lot of money

B．he wanted to pay back her

C．he knew what she experienced

D．he wanted her to be happy

【小题5】 The writer learned from the story that                        .

A．a dollar bill will be enough to make you happy

B．each of us has been blessed all the time

C．whenever it is, we should choose to help others

D．it is more than money that brings us happiness

High­climbing kid raises hopes

Michael McCarthy climbed to the top of the Willis Tower not long ago. The Tower stands 1451 feet(442 meters) tall，the highest building in the US.

As he got to the last step，McCarthy almost fell down，but that didn't stop him. The 14­year­old boy finally finished climbing the 2,109 steps and arrived at the top，where he enjoyed the cheers from the crowd.

“I just want to show people that if a kid with no legs can do it，anyone can do it，”McCarthy said.

McCarthy，who was born without legs，has to wear prosthetic legs(假肢) and use a set of crutches(拐杖) to walk. But McCarthy has a strong heart. He believes nothing can stop him from achieving his success.

He has been in a karate(空手道) school since he was four years old. When he decided to climb the Willis Tower，his karate teacher，Jeff Kohn，was moved and offered to help train him. They spent more than 10 hours practicing climbing stairs and keeping balance with the prostheses and crutches on the steps every day. “It seems that he never knows what tiredness is. Sometimes，I was so tired that I asked him to call_it_a_day，”said Kohn. “But he said he was still full of energy and wanted more exercise.”

Kohn was with McCarthy for the climb. “I saw the last 10 floors—he went faster，” said Kohn. “He's the most hard­working athlete I've ever trained.”

McCarthy said he was proud of himself and that the Tower now holds special meaning. “When I'm older，I'll point to the building and say ‘Look at this building I climbed’．”he said.

61. Why did McCarthy decide to climb the Willis Tower?

A. Because the Tower is very special.

B. Because he wanted to set a world record.

C. Because he wanted to show that anyone can do it.

D. Because he enjoyed climbing stairs very much.

62. Who helped McCarthy train for climbing the Willis Tower?

A. Nobody.  B. His brother.  C. His parents.  D. His karate teacher.

63. What does the underlined phrase “call it a day” mean in Chinese?

A. 结束当天的训练  B. 去打个电话

C. 再训练一天  D. 另请高明

64. Which of the following is True?

A. The Willis Tower is 442 feet tall in total.

B. McCarthy had a traffic accident and lost his legs.

C. While McCarthy was climbing the Tower，nobody was with him.

D. Many people cheered when McCarthy arrived at the top of the Tower.

65. What can we learn from this passage?

A. No man is born wise and learned.  B. Where there is a will，there is a way.

C. Time and tide wait for no man.  D. A little learning is a dangerous thing.

 

Tuesday, 1^st September
I had mixed feelings today, nervous, worried, happy, excited… My heart went down when Miss Chan, our head teacher, said that Matthew and Beth, two students from England, would spend three months with us! I was worried that I had to speak English so much! But at the end of the school day, I was happier than I thought: the morning with them today was more enjoyable than I expected.
Today is the most unforgettable first day I have had! Matthew is fantastic! His English is clearer and easier to listen to than I thought. The other English student, Beth, is the most helpful girl I’ve ever met. There were lots of things to do on the first day. Beth offered to help Miss Chan put up all the notices. Of course, some of the credit (功劳) should also go to ME because I translated some of the notices for her. Miss Chan praised us!
We finished all the preparations 10 minutes earlier than expected, then Beth and I talked for a while, Matthew sang several English songs and did some stand-up comedy (单人喜剧表演) at the party. We all praised him. When the bell rang to end the first school day, none of us wanted to leave.
When I went back home, I had a little headache. I have probably spoken more English today than the whole of last year.
It was really a happy day! I hope our friendship can continue, even after they gone back to England!
【小题1】The writer felt ______ when he heard the news from Miss Chan.

A．tired	B．angry
C．fantastic	D．worried

【小题2】 Beth helped Miss Chan with the ______.

A．comedy	B．speeches
C．notices	D．translation

【小题3】 Matthew ______ at the party.

A．had a talk	B．rang the bell
C．sang several songs	D．made a preparation

【小题4】 Matthew and Beth ______ on the first day.

A．spoke much Chinese	B．got lots of praise
C．had a little headache	D．forgot to leave the school

【小题5】 From the passage, we know that the writer ______.

A．caught a bad cold that day

B．went back home with Beth

C．expects to travel to England

D．likes the two English students