LOS ANGELES Jesus Ibarra was puzzled by the elderly man.

He was obviously much older than other students at Central Ault High School. And he was an Anglo on a campus where most students are Latins, Blacks, and Asian Americans.

“I asked myself what he was doing here,” said Ibarra, 21, of Los Angeles. “I thought he was a visitor. The first time I talked to him, I asked a question in English, and he answered in Spanish. I thought he was white and Jewish. I never imagined that he would speak Spanish.”

Jacob Blitzstein surprised his fellow students all the time. He isn’t some stuffy man, though he wears his neat gray beard and conservative (traditional) clothes.

Blitzstein is warm and gregarious (enjoys being with others). He likes to hear a good joke and loves to tell a good story. He is determined, especially when it comes to realizing his dream.

Recently, that dream came true. At a graduation ceremony attended by two of his children and three grandchildren, Blitzstein, 81, graduated from high school.

After Principal Lanny Nelms handed him the diploma（毕业证书）and announced his age, Blitzstein waved to the audience and cried.

And why not? He’s probably the oldest Central High School graduate since the school opened in 1974. According to the Los Angeles district spokesman, although no records of such things are kept, Blitzstein is the oldest graduate he’s ever heard of.

Earning his diploma took 10 years, during which the retired store owner suffered heart attack and ill health, and lost his wife and two brothers.

He kept to his task for a reason. “School is the best medicine you can have,” he said. “You have something on your mind a goal.”

With his diploma in hand, Blitzstein states that he’s not through yet.

“You know something ? I’m going to college,” He told a visitor recently. He has checked out West Los Angeles and Santa Monica community colleges and hopes to move from there to a four-year school.

“It’s not a joke,” he said. “If I live to the year 2008, maybe I’ll be a doctor.”

64．What was Jacob Blitzstein’s dream?

       A．To be the oldest graduate.

       B．To graduate from high school.

       C．To surprise his fellow students.

       D．To invite his children to attend his ceremony.

65．The underlined word “stuffy” in the 4th paragraph means “       ”.

       A．old fashioned                                    B．respectable

       C．narrow minded                                 D．fat

66．What does Blitzstein mean by saying “he’s not through yet?”

       A．It’s a dream from which he can’t wake up.

       B．He will continue his studies and there is a long way to go.

       C．He can’t believe that he can get the diploma.

       D．He doesn’t think he’ll pass the examination.

67．You can conclude from the passage that          .

       A．Jacob is the oldest graduate in the world

       B．it’s necessary to receive college education

       C．learning is an art

       D．a person’s effort can lead to success

.

Nate suffered a hard blow when he lost his job．His boss had spoken rudely, “Your services are no longer needed.” Nate left the building filled with despair．By the time he reached home, he was in a deep depression．When he entered his house, he blurted out to his wife Sophia, “I lost my job．I am a complete, utter failure.” A tense silence followed．Then a smile crept across Sophia’s face．“What great news!” she responded.

“Now you can write the book you have always wanted to write.”

“But I have no job and no prospect of a job,” YC he objected, completely without hope．“If I struggle to be an author, then what will we live on? Where will the money come from?” Sophia took her husband by the hand and led him to the kitchen．Opening a drawer, she took out a box that was full of cash．“Where on earth did you get this?” Nate gasped．“To whom does it belong?”

“It’s ours!” Sophia replied．“I always knew that one day you would become a great writer if only you were given the chance．From the money you gave me for housekeeping every week, I have saved as much as I could so you would have your chance．Now there is enough to last us a whole year.”

What a surprise! What encouragement! What a wife! The unemployed husband did concentrate on writing that year, and the novel he wrote became a literary masterpiece．The book is The Scarlet Letter．Sophia had an even greater achievement, and she turned Nathaniel Hawthorne from a poor clerk into a world famous master．  

68．Which of the following can be inferred from the first paragraph?

       A．Sophia was very disappointed to hear the news  

       B．Nate was too sad to speak any more

       C．Sophia was thinking of how to encourage Nate  

       D．Neither husband nor wife had any idea what to do

69．Sophia saved money because _______________________．

       A．she knew her husband would lose his job one day  

       B．she knew their life would be in difficulty

       C．she was very careful with money  

       D．she was trying to help her husband in every possible way

70．From the passage we can know that Sophia was __________________________．

       A．kind and brave        B．careful and encouraging

       C．friendly and warm-hearted      D．honest and determined

71．What would be the best title for the passage?

       A．Sophia’s Achievement    B．A Great Writer’s Struggle to Success

       C．Great Encouragement in Hard Times     D．Failure is the Mother of Success

       Nate suffered a hard blow when he lost his job．His boss had spoken rudely, “Your services are no longer needed．” Nate left the building filled with despair．By the time he reached home, he was in a deep depression．When he entered his house, he blurted out to his wife Sophia, “I lost my job．I am a complete, absolutely failure．” A tense silence followed．Then a smile crept across Sophia's face． “What great news!” she responded, “Now you can write the book you have always wanted to write．”

       “But I have no job and no prospect of a job,” he objected, completely without hope．“If I struggle to be an author, then what will we live on? Where will the money come from?” Sophia took her husband by the hand and led him to the kitchen．Opening a drawer, she took out a box that was full of cash．“Where on earth did you get this?” Nate gasped．“To whom does it belong?”

       “It's ours!” Sophia replied．"I always know that one day you would become a great writer only if you were given the chance．From the money you gave me for housekeeping every week, I have saved as much as I could so you would have your chance．Now there is enough to last us a whole year．”

       What a surprise! What encouragement! What a wife! The unemployed husband did concentrate on writing that year, and the novel he wrote became a literary masterpiece（杰作）．The book is The Scarlet Letter．Sophia had an even greater achievement, and she turned Nathaniel Hawthorne from a poor clerk into a world famous master．

1.Which of the following can be inferred from the first paragraph?

       A．Sophia was very disappointed to hear the news．

       B．Nate was too sad to speak any more．

       C．Sophia was thinking of how to encourage Nate．

       D．Neither husband nor wife had any idea of what to do．

2.Sophia saved money because ____________．

       A．she knew her husband would lose his job one day

       B．she knew their life would be in difficulty

       C．she was very careful with money

       D．she was trying to help her husband in every possible way

3.From the passage we can know that Sophia was ___________．

       A．kind and brave

       B．careful and encouraging

       C．friendly and warm-hearted

       D．honest and determined

4.What would be the best title for the passage?

       A．Sophia's Achievement

       B．A Great Writer's Struggle to Success

       C．Great Encouragement in Hard Times

       D．Failure is the Mother of Success