When I was seven, my parents gave me a doll, a doll’s house and a book. The Arabian Nights, came wrapped in red paper. I was just ready to read when my mother walked into my room．

“Isn’t your doll just beautiful?” my mother asked. I looked at the doll, with fair hair in a pink dress----I’ll have to call her “she” because I never gave her a name. I folded my lips and raised my eyebrows, not really knowing how to let my mother down easily.

“This doll is different.” My mother explained, trying to talk me into playing with it.

Thinking the doll needed love, I hugged her tightly for a long time. Useless, I said to myself. Finally, I decided to play with the doll’s house. But since rearranging the tiny furniture seemed to be the only active possible, I lost interest. I caught sight again of the third of my gifts The Arabian Nights, and I began to read it. From that moment, the book was my constant companion.

Every day I climbed our garden tree, nestled among its branches, I read the stories in The Arabian Nights to my heart’s content. My mother became concerned as she noticed I wasn’t playing with either the doll or the little house. She insisted that I take the doll up the tree with me.

Trying to read on a branch 15 feet off the ground while holding on to the silly doll was not easy. After nearly falling off twice, I tied one end of a long vine around the doll’s neck and the opposite one around the branch, letting the doll hang in mid air while I read. I always looked out for my mother, though. I sensed that my playing with the doll was of great importance to her. So every time I heard her coming, I lifted the doll up and hugged her. The smile in my mother’s eyes told me my plan worked.

The inevitable(不可避免的) happened one afternoon. Totally absorbed in the reading, I didn’t hear my mother calling me. When I looked down, I saw my mother staring at the hanging doll. Fearing the worst of scolding, I climbed down in a flash, reaching the ground just as my mother was untying the doll. To my surprise, she didn’t scold. She kept on staring at the doll．

The next day, my father came home early and suggested he and I play with the doll’s house. Soon I was bored, but my father seemed to be having so much fun, I didn’t have the heart to tell him. Quietly I slipped out, picking up my book on my way to the yard. So absorbed was he in arranging and rearranging the tiny furniture that he didn’t notice my quick exit.

Almost 20 years passed before I found out why the hanging-doll incident had been so significant for my parents. By then I was a parent myself. After recalling the incident, my mother said all those years she had been afraid whether I would turn out to be a most loving and understanding mother to my son．

My mother often thanks God aloud for making me a good parent, pointing out that with education I might have been a rich dentist instead of a poor poet. I look back on that same childhood incident, recalling my third gift, the book in red-paper, and I take advantage of the experiences that have made me who and what I am. Sometimes I pause to wonder at life’s wonderful ironies （諷刺）.

1.Why didn’t the author give the doll a name?

A. Because the gift was given by her parents.

B. Because the girl didn’t care much for the doll.

C. Because her parents would give the doll a name.

D. Because the doll had little in common with her.

2.The author’s account of a childhood incident shows that, as a young girl, she viewed her parents as people who         .

A. hoped to shape their children’s future  

B. were unconcerned about their behavior

C. ruined their children’s dreams completely

D. might withdraw their love at any moment

3. What can we infer from the last paragraph?

A. The mother is now satisfied with her daughter’s career.

B. The daughter now regrets what she did when she was a girl.

C. The mother thinks the daughter’s achievements are unsatisfactory.

D. The daughter wishes that she had been allowed more freedom as a child.

 

__________I understand you, I can’t agree with you.

A．While

B．When

C．Since

D．Because

 

My First Job

    I was six when I joined my father and two elder brothers at sunrise in the fields of Eufaula, Okla.    1    the time I was eight I was helping Dad fix up old furniture. He gave me a cent for every nail I    2    out of old boards.

    I got my first    3    job, at JM's Restaurant in town, when I was 12. My main responsibilities (職責) were    4    tables and washing dishes,    5    sometimes I helped cook.

    Every day after school I would    6    to JM's and work until ten. Even on Saturdays I  7 from two until eleven. At that age it was difficult going to work and    8    my friends run off to swim or play. I didn't necessarily like work, but I loved what working    9    me to have. Because of my    10    I was always the one buying when my friends and I went to the local Tastee Freez. This made me    11   .

    Word that I was trustworthy and hard-working    12    around town. A local clothing store offered me credit (賒賬)    13    I was only in seventh grade. I immediately    14    a $ 68 sports coat and a $ 22 pair of shoes. I was    15    only 65 cents an hour, and I already owed the storekeeper $ 90! So I learned    16    the danger of easy credit. I paid it    17  as soon as I could.

    My first job taught me self-control, responsibility and brought me a    18    of personal satisfaction few of my friends had experienced. As my father,    19    worked three jobs, once told me. “If you    20    sacrifice (奉獻) and responsibility, there are not many things in life you can't have.” How right he was.

    1．

A. Before　　　　　　  B. Within

C. From　　　　　　  D. By

    2．

A. pulled　　　　　　  B. put

C. picked　　　　　　  D. pressed

    3．

A. usual　　　　　　  B. real

C. main　　　　　　  D. particular

    4．

A. sweeping　　　　　　  B. packing

C. clearing　　　　　　  D. emptying

    5．

A. or　　　　　　  B. so

C. but　　　　　　  D. even

    6．

A. head　　　　　　  B. turn

C. change　　　　　　  D. move

    7．

A. studied　　　　　　  B. worked

C. played　　　　　　  D. slept

    8．

A. helping　　　　　　  B. having

C. watching　　　　　　  D. letting

    9．

A. asked　　　　　　  B. told

C. promised　　　　　　  D. allowed

    10．

A. study　　　　　　  B. power

C. age　　　　　　  D. job

    11．

A. proud　　　　　　  B. friendly

C. lucky　　　　　　  D. hopeful

    12．

A. ran　　　　　　  B. got

C. flew　　　　　　  D. carried

    13．

A. although　　　　　　  B. while

C. if　　　　　　  D. since

    14．

A. sold　　　　　　  B. borrowed

C. charged　　　　　　  D. wore

    15．

A. keeping　　　　　　  B. making

C. paying　　　　　　  D. taking

    16．

A. gradually　　　　　　  B. greatly

C. hardly　　　　　　  D. early

    17．

A. out　　　　　　  B. over

C. away　　　　　　  D. off

    18．

A. point　　　　　　  B. level

C. part　　　　　　  D. sign

    19．

A. he　　　　　　  B. that

C. who　　　　　　  D. whoever

    20．

A. understand　　　　　　  B. demand

C. offer　　　　　　  D. fear

 

My First Job

    I was six when I joined my father and two elder brothers at sunrise in the fields of Eufaula, Okla.    1    the time I was eight I was helping Dad fix up old furniture. He gave me a cent for every nail I    2    out of old boards.

    I got my first    3    job, at JM's Restaurant in town, when I was 12. My main responsibilities (職責) were    4    tables and washing dishes,    5    sometimes I helped cook.

    Every day after school I would    6    to JM's and work until ten. Even on Saturdays I  7 from two until eleven. At that age it was difficult going to work and    8    my friends run off to swim or play. I didn't necessarily like work, but I loved what working    9    me to have. Because of my    10    I was always the one buying when my friends and I went to the local Tastee Freez. This made me    11   .

    Word that I was trustworthy and hard-working    12    around town. A local clothing store offered me credit (賒賬)    13    I was only in seventh grade. I immediately    14    a $ 68 sports coat and a $ 22 pair of shoes. I was    15    only 65 cents an hour, and I already owed the storekeeper $ 90! So I learned    16    the danger of easy credit. I paid it    17  as soon as I could.

    My first job taught me self-control, responsibility and brought me a    18    of personal satisfaction few of my friends had experienced. As my father,    19    worked three jobs, once told me. “If you    20    sacrifice (奉獻) and responsibility, there are not many things in life you can't have.” How right he was.

    1．

A. Before　　　　　　  B. Within

C. From　　　　　　  D. By

    2．

A. pulled　　　　　　  B. put

C. picked　　　　　　  D. pressed

    3．

A. usual　　　　　　  B. real

C. main　　　　　　  D. particular

    4．

A. sweeping　　　　　　  B. packing

C. clearing　　　　　　  D. emptying

    5．

A. or　　　　　　  B. so

C. but　　　　　　  D. even

    6．

A. head　　　　　　  B. turn

C. change　　　　　　  D. move

    7．

A. studied　　　　　　  B. worked

C. played　　　　　　  D. slept

    8．

A. helping　　　　　　  B. having

C. watching　　　　　　  D. letting

    9．

A. asked　　　　　　  B. told

C. promised　　　　　　  D. allowed

    10．

A. study　　　　　　  B. power

C. age　　　　　　  D. job

    11．

A. proud　　　　　　  B. friendly

C. lucky　　　　　　  D. hopeful

    12．

A. ran　　　　　　  B. got

C. flew　　　　　　  D. carried

    13．

A. although　　　　　　  B. while

C. if　　　　　　  D. since

    14．

A. sold　　　　　　  B. borrowed

C. charged　　　　　　  D. wore

    15．

A. keeping　　　　　　  B. making

C. paying　　　　　　  D. taking

    16．

A. gradually　　　　　　  B. greatly

C. hardly　　　　　　  D. early

    17．

A. out　　　　　　  B. over

C. away　　　　　　  D. off

    18．

A. point　　　　　　  B. level

C. part　　　　　　  D. sign

    19．

A. he　　　　　　  B. that

C. who　　　　　　  D. whoever

    20．

A. understand　　　　　　  B. demand

C. offer　　　　　　  D. fear

 

The repairman told me, “No charge Professor Pan! We’re friends．” “I’d rather pay,” I replied．“If it’s free, I can’t afford it!”

Chinese often refuse payment for professional services, insisting, "We’re friends now!" But then they show up later to ask me to tutor them in English, or get them into an American university, and I wish I’d have just paid the 30 yuan I owed them in the first place!

According to the Americans, "There’s no free lunch," meaning that there’s a price for everything, and I’m always looking around to figure out what this means．Many of our neighbours have given us fruit or flowers or costly teas, never asking anything in return．For years, a bicycle repairman has repeatedly refused to let me pay him．"Wait until you have something major to fix! "he insists．

I mentioned to a peasant friend that I wished I had a stone mill to grind(磨)flour for bread．A month later he showed up with a beautiful mill that he’d had his uncle in the countryside carve from a solid block of granite(花崗石)．

Chinese generosity(慷慨)is a real education for Americans like me, who would rather avoid social entanglements (糾紛) and just hand over the money．But cash can’t compensate(補償)for the greatest gift--friendship．

When an American saw some of my friends sitting on bamboo stools under the trees, sipping(呷)tea, he said, "They  must have nothing better to do．""Actually, "I said, "they are professors, with plenty to do．But probably you’re right in saying that, at this moment, they have nothing better to do．And neither do I!" And I joined the group．We chatted about tea and Chinese cooking and how much my boys have grown since we arrived．One man said, "They were pocket-sized when you came here．Now

they’re taller than you．How time flies!"

How life flies．And Chinese are smart enough to share what they know they cannot keep．They freely give of their time, never too busy to help a friend．And they are teaching me, slowly, to both give and receive．So the next time someone says, "No charge．We’re friends! " I will thank them heartily．But if they show up later asking me to tutor them in English, I’ll make sure they tutor my son in Chinese as well, because there’s still no free lunch．

64．The author insisted on paying repairman while he was offered free repairs because he     .

A．was an honest man

B．didn’t know the repairman

C．thought it natural to pay for others’ service

D．didn’t want to help others in return

65．Generally, the author thinks that Chinese are _________．

A．generous and always ready to help their friends

B．good at exchange of equal values

C．free enough to drink tea and chat with their friends

D．helpful but don’t treasure time

66．The best title of the passage should be “       ”.

A．Learn to Both Give And Receive    B．A Good Lesson from Chinese

C．True Help or Not                   D．Still No Free Lunch

67．Which of the following is TRUE?

A．The Chinese would rather not take the money to avoid problems in social communication.

B．When a peasant knew the author needed a mill, he made one for the author himself.

C．The author thinks that Chinese are wise enough to enjoy the limited life.

D．The author thinks little of Chinese way of life.