(1)
Just a Little Smile
Mark was walking home from school one day when he saw the boy in front of him fall over and drop all of the books he was carrying, along with two sweaters, a basketball and a walkman. Mark stopped and helped the boy pick up these things. Since they were going the same way, he helped to carry some of his things. As they walked, Mark knew that the boy’s name was Bill, that he loved computer games, basketball and history, and that he was having lots of troubles with his other subjects and that he had just broken up with his girlfriend.
They arrived at Bill’s home first and Mark was invited(邀请) in for a Coke and to watch some television. The afternoon passed happily with a few laughs and some small talk, and then Mark went home. They often saw each other at school, had lunch together once or twice, and then they both finished middle school. They ended up in the same high school where they sometimes saw and talked with each other over the years. At last just three weeks before they finished high school, Bill asked Mark if they could talk.
Bill asked Mark if he still remembered the day years ago when they had first met. “Did you ever think why I was carrying so many things home that day?” asked Bill. “You see, I cleaned out my locker(锁柜) because I didn’t want to leave anything for anyone else. I had put away some of my mother’s sleeping pills and I was going home to kill myself. But after we spent some time together talking and laughing, I began to understand that if I killed myself, I would have missed that time and so many others that might follow. So you see, Mark, when you picked up those books that day, you did a lot more. You saved my life.”
1. When Mark met him the first time, Bill was going _______.
A. to have a basketball game B. to his classroom C. to see Mark D. back home
2. From what Bill was carrying, we can know that he _______.
A. was a good student B. liked sports and music C. liked all the subjects in school D. was a good friend
3. Mark and Bill _______.
A. were in the same middle school and high school B. were in the same middle school but not in the same high school
C. often had lunch together at school D. had known each other before they began to study in middle school
4. In this passage, the phrase “break up” means _______.
A. 相处很好 B. 和好如初 C. 关系破裂 D. 保持联系
5. When Mark helped Bill to pick up some of his things, he _______.
A. knew he could save Bill’s life B. knew who Bill was and wanted to help him
C. didn’t know why he was going to help him D. didn’t know what he was doing was very important to Bill
(2)
Daphne asked Jim, a friend of Walter’s, for some extra help on her political science homework. On Friday, they agreed to meet at the dormitory(宿舍) study room at 8 Sunday night. It was 8:05 when Jim arrived. He wasn’t on time as he usually is, because he had been out enjoying the spring weather after eating at MacDonald’s. But he wasn’t worried, because he knew from Walter that Daphne was usually late. When Daphne hadn’t arrived by 8:25, Jim was a little surprised. He decided to go to the dorm lounge(休息室) and watch his favourite Sunday night TV show. It started at 8:30, so he had to hurry.
When he got to the lounge, Walter was just leaving. “Hey, Jim, your favourite TV show just finished. Where were you? It was wonderful!”
“What do you mean, Walter? It’s 8:30, so I’m just in time to watch it!” Jim replied, looking a little confused(困惑).
“Did you adjust(校正) your watch last night?” Walter asked. Then he explained, “Last night you were supposed to move your watch ahead one hour. We do this every year on the last Sunday in April. Then, on the last Sunday in October, everyone moves clock back an hour. We say spring ahead, fall back to help us remember which way to adjust our clocks.” Walter stopped to see if Jim had understood his explanation. “You don’t do that in Indiana, I guess.”
“No, we don’t,” Jim said, shaking his head. “In that case, I was over an hour late for my appointment(约定) with Daphne, not only five minutes. Wow! She’ll never let me forget this!”
1. What is an important idea of this story?
A. Daphne is usually late. B. There are no time changes in Indiana.
C. Jim likes his favourite Sunday night TV show. D. Jim was late because he didn’t know about the time changes.
2. Why did Jim look confused when he learned the TV show had just finished?
A. Because he missed the wonderful TV show. B. Because he thought he was just in time to watch his favourite TV show.
C. Because he was late for the show. D. Because he forgot the time of the show.
3. All the citizens in the United States are supposed to move their watches ahead in spring and back in fall, aren't they?
A. Certainly they are. B. No, they are not. C. No, those who live in Indiana do not do that.
D. Certainly they are besides those living in Indiana.
4. Imagine you are going to a party at 2 p.m. on the last Sunday in April. If you forget about time change, what time will you arrive?
A. 3 p.m. B. 4 p.m. C. 1 p.m. D. 2 p.m.
(3)
The producer appeared behind the recording studio window and smiled and waved to me like an old friend. And after I had read out a little test piece, he said, “That’s fine, wonderful, your voice is perfect, lively, wonderful.” Then I read a longer passage in English about the delights of touring in Britain, and another about the delights of visiting London, and both were “excellent” and “just right”, and I began to consider a job in radio.
To be honest, I was fairly sure of myself though I lacked experience. Across the room in the Hamburg News Agency where we both worked, a friend named Peter Turner called to me, “I say, Mike, a man on the phone here wants someone to do a recording in English, and I’ m booked up. Would you read something to him in English as a sort of test?” I did, and they said, “Perfect, lovely, wonderful, …” Would I come round?
It was after reading their passage in English in the studio that they noticed my vowel(元音) pronunciations were not altogether King’s English, or even Prince Philip’s, there was a larger silence than usual, then the voice said: “Fine, lovely…, but you said the word ‘castle’ with a short ‘a’. Could we have the passage again please, but this time say ‘castle’.” This was easy. But then he noticed other differences in my pronunciation. “It’s my northern English accent,” I said angrily because I had to apologize for it.
“Oh, I see…but Mike, we’ll have to get it right, I’m afraid. The recording is for teaching English to German schoolchildren, and it must be spoken in the way it is taught in German schools.”
I read the passage again…and again…and again. But of course you cannot change the pronunciation of a lifetime in an hour. The studio men were in the state of having lost hope and underlined the vowels which caused me to feel angry, so that I’d remember them. Few, really. But because I had to concentrate(集中) on them, I made a lot of mistakes in my reading. Everyone got somewhat irritable(easily made angry), so we all went out for a beer.
1. Broadcasting did not make Mike nervous _______.
A. although he had never done any before B. because he worked in a news agency
C. because he was used to talking on the phone D. although the passages were long
2. What happened after Mike had read the third passage?
A. They made him repeat it. B. They said nothing.
C. They began to discuss the King’s English. D. They could not understand one of the words.
3. They wanted Mike to change his pronunciation because _______.
A. German schoolchildren did not like a northern accent
B. it was different from the English taught in German schools
C. it was different from the English spoken in Germany
D. German schoolchildren were taught through recordings
4. Why did Mike’s reading of the passage get worse?
A. He needed a drink to clear his throat. B. He was trying to do the recording in an hour.
C. He was trying hard to get certain sounds right. D. He could not learn so many new sounds.
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