(1)
After giving a talk at a high school, I was asked to pay a visit to a special student. An illness had kept the boy home, but he had expressed an interest in meeting me, and it would mean a great deal to him. I agreed.
During the nine-mile drive to his home, I found out something about Matthew. He had muscular dystrophy(肌肉萎缩症). When he was born, the doctor told his parents that he would not live to see five, then they were told he would not make it to ten. Now he was thirteen. He wanted to meet me because I was a gold-medal power lifter, and I knew about overcoming obstacles and going for my dreams.
I spent over one hour talking to Matthew. Never once did he complain or ask, “Why me?” He spoke about winning and succeeding and going for his dreams. Obviously, he knew what he was talking about. He didn’t mention that his classmates had made fun of him because he was different. He just talked about his hopes for the future, and how one day he wanted to lift weight with me.
When we finished talking, I went to my briefcase and pulled out the first gold medal I won and put it around his neck. I told him he was more of a winner and knew more about success and overcoming obstacles than I ever would. He looked at it for a moment, then took it off and handed it back to me. He said, “You are a champion. You earned that medal. Someday when I get to the Olympics and win my own medal, I will show it to you.”
Last summer I received a letter from Matthew’s parents telling me that Matthew had passed away. They wanted me to have a letter he had written to me a few days before:
Dear Rick,
My mom said I should send you a thank-you letter for the picture you sent me. I also want to let you know that the doctors tell me that I don’t have long to live anymore. But I still smile as much as I can.
I told you someday I was going to the Olympics and win a gold medal. But I know now I will never get to do that. But I know I’m a champion, and God knows that too. When I get to Heaven, God will give me my medal and when you get there, I will show it to you. Thank you for loving me.
Yours,
Matthew
1. The boy wanted to meet the author because _______.
A. he was interested in weight lifting B. he wanted to get a gold medal
C. he admired the author very much D. he wanted the author to know him
2. The underlined part in the third paragraph probably means “_______.”
A. Why do you come to see me? B. Why do I have to stay at home?
C. Why does the disease fall on me D. Why not give a gold medal to me
3. We can infer from the passage that _______.
A. Matthew is a determined boy B. Rick used to have the same disease
C. Matthew became a champion finally D. Rick regarded Matthew as normal
4. The boy refused the author’s medal because _______.
A. he was not worthy of it B. he would not be pitied by others
C. he knew he would die soon D. he thought he himself could earn one in the future
(2)
Maggie was very glad that James was not a frequent visitor to the house. In the children’s opinion, they had something that they couldn’t explain or understand about him and that excited their imagination. He stirred Maggie’s anger, however, so that she often said to her husband, “It’s a mercy that brother of yours doesn’t come oftener.”
In fact James came once a year, unexpectedly, around eight o’clock in the evening, and he stayed for six hours of close discussion with his brother. His arrival was a signal to the children that their bedtime would be delayed. Not that he ever spoke to them or played with them. He took no notice of them, as if he was unable to see children, at least until the time came for him to go. Indeed, after his first greeting and a careless kiss, James took no notice of Maggie either, except to add, “You’ll be getting on with the supper, Maggie.” Such was his regard for her.
Maggie paid him back in her own way. She kept the children up, the four of them, to keep her company, she said, but of course they sang and made a noise and broke the endless sound of James’ voice. Very late, they dropped off to sleep in their chairs. Then, when James was about to go, Maggie woke them up and so more or less forced him to part with four shillings before he left. That gave her some satisfaction, for James, though rich, was unwilling to give or share what he had. He always went home by the last train, just after two o’clock.
Maggie’s children secretly stared at their uncle. They could not forget that he had, in their mother’s words, “lost two wives and taken a third.” They wondered about those two unfortunate, lost ladies. They asked each other what their fate(命运) had been, and if neither could ever be found again. James never brought his third wife with him nor ever mentioned her. The children decided that he must be so frightened of losing her that he never allowed her outside the door.
1. Maggie never prepared anything special for James because _______.
A. he was a man difficult to please B. she never knew when he was coming
C. she was too busy looking after her children D. he never stayed long enough for a meal
2. What do we know about James’ behaviour?
A. He was a kind man, with love for the family. B. He was unselfish, especially towards his brother.
C. He was anxious to please the family, especially the children. D. He was rude to his sister-in-law
3. Maggie felt pleased when _______.
A. she paid James the money that she owed him B. James gave some money to the children
C. she had to wake James up to catch his train D. James thanked her for the nice supper
4. The children did not realize that two of James’ wives _______.
A. were dead B. suffered from loss of memory C. had run away from him D. might reappear one day
(3)
A man walked into a restaurant and asked for a glass of water. Then the girl in the restaurant pulled out a gun and shot him dead. Why? People asked to give reasonable explanation for the strange happening. All kinds of suggestions were made.
She was able to recognize him as a dangerous prisoner who ran away from the prison; she thought he was to rob her; she misheard what he said; asking for a glass of water had a special meaning for her and so on. All these explanations showed that the gun was used on purpose(有目的) to harm the man. The idea was easily accepted.
In fact, the explanation was that the man had an attack of hiccups(严重打嗝). It so happened that the girl in the restaurant knew that a great and sudden fear could get rid of hiccups. But she didn’t know the gun happened to be loaded(上子弹) that day.
1. The man asked for a glass of water because ______.
A. he was too thirsty B. he was walked into a restaurant
C. he wanted to kill himself D. he was having an attack of hiccups
2. The girl used a gun to the man because _______.
A. she wanted to kill him B. she hated him
C. what the man said had a special meaning D. she wanted to give him a sudden and great fear
3. Why did the man have an attack of hiccups?
A. Because he ate too much. B. Because he was too old.
C. Because he ate too fast. D. The passage didn’t tell us.
4. Which is TRUE to the passage?
A. The man just ran away from a prison. B. The man wanted to rob the girl.
C. The girl misheard what the man said. D. It is the girl’s kind help that happened to kill the man.
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