Charles Plumb was a US Navy jet fighter pilot in Viet Nam. After 75 missions, his plane was destroyed by a surface-to-air missile. Plumb parachuted down into enemy hands. He was captured and spent 6 years in a communist Vietnamese prison.
One day, Plumb and his wife were sitting in a restaurant when a man from another table came up and said “You’re Plumb! You flew jet fighters in Viet Nam from the aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk. You were shot down!”
“How in the world did you know that?” asked Plumb.
“I packed your parachute,” the man replied. “I guess it worked”. Plumb assured him, “It sure did. If your chute（降落伞） hadn’t worked, I wouldn’t be here today.”
Plumb couldn’t sleep that night, thinking about that man. Plumb says, “I kept wondering what he looked like in a Navy uniform: a white hat, a bib in the back, and bell-bottom trousers. I wonder how many times I might have seen him and not even said ‘Good morning. How are you?’ or anything because, you see, I was a fighter pilot and he was ‘just a sailor’”.
Plumb thought of the many hours the sailor had spent at a long wooden table in the bowels of the ship, carefully weaving the shrouds(伞罩) and folding the silks of each chute, holding in his hands each time the fate of someone he didn’t know.
Sometimes in the daily challenges that life gives us, we miss what is really important. We may fail to say hello, please, thank you, congratulate someone on something wonderful that has happened to them, give a compliment, or just do something nice for no reason. As you go through this week, this month, this year, recognize people who pack your parachutes.
【小题1】Why didn’t Plumb say hello to the sailor each time he passed him on the Kitty Hawk?

Chinese star Yao Ming has retired. Yao made it official Wednesday, telling a news conference that a series of foot and leg injuries forced him to end his playing career at the age of 30.

“I will formally end my career,’’ said Yao, who became a household name in China before starting his NBA career with the Houston Rockets in 2002. Yao played eight seasons in the NBA.

“Today is an important day for me and holds a special meaning for both my basketball career and my future,’’ Yao said. “I had to leave the court since I suffered a stress fracture（断裂） in my left foot for the third time at the end of last year. My past six months were a painful wait. I have been thinking about my future over and over. Today I am announcing a personal decision, ending my career as a basketball player and officially retire. But one door is closing and another one is opening.’’

Yao said he would return to work with his former Chinese team, the Shanghai Sharks, with the possibility of becoming general manager. He already owns the club and wants to contribute more. “My playing career started with the club. I hope I can do something for it,’’ Yao said.

He later appeared with his family on the stage to the applause and cheers of the crowd. He thanked a lot of people — his family, former coaches, even players like Shaquille O’Neal — “for making me a better player.’’

Rockets general manager Daryl Morey was among those attending the farewell(告别) conference Wednesday. Morey made the long trip from Houston. Morey said 20 hours on planes was tiring but “I would be sorry if I wasn’t here.” “It’s a big moment,’’ Morey added. “Yao had a sense of humor, a great attitude and sense of responsibility. I hope we can continue his culture in the NBA.’’

1.Yao Ming has retired from basketball because of _____.

A．his age                               B．his bad conducts on the court

C．his foot and leg injuries                   D．his poor health

2.Yao Ming was _____ before he decided to end his career as a basketball player.

A．peaceful          B．upset             C．confident         D．proud

3.Yao Ming started his playing career in _____.

A．Shanghai          B．Houston           C．Beijing            D．New York

4.According to the passage, which of the following words can’t be used to describe

Yao Ming?

A．Talented.          B．Responsible.       C．Humorous.         D．Cautious.

5. What do you know about Daryl Morey?

A．Daryl Morey thinks highly of Yao Ming.

B．Daryl Morey was Yao Ming’s coach.

C．Daryl Morey is a basketball player in the Houston Rockets.

D．Daryl Morey is not satisfied with Yao Ming’s retirement from basketball.

D
For Chinese, it’s a time for dragon boat racing and Zongzi（粽子）. But across the Yellow Sea, South Korea, wrestling（摔跤）and swing play are the highlights. However, both events go by the same name---the Dragon Boat Festival---which falls on May 5 of the lunar calendar.
One festival, two cultures: does one nation have the right to call its own? It has been reported that South Korea will apply to the United Nations Educational, Social and Cultural Organization（UNESCO联合国教科文组织）to make the celebration its cultural heritage（文化遗产）. If successful, people from other countries may see the Dragon Festival as a Korean creation.
As the birthplace of the yearly event more than 2,000 years ago, China is not happy with the situation. “It would be a shame if another country successfully made a traditional Chinese festival part of its own cultural heritage ahead of China,”said Zhou Heping, deputy culture minister. The Ministry of Culture is even thinking of making its own application to UNESCO, covering all traditional Chinese festivals, including the Dragon Boat event.
Over the years, the Dragon Boat Festival has spread throughout the world. In Japan and Viet Nam, as well as South Korea, the festival has mixed with and become part of local culture.
With this in mind, some experts say that it is meaningless to argue about which country the festival belongs to. “No one can deny that it came from China,”said Long Haiqing , an expert from Hunan Province. “But if all the countries involved can protect culture heritage together, they will all benefit.”
56. The underlined word “highlights”can be probably replaced by “     ”.
A. most exciting events     B. highest lights on the building
C. brightest lights at night    D. most famous festivals
57. It can be inferred that South Korea ______.
A. has proclaimed（宣布）the Dragon Boat Festival as a part of its cultural heritage
B. has the exactly same Dragon Boat Festival as China
C. has no idea that China has such a festival
D. is paying more attention to its cultural heritage than China
58. China is not happy with the situation because .
A. it created the festival
B. it is also making an application
C. South Korea has no right to call the festival its own
D. UNESCO may approve（批准）South Korea’s application
59. If South Korea’s application to UNESCO is successful, _____.
A. China will also make its own application to UNESCO
B. it will be meaningless to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival
C. people from other parts of the world will think South Korea created the festival
D. the Dragon Boat Festival will become part of local culture
60. The author would probably support____ .
A. a move by South Korea to cancel its application
B. China getting UNESCO’s approval of the festival first
C. the opinion of Zhou Helping
D. China paying more attention to its cultural heritage

Charles Plumb was a US Navy jet fighter pilot in Viet Nam. After 75 missions, his plane was destroyed by a surface-to-air missile. Plumb parachuted down into enemy hands. He was captured and spent 6 years in a communist Vietnamese prison.

One day, Plumb and his wife were sitting in a restaurant when a man from another table came up and said “You’re Plumb! You flew jet fighters in Viet Nam from the aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk. You were shot down!”

“How in the world did you know that?” asked Plumb.

“I packed your parachute,” the man replied. “I guess it worked”. Plumb assured him, “It sure did. If your chute（降落伞） hadn’t worked, I wouldn’t be here today.”

Plumb couldn’t sleep that night, thinking about that man. Plumb says, “I kept wondering what he looked like in a Navy uniform: a white hat, a bib in the back, and bell-bottom trousers. I wonder how many times I might have seen him and not even said ‘Good morning. How are you?’ or anything because, you see, I was a fighter pilot and he was ‘just a sailor’”.

Plumb thought of the many hours the sailor had spent at a long wooden table in the bowels of the ship, carefully weaving the shrouds(伞罩) and folding the silks of each chute, holding in his hands each time the fate of someone he didn’t know.

Sometimes in the daily challenges that life gives us, we miss what is really important. We may fail to say hello, please, thank you, congratulate someone on something wonderful that has happened to them, give a compliment, or just do something nice for no reason. As you go through this week, this month, this year, recognize people who pack your parachutes.

1.Why didn’t Plumb say hello to the sailor each time he passed him on the Kitty Hawk?

A. He thought the sailor was just an unimportant man.   

B. He didn’t like him at that time.

C. He was very busy then. 

D. He didn’t know him well then.

2. What did the sailor do on the Kitty Hawk at the Viet Nam War?

A. weaved clothes for the pilots.          B. repaired the wooden table in the ship.

C. helped the jets start.                  D. packed the parachutes for the fighter pilots.

3. What does the writer think we should do?

A. We should help each other if they are in trouble. 

B. We shouldn’t look down upon the sailors.

C. We should be thankful to others’ help.

D. We should be honest to our friends.

4. Which is the best title for the passage?

A. A story about a sailor.                       B. Who pack your parachutes?

C. Don’t forget your past!                      D. Never forget your friends!

Chinese star Yao Ming has retired. Yao made it official Wednesday, telling a news conference that a series of foot and leg injuries forced him to end his playing career at the age of 30.
“I will formally end my career,’’ said Yao, who became a household name in China before starting his NBA career with the Houston Rockets in 2002. Yao played eight seasons in the NBA.
“Today is an important day for me and holds a special meaning for both my basketball career and my future,’’ Yao said. “I had to leave the court since I suffered a stress fracture（断裂） in my left foot for the third time at the end of last year. My past six months were a painful wait. I have been thinking about my future over and over. Today I am announcing a personal decision, ending my career as a basketball player and officially retire. But one door is closing and another one is opening.’’
Yao said he would return to work with his former Chinese team, the Shanghai Sharks, with the possibility of becoming general manager. He already owns the club and wants to contribute more. “My playing career started with the club. I hope I can do something for it,’’ Yao said.
He later appeared with his family on the stage to the applause and cheers of the crowd. He thanked a lot of people — his family, former coaches, even players like Shaquille O’Neal — “for making me a better player.’’
Rockets general manager Daryl Morey was among those attending the farewell(告别) conference Wednesday. Morey made the long trip from Houston. Morey said 20 hours on planes was tiring but “I would be sorry if I wasn’t here.” “It’s a big moment,’’ Morey added. “Yao had a sense of humor, a great attitude and sense of responsibility. I hope we can continue his culture in the NBA.’’
【小题1】Yao Ming has retired from basketball because of _____.