A

Twenty years ago, I drove a taxi for a living. One night I went to pick up a passenger at 2:30 AM. When I arrived to collect, I found the building was dark except for a single light in a ground floor window.

I walked to the door and knocked, “Just a minute,” answered a weak, elderly voice.

After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her eighties stood before me. By her side was a small suitcase.

I took the suitcase to the car, and then returned to help the woman. She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the car.

She kept thanking me for my kindness. “It’s nothing,” I told her. “I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated.”

“Oh, you’re such a good man.” She said. When we got into the taxi, she gave me an address, and then asked, “Could you drive through downtown?”

“It’s not the shortest way,” I answered quickly.

“Oh, I’m in no hurry,” she said. “I’m on my way to a hospice(临终医院). I don’t have any family left. The doctor says I don’t have very long.”

I quietly reached over and shut off the meter(计价器).

For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked, the neighborhood where she had lived, and the furniture shop that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.

Sometimes she’d ask me to slow down in front of a particular building and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.

At dawn, she suddenly said,” I’m tired. Let’s go now.”

We drove in silence to the address she had given me.

“How much do I owe you?” she asked.

“Nothing.” I said.

“You have to make a living,” she answered. “Oh, there are other passengers,” I answered.

Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto e tightly. Our hug ended with her remark, “You gave an old woman a little moment of joy.”

The old woman chose to ride through the city in order to ______.

A. show she was familiar with the city      B. see some places for the last time

C. let the driver earn more money         D. reach the destination on time

The taxi driver did not charge the old woman because he ______.

A. wanted to do her a favor             B. shut off the meter by mistake

C. had received her payment in advance   D. was in a hurry to take other passengers

What can we learn from the story?

A. Giving is always a pleasure.               B. People should respect each other.

C. An act of kindness can bring people great joy.

D. People should learn to appreciate others’ concern.

—What’s worrying you, dear?
—Nothing. I was just thinking about the problem ______ tomorrow.

Everyone knows what a needle is. Of course there are needles and needles: Needles for sewing machines, needles for injection(注射), you name it. But few people think of the wonder : a needle works in the hands of those who practice acupuncture(针刺疗法).

During the past ten years or so, I have been suffering from terrible headache. It seems to be getting from bad to worse these days . Last night I got a sudden pain in my head. It was so terrible that I could hardly bear(忍受)it. Although I swallowed all kinds of pain-killers(止痛药), I didn’t feel any better, It seemed that there was nothing I could do but phone for a doctor.

One of our neighbours happened to be with us. He was not a doctor, but he timidly(胆怯地) offered his help, saying “Do you mind if I tried acupuncture on you? These needles may possibly do you some good.” I agreed. In a moment, he had taken out a few needles from his purse. Without a moment’s delay, he fixed a few needles into the skin on my head here and there, Before long, I felt thoroughly relieved(缓解疼痛).

Just then, the doctor sped through my house and said, “Where is our patient?”

 “Sorry, Doctor, You are too late, It’s killed!” I answered in delight.

It’s miracle , isn’t it?

The underlined phrase from bad to worse in the second paragraph refers to the man’s   . 

A. character         B. life          C. headache          D. health

Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?

A. the neighbour fixed needles on his own head

B. The neighbour is a kind-hearted person.

C. The man’s pain was killed before the doctor arrived

D. Soon after the acupuncture, the man was completely recovered.

The sentences” You are too late. It’s killed .” mean that    .

A. the pain was killed because the doctor came late

B. the man was killed because the doctor came too late

C. before the doctor came the man’s headache was already cured

D. it was too late and the man had gone away

The passage tells us that     .

A. everyone knows that acupuncture is a miracle

B. the neighbour wanted to use acupuncture on every patient

C. the effect of acupuncture on the man was unbelievable

D. the patient did not believe in acupuncture

Even though it was only October, my students were already whispering about Christmas plans. With each passing day everyone became more __36__wthting for the final school bell. Upon its _37____everyone would run for their coats and go hone, everyone except David   

David was a small boy in ragged clothes. I had often _38___what kind of home life David had, and what kind of mother could send her son to school dressed so __39__for the cold winter months, without a coat, boots, or gloves. But something made David __40__I can still remember he was always __41____a smile and willing to help. He always __42__after school to straighten chairs and mop the floor. We never talked much He__43___just smile and ask what else he could do ,then thank me for letting him stay and slowly__44___home   

Weeks passed and the __45___ovre the coming Christmas grew into restlessness until the last day of__46__before the holiday break. I smiled in ___47 __as the last of them hurried out the door. Turning around I saw David ___48___standing by my desk.    

“I have something for you” he said ____49____from behind his back a small box. __50___it to me, he said anxiously. “Open it “I took the box from him, thanked him and slowly unwrapped it. I lift the lid and to my __51__saw nothing I looked at David‘s smiling face add back into the box and said. “The box is nice, David, but it’ s__52__”   

“Oh no it isn’t” said David “It’s full of love, my mum told me before she died that love was something you couldn’t see or touch unless you know it’s there”   

Tears filled my eyes ___53___Iooked at the proud dirty race that I had rarely given____54___to. After that Christmas, David and I became good friends and I never forgot the meaning ___55___the little empty box set on my desk         

 My father got his first job at eleven years old. cleaning up the garbage outside of the bowlingalley（保龄球场）． Two years later his dad died. and my fatber worked odd jobs to help put food onthe table during the Depression. Ten years after that. Dad fell in love. married Mom and had ababy girl. Eight more children followed. During those years, Dad slipped into a routine he neverbroke He woke up before six. took the train to work and wouldn't get home until after five thirly.After supper, Dad spent the rest of the evening in the basement making dental parts for extra    

Two years ago, at the age of sixty-four, Dad retired. When I was young, Mom and Dad did well to hide the fact that we were poor. All nine of us attended Catholic schools and we always had plenty of school supplies. We slept in wooden beds, shared one bathroom and watched television from a tiny black-and-white set in the living room. Mom and Dad never bought anything for themselves. They clipped coupons, wore the same pair of sneakers for twenty years and sewed wom clothing together every Saturday afternoon.

    At his retirement party. I wanted to thank Dad for all his hard work and sacrifice by buying him the best present I could think of. As I shopped though. l realized there was nothing I could buy for Dad. Dad taught me through his own faith that the greatest gifis come from the heart Finally. I left my present on the kitchen table for Dad to find before he Ieft for his frnal day at work.

1.How did Dad get extra money besides his daytime routine work?

A. Collecting garbage outside the alley.

B. Making dental parts in the basement.

C. Putting food on the table in a hotel.

D. Working oddjobs on the train.

2.What does Paragraph 2 mainly talk about?

A. Dad retired after sixty-four years of hard work.

B. Dad and Mom could afford their children good education.

C. Parents made every effort to save for chcir children

D. The family was once poor but became well off later.

3.After reading the text. what would be the author's present for his Dad?

A. A big-screen television.

B. A vacation schedule.

C. A letter of grateful words.

D. A great retirement party.

4.What can be the best title for the text?

A. Thank You. Dad.                                 B. Dad's Expenence.

C. A Hardworking Dad.                              D. Dad. a Breadwinner.