Hold everything you own!
An old farmer had lived on the same farm all his life. It was really a good farm with fertile
soil, but with the passing of the years, the farmer began to think that maybe there was
something __1__ for him. Every day he found a new __2__ for criticizing some feature of his
old farm. Finally, he decided to __ 3__ it. He listed the farm with a broker (经纪人) who quickly
__4__ an advertisement emphasizing all the __5__ of the farm.
When the broker read the ad to the farmer for his __6__ of placing it in the local paper, the
farmer listened __7__ . When the broker had finished, the farmer cried out, "Hold everything.
I've changed my __8__ . I've been looking for such a place all my life!"
I think you'll __9__ that each of us, from time to time, __10__ about things such as our
home, our car, or our job. As human beings, it is __11__ to want the best things in life.
The next time you find yourself __12__ the relationship you have with your family, a
neighbor or a friend, don't worry. Human relationships have their ups and downs, so it is natural
to __13__ at times if you might be better off with someone else. If you ever find yourself
in this mood, sit down in a __14__ place and write an "obituary (讣告)" for that __15__ .
Experience the powerful emotions that will surely overcome you when you __16__ having to sum
up a loved one's life in a few paragraphs that could __17__ a newspaper obituary. Notice how
easy it is to come up with nice things to say about the person. Notice how much __18__
there "was" in this person. Some day you may actually have to __19__ this exercise "for real",
wipe the tears and then go and spend quality time with that person. __20__ the moment and
realize how lucky you are to have such a person.
1. A. cheaper B. briefer C. better D. easier
2. A. example B. method C. place D. reason
3. A. sell B. give C. move D. admit
4. A. found B. prepared C. answered D. placed
5. A. history B. sides C. edges D. information
6. A. interest B. sense C. approval D. coincidence
7. A. happily B. carefully C. proudly D. nervously
8. A. mind B. style C. question D. suggestion
9. A. prove B. state C. agree D. predict
10. A. worries B. thinks C. complains D. talks
11. A. popular B. difficult C. important D. natural
12. A. analyzing B. forgetting C. exploiting D. questioning
13. A. forgive B. wonder C. apologize D. learn
14. A. quiet B. safe C. familiar D. convenient
15. A. scientist B. person C. farm D. broker
16. A. imagine B. adopt C. avoid D. discuss
17. A. bring in B. hand out C. fit in with D. put up with
18. A. energy B. power C. expense D. goodness
19. A. begin with B. decide on C. belong to D. go through
20. A. Enjoy B. Save C. Review D. Expect
语法填空
Long ago, there lived in Egypt a learned man. He was so well known 1 his
good knowledge of almost everything that lots of people from all over the country came to learn
from him. The great man 2 (teach) his students whole-heartedly and answered
their questions with great 3 (patient).
One day, a student asked him, “My dear teacher, didn‘t you say you yourself have many, many
more questions about things than we do? 4 I think we students have far more
than you."
With a smile on his face, the teacher drew two circles, one as large as a big cake, the
other smaller. Then he said, “Of course, I have learned much more. But it is wrong 5
(think) that a teacher has fewer questions than his students. Now, look at these two circles.
Now, look at these two circles. The inside of the 6 (big) one is my
knowledge of things, and the inside of the smaller one is 7 (your). Out of the
circles is what is still unknown to us. Since mine is larger, I have to use the longer line to draw the
bigger circle. That means I have more opportunities to face something 8 (know).
And that’s 9 I myself have more questions than you do. The 10
(much) you learn, the more questions you have. You will never learn enough, you know.”
阅读理解
(1) For those who make journeys across the world, the speed of travel today has turned the
countries into a series of villages. Distances between them appear no greater to a modern
traveler than those which once faced men as they walked from village to village. Jet planes fly
people from one end of the earth to the other, allowing them a freedom of movement undreamt
of a hundred years ago.
(2) Yet some people wonder if the revolution in travel has gone too far. A price has been paid,
they say, for the conquest（征服) of time and distance. Travel is something to be enjoyed, not
endured. The boat offers leisure and time enough to appreciate the ever-changing sights and
sounds of a journey. A journey by train also has a special charm about it. Lakes and forests and
wild, open plains sweeping past your carriage window create a grand view in which time and
distance mean nothing. On board a plane, however, there is just the blank blue of the sky filling
the narrow windows of the airplane. The soft lighting, in-flight films and gentle music make up
the only world you know, and the hours progress slowly.
(3) Then there is the time spent being "processed" at a modern airport. People are conveyed like
robots along walkways; baggage is weighed, tickets produced, examined and produced yet again
before the passengers move to another waiting area. Journeys by rail and sea take longer, yes,
but the hours devoted to being "processed" at departure and arrival in airports are luckily absent.
No wonder, then, that the modern high-speed trains are winning back passengers from the
airlines.
(4) Man, however, is now a world traveler and cannot turn his back on the airplane. The working
lives of too many people depend upon it; whole new industries have been built around its design
and operation. The holiday-maker, too, with limited time to spend, patiently endures the busy
airports and the limited space of the flight to gain those extra hours and even days, relaxing in
the sun. Speed controls people's lives; time saved, in work or play, is the important thing—or so
we are told. Perhaps those first horsemen, riding free across the wild, open plains, were enjoying
a better world than the one we know today. They could travel at will, and the clock was not their
master.
1. What does the writer try to express in Paragraph 1?
A. Travel by plane has speeded up the growth of villages.
B. The speed of modern travel has made distances relatively short.
C. The freedom of movement has helped people realize their dreams.
D. Man has been fond of traveling rather than staying in one place.
2. How does the writer support the underlined statement in Paragraph 2?
A. By giving instructions.
B. By analyzing cause and effect.
C. By following the order of time.
D. By giving examples.
3. According to Paragraph 3, passengers are turning back to modern high-speed
trains
because ____.
A. they pay less for the tickets
B. they feel safer during the travel
C. they can enjoy higher speed of travel
D. they don't have to waste time being processed
4. What does the last sentence of the passage mean?
A. They could enjoy free and relaxing travel.
B. They needed the clock to tell the time.
C. They preferred traveling on horseback.
D. They could travel with their master.
5. What is the main idea of the passage?
A. Air travel benefits people and industries.
B. Train travel has some advantages over air travel.
C. Great changes have taken place in modern travel.
D. The high speed of air travel is gained at a cost.
