21世纪大学实用英语(第2版)扩展阅读(txt+pdf+epub+mobi电子书下载)

作者：翟象俊,余建中

出版社：复旦大学出版社

格式: AZW3, DOCX, EPUB, MOBI, PDF, TXT

21世纪大学实用英语(第2版)扩展阅读试读：

前言

1.注重培养听说能力。本教材根据高等教育英语教学内容和课程体系改革的要求，与时俱进，以“听、说”为重点，将听、说题材与课文主题保持一致，把听、说、读、写、译的技能训练有机地结合起来，使学生的听、说训练贯穿于课程教学的始终。

2.着眼于提高学生的职业技能和素质。本教材根据高等教育英语教学的特点，提供相关的实用训练，力求使学生通过切合实际的学习过程打下一定的基础，在日常或涉外工作时能更加熟练地掌握和使用英语。

3.选材广泛，注重“跨文化”知识的教学。本教材注重选材内容的趣味性、信息性和实用性，语言的规范性和文体的多样性，不仅重视英语语言基础知识和基本技能的训练，还同时注意将文化内容与语言材料相融合，介绍西方文化背景。

4.强调教学的整体性。本教材将听、说内容与读、写内容相结合，将精读、泛读和扩展阅读融为一体，把听、说、读、写、译五种技能的训练和培养围绕着同一主题展开，形成一个有机的整体。

5.将“教、学、练、考”融为一体。除了与课文内容相关的练习和期中、期末练习试卷以外，本教材还配有专门针对高等学校英语应用能力考试的习题和题解，以期让学生在巩固所学内容的同时，能够适应各种英语能力考试。

6.拓展教学时空，实现教材的立体化。本教材包括配套的音带、多媒体学习课件、电子教案及网络课程等，以期充分利用多媒体和网络化现代教学手段，立体、互动地引导学生开发各种学习潜能。《21世纪大学实用英语》（第2版）的主干教材由复旦大学、上海交通大学、上海商学院等高校的翟象俊教授、余建中教授、陈永捷教授、梁正溜教授、姜荷梅副教授等主编。上海及其他省市多所高等院校的资深专家共同参加了编写工作。编者2009年6月

1　Devlin's Advice（忠告）

Dear New Student：

What awaits（等待）you in the coming years—your college years？And what awaits you after your graduation from college？

For an entering college student,the likelihood（可能性）is that the job you will be doing ten years from now does not yet exist（存在）.You will be doing something that at present no one is doing,or hardly anyone.

How can you possibly prepare for such a future？

My strongest advice would be to value（珍视）the breadth（宽度，广度）of the ed-ucation available（可得到的）to you.The key to being successful in the world of today or tomorrow is an ability to learn.

At high school you had a teacher.But when you are out at work you will proba-

bly（很可能）have to go it alone（自个儿干）.College is a half-way house（中途歇脚的客栈；过渡场所）.The professors are there to help and guide you.But as teachers,the most important thing they are trying to“teach”you is how to learn.For example,your mathematics professor is not there to teach you mathematics.He or she is there to show you how to learn mathematics,and to help you in the process（过程）.That's a big difference from high school.

My second piece of advice is to work hardest at those subjects（科目）you don't like or think you can never do.For many students,the subject that they don't like is mathematics.But for many career paths（道路），mathematics is what they need to know in order to be successful.For construction（建筑）workers and engineers,geom-etry（几何学）is what you need to know.For future teachers,it is statistics（统计学）that you need to see if your tests are fair to your students.Even for someone who just wants to be a stay-at-home mom,calculations（计算）are needed to keep a household（家庭）.In fact,what I am saying applies to all of you when you find yourself faced with any subject.Colleges and universities don't have all those graduation require-ments（要求）in order to make you suffer.They are there to help you broaden（开阔）your mind,and to prepare you to live your life to the fullest.

My final piece of advice is to enjoy your life at college.I often hear people say that college is not the real world；that the purpose（目的）of your college years is to prepare you for your life“in the real world”in the future.That's not right.You won't stop living in the next few years.Your time at college or university is not pre-life（为以后作准备的生活）.It's several years of your life.It is the“real world.”So enjoy your time as a student and live your new“real life”to the full.（449 words）

Exercises

Choose the best answer for each of the following multiple choice questions.

1.The writer has written this letter to students who have just__________.

A）entered college

B）finished their college education

C）entered high school

D）finished their high school education

2.What is the writer's view about the jobs students of today will do in the future？

A）There will not be enough jobs for everyone.

B）There will be too many jobs,but too few people to do them.

C）Most of the jobs will be new to the students.

D）Most of the jobs will be too difficult for the students to do.

3.How many different pieces of advice has the writer given to new students？

A）2.

B）3.

C）4.

D）5.

4.According to the writer,which is the most important advice for new students？

A）Learn how to learn.

B）Enjoy life at college.

C）Be interested in all subjects at college.

D）Go to class on time.

5.A university professor is different from a high school teacher in that__________.

A）he knows more about the subjects he teaches

B）he tries to help students learn by themselves

C）he likes mathematics more than high school teachers do

D）he enjoys teaching more than anyone else

6.The reason why the writer talks about mathematics when he gives his second piece of advice is that__________.

A）mathematics is far more useful than any other subject

B）mathematics is the most difficult to study

C）the writer himself is a teacher of mathematics

D）many students do not like mathematics at all

7.In the sentence“Colleges and universities don't have all those graduation require-ments in order to make you suffer，”the word“suffer”means__________.

A）get hurt

B）fall ill

C）work very hard

D）experience pain or difficulty

8.The writer is against the view that“college is not the real world”because__________.

A）it is fun to be in college

B）nobody can enjoy college life to the full

C）college life is also part of students'lives

D）college life is more or less the same as high school life

2　Ups and Downs

You fly a thousand miles to visit Grandma；you fly to see the ocean（海洋）.Can you imagine（想象）how long a trip like that would take if airplanes weren't around？On the highway,a person can drive about 65 miles in an hour；but an airplane can fly up to 500 miles an hour！That's quite a difference！August 19 has been set aside to ob-serve（庆祝）aviation（航空）.Let's find out why.

On April 16，1867，Wilbur Wright was born in Indiana.Four years later on Au-gust 19，1871，Wilbur's brother Orville was born in Ohio.Wilbur and Orville were close to each other.In fact,their voices even sounded alike！

Wilbur and Orville didn't have any special training in science or engineering,butthey enjoyed taking mechanical（机械的）things apart to see how they worked.They studied birds and insects（昆虫）in flight.From their observations（观察）of how birds fly,they built a huge kite（风筝）and began to test its flight.After the successful test,Wilbur and Orville built a larger,man-carrying glider（滑翔机）.They wanted to experi-ment in private so they took their glider to an isolated beach（海滩）near Kitty Hawk,North Carolina.Since they were far from home,they set up a tent to live in.

Wilbur and Orville made yearly trips to Kitty Hawk to test their gliders.In 1902，they had made more than 700 successful glider flights.Now they needed to find an engine that would be light and powerful enough to get a plane off the ground.

Since the automobile manufacturers（汽车制造商）wouldn't build the engine,the brothers talked to Charles Taylor.Together they designed and built a 12 to 16 horse-power engine and propeller（螺旋桨）.In one year,the project was finished.

On December 17，1903，the Wright brothers'powered flight was a success at Kit-ty Hawk.Orville was the pilot,and he stayed in the air for 12 seconds.The first fly-ing machine was called“The Wright Flyer.”The wings looked like a box kite.The pilot had to lie face down over the wing in a type of cradle（摇篮）.He moved his body from side to side to change the plane's direction.

The brothers took turns and made three more flights that day.Then a gust of wind blew the flying machine over and completely destroyed it.Wilbur and Orville returned home and built another glider that was stronger and had a more powerful mo-tor.On September 20，1904，Wilbur flew the Flyer II in the first circular flight over a pasture（牧场）in Ohio.The flight lasted 1 minute and 36 seconds.

Since that time,airplanes have become larger,faster,and safer.Now over 800 million people travel by airplane each year.To recognize（表彰）the Wright brothers'contribution（贡献）to aviation,National Aviation Day is observed on August 19.Af-ter reading this article,do you know why this date was chosen？（474 words）

Exercises

Choose the best answer for each of the following multiple choice questions.

1.From the passage,we know that an airplane can fly as fast as__________.

A）65 miles/hour

B）130 miles/hour

C）360 miles/hour

D）500 miles/hour

2.What do we know about Wilbur and Orville from the passage？

A）They were born in the same house.

B）They spent a lot of time together.

C）They looked like each other very much.

D）They had the same manner of speaking.

3.What was the first thing they built to fly？

A）A huge kite.

B）A glider.

C）The Wright Flyer.

D）The FlyerⅡ.

4.They chose the beach near Kitty Hawk to test their gliders because__________.

A）it was far away from their home

B）there was strong wind on the beach

C）they wanted to keep their experiment secret

D）they could set up a tent on the beach

5.In which year did the Wright brothers make their first powered flight？

A）1902.

B）1903.

C）1904.

D）1905.

6.When flying“The Wright Flyer”，the pilot must__________.

A）stay in the air for at least 12 seconds

B）move his body from side to side in the cradle

C）lie face down over the wing in a type of cradle

D）change the plane's direction all the time

7.Flyer II was better than“The Wright Flyer”in all of the following aspects（方面）EXCEPT__________.

A）it had a stronger body

B）its engine was more powerful

C）it could stay longer in the air

D）it could change directions more easily

8.August 19 is set aside to observe aviation because it was the day when__________.

A）Wilbur Wright was born

B）Orville Wright was born

C）the Wright brothers tested their first glider

D）the Wright brothers made their first powered flight

3　The Odd Couple（奇特的一对夫妻）

I have always wondered how my parents were attracted to each other.Their per-sonalities,temperaments,and attitudes toward money are all opposite（相反的）.The saying that“opposites attract”certainly holds true for them.

Their personalities are quite different.My mother is outgoing（爽直的）and friendly.She enjoys people because,to her,they are the most interesting form of life.When she meets new people,she greets them as if they were old friends,wheth-er they are first-time clients（顾客）at her beauty shop（美容院）or acquaintances（熟人）of someone she already likes.She loves to socialize.Making conversation（交谈）with any type（类型）of personality comes easily to her—it's a natural quality（品质）.

My father,on the other hand,is conservative（保守的）and shy.Socializing is not easy for him.His shyness may give the impression（印象）that he's cold,but once he gets to know you,his warmth and sincerity（真诚）emerge（显现出来）.

When it comes to controlling one's temper（脾气），my mother clearly outdoes（胜过）my father.She will tolerate（容忍）a lot before she gets angry and prefers to ra-

tionalize（自我辩解）rather than lose her temper.However,my father's temper is like a short fuse（导火线）on a stick of dynamite（炸药）.He will flare up（勃然大怒）im-mediately（立刻）when something is said or done wrongly.Also very stubborn（固执的），he always insists（坚持）that he is right.Our dinners often turn into debates（争论），with the issue（问题）usually being money.

My mother is not a bargain（便宜货）shopper.She does not cut out coupons（赠券）or compare（比较）products or prices；she is impatient—if she likes something,she buys it.My father,therefore（因此），has always done our food shopping.He compares products and prices,looks for sales（廉价出售）and bargains,and buys only what he needs.He has also always taken care of our household finances（财政）and is the bookkeeper and accountant（会计）of the family.My father says that my mother has champagne（香槟酒）tastes（品味）with a beer（啤酒）pocketbook,and she saysthat he's cheap,but there is a happy compromise（妥协）—she spends and he saves.“It must be love，”I say about this odd couple.They may be very different,but they are also very compatible（和谐的）.Learning from each other ensures（确保）the success of their partnership（夫妻关系）.（355 words）

Exercises

Choose the best answer for each of the following multiple choice questions.

1.The writer's parents are different in all the following aspects except__________.

A）personalities　B）attitudes toward each other

C）temperaments

D）attitudes toward money

2.The writer's mother enjoys socializing with__________.

A）old friends

B）first-time clients

C）acquaintances of someone she already likes

D）anyone she meets

3.We know from the text that the writer's father is not a__________person.

A）conservative

B）shy

C）cold

D）warm

4.Which of the following is true about the mother's temper？

A）She never gets angry.

B）She always insists that she is right.

C）She thinks it better to rationalize.

D）She has to tolerate her husband although she doesn't like it.

5.The sentence“my father's temper is like a short fuse on a stick of dynamite”means that the writer's father__________.

A）gets angry easily

B）is angry for a short while

C）gets angry only when something is said or done wrongly

D）gets angry about the issue of money

6.The reason why the writer's father does food shopping is that__________.

A）he is the bookkeeper and accountant of the family

B）he compares products and prices

C）he knows what they need

D）he buys everything he likes

7.The sentence“my father says that my mother has champagne tastes with a beer pocketbook”means that the writer's father thinks__________.

A）she likes champagne more than beer

B）she likes beer more than champagne

C）she buys the things that are too expensive for them

D）she spends more money than he saves

8.It can be learned from the text that the writer thinks that__________.

A）it is important for a couple to make compromises

B）his parents are an odd couple because they love each other but never feel attrac-ted to each other

C）couples of different personalities are less compatible than couple of the same personalities

D）“opposites attract”certainly holds true for everyone

4　Walk,Don't Run

You want to get healthy.You know you need to exercise more.But if you're not ready to take part in intense physical activities,don't despair（绝望）.There's growing agreement among exercise researchers（研究者）that,in fact,the best thing most of us can do may be to just walk.

Yes,walk.Not run or jog（慢跑）or sprint.Just walk five or six times a week.You may not feel the benefits（好处）all at once,but the evidence（证据）suggests that over the long term（从长远来说），a regular walking routine can do a world of good to your health.

Brisk（轻快的）walking is known to be good for the heart,which makes a lot of sense（很有道理）.The heart is a muscle,after all,and anything that makes the blood flow faster through a muscle helps keep it in shape.But regular walking benefits the heart in other ways as well.It lowers blood pressure,which helps decrease（减少）thestress on the arteries（动脉）.

Walking is also a great way to lose body fat,though most people find they have to do it for at least an hour a day in order to lose weight.The body doesn't really start burning its fat stores until after 30 minutes of activity.Exercising too intensely can ac-tually work against you by interfering with the body's ability to pull energy from fat cells.You are more likely to maintain any weight loss you achieve if you take a walk regularly every day.

Walking won't cure（治愈）everything that troubles you,of course,and nothing happens overnight.“People who have never exercised regularly should not think that in a week they'll solve（解决）their problems by walking，”says Dr.David Curb of the University of Hawaii.But they can expect a regular walking program to serve them well into old age.

When you are ready to begin,the following two pieces of advice can help you get the most out of your walking routine.

First,pay attention to your shoes.Walkers spend more time with the entire foot on the ground,so shoes for walking need to have more room at the front for the feet to spread.

Second,set realistic（现实的）goals（目标）.Some people find that walking at a specific time each day works best for them.Others do the walking exercise by making some adjustments in their daily routines,such as parking the car a few blocks（街区）away from their office,taking the stairs instead of the elevator（电梯）or going out for a walk rather than having a cup of coffee during the time for break.（423 words）

Exercises

Choose the best answer for each of the following multiple choice questions.

1.If you are not physically prepared for vigorous exercise,you can__________instead.

A）jog

B）run

C）walk

D）sprint

2.According to the author,a regular walking routine__________.

A）benefits people of old age rather than those who are young

B）works even better for those who are not physically active

C）solves all the problems that troubles us in a week's time

D）does a whole lot of good to our health in the long run

3.Walking keeps the heart in shape in all the following ways except that__________.

A）it increases the speed of blood flow through the heart

B）it makes sense to a lot of muscles of the body

C）it brings the blood pressure to a lower level

D）it reduces the stress on the arteries

4.Most people find they have to walk a certain length of time each day in order to lose weight.This is because__________.

A）it is after 30 minutes of exercise that the body begins to burn its fat stores

B）it takes quite a bit of time and effort to maintain any weight loss achieved

C）short-time walking prevents the body from pulling energy from fat cells

D）walking is not thought of as intense when compared with other forms of exer-cise

5.By saying that“they can expect a regular walking program to serve them well into old age”（Lines 5-6，Para.5），Dr.David Curb implies that__________.

A）the benefits of walking will show up when people get old

B）walking,a light form of exercise,suits people of all ages

C）walking is a lifelong exercise people can choose

D）walking is an age-old（古老的）exercise people can benefit from

6.Which of the following statements is true according to the passage？

A）Shoes for walking need to have more room at the heel rather than the front.

B）To get the most from walking,walkers should set a fixed time for it each day.

C）Whether or not people can benefit from a regular walking routine is undecided yet.

D）Walking,like anything else,won't cure everything that bothers you overnight.

5　A Dinner of Smells

One day a poor man came into a little town.He was very hungry.Every time he saw food,his mouth watered.But he had no money.

The poor man stopped outside a fine restaurant.The food at the restaurant smelled delicious.He sniffed（闻）and sniffed the wonderful smell.

The owner（老板）of the restaurant came into the street.“Hey！You！”the owner called.“I saw what you did！You smelled my excel-lent food！You stole（偷）the smell of my food.Are you going to pay for it？”

The poor man replied，“I cannot pay.I have no money.I took nothing！”

The owner of the restaurant did not listen to him.“I'm taking you to the judge，”he said.And he took the poor man to court.

The judge listened to the story.“This is very unusual，”he said.“I want to think about it.Come back tomorrow.”

The poor man was very worried.He had no money.“What can I do？”he asked himself.He could not sleep at all.

The next morning the man got up and said his prayers（祈祷）.Then he went slowly back to the court.On the way he met the wise mullah（毛拉），Nasrudin.

“Nasrudin，”the poor man cried.“Please help me.People say that you are very clever.I am very unhappy and very worried.”He told Nasrudin his story.

“Well,well，”wise Nasrudin said.“Let's see what happens.”The two men went to court.

The judge was already there.He was with the owner of the restaurant.They looked very friendly with each other.When the poor man arrived,the judge began to speak.He said the poor man owed（欠）the restaurant owner a lot of money.

Nasrudin stepped forward.“This man is my friend，”he said.“Can I pay for him？”He held out a bag of money.

The judge looked at the restaurant owner.“Can Nasrudin pay？”he asked.

“Yes，”the restaurant owner said.“Nasrudin has money.The poor man does not.Nasrudin can pay！”

Nasrudin smiled.He stood next to the restaurant owner.Nasrudin held the bag of money near the restaurant owner's ear.He shook（摇）it so the coins made a noise.

“Can you hear the money？”he asked.

“Of course I can hear it，”the restaurant owner said.

“That is your payment，”the mullah said.“My friend smelled your food,and you heard his money.”

And that is the end of the story.（405 words）

Exercises

Choose the best answer for each of the following multiple choice questions.

1.The poor man stopped outside a fine restaurant because he__________.

A）wanted to eat without paying

B）was attracted by the smell

C）wanted to steal the smell

D）was reminded of home

2.The owner of the restaurant took the poor man to court in order to__________.

A）teach him a lesson

B）trouble the judge

C）get back the stolen smell

D）get some money from the poor man

3.In the sentence“This is very unusual，”the word“unusual”means__________.

A）strange

B）difficult

C）new

D）different

4.The poor man asked Nasrudin for help because he believed that Nasrudin__________.

A）was a powerful official

B）could find a way out

C）had money to pay for him

D）could fight against the judge

5.Nasrudin smiled when the restaurant owner allowed him to pay for the poor man.The reason is that he__________.

A）wanted to be friendly

B）was not afraid of the judge

C）knew he could help the poor man

D）was proud he had money to pay

6.The restaurant owner was paid with__________.

A）a bag of real money

B）the sound of money

C）the smell of money

D）the smell of food

6　Socrates（苏格拉底）

There once was an eager（热切的）student who wanted to gain wisdom and in-sight（智慧和悟性）.He went to the wisest of the town,Socrates,to seek his counsel（建议）.Socrates was an old soul（人）and had great knowledge of many things.The boy asked the town sage（智者）how he too could acquire such mastery.Being a man of few words,Socrates chose not to speak,but to illustrate（用事例说明）.

He took the child to the beach and,with all of his clothes still on,walked straight out into the water.He loved to do curious things like that,especially when he was trying to prove a point.The pupil carefully followed his instruction and walked into the sea,joining Socrates where the water was just below their chins（下巴）.Without saying a word,Socrates reached out and put his hands on the boy's shoul-ders.Looking deep into his student's eyes,Socrates pushed the student's head under the water with all his might（力气）.

A struggle followed,and just before the boy's life was taken away,Socrates re-leased him.The boy raced to the surface and,gasping for air and choking（呛）from the salt water,looked around for Socrates in order to seek retaliation（报复）on the sage.To the student's bewilderment（困惑），the old man was already patiently waiting on the beach.When the student arrived on the sand,he angrily shouted，“Why did you try to kill me？”The wise man calmly retorted（反驳）with a question of his own：“Boy,when you were underneath the water,not sure if you would live to see another day,what did you want more than anything in the world？”

The student took a few moments to reflect,then went with his intuition（直觉）.Softly he said，“I wanted to breathe.”Socrates,now illuminated（容光焕发）by his own huge smile,looked at the boy comfortingly and said，“Ah！When you want wis-dom and insight as badly as you wanted to breathe,then you shall have them.”（323 words）

Exercises

Choose the best answer for each of the following multiple choice questions.

1.Why did the student go to visit Socrates？

A）Because he wanted to become a wise man,too.

B）Because he wanted to challenge him.

C）Because he wanted to beat him.

D）Because he wanted to seek his advice.

2.How did Socrates answer the student's question？

A）He didn't tell the student anything.

B）He drove the student away.

C）He tried to illustrate his idea.

D）He told the answer to the student directly.

3.What did Socrates do to the student when they reached where the water was below their chins？

A）He tried to push the student's head under the water with all his strength.

B）He wanted to kill the student.

C）He asked the student himself to put his head under the water.

D）He gave a lesson to the student.

4.How did the student feel when he saw Socrates waiting patiently on the beach？

A）Angry.

B）Puzzled.

C）Wild.

D）Curious.

5.What did the student want to do when his head was pushed under the water？

A）Become a wise man.

B）Get as much knowledge as possible.

C）Breathe.

D）Gain wisdom and insight.

6.What was the author's reaction to Socrates'answer？

A）It was ambiguous（模棱两可的）.

B）It was intelligent.

C）It was hard to understand.

D）Socrates didn't answer the student's question at all.

7　A Lady Named Lill

Kind words can be short and easy to speak,but their echoes（反响）are tru-ly endless.—Mother Teresa

Lillian was a young French Canadian girl who grew up on a farm in Ontario（安大略省）.At the age of 16，her father thought“Lill”had had enough schooling,and she was forced to drop out of school.In 1922，with English as her second language and limited education and skills,the future didn't look bright for Lill.

Her father was a strict man who seldom took no for an answer and never accepted excuses.He demanded that Lill find a job.But her limitations left her with little con-fidence,and she didn't know what work she could do.

With small hope of gaining employment（雇用），she would still ride the bus daily into the“big cities”of Windsor or Detroit.But she couldn't muster（鼓起）the cour-age to respond to a Help Wanted ad（招工广告）；she couldn't even bring herself to knock on a door.Each day she would just ride to the city,walk aimlessly（无目的地）about and at dusk（黄昏）return home.Her father would ask，“Any luck today,Lill？”“No……no luck today,Dad，”she would respond meekly（温顺地）.

As the days passed,Lill continued to ride and her father continued to ask about her job-hunting（找工作）.The questions became more demanding（苛求的），and Lill knew she would soon have to knock on a door.

On one of her trips,Lill saw a sign at the Carhartt Overall Company in down-

town（市中心）Detroit.“HELP WANTED，”the sign said，“SECRETARIAL（秘书的）.APPLY WITHIN.”

She walked up the long flight of stairs to the Carhartt Company offices.Cau-tiously,Lill knocked on her very first door.She was met by the office manager,Margaret Costello.In her broken English,Lill told her she was interested in the secre-tarial position,falsely stating that she was 19.Margaret knew something wasn't right,but decided to give the girl a chance.

She guided Lill through the old business office of the Carhartt Company.With rows（一排排）and rows of people seated at rows and rows of typewriters（打字机），Lill felt as if a hundred pairs of eyes were staring at her.With her eyes staring down,the farm girl followed Margaret to the back of the room.Margaret sat her down at a type-writer and said，“Lill,let's see how good you really are.”

She asked Lill to type a single letter,and then left.Lill looked at the clock and saw that it was 11：40 A.M.Everyone would be leaving for lunch at noon.She thought that she could slip away in the crowd then.But she knew she should at least attempt（尝试）the letter.

On her first try,she got through one line.It had five words,and she made four mistakes.She pulled the paper out and threw it away.The clock now read 11：45.“At noon，”she said to herself，“I'll move out with the crowd,and they will never see me again.”

On her second attempt,Lill got through a full paragraph,but still made many mistakes.Again she pulled out the paper,threw it out and started over.This time she completed the letter,but her work was still full of mistakes.She looked at the clock：11：55—five minutes to freedom.

Just then,the door at one end of the office opened and Margaret walked in.She came directly over to Lill,putting one hand on the desk and the other on the girl's shoulder.She read the letter and paused（停顿）.Then she said，“Lill,you're doing good work！”

Lill was stunned（震惊）.She looked at the letter,then up at Margaret.With those simple words of encouragement,her desire to escape vanished and her confi-dence began to grow.She thought，“Well,if she thinks it's good,then it must be good.I think I'll stay！”

Lill did stay at Carhartt Overall Company……for 51 years,through two world wars and a Depression（大萧条），through 11 presidents and six prime ministers（总理）—all because someone had the insight（洞察力）to give a shy and uncertain young girl the gift of self-confidence when she knocked on the door.（690 words）

Exercises

Choose the best answer for each of the following multiple choice questions.

1.Lill dropped out of school at age 16 because__________.

A）she had had enough schooling

B）she had limited learning skills

C）her father wanted her to do so

D）the future didn't look bright

2.As Lill rode to the city,she was almost sure that she wouldn't__________.

A）find a job

B）see any job ads

C）like the city life

D）be accepted by the citizens

3.What did Lill often do in the city？

A）Looking for Help Wanted ads.

B）Knocking at doors for work.

C）Walking about in the streets.

D）Shopping in the stores.

4.When Lill knocked at the door of Carhartt Overall Company,it was mainly be-cause__________.

A）she was good at secretarial work

B）it was the first Help Wanted sign she saw

C）the company was located in the downtown area

D）her father pushed her harder on job-hunting

5.When Lill was seated at the typewriter,she wanted to__________.

A）stay in the company

B）escape from the office

C）finish typing before noon

D）make no typing mistakes

6.How many times did Lill attempt to complete the letter？

A）One.

B）Two.

C）Three.

D）Four.

7.How old was Lill when she stopped working for Carhartt Overall Company？

A）51.

B）60.

C）67.

D）70.

8.What is the main idea of this passage？

A）Education is important to everybody.

B）Confidence is the key to career success.

C）Opportunity is critical（关键的）in job-hunting.

D）Encouragement is a valuable gift one can give.

8　5 Ways to Enlarge Your Vocabulary

Want to increase your vocabulary？Here are five tried-and-true methods.

1.Pay attention to context（上下文）.

When you come across an unfamiliar word,try to figure out its meaning by using hints（暗示）from other words or visuals（画面）.For example,when an ad for a food processor（加工器）promises that it will help you prepare“a sumptuous family break-fast,including eggs,fruit,pastries（各式糕点），and more，”you can infer（推断）that sumptuous means“lavish”（丰盛的）or“magnificent”（极好的）.The words,along with the photo that may accompany the ad,can help you guess the meaning.

2.Learn a new word daily.

Each day,pick a word from the dictionary and try to use it as often as possible.Realize you've forgotten your best friend's birthday？Just exclaim（大声说出），“How gauche（笨拙）of me！”You'll make much more of an impression（印象）than if you just say“thoughtless”（粗心的）.

3.Associate（把……跟……联系起来）new words with people or places.

One way to learn something new is to associate something you don't know with something you do.Let's say you learn that urbane（温文尔雅的）means“elegant”（高雅的）or“refined”（有教养的）.Associate that new word with someone who is like that—perhaps your English teacher.Then,whenever you read“urbane”again,your teacher's face will pop（突然出现）into your head,and you'll remember the word's meaning.

4.Listen to good vocabulary sources.

Hearing words used correctly will help you learn their denotations（本义）（diction-ary definitions（定义））and connotations（转意）（implied meanings）.Keep your ears open—especially to respectable sources.Listen to National Public Radio occasionally instead of pop music（流行音乐）stations.Watch TV shows that feature（由……担纲）ar-ticulate（口才好的）people discussing current events（时事）or comedies（喜剧）that useclever wordplay（俏皮话）.Learn new words as you enjoy leisure（闲暇的）activities.

5.Become an active reader.

Well-written magazines such as Time（《时代》）or The Smithsonian（《史密森》杂志）can provide painless（无痛的）vocabulary lessons as you wait in the dentist's（牙医的）office.

Outstanding fiction（小说）and nonfiction（非小说）are as close as your local li-brary.As you read,notice the words that authors use：When you come upon one you don't know and can't figure out from context,look it up.

It's fun to make note of an author's“favorite”words.For example,you'll come across furtive（偷偷摸摸的）at least a dozen times in Mark Twain's The Adventures of Tom Sawyer（《汤姆·索亚历险记》）.Do you know what it means？

To monitor（检测）your progress,keep a notebook of new words you acquire（学到）.By the end of the year,you'll be surprised at how many words you've learned.

Review the list regularly to refresh your memory（加深记忆），put a star by favorite words,and use them often！（415 words）

Exercises

Choose the best answer for each of the following multiple choice questions.

1.While reading,it is possible to know the meaning of a word__________.

A）from its context

B）by studying some advertisements

C）from notes given by the writer

D）by talking to someone at breakfast

2.According to the writer,by using a word that is less commonly used,one can__________.

A）befriend other people more easily

B）show how learned and knowledgeable one is

C）make a deep impression on other people

D）remember that word forever

3.By associating new words with people or places,the writer believes that__________.

A）one can remember those people or places

B）one can get those people's support and friendship

C）one can remember the meaning of those words

D）one can learn to be more elegant or refined

4.People can increase the size of their vocabulary not only from written sources,but also from__________.

A）spoken sources

B）talking to articulate people only

C）current events

D）taking part in as many leisure activities as possible

5.The writer mentions Time and The Smithsonian when he tells the reader to be an active reader because he thinks that these magazines__________.

A）can be found in all local libraries

B）are most suitable to be read in the dentist's office

C）should be read by well-educated people only

D）can help people increase their vocabulary in a leisurely way

6.What should the reader do if he or she cannot figure out the meaning of a word in a book？

A）Write to the writer for help.

B）Ask his or her English teacher for help.

C）Go to the local library.

D）Look it up in a dictionary.

7.To keep a notebook of new words will help you__________.

A）have fun during the learning process

B）know how often a famous writer uses a certain word

C）see your progress at vocabulary learning

D）notice the mistakes that you may have made

9　A Captive Audience（着迷的听众）

Your future depends on many things,but mostly on you.—Frank Tyger

On my way out of town and in a hurry,I hailed（招呼，叫）a taxi in front of my apartment（公寓）building at 64th and 1st in Manhattan.“Kennedy Airport，”I in-structed（吩咐）the driver.

When I was settled comfortably in the back seat,an unusually friendly New York cab（出租车）driver started a conversation with me.

“Nice apartment building you live in，”he said.“Yes，”I replied,distractedly（漫不经心地）.

“Live there very long？”

“No.”“I bet（敢说）you must have a really small closet（壁橱）there，”he said.

Now he had my attention.“Yes，”I said，“quite small.”“Have you ever heard of closet organizers（壁橱设计安装者）？”he asked.

“Yes.I guess I've seen an ad or something in the newspapers.”“I only drive a cab part-time，”he said.“My full-time job is organizing people's closets.I come in and put shelves and drawers（抽屉）and this and that in closets.”

Then he asked me if I had ever considered having my closet organized.“Well,I don't know，”I said.“I do need some extra closet space.Isn't there an-other closet company（公司）out there,California something？”

“You mean California Closet Company.They're the really big company in the business.I can do exactly what they can do but for less money.”

“Oh,really？”“Yeah，”he said.And with this,the driver gave me a detailed explanation（详细的解释）of what a professional（专业的）closet organizer does.He finished by saying，“When you call up California Closet and they come to your house to make an esti-mate,this is what you do：Ask them to leave you a copy of the plans.Now,they won't want to leave you anything,but if you tell them you need it to show your girl-friend or wife,they'll give you a copy.Then you call me,and I'll do the same thing—but for 30 percent less money.”

“That sounds very interesting，”I said.“Here,let me give you my business card,and if you call me at my office,we'll set up a meeting.”

I handed him my card and he nearly swerved off（偏离）the road.“Oh,my God，”he shouted，“you're Neil Balter！You're the founder（创始人）of California Closet.I saw you on the‘Oprah Winfrey Show’（奥普拉·温弗里访谈节目），and I thought you had such a good idea,I went into business myself.”

He looked in the rear-view mirror（后视镜）and studied me.“I should have recog-nized you.Gosh,Mr.Balter,I apologize.I didn't mean you guys were an expensive company.I didn't mean……。”“Calm down，”I said.“I like your style.You're a pretty smart fellow and you're aggressive（积极进取的）.I admire（赞赏）that.You have a captive audience in your cab,and you took advantage of it.It takes chutzpah（厚脸皮）to do what you do.Why don't you call me,and we'll see what we can do about having you become one of our salesmen（推销员）？”

Needless to say,he came to work for us—and became one of California Closet's top salespeople！（486 words）

Exercises

Choose the best answer for each of the following multiple choice questions.

1.When the cab driver started the conversation,the writer replied__________.

A）warmly

B）absent-mindedly（心不在焉地）

C）impatiently

D）reluctantly（不情愿地）

2.The cab driver's words“I bet you must have a really small closet there”caught the writer's attention probably because__________.

A）the cab driver had made a smart guess

B）there were problems with his closet

C）he was looking for a closet organizer

D）the topic was related to his own business

3.Which of the following is true about the cab driver's profession？

A）A full-time cab driver.

B）A full-time closet organizer.

C）A part-time company employee.

D）A part-time closet salesman.

4.The cab driver suggested that the writer do all of the following EXCEPT__________.

A）call California Closet to make an estimate

B）ask California Closet to leave a copy of the plans

C）discuss the plans with his girlfriend or wife

D）call the cab driver to organize his closet

5.What made the cab driver go into the closet organizing business？

A）He watched a TV show introducing the business.

B）He read an ad on the business in the newspaper.

C）He couldn't earn enough money as a cab driver.

D）He saw the huge market for the business.

6.The writer gave the cab driver his business card mainly because he wanted the cab driver to__________.

A）be his business partner

B）recognize who he was

C）organize his closet

D）join his company

7.The writer felt that the cab driver was quite__________.

A）daring

B）shameless

C）hospitable（热情好客的）

D）talkative

10　Learning from Failure

Why are so many people so afraid of failure？Quite simply because no one tells us how to fail so that failure becomes an experience that will lead to growth（成长）.We forget that failure is part of the human condition and that every person has the right to fail.

Most parents work hard at either preventing failure or protecting（保护）their chil-dren from the knowledge that they have failed.One way is to lower standards（标准）.A mother describes（形容）her child's hastily（匆忙地）made table as“Perfect！”even though it wobbles（摇晃）on uneven legs.Another way is to shift（转嫁）blame.For instance,if John fails science,his teacher is unfair（不公平的）or stupid.

The trouble with failure-prevention devices（手段）is that they leave a child un-equipped（无准备的）for life in the real world.The young need to learn that no one can be best at everything,no one can win all the time—and that it's possible to enjoy a game even when you don't win.A child who's not invited to a birthday party,who doesn't make the honor roll（上光荣榜）or the baseball team,feels terrible,of course.But parents should not offer a quick consolation（安慰）prize or say，“It doesn't mat-ter”because it does.The young should be allowed to experience disappointment（失望）—and be helped to master it.

Failure is never pleasurable（令人高兴的）.It hurts adults and children alike.But it can make a positive contribution（贡献）to your life once you learn to use it.Step one is to ask，“Why did I fail？”Resist（抗拒）the natural impulse（冲动）to blame someone else.Ask yourself what you did wrong,how you can improve.If someone else can help,don't be shy（害羞）about inquiring（询问）.

Success,which encourages repetition（重复）of old behavior,is not nearly as good a teacher as failure.You can learn from a disastrous（很糟的）party how to give a good one,from an ill-chosen（选得不好的）first house what to look for in a second.Even a failure that seems definitive（确定的）can prompt（激发）fresh thinking,a change of direction.After 12 years of studying ballet（芭蕾舞）a friend of mine audi-tioned（试演）for a professional company.She was turned down.“Would further training help？”she asked.The ballet master shook his head.“You will never be a dancer，”he said，“You haven't the body for it.”

In such cases,the way to use failure is to take stock（评价）courageously（勇敢地），asking“What have I left？What else can I do？”My friend put away her toe shoes and moved into dance therapy（疗法），a field where she's both competent（胜任的）and useful.Failure frees one to take risks because there's less to lose.Often there's a resurgence（恢复）of energy—an awareness of new possibilities.（444 words）

Exercises

Choose the best answer for each of the following multiple choice questions.

1.One of the ways for parents to protect their children from the knowledge they havefailed is to__________.

A）tell them how to fail

B）shift blame

C）choose good teachers

D）raise standards

2.According to the passage,who will be blamed if children fail science？

A）Parents.

B）Children.

C）Nobody.

D）The teacher.

3.It is possible to enjoy a game even when you don't win because__________.

A）no one can win all the time

B）you are unequipped for life in the real world

C）your parents will give you a consolation prize

D）your parents will praise you

4.What will parents most probably say if their child doesn't make the honor roll？

A）“We'll help you.”

B）“It doesn't matter.”

C）“Have another try.”

D）“Forget it.”

5.It is very natural for people to__________when they fail.

A）blame themselves

B）give up

C）blame someone else

D）be shy about inquiring

6.In Paragraph 5 the writer used the example of his friend to illustrate that__________.

A）studying ballet is really difficult

B）the ballet master is too strict

C）you can learn something from failure

D）his friend didn't work hard enough

7.It can be inferred from the passage that the writer's friend__________.

A）was successful in dance therapy

B）hated the ballet master

C）got ahead with studying ballet

D）tried another professional company

8.The author's purpose in writing this passage is to__________.

A）define what is failure

B）encourage people to learn from failure

C）make comparisons between success and failure

D）show how his friend became successful

11　Endangered Animals（濒危动物）—Extinction（灭绝）Is Forever

Extinction is the disappearance,brought about by natural or unnatural means,of an entire species.

Some species of plants and animals die out naturally because newer species are more successful at competing for food and living space.Others have become extinct because of changes in the planet or because of natural disasters（灾难）.Dinosaurs（恐龙），for example,may have died out because the climate became cooler—maybe because an asteroid（小行星）collided（碰撞）with the earth and caused a big cloud of dust that blocked out（遮住）the sun.

In today's world,however,species mostly become extinct or are threatened（威胁）with extinction because of humans.Humans hunt animals,destroy their habitats（栖息地），and introduce other animals that prey upon（捕食）the endangered animals or compete for their resources.Among these factors,the greatest threat to plants and animals is habitat destruction.

It is estimated（估计）that about 125 species of birds and 60 species of mammals（哺乳动物）have become extinct since 1600.Currently（目前），there are approximately（大约）1，000-1，100 species of birds and mammals that are facing extinction.If in-vertebrates（无脊椎动物）and plants are included,the total number of species in immi-nent（临近的）danger is around 20，000.

Sample（浏览）the following internet activities and complete the tasks for each one to learn about two animals that no longer exist.

Passenger Pigeons（旅鸽）

http://darwin.bio.uci.edu/～sustain/bio65/lec03/b65lec03.htm#Passenger Pigeon

The passenger pigeon was an attractive bird with a blue back and a pink breast（胸）that existed in huge populations.In fact,it may have been the most abundant（多的）bird ever to have lived.John James Audubon observed a flock of pigeons passing over a period of three days at a rate he estimated at over 300 million birds an hour.The passage of large flocks created a roar of wings that could be heard 6 miles away.The pigeons nested（筑巢）in long narrow colonies（聚居地）that could be 40 miles long and several miles across.They occurred throughout Eastern North America where they fed on acorns（橡树果实）and beechnuts（山毛榉实）.

Early settlers in the United States developed a taste for passenger pigeon and commercial hunters devised（想出）many different ways of killing large numbers of the birds.They were suffocated（闷死）by burning grass or sulphur（硫磺）below their roosts（栖木）；fed grain（谷物）soaked（浸泡）in alcohol（酒精）；beaten down with long sticks,killed with shotguns（猎枪），caught in nets or trapped using a decoy（诱饵）pigeon tied to a perch called a stool（礭鸽的栖木）（this is the origin of the term“stool pigeon（礭鸽）”）.

1.What did passenger pigeons look like？

2.Once,notable bird conservationist John James Audubon observed a flock of pigeons passing over a period of three days at a rate he estimated to be how many birds an hour？

3.Where did passenger pigeons live and what did they eat？

4.What were some of the ways that passenger pigeons were killed？

Great Auk（大海雀）

http://darwin.bio.uci.edu/～sustain/bio65/lec03/b65lec03.htm#The Great Auk

The Great Auk was a 3-foot tall penguin-like（像企鹅的）flightless（不能飞的）sea-bird.It was a very fast underwater swimmer,but clumsy（笨拙的）on land.Hundreds of thousands of these birds lived in the North Atlantic（大西洋）.They were hunted be-tween 1785 and 1844，mainly for their feathers which were used for mattress（床垫）and pillow stuffing（填料）.The last breeding（繁殖的）pair was killed by two fisher-men,who also smashed the last egg.

1.What well-known kind of bird did the Great Auk look like？

2.Where did they live？

3.When were they mainly hunted？

4.What is one of the main reasons why they were hunted？

5.Who killed the last breeding pair of Great Auks？（591 words）

Exercises

Choose the best answer for each of the following multiple choice questions.

1.Dinosaurs may have become extinct because of__________.

A）a major earthquake

B）human factors

C）the change of climate

D）the appearance of a new species

2.Which human factor most seriously threatens the survival of animals？

A）Human hunting.

B）Habitat destruction.

C）The introduction of rival（敌对的）species.

D）The domestication（驯化）of wild animals.

3.How many species of birds,mammals,invertebrates,and plants are endangered？

A）1，000.

B）1，100.

C）1，600.

D）20，000

4.According to Audubon's estimation,the number of pigeons in that flock he ob-served could have been as large as__________.

A）300 million

B）900 million

C）72 billion

D）21.6 billion

5.All of the following are ways to kill passenger pigeons EXCEPT__________.

A）feeding them acorns and beechnuts

B）trapping them with a stool pigeon

C）killing them with shotguns

D）catching them in nets

6.People hunted the Great Auk mainly for their__________.

A）meat

B）eggs

C）feathers

D）bones

12　A Story About Friendship

One day,when I was a freshman in high school,I saw a kid from my class was walking home from school.His name was Kyle.It looked like he was carrying all of his books.I thought to myself，“Why would anyone bring home all his books on a Friday？He must really be a nerd（书呆子）。”I had quite a weekend planned（parties and a football game with my friends tomorrow afternoon），so I shrugged（耸了耸）my shoulders and went on.

As I was walking,I saw a bunch of kids running toward him.They ran at him,knocking all his books out of his arms and tripping（绊倒）him so he landed in the dirt（泥地）.His glasses went flying,and I saw them land in the grass about ten feet from him.He looked up and I saw the terrible sadness in his eyes.My heart went out to him.So,I jogged（慢跑）over to him and as he crawled（爬行）around looking for his glasses,I said，“Those guys（家伙）are jerks（傻瓜）.They really should be punished（惩罚）。”He looked at me and said，“Hey,thanks！”There was a big smile on his face.It was one of those smiles that showed real gratitude（感激）.

I helped him pick up his books,and asked him where he lived.As it turned out,he lived near me,so I asked him why I had never seen him before.He said he had gone to private school before now.I would have never hung out with a private（私立的）school kid before.We talked all the way home,and I carried some of his books.He turned out to be a pretty cool kid.I asked him if he wanted to play a little football with my friends.He said yes.We hung out（泡在一起）all weekend and the more I got to know Kyle,the more I liked him,and my friends thought the same of him.

Monday morning came,and there was Kyle with the huge stack of books again.I stopped him and said，“Boy,you are really gonna（=going to）build some serious muscles with this pile（堆）of books every day！”He just laughed and handed me half the books.Over the next four years,Kyle and I became best friends.When we were seniors,we began to think about college.Kyle decided on Georgetown（乔治敦大学），and I was going to Duke（杜克大学）.I knew that we would always be friends,that the miles would never be a problem.He was going to be a doctor,and I was going for business on a football scholarship（奖学金）.

Kyle was valedictorian（毕业典礼上致告别辞的学生代表）of our class.I teased him all the time about being a nerd.He had to prepare a speech for graduation.I was so glad it wasn't me having to get up there and speak.Graduation day,I saw Kyle.He looked great.He was one of those guys that really found themselves（发现自己的特长）during high school.He had filled out（长胖）and actually looked good in glasses.He had more dates than I had and all the girls loved him.Boy,sometimes I was jealous（妒忌的）.Today was one of those days.I could see that he was nervous about his speech.So,I smacked（拍打）him on the back and said，“Hey,big guy,you'll be great！”He looked at me with one of those looks（the really grateful one）and smiled.“Thanks，”he said.

As he started his speech,he cleared his throat（嗓子），and began.“Graduation is a time to thank those who helped you make it through those tough years.Our parents,our teachers,our siblings（兄弟姐妹），maybe a coach（指导员，教练）but mostly our friends.I am here to tell all of you that being a friend to someone is the best gift you can give them.I am going to tell you a story.”I just looked at my friend with disbe-lief（不相信）as he told the story of the first day we met.He had planned to kill him-self over the weekend.He talked of how he had cleaned out his locker（有锁的橱柜）so his Mom wouldn't have to do it later and was carrying his stuff（东西）home.He looked hard at me and gave me a little smile.“Thankfully（谢天谢地），I was saved.My friend saved me from doing the unspeakable（说不出口的傻事）。”

I heard the gasp go through the crowd as this handsome（英俊的），popular boy told us all about his weakest moment.I saw his Mom and Dad looking at me and smiling that same grateful smile.Not until that moment did I realize its depth.Never underestimate（低估）the power of your actions.With one small gesture（表示）you can change a person's life.For better or for worse（不管是好是坏），God puts us all in each other's lives to impact（影响）one another in some way.Look for God in others.As you can see，“Friends are angels（天使）who lift us to our feet when our wings（翅膀）have trouble remembering how to fly.”（817 words）

Exercises

Choose the best answer for each of the following multiple choice questions.

1.Why did the writer think Kyle a nerd？

A）Because he was wearing glasses.

B）Because he was carrying all of his books home on a Friday.

C）Because he didn't go to parties or football games on the weekend.

D）Because he was tripped by a bunch of kids.

2.The word“them”in the sentence“I saw them land in the grass about ten feet from him”（Para.2）most probably means__________.

A）the books

B）the kids

C）the glasses

D）None of the above.

3.Which of the following is NOT true about Kyle？

A）He was a freshman of a private school.

B）He lived near the writer.

C）He was liked by the writer's friends.

D）He played football with the writer.

4.It can be learned from the text that the writer was going to__________.

A）learn business at Georgetown

B）attend Duke on a scholarship

C）be a football player at Georgetown

D）learn medicine at Duke

5.The writer was sometimes jealous of Kyle because__________.

A）Kyle read more books

B）Kyle did better in his studies

C）Kyle was better at making a speech

D）Kyle had more dates with girls

6.The sentence“He was one of those guys that really found themselves”（Para.5）most probably means__________.

A）he found what he had lost

B）he had a better idea of himself

C）he became a nerd

D）he discovered his abilities

7.In his graduation speech Kyle explained that he took all his books home on the day he first met the writer because__________.

A）he was tired of studying

B）he was building his muscles

C）he wanted to kill himself

D）he wanted to read them over the weekend

8.It can be learned from the last sentence that__________.

A）friends can help us out of trouble

B）friends can teach us how to fly

C）friends can fly with us

D）friends can give us hope at our weakest moment

13　The Christmas Man

Last Christmas was a very difficult time for me.My family and all of my close friends were back home in Florida,and I was all alone in a rather cold California.I was working too many hours and became very sick.

I was working a double shift（两班）at the Southwest Airlines（西南航空公司）ticket counter,it was about 9：00 PM on Christmas Eve,and I was feeling really miserable（痛苦的）inside.There were a few of us working and very few customers waiting to be helped.When it was time for me to call the next person to the counter,I looked out to see the sweetest-looking old man standing with a cane（手杖）.He walked very slowly over to the counter and in the faintest（最微弱的）voice told me that he had to go to New Orleans.I tried to explain to him that there were no more flights that night and that he would have to go in the morning.He looked so confused and very wor-ried.I tried to find out more information by asking if he had a reservation（预订票）or if he remembered when he was supposed to travel,but he seemed to become more confused with each question.He just kept saying，“She said I have to go to New Or-leans.”

After much time,I was able to at least find out that this old man had been dropped off at the curb（在人行道路边让他下车）on Christmas Eve by his sister-in-law and told to go to New Orleans,where he had family.She had given him some cash（现金）and told him just to go inside and buy a ticket.When I asked if he could come back tomorrow,he said that she was gone and that he had no place to stay.He then said he would wait at the airport until tomorrow.Naturally,I felt a little ashamed.Here I was feeling very sorry for myself about being alone on Christmas,when this angel named Clarence MacDonald was sent to me to remind me of what being alone really meant.It broke my heart.

Immediately,I told him we would get it all straightened out（解决），and our Customer Service agent（代理人）helped to book him a seat for the earliest flight the next morning.We gave him the senior citizens'fare（老年人票价），which gave him some extra money for traveling.About this time he started to look very tired,and when I stepped around the counter to ask him if he was all right,I saw that his leg was wrapped in a bandage.He had been standing on it that whole time,holding a plastic（塑料的）bag full of clothes.

I called for a wheelchair（轮椅）.When the wheelchair came,we all stepped around to help him in,and I noticed a small amount of blood on his bandage.I asked how he hurt his leg,and he said that he had just had bypass surgery（分流手术）and an artery（动脉）was taken from his leg.Can you imagine？This man had had heart sur-gery,and then shortly afterward,was dropped off at the curb to buy a ticket with no reservation to fly to New Orleans,alone！

I never really had a situation like this,and I wasn't sure what I could do.I went back to ask my supervisors（管理者）if we could find a place for him to stay.They both said yes,and they obtained a hotel voucher（住宿券）for Mr.MacDonald for one night and a meal ticket for dinner and breakfast.When I came back out,we got his plastic bag of clothes and cane together and gave the porter a tip（小费）to take him downstairs to wait for the airport shuttle（机场专线车）.I bent down to explain the ho-tel,food and itinerary（预定行程）again to Mr.MacDonald,and then patted him on the arm and told him everything would be just fine.

As he left he said，“Thank you，”bent his head and started to cry.I cried too.When I went back to thank my supervisor,she just smiled and said，“I love stories like that.He is your Christmas Man.”（678 words）

Exercises

Choose the best answer for each of the following multiple choice questions.

1.Last Christmas the writer had a miserable time because__________.

A）there were more customers than usual waiting to be helped

B）it was freezing cold in California at Christmas time

C）she was working all alone at the ticket counter

D）she was far away from her family and friends

2.The writer's first impression of the old man was that he was__________.

A）gentle-looking and weak

B）tired out and worried

C）confused and very sick

D）sad and anxious

3.The old man wanted to fly to New Orleans to__________.

A）see his friends there

B）spend Christmas with his family

C）visit his sister-in-law

D）undergo heart surgery

4.On hearing the old man say that he would wait at the airport the whole night,the writer felt a bit ashamed.This is because__________.

A）she felt sorry that she couldn't do the old man a favor

B）she realized that someone was even more miserable than she felt

C）it took her a long time to find out how helpless the old man was

D）the old man was like an angel in the writer's eyes

5.The writer called for a wheelchair for the old man because__________.

A）the old man had broken his leg when he was dropped off at the curb

B）the old man could spend the whole night on it at the airport

C）the old man was carrying a whole lot of clothes

D）the old man had had surgery just before and was very weak by then

6.By calling the old man the writer's Christmas Man,the writer's supervisor implied that__________.

A）the old man had told the writer a love story on Christmas

B）the old man had caused a lot of trouble for the writer on Christmas

C）the old man was the best gift the writer could have received on Christmas

D）the old man was the only customer the writer had served on Christmas

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