Welcome to your future life! You get up ...

When middle-aged Alex quit his job and made up his mind to become a self-employed writer, no one could tell for sure whether he would succeed or not．He found a cold storage room in a building, set up a used typewriter and settled down to work．

After a year or so, however, Alex began to doubt himself．He found it was difficult to earn his living by selling what he wrote．But Alex determined to put his dream to the test—even though it meant living with uncertainty and fear of failure．This is the shadowland（虚幻世界）of hope, and anyone with a dream must learn to live there．

One day Alex got a call,“We need an assistant, and we're paying $ 6,000 a year．” $ 6,000 was real money in 1960．It would enable Alex to get a nice apartment, a used car and more．Besides, he could write in his spare time．As the dollars were dancing in Alex's head, something cleared his senses．He had dreamed of being a writer? Full time．“Thanks, but no,” Alex said firmly and swiftly, “I'm going to stick it out and write．”

After Alex got off the phone, he pulled out everything he had: two cans of vegetables and 18 cents．Alex put the cans and cents into a paper bag, saying to himself, “There's everything you've made of yourself so far．I'm not sure I ever felt so low.”

Finally his work was published in 1970．Instantly he had the kind of fame and success that few writers ever experienced．The shadows had turned into focus of attention．

Then one day, Alex found a box filled with things he had owned years before．Inside was a paper bag with two cans and 18 cents．Suddenly he pictured himself working in that cold storage room．It reminds Alex, and anyone with a dream, of the courage and persistence it takes to stay the course in the shadowland．

1.Why did Alex give up his job?

2.What did Alex express when he answered the call?

3.What kind of person is Alex?

4.Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?

The following notice is posted in the bus station.

Time Table:

●Buses leave the Railway Station, New York City, from7:00 a.m. and every half-hour thereafter, until 11:30 p.m. (7 days a week)

●Buses leave Brennan Station 20 minutes before and after every hour from 6:20 a.m. to 11:40 p.m. (7 days a week)

●Evening rush hours (5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.); Buses leave the Railway Station, New York City every 15 minutes.(Monday—Friday)

●Holidays Buses leave every hour on the hour, each direction.(Trip time:30minutes each way)

●All tickets must be bought at Window 12, the Railway Station, New York City, or at the Brennan Station Window BEFORE boarding buses.

1.If you want to take a bus in the evening rush hour, you should take the ____                       in the Railway Station, New York City on Monday.

2.You’ll go back home from work in Brennan. Which of the following bus will you take?

3.Where should passengers buy their tickets?

People believe that climbing can do good to health. Where can you learn the skill of climbing then? If you think that you have to go to the mountains to learn how to climb, you’re wrong. Many Americans are learning to climb in city gyms (体育馆). Here, people are learning on special climbing walls. The climbing wall goes straight up and has small holding places for hands and feet.

How do people climb the wall? To climb, you need special shoes and a harness (保护带) around your chest to hold you. There are ropes (绳索) tied to your harness. The ropes hold you in place so that you don’t fall. A beginner’s wall is usually about 15 feet high, and you climb straight up. There are small pieces of metal that stick out for you to stand on and hold on to. Sometimes it’s easy to see the next piece of metal. Sometimes, it’s not. The most difficult part is to control your fear. It’s normal for humans to be afraid of falling, so it’s difficult not to feel fear. But when you move away from the wall, the harness and the ropes hold you, and you begin to feel safe. You move slowly until you reach the top.

Climbing attracts people because it’s good exercise for almost everyone. You use your whole body, especially your arms and legs. This sport gives your body a complete workout. When you climb, both your mind and your body can become stronger.

1.What can we infer from the passage?

2.The most difficult thing to do in wall climbing is _________.

3.The word “workout” underlined in the last paragraph most probably means      .

4.Why does the author write this passage?

John，an academically excellent young man，went to apply for a management position in a big company．The director did the last  36 ．

The director asked，“Who paid for your school fees?” John answered．“My  37 did．When I was young，my father  38 ．”Then he continued．“  39 was your mother?” John answered，“My mother worked as a  40 cleaner．”Hearing this, the director asked John to  41  his hands．John reached out his hands that were  42 and perfect．The director said，“I have a  43 ．when you go home，clean your mother’s hands and see me tomorrow．”

John felt  44 but did it．His tears fell  45 he cleaned his mother’s hands．He noticed  for the first time that her hands were so  46 ．Also John  47 that it was this pair of hands  that washed clothes every day to  48 him．After cleaning his mother’s hands，John  49 washed all the remaining clothes for her．

Next day，John went to the director’s office. Tears in eyes，John was asked to  50 his  feelings．“Now I know what is  51 ．Without my mother，there wouldn’t be the  52 me today．By helping my mother，I see how  53 it is to get something done．I have also come to know the value of family relationship．”

The director smiled，This is what I am  54 ．I want a person who can appreciate the help of others，a person who knows the sufferings of others and a person who  55 put money as his only goal in life．You are hired．”

----Have you put your hands ________a job?

-----No, I have applied ________several companies, but none has given me an answer.