There are two things I can count on my dad asking every time he calls me: “Is there anything I can do for you?” and “How’s the car?” I guess he asks what he can do for me because his dad (an air force officer) was never really there for him, and he’s determined to provide me with the support he lacked. During my youth he never missed a school play or softball game. In fact, he was so supportive that I sometimes longed for one of those dads who dressed better and cared less. But my dad would forever be the guy wearing shorts with dress shoes and black socks, cheering me on, expecting greatness.
His other standard question—How’s the car? -- used to strike me as a waste of long-distance dollars from a man who once suggested making a list of what you want to talk about before calling someone out of state. What I now realize is that “How’s the car?” is not about the car. It’s a father’s way of asking his adult daughter how she is doing. The advantage is that if there’s something wrong with the car, he knows what to do about it and how much it will cost, whereas if you’re having problems about marriage or doubting a career choice, he might have to act Mom on the line.
At age thirty I finally took the plunge(跳进) into adulthood by renting a car without my dad’s help or advice. I’m sure my dad was hurt rather than proud. Though a daughter’s independence is evidence of a job well done, it still implies the job’s done, and many fathers are unwilling to retire. Even when my dad was overworked, he’d happily jump on a plane if I said I needed help. His frequent question “Is there anything I can do for you?” underlines the fact that he wishes there was still something he could provide. It’s interesting: Even though we’re tied by blood and I love him no matter what, he still seems to need a concrete function -- suggesting stocks, finding the cheapest plane fare -- to feel he has a role in my life.
1.In the author’s opinion, her father always attended her school plays or softball games to_____.
A. satisfy any demand she made to him
B. show his interest and watch them for fun
C. make up what he was previously short of
D. expect his daughter would be great in games
2.The author has learned that by asking “How is the car?”, her father is actually_____.
A. reminding her not to waste money
B. asking how his daughter is getting along
C. expressing his concern for her daughter’s safety
D. asking his daughter if the car breaks down or not
3.According to the author, her father, like many other fathers, is unwilling to retire probably because_____.
A. he wants to continue to earn money
B. he is doubtful of children’s independence
C. he won’t put an end to caring for his children
D. he is afraid of losing connection with children
4.We can safely draw a conclusion from the story that in the author’s eye her father_____.
A. has a strong passion for his work
B. has the deepest love for his children
C. has great interest in his daughter’s car
D. has too much control over his children
Three boys and three girls boarded the bus to Fort Lauderdale, dreaming of golden beaches as the gray cold of New York disappeared behind them. They noticed an old man, who sat in front of them, dressed in a plain, ill-fitting suit, never , and his dusty face his age.
He was in his seat like a stone, and the young people began to about him, trying to his life and his age. Deep into the night, outside Washington, one of the girls went up to him and introduced herself. “Want some wine?” He took the glass and drank.
Slowly and he told his story. His name was Vingo, he had been in in New York for the past four years, and now he was going home. “When I was in prison I wrote to my wife,” he said. “I told her that I was going to be away for a long time, and that if she couldn't it, if the kids kept asking questions, if it too much, she could just forget me, I'd understand.”
“Last week, knowing I would be , I wrote her again. We used to live in Brunswick and there's a big oak tree just as you come into town. I told her that if she would me back, she should put a yellow handkerchief on the tree, and I'd and come home with her. If she didn't me, forget it, no handkerchief, and I'd go on through.”
“Wow,” the girl exclaimed. She told the others, and soon all of them put their faces against the window, waiting for the of Brunswick.
Then Brunswick was ten miles, and then five. Then, suddenly, all of the young people were up out of their seats, screaming , all except Vingo. Vingo sat there , looking at the oak tree. It was almost with yellow handkerchiefs, 20 of them, 30 of them, maybe hundreds, a tree that stood like a huge flag of , blowing in the wind. As the young people shouted, the old man rose and his way to the front of the bus to go home.
1.A. moving B. leaning C. stopping D. heading
2.A. proved B. masked C. betrayed D. abandoned
3.A. rooted B. annoyed C. relaxed D. alarmed
4.A. hear B. care C. wonder D. speak
5.A. bother B. describe C. imagine D. know
6.A. away B. in C. out D. over
7.A. terribly B. eagerly C. painfully D. casually
8.A. hospital B. prison C. company D. work
9.A. support B. believe C. stand D. ignore
10.A. lasted B. influenced C. cost D. hurt
11.A. hopeless B. convenient C. successful D. free
12.A. take B. refuse C. call D. write
13.A. get out B. get off C. get on D. get in
14.A. remember B. believe C. miss D. accept
15.A. entrance B. beauty C. existence D. approach
16.A. amazingly B. joyfully C. definitely D. desperately
17.A. shocked B. puzzled C. terrified D. depressed
18.A. covered B. surrounded C. spotted D. dotted
19.A. wishes B. welcome C. victory D. success
20.A. felt B. forced C. made D. pushed
The closer the blood relationship between two people, the closer they are in intelligence. If we take two unrelated people _____, their degree of intelligence might be completely different.
A. at ease B. at random C. in the flesh D. in many ways
No matter how much time you spend planning a trip, things still _____ go wrong and air travel is no exception—from weather delays to lost luggage.
A. deliberately B. obviously C. originally D. occasionally
Vehicle designers are well aware that they need to ______ the idea of cars that have a low environmental impact.
A. end up with B. put up with C. keep up with D. come up with
Glass is obviously a wiser choice for the plate as it can easily be recycled and does not take hundreds of years to _____ like plastic.
A. break off B. break out C. break down D. break into