I have a friend who had financial problems and needed my help occasionally.

He was in his final year in University while I was in my third year. He needed some money for school fees and other academic purposes, and he came to me. Being a student， ______，but I gave him what he needed on the agreement that he would pay back. I didn’t bother him after that. I never asked when he’d pay back.

Later on，after he finished school，he got into another period of deep financial stress and called me on the phone. He asked to borrow some more money，promising that he’d pay all of it back once he landed a job. Out of kindness，I still gave him the exact amount he needed，which was twice the amount I had given him initially. He was so grateful. It’s so hard to find someone willing to lend you that amount of money，even with interest.

Fast forward a few months later. One evening，I was feeling happy and love filled my heart. I felt like performing a special act of kindness. And then I thought，“Why not cancel my friend’s debt? Things are so difficult for him，you know? ”So I called him up and told him I had canceled his debt. He was shocked! He couldn’t believe it. He was so happy and later sent me a message of heart-felt gratitude.

Me too! And I felt grateful for his gratitude.

In life，it is the small but powerful actions of love that matter. When life is over，that’s what counts.

1.For what purpose did the author’s friend turn to him for help when they were in university?（no more than 10 words）

2.Fill in the blank in Paragraph 2 with proper words. （no more than 5 words）

3.According to Paragraph 4，what did the author decide to do?（no more than 10 words）

4.How did the author’s friend feel after he received the phone?（no more than 5 words）

5.What does the author intend to tell us?（no more than 10 words）

 

Nine out of 10 people have run up unsecured debt and many fear they will never be able to pay back what they owe, a survey has claimed.
Around 89% of people aged between l|8 and 35 said they owed money on a credit card, loan or overdraft, the research showed．
A third of people admitted they did not think- they would ever be debt-free, 54% of whom said they would always need to borrow money in order to fund the lifestyle they wanted．
One in five of these people also claimed they were not worried about the possibility of their debts being passed on to their next of kin if they died before they were repaid．
Just over half who owed money said they did not feel in control of their debt, with 8% admitting they had needed to ask for help with repayments from a friend or family member．Eight out of 10 people also told the research for discount website MyVoucherCodes．co．uk that they thought it was too easy to borrow money through their bank or on credit cards．
Farhad Farhadi, MyVoucherCodes．co．uk’s personal finance expert, said: "The majority of British adults owe money m some way, shape or form, but to see that almost a third think they’ll never be free c ^ from debt is quite alarming．
"When borrowing money from any source, how you are going to repay it should always be in the back of your mind．
"A lot of people don’t-really think about ’die consequences of borrowing money and it can be easy to get complacent, but keeping it all under control should be a priority from the off．Only borrow what you really think you can afford to pay back．"
【小題1】The best title for this passage is_________．

A．I’ll die in debt, say one in three	B．Desperate British
C．The beginning of the end	D．Borrowing money from any source

【小題2】Which of the following is NOT true?    

A．Most British adults are in debt in some v/ay．

B．It is hard for the British to borrow money through their bank．

C．Lots of people do not take repaying money seriously．

D．This passage is a warning for the British．

【小題3】What does the underlined phrase mean?  

A．end with	B．from the start
C．ever since	D．fore ever

【小題4】What does Farhad mean by saying "the majority of British adults owe money in some way, shape or form"? 

A．It is natural to owe money m Britain so there in no need to worry．

B．It is natural to owe money in Britain as long as you are in control．

C．It does not matter to owe money in Britain if you are rich enough．

D．It seems that the British enjoy owing money in some way．

 

 Only in 1996      the determination and patience of the scientists     with a breakthrough at last .

   A. were ; paid off   B. did;  pay back     C. did ; pay off   D. did ; pay for

 

I started winning competitions. We still had very little money -- my father had to borrow $5,000 to pay for a trip to the International Young Pianists Competition in Ettlingen, Germany, in 1994, when I was 12. I realized later how much pressure he was under. Tears streamed down his face when it was announced that I'd won -- earning enough money to pay back our loan.

It was soo n clear I couldn't stay in China forever. To become a world-class musician, I had to play on the world's big stages. So in 1997, my father and I moved again, this time to Philadelphia, so I could attend The Curtis Institute of Music. Finally our money worries were easing. The school paid for an apartment and even lent me a Steinway（斯坦威鋼琴）.At night, I would sneak into the living room just to touch the keys.

Now that I was in America, I spent two years practicing, and by 1999 I had worked hard enough for fortune to take over. The Chicago Symphony orchestra heard me play and liked me, but orchestra schedules were set far in advance. I thought I might join them in a few years.

The next morning, I got a call. The great pianist Andre Watts, who was to play the "Gala Benefit Evening" at Chicago's Ravinia Festival, had become ill. I was asked to replace him. That performance was, for me, the moment. After violinist Isaac Stern introduced me, I played Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1. My father's mouth hung open throughout the entire song.

I played until 3:30 a.m. I felt something happening. Sure enough, it was a great success. Still, my father kept telling me, "You'd better practice!" But living in America with me was beginning to relax him. In Beijing I'd been fat -- he made sure I ate -- and he'd been skinny. Now I was getting thin. He wasn't.

My father and I had often practiced a piece called "Horses," a fun version for piano and erhu. One night in Carnegie Hall, after I played Chopin and Liszt, I brought Dad out on the stage, and we played our duet（二重奏）. People went crazy -- they loved it. My father couldn't sleep for days. He was too happy to sleep.

There have been lots of concerts in Carnegie Hall, but for me playing there was especially sweet when I remember the cold days in Beijing. Together, my father and I worked to reach the lucky place where fortune spots you, and lets you shine.

 

1.In the first paragraph his father cried when it was announced that he'd won mainly because__________.

A.his father was excited that his son succeeded at last.

B.his father was under too much pressure.

C.they could pay back the loan with the prize.

D.his father was proud of him.

2. Tell the order of the events.

a. He and his father moved to Philadelphia.

b. He was asked to replace the great pianist Andre Watts.

c. He and his father played “Horses” together.

d.The Chicago Symphony orchestra heard his performance.

e. The Curtis Institute of Music lent him a Steinway

A. a, e, c, b, d       B. b, e, a, d, c       C. d, a, e, b, c       D. a, e, d, b, c

3. Which of the following statements agrees with the author?

A. The writer’s father had been very fat before they went to America.

B. The writer thought he would be one of them soon when he knew the Chicago Symphony orchestra heard him play and liked him.

C. The Curtis Institute of Music finally eased their money worries.

D. One can achieve his dream if he is lucky enough.

4. The underlined word there in the last paragraph refers to_________.

A. America     B. Beijing.   C. Carnegie Hall  D. All the places he went to. 

5. What is the best title of the passage?

A. I Took Off!                          B. When Fortune Spots Me.

C. No Pain, No Gain.                    D. My father and I

 

 

My wife called,“will you come here and make your darling daughter eat her food ？I rushed to the scene. My only daughter,Sindu , 1 frightened. In front of her was a bowl filled with rice. She  2 disliked rice .

“Sindu ,why don’t you take a few 3of this ？ Just for Dad ’sake . If don’t ,your mom will shout at me .”Sindu softened a bit and 4 her tears with the back of her hands.“OK,Dad.I will eat .But you should ……”Sindu hesitated.“Dad ,if I eat the rice ,will you give 5 I ask for ？”“Oh,sure .”She 6 eating the whole quantity . After the ordeal was through ,Sindu came to me ,“Dad ,I want to have my  7 shaved off this Sunday ！

“Darling ,we will be sad  8 you with a clean-shaved head .”“Dad ,you saw how difficult it was to eat the rice .”Sindu was in tears.“ 9 you promised to give me whatever I ask for.”

It was  10 for me to call the shots .“Our promise must be  11 .”

With her head clean-shaven ,Sindu had a round face .On Monday morning , I dropped her at her  12 .Just then , a boy  shouted ,Sindu please wait for me ！13  struck me was the hairless head of that boy .

“Sir , your daughter Sindu is great  14 .”a lady said to me ,“That boy who is walking along with your daughter is my son Harish .He is 15 from leukemia（白血�。�. He lost all his hair due to the side  16 of the chemotherapy(化療).He refused to  17 to school for fear of being laughed at . Sindu visited him last week , and promised him that she will take care of the teasing issue. But , I  18 imagined she would sacrifice her lovely hair for the sake of  19 ” .

“My little angel , you are teaching me  20 selfless real love is ！” I wept.

1.                A．looked         B．proved         C．sounded  D．turned

 

2.                A．properly        B．likely           C．formerly  D．particularly

 

3.                A．bowls          B．mouthful        C．rices D．pieces

 

4.                A．cleaned        B．burst           C．wiped    D．crashed

 

5.                A．however        B．whenever       C．wherever D．whatever

 

6.                A．enjoyed        B．finished         C．practiced D．liked

 

7.                A．hair           B．face           C．ear  D．hand

 

8.                A．comparing      B．looking         C．seeing    D．watching

 

9.                A．So             B．And            C．If    D．Though

 

10.               A．chance         B．good           C．choice    D．time

 

11.               A．made          B．carried         C．kept  D．broken

 

12.               A．room          B．school         C．house D．desk

 

13.               A．That           B．This           C．It D．What

 

14.               A．in fact          B．for example     C．indeed    D．really

 

15.               A．suffering       B．separating       C．judging    D．a(chǎn)ffecting

 

16.               A．illness          B．effects         C．health D．medicine

 

17.               A．come back      B．turn back       C．pay back   D．date back

 

18.               A．such           B．even           C．ever  D．never

 

19.               A．your daughter   B．my son         C．me   D．you

 

20.               A．how           B．whether        C．where D．when