A young woman carrying a three-year-old child got on a bus. The conductor hurried to give her a warm welcome and then kindly asked the other passengers to make more room for the woman and her child. On seeing this, people began to talk. “You know this conductor used to be very rude. Now suddenly he has changed his bad behavior,” said a middle-aged man.

  “Yes, he should be praised and we must write a letter to the company,” said a second passenger. “That's right,” another lady said, “I wish a newspaper reporter were here so that more people could learn from this conductor.” Just then a gentleman who looked like a teacher turned to the conductor and said , “Excuse me, but can I know your name, please? Your excellent service must be praised.”

  Before he could open his mouth, the three-year-old child sitting on the young woman's lap interrupted, “I know his name. I call him Dad.”

21. The passengers were ______ to see the conductor's kindness to the woman and the child.

 A. excited       B. pleased      C. interested      D. surprised

22. One passenger suggested writing a letter to the company to ______.

 A. make a demand for more buses

 B. thank the conductor for his good service

 C. criticize the conductor for his rude behavior

 D. invite a newspaper reporter to write about the conductor

23. It is clear from the story that the conductor _______.

 A. has changed his attitude towards his work

 B. has now been kind and polite to all passengers

 C. has not changed his rude behavior to passengers

 D. has now been kind and polite to women with children

  It was a winter morning, just a couple of weeks before Christmas 2005. While most people were warming up their cars, Trevor, my husband, had to get up early to ride his bike four kilometers away from home to work. On arrival, he parked his bike outside the back door as he usually did. After putting in 10 hours of labor, he returned to find his bike gone.

  The bike, a black Kona 18 speed, was our only transport. Trevor used it to get to work, putting in 60-hour weeks to support his young family. And the bike was also used to get groceries（食品杂货），saving us from having to walk long distances from where we live.

  I was so sad that someone would steal our bike that I wrote to the newspaper and told them our story. Shortly after that, several people in our area offered to help. One wonderful stranger even bought a bike, then called my husband to pick it up. Once again my husband had a way to get to and from his job. It really is an honor that a complete stranger would go out of their way for someone they have never met before.

  People say that a smile can be passed from one person to another, but acts of kindness from strangers are even more so. This experience has had a spreading effect in our lives because it strengthened our faith in humanity（人性）as a whole. And it has influenced（影响）us to be more mindful of ways we, too, can share with others. No matter how big or how small, an act of kindness shows that someone cares. And the results can be everlasting.

24. Why was the bike so important to the couple?

A. The man’s job was bike racing.          

B. It was their only possession.

C. It was a nice Kona 18 speed.            

D. They used it for work and daily life.

25. We can infer from the text that ____________.

A. the couple worked 60 hours a week.      

B. people were busy before Christmas

C. the stranger brought over the bike        

D. life was hard for the young family.

26. What do the couple learn from their experience?

A. Strangers are usually of little help.       

B. One should take care of their bike.

C. News reports make people famous.      

D. An act of kindness can mean a lot.

27. Which one do you think is NOT TRUE according to the text?

  A. The couple will never steal bikes in revenge.

  B. The couple will try their best to help others in trouble.

  C. Trevor bought a new Kona immediately after someone stole his old one.

  D. The couple got some help from several people in their area.

  Jimmy is an automotive mechanic, but he lost his job a few months ago. He has good heart, but always feared applying for a new job.

  One day, he gathered up all his strength and decided to attend a job interview. His appointment was at 10 am and it was already 8:30. While waiting for a bus to the office where he was supposed to be interviewed, he saw an elderly man wildly kicking the tyre of his car. Obviously there was something wrong with the car. Jimmy immediately went up to lend him a hand. When Jimmy finished working on the car, the old man asked him how much he should pay for the service. Jimmy said there was no need to pay him; he just helped someone in need, and he had to rush for an interview. Then the old man said, “Well, I could take you to the office for your interview. It’s the least I could do. Please. I insist.” Jimmy agreed.

  Upon arrival, Jimmy found a long line of applicants waiting to be interviewed. Jimmy still had some grease on him after the car repair, but he did not have much time to wash it off or have a change of shirt. One by one, the applicants left the interviewer’s office with disappointed look on their faces. Finally his name was called. The interviewer was sitting on a large chair facing the office window. Rocking the chair back and forth, he asked, “Do you really need to be interviewed?” Jimmy’s heart sank. “With the way I look now, how could I possibly pass this interview?” he thought to himself.

  Then the interviewer turned the chair and to Jimmy’s surprise, it was the old man he helped earlier in the morning. It turned out he was the General Manager of the company.

  “Sorry I had to keep you waiting, but I was pretty sure I made the right decision to have you as part of our workforce before you even stepped into the office. I just know you’d be a trustworthy worker. Congratulations!” Jimmy sat down and they shared a cup of well-deserved coffee as he landed himself a new job.

28. Why did Jimmy apply for a new job?
A. He was out of work               B. He was bored with his job
C. He wanted a higher position      D. He hoped to find a better boss

29. What did Jimmy see on the way to the interview?
A. A friend’s car had a flat tyre      B. a wild man was pushing a car
C. a terrible accident happened        D. an old man’s car broke down

30. How did Jimmy feel on hearing the interviewer’s question?
A. He was sorry for the other applicants
B. There was no hope for him to get the job
C. He regretted helping the old man
D. The interviewer was very rude

31. What can we learn from Jimmy’s experience？
A. Where there is a will, there is a way
B. A friend in need is a friend indeed
C. Good is rewarded with good.
D. Two heads are better than one

  Lisa, a middle-aged woman, went to prepare lunch, leaving her 3-year-old son, Barney, playing by himself in the backyard.

  All of a sudden, a sharp cry of Barney came into the mother's ears, and Lisa rushed into the backyard and found a big snake entwining（纠缠） the little child with its body and trying to swallow the boy. Lisa was terrified and quite angry. She made up her mind to save her son from the snake's mouth.

  It was a fearless mother's love that made Lisa forget what she faced. She took up an old hatchet （斧头）from the ground and struck the snake with all her strength.

  One...two... With the hatchet, Lisa hit the snake again and again, but she felt as if she were striking a mass of solid(坚固的) rubber. The little boy's voice and breath were getting weaker and weaker. Lisa's heart was broken and she nearly went mad.

  Suddenly Lisa put aside the hatchet and threw herself on to the snake, opened her mouth and bit into its back, as if tearing a tough steak（牛排）. Lisa was really mad.

  A small piece of flesh was bitten off. Lisa picked up the hatchet again and hit at the wound in the snake's back madly and savagely.

  Stinking blood was spraying out of the snake's body. The snake was so badly wounded that it let go of Barney and moved back into the forest. It had never imagined that human beings had such terrible, sharp teeth. Halfway home, the snake died.

32. Why did Lisa fail in killing the snake at first?

A. Because she was afraid that what she did would hurt her son.

B. Because the hatchet was not sharp enough and the snake's skin was too hard.

C. Because the snake was even stronger than Lisa.

D. Because she was too astonished to do anything.

33. ________, so she bit the snake.

A. Lisa was really driven mad

B. Lisa thought her teeth were much sharper than the hatchet

C. Lisa couldn't refuse the temptation of the snake's meat

D. Lisa had not got any other way to deal with the snake

34. From the story, we learned that it was a mother's love that made___________ .

A. Barney brave             B. the snake frightened 

C. Lisa mad and angry        D. the woman fearless

35. What does “made up her mind” in the second paragraph probably mean?

A. was determined   B. presented   C. wandered   D. was shocked

  Everyone , at some point , will suffer a loss—the loss of loved ones , good health or a job . It’s your “ desert experience ” . The important thing is not to allow yourself to be trapped in the desert . So can you actually do things to help yourselves through bad times ?   36   . Here’s how :

Let Yourself Grieve.

A period of grieving is critical . There’s no shame in this . Tears aren’t sign that you’re simply feeling sorry for yourself but are an expression of sadness or emotion that must find an outlet .

  37   .

Anger is natural , but it can be released in a wholesome way . It can serve your recovery . You may think , “ Things like this weren’t supposed to happen to people like me . ” However , you have to realize that you have strong reasons to fight for your life .

Face the Challenge.

Instead of facing what has happened , many people try to fill up that empty feeling looking for an escape . The man who rarely touched a drink will begin hitting the bottle .   38   . Others try literally to run away . The only thing that makes sense is to face up to your situation . Admitting failure is the toughest part , but you have to before you can get on with your life .

Get Out and Do.

  39   . You can join a support group , keep a journal , schedule a trip or do exercise , which make you feel better physically , and when you feel better physically you feel better mentally .

Be Patient with Yourself.

Roughly , the terrible pain is a minimum of six months before you even start to feel better .   40   . A lot depends on disposition , the support within your environment , and whether you get help and work on it . So , be easy on yourself . Recognize that you’ll need time and congratulate yourself at each step through grief : I’m still here , I’ve made it this far !

A.    Get Outside Yourself .

B.    Understand Your Anger .

C.    Yes , you can take charge of your own cure .

D.    And it can be as long as a year , possibly two .

E.    A woman who watched her weight will overeat .

F.    They may start organizations , write books , work for awareness .

G.    It’s important to force yourself to concentrate on things other than your hurt .