Everybody has had at least one experience from which he knows the meaning of life. This time, which
took place several years ago, but seems as if it just happened.
     On an afternoon several years ago, my brother-in-law opened the bottom drawer of my sister's dress
and picked out a beautiful skirt. "Jan bought this the first time we went to New York, at least 8 or 9 years
ago. She never wore it. She was saving it for a special occasion." he said. I guess this was the occasion: it
was the funeral(葬禮) of my sister, after her unexpected death.
     He took the shirt and put it on bed, with the other clothes we were taking to the funeral. Then he closed
the drawer and turned to me, "Don't ever save anything for a special occasion. Every day you're alive is a
special occasion." I'm thinking about his words, and they've changed the way I live my life.
      I'm spending more time with my family and friends and less time in committee meetings. Whenever
possible, life should be a kind of experience to enjoy, not to suffer. "Someday" and "one of these days" are
losing their importance on my vocabulary. If it's worth seeing or hearing or doing I want to see and hear
and do it now.
     Ever since that day, I have been trying very hard not to put off, hold hack or save anything that would
add laughter and color to our lives. Every morning when I open my eyes, I tell myself that every day, every
minute, every breath, truly is a gift. So cherish every day and find the true meaning of your life.

1. Why did Jan buy the beautiful skirt but didn't wear it?

A. She waited for a special occasion to wear it on.
B. She wanted to keep it for someone else.
C. She saved it till she grew up.
D. She would give it to herself as a gift some day.

2. What does the underlined word"cherish" mean?

A. Treasure.
B. Waste.
C. Own.
D. Save.

3. From his experience, the author learns that _____.

A. everybody can have a happy life through efforts
B. every day in our lives is worth cherishing
C. enjoying ourselves is the most important thing in our lives
D. everybody will have some things left to do after his death

4. Which is the best title for the passage?

A. What Is the Meaningful Life Like?
B. My Sister Jan
C. Every Day Is a Gift
D. The Most Important Time in Your Life

     Between the innocence of babyhood and the seriousness of manhood we find a delightful creature called
a "boy" Boys are found everywhere-on top of, under, inside of, climbing on, swinging from, running around,
or jumping to. Mothers spoil them, little girls hate them, older sisters and brothers love them, and God protects
them. A boy is TRUTH with dirt on its face, BEAUTY with a cut on its finger, WISDOM with chocolate in its
hair, and the HOPE of the future with a snake in its pocket.
     When you are busy, a boy is a trouble - maker and a noise. When you want him to make a good impression,
his brain turns to jelly or else he becomes a wild creature bent on destroying the world and himself with it.
     A boy is a mixture-he has the stomach of a horse, the digestion (消化力) of stones and sand, the energy of
an atomic bomb, the curiosity of a cat, the imagination of a superman, the shyness of a sweet girl, the brave
nature of a bull, the violence of a firecracker, but when you ask him to make something, he has five thumbs (拇
指) on each hand.
     He likes ice cream, knives, saws, Christmas, comic books, woods, water (in its natural habitat), large
animals, Dad, trains, Saturday mornings, and fire engines. He is not much for Sunday schools, company,
schools, books without pictures, music lessons, neckties, barbers, girls, overcoats, adults, or bedtime.
     A boy is a magical creature-he is your headache but when you come home at night with only shattered
pieces of your hopes and dreams, he can mend them like new with two magic words, "Hi, Dad!"

1. The whole passage is in a tone of _____.

A. humor and affection
B. respect and harmony
C. ambition and expectation
D. confidence and imagination

2. Could you figure out the meaning of the underlined sentence?

A. He has altogether five fingers.
B. He is slow, foolish and clumsy.
C. He becomes clever and smart.
D. He cuts his hand with a knife.

3. According to the writer, boys appreciate everything in the following EXCEPT _____.

A. ice cream
B. comic books
C. Saturday mornings
D. Sunday schools

4. What does the writer feel about boys?

A. He feels curious about their noise.
B. He is fed up with these creatures.
C. He is amazed by their naughtiness.
D. He feels unsafe staying with them.

     It was one of the happiest times of my life. I was 29 and had just received my bachelor's degree,
graduating with honors despite working two jobs and being a wife and mother. My parents and
five-year-old son were in the audience when I walked onto the stage at Ashland University to get my
diploma. I was so excited and proud to be starting a teaching career and contributing more to my family's well-being.
     But when I got home that evening, there was a note from my husband written on the back of an
envelope. It basically said he had come to get his clothes and wouldn't be back. We'd been having
trouble, but the finality of that note still came as a shock. He had emptied our bank account. We were
horribly in debt. I had quit my previous jobs in expectation of interviewing for a teaching position. Plus, I
was eight months pregnant.
     I had my son, and I was about to bring a new life into the world, so despite my deep sadness, I had
to go on. The next morning, I woke up, put my feet on the floor, took a deep breath, fixed breakfast, and basically did everything I always did. I used my routine to keep me moving. After being in the military for
six years, I guess you can say I relied on my training, like all good soldiers do in tough situations. One
small step after one small step was the way I bounced back (恢復(fù)原狀).
     And in the seven years since, I've continued moving forward. I got a job as a kindergarten teacher,
earned a master's degree in education, and watched my babies grow to twelve and seven. I certainly
would never have chosen to put them through this, but looking back, I'm glad it happened to me when it
did. It helped me find my voice and myself a lot sooner. It helped me grow independent, confident, and
strong-things I'm hopefully instilling (灌輸) now in my children.

1. After getting her bachelor's degree, the author expected to ________.

A. become a teacher    
B. be a wife and mother  
C. work two jobs      
D. get divorced

2. What do we know about the author from Paragraph 2?

A. Her husband wrote a note to congratulate her on her graduation.
B. She had just been to a job interview when her husband left her.
C. Her husband paid off all the debts from the bank.
D. She was going to have another baby soon.

3. The author's hardships in life made her ________.

A. become confident and independent
B. work harder in the kindergarten
C. use her routine to move forward
D. feel pleased with what happened to her

4. It can be inferred from the passage that __________.

A. The author's parents helped her a lot
B. The author received further education later
C. The author earned a master's degree when she was 29
D. The author didn't know how to deal with marriage

5. What helped the author to pull through her hard time?

A. The divorce with her husband.
B. Her fellow soldiers in the army.
C. Her decision to find a new job.  
D. A strong mind and love for her kids.

     It was the summer of 1960. Deluca, then 17, visited Peter Buck, a family friend. Buck asked Deluca
about his plan for the future. "I'm going to college, but I need a way to pay for it," Deluca recalls saying.
"Buck said, 'you should open a sandwich shop.'"
     That afternoon, they agreed to be partners. And they set a goal: to open 32 stores in ten years. After
doing some research, Buck wrote a check for $1,000. Deluca rented a storefront (店面) in Connecticut,
and when they couldn't cover their startup costs, Buck kicked in another $1,000.
     But business didn't go smoothly as they expected. Deluca says, "After six months, we were doing
poorly, but we didn't know how badly, because we didn't have any financial controls." All he and Buck
knew was that their sales were lower than their costs.
     Deluca was managing the store and to the University of Bridgeport at the same time. Buck was
working at his day job as a nuclear physicist in New York. They'd meet Monday evenings and brainstorm
ideas for keeping the business running. "We convinced ourselves to open a second store. We figured we
could tell the public, 'We are so successful; we are opening a second store.'" And they did-in the spring
of 1966. Still, it was a lot of learning by trial and error.
     But the partners' learnasyougo approach turned out to be their greatest strength. Every Friday,
Deluca would drive around and handdeliver the checks to pay their supplies. "It probably took me two
and a half hours and it wasn't necessary but as a result, the suppliers got to know me very well, and the
personal relationships established really helped out," Deluca says.
     And having a goal was also important. "There are so many problems that can get you down. You just
have to keep working toward your goal," Deluca adds.
     Deluca ended up founding Subways Sandwich, the multimilliondollar restaurant chain.

1. Deluca opened the first sandwich shop in order to ________.
A. support his family
B. pay for his college education
C. help his partner expand business
D. do some research 

2.  Which of the following is true of Buck?
A. He put money into the sandwich business.
B. He was a professor of business administration.
C. He was studying at the University of Bridgeport.
D. He rented a storefront for Deluca.

3. What can we learn about their first shop?
A. It stood at an unfavorable place.
B. It lowered the prices to poor management.
C. It made no profits due to poor management.
D. It lacked control over the quality of sandwich.

4. They decided to open a second store because they ________.
A. had enough money to do it
B. had succeeded in their business
C. wished to meet the increasing demand of customers
D. wanted to make believe(假裝)that they were successful