My father got his first job at eleven years old. cleaning up the garbage outside of the bowlingalley . Two years later his dad died. and my fatber worked odd jobs to help put food onthe table during the Depression. Ten years after that. Dad fell in love. married Mom and had ababy girl. Eight more children followed. During those years, Dad slipped into a routine he neverbroke He woke up before six. took the train to work and wouldn't get home until after five thirly.After supper, Dad spent the rest of the evening in the basement making dental parts for extra Two years ago, at the age of sixty-four, Dad retired. When I was young, Mom and Dad did well to hide the fact that we were poor. All nine of us attended Catholic schools and we always had plenty of school supplies. We slept in wooden beds, shared one bathroom and watched television from a tiny black-and-white set in the living room. Mom and Dad never bought anything for themselves. They clipped coupons, wore the same pair of sneakers for twenty years and sewed wom clothing together every Saturday afternoon. At his retirement party. I wanted to thank Dad for all his hard work and sacrifice by buying him the best present I could think of. As I shopped though. l realized there was nothing I could buy for Dad. Dad taught me through his own faith that the greatest gifis come from the heart Finally. I left my present on the kitchen table for Dad to find before he Ieft for his frnal day at work. How did Dad get extra money besides his daytime routine work? A) Collecting garbage outside the alley. B) Making dental parts in the basement. C) Putting food on the table in a hotel. D) Working oddjobs on the train.
B
In the 18th century, New York was smaller than Philadelphia and Boston. Today it is the largest city in America. How can the change in its size and importance be explained? To answer this question we must consider certain facts about geography, history, and economics. Together these three will explain the huge growth of America's most famous city. The map of the Northeast shows that the four areas with the largest populations in this region are around seaports. At these points materials from across the sea enter the United States, and the products of the land are sent there for export across the sea. We know that places where transportation lines meet are good places for making raw materials into finished goods. That is why seaports often have cities nearby. But cities like New York needed more than their geographical location in order to become great industrial centers. Their development did not happen simply by chance.www.zxxk.com About 1815, when many Americans from the east had already moved toward the west, transportation routes from the seaports to the central regions of the country began to be a serious problem. The slow wagons of that time, usually drawn by horses, were too expensive for moving heavy freight very far. In New York State a canal seemed the best answer to the transportation problem. From the eastern end of Lake Erie all the way across the state to the Hudson River there is a long strip of low land. Here the Erie Canal was built, and after several years of work it was completed in 1825. The canal produced an immediate effect. Freight costs were cut to about one tenth of what they had been. New York City, which had been smaller than Philadelphia and Boston, quickly became the leading city of the coast. In the years that followed, transportation routes on the Great Lakes were joined to routes on the Mississippi River. Then New York City became the end point of a great inland shipping system that started from the Atlantic Ocean far up the western branches of the Mississippi. Which of the following would be the best title for the passage? A) The Development of Transportation in New York B) Export and Import of New York C) How New York Became America's Largest City D) How New York Exchanged with Europe
C
Q: It was time for Mr. Rocco to shut up shop when I hurried into the florist's. "Now, what is it that you want?" Mr. Rocco turned to me. "I want the most beautiful flower you have." I replied, "And just how much do you have to pay for this most beautiful flower?" I held out a wet hand showing a quarter and dime. He nodded, and then showed me a plant on the counter "I can give you this one for 35 cents." he said," Aw, gee," I protested, "it looks like a weed!" About l 8 inches high, the plant was in a small pot covered with faded red paper." Now trust me, boy---I promise that tomorrow morning when you get up, you will find your most beautiful flower. "said Mr. Rocco. I knew him to be a good honest man, so I agreed to take it. It was almost midnight when I arrived home. Mom was seriously sick and using the front bedroom. I looked in to see if she was asleep, and then quietly tiptoed in and set the plant on the table beside her bed. I wanted her to be surprised when she woke on Mother's Day. The next morning, I dressed and hurried downstairs. The sun was shining through kitchen window as I looked into Mom's room. She motioned for me to come in, then glanced over at the table where the plant was. Holy mackerel! There were three big yellow trumpet-shaped blooms. It was just like Mr. Rocco said---the most beautiful flower I ever saw! When I looked at Mom, she was smiling as tears streamed down her cheeks. She held out her hand for me to come near, then pulled me close and hugged till it hurt. Then, remembering her _ condition and that she wasn't supposed to touch me, she quickly let me go. My dear Mom died the next night. The moment she hugged me turned out to be the most wonderful moment of my life. Not only had that beautiful plant helped show just how much I loved her, but I'd always know how much she loved me. The author didn't like the plant recommended by Mr. Rocco at first because _ . A) the packing of the plant was shabby B) the plant was actually a weed C) the plant appeared too ordinary to be the most beautiful D) he thought Mr. Rocco was reluctant to do the deal with him
A: C
Q: Are you looking for something fun and would you like to help others in your spare time? Then join us to be a volunteer! We're a non-profit organization. We have volunteer jobs of all ages. Anyone, from twelve-year-old children to people in their seventies can become a volunteer. You can help people in many ways. Schools need help with taking care of children while parents are working. Hospitals need volunteers to look after children while their parents are seeing a doctor. Animal lovers can help take care of those dogs and cats without homes. There is something for everyone. "As a volunteer, I don't want to get anything. Seeing the children's happy faces, I'm happy, too." Said Carlos Domingo, an old woman of 62. "I often played computer games in my spare time before. Now I help older people learn how to use computers." said another volunteer at the age of 18. If everyone helps out a bit, we'll have a better world to live in. Interested? Call us 1-800-555-5756 or visit our website: www.activol.com. We can read such a passage _ . A) in a newspaper B) in a storybook C) in a picture book D) in a textbook
A: A