I had arrived at the airport to catch an early flight home.It had been a very busy three days for me on an interstate trip with lots of meetings,business to do and new customers to meet.Then came the announcement that the flight had been delayed due to a technical problem.I could see a group of technicians and ground staff rushing about,obviously trying hard to fix the problem.I watched and listened as many of the passengers sitting near me shared their frustration about the inconvenience. As I sat waiting,I reflected on my last meeting for the day.It was not a business meeting but rather a very enjoyable and brief lunch with an old business associate and friend I had not seen for over 12 years,and who I had worked with for nearly 15 years before we lost in touch.I had been given his phone number by a customer I had visited on the first day of my trip,so I called him out of the blue and made a time for us to meet. Our lunch was spent recollecting times gone by and as well filling each other in on what had happened in our lives over the last 12 years.Our conversation was frequently interrupted with statements such as 'remember when we did...','whatever happened to...' and of course the one we all liked to hear...'you know you haven't changed one bit,except for a few more grey hairs.' We both laughed and smiled as we recalled the good times and the great experiences we had shared over the 15 years we had worked together. Each event we discussed caused another recollection and everything we talked about centered on the good times.Almost at the same time,right at the end of our time together,we both said how much we both enjoyed it and that we must do it again.We agreed to catch up when I was next in town,then said our goodbyes and I was off to the airport. So with this extra time on my hands as I waited for my flight,it was great to revisit and replay in my mind all that we had talked about over lunch.I realized at that moment just how important it is to have regular reminders of the good times in your life and... Which of the following is the best title for the passage? A) The Value of Old Friends B) Reflecting on the Good Times C) A Delayed Flight Home D) A Three-day Business Trip
B
You don't run across a story this inspiring every day. Dawn Loggins, a North Carolina high school senior who was left homeless by her parents the summer before her senior year, has graduated from Burns High School in Lawndale, NC. While that's quite the accomplishment, what comes next is truly amazing: Dawn has been admitted Harvard University . Dawn grew up in a less-than-ideal situation, to say the least. Her house had no electricity or running water, so she was forced to do her homework in the dark and go days, even weeks, without showering. She lived with parents who abused drugs. At Burns, Dawn was accepted to Governor's School, a one-month summer program in North Carolina for gifted high school juniors. But when she returned to Lawndale from the program in July t,she found her house empty, with a notice on the front door,saying the house has been taken back.Dawn was officially homeless. Dawn didn't let her situation stop her drive to be successful. As a senior, she participated in typical high-school activities at Burns: band club, photography club, cross-country and National Honor Society. She also worked as a janitor to earn extra money -- all while making straight A's. And like any other bright high school senior, she decided to go to college. Dawn applied at four North Carolina schools and her dream school, Harvard.Then she got an acceptance letter from the Ivy League school. On top of being accepted, Dawn received a full scholarship to attend. CNN wrote that since Dawn's story has circulated worldwide, people have sent encouragement and money to the teen. Dawn doesn't want the money for herself, though. "When I get to college, I can work for what I need. And I know my future is going to be great," she told CNN. Dawn hopes to start an organization to help other students with similar barriers in continuing their education. We can draw a conclusion from the passage that _ ? A) It's never too old to learn. B) A little learning is a dangerous thing. C) Where there is a will, there is a way D) Knowledge is power.
C
Q: A young and handsome executive was driving down a neighborhood street. He thought he saw something. Then he slowed down, watching out for children rushing out from between parked cars. As his car passed, no kids appeared. Instead, a brick smashed into his door! He slammed on the brakes (make his car stop). The angry driver then jumped out of his car, caught the nearest child and pushed him up against a parked car, shouting, "Who are you and what was that all about?" The little boy was full of apology, "Please,Mister... Please, I'm sorry...I didn't know what else I could do. I threw the brick because no one else would stop." With tears dripping down his face, the youth pointed to a spot just around a parked car. "It's my brother," he said. "He fell out of his wheelchair and I can't lift him up." Now weeping, the boy asked the executive, "Would you please help me to get him back into his wheelchair? He's hurt and he's too heavy for me." Touched beyond words, the executive tried to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his throat. He hurriedly lifted the boy back into the wheelchair, then took out his fancy handkerchief and dabbed (a light touch) at the fresh scrapes and cuts. A quick look told him everything was going to be okay. "Thank you and may God bless you." The grateful child told the stranger. Shaken up for words, the man simply watched the little boy push his wheelchair-bound brother down the sidewalk toward their home. God whispers in our souls and speaks to our hearts. Sometimes when we don't have time to listen, he has to throw a brick at us. Don't go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at you to get your attention! The executive slowed down because _ . A) he was afraid that some boys would suddenly rush out B) he saw a boy rush out from between parked cars C) he saw a boy throw a brick to his car D) he saw a brick smash into his door
A: A
When Frida Kahlo's paintings were on show in London,a poet described her paintings as "a ribbon around a bomb".Such comments seem to suggest Kahlo had a big influence on the art world of her time.Sadly,she is actually _ today than she was during her time. Born in 1907 in a village near Mexico City,Kahlo suffered from polio at the age of seven.Her spine became bent as she grew older.Then,in 1925,her back was broken in several places in a schoolbus accident.Throughout the rest of her life,the artist had many operations,but nothing was able to cure the terrible pain in her back.However,the accident had an unexpected side effect.While lying in her bed recovering,Kahlo taught herself to paint. In 1929,she got married to Diego Rivera,another famous Mexican artist.Rivera's strong influence on Kahlo's style can be seen in her early works,but her later works from the 1940s,known today as her best works,show less influence from her husband. Unfortunately,her works did not attract much attention in the 1930s and 1940s,even in her home country.Her first onewoman show in Mexico was not held until 1953.For more than a decade after her death in 1954,Kahlo's works remained largely unnoticed by the world,but in the 1970s her works began to gain international fame at last. (2012*,C) What is the author's attitude toward Kahlo? A) Devotion. B) Sympathy. C) Worry. D) Encouragement.
B