[单项选择]

I once knew a young man, nineteen years of age, who lived with absolute outward(外表的)confidence and self-possession for a number of years before I discovered that he could not read or write. His various methods of trick, which were also skills of self-protection, were so skillful and so desperate(绝望)that neither I nor any of his other adult friends were aware of his entire helplessness in face of written words until we went to dinner one night at a local restaurant, and suddenly discovered that he could not read.
Even here, it was not the first time we went out to eat, but something like the second or third, that Peter’s desperation shocked me. The first time, he was clever enough to cover the truth. He studied the menu for a moment, then looked up to the waitress and asked her if he could have "just a coke and a hamburger". He told me later that he had done the same thing many times before and that he had learned to act as if he were examining the menu:&qu
A. pretend that he could not read or write
B. pretend to be studying the menu
C. be desperate for help from other people
D. protect himself by playing a musical instrument

[单项选择]

I once knew a young man, nineteen years of age, who lived with absolute outward(外表的)confidence and self-possession for a number of years before I discovered that he could not read or write. His various methods of trick, which were also skills of self-protection, were so skillful and so desperate(绝望)that neither I nor any of his other adult friends were aware of his entire helplessness in face of written words until we went to dinner one night at a local restaurant, and suddenly discovered that he could not read.
Even here, it was not the first time we went out to eat, but something like the second or third, that Peter’s desperation shocked me. The first time, he was clever enough to cover the truth. He studied the menu for a moment, then looked up to the waitress and asked her if he could have "just a coke and a hamburger". He told me later that he had done the same thing many times before and that he had learned to act as if he were examining the menu:&qu
A. he dined out with his adult friends at Howard Johnson’s
B. he could no longer come up with various ways of deception
C. he had dinner with his friends at a certain local restaurant for the second or third time
D. he was not careful enough to be aware of his entire helplessness in face of written words

[简答题] I once knew a dog named Newton who has a unique sense of humor. Whenever I tossed out a Frisbee (飞碟) for him to chase, he’’d take off in hot pursuit but then seem to lose track of it. Moving back and forth only a yard or two from the toy, Newton would look all around, even up into the trees. He seemed genuinely puzzled. Finally, I’’d give up and head into the field to help him out. But no sooner would I get within 10 ft. of him than he would run invariably straight over to the Frisbee, grab it and start running like mad, looking over his shoulder with what looked suspiciously like a grin. Just about every pet owner has a story like this and is eager to share it with anyone who will listen. On very short notice, TIME reporters came up with 25 stories about what each is convinced is the smartest pet in the world. Among them: the cat who closes the door behind him when he goes into the bathroom; the cat who uses a toilet instead of a litter box... and flushes it afterward; the do

[填空题]

What did the old man ask The old man asked whether the seat

[单项选择]Once a man______.
A. threatened the police
B. took some hostages
C. robbed a bank
D. locked himself in a house

[单项选择]

There was once a man in South America who had a parrot, a pet bird that could imitate human speech. The parrot was unique. There was no other bird like him in the whole world. He could learn to say any word except one: he couldn’t say the name of his name town. Cartano. The man did everything he could do to teach the parrot to say "Cartano" but he never succeeded. At first he was gentle with the bird but gradually he lost his temper. "You stupid bird! Why can’t you learn to say that one word Say ’Cartano’, or I’ll kill you!" But the parrot would not say it. Many times the man screamed, "Say ’Cartano’ ,or I’ll kill you!" but the bird would never repeat the name. Finally the man gave up, he picked up the parrot and threw him into the chicken house. "You arc even more stupid than the chickens!"
In the chicken house. there were four old chickens waiting to be killed for Sunday’s dinn
A. The bird had finally understood his threat.
B. The bird managed to escape from the chicken house.
C. The bird had learned to scream back at him.
D. The bird was living peacefully with the chickens.