Unit 2
Giving Thanks and Expressing Regret
Reading Comprehention
The word “generosity” has been devalued somewhat recently. A millionaire may give his friend a house in the beautiful suburb; A rich man could fly halfway round the world to meet his friends for his birthday party. In this case, generosity is more an action of showing off than a sincere of giving. And such showing off lacks the most important quality of real generosity: to offer kindness and love without expecting anything in return.Real generosity, when you meet it, is simply so pleasant. And as a quality, it belongs equally to the rich and the poor. A traveler in a faraway place felt it when he shared bread, room, even bed with a farmer’s family, whose general principle is “A guest in the house is God in the house”.
Another story is about a university student from Oxford. He did something out of his natural sense of generosity when he learned that his roommate couldn’t afford an impossibly expensive textbook, a book which was very rare in second-hand shops. Knowing that his roommate was far too proud to accept such a book as present from him, the rich student bought a new copy for 35 pounds at Blackwell’s bookshop. He dirtied it up a bit and tore off the paper cover, made a few dog-ears and pencil marks against what he thought might be important parts, and wrote an invented name in the front. He even remembered to age the ink by putting it over fire. Then he went back, looking extremely proud of himself and claiming to have got the book in a second-hand bookshop. “Beaten them down to two pounds!” To make his friend believe him, he showed a receipt for the money by buying himself another book at the same place. Ten years later, the poorer student got to know the truth. Actually he was suspicious at the very beginning, though he didn’t force his richer friend to tell the truth. He appreciated the invaluable generosity as well as the valuable book.Real generosity lies in the giver’s thoughtfulness, not its price or wrapping of the gift. It is one of the things which make us human and should be honored more than we do now.
1 A millionaire gives his friend a beautiful house , which is considered as _____ by the author.
A. a sincere action of giving
B. an action of showing off
C. a good example of generosity
D. a quality of being kind to others
2 Which of the following is true of real generosity?
A. It offers help expecting something in return.
B. It’s a quality belonging only to the rich.
C. It expresses a sort of simple love to human beings.
D. It lies in the giver’s thoughtfulness and kindness.
3 The Oxford student’s to his roommate is shown in .
A. his efforts to look for the textbook in all the second-hand bookshops.
B. his wisdom(智慧) to beat the price of the book down to two pounds.
C. his ability to make the new book look old and cheap.
D. his consideration of offering the book without hurting his roommate’s self-respect
4 The poorer student didn’t force his rich friend to tell the truth because .
A. he was too proud to know the fact
B. he appreciated his friend’s thoughtfulness
C. he was suspicious of the rich student’s intention(动机)
D. he didn’t want to know the truth
5 What conclusion can be drawn from the passage?
A. Real generosity is invaluable.
B. A guest in the house is God in the house.
C. The word“generosity” has been devalued.
D. A gift can’t be judged by its price or wrapping.
Key: 1B 2D 3D 4B 5A
A nobleman and a merchant once met in a tavern(酒馆) . For their lunch they both ordered soup . When it was brought , the nobleman took a spoonful , but the soup was so hot that he burned his mouth and tears came to his eyes. The merchant asked him why he was weeping. The nobleman was ashamed to admit that he had burned his mouth and answered, “Sir, I once had a brother who committed a great crime, for which he was hanged, I was thinking of his death, which made me weep.” The merchant, believing this story, began to eat his soup. He too burned his mouth, so that he had tears in his eyes. Noticing it, the nobleman asked the merchant, “Sir, why do you weep?” The merchant, who now saw that the nobleman had deceived him, answered, “My lord, I am weeping because you were not hanged together with your brother.”
1. This story teaches us
A. not to eat in tavern B. no to eat soup
C. not to cry when we burn our mouths D. not to believe everything
2. The nobleman did not tell the truth because
A. he felt embarrassed B. he was a nobleman
C. he was in a tavern D. he was angry
3. The merchant believed the nobleman because
A. all nobleman tell the truth B. it was proper to do so
C. merchants always believe everything D. he was dull-witted
4. In spite of his burned mouth the nobleman should have__________
A. roared with laughter B. scolded the waiter
C. told the truth D. smiled with joy
5. The conduct of the nobleman was
A. unworthy B. correct C. praiseworthy D. noble
Key: 1D 2A 3B 4C 5A