You dash through a crowded railway station, tripping over bags, spilling your coffee, only to have the doors slide shut in your face, leaving you breathless on the platform as the train pulls away.

But at least, if you're in France, someone may be playing the piano for you. But it won't be performed by a paid musician, or even a street entertainer playing for coins. It will just be a random passer-by, jamming (即兴演奏) for the fun of it on one of the pianos that the national railroad company, S. N. C. F. , has fixed in nearly 100 stations across France. They are free for anyone to play, and travelers from all walks of life have taken to doing just that.

Gares & Connexions, the S. N. C. F. division that manages its stations, rents the instruments from producer, Yamaha, which maintains them and tunes them every month or two. The first one was set up in the Gare Montparnasse in Paris in 2012.

The music, mixed with the sounds of shouting passengers, screaming trains and rolling suitcases, gives French stations a special soundscape. The amateur (业余的) musicians have included Irish soccer fans and even babies. In 2014, Gares & Connexions and Yamaha organized a nationwide contest called Your Turn to Play, asking participants to submit (提交) videos of themselves using one of the pianos. It drew nearly 900 entries.

Isn't the railroad company taking a big chance? Obviously not. "None of the instruments has been vandalized to this day, or even merely damaged," said Claire Foumon, a spokeswoman for Gares & Connexions. "They are shared and respected by all. " So if you miss a train in Paris one day, perhaps someone will be playing a favorite piece that will ease your pain. Or perhaps you'll sit down and play your annoyance away yourself.

【小题1】Why did Gares & Connexions fix pianos in railway stations?

A．To advertise Yamaha's products.

B．To make stations more attractive.

C．To let travelers have a relaxing trip.

D．To help street artists make a living.

【小题2】What does Paragraph 4 mainly tell us?

A．The contest has proved a hit.

B．The pianos are very popular.

C．Railway stations are crowded.

D．Everyone can be an amateur musician.

【小题3】What does the underlined word "vandalized" in Paragraph 5 probably mean?

A．Selected carefully.

B．Checked regularly.

C．Reserved in advance.

D．Destroyed on purpose.

【小题4】What would be the best title for the passage?

A．Miss a train yet catch a tune

B．A good place to ease your pain

C．The role of pianos in French life

D．An amazing train with a piano bar

Grandpa Nybakken loved life — especially when he could play a trick on somebody. At those times, his large Norwegian frame shook with laughter while he pretended innocent surprise, exclaiming, “Oh, forevermore!” But on a cold Saturday in downtown Chicago, Grandpa felt that God played a trick on him, and grandpa wasn’t laughing.
Grandpa worked as a carpenter. On this particular day, he was building some boxes for the clothes his church was sending to an orphanage abroad. On his way home, he reached into his shirt pocket to find his glasses, but they were gone. He remembered putting them there that morning, so he drove back to the church. His search proved fruitless.
Suddenly, he realized what had happened. The glasses had slipped out of his pocket unnoticed and fallen into one of the boxes, which he had nailed shut. His brand new glasses were heading for China!
The Great Depression was at its height, and Grandpa had six children. He had spent twenty dollars for those glasses that very morning.
“It’s not fair,” he told God as he drove home in frustration. “I’ve been very faithful in giving of my time and money to your work, and now this.”
Several months later, the director of the orphanage was on vacation in the United States．He wanted to visit all the churches that supported him, so he came to speak on Sunday night at my grandfather’s small church in Chicago. Grandpa and his family sat in their usual seats among the small congregation (教堂会众).
“But most of all,” he said, “I must thank you for the glasses you sent last year.”
“Even if I had the money, there was simply no way of replacing those glasses．Along with not being able to see well, I experienced headaches every day, so my co-workers and I were much in prayer about this. Then your boxes arrived．When my staff removed the covers, they found a pair of glasses lying on the top.” After a long pause, he continued, “Folks, when I tried on the glasses, it was as though they had been custom-made just for me! I want to thank you for being a part of that!”
The people listened, happy for the amazing glasses. But the director surely must have confused their church with another, they thought, there were no glasses on their list of items to be sent overseas.
But sitting quietly in the back, with tears streaming down his face, an ordinary carpenter realized__________had used him in an extraordinary way.
【小题1】Which of the following is NOT true about Grandpa Nybakken according to the passage?
A. He was an outgoing man and held an active attitude towards life.
B. He had a large family to support.
C. He was a carpenter working in the church.
D. He was a loyal Christian.
【小题2】The people in the church but Grandpa felt confused at what the director said because ________.
A. Grandpa didn’t tell the director that he was the owner of the glasses
B. the director wanted to return the glasses even though he liked it
C. the director could not get such glasses in their own country
D. the glasses were not included in the donation list
【小题3】Who does “the Master Carpenter” in the last paragraph probably refer to?
A. Grandpa’s master.     B. One of Grandpa’s friends.
C. God.     D. Grandpa’s co-worker.
【小题4】Which can be the best title of the passage?
A. Grandfather’s life.    B. The Helpful Donation.
C. The Perfect Mistake. D. An Impressive Speech.

   A young Los Angeles actor in need of a second job to pay his bills has come up with a brilliant way to supplement his income — people walking.

Chuck McCarthy originally considered becoming a dog walker to earn some extra cash, but soon realized that the job requires more than walking dogs on a leash. However, walking people doesn’t require much when they are out on walks. Chuck realized there would be money to be made if he walks people around Los Angeles instead.

It might sound like a joke, but The People Walker, as he calls himself, is very serious about his new job. For $7 per mile, he offers to walk with clients around L. A., listening to their problems or simply making conversations and offering them a sense of security. At 6 feet, 2 inches, and with a bulky figure and bushy beard, Chuck doesn’t look like the kind of guy you’d want to mess with.

Chuck’s services are aimed at people who need a motivational boost to go walking, those who don’t feel safe walking alone in some areas, and those who are afraid that people might see them walking by themselves and think that they have no friends. “I wear my The People Walker shirt upon request and on the first walk with a new client, so he can be 100% sure it’s me,” McCarthy says. However, he admits some people are a bit uncomfortable with this policy, as they don’t necessarily want everyone to know that they’re being walked.

So far, Chuck McCarthy has already had another five people walkers employed, covering various areas, like downtown L. A., Hollywood, Eagle Rock, or Fairfax County. Once he posted signs around the city, his phone started ringing and clients began rolling in. And with all the free publicity he has been getting in the press lately, more requests are coming.

While he hopes that his acting career will take off soon, Chuck is very happy with his people walking business. After all, it’s literally a walk in the park and it pays the bills.

【小题1】What does the underlined word “supplement” in Paragraph 1 mean?

A．Save.	B．Increase.
C．Change.	D．Invest.

【小题2】Which service of The People Walker isn’t mentioned in the text?

A．Communicating with the clients.	B．Accompanying the clients.
C．Buying the clients food.	D．Offering a sense of safety.

【小题3】Why do people prefer Chuck to walk without wearing the shirt?

A．To keep them comfortable.	B．To avoid being recognized.
C．To attract more new friends.	D．To keep themselves alone.

【小题4】What do we know about Chuck McCarthy from the text?

A．He has lost confidence in his acting career.

B．He hopes to find excitement in people walking.

C．He has inspired other people to be more creative.

D．He earns more as a people walker than as an actor.

   It was a winter morning, just a couple of weeks before Christmas 2005. While most people were warming up their cars, Trevor, my husband, had to get up early to ride his bike four kilometers away from home to work. On arrival, he parked his bike outside the back door as he usually does. After putting in 10 hours of labor, he returned to find his bike gone.

The bike, a black Kona 18 speed, was our only transport. Trevor used it to get to work, putting in 60-hour weeks to support his young family. And the bike was also used to get groceries (食品杂货), saving us from having to walk long distances from where we live.

I was so sad that someone would steal our bike that I wrote to the newspaper and told them our story. Shortly after that, several people in our area offered to help. One wonderful stranger even bought a bike, then called my husband to pick it up. Once again my husband had a way to get to and from his job. It really is an honor that a complete stranger would go out of their way for someone they have never met before.

People say that a smile can be passed from one person to another, but acts of kindness from strangers are even more so. This experience has had a spreading effect in our lives because it strengthened our faith in humanity (人性) as a whole. And it has influenced (影响) us to be more mindful of ways we, too, can share with others. No matter how big or how small, an act of kindness shows that someone cares. And the results can be everlasting.

【小题1】Why was the bike so important to the couple?

A．The man’s job was bike racing.

B．It was their only possession.

C．It was a nice Kona 18 speed.

D．They used it for work and daily life.

【小题2】We can infer from the text that ____________.

A．the couple worked 60 hours a week.

B．people were busy before Christmas

C．the stranger brought over the bike

D．life was hard for the young family.

【小题3】How did people get to know the couple’s problem?

A．From radio broadcasts.

B．From a newspaper.

C．From TV news.

D．From a stranger.

   My family lived in a motel（汽车旅馆）for two years. Like most families living there, we stayed in a two-bedroom suite. We were living from paycheck to paycheck, so when Christmas approached, we didn't know if we would be able to buy gifts for our children.

A few days before Christmas someone dropped off presents for all the kids that lived at the motel. It brought so much joy to all the children, most of whom knew that they wouldn't be receiving anything.

Five years ago, we moved out of the motel. After that, my husband and I were working hard at Joe's Crab Shack to support our family. A few days before Christmas, I was busy working. The man at my table could see the large tables were taking most of my time, but I was very patient and friendly. Between drinks and food I was able to chat with him about his family and mine. He left me $10, then walked out. About 10 minutes later, I turned around and there he was again. He gave me a hug , and put something inside my apron, telling me“Have a Merry Christmas”. I reached into my apron and pulled out $800.

I was so overwhelmed（不知所措的）by his generosity that I burst into tears. He had given me more than enough money to help my family catch up on our bills. After discussing what we should do with the money we had left over, we decided to buy presents for the families living at the motel, so we could pass on the blessing that we had received. Since then, it has been a tradition for us to give Christmas gifts to the families in need.

Last year we were able to give presents to each of the 80 children at a school in our community, and throw a Christmas party for them. This year our goal is to add at least 20 children.

【小题1】What does the underlined part suggest?

A．They paid for checks nonstop.

B．They might struggle in finance.

C．They were in heavy debt.

D．They had to save money for children.

【小题2】What did the author do according to the passage?

A．She was a cleaner.

B．She was a housewife.

C．She was a waitress.

D．She was a shop manager.

【小题3】What did the author do with the remaining money given by the stranger?.

A．She used all the money to improve their life.

B．She threw a Christmas party for schoolkids.

C．She bought some presents for poor families.

D．She donated all the money to her community.

【小题4】The author wrote the passage to _____________.

A．share her own experience

B．stress the importance of love.

C．call on readers to do good deeds

D．express her thanks to a stranger