Smiles make a bus feel like home

I took the bus to work for many years. No one knew each other; the passengers all sat there sleepily in the morning. The bus was cheerless and silent.

One of the passengers was a small grey man who took the bus to the center for senior citizens every morning. No one ever paid very much attention to him.

One July morning he said good morning to the driver and smiled. The driver nodded guardedly. The rest of us were silent.

The next day, the old man boarded with a big smile and said in a loud voice:"a very good morning to you all!” some of us looked up, amazed, and murmured “good morning” in reply.

The following weeks, our friend was dressed in a nice old suit and tie. The thin hair had been carefully combed. He said good morning to us every day and we gradually began to nod and talk to each other.

One morning he even had a bunch of wild flowers in his hand. The driver turned around smilingly and asked:” Have you got yourself a girlfriend, Charlie?” We never got to know if his name really was “Charlie”, but he nodded shyly and said yes. The other passengers whistled and clapped at him. Charlie waved the flowers before he sat down on his seat.

Every morning after that Charlie always brought flowers. Some passengers also brought flowers for him. The bus became a happy place.

Then, one morning, as autumn was closing in, Charlie wasn’t waiting at his usual stop. When he wasn’t there the next day and the day after that, we started wondering if he was sick or-hopefully-on holiday somewhere.

When we came nearer to the center for senior citizens, one of the passengers asked the driver to wait. We all held our breaths when she went to the door.

The old gentleman was fine, but one of his close friends had died over the weekend. How silent we were the rest of the way to work.

The next Monday Charlie was waiting at the stop, stopping a bit more, a little bit more gray, and without a tie. Inside the bus was silent. Even though no one had talked about it, all of us sat there silently, our eyes filled with tears and a bunch of wild flowers in our hands.

第二篇：赢得大师的尊重(美文欣赏及相关完形填空)

赢得大师的尊重win over the master

When the young American composer Daniel Gregory Mason came to Boston to interview the great pianist and composer Ignacy Jan Paderewski , there was trouble from the start.

年轻的美国作曲家丹尼尔?格里格利?梅森来到波士顿，当他拜见伟大的钢琴家和作曲家伊格纳奇?扬?帕岱莱夫斯基时，一开始就遇到了麻烦。

Because of a misunderstanding Mason was two-and-a-half hours late for his meeting with the great pianist. Mason was waiting in the hotel lobby while Paderewski was upstairs, getting more and more aggravated by Mason?s tardiness. Finally Mason went up to see Paderewski and found him cordial enough, but Paderewski?s wife was cold and

standoffish. Mason felt awkward and self-conscious. He complimented Paderewski on his “Variations and Fugue on an Original Theme.” Then he added: “Just so you don?t think that?s empty flattery, I?ll tell you frankly that I do not care so much for some of your early pieces.”

因为一个误会，梅森和这位伟大的钢琴家会面延迟了两个半小时。当梅森在旅馆大厅里傻等时，帕岱莱夫斯基却在楼上房间里为他的拖拉而越来越恼火。最后梅森上楼见到帕岱莱夫斯基，他还是很热情，但他的夫人却冷言冷语。梅森感到尴尬和羞愧。他赞美帕岱莱夫斯基的《原主旋律上的变奏曲和赋格曲》，然后他补充道，“为了不让您觉得这是我的空洞奉承，我得坦诚地告诉您，我不太喜欢您早期的

一些乐曲。”

Paderewski?s wife gave Mason a stony look. “What pieces? What do you not care for?”

帕岱莱夫斯基夫人拉下脸来，问他：“什么乐曲?你不喜欢什么乐曲?”

Mason got in deeper. “Well, for example, I do not care so much for the ?A Minor Concerto?.”

梅森说：“好吧，比如说《a小调协奏曲》，我就不太喜欢。” Her gaze was unwavering . “The concerto is one of my favorites among my husband?s compositions. I love it more and more.”

她目不转睛地说：“在我丈夫的作品中，这首协奏曲是我最喜欢的曲子之一。我越来越喜欢了。”

Valiantly , Mason complimented Paderewski?s use of French

impressionism.

梅森又冒昧地奉承帕帕岱莱夫斯基对法国印象主义的运用如何美妙。

Now Paderewski himself spoke. “I utterly repudiate any debt to French impressionism. I do not believe in the modern French school, because it is not founded in tradition. It is erratic, bizarre, wayward. ”

这次帕岱莱夫斯基自己说话了：“我和法国印象主义一点关系也没有。我不相信法国现代派，因为它没有传统根基，太怪异了，旁门左道，莫名其妙。”

At last Mason ventured to show Paderewski a movement of his new violin sonata. Paderewski shook hands with him about eight times as he read through the sonata, singing the melody and exclaiming “beautiful!” Finally, with his music, Daniel Gregory Mason had won over the master.

最后，梅森斗胆地拿出了自己写的小提琴奏鸣曲的一个乐章，让帕岱莱夫斯基过目。帕岱莱夫斯基看奏鸣曲时，一边哼唱着，一边叫着：“太棒了!”这过程中居然和梅森握了八次手。丹尼尔?格里格利?梅森终于凭着他的音乐，赢得了大师的尊重。

与此文相关的完形填空：

One day the young American composer Daniel Mason came to Boston to visit the great pianist Ignacy Jan Paderewski. However, there was __36__ from the start.

Because of a misunderstanding Mason was two-and-a-half hours late for his __37__ with the great pianist. Mason was waiting in the hotel while Paderewski was upstairs,getting angrier and angrier by Mason?s __38__. When at last Mason went up to see Paderewski, he found Paderewski and his wife were __39__. Mason felt ashamed and __40__.He tried his best to __41__ conversations. But every time he felt he made a __42__.

First he sang highly on a piece of works of Paderewski?s. The

__43__ on Paderewski?s face remained as cold as before. Then Mason added:“Just don?t make you __44__ that?s empty flattery; I?ll tell you honestly that I do not think so __45__ of some of your early pieces.”

Paderewski?s wife gave mason a __46__look. “what do you not __47__? What pieces?” How Mason regretted saying such words! He spoke out a name of a piece in panic. She said it was one of her __48__ among her husband?s works.

Mason tried again and __49__ to say only good words of Paderewski. He said how he admired Paderewski on his use of French impressionism. But Paderewski said, “I have nothing to do with French impressionism. I do not believe the modern French skill,__50__ it is strange, funny and terrible.”

By then Mason was __51__ to run away. But he felt it would be a pity __52__ not showing the musician his works. He __53__ himself to show Paderewski one of his pieces. What happened next __54__ Mason. Paderewski shook hands with him about eight times as he read it through, shouting “beautiful!” Finally, with his __55__, Daniel Gregory Mason had won over the musician.

36. A.harvest B.trouble C.hope D.luck

37. A.match B.interview C.beginning D.meeting

38. A.lateness B.rudeness C.sadness D.happiness

39. A.kind B.cold C.warm D.friendly

40. A.uneasy B.unfair C.imperfect D.incorrect

41. A.keep B.continue C.start D.prepare

42. A.difference B.change C.wish D.mistake

43. A.expression B.smile C.muscle D.skin

44. A.expect B.doubt C.think D.wonder

45. A.properly B.highly C.bravely D.directly

46. A.hard B.funny C.calm D.curious

47. A.find out B.learn from C.look at D.care for

48. A.difficulties B.favorites C.choices D.achievements

49. A.promised B.failed C.agreed D.decided

50. A.but B.and C.because D.so

51. A.ready B.willing C.glad D.sorry

52. A.unless B.though C.if D.until

53. A.taught B.encouraged C.helped D.trained

54. A.puzzled B.disappointed C.moved D.surprised

55. A.words B.story C.music D.writing

答案：

BDABA

CDACB

ADBDC

ACBDC