I asked my wife to use E－mail instead of telephone, for the E－mail is much cheaper an

re never going to get married. I mean, you've been through jail together, you're living together, but…, oh, forget it."

"Oh, well," I said," put it like that and I'll marry your daughter tomorrow."

Actually, I don't know what we were waiting for, except that for a guy it's never the right time to get married. I' m also suspicious of any two people who don't struggle with that decision. Part of my problem was that I was still lusting in my heart after other ladies. But somehow I knew that I wasn't going to find another woman remotely as great as my soon-to-be wife. It's a good thing my mother-in-law finally spoke up.

I finally gathered my courage one day when we were having a picnic, and popped the question. I also gave my wife a big tourist pamphlet about Switzerland. I wasn't taking any chances.

She said no.

It killed me. I felt sick to my stomach. I lost my appetite. Our dog just stared at me, thinking, "If you're not going to eat your lunch, I will." Finally, I said, "But the Switzerland trip is yours if you say yes."

"Switzerland , "she said, "is filled with precise, humorless people."

"Maybe I should have suggested Paris？"

For a minute it seemed as if my change in travel plans would rate a solid "maybe". But she said no again. When we woke up the next morning, she told me that she'd slept on my proposal. "I guess I was a little rude to you last night," she explained. Meanwhile, I'm figuring I'm off the hook for this marriage thing for at least another eight years. I could afford to be generous.

"I asked, you said no. It's okay," I said. I might have looked a little too relieved because later that day she gave me a little box. Inside was a gold watch. On the back was inscribed. "Yes. I've reconsidered."

I liked the watch, so I did the right thing.

The reason why the man had waited so long for his marriage was that he ______.

A．didn' t think eight years was long enough

B．suspected that husband and wife would often quarrel

C．didn't think he was ready to propose to her

D．was waiting for his mother-in-law's approval

ctly, and (54)a pound of sugar. Then I returned home and(55) my wife the paper bag in which there was one pound of sugar. I said to her, “Here is the(56) you want.” My wife looked into the bag, and then looked at me in a(57)way, saying very slowly, “I told you to get me a bottle of milk”. I was so(58 )my absent-mindedness that I paid(59) to my family doctor, who was both learned and kind.“Your problem,” He said, “is a(60)one and it should not(61) you at all. If you know you’re absent-minded, you’re quite all right. It’s nothing to worry about. But if you don’t know you’re absent-minded, you’re surely in(62 )“Many(63)people are absent-minded,” the doctor told me. “(64),Thomas Edison was standing(65)one day to pay taxes when he arrived(66)window, that is to say, it was his(67)to pay his money, he found that he(68)his own(69). He(70)the man next in the line and asked,” Can you tell me who I am？ The man told him.I felt(71)and got up to leave. “Thank you, doctor,” I said, “How much should I pay you？” “Ten dollars for the(72).” “But, doctor, I didn’t have a check-up.” The doctor looked much puzzled. “Oh, yes,” he said, “it was that(73)before you. How absent-minded I am too!”

54. A.sold

B.ordered

C.bought

D.borrowed

55. A.handed

B.put

C.paid

D.borrowed

56. A.milk

B.sugar

C.vegetable

D.book

57. A.friendly

B.kind

C.open

D.strange

58. A.worried about

B.fond of

C.interested in

D.proud of

59. A.some money

B.taxes

C.a visit

D.great attention

60. A.difficult

B.good

C.bad

D.simple

61. A.excite

B.worry

C.interest

D.pay

62. A.need

B.future

C.trouble

D.fact

63. A.famous

B.ordinary

C.sick

D.honest

64. A.In fact

B.For example

C.At once

D.Long, long ago

65. A.among people

B.in passengers

C.in a queue

D.between two

66. A.to

B.in

C.on

D.at

67. A.moment

B.duty

C.turn

D.time

68. A.had remembered

B.had forgotten

C.thought of

D.lost

69. A.telephone number

B.name

C.address

D.age

70. A.turned to

B.looked at

C.listened to

D.passed on

71. A.even worse

B.more worried

C.much better

D.more excited

72. A.check-up

B.talk

C.medicine

D.time

73. A.me

B.your wife

C.patient

D.scientist

en the old-fashioned courtesies.

In an article on the new manners, Ms. Holmes says that a perfectly able woman no longer has to act helplessly in public as if she were a model. For example, she doesn't need help getting in and out of cars. She also says there is no reason why a man should walk on the outside of a woman on the sidewalk.

As far as manners are concerned, I suppose I have always been a supporter of women's liberation. Over the years, out of a sense of respect, I imagine, I have refused to trouble women with outdated courtesies.

It is usually easier to follow rules of social behaviour than to depend on one's own taste. But rules may be safely broken, of course, by those of us with the gift of natural grace. For example, when a man and woman are led to their table in a restaurant and the waiter pulls out a chair, the woman is expected to sit in the chair. That is according to Ms. Ann Clark. I have always done it the other way, according to my wife.

It came up only the other night. I followed the hostess to the table, and when she pulled the chair out I sat on it, quite naturally, since it happened to be the chair I wanted to sit in.

"Well, "my wife said, when the hostess had gone, "you did it again."

"Did what？" I asked, utterly confused.

"Took the chair."

Actually, since I'd walked. through the restaurant ahead of my wife, it would have been awkward, I should think, not to have taken the chair. I had got there first, after all.

Also, it has always been my custom to get in a car first, and let the woman get in by herself. This is a courtesy I insist on as the stronger sex, out of love and respect. In times like these, there might be attackers hidden about. It would be unsuitable to put a woman in a car then shut the door on her, leaving her at the mercy of some bad fellow who might be hiding in the back seat.

It can be concluded from the passage that______.

A．men should walk on the inside of a sidewalk

B．women are becoming more capable than before

C．in women's liberation men are also liberated

D．it's safe to break rules of social behaviour

t in person，he would come up with an excuse. I thought it was strange-but he told me that he had not gotten over the death of his wife and he was still grieving for her.

I thought that he needed a friend and decided that I could be that friend. We sent cards, exchanged gifts，talked on the phone and I was sure that we would meet someday. I had spoken with his children so I was sure that what he told me was true. I could not wait for the day when we would meet. I was so looking forward to being able to reach out and touch him. To hug him，to hold him and feel his big strong arms around me.

After almost two years of time，thousands of dollars on long distance phone calls，I was very frustrated at the endless stream of excuses as to why we could never seem to make a time to meet. Finally，contacted the website WhoisHe. com and asked if they could check out the man who had taken up so much of my heart，my energy and my life. I had enough information about him and felt that if I could confirm what he had been telling me-I could feel okay about these delays. I had hopes that I didn't want to dash if he was telling the truth. I believed I could wait a little while longer.

Well, I am glad that I decided to have him checked out-he was nothing he claimed to be. He was first and foremost a married man. He was not a man grieving for the loss of his wife. He was a man cheating on his wife，with me-and I found out later，with countless others on the“net”. He did not care that he had hurt me in a very deep and pathetic way. He talked of spending his life together with me. He told my son that he wanted to make me happy. Basically，he just lied. He was such a good liar I did not see it coming. It was as if he had been able to worm his way into my heart-and he didn't care about the effect he had on my hopes and dreams.

Each of us should look at the signs that are so clear if we are willing to see them. Do not let someone keep making excuse after excuse. If something feels wrong-likely it is. It is good to know the truth and be able to deal with it. Next time I will pay more attention. I may never be able to trust someone online again.

It can be inferred from Para. 4 that______.

A．the man was a single person in reality

B．the woman was the man's only girlfriend

C．the man had too many girlfriends on the net

D．the woman had countless online boyfriends

women the old-fashioned courtesies.

2 In an article on the new manners, Ms. Holmes says that a perfectly able woman no longer has to act helplessly in public as if she were a model. For example, she doesn't need help getting in and out of cars. "Women get in and out of cars twenty times a day with babies and dogs. Surely they can get out by themselves at night just as easily."

3 She also says there is no reason why a man should walk on the outside of a woman on the sidewalk. "Historically, the man walked on the inside so he caught the garbage thrown out of a window. Today a man is supposed to walk on the outside. A man should walk where he wants to. So should a woman. If, out of love and respect, he actually wants to take the blows, he should walk on the inside — because that's where attackers are all hiding these days."

4 As far as manners are concerned, I suppose I have always been a supporter of women's liberation. Over the years, out of a sense of respect, I imagine, I have refused to trouble women with outdated courtesies.

5 It is usually easier to follow rules of social behaviour than to depend on one's own taste. But rules may be safely broken, of course, by those of us with the gift of natural grace. For example, a woman is expected to sit in the chair. That is according to Ms. Ann Clark. I have always done it the other way, according to my wife.

6 It came up only the other night. I followed the hostess to the table, and when she pulled the chair out I sat on it, quite naturally, since it happened to be the chair I wanted to sit in.

7 "Well," my wife said, when the hostess had gone, "you did it again."

8 "Did what？" I asked, utterly confused.

9 "Took the chair."

10 Actually, since I'd walked through the restaurant ahead of my wife, it would have been awkward, I should think, not to have taken the chair. I had got there first, after all.

11 Also, it has always been my custom to get in a car first, and let the woman get in by herself. This is a courtesy I insist on as the stronger sex, out of love and respect. In times like these, there might be attackers hidden about. It would be unsuitable to put a woman in a car and then shut the door on her, leaving her at the mercy of some bad fellow who might be hiding in the back seat.

It can be concluded from the passage that______.

A．men should walk on the inside of a sidewalk.

B．women are becoming more capable than before.

C．in women's liberation men are also liberated.

D．it's safe to break rules of social behaviour.

I know a little bit about France as my wife and I ______there several years ago.

A、are going to

B、went

C、go

A.eager

B.dependent

C.focused

D.intent