湖南师范大学附中2016届第三次月考英语试题及答案(3)

A year later, my dream gradually faded. I had this idea if I got back in touch with Jack. I e-mailed him again and again but got no response. As I sat down at my computer to check my e-mail for the fifth time in 15 minutes, an inspiration came like lighting: What was I doing? Was I waiting for the prize of life? I knew I needed to do something about all this waiting. I was going to write a book, which I would call “Waiting for Jack”!
It all sounded good, but then reality hit. Some nights I cried and wanted to give up. I wrote and rewrote. Even though I could feel the fear, I did it anyway. Fortunately, three years later, Waiting for Jack turns out a best-seller on Amazon!
We all have a “Jack” for whom we wait—whether it’s a person, a place or a thing. Now I would like to ask you: what are you waiting for?
24.From the first paragraph we can learn that the author _________.
A. wanted Jack to autograph her book
B. wanted to be as successful as Jack
C. wanted to make friends with Jack
D. wanted to get help from Jack
25. It can be inferred from the passage that Jack Canfield is probably a person who ________.
A. enjoys playing a lot
B. likes showing off his wealth
C. seldom takes risks
D. welcomes challenges in life
26. How did the author lose contact with Jack?
A. She and Jack had an argument
B. She had no time to contact Jack
C. Jack was too proud to get along with
D. She was too upset with her broken dream
27. What might be the theme of the book Waiting for Jack?
A. The disappointment of waiting for her hero Jack
B. The need to keep waiting for the prize of our life
C. The importance of taking action to achieve a goal
D. The harm of blindly worshipping others as heroes
C
   The United States does not require business to pay workers who are sick or caring for a new baby. President Obama and some other U.S. lawmakers want to change time-off policies. Supporters say paid leave is the right thing to do. Opponents say it will kill economic growth.
   In 2014, the United Nations reported that Papua New Guinea(巴布亚新几内亚) and the U.S. are the only two -- out of 185 -- countries in the world that do not offer workers paid time off to care for newborns. However, several state governments and some private businesses in the U.S. have provided the benefits for their workers.
Not every American agrees that requiring businesses to pay workers for leave is a good idea.
Tricia Baldwin is a business woman. She is secretary and treasurer for her family's company. Her company employs 400 workers. She says giving all of them paid leave would ruin her company. Instead, Reliable Contracting gives paid leave to employees who have stayed with the company for at least five years. She says paid leave is simply another government order that adds more costs to doing business.
    President Obama supports paid leave for workers. Recently, he proposed a measure called the Healthy Family Act. It would allow workers to earn up to seven paid days of sick leave a year to care for themselves or family members.
Mr. Obama also wants Congress to approve a measure giving all workers six weeks of paid leave to have and care for a new baby.