Quietly sitting there reading,I found myself suddenly listening to the train guard’s announcements.Train travelers will surely agree that when the guard makes an announcement,whether it’s the recorded message or the guard’s message,few people listen to it,because it’s often quite dull or hard to understand.This one was different.I noticed that other passengers appeared to be listening,too.Not only that,everyone was smiling!

　　Why was so much attention being paid to this message?As best as I can recall,the guard said something along these lines,“Good morning,ladies,gentlemen and children.It is 7:35am and you’ll be pleased to know that we are right on time.And what a lovely morning it is in Sydney today.The sun is shining,birds are singing,and all’s right with the world.I trust you have a great day wherever you’re going.Thanks for catching my train this morning and I hope to see you again soon.”

　　Quite a few people (obviously previous strangers) started talking to one another about the guard’s excellent message and how good it had made everyone feel.I started thinking about this,and then I found the young guard and said,“Were you the guard?” The guard seemed a bit stunned at first,replying,“Yes,yyyyes.” “Well,I really appreciate your announcement.Thank you for your extremely good message,which gave me and the other passengers such a good start to the day.Please keep doing it,” I said.

　　There are two messages for me in what happened that day.Firstly,when people are happy in their work,it shows in what they do and say.Secondly,the story attaches much importance to the benefits that accumulate from thanking people for something they’ve done,particularly when it’s not expected.Can you imagine the conversation that guard would have when he got home?

　　【语篇导读】本文作者通过自身的经历告诉读者对别人表示感谢的重要性。

　　1.Why do few train travelers listen to the announcements?

　　A.The messages are unattractive.

　　B.The guard’s voice is not clear.

　　C.They usually feel sleepy.

　　D.They are absorbed in books.

　　答案　A

　　解析　细节理解题。根据第一段中的“...few people listen to it,because it’s often quite dull or hard to understand.”可知,很少有人听的原因是火车上的公告通常枯燥难懂,所以选A项。

　　2.What does the underlined word “stunned” in Paragraph 3 mean?

　　A.Patient. B.Cautious.

　　C.Surprised. D.Excited.

　　答案　C

　　解析　词义猜测题。根据回答“Yes,yyyyes.”可知,列车长有点吃惊,所以选C项。

　　3.What might the guard talk about with his family when he got home?

　　A.The beautiful weather.

　　B.The recorded message.

　　C.The train from Penrith.

　　D.The unexpected appreciation.

　　答案　D

　　解析　推理判断题。根据最后一段中的“...that accumulate from thanking people for something they’ve done,particularly when it’s not expected.”可知,他可能会和家人谈论他得到的意想不到的感谢。

　　4.Which of the following can be the best title for the text?

　　A.An Intelligent Guard.

　　B.A Boring Train Story.

　　C.A Different Train Announcement.

　　D.A Lovely Morning in Sydney.

　　答案　C

　　解析　主旨大意题。本文一开始说火车上的公告乏味难懂,没人愿意听。可是一则公告却打动了作者,得到了作者的赞赏。由此可知C项可作为本文的标题。