2019高三英语星级阶梯阅读练习三星级15A When milk arrived on the doorstepWhen I was a boy growing up in New Jersey in the 1960s, we had a milkman delivering milk to our doorstep. His name was Mr. Basille. He wore a white cap and drove a white truck. As a 5-year-old boy, I couldnt take my eyes off the coin changer fixed to his belt. He noticed this one day during a delivery and gave me a quarter out of his coin changer.Of course, he delivered more than milk. There was cheese, eggs and so on. If we needed to change our order, my mother would pen a note - “Please add a bottle of buttermilk next delivery” - and place it in the box along with the empty bottles. And then, the buttermilk would magically appear.All of this was about more than convenience. There existed a close relationship between families and their milkmen. Mr. Basille even had a key to our house, for those times when it was so cold outside that we put the box indoors, so that the milk wouldnt freeze. And I remember Mr. Basille from time to time taking a break at our kitchen table, having a cup of tea and telling stories about his delivery.There is sadly no home milk delivery today. Big companies allowed the production of cheaper milk, thus making it difficult for milkmen to compete. Besides, milk is for sale everywhere, and it may just not have been practical to have a delivery service.Recently, an old milk box in the countryside I saw brought back my childhood memories. I took it home and planted it on the back porch (门廊). Every so often my sons friends will ask what it is. So I start telling stories of my boyhood, and of the milkman who brought us friendship along with his milk.56. Mr Basille gave the boy a quarter out of his coin changer _.A. to show his magical power B. to pay for the delivery C. to satisfy his curiosity D. to please his mother 57. What can be inferred from the fact that the milkman had the key to the boys house?A. He wanted to have tea there. B. He was a respectable person.C. He was treated as a family member. D. He was fully trusted by the family.58. Why does home milk delivery no longer exist?A. Nobody wants to be a milkman now. B. It has been driven out of the market.C. Its service is getting poor. D. It is forbidden by law.59. Why did the author bring back home an old milk box?A. He missed the good old days. B. He wanted to tell interesting stories.C. He missed it for his milk bottles. D. He planted flowers in it. BAn idea that started in Seattles public library has spread throughout America and beyond. The concept is simple: help to build a sense of community in a city by getting everyone to read the same book at the same time.In addition to encouraging reading as a pursuit (追求) to be enjoyed by all, the program allows strangers to communicate by discussing the book on the bus, as well as promoting reading as an experience to be shared in families and schools. The idea came from Seattle librarian Nancy Pearl who launched (发起) the “If All of Seattle Read the Same Book” project in 1998. Her original program used author visits, study guides and book discussion groups to bring people together with a book, but the idea has since expanded to many other American cities, and even to Hong Kong.In Chicago, the mayor (市长) appeared on television to announce the choice of To Kill a Mockingbird as the first book in the “One Book, One Chicago” program. As a result, reading clubs and neighborhood groups sprang up around the city. Across the US, stories emerged of parents and children reading to each other at night and strangers chatting away on the bus about plot and character. The only problem arose in New York, where local readers could not decide on one book to represent the huge and diverse population. This may show that the idea works best in medium-sized cities or large towns, where a greater sense of unity (一致) can be achieved. Or it may show that New Yorkers rather missed the point, putting all their energy and passion into the choice of the book rather than discussion about a book itself.Ultimately (最后) , as Nancy points out, the level of success is not measured by how many people read a book, but by how many people are enriched by the process, or have enjoyed speaking to someone with whom they would not otherwise have shared a word.60. What is the purpose of the project launched by Nancy?A. To invite authors to guide readers. B. To encourage people to read and share.C. To involve people in community service. D. To promote the friendship between cities.61. According to the passage, where would the project be more easily carried out?A. In large communities with little sense of unity.B. In large cities where libraries are far from home.C. In medium-sized cities with a diverse population.D. In large towns where agreement can be quickly reached.62. The underlined words “shared a word” in Parag