A teacher began his class by holding up a glass with some water in it.  He held it up for all to see, and asked the students, " How much do you think this glass weighs?"

"50 g!" "100 g!" "125 g!" the students answered.

        "I really don't know unless I weigh it," said the teacher, "but my question is what would happen if I held it up like this for a few minutes?"

" Nothing! " the students said.

"OK. What would happen if I held it up like this for an hour?" the teacher asked.

"Your arm would begin to ache," said one of the students.

"You're right.  Now, what would happen if I held it for a day?"

"Your arm could go numb. Have to go to hospital for sure!" said another student. All the students laughed.

"Very good. But during all this, did the weight of the glass change?" asked the teacher.

"No." the students said.

"Then what caused the arm ache and the muscle (肌肉) stress?"

The students fell silent for a moment.

"Put the glass down!" said one of the students.

"Exactly!" said the teacher. "The problems of life are something like this. Hold them for a few minutes in your head, and it seems OK. Think of them for a long time and they begin to make you ache. Hold them even longer and you will not be able to do anything. It's important to think of the  challenges(挑战)  in your life, but it' s even more important to put them down at the end of every day before you go to sleep. That way, you are not stressed. You wake up fresh and strong and can deal with any challenge that comes your way!"

Remember to put the glass down today.

1. How much do you think this glass which was held by the teacher weighs?

A.50g     B.125g       C.I don’t know.    D.100g

2.What would happen if the teacher held the glass up like this for an hour?

A. One of the students thought his arm could go numb.

B. One of the students thought his arm would begin to ache.

C. One of the students thought his arm would be changed.

D. One of the students thought his arm would be lost.

3. Why did the teacher hold up a glass in his class?

A. Because he wanted to know how much the glass weighs.

B. Because he wanted to ask some student to weigh the glass.

C. Because he wanted to make his class more interesting.

D. Because he wanted to explain it was important to put the challenges in life down at the end of every day.

4. In this passage, the underlined words "go numb" means_______.

A．疼痛不止                  B．消瘦萎缩                   C．松弛下垂         D．失去感觉

5. According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?

A. The teacher told his students to face the challenges bravely.

B. The teacher taught his students how to deal with the problems.

C. The teacher used to begin his class with a glass of water.

D. The teacher usually begins his class by holding a glass of water.

I called a meeting with the parents of my student, Tommy. I wanted to talk with them about his schoolwork and behaviour(行为).Tommy was always an excellent student. How could I make his father and mother believe that their recent separation(分开) made his grades bad.?
Tommy’s mother came in and sat down. Then his father arrived. But they didn’t say even one word to each other. I told them about Tommy’s schoolwork and behaviour. I hoped to help them see what they were doing to their son. But it looked that my words didn’t work. I thought that maybe Tommy could tell them something himself.
I found Tommy’s paper in the back of his desk. Tommy has written some words on it many times. I gave the paper to Tommy’s mother. She read it and gave it to his father. He read it and his face became soft(柔和的). He reached for his wife’s hand. She smiled up at him. My eyes were with tears. He helped her with her coat and they left together.
I picked the paper up and looked at it again. It read: “Dear Mommy… Dear Daddy… I love you.”
【小题1】 Why did the teacher call a meeting with Tommy’s parents?

I’m Alfred. I was born with a problem in my backbone and mobility(行走能力）was a big challenge, but thanks to my teachers and friends, my school life was excellent.
My friends and I used to sit together and have lots of fun. Whenever we got a free period, we used to start shouting or play games. I would take part in all competitions, such as poetry writing, story writing and painting and all activities like Teachers’ Day or anybody’s birthday and had much fun.
My English teacher was very tall. The moment she would enter the class, we would all sit quiet and open the books. She would encourage me by giving me important assignments and also morning news to read during the assembly. She would come down and hear my English debate(辩论), which made me participate in all debate competitions.
The same was true of my biology and science teacher. She was very nice and sweet. She would always give me extra information on the biology project. I could not go to the lab for the practicals (lessons or exams in science, cooking etc. in which you have to do or make something yourself rather than write or read about it), so she would bring the lab down and help me with the biology and science practicals and would give me excellent marks.
My friends made me monitor and the naughty boys listen to me. My friends used to help me with my notes if I was absent. My teachers always gave me important project work and I felt proud when they patted me on the back after I finished it quickly and correctly.
I was never shouted at or made fun of or scolded(批评) by any of my friends and teachers. Today I saw the terrible punishments given to students on television news. I felt very sad.
I really want to express my love and thanks to all my wonderful teachers and friends, without whom my school life would not have been so excellent and unforgettable. I really pray to God that each child in the world is blessed with caring teachers and wants to attend school every day.
【小题1】Alfred’s problem in his backbone _________ .