He often has a great time ________ with his parents when he is free．

　　A．to chat　　B．chatting　　C．chating　　D．chat

Americans think a great deal about time. From childhood they learn to value（珍惜）time. As children, they are taught to be on time to go to school, to do work and to do everything. When they are having a good time, they say that time flies. When a person is dying, they say he is living on borrowed time. Time is money. Time is knowledge. Time is everything in America. A working American has to work hard for 8 hours a day or 40 hours a week. This is the working time. In his free time, he also works hard for more money. Even Saturday and Sunday are filled with（充满）activities. In the street you can hardly see a man who walks slowly. They walk very fast. In fact, they are running. They love time because time brings them money, comforts and progress. But sometimes they also hate time, for they feel they have become servants（仆人）of the clock.
【小题1】A working American has to work___ days a week in his working  
time.   
A. seven      B. six     C. five   
【小题2】An American always walks____.
A. sadly       B. slowly    C. fast  
【小题3】“He is living on borrowed time” means_____.
A. He has little money.
B. He has no time   
C. He is dying   
【小题4】In his free time, an American usually_____.
A. plays cards with their friends
B. stays at home all day and watched TV.
C. gets more money by work.
【小题5】 Which of the following is NOT TRUE?
A. The Americans usually value time.
B. The Americans are often on time.
C. All Americans love time and don’t hate time.

In a nice house there lived an old man. Behind the house there was a big garden. He planted many plants there. He took care of his   41  all the time, watering and fertilizing (施肥) them.
One day a young man went by the   42 . He looked at the beautiful flowers, imagining how happy he could be   43  he lived in such a beautiful place. Then, suddenly he found the old gardener was   44 . He was very surprised about this and asked, “You can’t see these flowers.   45  are you busy taking care of them every day?”
The old man smiled and said, “I can tell you four   46 . First, I was a gardener when I was young, and I really like this job. Second,   47  I can’t see these flowers, I can touch them.   48 , I can smell the sweetness of them. As to the last one, that’s   49 .”
“Me? But you don’t know me,” said the young man.
“Yeah, it’s   50  that I don’t know you. But I know that flowers are angels that everybody   51 . We enjoy the happiness these flowers have brought us.”
The blind man’s work opened our eyes and   52  our heart, which also made his life   53 . It was just like Beethoven, who became deaf in his later life and wrote many great musical words. Beethoven himself couldn’t   54  his wonderful music, but his music has   55  millions of people to face their difficulties bravely. Isn’t it one kind of happiness?

In a nice house there lived an old man. Behind the house there was a big garden. He planted many plants there. He took care of his   41   all the time, watering and fertilizing (施肥) them.

One day a young man went by the   42  . He looked at the beautiful flowers, imagining how happy he could be   43   he lived in such a beautiful place. Then, suddenly he found the old gardener was   44  . He was very surprised about this and asked, “You can’t see these flowers.   45   are you busy taking care of them every day?”

The old man smiled and said, “I can tell you four   46  . First, I was a gardener when I was young, and I really like this job. Second,   47   I can’t see these flowers, I can touch them.   48  , I can smell the sweetness of them. As to the last one, that’s   49  .”

“Me? But you don’t know me,” said the young man.

“Yeah, it’s   50   that I don’t know you. But I know that flowers are angels that everybody   51  . We enjoy the happiness these flowers have brought us.”

The blind man’s work opened our eyes and   52   our heart, which also made his life   53  . It was just like Beethoven, who became deaf in his later life and wrote many great musical words. Beethoven himself couldn’t   54   his wonderful music, but his music has   55   millions of people to face their difficulties bravely. Isn’t it one kind of happiness?

1.A. flowers        B. trees                C. vegetables           D. grass

2.A. balcony        B. kitchen          C. garden               D. study

3.A. after          B. as               C. before               D. if

4.A. blind          B. famous           C. smart                D. friendly

5. A. What          B. Who              C. Why              D. Which

6.A. stories            B. reasons          C. excuses          D. conclusions

7.A. although       B. since                C. because          D. unless

8. A. First         B. Second           C. Third                D. Fourth

9.A. me         B. you              C. my mother            D. my son

10.A. true          B. hard             C. cool             D. fair

11.A. greets            B. doubts               C. meets                D. knows

12.A. broke         B. hurt             C. pleased          D. treated

13.A. emptier       B. busier               C. luckier              D. happier

14. A. write            B. hear             C. play             D. believe

15.A. changed       B. affected         C. discovered           D. encouraged