We’ve talked about snails (蜗牛) and their slow move. But much of the time snails don’t move at all. They are in their shells (壳) —sleeping.

Hot sun will dry out a snail’s body. So at the least sign of hot sun, a snail draws its body into his shell. A snail will die in a heavy rain. So when it rains, a snail does the same thing, too. A snail can sleep for as long as it needs to. It spends all the winter months in its shell, asleep.

In the spring the snail wakes up. Its body, about three inches long, comes out from the shell. When hungry, the snail looks for food. Its eyes, at the end of the top feelers (触角), are very weak. But its sense (感觉) of smell is very strong. It helps the snail to find food and the new greens.

A snail’s mouth is no bigger than the point of a pin (大头针). Yet it has 256,000 teeth! The teeth are very small, and you can’t see them. If you put a snail in a hard paper box, it will eat its way out! And if a snail wears out its teeth, it will grow new ones.

1. A snail _________.

　 A. moves more slowly at night　　B. has thousands of feet

C. doesn’t move at all   　　      D. sleeps much of the time

2. In the sentence “A snail draws its body into its shell”, the word “draw” means _____.

　 A. to make with a pencil     B. to push　　C. to pull      D. to move away

3. From the story, we know _________.

　 A. a snail’s shell is very thin     B. a snail can’t see well

　 C. a snail’s nose is quite short    D. a snail’s body changes in different seasons

4. A snail goes to sleep when _____.

　 A. it feels hungry   B. it is put into a paper box  C. spring is coming   D. it rains heavily

5.Which of the following is wrong?

A. In winter the snail doesn’t eat or move.　　B. A snail doesn’t like living under the sun

C. The snail’s teeth can’t be worn out.       D. The snail’s nose helps to find food.

   1   to drink them because they thought coffee or tea could kill a person. Once the king of England decided to find out whether it was true   2   not.

At that time there were two brothers in prison (监狱). They would be   3   in a few days because they did wrong (犯罪). The king said, “I shall let them live but they must drink coffee or tea to the end of their   4  . One brother must drink coffee and   5   must drink tea every day.” And they   6   the king’s words.

They   7   lived many years. At last the elder brother   8   when he was eighty-three years old. The younger one died a few years   9  . After that, people   10   that coffee and tea were not bad to man.

1. A. happy    　　 　　   B.afraid    　　　　  C.strong　　 　　　　　　  D.rich

2. A. of　　　　　　　　　　    B.and　　　　　　　　    C.or　　　　　　　　　　  D.but

3. A. free　　　　　　　　　　  B.home　　　　　　　　 C.caught　　　　　　   D.killed

4. A. life　　　　　　　　　　   B.live　　　　　　　　    C.lives　　　　　　　　   D.living

5. A. one　　　　　　　　　　  B.another　　　　　　   C.other　　　　　　　　  D.the other

6. A. heard　　　　　　　　    B.listened to　　　　   C.followed　　　　　　 D.did

7. A. both　　　　　　　　　　     B.each　　　　　　　　   C.neither　　　　　　   D.all

8. A. killed　　　　　　　　    B.lived　　　　　　　　   C.died　　　　　　　　   D.dead

9. A. ago　　　　　　　　　　  B.old　　　　　　　　　　 C.later　　　　　　　　   D.before

10. A. shouted　　        B.spoke　　　　　　　　 C.kept　　　　　　　　   D.knew

When I was nine years old, I used to go to the post office with my mother, sending greeting cards to my aunt in Singapore. To me, these trips were really　 16 memories. And receiving mail through a mailbox outside our gate was just as exciting. My small hands could　 17　 get the mail without using a key! I always couldn’t wait to see how much I was 　18　 . Oh, a letter! From Singapore! I would run back home and show it to my　 19　 . When there was a letter for me, I wouldn’t run—I would open it right there.

After my family moved back to Singapore, I 　 20　 going to the post office. Years later, my company sent me to Shanghai, and the post office found me again. Two years ago I celebrated my 21　 with five friends on top of the mountain in Longsheng, China. At sunrise we　 22　 up to a beautiful view from the mountain top. Later in the afternoon, as we were going　 23　 the mountain and returning from the sunrise viewing place, a 　 24　 shop caught our attention. It only sold noodles, coffee and had a China 　 25　 sign.

We asked the owner if she could really send mail. She happily said yes. It seemed hard to believe,　 26　 we were at the highest top of the mountain. I picked one postcard out and asked my friends to write　 27　 a birthday note. We bought a stamp, wrote some notes and gave the shop owner the postcard.

Three weeks later, I arrived home and　 28　 my mailbox: Hello, postcard! I broke into a big smile.

That birthday postcard attracted me again to the post office and all its delights. I had　 29 the post office all these years. Today I　 30　 send postcards to friends. And every time I am at the post office buying stamps, I cannot help but smile—how one postcard will make its way across the world and brighten up someone’s day.

1. A. bad　　　　　　 B. poor　　　　　　 C. good　　　　　　　 D. short

2. A. easily　　　　　 B. simply　　　　　　 C. hardly　　　　　　 D. specially

3. A. weighing　　　 B. getting　　　　　　 C. selecting　　　　　 D. accepting

4. A. friend　　　　　 B. aunt　　　　　　　 C. mother　　　　　　 D. owner

5. A. enjoyed　　　　 B. stopped　　　　　 C. hated　　　　　　　 D. considered

6. A. wedding　　　　 B. return　　　　　　 C. success　　　　　　 D. birthday

7. A. broke　　　　　 B. woke　　　　　　 C. grew　　　　　　　 D. stood

8. A. around　　　　 B. over　　　　　　　 C. up　　　　　　　　 D. down

9. A. cold　　　　　 B. dirty　　　　　　　 C. small　　　　　　 D. modern

10. A. Traffic　 　　　 B. Life　　　　　　　 C. Police　　　　　　 D. Post

11. A. because　　　　 B. though　　　　　　 C. while　　　　　　 D. when

12. A. him　　　　　 B. me　　　　　　　 C. her　　　　　　　 D. them

13. A. bought　　　　 B. repaired　　　　　 C. painted　　 　　　 D. opened

14. A. missed　　　　 B. influenced　　　　 C. studied　　　　　　 D. visited

15. A. just　　　　　　 B. seldom　　　　　　 still　　　　　　　 D. never