Three soldiers were on their way home from the war．They arrived at a small village, they were very tired and （1）,but they had no food or money．The only thing they did have was a cooking pot（锅）．

The soldiers built a small cooking fire,（2） their pot on it, and poured in some water． When a few villagers asked what they were doing, one of the soldiers answered that he was making stone soup． A few more villagers walking by stopped to （3）what was going on when they heard about it．

“Any soup needs salt and pepper,”the first soldier said,（4） some children ran to fetch salt and pepper．“Stones can be used to prepare good soup, but tomatoes would （5） it so much better,” the second soldier added．One woman said“Why, I think I have a tomato or two! ”She ran to get the tomatoes．

“Some cabbage would be a proper choice for a good stone soup! ”said the third soldier．Another woman said,“I think I can probably find some cabbage,”and （6）she ran．

“If only we had a bit of beef and some potatoes, this soup would be fit for a rich man's （7）．”The villagers thought it over, then ran to fetch what they had in their homes．A rich man's soup, and all from a few stones! It seemed like （8）!

The soldiers said“, If only we had a little milk, this soup would be fit for a king! ”And so other villagers （9） to get some milk．

“The soup is ready,”said the cooks,“and all will （10）it, but first we need to set the tables．”Some of the villagers said,“Such a great soup would be better （11）some bread and cakes,”so they brought the （12） two things and the meal was （13） by all．Never had there been such a （14） meal．Never had the villagers had such delicious soup, and all made from stones! They ate and drank and danced well into the night．

In the morning, the villagers gathered to say goodbye．“Many thanks to you,”they said,“for we shall （15）go hungry now that we have learned how to make soup from stones．”

1．A．hungry          B．bored          C．sleepy         D．sick

2．A．drew            B．threw          C．left           D．placed

3．A．see                     B．tell             C．imagine        D．notice

4．A．but              B．so             C．or             D．while

5．A．cook            B．do            C．invent         D．make

6．A．about            B．in             C．off           D．out

7．A．health            B．money         C．dream         D．table

8．A．art              B．magic          C．interest        D．supper

9．A．tried             B．returned       C．managed       D．came

10．A．want           B．buy             C．use            D．taste

11．A．over           B．besides         C．with          D．like

12．A．first           B．last            C．other          D．only

13．A．enjoyed        B．given          C．needed          D．brought

14．A．cheap         B．proper         C．special        D．public

15．A．later           B．ever           C．sometimes     D．never

When I was 13 years old, I became a vegetarian and quickly realized that I would have to learn how to cook for myself. The first thing I ever asked my mom to teach me how to make was bean soup. “Oh, that’s easy!” She told me. She started by explaining: “Almost every soup starts with onions and carrots.”

My mom is a chef who is able to cook delicious meals. She also told me that the very first thing she had learned in cooking school was to make soup stock (拼盘)----followed by soup. Her teacher had told the class: “If you learn anything here, it should be soup.”

In the US, soup isn’t so much a part of a meal as a meal in itself. Soups are often made from the leftovers(剩菜) of last night’s dinner----a baked chicken or turkey can easily be made into a new meal by adding broth(肉汤) and some vegetables. Soups are accompanied(伴随) by bread and topped with cheese.

It was easy to impress my college roommates with my mom’s great soup recipes(菜谱). Bean soup, vegetable noodle soup, mushroom soup… For only a few dollars, three or four of us could eat well from the same pot of soup for a whole week. Add a loaf of bread and some cheese, and our soup became a proper feast(盛宴).

I’m not a vegetarian any more, but I still make bean soup. It fills the house with lovely smells and reminds me of my mom, and my home.

66. The first thing that the writer learnt to make was _____.

A. bean soup                         B. vegetable noodle soup

C. mushroom soup                       D. beef soup  

 67. What is the writer’s mother’s job? __________

A. teacher               B. officer       C. chef                 D. secretary

68. According to the writer’s mother, almost every soup has ____.

A. onions and carrots         B. celery(芹菜) and chili(辣椒)

C. carrots and mushroom      D. bread and cheese

69. Which of the statements is TRUE?

A. Soup is as important as a meal in America.

B. Americans don’t like to make soup from leftovers.

C. Americans think it is difficult to make soup.

D. Americans like to add cheese to soup.

70. From this passage, we can learn that _____.

A. in the US, soup isn’t part of every meal

B. you can’t make soup with a baked chicken or turkey

C. the writer often made different kinds of soup at home with her roommates

D. the writer doesn’t make bean soup any more because she isn’t a vegetarian