Lesson One is ______ than Lesson Two.

A. interesting                             B. much interesting

C. more much interesting                  D. much more interesting

“I had a Welsh speaking test. I'd had to memorize a paragraph in front of the whole class. I just couldn’t do it,” says 13-year-old Mary. “I pretended to be ill.” But Mary did not enjoy her day off. “I watched TV all day — it was boring. I wished I had gone to school.”
Mary’s story is not unusual in Britain. According to the latest government figures, pupil absences are rising, despite schools taking a hard line on truancy (逃学)．
Philippa James, a PhD researcher at Cardiff University’s school of social sciences, thinks she knows why: “The more schools improve methods of detection（检查）, the more children work out better methods of deception.” Teenagers told her it was now harder to skip a single lesson, so they’d miss whole days to avoid being caught.
For several years, James has researched student truancy of 60 teenagers, aged 13 and 14, including Mary, to see how the teenagers truant, for how long, and why.
Through online conversations and face-to-face interviews, she discovered that most truancy was “a response to factors within the school”. Truants are not necessarily less advanced or less intelligent. They complained of teachers who failed to engage them, and of “boring” lessons. “Many truants really enjoy school and believe in education, but drop out when aspects of it were ineffective.” James says.
The views of students like Adam, who believes that skipping lessons has little impact on his schooling, were common. “I only take-off for a lesson, or a couple of days. It doesn’t affect my education,” he told James.
James’ study concludes that schools need to address the question of why pupils want to leave in the first place. “Pupils need help from the start.” she says. “It’s a two-way process – schools must be responsive. We need to look at the reasons for truancy rather than the number, so that instead of walking away from school, students have the skills and chances to talk through problems and make a change.”
【小题1】What is one of the reasons for school truancy according to James’ study?

When I was about 12 years old, I really wanted a new bike! I __36__ my parents my birthday wish, but I knew there was little hope because my family could __37__ have that money.

On my birthday my parents told me they had my __38__ outside in the back yard. At once I __39__ out to the yard. There was my bike, __40__ it wasn’t the bike that I thought it would be. This one was pink, old and worn with age. It was so __41__! I thought I __42__ my parents’ feelings because I could see the disappointment __43__ their faces and I was sure they could see it on mine. I __44__ the old bike and rode it, feeling __45__ that I had made my parents feel this way. So I put on a smile, rode as fast as I could and didn’t __46__...

As time went by, I began to understand my parents gave me __47__ much more than just a rusty（生锈的）old bike. They gave me a life lesson about __48__. When you give something out of love, it doesn’t matter what it is in fact. What matters is the love that is in it. I like to remember this __49__ because giving a gift is not about money. It’s about how much love you can feel from it. Do remember, a gift that __50__ two dollars isn’t any less valuable（有价值的）than one that costs one hundred dollars, or even more.

36. A. talked               B. spoke            C. said             D. told

37. A. hardly               B. quickly          C. slowly               D. easily

38. A. guitar              B. gift             C. cake             D. card

39. A. rushed               B. rode             C. climbed         D. came 

40. A. and              B. or               C. but              D. because

41. A. exciting             B. interesting          C. relaxing         D. disappointing

42. A. liked                B. hated                C. hurt             D. thanked

43. A. on                   B. in                   C. at                   D. for

44. A. got in               B. got on               C. got off              D. got up

45. A. surprised            B. excited          C. happy                D. bad

46. A. look ahead          B. look back            C. come up          D. come down

47. A. anything         B. nothing          C. something            D. everything

48. A. love             B. money                C. friendship           D. knowledge

49. A. idea             B. news             C. advice               D. story

50. A. spends               B. costs                C. pays             D. offers

When I was about 12 years old, I really wanted a new bike! I __31__ my parents my birthday wish, but I knew there was little hope because my family could __32__ have that money.

　　On my birthday my parents told me they had my __33__ outside in the back yard. At once, I __34__ out to the yard. There was my bike, __35__ it wasn’t the bike that I thought it would be. This one was pink, old and worn with age. It was so __36__! I thought I __37__ my parents’ feelings because I could see the disappointment __38__ their faces and I was sure they could see it on mine. I __39__ the old bike and rode it, feeling __40__ that I had made my parents feel this way. So I put on a smile, rode as fast as I could and didn’ t __41__.

　　As time went by, I began to understand my parents gave me __42__ much more than just a rusty（生锈的）old bike. They gave me a life lesson about __43__. When you give something out of love, it doesn’ t matter what it is in fact. What matters is the love that is in it. I like to remember this __44__ because giving a gift is not about money. It’s about how much love you can feel from it. Do remember, a gift that __45__ two dollars isn’t any less valuable（有价值的）than one that costs one hundred dollars, or even more.