One afternoon, my son came home from school and asked me, “Are all people the same even if their skin color is different?” I thought for a moment, then I said, “I’ll explain. Let’s go to a fruit store first. I have something interesting to show you.”
At the store, I told him that we needed to buy apples. And we bought some red apples, green apples and yellow apples.
After we got home, I told Adam, “It’s time to answer your question.” I put one of each type of apple on the table: first a red apple, followed by a green apple and then a yellow apple. Then I looked at Adam, who was sitting on the other side of the table.
“Adam, people are just like apples. They come in different colors, shapes and sizes. See, some may not even look as delicious as others.” As I was talking, Adam was examining each one carefully.
Then, I took each of the apples and peeled them, placing them back on the table, but in a different place.
“OK, Adam, tell me which one is the red apple, the green apple and the yellow apple.”
He said, “I can’t tell. They all look the same now.”
“Take a bite(一口) of each one. See if that helps you tell which one is which.”
He took big bites, and then a huge smile came across his face. “People are just like apples! They are all different, but if you take off the outside, they’re pretty much the same on the inside.”
“Right,” I agreed. “Just like everyone has their own features but they are nearly the same.”
He completely got it. I didn’t need to say or do anything else.
Now, when I eat an apple, it tastes a little sweeter than before. What perfect fruit it is!
【小题1】I took Adam to buy apples for         .            

A．supper

B．his question

C．a party

D．a present

【小题2】As soon as we got home, I put          on the table.

A．all the apples	B．three apples of different colors
C．three red apples	D．three peeled apples

【小题3】After Adam took big bites, he found they         .

A．looked the same

B．tasted good

C．tasted the same

D．weren’t delicious

【小题4】In the end, Adam understood that         .

A．people are much the same even if their skin color is different

B．people are different if their skin color is different

C．the apples look the same after they are peeled

D．apples of different colors taste different

【小题5】I feel that apples taste a little sweeter than before because         .

A．they are delicious enough	B．they are perfect fruit for thinking
C．they are safe fruit	D．my son falls in love with them

Once upon a time there lived a poor farmer called Smith. He didn't like to share things with others. Smith had a friend who was famous for the wonderful apples he grew.
One day, his friend gave Smith a young apple tree and told him to take it home and planted. The farmer was pleased with the gift, but when he got home, he did not know where to plant
He thought and thought. Finally at night he planted the tree in his wood where no one could see it. But without sunlight and good soil, the tree soon died.
Later the friend asked the farmer why he had planted the tree in such a poor place.
"What's the difference?" the farmer said angrily. "If I had planted it near the road, strangers would have stolen the fruit. If I had planted it in one of my fields, my neighbors would have come at night and stolen some of the apples. If I had planted it near my house, my own children would have taken the fruit,"
"Yes," said the friend, "but at least someone could have enjoyed the fruit. Now you not only have got nothing, but also you have destroyed a good apple tree."
【小题1】Was Smith happy about the gift?
【小题2】When did he plant the apple tree?
【小题3】Where did Smith plant the apple tree in the end?
【小题4】Why did the apple tree soon die?
【小题5】What would probably happen if the farmer had planted the tree near his house?