When a big ship is in very rough(不平坦的) sea, it has to be able to bend(弯) a little, otherwise it may break in two. If one end of the ship is on the top of one huge wave, and the other end is on the top of another, with the middle of the ship hanging in between; or if one huge wave comes up under the middle of the ship, leaving the two ends hanging, the ship's own weight will break its back if it is quite stiff(硬的).

　　To make a big ship elastic(有弹性的) enough to avoid (避开) this danger, it has joints where the sections of the ship come together above the water-line, and these joints (连接处) open and shut slightly as the waves lift one section(部分) of the ship or another. This is enough to save the ship from breaking into pieces.

　　One day a sailor was walking along a passage-way in a big ship during a storm when he was surprised to see a boy sitting comfortably in a chair at the end of the passage-way, which was opposite one of the ship's joints. The boy had a bag of nuts beside him, and every time the ship was lifted by a wave and the joint opened, he put a nut in it. As the ship came down again, the joint closed and cracked(压碎) the nut, gently but firmly. The boy then took it out and put the next one in as the joint opened again.

1．What does a big ship have to do when it is in very rough sea?

2．If one end of the ship is on the top of one huge wave, and the other end is on the top of another, with the middle of the ship hanging in between, what will happen to the ship if it is quite stiff?

3．Why does a big ship have joints?

4．What do these joints do?

5．Where was a sailor walking during the storm in this story?

6．What was he surprised to see?

7．What did the boy have beside him?

8．What did he do?

9．How was the nut cracked?

10．What did the boy do then?

阅读下列短文，从所给的四个选项中，选出最佳答案．

　Last Sunday I saw the worst storm(风暴)in years．It came suddenly and went on for more than three hours．After lunch, I went into my room to have a rest, The air was hot, and it was quiet．Then strong wind started blowing into my room．Pieces of paper on my desk flew high into the air and some flew out of the open window．As I ran out to catch them, big drops of rain began to fall．When I came back into the house, it was raining harder and harder．I tried very hard to close the window．Then I heard a loud crashing(碰撞)sound from the back of the house．I ran out of my room to find out what it was. A big tree had fallen down and broken the top of the back room．

1．The storm took place ________．

[　　]

A．in the morning

B．in the afternoon

C．while I was in the back room

D．while I was in the garden．

2．Before the storm came, the weather was ________．

[　　]

A．cold　　　　　  B．cool

C．hot　　　　　　  　　　D．warm

3．The storm went on for ________．

[　　]

A．more than three hours

B．three hours

C．less than three hours

D．two hours

4．The wind blew some of the paper ________．

[　　]

A．all over the floor

B．out of the door

C．into the back room

D．out of the open window

5．________ had fallen down and broken the top of the back room．

[　　]

A．Big drops of rain

B．A big tree

C．A loud crashing sound

D．The storm

阅读理解

　　It was almost two. A cold wind had come up over the lake. As a black cloud moved across the sun, Walt, a small boy, looked up. “I smell a storm(暴风雨),” he thought.

　　Shortly, a man of forty, had gone into town. He had said he would be back before two. He had told Walt to watch the boats and the shop. There were no people around. They had all gone out on the lake to fish.

　　So Walt went to work on one of the boats. From there he could hear the telephone if it rang. And he could watch the door.

　　It was after two when the stranger came. Walt saw him stop by the shop. The stranger looked in for a minute. Then he went down to the boats. He was a big man in a coat.

　　Walt called to him, “Do you want something, sir?”

　　The stranger looked at Walt and said, “No, thanks.” Then the stranger moved slowly away. As he went on, he looked at the boats one by one.

　　Walt sat there with his eyes on the back of the stranger's coat. He thought, “I can smell something as I smell that storm. I hope Shortly comes back soon.”

1．The story happened ________.

[　　]

A．on the lake at night

B．by the lake in the afternoon

C．along the river in spring

D．near the river in summer

2．Walt stayed because ________.

[　　]

A．there were no people around

B．Shortly had gone shopping

C．people went fishing on the lake

D．Shortly had asked him to watch the boats and the shop

3．What do you think of Walt?

[　　]

4．Which of the following is true?

[　　]

A．The stranger came to see Walt.

B．Shortly came back on time.

C．Walt worked far away from the shop.

D．Some people lived around the shop.

5．At the end of the story Walt thought ________.

[　　]

A．the stranger would not came back again

B．Shortly would not return soon

C．trouble might happen around the shop

D．Shortly would lose his life in the storm