When you read an article you will understand and remember it better if you can work out how the writer has put the ideas together．Sometimes a writer puts ideas together by asking questions and then answering them．For example，if the article is about groundhogs（土拨鼠），the set of questions in the writer’s head might be：
What does a groundhog look like？
Where do groundhogs live？
What do they eat？…
In the article，the author might answer those questions．
Sometimes an author writes out her questions in the article．These questions give you signals．They tell you what the author is going to write next．Often an author has a question in her head but she doesn’t write it out for you．You have to work out her question for yourself．Here’s a sample reading for you to practice this method.
Earthworms
Do you know how many kinds of earthworms there are？There are about 1800 kinds in the world！ They can be brown，purple，green．They can be as small as 3 cm long and as large as 3 m long．
The best time to see earthworms is at night，especially a cool，damp night．That’s when they come up from their burrows（地洞）to hunt for food．Earthworms don’t like to be in the sun．That’s because they breathe through their skin，and they can’t breathe if their skin gets too dry．Earthworms must come out of the earth if it rains a lot，because they can't breathe in their flooded burrows．What a dangerous life！
Earthworms don't have eyes，so how can they tell when it's dark？ They have special places on their skin that are sensitive to light．These spots tell whether it’s light or dark．If you shine a flashlight on an earthworm at night，it will quickly disappear into the ground．
Earthworms don't have ears either，but they can hear by feeling movements in the earth．If you want to hear like an earthworm，lie on the ground with your fingers in your ears．Then have a friend stamp his or her feet near you．This is how earthworms feel birds and people walking，and moles digging，near them．
Earthworms are useful．Farmers and gardeners like having lots of earthworms in their land because the worms help to make better soil when they dig．That digging keeps the soil loose and airy（通风的）．In one year earthworms can pile up as much as 23,000 kg of castings in an area about the size of a football field．
【小题1】What’s the purpose of reading Earthworms?

阅读下列短文，根据短文内容填写表格，每空限填一词。

In today’s society, everyone is busy and running at a fast pace(步调) every day. We feel our time is valuable and needs to be used well. We need cheap meal ideas that can help us save time and money and still provide a healthy and nutritious (有营养的) dinner for us and our family.

The fast food makers know we have little time and that the idea of cooking dinner after a long day at work is not something we look forward to. So the fast food makers offer us cheap food that requires no cooking, no cleaning, and only 25 minutes to pick up.

But eating so much fast food will cause body fatness and fast food is not nutritious, so it’s not the healthiest choice to consider. There are some very cheap meal ideas that take almost no time to prepare and will make coming home for a good meal more enjoyable.

The first cheap meal idea is one dish which includes meat, vegetables and rice. This is not only a cheap meal idea, but also it is fast because it can be made in only 20 minutes.

You can quickly make some pancakes and scrambled eggs for the family in about 30 minutes. If you think it is strange to eat breakfast food for dinner, consider how the same foods give you what you need to go through a whole day.

Another cheap meal idea to try is a “macaroni and cheese with meat” dish, which only takes around 20 minutes to cook.

If you are interested in these cheap meal ideas, you’re welcome to visit our website for details. When you fix one of these or other cheap meal ideas at home, you are taking time out of your busy day to treat yourself and your family in a special way.

1Jim couldn’t understand how the machine worked until his friends____ how to use it.

A. promised   B. explained   C. thought   D. heard

阅读下列短文，根据短文内容填写表格，每空限填一词。

In today’s society, everyone is busy and running at a fast pace(步调) every day. We feel our time is valuable and needs to be used well. We need cheap meal ideas that can help us save time and money and still provide a healthy and nutritious (有营养的) dinner for us and our family.
The fast food makers know we have little time and that the idea of cooking dinner after a long day at work is not something we look forward to. So the fast food makers offer us cheap food that requires no cooking, no cleaning, and only 25 minutes to pick up.
But eating so much fast food will cause body fatness and fast food is not nutritious, so it’s not the healthiest choice to consider. There are some very cheap meal ideas that take almost no time to prepare and will make coming home for a good meal more enjoyable.
The first cheap meal idea is one dish which includes meat, vegetables and rice. This is not only a cheap meal idea, but also it is fast because it can be made in only 20 minutes.
You can quickly make some pancakes and scrambled eggs for the family in about 30 minutes. If you think it is strange to eat breakfast food for dinner, consider how the same foods give you what you need to go through a whole day.
Another cheap meal idea to try is a “macaroni and cheese with meat” dish, which only takes around 20 minutes to cook.
If you are interested in these cheap meal ideas, you’re welcome to visit our website for details. When you fix one of these or other cheap meal ideas at home, you are taking time out of your busy day to treat yourself and your family in a special way.

Alice is a young woman. She likes to exercise for her health. She walks five kilometers before breakfast every morning, and goes swimming twice a week at the swimming pool. She doesn’t smoke and never drinks wine(酒). She doesn’t eat chocolate, and she doesn’t eat sweet and fatty foods.
One day Alice was on her daily walk when she saw a man sitting in a chair. He looked very old and his hair was white. He looked thin and weak, and his hands were shaking(发抖), but he looked very happy.
He smiled at her and said, “ Good morning! Lovely day, isn’t it?”
He had a big smile on his face, and his eyes showed his happiness. But Alice saw that he had no teeth.
“Good morning!” said Alice. “Yes, it’s a lovely day.”
Alice thought he was old and clever. She thought he must be more than 90 years old. She wanted to ask him about the secret of a happy old age.
“Excuse me. But what is your secret for being so happy at your age? I hope I can look as happy as you do when I am your age.”
The man in the chair said, “My secret for happiness? I smoke every day, and drink three bottles of wine every day. I eat hamburgers, I eat chocolate and I never eat vegetables. I never walk anywhere and I never play sports. I sit and watch TV all day.”
Alice couldn’t understand. She wanted to know how the man got to be so old when he did everything wrong. She thought he should be sick and unhappy. Perhaps she was wrong. Maybe, she thought, people could live a long happy life without eating well and doing lots of sports. 
“How old are you?’ she asked.
“It’s my birthday today.” Said the man, “I am forty-seven.”
11. What does Alice like?
A. Smoking.        B. Drinking wines.        C. Eating unhealthy food.     D. Doing sports.
12. Which is WRONG about the old man?
A. He didn’t have any teeth.                     B. He was more than 90 years old.
C. He looked happy although he looked thin and weak.     D. He looked very old.
13. How often did the old man do sports?
A. Never.         B. Often.            C. Sometimes.            D. Every day.
14. How did Alice feel when he heard the old man’s secret for happiness?
A. Happy.        B. Interested.         C. Excited.              D. Surprised.
15. After the old man told Alice about his age, Alice knew         .
A. the man was in good health for his age        
B. the man had a healthier lifestyle than her
C. a good lifestyle was important for one’s health   
D. people could live a long life without a good lifestyle