As prices and building costs keep rising, “the do-it-yourself”（DIY）trend（趋势） in the US continues to grow.
“We needed furniture for our living room,” says John Kose, “and we didn’t have enough money to buy it.” So we decided to try making a few tables and chairs. John got married six months ago, and like many young people these days, they are struggling （努力）to make a home when the cost of living is very high. The Koses took a 2-week course for $ 280 at a night school. Now they build all their furniture and make repairs around the house.
Jim Hatfield has three boys and his wife died. He has a full-time job at home as well as in a shoe-making factory. Last month, he received a car repair bill for $420. “I was very upset about it. Now I’ve finished a car repair course. I should be able to fix the car myself. ”
John and Jim are not unusual people. Most families in the country are doing everything they can save money so they can fight the high cost of living. If you want to become a “do-it-yourself”, you can go to DIY classes. And for those who don’t have time to take a course, there are books that tell you how to do things yourself.
【小题1】We know from the passage that many people ________ .

A．seldom go to a department store to buy things

B．take DIY courses run by the government

C．like to learn to make their own furniture

D．find it hard to pay for what they need

【小题2】 John and his wife went to evening classes to learn how to _______ .

A．improve the quality of life

B．save time and money

C．make or repair things

D．run a DIY shop

【小题3】When the writer says that Jim has a full-time job at home, he means Jim ______.

A．keeps house and looks after his children

B．does his own car and home repairs

C．does extra work at night

D．make shoes in his home

【小题4】Jim Hatfield decided to become a do-it-yourself when ______ .

A．he had to raise the children all by himself

B．he could not possibly do two jobs

C．the car repair class was not helpful

D．his car repairs cost too much

【小题5】How can people learn DIY? 

A．Go to classes.

B．Read books.

C．Go to classes and read books.

D．The passage doesn’t tell us.

 

Sydney Tower Address: 100 Market St., Sydney Phone: 02 9333 9222 Fax: 02 9333 9203 Open time: 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. (Saturdays to 11:30 p.m.) Ticket: $60 (for an adult) $30 (for a child) Website: www.sydneytower.com.au How to get there: train to Town Hall Station and a short walk along Market Street How to book tickets: by phone/fax or through the web Attraction: Sydney’s best views are just the beginning! Sydney Tower takes you to the highest point above Sydney for exciting 360 views of our beautiful city.

 

1.   Sydney Tower is ________ in Sydney, Australia.

A．the busiest street	B．the biggest station
C．the most beautiful park	D．the highest point

2.   If you want to book a ticket to Sydney Tower, you can’t ________.

A．email sydneytower@hotmail .com

B．fax 02 9333 9203

C．search www. sydneytower.com.au

D．dial 02 9333 9222

3.   Frank wants to go to Sydney Tower with his two children, he will pay _________.

A．$60

B．$90

C．$120

D．$150

4.   Last Saturday, Johnson went to visit Sydney Tower. He had to get down the tower __________.

A．after 11:30 p.m.	B．before 11:30 p.m.
C．at 10:30 p.m.	D．by 10:30 p.m.

5.   The passage above is probably___________.

A．a piece of news	B．a conversation
C．a story	D．an advertisement

 

Mr. White works in an office. He liked reading in bed when he was at school. It was bad for his eyes and now he is near-sighted. But he wouldn't want anybody else to know about it and he never wears a pair of glasses. It often brings him some trouble.
One winter morning he was sent to a village school on business. He got off a bus at a stop in a small town. Then he had to walk there. The road to the village wasn't smooth. There were stones here and there. He fell over several times and it made his clothes very duty. At last he got to the village. Suddenly it began to blow strongly and it got much colder. His hat was blown off while he was looking for the school. He had to run after it but he couldn't catch it. He was wondering why his hat ran into a house as if it had legs. And then he ran into the house, too.
A big woman appeared and stopped him by shouting angrily, " What are you running after my hen for?"
【小题1】According to the passage, which of the following is true?

A．Mr. White wears a pair of glasses.

B．Mr. White works in a village school.

C．Mr. White likes reading in bed in his office.

D．Mr. White often has some trouble because of his near sight.

【小题2】 What was the weather like when Mr. White was walking to the village school?

A．It was warm.

B．It was windy.

C．It was fine.

D．It was cool.

【小题3】Mr. White couldn't get his hat because ______.

A．his hat had legs	B．his hat was the big woman's
C．he couldn't see his hat at all	D．he couldn't run as fast as his hat

On my eighth birthday, Dad bought me an accordion(手风琴） and said excitedly, "Once you learn to play, it'll stay with you for life." But I didn't want to play it. Ijust wanted to play games, But Dad asked me to take accordion lessons.
One day, I found a box in a corner. When I opened it, I saw a beautiful violin. "You’re your father's," Mum said. "His parents bought it for him. I guess he got too busy on the farm to learn to play it."
I had to practice half an hour every day, and every day I tried to get out of it. But Dad didn't allow. I asked why. He answered, "Because you can bring people joy. You can touch their hearts." He added softly, "Someday you'll have the chance I never had: you'll play beautiful music for your family. And you'll understand why you've worked so hard." I was speechless.
The lessons stopped after I finished high school. When I grew up, I got married and moved into a new house. I put the accordion in the attic（阁楼）.
One afternoon, my two children found the accordion by accident (偶然). They got very excited. "Play it. Play it," they laughed and said. I started to play some simple songs. I was surprised I could still remember them. Soon the kids were dancing. Even my wife was laughing and clapping to the beat.
At that moment, my father's words came back to me, "Someday you'll have the chance I never had. And you'll understand." I finally knew why Dad had asked me to practice hard. Dad never learnt to play his violin. But I told my family, "This is my father's music."
【小题1】My father didn't learn to play his violin when he was young because _______.

A．he didn't like to play the violin	B．he had to support his family
C．he wanted to play games	D．he didn't keep on practicing

【小题2】How might the writer feel when he had to practice playing the accordion?

A．Delighted.

B．Excited.

C．Bored.

D．Relaxed.

【小题3】"Dad didn't allow" means "_______".

A．Dad didn't let me do it.	B．Dad didn't stop me doing it.
C．Dad didn't help me do it.	D．Dad didn't see me do it.

【小题4】Dad asked me to learn to play the accordion so that _______.

A．I could go to a better school	B．I could give myself much joy
C．I could be a useful man	D．I could make people happy

Lots of people make it as their aim to get to the top of Mount Everest. Mark is one of them. The difference between Mark and other climbers is that he lost both his legs when climbing. New Zealand’s highest mountain, Mount Cook. He was caught in a big ice hole and he had to have his legs cut below the knees after he was saved. But that couldn’t make Mark lose heart, who has become the first person with man-made legs to reach the top of Mount Everest.

From the top of the world’s highest mountain, Mark called his wife to say he made it. His wife, Anne got the phone when she was sleeping. She couldn’t hear him clearly on the phone. She was unable to say when he reached the top but thought it was around mid-day. She also said his “legs” didn’t work well sometimes, so her husband was carrying a spare leg and repair tools.

Mark used to be a mountain guide before his accident. He said it was not important that no one like him had ever reached the 8850-meter mountain.

“I’m not doing this to be the first. I have been climbing most of my life and I just feel Mount Everest is really a great aim. I want to send a message that I can do-anything better.”

 

1.What was the difference between Mark and other climbers?

    A. He went mountain-climbing with his wife.

    B. He climbed mountains with man-made legs.

    C. He was the first to climb Mount Everest.

    D. He was the best guide of the world.

2.Mark’s wife thought is was ________ on Mount Everest when Mark reached its top.

    A. noon         B. morning      C. mid-night        D. evening

3.Which of the following is the correct order in Mark’s story?

    a. Losing both of his legs.

    b. Working as a mountain guide.

    c. Falling into an ice hole on Mount Cook.

    d. Reaching the top of Mount Everest.

    A. c a b d          B. c a d b          C. b c a d          D. b a c d

4. Mark’s story makes us believe that he is a _________ man.

    A. polite           B. brave            C. kind         D. clever

5. Mark told us that he cared much about __________.

    A. being the first  B. climbing higher  C. keeping healthy  D. being a guide