I watched quietly as my little brother was caught in the act. He sat in the corner of the living room, a 　41 in one hand and my father's new book in the other.

　 　42 my father walked into the room, my brother cowered (畏缩) slowly. He sensed that he had done something 　43　 . From a distance I could see that he had 　44 my father's new book and scribbled (乱画) in it. Now, looking at my father in 45　 , he and I both waited for his punishment.

　 My father 　46　 up his prized book, looked at it carefully, and then sat down, without saying a word. Books were 　47 to him. He was a clergyman（牧师） and for him, books were 　48 .What he did next was unbelievable. Instead of 　49 my brother, he sat down, took the pen from 　50 , and then wrote in the book himself, alongside the scribbles John had made:

John s work, 1959, age 2. How many times have I looked into your beautiful face and into your warm, alert (警觉的) eyes looking up at me? And how many times have I 51 God for the one who has now scribbled in my new book?

　 "Wow," I thought, "This is punishment?" The years and the books came and went. Our family experienced what all families go through and perhaps a little bit more: happiness and 　52　 , laughter and tears. We always knew our parents 　53 us and that one of the proofs (证明) of their love was the book. From time to time we would 　54 it, look at the scribbles, read my father's expression of love, and feel 　55　 .

(　　 )41. A. book　　　 　　　 　　 B. pen　 　　　 C. paper 　　　 D. ruler

(　　 )42. A. Because　 　　 B. Since　 　　C. As　　　 　　　 D. Though

(　　 )43. A. interesting　　　 B. wrong　　 　 C. useless　　　 　 D. important

(　　 )44.A. dropped　 　　 B. read 　　　 C. borrowed　 　 D. opened

(　　 )45. A. surprise　 　　 B. excitement　 C. sadness　　 　 D. fear

(　　 )46. A. picked　　 　　 B. put 　　　　C. gave　 　　　 D. checked

(　　 )47. A. enjoyable 　　 B. valuable　 　 C. useless　　　 　 D. attractive

(　　 )48. A. courage　 　　 B. money 　 　　C. health 　　　 D. knowledge

(　　 )49. A. beating　 　　 B. hurting　　 　 C. punishing　 　 D. forgiving

(　　 )50.A. the corner 　　 B. the floor　 　 C. the table　　 　 D. my brother's hand

(　　 )51. A. thanked　 　　 B. asked 　　　C. provided　　 　 D. reminded

(　　 )52.A.sadness　　 　　 B. excitement　　　 C. pride　 　　　 D. envy

(　　 )53. A. needed　　 　　 B. loved 　　　 C. preferred　 　 D. encouraged

(　　 )54. A. open 　　　　 B. use　 　　　 C. read　 　　　 D. explain

(　　 )55. A. jealous　　 　　 B. relaxed　　 　 C. confident　 　 D. proud

　

I watched quietly as my little brother was caught in the act. He sat in the corner of the living room, a 　41 in one hand and my father's new book in the other.

　 　42 my father walked into the room, my brother cowered (畏缩) slowly. He sensed that he had done something 　43　 . From a distance I could see that he had 　44 my father's new book and scribbled (乱画) in it. Now, looking at my father in 45　 , he and I both waited for his punishment.

　 My father 　46　 up his prized book, looked at it carefully, and then sat down, without saying a word. Books were 　47 to him. He was a clergyman（牧师） and for him, books were 　48 .What he did next was unbelievable. Instead of 　49 my brother, he sat down, took the pen from 　50 , and then wrote in the book himself, alongside the scribbles John had made:

John s work, 1959, age 2. How many times have I looked into your beautiful face and into your warm, alert (警觉的) eyes looking up at me? And how many times have I 51 God for the one who has now scribbled in my new book?

　 "Wow," I thought, "This is punishment?" The years and the books came and went. Our family experienced what all families go through and perhaps a little bit more: happiness and 　52　 , laughter and tears. We always knew our parents 　53 us and that one of the proofs (证明) of their love was the book. From time to time we would 　54 it, look at the scribbles, read my father's expression of love, and feel 　55　 .

(　　 )41. A. book　　　 　　　 　　 B. pen　 　　　 C. paper 　　　 D. ruler

(　　 )42. A. Because　 　　 B. Since　 　　C. As　　　 　　　 D. Though

(　　 )43. A. interesting　　　 B. wrong　　 　 C. useless　　　 　 D. important

(　　 )44.A. dropped　 　　 B. read 　　　 C. borrowed　 　 D. opened

(　　 )45. A. surprise　 　　 B. excitement　 C. sadness　　 　 D. fear

(　　 )46. A. picked　　 　　 B. put 　　　　C. gave　 　　　 D. checked

(　　 )47. A. enjoyable 　　 B. valuable　 　 C. useless　　　 　 D. attractive

(　　 )48. A. courage　 　　 B. money 　 　　C. health 　　　 D. knowledge

(　　 )49. A. beating　 　　 B. hurting　　 　 C. punishing　 　 D. forgiving

(　　 )50.A. the corner 　　 B. the floor　 　 C. the table　　 　 D. my brother's hand

(　　 )51. A. thanked　 　　 B. asked 　　　C. provided　　 　 D. reminded

(　　 )52.A.sadness　　 　　 B. excitement　　　 C. pride　 　　　 D. envy

(　　 )53. A. needed　　 　　 B. loved 　　　 C. preferred　 　 D. encouraged

(　　 )54. A. open 　　　　 B. use　 　　　 C. read　 　　　 D. explain

(　　 )55. A. jealous　　 　　 B. relaxed　　 　 C. confident　 　 D. proud

　

The Invention Blog: A Place for People to Share Opinions

Today’s question is:

　　　 What do you think is the most useful invention of all time?

Posted by Cindy Wu on Saturday, April 13

There are many ---the train , the car, the airplane are useful machines, but these are not my choices. For an everyday, useful invention, I vote for the air conditioner. I live in Taibei, and during the summer the temperature can be 35degrees Celsius（摄氏度)or more. It’s so hot! I’m not joking when I say that, without an air conditioner, people here cannot work or study. A lot of people might also get sick without cool air.

Posted by Jorge on Sunday, April 14

The most useful invention of all time is surely the Internet. We can now reach people and do business faster. I own a clothing store in Mexico City, and there is a lot of competition(竞争). I also have a website. Now, people from all over the world can buy my clothing using my website. I can keep in touch with friends and family in Mexico and around the world using e-mail. It’s faster than usual mail, and it’s cheaper than using the phone.

Posted by Kazuo on Monday, April 15

Jorge, I also think that the Internet is useful. But, in my opinion, there is an ‘invention’ that is even more important, and that’s electricity. Of course, this isn’t a man-made invention, .But without electricity, many of the world’s most important invention would not work.

　　

52. vote, it means_________

A.投票　　　　 B. 制作　　 C. 表达　　 D. 感受　　　

53. For Cindy, the air conditioner is the most useful because____________

　　 A. her apartment doesn’t smell very good　

B. she lives in a very hot place.

　　 C. she often gets sick　　　 　　　　　　

D. she likes summer

54. Jorge says that the Internet helps him to ______________

　　 A. buy clothing from all around the world.

B. keep in touch with family and friends

　　 C. use the telephone more cheaply.　　　

D. see the talk show

55. Kazuo thinks electricity is the most useful because________________

　　 A. many machines cannot work without it.　 B. it is really an invention.

　　 C. it is very cheap　　　　　　　　　　　 D. it is easy

---The box is too heavy to carry. What’s in it?　

---Oh, it is ___________ books.

　　　 A. filled with　　　　 B. covered with　　　　　　 C. used for　　　　　 D. asked for

The idea for the book Harry Potter and the philosopher’s Stone came to Joanne Kathleen Rowling in 1990. It took her seven years to finish writing it. During those seven years she had a number of jobs, including one job as an English teacher in Portugal.

Rowling sent the book to four publishers before one of them bought it. She was very happy to sell her book because it was her life’s dream to be a published writer. Before she sold her book, Rowling was short of money, living in a small apartment with her daughter. She could not afford heat in the winter.

Harry Potter became very successful with children and adults in England. The book also really took off in the United States. After her second and third books were published, the three Harry Potter books filled the top three places on many newspapers’ lists of best-sellers. Then the books were made into popular movies. Without question, Rowling’s life had completely changed, in just three years.

Harry Potter has now sold more than 30 million books around the world and has been translated into more than thirty-five languages. In 1997, she earned ?70 (about US$110) a week. By the end of 2001, she had earned over ?150 million ($250 million), making her one of the most successful female writers of all time.

56. Rowling’s dream was 　　　.

　 A. to be a book seller B. to make a movie

　 C. to have her books published　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. to be an English teacher

57. Which sentence is TRUE about the first Harry Potter book?

　 A. Four publishers bought it. B. It took the writer many years to finish it.

　 C. It was first published in Portugal.　　　　　　 D. Rowling got the idea from her daughter.

58. Harry Potter has been translated into 　　　 languages.

　 A. about 50 B. more than 35　　　　　 C. about 70　　　　　　　　　 D. more than 150

59. Which of the following is NOT TRUE about Rowling?

　 A. Not many writers are as successful as she is.

　 B. She spent seven years finishing writing her first book.

C. She lived a poor life before her books were published.

　 D. Her books were made into movies and she directed them.

60. This reading is about 　　　 .

　 A. the writer’s life B. Harry Potter’s life

　 C. how the book became a movie　　　　　　　　 D. why Harry Potter is popular