My father was Chief Engineer of a merchant ship, which was sunk in World War Ⅱ. The book Night of the U­boats told the story.

Memories

In September ，1940，my mother ,sister and I went to Swansea ,where my father ‘s ship was getting ready to sail ,we brought him a family photography to be kept with him at all times and keep him safe .

Then I remember my mother lying face down ,sobbing .she had heard from a friend that the ship had been sunk by a torpedo (鱼雷).

I can remember the arrived of the telegram（电报），which in those days always brought bad news .my grandmother opened it ,it read ,safe .love ted.”

My most vivid memory is being woken and brought down to sit on my father’s knee, his arm in a bandage .

He was judged unfit to return to sea and took a shore job in Glasgow for the rest of the war, for as long as I can remember ,he had a weak heart ,mother said it was caused by the torpedoes .he said it was because of the cigarette ,whichever ,he died suddenly in his early 50s.

Ten years later I read night of the U-boat and able to complete the story .

A toast

In my room is the book and the photograph .often , glass in hand, I have wondered how I would have dealt with an explosion ,a sinking ship ,a jump into a vast ocean and a wait for rescue ?lest (以免 )we forget ,I have some more whisky and toast the heroes of the war.

1.We can infer that the mother and children went to Swansea ________.

A. to meet a friend               B. to see the father off

C. to take a family photo          D. to enjoy the sailing of the ship

2.What did the author learn about the father from the telegram?

A. he was still alive.              B. His knee was broken.

C. His ship had been sunk.         D. He had arrived in Glasgow.

3.The underlined word “it” in Paragraph 6 refers to the father’s ________.

A. weak heart                   B. taking a shore job

C. failure to return to sea          D. injury caused by a torpedo

4.What is the passage mainly about?

A. A group of forgotten heroes            

B. A book describing a terrifying battle.

C. A ship engineer’s wartime experience.      

D. A merchant’s memories of a sea rescue.

My House

My mother moved a lot when she was growing up on account of Grandpa being in the army. She hated having to adjust to new schools and make new friends. That’s why I thought she was joking when she put forward the idea of moving. But she was completely serious. “For just the two of us,” my mother said, “an apartment in the city will suit our needs much better.” Personally, I think she’s lost her mind. I guess I can understand why she would want to move, but what about me and what this house means to me?

I suppose if you looked at my house, you might think it was just another country house. But to me it is anything but standard. I moved into this house with my parents ten years ago. I can still remember that first day like it was yesterday. The first thing I noticed was the big front yard. To me it seemed like an ocean of grass—I couldn’t wait to dive in. The backyard was full of gnarled (扭曲的, 粗糙的) and scary trees that talk on windy nights. But I grew to like them and the shadows they cast in my room. My father and I even built a small tree house, where I often go to remember all the wonderful times we had before Father’s death.

This house is special—maybe only to me—but special nevertheless. It’s the little seemingly insignificant things that make this house so special to me: the ice-cold tile floors that make me tremble on midnight snack runs; the smell of my father’s pipe that still exists; the towering bookcases of my mother; the view outside my bedroom window.

This house holds too many memories, memories which would be lost if we gave it up.

Why did the author’s mother decide to move?

A. Because she hated the countryside.

B. Because Grandpa was on constant move.

C. Because Dad’s death made her lose her mind.

D. Because she thought a city flat more fit for them.

What impressed the author when she first moved into the house?

A. The tree house.  B. The big trees.    C. The cold floors.        D. The green grass.

How did the author let us feel that the house was special to her?

A. By arguing whether the house was standard.

B. By explaining why the house suited their needs. _k.&s~5*u

C. By describing the small things related to her house.

D. By comparing the differences between country and city life.

My mother moved a lot when she was growing up because of   ________.

A. Grandpa being in the army.  B.their family’s liking moving

C. the life’s need             D. Mother’s work

My House

My mother moved a lot when she was growing up on account of Grandpa being in the army. She hated having to adjust to new schools and make new friends. That’s why I thought she was joking when she put forward the idea of moving. But she was completely serious. “For just the two of us,” my mother said, “an apartment in the city will suit our needs much better.” Personally, I think she’s lost her mind. I guess I can understand why she would want to move, but what about me and what this house means to me?

I suppose if you looked at my house, you might think it was just another country house. But to me it is anything but standard. I moved into this house with my parents ten years ago. I can still remember that first day like it was yesterday. The first thing I noticed was the big front yard. To me it seemed like an ocean of grass—I couldn’t wait to dive in. The backyard was full of gnarled (扭曲的, 粗糙的) and scary trees that talk on windy nights. But I grew to like them and the shadows they cast in my room. My father and I even built a small tree house, where I often go to remember all the wonderful times we had before Father’s death.

This house is special—maybe only to me—but special nevertheless. It’s the little seemingly insignificant things that make this house so special to me: the ice-cold tile floors that make me tremble on midnight snack runs; the smell of my father’s pipe that still exists; the towering bookcases of my mother; the view outside my bedroom window.

This house holds too many memories, memories which would be lost if we gave it up.

Why did the author’s mother decide to move?

A. Because she hated the countryside.

B. Because Grandpa was on constant move.

C. Because Dad’s death made her lose her mind.

D. Because she thought a city flat more fit for them.

What impressed the author when she first moved into the house?

A. The tree house.  B. The big trees.    C. The cold floors.        D. The green grass.

How did the author let us feel that the house was special to her?

A. By arguing whether the house was standard.

B. By explaining why the house suited their needs. _k.&s~5*u

C. By describing the small things related to her house.

D. By comparing the differences between country and city life.

My mother moved a lot when she was growing up because of   ________.

   A. Grandpa being in the army.  B.their family’s liking moving

   C. the life’s need             D. Mother’s work