As a young boy, I sometimes traveled the country roads with my dad. He was a rural mill carrier, and on Saturdays he would ask me to go with him. Driving through the countryside was always an adventure: There were animals to see, people to visit, and chocolate cookies if you knew where to stop, and Dad did.
In the spring, Dad delivered boxes full of baby chickens, and when 1 was a boy it was such a fun to stick your finger 'through one of the holes of the boxes and let the baby birds peck on your fingers.
On Dad' s final day of work, it took him well into the evening to complete his rounds because at least one member from each family was waiting at their mailbox to thank him for his friendship and his years of service. "Two hundred and nineteen mailboxes on my route." he used to say, "and a story at every one. " One lady had no mailbox, so Dad took the mail in to her every day because she was nearly blind. Once inside, he read her mail and helped her pay her bills.
Mailboxes were sometimes used for things other than mail. One note left in a mailbox read. "Nat, take these eggs to Marian; she's baking a cake and doesn't have any eggs. " Mailboxes might be buried in the snow, or broken, or lying on the groom:. bat the mail was always delivered On cold days Dad might find one of his customers waiting for him with a cup of hot chocolate. A young wrote letters but had no stamps, so she left a few button on the envelope in the mailbox; Dad paid for the stamps. One businessman used to leave large amounts of cash in his mailbox for Dad to take to the bank. Once, the amount came to 8 32,000.
A dozen years ago, when I traveled back to my hometown on the sad occasion of Dad’s death,  the mailboxes along the way reminded me of some of his stories. I thought I knew them all, but that wasn't the case.
As I drove home, I noticed two lamp poles, one on each side of the street. When my dad was around, those poles supported wooden boxes about four feet off the ground. One box was painted green and the other was red, and each had a long narrow hole at the top with white lettering: SANTA CLAUS, NORTH POLE. For years children had dropped letters to Santa through those holes.
I made a turn at the comer and drove past the post office and across the railroad tracks to our house. Mom and I were sitting at the kitchen table when I heard footsteps. There, at the door, stood Frank Townsend, Dad's postmaster and great friend for many years. So we all sat down at the table and began to tell stories.
At one point Frank looked at me with tears in his eyes. " What are we going to do about the letters this Christmas?" he asked.
"The letters?"
'I guess you never knew. "
"Knew what?"
" Remember, when you were a kid and you used to put your letters to Santa in those green and red boxes on Main Street? It was your dad who answered all those letters every year. "
I just sat there with tears in my eyes. It wasn’t hard for me to imagine Dad sitting at the old table in our basement reading those letters and answering each one. I have since spoken with several of the people who received Christmas letters during their childhood, and they told me how amazed they were that Santa had known so much about their homes and families.
For me, just knowing that story about my father was the gift of a lifetime.
【小题1】It can be inferred from the passage that the writer regarded his travels with Dad us_____.

When a child is told he is "uncool", it can be very painful. He may say he doesn't care, and even act in ways that are opposite of cool on purpose. But ultimately, these are simply ways to handle sadness by pretending it's not there.
Helping a child feel better in school had to be careful. If you say, "Why are you worried about what other children think about you? It doesn't matter!"  Children know that it does matter. Instead, an active way may be best. You could say, "I'm going to do a couple of things for you to help you feel better in school."
If a boy is having trouble making friends, the teacher can help him. The teacher can arrange things so that he has chances to use his abilities to contribute to class projects. This is how the other children learn how to value his good qualities and to like him. A teacher can also raise a child's popularity in the group by showing that he values that child. It even helps to put him in a seat next to a very popular child, or let him be a partner with that child in activities, etc.
There are things that parents can do at home, too. Be friendly when your child brings others home to play. Encourage him to invite friends to meals and then serve the dishes they consider "super". When you plan trips, picnics, movies, and other shows, invite another child with whom your child wants to be friends.
What you can do is to give him a chance to join a group that may be shutting him out. Then, if he has good qualities, he can start to build real friendship of his own.
【小题1】A child who has been informed of being "uncool" may ________.

As a young boy, I sometimes traveled the country roads with my dad. He was a rural mill carrier, and on Saturdays he would ask me to go with him. Driving through the countryside was always an adventure: There were animals to see, people to visit, and chocolate cookies if you knew where to stop, and Dad did.
In the spring, Dad delivered boxes full of baby chickens, and when 1 was a boy it was such a fun to stick your finger 'through one of the holes of the boxes and let the baby birds peck on your fingers.
On Dad' s final day of work, it took him well into the evening to complete his rounds because at least one member from each family was waiting at their mailbox to thank him for his friendship and his years of service. "Two hundred and nineteen mailboxes on my route." he used to say, "and a story at every one. " One lady had no mailbox, so Dad took the mail in to her every day because she was nearly blind. Once inside, he read her mail and helped her pay her bills.
Mailboxes were sometimes used for things other than mail. One note left in a mailbox read. "Nat, take these eggs to Marian; she's baking a cake and doesn't have any eggs. " Mailboxes might be buried in the snow, or broken, or lying on the groom:. bat the mail was always delivered On cold days Dad might find one of his customers waiting for him with a cup of hot chocolate. A young wrote letters but had no stamps, so she left a few button on the envelope in the mailbox; Dad paid for the stamps. One businessman used to leave large amounts of cash in his mailbox for Dad to take to the bank. Once, the amount came to 8 32,000.
A dozen years ago, when I traveled back to my hometown on the sad occasion of Dad’s death,  the mailboxes along the way reminded me of some of his stories. I thought I knew them all, but that wasn't the case.
As I drove home, I noticed two lamp poles, one on each side of the street. When my dad was around, those poles supported wooden boxes about four feet off the ground. One box was painted green and the other was red, and each had a long narrow hole at the top with white lettering: SANTA CLAUS, NORTH POLE. For years children had dropped letters to Santa through those holes.
I made a turn at the comer and drove past the post office and across the railroad tracks to our house. Mom and I were sitting at the kitchen table when I heard footsteps. There, at the door, stood Frank Townsend, Dad's postmaster and great friend for many years. So we all sat down at the table and began to tell stories.
At one point Frank looked at me with tears in his eyes. " What are we going to do about the letters this Christmas?" he asked.
"The letters?"
'I guess you never knew. "
"Knew what?"
" Remember, when you were a kid and you used to put your letters to Santa in those green and red boxes on Main Street? It was your dad who answered all those letters every year. "
I just sat there with tears in my eyes. It wasn’t hard for me to imagine Dad sitting at the old table in our basement reading those letters and answering each one. I have since spoken with several of the people who received Christmas letters during their childhood, and they told me how amazed they were that Santa had known so much about their homes and families.
For me, just knowing that story about my father was the gift of a lifetime.

1. 1.

   It can be inferred from the passage that the writer regarded his travels with Dad us_____.

   1. A.
      great chances to help other people
   2. B.
      happy occasions to play with baby chickens
   3. C.
      exciting experience* with a lot of fun
   4. D.
      good opportunities to enjoy chocolate cookies
2. 2.

   The writer provides the detail about the businessman to show that_____.

   1. A.
      Dad had a strong sense of duty
   2. B.
      Dad was an honest and reliable man
   3. C.
      Dad had a strong sense of honor
   4. D.
      Dad was a kind and generous man
3. 3.

   According to the passage, which of the following impressed the writer most?

   1. A.
      Dad read letters for a blind lady for years.
   2. B.
      Dad paid for the stamps for a young girl.
   3. C.
      Dad delivered some eggs to Marian.
   4. D.
      Dad answered children's Christmas letters every year.
4. 4.

   The method the writer uses to develop Paragraph 4 is______.

   1. A.
      offering analyses
   2. B.
      providing explanations
   3. C.
      giving examples
   4. D.
      making comparisons
5. 5.

   What surprised the children most when they received letters in reply from Santa Claus every year?

   1. A.
      Santa Claus lived alone in the cold North Pole.
   2. B.
      Santa Claus answered all their letters every year.
   3. C.
      Santa Claus had unique mailboxes for the children.
   4. D.
      Santa Claus had so much information about their families.
6. 6.

   Which of the following is the best title for the passage?

   1. A.
      The Mail
   2. B.
      Christmas Letters
   3. C.
      Special Mailboxes
   4. D.
      Memorable Travels

When William, a 10-year-old boy planned to learn the piano, the music teacher was reluctant （不愿意）to accept him. She   31  her students to start their music lessons at a young age when their   32  were able to move quickly and easily.
“William, why do you want to learn the piano?” the teacher asked.
“I want to play for my mother.”
She noticed the   33  in his eyes as he answered her. She had no heart to   34  and accepted William as her student. But at each music lesson, William appeared to be in a hurry and played   35  “My mother is waiting outside for me,” he would tell the teacher. She was tempted to advise William not to   36  his time with lessons anymore as he   37  hit the right notes.  38  there was something about William — - she was fascinated with the tender look in his eyes   39  he mentioned “Mother”.
Suddenly, William stopped coming for his lessons. At the end of the semester year, the music teacher decided to   40  a piano recital (独奏会) for her students and she asked them to participate.
She was   41  to find William’s application to contribute a musical piece. She would place him last in the recital   42  he made mistakes.
The day came and William appeared.  43  it was his turn to play, William bowed before the audience and said he was thankful for the music teacher’s   44  with him. “Tonight I am dedicating (献)my music to my mother.” he said.
Everyone later asked why William did not bring his mother as she would   45  be proud. William replied, “My mother was   46  and she could never  47  me play during her life time.   48   she sacrificed her time and money to let me learn the piano. This morning Mother passed away. I am sure she is now  49  as she can hear my piano recital. I chose a piece of piano music by Beethoven. As you all know, Beethoven was deaf by the end of his career. But music always symbolized his   50  for freedom and I would like to dedicate it to Mother.”
【小题1】.