Robert lives in a small town. Five years ago, when he was nineteen, he finished middle school. He didn’t like any subjects except playing when he was at school. Of course he learned nothing and the bosses wouldn’t use a man like him. He has to stay at home, but doesn’t do any housework, only watches TV or lies on bed. It makes his parents angry. They want him to study something, he always think it difficult and doesn’t listen to them.
One day Robert was walking near a bookshop while some young men were talking about the writers. He heard the publishing house pays the writers a lot. He became interested in it. As soon as he got home, he began to write. But he couldn’t write anything. At last he bought a book and copied a story. Then he posted it to the publishing house. He waited for nearly half a year, but didn’t get any answers. He had to ask an editor on the telephone, “Have you read my story yet, sir?”
“Yes,” said the editor, “I had read it before you were born! ”
【小题1】__________ , so he learned nothing at school .

A．Robert had a lot of housework to do

B．Robert didn’t study hard at all

C．Robert hoped to be a writer

D．Robert wasn’t clever enough

【小题2】The bosses wouldn’t use Robert because __________ .

A．he couldn’t do anything

B．he likes nothing except playing

C．he doesn’t go to work on time

D．he isn’t friendly to his workmates

【小题3】His parents are angry with Robert because ________ .

A．he wouldn’t find any work

B．he didn’t study hard before

C．he’s too lazy to do any housework

D．he isn’t polite to them

【小题4】Robert posted the story to the publishing house to __________ .

A．be a famous man	B．surprise his friends
C．win a prize	D．get much money

【小题5】The editor didn’t answer Robert because _________ .

A．they were very busy

B．the story wasn’t interesting

C．the story was taken from a book

D．the young man wasn’t famous enough

A student newspaper reports that most students go to sleep at 1:30 am. Even if that’s an overstatement (夸张), it’s close to the truth. Scientists say teens should sleep nine hours each night. But that’s hard. Some are even “pulling all-nighters” (开夜车). These students must hand in their homework the next day but they haven’t done it. In the morning they don’t look healthy and you can tell who’s been doing it. One of my classmates did a survey on the topic. She found that most kids pull all-nighters to finish homework, but some do it for other reasons, such as playing computer games!
Maybe our lack(缺乏) of sleep is because of laziness — I think I’m a rather lazy student — or maybe it’s because we have too much to do in American high schools. I usually go to bed around midnight. If I stayed up past 1:30 am, I wouldn’t get any work done. I’d be falling asleep at my computer. My classes begin at 7:30 am. I’m partly awake in my first class. By the second, I’m a little sleepy. By my third class, I’m sleepy. By midday I’m finally fully awake. But by 3:00 pm, I’m slowing down again. Yet I get more sleep than usual students.
Most American high schools seem to have a similar(相似的) problem with sleepy students. High school classes start at 7:30 am, so students have to get up one and a half hours before that to get ready and catch the bus. It’s believed that lack of sleep can be bad for both grades and health. Some schools are paying attention. Classes in those schools start at 8:30 am.
【小题1】What does the underlined sentence “it’s close to the truth” mean?

A．It doesn’t tell the truth.	B．It is quite true.
C．It is impossible.	D．I don’t think it’s right.

【小题2】Why do most of the teens have to stay up late?

A．They play computer games.	B．They watch videos late.
C．They have to do a lot of housework.	D．They have to do a lot of homework.

【小题3】When do students in most American high schools have to get up?

A．At 7:30 am.

B．At 6:00 am.

C．At 9:00 am.

D．At about 7:00 am.

【小题4】Which of the following is TRUE according to the reading?

A．The writer usually stays up past 1:30 am.

B．The writer usually goes to bed around midnight.

C．The writer usually does a survey.

D．Many American students don’t get enough sleep, so they can have high grades.

【小题5】What’s the main idea of the passage?

A．Something has to be done to solve the problem of students’ lack of sleep.

B．Many American high school students are sleepy in class.

C．Many kids have too much homework to do.

D．Students can’t play computer games.

Robert lives in a small town. Five years ago, when he was nineteen, he finished middle school. He didn’t like any subjects except playing when he was at school. Of course he learned nothing and the bosses wouldn’t use a man like him. He has to stay at home, but doesn’t do any housework, only watches TV or lies on bed. It makes his parents angry. They want him to study something, he always think it difficult and doesn’t listen to them.
One day Robert was walking near a bookshop while some young men were talking about the writers. He heard the publishing house pays the writers a lot. He became interested in it. As soon as he got home, he began to write. But he couldn’t write anything. At last he bought a book and copied a story. Then he posted it to the publishing house. He waited for nearly half a year, but didn’t get any answers. He had to ask an editor on the telephone, “Have you read my story yet, sir?”
“Yes,” said the editor, “I had read it before you were born! ”
【小题1】__________ , so he learned nothing at school .

A．Robert had a lot of housework to do

B．Robert didn’t study hard at all

C．Robert hoped to be a writer

D．Robert wasn’t clever enough

【小题2】The bosses wouldn’t use Robert because __________ .

A．he couldn’t do anything

B．he likes nothing except playing

C．he doesn’t go to work on time

D．he isn’t friendly to his workmates

【小题3】His parents are angry with Robert because ________ .

A．he wouldn’t find any work

B．he didn’t study hard before

C．he’s too lazy to do any housework

D．he isn’t polite to them

【小题4】Robert posted the story to the publishing house to __________ .

A．be a famous man	B．surprise his friends
C．win a prize	D．get much money

【小题5】The editor didn’t answer Robert because _________ .

A．they were very busy

B．the story wasn’t interesting

C．the story was taken from a book

D．the young man wasn’t famous enough

I went home one Saturday afternoon in the autumn of 1993 to get some work done in the garden. While sweeping leaves on the ground, my five-year-old son Nick came over and asked me to write something on a piece of paper to make a sign for him.
"What for?" I asked.
" I'm going to sell some of my stones, " he answered.
Nick was fascinated with stones and had collected many stones from all over.
" I'm too busy to do that for you. Go and ask your mum for help," I said.
A short time later, Nick, returned with a sign, reading, " Stones, One Dollar Each". He took the sign, a small chair and 4 of his best stones and walked to the road in front of our garden. There he put the stones in a line and sat down on the chair.
After half an hour, nobody passed by. I walked to him and asked him to go back, but he didn't.
Another half hour later, a small car came down the road. I watched as Nick stood up, holding his sign up. A woman rolled down a window and read the sign. I couldn't hear their talk, but I saw the woman turn to the driver and the man reach for his pocket.
I sat in the yard, as Nick ran to me. Waving the dollar, he shouted, "I told you I could sell one stone for a dollar -- if you believe in yourself, you can do anything. "
【小题1】Why didn't the writer help his son?

A．Because his wife is better at making a sign.

B．Because he didn't know what to write.

C．Because he was busy sweeping leaves.

D．Because he didn't want his son to sell the stones.

【小题2】The underlined words "was fascinated with" mean _________.

A．was far from	B．was afraid of
C．was famous for	D．was interested in

【小题3】Nick was a boy ___________.

A．who was kind	B．who had a strong mind
C．who was honest	D．who had many hobbies

【小题4】Which is the best title(题目) of the story?

A．My son's first sale.

B．Let's collect stones.

C．How to sell a stone.

D．A hobby that can make you rich.

【小题5】From the passage we know______________.

A．the story happened in spring

B．the car was driven by a woman

C．Nick spent half an hour selling one stone

D．the writer might be moved(感动)by his son

 After her husband had gone to work, Mrs. Richards sent her children to school and went upstairs to her bedroom. She was too _26_ to do any housework that morning, _27_ in the evening she was going to an interesting fancy dress party with her husband. What she __28_ was a terrible genie（妖怪）and as she had made that special dress of hers the night before, she was anxious to try it on. __29__ the dress was just a big piece of old cloth which was red, green, black and white, it would be very effective to make her like a red genie. After putting it on, Mrs. Richards went downstairs happily. She wanted to find out __30__ it would be comfortable to wear.

　　Just as Mrs. Richards was entering the dining-room there was a __31_ at the door. She thought that it __32 be the baker. She had told him to come straight in if she _33__ to open the door and leave the bread on the kitchen table. Now not wanting to _34__ the poor man, Mrs. Richards quickly __35_ in the small storeroom under the stairs. She heard the front door open and a man came in. When Mrs. Richards  _36_ that it was the man from the electricity board（供电局）who had come to read the meter, she walked out of the hiding-place on a sudden and tried to explain the matter, saying with a smile, “It's only __37_! It is not __38_ for you to be __39_ !” But it was too late. The man let out a sharp cry and jumped back several paces. Then he ran away, __40__ the door behind him with great force and noise.

1.A. angry   B. ready    C. frightened     D. excited  

2. A. for      B. but       C. so              D. and  

3.A. wanted to see       B. wanted to play 

       C. was afraid to see   D. was afraid to play  

4. A. Though     B. But       C. And             D. If  

5.A. that         B. how       C. whether       D. when  

6. A. knock      B. voice      C. man            D. baker 

7. A. may        B. must       C. wouldn't       D. couldn't  

8. A. not         B. had        C. tried            D. failed  

9. A. see         B. frighten    C. help            D. scold  

10.A. went        B. lay         C. appeared       D. hid  

11. A. thought     B. wondered  C. imagined      D. realized  

12. A. me          B. you         C. game           D. play 

13. A. good        B. necessary   C. late           D. early  

14. A. off          B. here        C. afraid         D. sorry  

15.A. pushed      B. locking     C. knocking     D. shutting