When my son, Mark, was in the third grade, he saved all his pocket money for over three months to buy holiday presents. The third Saturday in December Mark said he had made his list and had twenty dollars in his pocket.
I drove him to a nearby supermarket. Mark picked up a hand basket and went in while I wailed and watched in the car. It took Mark over 45 minutes to choose his presents. Finally he came to the checkout counter (交款处) and reached into his pocket for his money. It was not there! There was a hole in his pocket, but no money. Mark stood there holding his basket, tears falling down his face.
Then a surprising thing happened. A woman came up to Mark and took him in her arms. "You would help me a lot if you let me pay for you," said the woman. "It would be the most wonderful gift you could give me. I only ask that one day you will pass it on. When you grow up, I would like you to find someone you can help. When you help others, I know you will feel as good about it as I do no."
Mark took the money, dried his tears and ran back to the checkout counter as fast as he could. That year we all enjoyed our gifts almost as much as Mm-k enjoyed giving them to us.
I would like to say "thank you" to that very kind woman, and tell her that four years later, Mark went house to house collecting blankets (毯子) and clothes for the homeless people in the fire. And I want to promise her that Mark will never forget to keep passing it on.
小题1:When did the story probably happen?

A．On Christmas Day.	B．Before Christmas Day.
C．On New Year’s Day.	D．After New Year’s Day.

小题2:When they got to the supermarket, Mark went in     .

A．with the writer	B．by himself
C．with the woman	D．with his friends

小题3: What happened to Mark in the supermarket?

A．His gifts were stolen.	B．He broke his basket.
C．He lost his money.	D．He lost his way.

小题4: Why did the writer want to say "thank you" to the woman?

A．Because she bought Mark a nice present.

B．Because she always paid money for others.

C．Because she collected clothes for the homeless.

D．Because she taught Mark to help people in need.

小题5: What’s the best title for this passage?

A．A big supermarket	B．A kind woman
C．A happy family	D．A wonderful gift

A group of people asked this question to a group 4-to-8-year-old children. “What does love mean?” The answers were surprising. The children would answer like they did below.
“When my grandmother hurt her knees (膝盖), she couldn’t bent (弯腰) over and paint her toenails (脚指甲) any more. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands hurt too. That’s love.”
Rebecca–age 8
“Love is when someone hurts you. And you get so mad but you don’t shout at them because you know it would hurt her feelings.”
Samantha–age 6
“Love is what makes you smile when you’re tired.”
Terri–age 4
“I let my big sister pick on (捉弄) me because my mum says she only picks on me because she loves me. So I pick on my baby sister because I love her.”
Bethany–age 4
“I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new clothes.”
Lauren–age 4
“Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken.”
Elaine–age 5
“My mommy loves me more than anybody. You don’t see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night.”
Clear–age 5
“You really shouldn’t say ‘I love you’ unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget.”
Jessica–age 8
小题1: The passage mainly tells us about ______.

A．what “life” means to children	B．what “family” means to children
C．what “friends” means to children	D．what “love” means to children

小题2:Who told us the love between mum and dad?

A．Clear.

B．Elaine.

C．Rebecca.

D．Lauren.

小题3:Which of the following is NOT true?

A．Rebecca’s grandmother ever couldn’t bend over.

B．Bethany is willing to be picked on by any other person.

C．If Samantha becomes angry, she will not shout at others.

D．Lauren prefers to wear her sister’s old clothes.

小题4:What does Jessica mean about love?

A．Too much love is no love.	B．You should say love more often.
C．You mean what you think.	D．Say love more often if you have it.

小题5:What is love according to Terri?

A．Love is the care between husband and wife.

B．Love is a rest when you are tired.

C．Love is what cheers you up when you are tired.

D．Love is a kiss from parents.

One Friday night, a poor young man stood at the train station. He played his violin and many people put 41  into the hat in front of him.　　
The next day, the young man came to the station 42  . But this time he took out a large piece of paper 43 some words on it. It said “Last night a lady 44  Mrs Sang put an important thing into my hat 45  . Please come for it.”　　
After about an hour, a middle-aged woman ran to the young man in a hurry and said, “You do come here. I know that you’re a(n) 46  man and will certainly come here.” They had a talk and the young man made sure she was the owner. Then he took out a lottery ticket and 47  it to the woman. Her husband bought a lottery ticket every day. Yesterday when she knew the lottery ticket he bought won, she was very 48  . The prize of the lottery ticket was $ 500,000. When she walked past the young man, she took out $50 and put it in the hat. 49  , the lottery ticket was also thrown in.　　
Later, someone asked the young man, “You play the violin every day to make money. Why didn’t you just take the prize of the lottery ticket for yourself?” the young man said，“Although I don’t have much money, I live happily. But if I 50  honesty, I won’t be happy forever.”　　
小题1: A. money       B. tickets          C. paper　　
小题2: A. instead       B. differently      C. again　　
小题3: A. for          B. with           C. over　　
小题4: A. introduced    B. spelled         C. named　　
小题5: A. by mistake     B. for mistake      C. on mistake　　
小题6: A. crazy         B. cool        C. honest　　
小题7: A. gave          B. lent            C. offered　　
小题8: A. surprising       B. happy          C. exciting　　
小题9: A. But            B. However      C. Therefore　　
小题10: A. have            B. win             C. lose　　

A famous doctor once received a little child that was badly ill. Thanks to his skill and care, the child got well and was soon able to get up and run about again.
The child’s mother was very thankful to the doctor, and she visited him for what he had done for her child. “Doctor,” she said, “you have saved my little son. I don’t know hoe to thank you enough. I feel that money alone cannot repay（回报）you, so I have made this little purse with my own hands, as a sign of my thanks. I hope you will accept（接受）it.” The doctor stood up and said coldly, “Madam, a little present like that is very nice between friends, but a doctor needs to paid enough for what he has done.” The lady was so surprised and hurt so much that she could not reply for a moment. Then she said quietly, “Perhaps you will tell me how much I should give you.”
“Fifty pounds,” he answered.
The lady opened the little purse and took out four fifty-pound bank notes. She passed one of them to the doctor, and put the other three back into the purse. She put the purse into her handbag and, saying goodbye to the doctor, went out of the room.
小题1:Why was the lady very thankful to the doctor?
A. Because he had saved her life.
B. Because he had saved her son’s life.
C. Because he had given her some money.
小题2:The doctor refused the lady’s purse because he thought _____.
A. the purse was too small
B. the lady wouldn’t give him money
C. purses should be given between friends
小题3:What can we learn from the passage?
A. The doctor got 50 pounds from the lady.
B. the doctor got 200 pounds from the lady.
C. The lady didn’t pay money for the doctor.
小题4: According to the passage, the doctor would probably feel _____ in the end.
A. happy                     B. excited                    C. sorry

Have you ever complained (抱怨) why life is so tiring? Does the sky sometimes  36 dark to you? Are your lessons sometimes not successful? Well, friends, cheer up and  37  all the time. If you see the world with your warm heart, you will find the whole world smiling to you.
On a sunny morning, you plan to have a walk to relax yourself. Just before you go out, it   38 starts to rain. Maybe you would feel very sad and start to complain about the weather. But dear friends, why  39  sit down and listen to the free concert that the nature brings you? And with the timely rain, crops(庄稼) in the fields will grow better and farmers will have a good harvest (收成).
  40   everyone wants to succeed in what he tries to do, life isn’t a bed of roses. It’s very common to meet difficulties on the way to success.  41   difficulty isn't terrible. The real terrible thing is that we are afraid of it. Difficulty is 42  a spring (弹簧). If you are   43   , it will be strong. So when you meet difficulties, don't give up. Instead, you should face them with a smile.
Attitude   44   everything. With an optimistic (乐观的) attitude, life is easy and 45 _. If you want to be happy, try to remember these five easy rules. Free your heart from hate; Free your mind from worries; Live an easy life; Give more; Expect less. The quickest way to receive happiness is to smile, the fastest way to lose it is to complain.
小题1:A. seem    B. seems  C. seemed
小题2:A. cry   B. smile   C. complain
小题3:A. suddenly    B. finally   C. hardly
小题4:A. don't   B. not   C. didn’t
小题5:A. But B. For    C. Although
小题6: A. In fact    B. From early on   C. For example
小题7: A. unlike B. likes    C. like
小题8: A. powerful   B. weak   C. confident
小题9: A. decides   B. deciding   C. to decide
小题10:A. please  B. pleased     C. pleasant

When I was a kid in Minnesota, watermelon was expensive. One of my father’s friends, Bernie, was a rich businessman, who owned a large store in St. Paul.
Every summer, when the first watermelons arrived, Bernie would call. Dad and I would go to Bernie’s place. We’ d sit on the edge of the dock（码头）, feet dangling（摇晃）, and got ready for a big meal.
Bernie would take his knife, cut our first watermelon, hand us both a big piece and sit down next to us. Then we’d bury our faces in watermelon, eating only the heart—the reddest, juiciest, firmest, sweetest, most seed-free part—and throw away the rest.
Bernie was my father’s idea of a rich man. I always thought it was because he was such a successful businessman. Years later, I realized that it was not Bernie’s wealth itself but his way of dealing with it that my father liked. Bernie knew how to stop working, get together with friends and eat only the heart of the watermelon.
What I learned from Bernie is that being rich is a state of mind. Some of us, no matter how much money we have, will never be free enough to eat only the heart of the watermelon. If you don’t take the time to dangle your feet over the dock and enjoy life’s small pleasure, your work is probably hurting your life.
For many years, I forgot that lesson I’d learned as a kid on the loading dock. I was too busy making all the money I could.
Well, I’ve relearned it. I hope I have time left to enjoy the success of others and to take pleasure in the day. That’s the heart of the watermelon. I have learned again to throw the rest away.
小题1: We learned from the second paragraph that the writer and his father were feeling ______.

A．relaxed

B．worried

C．hungry

D．proud

小题2:How did the writer and his father eat the watermelon?

A．They ate it in a polite way.	B．They only ate its best part.
C．They ate every part of it.	D．They shared only one piece.

小题3: In the eyes of the writer’s father, Bernie ______.

A．was just a rich businessman	B．worked hard all the time
C．lived a rich but healthy life	D．knew how to make money

小题4:The underlined part “the heart of the watermelon” in the last paragraph refers to ______.

A．the best part of the watermelon	B．the writer’s busy life
C．the writer’s decision of making money	D．the writer’s hope of enjoying life

小题5:It can be learned from the passage that ______.

A．one has to work hard to reach his goal	B．a friend in need is a friend in deed
C．watermelon is the healthiest fruit	D．one should keep work-life balance

“You know, these cups brings to my mind a story I heard,” Mary said to her students.
She poured some tea. There were four of them and there were four completely different cups on the tables.
“I heard there was a teacher who took all his students for tea. His students were surprised that all the cups on the table were different. They all took a cup and started drinking their tea, each looking at the cups of others. The teacher said, “Did you notice your behavior? You are all looking at each other’s tea cup and some of you even envy(羡慕)the finer cups of others.”
“I put the different cups here on purpose. I want to say life is like this tea. You all have the same thing in your cups——tea. And yet you cannot truly enjoy it in your envy of another’s cup. You forget to enjoy your own life when you envy someone else’s life. We all have the same thing——life. We should care more about the tastes of your own life. So now, taste your own tea. Does it matter from which cup it came from?” Mary finished telling her story and her students all sat in silence for a while, enjoying their tea. And it really did not matter a bit from which teacup they drank.
小题1: Which of the following statement is TRUE?

A．All of the students had the same kind of cups.

B．One of the cups is different from others.

C．All of the cups were filled with the same tea.

D．There was different tea in different cups.

小题2:What should we learn from the story?

A．Envy others and make progress.	B．All the lives are the same.
C．Work hard and catch up with others.	D．Try to enjoy your own life.

小题3: Which is the best title for the story?

A．More than tea in a cup	B．The same cups, the same tea
C．The taste of the tea	D．Different cups, different tea

An old man was fishing on the bank of a river. A child came to see him fishing. The old man was really good at fishing and it didn't take long for him to catch a full basket of fish. The old man saw that the child was very cute, and he wanted to give her a whole basket of fish. But the child shook her head. The old man was surprised and asked, "Why don't you want the fish? '
The child replied," I want the fishing rod(竿)in your hands. "
The old man asked," Why do you want the rod?"
"It doesn't take long to eat all the fish in a basket. But if I have the fishing rod, I can go fishing by myself and I won't be afraid of not having any more fish to eat.
I think you will certainly say that the child is very smart. Wrong! If she doesn't know how to fish, she cannot have fish to eat, even though she has the fishing rod. It's useless to only have a fishing rod. Fishing skills are the most important, not the fishing rod.
Too many people think that if they have a "fishing rod" in their life, they will no longer fear the wind and rain. They are just like the child, who thought that if she had a fishing rod, she would have fish to eat.
小题1:The old man was fishing on the bank of________.
A. a river    B. a lake     C. a pool
小题2: Why did the child refuse the fish the old man gave her?
A. Because she didn't like fish.
B. Because she wanted his fishing rod.
C. Because the old man had few fish.
小题3:The writer thought the child was_____ after she explained why she didn't want the fish.
A. smart        B. hardworking        C. silly
小题4:The article mainly tells us______.
A. if you have a "fishing rod" in your life, you won't be afraid of anything
B. if you have a fishing rod, you'll have a lot of fish to eat
C. "fishing skills" are more important than "the fishing rod" in life
小题5: What is the best tide(标题)for the article?
A. The Fishing Rod  B. The Fishing Man  C. The Fishing Girl

For many years I had a good life. My illness was reasonably (适度的) under control, I had a nice relationship with my husband, I did work, I didn't hate. It was, as I said, a good life.
But there's a saying that the good is the enemy of the best. I finally realized this one day, and began making my best life. I changed doctors and tried a new way that could relieve(减轻) my symptoms (症状) , rather than just making them easier to deal with. I started talking more with my husband and listening to what he had to say. And I quit(辞掉) my job and started working for myself.
I have the best life I've ever had. I'd call it great. It is possible there's a better life for me, which would then be my "best life" , but for now I don't think so. I've started a business I love. My husband and kids are wonderful. I have a good friend and I'm close to my older sister who lives in town. Could it get better? I suppose so. But for me I think this is the best life I can have right now.
Think more about your life. Where are you living? Are you in a job you just don't mind? What makes your life "good" ? Why isn't it great? What's the enemy of the best and what can you do about it?
Enjoy your best life. We're only here for a short while, and we all need to have the best possible time we can. It's like going to Disney World. If you spend too much time standing in line waiting for the ride, pretty soon your time's up. Get out of the "good" line and have your best life.
小题1:Which of the following is NOT included in the writer's "good life" ?

A．Having a job.	B．Having no hate.
C．Getting on well with her husband.	D．Living close to her good friend.

小题2:The writer quit her job because she________.

A．was ill	B．didn't like working
C．wanted to go for her best life	D．wanted to enjoy her good life

小题3:What did the writer do to make her best life?
①She visited other doctors.
②She started a business she loved.
③She played more with her kids.
④She talked more with her husband.
⑤She spent much time in Disney World.

A．①②④

B．②③④

C．①③⑤

D．①②⑤

小题4: What's the enemy of the best?

A．Illness.

B．A good job.

C．Being proud.

D．Being satisfied.

小题5:What is the best title for the article?

A．Attitude to Life	B．Making Your Best Life
C．What Makes Your Life "Good"	D．A New Way to Treat the Illness

The question was once asked of a highly successful businessman,“How have you done so much in your lifetime?”
He replied,“I have   41 .I have turned my mind free to imagine   42  I wanted to do.Then I have gone to bed and thought about my dreams.In the night I dreamt about my dreams.
And when I awoke in the morning,I saw the way   43  my dreams real.White   44  people were saying,‘You can’t do that,it is   45 ,’I was well on my way to achieving what I wanted,”As Woodrow Wilson,28th President of the U.S.,said:“We grow great by dreams.All big men are
  46 .”
They see things in the soft fog of a spring day,or in the red fire   47  a long winter’s evening.Some of us   48  these dreams die,but others feed,protect and look after them;keep them through bad days until they bring them to the sunshine and light,it comes   49  to the people who sincerely hope that their dreams will come true.
So please,don’t let anyone steal you dreams,  50  try to tell you they are too impossible.
“Sing your songs,dream your dreams,and hope your hope.”
小题1:A.dreamed            B.changed              C.learned
小题2:A.how                B.what                C.which
小题3:A.to make             B.to realize             C.to achieve
小题4:A.another             B.the other              C.other
小题5:A.possible            B.impossible             C.important
小题6:A.dreams             B.dreamer               C.dreamers
小题7:A.on                 B.in                   C.at
小题8:A.had                 B.let                   C.kept
小题9:A.never               B.sometimes              C.always
小题10:A.or                  B.and                   C.but