"Can I see my baby?" the happy new mother asked. When the baby was lying in her arms and she moved the cloth to look upon his tiny face, she gasped(吃力地喘着气). The doctor turned quickly and looked out of the hospital window. The baby had been born without ears. Luckily, time proved that the baby's hearing was perfect. Though the misfortune(不幸)happened to him, he grew into a handsome boy. Yet he felt ashamed when he communicated with others.
“You should get in touch with other young people,” his mother told him, with a kindness in her heart. The boy’s father talked with the family doctor about his ears. “Could nothing be done?” the father asked. “I believe I could give him a pair of outer ears, if they could be got,” the doctor replied.
Two years went by. One day, his father said to the son, “You are going to the hospital, Son. Mother and I have someone who will donate the ears you need, but it’s a secret.” The operation is a big success. Later he married and entered the diplomatic(外交的)service. One day, he asked his father, “Who gave the ears? Who gave me so much? I could never do enough for him or her.”
“You could, my son,” said the father, “but the agreement was that you are not to know…not yet.”
The years kept their secret, but one of the darkest days did come. He stood with his father over his mother’s casket(棺材). Slowly, the father stretched forth(伸出) a hand
and raised the thick, reddish brown hair to reveal the mother had no outer ears.
"Mother said she was glad she never let her hair be cut," his father whispered gently, "and nobody ever thought mother less beautiful, did they?"
【小题1】Why did Mother gasp when she saw her newborn baby?

A．Because her son had a tiny face.

B．Because she saw her son crying.

C．Because her son was in her arms.

D．Because her son was born imperfect.

【小题2】Who gave the son the ears?

A．His mother.

B．His father.

C．A doctor.

D．A stranger.

【小题3】The underlined word “reveal” in the last but one paragraph means “________”．

A．see

B．show

C．find

D．search

【小题4】The best title for the passage would be ________.

A．Mother’s hair

B．An unforgettable memory

C．Who gave me the ears?

D．Who is my best respectable person?

【小题5】The main purpose of the passage is to tell readers that ________.

A．The secret was kept until the mother died.

B．Real love lies in what is done but not known.

C．The operation on the boy was a great success.

D．The boy entered the diplomatic service when he grew up.

Mark Twain’s First Money
Mark Twain was asked one day if he could remember the first money he ever earned．
He thought a long time and then said , “Yes, it was at school．I can remember everything about it ．School boys in those days did not take good care of their chairs and desks．There was a rule in our school that if anyone damaged his desk or chair, he would have to pay five dollars or  the teacher would beat him in front of the whole school．”
“One day I damaged my desk in some way, I had to pay five dollars or be beaten before the whole school．My father said it would be too bad to have our family disgraced in front of the whole school．He agreed to give me five dollars to hand over the teacher．But before he gave me the money, he took me upstairs and gave me a beating．”
“But as I had one beating and I decided I would take another beating at school and keep the  five dollars．So that’s what I did．That was the first money I ever earned．”
【小题1】Mark Twain earned his first money _________．

A．when he was a pupil	B．when he became a writer
C．when he taught at a school	D．when he was beaten by his father

【小题2】The school made the rule so that they could_____．

A．teach the students well	B．give the students a beating
C．keep the desks and chairs well	D．ask the students for more money

【小题3】Mark Twain’s father______．

A．was happy to give him the money

B．got angry when he knew what Mark Twain had done at school

C．said sorry to the teacher when he heard the news

D．agreed to beat Mark Twain and then give him the money

【小题4】Mark Twain was beaten_______．

A．at home

B．only by his father

C．at school

D．both at school and at home

No Car Day was first started by 34 cities in France on September 22, 1998. It was started to protect the environment. By now, more than 1,000 cities around the world have had a No Car Day.

The first No Car Day in China was in Chengdu in 2001. Other cities, including Taipai, Shanghai and Wuhan, also support the day.

In Beijing, more and more people are joining the campaign. It asks drivers to leave their cars at home for one day each month and walk or ride a bike to work. It also calls on Beijingers not to use cars on June 5(World Environment Day). The slogan for the day is, “If we drive for one less day, we can have one more nice day.”

So far, more than 200,000 drivers have shown their support. “We can’t control the weather, but we can choose not to drive,” said Wu Zonghua, a car club chairman. Beijing is trying to have 238 blue sky days this year. In the first quarter of 2012, Beijing only had 52 blue sky days. This was 11 days less than the number for the same period the year before. Much of the dust comes from the desert, but cars cause most of the air pollution. We must do more for No Car Day.

1.The first No Car Day fell on _______.

A. February 2^nd                   B. June 5^th                  C. July 5^th       D. September 22^nd

2._______ was the first city to have No Car Day in China.

A. Beijing                             B. Chengdu                C. Shanghai     D. Wuhan

3.What does the underlined word “slogan” in Paragraph 3 mean?

A. 目的                                B. 原因                      C. 意义        D. 口号

4.How many blue sky days did Beijing have in the first quarter of 2011?

A. 63.                                   B. 52.                          C. 41.                          D. 238.

5.Which of the following statements is True?

A. China is the first country to start No Car Day.

B. No Car Day is World Environment Day.

C. No Car Day has been supported by over 1,000 cities around the world so far.

D. Much of the dust in the air comes from cars.

 

Mark Twain’s First Money

Mark Twain was asked one day if he could remember the first money he ever earned．

He thought a long time and then said , “Yes, it was at school．I can remember everything about it ．School boys in those days did not take good care of their chairs and desks．There was a rule in our school that if anyone damaged his desk or chair, he would have to pay five dollars or  the teacher would beat him in front of the whole school．”

“One day I damaged my desk in some way, I had to pay five dollars or be beaten before the whole school．My father said it would be too bad to have our family disgraced in front of the whole school．He agreed to give me five dollars to hand over the teacher．But before he gave me the money, he took me upstairs and gave me a beating．”

“But as I had one beating and I decided I would take another beating at school and keep the  five dollars．So that’s what I did．That was the first money I ever earned．”

1.Mark Twain earned his first money _________．

A．when he was a pupil                     B．when he became a writer

C．when he taught at a school                D．when he was beaten by his father

2.The school made the rule so that they could_____．

A．teach the students well                   B．give the students a beating

C．keep the desks and chairs well             D．ask the students for more money

3.Mark Twain’s father______．

A．was happy to give him the money

B．got angry when he knew what Mark Twain had done at school

C．said sorry to the teacher when he heard the news

D．agreed to beat Mark Twain and then give him the money

4.Mark Twain was beaten_______．

A．at home          B．only by his father    C．at school          D．both at school and at home

 

 

"Can I see my baby?" the happy new mother asked. When the baby was lying in her arms and she moved the cloth to look upon his tiny face, she gasped(吃力地喘着气). The doctor turned quickly and looked out of the hospital window. The baby had been born without ears. Luckily, time proved that the baby's hearing was perfect. Though the misfortune(不幸)happened to him, he grew into a handsome boy. Yet he felt ashamed when he communicated with others.

“You should get in touch with other young people,” his mother told him, with a kindness in her heart. The boy’s father talked with the family doctor about his ears. “Could nothing be done?” the father asked. “I believe I could give him a pair of outer ears, if they could be got,” the doctor replied.

Two years went by. One day, his father said to the son, “You are going to the hospital, Son. Mother and I have someone who will donate the ears you need, but it’s a secret.” The operation is a big success. Later he married and entered the diplomatic(外交的)service. One day, he asked his father, “Who gave the ears? Who gave me so much? I could never do enough for him or her.”

“You could, my son,” said the father, “but the agreement was that you are not to know…not yet.”

The years kept their secret, but one of the darkest days did come. He stood with his father over his mother’s casket(棺材). Slowly, the father stretched forth(伸出) a hand

and raised the thick, reddish brown hair to reveal the mother had no outer ears.

"Mother said she was glad she never let her hair be cut," his father whispered gently, "and nobody ever thought mother less beautiful, did they?"

1.Why did Mother gasp when she saw her newborn baby?

A. Because her son had a tiny face.    

B. Because she saw her son crying.

C. Because her son was in her arms.    

D. Because her son was born imperfect.

2.Who gave the son the ears?

A. His mother.      B. His father.      C. A doctor.        D. A stranger.

3.The underlined word “reveal” in the last but one paragraph means “________”．

A. see              B. show             C. find             D. search

4.The best title for the passage would be ________.

A. Mother’s hair                     

B. An unforgettable memory

C. Who gave me the ears?              

D. Who is my best respectable person?

5.The main purpose of the passage is to tell readers that ________.

A. The secret was kept until the mother died. 

B. Real love lies in what is done but not known.

C. The operation on the boy was a great success.

D. The boy entered the diplomatic service when he grew up.