“Everything happens for the best,” my mother said whenever I was disappointed. “If you go on, one day something good will happen.” When I graduated from college, I decided to try for a job in a radio station and then work hard to become a sports announcer (广播员).
I took a taxi to Chicago and knocked on the door of every station, but I was turned down every time because I didn’t have any working experience. Then, I went back home.
My father said Montgomery Ward wanted a sports-man to help them. I applied (申请), but I didn’t get the job, either. I was very disappointed.“Everything happens for the best,” Mom reminded me. Dad let me drive his car to look for jobs. I tried WOC Radio in Davenport, Iowa. The program director, Peter MacArthur, told me they had already had an announcer. His words made me disappointed again. After leaving his office, I was waiting for the elevator when I heard MacArthur calling after me, “What did you say about sports? Do you know anything about football?” Then he asked me to broadcast an imaginary (虚构的) game. I did so and Peter told me that I would be broadcasting Saturday’s game!
On my way home, I thought of my mother’s words again:“If you go on, one day something good will happen.”
【小题1】What kind of job did the writer want to get after he graduated from college?

Once there was a huge apple tree. A little boy loved to come and play around it every day. He loved the tree and the tree loved to play with him.

      Time went by --- the little boy had grown up and he no longer played around the tree every day. One day, the boy came back to the tree and he looked sad. “Come and play with me,” the tree asked the boy. “I’m no longer a kid. I wouldn’t play around the tree any more.” the boy replied. “I want toys. I need money to buy them.” “Sorry, I don’t have money. But you can pick all my apples and sell them. So, you will have money.” The boy picked all the apples on the tree and left happily. The boy never came back after he picked the apples.

      One day, the boy returned and the tree was so excited, “Come and play with me,” the tree said. “I don’t have time to play. I have to work for my family. We need a house for shelter. Can you help?” “Sorry, I don’t have a house. But you can cut off my branches to build your house.” So the boy cut all the branches off the tree and left happily. The tree was glad to see him happy but the boy never came back since then. The tree was again lonely and sad.

       One hot summer day, the boy returned and the tree was pleased. “Come and play with me!” the tree said. “I am sad and getting old. I want to go sailing to relax myself. Can you give me a boat?” “Use my trunk to build your boat. You can sail far away and be happy.” So the boy cut the tree trunk to make a boat. He went sailing and never showed up for a long time.

Finally, the boy returned after he left for so many years. “Sorry, my boy. But I don’t have anything for you any more. The only thing left is my dying root,” the tree said with tears ①

“Good! Old tree root is the best place to lean on and rest. Come and sit down with me and rest.” The boy sat down and the tree was glad and smiled with tears ② ----

1.---Why did the boy pick all the apples on the tree?

----Because __________.

A. he wanted to eat them                    B. he needed money to buy toys

C. he liked the tree without apples             D. he wanted to share them with friends.

2.----When did the boy come back to the apple tree?

----He came back _________.

A. whenever he was happy                             B. if he missed the apple tree

C. when he was in times of difficulty                     D. as  soon as he was free

3.----What did the boy want at last?

----He wanted ___________.

A. to have a house to live in             B. nothing except a place to rest

C. the root of the apple tree            D. anything that the apple tree had

4.----What can we learn from the story?

----We should _________.

A. plant more apple trees      B. learn from the boy

C. always stay at home     D. be thankful to our parents

5.According to the passage, which of the following statements is NOT true?

A. The phrase “with tears ①” means that the apple tree was sad because the boy asked for too much.

B. The phrase “with tears ②” means that the apple tree was still happy because she could help the boy for the last time.

C. Each time the boy asked the apple tree for help, the tree tried her best to satisfy him.

D. After reading the passage, we can easily think of the old Chinese saying “Parents’ love is universal!”

Once there was a huge apple tree. A little boy loved to come and play around it every day. He loved the tree and the tree loved to play with him.
Time went by --- the little boy had grown up and he no longer played around the tree every day. One day, the boy came back to the tree and he looked sad. “Come and play with me,” the tree asked the boy. “I’m no longer a kid. I wouldn’t play around the tree any more.” the boy replied. “I want toys. I need money to buy them.” “Sorry, I don’t have money. But you can pick all my apples and sell them. So, you will have money.” The boy picked all the apples on the tree and left happily. The boy never came back after he picked the apples.
One day, the boy returned and the tree was so excited, “Come and play with me,” the tree said. “I don’t have time to play. I have to work for my family. We need a house for shelter. Can you help?” “Sorry, I don’t have a house. But you can cut off my branches to build your house.” So the boy cut all the branches off the tree and left happily. The tree was glad to see him happy but the boy never came back since then. The tree was again lonely and sad.
One hot summer day, the boy returned and the tree was pleased. “Come and play with me!” the tree said. “I am sad and getting old. I want to go sailing to relax myself. Can you give me a boat?” “Use my trunk to build your boat. You can sail far away and be happy.” So the boy cut the tree trunk to make a boat. He went sailing and never showed up for a long time.
     
Finally, the boy returned after he left for so many years. “Sorry, my boy. But I don’t have anything for you any more. The only thing left is my dying root,” the tree said with tears ①
“Good! Old tree root is the best place to lean on and rest. Come and sit down with me and rest.” The boy sat down and the tree was glad and smiled with tears ② ----

1. 1.

   ---Why did the boy pick all the apples on the tree?
      ---Because __________

   1. A.
      he wanted to eat them
   2. B.
      he needed money to buy toys
   3. C.
      he liked the tree without apples
   4. D.
      he wanted to share them with friends
2. 2.

   ---When did the boy come back to the apple tree?
      ---He came back _________

   1. A.
      whenever he was happy
   2. B.
      if he missed the apple tree
   3. C.
      when he was in times of difficulty
   4. D.
      as soon as he was free
3. 3.

   ---What did the boy want at last?
      ---He wanted ___________

   1. A.
      to have a house to live in
   2. B.
      nothing except a place to rest
   3. C.
      the root of the apple tree
   4. D.
      anything that the apple tree had
4. 4.

   ---What can we learn from the story?
      ---We should _________

   1. A.
      plant more apple trees
   2. B.
      learn from the boy
   3. C.
      always stay at home
   4. D.
      be thankful to our parents
5. 5.

   According to the passage, which of the following statements is NOT true?

   1. A.
      The phrase “with tears ①” means that the apple tree was sad because the boy asked for too much
   2. B.
      The phrase “with tears ②” means that the apple tree was still happy because she could help the boy for the last time
   3. C.
      Each time the boy asked the apple tree for help, the tree tried her best to satisfy him
   4. D.
      After reading the passage, we can easily think of the old Chinese saying “Parents’ love is universal!”

 “Did you see that?” Joe said to his friend Bill. “You’re a great shooter!”
  Bill caught the   1  and bounced it before throwing it again. The ball flew into the net.

“Bill, you never   2 !” Joe said admiringly.

     “Unless I’m in a real game,” Bill complained. “Then I miss all the time.”
     Joe knew that Bill was  3 . Bill performed much better when he was having fun with Joe in the school yard than he did when he was playing for the school team in front of a large crowd.

“Maybe you just need to   4  more,” Joe suggested.

     “But I practice all the time with you!” Bill objected. He shook his head. “I just can’t play well when people are  5   me.”
      “You play well when I’m watching,” Joe pointed out.
      “That’s because I’ve known you since we were five years old,” Bill said with a smile. “I’m just not  6  playing when other people are around.”

Joe nodded and understood, but he also had an idea.
     The next day Joe and Bill met in the school yard again to practice. After a few minutes, Joe  7  himself.
     “Practice without me,” Joe said to his friend. “I’ll be back in a minute.”
     Joe hurried through the school building, gathering together  8  he could find—two students, a math teacher, two secretaries, and a janitor. When Joe explained why he needed them, everyone was happy to help.
     Joe reminded the group to stay  9  as they all went toward the school’s basketball court. As Joe had hoped, Bill was still practicing basketball. He made five        10  in a row without noticing the silent people standing behind him.
      “Hey, Bill!” Joe called out  11 .
      Bill turned. A look of surprise came over his face. “I just wanted to 12  you that you could play well with people watching you,” Joe said. “Now you’ll have nothing to worry about for the next game!”

1 A. basketball       B. football               C. volleyball                      D. baseball

2 A. touch             B. miss                 C. hold                               D. feel

3A. upset                  B. right                 C. active                      D. different

 4 A. train                          B. play                 C. practice                         D. enjoy

5 A. treating               B. shouting           C. cheering                         D. watching

 6 A. similar                B. confident          C. successful               D. comfortable

 7 A. excused                    B. enjoyed            C. helped                           D. suggested

 8 A. whomever          B. whenever         C. whatever                        D. wherever

9 A. alone                  B. silent                C. quiet                              D. safe

 10 A. balls                        B. baskets            C. steps                              D. scores

 11 A. quickly                    B. loudly        C. suddenly                        D. finally

 12 A. surprise                   B. tell                   C. show                         D. hope