When I was a small boy my family was very poor. My father always used his savings to       my mother to visit her parents who lived far away. There was just my younger brother and myself in the house. One evening Dad came home from       and there was no food in the house, not       a piece of bread. Although we were       , my brother and I went to bed without eating anything.

My father had no money, but I knew from the         on his face that he could not let us have an empty stomach. He         the house and about two hours later returned and quickly       us up. He had in his hand two small potato pies, which he gave us to eat. I don't know where he got the       but somehow he       to get us something to eat.

My father had not eaten and had worked all day       he sat there with great satisfaction watching us eat. This has       stayed in my mind and left more of an impression than any amount of       he may ever have given me.

At that moment, I felt happy knowing that he was there and would not let us      .

I guess the       I am trying to make is that in difficult times it is       not to show weakness but strength and character. If a       is the cement (粘合剂) that holds a family together, then the father is       that strengthens that cement.

 It is his values and       and memories that have carried me forward and helped me to      my own problems in life. In my own       I have learned that it is the valuable time you spend with your children and the values you give to them that will remain with them always.

1.A. force                       B. encourage                      C. send              D. teach            

2.A. hospital              B. work             C. school                D. shop

3.A. quite                B. just                      C. only                  D. even

4.A. nervous                    B. hungry               C. sleepy                D. busy

5.A. worry                       B. pleasure                        C. disappointment          D. surprise

6.A. cleaned         B. observed                     C. left                   D. searched

7.A. brought                    B. put                             C. called                 D. woke

8.A. chance                      B. food              C. support                     D. recipe

9.A. managed                   B. decided                         C. agreed                          D. waited

10.A. so              B. or                    C. but                   D. and

11.A. normally                  B. always                C. shortly                D. softly

12.A. cost            B. time                  C. salary                 D. money

13.A. suffer                    B. know                 C. leave                 D. cry

14.A. decision                  B. promise                         C. point                  D. apology

15.A. strange            B. important                C. difficult               D. common

16.A. father                   B. brother                       C. sister                 D. mother

17.A. something                B. anything               C. everything                     D. nothing

18.A. words             B. records                 C. actions               D. failures

19.A. work out                 B. carry out              C. run into               D. look into

20.A. opinion        B. home                         C. order                         D. turn

When I was a child of seven years old, my friends, on a holiday, filled my pocket with coppers. I went at once to a shop where they sold toys for children. Being charmed with the sound of a whistle that I had seen by the way, in the hands of another boy, I handed over all my money for one. I then came home, and went whistling all over the house, much pleased with my whistle, but disturbing all the family. My brothers and sisters and cousins, when I told of the bargain I had made, said I had given four times as much as the whistle was worth. They put me in mind of what good things I might have bought with the rest of the money, and laughed at me so much for my folly that I cried with vexation(烦恼). Thinking about the matter gave me more chargrin than the whistle gave me pleasure.
This, however, was afterwards of use to me, for the impression continued on my mind, so that often, when I was tempted to buy something I did not need, I said to myself, “Don’t give too much for the whistle, ” and I saved my money. As I grew up, came into the world, and observed the actions of men, I thought I met with many, very many, who “gave too much for the whistle.” When I saw some men too eager for court favor, wasting his time at court gatherings, giving up his rest, his liberty, his virtue, and perhaps his friends, for royal favor, I said to myself---“This man gives too much for the whistle.” When I saw another fond of popularity, constantly taking part in political affairs, neglecting his own business, and ruining it by neglect, “He says, indeed,” said I, “too dear for his whistle.”
If I knew a miser（守财奴） who gave up every kind of comfortable living, all the pleasure of doing good to others, all the esteem of his fellow citizens and the joys of friendship, for the sake of gathering and keeping wealth--- “Poor man,” said I, “ you pay too dear for your whistle.” When I met a man of pleasure, who did not try to improve his mind or his fortune but merely devoted himself to having a good time, perhaps neglecting his health, “ Mistaken man, you are providing pain for yourself, instead of pleasure; you are paying too dear for your whistle.” If I saw someone fond of appearance who has fine clothes, fine houses, fine furniture, fine earrings, all above his fortune, and for which he had run into debt, and ends his career in a prison. “Alas,” said I, “he has paid dear, very dear, for his whistle.” In short the miseries of mankind are largely due to their puffing a false value on things --- to giving “too much for their whistle.”

1. 1.

   How did the author get the whistle?

   1. A.
      He bought it in a toy shop for children.
   2. B.
      He got it as a birthday present.
   3. C.
      He exchanged all his coppers for it from another boy.
   4. D.
      He got it from his brothers, sisters and cousins.
2. 2.

   When the author recalled(回忆) the whistle, he felt______________.

   1. A.
      pleased
   2. B.
      charmed
   3. C.
      chagrin
   4. D.
      worth
3. 3.

   Which situation would not the author say “ too dear for the whistle?”

   1. A.
      People were tempted to buy something they did not need.
   2. B.
      Men were too eager for court favor, wasting his time.
   3. C.
      People were fond of popularity, constantly taking part in political affairs.
   4. D.
      People were devoted to a career he loved so much.
4. 4.

   Which Chinese equivalent can best describe “ too dear for the whistle”?

   1. A.
      得不偿失
   2. B.
      皆大欢喜
   3. C.
      物超所值
   4. D.
      名副其实
5. 5.

   What’s the best title of the passage?

   1. A.
      A story in my childhood.
   2. B.
      Too dear for whistle.
   3. C.
      A lesson from a whistle.
   4. D.
      We should have a right attitude towards temptation（诱惑）.

One day a young student was taking a walk with a professor. As they went along, they saw   36   in the path a pair of old shoes, which were supposed to belong to a poor man working in a field close by, and who had     37    finished his day’s work.

The student    38    the professor, saying, “Let’s play the man a (n)   39   . We’ll hide his shoes, then hide ourselves behind those bushes, and wait to see his confusion(慌乱) when he cannot find them.”

“My young friend,” said the professor, “We should never amuse ourselves at the   40   of the poor. But now that you are rich, you may get a much greater pleasure in a different way. Put a coin into each shoe, and then we will hide ourselves and watch   41   the discovery affects him.”

And so they did. The poor man soon finished his work, and came    42    the field to the path    43    he had left his coat and shoes. While putting on his coat he     44    his foot into one of his shoes; but feeling something    45    . He bent down to feel what it was, and found the coin. Astonishment and wonder were seen upon his face. He gazed upon the coin,     46     it round, and looked at it again and again. He then looked around,     47    no person was to be seen. He put the money into his pocket, and went on to put on the other shoe; but his surprise was      48    on finding the other coin. His feelings overcame him; he fell upon his knees, looked    49   to heaven and uttered(发出) aloud a sincere thanksgiving, in which he spoke of his sick and helpless wife and his children without    50   , whom the timely(及时的) giving from the unknown hand would save from dying.

The student stood there    51    affected, his eyes filled with     52    . “Now,” said the professor, “Aren’t you much better pleased then if you had played your intended trick?”

The youth replied, “You have     53   me a lesson which I will never forget. I feel now the     54    of those words, which I never understood before: It is more blessed to    55    than to receive.”

36. A. sitting             B. lying                 C. laying                   D. hiding

37. A. mostly            B. highly               C. nearly                    D. likely

38. A. turned down   B. turned away  C. turned around       D. turned to

39. A. amusement    B. fun                    C. fool                        D. trick

40. A. mercy            B. request             C. expense                D. thought

41. A. what               B. that                   C. why                       D. how

42. A. across           B. into                   C. around                  D. through

43. A. that                B. which                C. where                    D. when

44. A. slipped           B. took                  C. kicked                   D. threw

45. A. soft                B. tight                  C. loose                     D. hard

46. A. showed          B. turned              C. looked                   D. made

47. A. although        B. but                    C. for                         D. so

48. A. doubled         B. stopped            C. increased              D. improved

49. A. down              B. around             C. up                         D. forward

50. A. bread             B. books               C. toys                       D. money

51. A. still                B. possibly            C. deeply                   D. immediately

52. A. surprises       B. worries             C. fears                     D. tears

53. A. taught            B. gave                 C. told                        D. showed

54. A. function         B. story                 C. rule                       D. truth

55. A. study             B. give                  C. beg                       D. work

One day a young student was taking a walk with a professor. As they went along, they saw   36   in the path a pair of old shoes, which were supposed to belong to a poor man working in a field close by, and who had     37    finished his day’s work.

The student    38    the professor, saying, “Let’s play the man a (n)   39   . We’ll hide his shoes, then hide ourselves behind those bushes, and wait to see his confusion(慌乱) when he cannot find them.”

“My young friend,” said the professor, “We should never amuse ourselves at the   40   of the poor. But now that you are rich, you may get a much greater pleasure in a different way. Put a coin into each shoe, and then we will hide ourselves and watch   41   the discovery affects him.”

And so they did. The poor man soon finished his work, and came    42    the field to the path    43    he had left his coat and shoes. While putting on his coat he     44    his foot into one of his shoes; but feeling something    45    . He bent down to feel what it was, and found the coin. Astonishment and wonder were seen upon his face. He gazed upon the coin,     46     it round, and looked at it again and again. He then looked around,     47    no person was to be seen. He put the money into his pocket, and went on to put on the other shoe; but his surprise was      48    on finding the other coin. His feelings overcame him; he fell upon his knees, looked    49   to heaven and uttered(发出) aloud a sincere thanksgiving, in which he spoke of his sick and helpless wife and his children without    50   , whom the timely(及时的) giving from the unknown hand would save from dying.

The student stood there    51    affected, his eyes filled with     52    . “Now,” said the professor, “Aren’t you much better pleased then if you had played your intended trick?”

The youth replied, “You have     53   me a lesson which I will never forget. I feel now the     54    of those words, which I never understood before: It is more blessed to    55    than to receive.”

36. A. sitting                     B. lying                  C. laying                     D. hiding

37. A. mostly                    B. highly                C. nearly                     D. likely

38. A. turned down   B. turned away             C. turned around          D. turned to

39. A. amusement             B. fun                    C. fool                        D. trick

40. A. mercy                    B. request               C. expense                  D. thought

41. A. what                      B. that                    C. why                       D. how

42. A. across                    B. into                    C. around                    D. through

43. A. that                        B. which                C. where                     D. when

44. A. slipped                    B. took                   C. kicked                    D. threw

45. A. soft                        B. tight                   C. loose                      D. hard

46. A. showed                  B. turned                C. looked                    D. made

47. A. although                 B. but                    C. for                         D. so

48. A. doubled                  B. stopped              C. increased                D. improved

49. A. down                     B. around               C. up                          D. forward

50. A. bread                      B. books                C. toys                        D. money

51. A. still                        B. possibly             C. deeply                     D. immediately

52. A. surprises                 B. worries              C. fears                       D. tears

53. A. taught                     B. gave                  C. told                        D. showed

54. A. function                  B. story                  C. rule                        D. truth

55. A. study                      B. give                   C. beg                         D. work