There was once a young man called Paul in a village in the USA. Paul was very lazy because his father was a rich farmer and he didn’t have to work. Mr Smith, a neighbour of his, was a blacksmith (铁匠). He used to work in his shop all day. Paul spent hours and hours watching how the blacksmith worked every day. “Young man, why don’t you try your hand to make a shoe tack (铁钉), even it is only to pass the time?” said the blacksmith one day, “ Maybe it will be useful to you some day.” Finally, the lazy boy began to have a try. After practicing some times, he became skilled and could make very nice tacks.
Years later, Paul’s father died and he lost all the things because of a war (战争). He had to move to another country and live by himself. It happened that there were many shoemakers paying high prices to buy tacks for the shoes, because in that part of the country there was a great need of tacks for soldiers’ shoes. Paul went to talk with them. He told them that he would make the tacks if they could help him find a workshop in the village. The shoemakers agreed. Then Paul made a lot of money by making tacks. “How funny it is!” he said to himself, “Even by making shoe tacks, one can become rich.”
【小题1】Why didn’t Paul have to work?
A. Because he couldn’t do anything.
B. Because he was too lazy.
C. Because his father was very rich.
D. B and C.
【小题2】What’s the Chinese meaning of skilled?

Mr. Smith works in a factory. There he drives a truck. He’s tired all the time. When he comes back, he’s always busy and doesn’t want to do any housework. His wife is a doctor and likes to keep all the things clean. So she has to do all at home. She usually goes to work from Monday to Friday and has to do all on weekends. All her friends know about it and sometimes they come to help her.
It’s Saturday today. Mrs Smith tells her husband to help her do some housework, but he says he has something to do and goes out early in the morning. He leaves a lot of dirty clothes at home. Mrs Smith doesn’t go to work but she doesn’t feel well. So she doesn’t want to do any housework. After breakfast, Jo, one of her friends, comes to see her when she’s sitting on a chair.
The girl finds the rooms are dirty and she asks, “Don’t you clean your rooms today, Mrs Smith?” “No, I don’t.”says the doctor. “Why don’t you wear your glasses?” “Then I will think the rooms are still clean.”
【小题1】What does Mrs Smith do ?

—Why don’t you use your own knife?

—Sorry, I’ve _____ it at home.

A．lost              B．forgotten          C．kept             D．left

完形填空。 （10分）
Mrs. Andrews had a young cat, and it was the cat’s first winter. One evening it was __1___ when it began to snow heavily. Mrs. Andrews looked __2___ everywhere and shouted its name, but she did not find it, __3___ she telephoned the police and said, “ I have ___4___ a small black cat. Has ____5____ found one?”
“No, madam,” said the policeman at the other end, “But cats are really very __6___ animals. They sometimes live for days in the snow, and when it melts（融化）and somebody finds them, they are quite ____7____.”
Mrs. Andrews felt ____8___ when she heard this “And”, she said, “Our cat is very ____9___. She almost talks.”
The policeman was getting rather tired. “Well then,” he said, “Why don’t you put your __10____ down? Maybe she is trying to telephone you now.”
(   )1. A. here        B. there       C. inside         D. outside
(   )2. A. at          B. for         C. after          D. around
(   )3. A. so          B. or          C. if            D. because
(   )4. A. got         B. sold        C. lost           D. bought
(    )5. A. he          B. she        C. anybody       D. everybody
(   )6. A. bad         B. good       C. weak          D. strong
(   )7. A. well         B. ill         C. careful       D. worried
(    )8. A. worse       B. happier     C. colder         D. younger
(    )9. A. busy        B. clean       C. clever         D. angry
(   )10.A. cat         B. book       C. hands         D. telephone