Ed Smiths loves tennis, ________ he doesn’t play it. It’s difficult for him.

Ole Bull was a very famous violinist from Norway. He really liked to play the violin. But his father thought that playing the violin was not useful. So his father sent him to university to study. However, playing the violin was his dream. He didn’t want to give up his dream. So he left university before he finished his studies and spent all his time and energy practicing the violin. Unfortunately, his violin teacher was not very good. So when it was time for him to start his concert tour, he still couldn’t play the violin very well.

Therefore, a Milan newspaper critic¹ criticized him and said that he was an untrained violinist. The critic said, “If he is gold, he is not ready to shine² yet.”

When facing this kind of problem, some people may become very angry and some people try to learn from it. Fortunately, Ole Bull belonged to the second group. He went to the newspaper office and found the critic. Instead of being angry, he talked about his mistakes with the man and listened to the man’s advice.

After he met the critic, he gave up the rest of his concerts. Then he went back to practice the violin with the help of good teachers. In the end, he got great success when he was only 26. He also became one of the most famous violinists in the world.

1.Why didn't Ole Bull's father like him to play the piano?

 A. Because he thought playing the violin was useless.

 B. Because his father thought playing the violin would cost lots of money.

 C. Because his father thought he couldn't play the violin well.

 D. Because his father thought he couldn't make his dream come true.

2.What does the underlined part "If he is gold, he is not ready to shine yet." mean?

 A. Gold always shines no matter where it is.

 B. He is an excellent violinist.

 C. He doesn't play the violin very well.

 D. If he sells gold, he will make a lot of money.

3.What was Ole Bull's attitude towards the critic's article?

 A. Angry.      B. Excited.     C. Modest.     D. Worried.

4.Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

 A. Without a good teacher, one can't succeed.

 B. The critic's advice helped Ole Bull a lot.

 C. Ole Bull got success after many years' hard practice at last.

 D. The critic helped Ole Bull find a famous teacher.

5.What can we learn from the passage?

 A. Becoming a violinist can make a lot of money.

 B. When we meet problems, we should learn to face them.

 C. Old Bull was a famous American pianist.

 D. You can be famous easily if you play the violin.

短文填空。从下面方框中选出10个单词并使用其正确形式填入短文空格内，使短文意思正确，通顺（每词限用一次。共10小题，每小题1分；计10分）

Hi! I’m Harry. Life used to be kind of difficult for me. The muscles(肌肉) in my arms and legs are weak. I have to be in a wheelchair all day. I can’t use my legs at all, and I’m not too great with my hands. If I drop something it stays dropped until someone picks it up for me. I can’t open doors or switch lights on and off. Carrying everything I need for school is a problem too.

Now things are easier. I have a helping hand. Pete is a golden dog that has been trained to help kids like me. Pete was at dog training school for two years to learn how to do different tasks. I had to be trained too. I had to learn how to give Pete instructions and how to take care of him.

When Pete is working he doesn’t play around. My friends know they are not to pet him or call him when he is working. He can pull my wheelchair and pick up things I drop. Pete carries my books and lunch on his back. He pushes the button on the school lift and opens some kinds of doors. He even knows how to switch lights on.

But best of all, Pete is here when I need a friend.

1.According to the passage, who is Harry’s helping hand?

A. Pete          B. His teacher.       C. His brother         D. His parent

2.Why is Harry kept in a wheelchair all day?

A. Because his legs are broken.

B. Because his leg muscles are weak.

C. Because he is too lazy.

D. Because he likes it.

3.According to the passage, which of the following about Pete is not true?

A. Pete can clean Harry’s room.       B. Pete can switch lights on.

C. Pete can pull Harry’s wheelchair.    D. Pete can push the button on the school lift.

4. What does the writer mean by saying “Pete is here when I need a friend.”?

A. Pete is only a helpful tool for him.

B. Pete is with him all the time.

C. Pete is a funny dog to make him happy.

D. Pete is not only a helping hand but also his good friend.