Returning from a trip overseas, I felt that something was wrong between Keith, one of my two sons, and me. So I asked him, “Keith, have I done anything that really __21__your feeling?”

Immediately, he said, “Yes. Last Christmas you promised us a special    22    that I really wanted but you never gave it to me.”

The    23   was that I’d completely forgotten about it. I   24     , “Is there anything else I’ve done wrong, but didn’t apologized for?”

Again, his   25    was immediate, “Remember last Christmas when Mom said you had to go to the  26    because Stephen was going to be born? You left us at home and  27        in a hurry. Remember?”

“Well, you left and forgot the suitcase.” I couldn’t believe he  28     all the details! “After you came back from the hospital you were  29    . When you got home, the suitcase had been opened and everything had been thrown all over the place, and you   30   me.”

“And you didn’t do it?” I asked.

“No, I didn’t . I was just searching for my gift.”

My heart sank. I felt  31    . I hugged Keith and asked him to  32     me. His Honesty made me think of our other son, Kevin. Maybe I’d hurt his feelings, too. I went to ask him the same question. Kevin’s answer was as immediate as his  33    , “Last Christmas you promised us a special toy, but you forgot about it.”

Though Christmas had passed, I took my two sons to the store that day and bought them what I had promised. The  34    thing wasn’t the toy. The problem was I’d made a promise too  35     and didn’t keep it as their father.

21.A．showed             B．hurt             C．attended          D．expressed

22.A．candy              B．book             C．picture            D．toy

23.A．challenge          B．message        C．idea               D．fact

24.A．complained       B．apologized     C．continued        D. explained

25.A．suggestion         B．answer          C．memory           D．blame

26.A．hospital           B．church           C．school            D．garden

27.A．settled down      B．went on        C．set off            D．got up

28.A．knew               B．imagined       C．discovered       D．remembered

29.A．angry              B．worried          C．happy            D．satisfied

30.A．praised             B．punished       C．helped            D．educated

31.A．terrible             B．hopeless         C．inspired         D．encouraged

32.A．support            B．criticize         C．suspect           D．forgive

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

34.A．strange            B．interesting      C．important        D．difficult

35.A．lightly             B．rudely            C．equally           D．truly

When buster was brought into the animals' home, he was wet and smelly. But Jimmy who worked there know what soap and water and a good brushing could do.

After a bath, Jimmy put Buster in a cage and gave him some food and fresh water.

Buster wanted a home. He wanted a family. He wanted a yard. Most of all, he wanted someone to love him.

A man came over to the cage. Buster curled up on his blanket and closed eyes. “He’s no fun,” said the man. “He’s too quiet.”

A family came along. Buster barked and barked, so they would notice him. “ He’s too noisy,” said the mother. They all walked away.

Other people passed by.

“Too furry.”

“TOO bony.”

“Don’t give up,” Jimmy said to Buster. “Someone will want you.”

Another family asked Jimmy to take Buster out of the cage. “He’s too big,” said the mother. “He might scare the baby.”

The next family came along. “He’s too small,” said the father. “He wouldn’t be a good watchdog.”

“Sorry, Buster,” said Jimmy.

At the end of the day, another family came along-a mother, father, and a boy. Buster didn’t try to book big or small. He didn’t worry about looking furry or bony. He was just plain Buster, an ordinary, brown, medium-sized dog.

The boy looked in to Buster’s brown eyes. Buster looked into the boy’s blue eyes. “Look, Mom,” he said. “This dog is just the right size for me.”

Buster went home to a family and a yard. Best of all, He went home with someone who loved him just the way he was- an ordinary, brown, medium-sized dog.

50. What did Buster get first at the animals’ home?

A. A bath.        B. A ball.       C. A rest       D. A meal.

51. What did Buster want most of all?

A. A place to play in.       B. A home to live in.     

C. A loving owner.         D. A rich keeper.

52. What does the writer want to tell us in this story?

A. We must do everything well.         B. It’s nice to keep a dog.     

C. We should be just what we are.       D. It’s easy to clean a dog.

BALTIMORE. MARYLAND—An old postcard changed the lives of an eleven-year-old boy and a very sick woman. The postcard had a picture of the steamship Titanic. The Titanic was the largest ocean ship in the world. It hit an iceberg（冰山）and sank on April 14. 1912. More than 1,500 of the 2,200 people on the ship were killed.
 The postcard was passed from one person to another for more than 80 years. Then it appeared at a card show for people who liked to collect postcards. An eleven-year-old boy, Joey Russell, came to the show with his grandfather. His grandfather knew everything about the Titanic and its trip from England to New York. “Let’s buy that postcard.” he told Joey. “It will be important someday.”
 Two years later, Joey’s grandfather took him on a special trip. They went on a trip to the North Atlantic ocean to watch as workers pulled the Titanic up from the bottom of the ocean. Joey put his special postcard in his bag for the trip. On the ship, Joey met Edith Haisman. This woman was on the Titanic when it sank. She was one of the people who were rescued. Joey pulled the postcard out of his pocket. “Please sign this, Mrs. Haisman.” he said. She was happy to write her name on the back of the postcard.
When Joey got home, he put the postcard away and forgot about it, Then Kate Shelley, one of Joey’s friends, told him that her mother was very sick. She needed an operation, but there was a problem. The operation was very expensive, and the family needed $80, 000 to pay for it. Friends and relatives tried to help. But where could they get so much money?
 Then when Joey went to see the new movie “Titanic”, he had an idea. “Millions of people are seeing this movie and reading about the Titanic.” Joey thought. He remembered the old postcard with Edith Haisman’s signature on it. “Maybe I can sell it for some money. Then I can help Kate’s mom.”
 Joey told his mother and father about his idea to help Mrs. Shelley. His parents helped him try to sell the postcard to the person who would pay the most money for it. Joey’s story was on television and in newspapers. Joey and Kate even went to New York to be on a national TV show. After the show, many people called in to offer money for the Titanic card. Someone bought it for $60. 000.
Joey’s kind heart and the old Titanic postcard worked together to save a woman’s life.

1. 1.

   Which of the following is NOT true about the old postcard?

   1. A.
      The Titanic was the largest steamship in the world in 1912.
   2. B.
      The steamship Titanic hit an iceberg and sank about a hundred years ago
   3. C.
      Over two thousand passengers were killed in the ocean accident.
   4. D.
      More than eighty years had passed before the postcard belonged to Joey.
2. 2.

   Joey Russell _______.

   1. A.
      decided to buy the postcard at a shop
   2. B.
      showed great interest in collecting postcards
   3. C.
      took the postcard with him to see Mrs. Shelley
   4. D.
      asked Mrs. Haisman to sign her name on his postcard
3. 3.

   What does the underlined word “rescued” mean in the sentence?

   1. A.
      Be made safe from danger.
   2. B.
      Be on an ocean trip.
   3. C.
      Be working on board.
   4. D.
      Be asked to sell the postcard.
4. 4.

   When did Joey Russell have the idea of selling his old postcard for money?

   1. A.
      When Kate Shelley told him of her mother’s sickness.
   2. B.
      When he went to see the new movie “Titanic”.
   3. C.
      When he was reading the new book of Titanic.
   4. D.
      When he remembered Mrs. Haisman’s signature on his card.
5. 5.

   Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

   1. A.
      The Titanic arrived in New York at the end of April, 1912.
   2. B.
      At the age of 13, Joey Russell got Mrs. Haisman’s signature.
   3. C.
      Joey Russell sold out his postcards on a national TV show.
   4. D.
      The Titanic card was sold to many people for $60, 000.

BALTIMORE. MARYLAND—An old postcard changed the lives of an eleven-year-old boy and a very sick woman. The postcard had a picture of the steamship Titanic. The Titanic was the largest ocean ship in the world. It hit an iceberg（冰山）and sank on April 14. 1912. More than 1,500 of the 2,200 people on the ship were killed.
　　The postcard was passed from one person to another for more than 80 years. Then it appeared at a card show for people who liked to collect postcards. An eleven-year-old boy, Joey Russell, came to the show with his grandfather. His grandfather knew everything about the Titanic and its trip from England to New York. “Let’s buy that postcard.” he told Joey. “It will be important someday.”
　　Two years later, Joey’s grandfather took him on a special trip. They went on a trip to the North Atlantic ocean to watch as workers pulled the Titanic up from the bottom of the ocean. Joey put his special postcard in his bag for the trip. On the ship, Joey met Edith Haisman. This woman was on the Titanic when it sank. She was one of the people who were rescued. Joey pulled the postcard out of his pocket. “Please sign this, Mrs. Haisman.” he said. She was happy to write her name on the back of the postcard.
When Joey got home, he put the postcard away and forgot about it, Then Kate Shelley, one of Joey’s friends, told him that her mother was very sick. She needed an operation, but there was a problem. The operation was very expensive, and the family needed $80, 000 to pay for it. Friends and relatives tried to help. But where could they get so much money?
　　Then when Joey went to see the new movie “Titanic”, he had an idea. “Millions of people are seeing this movie and reading about the Titanic.” Joey thought. He remembered the old postcard with Edith Haisman’s signature on it. “Maybe I can sell it for some money. Then I can help Kate’s mom.”
　　Joey told his mother and father about his idea to help Mrs. Shelley. His parents helped him try to sell the postcard to the person who would pay the most money for it. Joey’s story was on television and in newspapers. Joey and Kate even went to New York to be on a national TV show. After the show, many people called in to offer money for the Titanic card. Someone bought it for $60. 000.
Joey’s kind heart and the old Titanic postcard worked together to save a woman’s life.
【小题1】Which of the following is NOT true about the old postcard?