My grandfather came from Hungary and was the only one in his family who settled down in the United
States. The rest of his family remained in Europe. When World War I broke out, he seemed to have become
another man, downhearted. Such obvious change was not born out of his welfare, but out of fear: if his only
son, my uncle, had to go to war, it would be cousin fighting against cousin.
     One day in 1918, my uncle Milton received his draft notice. My grandparents were very upset. But my
mother, at the age of 10, felt on top of the world about her soldier brother going off to war. Realizing how
he was regarded by his little sister and all of her friends, my uncle bought them all service pins, which meant
that they had a loved one in the service. All the little girls were delighted.
     The moment came when my uncle and the other soldiers, without any training but all in uniforms, boarded
the train. The band played and the crowd cheered. Although no one noticed, I'm sure my grandmother had a
tear in her eye for the only son. The train slowly pulled out, but not about a thousand yards when it suddenly
paused. Everyone stared in wonder as the train slowly returned to the station. There was a dead silence before
the doors opened and the men started to step out. Someone shouted, "The war is over." For a moment, nobody
moved, but then the people heard someone bark orders at the soldiers. The men lined up in two lines, walked
down the steps, and with the band playing, marched down the street, as returning heroes, to be welcomed
home. My mother said it was great day, but she was just a little disappointed that it didn't last a tiny bit longer.

1. What the grandfather was most worried about was _____.

A. the spread of the world war
B. the safety of his living two cousins
C. a drop in his living standards
D. his relatives killing each other

2. The underlined phrase "draft notice" means "_____"

A. order for army service
B. train ticket for Europe
C. letter of rejection
D. note of warning

3. What did the "service pins"(in Para. 2)stand for in the dyes of the little girls?

A. Strength.
B. Courage.
C. Victory.
D. Honor.

4. Which of the following words can best describe the ending of the story?

A. Disappointing.
B. Unexpected.
C. Uncertain.
D. Inspiring.

     I was waiting for a phone call from my agent. He had left a message the night before, telling me that
my show was to be cancelled. I called him several times, but each time his secretary told me that he was
in a meeting and that he would call me later. So I waited and waited, but there was still no call. Three hours
passing by, I became more and more impatient. I was certain that my agent didn’t care about my work,
and he didn't care about me. I was overcome with that thought. I started to shout at the phone, "Let me
wait, will you? Who do you think you are?"
     At that time I didn't realize my wife was looking on. Without showing her surprise, she rushed in, seized
the phone, tore off the wires, and shouted at the phone, "Yeah! Who do you think you are? Bad telephone!
Bad telephone!" And she swept it into the wastebasket.
     I stood watching her, speechless. What on earth?
     She stepped to the doorway and shouted at the rest of the house, "Now hear this! All objects in this room-
if you do anything to upset my husband, out you go!"
Then she turned to me, kissed me, and said calmly, "Honey, you just have to learn how to take control." With
that, she left the room.
     After watching a crazy woman rushing in and out, shouting at everything in sight, I noticed that something
in my mood (情緒) had changed. I was laughing. How could I have trouble with that phone? Her antics
helped me realize I had been driven crazy by small things. Twenty minutes later my agent did call. I was able
to listen to him and talk to him calmly.

1. Why did the author shout at the telephone?

A. He was mad at the telephone.
B. He was angry with his agent.
C. He was anxious about his wife.
D. He was impatient with the secretary.

2. What did the author's wife do after she heard his shouting?

A. She said nothing.
B. She shouted at him.
C. She called the agent.
D. She threw the phone away.

3. What made the author laugh?

A. His own behavior.
B. His wife's suggestion.
C. His changeable feelings.
D. His wife's sweet kiss.

4. What does the underlined word "antics" refer to?

A. Smart words.                               
B. Unusual actions.
C. Surprising looks.                           
D. Anxious feelings.

     "Mum, what does it mean when someone tells you that they have a skeleton (骨骼) in the closet (衣櫥)?"
Jessica asked. "A skeleton in the closet?" her mother paused thoughtfully. "Well, it's something that you would
rather not have anyone else know about. For example, if in the past, someone in Dad's family had been arrested
for stealing a horse, it would be a skeleton in his family's closet. He really wouldn't want any neighbor to know
about it."
     "Why pick on my family?" Jessica's father said with anger. "Your family history isn't so good, you know.
Wasn't your great-great-grandfather a prisoner who was transported to Australia for his crimes?" "Yes, but
people these days say that you are not a real Australian unless your ancestors arrived as prisoners." "Gosh, sorry
I asked. I think I understand now," Jessica cut iin before things grew worse.
     After dinner, the house was very quiet. Jessica's parents were still quite angry with each other. Her mother
was ironing clothes and every now and then she glared at her husband, who hid behind his newspaper pretending
to read. When she finished, she gathered the freshly pressed clothes in her arms and walked to Jessica's closet.
Just as she opened the door and reached in to hang a skirt, a bony arm stuck out from the dark depths and a
bundle of white bones fell to the floor. Jessica's mother sank in a faint (暈倒), waking only when Jessica put a
cold, wet cloth on her forehead. She looked up to see the worried faces of her husband and daughter.
     "What happened? Where am I?" she asked. "You just destroyed the school's skeleton, Mum," explained
Jessica. "I brought it home to help me with my health project. I meant to tell you, but it seemed that as soon as
I mentioned skeletons and closets, it caused a problem between you and Dad." Jessica looked in amazement as
her parents began to laugh madly. "They're both crazy," she thought.

1. According to Jessica's mother, "a skeleton in the close" means _____.

A. a family honor
B. a family secret
C. a family story
D. a family treasure

2. What can we learn about some Australians' ancestors form Paragraph 2?

A. They were brought to Australia as prisoners.
B. They were the earliest people living in Australia.
C. They were involved in some crimes in Australia.
D. They were not regarded as criminals in their days.

3. Jessica's mother fell down into a faint because she was _____.

A. knocked
B. frightened
C. injured
D. surprised

4. Jessica's mother fell down into a faint because she was _____.

A. knocked
B. frightened
C. injured
D. surprised

5. Jessica's parents laughed madly at the end of the story probably because _____.

A. they were crazy
B. they were over excited
C. they realized their misunderstanding
D. they both thought they had won the quarrel