Watson entered Mr. Smith’s office. The Boss was a hard man. He fired people who didn’t do well without giving them a second chance.
“Watson,” said Mr. Smith, “this past year your department hasn’t earned money. We’re going to drop that department. It’s finished. I’ m sorry, —but you’ll have to go.” “But, sir—if I just had a little more time. For the moment I need the job to keep my son at Riverside School.”
“What’s that!” said the Boss. “Riverside! I didn’t know you had a boy there. That’s an expensive school for a man with your salary.”
“I know, sir. But he likes it there so much! He’s a star trackman（田徑運(yùn)動(dòng)員） and the best boxer in the school. The boys call him Champ（冠軍） there.”
The Boss sat perfectly still for a long time—a faraway （恍惚的） look in his eyes. Then, suddenly, he said, “We’ve got to close your department, Watson. But you’ll take over a new job in another department. It means longer hours—maybe more pay. Now get out. You’re here for life.”
Watson got out, with surprise in his face. Then the Boss took a letter from the top drawer of his desk. It was Herbie’s last letter from Riverside School —written a few days before he died. He had read it over and over again with sick pain. The letter read: I can’t say the boys here are any nicer to me than the others were. I guess it’s the same everywhere when you’re a cripple (跛腳的人). But don’t worry about me, Dad. They’ve got a good chemistry department here. And there’s one boy here who is really great. He’s a track star and boxing champ and just tops in chemistry. The boys call him Champ. He made them stop throwing my books around. And he knocked a boy down who hit me. He is the best friend I ever had. Dad, when I grow up, I want to do something for Champ. Something big—that he won’t even know about.
Your son,   Herbie
【小題1】The underlined word “drop” in paragraph 2 could best be replaced by ________.

I’m afraid he’s more of a talker than a doer，which is ________ he never finishes anything.????????????? ????????????? ????????????? ????????????? ????????????? ????????????? ????????????? ????????????? ????????????? ????????????? (2011·山東，26)

A．that? B．when

C．where? D．why

On Saturday nights, A.J.Coston doesn’t get a lot of sleep. Usually three or four times a night, a loud bell rings, a red light flashes, and he has to jump out of his bed. That’s because he’s a weekend volunteer firefighter（消防員）with Loudoun County Fire and Rescue Station 13 in Northern Virginia. During the week, he lives at home with his mom, dad and sister and does his main job which is going to high school.
“I have always wanted to get into firefighting since I was a little kid watching fire trucks go by,” he says. “One day on the Internet I noticed that Loudoun County offered a junior firefighter program.” He was only 16, but he got it.
Fighting fires is dangerous work. Firefighters never stop practicing the skills they need to stay safe. Once Coston learned those skills, he was allowed to work inside burning buildings.
“Teamwork is most important,” he says. “It’s the whole team that puts the fire out.”
Firefighters feel great about helping people. “My most unbelievable call was probably the time four kids were struck by lightning,” says Coston. He will be off to college next fall, building on his dream job. “I’ll get my degree in emergency（緊急情況） medical care. and then work in a fire and rescue company for a while. I want to be a flight doctor on a helicopter in the end, but I will never forget the days as a firefighter. These are my unforgettable experiences,” he says.
【小題1】 Coston can’t sleep well on Saturday nights because _____.

A．he has to work part-time at weekends

B．he has some sleeping problems

C．he has to do his job as a volunteer firefighter

D．he always worries that there may be a fire

A．Coston wanted to be a firefighter when he was a kid

B．Coston tried several times before he became a volunteer firefighter

C．firefighters feel proud that they can help people

D．firefighters have to practice skills all the time to stay safe

A woman called Julia lived in the countryside, one year she decided to visit the capital city to see the sights. She stayed at a hotel near the central market. She had seldom been to the city before, and was very excited about what she would find.
On the first morning of her visit, as she walked from the hotel to the market, she passed a beggar (乞丐). He was holding up a notice, which said, “Blind from birth. Please give generously(慷慨地).”Julia felt sorry for the beggar and she bent down and put a dollar coin into his bowl. “Thank you.” he said. The same thing happened again the following day. On the third day, however, Julia did not have a dollar coin. She had only fifty cents, so she dropped this into the beggar’s bowl. “What have I done wrong?” the beggar said, “Why are you so stingy (吝嗇的) today?”
Julia was very surprised at the beggar . “How do you know I haven't given you a dollar?” she said, “If you’re blind you can't know what coin I put into your bowl.” “Ah,” explained the beggar, “The truth is that I'm not blind. I'm just looking after this place for the regular beggar while he’s on holiday.” “On holiday?” Julia said, “And what exactly does your blind friend do on holiday?” “He goes into the countryside,” the man said, “and takes photographs. He's a very good photographer.”
【小題1】Where was the beggar sitting?

The One and Only Ivan [hardcover]
Katherine Applegate （Author）
Patricia Castelao （Illustrator）
4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (117 customer reviews) / Like (58)
List Price: $16.99
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Product Details
Reading level: Ages 8 and up
Hardcover: 320 pages 
Publisher: Harper Collins
Languages: English
ISBN-10: 0061992254
ISBN-13: 978-0061992254
Shopping weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Book Description
Release Date: January 17, 2012
Age level: 8 and up
Grade Level: 3 and up
Ivan is an easy-going gorilla. Living at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade, he has grown accustomed to human watching him. He rarely misses his life in the jungle. Instead, Ivan thinks about TV shows he’s seen and about his friends. But mostly Ivan thinks about art and how to capture the taste of a mango.
Then he meets Ruby, a baby elephant, and she makes Ivan see their home—and his own art—through new eyes. When Ruby arrives, change comes with her, and it is up to Ivan to make it a change for the better.
Katherine Applegate blends humor and poignancy (辛辣) to create Ivan’s unforgettable first-person narration in a story of friendship, art and hope.
【小題1】The book is suitable for readers who are _____.