Vanilla is my best friend. She is a lovely girl with two big, beautiful eyes. But she always hides them behind a pair of black glasses.

One day, though, I nearly ended our friendship. I remember that day clearly. We were sitting in class. The teacher was giving us our results for a Chinese test. I had done badly. I felt so sad that I wouldn’t talk to anyone. At lunchtime, I even stayed in the classroom alone. Suddenly, I heard a voice. It was Vanilla. “You look very unhappy,” she said. “What’s wrong?” I looked up at her, but said nothing. I knew Vanilla had got a good mark in the test. I thought she was making fun of me. I stayed silent (安靜), but Vanilla didn’t go away. She kept asking me questions: “Is it because of the exam? Do you want me to show you the right answers?” I looked away from her. When I looked up again, Vanilla had gone. And so had my exam paper! I didn’t know what to do. I looked everywhere for my paper, but couldn’t find it.

In the afternoon, Vanilla came up to my desk and gave me my exam paper back. I looked at it and got a big surprise. Vanilla had written the right answer next to every one of my mistakes（錯誤）. My face went red. Vanilla had been trying to help me all along. How mean (卑劣的) I had been to her when she was being so nice. I wanted to hug her, but all I did was to hold her hands and said, “Thank you.” That afternoon, Vanilla and I walked home together. I felt so happy that I had to thank her again. We were still best friends.

(    ) 6. The sentences “ But she always hides them behind a pair of black glasses.” Really means _________.

A. she doesn’t want others to see her eyes

B. there is something wrong with her eyes

C. she likes to wear dark glasses          

D. she is often shy

(    ) 7. The writer felt sad because ________ in the Chinese test.

A. she got a good mark                 B. Vanilla had done better than her

C. she didn’t have a good mark          D. the teacher was angry with her

(    ) 8. Vanilla really came to the writer to _______.

A. make fun of her                     B. help her

C. find out what had happened to her       D. show her the right answers

(    ) 9. Vanilla left the writer because she __________.

A. wanted to write the right answers for the writer

B. didn’t know what to do to help her friend

C. was angry with the writer

D. wanted to go home for lunch

(    )10. Which of the following phrases has the same meaning as “make fun of”?

A. Saying “hello” to.                  B. Seeing me off.

C. Looking after.                      D. Laughing at.

It was near Christmas during my first semester teaching a new school. I love my small special class more than any group I had taught in the past. They were hungry for knowledge and I was enjoying teaching.

     Other teachers had told me that our children were from poor families and not to expect any child to bring a Christmas gift. In fact, I wasn’t expecting any gifts.

     Imagine my surprise when every child brought me a gift on the day before our holiday break. First, I got a much-loved stuffed monkey from a shy girl. I was told, “He is my favorite, but I love you and I want him to be with you, Miss Taylor” How thrilled I was!

     Next came a new set of Christmas tree lights that was “missing” from a mother's cupboard.

     Finally, I came to one little boy’s gift which I had never received. It was an old, dirty and broken Christmas story book. Just then I wanted to express my happiness, I was interrupted(打斷)by the giver, “And see, it is new! It still has the price tag.”        "

     When other children laughed at him, I stopped them and said, “Oh, books are good in that way. The story is always new if you have not read it before. Now, Let’s share one together.” Everyone listened quietly as I read the most wonderful Christmas story of my life.

I still keep those Christmas gifts, They always remind me of my lovely kids.

1.Why did the teacher like her small special class?

2. When did the children bring their teacher gifts?

3.Who sent a stuffed monkey to the teacher?

4.Was the Christmas story, book new?

5.How did the teacher feel when she got the presents?

A girl complained to her father about her hard life. She didn't know what she had to do and wanted to 36 . She felt tired for fighting and fighting. One problem had been finished but another came.

Her father,  a cook,  took her 37 the kitchen. He poured water into three pans(鍋)and boiled(煮)it. When the water was boiling,  in the first pan he put some carrots,  in the 38 he put some eggs and in the last he put some coffee. He     39      them for a few minutes without any words.

The girl closed her mouth and waited impatiently,  not knowing   40   her father was doing that. After about 20 minutes,  her father turned     41   the stove,  took out the carrots and put them in a bowl. He took out the eggs and put 42    in another bowl. After that the   43   was poured into a cup. Turning back to his daughter,  he asked,  "What do you    44   ?" "Carrots,  eggs,  and coffee, " she answered.

Her father told her to 45 her eyes and let her touch the carrots. She did and felt that the carrots were soft. After that he asked her to take the eggs and 46 them. Then,  she got the eggs,  cooked and hard. At last,  the father asked her to smell the coffee. "What's the meaning,  Father?" He 47 that each had suffered the same unlucky experience— the boiling water,  but 48 had a different reaction(反應). The strong and hard carrots had become soft and weak after being in the boiling water. The eggs became hard 49 being cooked. The coffee was very special and it changed the wa­ter. "Who are you?" asked her father,  "When calamity(厄運) 50 your door,  what's your reaction? Are you carrots,  eggs,  or coffee?"

1.A. grow up       B. give up          C. set up            D. pick up

2.A. into           B. within           C. out of            D. away from

3.A. first          B. second           C. third              D. fourth

4.A. looked for     B. searched for      C. waited for          D. called for

5.A. that          B. what            C. where             D. why

6.A. on           B. over            C. off                 D. in

7.A. it            B. its              C. them              D. themselves

8.A. eggs         B. carrots           C. coffee             D. water

9.A. hear         B. taste              C. smell              D. see

10.A. close        B. open             C. wash              D. drop

11.A. keep        B. protect           C. break               D. drink

12.A. complained  B. explained          C. told                D. expected

13.A. every      B. all                C. each               D. either

14.A. before      B. after              C. behind              D. under

15. A. lies in     B. comes across       C. meets with           D. knocks at

Why should we learn to swim?

Firstly, swimming is a good exercise for our health. Indeed doctors say it is the best exercise, because in swimming all the muscles of the body are used.

Secondly, swimming gives great pleasure. How nice it is, on a hot dusty day in summer, to take off one’s clothes and dive into the cool water of a rive or the sea, and to swim and float until one feels enough.

Thirdly, swimming may sometimes mean all the different between life and death, we never know when we may be in danger from water. We got on a voyage, and the ship in wrecked; we go for a pleasure sail on a lake and the boat turns over; we slip as we are walking along the bank of a river, and half in the water. If we can swim, we have chance for saving our own lives, but if we cannot swim, we are pretty certain to be drowned. So for our own safety, we should learn to swim.

Lastly, if we can swim, we may be able to save other people from drowning. How sad it is to see a friend drowning before our eyes while we cannot help just because we cannot swim.

11.Who says that swimming is the best exercise?  _________.

A. Farmers          B. Dentists     C. Fishermen            D. Doctors

12.When swimming, ________.

A. We don’t move at all                 B. all the muscle of the body are used

C. we move our legs only                D. we drink lots of seawater into our stomach

13.Swimming ­­­­________.

A. gives great pain                     B. gives no pleasure   

C. gives much pleasure                  D. does harm to the body

14.If we can swim, ________.

A. we are no longer humans, but fish          B. we shall be drowned one day

C. we have a chance of saving our own lives   D. we can’t walk any more

15.If we can swim, ________.

A. we may be able to help others from drowning 

B. we can’t save others from drowning

C. it is pretty danger certain that we will get drowned

D. there is a great danger when we fall into the water

In the 13th century, Marco Polo travelled a long way to China. He was a famous Italian 31 During his stay in China, he saw many wonderful things. One of the things he 32 was that the Chinese used paper money. People in 33 coun­tries didn't use paper money until the 17th century. However,people in China began to use paper money in the 10th century. 34     was invented by a Chinese about 2 000 years ago. His name was Cai Lun. He then  35 these pieces of paper together and made them into a 36 .

Now paper mainly comes from trees. We use it every day. 37 we waste a lot of it. If we keep on doing so, people 38 cut down many more trees. Then there will not be any trees left. If there are no 39 , there will be no paper.

So how can we 40 paper? When we mak­ing notes,we can use 41 sides of each piece of paper. We  can  buy  drinks  in bottles instead of 42  in paper packets. We can also use cotton handkerchiefs ( ??????) and not the paper ones.

43  we go shopping, we can use fewer paper bags. If the salesman gives us a paper bag, we can keep it and  44  it later. We can help to protect trees if we think 45 . We should to it now,before it is too late.

1. A. traveller       B. actor         C. doctor       D. driver

2. A. disliked        B. disagreed        C. invented     D. discovered

3. A. Eastern        B. Western         C. Southern     D. Northern

4. A. Iron           B. Paper           C. Television    D. Silk

5. A. collected       B. divided         C. moved       D. put

6. A. magazine       B. newspaper      C. book         D. dictionary

7. A. Sometime       B. Some time      C. Sometimes    D. Some times

8. A. have to         B. mustn't         C. used to       D. shouldn't

9. A. books          B. trees           C, leaves        D. factories

10. A. make          B. use C.save       D. buy

11. A. all            B. each            C. every        D. both

12. A. them          B. those           C. these        D. ones

13. A. Before         B. After           C. As soon as    D. When

14. A. repair          B. record         C. reuse         D. return

15. A. carefully        B. badly          C. quickly      D. freely