0ur village carpenter(木匠)，John Hill, came one day and made a dining table for my wife.  He made it just the right size to fill the space between the two window.  When I got home that evening, John was drinking a cup of tea and writing out his bill( 賬單) for his job.
My wife said to me quietly, “That’s his ninth cup of tea today. ”But she said in a loud voice, “It’s a beautiful table, dear, isn’t it?” “I’ll decide about that when I see the bill,” I said.  John laughed and gave me his bill for the work.  I read:
One dining table                 10^th November, 2011
Cost of wood                    $ 17:00
Paint                           $1. 50
Work, 8 hours($1 an hour)          $8. 00
Total                           $36. 50
When I was looking at the bill, John said,” It’s been a fine day, hasn’t it? Quite sunny. ”
“Yes,” I said.  “I’m glad it’s only the 10^th of November. ”
“Me, too,” said John, “you wait—it will be a lot colder by the end of the month. ”
“Yes, colder—and more expensive! Dining table will be $20 more expensive on November 30^th, won’t they, John?”
John looked hard at me for half a minute.  Was there a little smile in his two blue eyes? I gave his bill back to him.
“If it’s not too much trouble, John,” I said,“Please add(加) it up again, You can forget the date-------”
I paid him $26. 50 and he was happy to get it.
【小題1】Why did John talk about the weather when the writer was looking at the bill?

One evening my father and I went to see a circus(馬戲). A family was standing in front of us ,__56__ for tickets.
The family had eight children. Their clothes were not __57__, but they were clean. They were talking about the clowns and elephants excitedly.
“I want __58__ tickets, eight for children and two for adults,” said the father to the ticket lady.
The ticket lady told him the __59__. When he heard that, the man couldn’t believe his __60__. He asked again, “How much?”
The ticket lady spoke again. The father looked sad. Clearly, he didn’t have __61__ money.
My dad took a $20 bill and __62__ it on the ground. Then he said to the man, “Sir, this bill fell out of your pocket.”
The man knew __63__ was going on. He looked into my dad’s eyes and took the __64__. “Thank you, thank you, sir. This __65__ means a lot to me and my family.”
We didn’t go to the circus that night, but we didn’t feel sorry for it at all.

It snowed again. My seventh Christmas was round the corner. I dreamed of getting the present from Father Christmas until my elder sister dropped the bomb, “There is no Father Christmas.”
I ran to my grandmother’s house, for she always told the truth. Grandma was at home. I told __11___ everything. “No Father Christmas?” she was a little ___12____. “Don’t believe it. Put on your coat, and let’s go.”
“Go? Where, Grandma?” I asked.
“Kerby’s Store.”
As we walked through its doors, Grandma handed me ten dollars and said, “Take the __13___ and buy something for someone who needs it. I’ll wait for in the car.” Then she turned and walked out of the Kerby’s.
For a few seconds I just stood there, holding the money, wondering ___14___ to buy, and who to buy it for.
I thought of ___15___ I knew: my family, my friends, my neighbors … I suddenly thought of Bobbie Decker, a __16___ with bad and messy hair. He sat right behind me ___17____ Mrs. Pollack’s class.
Bobbie ___18___ went to any party during the winter. His mother always wrote a note, telling the teacher that he had a cough, ___19____ we all knew that he didn’t have a cough, and he didn’t have a coat. I decided to buy Bobbie a red warm coat ___20____ he would like.
That evening, Grandma helped me wrap the coat in Christmas paper and ribbons, and ___21___ “To Bobbie, From Father Christmas” on it. Grandma told me Father Christmas never let people know that he ___22___ them. Then she drove me over to Bobbie’s house, telling that I was helping Father Christmas ____23___ the presents.
Grandma parked the car along the street, and we hid behind the trees near Bobbie’s house. Then Grandma said to me, “All right, Father Christmas, get going.”
I took a deep breath, rushed to his front door, put the present down. ____24___ the door, rang the doorbell and flew back to the safety of the ____25_____ and Grandma. We waited breathlessly in the dark for the front door to open. Finally it did, and there stood Bobbie.
That night, I realized that Father Christmas was alive and well, and we were on his team.

 It snowed again. My seventh Christmas was round the corner. I dreamed of getting the present from Father Christmas until my elder sister dropped the bomb, “There is no Father Christmas.”

  I ran to my grandmother’s house, for she always told the truth. Grandma was at home. I told __11___ everything. “No Father Christmas?” she was a little ___12____. “Don’t believe it. Put on your coat, and let’s go.”

  “Go? Where, Grandma?” I asked.

  “Kerby’s Store.”

  As we walked through its doors, Grandma handed me ten dollars and said, “Take the __13___ and buy something for someone who needs it. I’ll wait for in the car.” Then she turned and walked out of the Kerby’s.

  For a few seconds I just stood there, holding the money, wondering ___14___ to buy, and who to buy it for.

  I thought of ___15___ I knew: my family, my friends, my neighbors … I suddenly thought of Bobbie Decker, a __16___ with bad and messy hair. He sat right behind me ___17____ Mrs. Pollack’s class.

  Bobbie ___18___ went to any party during the winter. His mother always wrote a note, telling the teacher that he had a cough, ___19____ we all knew that he didn’t have a cough, and he didn’t have a coat. I decided to buy Bobbie a red warm coat ___20____ he would like.

  That evening, Grandma helped me wrap the coat in Christmas paper and ribbons, and ___21___ “To Bobbie, From Father Christmas” on it. Grandma told me Father Christmas never let people know that he ___22___ them. Then she drove me over to Bobbie’s house, telling that I was helping Father Christmas ____23___ the presents.

Grandma parked the car along the street, and we hid behind the trees near Bobbie’s house. Then Grandma said to me, “All right, Father Christmas, get going.”

  I took a deep breath, rushed to his front door, put the present down. ____24___ the door, rang the doorbell and flew back to the safety of the ____25_____ and Grandma. We waited breathlessly in the dark for the front door to open. Finally it did, and there stood Bobbie.

  That night, I realized that Father Christmas was alive and well, and we were on his team.

1.A. him  B. her   C. them   D. you

2.A. angry   B. happy   C. tired   D. afraid 

3.A. book   B. coat   C. present   D. money

4.A. what   B. when   C. where   D. how

5.A. everybody   B. nobody   C. somebody   D. anybody

6.A. girl   B. boy   C. man   D. woman

7.A. for   B. on   C. in    D. with

8.A. always   B. often   C. sometime   D never

9.A. so   B. if   C. but   D. and

10.A. where   B. that   C. who   D. why

11.A. read   B. say   C. write   D. spell

12.A. helped   B. believe   C. taught   D. made

13.A. give up   B. give away   C. put up   D. put off

14.A. on   B. behind   C. outside   D. over

15.A. shop   B. cars   C. door   D. trees