One day when some government officials were rebuilding a barn(谷倉(cāng)), they found a mouse hole in a corner and they used smoke to force the mice inside the hole to come out. A while later they indeed saw mice running out, one after another. Then, everyone thought that all the mice had ran away. But just as they began to clean up, they saw two mice squeezing(擠)out at the mouth of the hole. With some efforts, the mice finally got out. However, it was strange that after they came out of the hole, they did not run away immediately. Instead, one ran after the other near the mouth of the hole. It seemed that one was trying to bite the tail of the other.
Everyone was puzzled, so they stepped nearer to take a look. They realized that one of the mice was blind and could not see anything, and the other was trying to allow the blind mouse to bite on his tail so that he could pull the blind one with him to run away.
After seeing what happened, everyone was silent and lost in thought. During the meal time, the group of people sat down in a circle and started to chat about what happened to the two mice.
One serious American official said: "I think the relationship between those two mice was that of king and guard." The others thought for a while and said: "That was why!"
A smart French said: "I think the relationship between those two mice was that of husband and wife." Again the others thought for a while, and all felt it meaningful.
A Japanese said: "I think the relationship between those two mice was that of mother and son." Once again the others thought for a while, and felt this was more reasonable. So they expressed agreement another time.
At that moment, one Chinese asked: "Why did those two mice have to have a certain relationship?"
Suddenly, the group looked back at the Chinese and didn't say any words. The American official, the French and the Japanese who had spoken earlier all lowered their heads in shyness, and did not dare to answer.
In fact, the true love is not built on friendship, loyalty(忠誠(chéng)) or blood relationship. Instead, it is based on no relationship.
【小題1】Neither of the two mice ran away immediately because_______.

A．one was trying to help the blind one	B．one was biting the other
C．the mouth of the hole was too small	D．they were not afraid of smoke

【小題2】Why did they lower their heads in shyness according to the passage?
A. Because they did not dare to answer.
B. Because they regretted(后悔)driving a poor blind mouse away.
C. Because they had mistaken the relationship of the mice.
D, Because they did not express themselves much better.
【小題3】It is clear that_______.

A．a(chǎn)ll the mice came out of the hole easily

B．each of the people understood the relationship differently

C．the people wanted to kill the mice with smoke

D．the people knew one of the mice was blind at the first sight

【小題4】The best title for the passage is_______.

A．Two lovely mice

B．Help produces love

C．Love is all

D．Friends in need

Life is like the four seasons. Now I am very old, but when I was young, it was the spring of my life. I was born, I played a lot, and then I started school. I learned many new things. Like a flower, I grew bigger every day. There were happy days and sorrowful days: some days the sun shone, and some days it didn’t.
In my twenties, I had a good job. I was strong and happy. Then I married (結(jié)婚) and had a child. In those days, I didn’t have much time to think. Every day I was busy and worked very hard. And so, I started to get some white hairs. The summer of my life passed quickly.
Then the days got shorter. Leaves fell from the trees. My child was a university student, and then an engineer. My home was much quieter. I started walking more slowly. One day I stopped working. I had more time. I understood this was my autumn, a beautiful time when the trees change color and give us nice fruits.
But the days kept getting shorter and colder. Winter has come. I am older and weaker. I know I do not have many days left, but I will enjoy them to the end.
【小題1】The writer started walking more slowly in the          of his life.

A．spring

B．summer

C．a(chǎn)utumn

D．winter

【小題2】According to the passage, which of the following ages is during the summer of his life?

A．15.

B．33.

C．62.

D．87.

【小題3】What does the word “sorrowful” mean in this passage?

A．Sad.

B．Exciting.

C．Wonderful.

D．Pleasant.

【小題4】Which of the following is true?

A．The writer was an engineer.

B．The writer had a garden with flowers.

C．The writer was always happy as a child.

D．The writer now is old and weak, but still he enjoys his life.

【小題5】What’s the best title of this passage?

A．Four Seasons.	B．My Life.
C．Four Seasons in a Year.	D．Four Seasons in My Life.

I learned about life from an ant farm. When I was seven years old, my family created one. First, we put clean sand in a thin glass box and put the ants into it. Soon they got to work making tunnels. I was amazed that each one knew exactly what to do. With my mom’s help, I kept a record of what happened each day and named the ants.
One day when I had put my face close to the structure (building), accidentally I knocked it over, and all the tunnels fell in. Although the ants survived their earthquake, one by one they began to die. I was frightened as I watched them give up their tunnel-building to carry the bodies to a corner of the farm. My mother reported that the ants were dying of “frustration (挫折)”. They simply could not stand the reality that their tunnels had been destroyed.
Although much time has passed, I still think of that ant farm. Over the years, I came to realize the ants have the spirit of teamwork. Working together, they were able to create an amazing world for themselves. I also learned that they should be admired for their hard work. Day in and day out, each worked at their task. The ant farm showed that teamwork and perseverance (毅力) are indeed the keys to success. But there was an even larger lesson that I did not realize until recently —Adversity (逆境) is a natural part of life, and must be accepted. Unlike the ants, humans cannot give up when they face disappointment.
So I try to live my life like those hardworking ants. But, unlike them, I try not to let frustration defeat (擊敗) me. I will have to keep building my tunnels.
【小題1】The family created an ant farm in a glass box because it was easy _________.

A．for the ants to live in	B．to get sunlight in
C．to keep the sand clean	D．for the boy to watch

【小題2】Which of the following is NOT the lesson from the ant farm?

A．The ants have the spirit of teamwork.

B．The ants give up when they face frustration.

C．The ants should be admired for their hard work.

D．Teamwork and perseverance are indeed the keys to success.

【小題3】What’s the writer’s purpose of writing the passage?

A．To share a personal experience.

B．To tell readers a story about ants.

C．To warn readers not to build an ant farm.

D．To call on readers to learn from the ants.

【小題4】 What did the writer think of the ants?

A．Persistent (執(zhí)著) and friendly.

B．Selfish and foolish.

C．Clumsy (愚笨的) and lazy.

D．Hard-working but pessimistic (悲觀).

People often complain they face too many problems. Every day and everywhere there are problems. Many times we find it hard to stay happy. When one problem is solved, another one comes up.
People have money problems, work problems, family problems, health problems..... the list goes on. And we usually think that people who are happy and successful are having fewer problems than us. Look at the successful people we often mention. They have money they need, they have jobs they love, they have good friends, they have obedient(孝順的) kids, they have the successful business, they have loving families etc. Everything goes well with them. That is why they are happy and successful. But in fact, the more successful you are, the more problems you have to face. More success means more challenges they have to face, and more success means more risks they have to take.
Young and old, rich and poor, successful and unsuccessful, educated and uneducated, all have problems. The difference is that their problems are different from each other.  Rich and successful have big problems. Poor and unsuccessful have small problems. Still they all have problems which they can face. Successful people are successful just because they are ready to face challenges larger than ordinary people.
Winning the US elections(選舉) makes Obama very happy. As a new US president, he has to face bigger challenges. He has to be more careful about his work he does, or he will lose his position(位置). Looking at him, we may say he is lucky, happy and successful. But, I think, as the US president, he has more pressure than an ordinary person.
【小題1】You will be a/an ______ person if you are afraid to face more challenges.

A．ordinary

B．successful

C．famous

D．educated

【小題2】From this article we know that President Obama ______.

A．has fewer problems	B．was born in a rich family
C．takes more risks	D．is a successful businessman

【小題3】The main idea of this article is _______.

A．why poor people are always poor

B．how many problems people usually have to face

C．how lucky and happy President Obama is

D．how to deal with problems in life

An American writer, Mr Green once(曾經(jīng)) said, “Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it.” It is true that everybody talks about the weather. Many people begin their talks by saying, “Isn’t it a nice day?” “Do you think it will rain?” “I think it’s going to snow.”
Many people think they can tell what the weather is going to be like. But sometimes they don’t agree with each other. One man may say, “Do you see how cloudy it is in the east? It’s going to rain tomorrow.” Another man will say, “No, it’s going to be fine tomorrow.”
People often look for the weather they want. When a farmer needs water, he looks for something to tell him it’s going to rain, and he doesn’t look for anything else. When friends have a picnic, they hope the weather is going to be fine and they can sit eating their lunch under the blue sky.
Almost everyone listens to what the weatherman says. But he doesn’t always tell us what we want, and sometimes he makes a mistake. Still, he is right most of the time.
【小題1】People often begin their talk by ______.

A．saying hello to each other	B．Drinking tea
C．Looking for good weather	D．saying something about the weather

【小題2】People sometimes have different ideas about ______.

A．what the weather is going to be like	B．what we should do about the weather
C．how to begin a talk	D．how to have fine weather

【小題3】 ______, they always hope the weather is going to be fine.

A．When people talk about weather	B．When people stay at home
C．When the farmers need water	D．When people have a picnic

【小題4】According to the passage, which is NOT RIGHT?

A．Almost everyone listens to what the weatherman says.

B．People often look for the weather they want.

C．The weatherman never makes a mistake.

D．Many people begin their talks by talking about the weather.

【小題5】What is the best title for the passage?

A．Weather Report	B．Story About a Weatherman
C．About Weather	D．How to Begin a Talk

Elena jogged (慢跑) with her dad in some empty lots (小塊地). These out-of-the-way lots were good places to jog. But the lots were full of rocks and rubbish.
One day, Elena saw a sign on the lots. It said, “New City Park”. Elena was excited. Maybe the park would have a jogging trail (路徑)! Elena told her parents about the sign.
“I read about the park in the newspaper,” said Elena’s father. “The city wants volunteers to help clean the area. Then the city will build a soccer field and a playground. But the paper didn’t mention a jogging trail.”
“Well, perhaps if I help clean up the lots, they’ll put in a jogging trail,” said Elena.
On Saturday Elena went to the lots. Many adults were working there. Some were picking up rubbish. Some were moving rocks. Elena looked around. She could carry rubbish, and she could move rocks. So she went to the area every week to do volunteer work. She told everyone she was glad to help build the park. She explained that she hoped the park would have a jogging trail. Then everyone knew her and her jogging trail.
Soon the volunteers cleared the lots. The city could start building. The mayor (市長(zhǎng)) gave a speech. He showed a drawing of the new park. He told them about the soccer field. There would be picnic tables. There would be a playground. The park would even have basketball courts. But there was no sign of a jogging trail.
The mayor thanked the volunteers. Then he asked if they had any suggestions. The volunteers said they wanted to build a jogging trail around the park. They told the mayor how helpful Elena had been and how she wanted a jogging trail. The mayor then said, “A jogging trail won’t be hard to build. Let’s do it!”
Everyone clapped and cheered.
【小題1】How did Elena know the city needed volunteers to help clean the lots?

A．She read it in the newspaper.	B．She learned it from a sign.
C．She was told by other volunteers.	D．Her father told her about it.

【小題2】Why did Elena want to help clean the lots?

A．Because she wanted to play on the playground.

B．Because she wanted her name in the newspaper.

C．Because she wanted the city to build a jogging trail.

D．Because she wanted to work with other volunteers.

【小題3】Who suggested the mayor to build a jogging trail?

A．The volunteers.

B．Elena herself.

C．Elena’s father.

D．Nobody.

【小題4】What can be the best title for the story?

A．Elena and a Mayor	B．Elena and a Jogging Trail
C．Elena and Some Volunteers	D．Elena’s Family

Crazy is our new normal. With two teenage boys and three little boys, our family is restless- to the baseball field, track field (田徑場(chǎng)) and piano lessons. Even though we've limited（限制） each boy's activities and try our best to spare some time for the family, it seems that we're always in a hurry.
"Accept it. Roll with it," my husband, Lonny, says, "It's going to be like this for a while."
He is right. It's likely that life will continue to go forward before it slows down. But I remembered the peaceful, quiet days that our family used to enjoy. I missed long walks through the park when we held the boys' little hands. I wished for lazy Saturday afternoons under the tree in our backyard. I wanted to go back a few years, when busyness was the exception and not the rule（慣例）．
One night, after a particularly ful day and evening games, our family gathered on the porch (門廊) for ice cream. Two parents, two teens, and three small boys sat on one old swing and a couple of rocking chairs. We were together, in one place, for a short period of time.
The moon was full. The Mississippi River, flowing past our home, was smooth as glass. I put my own arms around the son who sat on my lap and breathed in deeply his little-boy smell -dirt and sweat. My heart was peaceful and satisfied.
I realized that though crazy is our new normal, happiness is as usual. They may look different from before, but they are still there - even if they're in the form of a single moment on the porch. Maybe I just need the eyes to see.
【小題1】What does the writer mainly talk about?

A．Her tiredness of her busy life.

B．Her family's struggle for a better life.

C．Her new feelings about the present life.

D．The pleasure of staying with her children.

【小題2】Which of the following could best describe the writer's present life?

A．Busy and boring.	B．Busy but happy.
C．Crazy and terrible.	D．Normal but exciting.

【小題3】Which of the following is NOT true?

A．The writer has five sons.

B．There is at least one child learning to play the piano.

C．The husband likes the present life.

D．The writer used to live a peaceful and quiet life.

【小題4】Which of the following might the writer agree to?

A．Happiness is everywhere, but we have to discover it.

B．Life is nothing but sadness, busyness and hurry.

C．Parents should do more for their kids' better life.

D．Life in the countryside is attractive, wonderful, and sweet.

Brownie and Spotty were neighbor dogs. They loved each other and played together so often that they had worn a path through the grass of the field between their houses.
One evening, Brownie’s family noticed that their dog hadn’t returned home. They went looking for him, but with no success. Brownie didn’t show up the next day, and by the next week he was still missing.
Curiously, Spotty showed up at Brownie’s house alone. He barked loudly. But busy with their own lives, Brownie’s family just ignored (忽略) their neighbor’s nervous little dog.
Finally, one morning Spotty refused to take “no” for an answer. He followed Ted, Brownie’s owner, everywhere he went. He barked, then rushed towards a nearby empty lot and back, as if to say, “ Follow me!”
Finally, Ted followed the dog across the empty lot. The dog led the man to a tree a half-mile from the house. There Ted found Brownie alive. One of his legs was crushed (夾住) in a trap. Ted wished he had taken Spotty’s earlier appeals (求助) seriously.
Then Ted noticed something amazing. In a circle around the injured dog, he saw a lot of dog food. They were the remains of lots of meals.
Spotty had been visiting Brownie every day. He had stayed with Brownie to protect him, snuggling(依偎) with him at night to keep him warm and nuzzling(用鼻子愛撫) him to keep his spirits up.
【小題1】What can we learn from the first three paragraphs?

A．Brownie and Spotty didn’t like their owners.

B．Brownie was missing for three days.

C．Brownie’s family didn’t love him.

D．Spotty probably knew where Brownie was.

【小題2】According to the story, which of the following is TRUE?

A．Spotty barked loudly at Ted because he was scared.

B．Ted followed Spotty because Spotty asked him to.

C．Spotty succeeded in escaping from the trap.

D．Brownie had nothing to eat that whole week.

【小題3】The underlined phrase “keep his spirits up” in the last paragraph probably means______.

A．feed him

B．praise him

C．comfort him

D．protect him

【小題4】What does the story aim to tell us?

A．Dog is man’s best friend.	B．Even dogs can have strong friendship.
C．Dogs are one of the cleverest animals.	D．Dogs have a special way to look for help.

Every day, life is made and lost. Every day, life goes on. Every day we experience some of the most important parts of life and may not even realize it: love, generosity, and perseverance. These values aren’t just important to us, they make the world what it is.
Scientists say that the gravity makes the world turn, but some people say that love makes  it  go around. Love can be found anywhere: in families, friends, even strangers. Even if you can’t see it, you know it’s there.
Love may connect people all over the world, but what would the world be without generosity? Whether after a national disaster or a school fund raiser, one thing is certain--- it is better to give than to receive. Generosity is found everywhere and whether it’s a large or small act, it makes a difference. Most of all, generosity is not something you need any qualifications（資格）for, and no matter what you do, it can make a difference. Sometimes, though, it takes effort to be generous, which leads us to perseverance.
Founding a country, riding a bike, or finishing a novel, these are all finished with perseverance. Perseverance is the one thing that can help us achieve whatever we want. It is what helps scientists discover cures for illnesses, and athletes become winners. You may fail, but every time you make a mistake, that’s one less to make the next time.
There is an infinite(無限的) number of things we value. But without love, generosity, and perseverance, we just don’t think that our lives or the world would be the way it is.
【小題1】The underlined word “it” in the second paragraph means         .

A．the world

B．the gravity

C．the value

D．the experience

【小題2】To be generous, the writer thinks       .

A．you needn’t make effort

B．you should be qualified(有資格的)

C．you should give all you have

D．you find it meaningful whatever you do

【小題3】The meaning of the word “perseverance” is       .

A．財(cái)富

B．體力

C．毅力

D．機(jī)遇

【小題4】Which of the following statement is TRUE?

A．Perseverance is the only thing to help us achieve success.

B．People don’t understand life they experience at all.

C．Helping others is always better than receiving help.

D．What the world is like depends on the gravity and love.

【小題5】The best title for the passage may be       .

A．Success and failure

B．Three values

C．Endless love

D．Hard life

On Thanksgiving Day, a teacher asked her class of firstgraders to draw a picture of something they were thankful for. She thought that these children from poor families actually had little to be thankful for. And she found most of them drawing pictures of flowers or tables with food. The teacher was very surprised to see the picture Douglas handed in. It's a hand,a simple hand. 
But whose hand? The class were very interested in the strange picture. "I think it must be the hand of God that brings us food," said one child, "A farmer’s," said another, "Because he grows beautiful flowers. " Finally when the others were at work ，the teacher went over to Douglas' desk and asked whose hand it was. "It's your hand, Teacher," he said quietly and shyly. 
She remembered that she had often taken Douglas, a dirty lonely child, by the hand while having a class break. She often did that with the children. But it meant so much to Douglas. Perhaps this is everyone's thanksgiving，not for the material things we get，but for the chance，in whatever small way, to give to others.
【小題1】When did the story happen? 

A．On Christmas Day.

B．On Teachers' Day.

C．On Mother's Day.

D．On Thanksgiving Day.

【小題2】why did Douglas draw a simple hand?

A．He was good at drawing it.

B．His teacher asked him to draw it.

C．He wanted to show his thanks to his teacher

D．He hoped to get his teacher’s praise.

【小題3】What do you learn about Douglas from the passage? 

A．He liked drawing hands

B．He was very active in class.

C．He always kept his hand clean

D．His family was not rich.

【小題4】According to the passage, which of the following is an opinion,but not a fact?

A．The teacher went over to Douglas' desk and talked to him.

B．Different people show their thanksgiving in different ways.

C．The teacher often took Douglas by the hand after class while having a class break.

D．Most of the students were drawing the pictures of flowers or tables with food.

【小題5】We can infer from the passage that Douglas is a ____boy.

A．shy

B．foolish

C．clever

D．kind-hearted