It was a village in India. The people were poor. However, they were not unhappy. After all, their forefathers
had lived in the same way for centuries.
     Then one day. Some visitors from the city arrived. They told the villagers there were some people elsewhere
who liked to eat frog's legs. However, they did not have enough frogs of their own, and so they wanted to buy
frogs from other place.
     This seemed like money for nothing. There were millions of frogs in the fields around, and they were no use
to the villagers. All they had to do was catch them. Agreement was reached, and the children were sent into the
fields to catch frogs. Every week a truck arrived to collect the catch and hand over the money. For the first
time, the people were able to dream of a batter future, But the dream didn't last long.
     The change was hardly noticed at first, but it seemed as if the crops were not doing so well. More worrying
was that the children fell ill more often, and, there seemed to be more insects around lately.
     The villagers decided that they couldn't just wait to see the crops failing and the children getting weak. They
would have to use the money earned to buy pesticides (殺蟲(chóng)劑) and medicines. Soon there was no money left.
     Then the people realized what was happening. It was the frog. They hadn't been useless. They had been
doing an important job-eating insects. Now with so many frogs killed, the insects were increasing more
rapidly. They were damaging the crops and spreading diseases.
     Now, the people are still poor. But in the evenings they sit in the village square and listen to sounds of
insects and frogs. These sounds of the night now have a much deeper meaning.

1. From paragraph I we learn that the villagers _____.

A. worked very hard for centuries
B. dreamed of having a better life
C. were poor but somewhat content
D. lived a different life from their forefathers

2. Why did the villagers agree to sell frogs?

A. the frogs were easy money
B. They needs money to buy medicine
C. they wanted to please the visitors
D. the frogs made too much noise

3. What might be the cause if the children's sickness?

A. the crops didn't do well
B. there were too many insects
C. the visits brought in diseases
D. the pesticides were overused

4. What can we inform from the last sentence of the text?

A. Happiness comes from peaceful life in the country
B. Health is more important than money
C. The harmony between man and nature is important
D. good old day will never be forgotten

     John Smith, an office worker, lives in Washington. He inherited (繼承) a million dollars when he was 23,
but he wasn't happy at all. When his college friends were looking for their jobs, he didn't have to. Jack decided
to living a simple life like everyone else. He gave $l0,000 of his money to a charity (慈善機(jī)構(gòu)) to help poor
children live a better life. Today he is 36. He still wears cheap shoes and clothes and drives a small car only,
but he is very happy. 
     Up to now John has helped some children from poor countries all over the world, by sending them each
$200 a month. The money was used for the children's study, food, medicine and clothing. John receives a
report each year on the children's progress. They can write to each other, but usually the children do not
speak English.
     When John first heard about these children,he wanted to help them. "It was nothing special," he said.
"Until I went to these countries and met the children I was helping, I didn't know anything about their life.
"Once John went to meet a little girl in Africa. He said that the meeting was very exciting. "When I met her,
I felt very, very happy." he said. "And I saw that the money was used for a good cause. It brought me
happiness. I want to do everything I can to go on helping those children."

1. John didn't need to look for a job _____.

A. before he went to college
B. after he went to Africa
C. because he got a lot of money
D. before he received a report

2. John has sent them each $200 a month to help some poor children _____.

A. near Washington
B. in European countries
C. only in Africa
D. all over the world

3. John learned about the children's progress by _____.

A. visiting them each year
B. getting a report every year
C. staying with them
D. talking to them in English

4. The underlined words "for a good cause" means "_____" in Chinese.

A. 施舍
B. 善事
C. 優(yōu)惠
D. 賞賜

5. What's the main idea of the story?

A. Help others,and you will feel happy.
B. It's necessary to write letters to poor children.
C. Live a simple life,and you can give others help.
D. It's the most important to help the children in Africa.

     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 then we waited for the live ants to arrive. Shortly after the chilly
ants were dropped into the glass structure, they got to work making tunnels. I was amazed that each one
knew exactly what to do. After hours of staring, I realized that the ants had assigned jobs. With my
mom ' s help, I kept a diary of what happened each day and named the ants.Ks5u
      One day a tragedy struck the ant farm. The pages of the diary, still wrinkled where tear drops fell,
indicate the depth of the tragedy.' I had put my face so close to the structure that I accidentally tipped it
over, caving in all the tunnels. Although the ants survived their earthquake, one by one they began to die.
I was terrified as I watched them give up their tunnel-building to carry the bodies to a comer of the farm. My mother reported that the ants were dying of "frustration." 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. Mom had hoped it would teach me
about the natural world, but it taught me much more. Over the years, I came to realize the ants were a
study in the benefits 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
labored at their task. The ant farm showed that teamwork and perseverance are indeed two key
ingredients to success. But there was an even larger lesson that I did not realize until recently: Adversity (不幸、災(zāi)禍) is a natural part of life, and must be accepted. Unlike the ants, humans cannot give up
when they face disappointment. Unlike the ants, we have to realize that if a tunnel caves in, we just have
to build another. Giving up, I say, is not a choice.

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 sun light in
C. to keep the sand clean            
D. for the boy to observe

2. What made the pages of the diary wrinkled?

A. The tears.      
B. The earthquake     
C. The ants.  
D. The tragedy.

3. What did the writer finally realize? 

A. Perseverance is the only way to success.
B. Humans cannot give up when facing adversity.
C. People should admire anyone for their hard work.
D. His mother taught him much more.Ks5u

4. When did the writer draw a more important lesson from his experience?

A. Before he was seven years old.      
B. When he was seven years old.
C. Immediately after the tragedy.        
D. Many years after the tragedy

     There were smiling children all the way. Clearly they knew at what time the train passed their homes
and they made it their business to stand along the railway, wave to complete strangers and cheer them up
as they rushed towards Penang. Often whole families stood outside their homes and waved and smiled as
if those on the trains were their favorite relatives. This is the simple village people of Malaysia. I was
moved.
      I had always traveled to Malaysia by plane or car, so this was the first time I was on a train. I did not
particularly relish the long train journey and had brought along a dozen magazines to read and reread. I
looked about the train. There was not one familiar face. I sighed and sat down to read my Economics.
      It was not long before the train was across the Causeway and in Malaysia. Johore Baru was just
another city like Singapore, so I was tired of looking at the crowds of people as they hurried past. As
we went beyond the city, I watched the straight rows of rubber trees and miles and miles of green. Then
the first village came into sight. Immediately I came alive; I decided to wave back.
      From then on my journey became interesting. I threw my magazines into the waste basket and
decided to join in Malaysian life. Then everything came alive. The mountains seemed to speak to me.
Even the trees were smiling. I stared at everything as if I was looking at it for the first time.
      The day passed fast and I even forgot to have my lunch until I felt hungry. I looked at my watch and
was surprised that it was 3:00 pm. Soon the train pulled up at Butterworth. I looked at the people all
around me. They all looked beautiful. When my uncle arrived with a smile, I threw my arms around him
to give him a warm hug (擁抱). I had never done this before. He seemed surprised and then his
weather-beaten face warmed up with a huge smile. We walked arm in arm to his car.
     I looked forward to the return journey.

1. The author expected the train trip to be________ .

A. adventurous    
B. pleasant    
C. exciting    
D. dull

2. What did the author remember most fondly of her train trip?

A. The friendly country people.        
B. The mountains along the way.
C. The crowds of people in the streets.  
D. The simple lunch served on the train.

3. Which of the following words can best take the place of the word "relish" in the second paragraph?

A. choose        
B. enjoy      
C. prepare for      
D. carry on

4. Where was the writer going?

A. Johore Baru    
B. The Causeway.    
C. Butterworth    
D. Singapore

5. What can we learn from the story?

A. Comfort in traveling by train.    
B. Pleasure of living in the country.
C. Reading gives people delight.    
D. Smiles brighten people up.

     It was a Sunday and the heavy storm had lasted all night. The morning after the storm, though, was 
beautiful: blue skies, warm air and a calm, inviting sea touching the shore gently.       
     My father realized it was a good day for fishing and invited my sister and me to go with him. I was
 only 14 and fishing had never been my thing, but I decided to go all the same. I'm so glad I did.       
     On the road to the harbour we could see the terrible destruction on the coast, but the harbour itself 
was in fairly good shape. After all, it was protected by the arms of a bay that had only one tiny channel
 to the sea. As we got on board, we noticed two big humps(脊背) in the distance.       
     On approaching them, we saw it was a mother whale with her baby. We couldn't believe it ——there
 aren't any whales along the coast here. The storm must have driven them across the ocean into the bay, 
in which the still water was so badly polluted that nothing could survive.       
     The little baby whale——actually as big as our boat——was obviously stuck and could not move. 
The mother dived under the water and came up suddenly, making big whirlpools(漩渦) and waves. 
"She's trying to help her baby, but on the wrong side, "my father said. At this point, my father moved our
 boat in a semicircle to the other side and, heading the boat towards the baby whale, pushed it gently. 
With our several gentle pushes the big hump turned over and disappeared under water. Then it swam up
 right beside its mum. They struggled in their desperate attempts to escape but missed the exit and started
 heading in the wrong direction. We hurried up to the whales and tried to lead them towards the bay 
channel. Slowly, they let us lead them, some-times rising from the water right beside us to
 breathe——and to give us a trusting look with those huge eyes. Once they hit their first part of clean 
water flowing straight from the sea, the mum gave us a wave with her tail and off they swam into the
 distance.      
     In the excitement it had felt like only a few minutes, but we had been with those wonderful animals for 
almost an hour and a half. That was the simple and lasting beauty of the day, Nearly four decades later, I 
still look back fondly to that golden day at sea. 

1. The author says "I' m so glad I did. "( in Para. 2) because ________.      

A. he witnessed the whole process of fishing     
B. he enjoyed the beauty of the calm sea       
C. he experienced the rescue of the whales       
D. he spent the weekend with his family

2. The harbour survived the storm owing to(由于) ________.       

A. the shape of the harbour      
B. the arms of the bay       
C. the still water in the channel   
D. the long coast line

3. The mother whale failed to help her baby because ________.     

A. she had stayed in the polluted water for too long   
B. the whirlpools she had made were not big enough      
C. she had no other whales around to turn to for help      
D. the waves pushed her baby in the wrong direction

4. According to the passage, which of the following is not true?      

A. The author and his family helped the whales twice      
B. It is dangerous for the whales to stay too long in the bay.      
C. The whales could manage to escape on their own.       
D. Finally, the whales began to trust the author and his family.

5. What is the theme of the story?    

A. Saving lives brings people a sense of happiness.    
B. Fishing provides excitement for children.     
C. It's necessary to live in harmony with animals.     
D. It's vital to protect the environment.

   I really love my job because I enjoy working with small children and like the challenges and awards
from the job. I also think my work is important. There was a time when I thought I would never have that
sort of career（職業(yè)）.    
     I wasn’t an excellent student because I didn’t do much schoolwork. In my final term I started thinking what I might do and found I didn‘t have much to offer. I just accepted that I wasn’t the type to have a
career.    
     I then found myself a job,  looking after two little girls. It wasn’t too bad at first. But the problems
began when I agreed to live in, so that I would be there if my boss had to go out for business in the
evening. We agreed that if I had to work extra hours one week，she’d give me time off the next. But
unfortunately, it didn’t often work out. I was getting extremely tired and fed up, because I had too many
late nights and early mornings with the children.    
     One Sunday，I was in the park with the children，and met Megan who used to go to school with
me. I told her about my situation. She suggested that I should do a course and get a qualification
（資格證書）if I wanted to work with children. I didn‘t think I would be accepted because I didn’t
take many exams in school. She persuaded me to phone the local college and they were really helpful.
My experience counted for a lot and I got on a part-time course. I had to leave my job with the family，
and got work helping out at a kindergarten.    
     Now I’ve got a full-time job there. I shall always be thankful to Megan. I wish I had known earlier
that you could have a career，even if you aren’t top of  the class at school.

1. When staying with the two girls‘ family，the author ________.  

A. was paid for extra work    
B. often worked long hours  
C. got much help from her boss    
D. took a day off every other week 

2. Why did the author leave her first job？  

A. She found a full-time job.    
B. She was fed up with children.  
C. She decided to attend a part-time course.
D. She needed a rest after working extra hours..

3. What has the author learned from her own experiences？  

A. Less successful students can still have a career.  
B. Qualifications are necessary for a career.  
C. Hard work makes an excellent student.  
D. One must choose the job she like

     Dick lived in England. One day in January he said to his wife, "I'm going to fly to New York next
week because I've got some work there." "Where are you going to stay there?" his wife asked. "I don't
know yet." Dick answered. "Please send me your address from there in a telegram (電報(bào))," his wife
said. "All
right," Dick answered.
     He flew to New York on January 3<http://gk.canpoint.cn>st and found a nice hotel in the center
of the city. He put his things in his room and then he sent his wife a telegram. He put the address of his
hotel in it.
     In the evening he didn't have any work, so he went to a cinema. He came out at nine o'clock and
said, "Now I'm going back to my hotel and have a nice dinner."
     He found a taxi (出租車) and the driver said, "Where do you want to go?" But Dick didn't
remember the name and address of his hotel.
     "Which hotel are my things in?" he said, "And what am I going to do tonight?" But the driver of
the taxi did not know. So Dick got out and went into a post office. There he sent his wife another
telegram, and in it he wrote, "Please send me my address at this post office."
Choose the right answer

1. Dick flew to New York because ___.

A. he went there for a holiday
B. he had work there
C. he went there for sightseeing (觀光)
D. his home was there

2. Why did his wife want a telegram from him?

A. Because she didn't know his address yet
B. Because she wanted to go to New York, too
C. Because she might send him another telegram
D. Because she couldn't leave her husband by himself in New York

3. Where did Dick stay in New York?

A. In the center of the city.
B. In a hotel.  
C. In a restaurant.
D. At his friend's house.

4. Who would send him the name and address of his hotel?

A. The manager of his hotel.
B. The police office.  
C. The taxi driver.
D. His wife