I have a love-hate feeling with 8 o'clock classes. I like to get started that early, but most students don't.
They usually came in late and looked sleepy at that hour.
     One day I was really angry at it. I was excited about the history lesson, but no one else seemed to be. I
wrote things on the blackboard. I moved around the room. I told stories. I tried humor (幽默). It was useless.
Their looks didn't seem to change. I was frustrated.
     I forgot to keep time. I was going to talk more when I looked down at my watch. It was already two
minutes past the end of class. So I just ended suddenly and soon the students began to pick up their book
bags and rushed out the door on their way to another class.
     While I was watching them leaving, I put away my own books, notes and papers. I took them up and
stepped out into the hall. I was tired and a bit sad. I had put everything I knew into that class and it had not
seemed to work. Then, as I started across the hall to my nearby office, a student came out the back door
of the classroom and caught up with me.
     Randy sat at the back of the classroom. I thought he wanted to ask why I didn't correct their exam
papers or maybe he wanted to ask for leave or… It was none of that. With his eyes sparkling (闪烁), Randy
said,"This is the first time I've not wanted a college class to end."
     The tiredness lifted. I had done better than I thought. I don't know if Randy will ever understand how
much he did for me that day.

1. The students usually came in late for 8 o'clock classes because __________.

A. they didn't like the teachers of 8 o'clock classes
B. they didn't understand the contents (内容) of the classes
C. they didn't like to get started that early
D. they didn't have any interest in the history lesson

2. I did what I could that morning to ___________.

A. tell them to make notes
B. show that I was a history teacher
C. talk as much as possible
D. make my class more interesting

3. I stopped talking suddenly because _________.

A. I had to look at my watch
B. the students had to go to another class
C. I was tired but pleased
D. the students were picking up things

4. When Randy came up to me, I thought ___________.

A. he might have some excuse for what
B. he did in class he wanted to help me carry things to my office
C. he had left something in the classroom
D. he would bring me something to eat

5. What did Randy's words mean to me?

A. He encouraged me a lot.
B. He was my best friend.
C. He was a top student.
D. He wanted to quarrel with me.

     Lindsay hasn't felt like herself these days. Her friends have noticed it, too. Kia was surprised when Lindsay
refused her invitation to go shopping last Saturday. There was really no reason (理由) not to go, but Lindsay
just didn't feel like it. Instead, she spent most of Saturday sleeping.
     But staying in more than usual isn't the only change in Lindsay. She's always been a really good student,
but over the past few months she's not done so well, and she has trouble putting her heart in her study. She's
even failed some exams, and she hasn't yet handed in her homework.
     When she gets home from practice, she's not hungry for dinner. Though she usually eats a little something
with her family at last, she just doesn't have much of an appetite (胃口) --- and nothing seems to taste as
good as it used to. After dinner, Lindsay goes to her room, does a bit of homework, and goes to bed. She's
not even in the mood (心情) to talk on the phone with her friends.
     When her mother asks her what's wrong, Lindsay feels like crying but doesn't know why. Everything
seems wrong, yet nothing too bad has happened. Lindsay just feels sad all the time and can't get away from it.
Lindsay may not realize it yet, but she is depressed (郁闷的).

1. Kia is most probably _________.

A. one of Lindsay's friends
B. a good doctor
C. a new teacher
D. the writer of the story

2. Lindsay refused to go shopping with Kia because _________.

A. she had already done it
B. she didn't want to do it
C. she had to take an exam
D. she hadn't enough money

3. Lindsay's main change is in _________.

A. life habit (习惯) and study
B. doing practice and going shopping
C. interest and hobby
D. working and learning

4. The reason for Lindsay's not doing so well in study might be that _________.

A. she stayed in more than usual
B. nothing happened to her
C. she didn't talk on the phone
D. she couldn't put her heart in her study

5. What is Lindsay's main trouble?

A. She doesn't feel like eating.
B. She's lost all her friends.
C. She is depressed. 
D. She is always crying.

     One day Nasreddin borrowed a pot (罐) from his neighbor Ali. The next day he brought it back with
another little pot inside. "That's not mine," said Ali. "Yes, it is." said Nasreddin. "While your pot was staying
with me, it had a baby."
     Some time later Nasreddin asked Ali to lend him a pot again. Ali agreed, hoping that he would once again
receive two pots in return. However, days passed and Nasreddin had still not returned the pot. Finally Ali lost
patience and went to ask for it. "I am sorry," said Nasreddin. "I can't give you back your pot, since it has died."
"Died!" cried Ali, "How can a pot die?" "Well," said Nasreddin, "you believed me when I told you that your pot
had had a baby."

1. Who was the owner of the pot?

A. Nasreddin.
B. Ali.
C. The baby.
D. Nobody. 

2. How many times did Nasreddin borrow the pot?

A. Once.
B. Twice.
C. Three time.
D. Never.

3. Why was the neighbor happy to lend his pot a second time?

A. He wanted to get more.
B. He was a good neighbor
C. He had lots of spare pots.
D. He was ready to help others.

4. How many pots did Nasreddin return the second time?

A. None.
B. One.
C. Two.
D. Three.

5. What probably happened to the pot?

A. It died.
B. The neighbor took it back.
C. It's broken.
D. Nasreddin kept it.

     It was two months before Christmas, when nine-year-old Almie Rose told her father and me that she
wanted a new bike, Her Barbi bike was just too old, and it needed repairing as well.
     As Christmas came nearer, her dream for a bike seemed to disappear, so we thought, for she didn't
mention it again. We were busy buying some beautiful story books, a doll house, a holiday dress and toys.
Then much to our surprise, on December 24,she said she really wanted a bike more than anything else.
     Now we didn't know what to do. It was just too late. We were busy with Christmas dinner and packing
children's presents, parents' presents, a brother's present and friends' presents till midnight. So there was
no time to take to buy the "right bike" for our little girl. Thinking that we were parents who would make
their child unhappy, we felt ashamed and sad.
     Suddenly my husband had an idea. "What if I make a little bike out of clay (泥土) and write a note that
she could trade in (交换) the model bike for a real one?" So he spent the next five hours carefully working
with clay to make a small bike.
     On Christmas morning, we were so excited for Almie Rose to open the little box with the beautiful red
and white clay bike and the note, She opened and read the note loudly. She looked at me and Ron and said,
"So, does this mean I can trade in this bike for a real one? "Smiling, I said, "Yes." Almie Rose had tears in
her eyes when she replied, "I would never trade in this beautiful bike that Daddy made me. I prefer to keep
it rather than get a real bike." At that moment, we would have moved the God to buy her every bike on the
earth.

1. What did Rose want to do most on Christmas Day?

A. Receive a new bike.
B. Buy a holiday dress.
C. Get a gift made by her father.
D. Repair her old Barbi bike.

2. The word "ashamed" in the last paragraph means _____.

A. excited
B. unhappy
C. worried
D. guilty

3. From the passage, we can infer (推断) _____.

A. Rose's father liked making things
B. Rose's father decided to buy her a bike later
C. Rose's parents forgot to buy her a present
D. Rose's parents paid no attention to her

4. From Rose's words in the last paragraph, we know that she _____.

A. still wanted to get a real bike
B. didn't know the meaning of the note
C. preferred a real bike to the model one
D. was greatly moved by what her father had done

5. What's the best title (标题) of this passage?

A. An Unusual Experience
B. A Special Present
C. A Clay Bike
D. Careless Parents

     A frog (青蛙) is born in a small river. When he is young, the river is his home. He doesn't know his
parents, but he has hundreds of brothers and sisters. He swims about and plays with them all the time. At
that time, he doesn't look like his parents. He has no legs and he has a big tail (尾巴). So he looks like a fish.
     Then his tail gets shorter and shorter. And he has four legs and a very short tail. He looks like his parents
now. Then he's going to eat a lot of bad insects (害虫).

1. Where is a frog born?

A. On a farm
B. On the land
C. In the river
D. In the sea

2. Which of the following is right?

A. A baby frog stays at home and knows only his parents.
B. A baby frog looks like a bird and he doesn't know his parents.
C. A baby frog looks like his parents but he doesn't know them.
D. A baby frog looks like a fish and he has a lot of brothers and sisters.

3. Who does a frog play with all the time?

A. His parents
B. His brothers and sisters
C. Fish
D. Insects

4. A frog has ______.

A. four legs and a very short tail.
B. four legs but he has a long tail.
C. no legs but he has a long tail.
D. no legs and he looks like a fish.

     Sam is a little boy. He is only seven years old. One day, he goes to a cinema. It's the first time for him
to go there. He buys a ticket and goes in. But after two or three minutes he comes out and buys a second
ticket. Two or three minutes after that, he comes out and asks for another ticket. The girl selling tickets asks
him. "Why do you buy so many tickets? How many friends do you meet?" "No, I have no friend here, but an
old woman always stops me at the door and cuts my ticket up!"

1. Sam is ________.

A. a boy of seven
B. a man
C. a student of a middle school
D. eight years old

2. Sam ________ goes to the cinema. This is the first time.

A. often
B. usually
C. sometimes
D. never

3. Before the girl asks Sam why he needs so many tickets, Sam buys ________.

A. one ticket
B. two tickets
C. three tickets
D. four tickets

4. Sam meets ________ friend(s) that day.

A. some
B. three
C. two
D. no

5. The old woman is a ________ in the cinema.

A. teacher
B. driver
C. worker
D. spaceman

     Some children are flying kites near the river. They are very high and Peter can see them in the classroom.
His mother's friend Mrs White comes to see his mother this morning and brings a kite to him. She gives it to
him after lunch. It looks like a bird. He wants to fly it but his mother doesn't let him do so.
     "It's time to go to school," says the woman,"or you will be late for class. You can play it after school."
The boy is sorry, but he says goodbye to Mrs White and goes to school. Now he's in the classroom but he's
looking out. He doesn't listen to Miss Black. She writes something on the blackboard and then turns to the
class.
     "Name nine things with milk in them, Peter," she says.
     The boy doesn't hear her and still sits there. A boy after him taps his back and he understands it. He stands
up and Miss Black asks him the question again. He thinks for some time and then says, "Yes, madam, tea,
coffee, cake and… er… six cows."

1. Where is Peter when some children are flying kites?

A. Near the river.
B. In the classroom.
C. At home.
D. At Mrs White's home.

2. Mrs White comes to see Peter's mother _________.

A. this morning
B. this evening
C. after lunch
D. this afternoon

3. Mother lets Peter fly the kite after school and _________.

A. tells him to go to school
B. tells him to do the homework
C. they begin to have lunch first
D. tells him to listen to the teacher

4. Peter looks out of the classroom, so _________.

A. he wants to go home
B. he can answer the question
C. he doesn't hear Miss Black
D. he can fly a kite

5. Peter only knows _________.

A. six cows
B. three things with milk in it
C. how to fly a kite
D. tea and coffee

     One day a tiger catches (抓住) a fox (狐狸) in the forest. Before the tiger could eat him up, the fox cries
out, "You can't eat me. Don't you know that I'm king (王) of the forest. If you eat me up, all the other animals
in the forest will be angry with you."The tiger doesn't believe him."How can such a small animal be king of the
forest?" He asks himself. "If you don't believe (相信) me," the fox says,"then take a walk with me in the forest.
You can see for yourself whether (是否) they are afraid of me."The tiger thinks it is a good idea, so the fox
walks in front and the tiger goes behind. When the other animals see the tiger coming, they run away as fast
as they could.
     "See for yourself, Mr Tiger," he calls out quickly. "All the animals are afraid of me."
      "Yes, yes," the tiger says. "You are quite right." He then lets the fox go.

1. One day a tiger catches a ________. 　

A. dog
B. pig
C. cat 　　
D. fox

2. The fox walks ________ the tiger. 　　　

A. in front of
B. in the middle of 　　　
C. behind　　　
D. beside

3. In fact (事实上) the other animals are afraid of the ________.

A. fox
B. tiger
C. dog
D. elephant

4. When the other animals see the tiger, they ________.

A. are angry
B. are happy
C. run off
D. are sad

5. Does the tiger eat the fox at last? 

A. Yes, he doesn't.
B. No, he does.
C. No, he doesn't.
D. Yes, he does.