We were standing at the top of a church not far from my home. I didn't know why.
    "Look down," Father said. I tried and saw the square in the center of the village. And I saw the streets to
the square. "See, Elsa," Father said. "There is more than one way to the square. If you can't get where you
want to go by one road, try another."
    Earlier that day, I asked Mother to do something about what we had for lunch at school. But she didn't
think the food was as bad as I said. When I turned to Father for help, he brought me to the church. 
    At school the next day, I filled a bottle with the soup for our lunch and took it home. I told the cook to
pour the soup in a plate and bring it to Mother. She drank it and cried out, "What's the matter with the soup
today?" I at once told her what I had done, and Mother said that she would take up the matter of lunches at
school the next day.
    Now I really understood why Father had taken me to the church. I began to work as a fashion designer
two years ago. I wouldn't stop working until I tried every day to my goal.

1. The writer's father took her to the church to           .

A. play some games
B. see the square
C. show her the way
D. give her a lesson

2. Elsa really wanted her mother to           .

A. cook something better for her lunch
B. have lunch with her at school
C. talk the matter over with the teachers
D. tell the cook to work harder

3. Why did Elsa's mother agree to do something about the matter?

A. Because the writer tried a better way to her goal.
B. Because the girl brought something home.
C. Because she thought what the cook said was true.
D. Because Elsa's father gave her some help.

4. What Elsa's father said means?

A. one can reach the square in many ways.
B. never stop trying to get to your goal.
C. it's difficult to talk to Elsa's mother.
D. you can't get what you want easily.

5. When           , the writer really understood what his father had said.

A. she saw the streets to the square
B. she had the idea of bringing the soup home
C. she tried every way to her goal
D. she began her own life as a fashion designer

     On a hot summer day, Holmes and Dr. Watson went on a camping trip. After a good meal and a bottle of
wine, they lay down in a tent for the night and went to sleep.
     Some hours later, Holmes woke up and pushed his friend. "Watson, look! What can you see in the sky?"
     Watson replied, "I see millions and millions of stars."
     "What does that tell you?" asked Holmes.
     Watson thought for a while. "First, it tells me that we will have a beautiful clear date tomorrow. Second,
it tells me that the time is about twelve o'clock. And…"
     "What else?" Holmes asked.
     "Well, it also reminds me that the world is so big and we are so small. What does that tell you?"
     Holmes said with a grin on his face, "You silly guy! It only tells me that someone has stolen our tent!"

1. One day, Holmes and Dr. Watson went _____.

A. swimming
B. camping
C. hiking
D. rock-climbing

2. Holmes woke up _____.

A. in the middle of the night
B. early in the morning
C. soon after he fell asleep
D. after Watson pushed him

3. Watson thought of at least _____ things after he saw the stars.

A. two
B. three
C. four
D. five

4. When Holmes saw the stars in the sky, he realized that _____.

A. it would be a beautiful clear day
B. it was about twelve o'clock
C. the world was so big and they were so small
D. someone had stolen their tent

5. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A. The story happened in the afternoon.
B. They had some wine before they went to sleep.
C. Holmes asked Watson questions because Holmes didn't know what happened.
D. Holmes thought Watson was clever.

     Mr Brown saw a sweater in a shop window. It was very cheap, so he bought it. When he got home, he
put it on. It was all right and he was pleased with it.
     In the afternoon, he went to work in his garden. It soon began to rain and Mr Brown had to run into the
house. He ran quickly, but he still got wet. Then his sweater started to shrink (收缩)! It got smaller and
smaller. Mr Brown tried to take it off, but he couldn't.
     In the end, with the help of his wife, he got out of the sweater. Mrs Brown laughed, "You see, you bought
a cheap thing, but…"

1. Mr Brown saw a nice _____ in a shop window. And he bought it.

A. jacket
B. coat
C. sweater
D. shirt

2. When he _____, he put it on.

A. got to the office
B. got home
C. went to work
D. went to the shop

3. It soon began to _____ while he was working in the garden.

A. rain
B. snow
C. cloud
D. shine

4. Mr Brown got wet and he tried to _____ the sweater.

A. take away
B. take off
C. put up
D. put on

5. From the story, we know Mr Brown bought _____.

A. a good sweater
B. an expensive sweater
C. a comfortable sweater
D. a cheap but not good sweater

     Sixteen years ago a boy gave me an important gift. It was a smile.
     It was the early autumn of my first year at a middle school, and my old school was far away. As a
result, no one knew who I was. I was very lonely, and afraid to speak to anyone.
     Every time I heard the other students talking and laughing, I felt my heart break. I couldn't talk with
anyone about my problems.
     Then one day, when my classmates were talking happily with their friends, I was sitting at my desk
unhappily as usual. At that moment, a boy entered the classroom. I didn't know who he was. He passed
by me and then turned back. He looked at me, with a smile.
     Suddenly, I felt the touch of something bright and friendly. It made me feel happy and warm. That
smile changed my life. I started to talk with other students and made friends. Day by day, I became closer
to everyone in my class. The boy with the lucky smile has become my best friend now.
     One day I asked him why he had smiled, but he couldn't remember doing so!
     It doesn't matter because all the dark days have gone. I believe that the world is what you think it is.
If you think it is lonely, you might always be alone. So smile at the world and it will smile back.

1. When did the writer get the gift?

A. At the age of 16.
B. After making friends with the boy. 
C. In the first year at a middle school.
D. After becoming closer to everyone in the class.

2. Why was the smile an important gift?

A. Because the writer's old school was far away.
B. Because the writer didn't know who the boy was.
C. Because the smile didn't mean anything to the boy.
D. Because the writer felt lonely and had no friends and it made her feel happy and warm.

3. Why didn't the writer talk to anyone in her new school about her problems?

A. Because she was always unhappy.
B. Because she didn't know anyone at the time.
C. Because she was in the first year at the junior high school.
D. Because she didn't want her parents to worry about her.

4. How did the smile change her life?

A. She started to make friends.
B. She became the best friend of the boy.
C. Her parents didn't worry about her any more.
D. She realized that she was lonely.

5. Where does she now think her feeling of unhappiness came from?

A. From her old school.
B. From her parents.
C. From herself.
D. From her classmates at the new school.

       A man came home from work late, tired and unhappy, to find his 5-year-old son waiting for him at the
door.
      The boy asked, "Daddy, how much do you make per hour?" The father was furious at his son's question.
When he said $20 an hour, the little boy asked his father to lend $10 to him. The father was even angrier
because he thought the boy just wanted some money to buy a toy. So he didn't answer his son.
      The little boy quietly went to his room. After about an hour or so, the man calmed down and started to
think: Maybe there was something he really needed to buy with that $10.
       "Maybe I was too hard on you just now," the man went into the room and said. "Here's the $10 you
asked for." 
       "Oh, thank you, Daddy!" He said. Then, he reached under his pillow, pulled out some crumpled coins
and said, "Daddy, I have $20 now. Can I buy an hour of your time? Please come home early tomorrow. I
would like to have dinner with you."

1. How much does the man make if he works 10 hours?

[     ]

A. $10.
B. $20.
C. $30.

2. In this passage, the underlined word "furious" means ______.

[     ]

A. very angry
B. quite happy
C. too excited

3. At first, the father refused to lend the boy any money because ______.

[     ]

A. he thought the boy wanted to keep the money for himself
B. he thought the boy would buy something of no use
C. the boy always borrowed money from him

4. The boy wanted to buy ______ with twenty dollars.

A. a new book for himself
B. a nice present for his father
C. an hour of his father's time

5. From the passage, we can infer (推断) that the boy's father ______.

A. often played with his son
B. spent little time with his son
C. often came back home early