It was time for Mr. Rocco to shut up shop when I hurried into the florist’s. “Now, what is it that you want?” Mr. Rocco turned to me. “I want the most beautiful flower you have.” I replied, “And just how much do you have to pay for this most beautiful flower?” I held out a wet hand showing a quarter and dime. He nodded, and then showed me a plant on the counter “I can give you this one for 35 cents.” he said,“ Aw, gee,” I protested, “it looks like a weed!” About l 8 inches high, the plant was in a small pot covered with faded red paper.“ Now trust me, boy---I promise that tomorrow morning when you get up, you will find your most beautiful flower. ”said Mr. Rocco. I knew him to be a good honest man, so I agreed to take it.

It was almost midnight when I arrived home. Mom was seriously sick and using the front bedroom. I looked in to see if she was asleep, and then quietly tiptoed in and set the plant on the table beside her bed. I wanted her to be surprised when she woke on Mother’s Day. The next morning, I dressed and hurried downstairs. The sun was shining through kitchen window as I looked into Mom’s room. She motioned for me to come in, then glanced over at the table where the plant was. Holy mackerel! There were three big yellow trumpet-shaped blooms. It was just like Mr. Rocco said---the most beautiful flower I ever saw! When I looked at Mom, she was smiling as tears streamed down her cheeks. She held out her hand for me to come near, then pulled me close and hugged till it hurt. Then, remembering her contagious condition and that she wasn’t supposed to touch me, she quickly let me go.

My dear Mom died the next night. The moment she hugged me turned out to be the most wonderful moment of my life. Not only had that beautiful plant helped show just how much I loved her, but I'd always know how much she loved me.

1. The author didn’t like the plant recommended by Mr. Rocco at first because ________.

A. the packing of the plant was shabby

B. the plant was actually a weed

C. the plant appeared too ordinary to be the most beautiful

D. he thought Mr. Rocco was reluctant to do the deal with him

2. Mother’s condition was contagious (Line 6, Para 3) for .

A. she was at the death’s door

B. she suffered from the illness

C. others were sick of her appearance

D. virus might spread from her to others

3.When mother hugged the author tightly, she was showing that ____ .

A. she liked being given gifts

B. she valued what the author had done for her

C. she was aware of the approaching death

D. she was touched by the beauty of the flower

4.Which may be the best title of the passage?

A. Flowers of Love B.A Son’s Love for Mother

C. Low Price, High Value D.A Special Mother’s Day

Service Foods makes it easier for cooks to reduce mealtime complains. Service Foods is so confident that they can reduce complaints, in fact, that the company is offering a series of mealtime complaint-reduction tips.

According to a representative of Service Foods, complaints can occur when busy cooks serve substandard, low quality meats. As products sit in packaging in the meat case at the store, the meat can age out too much. The natural flavor disappears, and it can be replaced with an undesirable strange flavor. According to Service Foods, complaints from children are common when you serve substandard meats. Kids may not have the words to describe why they don't like the meats, but they're certainly willing to express their displeasure. By serving meats from Service Foods, complaints can be reduced. Service Foods meats are all natural and organic, meaning the meats have-no chemicals or water or colorings that could change the taste. And the meats are flash-frozen right after cutting, so they won't taste strange to your children.

If you're facing different types of complaints, Service Foods may still be able to help you. Some families have mealtime boredom. The same meals, served in the same way, week after week, can be incredibly boring and hard 'to look forward to. When it comes to these complaints, Service Foods has the answer right on the web. Just go to http: //www. servicefoods.com and you'll find a long list of recipes to try. Some of these recipes are made in demonstration format, so you can watch the video and get step-by-step instructions on how to prepare the meals. By following these recipes from Service Foods, complaints relating to boredom can certainly be reduced.

While Service Foods knows complaints at mealtime can never be totally eradicated, as picky kids will always be picky kids with concerns, the company is doing everything possible to deal with the problem and get cooks the help they need.

1.Service Foods can solve mealtime boredom by ______.

A.serving flash-frozen meat

B.expressing children's complaints

C.instructing different ways of cooking

D.supplying natural food without chemicals

2.The underlined word "eradicated" in the last paragraph can be replaced with ______.

A.covered B.removed

C.reduced D.accepted

3.From the passage we can learn that Service Foods can do the following EXCEPT ______.

A.cook food for picky kids

B.teach how to prepare meals

C.provide natural and organic meat

D.help reduce complaints about foods

4.What will the readers probably do after reading the passage?

A.Pay for Service Foods service.

B.Buy organic meat from now on.

C.Write recipes for Service Foods.

D.Answer complaints on the web.

“The 13th of June,1325,I left Tangier,my birthplace,with the intention of making the pilgrimage(朝圣)to Mecca ...to leave all my friends,to abandon my home as birds abandon their nests.” So begins an old manuscript in a library in Paris—the travel diary of Ibn Battuta.

Almost two centuries before Columbus,this young Moroccan set off for Mecca,returning home three decades later as one of history’s great travelers.Driven by curiosity,he journeyed to remote corners of the Islamic world,traveling through 44 modern countries,three times as far as Marco Polo.Little celebrated in the West,his name is well known among Arabs.In his hometown of Tangier,a square,a hotel,a cafe,a ferry boat,and even a hamburger are named after him.

Ibn Battuta stayed in Mecca as a student for several years,but the urge to travel soon took over.In one adventure,he traveled to India seeking profitable employment with the sultan—the Muslim ruler of Delhi.On the way,he described his group being attacked in the open country by 80 men on foot,and two horsemen: “… I was hit by an arrow and my horse by another,but God in his grace preserved me ...” In Delhi,the sultan gave him the position of judge,based on his previous study at Mecca.But the sultan had an unpredictable character,and Ibn Battuta looked for an opportunity to leave.When the sultan offered to finance a trip to China,he agreed.Ibn Battuta set off in three ships,but misfortune struck while he was still on the shore.A sudden storm grounded and broke up two ships,scattering (散播)treasure and drowning many people and horses.As he watched,the third ship,with all his belongings and slaves—one carrying his child—was carried out to sea and never heard from again.

After a lifetime of amazing adventures,Ibn Battuta was finally ordered by the Sultan of Morocco to return home to share his wisdom with the world.Fortunately,he agreed and wrote a book that has been translated into numerous languages,allowing people everywhere to read about his unparalleled journeys.

1.What can we learn about Ibn Battuta from the passage?

A.He had great interest in the Islamic world.

B.He returned to his homeland to write a book.

C.His journeys were less important than Marco Polo’s.

D.His journeys were very common for people of that time.

2.The Sultan of Delhi gave Ibn Battuta a position of judge because _______.

A.Ibn Battuta had studied in Mecca

B.Ibn Battuta had been a judge before

C.Ibn Battuta had worked as a translator

D.Ibn Battuta had traveled to many countries

3.Which is the best title for the passage?

A.The Learned Ibn Battuta

B.A Visitor to Mecca

C.The Travels of Ibn Battuta

D.Desire for Adventures

Zoe, Damacela, 19, didn't have nice clothes when she was young. It wasn't easy for Zoe’s hard-working single mother to make ends meet. They moved in and out of homeless shelters.

Everything changed for Zoe in grade nine. At that time, she heard about a sewing (缝纫) class at her school. She signed up and couldn't wait to turn her designs into clothes. The color of the first dress she made was white-black strips. Soon the clothes she wore were all made by her. Other girls at school loved her designs too. They asked her if they could buy dresses from her. Zoe sold her first dress for $13. Unfortunately, it cost her $25 to make the dress. “I had the creativity in designs," says Zoe. “But I really had no idea about business.”

Zoe kept selling the clothes she designed. Her business was booming, and even the girls who had ever teased her became her customers. In the eleventh grade, Zoe took a business class. She learned how to price her clothes so that she could be sure to make a fair profit.

Her business teacher suggested she take part in a contest for teenaged entrepreneurs (企业家). The contest was for teens from all over the United States. Zoe sent in her business plan, which explained how she planned to make her pany grow. She won the second prize in the end. Zoe ’s success became a news item. Supermodel Tyra Banks heard about it and she invited Zoe to take part in her TV show. “Being recognized I felt really unreal,” says Zoe. Zoe has advice for teens who want to start their own business. “If you really work hard on it, you will be able to make it happen,” she says. “If I can do it, anyone else can.”

1.We can learn that_____________ when she was in grade nine.

A. Zoe had no interest in designing clothes

B. Zoe seldom wore her self-made clothes

C. Zoe didn' t know how to make money

D. Zoe attended a business course

2.After winning the contest, Zoe _____________.

A. considered it a reward B. expected to be known

C. was proud of her own gift D. could hardly believe it

3.Zoe advised the teens_____________.

A. to make efforts to achieve their dreams

B. to design and make their own clothes

C. to try every means to bee famous

D. to do whatever they would like to

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