My family and I lived across the street from Southway Park since I was four years old．Then just last year the city put a chain link fence around the park and started bulldozing(用推土机推平)the trees and grass to make way for a new apartment complex．When I saw the fence and bulldozers, I asked myself,“Why don't they just leave it alone?”
Looking back, I think what sentenced the park to oblivion(被遗忘)was the drought(旱灾)we had about four years ago．Up until then, Southway Park was a nice green park with plenty of trees and a public swimming pool．My friends and I rollerskated on the sidewalks, climbed the trees, and swam in the pool all the years I was growing up．The park was almost like my own yard．Then the summer I was fifteen the drought came and things changed．
There had been almost no rain at all that year．The city stopped watering the park grass．Within a few weeks I found myself living across the street from a huge brown desert．Leaves fell off the park trees, and pretty soon the trees started dying, too．Next, the park swimming pool was closed．The city cut down on the work force that kept the park, and pretty soon it just got too ugly and dirty to enjoy anymore．
As the drought lasted into the fall, the park got worse every month．The rubbish piled up or blew across the brown grass．Soon the only people in the park were beggars and other people down on their luck．People said drugs were being sold or traded there now．The park had gotten scary, and my mother told us kids not to go there anymore．
The drought finally ended and things seemed to get back to normal, that is, everything but the park．It had gotten into such bad shape that the city just let it stay that way．Then about six months ago I heard that the city was going to“redevelop”certain worn-out areas of the city．It turned out that the city had planned to get rid of the park, sell the land and let someone build rows of apartment buildings on it．
The chain-link fencing and the bulldozers did their work．Now we live across the street from six rows of apartment buildings．Each of them is three units high and stretches a block in each direction．The neighborhood has changed without the park．The streets I used to play in are jammed with cars now．Things will never be the same again．Sometimes I wonder, though, what changes another drought would make in the way things are today．
(1)
How did the writer feel when he saw the fence and bulldozers?
[ ]
A．
Scared．
B．
Confused．
C．
Upset．
D．
Curious．
(2)
Why was the writer told not to go to the park by his mother?
[ ]
A．
It was being rebuilt．
B．
It was dangerous．
C．
It became crowded．
D．
It had turned into a desert．
(3)
According to the writer, what eventually brought about the disappearance of the park?
[ ]
A．
The drought．
B．
The crime．
C．
The beggars and the rubbish．
D．
The decisions of the city．
(4)
The last sentence of the passage implies that if another drought came, ________．
One night when my wife was preparing dinner, our little son took a piece of paper to her which read：
For washing the car ＄5.00
For making my own bed this week ＄1.00
Going to the provision shop ＄0.50
Playing with little sister ＄0.25
Taking out the rubbish ＄1.00
Getting a good report card ＄5.00
And for sweeping the common corridor ＄2.00
Total ＄14.75
His mother looked at him standing there expecting payment．I could see a thousand memories flashed through her mind．So she picked up the pen and turning the paper over, this is what she wrote：
For nine months I carried you, growing inside me No Charge
For the nights I sat up with you, doctored and prayed for you No Charge
For the toys, food and clothes and wiping your nose No Charge
When you add it all up, the full cost of my love No Charge
Well, when he finished reading, he had big tears in his eyes．He looked at his mother and said,“Mummy, I love you．”Then he took the pen and in great big letters wrote on the“bill”“All paid．”
(1)
What's the best title for this passage?
[ ]
A．
Part-time Job
B．
Mother's Love, No Charge
C．
Payment for House Work
D．
Greedy Mother
(2)
The write wrote the passage in order to ________．
[ ]
A．
show that children should be paid for their housework
B．
show that children should not be paid for their housework
C．
show a clever way of teaching children
D．
tell children how to spend their spare time
(3)
How do you think of the mother in the passage?
[ ]
A．
Clever
B．
Greedy
C．
Cold－hearted
D．
Selfish
(4)
From the last passage we know that ________
[ ]
A．
the boy got all the money he wanted
B．
the mother was unwilling to give the money to the boy
C．
the boy realized that it was not right to ask for money for the housework
D．
the mother was angry with what the boy said
阅读理解
Once upon a time the colors of the world started to quarrel．Green said,“Clearly I am the most important．I am the sign of life and hope．I was chosen for grass, trees and leaves．Without me, all animals would 1 ．”
Blue interrupted,“You only think about the 2 , but consider the sky and the sea． 3 the water that is the basis of life and drawn up by the clouds from the deep sea．Without my peace, you would all be 4 ．”
Yellow chuckled(笑道),“You are all so serious．I bring laughter, fun, and 5 into the world．”
Orange started next to blow her trumpet,“I am the color of health and strength．I may be 6 , but I am precious for I serve the needs of human life．When I fill the sky 7 , my beauty is so striking that no one gives another 8 to any of you．”
Red could stand it 9 and he shouted out,“I am the ruler of all of you．I am the color of danger and of bravery．I am willing to 10 truth．I am also the color of passion and of love．”
Then came Purple and Indigo(深蓝)…．
The colors went on boasting, each convinced of his or her own 11 ．Their quarreling became louder and louder．Suddenly there was a startling flash of bright lightening thunder．Rain started to pour down 12 ．The colors crouched(蜷缩)down 13 , drawing close to one another for comfort．
In the midst of the clamor(叫嚷), rain began to speak,“You foolish colors, fighting 14 yourselves, each trying to dominate 15 ．Don't you know that you were each made for a special purpose, 16 ?Join hands with 17 and come to me．”
Doing as they were told, the colors 18 and joined hands．They formed a colorful rainbow．From then on, whenever a good rain 19 the world, a rainbow appears in the sky．They remember to 20 one another．
