Two weeks before Christmas,Mother told me we were going to my grandmother's house for the holiday.Grandma and Uncle Henry lived on a farm some 15 miles out of town.They had no electricity or running water and__1__what I considered the “good things” in life.They__2__made no plans for Christmas.When Christmas Eve arrived,Mom told me in her “I-mean-it” voice to__3__all the decorations(装饰物)from our tree.She packed those up,__4__all the trimmings(配料)for a __5__turkey dinner.

Christmas morning__6__perfectly,with the sun shining brightly across a fresh blanket of snow.__7__I sulked(生气)silently in the backseat of the car as we made our__8__to grandma's.This was going to be the __9__Christmas ever!

Grandma was__10__to see us as we walked up to her door.“What on earth are you doing here?”she stammered.“We weren't expecting__11__.It's Christmas,and I don't even have a turkey to cook for you.”“I knew__12__.”Mom said as we set boxes of goodies on the kitchen table.“That's__13__we brought one with us.”“We__14__have a tree,”Mom insisted.“__15__,what will we do with all these decorations?”

Uncle Henry quickly caught Mom's spirit.He called me to join him,and we found a perfect Christmas tree in the woods.Soon the house __16__fresh and piney as we decorated the tree,and the day__17__a festive air.The turkey dinner was very good,too.I was actually beginning to enjoy this unusual Christmas day!

Dessert was forgotten__18__Mom came out with the final surprise—a flaming(燃烧的)pudding! “Merry Christmas,Mother,”Mom said.“Dear me!” Grandma gasped.“I haven't seen a flaming pudding since I left England before I was married.”Tears of__19__filled her eyes.

I could not keep the tears__20__my eyes,either.I knew then that Mom had also given me the best Christmas present ever—she had taught me what a beautiful thing it is to give.

1.A.prepared   B.lacked C.refused D.desired

2.A.also   B.still C.never   D.hardly

3.A.replace    B.collect C.remove D.show

4.A.instead of B.by the side of C.along with   D.in spite of

5.A.normal    B.complete C.fresh    D.separate

6.A.dawned    B.passed C.broke   D.happened

7.A.But   B.So C.And    D.Then

8.A.decision    B.way C.wish    D.plan

9.A.last   B.busiest C.best    D.worst

10.A.expected B.eager C.surprised    D.ready

11.A.anyone    B.others C.someone    D.no one

12.A.you B.it C.that     D.this

13.A.how B.why C.where   D.when

14.A.may B.will C.can     D.must

15.A.Meanwhile    B.ThereforeC.However    D.Otherwise

16.A.improved B.smelled C.became D.changed

17.A.showed up    B.carried on

18.A.until B.after C.because D.unless

19.A.sadness   B.joy C.regret   D.worry

20.A.inside    B.back C.into     D.from

Dad came in the midnight. We heard every sound, but we pretended to be asleep.
Next morning he looked weak and thin, sitting in a chair by the kitchen fire. The light of the fire shone through his long empty sleeve. Everything went as usual. Grandma found something to do in the bedroom. Grandpa went out for some water. Mother, with her back to us, was getting the cakes ready for breakfast.
But nothing was right. When grandma came out of the bedroom, she walked on tiptoe. When grandpa came back, he said nothing about the weather. At breakfast Mother passed us the fruit and said something, but her voice was too high.
At last my sister, Lou, pushed back her chair. “It’s your turn to wash the dishes.” But I had washed the dishes the night before. I said nothing because it was not right to quarrel in front of Dad just home with the empty sleeve.
“It is your turn,” Lou said again. I looked at her in surprise.
“It is not,” I said because I suddenly remembered Mother had told us to go on as usual.
“Children, children,” Mother said in a quiet, glad kind of voice.
And Dad was smiling because he felt at home at last.
【小题1】What do you know happened to Dad in the story?

A.He was badly ill.B.He had a long journey.
C.He drank too much.D.He lost one of his arms.
【小题2】The family       when they saw Dad’s empty sleeve.
A.was too surprised to do anythingB.felt sad and cried a lot
C.tried not to show their feelingsD.showed no worry at all
【小题3】From the story, we know         .
A.the two sisters often quarreled about who should wash the dishes
B.the family liked seeing the two sisters quarrelling after breakfast
C.Dad loved the two sisters very much though they often quarreled
D.Mother told the two sisters to quarrel with each other the night before
【小题4】Which of the following can be the best title of the story?
A.The Quarrelling SistersB.Dad Was Back
C.After the AccidentD.An Empty Sleeve

Ibrahim became disabled after contracting polio (小儿麻痹症) when he was three years old. At first his parents, like many other parents of disabled children in Niger, did not want to send him to school. They were worried he would be laughed at by his classmates.  
Despite his disability, and his parents’ doubts, Ibrahim was determined to go to school. “When I was eight,” Ibrahim says, “other kids of my age were going to school while I stayed at home. I did not like that. So, I pestered (缠着) my parents until they finally let me go to school.”
Ibrahim’s parents sent him to a private school nearby. Although the journey to and from school was a short one, it still wasn’t easy for Ibrahim. He had to use his hands to help him move along, protecting them with plastic slippers. But at least he was getting an education.
However, after only a year in school, Ibrahim’s education was interrupted when his parents separated. His mother did not have the means to continue paying for his tuition.
In 2007, Ibrahim received some money to be fitted with a leg brace (支架), corrective shoes and his first pair of crutches (拐杖). Now that he was more mobile than before, the most important thing for him was to find a way to go back to school. 
“I wanted to start school again last October,” Ibrahim says. “After my mother told me she could not afford it, I went to visit some of my relatives for support. And I collected 5,000 francs CFA (US $8) to pay my tuition for half a year. I will find the rest of the money somehow.”
Ibrahim attends a school in which he is the only disabled student. According to his teacher, he is among the top five students in a class of 55.
【小题1】 Why did Ibrahim’s parents prefer Ibrahim to stay at home? 

A.There was a lot of housework for him to do.
B.They had no money to pay for his tuition.
C.There were not enough schools in the country.
D.They were afraid the students would make fun of him.
【小题2】 How did Ibrahim go to school before his parents separated? 
A.He went to school on his wheelchair.
B.He went to school on his parents’ bicycle.
C.He walked to school with the support of his hands.
D.He walked to school using a pair of crutches.
【小题3】Ibrahim’s education was interrupted because of his _____.
A.parents’ doubtsB.lack of tuitionC. physical disabilityD.terrible mood
【小题4】The best title for the passage might be _____.
A.A long way to goB.Determined to learn
C.The only disabled student D.I did not like that

An allowance(零花钱) is an important tool for teaching kids how to make plans for the use of money, save and make their own decisions. Children remem­ber and learn from mistakes when their own dollars are lost or spent foolishly.

How large an allowance is suitable? Experts say there is not right amount. Actual amounts differ from region to re­gion, and from family to family.

To set an suitable allowance for your child, work up a weekly plan. Allow for entertainment costs such as movies and snacks. Next, include everyday expenses such as lunch money, bus fare, school supplies. "If you make the child responsible for these bills’," says Josephine Swanson, a consumer specialist, " he or she will learn to plan for nec­essary costs."

Finally, add some extra money to make saving possible. If you can keep your child’s allowance in line with that of his friends. A child whose buying power falls away below his peers’ can feel left out.

It can be tough, but don’t excuse your children when they make a mistake with their allowance. When Brooke Ste­phens was ten and growing up in Jacksonville, her mother gave her $5 a week, $1.75 of which was for bus fare and lunch." If you lose your money," Brooke’s mother told her, "you walk home."

One week the girl spent all her allowance in a candy store, then she called home for a ride. " Mom made me walk home," recalls Stephens, now a financial planner in Brook­lyn. " At first I was angry. But I finally realized that she was trying to teach me an important lesson. "

Experts advise that an allowance should not be tied di­rectly to a child’s daily housework at home. Kids should help around the house not because they get paid for it but because they share responsibilities as members of a family. You might, however, pay a child for doing extra jobs at home, which can develop his or her early habits.

1.Which of the following is the possible title of the passage?

A.How to develop a child’s early habits.

B.How to work up an amount of pocket money.

C.How to teach a child about money.

D.How to teach a child to save money.

2. It can be inferred from the passage that if a child is given an allowance, he or she may ________.

A.spend all the money very soon

B.fall into the bad habit of wasting money

C.feel responsible and careful about money

D.lose the money and can not return home

3. In Paragraph 4, the words “his peers” refer to ________.

A.his parents                            B.his friends

C.his financial experts                     D.his teachers

4. Why does the writer mention Brooke Stephens?

A.To question the opinion about pocket money.

B.To compare Stephens with other financial experts.

C.To explain that parents should be strict when children are developing good habits about money.

D.To suggest pocket money is useless in developing a child’s sense of responsibility.

5. The writer implies in the passage that ________.

A.children may feel lonely if they have no pocket money

B.a child’s early good habits can be developed if he or she is paid for all the housework

C.paying children for their housework is no good

D.children may learn to put aside some money if they are given a great amount of pocket money

 

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