He came into the room to shut the windows while we were still in bed and I saw he looked ill. He was shivering, his face was white, and he walked slowly as though it ached to move.

"What's the matter, Schatz?"

"I've got a headache."

"You better go back to bed."

"No. I'm all right."

"You go to bed. I'll see you when I'm dressed."

But when I came downstairs he was dressed, sitting by the fire, looking a very sick and miserable boy of nine years. When I put my hand on his forehead I knew he had a fever.

"You go up to bed," I said, "You're sick."

"I'm all right," he said.

When the doctor came he took the boy's temperature.

"What's is it?" I asked him.

"One hundred and two."

Downstairs, the doctor left three different medicines in different colored capsules(胶囊) with instructions for giving them. One was to bring down the fever, another a purgative(泻药), the third to overcome an acid condition. The germs of influenza(流感)can only exist in an acid condition, he explained. He seemed to know all about influenza and said there was nothing to worry about if the fever did not go above one hundred and four degrees. This was a light epidemic(传染病;传染性的) of flu and there was no danger if you avoided pneumonia(肺炎).

Back in the room I wrote the boy's temperature down and made a note of the time to give the various capsules.

"Do you want me to read to you?"

"All right. If you want to, " said the boy. His face was very white and there were dark areas under his eyes. He lay still in the bed and seemed very detached(超然的;冷漠的)from what was going on.

I read aloud from Howard Pyle's Book of Pirates(海盗);but I could see he was not following what I was reading.

"How do you feel, Schatz?" I asked him.

"Just the same, so far," he said.

I sat at the foot of the bed and read to myself while I waited for it to be time to give another capsule. It would have been natural for him to go to sleep, but when I looked up he was looking at the foot of the bed, looking very strangely.

"Why don't you try to sleep? I'll wake you up for the medicine."

"I'd rather stay awake."

After a while he said to me, "You don't have to stay in here with me, Papa, if it bothers you."

"It doesn't bother me."

"No, I mean you don't have to stay if it's going to bother you."

I thought perhaps he was a little lightheaded and after giving him the prescribed capsules at eleven o'clock I went out with my gun and the young hunting dog….I killed two quail(鹌鹑), and missed five, and started back pleased to have found a covey of quail close to the house and happy there were so many left to find on another day.

At the house they said the boy had refused to let anyone come into the room.

"You can't come in," he said. "You mustn't get what I have."

I went up to him and found him in exactly the position I had left him, white-faced, but with the tops of his cheeks flushed(发红)by the fever, staring still, as he had stared, at the foot of the bed.

I took his temperature.

"What is it?"

"Something like a hundred," I said. It was one hundred and two and four tenths.

"It was a hundred and two," he said.

"Who said so?"

"The doctor."

"Your temperature is all right," I said. "It's nothing to worry about."

"I don't worry," he said, "but I can't keep from thinking."

"Don't think," I said. "Just take it easy."

"I'm taking it easy," he said and looked straight ahead, He was evidently holding tight onto himself about something.

"Take this with water."

"Do you think it will do any good?"

"Of course it will."

I sat down and opened the Pirate book and began to read, but I could see he was not following, so I stopped.

"About what time do you think I'm going to die?" he asked.

"What?"

"About how long will it be before I die?"

"You aren't going to die. What's the matter with you? "

"Oh, yes, I am, I heard him say a hundred and two."

"People don't die with a fever of one hundred and two. That's a silly way to talk."

"I know they do. At school in France the boys told me you can't live with forty-four degrees. I've got a hundred and two."

He had been waiting to die all day, ever since nine o'clock in the morning.

"You poor Schatz," I said. "Poor old Schatz. It's like miles and kilometers. You aren't going to die. That's different thermometer(温度计). On that thermometer thirty-seven is normal. On this kind it's ninety-eight."

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely," I said, "It's like miles and kilometers. You know, like how many kilometers we make when we do seventy miles in the car?"

"Oh," he said.

But his gaze at the foot of the bed relaxed slowly. The hold over himself relaxed too, finally, and the next day it was very slack(松驰的) and he cried very easily at little things that were of no importance.

1.The author writes about the doctor’s visit in order to _____.

A. show the doctor’s knowledge about influenza and its treatment

B. show the boy’s illness was quite serious

C. create a situation of misunderstanding around which to build a story

D. show the father was very much concerned about the boy’s illness

2.The pronoun “it” in “Papa, if it bothers you” (line 41) refers to _____.

A. the boy’s high temperature

B. the father giving the medicine to the boy

C. the father staying with the boy

D. the boy’s death

3.It can be inferred from the story that it is _____ by the time the father gets home from hunting.

A. early in the afternoon                            B. close to evening

C. at noon                                                      D. late in the morning

4.From the story we know that the boy kept tight control over himself because _____.

A. he did not want to be a bother to others

B. he wanted to recover quickly so that he could go hunting with his father

C. he was afraid that he would die if he lost control over himself

D. he thought he was going to die and he must show courage in the face of death

5.That the boy cried very easily at little things of no importance the next day suggests that _____.

A. he couldn’t control his emotions when he finally relaxed

B. his father would go out hunting without him if he didn’t cry

C. something went wrong with his brain after the fever

D. he often complained about unimportant things as a spoiled boy

6.The theme of the story is _____.

A. death is something beyond a child’s comprehension

B. to be calm and controlled in the face of death is a mark of courage

C. misunderstanding can occur even between father and son

D. misunderstanding can sometimes lead to an unexpected effect

 

Dear Aunty,

After years of her crying. I finally gave in and allowed my daughter to have a cat. I now regret my decision. As someone needs to have a clean, tidy house, I no longer feel relaxed in my own home. If I tell her, “sorry, the cat has to go.” She will be heartbroken. What can I do?

-Feline Phobic

Dear Phobic,

I’m an animal lover and on your kid’s and cat’s side. Tell your daughter your problem. Ask her to help you come up with a plan. Perhaps you can agree to allow the cat only in certain areas of the house. This is a chance for your daughter to develop the sense of responsibility owning a pet requires.

Dear Aunty,

I got the highest grade on a biology test. Now the popular kids think I’m brainy, and want me in their lab group. I knew I was being used. Now, they want my homework. What should I do?

-Lily

Dear Lily.

Popularity can come at a price, but it’s no excuse to cheat. Offer to help new friends with their homework, but don’t give them yours.

Dear Aunty,

I’m one of six assistants in a dental(牙科的) office. But I’m new-there just four months. I’ve tried to join conversations, but they just ignore me. They go shopping together. No one invites me. How can I break into the circle?

-Crystal

Dear Crystal,

Humans run in packs like dogs. When a new dog enters the pack, a lot of discovery goes on. So bring cookies for everyone! Then try making friends with one co-worker. Invite her to lunch. When you get familiar with each other, tell her how hard you’re finding the situation at work. chances are, she’ll take you under her wing.

1.Aunty thinks that Phobic should        .

A.try to persuade her daughter to give in.

B.spend more time cleaning the house.

C.ask her daughter to help tidy up

D.find a better way to keep the cat.

2.The underlined word “brainy” in the passage means        .

A.excited           B.friendly           C.intelligent         D.hard-working

3.According to the passage,       .

A.Phobic can’t get along well with her daughter.

B.Aunty is fond of animals like cats.

C.Crystal’s coworkers are cheating her.

D.Lily has no interest in lab experiments.

 

Hans was an honest fellow with a funny round good-humored face. Living alone, every day he worked in his garden. In all the countryside there was no garden so lovely as his. All sorts of flowers grew there, blooming in their proper order as the months went by, one flower taking another flower’s place, so that there were always beautiful things to see, and pleasant odors to smell.

Hans had many friends, the most devoted being the Miller. So devoted was the rich Miller to Hans that he’d never go by his garden without plucking a large bunch of flowers or a handful of sweet herbs, or filling his pockets with fruits. The Miller used to talk about noble ideas, and Hans nodded and smiled, feeling proud of having such a friend.

The neighbors thought it strange that the rich Miller never gave Hans anything in return, though he had hundreds of sacks of flour, many cows and sheep, but Hans never troubled his head about these, and nothing gave him greater pleasure than to listen to all the wonderful things about the unselfishness of true friendship.

In spring, summer, and autumn Hans was very happy, but when winter came, and he had no fruit or flowers to sell, he suffered from cold and hunger. Though extremely lonely, the Miller never came to see him then.

“There’s no good in going to see Hans while the snow lasts.” The Miller said to his wife, “When people are in trouble they shouldn’t be bothered. So I’ll wait till the spring comes when he’s happy to give me flowers.”

“You’re certainly very thoughtful,” answered his wife, “It’s quite a treat to hear you talk about friendship.”

“Couldn’t we ask Hans up here?” said their son. “I’ll give him half my meal, and show him my white rabbits.”

“How silly you are!” cried the Miller. “I really don’t know what’s the use of sending you to school. If Hans came up here, and saw our warm fire, our good supper, and our red wine, he might get envious, and envy is a most terrible thing, and would spoil anybody’s nature. I am his best friend, and I’ll always watch over him, and see that he’s not led into any temptation. Besides, if Hans came here, he might ask me for some flour. Flour is one thing, and friendship is another, and they shouldn’t be confused. The words are spelt differently, and mean quite different things. Everybody can see that.” He looked seriously at his son, who felt so ashamed that he hung his head down, and grew quite scared, and began to cry into his tea.

Spring coming, the Miller went down to see Hans. Again he talked about friendship. “Hans, friendship never forgets. I’m afraid you don’t understand the poetry of life. See, how lovely your roses are!”

Hans said he wanted to sell them in the market to buy back his things which were sold during the hard time of the winter.

“I’ll give you many good things. I think being generous is the base of friendship.” said the Miller. “And now, as I’ll give you many good things, I’m sure you’d like to give me some flowers in return. Here’s the basket, and fill it quite full.”

Poor Hans was afraid to say anything. He ran and plucked all his pretty roses, and filled the Miller’s basket, imagining the many good things promised by the Miller.

The next day he heard the Miller calling: “Hans, would you mind carrying this sack of flour for me to market?”

“I’m sorry, but I am really very busy today.”

“Well,” said the Miller, “considering that I’m going to give you my things, it’s rather unfriendly of you to refuse. Upon my word, you mustn’t mind my speaking quite plainly to you.”

Poor Hans was driven by his friendship theory to work hard for his best friend, leaving his garden dry and wasted.

One evening Hans was sitting by fire when the Miller came.

“Hans,” cried the Miller, “My little boy has fallen off a ladder and hurt himself, and I’m going for the Doctor. But he lives so far away, and it’s such a bad windy night. It has just occurred to me that you can go instead of me. You know I’m going to give you my good things, so you should do something for me in return.”

“Certainly,” cried Hans. He struggled into the stormy night, and got the doctor to ride a horse to the Miller’s house in time to save the boy. However, Hans got lost in the darkness, and wandered off into a deep pool, drowned.

At Hans’ funeral, the Miller said, “I was his best friend. I should walk at the head of the procession.” Every now and then he wiped his eyes with a handkerchief.

1.From the passage, we can learn that Hans ___________.

A.was extremely wise and noble

B.was highly valued by the Miller

C.admired the Miller very much

D.had a strong desire for fortune

2.“Flour is one thing, and friendship is another” can be understood as ___________.

A.“Different words may mean quite different things.”

B.“Interest is long-lasting while friendship is flexible.”

C.“I’m afraid you don’t understand the poetry of life.”

D.“I think being generous is the base of friendship.”

3.From the Miller’s talk at home, we can see he was ___________.

A.serious but kind

B.helpful and generous

C.caring but strict

D.selfish and cold-hearted

4.What’s the main cause of Hans’ tragedy?

A.True friendship between them.

B.A lack of formal education.

C.A sudden change of weather.

D.Blind devotion to a friend.

5.The author described the Miller’s behavior in order to ___________.

A.entertain the readers with an incredible joking tale

B.show the friendship between Hans and the Miller

C.warn the readers about the danger of a false friend

D.persuade people to be as intelligent as the Miller

 

Our village carpenter(木匠), John Hill, came one day and made a dining table for my wife. He made it just the right size to fill the space between the two windows. When I got home that evening, John was drinking a cup of tea and writing out his bill for the job.
My wife said to me quietly, “It’s his ninth cup of tea today.” But she said in a loud voice, “It is a beautiful table, dear, isn’t it?”
“I will decide about that when I see the bill, ” I read:
One dining table, 10 November, 1989.
Cost of wood: $17.00
Paint: $1.50
Work: 8 hours ($1 an hour) $8.00
Total: $36.50
When I was looking at the bill, John said, “It’s been a fine day, hasn’t it? Quite sunny.” “Yes,” I said, “I’m glad it is only the 10th of November.”
“Me, too,” said John. “You wait. It’ll be a lot colder by the end of the month.”
“Yes, colder…. And more expensive! Dining tables will be $20 more expensive on November 30th, won’t they, John?” John looked hard at me for half a minute. Was there a little smile in his two blue eyes? I gave his bill back to him.
“If it isn’t too much trouble, John,” I said, “Please add it up again and you can forget the date.”
I paid him $26.50and he was happy to get it.

  1. 1.

    Why did John talk about the weather when the writer was looking at the bill?_______

    1. A.
      Because he didn’t want the writer to go through the bill carefully.
    2. B.
      Because it was really a fine day.
    3. C.
      Because he wanted the writer to check the bill carefully.
    4. D.
      Because he wanted to tell the writer what the weather was like.
  2. 2.

    Why did the writer say that dining table would be$ 20 more expensive on November 30th ?__________ 

    1. A.
      Because it was difficult to make dining tables in cold weather.
    2. B.
      Because paint would be more expensive.
    3. C.
      Because the cost of wood would be more expensive.
    4. D.
      Because he thought John would certainly add to the cost of the dining table.
  3. 3.

    From the story we know that _____________

    1. A.
      John made a mistake in the bill.
    2. B.
      John tried to fool the writer in order to get more money for his work
    3. C.
      John had written out the bill before the writer got home.
    4. D.
      John still wanted to get $36.50 for his work in the end.

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