Dear editor,

　　One day last month after I received my salary, I went shopping with my little son. 1 in the crowded store, I had my wallet stolen. And my whole salary was 2 with it.

　　I was so angry that I almost lost 3 of myself. What 4 I do? We were not very rich. The money was really not a 5 sum 6 my family, it would affect our life greatly. How could I tell my wife?

　　I felt very sad and even 7 for losing the money when I got back home. To make 8 for my unforgivable mistake, I 9 all my strength to give our house a thorough cleaning and then prepared a wonderful meal and cooked a special dish my wife loved to please her.

　　When she came home, I 10 a smile to 11 her. She was surprised to see the neat house and delicious meat. We sat 12 the table and began to eat. I told my story 13 . She did not respond. It was as if she had not heard my words.

　　“I’ve lost my salary,”I murmured to her again.

　　“I 14 .”She did not shout at me as I bad expected. She did not lose her 15 . 16 I was afraid she was trying hard to 17 her anger.

　　A moment later, my wife was still silent and seemed to be 18 her favourite dish At last I could not help asking,“I’ve lost the money. Why not shout at me?”

　　She raised her eyes, looking at me and 19 ,“Oh, on the contrary, I’m thinking about 20 to comfort you. It’s the thief who is to blame.”

D
Children start out as natural scientists, eager to look into the world around them. Helping them enjoy science can be easy; there’s no need for a lot of scientific terms or expensive lab equipment. You only have to share your children’s curiosity. Firstly, listen to their questions. I once visited a classroom of seven-year-olds to talk about science as a job. The children asked me “textbook questions” about schooling, salary and whether I liked my job. When I finished answering, we sat facing one another in silence. Finally I said, “Now that we’ve finished with your lists, do you have questions of your own about science?”
After a long pause, a boy raised his hand, “Have you ever seen what a grassshopper（蚱蜢）eats? When I try eating leaves like that, I get a stomachache. Why?”
This began a set of questions that lasted nearly two hours.
Secondly, give them time to think. Studies over the past 30 years have shown that, after asking a question, adults typically wait only one second or less for an answer, no time for a child to think. When adults increase their “wait time” to three seconds or more, children give more logical, complete and creative answers.
Thirdly, watch your language. Once you have a child involved in a science discussion, don’t jump in with “That’s right” or “Very good.” These words work well when it comes to encouraging good behavior. But in talking about science, quick going by saying “That’s interesting” or “I’d never thought of it that way before,” or coming up with more questions or ideas.
Never push a child to “think”. It doesn’t make sense, children are always thinking, without your telling him what to do. What’s more, this can turn a conversation into a performance. The child will try to find the answer you want, in as few words as possible, so that he will be a smaller target for your disagreement.
Lastly, show, don’t tell. Real-life impressions of nature are far more impressive than any lessons children can learn from a book or a television program. Let children look at their fingertips through a magnifying glass（放大镜）, and they’ll understand why you want them to wash before dinner. Rather than saying that water evaporates（蒸发）, set a pot of water to boil and let them watch the water level drop.
68.According to the passage, children are natural scientists, and to raise their interest, the most important thing for adults to do is ___________.
A.to let them see the world around
B.to share the children’s curiosity
C.to explain difficult phrases about science
D.to supply the children with lab equipment
69.Children can answer questions in a more logical, complete and creative way if adults _______.
A.ask them to answer quickly
B.wait for one or two seconds after a question
C.tell them to answer the next day
D.wait at least three seconds after a question
70.The author mentioned all of the following techniques for adults to share with their children’s curiosity EXCEPT that adults should _______________.
A.tell their children stories instead of reciting facts
B.offer their children chances to see things for themselves
C.be patient enough when their children answer questions
D.encourage their children to ask questions of their own

My mom is a teacher．She finds a lesson in everything．I was watching Sesame Street by my second birthday so I’d   16   my ABCs and 123s．Our weekly family trips to the library began when I was three．And my mom had me spotting （认出） the historical markers with childlike   17   on family vacations by the time I was six．For her, life was all about learning．But the biggest lesson she   18   me was never to let my   19   define who I am, and never forget what is   20   in life．

I was born with Freeman-Sheldon Syndrome, an extremely   21   genetic bone and muscular disorder．There are only about 100 reported   22 ．At birth, my knees were bent more than 90 degrees, and I had my first surgery to   23   them when I was just six weeks old．This surgery was the first of many in my   24 ．I’d had 26 surgeries by the time I was 15．

Strange as it   25  , I have good memories of my medical days．One of my   26   is about my mom and me being in the hospital cafeteria（自助餐厅）．We sat down for an ice cream sandwich dessert．It was   27   fancy, but at that moment, I knew I was   28 ．

My parents pushed me to be as   29   as possible — even when I didn’t want to be．My mom taught me that I could do anything and that I should   30   let my disability stop me．In high school, I was a member of the National Honor Society, and in college, I was editor-in-chief of my school newspaper．I wouldn’t have had the   31   to push myself if my parents hadn’t been there,   32   me on and giving me a reality check when I got down on myself．

Every night before I go to bed, I   33   my mom for everything, for all the great help she’s given me．And   34   I get older, I know that “Thanks, Mom” is about so much more than the physical assistance．And that’s   35   matters the most．

A long time ago, there was a seed and because he was only a seed, nobody noticed him. Thus, feeling inferior (低级的), the seed gave no importance to his existence (存在). Then one day, a wind picked him up and threw him on an open field in the sun. Later, he was given rain. Years later he saw a traveler sitting by his side. "Thank you God for this. I really need some rest," he heard the traveler say. "What are you talking about?" the seed quickly asked. He thought the man was making fun of him. No one ever spoke to him like that. "Who just spoke?" the shocked man asked. "It is me. A seed." "A seed?" The man looked at the big tree. "Are you joking? You are not a seed. You are a big tree!" "Really?" "Yes! Why else do you think people come here?" "What do they come here for?" "To feel your shade (树阴)! Don’t tell me you didn’t know you had grown over time." A moment passed before the traveler’s words brought him pride. The seed thought and smiled for the first time in his life. The years of torture (折磨) by the sun and the rain finally helped him grow up. "Oh! That means I’m not a little seed anymore! I was actually born to make people feel comfortable. Wow! That’s great!"
【小题1】The seed didn’t realize the importance of his existence because __________.

What makes a house a home?
Not size, of course. I’ve been in some of the grandest houses in America and it’s readily apparent no one lives there. Earlier this year in a mud hut in Ethiopia, where we sat on chairs next to the hostess’s bed—a home that had more warmth than any house I’ve been in since.
Now John Edwards is exploring what makes a house a home in his just-released book-- The Blueprints of Our Lives. There Edwards writes, “ This is a book about homes, the values they rest on, the dreams they are filled with, and the people they have shaped. The houses and circumstances (环境) are different, but much of what you find inside will be familiar.”
Whether you’re sitting in an airport right now, waiting to fly to your childhood home for Thanksgiving, or in your own home waiting for the relatives to arrive, you know what he’s talking about.
We’ve lived in our townhouse for 21 years--the loose windows that make noise in the wind, the fireplace so shallow it holds only one log, the kitchen window that offers a view of the world passing by. It is where friends sit on the kitchen counter drinking wine while dinner is being fixed. I lived there for only 18, but it will always be my true home. Even the lamp in the west living room window, which I could see far down the road when driving home late at night, still shines.
While all this talk about childhood memories can be warm and comforting, home is whom you’re with, not where you are. As Edwards writes, “ Home is family. Home is safety. Home is faith.”
69. What would be the best title for the text?
A. Home means everything            B. What’s inside makes us feel at home
C. Home: The Blueprints of Our Lives   D. The importance of Houses
70.   The purpose of the second paragraph is to _________.
A.    mean the author likes living in grandest houses 
B.   prove the author got along with the hostess
C.   mean the feeling of a home isn’t related to the size
D.   show the author’s different feelings about houses
71. We know that The Blueprints of Our Lives ________
A.   is the description of Edwards’s houses
B.   is mainly about houses
C.    helps us to understand the concept of home
D.    is written by the author of the text
72. According to the text, which of the following can make a house a home?
A. The atmosphere you feel                B. The color of the walls
C. The number of family members           D. The position of the home